I write this from the lovely comfort of John and Eileen's home in Christchurch. Eileen is my grandpa's sister and through them I am being able to meet and reconnect with various members of the extended family which is absolutely brilliant. They are extremely kind and generous hosts and I am really enjoying a bit of recuperation after the high-speed lifestyle of the Kiwi Bus! I've been more than a little scatty with updates whilst I've been in NZ, so if you're at...

Apologies once again that I am so behind with this blog. I think that the fact that it has been a couple of weeks since I have updated is evidence of how great New Zealand is, and also partly how expensive internet access is! I am currently in Franz Josef, which is a small town in the South Island, a base for activities on the massive glacier, which tomorrow I will be doing a full day hike of. I'm a bit nervous about this what with my terrible fitness levels, bu...

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated this, I kept hanging on as I was hoping to add photos at the same time but I've had a lot of trouble getting that sorted so I think I'm just going to have to wait and paint you a picture in words instead [insert alternative cliche of choice here]. So I've now reached New Zealand and it feels a little strange to be in a country so similar to home; I can't believe I can actually communicate with people (albeit people w...