So, how rubbish have I been at updating this?.....Very rubbish. Right, the last time I wrote was the beginning of June, and quite a lot has happened since then, I'll try to stick to the edited highlights, and not get over excited rambling on little side stories. Remain focussed Neave....

So I've spent the winter working in between Kinloch and Glenorchy. Mainly repainting all the bedrooms here at the lodge as it was closed. But also becoming much more involved with the family here and getting invloved in life in Glenorchy which has been just great. I've been taking a couple of children to playgroup twice a week, which was great to keep my teachery skills working but also a good way to meet other people. I've learnt to ski (although clearly not that well, explain later!) and had a few lessons, and even a snowboard lesson but wasn't so impressed with that. I've been on bike rides through Paradise, (the name of the area!) and spent the night there in an old miners hut where we experienced a 7.8 earthquake, lasting nearly a minute. A bit scary at the time but quite cool to have experienced in hindsight!

I stayed in Kinloch till mid August where I had a few days off to visit my parents who had arrived in New Zealand for 3 weeks. They had a great time travelling around the country and I met up with them for a couple of days in Queenstown, then for a few more up in Christchurch. We packed quite a lot in to the time we had together, including a bungy jump for my Dad and a canyon swing for me...great fun!!! After that I had 1 more week left of work in Glenorchy before saying goodbye for the last time, and driving down to Queenstown to meet Steven who came out to see me for a couple of weeks.

We had a fab time, exploring lots of the sights in Fiordland which I never got to explore much last time I was here, and then heading up to Arrowtown which was a very pretty little village just outside Queenstown. Anyway, I know what you really want to hear is how it all went, and it was all very good! Getting on very well and had a fantastic time. I'm planning on driving up to Edinburgh to see him for new year this year. So I'm very much looking forward to that too!

So after he left, I took a jaunt down to Stewart Island and suddenly discovered a passion for bird spotting that I've never had before! I went on a guided walk and was educated into the world of flora and fauna, which I found really interesting! I also ended up on a fishing trip with the owner of my hostel I was at and couple of others; caught a blue cod and had it for dinner, and saw a yellow eyed penguin and followed a pod of dolphins swimming near the jetty when we came back. An amazing afternoon!

Most recently I met up with my friend Lizzie from Manchester who was working at Cardrona ski field for the season. After a lovely weekend together we decided to finish our time together at Cardrona where she had been working, for a days skiing. After a great mornings ski, and a delicious lunch which I'm only just remembering now, but it was really tasty....anyway after that we did a couple more runs till I had my first fall of the day, felt something in my knee pop and a lot of pain after that! I was subsequently snow mobiled off the mountain and spent the next 6 hours in the care of various medics / physios etc, who prodded, poked, x-rayed me and decided I had most likely snapped a cruciate ligament. It will require operating on to reconstruct it, but I've decided, with medical advice, that I'll do this back in the UK so that I don't have to extend my stay in NZ any longer than I had planned. So the next few days were spent on crutches, anti-inflammatorys and periodically applying ice. This is when I decided to phone Toni again, who I had been working for in Glenorchy, and ask if I could come back for a bit to rest it.

So here I am, back in Kinloch! I've actually been doing a little paid work running the shop for them too, so that's paid for my treatment and the knee brace I ordered! So now, my plan is to stay here till Sunday, then I only have 3 weeks left in New Zealand! I have booked my spanish lessons for Santiago in Chile, and I'll be staying with a family too. It's a little out of my comfort zone but will be the best way to learn the language and get immeresed in the culture too. So with a little trepidation, I am looking forward to it!

I hope all is well with everyone back home, and it won't really be that long till I see some of you again! Take care, Anna xx