Well, we gave in and bought coats. Its been a long week since we left Christchurch in our big new motorhome, but a suprisingly enjoyable time everywhere we went. I don't think that either of us new what to expect in southern New Zealand, but what we saw was definitely not that! We started our first day with a drive to Mt Cook, passing goregously blue Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki on the way. Beacause of the glacial and snow run off that the lakes are fed with, the water is a creamy blue with hints of green that look like the color has been adjusted with the contrast of your TV screen. The skies were clear and it was a crisp 10/50 degrees, and we continued on to Mt Cook to see the highest peak in New Zealand. However, when we arrived, the clouds had rolled in, snow was expected that evening, and we broke down and bought warm, waterproof coats, along with New Zealand wool hats and gloves. We staed that night in a small town of Omarama, just a stop on the highway in the middle of Nowheresville. The next day took us to Te Anau where we experienced the most amazing boat ride that evening. We went in a catamaran accross Lake Te Anau to some caves in the South Fiord. A short treck later through the caves took us to an amazing underground stream with waterfalls, whirpools, and canyons where we got in a boat, to go further into the caves! When our guides turned out all the lights, our eyes adjusted to see hundreds of small lights coming from the roof of the caves, that looked like stars! They were in fact tiny bugs called glow worms that emit a light from their bellies to attract other bugs to get caught in the sticky webs they form so they can have dinner. The hungrier a glow worm is, the brighter the light they emit. An extrodinary sight to say the least. Tuesday found us driving to Milford Sound where we took a cruise out to the Tasman and back along cliffs with waterfalls, caves, sheer rock faces, rainforest, and almost any other geolical feature you can imagine. The trip was highlighted by sightings of a a fur seal and a pod of bottlenose dolphins! That night we had to backtrack to Te Anau to be in position for the next day. Wanaka was a small lakeside town, usually much busier in the winter due to its skiing. We were a bit too early for that, even though there was snow on the Southern Alp peaks in the distance. We were told it was a bit of an Indian Summer so they were expecting snow soon. We stayed on the lake and enjoyed a nice sundet over Lake Wanaka and the Aspiring Mountain Range. The following day's drive to Fox Glacier was a bit more precarious as we were crowed out with the Southern Alps to our east and the Tasman Sea to our west. We enjoyed a short walk to the terminal face of Fox Glacier and drove on to the real destination, the bigger, colder, higher, Franz Josef Glacier that evening. We got to expience Franz up close and personal the next morning with a helicopter ride and two hour ice walk. We were transported up the glacier, told to strap on some ice crampons (metal cleats) and followed our guide through ice caves, mouluns (water formed valleys in the ice) and across the surface to the base of the neve (where the glacier forms) and learned about how the glacier grows and reatreats at a suprising rate of a meter per day. Since it is 11km long from top to bottom, its got a bit of room to move as well. Last night was spent in Aurthurs Pass National Park. More mountains, valleys, and enjoyable scenery, enough to last us a lifetime. But now it is back to Christchurch for an evening flight to Auckland. Rob will get the corresponding pictures up when he has a bit more time. Hop everything is going well at home. Miss you lots, take care! Love Kate and Rob