For Narnia!

The day started at an easy pace filled with bright blue skies once again. We had a leisurely breakfast in the motel and then headed into town to see Greymouth by daylight since we'd gotten in the evening before. We parked the car by a large wall that ran along the Grey river. After snapping a few pictures, we walked into the middle of town to check out a few shops. Not much purchasing happened but we did see some beautiful greenstone necklaces and sculptures in one store. Gorgeous pieces and one day I'll get myself one! A little before noon, we headed to the South Beach to see the water. The beach wasn't as pretty as the other ones we'd seen so we didn't stay long. Then we were on our way to Christchurch through Arthur's Pass.

The path from Greymouth to Christchurch goes across the Southern Alps , which is referred to as the spine of the South Island. The drive towards the mountains was picturesque, winding along the flat valley floor spotted with trees, shrubs and a shallow, twisting river running through the midst. The further we went, the more snow dusted peaks we saw and the steeper the roads became. There was one particular vista that was called Death's Corner for some reason. We didn't bother to find out why but we did take some great pictures from where we'd just been.

Up in Arthur's Pass National Park the clouds had rolled in, making the area quite chilly. We stopped to grab some meat pies at a local shop and then went to the Visitor's Center. I had been hoping to see New Zealand's endemic Alpine parrot called the Kea, but apparently it's the wrong time of year for them. Normally, they hang about the village being quite a nuisance, but now they're up eating their fill before winter.

We then began our decent into the eastern side of the South Island. In my opinion, the mountains were becoming more spectacular, which led to many stops for many pictures. We were about to pass the Flock Hill Lodge when I asked Jacob to turn in to have a look. I had read on the internet that Flock Hill Station is where they filmed the battle scene for Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I had no idea how we'd be able to see it, since it was on private property. However, Jacob made the move to ask the proprietor of the restaurant about the location and then we were filling out a permission form and were given directions.


A little further along the road we parked the car, hopped the gate and were on our way. It was supposed to be a 30 min walk that involved a little river crossing, but with all the picture taking, it ended up taking more like 45+ mins. As we walked, the sun started to shine through the clouds, making for some dramatic lighting on the hills surrounding us. I should mention that what's so special about this location is striking collection of grey limestone formations that are strewn across the landscape in several concentrated locations. The walk seemed long but it was wonderful to be out there all by ourselves amid such beauty in a location that probably not many people take the time to see. However, once we arrived at the formations, there were several backpackers that were climbing over the rocks. I know that they had a right to be there as well, but it ruined the illusion for me a little bit.

At this point the sun was getting close to dipping below the mountains and my camera's battery light was flashing on low, so we hurried our way back to the car along the gravel trail. We reached the car with the sun already behind the highest peaks and got back on the road. After a few more shots of sun touched peaks, ending with a glowing, orange sunset, we finally made a serious effort to get ourselves to Christchurch. We reached the Christchurch area a little after 7pm and met up with my friends, Corina and Patrick, at a Countdown carpark. They were nice enough to meet us there since after the earthquakes, the city had shift a half a kilometer, so all the maps were wrong. Plus, with all the construction, the roads we much more difficult to navigate. We were glad to have they're help. Before getting to their place, they took us to a fish and chips place to get us some proper fish and chips for dinner, all wrapped in paper. It was all scrumptious! We spent the evening at their place with Corina's father, Bill, chatting away and being amused by their two kitties, Charli and Harrison.

It was a good day!