Queenstown

So the following day Tuesday 7th we arrived in Queenstown! We first went to Emily (Carolyn's daughter) and Jonny's house in Kelvin Heights, where we had dinner and also met happy Abby (18 months). After dinner Emily took us into Queenstown where we went to a church called "on the Rock' Vineyard. Very small service of eight and quite intense, but it was a real blessing of God we went, because we met a guy named Greg, from Reading. We all went out for a drink after the service and found out he'd gone to church with cousin Anna and also visited our Auntie and Uncles orphanage in Zambia, Just CRAZY! 

The next morning in Queenstown, everything was very expensive and obviously really touristy! So that afternoon we went back to Emily and Jonny's. We caught the bus half way and walked the rest, it was super hot and we had our packs on so it was a very tiring, sweaty walk. At the end I jumped in the lake, but that was all because it was so cold!



Fergburger



During the next few days we mainly helped Emily in the garden and maxed out in the sun. Queenstown is really weird in that the bad (rainy) weather seems to go either side so we got some blistering hot days! We also looked after Abby who is hilarious and gave us loads of laughs!

One day we borrowed some mountain bikes and cycled round the Kelvin Peninsular really cool way to see the lake especially in the sun.


On the Thursday we met up with some girls that we met in YWAM in Oxford. We played Frisbee golf in the park, ate at padagonia's ice craem and had a Fergburger for lunch and dinner ("little lamby" and "the cod father")



Friends from YWAM



On the Friday Beth and I walked up Ben Loman, the big mountain behind Queenstown.



Sunday we went to Emily and Jonny's church, afterward we had dinner at "Winnies" the most hilarious Irish waitress, she had us in stitches. That evening we went to a youth church called Freedom, just amazing worship and people.

All in all Queenstown was amazing but mainly because of the people we could never of stayed there for a week and enjoyed it so much without them!

Is there more to life than this?

Lake Tekapo

Saturday 6th October Beth and I got our first Intercity bus, to Lake Tekapo. We walked up to the hill next to the lake, to the observatries and saw some amazing views over the lake and the snowy southern alps. The lakes especially Tekapo are this crazy blue, that changes all the time. They reflect the mountains and is was just awesome and it was deffinatly an experience that I could never dream of being able to capture on camera (I tried my best, really).

We only stayed there for a night which was plenty of time because apart from the lakes there isn't much else to there!

Shakey Christchurch

On Wednesday 27th October Beth and I packed up and flew down to Christchurch to start our South Island adventure. Ingus picked us up from the airport and took us back to Living Springs, which is on the other side of the hill to Christchurch and looking over onto Lytelton. An Awesome view to wake up to although, the picture does not do it justice.

The next day we borrowed Lina and Ingus's car and went into Christchurch and met up Carolyn, who showed us around the city, crazy to see the damage from the earthquake. We found Hereford St and walked round some really nice art centre's, The weather was awesome just perfect for sitting out with a drink and chatting!

Went back to the lodge that night and just sat round after dinner and talked, there are five German volunteers staying at the lodge as well, all are hilarious and very lovely to us! I felt my first aftershock! Was really weird, just felt like someone was jumping up and down in the room next door, it was over before I even realised it was an aftershock.

Just awesome to be staying at Living Springs, its like a holiday park for kids, it has a swimming pool, tennis courts, climbing wall, etc. which we can use for free!

Lina showed us a new found interest in garage sailing, was great fun on the Saturday, found lot of really cool bargains!

On the Sunday we went to Grace vineyard church with Lina and Ingus, We all went to Carolyn's daughters house for lunch with lots of Guys from YWAM, lots of fun stories and eye opening testimonies. In the evening we went to another of Carolyn's daughters house to celebrate  Carolyn's birthday. Awesome fun, really reminded us of family re-unions.

The next day we spent the day at YWAM in Oxford. Went top Jo Seagers posh cafe and had fun talking to more YWAMers. Stayed the night there and the next day went tramping with Carolyn and a freind.

During the next week we did several thing like go to Akoroa in the pouring rain (couldn't see much!), Beth and and Ingus went surfing and generally hung out at Living Springs. By the end of our stay we were both very tierd of the after shocks waking you up at stupid o'clock in the morning.