Travelling / Backpacking / Flashpacking the World!

On the road bikes this morning, Chris and me are going for a ride. Its actually the first time i ever been on a proper road bike/racing bike. Its a whole new experience, a totally different riding position then on a mountain bike, a smaller saddle which iv got a feeling is going to kill my arse, and clip in shoes which click into the pedals. After a quick practice at getting used to clipping my feet in and out of the pedals (which can be a bit tricky at first) it was then off for the ride. We cycled from Torquay to Anglesea via Point Addis which is where i stayed last time i was here in the campervans. Lots of steep hills especially down to and back up from Point Addis. Road bikes are really good and the fact that your feet are clipped in means that you can not only push down with your legs, you can also pull up generating so much more power, and i can really feel it in my legs.

Going down one of the steep hills down to Point Addis i looked down at my speedo and saw that i was doing 47km per hour, that was faster enough for me, i was on the brakes all the way down. Chris flew past me doing 65km per hour, Crazy, you don't want to be thinking about coming off going at that speed. A hot chocolate and cake stop at Anglesea, and then the journey back where down a hill which wasn't anywhere near as steep as the one earlier i reached a top speed of 57km per hour. A round trip of about 35km, I loved it, Awesome. After a well needed feed and a rest back at the house Chris and Helen then drove me around to look at the local beaches, Surf beach, Bells beach etc, i only passed through last time so i didn't get to see any of this. Its pretty cold and windy today but the surf is wicked, people were pulling up in there cars, grabbing there boards, and literally running down to the beach, quite funny really.

After going out with Nicole at a ridiculouse hour in the morning to watch Italy win the world cup she then dropped me off at the airport. Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand is where im flying to, and from what i can see of New Zealand from the plane its looking really nice, snow covered mountains, rivers, and one hell of a lot of green land. On the ground at the airport, and if anyone knows how strict Australia and New Zealand are about bringing in animal or plant products from other countries then you'l know what im talking about.

Not realising that New Zealand was as strict as Australia i have in my backpack a bag of unopened rice, some salt, pepper, and a bottle of water, which now means that i have got to go through the goods to declare section. With everything declared and checked, and minus the garlic which has been taken off me it was then time to join the luggage xray line. O'dear, bags through the machine and for some reason my hand luggage bag is getting a tugg, as far as i was concerned i was clean, i gave the knife that i had to Kark after Fraseerr island. " What you got mate? " i asked the customs man, to which he replyed " Did you you pack this bag yourself" Yes i did. "Ok" he said " well on my screen iv got somthing that looks like it could be an apple". As soon as he said it i remembered, i bought it about 3 days ago and had totally forgotten about it. I appologised and explained that it was a genuine mistake, but he then turned into an instant jobs worth and requested my passport. O'xxxxxxx Dear i was thinking, please dont tell me your not going to let me in the country over a poxy apple. I was then informed that by failing to declare it i have breached the Biosecurity Act of 1993 and am now looking at an anstant fine or up to 5 years in imprisoment. Ha ha i was thinking, do me a favor mate as if thats gonna stand up in court, you would get less than that for sticking 8 inches of blade in someone. He then asked me why i failed to declare it, to which i replyed,"Mate, it was a genuine mistake, it been in my bag since i bought it 3 days ago, iv been up all night watching the football and i just tottally forgot about it". "What reason could i possibly have not to declare it, iv declared everything i was aware of, its not like im trying to smuggle it in so that i can plant it somewhere". Off he went with my passport leaving me hanging around, anyone would think iv just been caught with a kilo of sniff.

