story idea:

A friend going traveling goes missing somewhere in New Zeland. Main character goes off in search of them.

Protagionaist is a computer programmer working in some unspecified city. Busy saving for a house and completly tired of his job. Wakes up one morning to hear the news report 2 backpackers gone missnig in NZ. His friends/former lover/ family, something. Nothing happens with the investigation so he decides to quit the job, take the money he has saved and his abbility to get stand by tickets and heads off in search of them. Armed with just Emails and the odd letter heads to NZ. When he gets down there he soon finds out why there is no movement on the case, the trail is dead cold. He decides that in order to find out what has happened he must back track, retrace the journy this couple have taken, via south america.

Start to tell the story of their journey, the poeple they meet along the way, something that sparks them off on an adventure of their own (trying to find something), have our protaginist havve to do the same, get the same clues, find the sane thing. And see if this leads him to his friends.

(flesh out more later)