WANAKA
Treble Cone Ski ParkAfter the most luxurious sleep ever, it was time for skiing, or as I like to call it boarding!!!! There were many resorts to choose from but we went for Treble Cone Resort because it was half price if you bought a bottle of water!!! So off we went with our 2 water bottles. We decided to drive up to the resort to be independent, god was it a bad idea!!! Poor auld Gollum didn’t know what hit him! Muddy icy roads at a steep incline and sheer drops and an old camper van don’t go together!!!! 1st gear the whole way up, with cars over taking us at every straight. We were happy to see the chairlifts as we reached the top!! THANK GOD! Conditions for boarding were pretty bad, foggy but the snow was really good for the time of year.
Very small resort only 20 or so slopes. When coming down you couldn’t see a thing. We all know Danielle doesn’t fall skiing but she fell this time!!!
Snow all over her, she wasn’t happy!!! We weren’t aloud go down that slope again!!! Half way down the slope conditions were great, so the day was definitely worth it. 
Dropped back our skies and it was time for the most extreme city in the world Queenstown. You can basically do anything here from jumping out of a plane, bungy jumping, jet boating, canyon wing to name a few! When arriving it was like arriving in Disney Land!! Perfect lake, perfect buildings, perfect picnic areas, perfect public toilets!!! It was amazing! When walking down main street the first thing we did was book Danielle in for a 12,000 foot sky dive for the next day!! Had the most perfect fish & chips on the lake, after all this is the most perfect town ever!!!!!!
Best Fish and Chips EVER!!Day 55-29/09/09
QUEENSTOWN
Today’s the day!!! Sky diving day!! I even dreamt about it! And in a nervous way, but I am not on this trip to sit back and let these opportunities pass me by, so I must get over my fear and go for it!! Rob did it 6 years ago when he was here with a Rugby Tour, so I was going up there solo! At the briefing, 12 people sat in the room nervously laughing at the DVD of sky diving. It looks so easy, but it hadn’t fooled me, I was still anxious!! Then we pilled into the bus and drove out to the jump site. We got suited up and paired off with out guides. I got this big friendly guy Alex. Who totally looked after me and reassured me by checking all the straps at least 20 times and went through all that I had to do! Not much really, I have to take on the ‘Banana’ position to begin with, that is keep my head back and feet tucked under the plane, therefore looking like a banana!! Ha Ha! From then on all I had to do was enjoy the ride down!!! Ahhh!!
So, the plane journey up was amazing, looking over perfect Queenstown with the lake and the snow capped mountains, it was spectacular (to make it better the weather had cleared up a bit and the sun came out!!- it was a sign!). Then in a flash, the two people ahead of me had jumped out… just like that. The doors are opened and then we all pile out! It was surreal! I just remember freaking out at the door of the plane, going “What the hell am I doing” but no time to think, with a few sways we were freefalling……… WOW! Then it got exciting. Adrenaline had kicked in! Thank god I managed to keep my eyes open because the whole world was spinning, it was so cool. Then I’m faced with the camera-man and I go to smile and scream out, then I couldn’t shut my mouth, so much air hitting my face. I was flying at 200k/hr!! I had planed to do a few moves with my arms like swim and do the Pulp Fiction dance, but I couldn’t move my arms, Alex had to move them, the wind was too strong for my spaghetti arms!! Ha Ha!! Then just as fast as I got out there the cord was pulled and we floated back down. Cautious Kate must have been down on the ground because when Alex asked if I wanted to spiral down, I said yeah!!! It was like a roller coaster!! So much fun, such a buzz - And I totally loved it!!
The Irish Bar...Pog Mahones!! 
The World Bar...danicing with teapots!
What a day...I had to rest for a bit in a bush!!Ha ha!QUEENSTOWN - DUNEDIN
Waking up in a campsite was a good feeling!!! Being able to go to the toilet and to have a shower. Some days we would go 3 days without one! The head was quite sore after last night’s antics! We went to an Irish bar (I know, I know!!) of all places!! Live band, beers in pints, I couldn’t complain! The Fish and Chips were so good the last time we decided to have them again but with out the chips. God I have never tasting anything like it, puts Leo Burdocks to shame!! After walking around the small town of Queenstown we decided to head on to Dunedin which was 3 hours away. The two of use were very tired and we have been on the go ever since our trip started, (you don’t have to feel sorry for us tho!!) when arriving in Dunedin, it was absolutely pouring down. The weather we have gotten in New Zealand has been awful compared to the last time I was here. Dunedin was dead to the world, fed up cooking we decided to go in search of some dinner. Coming across a sushi bar, Danielle was in her element!! Great feed!! Found a good spot to sleep but we were on another serious hill!!
