This post is going to be ultra quick considering I had 16 minutes left at the internet cafe and too much to write! (as usual)

So Adam and I have rented a car, whom we call "donkey" and have driven from Nelson, down the west coast (the more rugged, and beautiful part of the south island) to Punakaiki, then over to our wwoof-ing house. We stayed at Gunyah Country Estate for 5 days, doing mainly groundskeeping work and staying outside all day. After work was finished for the day, we drove up to Castle Hill to go bouldering, which is a low form of rock climbing without ropes. We bought rock climbing shoes for me in Christchurch the day before the new wwoof family house, and then headed there after work everyday, sometimes taking Valerie, who is an Autrain wwoofer staying at Gunyah for a number of months. Good luck to her! Our stay at Gunyah was fine, although the work was quite monotonous and the family a bit strange. Their dog was really cute, however, and we were able to stay and eat for free, saving us some money that we can put forth towards Australia. Wahoo!

We left our hosts two days ago, spending the portion of our day climbing again in Castle Hill, then heading through Arthurs Pass National Park, then over to Hokitika, where we are now. Donkey has been treating us very well, and soon I will put up pictures. We didn't think we'd be so comfortable sleeping inside Donkey, but there really isn't any bed that is more comfortable, compact, multipurpose, and as interchangeable. It's so fun having everything you own and need right around us, nothing compares to having it all on your back.

We are well, happy, eating fine and, as always, smiling. We are gearing up for our back to back birthdays (mine November 15th, Adam's November 25th) and trying to prepare for our departure from NZ!


More pictures, descriptions of our travels, and stories to come soon!