Number Five Starting for Queenstown and Milford Sound Trip of 1,300 Kms.

Last Friday the 5th of October we picked up our Campervan from Apollo. After shopping for some groceries at Countdown we headed for Lake Tekapo across the South Canterbury plains. A warm NWester was blowing very strongly and the Hitop Toyota didn't like it. The driver, DKH, was rather stressed as the little camper bounced and bumped its way down the Main South Road. At one stage we pulled off for a bit of stress relief and something to eat.

We turned off into the mountains and headed for Lake Takepo The view was stunning but we were not prepared for what was coming. It began to drizzle as we neared the Lake.

The Cold front moves in with rain across the Lake.

We quickly visited the Historic Church where Debbie's sister Karen had been married to Rob and headed for the Lake Tekapo Holiday Park and booked in.

Guess what we forgot? To ask for more bedding and to get a heater for the cold nights.

That first night the temperature plummetted to below zero and it began to snow. The little Hitop camper became a Refrigerator with two unsuspecting campers about to freeze. It felt like the deep Russian Winter with 2 Inches of ice on the walls

Where Debbie's sister had been Married near Lake Tekapo

 It rained and snowed and blew all night. We put on extra clothes under our one duna. I took off my Binnie and Esther put it one as her head was cold. I put my bald head under the duna. We have never slept so close. Esther was like one big python trying to wrap herself around me all night to get warm. You know, if we slept it must have been after the front had passed about four a.m.

Next morning we had cooked porridge and a cuppa then began to headout to Queenstown over two hundred Kms further into the Southern Alps.
Esther said, "I'll just check for messages on the Phone before we leave town."  We'd filled the petrol tank the night before.
Well there it was. It was a message from Andrew saying that Debbie had slept the night at Tekapo and was at the Historic Church and was meeting Andrew there in 40 minutes. Wow! what a great SURPRISE and BLESSING. We thought that they were heading north to Marlborough Sound. They hadn't mentioned anything to us about it. Andy was following them in the little Red Peugeot. We quickly turned back to the Historic Church that we had seen the night before and there they were. Debbie had slept the night in the Bush somewhere and Andy had left home at 5:30 and just arrived as we got there. How we praised the Lord after such a surprise.

Debbie outside the Van loaned to them by Paddy and Carole

This made all my dreams come true!!!!!!!!!! Family on Tour!!!!!!!!!!!