Finally he returned, and informed me that he has spoken to his superior, explained my reasons, and said that i was a very lucky boy. He then went on to issue me with a warning letter informing me that my details have now been recorded and the consequences of a repeated incidenet will be more severe. Nice one mate, See ya. A shuttle bus into the city and then i met up with Hans my Italian friend as planned. He's been a busy bee shopping around for camper van deals, and so first things first we walked up the road and booked one. With it being winter and low season at the moment we have managed to get one (or a Spaceship as its known) for 34 dollars per day, the usual price is 68 upwards. Wicked, we've booked and paid for it for a month and will be ready for us to pick up first thing in the morning. A walk around the city looking around a few shops etc, as far as citys go it seems really nice, very low key and very relaxed. With us planning to hit the road tomorrow im not going to see much of Christchurch this time around, but we will probably be passing back up this way on our way to the North Island. After some food in the Asian food hall it was then back to the hostel bar to catch up. Urrr, one pint was enough, seems like New Zealand beer is the same league as Australian.

Out of bed and straight around the corner to pick up the Spaceship. Check it out its well smart, its got a canvas extention that can be attached to the back, a CD/DVD player and the obvious pull down TV screen to go with it, all the necissery cooking and bedding equipment, and not only that we also get a free food hamper, and a selection of DVDs which can be swapped at various hostels along the way, Sweet. Up the road to a Pak and Save supermarket for some shopping and then it was on our way. Our plan of action for today is to drive a couple of hours north up to Hanmer Springs, and then tomorrow cut accross highway 1 via the Lewis Pass to start making our way down the west coast.

A couple of picture stops along the way, and one stop we even got to witness our first live bungy jump from a bridge, only 35m though, so a bit of a baby one really ha ha. From what we have seen so far the scenery here is certainly impressive, so much open space and sloping green land, and driving here is wicked, not at all like Australia, its all hills and blind bends, i love it. We also stopped and gave a French hitch hiker a ride, our good deed for the day done. At Hanmer Springs we parked up and visited the outdoor Hanmer Springs Hot Springs Resort, a complex with a variety of pools and natural mineral rock pools ranging from 30 degrees up to 42 degrees in temparature. It was really relaxing, bloody freezing changing pools though, and the 42 degree sulphur rock pool absolutly stunk, it reminded me of working in Glaxo Welcome. Feeling fresh, we then drove back to the main road and pulled over in the first rest area we came across, cooked dinner, and then watched a DVD, beautiful.

It wasnt actually as cold in the camper last night as i was expecting, a bit of brekki and then the drive through the mountains and across to Westport. A bit of a wet overcast day today, so we thought it a good idea to stop and buy some rainproof gear. We then drove out to Cape Foulwind for a short walk around the coast to see a seal colony. Lunch, and then we started making our way down the West Coast, The Great Ocean Road of New Zealand.

Im loving this driving and the scenery in awesome, not sure about the weather though, its raining big time. A stop and a short walk around the coastline within the Paparoa National Park, some wicked limestone rock formations but damn its wet, too wet to be waving the old camera around thats for sure. We then continued heading south and decided to stop at Lake Mathinapua for the night. Cooking dinner in the pouring rain was a bit tricky but its all part of the fun and adventure. After some beautiful pasta it was then once again time to lock ourselfs in the camper for the night.

Well i don't know about Hans but i was pretty damn cold last night, i ended up putting the old beanie on, my head was freezing ha ha. A quick view of the lake and then again we continued south. The weather today is at the moment worse than yesterday, not only is it wetter its also xxxxxxx freezing. The Franz Josef Glacier was todays destination. A visit to the Information Centre and apparently after today the weather should be taking a turn for the better. Our plan was to try and hire some gear and then climb the glacier on our own, unfortunatly though there is no hire shops and the only way to climb it is by doing a guided tour. The question is though which one, there is over 3000 glaciers in New Zealand but the 2 most accessible are the Franz Josef which we are at, or the Fox Glacier which is 30km away. According to the New Zealand Rough Guide the Franz Josef is a harder climb but the Fox Glacier is more spectacular, its also cheaper.

