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Sorry this is long over due so i better start from the beginning again. So we arrived in christchurch last tuesday, that day we didnt do much we just watched the cricket and were very dissapointed when we lost. We stayed in base backpackers which is really nice and we just had an early night. Then the next morning we got on the bus to go to kaikoura, the driver was fairly unhelpful but we stayed in a nice hostel just up from the beach. Kaikoura is beautiful, i went whale watching and saw Big Nick twice and Little John once they were both sperm whales. I also saw loads of smokey dolphins which was very cool as they dived over the bows of the boat. We also went up to a seal colony and had a look at the new zealand fur seals. Then later that day we went swimming with the seals, pretty cold we were wearing very thick wetsuits top to bottom. I got up close and at one point i was right inside the ring of there rocks, i was watching two fighting when i looked up and saw another one right next to my head, he dived over me and swam away, he was pretty big. They werent as inquisitive as they normally are though so we got a free one and get to go again whenever we want. I also held an octopus which was cool. That night we just played ring of fire to get to know everyone abit better. The next day we drove through picton (the ferry terminal to the north island) and then on to Nelson, nelso is where there is a big national park can't remember its name off hand, and we wanted to stay there longer but we couldn't as the buses were full so we either had to leave the next day or in a weeks time. We had by this time me Nick and Simon, two lovely guys from the uk, they have just left uni and are old friends from school (nick is just like martin ali's friend). So even though we couldn't stay in nelson at least we were travelling on with them. Me and rosie bought a tent there, a bit of an impulse buy i have to say and we are yet to use it but i'm sure we'll find a use for it somewhere. In nelson we stayed in the prince albert hotel, it was really nice with ensuite rooms but a rubbish kitchen with only two rings which worked, despite this the four of us did some cooking that night, we made rice with pork in a tarragon and cream sauce, it was good but having only two rings meant it was abit cold and we managed to burn the rice as we didnt have a pand which was big enough. We did some wine tasting on the way to the next stop but i didn't acutally like them very much, they were strong and quite herbacious, not my style really but i did like the olive oils we tried. Next stop errrr can't remember its name off hand, it was like the Alice Springs of the wet west coast. Absolutley deserted where most of the shops shut at 3! And everyone drove round in either tractors or pimped up cars. We went jet boating there, it was cold but lots of fun as well and the scenery is amazing. That night we made spaggetti bologneise, it was alot better than the night befores and we made loads of it but we managed to burn the spaggetti abit (how i hear you cry)! Another early night there then onto mahnipua, we stopped to do a little walk round the lake there but there were lots of sandflies there to bite us. At mahapnipua we stayed in this outragous pub in the middle of nowhere, the walls were covered (i mean abosolutley covered) with photos of all the previous parties there ant there were loads of hats and memoribilia on the ceilings. This old 82year old ran the pub and cooked us a huge steak supper that night, then we all dressed up, guys cross dressed and girls had to be as inventive as they could with bin liners, i went as cat woman, have a look at my photos. That was just a fun night and then today we drove up to Franz Josef our current location (we are still travelling with s and n which is great). We are staying in a nice lodge which has a jacoozie which is great, we are next to two glaciers, the f j one and the fox glaciers (the one from the mints i think). We are thinking of doing a sky dive tomorrow which would be amazing but very expensive. Tonight we are having sausages with potatoes and broccoli the boys are climbing the glacier tomorrow but i'm not sure what we are gonna do yet. We are staying here a week and then we go on to wanaka where we will see steph, steve and alexander which we are really looking forward to. Anyway at least now i've caught up and well done if you made it to the end of this. I'm sitting in a very cool internet cafe, its a red converted vw camper van. But i'm off now. Ellie
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