World Cup Fever has started - Yay! Just remains to be seen if we can catch many games. Planning a midnight viewing of the England game tonight tho'. Bring it on! Been here there and back again since we last wrote. Arrived on the South Island a couple of weeks ago and it is the most amazing place we have ever been. Mountains, Glaciers, Lakes - it has everything. (Except warmth at the moment) In Queenstown for a few days, wicked to stop for a bit and this seems like a nice enough place to do it. First stop when we arrived South was the Abel Tasman Nat. Park - did a 5 hr hike ... which hurt some. Few days later we had to say G'bye to Space - he wasn't very well. Retaining water and going a tad mouldy - so we now have a new van. Journey to Christchurch to swap over was interestin to say the least. 500k round trip over Arthurs Pass - which is basically a range of mountains. Up and down, round and round the most amazing scenery - which I missed most of the fisrt time over. My eyes were glued to the petrol meter - we'd forgotten to fill up and there aren't many towns on the Pass let alone petrol stations. Something to do with the steep mountains I think! Big light comes on 40k away from the nearest town and I have to admit - I was close to tears and thinking that I may die freezing on a mountain top. Luckliy for us - we saw a lodge and I explained our predicament to the nice lady inside and asked to us the phone (to call who ? - I know not..) She was lovely and her husband said that he'd follow us in his 4*4 to the next town and would give us a lift if we broke down. Praise be! We were saved. We made it though - must have driven nearly an 1hr with and empty tank. Hurrah! After all that excitment we trundled down to Franz Josef and did a glacier walk. Fab fab fab. Even though I nearly dashed my brains out a couple of times on the ice - such a magical place. Climbed Mount Roy a couple of days later. It's flippin 1500m above sea level and all uphill - Jeez it hurt lots. No idea what's come over us - not the most outdoorsy people. It wasn't unknown for me to veg all weekend in St.Mags and feast on Charmed and the footie. I think the scenery must be intoxicating. Cheerio xx Oooo - Congrats to Jon and Rosie - and belated to Jim and Belinda. Missing you all