Hi everyone, I know it's been a really long time 5 months to be precise! We have been busy after a stumbling start which threw our plans up in the air. We arrived in Christchurch, NZ fine from Australia although a little tired as the flight was only 3 hours overnight so we didn't get much sleep. So after a days rest we headed off on our next adventure, the job hunt. We headed to Lake Tekapo for an overnight stop it was really pretty the water is a strange blue colour and you could see the Milky Way at night very pretty but so cold. I don't think I was warm for the first 2 months here!!!

The next day we set off for Queenstown, our final stop (hopefully) however it was not to be, as we enjoyed the pretty scenery the weather had other plans for us and our Daihatsu Sirrion. The scenery changed from green to white very quickly as an unexpected snow storm hit, we got stuck going over a remote pass as a lorry was stuck on the hill and it was now only possible with snow chains of which we had none. So we turned round and headed in completely the wrong direction to Dunedin, we made it but the weather wasn't much better and it was still freezing cold. We found a 'unique' hostel, it's the only way to describe it. It was someone's house which they had converted for backpackers. There was no heating and the deco was about 100years out of date but we met some nice people.

The next day the snow had arrived in Dunedin so after a slippery start we made it to Queenstown, which had no snow!! We checked in to a hostel on the out skirts and started the job hunt along with hundreds of other people which we had not expected. After spending what felt like a week on the computer applying for hundreds of jobs we decided to head to Wanaka another ski town and see what it had to offer. It is still freezing cold and the clouds are low on our journey to Wanaka which isn't helping the temperature!! Wanaka is really pretty but a lot quieter than Queenstown and even less jobs. We visited puzzling world which was cool but I've decided I don't like mazes they are pointless but Dan is quite good at them. On our last day we hired bikes and cycled around the lake which was so good and really beautiful we were the only ones there pretty much.

We have decided to go back to Queenstown as I have a job interview, I got the job up the mountain at one of the ski resorts as a Barista! Only trouble is there is still no snow (quite key for a ski resort we think!) luckily though we are escaping to Dunedin for the weekend to watch the rugby. The drive there which doesn't take long and is really scenic, once we have found our hostel, which is a bit basic we go and collect our tickets. Dan is very excited he has been waiting months for this game, the All Blacks vs England!!

GAME DAY we head out to by an England shirt for Dan and the whole city is a sea of All Blacks shirts, flags and anything else you can think of. We stop in Starbucks for a hot chocolate and bump into some of the England players so of course get a picture!! We also had a tour of the Cadbury factory and got to eat lots of chocolate (which is better than ours). Almost everyone in Dunedin is going to the rugby it's a really good atmosphere we headed to the stadium with the rest of the crowds. We have really good seats but it's still freezing!! The game was good not that you would believe that from the look on our faces when we appeared on TV back home haha. Even the streaker was funny he was sat 3 rows behind us his mate thought he was an idiot as it was so cold and the police wouldn't let him have his clothes back!!

We left the city centre the next day and headed to the peninsula to look at some of the wild life but the weather was rubbish again so we didn't see any. We headed back to Queenstown the next day for me to start work.

I worked at the ski resort for 3weeks and decided it wasn't for me (there was still no snow either) Dan had, had no luck on the job front so we decided to leave and head back to Christchurch. On the way we stopped at Mount Cook, the highest mountain in NZ it has a small town surrounded by mountains which was really nice and pretty but seems as if nobody lives there as we seen 2 people whilst we were there!

We finally arrived in Christchurch and started the job hunt all over again, we applied for hundreds of job, countless job agencies. Dan got lucky first with some temp work but only for a week. We have managed to get a 'job' working for accommodation in another town called Kaikoura on an animal farm park!! So we head there only when we arrive it's not quite like it is in the pictures, we have a guided tour around the place, which is very muddy. The owner finally offered us wellies at the end of the tour (bit late then!) there were 2 other girls working the same as us, and loads of different animals. Our first job was to clear some hedge trimmings from the field, so much fun..... Not and it was still freezing. Our accommodation was not great either very basic and cramped. We had to 'work' a full day on the first day, they fed us every night. She knew I was a veggie but still put meat on my plate and when I sat down she remembered so scooped it off and walked away. Very odd!! After being woken at 3am by the cockerels and then at 7.30 am by the donkey we had decided this was not for us, unfortunately we had agreed to stay for 3 weeks.

Our second day was our half day I was going to tell the owner that we wanted to leave but after picking up pig, goat and donkey poo all morning, I had changed my mind about telling him. We had a shower after our morning work, got in the car and did what can only be described as ................ran away from them. Once we were far enough away I sent him a text saying we wouldn't be back....... I'm still waiting for a reply. It was very funny.

We arrived back in Christchurch again to job hunt our luck seemed to have changed as in the first week back I got a temp job and we found somewhere to live. Dan then got another temp job then a permenant job. My job kept getting extending until my parents come out.

Christchurch is still recovering from the big earthquakes in 2010/2011 so there is not much here but I have enjoyed my time here and met some great people. Dan can't wait to leave and find somewhere with more to do. We're heading off in a campervan to tour the South Island with my parents for a month like proper tourists.

Our flat mates are another story all together.