Well, we cant really do too much in this weather so instead we decided to use the gym over in the Community Centre, a pants gym, but a bit of competion is always good. After lunch in the van we then drove up to the Franz Josef Glacier car park, where we then sat in the van for what was nearly 2 hours waiting for the rain to ease off. When it eventually did we then done a couple of short walks, the first to a view point, and the second down to the base of the glacier. A bit of a disapointment really, not only did we get absolutly soaked, but it was also extremly foggy.With the 8 hour walking track through the rainforest up the side of the glacier which we wanted to do, closed, we then decided to make our way towards the Fox Glacier where hopefully over the next couple of days we will get some good weather. We actually drove 6km past the Fox Glacier and decided to stop for the night at Lake Matheson, which due to its reflections of the Alpine background is one of the most photographed spots in New Zealand, postcard perfect.

At long last the rain has finally stopped and so we walked the 8km walking track around it. Its not hard to see why its so famous, the reflections are awesome, when the ducks arn't making ripples that is. Back to the van for dinner and its going to be one hell of a cold one tonight, its freezing. All in all a very wet cold day. Iv got to say though, my first impressions of New Zealand are Awesome, its only been a couple of days but im really enjoying it, its so nice. Apart from the odd little town here and there made up of a few houses and a couple of shops its all beautiful green landscape. And due to the lack of vehicles on the road all the bridges we have crossed so far have been single lane (and we have crossed a lot) one of them even doubled as a rail way crossing too. Basically from what i have seen so far, im pretty damn impressed, its beatiful.

It was so cold outside last night that this morning we were unable to get out of the van, with everything wet from all the rain yesterday the doors were frozen solid, nothing the engine running and the heaters couldnt sort out though. Well, its a cold morning but the skys looking clear so all being well the rain has passed. An early morning walk around the lake again for some beautiful pictures, and then we made our way into Fox town. The plan again was to try and hire some gear, not so we could climb the glacier but so we could climb Mount Fox, an 8 hour walk return. Once again though due to safety reasons and insurance there is no gear available for hire unless its for taking part in a guided tour. And so we booked a Fox Glacier climb for tomorrow.

We then drove to the car park at the end of the glacier view road and had a walk up to the base of the glacier. With the sky being clear today the veiws are awesome, and us being us we also crossed the marked off glacier viewing danger zone for a little climb, not on the glacier but on the rocks up the side of it. From there we then drove out to Gillespies Beach where we done a 3 and a half hour walk through green bush, along the beach, and through muddy wet rainforest, before finally getting to Galway Beach where we hoped to see another seal colony. A wicked walk and for the first time it actually took us the full 3 and a half hours as marked, not beacause we were walking slower, but because of all the jumping from one dry spot to another in a bid not to get wet feet, Hans didnt succeed though ha ha. On the way back we were so glad to finally see the van, our legs are knackered and we're in some serious need of some chocolate or sugur. How many kilometres have we walked today? Im guessing about 20 but it feels like more. A quick stop back in Fox town and then we drove back out to the base of the glacier where we're plotting up for the night. It feels like its going to be another cold night, today was brilliant though, nice weather and some wicked walking. Unfortunatly though we didnt get to see any seals, well Hans spotted one but then he nearly got wiped out by a wave whilst getting his camera out. All in all, Awesome. Bring on the glacier climb.

A quick bit of brekki and then we drove back into town where at the Alpine Centre we met the others in our group and our 2 tour guides for the day. After getting kitted out with proper hiking boots and metal cramp-on's for the walking on ice, it was then into the bus and off the glacier. After an hours steep walk up the moutain to the glacier access point it was then cramp-on's on, and onto the ice. It was so cool, totally different to anything iv done before, and such a nice day for it. At the point where we got on to the glacier itself, some steps had already been pre cut into the ice for us to follow, after that it was then a case of the tour guides cutting them on route as needed. Actually being on the glacier itself is totally different to looking at it from a view point, its a totally different perspective, so much better. Kind of like how i felt about Uluru in Australia, you have to climb it to appreciate it, or at least to really expirience it anyway.

