Hole in one

Our last day in New Zealand. Definitely bittersweet. It’s been a wonderful journey, and it is sad to see it coming to an end. We have been here for long enough that we have grown accustomed to our lifestyle. We’ve actually become quite proficient at unpacking and packing our bags in a matter of minutes. And, of course, we know all about getting groceries, petrol (gas), and how to find free internet. We miss the comforts of home, like our bed, unlimited internet, our cat…oh yeah, and being able to talk with family and friends. ;-)

Activities for today were not nearly as exciting as many of our other days here. We had a nice, long drive from Franz Josef to Christchurch – almost five hours. We drove through Arthur’s Pass National Park, saw some pretty scenery, and stopped at a gas station since gas in Franz Josef was several cents higher per liter than everywhere else. Everything there was expensive – even their milk and water costs more than in the other towns we visited.

The scenery was more desert-like than most of the other landscape we’ve seen. There were plenty of mountains, but many of them were more brown and grey, as opposed to green trees or white snow.

Once in Christchurch, we decided to head to Caddyshack City Minigolf. We had just enough time for one more fun activity. I’d read about this mini golf online, and people really seemed to like it. Although it was on the pricey side, it was definitely worth it! Each hole had a different theme that related to New Zealand. One resembled the Skytower in Auckland, one had a fancy looking church like the one that used to be in Christchurch, one had a lumber yard, one had a national park, etc. Not only were the holes very thoughtfully designed, but they also lit up, played music, and moved around! One hole was supposed to be a roller coaster and it took your ball up an incline in a “seat.” Another hole that resembled the skyline gondolas took your ball up an incline in a little gondola. It was so cool! At the end, when you hit your ball into the final hole, a lollipop dropped down. Since we love minigolf and I’d wanted to try out this course, it was the perfect way to end our time here!

The Skytower hole

Candy at the end!

We chose a hotel that is literally right outside the airport since we have an early morning flight. We dropped off our car, figured out where we need to go in the morning, and walked back to the hotel (it was only about a five minute walk). Off to bed early so that we can catch our flight. We have to get up around 3:45 – I guess it will give us a kick start to getting back on Central time.

Love, the George family