Savlon and Heli-Hikes

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Ok, the final verdict was over 50 sandfly bites ( see last entry). I am especially humiliated by the one which came up on the end of my nose ( how did they get away with it?!). Turns out you need DINT in your repellant, not DEET as for mossies. I got it wrong and paid the price. I have a sneaking suspicion they might have even liked the smell of the DEET, if you're gonna do it in style why not just wear an insect attractant...??!!

Anyhow, I am now one big walking,talking insect bite which smells of Savlon. Its the only thing which takes away the sting, although admittedly getting easier. I'm now back in Christchurch, sorting out mundanities such as haircuts before I move on to Asia.

I had a whistlestop tour of Queenstown ; jumped off a 109 metre plartform if that impresses anybody while doing the world's largest swing which consists of a 60 metre freefall followed by a swing with a 200 metre arc over a Canyon. The plan was to jump off forwards and look rather stylish; the truth of the matter was that as the group arrived at the jump site and saw the height and size of the Canyon all manner of expletives were uttered. I had to go first, got to the edge of the platform, looked down and muttered "you expect me to jump down into that?". Below me was a deep gorge with water running through, and as I said, a 109 metre drop. Sensing I was getting freaked, the guys just urged me to go for it and not think about it. I then just literally walked off the edge of the platform. No stylish photos, no graceful forward dives or back flips...I literally just walked off there! But it was great fun and not so scary once you'd gone over the edge....

Ooh forgot to mention- I popped up a little glacier called Franz Josef the other day, in fact it's billed as the worlds steepest commercially guided glacier. Very pretty too, but thank God for crampons! Being faced with crevasses deep enough to kill you and having to step over them is no joke. However, I think perhaps I was under an illusion ;I suspect in reality my increasing girth would have stopped me from slipping down and I might have disappeared up to my knee or thereabouts! The helicopter ride was pretty cool too; I was sitting in the front next to the pilot and the guide joked I mustn't touch the pilot's knee or he might crash. So paranoid was I that I sat on my hands all through the flight! Anyhow, enough waffling on, want to get some more pretty photos posted..........

ps Hope you noted I have turned from pasty to a pleasant shade of tan. At least it hides my nose bite better!

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