Remainder of South Island, NZ (finally!)

---

Hi everyone!

Sorry it has taken so long to update the blog. Through a combination of being busy and being a lazy git it has been a very long time since the last update. Instead of trying to write a massive journal entry like I used to I'm going to try just uploading photos and writing captions. Hopefully this will make things quicker and encourage me to keep up to date with the blog. It's probably more interesting as well so people don't have to listen to my ramblings!

Anyway, this entry should finally round of New Zealand. The last entry ended with us in Wanaka I think. From there we travelled down to Queenstown (which is a wicked place) and then joined the 'bottom bus'. This took us in a loop to Dunedin in the south east corner, Curio bay on the South coast, Invercargill also on the South coast, Te Anau in the South West corner, the Fiordlands of Milford Sound and then back to Queenstown.

Having spent a few more days back in Queenstown we travelled up to Christchurch on the East coast of the South Island. Me and Jim took a road trip for a few days up to Kaikoura (due to boredom of Christchurch!) and went whale and dolphin watching!

That pretty much somes up the trip so I will now try to upload some photos!

Take it easy

Chris and James

---

Photos

The Kawarau bridge bungy jump - Queenstown
This was our first stop in Queenstown. The Kawarau bridge bungy jump. This was the first commercial bungy jump site in the world. I didn't do it but I had to pay for my Nevis bungy jump (143m high!) here. More photos of that later!

Queenstown and it's lake.
Queenstown was easily my favourite place in NZ. Was really cool. It's quite a small place with loads of shops, cafes and bars but it's surrounded on almost all sides by massive mountains and it also has a really nice lake.

The Nevis Bungy Jump - Queenstown!
I must have been mental when I signed up to this! A tiny little cart carries you across a huge gorge to the cable car in the photo. They strap you up and then you jump 143m into a valley and experience 8 seconds of freefall. Easily the scariest thing I have ever done. Will never do it again!

Don't look down! - Nevis Bungy
The view through the floor of the Nevis bungy jump. Inviting when you're about to jump off the edge!

James and the smallest woman in the world!
On joining the bottom bus we discovered we had the smallest woman in the world on our bus! Ok, not really but she was pretty tiny. Did a sneaky little shot here for a comparison with Jim!

Down in the Catlins
Right on the south coast, these little islands are home to loads of sea lions. Not sure if you can see them in the photo though!

New Zealand sea lion on the beach.
Quite a common sight along the beach. They look quite harmless but apparently it's not uncommon for these beasts to chase people! They stink as well!

Curio Bay
Whales and dolphins are often sighted in the region apparently. There are also more sea lions which we were warned about!

Yellow eyed penguin in Curio Bay!
We were lucky enough to see one of the resident yellow eyed penguins leave its nest and waddle over to the sea to go out and fish! He's the small white blob in the centre of the photo!

Funny Trees!
on the way to Te Anau from Invercargill we stopped to see these trees. Because the sea wind is so strong they are forced to grow in these funny shapes!

Lake Manapouri
Another picturesque lake on the way to Te Anau.

Lake Te Anau
Another nice lake and a nice town to go with it.

Mirror lakes on the way to Milford Sound
The name says it all really!

Milford Sound 1
The beginning of the rather impressive Milford Sound fiordlands.

Milford Sound 2
More impressive scenary.

Sea lions in Milford Sound
Sea lions get everywhere. even spoiling the scenary of the fiordlands!

Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook
In the far distance you should be able to make out Mount Cook, NZs highest mountain.

Sperm Whale in Kaikoura
On our trip from Kaikoura we saw two of these beasts. Don't look particularly big but they are about the size of a bus!

Dusky dolphins in Kaikoura
Am well impressed with this photo even if I do say so myself! They are awkward little buggers to capture on film.