James and i have boozed and beached and sushi-ed and stalked Peter Jackson around Wellington this weekend and had a brill time. The weather has been unbelievable and we've lounged at Scorching Bay beach (Chocolate Fish Cafe - the best cafe in the world!) and at Oriental Bay beach in the city centre. James even took his t-shirt off and we paddled! We went to Te Papa (the museum) and went back 60,000 years in time on a simulated back in time ride - woo! Sounds sad but it was ace. We've haunted various King Kong sets and found the proper LOTR locations on Mount Victoria - i got it all wrong it seems!

This morning, we were awoken by a 6.4 richter EARTHQUAKE - thank you very much! James thought his bunk bed was shaking due to nocturnal activity courtesy of the bloke above. We were very freaked out and it made us feel like insignificant little dots of nothingness on this great globe of ours!

Today we set off on our "holiday", as i am off work. We came across the Cook Strait to the South Island on the most perfect crossing and took endless photos and saw a pod of dolphins!!!!

We've hired a great car and, neither of us having driven an automatic, crunched it along for a few miles with the handbrake on before ringing the glass-eyed weirdo, Colin, that we rented it from. He said "ah no good as gold for ringing" (whatever that means) and told us how to drive the car.

We are now in Renwick near Blenheim in the heart of Marlborough wine country, surrounded by 20 odd vineyards and it's just gorgeous. Watsons' Way backpackers is beautiful and we spent the best part of this afternoon in a hammock for two drinking Chardonnay giggling like fools! A light aircraft buzzed lazily overhead and the owner of the hostel, Paul, explained that Renwick would soon host a vintage aircraft show. I innocently enquired "FOKKERS!?". There was a preganant pause followed by a blank look. James had to look away and bite his hand.

We've had fish and chips for tea and plan to do a quick bicycle tour of a couple of wineries tomorrow before going further south. Who knows where!

x