And so, we face another day of travelling today.

We have a bus to catch at 0700 from Christchurch that will take us to Bleinham, where we change and get a service to Nelson. So another early start.

The journey itself actually provides a welcome relief. It somehow seems refreshing to be travelling at ground level instead of 35,000 feet.

The first leg of the trip is set to be about 5 hours, including a brief stop at Kaikoura. It takes us through the city, out over mountains and along the coast, the scenery is quite spectacular at times, with the views going from snow capped peaks to seal colonised rocks in no time at all. The stop in Kaikoura is very welcome as it's a beautiful place, home of the whale watch programme and one of the most picturesque places I've ever seen

From here, we have an hour or so to Bleinham and then on to Nelson, where we arrive mid afternoon. Nelson is often called the sunshine capital of New Zealand, so it seems appropriate that we are greeted by rain.

A short taxi ride later and we are checking into the Arrow Motel, where we will spend the next three nights. The walk into the city takes about 30 minutes, or we can get the hourly bus service.

Nelson itself has a very old feel to it, nothing appears to be high rise, and it's almost colonial in nature. We collect our tickets for the games we will be seeing, and have a wander round town before heading back to the hotel for the evening.

Adjusting to all these time changes isn't easy, so another early night is welcome, and with the game tomorrow afternoon, we will have to make the most of Nelson in the morning.