Polly Dear Anna and El, Just to say I hope you are well and arrived in Australia OK. Thanks for a great time on the kiwi bus! I missed you after you left! Look forward to meeting up back in London...with Rachel too! Enjoy the rest of your trip, make the most out of every second... Love, Polly x

Omi Hi Anna, I am sitting in your room and looking at the photos and reading your travel reports.  I find it all very thrilling.  I am thinking of you a lot and see the world through your eyes. This morning your parents and Alex picked me up and we went over to Grandma's.  From there we drove to The Plough in Eynsham, in the Darenth Valley, and had a very nice lunch.  Unfortunately the weather could not be worse; it is cold and raining. My computer is not working at the moment, so please send an email via your mum.  I will come over here again soon and look forward to reading your fascinating reports. Much love Omi xxx 

Anna's Dad How is Oz? Any last minute photos of NZ? News! News! News! Please. We all miss hearing from you. It's Bank Holiday weekend. Guess how the weather is going to change. The wrong way! Off to Dublin soon. Dad XXX

Anna's mum Hi both, I love the photos, which I guess are from the start of your NZ experience.  Anna, have just read your email - great to hear from you and glad that you enjoyed the bungy jump.  I imagine you that when you get up today you will be spending most of the day preparing for your flight on Wednesday afternoon.  I hope it all goes smoothly and that you find your accommodation easily when you get to Sydney.  Give us a call from Oz to let us know you have arrived safely.  Have you picked up any of the voicemails we have left on your NZ sim or ISIC account? Not much news; the weather here has improved again and it is going to be very warm for the next day or two.  I am going to Chelsea Flower show on Thursday -I'm really looking forward to it as I have never been.  Lots of love Mum

Anna's Dad Hello both, Alex, Ingrid and I went to Twickenham today (Sunday 20th) as the last part of Alex's bithday treats just to see how Wasps would acquit themselves against a far superior Leicester Tigers side in the final of the Heineken (European) Cup. We won and I have lost my voice. Must have been a bug I picked up in the pub. Mum was looking for Charlie but somehow failed to pick him out in the crowd. Unless, of course he stuck the grindstoneof studies at Nottingham and chose not to see Dan and Dom win their first (of many) European Cup Winner medals. As you might guess we have had a great weekend with go-karting and stuff and a trip to see Wasps win etc etc. I love reading your blogs and seeing your photos. Please keep them coming, we all enjoy them. Denise sends her love and will be looking out for new entries. We met her in the Royal Oak before the match. (with 16 of her best friends who were allowing her to drive the mini bus)  Miss you loads and think of you every day, Love Dad. ps Good Luck in Oz

Jesse My oh my, am I jealous after seeing/reading all the great stuff you have done already! I walked the Tongariro Crossing trail once as well, really on of the most stunning landscapes I've ever seen. Keep enjoying (and blogging)!

Amanda Im such an idiot and only just realised that there was a link to this wonderful site on the facebook group so i've only just discovered I can find out all about ur adventures and see your photos!! It looks like your having the most amazing time, anna i cant believe u went skidiving-AMAZING!!! As i type im actually turning green with envy as im slap bang in the middle of revision and exams sat in a cold, wet and windy bristol!!! Keep on writing ur blog and uploading ur photos cos its so nice to see and hear what u guys are up to! lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