The structure of the glacier is awesome, huge holes, wide craters ranging from 1m-80m deep, huge walls of ice, and a few little caves, and being that the glacier is at the moment advancing, its changing all the time. The Fox Glacier is 13km long, Between 1998 and 2003 the glacier shrunk back 50m, however since 2003 its been advancing 20cm a day. The glacier itself is actually moving metres a day but due to melt etc, it only measures on average an advance of 20cm per day. In total we were on the ice about 4-5 hours and it seemed like we had walked for miles, when in fact we had only actually covered about 2km, its so up and down. It was so cool, and if you dont stamp your feet down hard and dig the spikes in, its obviously really slipery.

Im pretty sure that out of the whole group Hans and Me were the only ones to fall over, more than once ha ha, we were up the front all the way though. The full day tour is definatly the way to go, on the half day tour by the time you take into account traveling time, the hours walk each way to and from the glacier access point, then you only actually get about an hour on the ice. Also we were told that the people on the half day tour dont actually get to walk off of the pre cut steps, pretty pants really. Back at the Alpine Centre and before plotting up for the night Hans made a phonecall home. Unfortunatly after such an awesome day, im sorry to have to say that things for Hans are now looking a lot different. After having immediatly changed his flights we are now leaving to make our way back up towards Christchurch. After a couple of hours driving in the dark, which along these winding roads i absolutely love, we stopped in Greymouth where we are staying for the night in the Global Village Travellers Lodge. Without a dought its by far the best hostel iv stayed in, and for the first time since leaving Christchurch nearly a week ago, its time for a shower ha ha.

Back on the road for the 4 or so hour drive back to Christchurch. A different, and more direct route this time along highway 73 across the Arthur's Pass. What a fantastic drive, i thought the scenery across the Lewis Pass was good but this is just Spectacular. A few picture stops along the way but theres not a camera in the world that could possibly do this justice. The beauty is 360 degrees around as far as the eye can see, and it goes on for kilometres. Keeping your eyes on the road is a major problem ha ha. I thought Laos took some beating but without a dought New Zealand is the most beautiful picturesk country i have ever been too, Stunning.

A couple of hours driving across Western Australia's outback and i used to get so tired. On roads like this i could drive all day long, its a shame to have to stop. If ever in the South of New Zealand that is one road not to be missed, Awesome. Back in Christchurch and after some Thai food in the Asian Food Hall, and finding out that my bank card is being rejected from every ATM, it was then time to drive to the airport. Thankyou so much Buddy, i am so glad to have met you. Meeting you was without a dought the best thing i done in Australia. For everything we have done together, Australia, New Zealand, the expirience, the memories. THANK YOU. I can honestly say that after driving out of the airport with an empty seat next to me i actually felt quite sad, especially under the circumstances. Im on my own now so my plan of action is to head back into the city and stick a few posters up around a few hostels to see if anyone wants to join me. Il give it a couple of days and then if not il make my way back down on my own. It will be weird/different on my own, but it will also be kind of cool. I came away on my own, but over the last 10 months i could actually count the number of days iv been on my own on my hand. Like Niamha said, she thinks im the kind of person that could go absolutly anywhere in the world and always make a friend ha ha. Well, after putting up a few posters and chatting to a few people floating around the hostel kitchens etc its off in the van to find somewhere out of the city to plot up for the night. After driving about 50km i pulled off the main road and just parked up behind some trees in a Garden Centre car park. Being in the van without Hans feels weired.

Up at 6am and its straight into the city to get parked up for the day. Im basically just going to spend the whole day in the city, use hostel facilities, put a few posters up, go on the internet, and then just basically chill out and plan my route, i also want to get a tatoo. First things firstthough, bank card. Once again Barclays had put a block on it awaiting confirmation from me that it was me using it. Turns out the campervan in Sterling only cost 375 pound for the month, how good is that. Next job, Posters. Rough Guide in hand i then started walking around a few more hostels putting posters up. I didnt get very far because about half hour into it i got a call from a Chinese guy who is interested.

