end of the holiday

well we've been on holiday for the last two weeks and its come to an end a day or two early, in a shitty little place called Blenheim, no less. we just arent ready to leave the south island yet so we're up at the very top of it and going to spend a week (at least depending on how it all goes!) working in the vineyards. we only arrived this evening, but the whole set up seems a bit dodgy, not too many happy faces in the hostel either which isnt a great sign! anyway we're going to give it a go for the week, the weatehr is super, really hot so it should be nice working outside.
we've had plenty of fun in the last too weeks. i think the photos tell it all really. the highlights were the penguins in Oamaru. there was 160 of them all coming home after their day out fishing in the sea. you could see them coming in in little groups and chatting and yapping away to eachother, got really close to them. after the fox glacier we headed to arthur''s pass and did a few more hikes ( the whole healthy thing didnt go too badly!) and then on to this wee hostel just outside christchurch, which was a converted train. a bit weird sleeping in a railway carriage, and not the best alarm, having a rooster wake you up at 4.30 in the morning!! anyway on then to kaikoura, famous for its whales, which were way out to sea chasing the female whales who are migrating at the moment, typical unreliable men!! anyway we made up for it by doing some shopping and wine tasting and socialising with the other people in the hostel who gave us quite a laugh. so that's it to date, this week's going to be interesting to say the least. yer man is a real cowboy! he's even got the hat.
m