SYDNEY!

Ive been in Sydney for 6 days and I absolutely love it! Its so chilled out and there's such a wide range of stuff to do. Its pretty easy to navigate you're way round too which is a bonus for someone with a sense if direction like mine.
I got here quite late in the evening on 7th and had a bit of a wander but not much else. The next day was a trip to the blue mountains, which are about an hour outside sydney. They're called the Blue Mountains cos of a blue like haze that hovers over the mountains (which are 10 times older than the Grand Canyon - fun fact #1!). We went to somewhere called Scenic World and the railway there had the steepest incline in the world - fun fact #2! There was a nice walk through a forest and we got some spectacular views of the Three Sisters. That night I had a night out with some people from the trip.
The following day the hostel organised a free BBQ and a walk between Bondi Beach and Bronte Beach which was a lovely day. The weather was fantastic and it was a great way to meet people. This was also where I discovered Goon, which is a really cheap wine sort of thing and it is pretty lethal. We went out again that night too. We went to The Ivy as that night was free entry and it was one of the prettiest bars I've been to. Afterwards we went to an Irish Bar called Scruffy Murphys which I would definitely reccomend. There was a live band playing decent songs and it was cool to mix with the locals too. The next morning I woke up and thought I was dying; the goon is definitely to blame! We all freshened up and forced ourselves out for a walk around Circular Quay to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Afterwards we walked through the botanic Gardens which are stunning and then sunbathed next to the most amazing view of the Bridge and Opera House. That night also involved goon and going out but I didn't last too long. My room mate entered a jelly wrestling competition which was pretty funny.
I also got to meet up with a friend I'd made in New Zealand and we unintentionally got to see The Rocks and some less touristy places after we'd got lost. I also went to Paddy Markets which were awesome; think Camden but a bit smaller. That night we went to go and watch some fireworks over the harbour and they were actually really good fireworks. Afterwards we went to a cute little roof top bar.
I've spent my last day relaxing at Darling Harbour which is absolutely stunning on a day like today. It was 23° and the sun was shining. I could definitely get used to it here.
And now for fun fact #3 - at every McDonalds you can get a cone of ice cream for 30 cents!
Tonight I'm off on a night bus to Byron Bay so that's saved on accommodation but other than that I've not got anything planned. As great as the Kiwi Experience was I definitely think I prefer the independence over here.

A chilled out few days and a dramatic bus journey

I've spent the last few days staying with some friends in Opunake which is in the Taranaki region. Its been a lovely relaxed few days and a nice end to my New Zealand trip. After getting picked up at the bus stop I got taken to a little museum all about the introduction of the Europeans to this area of New Zealand. It was really interesting actually and included a little water boat ride which sailed through scenes made up of plastic people. Think Madame Tussauds but Maori.
I can't begin to explain how nice it was to actually be in a home with a room to myself with access to proper showers and towels. After a delicious tea of lamb chops and roast veg we settled down to watch Life of Pi on a big projector screen. That night was probably the best nights sleep I've had in a month! The house was incredible too, as I kept on telling them, it was wonderfully laid out, brightly coloured and the kitchen just about had everything you could dream of. The next day we drove to New Plymouth as the weather was terrible and did a bit of shopping.
Today I've got an 8 hour bus journey back to Auckland and its been pretty eventful. Firstly, the driver wouldn't let me put my backpack with all the others as they were 'busy' but the bus was only half full. After I'd taken my seat at the back as this was the only place with enough room for everything I was carrying, a lady goes "you're in for a rough ride; he's a maniac". He'd apparently already hit part of a building. All in all he was a very risky, speedy driver and his gear changes were sloppy. Some ladies on the bus got that worked up with his driving they called the police, which I thought was pretty unnecessary. They could just have asked him to calm it down a bit but they wanted a different driver. An hour after phoning, the police eventually pulled the bus over and it was clear they thought this was a waste of time too. The police officer asked if anyone was unhappy with the bus driver and about half the bus raised their hands. She then asked if anyone was that unhappy they wanted to get off the bus, none of the ladies who'd complained actually left. The police had a word with the driver as there was nothing else they could really do. If anything, phoning the police was counter productive as the driver had to go faster to make up for lost time.
Anyway, its my last night in NZ and I'm pretty sad to leave as I've had such a great time. On the other hand I'm looking forward to a new adventure in Australia! I cant believe I'm half way through this trip down under already
Xxx

