NZ CONTINUED....

24.8.08...DAY 26
12.45AM...UP I GET.
1.00AM...READING NEWSPAPER.
1.40AM...TV LOUNGE.
2.05AM...STOKE CITY-ASTON VILLA LIVE ON SKY TELE...LETS HOPE ITS WORTH STAYING UP FOR?
4.00AM...STOKE 3-VILLA 2...A RUBBISH MATCH...SHOULD'VE STAYED IN BED!
4.15AM...BACK BENEATH THE SHEETS WITH MY BELOVED...TRIED TO TELL HER ABOUT THE MATCH...SHE WASN'T INTERESTED!...SO INCONSIDERATE!
10.30AM...WOKEN BY NU AND HAIRDRYER!...SO INCONSIDERATE!
11.00AM...CUPPA TEA...HAD TO MAKE IT MYSELF...SO INCONSIDERATE!
11.35AM...SHAVE/SHOWER.
1.00PM...BACON/SCRAMBLED EGG...CUPPA COFFEE.
1.30PM...THINK I'LL GO BACK TO BED.
4.00PM...CUPPA TEA.
6.00PM...I'M NOT TO ENTHUISIASTIC...BUT WE ARE OFF TO SEE THE GLO-WORMS...I'M HUNGRY...BUT NOT SURE WHAT I WANT...TASTE BUDS ARE NOT GIVING ME ANY CLUES..
7.50PM...SEEN ENOUGH GLO-WORMS...IT WAS DARK...DIDN'T LIKE IT...NU FELL OVER A TREE STUMP AND LAUGHED...I WAS WORRIED!
8.05PM...PHONED MOTHER AND AUNTIE.
8.40PM...PUB/RESTAURANT...MEXICAN ESPLANADA'S?...WITH CHIPS AND SALAD...THE MEXICANS CAN KEEP THERE ESPLANADA'S...TASTED AWFUL...NOT ENOUGH FILLING...CHIPS AND SALAD PASSABLE.
9.30PM...FOUR WHISKEY AND COKES LATER...TIME TO HEAD BACK TO OUR DIGS.


25.8.08...DAY 27.
8.00AM...ALARM...WHY DID WE SET THE ALARM?...HORRIBLE NOISE!
8.15AM...KETTLE ON.
8.30AM...CUPPA TEA.
8.50AM...SHOWER.
9.30AM...BOILED EGG ON TOAST...CUPPA TEA.
10.05AM...ALL PACKED UP...SAYING OUR FAREWELLS...MET SOME NICE OK PEOPLE.
10.15AM...DEPARTING FRANZ JOSEF...ON OUR WAY TO HOKITIKI...ABOUT 130K.
11.00AM...PICKED UP TWO HITCH-HIKERS...COUPLE OF ARGENTINIAN GIRLS...BETTER NOT MENTION THE FALKLANDS!
11.55AM...HOKITIKI...DROPPED OFF THE ARGIES.
12.30PM...ECO-CENTRE...WE HAVE COME TO SEE PERCY...THE ONE LEGGED KIWI BIRD.
12.40PM...WE ARE TOLD PERCY AS GONE TO HEAVEN TWO MONTHS AGO...OH!...ACTUAL HE'S IN THE DEEP-FREEZE...WAITING TO BE STUFFED...OUCH!
1.00PM...ECO-CENTRE WAS NOTHING TO SHOUT ABOUT...IT WAS DARK AND GLOOMY...WITH FEW BIRDS AND FISH WE HADN'T ALREADY SEEN.
1.50PM...SUPERMARKET...NEED LOADS.
2.35PM...PETROL STATION...ONLY 1.99 DOLLAR A LITRE...IT WAS 2.24 IN FRANZ JOSEF.
2.45PM...HEAD OUT OF HOKITIKI.
3.10PM...TURN OFF MAIN HIGHWAY FOR BLACKBALL...WE MET A CHAP IN FRANZ JOSEF WHO TOLD US TO GO THERE TO TRY THE SAUSAGES...APPARENTLY THEY ARE WELL FAMOUS?...THIS IS ALSO THE PLACE WHERE THE LABOUR PARTY STARTED...IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SAYING 'YOU'VE BEEN BLACKBALLED'...YOU'LL GET MY DRIFT?
3.25PM...BLACKBALL HILTON[HOTEL]...LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUTA OF A WILD WEST MOVIE.
3.35PM...THE PLACE WAS EMPTY...ORDERED OUR SAUSAGES.
3.55PM...OK SAUSAGES...NOTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT.
4.20PM...BACK IN OUR RENTED CAR...NEXT STOP REEFTON.
5.00PM...REEFTON...'OLD NURSES HOME' CONVERTED INTO A HOSTEL...50 DOLLAR FOR A DOUBLE ROOM...IT'LL DO.
5.40PM...NU IN BATH...I'M PREPARING VEGGIES.
6.15PM...STEAK/CARROTS/PARSNIPS/CABBAGE/SPUD.
6.45PM...I'M FULL...WE'RE FULL.
7.15PM...CHATTING WITH A GIRL FROM BRADFORD WHO IS TRAINING OUT HERE TO BECOME A DIGGER DRIVE...WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT!


