The Penguin Encounter
Actual vehicle used in Antarctica, and Norm had a hair-raising ride in it!
The closest I came to "action adventure" was pretend! Didn't even hurt myself doing it!
We got up, had breakfast, and brought the cleaned campervan to Christchurch. We were given our rather large suitcases, ( which they transferred from Auckland to Christchurch for us ) then we were brought to the car rental place, and picked up our new, liberating, transporatation. One thing I learned, that the view from the seat of the campervan was so superior to the little car!
We felt like we were sitting on the ground, and all the hedges that ran along the road blocked our view! Thank goodness we had gotten to see everything already! All the people in cars can't possibly know what they were missing!
Christchurch is the main departure point for expeditions to Antarctica, and they have a fabulous International Antarctic Centre that provides visitors with a look at life as an Antarctic researcher. I experienced the “ behind the scenes” penguin encounter, Norman took yet another crazy ride in an amphibious vehicle designed in Denmark for Antarctic conditions. We both dawned boots and a heavy coat to experience an Antarctic storm.
What a joke! Wind picked up, temp dropped to about zero. It seemed like a regular crappy day in the middle of a New England winter!
We felt like we were sitting on the ground, and all the hedges that ran along the road blocked our view! Thank goodness we had gotten to see everything already! All the people in cars can't possibly know what they were missing!
Christchurch is the main departure point for expeditions to Antarctica, and they have a fabulous International Antarctic Centre that provides visitors with a look at life as an Antarctic researcher. I experienced the “ behind the scenes” penguin encounter, Norman took yet another crazy ride in an amphibious vehicle designed in Denmark for Antarctic conditions. We both dawned boots and a heavy coat to experience an Antarctic storm.
What a joke! Wind picked up, temp dropped to about zero. It seemed like a regular crappy day in the middle of a New England winter!
Stopped on the way back to the condo ( over an hour each way ) at a Corn Maze. No one was there attending the place at 3PM. Strange. This corn field was HUGE. During the day( I read on the internet) they have people at different places helping people if they get lost. It was getting late, so we thought it best to come back the next day, and bring sunscreen and water. They also had about a dozen different large outdoor puzzle games. Some with large blocks, some with tires. I managed to fall off of one, and was very grateful that I didn’t do further damage. Helps to look where you are stepping. I will kill myself yet!
Last stop was to make dinner reservations for the next night at the resort. Norman backs the little tiny car up and manages to hit a stone wall! What a crunch! All I could think of is that we just dropped off the vehicle with comprehensive insurance, and now, with only two days left, we had declined the coverage! ( we usually do decline with rental cars, but we did have trip insurance to cover a deductable) Luckily, no damage done! Who needs the paperwork nightmare? Phew! It was amazing how Norman drove that huge camper into and out of the tightest of situations, and yet he could not see out the back of the compact!
Had the left-over goat, which we found very tough, and enjoyed a quiet evening.
Last stop was to make dinner reservations for the next night at the resort. Norman backs the little tiny car up and manages to hit a stone wall! What a crunch! All I could think of is that we just dropped off the vehicle with comprehensive insurance, and now, with only two days left, we had declined the coverage! ( we usually do decline with rental cars, but we did have trip insurance to cover a deductable) Luckily, no damage done! Who needs the paperwork nightmare? Phew! It was amazing how Norman drove that huge camper into and out of the tightest of situations, and yet he could not see out the back of the compact!
Had the left-over goat, which we found very tough, and enjoyed a quiet evening.
