Christmas Time

Christmas morning and we woke up in the comfiest, cosiest bed since leaving home. Sunlight was already pouring through the window giving everything a summery glow but we snuggled under the covers a little longer, thoroughly enjoying the luxury after nights in the tent or back of the car. Buying and carrying gifts out here was not an option, so rather than opening presents we opened the curtains of our luxury pad to gorgeous views across Lake Rotarua and the surrounding countryside. We were soon tucking into our breakfast of choice on this festive day- Coco Pops!

Just as we finished washing it down with a cup of tea there was a knock at the door- the family had given us their phone number so our family could call on the day. It was for me- my favourite present so far! For the next hour I chatted with Mum, Dad, Tara and just started to talk to Bryony when I had to take the phone back- ttheywee also expecting calls from the UK. It was weird that everyone back home was still anxiously waiting to go to bed and for Father Christmas to come!

After hanging up I started to well up- Christmas is so special with my siblings and we have traditions that I had bvowedto hold true until I was forced to make Christmas special for the next generation. Still, I had the one member of my up and coming family with me and a comforting hug and wipe of the cheeks soon ssorted thingsout. Besides, I had a roast dinner to prepare in a tiny worktop oven and on a portable two ring stove- it was time to sort ttheveggies!

Soon it was Blakey´s turn to speak to his mum whilst I enjoyed having a lkitchenat my disposal. It was comforting and homely peeling potatoes and shelling garden peas. What made it even more so were the opening notes of "The Hills are Alive..." when Blakey turned the TV on to find The Sound of Music had just started. Perfect. Swigging wine as I prepared the feast I sang along and showed Blakey my intimate knowledge of the film with dance moves and all. We kept it on through lunch (which, even if I do say so myself, was pretty good!) and then moved with the freshly popped bottle of bubbles to see the Von Trapps take their stand against the Nazis. By the end we had a glass of Baileys on the go too- we were doing well!

All snuggled up after the film we were romantic drunken fools. As much as we have been missing home at Christmas we realised that this will probably be the only year we ever spend it with just each other and decided to make the most of that. Blakey really is very good at making me feel loved- though the wine and food certainly had put us in a cheery mood! Stuffed, satisfied and pie-eyed we cracked on with the plan. To make the most of the New Zealand scenery we had bought the Lord of the Rings trilogy and were going to get through them!

After the first one our bellies started to find a corner of space for pudding- an essential festive item. The family we were staying with bought a slice of Kiwi Pavlova out to us both- a real New Zealand tradition. That was followed by chocolates and dates- we really were indulgent!

Although we started the second film we paused halfway through as our eyes started to close. If definately felt like Christmas now- heavy stomachs, heavy eyes, heavy heads. We crawled into bed and thanked one another for a truly stand out Christmas day.

Boxing day was almost a complete re-run. After our Coco Pops we chatted to our Mums- it was now Christmas Day back home- followed by a reheated roast dinner and a return to the sofa for more Lord of the Rings. This time Blakey´s wine glass emptied quickly leading to some first class entertainment with all the usual animated facial expressions and catchy songs. Lucky me!

As dark started to fall and the second film came to its dramatic conclusion we started to discss our departure the next day. Christmas here had been so good we did it twice- we weren´t quite ready to leave and the thought of one more night of luxury outweighed the trip to some caves and a night in the car we had planned. We checked availablity and poured another Baileys to accompany our traditional Christmas pudding after finding it free.

Two over-indulged travellers in a huddled heap in the bed. I didn´t know how long we had overslept as I woke to the sound of our door being knocked teh next morning. Re-covering the dribbling boy thoroughly I threw some clothes on and answered the dorr to find my mum had called the house as my cousins wanted to talk to me whilst they enjoyed their Boxing Day celebrations. My slightly inebriated Mum gasped when I found the time- 7.45am- my Dad had a cider with his lunch and got thetime difference wrong-oopss!

Our early morning wake up (in terms of our late night and alcohol consumption at any rate) was needed- it took a few hours to repack our rucksacks with the tent and all and gave us the afternoon free to upload photos of our trip in facebook- an essential link back home.

As evening fell we enjoyed an unusual dinner of left over camping food and curled on the sofa for one last easy night. As we drained the last of the Baileys we watched the funny and appropriate ´Confetti´- a comedy about plannign weddings. By the time we snuggled under the covers we were both getting butterflies in the stomach. The morning would bringh a flight to South America- we were heading back into the unknown again. Nervous and excited we weren´t quite sure if we were ready to give up the creature comforts of New Zealnd again, though the stunning pictures we had put on the internet earlier had certainly inspired us to take in more sights. As w efly over the Pacific Ocean we pass the physical halfway point- we are starting to make our way home!

Terminal Velocity

We arrived back on the north island and everything instantly felt different as we drove around New Zealand's capital city. Wellington was bursting full of life and our lonesome and peaceful driving days were over as we sat in the crammed bumper to bumper traffic which poured it's fumes up into the valleys. Neither of us were quite ready for such a hectic welcome and the thought of driving a few hours towards Tongeriro National Park to be amongst the mountains and lakes away from noise was more than appealing. We had read plenty of brilliant things to see and so in the big city but this one we'll just have to come back to when we have more time and strength.

Energy was something we were both clearly lacking today and within minutes of heading towards the park Laura had fallen fast asleep. The roads there were seeming endless to me and it wasn't long until my eyes were wanting to shut too.

We made it to a campsite about an hour away from Tongeriro which was only five dollars each, a bargain considering it's riverside setting in the woods complete with a kitchen, toilets and the option to build a fire. I was like a kid and went straight off into the bushes to gather some wood while Laura set up the tent. Everything was really damp so our fire was constant hard work but we raised a flame good enough to cook marshmallows on. After some tasty hot chocolate we squeezed into our sleeping bags for the night.

We were off the next day towards our mountainous destination and soon the three spectacular peaks of Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongeriro and Mt Ngauruhoe came into view. The latter volcano was used as 'Mt Doom' in 'Lord of the Rings' and the surrounding area for 'Mordor'. There was no sign of any Orcs or evil here, more a landscape of towering beauty.

After a few stop-offs to take photos we reached Lake Rotopounama which we had seen on a postcard earlier in the day and thought it would make for a decent walk. We had been doing so much driving of late that Laura had lost all motivation to do, well anything. It's happened to me on several occasions where no matter how amazing the destination is that day, your mind and body just aren't in the mood. It seems you can have too much of a good thing. Laura said that I had to choose whether to drive on or take the three hour trek around the lake and after making a quick lunch I persuaded her to put on some boots and get some fresh air.

The walk through the twisting green forest to the lake which had a backdrop of mountains was picture perfect but with the swarm of sand flies gathered there all wanted a taste of Laura's sweet blood. May be I had been playing with the bonfire too much last night and stank of smoke (or just generally stink) as they didn't give me a second glance. I went further around the lake to take some pics and could constantly see Laura waving her hands around, slapping various body parts and away cursing to herself. It wasn't much later that she looked like she could burst into tears so we headed back to the car and moved on towards Taupo to find a place to stay in preparation for my horrendously exciting yet nerve racking activity the next morning- I was going to skydive!

You can imagine how I was feeling the next day with the thought of falling through the sky in my mind. As I ate my usually delicious Marmite on toast my belly felt like it had turned inside out and was being tickled by a hundred small children. I couldn't have been any more excited but I was about as terrified as the day I had to meet Laura's entire family for the first time.

