Overton Lodge Christchurch

En
espanol mas abajo/In English at the bottom Inauguriamo l'anno con una
grande camminata al parco Abel Tasman. Il parco si trova nella zona
nord ovest della Nuova Zelanda. Decidiamo di prendere uno scafo taxi
che ci porta ad un punto determinato del parco e da li' cammineremo
fino alla citta' dove abbiamo lasciato la macchina. Ci mettiamo nel
aqua taxi, un trattore traina la barca fino a largo ...

... get some kip. The enclosure was planted out like a native forest. At first we couldn't see anything, then suddenly one of the birds strolled right up to the glass - they are a lot bigger than I thought! About the size of a domestic chicken, except fluffy dark brown and with the long beak of course. The bird was totally unconcerned, rummaging around for food. A few minutes later a second bird joined the first. They are really quite comical-looking to ...

... br>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50gwRSIN c3E

After the adrenaline rush we went to a kiwi recommended restuarant and munched through 14 inches of pizza!!! Yum!!!

Queenstown

We finally arrived at the famous Queenstown. We had heard so much about how amazing it is, but you truly need to see it for yourself to decide. Queenstown is a bustling ski resort offering every adventure sport available. We decided against the sky ...

... s been a year and a half since we saw them but it felt like it was only last week. We had a great time in the pools, laughing and catching up, though I managed to lose half of my clothes in the excitement (which luckily were handed into reception)!

On Friday, Nick and Anna showed us more highlights of Christchurch and we went back to the museum to view an exhibition called 'Fred and Myrtle's Paur Shell House' - Kiwiana at ...

... town outside on Sunday night. After Breakfast on Monday we clad in warm clothing and walk the couple of blocks to Cathedral Square, although a bit strenuous I would recommend the climb to the top of the Cathedral Spire. There are plenty of other things to see around this area but it is still a commercial hub so not everything is there for tourists and you are competing with office workers when you want a coffee.
Just before noon we had walked back up past ...

And so onto Christchurch it was. I headed back to a hostel I had stayed in previously, mainly for the fact it was incredibly cheap and there is only two people to a room. It is in fact a hostel for women only, which is pretty unusual, but meant it had quite a nice atmosphere. (Sorry guys!). There isn't a huge amount to in Christchurch, but it is a nice enough town, and certainly suited me well. On one of the few sunny days left in the summer, I headed into the botanical gardens ...

Today, for small group, we went hedge climbing which is popular here in the small town of Oxford. In Oxford, there are hedges everywhere, and the goal of hedge climbing is to climb through the entire strip of hedge without touching the ground. Sometimes it takes a bit of problem solving on how to get from one tree to the next. It was so fun, and then we got ice cream after!

... many nice things. Handmade things. I started drooling. One thing was clear, my self-control was not going to last long here and sure enough I ended up buying a ring, opps! Getting back on the tram for a couple of minutes, I made it to the Botanical Gardens. I grudgingly paid the steep entrance fee, and joined the throngs of people walking through the flower show, watching as a sunflower on stilts made her way through the ...

... well. Mark was doing a great job as a house husband until he got a job 2 wks after me. It wasn't particularly easy for him as economically, things are not great in NZ which i hear is the same in Scotland, therefore, there are not alot of jobs going but luckily Mark got a job with a joinery firm and is getting on ok. He is finding it different from home and im not sure he would stay if it was for long term but it's fine for the time we ...

... together out of scale maps on the backs of brochures, keep in mind that north isn't always up (damn you jiffy rentals). I set out early the next morning in my blazing red Nissan something-or-other stationwagon rental car, taking time to enjoy the finess of driving on the left side of the road while simultaneously navigating a map which magicly folds itself to some other city whenever you ...