Am now at Christchurch Airport waiting to start the journey home so this will probably be the last posting. Will be stopping in Dubai for a couple of days but that does very little for me unless I can get to see the old arab who builds big wooden boats on the beach.

Monday 24th November. On the drive up to Mark & Sue's farm at Happy Valley near Methven we stop at Bob Lynn's house to collecta signed copy of his book "Woodwork - My first seventy years". Found him in his workshop so took lots of pictures. It was very difficult to get away from him as he is stone deaf and wants to tell everybody of his life history. Dear old fellow and could have spent all day with him and learnt a lot if we had had the time. Drive on accross the Canterbury plains with dead straight roads for about 30kms. Find the farm without any difficulty. Mark takes us on a guided tour of the farm. 1600 acres. Beef Sheep (thousands) Barley Wheat and lots of grass. Unlike many of the farms on the plain he does not irregateand relies upon the slightly higher rainfall that occures close to Mount Hutt.He has linked two adjoining farms that occupy the terraces beside the river Rakaia. The terraces have been created by glacial action and it is an intriguing landscapeOver the millenia the top soils on the north side of the river have been blown by the prevailing wind and deposited on the terraces on the south side of the river. Mark has a hydroelectric power plant at the bottom of the farm which is powered by water in a 66KMS canal built in the depression. The electricity company sellswater to the farms through which the canal passes for the irrigation of the plains. Mark has just concluded a deal with the company that will facilitate the extension of the system. He has three working dogs and runs the whole show with the help ofjust one employee - a 70 year old Malayian war veteron who can't stop working.He also employs two men in their 60's for two months a year to do just fencing. The farm looks to be in very good order but a drop of rain would do a power of good to improve the growth of the grass for silage. Mark and Sue left Sussex to come out here 11 years ago since when they have managed to create a very successful farming enterprise out of farms that were very run down when they bought them. They have had their set backs from time to time such as devastating hail storms and snow storms. Sue'smother Heather is staying with them at present. H and M were friends as teeagers so had plenty to talk about. We stayed the night with them and Mark and I were able to put the world to rights and compare notes on farming today compared with farming in the thirties when my father and his grandfather farmed adjoining farms at Rogate in the very bad old days of farming. A blessed rain in the night and the river is running very high by the morning.

Tuesday 25th November. Our last whole day in NZ. Say our goodbyes to Mark and family and drive to Akaroa on the most extraordinary volcanic peninsular South East of Christchurch named by Capt Cook as Banks Island (He did not realise then that it is not an island) after Banks, the botanist he had onboard Endeavour at the time. Akoroa was founded by French settlers on the side of the flooded crater making a wonderful sheltered harbour. There is a strong French flavour to the place. Very picturesque. main tourist attraction is boat trips to swimwith or look at Dolphins. I watched a fishing boat unload its catch after three days at sea. Soles, Flounders and Brill all very good size. The boat trip was fully booked as the morning trip had been cancelled due to high winds soM not too disappointed as it would have been 'tippy'. We are booked into a self contained studio flat in a private house half way up the mountain side with a great view out over the village and harbour. Spend a lazy afternoon looking around the little local museum and doing some retail therapy. Cant get a table for dinner until 8.30 so the Gin o'clock hour gets extended during which time a good foundation for dinner is laid down particularly as we have to finish the gin tonight. We have to share a table in the restaurant with a couple of young chinese students on holiday from Sidney University and we enjoy eack other's company. The girl tells M that she reminds her of her mother! they are fromShanghi and get no grant from the Chinese Govmt. so we conclude that they must have wealthy parents to be able to support them at Uni and to take holidays. They are only children of course. The mealwas very good indeed - one of the best of the whole trip - and we share each others dishes. The place has tons of atmosphere as every bit of space on the walls and the ceiling have been covered with graffiti by customers over a period of 12 years. Most comments complimentary. There is a chef proprietor and his wife does all the waiting (32 covers -double sitting) and they only have one other in the kitchen. Not too expensive but the wine prices a a triffle high.

Wednesday 26th November., Drive toairport via Lyttleton - the old port of Christchurch and still used for commercial traffic. there is an interesting "time ball" here which was used in the olden days to signal to the ships in the harbour the exact Greewich meantime once a day. Breath a great sigh of relief when able to return the hire car without a scratch.