Day 57- 01/10/09
DUNEDIN
Waking on a serious slant was pretty uncomfortable, so we drove off to find a flatter place to park and have a coffee. We blended in as the city was full of students and young people getting their daily dose of caffeine; it is one of New Zealand’s main University cities. Today was a day that I had been dying for!! I had thought about it since the day we arrive in New Zealand! Instead of lunch, we went to The Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory… anyone who knows me, knows that this is my absolute heaven!! I love chocolate! Especially Cadbury’s!!
Arriving there was like arriving at Willy Wonka’s, there were loads of puppets set up, acting out the making of beautiful chocolate! There was also a short museum set up with the very first wrapper and chocolate bars and various other bars that I have never heard of, and all the Cadbury’s adds...including the one with the weird kids and their eyebrows!! (Love that one!)
Then the tour started, we all got hair nets and Rob got an extra one for his hairy beard! So we started with an introduction to all the ingredients, and what is used in order to get milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate! And if you were listening carefully our guide would quiz us after and if you got it right you got a little bar of Dairy Milk! I was in competition with this eager mom, who kept answering at the same time, but as she had three little kids she would get the chocolate!! Well I did get one or two bars!! So I was happy! We also got a goody bag with a few other New Zealand bars that we never heard of.So the first part of the factory that we got to see was the buttons machine, it makes one million chocolate buttons every hour!! Yum!! We also got to see the giant 12kg bars of chocolate that they only supply to commercial outlets!! Then it was on to visit the Easter Egg room… again only the little kids got one of these, right off the conveyor belt! What about us big kids!! The best part of the tour though was the chocolate waterfall! We entered one of the giant 4 story vacant milk cisterns! We were all told to stand around the edge of the tank, the lights were turned off and Rob got to do the honours of pushing the big green button!! Boom…. Out poured 100 gallons of melted chocolate! It went everywhere, well mainly down the centre of the cistern tank but little splashes made it to our clothes and shoes! Yum! Ha ha...I found them later!
After that we were led into the gift shop to buy all our favourite bars and any other gift items. I got a vintage ‘Moro’ t-shirt and Rob found a huge Caramello bar along with a few others!! Let’s just say, being chocolate lovers, we stocked up!!
That afternoon we went to check out the world’s steepest residential street…the photos say it all!! Gollum had to wait at the bottom!
TIMARU
Waking up in a double bed, warm, not being pushed to one side of the van because you are on a hill, or being wet from the condensation, or the smell of the dishes from last nights dinner!!!!! Waking up in Diane’s was a serious treat. An amazing house over looking the Pacific Ocean. Diane was bringing us on a journey inland, to Mount Cook (highest mountain in New Zealand.) depending on the weather if we would see it or not. With Diane driving it was great to get out of Gollum for a change. When arriving at Lake Tekapo, the colours of the water was incredible, it changes colour every few hours due to the reflection of the sun. It was a light bluish greenish colour!! Very strange. When arriving to Mount Cook, well I’m sure it was their somewhere!! It was pouring again with rain, and we couldn’t see it with the fog. After a quick look at the museum we had the pleasure of meeting Diane’s son Josh. Josh worked on a farm it was called a station because it was so big. It was a sheep farm and it was huge!!! Danielle got to feed a 2 day old calf, which she loved. Funny thing was, the worst job that they only do once a year, they were doing today, stone picking!!!Yep stone picking, just picking up stones. After Diane introduced us we joined in with the stone picking! I had enough after 5 minutes, it was tough going!! An hour into our journey home I went to take a photo, but my camera wasn’t with me!!! I left it in the farmer’s jeep!!! Ugh we had to go all the way back thanks to me!!!!
My new mum for the trip, tough competition Olive!!!!! hahaha
The amazing Lake Tekapo
Dianes son Josh on the farm.
Getting our hands dirty- Rockpicking!!!
The smallest horse in the world!!!
Day 59- 03/10/09TIMARU – KAIKOURA
Another peaceful night’s sleep in Diane’s, we had a little sleep in today as it was a Saturday. Then we headed off to see Diane’s farm. It was a huge dairy farm. First thing we saw when we got there were about 100 calves. So cute, there were so afraid of us but the odd one or two came up to like our hand and they nearly sucked off our fingers!! Poor mama cow if she has to deal with that!! There was also a pen full of other calves; we later found out that those poor things were male and destined for a better place. Then we had a super tour of the farm and got to see the cows being milked, we had to hide because they are not used to spectators!! But Rob popped his head out and one of them freaked backing into the cow behind her!
