Well this blog entry will be a bit of a diary of where we have been during the past 8 days while on the south island. We have been having so much fun that we haven't had time to stop at libraries along the way to do the blog. I have been able to put a few albums together of the photos and I'm sure that this is of more interest than the ramblings of this traveller. Anyway....

We boarded the Bluebridge ferry out of Wellington on News Year's Eve and even though it wa a very wet ride it was very comfortable and not too bumpy. We would have liked to have seen the mainland as we entered Queen Charlotte sound on our way to Picton but we did take a ride on New Years day along the sound road. When we disembarked from the ferry it was raining heavily so we spent the rest of NY eve in a parking bay just outside Picton until the rain cleared.

We travelled west across the marlborough region and Golden Bay and further north towards the enormous sand spit that runs for approx 20 kilometres. From here we drove south and over to the west coast to Westport and Greymouth. We stayed in a hotel that had what can only be described as the genuine outback dunny (see the picture in the album).

As we travelled further south towards glacier country we went through Buller Gorge where they had the longest swing bridge in NZ.

In Greymouth we went to Cape Foulwind with the most awesome views and cliff faces on the ocean. We also visited Punakaiki and saw the Pancake Rocks and the Blowholes. Fabulous and we would have had some amazing photos but that night as we transfered the photos off the camera decided enough was enough and refused to work. So we took another trip back to Hokitito to buy a new one.....after all what's the point of doing helicopter flights without a camera.

All good we continued back to Whataroa and camped for the night at the heli pad so we could do the helicopter flight at 9.00am the next morning. WOW!!!! We saw the Whataroa Valley, the Franz Joseph Glacier, The Tasman glacier that goes for 23 kilometres and Mt Cook. All had snow on them and there are some amazing photos in the album.

Yesterday we continued to head south and saw Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea in the Aspiring National Park. We are now in Queenstown and the weather is perfect. we are surrounded by mountains, some with snow on the top, and we are heading towards Milford Sound.

Can't wait to update you of more of our adventures. The south island is spectacular!