Right, and so for my final blog for New Zealand. In contrast to my other blogs I'm afraid this is not going to be too action or fact filled. After my last blog I had one more night in Christchurch, and then I stepped onto a lovely shiny plane en route from Japan and took the short journey back up to Auckland. It was a bit of a shock to the system really to get back to the city which is home to more than a quarter of NZ's population after the relatively unpopulat...

Right, and so to continue with what I had already half started last week... So I'd just told you about my bungy jump and I was going on to tell you about Milford Sound when I realised that there was probably almost smoke coming out of my computer from so much typing so decided to give it a break. We had the option to do a day trip from Queenstown to a place called Milford Sound which is on the east coast of the south island. It will probably be the furthest s...

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I last wrote - I've done so much in the last week I'm wondering how I'm going to fit it all into my blog.Last time I wrote I was in Franz Josef preparing to go on an 8 hour ice hike. I have to say, it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done but also one of the most enjoyable. The glacier was named in 1865 by a man called von Haast, after the Austro-Hungarian emperor. There are over 3000 glaciers in NZ but F...

Hi everyone, Well sorry I haven't been able to write again for quite a while but I have been in a few remote places again and sometimes the internet is really hard to work or really expensive ($8 an hour at the last 2 places which is double what it is here!) Last time I wrote I was in Wellington, and I am pleased to report that it continued to impress. Wellington reminded me ofSan Francisco but smaller and not as hilly. The population varies between 160,000...

Hi there everyone and greetings from Wellington, capital of New Zealand. Apologies to everyone who has impatiently awaited the next installment. I have been pretty much without internet or phone signal for the last week because I have been touring round the eastern cape of the North Island. We were picked up on Monday by our bus driver who whilst reasonably attractive was also a pretty useless dickhead. When the bus arrived the back door was open and someone'...