We're lost in music.....

Our first morning on the South Island & the weather was decidedly dull. However, reading about the awful weather & the tragic consequences in other parts of New Zealand & Australia, we were grateful that we are travelling in the opposite direction & unaffected by it. We spent our first week heading down the West Coast, stopping just one night at each spot but cramming our days with exploring caves, treks, visits to museums, towns, hot pools & even kayaking. Our walks took us up alongside both Franz Joseph & Fox Glacier with great views. After we were tempted to take  a helicopter ride but decided to save our money & visit the hot pools instead where we lay in waters set at a delicious 38  degrees & where we still had clear views of the Glacier.  
The  following day we went on a 3 hr kayaking trip with a guide to a beautiful lake that reflected the surrounding mountains & glaciers, then we rowed down a narrow gully overgrown in places by trees & plants. We really enjoyed it. I'm becoming quite proficient at this kayaking lark & this particular kayak had a rudder so Mr L’s steering was much improved & therefore ‘discussions’ about steering were limited to complimentary comments. 
We realised this week that we have now been travelling for six months and to celebrate we purchased an auxiliary lead to plug our iPod into the van & listen to our own music. It was so good to hear something other than Justin Bieber. We stopped at a lake near Ruatapa, where there was a picnic area  and campground,  to make lunch. The sun was shining, our music was playing so we thought,  what the heck, let's have the afternoon off. We pulled onto the campsite to a spot where we were by ourselves,  set up our chairs in the sun, got out the cheese, crackers, grapes and the  wine of course, put on some of our favourite tracks and got totally absorbed in the music. A fabulous, lost afternoon. Sometimes you forget that you don't need to charge about trying to see and do everything, you need to take time to enjoy the moment. We certainly did.
When we woke the following morning to yet more clear blue skies, we took our breakfast with us and sat down by the lake to enjoy the scenery. A great start to the day. Back on the road and the views just kept on getting better. 
The weather wasn't so great when we arrived in a town called Wanaka, where fellow travellers had recommended we visit. It is quite  a tourist hotspot and offers all sorts of adventurous activities, but nothing that attracted us. We purchased some oversized cake to discuss our options and decided that we should drive out of town and do a short trek Along a trail called Mountain Rock. The clue was in the name I guess but I didn't pay attention. The track quickly became a climb. Mr L said he felt more like a mountain goat than a hiker, but every so often the foliage cleared and we had incredible views. When we finally reached the top we were surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The clear skies allowed us to see forever and below us were the Lakes. I'm sure it's getting boring for you now reading about the amazing views & it's equally hard for me to put into words how Incredible they are so can you just take it as read that everywhere we go in the South Island the scenery is spectacular. 
You may be wandering why there are big gaps in between blog posts. To put the record straight it is not tardiness on my part but the limited wifi opportunities. Most campsites offer some wifi but usually 100Mb which is just about enough to check emails, messages & the news. In Australia we relied on McDonalds & Bunnings DIY store to provide free wifi, but there are less of those opportunities in NZ. Even the libraries, when we can find them, another source of free wifi, limit usage. I'm delighted though that so many of you continue to follow & share our experiences with us. 
Our next destination was the worlds leading centre for jumping, dropping or running off things – usually high points – Queenstown. I wasn't sure if it had much to offer us but we shall see.