Days 19 and 20 FINALLY, sheep, millions of them! and a 'windquake'

Day 19 takes us along the southern coast of the South Island.  Lots of very interesting things to see including endless sheep.  Now we believe there are 30 million of these guys in New Zealand.

Florence Hill lookout, one of our best.

Purakaunui Falls. We read that they are the most photographed falls in the country.

Nugget Point lighthouse.

The view from the lighthouse.  We see the reason for the lighthouse.

The Moeraki Boulders.  Huge prehistoric billiard balls in the surf.  Good geology that I don't understand that created these things

Day 20 takes us to the Tasman Glacier.  You may recall we visited the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers on the western flank of Mt. Cook last week.  We have looped around the southern part of the South Island and we are now on the eastern side of Mt. Cook.  Again, amazing vistas both as we drove and as we wandered a bit at the foot of the Tasman Glacier.  

What’s different? Well, the weather.  Hence the new term, ‘windquake’.  The wind was blowing so hard that it was difficult to stand at times, and even in the car is was hopping and rolling around both as we drove and as we ate lunch.  Serious wind with intermittent rain.

The view from the terminal morraine looking down the valley.  A long time
ago, this was a huge glacier.  A massive, filled in U-shaped valley

Some real history of exploration in this part of the The Southern Alps going back a hundred years.  Lots of good science is coming out of this area and many brave men and women who explore it still.

This is the memorial for all the climbers who have
died climbing these glaciers.  Too many bronze
plaques.

This lake first appeared just 10 years ago.  The edge of the glacier is in the back.
The lake is growing every year..

From a hundred-year-old Victorian house AirBnB last night to a 12 by 12-foot cabin tonight at Lake Tekapo.  Bathrooms are 50 meters away.  But the hut is warm (and cozy), it will do for one night.  Tomorrow, we drive to Christchurch for our final two days, then fly home.

Rather spartan quarters for the night.  All four of us and our suitcases fit in here.