hello from the South Island and the west coast of NZ

Take 2: Hi Everyone, Just to let you know we have tried 3 times to put pics up for you, but all the computers are rubbish, but they will be up as soon as possible :)

The South Island has been really really cool so far. We have been working our way down the West Coast. The driving scenery has been amazing, as we started by driving through vineyards with mountains in the backgrounds and the sun shinning, then changing to windy coastal roads overlooking the ocean and then driving through gorges and now overlooking snow capped mountains!

One of the highlights of driving was that we stopped in someplace for lunch and we bumped into the world famous Welsh male voice choir (you know, the famous dudes who sing the welsh anthem with charlotte church)

Our next experience with old people was much different......

We had found a free campsite the previous night that had amazing views (but was very chilly and full of sandflies that bit us to pieces!) and had decided to set of early the next morning to get to our next place, Greymouth.

After around 2hrs driving, we were starving and it was breakfast time (it was about 9.30am), we founda great spot with a picnic table overlooking the ocean, so we pulled over, grabbed the cookers and cracked open the beans....

only for a coachful of old'uns armed with huge tea flasks, to pull up alongside us and swarm over this picnic table that Ruth had got to 10 seconds earlier!!!!! now they were sweet old people, but you can't really enjoy cooking breekie when 40 old people are chatting about old people stuff. so we made our excuses and ran... (1 guy actually chased us to talk to us and said not to go!, we think he justed wanted to talk to a younger crowd)

We were really annoyed and starving, but it ended happliy as we found another spot a few k's later to enjoy our beans and hash browns (ruthies choice) yum yum....

After a long day on the road, we made it to Greymouth, a nice mid sized town. It had a cool pebble beach, which had lots of jade/greenstone so we have got a few of those as souvenirs. We found an amazing hostel in Greymouth called Global Village. It had real character and was all african themed and the rooms were amazing as they had mask carvings and other great decorating. It had a really chilled atmosphere. When we arrived, they had free kayaks which we borrowed and went for a paddle down the river. it was really nice to do it at our own pace and not fall in. Once we got back, it was time to jump in the hot spa and relax.

To top of this great day, on the evening we went on a brewery tour of Monteiths, a small west coaast brewery. The highlight of this was the free tasting and then 10 mintues use of the pumps where we both got to pull our first pints! It needs a bit of practice though, but we think we can become good landlords! We also manged to wangle a free bbq dinner and pint with the help of the other people on the tour, success!.

Look out for the pictures coming soon, including kayaking and brewery tours!

take care

Ruth & ad

xx