Updating from a Chinese website in Franz Josef!

I am attempting to update you all on my latest kiwi adventures, but it seems that blogger has decided to be a completely Chinese website today. I am therefore relying on my memory of the layout in order to successfully post said update, as the last time I checked I wasn't fluent in Mandarin.

Fi and I are having an absolute blast on our south island trip! We're now in Franz Josef for a free day of trekking, shopping, sleeping, spa pooling, blogging/e-mailing, photo CD burning, exploring, etc. Tomorrow is the big day where I head out bright and early with a few mates from our bus to do a full-day 8-hour hike of the Franz Josef glacier. It will be beautiful, and tiring! But such an adventure, and one that I would never be able to get at home. Sometimes these things are just worth spending the money on.

I'm working on the photo challenges that you have all given me, and so far I've gotten a few of them checked off the list. I promise I'm giving them all a good shot!

Last night we stayed at Lake Mahinapua, where we had a "T" Party at the Poo Pub (everyone dressed up as something that starts with the letter T - Maddie and I went as trailer trash twins... yes, mom you would be proud.... and Fish went as a Maori native, which in Maori is tapetu whenua or something like that... you'll have to excuse the horrible spelling, which I'm sure is not even close).

En route to Mahinapua we stopped at the Punakaiki pancake rocks, and the weather was absolutely GORGEOUS so it was a very enjoyable walk and I got tons of fantastic pictures. It's so neat to see the scenery that has become so familiar through my parents' pictures and videos from their NZ trip in 2004.

I really have to run or the computer will lose my post. My Internet time is up in 2 minutes.

I have to mention quickly, though, for my Canadian readers.... Queenstown has a Tim Horton's! I'm SO RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED!!!! I promise there will be pictures. Hahaha.

Cheers from Franz Josef!