Hey all, sorry it's been a while since blogging, been in some pretty remote places in the past week hence lack of internet connection.

So the last place I blogged about was Wanaka - a lot has been going on since then. We moved onto a quiet place called Te Anau, which was really just used as a base to get to Milford Sound. We were fortunate enough to stay at a great place called "Rosie's Homestay', which was more like a home than a hostel.

For those of you who don't know, Milford Sound is a fiord which runs 15km from the Tasman Sea and famous for its sheer size of the mountains/cliffs - you'll always find it on people's travel itineraries in NZ.

We were recommended to visit Milford Sound in late afternoon to avoid the tourist-y boats. So, because of this, we had to stay one night at Milford Sound Lodge as a base, as there wasn't a coach going back on the same day.

The following morning we woke up to heavy showers and cloud. But not all was bad. We were told by the locals that they actually prefer the sheer peaks of Milford Sound when it rains as you get to see lush waterfalls throughout the cliffs, and the misty, moody clouds hanging over the peaks. So although the weather was sh*t, we didn't cancel our booking - and boy was that lucky! It was Awesome seeing it in the rain. Just as we expected, there were temporary waterfalls gushing down, the whole vibe to the Sound was so spooky and it really gave it the edge. It's a real shame I can't find a good place to upload photos because that would really explain what I mean!

After a grim sleep at the MS Lodge, it was back to Te Anau for one more night before moving on to Invercargill.

Invercargill is another place which is meant to be the 'chav town' in New Zealand. I admit, it was a little glum but not as bad as the reputation it had. This small town is yet another base for traveller's who want to go to Stewart Island. Stewart Island is a very small island, only a one hour boat ride from Bluff - New Zealand's most southern town. Stewart island (or the officially named 'Rakiura') is renowned for it's bird wildlife and abundance of nature, and for being a very serene little place to relax by the tiny harbour to get away from it all. Not all traveller's have the luxury of going to the island because it's fairly expensive to travel across to, and also the accommodation is highly priced.

Upon arrival, (after THE worst, rocky, sea-sick, scary-like-Titanic boat ride) we were lucky to have a bit of sun, but *really* strong winds. Due to our budget, we allocated two nights here, seeing as the accommodation was costing $160 per night (the lovely Bay Motel). We didn't waste time here, we got straight into the nature side and went on a couple of treks. We were given a bird guide of what would find on the island. Some of the birds were only native to New Zealand and some of the rarest birds in the world. Of course, Ketan and I had absolutely no idea what we saw but it was interesting none-the-less. We came across beautiful secret golden bays, untouched beaches and so on. Oban is the only township on Stewart island and it had a beautiful harbour to it's name, with lush native forests surrounding it - 85% of the island is a National Park. After a relaxing afternoon and some good food down us, it was time for a bit of luxury in our apartment - a TV! All night there were random birds perched on our balcony, including Kaka's, robins, parakeets etc.

The next day the weather was pretty similar. But this was OK because it wasn't raining. We were to go to Ulva island that day, which is officially became a bird sanctuary a couple of years ago. Only a ten minute bumpy ride on a water taxi there, we arrived on the peaceful island. It was absolutely untouched - not a guide, tourist attraction or anything alike in sight. Bliss! There were of course avid bird-watchers ready with their binoculars around - it was good to try something that was so special to some people. During the trek, we pottered around trying to spot all the birds listening for their distinct noises. We were fairly successful in our findings - I bet we probably spotted the rarest birds but we had no idea! 3 hours later it was back to Stewart island for more relaxing. We got a good feel for the islands and what type of people visit them. To bird-watchers and nature-lovers, this place was heaven with a cherry on top.

So a week later from my last post, we are in a city called Dunedin (which is Gaelic for 'Edinburgh').

It's heavily influenced by the Scots and it's a place with a good bit of history to it. So far, we've been here for two nights to chill out a bit. Yesterday we took the Elm Wildlife tour which took us to Otago Peninsula where were in close proximity to sea lions, fur seals, yellow-eyed penguins and other sea-life. It was snowing all day (but not settling) and it was freezing, but it was worth it.

Tomorrow we are off to Queenstown where all the adrenaline-induced activities will take place. We're not sure which one's we'll choose, but let's hope the weather picks up.

I've probably taken my best photos yet in this past week, but as usual, finding a place to upload photos at a reasonable pace has been difficult. I'll keep trying, of course.