Bertha is our trusty camper van that Kirsty and I are travelling the South Island of New Zealand in. (I hope to get a picture of her and send it in my next email, I am a proud mother) She's a buxom lady that has already taken us on many adventures. I am currently in Franz Josef after a 3/4 day's hike up the Glacier here. Very exhilerating to hike between sheets of ice with our chipper guide AJ. In the short time we have been here we've been up to Kaikora and saw the Seals; across to Manuria Springs and sat out in thermal sulphurus spas which basically meant sitting in our bikinis in rock pools outside filled with black water that smelled of eggs(good for the skin apparently) looking up at the mountains whilst it was snowing - spectacular; 'there was gold in them there hills' as we dressed up in period costume and panned for gold in Shantytown; checked out the Pancake Rocks on one of World's best coastal drives and the highlight so far hiking the glacier here. Not one for camping (more a five star resort girl myself)I have however had a change of heart thanks to Bertha. She has a heater, although we didn't know we could keep it running all night so froze the first two nights (we could see our breath when we woke up), a shower and toilet although we are refraining from using these as someone's got to empty the waste - lovely - and opt fpr the more hygenic camping park's facilities and a fold down double bed - very cosy as me and Kirst sport out thermals, pjamas, sleeping bag and duvet in a bid to keep warm. But on the whole having a fantastic time - the only way to travel!