Yes, it's colder here.

Tuesday
Max: 6°C	Min: 1°C
(Day)	(Overnight)
Bitter southwester with sleet and hail, clearing.

There is no joke about this...it's cold. Yesterday I went for the coldest bike ride of my entire life. The uphill of Mt. Cargill was fine...extreme breathing, but easier than anticipated. I didn't think I would make it to the top. It was the downhill that made me cry. Yes, the little baby inside of me surfaced and tears accompanied whining as my fingers went numb and I feared falling into the road due to inability to feel the brakes in my hands. Wind chill is a bitch. But I'm committed...however, the cold and extreme wind (and occasional rain and threatening snow) has kept me off the road today. Maybe tomorrow...high is 11 (51 degrees F) rather than 6 (42 degrees F). That's much closer to bike riding weather...of course with the wind chill right now it's about 3. Fun.

The good news: I love my bike.

The consensus that I have come to is that it's definitely colder in Dunedin than elsewhere throughout the S. Island...and up to the very southern tip of the North Island (in Wellington). It was seemingly warm...pleasant. It was mild last week in general, but there is something about the bitterness of the cold down here. But people have said that winter "hit" yesterday. I feel it.

So, I don't really know how to go into the detail of the journey we had through the S. Island, but I will give it a go...perhaps with photos?

On the way North...only 25 minutes out of town is Karitane beach.


Toilet stop complete with slide and other playground fun.

Friday night with friends in Christchurch...friends and tequila (surprisingly La Chica brand is very smooth and super delicious). Too bad there was no one out in town that night...we tried 3 different bar/clubs.
Saturday in Kaikoura...sunset in the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. The place where the snowy mountains meet the sea.

Love, sunset, and beers on the beach...pretty sweet for a Saturday afternoon.

Had to get up in time to see this sunrise...though it was at about 8am. Lovely view toward the northeast looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

Beaches made of polished stones made for interesting hours of fun.

We parked the car in Picton and took the ferry over to Wellington. Hoot flying on the bow of the interisland ferry on the way to the North Island through the inlets of the northern South Island.


And the EAPSI NZ group together at the Te Papa museum in Wellington. This is a very tame photo, of course that's what we were during the day. Nights brought beverage and food consumption...a very fun time with quality people.


After my week in Wellington (and Ian's working on some researchy stuff in Palmerston North (2 hour bus ride further north)) we ferried back to the S. Island and continued the adventure. We stopped in Hanmer Springs on Saturday and I, unfortunately, don't have any photos from there. It was lovely though and I went on a bike ride Sunday morning. Here's some photos I found out there...


and of course, we couldn't make it out of town without visiting the hot springs resort. Although commercialized, it was amazingly relaxing.