Transalpine Drive, the day after

after an awful night when every time there was an aftershock I lay there thinking 'is this another big one? Is it going to stop?' we set off early saying a very fond goodbye to Penny and Brian who were indefatigable in their efforts to make sure we were all ok in the motel. As we drove out we were in for more shocks as we travelled up Pokenhui road. Our motel was 100 yds outside the 4 Avenue lockdown so we were very lucky to be able to get all our stuff. We passed houses, cafes and shops that were decimated but were right next to houses, cafes and shops that appeared untouched apart from their contents being thrown around.

The next problem was theanic buying of petrol. We had just under half a tank but that was not enough to get us across the Transalpine and then down to Timaru where we intended to stop. We were not sure what to do when we spotted a small garage with a shortish queue. Thankfully we filled up as we heard the cashier tell someone on the phone the petrol was about to run out.

And then we had the perfect day to help us forget the previous 24 hrs. More stunning and majestic scenery as we drove into the Alps, hardly a car in sight. Crystal clear streams, the contrasting dark green of the firs on the slopes and all around us silence and beauty. It was a lovely day and just what we needed. We drove about 200km across the Southern Alps to Jacksons and then turned around, drove back and then down to . A lot of driving but it felt right. Arriving very tired in Timaru we discovered there was a tennis tournament on and all ,otels were booked. We finally found what was probably the last room in town....and then we saw why! The people were very friendly but the room was basically an old 1950s prefab and although the sheets were fine the covers were reminiscent of a 1970s caravan,and I don't think had been washed since then. But we were exhausted and grateful to lay our heads down. We still had mild aftershocks down in Timaru 170km south of Christchurch.

Bidding a hasty goodbye to Timaru we set off for Dunedin and the Otago Peninsular.

The miles flew past and soon we were driving the narrow road along the peninsular to Portobello. There we struck gold at the Portobello motel, a big sunny room, a balcony with a gorgeous view over the bays and a pub restaurant 100 metres away.

We did a boat trip and Dave got to see albatrosses swoop and keel over our boat. We also saw them nesting on the cliffs. We saw NZ fur seals and shearwaters. Lovely. Then after a drive around the lanes of this small peninsular with gorgeous views we arrived for a visit to a penguin sanctuary. On the tour before us there were 44 people, on our tour we were 4. Fabulous. They protect penguins and release them back to the sea when recovered or as adults. It was a great tour and we were able to get very close to these rare Yellow-eyed penguins thanks to ingenious hides and walkways built into the cliffs and beach. We were even able to tiptoe past one who had stationed himself in the middle of the path.

Next morning we went to Dunedin and admired the Victorian gothic facade, got my photos onto disc and headed off to the west coast and Te Anau ready for our trip to Milford Sound.