Time to slow down...

 
 
 
 

I realized last night that I've been averaging about six hours of driving everyday and when I talk to people about the trip all I really have to say is "it's pretty" and "i've been on the road alot". Well today and tomorrow and maybe the next day (who knows) I am going to be staying in queenstown. I am at a small Christian park called Lakeland and they are putting me up for free. I have a nice little cabin with a great view of the lake and queenstown. Lastnight I was able to just sit on the lawn and watch the sunset and it was amazing. The next few days I think I am just going to relax and spend time with God... and maybe catch up on sleep and explore the area.

Some thoughts on New Zealand... to be honest it's quite a bit different then I thought it would be. The towns are alot smaller and there are tourists everywhere. In fact it seems like alot of the towns exist to provide for the tourists. The landscape is amazing. Two days ago when I was driving I would drive for 30min and would be up in the Mts or the country and then out of no where I would be on the coast and the feel is so so much different yet they are only minutes away. The weather was also crazy... It would look grey and rainy and looked like it would be that way all day but then an hour later there would be beautiful blue sky and puffy white clouds. As far as the food here. It's not much different then the US only they have much better burgers here... oh and fish and chips. Here fish and chips are kind of a big deal. The fish here is very good and when you order fish n chips you get basically a whole fish not little fish strips. And aside from that it's hard to explain... you need to just come out here and try them. The food I've enjoyed most are their breakfasts they make great big breakfast and the eggs are really fresh and the bacon is delicious. Staying in hostels has been really fun as well... I met two guys from Holland two days ago but for the most part the travelers are either from Germany or the UK. Some hostels are definitely better then others. Like the one in Greymouth I thought I might die that night. But they're cheap and the people running them have been really friendly. I've gotten used to driving on the left side of the road... well except yesterday when a large bus was coming at me in my lane... and then I realized I was in his (I think I was more scared then him).

It’s been a great trip so far… a lot faster then I imagined and most of the photos I’ve taken have been of scenery outside the car window or off the side of the road. Having a day or two here will be refreshing.

-Allan