Saying goodbye to Nat and Ryan this morning, after only 2 ½ days with them, was even worse than I had anticipated. It felt even worse when we got on our new bus and didn't recognise a single person for the first time since Auckland - so strange!

Our stops today were also horribly quiet. I think David and I are finding each other a lot more boring now that it's just us!

I spent our first stop in Cromwell phoning the consulate in Wellington to try and start sorting a temporary passport, which meant by the time we stopped at our second stop (Lake Pukaki), I was absolutely drained and just needed a good sleep.

Our final stop today was Lake Tekapo, where we're spending the evening before heading off to Christchurch tomorrow. The weather meant we could explore the small town in the sun, but even the beauty of the place couldn't detract from the loss of everyone. So whilst David's gone to watch the cricket, I'm currently sat in bed catching up on blogs before we go and have some dinner and look at the stars over the lake.

It's quite nice to have a rest after some very stressful days!