The West Coast of New Zealand's South Island is a wild and fascinating part of the country. This tour itinerary, the tour operators and the places described in this book are very real, however; the storyline is a fabricated version of events that may or may not have happened during the tour; after all, what happens on tour stays on tour, if you catch my drift. Likewise, the people are a mishmash of the hundreds of wonderful personalities I have met during my 15 years as a tour operator and tour guide. Jump on board and join Tess and Richard as they navigate their way through the tour.