Part 4

Right Peeps here I am again!  (this internet malarky is costing me a fortune - i hope youre all honoured!)

We re now in Te Anau but again lets start from the beginning...

We didnt make it swimming with the Dolphins cos they werent being friendly or something so instead we went whale-watching.  Really choppy sea with people throwing up all over the place (and they paid for the privilege hee hee!) I however - the sea farer that i am was hard as nails and was actually giggling most of the journey due to the boat going extremely fast and feeling like a rollercoaster!  plus the bonus was seeing 5 - count them - sperm whales including two side by side which dove at exactly the same moment giving us a dual tail flip!  was pretty amazing.

Next we drove to Christchurch where we decided to do White Water Rafting and what an amazing day - we got picked up at 8.30 and travelled to Peel Forest where we had an early lunch and then got kitted up and got on the river - grade 5 no less!  then jumped off a 12 metre high rock - originally named Jump Rock! - brought back hideous memories of the bungy and was freezing (surprise surprise) in the water - then back to the lodge for hot shower and BBQ - absolutely awesome day and absolutely shattered!!  (Wicked recommendation Belly your notes have been a lifeline)

Next moved on to Dunedin where we partook in a Cadbury's World tour which was rubbish - should have taken the admittance money and gone and spent it on chocolate - would have been a better way to spend it!  then a Speights brewery tour which was suberb - never realised the process behind making beer!

We have travelled to Te Anau via the Southern Scenic route stopping at waterfalls, beaches and wildlife spots.  Stayed in Invercargill for a chill out and now using Te Anau as a stopover before we hit Milford Sound for an overnight cruise where hopefully we ll see dophins penguins amazing waterfalls and wildlife. 

Never fear though this wildlife loving nature trekking Jenny will soon be balanced out as then the next stop is Queenstown - for the weekend!  Some drunken phone calls will be in order - you know who you are!  

Lots of love

Jen

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Crayfish Capital (Part 3 in the New Zealand Episode)

Subject: Crayfish Capital (Part 3 in the New Zealand Episode)

Gosh doesn't time fly!!

 

It seems an absolute age since my last update - so much has happened.  We were in Napier last time I updated you so I'll carry on where I left off (a good place to start!)

 

We got to Napier after our bungy and literally did nothing for the whole day - it was bliss!  our cabin was beautiful in lovely surroundings and we had our own little kitchen and dining area so we properly went to town with our cooking for the next few days!  Whilst in Napier we checked out the Aquarium and the town centre which seemed to be like a ghost town but then most of New Zealand seems the same - there are NO people - literally! very - espesh having spent the last year in London surrounded by people. 

 

On Friday we drove to Wellington and got the ferry to Picton - a nothing place.  so we headed to the Wine Capital of New Zealand - the region which supplies 85% of New Zealand so as im sure you'll realise i was in my element!  Did a wine tour of Montana the areas biggest exporter and then did the vineyard tour on bikes and on our return to the hostel i managed to plough into a fence supporting a vine - luckily no one saw so we beat a hasty getaway to the local english country pub the Cork and Keg.  Not to worry the vine, fence, bike and more importantly me were all unscathed! 

 

The next day we had to check out with delicate heads - and we also had to make a decision as to whether to head to Nelson (turing right out of our hostel ) or Kaikoura (turning left out of our hostel) this was quite a big decision as it would mould the direction of the rest of our time in New Zealand as to which direction we would be travelling round the island so we thought long and hard (two seconds before it started to hurt) and flipped a coin.  the coin came down tails which was Nelson so we headed to Kaikoura ( ask we were already travelling in that direction and be bothered to turn round) so here we are in Kaikoura the Crayfish capital.  So we indulged in the local delicacy of Crayfish and Chips!  Not a massive fan of it I have to say but you don't know til you try these things.

 

Today we are going to Swim with Dolphins.  its a beautiful day the rain has stopped and the sun is shining so someone is obviously looking after us.  So once again you are up to date.  Hope everything is good where you all are and life is treating as well as me.

 

I'm loving hearing your updates so keep 'em coming

 

lots of love

 

The Guilfish

Hobbit Land Part 2

Subject: Hobbit Land Part 2
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 03:07:30 +0000


(For those of you who didnt receive part 1 im sorry - ive only just sorted
out all my email addresses from random scraps of paper and vague
recollection - so i hope these addresses are all correct!)

Hello again!

