a quaint old mining village that contains the best sweetshop in the world! www.remarkablesweetshop.co.nz. There's one in Queenstown as well.

ive never seen these b4, available only at haast lodge.

heat for the mind is wind for the feather.

Wow, the coolest cinema in the world, real sofas and even a car! Thanx 2 the person (Todd!) who recommended the place on recent post. Red star burgers r fab!

We set off by 9am today, getting really good at packing the car. Stopped by a little place called Blue Pools. I've been trying to figure out what it is that reminds me of the colour of the icy blue water, and realised it's the Colgate Gel you get in those pump packs. So it's like swimming in diluted toothpaste, but not really.

We stopped off at the amazing trip highlight (for me, annabel tolerated it) puzzling world, just outside wanaka. there was loads of optical illusion stuff and a huge maze, which i successfully completed, testing my theory of 'stick to the left' which worked a treat. Annabel was very impressed at my orienteering prowess. She took a picture of the leaning tower of wanaka from distance as if it was poking me in the arse, which i'll be posting up on my return, this caused much merriment, a very carry on moment.

Got into Wanaka, still very hot. We've spent a few hours by the pool, and did 3 cycles of swim, dry off, swim, dry off etc, until we got hungry for chippies and pop. We're going to go and see Little Fish tonight at the indie cinema Cinema Paradiso which is supposed to be very cool. Red Star Burgers has been recommended to me as a colleague Simon N has a friend called Trudy who runs the place, a full review will be posted in due course, as i am a connoiseur of gourmet burgers.

The internet terminal i'm at is scary, it's $2 for 15 minutes, and it doesn't tell you how long you have got left, so if it goes off someone will have access to whatever it is you were working on. I don't have a watch but can feel the 15 minutes approaching with every key stroke, so, farewell until queenstown..

 

have arrived in Haast, a stopover village on the west coast on the way to Wanaka/Queenstown. It's blisteringly hot, not what we had been led to expect, although the sandflies are starting to bite now. They love my ankles and the small of my back.

Annabel fell a little ill last night after dinner, but is much better this morning. She hasn't got much room in her stomach and we ate quite late, so there's nothing to worry about.

The trip down from Franz Josef was great. We had a walk around Lake Matheson, which is famous for showing reflections of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman in the lake, but unfortunately it was a bit windy although it was still pretty impressive. We stopped off for another break at Lake Pakaringa which was just lovely where we had chocolate and banana muesli bars.

 

Hope this pic comes through ok, the others looked a bit dark when i checked the blog earlier. The camera on the mob isnt gr8 (only 300k!) and so will b looking 2 get a 3g one when the prices come down. Anyway, yesterday we tried 2 have a picnic beside a river, just b4 franz josef. All was going well until annabel mentioned deliverence and said the air smelt of testosterone. I had a paranoia attack and demanded the picnic b cut short as i thought i heard someone giggling. This caused annabel much merriment, i think it must b protective genes kicking in or summat!

I've got 6 minutes and 52 seconds to post this as i'm internet outpost at the Rainforest Retreat. The major irony with this place is that it looks like it's taken a rainforest to make the retreat judging by the debris i can see out of the window. The place is fairly new and we're here for a couple of days.

Today was brilliant, we slept in and then took a drive and walk up to take some pretty breathtaking photos of the glacier itself. I confused myself trying to understand the geology of the place but eventually felt content to stop thinking and just go 'wow' inwardly, which brought on a smile.

Afterwards, we took a fairly long walk down to Lake Wombat, a lovely little place where we scoffed a picnic of BLT and Ham Salad sandwiches, with chocolate brownies and fizzy pop. I read Empire magazine, which contained a helpful list of 100 movies i must rent out on DVD when i get back, together with little 'Seen It' checkboxes which i thought was great.

Loads of pics on this holiday, burnt off 210 already. Camcorder not seeing much usage, dunno why, scenery doesn't move very much, and i'm getting into my photography a bit more.

toodlepip.

we got 2 westport late afternoon and went to the coal museum which was really cool 2 my surprise. W'port itself wasnt up 2 much but our dinner last night and bfast this morning at the barhouse cafe were superb. 2Day we headed down the west coast taking in the amazing pancake rocks b4 stopping in sunny greymouth where i bought annabel a jade ring at the jade and greenstone museum. Beautiful day again, totally spoilt with all this nature, next stop hokitika.

1 year ago we got married, off 4 dinner at cape foulwind, seriously.

motuekas finest cafe bar, reggae at night and the delicious 'hangover brekkie' in the morning.

Well, what an experience that was. Most of the day long trip was idyllic paddling around looking at birds. However, going around the back of adele island when the wind picked up unexpectedly, was the scariest 30 mins ive had in a long time. A, 7 mths pregnant in the front, me steering us into the waves 2 avoid being tipped over into the rocks behind. Pretty bloody stupid in hindsight, although were both 2 have done it. Oh, the moorings rest't in motueka is terrible, worst steak ive had since coming 2 nz!

got a boat from kaiteriteri 2 torrent bay and went 4 walk 2 cascade falls. Beautiful sunny day, water clear and torquoise. Bush down here smells very sweet and the land granity. U could easily spend 2 weeks here in abel tasman, in fact we spoke 2 1 lady who had been here over 1 month! 2Morrow we have a day of sea kayaking around abel tasman, cant wait!

off 2 abel tasman after full cooked bfast from ra's cafe on queen st richmond, yum.

staying in top 10 hol park cabim. Annabel is having pregnancy nap, im doing a bit of planning 4 our trip 2 abel tasman 2morrow, where we r planning 2 spend 2 nights. Everything very beautiful, looking 4ward 2 a bit of sea kayaking.

arrived in nelson after an amazing scenic drive from picton. So heres the back of the car.