A long drive ahead today! Everyone (including the lonely planet) has raved about how beautiful the scenic costal drive is through the Catlins, so we thought we would give it a go. However to our suprise we found the drive wasn't actually that scenic at all - it was mostly through the mountains but we had seen alot pretty driving down to Milfound Sounds and also on the West Coast when we were driving on the bendy narrow roads on the cliff edges. Our plan was to stop along the way somewhere and stay, but as none of the little villages [View Full Entry]

---

---

Oh the joys of Hostel life! All the signs looked good for an early nights sleep last night, there was a quiet chinese couple who were already in their bunks when we got to the room so we read for a bed then finally turned lights off at about 11pm (mad for it). Then at about 3am in the morning I was woken from my deep sleep by the little chinese girl singing loudly in her sleep! I almost wee'd myself laughing (after the initial shock had worn off) and then after getting back in a light doze was woken again [View Full Entry]

---

---

In answer to my question in the last entry, yep the hangovers were there waiting for us when we woke up in the morning! After finally being able to drag ourselves from our pits at 12 noon, we chucked on our clothes and headed for the beach to try and sweat it out. We were going to be good and make sandwiches but by the time we got to the kitchen the thought was just too much effort so we caved in and headed for Pizza hut instead - whoopsies! It wasn't the best day for sunbathing as it was quite [View Full Entry]

---

---

Ooooohhhhhh how nice it is to have a lie in! The beds here are so comfy and apart from the lad who was staying in our dorm last night and snored louder than my dad (I honestly woke up at one point and thought I was back home!) it was one of the best nights sleep so far here in the South Island. As we are here for 2 more days, we've decided to use Queenstown to regenerate and chill so at 10.30am we rose to get ready, make sandwiches and head for the main attraction here - the Gondala ride [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, we was so looking forward to a bit of a lie in, seeing as check out was only at 10.00am so we only had to get up at 9.20am. However at 6.20am a chinese couple who were leaving that morning I think were having a competition with themselves to see who could be the loudest with a plastic carrier bag (you learn to hate them when your sleeping in dorms). This wasn't too bad as it's something you learn to live with in hostel rooms, but then when I thought I would just relax and stay in bed a bit [View Full Entry]

---

---

Now I know alot of you are wondering how it is in the world of Lou, Di and Jucy Lucy Car Tours, so the following video has been made especially for you. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we had fun making it! And don't worry, no other vehicles or people were harmed in the making of this movie, and we have been told the one sheep we did hit will make a full recovery. (only joking, I drove safely). [View Full Entry]

---

---

So after our early morning rise we moved onto Lake Matheson, just on the outskirks of the other famous glacier here - The Fox Glacier. I have to say it was worth the early morning rise - the view is perfect - just like a mirror reflecting the Fox Glacier. And because we were so early we almost had the place to ourselves, well with the exception to the poor bloke who appeared to have collapsed here shortly before we arrived and the ambulance crew that were waiting to stretcher him back to the carpark and into the waiting air ambulance! [View Full Entry]

---

---

After waking at 6am (we've GOT to have a lie in soon - am knackered!) and getting to the office I manage to have a little chat with the nice Tour Guide woman. After showing me various photo's of high ladders and steep ice steeps you have to climb, aswell as explaining about walking on ice shelfs and jumping over ice cracks I decided it was not for me. Diane the brave however, signed up for the full day hike. So after going our separate ways I looked into what other activities where around and went Western Horse Trekking instead! My [View Full Entry]

---

---

After a relaxing nights sleep, we set off at about 9am to a place called Cape Foulwinds (no it wasn't named that because people keep farting here, it was because of the strong winds Captain Cook encountered when he sailed here!). There's a wild seal coloney here and it's so amazing to see them in the wild! On land they are quite lazy and just lie there on the rocks sunbathing, but in the sea they swim almost as fast as dolphins! Shows what blubber can do! There were loads of cubs as well which were so cute, but boy did [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well after the worst nights sleep yet (the hostel bunk bed had no clean top sheet so I had to sleep with my bath towel over me) we set off and head for the ferry. It takes 3 hours to get from Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island, it started off sunny but then an hour in it started to rain, not a good sign! When we arrived in Picton it was absolutley throwing it down, so after first visiting the info centre for some maps we headed to the supermarket to stock up on food. [View Full Entry]

---

---