hey everyone! have sat down with coins jangling in m,y pocket ready to plonk into the machine wen the buzzer beeps.

am going to tell you everything.

our first weekend trip was to greymouth on teh train. that was......hmmmm, 5 weekends ago. as the monday was a public holiday we both had two days spare so on the sunday morning, bright and early, we were picked up by a shuttle bus and taken to christchurch station. considering christchurch is a magor city the station was a mite on the small side. i think it had one platform. trains are not big here. anyway we got on the train and found our seats and settled down for the ride through the mountains. i'm not sure there was any kiwis on the train at all. except for the driver of corse. we raced through the plains (passing the wearhouse i worked at for a bit) then sudenly we were in the foothills. the ground doesn't genly slope upwards, the flat just stops and the hills begin. once in the hills we went to the observaion cariage armed with cameras and a hot cgocolate apiece. it was an open cariange with no indows just metal barsd and a roof. cold. was spektacular. have taken many fotos, amd i think emma has put hers up online. stopped at authers pass and got out and streched our legs, then we went back to our seats to eat out muffins and attempt to regain the fealing in out fingers. that afternoon we arrived in greymouth.

we seem plagued by bikes as during our stay greymouth was also playing host to a motor bike street racing thing which was very noisy and fast and ment that most of the town was cordoned off. we stayed in noahs ark backpacker where surprisingly there were a lot of young ish familys staying. (because of teh long weekend) all the rooms had an animal theme and ours was the pig room. (pink with a large pig painted on the wall) we went to the beach and skimmed stones and for tea had a 5 dollar all you can eat bbq at a local pub. very very good. watched charlie and the chocolate factory that evening. next day we went up for a walk in the hills behind us and made up limerics for some of the other resisdents of kiwi house. can't remember them at the moment but i have the suspicion that they were workds of genius. if i ever remeber i shall delight you with their form and wonderful rhyming patterns. anyway. was beautiful sunney day walking in beautiful native bush/rainforest/many plants with ocasionaly huge sweeping views of the land around. that afternon we got a coach back to christchurch, stopping at authers pass for an icecream (most places seem to sell cones here, its great!) got back to kiwi house that evening.

the next weekend we went to akaroa for the day. we got a small bus which stopped every so often to take pictures. akaroa is in the banks penisular and conolised mostly by the french. has a very interesting history which we learnt about in this littel but perfectly charming museum. had another icecream and got the bus back home.

the weekend after that we got a bus to kaikoura at 4 on the saturday which i got to just in time after work. we followed the caost and passed over some hills to get there. stopping at a very small town on the way. (considered buying an icecream but didn't ) kaikoura is breathtaking. snow capped mountains and sea. its the northern end of the southern alps you see. went for a walk along the beach and watched the sunset. stayed at a very small hostel which was very coribean esq and had a hottub andwhich was cosy and freindly and generally very nice. also didn't sleep in a bunk bed for the first time since waitomo. (months ago)

nxt morning we got up and went to the dolphion enxounter center where we were handed all sorts of gear and told to suit up. we had 2 peice wetsiuts and flippers and balaclaver type wetsiiut hood and snorkles and cloves and sock things. we looked amazing. after watching a video about what we were going to do etc. and how to atract the dolphins to take an intrest in you, (we had to sing to them and dive down into the water and make eye contact and look dolphin shaped) we pilled onto a bus and taken to the boats. beautiful ride out to where the dolphins had last been spotted and sudelnly we were beiing aksed to get ready and go and sit on the back of the baot (where ther were steps leading to the water) we all sat and a horn sounded signalling us to get off. so we all hopped into the south pacific in very floaty wetsoiuts which basically acted like bouacy aids. and thre they were, swimming around us, hundreds of sleak grey dusky dolphins. about the size of a seal i guess. they're amazing creatures, very frindly and lively and inquisitive and they glide through the water perfecctly. couldn't quite believe that i was doing this, but was amazing! loved it. anyway they swam on their way and we got back on the boat and followd them. jumped off a further 2 times. when looked down could just see blue water with shafts of ligh going on ednlessly. tried hard not to think of wha tmight be down there besides dolphin. after we had dreid off changed, the boat followed the dolphins still and we got hotchocolate and ginger biscuits. our goiude told us about them and they played in the bow wake as we took photos. they're here because not too far off the caost is a large canyon and lots of food and the like is around beacuse of that (including eth giant squid and the newly found colossal squid) wales and dolphins live here most of the time. took many photos, go see emmas online!!! (she is emmasnzadventure) that afternoon we went for a walk along the coast then got teh coach back to christchurch.

the next weekend we went to blenheim to visit emmas uncles sister and family who all live in blenheim. was a great weekend. roseanne (the sister) was perfectly lovely and took us to picton where we walked some of the queen _____ track and then took us to visit some of her family. her daught christie is 4 weeksoff her first baby! blemhiem is in marlburough and that is full f vineyards and wineries going on fr miles!! stayed friday night and saturday night and, after watching the all blacks verses france rugby the sunday morning and going to visit her mother (who gave us a packed lunch and some honey) we got the caoch back. was odd to be in a home again. we had our own rooms, and bathrooms. you could get changed in your rooms and not in teh tiolet. we also were sleeping in roomson our own for the first time in nearly 3 months. that took a bit of getting used to. i slept in a double bed, never done that before. also having hot running water for things other than just the shower was nice. and to have musely for breakfast and hotchocolate (milo) in the evening.

last weekend (ie. the sunday we have just had) we went to edoras! our driver on the tour had done the sound on the films so had actuallt been there when filming and with the other 3 blokes in the depatment had won and oscar for the last film. was in a beautilfull settin, called mt sunday cause the local farmers used to all meet up there on sundays for a picknick. very very fun, specially as they had a replica of aragorns and eowyns swords and gimlis axe and a flag of rohan for us to play with. they also gave us lunch. think emm might have put her photos up but am not sure if she's had time yet. watch that space.

that was a faithfull narative of all my dealings over the past 5 weekends. nd it has taken near n a hour to write. good job its my day off.

on a more trivial note i have discovered vegimite!!! was in th free fod box. wonderful stuff.

also fininshed watching the firfly series on monday and watced the film serenity yesterday (it being wednesday today) MUST watch sereis before film and film is really just an extended episode and to fulley enjoy it the characters need to be known really well. all must watch. imediately.

well, time is almost up and i'm going to wander into town to buy a hotchocolat at emmas cafe. love you all very very much,

God Bless

jen

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