I phoned the booking agent who said that as the skies were calm and bright blue that the jump was on but as it was a few hours away I needed to call back later. A few hours later and typically the clouds had covered the sky in a thick grey blanket and I was told there was a good chance it might be postponed but to call yet again in 15 minutes time. Moments on and it was now officially all go! This on, off, on morning was feeling quite intense and the build up was just getting bigger and bigger with Laura, who wasn't even going to jump, in a similar jibbering state.

The Freefall company soon collected us both and took us to the airport where all the skydive companies seem to operate from. I had to sign a piece of paper with the small print basically saying that if I die then they hold no responsibility. Reading such things just before you are about to get on the plane really didn't help things and as I filled out the paper work I made constant mistakes forgetting my name and address, so Laura ended up writing the rest!

We reached the skydive centre and were quickly seated in order to watch a few short movies that demonstrated the DVD/picture package we could buy in order to capture our moments throughout the whole experience. As I stared at the TV, Laura said my face went completely white and she then proceeded in having great pleasure at filming me.

Alongside a large group of Japanese tourists also here for the dive it was now time to move into another room and get our jump gear on. The second I was about to slip into my red boiler suit I was told that there was no room for me on the next flight as everyone had requested to be filmed meaning that our group had doubled in size. I didn't mind as I could get on the next flight but this about put the final drop of build up to the maximum!

Fifteen or so minutes later and the sky was full of colourful parachutes and various members of the Japanese group came running up to tell me how much I was going to enjoy every second of it, despite how sick some of them said they felt. One even complained that he couldn't hardly breath during the freefall- greeeeat.

The plan was to get on the next plane with a group of skydivers from the company next door but as they were taking so long to get ready it was decided I would get the entire flight to myself! I said my goodbye's to Laura who would nervously wait by the landing zone and got on board for a twenty minute ascend before stepping out.

We climbed higher and higher through and far above the clouds and had to breathe into oxygen masks in which I took my fair share from. The plane then became completely silent, like it had ran out of fuel but this meant just one thing, it was time. My camera woman Jenny shook my hand and started to clamber out the door onto the roof to film me now sat with my legs dangling into thin air. My jumpmaster Mike tilted my head back and without any warning or am I ready for this leapt out into the windy nothingness. We rocketed at a face melting 200kph towards the ground for a whole 60 seconds of freefall and I was screaming all manner of things. It was totally indescribable, my body was electrified with adrenaline and I was thinking to myself how glad I was to have done a lengthy poo before doing this. Jenny was zooming all around me taking footage and pictures of my face which must have shown a hundred different emotions but all with the same look of terror. I was enjoying it so much that I failed to notice Mike tapping me on my shoulder which meant to put my arms on my chest and prepare for the parachute to open. We carried on speeding like a bullet but feeling as heavy as an asteroid about to smash into earth until I noticed Jenny flapping her hands around trying to signal for me to pull my arms in which Mike then grabbed and all of a sudden we were shooting back up into the sky. My ears felt like they were going to explode but then everything fell silent again and we drifted like a feather downwards. I put my hands on my nose and blew away my blocked hearing and took a good look around at a truly stunning land with everything in miniature form.

It did happen all incredibly fast and before I knew it we were coming into land with me shouting out loud "Laaaaaauuurrrraaaaaa" to the small pinpoint in the green field below. As we rather gently hit the ground (thankfully) I ran to my lady love like an absolute lunatic and gave her a big kiss. Surely one of the best birthday present ever and a walloping huge thank you to my friends back home for collecting money towards Blakey Aid! A couple of minutes later we both sat in front of a small cinema screen and watched back my captured insanity and it was completely insane.

How did I follow up such a mind melting morning? Well we went to Woolworth's. Actually this was pretty exciting as we bought bags and bags full of Christmas grub although I had left my brain in the clouds and Laura had to make all the tough decisions like what chocolate pudding to buy.

We made it back to camp absolutely exhausted and I was getting a cracking skydive hangover with my head feeling like it was going to cave in. Bed soon followed, what a day though!

The next morning I awoke with a much clearer head although I was still in disbelief to what I had done and we packed up to drive towards Rotorua. We arrived to the famous natural wonders that occur at Te Puid. The moment we stepped out of the car the distinctive smell of eggy sulphur was inhaled. Here there are over 500 springs, from bubbling hot mud pools to the fascinating geysers which explode into the air. Before seeing any of this we were to watch a Maori concert, something we both had been dying to see since arriving in New Zealand.

We sat near the meeting point for the performance and ate our lunch and soon there was an enormous influx of people gathering around. There was hundreds of tiny toddlers running in between the legs of at least five coach loads of rather grumpy looking elderly folk. I know one day I'll be old too and want to complain about my legs falling off or something but this lot were the most unimpressed, moaning collection of people ever.

Anyway we were welcomed by a member of the Maori tribe who briefed us on what to expect along with the do's and don'ts in the church which we were about to enter. A warrior then came stampeding towards us and performed a powhiri greeting to determine if we were friend or foe. He placed a leaf on the ground and a member of our group who had been appointed chief then had to pick it up. A woman who had now come outside with a group of muscly, long tongued Maori's began a ceremonial call and soon we were invited to come inside.

With our shoes off we entered the beautifully carved church and took a seat. The next 45 minutes were full of cheerful Maori songs, poi and the haka (war dance) which was easily our favourite part of the show. Although it was interesting to watch, with so many others here, many who seemed uninterested or too young to care, it lacked the attention it deserved which prevented it from being the true spectacle we were hoping for and came off more like a commercial and slightly tacky tourist day out.

It was now time to see the main attraction of this thermal wonderland- the geysers! The Pohutu geyser in particular was very impressive and was constantly erupting boiling water around 30 metres into the sky. We carried on around past endless sulphate waters to some mud pools which bared a resemblance to 'the bog of eternal stench' in Labyrinth and the odours smelt like it too.

We decided to squeeze out from the crowds on to find out what our accomodation was going to be like for Christmas. We hadn't seen any pictures of the flat and had booked it solely on the fact that the owner was British, sounded friendly in his emails to us and it was one of the only placed available.

When we pulled the car up to a house fifteen minutes away from the smelly, busy streets of Rotorua we couldn't have been happier. We had a corking view over over mountains, a magnificent lake and an abundance of woolly wildlife to go with it. Ian and his family were instantly like-able characters and the flat was perfect. It was like Laura and I had decorated it ourselves and my Mum had payed Ian to buy us a big bottle of champagne, lush chocolates and a bunch of flowers which welcomed us as we opened the door. Apart from the lack of family and friends here we had all the right ingredients for an outstanding Christmas!

Firewood and Ferries

On the move once again and we took a fairly short drive to the coastal town of Kaikoura. Famous for it's wildlife, we wondered if we might get a glimpse of these fantastic creatures. Arriving fairly early we stepped out into the sunlight and addressed our first priority- locate a computer and hope for news from home. With everyone getting ready for Christmas there hasn't been quite so much lately and today the Inbox was pathetically baron, so we soon headed across the road for some more information on the town.

The ever helpful iSite was a wealth of brochures and display boards. We soon realised that our intended activities for the day had some serious economic barriers- $165 to board a boat and spot some whales. Comforting ourselves that the creatures also inhabit the waters of South America and acknowledging the fatigue that was setting in after the last few action packed days we broke with tradition and decided to put the tent up at a coastal campsite and just relax for an entire day. Heading back around the peninsular we found somewhere that allowed us to open the zip and look directly at the sea- fantastic.

The only downside to camping on the shore was the sandy site. Driving the car to our patch it soon became quite stuck as the accelerator simply sunk a wheel further into a sandy pothole. Digging a path and pushing the car back was the most activity we encountered for the whole day, but even at the time it had us in fits of giggles. Luckily we rescued the rental car and parked it safely before setting up the tent.

