Now then. I'm sitting in the sun in a tip top campsite called qbox in queenstown drinking a nice cup of tea while Gen sitting next to me sewing up a hole in the crotch of my trousers! (no catherine, not the ones I'm wearing!) Good times!
Last time we wrote we were enjoying all amazing variety of wildlife kaikoura had to offer us as well as enjoying a very well equipped campsite (I believe the gauge is whether there is a hair dryer or not!). However, needs must and over the next few days we had to head down to Dunedin to watch the match. We drove and spent an afternoon in christchurch and due to an accidental detour went right up to the cordoned off main earthquake site. The devastation of the buildings was quite a site to behold and after talking to some guys who lived there it seems no one knows when the work will begin on the rebuild. Not wanting that to be our only memory of this town we spent a few hours walking round the botanical gardens looking at there quite immense daffodil fields (literally tens of thousands of them). After a nights pitstop in a strange town called ashburton (still managed to watch south Africa smash namibia though so not all bad) we made it to the cold, rainy, busy campsite in Dunedin. On arrival we where directed to there overflow field which was just a rugby pitch and within a few hours it had completely filled up with England fans! In preparation for the match the next day we went and got drunk down their local rugby club and watched Australia smash up USA.
Finally the day had arrived. We had travelled nearly the while length of new zealand in just over a week in order to make it on time, missing out on things I hope to catch up on when we head back up at a less frantic pace. The centre of Dunedin was buzzing with plenty of English fans and a few romanian ones (who looked and sounded decidedly kiwi). After one or two, or more, beers it seemed a good idea to have some sambuca before we headed of to the stadium, which I'm pleased to say sparked a lit of sambuca drinking from many others in there! The covered stadium was pretty handy as it was a wet and windy evening and the game itself was awesome. For those that did manage to catch it you may have seen my dashingly handsome face on screen as the camera panne around the crowd at the start of the second half. Much to gens disappointment as she was in the toilet at the time! Many more beers were had in town after while watching new Zealand smash up France. We had one more day in Dunedin to soak up the sights and sounds of the laundry room. One final evening spent at the rugby club with some Tim and cat from Romford before we thought about heading to queenstown.
However, on our way here we thought we'd stop at Alexandra, apparently the dryest place in NZ and it didn't let us down. Sunshine the entire time! Went for a little 5 and a half our 47km bike ride along an old railway track (part if the famous rail trail), which was incredible. Panoramic snow topped mountain views the entire way. And a few pitch black 200m plus long tunnels to navigate. During our stay here we camped at a very weird campsite in clyde. As we drove in we were greeted by stares from some guys who clearly lived permanently at this water free, electricity free, $6 a night, home of a long drop! Nice. It was the christening place for our gas stove, table and chairs, going to the toilet with a head torch in a long drop and the she wee (aka ladygoanywhere!). All went well and we stayed 2 nights there.
Now the midday sun is heating me up and it's time for lunch before we spend a lazy day exploring the sights and sounds of a very cool ski town, trying to decide what next to spend too much money on meaning a few more nights at another long drop campsite! Good, good times. Thanks for all your messages and comments, its great to hear from everyone. England and the quins have it in the bag.