Thanks for the good wishes everyone! I’m now on my next bus - the Intercity to Ōtautahi.

Good thing - it’s very cheap.

Sad thing - it’s not a train, there aren’t any on this route 😢

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Got all the essentials with me - book, phone, noise-cancelling headphones, flask of tea, snacks … it’s a long journey. Lucky to have a window seat!

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We have a 40 minute break in Oamaru, which is full of grand old buildings like this. I went for a quick walk, found the Victorian part of town closed for filming. Obviously some sort of period drama!

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We’ve just crossed the Waitaki River (can’t fit it into one snapshot) - I have left Otago! 😧

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I’m now in Ōtautahi 🎉 Once we got to the Canterbury plains I kept nodding off - oops! I found the bus comfortable and the drive was very smooth. We stopped for 15 minutes each in Timaru and Ashburton for the driver’s break, not time for more than a quick stretch of the legs.

I’m heading north tomorrow, but will stay here a couple of days on the way home. Just waiting for my room service dinner, and then to sleep for an early start in the morning 😴

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Story here about the filming I saw from a distance in Oamaru’s Victorian precinct yesterday - Netflix series of Steinbeck’s East of Eden!

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https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/oamaru-proving-it%E2%80%99s-streets-ahead

A highlight of my holiday today - I’m going on the Coastal Pacific train to Picton 🥰

We depart at 7am, luckily I’m an early riser!

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We’re wandering along the plains of North Canterbury- lots of vineyards here.

Train is very comfortable and I have a window seat and a whole row to myself. More passengers boarding later though. We have wifi and charging plugs and an app that alerts us to points of interest, so all sorted!

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Just spent 5 minutes in Kaikoura! We’ve been going along the wild coastline for a while now - it’s stunning.

Discovered I don’t have the right connection to charge my phone on the train, so have to be restrained with phone use.

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Spent some time in the viewing carriage, here shown stopped at the station, but the view from my seat is fabulous too!

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Now I’m in Picton. Will be sailing across Cook Strait in that boat on the left soon! My first time leaving Te Wai Pounamu in 5 years 😧

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The train trip was fabulous and I will do it again on the way home in a couple of weeks. It’s frustrating that it’s so expensive- I really wish it was less luxurious and more accessible.

Here are some Marlborough photos. Battery on phone is very low so that will most likely be all from me for a while!

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Found somewhere to charge my phone on board 🎉 It’s a lovely day but there’s a moderate swell. Luckily I’m not prone to sea-sickness!🤞🏼

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Cruising on the Interislander, as the song goes. The sun is shining, but it’s one of those crossings where they announce that “conditions are less than favourable”, advise you to remain seated, and come around offering ice and sick bags. Lots of pale-looking people- I’m fortunate to feel fine!

Found a nice spot in the ‘quiet area’.

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Greetings Te Whanganui a Tara👋🏼 Things got a lot smoother once we reached the harbour!

I’m here for a couple of days with my sister and catching up with friends. Then we head further north.

Watching planes flying in and thinking how I could have flown here in a couple of hours and for less money than this 2-day trip 🫤 This slow travel is a lot more fun though!

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Wellington has put on sunshine for me - after a little rain 😆 I had a lovely time wandering into town through the Botanic Gardens and around the waterfront in good tourist fashion. Also visited the Wellington Museum.

Then my fatigue kicked in so I came back to my sister’s to rest up. Today’s transport was walking, but I caught the cable car as the most convenient way of getting home!

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The waterfront is great. And I love the zero-waste and circular economy ethics of this cafe! Got my lunch there 😊

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I highly recommend Wellington Museum. It’s very interesting and a lot quieter than Te Papa!

The current exhibition Fortune features this fabulous knitted yum cha, made by Bev Moon. Really impressive!

#AlisHoliday #knitting #art

Today I’m riding the Kapiti line - heading up the coast to spend the afternoon with friends in Raumati 🥰

Wellington Railway Station isn’t quite up to the magnificence of Dunedin’s - still pretty good though!

Managed to tag on okay with my ancient Snapper card - phew 😅

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Had a lovely afternoon with my friends, including some down from Auckland, at Raumati Beach. Now exhausted after talking too much 😆

Staying tonight at my sister’s place in Waikanae Beach.

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Today I’m travelling with my sister and brother-in-law in their car to Rotorua - my furthest destination.

Before leaving we went walking on lovely Waikanae Beach. Saw Kapiti Island in a different direction from yesterday at Raumati. 😍

My holiday continues to be charmed by sunshine!

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We stopped for a picnic lunch a little past Waiouru, at the Tangiwai disaster memorial. Hard to believe that one of Aotearoa’s biggest disasters happened at this lovely peaceful place.

For those who don’t know, late on Christmas Eve 1953 a crowded passenger express train crashed here. A lahar from nearby Ruapehu caused a flash flood which took out the railway bridge and several carriages went into the flood. 151 people died.

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