Hello agin

We have been in the south island for less than a week and already it is way better than the north. There is so much more to see, but not a lot to do, unless t involves money. We have taken a lot of pictures too many to upload but the silly computer wont let me today, so will have to another time! The picture that you can see is of Milford Sound which was an amazing place, we liked it a lot:)

So we left Jaijoura and went on to Hamner Springs, we stayed the night in a car park and it was very cold indeed. The next morning we spoke to some people next to us, they were French and suggested we went to the Spa as it costs $12 for as long as you like. The place was fantastic, there were about 10 different hot pools all varying in temperature, and 3of the pools were 100%natural water, that were 40 and 41degrees, they were boiling hot and smelt so much!!we used the slides in the main pool which was fun, anda big bucket of water from the top of lsides fell onto gregs head as it tipped over!! We travelled down the east coast and there really wasnt a lot to do there, it was raining and we had a low day,wanted to go home, but then we cheered up after we spotted a penguin, only one penguin on a beach i dont think he was supposed to b at. Greg reckons a seal had cornered him there, which was very sad:( we went to gemstone beach and got a few stones, not sure if i'm allowed to keep them though-will probably have them taken off me at the airport no doubt!! Left the beach quickly as got very wet there, warmed up in the car though.

We went to the very south of New Zealand, it was very chilly there, had a signpost for the eqautor and the south pole in the other direction. We went to Bluff, which is the fake south of new zealnd, there was an oyster festival happening the following day but it was still raining so we didnt fancy that. Drove then on to Milford Sound, which had some stunning scenary on the way, we had to go through a tunnel that literally has been scraped through the hill and left like that, so dark and scary! Loads of snow on the mountains, we reached the snow level, so through some icy snow at each other!! Got to the fursthest point we could go then took a boat trip around the water. It is a glaciated valley we learnt, that is so impressive and just enourmous, and absolutely freezing. We saw some waterfalls, seals, and a aprt of Australia that is here, or something to do with the tectonic platesmeeting, creating a plateau i think, Greg knows more than me!!that trip was 2hours. We met some German people and camped next to them that night, sat around our candles, sitting on our roll mats and our cool box as seats drinkning some beers, was very cold by the time we went to bed. And woke up in the morning to find the inside of the windscreen had frozen as well as the outside!!!

Left Milford Sound, drove past Mirror lakes, and took some photos, where the mountains are reflected in the lake below, so cool! Then fuelled up at the town, petrol prices here have increased so much in the time we'v been here already-not good!!

We arrived in Queenstown this afternoon. We used the showers at a hostel and have now come to use the internet. Have a feeling it is going to be very cold here tonight as was 7degress at about 3pm this afternoon! there is lots to do here but we need money, so may treat oursleves to the Indiana Jones movie later!!then probably move up the west coast and hopefully bump into the people we went diving with in Australia as they arrived the other day.

Have got all our warm clothes on and are not ill yet so thats good. Will hopefully put up pictures soon, love to everyone, keep posting comments!!Jess and Greg xxxxxxxx