After breakfast, we headed down to the local store to log onto the internet, book some Motels, check out the cash situation and update the blog. Whilst John finished off on line, Fiona went shopping. “Do you want the bad news” Fiona announced. Fifi had managed to bend the car key (our only one) in the car door lock. It was hanging on by a tread of metal. The store manager sent us to the local garage, where they cut us a new key. The fist attempt did not work. John had to run to the other end of town, try the key, and then run back. On the second attempt it worked.. So for $8 we had a new key!
We left Akaroa in stunning sunshine, travelling back through Christchurch and onto Arthurs Pass. As we approached the snow capped mountains, the clouds began to gather and by the time we hit the mountains the rain has sheeting down and the wind blowing the car all over the place.
The rain just got heavier and heavier, falling in sheets down the valleys. We reached Arthurs Pass after three hours of driving. The weather was now so bad it was hard to drive. We passed a small Motel in Arthurs Pass Village called Arthurs Pass Alpine Motel (see: http://www.apam.cp.nz/) . They had a room, so we booked in. The owner said it had been raining like this for three days and the west coast was no better.
We checked out a few other options for later in the week, booked another Motel and went to the local store to get some wine and crisps. The motel has a stack of DVD’s so we plan to sit out the storm with a little tipple, corn snacks and some good films. In this weather there is simply nothing much else to do in NZ. It’s all about the big outdoors, but in this weather, that’s just not an option.
We watched the The Bourne Identity, pausing it half way through, to go out and get more crisps. At the end of the film, the sun peeped out for a few minutes before it began to pour down again. We have never seen it rain this heavily for so long.
It rained into the evening, so we watched another DVD and some TV, read some books and tried to keep the boredom at bay! When it rains here it really rains. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow as we are planning to hike in this area.
