From the Banks Peninsula, we drove back into Christchurch to take care of some business (namely Graham’s work and my desire for Thai food).  After a few hours at the internet cafe, we decided to go to a movie and saw 2012.  The movie was totally enjoyable, though very expensive (30 bucks for the two of us!).  Still, it was worth it.

The movie was longer than expected and somehow the sun started to set earlier than normal, as we drove north to our campsite.  We followed the DOC directions to the spot that was supposed to be our campsite, but upon driving over 20 km down a gravel road in the dark and then seeing some type of drawered structure off the side of the road, Graham and I simultaneously got freaked out and decided to bail on the camping idea.  We headed up SH 1 toward Kaikora and pulled over at a coastal campsite (right next to the railroad, we quickly learned) and slept in our little pink car.

The following morning we woke at 6 and left the “campsite” before being caught (confession: we didn’t pay for the six hours we parked our car and tried to sleep at the site) and headed up north along the coast to the town of Kaikora.  The drive was amazing - just like Highway 1 in Calfornia between Monterey and Big Sur.  We ate breakfast in Kaikora and then continued along our way north, stopping at a turnout to see baby seal pups!  After a bit more driving, we arrived in our destination of Blenheim.

Blenheim was our one splurge of the trip, as we stayed two nights in a swanky hotel.  It’s amazing how incredibly exciting having our own shower (not shared with dozens of hotellers) can be.  I think we each showered four times while we were there.  The king size bed was especially sweet given that we slept in the car the night before.  We also took advantage of room service, having our own tv with a movie channel and the fitness center.  Graham took me out to a fancy dinner where he ate lamb and I had delicious veggies and polenta, plus a cocktail with ginger beer and vodka.  Mmm…

With one day left with our car, we headed along the Queen Charlotte scenic drive to Nelson where we plan to explore the town and get ready for our five day Abel Tasman “Great Walk”…

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