Despite all the fun things we got up to in the North Island, we think we prefer the South Island. For a start it is undeniably one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen what with all the mirrored lakes, trees and ever present backdrop of the snow covered Southern Alps. The weather has been crisp, clear blue skies almost everyday too which always helps! Our first stop, driving through the Malborough vinyards was Abel Tasman National Park where we stayed on Old MacDonalds farm. Here we got ourselves up at the crack of dawn and went off for yep, another walk! This time our walk took us along the coastal path until the sight of waves backed with snowy mountains became normal and we digressed off the path to the 'nature walk'. Whoever thought this up was having a giggle we think because there was no nature as such except lots and lots of muddy puddles and fallen down trees, hmmm! Feeling rather grubby (we decided against the cold, almost outside showers) we got back on the bus to enjoy the drive through Buller Gorge and the sunset over the west coast to arrive at our next destination Barrytown (sarcastically also known as Baz Vegas because of its rocking population of 5 houses, 1 pub, 1 school and a bone carving shop!). Here we ammused ourselves with the resident dressing up box and had a cross dressing party (of course) before turing in for the night ready for carving those bones into neclaces the following day. With the afternoon spare we went to explore the surrounding area following a path that wound round and round a mountain yet appearing to go nowhere. We were right, it went nowhere and we had to turn back before night fell and we really got stuck! Note to self we may be expert walkers now but directions will never be our forte plus we didn't even find any of the Jade apparently abundant in the area to make us some much needed money - boo! The best bits of Barrytown included the Kiwi Roast dinner they fed us (a change from carrots and pasta horray!) and the pancake rocks (rocks stacked like piles of pancakes) and blowholes (holes in the rock causing the waves to spurt up through them) we went to see on our last day there. These were amazing and despite the fear that Liz IS becoming her mother, a geographical wonder. Oh yes, Franz Joseph was next, an experience never to be forgotten! Here we went on an 8 hour treck up a glacier and yet again had the time of our lives! Dressed to the nines in gortex complete with clampons and bum bags (check out the sexy pics) we climbed up steps our guide carved out the ice with his pick axe, squeezed ourselves inbetween impossibly narrow walls of ice and through ice tunnels. The ice was so thick it glowed blue - bring on those extreme NZ sports! We tried to stay in Wanaka for a few days to have another shot at doing a skydive but sadly all the accomodation was booked up so on we went to Queenstown entertaining ourselves enroute with Bus Olympics! This was initiated we hasten to add by the driver and involved games such as navigating obstacles (i.e. people's legs) to run from 1 end of the bus to the other whilst it was speeding round corners. Our team, team BOB (back of bus) won of course helped mostly we are sure by the hakka (Maori war dance) done by Dan or at least it would have helped if we hadn't been laughing so much it hindered our progress (thanks Dan!) So here we are in Queenstown awaiting Becky (Liz's friend from uni) and Ian's arrival so we can get on and have some snow fun skiing and snowboarding in the surrounding mountains. There is plenty to entertain ourselves with until they get here though for example Cheryl, as a birthday treat (HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHERYL) threw herself of a 134 metre high platform attached only to a bit of elastic yesterday and had so much fun doing it is considering throwing herself off a similar platform again tonight! Let the fun continue......