Towels and sandflies

Hello folks,
It's boiling outside and I'm blogging. But it's just before we set off to Milford Sound for a great canoe trip tomorrow - I'm a bit worried as I have only done that once and I nearly fell in. Even more worrying, I may have to buy a pair of crocs for the event!

So since I last blogged we've hit the most horrendous rain and cloud but it just stopped in time for us to see the spectacular Mount Cook - Tony wanted to climb it and I wanted to sit and drink Rose in the very posh hotel looking out over it. So we compromised and went on an 8 mile hike over 2 swing bridges (don't look down!).

Every single view here is spectacular and it's mountains, mountains, mountains all the way - even covered in snow.

What is also weird here is that the towns are small but the places are big - can't describe what I mean, but I also expect everything to be SO busy - and there are hardly any people about. Suits us fine. I am happy not to hear the banging of our neighbours' children at 1am and instead the peace of nothingness. Then waking up to look at a beautiful vista every morning.

We've been camping on the side of the road in our van which is fantastic - we love the life and don't mind showering - although we decided after 3 days we had to hit a shower and found a site that not only had handtowels but also changed them in the course of 24 hours!!!!!!!!!! You don't get that in Devon Heaven.

Sandflies - slow to impact but when they do - ouch! The itch factor. I had my first wakeful night last night trying to scratch my way into oblivion - or something like that.

Who said Queenstown was big and noisy and too much - perfect for me! But not to stay.

Forgot to mention, we also saw the smallest dolphins in the world on a death defying 'cruise' that nearly saw me over the front of the boat as the guy over the tannoy said: 'Now we are on the mighty Pacific, oooh it's a bit choppy (huge swell, tiny boat), you might want to step back from the front there). I crawled my way to the back of the boat and prayed for forgiveness at whatever I had done (which is much and too mulitfarious to mention).

Hope all well in England....

The adventure continues....

Love Fidelma xxx