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I was in need of some much needed kip having got up so early to catch the ferry over to the South Island, plus I hadn´t really slept much the last few days what with all the going out and early starts. So as soon as I was on the ferry I pretty much passed out. What´s weird is that I could have sworn I had some crazy dreams about being thrown about all over the place. Then when I woke up it transpired that the sea had been unbelievably choppy and the boat had been swaying so bad that everyone was throwing up everywhere. Apparently everyone had been told to move to the back of the ship to avoid getting sick, and I was fast asleep throughout the entire ordeal. And I thought I was such a light sleeper. So still a bit dubious, I cruised around to find some food and low and behold it wasn´t long before I was welcomed by the whitish, greenish and generally downtrodden faces of the passengers, and some kid barfed all over the place whilst I was eating a pie. Nice. Anyway so after a seemingly eventful boat trip (but nor for me clearly) we arrived at the South Island and got the bus over to the first stop, Nelson. There's not much to do in the town itself, just a nice enough greeny medium sized town of a few main blocks, so most people only stay one night unless they plan to hit the Abel Tasman National Park nearby. We weren´t really up for, or appropriately equipped, to do the camping package, so we decided to just spend one extra night in Nelson and spend one day in the national park walking around ourselves. So with a tupperware full of carbs (tuna pasta salad), we got the bus over really early in the morning and hit the 11km trail to the main hiking spot, a bay that I can´t remember the name of. The place was really nice actually, the trail went through the forest and followed the coast which had some spectacular views and picturesque little coves and bays off small diversions. It was supposed to be 4 hours there and the same back according to the signs, but we didn´t have that much time because we needed to catch the bus back 6 hours later. So we absolutely blitzed it there at a hefty pace and managed reach the bay in 2 and half hours, and the same back, giving us an hour in between to wolf down the copious amounts of pasta we had misjudged and chill out at the nice beach there. By the end of the day we were pretty shattered, and of course we rewarded our efforts with a spicy Italian sub of the day which was lucky (because it´s my favourite of the sub of the days). After Nelson it was off to a place called Westport, and to be brutally honest I don´t really remember any of it because it was literally just somewhere to stop before the next place. I think you could do jet boating and horse riding there if I recall (fat chance) but apart from that there was f***all to do in another classic small town of NZ. Actually on the way we stopped off at the Nelson Lakes national park to have lunch at Lake Rotoiti, as seen in loads of the Kiwi-Ex posters around the country. So after fending off some ballsy yet crafty ducks from our food, we took our token touristy pictures on the pier jumping up in the air, and of course one crazy German dude stripped and jumped in. There´s always one. After Wesport we stopped off for a trek at Cape Foulwind, a coastal trek around some cliffs that reminded me of somewhere like Devon, although that could have been because of the weather at the time, to see a big seal colony. There were loads of the little guys mooching about and splashing around, better them in that water than me. Then it was off to what´s called Pancake Rocks, another geometrical catastrophe of these rocks of stacked limestone on the coast that look like stacks of pancakes funnily enough. How easily amused us stupid backpackers are. After that undeniable highlight of my life we finally arrived at the muchly anticipated Lake Mahinapua where apparently some ancient guy cooks you up a mean steak and then you have a costume party. Les did not disappoint I can tell you. This 80-something year old dude spending his days cooking up a monstrous meal for filthy backpackers who dress up and get annihilated in his bar, what a hero. So after one of the best meals I had had in long time, we had to prepare for the party which was themed the letter ´P´. Unbelievably s*** theme I know but the bus driver chose it. So I pretty much made the poorest effort of the whole bus and put a polo shirt and a sweat band on and made a tennis racket out of some cardboard and went as Pete Sampras. Ben stole some of Les' throwbacks and went as a poor person/pauper whatever and Rich wrapped himself in brown packaging paper and went (or should I say waddled) as a parcel. There were all sorts at the party; punks, perverts, power rangers, playing cards, etc... I was surprised how much effort everyone made, putting my pathetic attempt to shame of course. Anyway after a messy night of ruining poor old Les' bar by scattering random costume parts everywhere, he still wished us on our way with his blessing. Seriously I don't know how the guy does it every day, because I f***ing hate backpackers (ye I know whatever), and I'm 22, he's like 85. I only wish I held his sentiments at that age, let alone can still beat down a drunken youth with a plunger just for standing on a pool table. Also I forgot to say that Rich actually won the runners up prize for the costume competition (keeping up our fine tradition of winning everything, funnily enough the victim of Les' plunger attack won it) and he got a free Mad Dog Body Boarding voucher would you believe. Unlucky, seeing as we had already done it in Roturoa, but he made a fair bob selling it which was cool.
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