A last run in New Zealand

Day 44
Today, it was time for the last run in New Zealand. I was sad about this, and also feeling a bit below par. Must have picked up a cold somewhere, and had a bad headache, so was feeling a bit iffy.  No point in moping though - and a  tranquil 30 min jog along the River Avon in Christchurch Botanical Gardens cheered things up. The unusually warm weather was continuing, and it was sunny and peaceful running amonst the flowers and trees. And it had a glass house full of exotic looking leaves. 

New Zealand has been full of lots of new experiences. Driving an automatic car. Thinking that a 3 hour drive is a 'short' driving day, and driving 5000km in 5 weeks. Seeing volcanoes, hot mud pools (and sitting in some), running to hot water beaches where the water steams and the air smells of sulphur, and going to places with names like 'Craters of the Moon' and accepting this as seeming a totally logical name for a place. Seeing glaciers, and icebergs, and fjords, and waterfalls. Walking around giant Kauri trees, and cracking your neck to stare up through the branches and imagining that the lands of The Magical Faraway Tree might not be that far away after all. Seeing a petrified forest, at the same time as realising that actually exists. Walking through caves with skeletons of long extinct animals scattered on the floor.  And seeing rocks, but not normal rocks, but rocks with names like Pancake Rocks. Seeing places where the water is  an other-worldly luminous chalky blue colour, and being mesmerized as it flows on down the gorge it has carved out on its way from high up in the mountains. The mountains, so many mountains! Looking at the landscape and without too much effort, imagining a hobbit frolicking over the grass covered hills. Seeing yellow eyed and blue penguins in the wild, mountain parrots, and fur seals relaxing on their rocks as the sea crashes around them. And seeing unusual things like Tuaturas, but equally as excitingly meeting a friendly duck who likes to be fed grass and have her head stroked. Experiencing vastly variable weather (even more variable than in England). Never being far from the ocean, but seeing it in a hundred different moods. Looking at Art Deco buildings. Tasting interesting new wines. Shopping in giant supermarkets with shelves up to the ceiling called  things like 'Pak n Save'. Being able to buy giant juicy bright green kiwi fruit, and golden ones too.

I felt a bit intimidated before arriving here that I might not be able to take part in much, as I imagined New Zealand to be full of giant mountains covered in snow,  and being neither skiier nor climber, I thought that maybe I would be able to look on in wonder, but not do much. I was pretty much as wrong as I could be, which usually is a difficult thing to discover, but on this occasion something I was happy to realise! I've spent 5 weeks looking in wonder, but also in doing a wonderful assortment of wonderful things. It's been terrific. Wonderful. Wonderfully terrific.

What a fabulous country!