Next on the trip was the glacial valleys of Milford Sound. The roads there are really hilly and windy but Milford Sound is beautiful apart from the Sandflies that are everywhere. There is an old Maori story that says they are there so that no one will stay in paradise too long!

We headed south to the city of Invercargill. We took a drive out to Bluff; New Zealand’s most southerly point. It’s actually freezing down this far south and when I wake up and there are hailstones on the ground it makes me think it’s a good thing to be heading north again! We take a drive through the Caitlins which is an area of outstanding beauty with beautiful beaches and mountains but again the weather wasn’t the best for enjoying it!

We arrived in Dunedin on the east coast just in time for the weekend. I was very excited to be in Dunedin as there is a Cadbury’s factory there and they do tours! We headed there early Saturday morning. It was pretty cool and we got to see a ton of chocolate drop down a silo and it smelt really good! Unfortunately we weren’t allowed cameras in so I can’t divulge any secrets!

After the chocolate experience we headed out to Taiaroa Head which is the only place the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross birds. We got to see the baby chicks all nestled in various areas on the cliff and we saw one albatross come in to feed him chick. They are massive birds, the largest in the world, with a wing span of over 3 metres so it was amazing to see one  so close by. We also climbed the steepest street in the world; Baldwin Street.  I wouldn’t like to drive up this street on a frosty morning!

From Dunedin we headed up towards Christchurch and stopped at the Moeraki boulders on the way. They are such unusual rocks, perfectly spherical, with honeycomb type surfaces, such an unusual shape! Instead of heading straight for Christchurch we headed east to the Banks Peninsula to a little coastal town called Akaroa. The town has a really French influence with all the shops bearing French names. The drive from there to Christchurch is a really scenic  one. We drove up north to Kaikoura which is a great spot for whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife.

I was really keen to go swimming with wild dolphins. We booked a trip for 5.30 in the morning, got our wetsuits on and headed out on the boat. We were on the boat for an hour, saw some dolphins swimming in the water and were then told that the sea was too rough for us to go in swimming with them. I was gutted! But c’est la vie!

I’m now in Christchurch where I’m going to spend my last two days in New Zealand. Then it’s off to South America!

Only 6 weeks left until I’m back in Ireland- scary!