Pre Yes mate, Good to hear you're having a good one, since I last spoke to you on Xmas Eve, did you have a good new years?? When you off to Fiji or are you already there?

Andy Hello everybody and Merry Christmas. I'm writing this e-mail from my good mate Tom's Aunty's place (if you can follow that). I've had a lovely Christmas with his family here in Wellington. Unfortunately my first summer Christmas has not been an especially sunny one, although we did eat Christmas dinner outside. It was a mission getting up here. I was booked on the 10am ferry from Picton, so I had to leave Christchurch at 4 in the morning and it was pissing down with rain. 10ks north of Christchurch my car decides to die - the engine just turns off, no dramas but it won't start again. Luckily a nice fellow pulls over and trys to help me out, but it doesn't appear to be an easy fix so he gives me a lift back to Christchurch. The next day I get my flatmate to give me a tow back to our house, by this time my battery's gone flat and I'm being towed through the rain with no windscreen wipers and no warning lights. Thankfully, Simon also knows a bit about cars and we manage to fix the broken cam belt. Amazingly, I got on the ferry a day later. Since then I've been spending time with tom's family and been into Wellington a few times. It seems to be a nice place and we'll be checking out the nightlife tonight. I hope everyones had a nice Christmas and looking forward to a fun New Years. Take Care, Andy xx

JIM Hi Andrew GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME..Please post some photos of naked ladies from the kung fat bars you have been frequenting. love from Jim, Anne and boys

Andy Hello everyone. I'm still here in Queenstown. I've moved to a flat closer to town, which has made life a lot easier. I also started work last thursday for a temping agency called Addstaff who send me out to anyone who needs an extra pair of hands. On thursday I was erecting a marquet and on friday I was working the breakfast shift at a hotel (got to eat the leftovers too, bonus!). It's a bit hit and miss though with jobs coming in a couple of days before and no gaurantee of work, so I'm still looking for something a bit more permanent. So far I've managed 4 days of snowboarding, and last time I managed to get off the beginners slope and onto the intermediate. Everytime I end up with a bruised arse, but I worked out it's everyone else's fault because I only fall over when I'm trying to miss people. Take care, love Andy

Grandad&Granma Thanks for the great photos. More please and some more news woud be welcome. Dad has given us the latest news about you. So we will not see you for some while. Hope that you manage to earn a little money to keep you solvent. We had a marvellous weekend with your family on the Great Central Railway. Very good food and lots to see. Have you been on it? L of L. take care and be good!

Jon Don Jovi COME HOME! I can't believe you're staying away even longer! Andy i have no other friends, i've been crying myself to sleep ever since you left, and now you're not even coming home this year! You're so selfish! With any luck i'll find some evidence of a law you've broken(And we both know you've broken them all), and i'll get you extradited to the UK! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Sounds like you're having an unbelievable time! You have to get pictures of yourself wiping out on your snowboard, not sure how you can do that tho... You're clever, you'll figure it out! Keep sending Emails out, they make me laugh! Your number 1 Fan, Jon Hudson

Grandad & Grandma Like Ross we are looking forward to some news from you. what are you doing all day? Only a very brief note with little news in the last three weeks! We are meeting up with your parents for a weekend on the Grand Central Railway. The weather here is too hot - 30 C +. L of L.

Andy Hello all. It's a good point bro, I haven't posted a message in a while. Well I'm halfway down the east cost now at Byron Bay, but the weather is disappointingly dull. We are staying in a teepee! and want to get some surfing in before the long haul down to Sydney on the 17th. The boat was a 2 night trip around the Whitsundays with amazing snorkelling (all good apart from the sexy 'fantastic 4' stinger suits we had to wear) and beautiful beaches. The 4x4s were our transport to drive around the beaches and tracks on Fraser island, also a 2 night trip, only camping on the beach instead. Thanks everyone for all the messages and keep in touch. Love Andy

Ross Hey mate, Loving the photos. Only thing lacking is an explanation! What were you doing on a boat? What boat? Going where? When did you get the 4x4? are you sleeping in that thing? what happened to the beard idea? so many questions! Looks like you're enjoying it to the full - camping (and everything else) does indeed mean drinking. Mind the spiders & the scorpions and keep in touch. Catcha, lil' big bro.

Andy Hello again. Halfway through my trip now and I've sadly left SE Asia, but now begins our month in Oz. We arrived in Cairns early yesterday morning, found a cool backpackers place and slept the whole day. Went out to this pub called the wool shed - could've been in england: loads of backpackers + beer and footie, even got a kebab at the end of the night! Going to try and save some money now by cooking for ourselves and we want to buy a car, or maybe a camper van, for our trip. I'll keep you posted. Andy P.s. I have my own camera now so the photos will mostly be mine from now on. I also have a decent phone so I can recieve texts, but don't phone cos it'll cost me a bomb too.

Jon Hudson the 3rd Yo! Sounds like ur having an awesome time on your travels! I wanna go to some crazy beach party with buckets! I guess ur whole family can read these, so i'll leave the rest of that one... Went to Download the other day and saw Coheed, who were a little dissapointing, and Deftones, who were Awesome! I came out of the mosh covered in cuts and bruises. And with a shaved head i look like some sort of Mutha F.... Apart from that the rest of the world has stopped without you... Keep having fun old buddy!

Andy Hi everybody. I'm in Koh Tao, Thailand heading to Koh Pha Ngan today for the first England match and the full moon party on the same day! Got my Padi Open Water certificate here. Got to see some pretty cool stuff on our dives in these tropical waters. Actually knelt on a scorpion fish called an Indian Walkman which was buried in the sand. Apparently it's poison can be fatal but I got away with just a slight sting, close tho. Went snorkelling in Shark Bay, but unfortunately didn't get to see any reef sharks. In answer to your question ro, we've picked up a few travel buddies on our trip, Hazel just for 1 day at Angkor Wat, a girl called Kate in Na Trang as well as a 38 year old Ozzy called Paul who's invited us to stay with him in Oz to do some diving, and most recently Ignacio, a spanish dude who was in our group on the dive course. It's all good. Take it easy, Andy

Ross Hey lil' bro, Sounds like you're have a whale of a time out there - much jealously resides here. Just thought I'd give you a shout and tell you what's been happening. I'm now working on Time Team Live - digging up the Queen's back garden over the August bank holiday weekend. Cool little job, good money, plus I get to move into London (finally). It's sunny! Woo! Bring on the drought! Dunno how long it'll last but it's looking good from here. Anyways, keep on keepin' on, much love to ya and looking forward to the next installment (any more hazels on the horizon?)

Andy Me again. I'm in Louang Phabang, Laos. Going to try to get into northern Thailand tomorrow by boat up the Mekong. Just come from Vang Vieng where we got to float down the river on tractor tyre inner tubes and stop off at riverside bars for drinks and rope swings! Unfortunately I don't have any photos to make you all jealous, but just imagine 100s of travellers floating down the river and swinging off 50 foot rope swings. Got to move quickly now or we'll have no time in the southern islands of Thailand... such a hard life. Try n take it easy. Andy xxxx

Andy Hello. I'm currently half way up Vietnam in an old town called Hoi An. Haven't been able to see much of it mind, it's been raining non-stop. Loads of cheap tailors here, but we don't have enough time to get fitted for suits. Rather spend my money on experiences (beer) anyway. Will be heading to Hue tomorrow afternoon where there's an imperial palace based on the Chinese palace in Beijing. Will get some photos and upload them asap. Hope everybodys enjoying the weather (saw some of the cricket at Lords). Take care.