Sheepway to Heaven: New Zealand and mad left-side driving skills

New Zealand is the most beautiful truck stop ever.

I'm officially en route home. I left Australia a few days ago and have stopped in Christchurch, New Zealand for a few days to break up the trip, and because I think it's just an amazing place. Not just Harry Potter movies and All Blacks rugby, New Zealand also has sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. When it rains, the whole countryside smells like wet sweater.

Today my Aussie friend Niki and I visited Akaroa, the only French settlement in New Zealand. Apparently, as is the story throughout the history of colonization, some French dude offered to buy Akaroa from the Maori for a few jars of Nutella. By the time he went back home to gather his berets and head back with some of his amies to set up shop, Queen Victoria had already signed a contract declaring Aotearoa a new colony. Already with building plans for a patisserie, the French decided to just stay and have set up a wonderful little town with a thriving tourism and snippy cafe owner industry.

The windy drive to Akaroa was breathtaking. The day was cloudy and a low fog hung over mountain ranges covered in sheep, reaching up into the skies. Sheep obviously must not suffer from acrophobia.

I've also logged several hundred kilometers this past few days driving around the South Island in our snazzy rental car. Who would have thought I've quite a penchant for driving on the opposite side of the road? It's one of those skills I'm not sure when I'm going to need, but if I ever do bust it out, it will impress someone.

We've also done some mountain biking, hot springs, and layering, it's very, very cold here.

Tomorrow I head back to Los Angeles. Will update and post pictures when I return.