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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Larry2006-05-27 03:23:16
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CHRISTCHURCH -> ARTHUR'S PASS
The next morning, I took the first flight of the day from Auckland into
Christchurch, on the south island. I rented a car at the airport, deciding
to look around Christchurch later in the trip, and headed up to Greymouth,
via Arthur's Pass.
This is a beautiful road to take, and even though it was mid-summer, the
trip was filled with mist-covered mountains, purple wildflowers, and
snow-capped peaks. Along the way, there'd be the occasional stop for cattle
crossing the road, and all throughout, you're surrounded by gorgeous
mountain scenery all the way to the top of the pass.
At the top, I stopped for some lunch at the little restaurant there. I
ordered a "toasted ham & cheese sandwich," which turned out to be the best
I'd tasted on the trip, though the hot chocolate was watered down way too
much.
In both Australia and New Zealand, it's always easy to find quick food to
go. While only the larger towns have the McDonalds and Hungry Jacks, there
are plenty of places to pick up other food at roadside restaurants or
stores. Most common would be food under a heat lamp (meat/chicken/pork
patties, meat pies, fish & chips, etc), but many places also served "toasted
sandwiches" (what Americans call "grilled sandwiches"). More often than
not, they would, in fact, be grilled, though some places did use a healthier
toaster-over to toast the sandwiches. Generally, they're thin, with only
one slice of whatever you want, but they're cheap too -- usually around
$2-$3 in both New Zealand and Australia (US$1.45-$2.40).
GREYMOUTH -> WESTPORT -> GREYMOUTH
The drive back down from Arthur's Pass is nice also, and before long,
you're arriving into Greymouth, the largest town on the
...
See photographs from:
Australia Gallery
,
New Zealand Gallery