26.8.08...DAY 28
7.50AM...THIS PLACE SMELLS LIKE A HOSPITAL!...LIKE A NURSE...LIKE AN OLD NURSE...WHATS AN OLD NURSE SMELL LIKE?...CAN'T REMEMBER!
8.20AM...TWO CUPS OF TEA.
8.35AM...SHOWER.
9.15AM...EVERTHING PACKED UP...EVERYTHING IN CAR.
9.25AM...IN THE KITCHEN...CORNFLAKES...CUPPA TEA.
10.00AM...WHEELS IN MOTION...RAIN POURING.
10.10AM...REEFTON TOWN CENTRE...FOODSTORE...NU NEEDS ENERGY DRINK...GUESS I'M WEARING HER OUT!
10.25AM...WHEELS IN MOTION...NEXT STOP HAMNER SPRINGS...NU ALREADY AS SWIM COSTUME ON.
11.30AM...ROAD TO HAMNER SPRINGS CLOSED...THERE'S BEEN AN AVALANCHE...OUCH!
11.40AM...WE DRIVE ON THRU FLOODED ROADS/BIG PUDDLES.
12.50PM...TURNED ONTO ROAD FOR KAIKORA...ITS ALSO CLOSED!...MORE AVALANCHIES...DOUBLE OUCH!
1.00PM...GOT NO CHOICE...GOTTA HEAD FOR CHRISTCHURCH.
3.00PM...WOOLWORTHS FOOD STORE,CHRISTCHURCH...NEED A FEW ITEMS.
4.20PM...WE HAVE BEEN HETRE BEFORE...ITS ACTUALLY WHERE WE KICKED OFF OUR NZ TOUR.
4.50PM...FINALLY FOUND THE 'STONEHURST'...OUR ACCOMADATION PLACE...BOOKED TWO NIGHTS.
5.30PM...SHOWER...WELL NEEDED...WASH AWAY THE SMELL OF THAT NURSES HOME.
6.30PM...STEAK AND VEG...CUPPA TEA x 2.
7.30PM...IN OR ROOM...WATCHING TELE...TIRED...NOT FEELING TOO GOOD.


27.8.08...DAY 29.
9.50AM...FEEL WEAK.
10.20AM...TWO CUPS OF TEA.
10.50AM...SHOWER.
11.30AM...BACON SANDWICH...CUPPA TEA.
12.30PM...WE WERE GONNA GO ON A CITY TOUR...BUT I'M NOT FEELING TO GOOD.
1.00PM...BACK IN BED...DON'T FEEL RIGHT.
4.00PM...WOKE...THIRSTY/HUNGRY.
4.50PM...CHEESE/BRANSTON PICKLE SANDWICH...CUPPA TEA.
5.40PM...WALKED TO CHEMIST...NEED PAIN KILLERS FOR BACK.
6.50PM...BACK AT 'STONEHURST'...MUSHROOM SOUP/CUPPA TEA.
8.00PM...STRAIGHT WHISKEY.
9.00PM...HUGH GRANT FILM ON TV.
10.30PM...FEELING BETTER?...UNSURE.


28.8.08...DAY 30.
7.30AM...THIS ROOM LOOKS TRASHED...EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE.
7.50AM...TWO CUPS OF TEA...ONE FOR ME...ONE FOR NU.
8.15AM...SHAVE/SHOWER.
8.50AM...CORNFLAKES...ANOTHER CUPPA.
9.20AM...CARRYING EVERTHING TO CAR...WE WERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR...BACK ACHING.
10.10AM...OFF WE SET...SEARCHING FOR ROAD TO AKAROA...WANT THE SCENIC ROUTE...VIA GOVERMENT BAY.
10.50AM...HAD TO STOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR NU TO PLAY THE HAPPY SNAPPER.
11.00AM...VERY SLOW ROAD...VERY BENDY.
12.05PM...'HILL TOP HOTEL'/CAFE.
12.15PM...ALTHOUGH IT AS GONE NOON...THEY ARE STILL HAPPY TO DO ME A FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST.
12.50PM...THAT WAS A EXTREMELY WONDERFUL BREAKFAST...IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA...WELL RECOMMENDED!...BETSY THE BLACK WOOLY HAIRED SPANIEL HAD ONE EYE ON US...BUT WE HAD NO FOOD TO SPARE.
1.15PM...BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN...WE ARE GONNA TAKE THE HIGH ROAD...MANT YEARS AGO THIS CRATER WAS FORMED...WE ARE GONNA GO ROUND THE RIM AND THEN HEAD DOWNWARDS TO THE CENTRE...DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
1.40PM...MANY STOPS...NU HAPPY SNAPPING...GREEN FIELD UPON GREEN FIELD...MOUNTAINS ALL AROUND...IT IS KINDA SPECIAL...ITS ALL SO CLEAN AND TIDY.
2.10PM...AKAROA AT LAST...AN ENJOYABLE DRIVE...THE SCENERY WAS WORTH IT.
2.30PM...CHECKED IN AT 'THE CHEZ LA MAR'...[THERES A LOTTA THINGS FRENCH HERE]
3.00PM...SITTING IN COURTYARD OF PUB...SUN SHINING.
4.00PM...WALKING MAIN HIGH STREET...VERY QUIET.
5.05PM...STEAK/SPUD/CAULI IN ONION GRAVY.
6.30PM...WATCHING TV...NOT FEELING GOOD AGAIN...GUESS I'VE PICKED UP A BUG SOMEWHERE.


FEEL WEAK.

BYE FOR NOWZ.