A post dedicated to LIZ who has in no way got on our back about getting a mention in the blog and is most unlikely to read this to see if it happened…

So then, another day on the tour dawned, and we once again rose from a night in the car. I concur with Stu on the temperature, this was a poor car’s night sleep even under our duvet. To wake up we took a shower in a hostel down the road… these people really should learn, I mean the security on some of these places… before I went to see a nurse about a suspected hernia and Stu hit up some wireless Internet in the library. This was until a builder literally drilled straight through the router knocking the place dead, which meant we had to go and actually PAY for Internet to keep you guys updated. Pah!

After this we took the drive to Milford Sound, which anyone in the know will tell you is a very scenic drive. This is even by New Zealand standards, where simply everywhere you drive is beautiful. It did not disappoint until we reached the homer tunnel, 1.2km of hole blasted through the mountain to get to the sound. There were no Kea!!! We had been told by many different people to look out for these mischievous parrots, and there were many signs around the road warning us not to feed the buggers, but we are now at the stage where we question their existence as we haven’t seen a single one! Anyway, redonkulus drive continued the other side until we reached our quarry. There’s not a lot in Milford Sound. In fact it comes down pretty much to a car park and a pub. Having decided we would get food on the go for dinner we obviously ended up in the pub. Tarmac isn’t very tasty. Thankfully very expensive pizza is though. That night we thought we spotted a Kiwi, so I jumped out the car armed with the camera. It turned out to be a close relation to duck-bird thing from the Amazon however, and I merely got marauded by a small army of sand flies who give perhaps the most painful bits we have encountered. After that we hunkered down in the car yet again thinking about all money we were saving on accommodation… and simply blowing on pizza.

The next day we rose early to reach our morning Kayak crew and hit the water in the most indescribably fashionable leggings. The trip on the water was fantastic, the highlights being the seals who came swimming with us and, you guessed it, the amazing scenery, which is dominated here by the near vertical sides of the sound. We had a about 5 hours on the water to oooh and ahhh including a nice stop in the middle of the sound to partake in some traditional Kiwi drink. After this, having already realised that Milford Sound pretty much was only the Kayak trip and a friendly landlord we made a move further sound to Invercargil, enjoying the drive out from the other perspective and stopping to luncheon by a very nice river. It was in Invercargill, obviously after another night in the car, that we teamed up with floral dress wearing, hippi tree hugging, 60% of the time drunk all the time, hailing from Buckinghamshire Liz (hows that liz?!?) who we had met previously in Queenstown. We headed north together up the coast (there really isn’t a lot to do in Invercargill) to Dunedin where aforementioned rugby was to be viewed. On the way we swung along the southern scenic route, well, we eventually did after somehow getting lost and saw some more rugged coastline and a rather large Sea lion. We took a lunch stop at a very impressive section where wave was bashing rock with some considerable force and also walked to a waterfall which was suddenly inundated on our arrival by hoards of school children, who somewhat dampened the tranquil feel but were very entertaining.

Arriving in Dunedin we actually slept in a hostel! Praise the lord! before taking a days wander in the rain (probably the only serious day of rain we have seen) and then went large in the evening, guided by local friends of Liz who generously allowed us into their student flat to get mildly battered (Liz with two bottles of wine… dear dear girl…)and then dragged us round Dunedin’s bars where we made merry and danced. Both of us managed to end up back at the aforementioned student house which severely cut down the hours of car sleeping required that night, however I managed in my drunken state to create the impressive combo of sleeping in a Romanian housemates bed, the sofa in the hostel we werent staying in anymore and the car, while Stuart simply enjoyed the bed component.

In the morning, graced by much better weather we took a drive out to Otago Peninsula, where we spotted seals and albatross along with some very nice views and a chill spot. Part way through this venture, Liz summarised the mood of the group post hangover and lack of sleep nicely when on hearing, ‘look, another albatross’ she intoned the hilarious, ‘I know its really bad, but I simply don’t care’.

Either way we had a rugby game to get back for, so that is what we did. One of Liz’s friends from the previous night also joined us, and it’s fair to say it’s a good job she did given that our idea of where the stadium was differed greatly from it’s actual location, and our thoughts on where to park were far removed from where we actually left the car. Anywho, two halves of close action including contributions from All Black legends Rokocoko and Mealamu followed. The Otago Highlanders (our adopted team) managed to keep the Auckland Blues at bay and reached half time up by a promising 12-7. After the break however, two quick tries turned the gamed around for the Blues and only a penalty kept the highlanders in with a chance as the score reached 19-15. After surviving another spell of pressure they looked like they were going to make the needed score in a final flurry of attack but our main man Vainikolo, who had the previous day signed posters for us and given us free sausages in a promotion for the game (thus making him a hero), managed to first knock on and then fumble (thus making him a numpty). The score held for the final whistle, whence a small pitch invasion allowed us to go and meet the players and get more signatures and photos on the hallowed turf. After this we dropped off the girls so they could go and get battered again (I mean really, this Liz girl, lets just hope she’s not gonna read this shocking recount of her antics, or it becomes public, eh Liz?!) before we hit up a car park, er, to sleep in the car again (can someone get in touch with Guinness and see if this is a world record or something?)