You were probably expecting a snowy landscape or wildlife image this month after the unprecedented falls of snow we have had so far this winter but alas I missed it all having spent the past month in New Zealand. And a very enjoyable holiday it was too. Now I know we get our fair share of wet weather here in Scotland but having endured over 36 hours of torrential rain I can testify that Milford Sound on NZ's South Island is officially one of the wettest places on the planet accumulating a staggering 14m of rain per annum! We took an amazing boat trip during the rain and the amount of water tumbling from the sheer cliffs of the Sound had to be seen to be believed. By the following morning the clouds had begun to lift and for the first time in three days we could see the big view. Understandably popular with tourists, Milford Sound attracts over 100 coach loads of people each day. What amazed me however was the lack of commercialism. Yes there are a plethora of boat tours operating endlessly but there was no cafe, no tacky souvenir shops - just a solitary postcard stand. Very refreshing.