Another change of plans

Hello everybody!
Yesterday we headed out of Lake Tekapo to explore the area (after our snowy morning). We took the route that runs adjacent to the salmon canals and stopped at the salmon farms where people were sitting on the banks (within a foot of the highway) throwing their metal lures in and bringing in good sized (around 7#) salmon. Many of them are fishing for the first time and flinging their lines in and having a grand time. We continued on to Lake Pukaki and on such a sunny fine day we were rewarded with a perfect view of Mt Cook. The surrounding views are spectacular! Forward on to Twizel where we contemplated staying in order to fish the area. However, it is a small service town that is . ..well, nothing really nice to say about that. We followed the canals to Lake Ohau and pulled out our rods very late in the day. Nothing going on. (We did view the "Plains of Rohan"--for all you Lord of the Ring fans.) A very friendly young Kiwi man and his 8 yr old son drove up and engaged us as we were ready to cast. They were delightful and had lots of great information, however, the young lad through his lure in and blam--he came up with a brown trout. (I think that should have been mine.) Several casts later and I think the fish were sufficiently spooked and they moved further up the canals (where Joel was casting) and blam--the kid caught another one (that was Joel's!). We ended up chatting and really not finishing and so returned back to Tekapo. On the way back, the rabbits starting coming out of the bush by the dozens and I really didn't want to hit one. The locals driving behind me just jammed past me and consider it a service to the country to kill the pests. It became clear that I was still not doing well and so we decided to change our plans again and pass on hiking near Mt Cook. During the night, I finally broke the fever. We left on another stellar morning for the town of Methven, west of Christchurch, near the Mt Hutt/Mt Sunday/Mt Somers/Rakaia Gorge area. We arrived this afternoon and immediately left to view the Rakaia Gorge which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The wide and fast flowing river bends through a deep gorge which is accessible by foot. Glacial waters flow in causing the water to take on a chalky green gray color. We hope to return and explore it by way of a hike that follows the river above the cliffs. Everything depends on weather and health conditions. Joel is contemplating skydiving! Yikes! xo L