Antria Blenheim

Um Blenheim herum ist die groesste Weinregion Neuseelands, und angeblich gibt es dort auch total viele Jobs auf den Vineyards. Wir haetten auch beinahe einen gehabt, zumindest haben wir eine Zusage per Email bekommen, und als wir dort anriefen meinte der Heini wir sollen nur zu seinem Office kommen, dann kriegen wir einen Job und Unterkunft. Also sind wir mit Sack und Pack dahin marschiert. Aber das Office war zu und machte ...

... apple crumble.

2008 Gewürztraminer – Roses and Turkish Delight with a touch of honey, good acidity, more of both on the palette.

2007 Envoy Gewürztraminer – Honey and ripe peach with cardemon on the nose. Softer and more subtle on the palette than the previous one, good acidity, spicy and long.

2007 C******nay – 10 months French, 20% new, 30% 1 year old, full malolactic, wild ...

... a couple of glasses of wine and the remenant carrots and potatoes from their meal to made a feast. Catching the bus in the morning turned out to be a more amazing experience than we could have imagined! Leaving Blenheim on the coach we soon reached the coast, catching glimpses of massive seal colonies in Kaikoura, and even wild penguins hanging out on the beach as we sped past. Easily our animal-spotting highlight of the trip ...

... looking for food. We did a key swap along parts of the Queen Charlotte Sound. Sandi dropped Bad off at Portage and shortly after it started pouring on him. He ran the 13 miles day hike in 2 hours, while Sandi had a peaceful, dry hike from the other end. Both of us thought it was beautiful though.

... fry up not the champagne breakfast after all. The hostel we camped in the garden of had kayaks for use. Hannah was keen to go and after a extreme bought of FOMO (fear of missing out) I joined her for a nice evenings paddle and a fairly spectacular display of poor co-ordination from both of us getting in and out but anyone who has seen us getting in or out of the tent would not have been surprised, in fact they might have been but only by the fact neither of us actually fell in.

... across the street!! So that was a very short ride for them! My hostel was further into Picton. So just me and my non-freak friend... Anyway, we got to the hostel and I thanked him and joked about him not driving off into the night and digging a mass grave for me and the others when he suddenly decided he was also coming into the hostel. "Ok" I thought, it has been a long journey.. So we rock into reception and the girl behind ...

... men of Glenorchy that lost there lives in WW1. I felt small. - Taken a de-tour to deserted Cannibal bay. Our luck was in, as lazing on the beach were 7 massive hooker sea lions. Amazing. We spent several hours watching. Michael had one adrenaline moment which caused him to turn & run VERY quickly - those massive bulls can shift! I have to admit to a little giggling! - Made hay whilst the sun shined in the form of a 40 minute helicopter flight over Fox, Franz Josef ...

... picnic of the season in a little cove. The weather's been mostly really sunny, starting to feel very summery again, good for our last few weeks in the country. We're heading back to the north island on Saturday, back to Wellington for a few days (have to try not to spend too much money although it seems to be tricky in Welly!!) then on up to Auckland for 2 weeks or so, they we fly away to Oz!

... night. The next day we drive to Kaikoura a small town North of Christchurch. The drive to the town is really nice and driving along the coast we stop for a while to watch the millions of seals that are sat on the rocks or swimming in the sea. We check into a hostel and then wander around the town for the rest of the day. The day after Liv goes on a whale watching trip which I decide to give a miss as the sea's rather rough. go for a walk around Kaikoura's headland ...

... for the Easter weekend and was promoting safe driving. He asked us what we had been doing and where we were going. He then gave us an easter egg and 40 bucks which was supposed to be for fuel. We of course spent it on a fried breakfast of the ferry and a crate of beer when we got to the South Island!! The crossing on the ferry was really nice as you go through all the islands of the Malborough Sounds. We never saw any of it on the ...