Hi everyone. Landed in New Zealand about two weeks ago so i'll start with Christchurch. The city is quite big but it doesn't feel like a city because its pedestrianised apart from the old style trwm that run through it. It has a feel of England and not just because its cold! it's kinda like York or Chester, the buliding style i mean. It also reminded me of Amsterdam because it has a river running through it with gondolas running everyday, alot of people on bikes and little craft markets and art galleries. We really enyoyed our few days here but we were looking for jobs most of the time so didn't really get time to explore. We wanted to work some where more in the countryside so we went to Lake wanaka stopping at Lake Takapo on the way. The water around this area is really milky and turquoise because of glacial silt and its just beautifull. We got to Lake Wanaka and just sat and looked at the view for about an hour even before we got to the hostel. we spent about 5 days here then got a job on a dairy farm just a bit south of Queenstown. We started this week and are loving it. we have our own house that is already paid for and a ute to get us to and from work also pais for as well as $11 an hour. We get up at 4 and start work at about five our first job is to set up the shed then get the cows in, in the pitch black for their first milking, this takes about 3 hours as there are 950 cows to milk! it's quite hard at first to get the cups on and the cows are on a rotisary so you can end up at the other end of the room if you struggle to attatch one.then we have a break for breakfast 1hour and when we go back we just do odd jobs like moving and shearing the farm sheep. The farm has its own sheep pigs and beef cows which are all reared to supply us with free meat. The sheep took ages to heard as they are pretty stupid and don't go where you want them to. it took three hours and six of us on quadbikes to heard 30 sheep just up the road about a mile!!! We have also helped treat the calves for pink eye and been to a farm show. We have another hour for dinner, milk again and then finish by 5. We only milk on weekends and have 8 days on and two days off, pretty cushdy really. Every one is really nice and we are having a lot of fun, its hard work and i find it hard to keep up with the boys but my jeans are already looser and my arm muscles are getting bigger so thats a bonus too. Next week we are helping to set up a new farm that John the owner has bought, it is a sheep farm but it is being converted to a dairy farm which means he will have three cow sheds and will be milking about 2000 cows twice a day. The good part is we will be running the new fram with Jason our manager and will get to move in to the new house on the farm. should be good. well have to go will not be able to keep in touch as often as we are kinda in the middle of nowhere so will update asap x x x x