Christchurch to Milford Sound

July 16, 2008
We went to Moeraki and collected a million shells and saw freaky, round boulders.
We went to the Cadbury chocolate tour. Have you ever seen a Cadbury Crème Egg? That’s from Cadbury World. We (I) tried raw chocolate. Results: sour face. My dad wouldn’t eat it, and my mom liked it. After THAT, our tour began. First we saw chocolate buttons and Cadbury Crème Eggs being made. We also saw crumb. I thought it looked like crusty outer layer of dirt and got 2 chocolate marshmallow fish to put in my chocolate bag. Next we went to a warm room with tanks full of hot, melted chocolate. Then we talked about different chocolate and got a Crunchie bar, Moro bar, a Perkynana bar, and a Dairy Milk. We saw chocolate being wrapped, boxed, and stored in a warehouse. Then our tour was over. I looked at many chocolates and finally settled on a bag of milk chocolate buttons and a block of white chocolate. I got in a Cadbury car. Later we spent the evening browsing the town. We saw a giant climbing Cadbury bar but I was wearing sandals.

July 17, 2008
We ditched my dad and went to the Otago Museum. On the first floor was the café and gift shop. On the second floor were things from the Pacific Islanders, like a necklace made of human teeth, a fish skin hat made from a puffer fish, and a sword covered with shark teeth. They also had my favorite Maori weapon, the liver remover. The third floor had a giant moa bird skeleton, a giant crocodile, and a giant dolphin skull. On the next floor we heard about a dig. It was to look for evidence of an early people. Then we saw many animal skulls. We also saw bugs, butterflies and snails. Then we met my dad at the railway station.
We went on the Taieri Gorge (that’s the train’s name) to Pukerangi. Then we went back to Dunedin and walked on a trail to see where the glow worms are.

July 18, 2008
Have you ever read the Guinness Book of World Records? Well, have you ever seen the “world’s steepest street”? I climbed it. It wasn’t that steep (for me). My mom thought it was the steepest. Then I went to the Chinese garden. I put my fingers in a lion’s mouth (it was stone) and took pictures. Then I climbed a Cadbury climbing wall. On the way down I slapped myself senseless and did some karate on the wall. Then we went to the Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve. First we visited the penguin hospital. Three penguins were there. One was lying down and the other two were standing. Then we saw the penguins. Nine of them arrived. One, we found standing. We also saw a little blue penguin. Soon we had to run like we were being chased by cheetahs to see a penguin trotting on the path. When the tour was over we drove to the camp ground.

July 19, 2008
First, we went to try to see some seals. The road was a muddy, rocky, horrible deathtrap of a road made of gravel. Unfortunately, we saw nothing and it was so windy that 3 of our brochures flew away. Next, we drove to Cathedral Caves. On the way my Dad honked at some sheep and they ran away. Next some sheep ran towards us.
We discovered that the road to Cathedral Caves was closed. Next we saw a stunning forest, little, tiny adorable waterfalls, and a big, giant waterfall. Its name is Purakaunui Falls. I thought it was as big as an elephant.
We turned to go to Curio Bay and saw petrified logs and stumps and more. I collected 4 shells, 2 of which were still alive.
We watched and drove away a hawk eating a dead rabbit. We drove over the dead rabbit, torn to shreds and bloody and meaty. Then the same hawk came back and made off with the dead rabbit. Then we drove to Invercargill, where we found a campground to rest in.

July 20, 2008
This morning we drove from Invercargill to Te Anau. The drive was very long and tedious. There were snow capped mountains and they were so beautiful. We took a million pictures. Then there were the ostriches. They didn’t seem to mind us. The mountains were so gorgeous, so we were sad when we got to the lake, because the mountains and lake were buried in fog.
Next we went to lunch. I had 3 pancakes, heavenly hot chocolate, and a bowl of cream with Flake chocolate. But soon my cream turned sour. Then we (me & my dad) threw around the rugby ball with catches and throws, twists, turns, and misses.
We got onto the boat, a large/medium sized boat, and soon we saw greens, grays and whites. This ride wasn’t so long and so tedious. We went over safety things, yadda, yadda, yah. “Don’t touch the glow worms, blah, blah.” On the way in, we all ducked for a low rock. The cave was, of course, dark with rushing water and waterfalls. When we got in the little raft, the lights went out, but …little lights shone on the ceiling and walls, like tiny little stars at midnight. People pointed and stared, not breaking their necks, like me. They were tiny, beautiful lighted glow worms. At the end, we were warmly welcomed by a bright, loving sun. We got on the boat, greatly astonished and amazed. We looked back to see the brightening lake and our glow worm guide waving. I still want to see more glow worms and their spit trails. Did you know that glow worms are cannibals?
Next I went to “TIP TOP”, the ice cream place. Nurse Petner, sent me a comment and recommendation. I tried the Hokey Pokey flavor, which tasted like honey & butterscotch, meaning awesome! It tasted so good; I ate it, cone and all, something I usually don’t do because I don’t like cones.
Then we checked out our campground with warm bathrooms, a very nice kitchen, an outside grill, and very strange bright red berries that I don’t know the name of. I guess they’re okay to eat, because the birds eat them, not that I want any.

July 21, 2008
This morning we saw a flock of sheep a farmer was ordering around with his sheepdogs. We went up the street, only to be in the MIDDLE of the sheep stampede. Sheep flooded the street to new pens. Some sheep went to steal some grass and disappeared from view into the bushes. We had to stop because the rude sheep began to cross the road. One actually peed in front of us! Rude eating, eliminating sheep. When they were gone, the road had grass and branches and wool and sheep droppings strewn in every which way and place.
Next I went out to kick some snow and who should we come across, but a Kea? He flew down and hopped to the road, inspecting everything with a strange call of, “KKKEEAA!” with a screeching sound. Please do not tire out your throat and stomach trying to imitate this bird’s call.
Then we went to “The Chasm”, which was a rich green forest with crazy waterfalls so loud that it was like a very, very, very, very, very long table when you are trying to talk to someone and have to shout. It was crazy, with holes, bumps, swirls, long drops and pools of water which are truly amazing.
Then we took a boat cruise to the underwater observatory. We saw seals and went under a waterfall! Then we went to the Tasman Sea. It was very, very bumpy. We turned back and … DING, DING, DING! Third penguin of the trip, Fiordland yellow-crested penguins, the rarest penguins in the world! We watched them for a while, got in red suits, and were SOAKED. I mean really soaked by a giant waterfall. We were just dry and out of the red jackets when we got there.
We were bumped around because the building was floating. We went down the stairs and looked at the sea from behind glass. We saw fish, mussels, sea urchins, and sea stars. We were 8 meters below sea level, but did not see sharks or dolphins or whales or seals, just to tell you. There was also orange coral.
When our underwater experience was over, we went back to the boat and sailed to land.