Christchurch and Kaikoura

From Queenstown it was a 9 hour journey to Christchurch which wasn't ideal and when we got there it was freezing cold so no one was in a particularly good mood. Christchurch seems to be dominated by roadworks and other building developments which is understandable. In February 2011 the very centre of Christchurch got the full brunt of an earthquake. It hit around lunch time so understandably a lot of damage was done. As ignorant as this sounds I was expecting more to have been done in 2 and a half years. Apparently it will take 10 to 15 years to complete all the work. Like I said we arrived late afternoon and went for a walk and into the Red Zone, most of the shops and cafes have been set up in shipping containers which make it look quite cute. The problem was everywhere was deserted and/or closed. So overall I wasn't impresses with Christchurch but I wasnt there long enough to make a proper judgement. I met someone who had been couch surfing there and he'd had a great time, there were bars in old school buses!
My throat had been a bit scratchy for a day or two and when I woke up to leave for Kaikoura I had developed a full blown cold so I haven't really been up to much. Kaikoura itself is a really cute little town and some of the stops we did along the way would have been nice to stay for a few days. There is an abundance of wildlife in Kaikoura and we stopped at a seal colony and got within a metre of some so that was pretty cool. There are loads of other activities to do like Whale Watching, Dolphin Swimming and Swimming with seals. I really wanted to do Dolphin Swimming but deemed it daft with my current state of health. However, the people that did do it said it was incredible as they were wild dolphins so hopefully I'll get to do something similar in Australia. You could also go Cray fishing which sounded awesome as for $80 you got to catch your own crayfish (or a few of youre lucky) and loads of other seafood and then cook it all. Given the price of a whole Cray fish can be as high as $90 this was a bargain.
We went out to a pub quiz that night and I sampled some of the local mussels that were quite nice but didn't stay out too long as I started to feel worse.
The next day I literally felt like I was dying so slept the majority of the journey back up to Wellington which totalled another 9 hours including a ferry crossing.
I'm spending my last few days in the Taranaki area visiting some old friends we used to know in Saudi Arabia so that should be a nice few days of nostalgia. I also need to get some nights accommodation booked for Sydney as I'll be there in 4 days.
In totally unrelated news, I finally confirmed university choices so in September I will be an Adult Nursing student at Kings College London. Its pretty exciting and I've already started planning all the stuff I'm going to need to buy. Aaaand if any of my friends are reading this I'm expecting you all to come visit as it'd be a relatively cheap holiday!
Xxx

Milford Sound

On pur last day in Queenstown Laura, Hollie and myself took a day trip to Milford Sound with Juicy Tours. It was a looong trip, working out at 13 hours arriving back to the hostel at 9pm.
There were several stops along the way for photo opportunities and toilet breaks. The drive to Milford had some gorgeous scenery and Milford itself was beautiful too. The cruise took an hour and a half, on the way we stopped at a seal colony but they weren't particularly interesting as they were too busy catching the rays. The boat also went right up close to a waterfall where me and Laura thought itd be hilarious to stay out on deck and get sprayed. It wasn't as funny as we thought it would be!
Its difficult to explain what it was like so I shall show you through the medium of photographs.....

