Following Roger's sky-diving feat in Taupo we made our way across the Tongariro Reserve and on to Wellington. On the way we passed 3 live volcanoes, one of which was used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings and is pretty impressive, whilst another was partly covered in snow. The area is a ski area in winter and has that feel about it - we felt we ought to be drinking gluhwein!

At Wellington I took the opportunity to get my hair done and managed to find the only Armenian hairdresser in the whole of NZ who totally ignored everything I said and turned me out looking like Miss Jean Brodie. Whilst I was thus engaged Roger took himself off to explore Wellington where he ran into the first unfriendly locals we have met (see photograph) and managed to lose track of time, making himself late to meet me.

We had arranged a camping site close to Wellington, which despite costing us more than any other to date in NZ, was basically a Motel car-park with one shower and one loo (+ disabled facilities) for 18 campervans. To add insult to injury the site was situated in a prime spot just above the motorway and in the flight path for Wellington airport! To console ourselves we went out for a meal and had a local fish Hoki, which was delish (that snippet is for Catherine who was complaining about the lack of culinary input!).

Wellington itself seems a lovely city built around a huge harbour and we took the time to visit the Te Papa national museum which was really well done with a lot of interactive stuff like an earthquake experience.

We caught the ferry from Wellington to the South Island and there encountered some of the most spectacular coastal scenery I have ever seen. It truly defies description - the water was so blue and the fjord like inlets of the Marlborough Sounds are steep and forested - just fantastic.

Abel Tasman National Park is stunning and we enjoyed kayacking along the coast. Rog had a bit of difficulty with the steering using his feet despite my back seat (although I was actually in front) instructions. Even our guide told him he needed "the other left!" Fortunately there was nobody else for him to compete against so we enjoyed a relatively leisurely trip. We stopped at Split Apple Bay and were told a lovely legend as to how the bay had got its name. There is a large round rock there totally split into two and the story goes that the Maori sea and land gods were fighting over who the rock belonged to and a local chief got fed up with the long argument and consequent storms and bad weather and so threw his javelin and split the rock in two, so that they could have half each. In my opinion that pragmatism is far more likely to have come from a woman and mother!

Today we had a wonderful day in the Abel Tasman National Park. We took a water taxi into the park and called in at various beaches and islands and did a spot of seal watching and then were dropped off at a secluded beach feeling a bit like marooned sailors. We walked for a couple of hours to another beach for a swim and spot of sun bathing before being picked up again and returned to base in Kaiteriteri. The weather had started out with some cloud cover and we were worried that we had not come properly equipped, with no warm or waterproof clothing. However our optimism was vindicated and the day turned out to be glorious again and the scenery was fantastic - all in all total bliss!