Met up with him at the Cathedral Square for a chat. He's names Will, and after only seeing Christchurch, hes got 6 days left before leaving to see as much as he can. Basically he doesent care where he goes or what he sees, he just wants to tagg along with someone and see what he can, he would like to try and see some penguins though ha ha. Told him the score, what my plans were etc, and not only is he happy he's also ready to leave straight away. Well that didnt take long, so much for a day in the city. Basically i want to get back down south again as quickly as possible so our destination for today is Dunedin, from where if we drive out to the Ottago Peninsula theres a good chance we will get to see some little blue pinguins. Out of the city and stright on to highway 1 for the 5 hour drive down the East Coast. A lot different to the West Coast thats for sure, a lot flatter, a lot more built up, and obviously a lot drier because all the fields seem to be yellow or light green as opposed to the lush dark greeens of the West Coast.

Theres not really anything to see down the East Coast, most of it is just farm land separated now and then by the odd little town or city. Not an overly interesting drive, its just the quickest most direct route south, Will seems like quite a nice guy though. As we got closer to Dunedin the drive did get better, lots more bends and hills etc. Dunedin itself isnt very interesting, its just the 4th biggest city in New Zealand, nothing special. A quick stop at the visiter Information Centre which was closed, and then after asking a bloke for directions we made our way out towards Port Chalmers and the Otago Peninsula in search of a place called Penguin Place, where hopefully we will get to see some penguins. What a wicked drive, a seriously narrow road, seriously sharp bends, not a crash barrier in sight, and just the sea to plummit into. After what was nearly another hours driving we then parked up at the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse, from which we then made our way down towards the beach. We can hear them so we should be in luck. Yes we are, theres loads of them, little tiny blue penguins, quite cute really. And i had no idea until now that penguins live under ground. Pretty cool, not only is Will chuffed but after driving that van all day it was a nice way to end the day. Spent the night next to the lighthouse.

Up at 6am and it was straight on the road along highway 8 across to Queenstown, the adventure addrennalin capital of New Zealand. Another one of New Zealands beatiful drives. Driving in New Zealand is an absolute pleasure, a completely different driving expirience. Where are the people? Where are the cars? Queenstown, if you want action, adventure, or a huge addrennalin rush, its the place to be. Its basically just a nice small, very compact, all year round tourist town. From where you can do just about any outdoor activety going, skiing, snow boarding, tubing, canyon swings, sky diving, white water rafting, jet boating, paragliding, and the list goes on and on. But the most popular of them all is Bungy Jumping, from where there is 5 of the worlds most rated scenic bungy sites.

Now hears the story. Before i came away i told myself that one thing i would not go home without doing was a skydive. Iv got friends that have done bungy jumps at home but for some reason it has just never appealed to me, im not sure why, its not like im scared of heights, its probably more the thought of jumping head first, i dont know. Anyway, before coming to New Zealand Hans told me that he really wanted to do a bungy jump but was a little bit unsure about it. I said, "if i do it with ya will you do it", He said Yes, and so from that phonecall on, somwhere in New Zealand we were going to do a bungy jump. When we arrived here we then found out that New Zealand is home to the second highest bungy jump in the world (its in Queenstown). And so as soon as i heard that i knew straight away that that was the one i wanted to do, it was just a case of talking Hans into it as well ha ha. I might only ever do it once so if im going to do it i might as well do it properly. Unfortunatly Hans isnt here anymore and so after all the talking and joking about it, its not going to be the same without him. I cant leave here now though without doing it, its just a case of booking it. Sorted, its booked for tomorrow morning, il tell ya what, talking about it is one thing, booking and paying for it is another, i actually felt a little bit nervouse afterwards ha ha. Anticipation. With that all sorted we then done a seriously steep leg killer of a walk upto the top of Bob's Peak.

The view from the top over Queeenstown and Lake Wakatipu was awesome. Due to the Skyline Gonola which is the much easier way to get to the top, its actually quite busy, and so theres a nice little cafe/restarant up here too. A cup of coffee and a cake and then the much easier walk back down. Wills staying in a hostel tonight, i think he's a bit of an amature when it comes to camping and camper vans etc. He says he likes it but needs to charge his phone and camera up etc, thats cool because it means i can charge mine too and use the hostel showers. On my own again tonight then, thats good because i need to catch up with my diary. I drove and parked up for the night at a DOC campsite about 15km out of town, next to Lake Wakatipu. Beautiful, some Vinny time.