We are now in Napier on the East Coast of the North Island and the sun is
shining. You ll be pleased to hear that this is one of the premium regions
for vinyards in New Zealand! We re staying here til Friday morning and then
heading to Wellington to get the ferry over to the South Island where we
will be for 3 weeks.

But enough of what we will be doing - its all about what we have been doing!

We stayed one night in Auckland and then go the hell out of dodge! rainy not
great as far as i could see. Headed for Waitomo which has Glowworm Caves and
a cave called the Cathedral where Kiri te Kanawa, Sting and UB40 have all
sung in cos the acoustics are amazing. Checked out the thrid largest
waterfall before heading off to Rotorua which stank cos its a sulphurous
rotting egg smelling region. the Hostel we stayed in had a natural spa in
it though whcih was pretty cool - Joe Anna and Dave Peart dyou remember that
natural hot spa that we went to in Kos? well times that smell by a
gizillion and you ll have the same stench that these poor people live with!
oh well their choice and it is supoosed to be good for you!

We ve very cutural I have to admit - next stop was Taupo where we checked
out the Huka Falls and went horse trekking in the hills with a backdrop of
Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings! Then we lauched ourselves off a 47metre
high podium into a freezing lake and rebounded back up again on a piece of
elastic! yes i succumbed to a bungy jump! and cos we did it before 10am we
got it well cheap - belly, alice, lau and anna - so no i wont be doing the
Nevis cos it costs a fortune and once you ve thrown yourself off one podium
it all gets a bit passe!

As soon as we d finfished the bungy we drove to Napier and have been
chilling out since - trying to recover !

So once again you re up to date

MArtin - I think it ll be really quite easy to do NZ without alcohol - but
ask me again once ive been to the MAlborough region which is the biggest
wine region - its all about vino. Good luck on the jobs - fingers crossed
for you - individual email soon.

Stephanie gray where is my email please?

Anna cheers for email and text - I hope everyone else is reading this bit
and being put to shame!!

Naz still no drunken stories - you ll have to wait til Oz i think - there is
too much to do and see here to wake up with a hangover.

Mummles cheers for email love you lots

Phil - i ll send you an email shortly - but cant tell you much really cos
havent heard anything. Good news about you coming over for crimbo - proper
Guilfoyle family reunion!

Hols - its all about extreme sports! Oblivion is def up there with the
scariest!

Girls from home and College hope youre good. keep me informed please.

Dave Peart - sorry you didnt get first email. get rossco to forward it on to
you.

Rossco - did you get my reply to your test?

Anybody else who i have missed - email me and i ll remember to put you in my
next email!

Lots of love.x

Hobbit Land

Subject: Hobbit Land
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 22:53:48 +0000

Hey One and All

We have arrived safely in New Zealand after a two night stop-over in
Singapore. Singapore was quite a cultural shock really - We were staying in
the Malay District which is off the beaten track of the main tourist/western
Orchard Road and the like. It was a complete mission for us to get to as
no-one had even heard of the place let alone the Hotel! but brilliant once
we got there. Mccoy you ll be pleased to hear we had a rooftop swimming
pool and penthouse room!!

Singapore is made up of three quarters Chinese with Malaysians and Indians
making up the other quarter-ish. Where we were was the main area for the
Malays which was great - very good food! We did make it in to the main
commerical area - Orchard Road - where we pampered ourselves and had a
reflexology - which killed and ive still got the bruises to show! then we
popped along to the local five star hotel and bowled into the 71st floor bar
as though we owned the joint and supped cocktails whilst watching the sun
going down over the whole of Singapore - whoever said travelling was a hard
life was an absolute joker!

So after a far too short stay in Singapore we had to head to the airport to
start our adventures in HObbit land. Got here yesterday after travelling
for hours and hours without sleep (so maybe he wasnt an 'absolute' joker -
some parts of travelling are hard!) and it was asolutely sheeting it down
all day - just like home! Today we ve had a very productive day of buying a
sim card and renting a car. So those of you who want to return the favour
and call me at 4am can do if you phone - 0064 21067 3195.

So everyone - i think you re pretty much up to date I know its a quick one
and not much to report so far but thought id make sure you all know i got
here safely cos i know you were all desperately worried about me!

Nay - I know you've probably not read half of this as no drunken stories so
far but I figured you'd want my phone number so you can abuse me one friday
night after a thursdays episode!

GIrls from back home keep in touch please

Anyone I didnt get to speak to before i left im sorry i was running around
like a headless chicken as Anna Mccoy and Naomi Wood can testify as they
were laughing very hard whilst i was trying to pack.

Lots of love to everyone more updates soon .