Into Middle Earth

In a land of myth, and in a time of magic…. No wait, that’s the opening titles of Merlin not Lord of the Rings. Hmmm I probably shouldn’t admit to knowing that! Anyhow it seems a fitting opening as I am currently in the heartland of Middle Earth psyching up for a good friends wedding. I am surrounded by glorious snow capped mountains and icy cold lakes. My husband is out playing with the bucks and I have just left the spa to recline by the fireplace, sip my wine and indulge in a spot of reflection before our good friends arrive to share in this most beautiful English- style luxury cottage and flowering gardens.

It has been a long day. The time difference between Australia and New Zealand meant that we arrived around mid-night local time and had to wait out the night in Christchurch until the mornings connecting flight. Having been to Christchurch’s airport earlier this year I decided we could save some dosh by camping out on one of the airports comfy couches for the 7 hour wait. My reasoning: by the time we got to a hotel room we would only have to turn around and come back; how bad could it be?

BAD is an understatement! We arrived to discover that almost two-thirds of the airport is shut off for the evening hours, that is of course the two thirds with the comfortable seats and lounges. The remaining seats are those hard cold ones with arm rests in between, to ensure no comfort or elongation is achievable. The half hour loudspeaker announcements informing us not to leave our bags unattended (as if we would) because this is a security conscious airport, were accompanied by maximum lighting to reinforce the secure state. We managed to find a slightly duller alcove near the entrance, with floor space enough for two to curl up. The night dragged on between glimpses of shut eye, as the outside temperature plummeted to around 4 degrees and breezed in each time the entrance doors opened and the floor turned from carpet to stone.

But none of this mattered once we were up soaring in the sky’s, overlooking the most spectacular views of Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, and the Southern Alps. I was in heaven looking down on pure pristine beauty. Our flight descended into Queenstown only hundreds of metres above these snow-white peaks and then through their crevices. It was then a short drive to our lakeside destination Wanaka where we were greeted by friendly locals and a superb eggs Benedict for breakfast. Oh what a magical and enchanted place New Zealand is.