El's Mum Hi Pop, I have really enjoyed reading all these messages. Its making me think it is time to think of takng a gap year myself, or maybe a month....... So whats been happening to me? Well compared to you not much!. We went to France to see Adam's sister and family in Carpentras. Got v cheap tickets on Ryan Air and only took hand luggage - i was wondering how Daddy was going to take all his usual change of jackets and shoes in the limited baggage size allowed - i think he wore most of it! I was surprised by the good service of the air hosts (is that what you call them nowadays?), it was a good flight.  As is usual for a French holiday we ate a lot, the diet went to the wall. Had a lovely lunch in a town where Earnest Hemmingway was a regular guest. There was a large parachute silk hanging in a dining room  with which he apparently landed in France. Had rabbit and plenty of Rose wine. We bought a large jar of honey from a local farmer, I think you or Madz may have gone there. Lots of the local boys and girls used to hang out around a caravan on chairs from old cars. Anyway, we had to dispose of the honey when we went through security because you cannot take large jars of liquid on the plane in hand luggage as you might be able to make a bomb. So your father made a big point of removing the lid of the honey jar and pouring the liquid into the dustbin specially provided for these things. I, of course , was cringeing with embarassment having offered the honey to Mr Security. I expect these guys had seen it all before. My friend Debbie came to look at the garden. She is a garden designer. We just wanted a few tips on what to do, nothing too drastic. She was great, gave us lots of ideas and then we went to Wisley garden where they have lots of landscaped garden areas and 'Model' gardens which gave us some ideas, though I have to say it was rather stuck in the 50s.  I bought a book on trees and have now become a tree bore - i am looking at trees on my way to work, much worse than using a mobile phone, trying to identify the shape and the bark and the leaves .... So continuing with the garden we have a very vocal blackbird who is out and about feeding his kids. He is constantly seen,on the bench or fence rr tree, with a clutch of worms in his beak which he mashes up before flying to the fledgelings. He makes a hell of a racket - we think he is trying to warn off the cat.   Loved looking at the photos,we all sat here over supper watching the slide show. More news soon Mummy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Alex HI there hope your having a great time and you re OK. I have been thinking alot about you and am very jealous of you going skydiving.  missing you much Alex. post script:- IT's my birthday in 2 days' time so get sending those presents!!!

Anna's mum Hi there -  we are all waiting for some news - how about one of you writing something please? Hope you are having fun.  Lots of love Mum xxxxx

hey girlies...  here is a poem for you:  there once were two adventurous girls who went travelling all over the world they got tanned and made friends but they know in the end that karin will always be their favourite so it doesn't really matter much anyway... hope you like it xx

Callum and Fraser Hi there!Hope you're both enjoying it. Lots of homework and every time I sit in a boring sloppy English lesson, I feel so jealous. I have been driving the sit on mower in the garden and it was soooooooooooooo cool! Hope 2 see you soon From Callum and Fraser P.S dad wants to use the computer now so we'll have to go now bye!

Anna's mum Hi both of you.  Hope you are having a great time on the Kiwi Experience. Your site has gone rather quiet - it would be good to have an update to the blogs and some photos. I am sitting in the garden in the late afternoon sun, having spent some time down the allotment with Alex this afternoon, planting vegetables.  They should be ready by the time you get back.  It's sunny but cooler here. Hope you have got the ISIC access number and can call us more easily now.  Would be good to talk to you this weekend, which is a bank holiday in England. You might find it easier to access from a land line. Anna, I remembered that my step brother Peter lives in south island NZ.  I don't have his address but Omi might, so let me know if you want to get it touch with him.  Lots of love.  Mum xxxxx

Anna's mum Hi to both of you.  It was great to talk to you Anna this week and hope you are now both fully recovered from tummy bug.  Alex also was so pleased to talk to you - we are all missing you.  Your planned trip to the highlands to stay with a family and backpackers ranch sounds fantastic - can't wait to read the next blog. We are all going sailing this weekend to help Lynn bring her boat back from Milford Haven to Swansea.  Weather here is still pretty warm but now a bit overcast and some rain, so hope it will improve for the weekend.  Alex is back at school and still claiming he has no homework for the third day running! Your lack of criminal record certification has arrived by the way - I assume it has gone to i-2-i as well.  Lots of love, Mum xxx

Madeleine Hello both of you....am sooooo jealous of what you've been up to. I also stayed in that weird bunk bed upon bunk bed hotel on beachcomber island! So cool being able to picture exactly where you've been! Elbel.....missing you hugely. People at work have noticed the sudden expanding of my wardrobe since your departure! Don't worry..everything will be put back before you return! This is your fee for me having to look after your horrid hamster..hehehe  So have you sampled the yummy Kava yet?Definitely the most refreshing drink I've ever had. Anyhoo, loving the blogs...keep them up, take care of each other, All my love, madsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx