...when I surprised her. She was working, and I set myself up in her restaurant with the video camera. As she came back from the loo, she noticed this blonde woman with an eyebrow piercing videoing towards the kitchen and wondered what the heck she was doing there, but walked on past and into the kitchen to work. The waitresses were cracking up and saying, 'Oh my god, she walked right past you!' I called out: 'Emme'. She came back out to the front desk and looked at me expectantly and then her mouth dropped open and she stood for a good 4 seconds, raising her hand to her mouth before she came round and gave me a big hug, calling me crazy and other names best not repeated. Wicked! So I hung out with Emme almost every day too, just catching up getting to know each other again, it was really nice actually. I also saw Judy and Ray a couple of times before they jetted off to Vanuatu for a week long holiday with my mum and stepdad. Before I finish talking about Queenstown, special mention needs to go to the fact that we had 3 BBQ's in 4 days so brilliant was the weather for outdoor dining. And to cap off the brilliant week, Vicky took me moonlight hiking with some of her friends up the Remarkables mountain, - excellent, it was so bright and clear, no need for torches, and at the summit, there is an awesome view of Queenstown twinkling far far far below. (Practicing for the Inca trail in the Andes - don't forget, those of you who said you would like to come join me!)

Travelling from Christchurch to Queenstown and vice versa, I got a great view of the glacier lakes once more, but what I couldn't get over is how NZ just seems to be one big farmland. The landscape's so primitive and untouched and that which is cultivated is agriculture or farming for miles...

Sister Aimee and boyfriend Nick decided to come up to Nelson, so I hooked a ride back with them to Dad & Caroles. And because the weather continued to be brilliant, there was swimming and going to markets and festivals.. :o) ... and so Dad decided to take a day off and take me Kayaking out at Cable Bay. The water sparkling and calm as we paddled out to sea around the rocky coastline, passing by secluded bays and under caves, till we came to a beach that we had a rest at, another swim, and a beer. Not a soul to be seen the whole time. Heading off, Dad mentioned that you can actually paddle all the way around to the inlet when it is high tide, but after going a bit further round and it almost already being high tide we turned to go back to the beach. Two sea kayakers went past saying the high tide was later, and that they were going right round. After some ummin and erring we decided to try going around all the way too, I mean if they can do it, we can right? Dad reckoned we were more than half way already, although he was skeptical that the woman was right about the high tide and that we might hit the mudflats, but heck I was up for a bit of an adventure and so off we went. The sea kayaks were miles ahead of us, but we toured on. An hour later and we still hadn't made it into the inlet, high tide definately having been and gone, arms getting tired and heads starting to ask the questions like, where does it end? - how much further? - are we going to have to sludge through the mud? We started cutting corners and actually dragged the kayaks over a sand bar to cut down the paddling time. Another half an hour and we could see the end, but it was getting increasingly shallow, till our paddles were scraping the mud. And then it happened, sooner for dad, we grounded on the mud and couldn't get any further without walking. Still some 100 meters away from the shore line we both got out and started dragging the kayaks. Dad had sandles on but I was sludging through the mud and crabs barefoot - ugh - ahh - didn't like it when they ran over my feet, but it didn't seem too slushy and progress was rapid for a while. I thought I would rush up to the shore and then go back and help dad, as his leg had been giving him a bit of greif, but low and behold, as the water got shallower, the mud got slushier, and I started to cringe as I could feel all the shells and crabs I was standing on through the slurpy, slimey brown grey mud. I had to stop briefly twice, jump on the kayak and lift my feet out of the water, just because it was so discusting and yukky. But boy did it make me motor, the less time each foot hit the sludge hopefully meant less mud and stuff to sink into - uuuugghhh. We both finally made it to the rocks and had to have a bit of a laugh at the state of us, the ordeal, and releif of finally making it.

Vaughan having felt a bit guilty about letting mum know I was here before I saw her, and also having purchased a van, gave me the use of his car for the rest of my time in Nelson. So I took the opportunity to drive down the west coast and visit with my grandparents, Ruth and Tony for a day. The drive down was magical, the scenery was lush with loads of native bush climbing up the hills with rivers carving gullies through them and winding through the land, that was broken up with the odd settlement or farm house. The olds were on fine form, as well as there Jack Russel - Pip. Tony still being silly and Ruth looking happy and energetic. We went late into the night playing Mazhong, punging and konging all over the place, then the power went off ubruptly and that was that. Then the day that all the locals and farmers accross the south island had been waiting for - rain. I headed off back to Nelson, via Motueka where I went to see my Aunty Sandy and her two kids with husband Bill. The kids have grown so much, even in a year, and I was invited to tea and the Kindergarten disco party :o) Sandy's youngest - Samantha - cut up the dance floor most of the night when she wasn't getting her face painted or re-painted, and Alex just stood back and took it all in, till the very end when the sugar rush hit and he started racing all over the place.