The following day on your New Zealand South Island tour, you may want to drive to Akaroa (which means long harbour in Maori), a seaside town not too far from Christchurch which still shows the influences of French colonists of long ago.
Don’t be surprised by herds of cattle or sheep blocking the road between Christchurch and Akaroa.
In Akaroa, aside from the interesting little shops along the water, a main attraction is going on a boat cruise to spot dolphins frolicking at sea or to get close to colonies of penguins.
On land, you may want to visit a traditional Maori marae (open area) in front of a whare hui (meeting place). There are signs along French Bay pointing you in the right direction but be ready to travel over unsealed roads.
Next main stop
The next main stop is Queenstown, if for one reason or another you decide against going through the West Coast. Along the way you can take a detour up New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt Cook.
You will pass through two large New Zealand lakes -- Tekapo and Pukaki. There are towns, although few and far between, for a rest break or a spot of lunch or refreshment.
The roads can be quite deserted and there are few road signs along the road to show you are going in the right direction. But since the road is about the only one, you can be almost 100 per cent sure you aren’t lost. (There’d be signs at points where roads intersect or diverge.)
Drive or fly
Past the southern end of Lake Pukaki before the town of Twizel lies the turn-off to Mt Cook, which the Maori know as Aoraki.
You can organise, from the base of the mountain, airplane and helicopter rides for a closer, aerial view of the breathtaking vistas of Mt Cook national park.
You can, of course, drive up Mt Cook yourself and enter its national parks and enjoy the glacial atmosphere there.
Snow and ice
A World Heritage area, Mt Cook national park is 700 square kilometres in size, more than one third of which is perpetually under snow or ice.
You can ski on Tasman Glacier on this side of Mt Cook national park -- the more accessible Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are on the western side.
Of the 27 mountains over 3050 metres high in New Zealand, 22 are in the Mt Cook national park.
Check with the National Park Visitor Centre in Mt Cook Village not only for information on Mt Cook attractions but also for activities on the day.
