Driving

Last night I heard the rain in my sleep. I thought I was dreaming, but when I woke up, the ground outside was wet.

I hope that it is partly cloudy on Saturday, for my drive up to San Francisco. I don't like driving in the rain, but I also don't like to see blank blue sky on that long, straight drive. I'll be taking I-5 because it's a little quicker than 101, although I will miss the view of the sea.

On the other hand, I'll get to see the windmills along 580, and that is not a bad substitute.

Speaking of driving, here are my top five drives in New Zealand, in no particular order:

5) Christchurch to Queenstown, passing Mt Aoraki along the way.

I really like this drive mostly because it takes you past Lake Tekapo. I never saw a lake quite that color before...an opaque, slightly turquoise blue. And off in the distance, the little cloud that hovers perpetually over Mt Cook.

4) Lewis Pass

I did this drive in the early days of spring, 2003. Wow. I stopped off at a trail, what was the name of it? Sumner Track, I think. I was alone. There was a long swing bridge, like something you'd see in Indiana Jones. I crossed it, and the whole time all I could think as I looked down at the rushing river and rocks below was, "If this thing breaks and I fall to my death, no one will ever know." Because no one knew where I was.

3) Christchurch to Akaroa via Lyttleton, then out to the peninsula

My brother and I did this one together. I can't describe the view we saw when we finally got out of the car near the peninsula, except to say that I never knew there really was a place where, when you looked off into the distance, you really couldn't tell the difference between sky and sea. But there is, and we were there.

2) Te Anau to Milford Sound (especially after the Homer Tunnel)

Before the tunnel is fine, but passing through it, you come out on the other side and the mountains are suddenly all around you, jagged, barren, and wild. On a stormy day, waterfalls are everywhere, and you can't see the mountain peaks because they are lost in the mist.

1) Kaikoura to Blenheim

This is probably my favorite drive, hands-down. I did it several times during my two stays in NZ, and I never, ever got tired of it.

I wish I had pictures of all of these drives, but I don't. You will just have to go to New Zealand and check them out for yourself.

(By the way, the above are all drives on the south island. I do have a few favorites on the north island as well, but perhaps I will save those for another post. I don't know why they didn't make the top five; I liked the north island, but I have to admit that my heart was all for the south.)