In the afternoon we went to Diane’s friend’s farm (Diane was minding a few lambs only a few days old!) This was so fun we got to feed the baby lambs. Ever since I got to New Zealand, (we came across many fields filled with sheep and their lambs, as it lambing season) all I wanted was a picture with a little lamb, but every time we pulled in to try get a photo, they just ran away…must have been Gollum…obviously not me, the crazy looking one running at them!! Ha Ha! After saying our good byes to Diane, we got back on the road and headed to Kaikoura. Along the way we stopped off in Christchurch. About 5 years ago, Rob lived in Christchurch for 3 months playing rugby with the Irish Shamrocks. So we popped in on where he stayed and drove by the phone booth that he used to call me on!! Aww!!
We would just like to say a huge thank you to Diane for her kind hospitality. Thank You!
Skuty boy!!!!!!
Lamb Sitting!!
Babe!!
My old flat i lived in, when i was with the Shamrocks!!
The phone i use to ring danielle on when i was in New Zealand!!! Cheezzzeeyyyyyy!!!
Day 60- 04/10/09
KAIKOURA
When we arrived in Kaikoura we were met with again… awful weather!! Actually, probably the worst weather we had since we got there! Totally lashing and very foggy, needless to say they weren’t running any boat tours to go whale watching. That was our only reason for heading up to Kaikoura! So we said we would wait until tomorrow to see if the weather picked up, and booked into a tour for as early as possible. Unfortunately with the weather being so bad we didn’t have much to do, the town relies on trips to see the whales or dolphins. That evening we headed to the local cinema… it was so small, and everyone knew each other there. We were the newbie’s!! The film wasn’t great, a typical teenaged rom-com, this didn’t go down well with Rob!! None the less it was something to do for the evening!!
Day 61- 05/10/09
KAIKOURA – CHRISTCHURCH (Chris & Hannah & Ollie)
After having a storm the whole night, the weather was still not looking too good for the whales. Heading to the port, they broke the news to us, no whale watch today either!!! We weren’t too fussed because we will get another chance to see them further on in our world trip. The weather was awful heading down to Christchurch, only 2 hour drive. We were meeting up with a good mate of mine Chris and his wife Hannah and their new Baby boy Ollie, 18months old. I played rugby with Chris for 3 years with St Mary’s and it was good to see him with his new baby boy, in his home town. I remember Chris mentioning he was going to build his own house in New Zealand, when he was in Dublin. When arriving it was more like a few houses!!! He built 4 houses on one property, great modern design, even better on the inside. It was great to catch up with Chris about everything that had happened over the last 3 years. Ollie wasn’t liking me too much I think he was scared of the beard!! He was a bit of a ladies man because he had great fun with Danielle, and then when I would come over he would just give me the devil eyes!! It was great to get out of Gollum but not for one night, but for good; we were dropping him back tomorrow morning.
Day 62- 06/10/09
CHRISTCHURCH
We enjoyed a nice sleep in that morning, Ollie didn’t make a sound, well we certainly didn’t hear him! We spent most of the morning unpacking the van and re packing our bags, gods it’s been a while since we’ve used these bags! Once Gollum van all clean and empty, we headed to town for a bit of lunch in Wagamamas. Then we said our good byes to Gollum….3601km around New Zealand, We dropped him off at the Christchurch Escape Office. Where there were loads of other vans done up the same way. They were all pretty cool, but ours was definitely one of the best, especially for travelling through the land of Lord of the Rings!! Then we walked back to Chris’s, where Ollie finally came out of his shell and we played for the afternoon, Rob was even heard singing along to The Wiggles!! That’s Ollie’s favourite! 
Ollie and Danielle
Day 63- 07/10/09
CHRISTCHURCH
Seeming that the Skiing in Wanaka was pretty bad visibility, we decided to go again in Christchurch. Having Chris’s 4x4 jeep helped us getting up the hill!! Chris said it was going to be a cracker of a day, weather wise!! And was he right blue sky, 7mm snow fall and not a bit of fog, you could see for miles. We hadn’t had a day like this for a while. Chris decided we go down a green slope so he could get his confidence up!! Not a bother to him, so we went up to the top. The snow couldn’t have been better or the visibility, well it would have helped if I brought my sun glasses!!! When heading down the nice WIDE slope, there were snow makers in the middle of the slope with a barrel over it because they weren’t being used. With all the space in the world with no one on the slopes at all, Chris hit it straight on, with his 2 feet smashing off the black barrel. He couldn’t have hit it any harder or squarer!!! I couldn’t hold back the laughs and eventually I asked him was he alright!! He looked like he was smashed in a tackle. He just sat there giggling to himself. No injuries to say the least!
Chris and Rob. Chris loves having his photo taken!!!
Christchurch Centre
After a smashing day of skiing we headed back for what was our last night in New Zealand. I met up with a friend of mine from The Irish Shamrocks tour back in 2004, Jimmy. We went out to an Irish bar (I know, I Know) of all places!!!! It was great to catch up with him too.
We took a photo of a pro snow boarder, when we were there!!!!
