Hamner springs

We arrived in Christchurch on Saturday and were hosted by the awesome Paul and Tanya Jack who are such a fabulous couple. We were treated to roast lamb before the Bulls won the super 14.... Then on Sunday Pete preached in Every Nation Christchurch and God is faithful to bring a word in season!

On Monday we were fortunate to be taken to a great spot called Hamner Springs with Volcanic sulphur hot pools and beautiful views and sights - it was an excellent day with awesome people.

We have also thoroughly enjoyed staying with the Wewege family - an absolutely awesome team and although Pastor Bernard has not been well - they still exude such warmth and love. Thank you all!

Hansel

Right so i let a New Zealander loose on my hair and the final product... Hansel! Now all I need is a Zoolander to make this duo complete...

Fox glacier

Right now this may sound absolutely bizarre to all the Saffers out there - but in New Zealand there is snow and ice and a heck of a lot of it - in fact there is a whole mountain made of ice...but before I show my complete ignorance on the reasons behind glaciers and the way in which they move and change, may I just say that we have climbed one and man it was an unbelievable experience. In short, Fox glacier is brought about because of all the hot wind that is sent over from Australia and the first really big mountain it hits, it creates rain that at a certain height equals snow, so the end result is tonnes of compressed white stuff that moves 10 times faster than any other hard ice in the world - awesome. Anyhow, we spent the day wandering about on the ice and even exploring ice caves and ravines - a moment to savor and cherish.

Indescribable

Right so as one of our many spoils, Katie and I decided to have an overnight stay on Doubtful sounds, a remote Fiord off the South west coast of New Zealand. The fiord's of huge mountains which have been carved away by glaciers to form deep and very powerful alleys from the sea inland. These areas are powerful and completely awe - inspiring! So we arrived in a place that has an annual rainfall of over 7 metres and we expecting rain only to be showered with crystal clear waters, beautiful scenery and even the opportunity to Kayak amongst the sounds. This has to be one of the most memorable experiences of the trip thus far. Massive mountains that collapse through the rain forest into a deep and dark sea (approx 400 meters deep and 11 degrees all year) and just when we thought it couldn't get better the dolphins came out to play in the boats wake.
The boat on which we stayed was superbly comfortable and entertaining - we even had two 70 year old guests playing oldies tunes all night. But the only draw back was that we had to share a quad bunk and our very poodern neighbours (farmers from North Island NZ) who both had a penchant for orchestrating a loud and classical snore fest - at 2;45am wild hysteria set in and I decided that sleep just wasn't going to happen so I read and prepared my sermon on the deck. Overnight there was enough rain to transform the Fiordland into a waterfall carnival with some beauties 3 times higher than Niagara falls. All in all an absolutely excellent adventure - meeting great people, seeing unbelievable places and sharing incredible memories.

Our Mobile Home

I am realising more and more that people judge you far before they have met you. Our mobile home has caused just a few stirs with its rather loud paint work and bold expressions. Our wicked van is a spoof on one of the largest banking institutions in Australasia and mocks their sign and logo with the catch phrase "Women are like banks, once you withdraw, you lose interest." There are a host of these 'wicked' vans around all of which have some sort of graffiti body work which all aids in their appeal. One of the best must be the one which has Psalm 23 written all around the vehicle and on the back it says "No God, No Peace, Know God, Know Peace." But this van is cheap, comfortable, warm and dry and we are loving every moment of our trip. We feel like real hippies - peace Bro!

WOW Wanaka

Lake Wanaka - picture this crystal no translucent blue waters hugged on each side by amazing cliffs with a drizzle of snow on the peaks. The ground is covered in autumn leaves and the sky reflects the water so you don't know which side is up and which is down.. now imagine picking up a mountain bike and cycling along some awesome single track on the banks of the lake and along the river! Then you will understand why Wanaka is such a beautiful spot...

New Zealand is Sensational

Forget Lord of the Rings - think bigger to the one who created the Land. New Zealand is so rich in natural beauty it is astounding! In one week here we have explored huge mountains, glacial lakes and rivers, we have mountain biked along sensational scenery and loved every single second!

Where to start - Christchurch was fabulous with this amazing couple - Paul and Tanya - who are the campus pastors for Christchurch. We also met up with 1am (a band from Malaysia) as they were on tour with their new CD. It was also great to have lunch with Pastor Bob Perry, Bernard and Colleen - WOW!

Then we headed down South to explore the mountains and valleys (both the Hooker and Tasman valleys) around Mount Cook (Aoraki) which was beautiful beyond description. We hiked in sublime weather up the glacier and sucked in every second. Over swing bridges and up the valleys along streams with floating ice and massive galciers on either side.