The rest of the day was spent lying on the picnic blanket writing up diary entries, admiring the scenery, watching Blakey create a romantic sculpture on the beach and generally indulging in the delight of laziness. It was a great deal of fun.

As the evening approached we saw a few fires spring up on the beach around us and Blakey was soon bounding around the site finding scraps of driftwood for one of our own. As we sat by the hypnotic, comforting flames the sun vanished behind the mountains and one by one the stars started to show themselves. Soon we were surrounded by a beautiful night sky, utterly clear and bursting with light. We sat up until late admiring the spectacular view before climbing into our sleeping bags so our backs may be as warm as our fronts (still toasty from the flames)

the next day we had some time- we were a little ahead of our schedule- so we headed to an Internet cafe for the morning and typed up long emails home. Whilst sat there the wonder of Facebook chat presented itself and I caught up with Danni and Steph. the closer Christmas comes the further from home we feel and whilst each day is filled with exciting things I long for the moment it will take 20 minutes to go and speak to people in person. I've said a number of times now, I wish Christmas would hurry up and pass us by so I can get my mind back on the fun we're having here and now, not the fun we're missing back at home.

After leaving the Internet and heading back out into the sun (so un-Christmassy-very strange) we both realised we were extremely tired. Maybe it was staying up so late to look at the stars, but every time we allow ourselves a day of rest it's like we lose momentum and are faced with exhaustion until we pick up the pace again. Guiltily we decided to cut our coastal walk short and headed straight for the seal colony around the coast instead.

When we got out of the car it seemed just as well- opening the door the wind nearly ripped it off its hinges and as we walked across the shingles we were literally blown back by the wind- it was so strong! We pushed against it for a glimpse of the seals, heading for the only place that a couple of people were standing still on the beach. There we found one lazy heap of blubber snoozing away on the rocks. Other than the huge amounts of seaweed this seal was all alone on the beach. Not much of a colony7, but worth a couple of pictures. Hoods up around our ears we let the wind carry us back to the car.

On the road again, though shamefully I can tell you nothing about the scenery here as Blakey drove and I opened my bleary eyes to discover a few hours and a few hundred kilometres had passed and we were in the town of Picton. Thinking it seemed very sleepy we soon realised it was a Sunday and that was why everywhere was shut. We headed straight for a campsite again.

After all that time sleeping a regressed to a childlike state, aware of my own wants and needs, and with the shop attached to the previous campsite in mind began dreaming of raspberry licorice. At that moment in time I became painfully aware that my life could not be complete without some to chew on. What followed was a toddler like tantrum and a short car journey to acquire the magical stuff. Finally I could relax and read my book in peace. Blakey was also relieved of a whining girlfriend as his Sudoku love affair continued.

An hour later ad the weather was disgusting. The wind was howling but now bought rain with it. the brief seconds that the car doors were open for us to run to the toilets left items near the exits a soggy mess. No way were we putting the tent up tonight, so the seats of the car were collapsed once more.

Waking up the following morning was a rushed affair. As usual I opened my eyes to the gentle sounds of my beloved snoring (by which I mean the windows were rattling) The snoring soon ceased but was replaced with "Oh shit! It's ten past ten!" refusing to pay late charges we chucked our stuff in the boot, pulled the chairs up and left the park without a backwards glance. It was definitely a morning to treat ourselves to a decent breakfast in a cafe.

Tea and sustenance revived us momentarily as we headed for the Picton ferry terminal. We checked in, found a comfy sofa, I finished the last chapter of a most engrossing Stephen Fry novel and we fell asleep in a huddled mass for the entire journey to the North Island. Upon waking a large pool of dribble glistened on the cushion above me as Blakey wiped his mouth and realised that the laughter he had half-consciously heard may have been response to this little incident. Worn out, we couldn't help but smile at the thought of all we had done on the South Island. It was sad to leave it so soon.

Between the Cracks

The moment we had finished getting our faces happily slapped by the wind we needed to dash straight off on an eight hour drive up to Franz Josef. We had to resist stopping every twenty minutes to take photos otherwise we would end up arriving there the next morning but we knew some scenery would just beg for our attention.

The drive was just as utterly spectacular as usual and we were making good progress until we saw we had less than a quarter of a tank of petrol left. When we pulled up in Haast at the last and only gas station for the next 120km, the 24 hour card machine was out of order and the shop had shut for the night. A few minutes later we were joined by another couple in the exact same situation and after lengthy discussions we decided it was best to keep driving then to spend over 100 dollars for accommodation at the only motel in town.

We set off and thanked every mountain climb and corner we passed and with the rain now heaving down we really didn't fancy a night on the corner of the road. Soon our last bar of petrol was flashing at us and we were coasting down the slopes in order to save any last juice we had. Amazingly enough we actually made it to Franz Josef and reached a filling station where low and behold it didn't accept credit cards! We left and drove at snails pace to find somewhere to sleep only to find the every office in town closed an hour ago. It was all rather hilarious and Laura got a whopping migraine to top it all off.

Eventually we crawled into a self check in campground and said to hell with setting up the tent and slept in the car for the second night running. These were desperately tired times, especially as our car is a Daihatsu, the size of a matchbox that not even a small child should attempt to sleep in. It seems our last few weeks of sleeping in a tent every night mixed with driving what must be the entire length of New Zealand and back again is starting to wear us down now and ohhh do we smell. I had my first shower in a week here and I would have loved to have put the stench that raised up from under my clothes in a jar so you could experience what wonders I smelt that evening.

The following morning my brain was almost dancing out of my ears as we were to set foot and climb upon a real life glacier- The Franz Josef Glacier, otherwise known by the early Maori's as Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere, which translates to 'The Tears of the Avalanche Girl' which sounds much better. The legend has it that a lover who lost her lover over the edge of one of the local peaks wept and her tears formed into the glacier.

Once we were suited and booted in all the appropriate gear, we got on board a rather old lady mixed with weed smelling bus and took a short ride up to a car park where we all got out and walked for 45 minutes to come face to face with the monster. Our tour group was then divided into two separate teams, the first were to be the more experienced trekkers who would take the lead up and the second were the not so good who would follow far behind. You could choose what side you thought best suited you but Laura and I were the only two to be picked to be in the first group. Maybe my beard is making me look like a well travelled explorer or maybe our tour guide was more interested in chatting up Laura. Either way we felt quite chuffed and our dread-headed enthusiastic leader named Cliff was brilliant at his job and clearly loved his everyday hike on the ice.

When Franz Josef first came into view, the iced tongue shaped glacier didn't look all that impressive, but by the time we reached the base to start our climb, the beast showed it totally unreal magnificent size. You could fit the entire city of Auckland on it and still have room for Southampton. We then put on our spikey cramp-ons and were then given three important rules, one was walk with your legs apart not to catch the straps that were wrapped around our boots and two was to raise your feet higher than usual as the extra inch of heel could easily cause us to trip up or worse, fall over the edge. The last rule was to grip the guide ropes whenever they were around and to never let go.

It all sounded easy enough, although within the first few steps Cliff spotted Laura who with a few other members of our group was walking like a tip toeing fairy. He told us to crouch like we were having a poo and stamp hard into the ice and we couldn't go wrong. It didn't take long to get the swing of it but a few members of the group who clearly didn't know much English carried on walking in all manner of weirdness.

