So here we are back in Nelson. Tomorrow is our last day in New Zealand. We love the country, it is truly very English here and after three months of Asia it was like coming home, but with a few quirks. The landscape at times seems like Devon or Cornwall, but with a tropical feel. However the "bush" as they call it here is very dense filled with trees, palms and ferns. Everywhere is very lush especially after all the rain. We arrived 5 weeks ago in early Autumn and it was fairly warm, but there is now an autumnal chill to the air first thing in the morning and we notice people have started to light their woodburners.

The roads have been quiet with mostly people touring the west coast, many of them in campers of various shapes and sizes. Speaking of the roads, they are very good and easy to drive along, we would have liked to hired a bike but pleased we didn't as the weather was so unsettled.

We have seen lots of wild life, but no live possums. It seems there is a big cull going on at the moment that people are either for or against. The government is dropping a poison by airplane into the bush called 1080, which kills anything that eats it in the area. They are predominantly targeting possums, stoats etc, that eat the eggs of kiwi's, but 1080 will kill any wildlife that eats it, including birds. The argument is that the wildlife comes back better and stronger, but wouldn't that mean the possums come back stronger too? Every now and then we pass a sign saying "Ban 1080", so people are not happy.

We have enjoyed our short tour along the west coast and will be sorry to leave New Zealand as the people have been very friendly and welcoming, always ready for a chat, asking where we are from and what we think of New Zealand.

Tomorrow we drop off the car and fly to Auckland to take our non-stop 11.5 hour flight to Santiago in Chile - can't wait!