Millennium Christchurch

... branch of the Mountain Safety council and said they can be quite different it was still reassuring. So I bought the coat because she seemed so keen I should and at least now not having the right kit will be one less thing to worry about. <br>I&#8217;m still not sure if the course is residential though which is a bit of a worry but I think it is, as I need a sleeping bag and pillow but you never know that might just be for survival skills? <br>

... completely. We're dropping Dunedin and heading out to Mount Cook in the morning. Dinner was fairly good, the service was great. The entertainment was a 81 year old jazz pianist (he played with Dino and Duke) the followed up by a blind jazz pianist accompanied by a female vocalist who sang a rather strange version of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." That song has always kinda creeped me out.<br><br>So very sleepy...

... before) and had a catch up rest from the most action packed 2 weeks of my life!!! :)<br><br>Then the next day we got up at 4am to leave for our 6am flight!!<br>We packed(cramed) everything into our backpacks and left to meet Kirsty in Cairns!!<br><br>x<br>

... arriving at our first night stop at the small beachside town of Lorne. We stayed at a great BnB which had a cosy lounge with a open log fire and DVD player, perfect. The next day we continued along the coast to the next attraction, Grey rd. This dirt track is famous in Victoria for its abundance of eucalyptus trees and especially the koalas you can spot in the from the roadside. After 2mins of driving up the track we came upon a little koala having ...

... we came to the famous Moeraki Boulders. They're ok for a look, I suppose. A bit like oversized thunder eggs. As we walk back to the steps up, SquawJenny comments that they remind her of the film "Cocoon". The one where the aliens grow in giant rocks in a swimming pool and really old people visit them to experience youth. With that, we look up and a tour group of retirees stumble and waddle down the hill like an avalanche of wigs, walking frames, dentures &amp; padded incontinence ...

... Court Theatre to see "The Tutor". It's about John Sellars who is a self-made millionaire and father of Nathan a smart-mouthed fifteen-year-old who's been expelled from his third school this year. John hires "a washed-out, Daihatsu-driving hippy" to tutor Nathan in maths. "Three opposing mind-sets go head-to-head in a comedy of (bad) manners, modern education and parenthood." It was BRILLANT we laughed so much. There were a few cultural references that we had explained to us ...

... on Monday I fly to Auckland and will spend 4 days and 3 nights on the west coast in Piha Beach, and staying in a caravan cabin on the beach, and do nothing but SURF SURF SURF!!! New Zealand is wonderful, and I encourage all my friends to try and make a visit. The people are brilliant, and so hospitable. Unlike my travels in Mexico, where you feel like you're being scammed every minute and watching your ...

... taxi this morning to collect our camper van. It's quite cosy but very well equipped. Been driving through flat countryside from Christchurch then up in to the Mackenzie Countryto Lake Tekapo, very blue.Will post some pics in due course. Love to all back home

... with (more on this later). Within 30 minutes of leaving Auckland we were in stunning countryside - beautiful green, rolling hills. We followed round the Coromandel coast, stopping at the beautiful Cathederal Cove and looking out on Mercury Bay. We headed to the pleasant seaside town of Whitianga, though only stayed for one night. In the morning we were back on the bus, stopping off at Paeroa - home of the lovely soft drink L&amp;P, which we became partial too whilst ...

... him set up.<br><br><br>2:45<br>PM - It was probably a 30 minute drive to the beach, when they took the<br>opportunity to run down everything we had to do in a few short<br>sentences- I was hoping they'd repeat it once we had the gear on<br>though. Once we got there, they just started unloaded all the gear and<br>dragging it out onto the beach.<br><br><br>3 ...