NZ needs to discover the joys of central heating!

When I left you last I was headed to Taupo. I arrived in Taupo safely and got picked up and taken to the hostel by a cute guy named John and the hostel I stayed in was great, really friendly. I had originally planned to go to Napier when I left Taupo but I picked up some kind of chesty cough in Pahia and as I'd not been able to clear it I decided to miss Napier out and stay an extra night in Taupo to take it easy. That worked for the first day but then I kept seeing people coming back from doing sky-dives and saying how brilliant it had been and so I booked a sky-dive for my second day! So sensible me, threw myself out of a plane at 12,000 ft strapped to a guy called Greg (who was the current NZ sky-dive champion) and then did a freefall to earth for about 7,500 ft before (fortunately!) the parachute opened and we drifted gently back to the ground. It was amazing and fortunately the weather was really clear so got great views. Not so great was the fact that the only cloud that was present was covering the volcano that had erupted two days previously so didn't get to see that from the sky but the rest of it was amazing.
From Taupo I headed down to Wellington and stayed with my friend Amanda and her partner Duncan. Was really good to see them and I got to sleep in my own room in a double bed and use proper towels and everything (Nic you were so right about getting fed up with your travel towel!!). That night they had friends round so lots of good food and wine later meant the next day we woke up with sore heads and so we did a gentle tour of Wellington and the surrounding areas in the car then went to Te Papa museum which lived up to all the good reviews I've heard about it.
As I've not really had any extreme weather for a while, that all changed when the next day I had to get the ferry from North Island to South. Winds were gusting at around 100 kph and there was a severe weather warning in place for the Cook Straits which was due to hit round lunchtime that day (luckily after I had crossed) and so I dosed myself up on sea sickness tablets, avoided breakfast in an effort to get through what ended up - bizarrely - as being one of the smoothest journeys I've ever had on a boat! But I'm not complaining!
Once in South Island I headed down to Christchurch to my friend Colette's house and stayed with her, Billy and their daughter Olivia for the night (again had the double bed, own room and towel thing. So spoilt!). The next day I got the West Coast Shuttle over to Greymouth with the lovely driver Cedric and as we crossed Arthur's Pass the views were unbelievably pretty. Although the weather again had been meant to be terrible it ended up being really sunny, until we got through the pass and then the rain started. And other than for one day it hasn't stopped since! And it's cold on South Island. I got to the stage of 5 layers including 2 fleeces and thermals!
Only stayed in Greymouth for the night because my buses didn't work out for me to leave on the same day and then headed straight for Franz Josef where I did a half day walk on the Glacier. It was the only good day we've had here in a week and boy did it make the walk amazing. Got kitted up in the most uncomfortable boots and spikes but it was so worth it when you got quite high up. The ice was so blue (from the oxygen trapped in it apparently) and it was worth every penny doing it (even if my legs are aching so much from it can barely walk at the moment - am doing a great John Wayne impression!).
Had planned from Franz Josef to travel to Wanaka for a night but due to more severe rain there had been a massive landslide into a river causing the formation of a new lake which is about ready to burst its banks and flood the area that I had to travel to to get to Queenstown so instead I travelled to Queenstown a day early to avoid getting stuck and I am here now. Sitting at a computer which had views over mountains that currently have their tops covered in cloud because yet again it is raining! I did see though that Sydney has 34 degrees at the moment though so only about 9 more days of cold to endure!
Tomorrow I travel to Lawrence where my brother-in-law's Uncle lives (get that?!) and will stay with him for a few days so will tell you all about my adventures with Paul soon!