Stonehaven Homestay Blenheim

... 53 the first time and a 42 the second time we went around, a fact I was a bit surprised at since, as previously stated, it was my first time to hit the links, previously having only been to driving ranges. I managed to find another job with a vineyard contractor, though, so I started that today.<br><br>I stripped 280 grape vines today. We went along the rows that had been pruned and pulled down the vines that had been clipped. It wasn't hard work, but it was dull ...

... got to feed him right out of our hands. Then Peter changed into his shearing clothes. He wears old clothes and special shoes/slippers made out of wool to keep from slipping. Peter says that a good shearer can shear 400 sheep a day, but the world record is 866 sheep in 8 hours! That is a lot of sheep wool. To shear the sheep, you have to pull them out of the pen by holding them under their front legs and pulling them on their backs. He sheared a six-month old ...

... Les côtes sont donc très abruptes et plus étonnant encore, elles forment des baies dans tous les sens: c'est un vrai labyrinthe pour les marins. Un bateau m'amène au départ du Queen Charlotte Track, à Ship Cove, lieu où James Cook a jeté l'encre lorsqu'il a découvert la Nouvelle-Zélande!!! Personellement, c'est le genre de truc qui m'impressionne. J'ai toujours été fascinée par les grands navigateurs et les explorateurs de cette époque.

... one of the Great Walks. I can't wait! Then, I will head back to CHCH the next day before I start work on the 6th!! I will have the whole month of February to travel the south island (which isn't a lot of time actually once you get here and appreciate how much there is to do here and how big the south island really is!). Anyway, have plans of heading back up to Blenheim already to go the Marlborough Wine Festival to hang out with Rebecca &amp; Charlie! There are some great bands ...

... flows into the Sound, then the mighty Cook Strait. The sound like the river was brown with mud and debris and looked rather odd set against the blue sky. Briefly stopped in Picton for some grub and continued along the coast to a small town called Waikawa. Sleeping tonight overlooking Port Underwood and Karaka Bay. This is my last night of 2008 sleeping in a car and I've found the most amazing spot to spend this final night. I have an awesome view of the ...

... to Blenheim to seek cheaper accommodation. The backpackers in Blenheim is very nice with the nicest owners yet. We were planning to leave Blenheim in the morning and head for Nelson right away, but mom got a migraine so we had to stay an extra day. The grands went out on a wine tour and bought a nice white wine. I went out to hunt for a purse and looked through 30 shops to find one. Along the way I bough two pairs of shoes at The Warehouse, some ...

... has been the best place for an active holiday, and has more amazing scenery than probably any other place of similar size in the world. Where else can you drive from a sandy paradise beach to the mountains and on to a glacier in just a few hours, spotting dolphins on your way? You can also do the South Island on a very small budget, camping and cooking for yourself. We now have to say good bye to it but at least we can say we have seen a ...

... of it thank god so we got to see the mountain up close. We did´nt have time to go to the top of it though but the landscapes views were amazing. We were knackered after that and no time left so we had a quick stop at Rotorua before the flight to Santiago. Those six weeks really flew by but we got to see a good bit of New Zealand. There are loads of things that we missed but we will definatly be back here again sometime (hopefully with a bit more money!).

As we headed back towards Christchurch we were starting to reflect on what a great time we've had with the camper. Yes, you have to dress whilst bent double. Yes, you spend many nights pulling together the foam pieces that have the temerity to claim the collective noun 'mattress' as their own. Yes, you have to wiggle the key in the ignition on those stubborn mornings. Yes, you get fewer gears than indicated and it ...

... bay towards the centre of town.<br><br> <br><br>By the time we got down to the hiking area the sky was clouding over again and threatening rain, so we decided against the 8km walk, feeling like wimps. <br><br>Smug wimps. <br><br>Smug DRY wimps ;) <br ...