Due to our early night I actually felt ok this morning and managed to get up with no more than my usual slowness. We have our breakfast, I make everyone eat porridge for energy and after a quick shower chuck my ski stuff back on. We get in the car and pick up an English girl hitching on the way. She is from Devon and a snowboard instructor and gives Ali a few tips on the way. As we get closer to the mountain the visibility is really poor and the temperature drops to minus 9.5. I think we’ll definitely need our layers today.

We collect our boots and skis and Maisie mounts a mutiny at this point. Despite having some paracetamol her legs are really aching and she starts crying when we try to get her boots on. Ali dashes off excitedly and we stand there wondering what to do. When I hear another mother shouting at her daughter in a temper because her kid is having a paddy as well I make up my mind to be a little more understanding and not point out to our little darling that it has cost us a load of money and I could kill her for not wanting to go to ski school today. We take her over to the instructors and explain that she is finding it hard, luckily they are so friendly and she manages to dry her tears and sniffles off with “Cat” looking miserable.

It is upsetting and by this point Simon and have missed the 1030 lesson. We decide to practice on the beginners slope and after a few runs I’m also feeling a bit disheartened. The weather is really bad, more than freezing cold, with gusty winds blowing snow everywhere and thick thick fog. The slope is really icy and feels completely different to yesterday and I lose my confidence quickly.

We have a coffee and I decide I’m not going onto the mountain today and will stay with the beginners and repeat yesterdays lesson to get a bit braver. This turns out to be the right thing to do and after another two hours I’m feeling a lot better. Simon goes upto the mountain on the chairlift and Maisie is looking happy now with a few other kids. At the end of the afternoon we all meet up and swap stories. Ali is doing great and has managed to get four hourly lessons on a one to one basis today. This is excellent and should have cost us 400 dollars but as Maisie didn’t hand in one of her lesson tickets yesterday he used that and got 2 hours free.Hurray!

I hope the weather is better tomorrow as the visibility was only about 2 metres and the conditions were hard. I feel pleased that we have managed to do what we have and although I was a chicken this morning I don’t care and I’m glad I’m feeling more confident again now. It isn’t really that hard and I think confidence is a major part so I need to work on that. Don’t feel tired today and I think my boots are better with only one pair of socks. One amazing thing today was that mine and Maisie’s hair froze as did Ali’s eyelashes. Wow! It looked awesome. I told Ali he looked beautiful!! All in all a good day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Its 8pm now and me and the kids are watching A Bugs Life, Simon has gone to the pub to watch the rugby but we didn’t want to brave the cold!

Well by the time we have got all our gear on one thing I know is I won’t be cold. I might be crap but I’ll look warm doing it. We set off about 8.30 and pick up a Japanese fella along the way; there are loads of skint travellers here all hitching a lift to the ski field and we’re hoping to get a few tips. As he hardly spoke any English it didn’t work out that way but he was friendly and grateful for the lift.

We arrive and make our way to the reception area where we pay for our passes, hire of ski’s and boots and lessons. Ali decides he wants to snowboard instead so we sort that out and head to the hire area. The ski boots are so tight I don’t think they will go on but I know they are meant to be really tight and don’t argue when the girl tells me they’re fine. We collect our ski and poles and gingerly pick our way to ski school. Maisie goes off with an instructor called Paul and a 12 year boy Kieran for 1 -2 lessons and Ali gets one on one boarding instruction as he’s the only kid boarding for the first time.

Our instructor is called Bridget and we join a group of 5 first time skiers. We learn how to put the skis on, take them off, tramp sideways and do the wedge. Our lesson is for 2 hours and after an hour we are gliding around on the flat and ready to go up the beginners slope. This is where everything starts to go wrong for me, despite being told not to sit on the pommer lift I must have put some weight on it and ended up falling off and being dragged up the slope. I felt like a right twat and it was all going so well.

I manage to make it up there and we slowly ski to the bottom using the wedge to slow us down. It’s easy, a matter of balance and once we get the hang of turning we seem to do quite well, we go up again and again and by the end of our lesson we feel quite confident. Simon seems to be doing well too, he did fall over more than me but I think this was luck on my part more than any natural ability.

We meet up with the kids at lunchtime; Ali loves it despite spending most of his time on his bum. Snow boarding does look hard and I think skiing is perhaps easier. Maisie looks great, whizzing down the slope like she’s been skiing for years- very brave, I’m impressed! We’ve been surrounded by amazing little kids all morning, racing down and completely putting the adult learners to shame.

