It’s a really short flight to Christchurch so we’re here is no time, the views over really remind us of home. We grab our bags, use the free phone to call a hostel and get the bus into town and check into the lovely hostel. We waste no time and set off into town to have a look around, it’s drizzling but strangely it feels comforting,, it’s been a long time since we’ve had this kind of weather and we’d better get used to it! The realisation that in just over 2 months we’ll be home has hit us hard today. The next day and the day after we just wonder around town again looking for a coat for Mattie, catching up with our washing and using the internet in the library. In the evening we make watch some movies on the massive TV at the hostel.

On Sunday it’s an early rise to catch the bus to Kaikoura and the scenery along the way is just so beautiful, we sit and stare out the window the whole way there. When we arrive we bagsy the last two bikes at the hostel and go our for a ride along the beach with a backdrop of snow capped mountains and amazingly blue sea. We ride over to the seal colony and there are loads of them, it‘s so cool, we are only about 10metres away from a big group and a baby one so we just sit and watch them for ages and then walk up further along the headland before heading back into town where we go to the pub and have a tasting tree of Monteiths beer in preparation for the brewery tour in Greymouth, mmmmmmmmmm. In the evening we meet up with some of the people off our bus and we all go our for a few drinks together.

The next day we are heading to Nelson, on the way we stop at a waterfall where there are loads of baby seals playing around, they swim up the river from the sea to the waterfall so they can play in the water, it’s so amazing and while I’m standing around one swims up the river right by me. We also go to a winery for some tasting, yum and they have oil and bread tasting too, an excellent combination! When we get to Nelson we check into our hostel and enjoy the free chocolate pudding and ice cream by the roaring fire and get a good night’s rest in preparation for the 20km walk we’re going to do the next day.

It has rained all night and I’ve been awake for ages worrying about the walk but fortunately it stops not long after we get up, phew! We have an awesome free breakfast and then set off to Abel Tasman National Park for the walk. It takes an hour and a half on the bus and then an hour on a boat to get to the starting point which then takes us about another 10 minutes to find because we’re literally dropped off on the beach. There’s a big group of us from the bus and we all set off together but it’s not long until we all split up, the walk is not too strenuous and we see some really beautiful beaches, little waterfalls and foresty stuff etc. We also take a tidal crossing which is a bit touch and go as the tide starts coming in when we’re wading halfway across, we think you’re only supposed to do it when there is no water at all, oops! Then after we dry our feet and legs off we find a beautiful little spot to stop and have our lunch. My legs really start to ache near the end but it’s been a really good day and when we get back there is more chocolate pudding and ice cream, yay!

On the Wednesday we are up early and off to Greymouth, it takes pretty much all day on the bus, along the way we stop at Pukanaki Pancake rocks and blow hole but unfortunately it’s not really doing it’s thing because it’s low tide. We arrive at about 4.30pm and have free pies and cakes (the hostels here love the free stuff and so do we!) then we get ready and go out to the brewery tour dum dum dummmmmmm! The tour itself only takes about half an hour and then it’s back to the bar for the important part - the tasting. The guide pours us all a taste of all 7 beers and 1 cider and then she lets us loose at the pumps to try our favourite one. This is where the chaos begins, the excitement of free beer and pouring it ourselves takes over (it was never this much fun when we worked at the bar?!) and we form a continuous circle of pouring and drinking, pouring and drinking never leaving the circle until our bus comes for us half an hour later! Then we go to the pub for the meal which is included in the ticket price and the bar staff tell us they will keep the jugs of beer at $6 as long as we keep drinking and to encourage us further there is………………… SING STAR! Everyone is modest at first ‘maybe later, maybe later’ but an hour or so in and we’re practically fighting over it, all the classics are out and Mattie and Colin do a sterling version of Hammer Time. We call it a night at a respectable time of 1am, head back to the hostel, fill our hot water bottles and go to bed - so rock and roll!