The moment we had climbed from the slightly ugly, grey rocked covered start to the glacier on to the blinding sheets of blue and white compacted ice I could honestly have secretly wet myself with joy, if it wasn't for the fact that my hot wee might melt a hole and swallow me up. That would be a pretty nasty way to go if you ask me but Cliff reassured us that cracks suddenly opening and eating you up only happens in the movies. It made me feel calm until he shouted to a member of our group that if he should take one more step further that the edge would give away and he would fall to his death. The danger here is very real and this situation happened on more than one occasion.

We continued climbing further up the glacier with Cliff carving the way for us with his pick axe. Halfway along we took a rest to wait for the other group to catch up a bit and were given a challenge to fit through a tiny quite vaginal shaped tunnel. Laura was first to get down in the hole whilst most of our team looked horrified and refused to go anywhere near it. Laura didn't actually go through but helped pack down the ice that Cliff was cutting to make the exit to the cave slightly bigger. I wasn't going to miss giving it a try so I slipped in, camcorder in hand and slowly squeezed my way through with the ice touching and starting to freeze every part of me. I almost made it to the end but having the extra thickness of my glacial coat meant I was fatter than usual and when my bag around my waist with my water bottle in became wedged below I was well and truly stuck. I was laughing with my hands sliding all over the place trying to free myself, but at the same time I was getting quite hysterical and thought to myself that if the glacier should decide to move then I would be the filling in it's sandwich. Luckily I made it back out to take a large breath of fresh air in.

After a toe tingling hour and a half trekking up passed massive crevasses and sharp iced peaks we had to make our descent. We went down a different route which was even more magical than the first way and that had blown my mind. My favourite bit was when we all had to duck down and clamber through a perfectly clear ice cave to arrive at a lengthy drop where water was flowing streaming down far below. The landscape had obviously changed overnight with the ever changing glacier and Cliff had to radio the other team to not come this was as it was too dangerous now. That didn't stop us and if we hadn't of been chosen for this group then we would have never of seen this beautiful area. A few minutes later we were in the same situation again where another section of the ice had moved dramatically and created a somewhat scary, deep looking water hole that could give way and grow at any time. We moved swiftly on and the trek ended shortly afterwards with us both in a buzzing mess. I can't describe how damn exciting it all was and I will be forever thanking my parents who gave me money for my birthday in order to do something special and this couldn't have been any more spot on.

We drove on to Rapahoe and the weather decided to pour down again, the summers here really are as bad as at home. With that in mind we found ourselves a bit of a treat, a budget campsite that had cabins for around 40 dollars. Our converted caravan/outhouse looked ragged, old and about to fall flat but it was truly brilliant to have a double bed, fridge and TV for the night. We haven't slept in a bed since we arrived weeks ago on the South Island and we were going to enjoy every second of it.

We sat on the bed and watched a tremendously bad film, ate our dinner and it almost felt like home. An awesome way to end an awesome day!

Oohhh my did we sleep well and with us not having to check out till 11am things were even more easy that morning. We soon got on the road again and made our way to see the unique rock formations in Punakaiki. Laura had obviously caught up with her lack of rest and sang Christmas carols the whole way there to my delight. Thankfully we soon arrived to the fascinating sculptures. These 30 million year old limestone rocks have been formed from acidic rain, wind and sea and look like layers upon layers of pancakes giving them there name, yep, Pancake Rocks. They were most interesting although we had hoped to see the blow holes there as well which are meant to spurt out high all over the rocks, but the tide was too far out and the sea a little flat.

We still left feeling satisfied and headed over to Hanmer Springs where we would camp for the night and take a therapeutic dip in the recommended sulphur pools there. We had hoped that it might be as relaxing as the onsen we had found in Japan which was situated in a jungle, halfway up a cliff with a waterfall flowing over the edge. It wasn't anything like it. The springs had been turned into a tacky holiday resort feeling experience with hundreds of misbehaving kids and their just as annoying parents. Maybe I'm being a little harsh as we did actually enjoy it, bathing in the different types of pools varying in temperatures between 33 degrees and 41 and there certainly were minerals in the water as they managed to transform my pure silver thumb ring into a graffiti-ed mess of purples and copper.

We stayed for a few hours and regardless of what we thought of the place, both of us came away completely relaxed and ready to crash our heads out for the night. This time the tent was ready, and being back up in the Northern part of the island warm and cosy sleep didn't take long!

Hanging out in Queenstown

The drive to Queenstown was spectacular- turquoise lakes, snow capped mountains, swathes of forest amd valleys of violet from blooming flowers. Another road worth driving; reaching our destination and finding it equally beautful was a bonus I hadn't expected. Set on sloping hills in front of a lake and postcard perfect mountains all around- Queenstown is the best located town I've ever visited.

Parking up we knew Queenstown had a reputation for daredevil pursuits. Having promised both of our parets that a bungy jump was not on the cards (Dad says it's not natural and that the rebound makes all your organs hit each other, plus we'd heard from a couple of others about four day hangovers from the adreneline surge) we headed to information to see what could be on the cards, but now it was time for bed in preparation for the epic drive to Milford Sound.

Setting out the next day we soon discovered why people were prepared to take this long drive to such a distant sight. If we thought the roads we had already seen were pituresque then these were outstanding. The first leg to Te Anau was through rolling green hills, pretty and pleasant, but passing that and out through the mountanious pass we were confronted with dramatic beauty. Towering peaks were layered with thick snow whilst crystal clear streams ran across the valley floors, beautiful plants everywhere. The journey was broken up with a number of stops where we ran around witrh the camera, filled with an energetic enthusiasm bought about by the sheer wonder of the environment surrounding us.

One of the stops allowed us to complete a circular track through forest so thick with moss the whole place looked carpetted. The twisted trunks and large irregular growths on the trees gave it an enchanted air which was enhanced by the bird call resounded through the trees. Blakey has now identified the dormant twitcher within and has taken to silently stalking noises to spot the little feathered creatures, using his camera zoom for a better look whenever possible. To really top the walk off, halfway around the track we reached the shore of a crystal clear lake with views across to the surrounding snowy peaks once more.

Further around the road we stopped at the beautiful mirror lakes, which in the brief time it stopped drizzling, lived up to its name with reflections of the still stunning scenery in its surface. As we continued around the winding roads heading further into the ranges we climbed high enough to encounter a valley filled with a ice, a huge chunk slowly melting at the side of the road in the relative heat of summer. At this point the road took a dramatic route straight through the mountain via a roughly hewn tunnel.

Emerging on the otherside at such a height was breathtaking. We could have held a finger on the shutter of the camera all the way down the winding road to the valley below, and every shot would have been worth it. After almost an entire day of driving we made a penultimate stop at The Chasm. Following the short walkway along we soon crossed a bridge to see an impressive waterfall. However, it was when we reached the next bridge that we realised the real draw to this place. Here the waterfall had eroded the stone to create a series of eerie looking holes and tunnels which Blakey described as the 'darkest waterfall' he'd ever seen. There was something quite sinister about the shapes.

Just 20 minutes down the road at 6pm, we finally reached Milford Sound itself. It was one of those times that the journey there was just as spectacular as the destination, which can sometimes be a little disappointing as in this case I was expecting a 'grande finale', though perhaps the drizzle that had started again by this time dulled the scenery slightly. We wandered around for a little while and when a streak of golden light pierced through the sky and the waters stilled as the rains stopped the huge reflective expase of water became far more appealing. What an amazing day.

We headed back to the fantastically cosy Milford Sound Lodge to pitch the tent for the night. By this time of night and with snow peaked mountains all around us it was blooming freezing, so the sudden onslaught of sandflies did nothing to increase our excitement whilst erecting the tent. Nevermind- we headed inside to the cosy lodge to heat warming bowls of soup before crawling into our sleeping bags for the night. It was not the best night as we shivered, huddled in little balls!

