1st week in New Zealand

Afternoon one and all from a beautiful but slighty cooler New Zealand. The weather is top and loudless skies every day after the first rainy one when I got here and you can see for miles up in the mountains. So Lou, I know you've been desperate, here you go....

Not a huge amount to report to be honest other than Sam's house where I am staying which is the large one four in on the middle row to the right of the picture. This was taken from the mountains between Christhurch and Lyttleton which is where you see me sitting and yes I did walk most of it before you start taking the piss.....

No after effects from the bombing but they have charged 2 people this week. Have started running again and feeling much fitter and healthier and sleep like a log. Off down to Queenstown next week to throw myself off a bridge (with a rope tied on Mum, don't worry....) and over to Frank Josef and Fox glaciers too. You know me, I love my glaciation!!

Kiwis are really nice people and have got talking to a few and there's none of that "Hah you're just a pom!" attitude that you sense from Australians sometimes (no offence to those Ozzies on this distribution list..... oops), but if you don't like rugby at the moment there's not a huge amount else to talk about. Not seen that many sheep yet either but am sure that will come along.

Right am off now to go look round Christchurch and will be back on next week. Take care all x

New Zealand

http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4168647a6009.html.

Check the above link out to a Christchurch front page news story and guess who was in the CD store on Columbo Street at the time????? Right by the entrance too... God it was loud and made me jump a bit but everyone just carried on as though nothing happened and I saw the bin smoking and the lid blown off. Closest I've been to a bloody bomb and saw the guys in the white holden looking a bit strange beforehand. Wasn't expecting that on this journey!!!!

Anyway to New Zealand - wow!!!! On the South Island at the moment for about 3 weeks and it's beautiful. Just the drive from the airport to Sam's house in Diamond Harbour is like driving through Glencoe. The mountains are beautifl and run all the way to the coast, loads of snow here right now as well and will be off to Queenstown next week to start my skiing career. Got a hire car with snowchains and really looking forward to it. Will be going bungy jumping and shotover jetting and whatever else I can do during 3 days there.

So far have been to Christchurch and Akoroa in my first couple of days here - this is Akaroa.

Today have met Wayne Smith the ex All Black and Northampton coach who is now forwards coach for the All Blacks under Graham Henry and is simply one of the nicest guys I have met. Got introduced by Macca and he is getting the All Blacks to sign an All Black shirt for each of us and will send it on. So will get that when I get back - how superb is that? Jealous Karlos?? He's the one on the left here and under the mat in other pic. Top bloke

Final Day In Oz

Afternoon all. Well, part 2 of this trip is finally coming to an end unfortunately. I am off to New Zealand tomorrow for a month which I am reallly looking forward to but have loved the last 3 months in Oz.

Anyway thought it was about time to update you on the crack here and all that. Firstly this is 11 days after the sting........

Well where's me sympathy then and look at those muscles!!!! Heartless bunch you are.....

Moving on I've done some different stuff over the last couple of weeks. It's not all beaches and sunbaking you know, some of us have to work at enjoying their time off and it's tough - hahahahahaha - sorry just picked myself up off the floor laughing. Have actually had some rain in Cairns and nearly had to wear a long sleeved top and even considered jeans on one day and then realised that that was just a stupid idea and only pale skinned weirdos and sensible Ozzies did that. Well you've got to show your true colours and make it bloody obvious you're a pom haven't you by staying out in the midday sun etc etc but I drew the line at Union Jack shorts and a deckchair with football shirt. Can't make it too easy for them to take the piss over here, and believe me they do. So I just go on about the World Cup coming up and the fact that they're going to get stuffed by the Kiwis no matter what they say (I do keep pretty quiet about the fact that we're shite at the moment even though we hammered Wales' C team).

Where the hell did that lot of bollocks come from??????????????? Forgot to take my pills again I think, is there a doctor here????????

Back to the real world - been to the Land of the Cassowary (very rare and bloody scary) didn't see one but one apparently came into the campsite whilst I was there and I missed it by about 15 seconds - bugger!!!! Mind you they are as tall as a man and a bit vicious apparently so probably a good thing......!

You asked for upside down pics Rich so I tried at Cape Tribulation (where the rain forest meets the sea) and this is as close as I got (you try doing a handstand with the camera on timer and when you've never actually been any good at gymnastics)

Saw Dunk Island (of course) from Mission Beach

Went to Mossman Gorge which is true Aboriginal land and just stunning scenery in the rainforest. This is where Duck Billed Platypus' live (didn't see any of course)

Did me washing

And went to see why the hell they named a beach in Cairns after Dwight's manhood! I know he was popular when he played for Sydney last year but bloody hell ( there's even a Yorkey's Knob Head.....childish I know but just couldn't resist it:-))

Oh and didn't see crocs up at Cape Tribulation but made sure I didn't swim after seeing lots of these signs......

Went to Peronella Park which was built by some spanish bloke called Jose who came over here to work on Sugar Cane and did alright for himself. Even built his own airraid shelter for gaawds sake!!

Right that's me lot fer noo - off to the land of the long white cloud tomorrow so will be back updating soon.....

Faith In Humanity Restored!!!!

Real quick one this.. Managed to drop my camera in Airlie Beach yesterday morning and only noticed at 5pm when heading back to campsite. Had no idea where I had left it or dropped it so only thing I could do was to go round shops I had been into. Long and short of it is I was amazed that someone had handed it in at the internet cafe that morning with this picture on it

Needless to say I am so so chuffed. Went to website and is 4 dutch travelling around same as me. Left them a message to contact me so I can say thanks. Amazed and like I said, faith in humanity has been restored!!!!!

Something For You To Laugh At

Well here you go you lot who are dieing to say ha whenever you can to the great travelling one....... Went to Whitehaven Beach and all that today which was gorgeous but check out the wounds after guess who was the only person on the entire boat to come across a bloody Box Jellyfish, bastard thing. That hurt I can tell you and I am typing this 2 hours later and it is still stinging a lot although the swelling has gone now. Best thing about the Jellyfish was that 10 minutes later we saw it being attacked by a turtle which is one of the rarest things you can see here (well other than seeing The King, Lord Lucan and Robert Maxwell sitting having a beer together in Paris - that's pretty rare I would have thought)!! Didn't warn me about them did you Nards!!!!