Christchurch to Twizel (still Jan. 1)

Despite the sobering reality of Christchurch today, the city did manage to keep us
chuckling. We found this hilarious, for multiple reasons (click to enlarge):

Before leaving Christchurch, we did manage to find an open supermarket and procure
some rations. Our first breakfast in NZ was enjoyed from our rental car, in the shopping
center parking lot. At least some seagulls stopped by to keep us company.

And New World does make a tasty muffin, even on New Year's Day. Fortified, we set
out for Twizel. Our route took us southwest on the major highways of the South
Island.


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By "major highways", I mean these:

OK, that last one wasn't exactly a highway.  But we were on the highway, and that was the view.  All of this scenery was tough to watch, but hey - somebody had to do it!

Kee-Min piloted this leg of the journey. NZ is a driving-on-the-left country, and I need a
day or two to panic from the passenger's seat before I make the adjustment to the left.
He learned on the left, so I willingly surrender the keys.

Our drive took us through approximately 4 towns over 4 hours. And by 'towns', I mean
a <1 km stretch of houses, hotels, and eateries, most individually owned & operated.
Then, back to roadside vegetation/views to keep us company. The Southern Alps were
always visible on the right, and afforded us breathtaking photo ops the whole way.

We stopped at Lake Tekapo - a gorgeous glacial lake, around which a
tourist town has been built. But honestly, even the touristy areas of NZ (most of the
Southern Island, really) don't feel gaudy-touristy. Most of the establishments are small
and family owned/operated (although there are a few mid-sized hotel chains), the people are
respectful of the environment, everything is clean (no litter), and no one is showing off.
Most of them are there to relax, adventure, and appreciate the area. It's quite refreshing
to see, actually.

Lake Tekapo:

Our final stop for the day was at a Salmon Farm. Again, a small operation that
sustainably farms a limited amount of salmon in a glacier-fed canal. They were not
giving tours on Sunday, but from the edge of the canal, we could see the enclosed areas
where the salmon are kept:

 Standing quietly, we could even hear or see an occasional jump - pretty sizable
splashes, if you ask me! As two people who fully respect the tastiness of a delectable
bit of raw fish, we were happy to procure a large portion for ~$12-13 USD.

(Note: Some salmon was already eaten by the time we remembered to capture the moment.)

Yum!

Then, it was back in the car and on to Twizel for a quick run (nothing especially scenic),
snack, and bed. We had Mount Cook to see in the morning!

*Note: I'm sorry to inform you that Twizel is not pronounced like Twizzler without the 'r'.
[This was my preferred pre-departure pronunciation.] Proper pronunciation is TWIGH-
zul.