Hey,

So yesterday i flew into new zealand, and it was such a beautiful flight in. as you fly in you fly over the southern alps, and it is just breathtaking. I am staying in a really nice hostel, it is the nicest hostel i have stayed in so far, really really clean and quite homely. the actually clean under the beds, can you imagine?! I spent yesterday just exploiring christchurch, which is a really nice little city. i would say that new zealand is a cross between england, scotland and switzerland. the accent is quite strange in com[parison to Australia, i hadnt realised how different it is until i got here, still has a lot of scottish influence in it. It is much colder here than australia (and a lot colder than darwin!) so i have had to buy myself a whole set of new clothes. yesterday i went into the charity shop and bought myself a new jacket. i cant tell if it is 1980's retro cool, or just well, 1980's. i hope the former. i also bought myself a new hoodie and today some new jeans, so now i am ncie and toastie (although out of pocket!).
today i booked myself to a hop on, hop off bus that will take me around australia, with a company called Stray. i leave on saturday and am really excited about it, i think it will be a really good way to see new zealand. today a girl in my dorm who was leaving gave me her unused tram ticket, so today i got a free ride around the city on the old tram (see picture above) which was nice. i was also accosted by some office workers who were doing a challenge against other teams in their office, and one of their tasks was to have their photo taken with a blonde tourist, and i was of course that blonde tourist (god i must really look like one). people here are super friendly, and just come up to you and start talking to you, kind of like in Oz but more i think.
It is hard for me to get online at the same time as you now to talk on skype as i am 11 hours ahead of the uk now. early in the morning or late evening for you are the best times (probably first thing in the morning is when you are most likely to catch me, as that is evening my time.) I have a new new zealand number, (i am no longer using my aussie one). it is +64 21168 2384. if you need to call me, please call me on that one (as it costs me nothing to receive calls on it, i think!), and i am still using my uk mobile for text messages.
think i am going to have a lazy few days in christchurch now until my bus leaves on saturday. there isnt a lot to do here but it is really pretty, so think i will have some lazy mornings in bed and afternoons sat by the river.
speak soon!!!