Hi everyone. Several of you have been asking where the updates have been on here for the last few months and the short answer is we haven't really had much to update!

The problem with going away for a year is that it costs a lot of money and we had always planned to spend some time on our trip working to help pay for all our shenanigans. As such we have been holed up in a place called Blenheim for the last 3 months. Blenheim is in the heart of the Marlborough Region where most of New Zealand's wine is made. The place is literally vineyards as far as the eye can see so we found work pretty much instantly. My job is pruning the vines and getting rid of all the crap from last year just leaving 5 canes left. After this I then strip out all of the stuff I've cut from the supporting wires for the plant. Kate then comes in and trims all the little twiggy bits off and then wraps the canes round the supporting wires and then we repeat that 300 times plus a day. Put bluntly it's a hideous job that we have hated from the word go. We both work 9 hours a day with a 10 minute lunch break. On average I get whipped in the face about 4 times a day by canes, I've had 3 go up my nose, 1 across my front teeth, several split lips and I'm averaging about 3 in the balls a week as well. Both Kate and I wake up every day with dead arms from repetitive work and our fingers lock up regularly. We are working with people who have done this job for years, they must be mental. On the plus side we are saving lots of money to fund the rest of our trip and get to spend all day outside with all of New Zealands mountainous wonder around us and lots of birds flitting about.

During our time here we have been staying at Spring Creek Holiday Park. We have vacated the glorious Pamela for a more comfortable caravan while we are working. Our caravan came with a big fluffy cat who lives underneath it and we have called him Adolf on account of his striking likeness to Hitler. We have become quite friendly with a lot of residents here including the manager and it has been quite entertaining at times being immersed in what is essentially a trailer park. For anyone who has seen the comedy series 'Trailer Park Boys' its pretty much like that. There are plenty of nutters and dodgy dealings going on including a tattooed lady reminiscent of Biffa Bacon's mum, people running away in the middle of the night after being rumbled for thieving coins out of the shower boxes and much other oddness. The last few months have been a bit like groundhog day and we can't wait to get going again and start exploring the south island where albatrosses, whales, penguins and skydives await as we spend all our hard earned money.

Hope everyone is well and as usual we miss you all muchly x