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Hi, so now i'm in wanaka, this is just gonna be a quick catch up. We did do the skydive, i was terrified, i actually thought i had killed myself and didn't know why i was doing it, we went up to 12000 ft, same height as the tallest mountains in nz, mount cook and tasman, rosie jumped first and then i said i didnt want to coz i was so scared but he just pushed me out. Its very weird, it doesnt feel like your falling at all, and once your out there its not at all scary. The freefall is about 45 seconds which is actually quite along time. It actually made me feel abit sick, its all abit disorientating as you spin upside down and stuff. Then we did work, we worked as cleaners, doing 4hours a day for $20 of food in the bar and two free drinks and an ensuite room. Actually a pretty good deal. We loved it the other people we were working with were great, a family with two boys one dee 17 and liam 19. Needless to say not so much cleaning went on as water fights etc. The food was amazing, and we managed to become regulars at the bar and the great bar tender, daman, would get us our drinks the second we walked in the door without even asking. Franz Josef is so small that all the glacier guides knew who we were but also we were the same as all the travellers coming through. One day we hitch hiked to the glacier, we had to walk most of the way, only at the very end did the magic bus give us a lift then on the way back the tour guides took us the whole way. We went to a reggae night at the blue ice bar, it was good but not amazing, that was a very funny night, they only have one police man and he's very wary of the local boys, so we were all sitting in dee's car, and the cop came up and breathalised him, just for being young, dee's not a bad boy and hadn't drunk a drop so it was all fine and we were allowed to go, but it was quite weird at the time. On the last day we went ice climbing, i cant convey how amazing it was, we were in a group of just 4 of us, i thought i wouldn't be able to do it coz i'm not that fit but it was fine. We had a lovely guide called dave, it rained all day but we managed to keep warm and dry ish wearing goretex. We did 4 climbs and i loved every second of it. At the top of the last climb i didnt' think i was going to make it, i was absolutley knackered and slipping the whole time, he kept asking whether i wanted to come down but i just was determined to get to the top. I did make it in the end with one final big push, and the view was worth it, i could see for miles over the beautiful blue ice. I actually shouted out when i got to the top i was so pleased i made it. The next day we left, we had a cool driver and did a few walks at some great locations on the way to wanaka. Then we arrived in wanaka, i rang steph and steve and we had supper with them and alexander and one of there friends. They havn't changed at all, it was weird it didnt feel like i hadn't seen them in years and alexander is trully charming a very sweet little chap. I read him his bedtime story. THey then left for some island somewheere and lent us loads of camping stuff so i have been running around the mountains in camo! We went camping at mt aspiring hut, we were aiming for liverpool hut which is a hut alot further up but when we saw it in the distance 600m above us we decided to just camp at aspiring hut. It poured the whole time we were there and we spent one very wet and cold night there, made better though by the goretex jackets steve lent us. We then wandered back down the mountain the next day and while sitting, freezing waiting for the bus back to wanaka we met two nice american guys, proper hill billies they were though! We are meant to be seeing a film with them tonight but i don't think anything good is showing. Steph, Steve and Alexander come back tomorrow and we will then decamp to there house till the 27th. Sorry i havnt been more discriptive of Wanaka, it is trully beautiful with lots of snow capped mountains, if you came here you would never want to leave. Ellie x
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