MELISSA AND MICHELLE'S TRIP TO SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC

We had a great trip around the Southern Scenic Highway to Milford Sound then to Queenstown. On the way back to Christchurch we stopped at Mt. Cook for a short hike up to Mt. Sebastopol at a summit height of 4000 feet! Highlights from the trip include: staying at the Kaka Point campground and meeting our new German friend Robina, our St. Paddy's day trip to Milford, joining the parade and celebrations, the cruise out to Milford where we experienced a huge pod of dolphins up close and personal, helicoptering up to a glacier with amazing views, pigging out on pizza at Winnies in Queenstown and our suprise birthday party for Michelle, our arduous hike where we ended up on top of the world! Lots of laughs, lots of "wow, beautiful", lots of deep, meaningful conversations, lots of driving on the left side of the road, lots of memories and fun.

To view some of our pics from the trip:

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Just wanted to let everyone know that Blaine's parents and grandmother made it home safely. And Melissa and Michelle made it here safely!!! We had a fun 1st day in spite of the rainy weather. Just touring around the Port Hills of Christchurch and eating lunch at the cafe on the corner behind our house. We will be on a trip of the southernmost part of the South Island from Friday to Monday! More pics to come!

Swimming with Dolphins


Beaming because I had just been surrounded with dolphins!


Can you spot the dolphins?

I finally got to swim with dolphins! Blaine's parents and grandmother and I went to Akaroa (1 1/2 hours away from Christchurch) for the day last week. We went out on a jetboat and I got to swim with the rarest type of dolphin...the dusky dolphin. There are only 3000 of them left (all in NZ) and 2000 of them live in the bay at Akaroa. They are very small (around 1 meter~1 yard) and so cute! At one time I had three of them encircling me. They like clicking noises and singing, so imagine me in the freezing cold water...trying to sing "skip to my Lou" (the only song I could think of)through my snorkel and click this instrument thing the skipper gave me, plus swim in gigantic waves. It was quite exhausting but very memorable! Everyone should try and swim with dolphins in the wild one day!

Blaine's mom and grandmother made it away today. Blaine talked to his dad today and he made it home safely. (they travelled seperately) I am ferviously washing sheets and towels to get ready for our next round of visitors!

Mom sent us a webcam so for everyone we talk to on Skype, you will be able to see us now! It is a lot of fun. I got to see my dad for the first time in 7 months over the internet the other day!!!

The Journey with the Totty's


The sheep shearing show


Family Foto at Fox Glacier


The Dart River Jetboating adventure


Milford Sound with Mitre Peak

I am finally posting some pictures of our journey with the Totty's and grandmother around the South Island. We rented a van and left last Saturday and travelled for 8 days. We took the counter-clockwise route...Nelson, down the West Coast to Fox Glacier, then through Haast Pass to Queenstown, over to Milford Sound and then up past Lake Tekapo to Christchurch. 2700 kilometers later we were home. It was a lot of fun! Highlights of the trip: staying in a bed & breakfast in Nelson with a pastor that we had met in Christchurch, hiking with grandmother up to Fox Glacier, beautiful weather as we drove through the valleys and mountains, staying in our luxurious apartment in Queenstown overlooking Lake Wakitipu, jetboat riding through Dart Valley (one of the prettiest places I've ever been), the drive to Milford Sound, staying in a hostel where the bathroom was quite a ways away, the helicopter ride up to a remote glacier. We didn't waste a moments time! Since we have been back home we have played golf and Blaine and I have gone back to work but the family continues to tour around the Christchurch area. Mrs. Totty cooked a Huge portion of spaghetti and chocolate cake and we had 8 friends over last night for dinner. Blaine's dad leaves Saturday and his mom and grandmother fly out Monday. Then Melissa and Michelle arrive on Wednesday!!!! Yea. We have decided to run a bed & breakfast out of our house now, so come on over!