26 days ago I (Tom) last updated my blog, you might recall I was marooned in a tiny NZ town without work and in desperate need of a job and money. 26 days later, having succeeded in spending my money supposedly reserved for my ticket home I am in even more desperate need for a job but I have had a dam good time in the process!.

From the tiny NZ town I caught a bus to Christchurch with the plan of finding work but it looks too much like England so I traveled 8 hours by bus back down to Queenstown with the plan of finding work. Arriving on a Friday, I duly handed out CV's and registered with agencies but then came the weekend so I socialized with some Scottish folk, climbed a mountain, watched a national rugby tournament then climbed the same mountain again because I met an old work friend from Auckland who wanted to climb the same mountain. Having not heard back from job agencies I climbed back on a bus for 8 hours back to Christchurch to meet Matt.

Matt's equally wondering traveling experiences brought him down to the South Island, I had no idea how long our unexpected rendesvous would last but I knew much fun would be had. True to my expectations he had the beers in upon my arrival. It also transpired that Matt had a job interview lined up in Arthur's Pass, 2 hours drive west of Christchurch. A few phone calls later I arranged an interview as well.

Because NZ is about the size of a one-penny piece it is the norm to bump into people you have already met during the course of the trip. In the same hostel as Matt just so happened to be a German girl called Julie whom I had met in Tonga many months ago. Clearly overwhelmed by the prospect of socialising with two handsome English gentlemen she offered to drive us to the hotel for our interviews. We then had to wait to hear back from the hotel. Sensible people would have found fruit picking work to earn money in the interim but the prospect of undertaking back breaking hard labour in 30c heat for peanuts was about as attractive as bubonic plague. Thus, 3 weeks later we are still traveling with Julie. Part way through we received the great news that Matt and I had the jobs at the hotel and we will start in the second week of February.

What follows are some of the highlights of our 3 week tour of the north of the South Island.

Firstly sandflies: Sandflies are tiny little innocent looking flies about the size of a small grain of rice. Don't be fooled, they are in fact the spawn of the devil! You do not notice them until they have sunk there teeth into you. The following morning you are awoken as you claw at your own skin itching, itching, itching. They do not just bite your juicy arms or legs but your bony fingers and toes. Consequently, our ankles look like we have danced on barbed wire from all the scars where we have itched until we bled.

From Arthur's pass we headed to Punakaiki on the West Coast. What was meant to be a two night stay turned into a weeklong stay as Matt bumped into two old friends who were celebrating a birthday later in the week. The west coast is a rainforest and true to its name it rained and rained. Being damp and wet, the forest is home to thousands of sandflies, it didn't help that we camped in the middle of it. During our stay we embarked on a few 'walks'. I say 'walk' but mine and Matt's definition of a path includes a gap between two plants, coupled with our immense immaturity when put in the same room together, we duly lead poor Julie on various ventures over cliffs, rocks, into caves, crossing rivers and battling the overgrown forests; much fun was had! To celebrate the birthday and because we had nothing else to do having suffered enough scars walking, me and Matt set about baking a cake for the birthday girl, check out the hilarious photos which pretty much say it all.

Moving on to Nelson Lakes and St Arnuad we embarked on a proper overnight hike carrying tents and food (and some vodka) up mountains and around a lake. However, the prospect of being stuck with Matt and I on yet another 'walk' must have been two much for Julie as she severely twisted her ankle only an hour into the trip leaving us no choice but to turn back. We consoled ourselves with the vodka anyway.

From there we headed to Farwell Spit, the most northern point of the South Island. Check out the pictures & videos of two of the best beaches I have ever seen, and my attempt at sand surfing!

We made our way with more sunbathing, itching, much feasting (the effect of a girl forcing me and matt to buy green food), sightseeing, itching and rally style driving on mountainous roads from Farwell Spit to Nelson, then to Malbourgh Sounds, Picton, Blenheim, Kaikoura then back to Christchruch.

We have spent much of this time camping on beaches, watching sunsets and cooking with nothing but one tiny camping stove. Including, managing to cook an entire BBQ with nothing but a Stanley knife as we forgot everything else we had! I don't just mean we forgot the knifes, we forgot everything, plates, cups, forks etc. We ended up eating off brochures and turning the food with the plastic packaging it came in. This was only made more amusing when we heard a noise behind us on the BBQ, turning around there stood a terrodactil sized eagle thing busy swallowing a sausage. Charging at it with the trusty Stanley knife it fled regurgitating the sausage back into the pan. Unawares as too which sausage it sucked on, we then played Russian roulette with the throat-flavoured sausage. Oh, all while itching.

Back in Christchurch we now await the weekend when we will travel back to Arthur's Pass to begin work. However, Matt's birthday is this week, so the time will be passed with another cake and much fun will surely be had!

The work itself is at a 4 plus star hotel (http://www.wildernesslodge.co.nz/wildernesslodge/arthurs-pass/) and our roles include everything from restaurant service to housekeeping. The hotel is very, very, very remote, the nearest village is a 20 minute drive away, the nearest town a 2 and a half hour drive away and we won't have a car once Julie leaves. Thus, our 2 month contract will be a long time living on site, working 6 days a week, starting as early as 7am and finishing as late as midnight, with the only option for days off a walk up yet another bloody mountain. On the plus side, we will save lots of money as it is physically impossible to spend money there. More importantly however, there will be no sandlfies due to the altitude (1000m!).

Some pictures of work will no doubt follow as we turn the 4 star establishment into Faulty Towers but until April I am now going to be stuck on a mountain saving for the money I need to eventually get home

Hope you enjoyed the read.

Tom.

P.S if this wasn't enough reading for you check out Matt's new blog at http://www.wonderfulspam.blogspot.com/ for a different take on the same stories!