Hey everyone - hope you're all keeping well. My god it seems an age since I was last on here (probably due to racing around and not having time to update you) . Well you'll be pleased to know that I've now done a full circle of the South Island and probably in record time too - we've covered so many ks in Jabba that I'll be sad to say bye to him tomorrow. Anway, I think I left you last in Invercargill where we had to stay unexpectedly for the night whilst Jabba was in the car hospital. You'll all be delighted to know he made a full recovery but the plastic surgery will need some make-up. So the 3 of us left Invercargill in one piece and started to make our way up the west side (after visiting Bluff for the famous sign photo opp) where NZ started to just get better and better. First port of call was a place called Te Anu - this is a very touristy town sitting on the edge of a most beautiful lake (2nd largest in NZ) and it's surrounded by great mountains (which had snow on) and is the gateway to Milford Sound and Doubtford Sound. We spend a couple of nights here as Jerene wants to do a cruise up the Sounds (I'm waiting for next time as deffo going back in the next few weeks) and so while she's sailing the da y away, I sample a small section of the Kepler Track (a famous tramping ground which takes about 3 or 5 days to complete) and I hope to maybe come back and do a hike on this - weather permitting. We left Te Anu and then made our way inland and stopped for lunch at Queenstown where we found a great shop called The Remarkable Sweetshop. Do you remember all those sweets from your childhood? Well this is where they went. So with pockets full of lemon bonbons, ruburb & custards, strawberry sherberts and the like we drive to Wanaka. Another great lake and actually I really liked the feel of this place. We had great fun at Puzzling World a local attraction with a really frustrating maze that I tried to do but after an hour of getting lost I took the emergency exit to get out but then waited another hour for Jerene to find this. We only had a whistle stop stay overnight here but did also find a great pub - The Speights Pub (btw, Speights is NZ's best beer by far). From here we made our way to the glaciers and decided we'd go to Franz Jospeh rather than Fox Glacier. We both wanted to do hikes on the glacier, so I booked a Helihike, which takes you to the top of the glacier in a helicopter and you then have a 3 hour hike across the ice and it's mean't to offer the best bits... and Jerene booked a half day hike starting at the bottom. So next morning we get up to do our hike and guess what - due to the bloody weather mine is cancelled - I'm gutted and could have done the bottom bit hike with Jerene but decide leave it and try again in a couple of weeks ( the thing is that all the excursions here are so expensive that it's best to do what you really want to do and I really want to do the Helihike). So whilst Jerene does here morning hike I decided to go walking again (honestly if I did not smoke or drink I'd be so fit by now). There's quite a lot of walks in the area but first I decide to go and see the bloody glacier that I can't get to the top of and walk to the mouth and I tell you what it offered my first "wow" of NZ. It's pretty stunning to see and the ice is blue not white and I can't wait to go up (wait to you see the photos). And then as I had a couple of more hours to kill I did two more short walks around the glacier area and had even more stunning views. So, I meet Jerene and she's looking a bit upset - reason is she could not do the hike and it's not the weather for her but she bottled it as it was just so steep to go up from the bottom and with all the heavy gear she felt she was not able to do it (so, glad I decided to wait for my Helihike which will hopefully be in a couple of weeks time). So, we carry on up the west coast and stay overnight in a little town called Greymouth which actually has a beach with sand (most of the beaches here just have grey gravel - very disappointing) and the next day we make our way north to Abel Tasman. And what a place... Abel Tasman is a national park and world heritage site. Basically it's a forest that goes around a big bay and is made up of lots of little beaches and the only way to see the park is by boat (most popular being kayak) or by foot. Well yesterday we went kayaking in the park and it was by far my best day so far. We got up early to a clear blue sky and sun???!!!! Once we were kitted out we made our way in a water taxi to a remote bay in The Tonga Marine reserve area of the park and kayaked out to a tiny island where we were met by tons of seals and their pups. It was just wonderful - these lovely little things we're playing about 3 feet away from our boats and even swimming up to them and under them (wow, wow, wow). We then kayaked down the coast line and after lunch on a white sandy bay we rafted together and in the strong winds used a sail to get back to the water taxi. It was hard work but so, so much fun. They do 2 and 3 day trips out here which combine walking and kayaking and you stay overnight in basic huts in park and I'm deffo coming back to do this. So this morning I dropped Jerene off at Picton so she could catch the ferry to the North Island and Jabba and I drove down the east coast to Kiakora for the night and it's cold and raining (se, a full circle). Back in Christchurch tomorrow where I say bye to Jabba but hello to Erica who I've met on gapyear website before we both started our travels and after 6 months we're finally meeting up for a bottle or two of red wine. Who knows, maybe you'll be seeing more of Erica as I go along. Sorry this has been sooooooooooooo long but I had a lot to bore you with. But you'll be glad to know that's all folks (well for the time being). xxxx