Greetings from Middle Earth

I am sitting in our campervan in the shadow of Mounts Cook and Tasman, we've had the most glorious sunshine all day and to be honest, it really doesn't feel like Christmas. But we are having a fantastic time and falling in love all over again with New Zealand.

It's day 5 of our trip and we've travelled from Christchurch, through the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass and now we are working our way down the West Coast with the aim of spending Christmas in Queenstown. The best bits of the trip so far have been when we have gone off the beaten track: 'freedom camping' in Lake Mahinapua where we swam in the lake in the rain and the next morning, in bright sunshine; kayaking on the empty Orakito lagoon through temperate rainforest filled with unusual bird life, with Mount Tasman and the Southern Alps as our dramatic backdrop.

Internet connection is extremely patchy but I'm going to try and update this with pics and more chat in the next week or so. But here are a few shots to get you started.