That will be the second time now that the windows were iced up on the inside as well as out, its freezing. Todays plan is to drive up to Milford Sounds within the Fiordland National Park, the largest National Park in New Zealand. First things fiorst though we've got to drive back to Te Anau to find out what todays 7.30am Milford Road, road report says. If theres snow on the road then its illegal to travel on the Milford Sound Road without snow chains, in which case we have got to hire some. All good, the roads clear so we're good to go. Two of New Zealands Great Walking Tracks are within the Fiordland National Park, the Milford track, and the Kepler track, which acording to all the guide books are a must and not to be missed. They will be though because due to a huge avalanche last week which left people stranded they are currently closed. All that leaves us to do then is a 2 hour cruise from Milford Sound out to the Tasman sea.

With the cruise booked its now just a case of driving up there. Another one of New Zealands great drives through snow covered mountains, and the Hamer Tunnel which runs through a mountain on the way. On the way we also got to see and stopped for a look at a friendly bird known as the Kea, the only Alpine Parrot in the world. Apart from a few cruise operators and access to the Milford Track theres not actually anything else in Milford Sound. Lunch in the car park and then it was off on the cruise. Spectactular snow covered mountain scenery, some of which are upto 2000m high. We're quite lucky really, 1 because on average the Milford Road is only open 180 days of the year. And 2, with this being another one of the wettest areas in the world with an average of 200 wet days per year, not only are we here but apart from it being freezing cold we've got good weather. It was a good cruise with some absolutly stunning scenery but after the drive up here it kind of felt like we were just looking at what we had already seen. It is beautiful though, its easy to see why its officially the most photograghed area in New Zealand. With the cruise over it was then back in the van for the drive back up to Queenstown. Will's in a hostel again tonight and iv plotted up in the same spot as last time. Good night.

Out of the van and theres a bit of snow on the ground this morning, brekki and then its off to pick Will up. O'dear, did i say a bit of snow, it must have been quite sheltered where i was. Getting up the dirt track from the campsite back on the main road was a bit of a mission. Lots of sliding, lots of wheel spinning, and luckily this vans 4 wheel drive. It was a case of getting 2 wheels on one side off the track and into the loose gravel, then slowely i was just about able to get up the hill. Skill or luck, a bit of both i think. Looks like that might have been the easy bit, look at the main road, its going to be a slow very carefull journey into Queenstown. Radio on and it seems quite bad, all the schools are closed, public transport is suspended, and roads are closed, including the Milford road we were on yesterday. So it seems we were very lucky.

A couple of kilometres up the road and theres a lorry getting dragged out of a ditch by a snow plough, and further down the road theres old bill everywhere, blocking off roads etc. Iv managed to pick Will up but im not too sure how far we are going to get, its still snowing and its still settling, we could end up getting stuck in Queenstown. Lots of very slow moving traffic today, and lots of people stopping to put there snow chains on too. The slight hill on the road we were on trying to get out of Queenstown was so icy and slushy that the van just wouldnt have it, which left me with no choice but to pull over to the left hand and join the others that were also unable to get up it. A short wait and then along came a snow plough, beautiful, we made it, its still seriously icy though. Ten kilometeres out of Queenstown and there was no snow or ice anywhere until we got up towards Lindis Pass. Absolutly everything is covered in snow, the road, the fields, it looks so nice, another whole new driving expirience.

