Hello!

We are sorry we have not updated for quite a while but we have been having an amazing time in spectacular New Zealand.

On February 13th we flew from Sydney to Queenstown in New Zealand's south island. It was definitely the most scenic approach and landing in any country we have been to so far as (even more so than Nepal!) The pilot manouvered the plane around the stunning mountanous Queenstown region. Queenstown is a beautiful town situated on the picturesque Waitikipu Lake.

However, we had to pick up our campervan in Christchurch so we only spent our first night there before catching a bus the next morning (We would return later in the campervan).

Christchurch could not have been more of a contrast from vibrant, action packed Queenstown. The devastation caused by last year's earthquake is still very present and the whole city centre remains closed to the public. Walking around, the city felt like a ghost town with few people about and many forlorn houses boarded up awaiting demolition. There wasn't much to do there so after we picked up the campervan we headed south again.

Our first stop was Mt Cook, the tallest peak in New Zealand. After a very scenic drive, we arrived and set off on one of the many trekking trails around the area. The next morning we headed out on a glacier kayaking trip on the spectacular Tasman lake. This was a fantastic experience as we paddled around glistening icebergs on a surprisingly warm morning. Whilst on the lake we witnessed one of the bigger icebergs flip over in a thunder of noise and gushing water! It was an incredible sight. That afternoon we embarked on another hike and, after passing various canyons, rivers and hills, came accross another huge glacier-lake at the base of the mountain.

After leaving Mt Cook we traveled back to the east coast and proceeded south. We came to the city of Dunedin, where we camped the night. We spent the next day exploring the heavily Scottish influenced city, before continuing down the coast. Over the next couple of days we explored the Catlins National Park at the very south of New Zealand's south island. After stopping at points along the coastline to try and spot penguins, sea-lions and seals, we camped in a ridiculously isolated location which was ages from anywhere and could be accessed only by a long winding track. We were, however, up early the next morning to see the Cathedral Caves which can only be accessed at low tide. These huge caves, carved out of the rocky coast by the pounding sea, were really impressive and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning exploring them. That night we camped on the beachfront in a tiny town called Colav Bay.

We ended up enjoying a few beverages with some other friendly travellers which led to a perilous journey back to the campervan in the pitch black sometime in the night. We made it, but not before several falls in the rainy, muddy terrain!

Our next stop was the Lakeside town of Te Anau and Milford Sound. We booked ourselves on a day cruise with a small boat and this worked out really well as we were able to go places other bigger boats weren't able to reach. However, at one point, whilst we were on the uncovered top, the captain seemingly forgot there were people on the top deck and directed us straight underneath a waterfall, leaving us soaked! Milford Sound is a beautiful place with high rising mountains and waterfalls cascading down to the chilly former glacier covered water.

We then left the fiordland region and returned to Queenstown. We took the cable car up one of the mountains and had a very extravagent gourmet lunch with spectacular views. Whilst eating we saw paragliders, zipliners, mountain bikers and bungy jumpers advertise various ways to get back down the mountain. We opted for the more tradtional method of walking! We also went on a 90 minute cruise into the scenic, peaceful lake where we were able to drink directly from the crystal clear lake water whenever we were thirsty. Our cruise was jam packed with a staggering 7 people on board, including the captain! In nearby Glenorchy and Paradise, we rode horses through locations used in the Lord of the Rings and the horse Simon was riding, called Red, actually starred in the films as a horse of the Kingdom of Rohan! After our exhilerating ride through middle earth, we drove the short distance to beautiful Wanaka where we spent the next day relaxing by the stunning lake.