No 39 - Take the train directly to Jail!! Do no pass Go!! – Do not collect $200 - Kaikoura – Christchurch New Zealand, 5th February 2010

Chilled out all morning in the garden of my hilltop hostel, with it’s stunning Mountain and coastal views.

After lunch I walked, or rather stumbled along, dragging my luggage with everything including the kitchen sink, to Kaikoura station, where I was to board a train to Jail!

Well almost! It was actually called Jailhouse accommodation, a former jail converted to backpackers hostel it was located conveniently just down the road from Christchurch station making it perfect for a 1 nights stopover on my way down to the South of New Zealand.

While waiting for my train spotted a massive pod of dolphins, which Kaikoura is famous for, just off the coast there must have been over 100 of them!

Then the train, the Tranzcoastal express turned up.

It has an Outdoor viewing carriage which was a fantastic way to take in the scenery and to take photos without the problem of having glass in the way!

For quite a while we followed coastline on one side and mountains on the other, and went through several tunnels taking us under and through some mountains, the journey then continued to Christchurch with some stunning mountain Scenery.

Got chatting to a couple sitting opposite about my travels towards the end of the journey, turned out they had a car in the car park and insisted on giving me a lift straight to Jail which was great as it saved me having to drag the kitchen sink there!

Arriving there, it still looked very realistic.

While most of the jail has been totally refurbished for backpacker accommodation, there are still samples of the original cells and the isolation chamber. So don't misbehave in your Dorm room else you could be chucked in here!

  

Who would have thought that Jail food would be as good as this! - Possibly the biggest piece of fish I’ve ever eaten, and there was a massive portion of chips wrapped separately as well!

Early the next morning, I made my getaway fast, so fast that I left behind in the kitchen my antibiotics that I was still taking for my Spider bite, an expensive mistake as I had to get a new prescription.  

I opted against these getaway bikes and jumped on a coach and travellled 250km South to Oamaru

If you realy enjoyed jail you could buy T-shirts or hoodies to let the world know that you love Jail!

That evening in Oamaru for one moment I though I was going to get sent back to jail when I got told off by a security officer for using my flash in taking photos of penguins, I had apparently disobeyed the rules of no flash photography when penquins are crossing!