On Holiday

So gentle reader, its been a few weeks since I've typed up a blog post. No I haven't disappeared down some black hole. I've been on holiday and now back at work, home and blog.
Autumn holidays can be wonderful. This year I decided to visit the South Island of New Zealand, just a few hours hop (by plane). Yes I purchased Carbon Offsets for the flight but not for the rental car that I used to do the tourist trail from Christchurch (damaged but not out) to Aoraki Mount Cook to Central Otago and back to Christchurch via the Pigroot and Moeraki Boulders.

Moeraki Boulders

As I drove, I contemplated the NZ marketing campaign " 100% Pure New Zealand". The scenery was spectacular, the waters of Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki, Ruataniwha and Dunstan sparkling blue and clear. The silvery tussocks waving in the gentle breeze under a bright blue sky beckoned one to breathe the fresh air.
But the truth is that much of the South Island flora and fauna is completely introduced and man-made. Gone are the vast swathes of Southern Silver Beech, Red Beech and Kahikatea forests. The Lakes mentioned above are all controlled for hydro power and Lake Dunstan swallowed the historic bridge and part of the town of Cromwell - something I remember from my last visit 20 years ago!
But the holiday was a breathe of fresh air. Time to recharge and contemplate the breathtaking beauty of a relatively empty country. Time to see misty mountains, rushing rivers and glacial lakes, golden poplar trees and catch up with the damage in Christchurch.

Former Arts Centre

Crown Plaza now completely demolished

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