Well this is my last night in Christchurch for what really is a drop in call to NZ. It's a shame as I would have liked to have toured NZ properly but I am a little weary from being constantly on the go so the beaches in Hawaii are a far more attractive prospect. The weather in NZ is v changeable and quite like the UK, though it is at least summer time here and after Melbourne and Sydney both being pretty off, I am really keen for some tropical sun. So, with my 4 day stint in Christchurch, I decided that the most important thing to do was a Skydive! I had been looking forward to doing this throughout the trip and fortunately have enough money left to do it! So yesterday, Nick, Sam and I (Al opted out as he has already done one) got up bright and early. However it was a little cloudy so we had to wait a couple of hours for it to brighten up. The plane that you go up in is tiny so we went in 2 rounds, with Nick and I going up after Sam. The whole experience is truly amazing. The instructor pretty much does everything and you are strapped pretty tightly to him so you dont have much say in the matter when the door slides open at 12,000 feet and within seconds you are out of the plane and freefalling. The sensation is almost indescribable. I thought I would swear my head off, but I was completely speechless as the air rushed up my nose! We got around 50 seconds of free fall (9,000 feet fall) which is enough to take in just what is actually happening. After that the parachute opens and it's completely other-worldly to float down to the ground. Highly recommended to anyone!

Last night was our final nigth altogether since Nick is going on a bus tour around the South Island whilst Sam and Al have hired a car, so we went out for drinks and dinner. Unfortunately Christchurch isn't all that happening on a tuesday night but we did at least find an excellent Irish pub with live music.

Next stop....Hawaii!