A lunch stop at Omarama where again the amount of snow was considerably less, and then we continued on past Lake Pukaki up to Mount Cook. Driving in New Zealand is just getting better by the day, Lake Pukaki is absolutly beautiful, the water is so blue and the fact that everything around it is covered in snow just tops it off. Finally we are in Mount Cook National Park where once again there is a hell of a lot more snow, funny thing is theres not a single spec on the road. At 3754m high Mount Cook is New Zealands highest mountain, what with it snowing though you can barely make it out. From the carpark we then a 2 hour return walk upto Kea Point. Walking in snow along a barely reconisable path, at one point of which was nearly knee deep was really good. It certainly doesent snow like this at home anymore, the last time i see snow like this i was less than 10 years old. Everything looks so cool when its white but it enough making my eyes go funny Urrr. Will's staying in a hostel again tonight, the only hostel here, I thought about it but then i decided i would much rather drive back and plot up next to the lake. Not only do i want to be on my own but hes been a bit of a wet tea bag today. Alone time is good

What a beautiful day. We hadnt planned on doing another walk in the snow today but its such a nice day that it would be a shame not too, yesterday was good but it was very overcast and foggy. The views today are perfect. We done a 4 hour return walk from the Information Centre up to The Hunter Valley lookout from where we could see Mount Cook. It was actually a really good walk, so much better than yesterday. From the lookout Mount Cook doesent actually look that big compared to the mountains around us, i guess that just goes to show how far away it actually is, although it certainly doesent look it. Back at the van, a change of trainers, and its now time to start making our way north again back up to Christchurch. Once again the drive Back past Lake Pukaki on a day like today was awesome, it looks so nice. Made a stop in a small town somewhere before the town of Twizel for some chips, and then on highway 79 we made our way up to Lake Tekapo. Another one of New Zealands beautiful fresh water lakes but after Lake Pukaki i think iv got enough lake pictures. A quick look and then we carried on up.

At Geraldine, instead of then continuing on, onto highway 1 up the east coast to Christchurch, instead we took route 72, an inland scenic route. In theory i could drive back to Christchurch tonight but im not going to, instead i drove to Methven where tonight i have stopped in a proper caravan park. After the walk this morning my trainers are soaked so not only do i get to do some laundry i also get to charge my electrical gear up. Im in the van on my own again tonight as Will has decided to pay extra to stay in a little cabin, for which i am glad ha ha. After cooking dinner in the camp kitchen i then got chatting to an Australian guy and the next thing i knew it was gone middnight. Nice talking to ya mate, Later

Some food shopping and then by midday i was on the road driving around in circles trying to get out of the city. Getting out of the city is easy, getting on the road heading north was the problem. Finally i found it. Basically im heading north upto the Abel Tasman National Park which means i can either go up the East Coast and then cut accross the top, or the more direct route would be to head up towards Hanmer Springs, cut accross once again vis the Lewis Pass, and then head straight up to it.

Theres not really that much in it and although iv already crossed the Lewis Pass with Hans, going through the middle has got to be better than just driving up the coast. Its funny but although iv already done this route already not much of it is looking familier, maybe beacause this time the weather is a lot better, either way its not a road you could get bored of. Accross the Lewis Pass and then at Springs Junction i cut up towards Murchison. A lunch stop on route and i also stopped for a quick walk and leg stretch at the Maruia Falls Scenic Reserve. Just past Murchison i then pulled over and plotted up for the night in a nice rest area just off the highway. I got a new selection of DVDs back in Christchurch so im sorted.

A short 90km drive today up to the town of Motueka which is a good base for exploring the Abel Tasman National Park. Although New Zealands smallest National Park the Abel Tasman is renowned for its beauty, golden sandy beaches, chystal clear waters, lush green bushland, granite outcrops, and an abundance of wildlife. The main attraction is the coastline which can either be walked via the Abel Tasman coastal track, or even better kayaked. Into the Motueka Information Centre and after ringing around about a dozen different tour companys, they eventually found one that was operating, and so with that iv booked a full days kayaking tour for tomorrow.

Iv also booked the ferry over to the North Island for Saturday. With that sorted i then spent the rest of the day down at the Motueka beach reserve. Not a great beach but its a beautiful day and theres a nice walking path which follows the coastline. I also came across an old shipwreck which kept me entertained for a while, the tide was out so it was just a case of making stepping stones out to it. Todays the first day since iv been in New Zealand where you could get away with waering a T-shirt, if the weather is like this tomorrow on the kayaks it will be wicked. I then spent the night in the van as arranged when booking at the kayak centre.

