After we visited the Aviation Museum in Ashburton, on the third day of our trip, we headed southwest to Twizel. We have friends who live there, and though we’ve been to the area a couple of times already, we always enjoy the walks near Mount Cook, so we decided to spend a day there. The drive is always interesting, too. I forget, in between, how dry inland South Canterbury is! It almost feels like a desert.
This is what we saw from the front seat, soon after leaving Ashburton. I think we had some tired people! The white cord, by the way, is a curtain-hanging cord. We strung it around the van, and hung pieces of fabric on it with clothespins at night when we slept in the van, for privacy. It worked well—but if we weren’t careful, like this day, it would fall down when we put down the sun visor.
As we traveled farther inland, the landscape got drier. 
(Toes are a great entertainment when you’re bored!)
This is the Burke’s Pass area.
We decided to stop for a few minutes at beautiful Lake Tekapo. The water is so blue! That is from glacial melt; there are tiny bits of sediment suspended in the water, and they make it reflect the blue of the sky.
This church, on the shore of Lake Tekapo, is one of the most-photographed sites in New Zealand.
My beautiful girls! Esther was quite sunburned, still, from the day before.
Mr. Diligence took a picture of us trying to get the picture above.
Little Miss loves to pick flowers, anywhere and everywhere.
Miss Joy just wanted to play in the water.
Mr. Diligence
This is one of the several canals we crossed. They carry water for hydroelectricity.
Nearing Twizel—flat and dry!
Here is Lake Pukaki! Mount Cook is usually visible at the far end; this day, it was cloudy, so we couldn’t see the peaks.
Our friends have a pet bird, and our little ones loved it.
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