Thursday 8 January 2009

3 Knockouts and a Supermodel Do NZ...

And we are 3 knockouts and a supermodel hot when we've been rolling around in our orange sauna on wheels with a pop up tent on the roof for 12 days now. We're pretty fetching.

Look at it...

http://www.spaceships.tv/new-zealand-campervan-hire/

As the Kiwis would say..."Sweet as bro!" Except they pronounce the bro as bra. They also say "fush and chups" instead of fish and chips.

Am currently in Queenstown which is in the south of the South Island. Queenstown is beautiful, but not sure I could live here as it's a bit remote and lacking in anything to do except throw yourself out of planes/off bridges/mountains/speed down mountais on bikes. haha, like I wouldn't love to do that everyday! Queesntown is the adrenaline capital of New Zealand, possibly even the world. We've been running a day ahead of ourselves for about a week and last night thought it was Friday, but it was Thursday which is good because we were a bit stressed about making it back to Auckland to return our orange sauna on wheels. The campervan is good in the main except for waking up sweating profusely gasping for air because it's so hot. It's starting to smell a bit funky too what with spilt milk and sweaty bodies stinking up in the heat. We did a 5 hour trek at Fox Glacier (yes like the mints) that was pretty amazing other than being so bloody cold and it rained and every item of warm clothing I have with me (which isn't actually a lot) got soaking wet! Took about 90mins to get up to the edge of the ice and then trekked across it for an hour or so before back down the side of the mountain. Have attanded a Maori Village with old school tribal dancing and chanting and full on All Blacks kind of insane faces and tongue wagging (to signify the end of the spear) and wide eyes to freak you out. There we had the best meal I've had since being away. Literally filled ourselves to popping buttons before wandering around in the dark to check out all the gloworms. Look like stars in the sky. Pretty sweet. That was in Rotura which is nicknamed Sulphur City because of its stench. You arrive and the whole place smells like rotting eggs because of the geysers (hot water springs). Oh yeah that was pretty cool bathing in a hot lake/river/waterfall. Warmer than most people would have their bath but perfect for me and my asbestos skin. Sorry this is all a bit muddled, but the days are so jumbled. I'm keeping a travel journal, but we spend so much time driving to get from place to place that it all rolls in and out. Have spent a few nights just parked at the side of the road on long stretches and go to swimming pools to get cheap showers to try and combat the stench! We're staying in a hostel here because the campsites are pretty expensive and out of town and there's nowhere to park so we unloaded our stuff and parked the Camper out of town and walked back in. In the pouring rain I might add! Mainly the weather has been amazing. We drove down straight from Rotura to Wellington which was about 13 hours in the car with a few food breaks and toilet stops. I drove the whole of that day and it was mad because the weather fluctuated so much what with all the microclimates. Interesting fact I didn't know...New Zealand lies right on top of a fault line running the whole way through the middle of both Islands and so they have earthquake warnings and can't build their buildings to high. It's very strange to not see all these huge skyscrapers like they have in all the Australian cities. So anyways all in all New Zealand is beautiful. Seriously, breathtakingly beautiful. I've never seen anywhere like it (except actually England/Scotland/Wales) It's just so green and lush and there are just so many mountains everywhere you look and really truly it's spectacular. You will love it here Nanny and Peter.

Anyways that's enough for the mo. I'm off to watch Fiona jump out of a plane and then going to get the gondola up to the top of the mountain and maybe have a go at luging which I'm told you must try. We'll see. Will write again as soon as I get a chance, but that probably won't be until I'm back in Melbourne. Hope you are all well and I will talk to you soon. Not long until I'm home now...90 days or so!

Mwah

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