We set off to travel along Arthur’s Pass and the temps rise gradually from 12*c to a much warmer 24*c during the morning.

The sky was full of clouds but we could see the mountain tops of the New Zealand Alps. Our first stop was Castle Hills.

It is a limestone area with huge out crops of boulders sticking up from the hills. Some of them were as large as stone henge boulders. Again it is a Maori sacred place and very well visited.

3 years ago we visited them on a grey drizzly day but today they looked so much better. We spent ages there climbing up to them and walking through and around them. We took many photos but don’t worry I’ve only uploaded a few! You could see “faces” in lots of them with a bit of imagination.

We continued as far as Arthur’s Pass town

then made our way back slowly, stopping to see the views and the lakes we had passed.

In one area you can clearly see the snow fields. It has been another fab day to remember.

We are busy sorting our things for the flight. The suitcases still weigh less than maximum thank goodness.

We will be staying north of Auckland in a town on the coast called Paihia

More from there watch this space xxxx