At 2pm we have another lesson and it starts to get a bit harder as we get tired. We learn to jump on the skis and ski backwards. (Neither of which I want to do at all!) I fall over for the first time which doesn’t hurt and find getting back up again is really hard. After struggling for a few minutes the instructor has to help me up but as I don’t think I’m any better or worse than anyone else in the group I’m not too worried. He says we can go on the chairlift and up onto one of the slopes but I bottle it mainly because of the height thing on the chairlift. With your legs dangling down it looks horrible and I have watched it stop a few times leaving the skiers suspended in midair. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this and listening to a lovely girl called Kelly from Liverpool who is also shitting herself about going on the chairlift doesn’t really help!

Its 8.30pm now and I’m in bed having had a steak for dinner, 2 glasses of mulled wine and a paracetamol to ease the pain. Although I only fell over twice today I’ve got a few bruises from falling off the lift and I’m feeling knackered. Although it’s easier than I expected, it’s more tiring, guess that bootcamp gym training is the answer after all!
The kids and Simon have also had a good day. Maisie got really tired and when she failed to stop at the end of the slope kind of fell off the end, (A few tears there) Ali is now boarding down the beginners slope looking cool and loving it.

I’m going to sleep now – need to conserve my energy. They say the second day is the hardest – bring it on dude.

We managed to get an extended check out this morning and 3 days of internet use for the price of one, on the basis that it had been a bit hit and miss! Good one Simon. He has been researching the local ski fields avidly for the past few days and we have decided the one that will suit us best is Cardrona which is about an hour from Queenstown and half an hour from Wanaka where we plan to stay.

None of us have skied before and we did think about snow boarding instead as Ali thinks its cooler. After talking to some guy in a shop who told us “skiing is the new snow boarding” we decide initially to try skiing and then change to boarding if we want once we’re on the slopes. We leave Queenstown; a bit sadly as it’s a great place and we’ve really had a good time here and drive over the mountains towards Cardrona. All the reports suggest it will snow on Saturday night which will be good timing for us.

We arrive at Wanaka and check into the Alpine Motel, it has everything the lovely apartment in Queenstown had but not nearly as nice and a bit bleak looking. Still we will be spending all day at the ski resort so it’s not a problem. We are going to arrange a 3 day learner package which includes lift pass, ski and boot hire and 4 lessons. It will cost us in total a bit over 400 hundred quid which doesn’t sound too pricy but we still have to hire ski pants and jackets. In the end we also buy thermal glove linings, socks and lip balm and I give up adding up the cost as it’s too scary!

Well I always wanted to try skiing but have to be the least prepared person ever, have just been looking up skiing tips on the internet and deciding its all over exaggeration I reckon blissful ignorance is the best policy. I probably should be a little more concerned as everyone I know always seems to go into some kind of boot-camp training for at least 6 weeks before their ski trip but on the other hand we’re only going for 3 days, I’ve learnt a bit of ski lingo and how hard can it be?

We spent the morning buying skiing gear, most of the stuff can be hired but we have to buy gloves, goggles and hats and spend ages trying to get decent stuff for not too much.
In the afternoon we decide we will ride the gondola to the top of the mountains, it’s an extreme sport lovers playground up here with luge, ledge swing, bungy and paragliding all available. Ali has decided not to bungy jump and I’m secretly glad although I didn’t say that to him and told him it would be more fun in a few years when he’s travelling with his mates.( Probably true)

We have a go on the luge, the kids and Simon ride 3 times and I go once before escaping to the bar with a glass of red wine. I feel quite pleased that I managed to ride the skyride and gondola without breaking into a sweat or crying, but it wasn’t as high as the one we went on in Singapore.

Back at the apartment we have a quiet evening I make dinner- beef marinated in Pale Ale and we crash out around 11pm after a few phonecalls home on Skype.

We sleep in late today which is good, something we all needed after getting up early for days recently. The kids sit and do some schoolwork for an hour, Maisie does a maths sats paper and Ali concentrates on some of the science areas where he’s still lacking a bit.

At 2pm a fella called Peter comes and collects us in a raised up 4WD all terrain thing. It reminds me of the Hagglund we went on in Christchurch and we bounce off up the road. Peter gives up some good explanations of the history of the area along the way. Queenstown was all but deserted until 1862 when two shearers discovered gold on the banks on the Shotover River and an absolute deluge of prospectors flooded the area. One year later and Queenstown was a mining town with a population of thousands.

We take the breathtakingly scary 4WD only road past Coronet Peak (The ski field) and on towards the Upper Shotover River. One benefit of coming here in such icy conditions is that no one else is mad enough to want to go jet boating in minus 13 degrees (Peter informs us!) and we have the tour and jet boat to ourselves. The road is very narrow, covered in frozen snow and ice and hugs the mountainside and it’s an exhilarating, if nerve wracking experience driving along it. (Almost an extreme sport in itself).

