Thumbs-up for New Zealand

Christchurch is a wounded city. But in the automn sun, with trees in the most vivid colours and people with their new winter clothes ready to be used, to us the town still held the most charming appeal. We spent two nights and a day there, and the nights was spent in an old jail - gone hostel. Most rooms were old cells and one could clearly see what is was 15 years ago. To us it was the place with the best beds in all of NZ (especially after Kings Cross in Sydney). It was also the only hostel that had its very own coffee machine.

 The Jailhouse accomondation

After beeing told on severeal occations that hitch hiking is so easy in NZ we decided to give it a go. We pretty much just walked out on the highway towards Queenstown and put our thumbs up flashing the little cardboard sign we made that same morning. The third car that passed us stopped. Two gentlemen, one older, one younger, gently told us that we were standing in the wrong place to hitchhike, we had to get out of the city. So our first hitch just took us ten minuts out of town. There we waited for 5 min before another car turned over. This guy named Ollie was a musician doing a Phd in social studies and left to tour Europe in a couple of month with one of the several bands he played in. He was going to Duneden, so he left us at the turnoff going into the country so we could take the more scenic route towards Queenstown. The turnoff was a bit straned so an old Pastor stopped and told us, like we heard before, that we were in the wrong place to hitchhike. He drove us 5 min to a place called Pleasant Point. During those 5 min he had a monologue about how we are all born in sin, and we must all be born again. When we thanked him for giving us a ride his last words were "remember what I said". After all this we thought we deserved a brake and went into a cafe that had the most delicious carrot cake made by man in the history of the earth. Then we got stuck. Pleasant Point is not really on route to anything. We figured we needed to get to the highway back towards Duneden, and walking into a little gas station someone offered to drop us back there. By this time is was quite late afternoon and hitching in the darkness held no appeal to us, but then, saved again. A girl approched us and told us we werent going to get anywhere this late, but her parents were going back past Pleasant point. Anyway. Long story made short. A nice old couple drove us 40 km past their house to the village of Lake Tekapo so that we got onto the touristy route to Queenstown. Dropped at a hostel in the darkness we were eternally gratefull. And when the hostel had a fireplace, books and comfy chairs, our first day of hitchhiking was complete.

Ride nr 1

Ride nr 2

Ride nr 3

Leeedgen - wait for it- dary Carrot cake!

Ride nr 4

Ride nr 5

 Livingroom at Lake Tekapo YHA Hostel!

The next morning we had a look at the little stonechurch placed between the majestic mountains, on the edge of the lake before we continued our journey with our thumbs. First person who passed us going out of Lake Tekapo stopped and tok us to Twizel. He was a nice middleaged man going home. Half an hour of throwing rocks to each other with the lack of cars actually passing resulted in a hitch with a guy who was actually returning to NZ after 5 years in USA, moving to Queenstown. Chris was an amazing ride who took us by Lake Wanaka, just for the sight, and offered to drive us whereever we wanted in Queenstown.

 Ride nr 6

Ride nr 7, that we enjoyed the most, all the way to Queenstown!

We realise that being girls we have a clear advantage putting our thumbs up for transport. Also the difference between female and male drivers is very clear. Wheras the men always wave sorry if they cant, or just recognise our presence by the road, women always look straight ahead, actively ignoring us. (I almost feel a little ashamed on behalf of my own sex). But hitching sure has been a good experience for us in NZ.. We are New Zealand lovers.

Åssi doing her thumbs-up:)