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January 8th 2008

Published: January 22nd 2008

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Will And Bron

Christchurch

Cathedral pose - Will, Will Junior and Luke

First off i apologise for some more rubbish blogging and the fact that a big part of Australia is still missing!! it is coming!! i am just soooooo excited about being here that i can't help rubbing it in!!

Right, so we arrived into Christchurch on the 8th Jan and were staying with Ma and Pa's awesome friends Harvey and Judi! they deserve an awesome shout out as they have been amazing! putting us up, feeding us up! and even lending us their car.. the list goes on!
Also another family friend Ewen has been awesome as well.. there is not much this guys doesn't know about cars! he helped us find the beauty.. (Mazda 626) he even managed to get $400 off the asking price! well done sir, well done!

So leaving Christchurch we, along with our fellow roadies Scooba Steve (who we met in Oz) and his mate Laura, a lovely Scottish girl who ain't scared to speak her mind! headed up to Kaikoura and had an awesome time going to see the whales! also saw a few dolphins... pretty special!

Then we headed inland to Hanmer springs.. a nice stop with some lovely hot

Christchurch

Views from the top of the Gondola

pools! Clokes motto.. if there isn't a hot tub it ain't worth staying!!! (sure you agree ma!)

Then we drove over Lewis Pass to Hokitika.. the home of New Zealand jade stone.. and a very nice Indian restaurant! also the Hokitika gorge was just stunning! the pictures are good, but still don't do it justice!

We are now in Franz Josef.. about to embark on an expedition up the glacier! then tomorrow Bronnie and Scoobs are doing a sky dive, and trying very hard to persuade me and Laura to join in the fun of jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet????!!!!

Anyway will try keep u all a bit better posted! love to all!

We love hearing news from back home so keep it coming!!..................................

Just to fill you in... we are now in Wanaka.... i know the question u all are asking is did will wimp out of the sky dive!?? the answer is NO! 12,000 feet - 2 easy!!!! and to say it is the best thing i have ever done is an understatement!!
The view over Mount cook and Fox Glacier was enough for anyone! then the free fall

Hitting the road

of 45 seconds reaching speeds of 200km an hour.... amazing!!! so all four of us did it with Laura and I going first and Bronnie and Scoobs going second!!! the dvd's are very entertaining!!

Also the half day hike on the Franz Josef Glacier needs a mention.. after jumping out of a plane it doesn't seem quite as amazing but was a really good experiance and one we would all recommend, although Bron is still in pain after all the climbing, and hobbling around everywhere oh dear!!!

Anyhooo this is us signing off the first part of thie amazing adventure round the best country in the world!! We will be in touch again soon!!

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