Hitchhike Christchurch to Arrowtown
October 26, 2013
With just one month left on my visa and Milford Track on the horizon, I wanted to work in exchange for accommodation and make my way down south where I will meet RS in a month's time at Te Anau to do the walk together. Meanwhile, he will resume his work at GJ in Christchurch. After four months here, it's time for me to move on. RS dropped by at around 7am to say goodbye. I was about to leave the house slightly after 8am when my flatmate woke up and sent me to Hornby. He took this photo for me and waited till I got a ride before leaving. I had nipped all the cardboards I found while unpacking gloves at Lily's Collection and used them as my hitchhiking signs lol.
I waited quite long for 20-25 mins before Rob, Clare and Simon picked me up slightly before 9am. The pack is going tramping at Lake Ohau and dropped me off at Twizel. They stopped at Ashburton for petrol. I fell asleep for awhile and woke up when they made another stop for coffee. Rob sat at the back, shared his India and Nepal travels with me and showed me some of his gear (boots, tape and emergency beacon). I alighted at Twizel and was lucky to be picked up by Zoe 2-3 mins after I got off.
Zoe is a vet from UK. She applied for residence with 130 points and got approved within 5 days. She has done 8 of the 9 Great Walks and completed many others around NZ. She dropped me off at Cromwell (years later I realised it was just outside Cromwell Top 10 Holiday Park) before the bridge and intersection of SH8B & SH8. It started to drizzle and was a long 30 mins wait before my next ride.
A young couple from Ireland and Britain on working holiday picked me up at 3pm. By this time I was so exhausted to make conversation with them. The only thing I remember from this ride was the Irish girl explained that she told her boyfriend to stop because she had hitchhiked before. They were heading to Queenstown and sent me all the way to my final destination: Arrowtown.
I have been awake since 6.30am, on the road for 7.5 hours and was too tired to cook dinner. Christchurch to Arrowtown is a 5.5 hours drive so I was relieved to have made it here before it got dark. This is where I will spend the next two and a half weeks.
I waited quite long for 20-25 mins before Rob, Clare and Simon picked me up slightly before 9am. The pack is going tramping at Lake Ohau and dropped me off at Twizel. They stopped at Ashburton for petrol. I fell asleep for awhile and woke up when they made another stop for coffee. Rob sat at the back, shared his India and Nepal travels with me and showed me some of his gear (boots, tape and emergency beacon). I alighted at Twizel and was lucky to be picked up by Zoe 2-3 mins after I got off.
Zoe is a vet from UK. She applied for residence with 130 points and got approved within 5 days. She has done 8 of the 9 Great Walks and completed many others around NZ. She dropped me off at Cromwell (years later I realised it was just outside Cromwell Top 10 Holiday Park) before the bridge and intersection of SH8B & SH8. It started to drizzle and was a long 30 mins wait before my next ride.
A young couple from Ireland and Britain on working holiday picked me up at 3pm. By this time I was so exhausted to make conversation with them. The only thing I remember from this ride was the Irish girl explained that she told her boyfriend to stop because she had hitchhiked before. They were heading to Queenstown and sent me all the way to my final destination: Arrowtown.
I have been awake since 6.30am, on the road for 7.5 hours and was too tired to cook dinner. Christchurch to Arrowtown is a 5.5 hours drive so I was relieved to have made it here before it got dark. This is where I will spend the next two and a half weeks.
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