Hey All,

Well what a fortnight we have had.......we've been reunited with some very good friends from home and had a fab time. It is so good to finally have chilled out beers, lots (and lots, ahem!) of wine and a darn good belly laugh with people on the same happy wave length! We have been transformed from over-travelled backpackers with negative vibes, to happy-as-hippies 20-something somethings who are extremely excited to see the rest of this beautiful country. All without a prescription for anti-depressants or winning the lottery! Wow!

So, without further ado.....check out the photos, there are 18 of them this time, cos we just couldn't decide which ones were best. We did take 429 over the last 2 weeks, so sigh your sigh of relief and have a little butchers.

We started off with a couple of days in Christchurch where Laura and Phil started to get over their chest infection and tonsillitis respectively and the 31 hour-straight flight jointly. Then having collected the hire car we drove the long old journey to Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast. We took the option of the 3/4 day walk onto the glacier which was amazing. The weather was pretty grim, but we didn't get rained on until we were nearing the middle of the walk and it didn't last long. It was particularly surreal for Rich and I to be wrapped up in raincoats, rain-trousers, huge boots, hats and gloves. I think Laura and Phil thought they'd left the British weather behind at this point! Ooops! The walk was great, yet pretty tiring and of course we treated ourselves to a great meal out afterwards and the start of the wine drinking.

We then headed up to Abel Tasman National Park and had a stop for Pancake Rocks on the way, with the majority of the other holidayers in NZ! L & P had their first look at the perfect turquoise ocean, whilst Rich and I remembered that we haven't always been so used to such stunning scenery! From here, Rich managed to speak with the majority of his mates from home who were out on Kennedy's stag do, the sedate part....! Now we can safely say that was an amusing conversation to ear-ole into! As if you could have missed it. And it is also safe to say that Rich has indeed assumed many Australianisms and will need this beating out of him on return to Blighty! Any offers on that one?! In Motueka, Abel Tasman, we were told to expect rain by the excited locals who had had nothing but glorious sunshine for ten days and were ready for some rain. Fantastic, three days in kayaks loomed ahead. Still, the next day we sat on the beach for a lazy one and even managed a swim in the chilly old ocean. Of course, the weather forcasters were pretty wrong and for the next three days the sun shone it's hardest. We only had one night where the rain won, which luckily enough fell on the same night that the Russian/Czech/unknown nationality people decided to have their huge drinking session and keep the entire campsite angry and awake. Nice. I can't begin to describe the scenery in the park and the sea even managed to impress Rich and I. The seals were just everywhere and so close to us too. None of them chose to free-wheel on our kayaks, but we were not going to complain. We even saw lots of rays swimming around us too. The food and wine were all provided, tasted great and we didn't even have to cook or wash up. How plush!

Next stop was Renwick in the Marlborough wine region. We stayed at Watsons Way backpackers, which was lovely apart from the fact that everything was truly Watsons Way or the highway! I have never had my washing locked up from me before, but that's Watsons Way! Just ask Phil about the Safari Bath and I am sure his jaw will still drop at the price for a bath in a tent! "What no elephants?!" Anyway, to make matters worse we hired our bikes and pedalled off for a trip to the wineries. We managed five in total before wobbling our way home and even got two bottles of wine home intact. I could have sworn they'd end up smashed in a rucksack when someone wobbled a bit too far to the left! Still, they were drunk that night and did indeed taste great with chips, dips and a BBQ. And we discovered lots of things about our friends during many conversations!

We swiftly headed over to Kaikoura and stayed in yet another lovely but anal backpackers. Has anyone seen the stolen nectarine and if so will you please replace it? Give us all some peace. And no, we still don't know who was sick on the stairs (it wasn't even that kind of backpackers) but it certainly wasn't us so please refrain from eyeballing us in that way. Lovely garden though, and we spent the afternoon just chilling out with a couple of beers and the wandering ducks. Again, much more information was gleemed, but as any traveller knows, what goes on tour stays on tour! That night Laura fretted about her impending dolphin swim but the next day did well with a snorkel and a fetching wetsuit complete with hood! Phil assumed official photographer, but has yet to refine his skills.....mmmmm what a lovely splash of a dolphin and how nice Lauras forehead is! The sarcasm goes on and the last word is here! Ok! Rich and I went on a whale watching tour and got very close to the local Sperm Whales. That night we went out for the finale meal and what a bill it was!! Seafood restaurant....how could you not? I managed to persuade Rich to not order steak but failed to get him to have fish for a starter. It was so great and we stayed so long that we practically got kicked out of the restaurant! They clearly go to bed early in Kaikoura! We took a lazy walk the next day around Kaikoura Peninsular which raised our thoughts of the place. The scenery is, still, stunning!

We left Laura and Phil there while we returned to Christchurch. Of course we felt sad to leave them, but were determined not to have a week of homesickness that we had when our parents left. It would have been so easy to cry cry cry, but we only have six weeks left of travelling before we'll be back to Blighty, so we must make the most of it. We had a fab time and truly it was therapy with friends that we have totally missed while we've been away. Totally looking forward to more of that very soon!

We collect our campervan for the finale roadtrip on Tuesday and will be taking a closer look at this beautiful country for the next 5 weeks before flying out of Auckland for Hong Kong. So guys, be warned we'll be knocking on your doors for a bed very very soon!!!

Take care and hope all is well back home

Love

Kate and Rich xx