Abel Tasman today. Thermals and wetsuit on and then it was in the bus for the 20 minute drive over the hill to Marahau. From where we then got a water taxi along with the kayaks and equipment up the coastline to Bark Bay, in the middle of the park. We then basically spent the whole day kayaking southwards (13km in total) back to Marahau. What a day, the weather couldnt have been more perfect. Although its winter it was basically a summers day, only difference is we are the only ones here. This area, The Abel Tasman, is ranked as one of the top kayaking destinations in the world, and for 6 monthes of the year its packed solid. Today there was only 4 of us plus our tour guide, and from Bark Bay back to Marahau we didnt see a single soul.

As the tour guide said, this is as good as it gets. The water was chrystal clear, the golden sand beaches totally deserted, and although we're kayaking on the ocean you would think we were on a lake, there was not a wave in sight. Dead Calm. Apart from the noise of our paddles in the water and the birds on the rocks around the coastline, it was absolutly silent. Perfect. On the way we also kayaked out to and around a rocky outcrop known as Pinnacle Island where we got to see Fur Seals close up in there natural environment laying in the sun. All in all a perfect day, the Abel Tasman Park is truly beautiful. After 6 hours on a kayak though it all starts to look the same ha ha. Back at the kayak centre for a shower and then i plotted up for the night down at the beach reserve.

An early start and im heading further north today to check out some sights that have been reconmended to me, the top end of the Abel Tasman National Park. An awesome drive upto Wainui Bay, from where i then set off on whats supposed to be a 3 hour walk upto Separation Point. What an Awesome walk, some of the views of the coastline are amazing, and to anyone that thinks that New Zealand hasnt got nice beaches, think again. The beaches iv seen here over the last couple of days will rival anything that Australia has got to offer, the difference is these are 100% untouched, and at the moment tottally deserted. It may be a long walk but trust me the walk to Separation Point is well worth it. Its another beautiful day and im now sitting on rocks no more than 30m away from seals sunbathing on the rocks or swimming in the sea below me.

Once again it doesent get much better than this. After dragging myself away it was then time for the mission back to the van which on the way back seemed to be taking so much longer, and so i ended up running some of it. The whole walk took me about 5 hours. From there i then drove 4km down the road and parked up at the car park to the Wainui Falls, which is a 40 minute walk away. Not long left now and it will be getting dark so again i ran some of it. At the end of the track was the waterfull, nothing overly impressive but nice just the same. Back inthe van and i then drove back to Motueka where once again im plotting up for the night at the beach reserve.

Looks like its going to be a wet and overcast day today. The short drive around the lake to Taupo which is not only the skydiving capital of New Zealand but also one of the busiest jump sites in the world. First things first iv booked a skydive. Trouble is with todays weather and cloud coverage there not jumping. And the weather forcast for the next 4 days is much the same with a lot more rain, but hopefully fingers crossed i wont have to hang around. If not il just go up to Rotorua for a couple of days and then come back and try again. Anyway, onto the local sights of Taupo.

First stop was at the geothermal area knawn as The Craters Of The Moon. Pretty cool, a 2km boardwalk leads around lots of cracks and holes in the ground belching out hot steam. Some of the holes are huge, a few of which are so hot that the mud at the bottom is bubbling up. Quite impressive really and certainly different, reminds me of the mud baths in Vietnam. A short drive down the road and i was at the Huka Falls. Its far from a huge waterfall but with the full flow of the Waikato River being forced through a narrow rock channel at a rate of 400 tonnes of water per second, and then dropping over the 10m ledge, is quite an impressive sight. I then followed a walking track up the river which led to some natural hot springs, unfortunatly though i havent got my towel. Back at the van and i then plottted up for the night just out of town on the edge of the lake, where there is a little hot water stream flowing into it, pretty cool.