Next morning and the frosty night was explained by an utterly cloudless sky, beautifully blue. As our enthusiasm for photography grows we hear ourselves being embarrassingly geeky about the 'quality of light' and decided to head back to the sound for a morning shot, but not before the important task of locating a phone to wish Blakey's brother Patrick a Happy Birthday.

With all the important tasks done was started to make the long drive back to Queenstown. Seeing everything from the other direction and for a second time did nothing to lessen its imapct, thought with fewer stops the drive was swifter. By the time we got to Queenstown though we were both exhausted. Having almost eaten our way through our supplies we dragged our weary bodies into town with the intention of finding some good food. However, a guilty craving came upon us as we both turned our noses up at all the nutrituious $16 meals and we decided to back track a few kilometres to a drive through Burger King. Salty fries and a milkshake were heaven, and the Kiwi Salad burger for veggies is amazing. Most of you would probably have been more satisfied with Blakey's double bacon cheese burger. Everything tasted completely artificial and delicious.

Hitting the campsite our bones were still cold from a night in the mountains and our heads weary from the epic adventure. We had a huge day to follow so we did the ultimate in lazy- put the tent on the front seat and collapsed the chairs down for a night in the car. I honestly think I could have slept anywhere that night!

So our final day in Queenstown arrived and this was going to be a highlight. My lovely lovely parents gave us a lovely lovely Christmas present a couple of weeks early, some money to be extravagant with at this time of year. Having booked ourselves three nights in a self-contained flat for the Christmas period (a very exciting prospect after all this time in the tent!) we put the rest towards something far more adventurous- a hang glide from Coronet Peak.

The drive up the mountain range got both of our tummies tingling. Even with our feet on the ground the views were beautiful with the blue lake extending out across the horizon. Our friendly instructors chatted away to us and my pilot for the journey, Augusto, inspired us both about the next leg of our trip as he spoke of his home, Chile.

Getting out of the van at the top of the mountain we felt a long way up- almost 4000ft in fact. We were quickly put into our harnesses and had a practise run across the car park to get our stride into sink with our pilot. Within moments the huge kites that were to hold us in the air were prepapred and Blakey was taken to the launch site. The prospect of running down a fairly steep hill with a contraption that big is a little daunting, but after just a few steps the wind catches, throwing you into the air. I was just as nervous as Blakey when my turn came, though with a little more control over my facial expressions it seems!

One, two, three and we were off. The air caught the glider and after an absurdly long struggle to position my feet on the bar I achieved my flying position. It was utterly exhilararting as the wind rushed past my ears and across my face, causing my eyes to water and a grin to spread that was permanent not just for the duration of the flight, but the hour that followed it too! Augusto encouraged me to hold my arms out and I was soaring in a bird like fashion. It seems we were very lucky on our flight too, the winds pushed us higher and higher as we passed the swathes of forest on the slopes below, taking large spirals to prolong the path towards aour landing zone. It seemed to last for ages!

When it was time to come down Augusto said he could find no 'sink holes' and asked if I would like to do some manouvres. When I asked if it was scary he replied "it's quite safe", so still grinning I decided to hold a little tighter! Suddenly he turned the glider into the wind and it started to dramatically spiral downwards. The G force was similar to being on a waltzer at full pelt, and combined with the streaming air led to some rather unattractive snotty moments! Having descended a fair distance he pulled it out of that position and pushed it the other way, spiralling down once again. A third spiral and we were ready to land. Suddenly I realised I hadn't been taught this bit, so asking what I do he said "nothing, just brace yourself!" We started to hurtle towards the ground as he drove the wheeled A frame towards the grass and it sped along the field, my nose alost touching the ground as I tensed my body in order to prevent the momentum causing injury! Eventually we came to a stop, almost as exhilarating as the ride itself!

So we had risen to the challenge of Queenstown- picked an adreneline pumping activity and managed to enjoy every moment. You will wonder how we got out faces back to normal whe you see our photos!

Mountains and Marshmallows

Unzipping the tent to find Laura making me bacon, eggs and sausage whilst being surrounded by thick forest and the glimmering Lake Tekapo in view was an incredible way to start the day. New Zealand has just started to knock our ruddy socks off and it's just going to get better from here on in. The tingles are back in our feet and it feels brilliant!

After breakfast we decided to climb the three hour trek up and around Mount John which was just down the road. Within an hour we were at the summit with one of the most spectacular 360 degree views I think I've ever seen. Jagged snow topped mountains, rolling green hills and Lake Tekapo shining bright it's unique turquoise colour from the sun hitting the fine rock dust which is suspended in the water.

On top of the mountain is the clearest, darkest night sky in New Zealand and the University of Canterbury operate the Earth and Sky Observatory from here. They run a tour at 80 dollars each where you can their powerful telescopes to stargaze the magnificent out look to the Milky Way Galaxy, the Southern Cross and all the other ones I've no idea about. It was surely to be stunning but with the clouds moving over and the price a little steep we decided to watch the stars from our campsite later instead.

We carried on our circular loop around Mount John with every few steps needing another photograph especially when Lake Alexandrina came into shot. All that was missing was a decent cup of tea to go with it. Thankfully the cafe at the top sold giant cups worth, all was complete! We made our way back down along a different route past rabbits and flocks of sheep which I had great delight in running up to and scaring and made it back to camp.

Early evening brought a roaring sunset with it which I snapped at for at least an hour until some strong winds started to pick up from nowhere nearly pelting me off my feet and managing to rip our tent pegs into the air. We took refuge in our car which was being rocked from side to side and were glad not to be up on the mountain tonight. We waited there for the sky to darken and the stars to shine like we've never seen before but with the clouds covering the sky I think we could have counted the amount we actually saw- maybe next time!

The following day we set off to see the highest peak in Australasia- Mount Cook, and it's surrounding World Heritage area. The drive there was impressive enough with endless creeks twisting between massive great mountains with yet more divine lakes painting the scenery. However the very moment we entered the national park, huge clouds engulfed everything. The lady at the tourist information said we wouldn't see much of Mount Cook today with the fog but we could visit the Tasman Glacier instead, so we did.

We trekked past mighty big boulders and slabs of broken rock and reached Tasman Lake to the spectacle of ice from the last ice age. I had never expected to see icebergs, centuries old in New Zealand, this place just keeps getting more phenomenal by the day. The ice was so close I could almost touch it, but as we made our way towards some near the shoreline the winds picked up again and we had to hold steady to remain upright! Then came the rain, and soon after Laura and I were sat back in the car, not really wanting to get wet again whilst sleeping in the great outdoors. We had seen so much already and the camera has captured so many stills that we felt ready to move on. We headed for the nearby town of Twizel and another campsite.

The moment we left the National Park the weather was absolutely perfect again- it seems the mountain system holds the clouds and if we had stayed we were in for a soaking! Happy to be back in the warm sunshine we collapsed under the blue skies and relaxed, taking in the past few days and all we had done. Tomorrow we were on the road again for the beautiful, buzzing and thrill seeking Queenstown.

Heading South

Our flight to the South Island was smooth and painless- apart from our stinky hangovers. If anything we'd have liked it to be longer so we might sleep off our headaches. On arrival we discovered that our hire car company would pick us up for free and soon we were in possession of a far less swanky gold coloured car- more suited to a couple of budget backpackers than our lovely Toyota in Oz.

