This was the stretch of highway one (see map above) that presented an extremely busy straight drive down to the right hand turn towards Geraldine and Fairlie towns. I didn't have any time to tour around Christchurch itself but a good view of the surrounding area can be got from the Mount Cavendish Gondola (cable car) ride along Ferry road, in the southeast corner of the city. You can see the stretching Canterbury Plains and the city from this extinct volcano top!. As I drove along the road I started to see a glimpse, now and again, of distant ranges to my right but it wasn't until I started uphill towards Fairlie on highway 79 that leads to Mt. Cook National Park that the landscape changed dramatically. Lush grassland plains gave way to rocky strewn scrub and then I caught my proper view of the 420 Km (260 mile) natural barrier than forms the Southern Alps from Burke's Pass. I was now decidedly in different territory, MacKenzie country. Because all of New Zealand lies directly on the intersection of the Pacific and Indian crustal plates, they move one over the other and so pushed up the Southern Alps that I was now witnessing in all its majesty. Gray based snowcapped peaks pierced the sky for as far as the eye could see. James MacKenzie gave his name to this area by doing various sheep rustling escapades with his faithful dog, Friday, until legend took over.

Now I was in the heart of Alpine country. This small village (Tekapo) is a pleasant oasis from which to embark on trekking, camping and fishing all over the area. There are some restaurants and accomodation spots before the road heads South to Twizel. At the shore edge here is a dedication to the trusty sheep dog who daily herd millions of future lambchops around New Zealand. The area is remote, serene but caters to families just as well having a steam railway on half guage tracks for children (Burke's Pass), an art studio by the old church next to the railway line(Lake Tekapo) and an astronomical observatory close by called Mt. John Observatory. The nights here are crystal sharp, excellent for viewing. I happened to arrive in late Spring (November) so the weather was fine with cool winds. Spring is a good time to go here, Autumn also ( Apr-May ). You have less of a tourist flock and prices are somewhat more reasonable, out of season.