Thanks for the constructive and well thought out messages guys. Heres me trying to be really sensible by broadening your minds about culture and society on the other side of the world and your taking the mick out of me (ha ha). Keep them coming.

Yet another day of travelling and another day of bloody rain. The whole country seems to be covered in a blanket of low cloud, mist and sheets of fine rain; you know the type that gets you really wet (Peter Kay joke).

I caught the Ferry from Wellington at 8.25am, which is actually a huge roll on roll off cruise liner. The journey takes about three hours to get to a port called Picton at the Northern tip of South Island. I then caught a bus from there for another two hour journey to a town called Nelson which is further West along the North coast. The scenery would have been fantastic if it hadn't been for the low cloud and mist because it looks a little like the island where Jurassic park was filmed. I've checked into my 'Paridiso' Backpackers Hostel at $23 for the night and basically I'm now just treading water waiting for my 7.15am bus tomorrow morning to Greymouth which is half way down the West coast. My trip should start getting more exciting from then with plans to walk on glaciers, jet boat down river gorges and start doing some serious mountain trekking and stuff.

I'm having a little problem downloading my latest batch of photographs but that should be sorted in the next couple of days hopefully. The one that's blank with the little red cross must be the one where I'm completely naked bar wellies and red lipstick and being chased down a country road by a huge flock of sheep. The photograph at the top was kindly taken by the New Zealand wildlife preserve who saved me and eventually scattered the sheep. Hopefully I'll get that sorted to.

Anyway guys I'm off to do some brass rubbings at the local church and collect some leaves for my nature book and I'll catch up with you soon.