The rest of the afternoon was taken at a slow pace- a trip to the supermarket to stock up for the coming weeks and a trip to The Warehouse for budget gas and cutlery (having left ours in hand luggage it got confiscated at the airport- oops!) After all that activity we hit our campsite, laid out a picnic mat and rested our weary bodies in the sun that was eventually starting to penetrate the Kiwi sky. A feast of fajitas later and we were feeling better about starting our adventures the following day.

After an early start we were late to leave our campsite for the day, becoming involved in a long chat with a Buddhist monk staying in the site next to us. He was a pretty interesting character- previously an Aussie farmer with a sideline of weed who, after the break down of his relationship, left his grown up daughters behind and headed to Nepal where he nows lives in a lamastery. Having been in a retreat for three months he admitted he was ready to make up for the lack of human conversation and kept us entertained with talk about anything and everything.

Soon after we headed into the quaint town of Christchurch. All the usual kiwi fare was abundant- sheepskin boots, paua shells, arts and crafts and woollen items aplenty. We took a stroll through the Arts Centre to see local craftsmen at work and samples of their fare. My favourite was the bead shop where I could have happily spent the afterrnoon threading all sorts of wonderful creations, but with a flagging Blakey not feeling so well it was time to leave the 'old people shops' (his words- I though they were quaint and traditional.)

Strolling back through the botanical gardens it was lovely appreciating all the flowers in bloom- it really is difficult to remember it is December sometimes. However, Blakey was still feeling a bit strange and was missing the 'wow' factor that we have experienced so many times over the last few months. Sitting for a picnic by the lake we discussed how we are becoming snobby about activities worth doing. Both our Mums have felt we are not enjoying Australasia as much, but the similarities with home that were initially so comforting are at the same time so ordinary and we have gone from extraordinary sights to extraordinary activties in a way that can make us take ordinary splendor for granted.

As the wind started to pick up and a chill took the air we headed back for a cosy night in our suped-up tent. The purchase of tarpaulins as ground sheet and cover have made us far more confident with regards to a dry night's sleep (Blakey's dribble not accounted) and just as well- when we woke the next morning the air hung with grey, perpetual drizzle- yuk.

Still, we packed up and headed for the town of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsular. Once out of the city the drive was graced with green rolling hills, all very pleasant but for the turbulent skies above. After an hour or so of climbing into the fog surrounded hills we turned a cornor to see a beautiful large natural harbour, sloping green hills acting as magnificant gateways to the sea. Driving around the large horseshoe shaped sides we arrived at Akaroa- famous as the part of New Zealand chosen by French settlers and retained today with the named 'rues' as opposed to 'streets'. The miserable weather was not letting up so we decided to embrace the French flavour of the town and set out in search of a cafe and maybe a delicious pastry. Rather than gastronomical prowess we were greeted with a surly attitude and porr customer service. The French had really left their mark it seems! Fed up of the weather and a little dissappointed with the village we decided to make the best use we could of a crappy day and travel to our next destinationm in the rain.

A few hours on the road and suddenly snow capped mountains came into view. The roads were framed with violet foxglove like flowers and the scenery becoming magnificent. When we reached the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo in a valley of alpine forests, mountains majestically rising across the water and the sun casting a golden hue around te place we knew we had made the right decision. There was that wow factor once more.

Don't Let Terry See...

No matter what we had planned to do in New Zealand today, being so far away from home, family and friends for my 30th was always going to be strange and a little hard. Waking up to the never ending party next door didn't make it any easier either. Laura went back to reception to complain and attempt to get us a different room and was met by the woman who had originally booked us the room we had planned to be in. After telling Laura "This is a hostel, you have to expect people to party!" the receptionist suddenly remembered us and the promise she had made when Laura mentioned my birthday, quickly becoming very apologetic. She said we could move rooms if we checked out before 10am and came back at 1pm.

Laura returned to our room still pretty pissed off to be frank, we both expect to hear a few noisy neighbours at places like this but all night long was like salt being rubbed firmly into the wound after they made the mistake of letting our original room go. She had planned a breakfast in bed and an indulgent lie in but now we would have to pack up instead. However we stayed a little while and she made things better when she pulled out a whole heap of birthday letters that she had hidden incredibly well for the last few days. It didn't matter how loud next door wanted to sing, nothing could ruin this. As we hadn't booked anywhere to spend my birthday until the week beforehand I hadn't expected anything from anyone apart from maybe a phone call. Hearing from people I've not spoken to since we left gave me the biggest smile although obviously brought to mind all those I'd love to see, particularly my Granny. On top of all the cards was an impressive parcel from Miss Danielle Keenan. In it was a chocolate bar and a fresh pot of Marmite (plus some lip balm and cereal bar for Laura). Inside the card were messages from loads of my friends, they had clubbed together and raised over 200 pounds for Blakey Aid- now I have to think of a Red Letter Day like experience to blow the cash on!

We packed our bags and checked out. While we waited for a couple of hours until we could get another room we checked the internet where another pile of messages from home came. I wouldn't change anything about the decision to go travelling for a year but ohhhh just to see all these lovely people for an hour! By the time we'd finished off plus a phone call to my Mum we got our new room- it was perfect! A far bigger one with a lush view out to the impressive skyscrappers and bustling streets below and more importantly it was quiet!

What with last night's activities and sleeping in the ladies toilets the previous evening we were about ready to fall asleep. If we didn't then we might not survive the plan to party like animals tonight. We decided to go and have some food first otherwise we might not be able to get up later, so Laura took me to an amazing, totally me kind of place she had spotted earlier- Burgerfuel! Huge slabs of meat, chunky chips and the thickest milkshakes ever!

We got back to our hostel and I fell straight to sleep for a few hours. I woke up to a bouncy girlfriend singing Happy Birthday holding a bottle of champagne, one bottle of white wine and my essential party friend- Jaegermeister! Within seconds of opening my eyes I had the bubbles open in true cork-flying-around-the-room-style and it appeared we were about to get utterly trashed. There were a few things to go to in the city that night but all I wanted to do was spend the evening with my lady in our room and have a lot of fun and that's exactly what we did. We only managed the champagne and decided that as it was officially my birthday in England tomorrow that we would start celebrations off again then- this year I was going to have my birthday twice!

The following morning was how the previous day should have started- cups of tea, slices of toast (with Marmite), a comfy bed and a beautiful woman to go in it. This was much more like it!

After a super relaxing morning and getting another chunk of emails from home we decided to get out and about with our new found energy. We walked up to a place called Ponsonby where we had heard good things about, which included a brilliant area to chill out on hundreds of bean bags under a massive christmas tree in a lush park. When we arrived the tree, which was just made from thousands of light bulbs, wasn't on until later in the evening, so we checked out the park which was full of intriging art pieces and had a look around some more interesting shops. This part of the city had much more character and catered to our tastes with every shop display tempting us to look inside. We had some tasty lunch and quickly went back to pack our bags so we wouldn't have to do it first thing the next day with hangovers right before our flight to Christchurch.

Last night we had only made it through one bottle of alcohol so now was time to finish it off and after one glass of white wine (with aromas of cut grass and moles) each, we could both tell that tonight was going to be the night it was meant to be. One bottle down and some stupid camcorder moments starting up we decided to go out for dinner. With dinner came another bottle and everything from then on in became hilarious! We laughed hard for ages and made the decision to take our bottle of Jaeger out on to the pier and talk to the Penguins (there aren't any in Auckland mind).

