South of most places

New Zealand = awesome. We're still enjoying our travels, although time is running out. We've got one more week here, a few days in Hong Kong, and then we'll be winging our way back to the frozen arctic wastes known as East Anglia.

Since last post, we came down the north island via Paekakariki and Wellington, took the ferry across to the south. Stayed at the top of the south island for a while as it was so beautiful, then came across to the east coast via Kaikora and Christchurch. Currently in the Wanaka area - next Dunedin, a flight back to Auckland for a last few beachy days and to collect our stuff from Ian and Sarah...

Highlights so far (to go into too much detail would I am sure bore you stiff): hanging out with our dear Melbourne friends the Mills family at the beach, picking mussels, filtering them and then cooking them in white wine and garlic - yum, all for free; staying on another Melb friend Andrew Tripe's dad's farm during the shearing season, chasing sheep round on quad bikes and watching Will attempt to shear a wriggly lamb (and later eating lovely lamb!); visiting Abel Tasman national park to do some sea kayaking and seeing some seals swim by; swimming with dolphins and seals in Kaikora; passing various Lord of the Rings filming sites (now desperate to see the films again to make the connections); sampling cool city life in Wellington and Christchurch where we bumped into the international busking festival; ... am I making you green with envy yet??

In the last few days both Will and I have been 'canyoning' which involved abseiling, sliding and jumping down a river gorge in a wetsuit for a day. Enormous fun.