Well, Wellingtons were needed in Wellington - at least for the first day. Dave and Elaine were superb hosts and we really enjoyed our break from 'Trannie'. Just sorry we couldn't have stayed longer. We did a whirlwind tour of Wellington - Mt. Victoria, the Parliament Building, cable car, Botanic Gardens, Te Papa (an awesome museum where we 'experienced' an earthquake) and Cuba Street. We were also driven around all the beautiful bays by Dave and sampled the local...

Well, having reached Franz Josef safely the drama didn't end there! I had booked, in a moment of complete madness or drunkenness, a heli-hike. This is where you are taken onto the glacier by helicopter then have a 2-hour hike through crevasses and ice caves etc. At the time, before we left Wanaka, this seemed like a good thing to do, but with the amount of snow that had fallen we were having second thoughts. Anyway, we duly turned up at the given time, only to fi...

Oh my word, whose idea was it to go to South Island at this time of year? As we flew into Queenstown, flanked by snow-covered mountains on each side, I knew it was going to be cold! Those who know me well know that; I hate snow, being cold and wet, and driving on roads with sheer drops. Well, that's all happened, plus more and I am a nervous wreck! Queenstown was delightful, we loved it and stayed longer than we probably should have. The town is nestled on the s...