After a stumbling walk there to see, well not much (there isn't even a public pier), we remembered the spot under the Christmas tree in Ponsonby and caught a taxi straight to it. We sloshed ourselves on to the bed of cushions alongside people in a similar state and gazed up at a truly mind bending spectacle of lights forever changing patterns shooting towards the sky. There was even a phone box with a direct line to Santa. Even without the drink I would dare anyone not to get a little tripped out staring at the lights for more then a few minutes- we stayed there for hours so you can imagine what we were like (especially after finishing the Jaeger bottle there too!) We were out of it and sang ridiculous made up songs like "Don't let Terry see, don't let Terry see!" (it's illegal to drink in public here- ooops) and "Sky City, across the universe, always following Captain Kirk", nothing that will make any sense to you but at the time it made complete sense to us and we'll explain if you ever see the video!

The evening had been utterly perfect- just like a party back home and we eventually left the light show and headed back for sleep, but not before being loons in the local park climbing trees, going down massive kid's slides in the playground and singing more ridiculous songs. This ended abrubtly when I clambered into a large tube slide to suddenly come face to face with another adult crouching in the flume. This one was probably on more then Jaeger as he proclaimed "Shape shifting Motherfucker!" We walked quickly from the park in fits of giggles with a fair few glances over the shoulder! This will be one birthday I will never forget. Tomorrow we fly to the South Island of New Zealand to start our first day of camping in our three week trip around some of the most amazing places on Earth!

Ladies Night

Arriving in New Zealand we were the last through customs as our camping lifestyle led to a full biohazard check! Getting to our swanky backpackers lodge, a very nice and helpful guy checked us into our room, almost a penthouse suite on the top floor with huge windows overlooking the city. Everything was so clean and comfy and the city looked fresh and tidy- we were instantly getting a good feel for Auckland.

After a relaxed morning as we adjusted to being a further two hours ahead (one of our friends thinks we are world travelling time lords as being 13 hours ahead now we often make phone calls from the future!) When we did drag ourselves from our super comfy bed we headed out for a walk around town. As impressive as the tall mirrored tower blocks and the iconic Sky Tower are, Central Auckland is fairly compact and easy to walk around which instantly gave it more appeal than some of the other cities we have visited. However, whilst distance was on our side, the weather was not and we soon took shelter in another internet cafe for the afternoon as it poured outside.

The following day we had planned to camp on one of the nearby islands but with the weather similarly gloomy we decided to wait, taking another wander and then treating ourselves to cinema tickets. We spent the evening watching the brilliant "Where the Wild Things Are" with the scenery throughout underlining how fortunate we are to be seeing similar places in the flesh. Yet another relaxed day was appreciated by both but we knew we were going to have to visit these islands whatever the weather or risk running out of time.

Next morning we checked out early, stored the majority of our luggage at the hostel, reserved our room for three nights on our return (and in preparation for Mr Blake's 30th in two days time!) and headed out into the cold, grey, misty drizzle- New Zealand summers are not too far off English it seems!

We boarded the ferry to Rangitoto Island, an uninhabited volcanic outcrop that erupted from the sea just 600 years ago. We kept things as light as possible with just our sleeping bags and tent as once there we would be hiking around the volcano and across the causeway to the neighbouring Motutapu Island to camp for the evening. With our funds starting to run low the 10$ camp fee made the fairly costly ferry ride (on our budget anyway) affordable, so we knew we were there for the night.

Getting out into the harbour the bad weather became more apparent, as even these sheltered waters were pretty ferocious and the boat was slung up and down to the soundtrack of ohhs and ahhs from the predominantly Japanese tourists aboard. After the slightly hairy trip we put on our waterproofs, hats and gloves and started to explore.

Walking throught the strange lava fields we were surrounded by fairytale like trees thick with moss- it could have been a set for "Labyrinth" or "Dark Crystal". The long gradual slope to the crater proved an enjoyable walk as we both appreciated the serenity of the place and the nice clean wholesome feeling that comes with fresh air. However, the top did not offer the reward of view across the harbour and out to the other island. Rather, we were engulfed in clouds and my so-called waterproof jacket was letting itself down once again.

Wandering back down we took a detour to the lava caves where we passed through two underground tunnels, thick with the sound of water as the rain fell harder and channelled through the rocks to seep slowly down our necks. Although downhill our discomfort made the walk back seem longer and we were thrilled when a ranger offered us a lift to the campsite.

On arrival we were thoroughly drenched. Water was running down the inside of our trouser legs, our sponge like walking socks had created smalls ponds in each of our boots and whilst Blakey's coat had protected him water had gone through three layers of my clothes so I was soggy down to my underwear. Needless to say noone else had decided to stay the night so we had the site to ourselves. Running into the ladies we shivered as we peeled the sodden layers off our bodies with fingers so cold they couldn't move properly and rushed to dry ourselves with towels before jumping into our sleeping bags. I had my pyjamas with me but with Blakey not wearing much at all to bed had only his sleeping bag to retain his modesty whilst we attempted to dry our clothes hung around the cubicles. Huddled in our little coccoons it took a long time to warm and we gratefully tucked in to our muffins- a fotunate buy earlier in the day.

As the evening drew in we considered setting the tent up a few times, making plans to erect it in the ladies and then carry it accross the field, but our lack of dry clothes and the constant howl of wind and rain made the sturdier walls of the toilets more appealing. We stayed put and were asleep super early.

The next morning we awoke on the concrete, drafty floor and groaned as we realised our clothes were still sodden. We reluctantly dressed and squelched our way outside where the sun had finally decided to show and started to make the three hour long trek back to the ferry.

After such a night it can sometimes be difficult to remain upbeat, and this was unfortunately heightened as both of our legs were hurting due to the cramped conditions in which we had fallen asleep and I was in the midst of horrendous cramps. Yuk. We advanced painfully slowly along a road we had travelled three times now, damp and in need of a good cup of tea. By the time we got to the wharf sitting down seemed like a huge reward. We were almost smug as we boarded the ferry, having just dropped dozens of daytrippers on the island the rain started once more.

The short walk from the harbour back to the hostel was like an epic home stretch and our comfy matress was calling to us. As Blakey checked in I headed for the toilet and was confused when he had been given the key for a differnt room. Returning to the desk clerk I explained that I had specifically booked room 1013- our room- as it was Blakey's birthday tomorrow and we had promised ourselves somewhere swanky. I am sure that she was the one who had made the mistake as she was overly defensive in her explanation that all the other doubles had gone and the room she had given us was the last left.

Already feeling guilty that our lack of funds had prevented me from buying Blakey a present in advance, when we got to our room to find a small box with no window and over the top airconditioning I'm not afraid to say I burst into tears. Admittedly hormones may have had something to do with it but after the previous night we had planned to sleep well and wake up refreshed on the 6th for a luxurious lie-in. Furious with the staff for their mistake the best I could get was a reluctant promise to consider moving us the next day, if anything else became available.

To really make matters worse, soon after we had crawled under our sheets a very rowdy group checked into the dorm room next door, divided from us by a seemingly paper-thin wall. They proceded to engage in a full on party with loud music, slamming doors, singing and occassional drunken slanging matches complete with loud calls of "Fack you you facking slag!" Lovely. It went on, and on, and on. At what must have been 4am I had enough. I was seething that not only had we been moved to another room but next to that as well, just when I was trying to make Blakey's birthday special. As he was awake too we turned the lights on to find a watch and check the time. It was 9am. What a crappy start to his birthday.

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

The last nights storm was brilliant to watch from inside our cosy car. Maybe a little too good resulting in me not wanting to shut my eyes, but despite a lack of sleep I was surprisingly comfy when I awoke. It didn't take long to get a bit grumbly over the fact we had to pack up our dripping wet tent, make the car look spotless and drive it all the way to Melbourne to give it back. Thankfully the exterior was still intact but the interior had been used like a bedroom for the last week.