At last we reach the Upper Shotover River and Peter introduces us to Adrian the jet boat fella. I think he thinks we’re a bit mad too and after kitting us out in waterproofs and lifebelts we set off up the river. It’s amazing, we skim along the water, which is full of huge ice blocks and it’s so cold it literally takes our breath away. Luckily the handrail was heated but our faces are so icy I wonder in all seriousness whether we will get frostbite. We pass the spot where Liv Tyler crosses the river on horseback during the chase in Lord of the Rings and Adrian also points out lots of old mining equipment that is slowly being claimed by the river. Apparently Skippers Canyon produced more gold in the mining years than any other gold field in the world.

When we get back we discover that the “Hagglund” has a puncture- shit! I wouldn’t like to get stranded here, there is nothing around and the only way out is back along the treacherous road we’ve just driven. The fellas change it though and soon we are on our way. Peter takes us to the site of the 102 metre Pipeline Bungy. It’s not operating at the moment but we walk out to the platform anyway. Despite my fear of heights I go ok but I don’t think I could jump off there if my arse was on fire. We get back in the truck and continue home. Peter gives us loads of interesting information on the way, telling us about the devastation caused by rabbits and possums to the farming population as well as discussing the impact of tourism on the local community. It’s obvious he adores the land and is very proud to live here and it’s good to hear.

Back at the apartment, we leave the kids and go shopping for dinner. We want to make some decisions about our plans for the next few days. Ali is considering whether to jump the Nevis Highwire Bungy, 134 metres high (Crazy) and we tell him he needs to make up his mind as it takes around 4 hours to get there, do the jump and get back. Settling in for the night with a few beers, we’ve bought Pale Ale by mistake – it’s not lovely Corona but will have to do.

We left Te Anau just gone 10 this morning and set off for Queenstown. It’s described as the extreme sports capital of the world and home of the infamous Nevis Highwire Bungy. As its ski season we are expecting accommodation to be pricey and difficult to find and it turns out to be just that. We try loads of places, some of which look crap and are expensive. Eventually we decide on Oaks Shores Apartment complex, overlooking Lake Wakatipu and the mountains it’s absolutely fantastic. A massive, luxury loft style apartment with loads of mod cons including under floor heating, flat screen telly and 2 ensuite bathrooms- How the other half live.

It’s definitely the most luxurious place we have stayed in on this trip and for 80 pounds a night, a lot but worth it for the spectacular views through the 3 huge windows that make up one wall. We spend the evening in, none of want to go anywhere when it’s so cool here and the kids make us some Mexican food. Even loading the dishwasher seems like a bit of a novelty! How sad are we?!

Off to bed now, not been feeling too well for a few days and want to get a decent night sleep before going jet boating tomorrow.

After checking with the locals that the road to Milford Sound is open and passable we set off about 8.30 am for the 2 hour drive. The road is reputed to be one of the most spectacular in New Zealand and it really is so beautiful along the way. Despite detesting the cold weather I think we are actually seeing the countryside at its best. The awesome mountains topped with snow compete with frozen waterfalls and lakes, frosted trees, grasses and bushland for the prize of prettiest sight.

The mist that is hanging in low sheets across the roads and valleys adds to the eerie and mystical appearance of the landscape. We reckoned that this amazing journey would be overwhelmed with about a billion tourists in the warmer months and we stop along the way loads of times to take photographs, have a snowball fight and grab some massive icicles. There are about 4 other cars on the road and we take it in turns to lead as everyone keeps stopping. We won the race in the end; we said Simon was like Penelope Pitstop.

On the way he tells us about merain fields and the difference between a sound (Formed by river erosion) and a fjord (Formed by glacier erosion) apparently Milford Sound is incorrectly named as it’s actually a fjord. Hmm clever!

We arrive at the cruiseboat terminal and book our tickets for 11.30am. The operators are offering a deal where children go free as its NZ kids winter holiday at the moment so it costs us 110 dollars in total. The boat we have chosen is a smaller boat and there are around 10 people on it. We set off through the fjord and gaze up at the mountains all around. The Captain of the boat tells us that when Captain Cook was chartering New Zealand in the late 1700′s he sailed straight past here. The reason being, that from out to sea the mountains appear to cross over each other and the entrance to the fjord is therefore concealed.

There are 3 waterfalls to see and the lots of evidence of the huge glacier that cut through here. The sides of the mountains are scratched with deep gouges where the rocks carried by the glacier ground the mountain rock away. We learn that glaciers often move quite fast, up to a metre a day and when they finally terminate leave behind many boulders in the merain fields. Interesting. Best of all we see some wild sealions, how cool is that? Lying on a rock their big blubbery bodies spread out and we’re all enchanted.

