It's cold.....Damn Cold!

New Zealand. What a country. I've never seen so many sheep since that stag do went wrong in Aberdeen.

Millardo and I arrive in Christchurch, a town which bears an uncanny resemblance to back home. Wet and cold. We tramp around for a bit, do the usual ya know - eat bagels and climb churches - the staple Christchurch activities.

After a few days we rent a top-quality car (Pearl White 5dr Toyota Corolla 1.3 Auto w/air) and head 400kms south to Dunedin. The car was christened Ziggy. Ziggy I hear you ask. It's a short crap story, so inkeeping with the traditions of fizin, I'll tell it anyway.

Basically the number plate begins with Z. I thank you, and goodnight. Also, the windscreen wipers sometimes sound like the noise in Quantum Leap when Al used to hit his wee computer thing called....yep...Ziggy. So there you go - remember and tell your kids about that one.

Dunedin is a weird place - reminds me of Freibourg in Switzerland. Rammed full of students, and bloody cold! The hostel we were staying in smelt of old people, and the average age of the patrons was at least double our own. We stay one night.

Next morning Millar and I visit the Cadbury's chocolate factory and get some free samples! Can't quite tell you how good it was because our tour guide was wearing a pair of purple dungarees, but the chocolate was quality.

Full of cocoa beans, we head along to (drum roll please) the steepest street in the world! Look up the Guiness book of world record if you don't beleive me!



Wee Ziggy struggles up and if you're exceptionally bored, the video of us going down the hill is here. It's 18M, so if you're on crappy 56K (steve!) don't even bother! After, we start on our way to Queenstown - the home of the Bungy jump. I've never seen so much tremendous scenery on the way there, a good 300km drive...



Ok, so both the photo doesn't do NZ any justice so far. A couple of days later, however, we arrive in Deer Park Heights. Some of Lord of the Rings was filmed here, mostly the 2nd one. This, my friends, is the real New Zealand...



This is NZ, too...



Jesus, I took so many of these - but I'll only show you only 1 more...



If there are any LOTR buffs out there, I'll let you have a look at some photos of cliff locations. Click here to see where Aragorn got dragged over a cliff, and here to see where the fat Scottish dwarf fell of his horse.

We're leaving Queenstown today, and heading down to Te Anau. By complete coincidence, "Te Anau" in Maori means "fizin - blotto!" in English. Should be fun.

I send you the Maori good luck prayer "Te Anau, te Anau" for all of you doing exams, just so you remember how blind you're going to be when you finish.

I'm off to stick an induction kit, exhaust system, UV lights, and a radio that works in Ziggy.

Later,

Mick

M + P - Promise to drop a line asap

V + B - Tartan trousers on the way

Rod n BC - Cameras are banned at Vick n Bro's wedding - Tartan Troosers Skeegtah!

Phil and Ross - OOOoooooohhhhh Saucy! Ross? Ye? 6.

Ross - Wizzy weeehhhh, pound you know about LOTR pish pics ehhhhhh.

Colin - Shitter!

Bob - Good luck in the exams mate, boss

Loy, Steve, Chris - Curlers in September mate, good luck!

Greg - Should be ok with US, blag stylie?

Andy - Pishwater son, pure pish. NZ is sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Boydy - Gonna Rock up Shed style 24th Dec.

Caz - Hello crab hotmail crab onions.

Faisal - Get that VTEC action running son.

Kimmy G - Give us all your chat when ure back doll!

Mike D, Erin B - S'up nizels? Looks like I may have to miss St Louis, but it's early days yet - hope everythings all good.

Richie, Glen - Damn Winnipeg - damn it to hell! Bloody expensive getting there so far, may need to hitch...

Adam Ant - You driving with Percy Pug just now?

Big Cheese - Ms Stuart, what a legend! Infected spinal column in a bap.

Paul - Supervisor, what the hell. Brilliance mate, brilliance.

Matt G - Matey - the leg ups continue! Hope you're well.

Line - Line you F*****R - hope you're doing well doll!

Emma - We miss ya bubba! You will love Queenstown, just your kinda place!

All my pals at Glasgow on their finals - Te Anau!