Hi again I've managed at long last to extract VA from the bathroom, she's coming home normal (ish). It's now 2 a.m. for us here in NZ we've had a bottle or two of Oyster Bay Merlot and we're feeling GOOD. By the way the Kiwi's pronounce the T in Merlot - cool it's the way forward.

I've had my toes nails and eyebrows done by my personal therapist I've flown out here with me at no little expense. Not normally use to having to persuade her to do but she couldn't do everything whilst she was in the bath pampering herself - b**** not part of the deal. What happened to the facial and the full body massage - I've no idea.

Going back to when we left Milford Sound we drove like nutters for absolutely hours and hours down the empty fabulous driving roads - VA would once have called them TVR roads but now we call them Winnebago roads. We had a major problem yesterday with it being Sunday everything closes - VA nearly had a heart failure because 'shopping' was off the menu and it was the only day that she couldn't browse. I spent the whole day stressed about not being able to Skype my kids whilst they were all together and the fact that we spent ten hours driving without a break - we both nearly had a nervous breakdown.

When we arrived at Akaroa VA slept for 13 hours - what is all that about thought she was the party animal - I walked into the town on my own and believe it or not I was there before 9 and there was no-one around even the bloody sand flies had gone to bed - we've been bitten by the sand flies to distraction - VA thinks I'm dramatic - WHAT A JOKE FROM THE DRAMA QUEEN HERSELF ! :-)

Well this will be VA's last entry and she is so looking forward to getting back to normality - washing daily and putting on clean clothes and having her meals on plates. Only joking we've had some fabulous meals and the time we spent with Jase was fantastic he is such a lovely guy. VA say he's a 'looker-after-er' - I think that means he's a responsible adult.

After the stunning Akaroa we gave back our dearly beloved baby Winnebago and the limo that brought us to the Rydges Hotel was quite a surprise, we travelled through some lovely suburbs with gorgeous properties and thought we both might like to live here but the pull of the UK is still stong in some of us.

Christchurch is a little like Cambridge with the river running throught the centre and the buildings are very old world - the Botanical Gardens are beautiful and we will be exploring them further tomorrow. We took some many pictures of trees to bore you with.

VA is saying goodbye now - she's loved it and is planning to come back next year with everyone she loves and she WILL be hiring the same little old campervan that we've had on this trip for old times sake - Jean and Stephen you will love it - it's the best country that we've both been to. VA loves you both and is looking forward to boring you both to death with photos.