At last I have a chance to do my blog update. I'm stitting in an internet cafe in Christchurch NZ and luckily the exchange rate here at the moment is really good so everything is much cheaper that Oz which was getting silly by the end 4pounds for a filter coffee isnt good!

Got dropped off at the bus stop this morning by Sallys mum who came over from England to visit. We stayed with Sally and Murray for the last 5 days in a cottage next to there house. It was an absolute luxuary to have a place to ourselfs there was a really comfy large double bed and a bath! we both havnt had a bath since we left home expecially because the drought in Australia we had hardly washed for the last week in cooma. No water problemss in NZ! We did lots of gardening for them like planting hedges, plants and strengthening their fruit trees, mowing lawns (which i didnt have a clue how to use to i pretended i knew what i was doing and managed to get a lovely strippey lawn!). The weather was so hot but there was a breeze which was good, ash got burnt again then the next day he got burnt again! some people dont learn! I did get a little pink even though i covered myself in suncream and work my roo hat but luckily it had gone by the morning. They had two children Noah (2) and Amber (1) they were so cute and every time noah saw us he shouted 'Backpackers' at the top of his voice! We ended up doing quite a few more hours a day as they counted it as a day the eve we arrived which we couldnt do work as it was too late and we wanted to go walking on the thursday as it was soooo pretty around them surrounded in steep hill- really welsh looking countryside! so Tuesday and Wednesday we did 2 full days work 9-7 then got our day off. I found a smoothy maker and luckily ash and i had bought a lots of fruit so i made bannana, peach, nectirine and apple smoothes which were yum yum yum!

Got the day in christchurch today though unluckily we have our giant bags to lug around with us so wont be able to do much, already seen a lot of weird looking people in NZ! But everyone is very friendly when we went for a walk around sallys place we knocked on their neighbours door to ask directions and we ended up hearing a little life story and introducing us to his english wife he was in his 80's and still farming.

Getting picked up by our next helpx host this afternoon which is good as will save us money on pulic transport. Ash has realised how much he is spending on coffee etc so hopefully will cut back a bit otherwise he will be coming home rather thin! I hope the place we are going is nice I thiink mum knows more about it than i do, may have a quick look on the website in mo as ive been quite cut off from the internet over the past few weeks. After the guest house we are working at in a week we will be back in christchurch for 2 days before making our way to the farm for 2 weeks.

Hope all in well at home and rob was the star of the show! Will hopefully be able to phone when i get to the next place. will be uploading some photos of the walk we did though this cafe doesnt have a cardreader so cant do it now.

Love to everyone, Lou xxxx