Friday 21st December - Christchurch (Balloon ride day!) We are now back in Christchurch and many of you will probably have thought that at 3.45 a.m we would just be getting in from a night out but oh no NOT US the extreme travellers!! We got up and phoned the people from 'Up Up and Away' who advised us that today is a good flying day and to be ready in the hotel foyer for 4.40 a.m.! Armed with Pro Plus (well Sarah was!), we sat outside in the dark waiting for th...

Tuesday 11th December - Christchurch With the need to feel Christmasy, Charlie suggested we go and see 'the Reverend' tonight. Sarah thought she mean't Reverend and the Makers so off we went .. the Reverend was in fact a real Reverend at the local choir service in Christchurch Cathederal! Full of secondary and primary school kids and gowned teachers, we sat and sang along to an hour of 'oh come all ye faithfull' and other such classics! In true Sarah and Charlie...

3rd December - Wellington to NelsonTook the ferry from Wellington to Picton, the organisation of everything was superb and Charlie didn't even suffer her sea sickness which was a result on a 3 hour journey! Waiting for us was our South Island driver, Eric, who took an instant like to us as he saw Sarah's surname and had to take the 'michael'! Stupidly enough, she let him know her nickname at school had been Whiplash.. let the bombardment of jokes commence through...

Magical Times on the Magic Bus! We have now toured the North Island of New Zealand on the Magic Bus. The Magic Bus has arranged our itinerary for this non-stop tour of the North. They arrange all your travel and accomodation for you which makes it so easy and hassle free, the only thing you need to do is turn up for the bus on time! (there is a story behind this but we won't go into this right now!!.. ) We would highly recommend anyone travelling to use Magic; th...

Amazed in Auckland. After a mini 3 hour flight from Fiji, we arrived in the City of Sails. We stayed in the Sky City Hotel which is adjacent to the Sky Tower where there is an observation deck where you can do a sky walk around the top or bungy jump. We would of loved to have done the Bungy but unfortunately the queue was just too long for us to wait so we gave it a miss (!) and went for the safety (or so we thought..!!! dun dun dun) of the observation desk. Ther...