Despite the unwanted overnight cloud cover it was a chilly night, with the sun bring granted a small morning window on the horizon, blinding me on my tea making excursion before disappearing into the clouds.

We breakfasted, filled up with fuel and were away on the road north. The surroundings got less and less extreme but the quaint villages we passed through were pretty in their own backward way. We crossed some bright blue meltwater rivers, huge dams and thousands of acres of irrigated grazing before stopping for coffee in Methven, a slightly desolate ski chalet town. We pushed on to the Rangiata gorge and took an hours walk up the river to a viewpoint which showed the gorge off to its full potential.

We cruised down onto the Canterbury plains and through Lincoln (where Phil and Lorna live!) and on towards Banks peninsula. The scenery swiftly livened up again as we crawled over the rim of the old volcano before freewheeling into a beautiful amphitheatre with its attractive inlet at the centre.

We pulled over in Akaroa, picked up a map and took a walk along the front and down the pier planning our next moves. With the sun dropping fast we left the pretty little French inspired town and snaked our way into the wilds of the South towards Onuku.

The remote hostel did not inspire confidence when, after negotiating hairpin bends and enema straining gradients, the gate was purple and had a rainbow on it. Bob was pulling a face which I read deeply into and then persevered, if only because the car was smelling very very hot and I was dubious about it making the descent immediately.

We drove through a yard with plenty of warning signs but then out onto a hilltop field with one of the most stunning vistas on the inlet that you could imagine.

The only other occupants of the field were 3 sheep and a couple from London who with their 2 year old daughter Rocket. On seeing us arrive they had already guessed that we were vets and after after talking to them it turned out that they had been travelling for three and a half years and had sailed here. Bob and I went quite quiet as Rocket toddled around having staring contests with the sheep.

Feeling like I really should do something manly to make up for taking the easy route and getting s plane here I checked over the enema's engine as she still smelled distinctly over-hot. I soon discovered that her radiator required over a litre of water...oops!

Supper was sausages, sweet potato mash and broccoli, cooked on the picnic bench next to the car, with the most amazing view of the bay, watching the sun drop below the opposite ridge. Another fantastic meal in a stunning place and we went to bed very happy bunnies indeed!