Arrived in Wanaka late yesterday and it is without doubt my favourite 'town' so far. It's got a holiday feel but without any tacky shops or men in St Georges shorts everywhere, just really cool little town on the lakefront looking out onto the above picture. Would have liked to stay there for a week but I want to change my flights and be in Fiji for xmas so I'll be a bit tighter on time if I do.. Stayed 2 nights and spent the time wandering round the shops, eatin...

On the way down to the glacier I signed up for skydiving. I'd wanted to do it over the glacier/ Mt Cook and had held out while everyone else was jumping in Taupo. I also wanted to do an evening kayaking trip and a full day glacier hike so we thought I could kayak that night, hike the next day and skydive the morning before we left. Sounded good. Then at 11:30 the bus driver announces the skydivers will be jumping at 1pm that afternoon!! You can take your own came...

Tonight we stop at a place called the 'Poo Pub' It's owned by a really old guy called Les who is the funniest person I've met in a loooong time! This is the destination of the Kiwi fancy dress party and our theme was "Girls in bags, guys in drag" All the girls had to make an outfit out of plastic bags and the guys wear drag. We were dropped off for a couple of hours in Greymouth to buy our outfits - the lads headed to the charity shops and the girls the...

Back on the bus this morning and moving onto Westport. Not much to say about it was a pretty dull town and I think just used as a stop over. Got there in late afternoon and left early morning but wasn't missing much by the look of it.....

Caught the ferry this morning to the south Island. Check out the picture - was beautiful. Part way through there was an announcement over the tannoy that there were Whales to the right of the boat - you've never seen a whole boat full of people move so fast. Now this is a BIIIIG boat but I was more concerned about it capsizing rightways! No one saw them though so we soon straightened out the boat again..... The views in thte south island are completely different...