The Great Ocean Road had been utterly beautiful and far more epic than I had imagined it could be. Driving the endlessly straight outback road with only a handful of other vehicles around was a lot of fun and a total breeze, but taking our swish hire car into the hectic streets of Melbourne knowing we had to give it back in perfect condition was quite a headache. There are levels on Grand Theft Auto where you have to take your lush sports car from one end of the city to the other without a single scratch and I never do it without grinding past a bus or something- this was feeling very similar but with a bucket more sweat.

After finding petrol and giving the car a shiny spruce up we bid farewell and headed back to check out our hostel where we would stay for the next three nights. First impressions really do count don't they- when we reached our accommodation the receptionist said he would give us the keys to our room as soon as he had finished 'cashing up'. So we eagerly sat waiting to relax after quite a morning and listened to him to chat to his mates and play tracks on his iPod for the next half hour. It wasn't the best start but he eventually handed us a key (which would have taken around five seconds to do) and we checked into the room which was actually pretty good, but we were still wound up.

When evening came I went downstairs to the bar to get Laura a bottle of water and the ground floor was a sprawling mess of young kids off their faces. The bar didn't sell water, just beer, so that could have something to do with it. I went to the local shop and on my return whilst squeezing through around twenty swaying bodies one drunk skinhead demanded to see my room key. He didn't say why and when I pretended I didn't have it on me, in fear of him taking it. He then told me I couldn't go past until he looked at it. After a few minutes of confusion he finally told me that he was a member of staff and he wanted to make sure I was actually staying there. Ohhh this place was going downhill fast. It makes me sound and feel like such an old man talking about these pissed up partygoers and complaining so much but they are doing my head in. They all seem extra young and annoying out here where as back home I don' t have the slightest of problems. I love being a party animal but there is a time and a place and people at work in that state I can't tolerate.

Whether it was not having enough sleep that day I don't know as the next day we were both up and cheerful and ready for giving Melbourne a proper go. The weather didn't allow for us to see many of the sights as it poured it down all day, so we spent the majority of time catching up with internet updates for blogs and wedding stuff.

We did manage a lovely if almost gale force windy walk out on to the pier surrounded by impressive waves, full of kite surfers making the most of it. At the end of the pier was a wildlife protection area where you might spot some penguins hanging out. At first glance it all seemed empty though, apart from one lonely jelly fish, but tucked away in the rocks we got our first sighting of a clappy chappy hiding away from the weather. It didn't take long before we decide to do the same. We followed the day with some tasty grub and spent the evening in bed.

The next morning the rain had stopped so we finally had a chance to see around town. There were some intersting shops but everything is so expensive with some things double the price we'd pay back home (we keep eyeing up the next Proffesor Layton game for the DS!) With our cash flow being eaten up by just the cost of our accommodation here it made looking everywhere a bit pontless. Ooh, it sounds like I'm moaning again, it seems like everytime we hit a big city in any of the countries that we've been to that things are a tad bland and uninspiring. I just wanted to head back to the Great Ocean Road coastline and watch giant waves crash shapes into the roacks whilst I ate fish and chips!

One thing that had serious potential to be a winner here in Melbourne was our evening's plan to go the the "Neighbours Night". With the promise that Alan Fletcher aka Dr Karl Kennedy was to be there and performing live with his band The Waiting Room, Laura was always going to finish the night with a big grin. We arrived and entered a room full of excitable Ramsey Street fans from different parts of the world (though the significant majority were UK!) and we were given our own table, which meant for tonights trivia quiz it would be only Laura and me in the team "The Blakes!" We were up against tables of around ten people so along with my distinct lack of knowledge there wasn't much hope for Laura winning.

Before the stars were to appear infront of our very eyes we had to warm up the anticipation levels and get everyone fully in the mood which involved a full volume belt out of the Neighbours theme tune. Seeing hundreds of people all together blasting out such a quality melody was a sight to behold and goes down as one of the strangest experiences of my life.

Then out came, one by one, to a deafening applause- first hunky police officer Stuart Parker, then the rather gorgeous Donna Freedman and lastly the legend Dr K, who ran through the room with arms out to touch the fans like a famous WWE wrestling superstar. Various questions that had been written by people were now asked and invariably crude, vulgar and downright hilarious. Questions along the line of "I have a rash on my boob, Doctor Karl, could you come and look at it later for me?" Every star was loving the attention, especially the Doctor who must have gone into triple figures with the amount of women he kissed that night. He must have a very understanding wife!

Each of them moved to every table for a quick chat and a photo and this is where it became slightly surreal. Moments later I had Donna on one arm and Laura on the other, how wonderful! Laura got the arms of Stuart Parker wrapped around her and managed a really down to Earth conversation with him about travelling and how amazing New Zealand will be for Christmas amongst other things. Karl however knew he was a star and acted in the same manner which made things with him very easy going with his nattering confidence, and Laura enjoyed a ride on his lap too.

After the quiz ended in which Laura did bloody well but we still didn't get into the top three (it must have been fixed!) the band kicked up. Kennedy seemed off his head and loved every second as he pounced around the stage like a teen with a floor of women infront loving it just as much. He is blatantly an old dad pretending to be a rock god but he does pull it off- just! The backing band were true professionals and with a few hours worth of well played covers and Neighbours inspired tunes it was a great end to the night. Laura and I both came away with the predicted fat grins.

That evening we were meant to have packed out bags as the next morning we had to check out to go on the Neighbours tour followed quickly by a flight to New Zealand. However, we were pretty sloshed and a dribbly nights sleep followed the moment we got back to our room.

Ooh the morning after at 5.30am was hard as we rushed around to squeeze everything back into our bags which seemed like they had shrunk, but with the thought of visiting Ramsey Street we were raring to go!

At 8.10am we were picked up by a very colourfully decorated bus with a driver who was voted the best tour guide in Victoria called Jerry. It wasn't hard to see why with such enthusiasm and a ridiculous amount of knowledge on the soap over the years, he knew the lot! Within minutes of driving the "Best Of" DVD came out and we got to watch a classic episode of Dee and Toadie's wedding where at the end the car crashes and sinks into the sea, drowning the bride- quality! Jerry carried on with his soap trivia and gave us loads of inside info that we never knew about and I'm not going to tell you now- gutted you Neighbours geeks!

The tour took us around Erinsborough school, Carpenters Mechanics (where Laura got down and dirty pretending to be Steph fixing cars to our tour guides amusement), the Bric a Brac store, Grease Monkeys and the small cauldesac that is Ramsey Street. Laura continued her astonishing acting skills by posing in all sorts of ways outside the houses of the Kennedys, Robinsons and the rest, and we both had a bit of a role play argument and make up again shoot. Everyone else on the tour looked shy and posed most sensibly, but we were in the most famous street in the world- come on people!

The tour then came to an end and we drove back for one last surprise- we were to have a star meeting. Who out of all the amazing characters would it be? I was praying for Susan Kennedy and would happily have met Donna again, this time she would recognise me and we would become best mates, yeahr! It was neither, in fact it wasn't even a hunky man for Laura, it was Janelle Timmins. It really didn't matter that much apart from the fact she came across like an old bag who didn't want to be there. When it came to the pictures we asked her to make it a bit fun by bashing our heads together like Janelle with her children but she refused saying that it wasn't in her contract and she didn't get paid for things like that! Jerry even looked shocked, the whole meeting was tense and awkward for everyone and it wasn't long before she got back in her car and left. How does someone with such little personality get to work on something like Neighbours? No matter how strange the finish, nothing could stop this being one of the cheesiest, most totally tacky top days ever! Expertly managing time we took the tram across town for the airport- New Zealand here we come!