Milford Part 2!!

Sorry about that, i didnt want to loose my post from yesterday when my time ran out! So anyway, the cruise around Milford was really spectacular. We did this cruise http://www.redboats.co.nz/home/ there are so many to choose from but we got a healthy discout with our YHA cards (its like being a student again, its great!!) and did the encounter nature option! We didnt see any dolphins (again!!) but saw some seals and penguins and was generally a really good gentle cruise around the sound! We saw loads of waterfall and at one point a rainbow appeared from the bottom of one of the falls, it was beautiful and my pictures came out really well so will post them up when i can. The boat even went under one waterfall which is 15,000 years old and you could voluntarily get wet!! So why not!! The one thing i am always saying to myself is to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way - so why not get soaked!! It was sooo much and fresh!!

So it really felt that we were cut off from all life out there - the tourist info, cafe and pub are all one building!! But now we are in Dunedin and its the opposite end of the scale and i have had to escape to the coast today!! I had seen Dunedin on those trashy afternoon programmes when i had been off work and it looked beautiful, so i was really disappointed when i arrived here yesterday. Im a city girl at heart thats for sure, but i just dont like the NZ cities. There arent that many and they are not city size as we know, but they just seem to overtake the beautiful surrounding landscaped that could be explored. Apart from its history of being a Scottish settlement there really is nothing Scottish about it (apart from the children's school uniforms and the odd tartan shop here and there!) Hope that answers your question cousin Lou!!

So today, whilst Jen decided to take the tour around Cadbury World (I really couldnt betray Belgium Chocolate here!!) I got the bus out to the coast and visited a small port town named Port Chalmers and had a lovely walk along the coast, admiring the view and listening to the Beatles!! Life is good when you see more ducks in a day then people!! But this was how i expected this area to be, so im pleased i made the effort to go find it! It would have been very easy to spend all day in my pjs, as the hostel is sooo homely and had breakfast in the pjs for the first time in nearly 7 weeks!! heaven!! Plus free tea and coffee for Jen, so life really is all good!

We leave here tomorrow lunchtime (they give it to rain all day tomorrow so am pleased have made the most of the sun today) and head to Oamaru. Then its Christchurch for three nights. I have high reservations about Christchurch. Its meant to be the English settlement, like here is the Scottish. But can use my time to plan my neighbours tours (very exicted!!!) and actually how we are going to fit Australia and work into 5 months. I have a really bad feelings, its not going to happen!!

So I think that is about it for now! Really has been a busy week and wish we had longer in the south island, because have truly loved it here, and we havent even seen all of it!! But there is always next time and there is a long list of things to see on there already!!

Happy Halloween and White Rabbits for tomorrow!! I cant believe we have been away for 7 weeks this weekend and that its my birthday in 24 days!!! Woo Hoo!! Role on the summer!!!! :-)

xxxx