The perils of New Zealand

Despite what I may have led you to believe in my last post on New Zealand, it's not all just stunning vistas and impossibly friendly people. Oh no. New Zealand may be very different from Australia, but it is also extremely perilous, and we encountered many scary-looking warning signs as we journeyed round the country.



Take this for example, a road sign not encountered in any country previously, warning us of fluffy little penguins who may attempt to cross the road.




Or this helpful illustration of the perils of cycling near Christchurch's tram tracks.




This very scary-looking sign was placed at the base of the Fox Glacier. Our guides ignored this with willful abandon, assuring us that 'danger' was the Kiwi word for 'press on', as we climbed over the barrier and continued our trek to the mass of ice before us.

Many of our walks took us to remote places with beautiful views and stunning scenery. But we were never allowed to forget the perils of such terrain -- it may have looked beautiful, but beneath its exterior lay hostility and... peril!






On the top of Mount John the wind blew so ferociously we were in danger of being blown away completely...




... and on the Crater Rim walk we might have been obscured forever in the undergrowth.




I armed myself against the perils of the glacier...




Protected myself with stylish waterproof clothing against the perils of Milford Sound's waterfalls...




And wore layers of wetsuit and boilersuit while caving in icy, rocky tight squeezes.




The animals were also very dangerous. Australia may have the 10 deadliest snakes and spiders, but only New Zealand has the Kea. A large rainforest parrot that likes to nibble at the rubber round car doors and play on air vents above campervans. Scary!




Here we see proof that the warnings really are real -- rocks have fallen across the road, right near a danger sign.



So you see, we were dicing with death on our trip round the South Island -- I feel privileged to have returned home with my life.

cx