Hello

Hope everyone is well. This is where we are headed. The Picton to Wellington ferry leaves in a couple of hours so it's our last time on the South Island. It's certainly been a mixed bag.

Our luck continued apace after we received the campervan back as we both immediately came down with colds. We drove on to Franz Josef Glacier nonetheless and when we arrived in a camp site near there promptly collapsed. We recovered a little to venture outside to eat and found ourselves to be the main course. I complain endlessly about the bloody flies but they deserve it. The sand flies in the West coast had been described to us as sabre toothed and the way they can draw blood so effectivly for something so small I am beginning to beleive it. We drove the following morning down to Franz Josef to find our luck still in as the path to the terminal face of the glacier (think that is where the ice ends) was in fact closed due to unpredictable rivers (??!!). Truth be told we weren't really in a fit state for a big hike so did a couple of small ones to find some pretty spectacular views.

Next we headed further up the West coast (Betty undaunted by the sandflies) to Punakaiki to see the pancake rocks. They don't look anything like pancakes to me but they are pretty impressive and at high tide create a geyser effect through blow holes. Sand fly sitaution improved somewhat so we were also able to sit on the beach and watch the sun set. Very nice.

After the rocks we decided to head back across to the East to make our way to Kaikoura. We decided to go through Arthur's Pass which is pretty incredible although a major test for the van. Having already been through one gearbox I (we) were beginning to wonder if my agressive mountain driving style was not contributing. Made it safely to the top to see the pass and the journey down is always fun. The scenery immediately after the pass when the landsacpe flattens and you can see Mountains in the distance all around is particularly stunning and among one our favourite places on the whole Island. I think that is in Canterbury which has to be my choice as accomodation hotspot of choice.

We stopped a night in Oxford which is a pretty small town just outside of Christchurch but has won the prestigious Small Town of the Year New Zealand award 2 years running! Not the year we were there unfortunately, and it shows ;)

From Oxford we headed along fantastic flat straight roads toward Kaikoura and our Dolphin swimming and whale watching apointments. En route there is a conveniently placed vineyard region in Waipara Valley, so, as we had managed to miss all vineyards so far we spent the afternoon there. I had a couple of sips, but I think the afternoon belonged to Betty who did us proud with her tasting and subsequent selections. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon and the spots they have picked for their vineyards there are pretty incredible.

We made it to Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter about 7pm to complete our plan of having a free nights accomodation in their carpark as we had a 5.20am start. We were a bit dissapointed that another couple of campervans seemed to have had the same idea which made nightly tiolet spots a little hard to come by! After dinner in town as a treat (or too embarassed to cook in the carpark) we slept pretty well. The weather had changed dramatically overnight and in the morning it was overcast and pretty cold. Not the weather we had envisaged for throwing ourselves in the sea, Dusky Dolphins or not. It didn't stop the dolphins tho, and we were extremely lucky to come across a pod of hundreds. All wetsuited up, you just jump off the back of the boat when signalled and the whole group basically swims through you. It's your job to try and distract or entertain them as much as possible to keep them around a little. Suggested means of doing this are to try and circle with them when they circle you which results in drowning, diving with them, which is pretty impossible, and trying to mimick their speech which is completely humiliating. However, once they start paying you a little attention you are bowled over and are attempting to out backflip them whilst tooting you heart out through your snorkel. Betty seemed to be the mermaid amongst us and was immediately engulfed by a whole family and I got to jealously watch her being examined in great detail by a very curious dolphin who must have swam around her about 5 times from a metre or less away. I made some friends of my own once I started my spectacular toot and think I may have even engaged in a little polite conversation. An unbelievable experience which surpassed all our expectations.

The whale watch in the afternoon was again shrouded in rain, but we got very lucky yet again. We saw 6 Sperm whales when the average is 1 or 2 per trip and saw one really close to shore and really clearly. Another great adventure! What a day!

Celebrated with a nice bottle of wine and a van cooked bolognaise last night in a layby by the side of quite a busy road. I had rejected an ealier campsite as it seemed to have become a New Zealand gipsy settlement on account of the public tiolets near the beach. Lovely. After a little heated discussion we drove on until we found our 'spot'. We had the last of the sun for the night and made ourselves comfortable so all in all not too bad. That is until, our neighbours appeared. In a layby about 100 metres long someone drove in and parked right next to us (disrupts your access to non existant toilet facilties) which really got on our nerves. We turned up the music but they wouldn't budge. Wouldn't say hello in the morning either so we still don't know what the fascination about us was. Oh well.

So, here we go North to volcanoes, Maoris and hopefully sunshine.

Take care. Keep in touch!

love Paul and Betty.