Our last two weeks in Australia were all about family. In Canowindra we invaded Georgie and Tom's home and drank their wine for a week before heading down to Melbourne...



to Neil and Peg's, where we we drank their wine too...For family back home Georgie and Tom's children Eliza and Will...





and hiding from Sarah....



Also for family, Tam and Paul's children Jordan and Olivia...





Halfway through February we flew to New Zealand, where we will be for the next 10 weeks or so and initially to our new friends Rich and Col, courtesy of Couchsurfing, in Christchurch. Without wasting any time we bought a camper van. It looks like this...



This is the kind of place we got to park it on the Banks Peninsula....



Rangitata River was the next stop for some whitewater rafting. For your viewing pleasure we have the pictures from the rafting company. We are the two at the front in all of these.....













(Thanks Mum!)

This is me jumping off a 10 metre cliff, although 33 feet sounds better. It did take me three goes to actually jump, I might add. Nothing like peer pressure.......





Hiking in Peel Forest....





On the way up to Mount Cook....



Mount Cook...





Mueller Glacier....



Then on to Otemetata to visit Simon, his extraordinarily kind family, and Lake Benmore. Here I tried waterskiing (sort of) and Sarah took a ride on a ski-biscuit....



for a while at least....



Rabbit hunting for dinner...(for the record a three-bunny casserole). Sharpshooter Simon..



One of the Mikes on retrieval duty...



and another Mike showing us how it should be done....



We also fished for our supper...









No camera-trickery...it was that big...or does Sarah have huge hands? We're off penguin-spotting now and then heading further south towards Invercargill before turning north up the west coast.....all clear?