Its 11pm now and I spent the afternoon reading my book in the warmth. Travelling around New Zealand is quite different to travelling elsewhere. Very easy, everything is mapped out for you. Although the hostels are nice I am beginning to feel a bit like I’m on a school trip, actually I quite like it, I always thought I would suit an institutionalised life. Endless magazines, tv and board games, give it to me.

The beds in New Zealand are so comfortable and it’s a major struggle to drag my lazy arse out today at 9am. I jump in the shower and after a quick breakfast we set off for Milford Sound. First stop of the day is the Gore Moonshine Museum. It’s not very big but I like it in there, finding out about the Scottish descendent locals who brewed illicit whisky here for years following prohibition around the turn of last century. In this part off NZ there are lots of Scottish influences to be seen including a statue of Robert Burns in Dunedin. As the video wasn’t working the lady let us in for free and we spent half an hour examining old stuff before the kids got a bit impatient.

On the way we stop for petrol and Simon chats to the fella who tells us we should consider staying overnight at Te Anau as there isn’t much at Milford Sound. We drive for a few hours through the lovely countryside. Its much more like England here with rolling green hills, loads and loads of sheep (And lots of deer) and thick mist and drizzly rain.

We arrive at Te Anau around lunchtime and check into the YHA hostel. These hostels are really good, very clean and friendly. We heard from some other travellers that they felt some of the hostels in New Zealand are very unwelcoming and that they felt bullied by the hostel staff into booking trips they didn’t want to do, but that hasn’t been our experience at all and all the kiwis we’ve met have been friendly. We go and get some lunch, Simon has a venison burger and we have soup before heading back to the hostel for an afternoon in front of the telly.

Its 9.45pm now, Simon and Ali have gone to watch some rugby at the pub, The All Blacks v South Africa. Come on New Zealand! Hopefully we will at last make it to Milford Sound tomorrow.

Today has been a funny day really. We intended to get out there and see a bit of stuff but it’s really so freezing here that it’s hard to motivate yourself to go out. Despite this we were up early and had a fry up for breakfast before setting off for Otago Peninsula to see the rare yellow eyed penguins, the royal albatross and a seal colony in the wild.

What a disappointment it all turns out to be, we get there and find that the beaches where the wildlife live are owned by farmers who charge what we think is an extortionate amount of money to go and see them. The cost to see the penguins only was 120 dollars and as its icy cold my reaction is basically stuff it up your arse, we can live without seeing them. It is a shame though and we would have happily paid maybe half of that but still, our loss perhaps!

We were told that there are some public beaches on the peninsula where we can possibly see the penguins for free but when we head there we can see from above that the penguins aren’t there and in the end give up. A bit of a waste of time but we have seen some beautiful scenery on the way around the peninsula on the way so all wasn’t lost!

We drive for a few hours to the town of Gore. There isn’t much here although a sign proclaims it to be “The capital of brown trout fishing and country music” – help. We book into a motel which is a really nice place but rather chilly and leave the kids with strict instructions to keep pressing the button on the heater which has a half hour timer on it. Damn them!

The travellers we have met in New Zealand definitely seem to like a few luxuries and everyone us including us carries around any number of large grocery bags. So much for the image of penniless backpackers living on beans on toast, we’ve seen some tasty creations being put together in the kitchens of hostels and we’re no exception. Getting all we need for roast beef with yams and pumpkin, we want some decent food due to the wintry weather and are sick of eating take out. (A miracle for me)

Just watched a program on the telly- “The man with the largest penis in the world”. The highlight of the day.

We woke up to the sound of someone’s kids screeching in the corridor. Bless them, the little monkeys.

We have to go out for breakfast which is a pain but quickly find “Bronx Bagels” and put our orders in. I go last and the kids are outraged when I choose a cinnamon and raisin bagel with banana and nutella. Especially as they had to chose some thing a little healthier- hehe!

We decide to pay the Otago Museum a visit and make a donation of 10 dollars for the pleasure. And it is a pleasure, a really cool museum with loads of interesting galleries and exhibits demonstrating the history of New Zealand, Maori culture and the extinct Moa bird, as well as clothing from around the world, fossils and a large section on the South Pacific Islands. Can’t wait to go to Fiji, The Cook Islands and Tahiti now! The kids enjoyed the practical demonstration by a physiologist called “Grossology- the fight against illness”, which included the making of blood snot and pus, the best!

We want to go and see the latest Harry Potter instalment and when we get to the cinema the film is starting at 3.30. We book our tickets (only 35 dollars and no queue) and get some popcorn, maltesers and coke. Healthy diet these days. Two hours later and we’re out having all enjoyed the bit of escapism.

We have dinner back at the hotel and pay 100 dollars for a crap meal that none of us enjoy. I phone mum and we have a chat before heading off to bed. We’re travelling again tomorrow, heading towards Milford Sound on the west coast.