Queenstown

Queenstown is possibly my favourite stop in New Zealand up to now, its got a really homely feel to it and there's always stuff going on. I ended up spending five nights here and have had the best time. Its the kind of place I could happily live for a few months and get a job. We got here on the Friday evening and went for a bit of a wander before going on a night out for one of the girls birthdays. In fact, I've been out every night so I'll be feeling a bit rough for a few days. We pretty much went to 2 places as they sold cheap drinks and one of them, called Cowboys had a mechanical bull and karaoke which was a laugh.
The Saturday was spent having a nice walk around a local market which was right next to the lake and getting our bearings and then going out again that night.
Sunday was a pretty big day as a few of us were doing the Nevis Bungy Jump. Its 134m high and is the highest in the southern hemisphere. Its expensive (even with the Kiwi Experience discount) and works out at $300 including some photos and videos but I'd still definitely recommend doing it. It doesn't last long at all but is the most amazing experience. I wasn't too scared until I was all kitted out and shuffling to the platform. The best thing to do is to not think about and just jump but I thought about it too much so had to have several countdowns before I actually jumped. After that initial fear it's honestly the best sensation; you feel like you're flying. I think I preferred it to sky diving in a way as there was a greater sense of freedom, just wish it lasted longer! Afterwards we celebrated with a Fergburger, which is kind of a Queenstown legend. Its an old family business but became pretty famous and a must do. They do all sorts of burgers, several varieties of beef and chicken with different accompaniments, a venison, a lamb, a pork and a fish burger. There toppings, relishes and bread just make it all better too. There was this place called CookieTime too and you can see a photo of me and Rachel with their mascot.
Monday was spent walking around the gardens and playing Frisbee golf with some people who I'd met in The Bay of Islands and then feeding the ducks.  Some of the others did the gondola walk but the general consensus was that it was more of a hike. That night we went to watch a live band at the bar but didn't stay out too long.
On Tuesday 3 of us headed out to Milford Sound but I'll do a separate post about that.
Afterwards we went out again as it was some of our last nights so that was cute.
I apologise for the lack of photos, they're mainly from nights out! As much as I love New Zealand its getting quite cold as its coming into their winter so I'm looking forward to some warmth and sunshine in Australia (which is now less than a week away)! If anyone reading this has any tips of where to go or what to do on the east coast then pleeease let me know :)
Xxx

Helicopters and Glacier Hikes

Franz Josef is home to one of the largest glaciers in New Zealand and you get the opportunity to hike up it. Tuesday saw an early wake up call and a group of 9 were at the glacier hike office by 8:30am. Everyone was kitted out with waterproof trousers and jackets, hats, mittens and massive boots. Once again the weather wasn't on our side so after a masterclass on how to put crampons on we were told that the walk wasn't going ahead. However, someone obviously thought it was worth a try and 5 minutes later we were told that actually we were going to do the walk in about 40 minutes. This person was obviously psychic as within half an hour the sun was shining and blue patches of sky could be seen. The glacier is no longer at its prime and its length has slowly been getting shorter and shorter. Its been estimated that within 100 years it will be half its original length. I doubt thousands and thousands of people clambering over it every year really helps either.
Anyway, to reach some of the best ice you need to take a 10 minute helicopter journey which was one of the most exciting things for me. It was a pretty weird sensation, almost like you're floating and my ears kept on popping. It's totally different from planes and I'd quite like to learn how to fly one actually. When you reach the I've you have to slip and slide down some steps that have been cut into the ice to put your crampons on. With a sense of balance as bad as mine this was quite the challenge. They're quite effective though and walking on ice was quite easy, the crampons do make your feet and ankles hurt after a while.
The ice was seriously spectacular though, it forms all sorts or shapes. There are crevices hand water holes dotted around so you have to watch out for them go avoid injury. there were some really cool holes and caves we got to climb through too. We were up on the ice for about 3 hours and it rained for the last hour. Luckily, the water proofs did their jobs properly and the rain made it feel more authentic with a bigger feel of adventure. It was such an incredible experience and definitely worth the wait.
With our ticket we also got free entry into the hot pools across the road from the hostel. After lunch and an afternoon of watching YouTube videos we headed out to the hot pools for a few hours. There were 3 pools; 36° 38° and 40°, the latter only being bearable for about 15 minutes. Most of the time was spent in 38° playing games such as Snaps, the Moon Game, the Train Game and the Ball game. For anyone that doesn't know what these are, they are mind games where you have to guess the rules. They are designed to confuse children but had many of the group absolutely baffled. I felt like a god when I figured out the rules. Afterwards we headed back to the hostel for a pizza feast with garlic bread and chips, don't think I've ever felt so full and sick. The pizzas were delicious though and it included a free drink. All round it was a fantastic day apart from the fact I had stomach cramps due to the over consumption of pizza.
Our next stop was Wanaka and on the way we stopped off at a beautiful walk where you could see the Fox Glacier; check out the photos! We eventually arrived in Wanaka and set ourselves up in the hostel. Lake Wanaka was a 2 minute walk from the hostel so me and Alex decided to go for a dip. It was absolutely freezing and we got to the stage of cold where our skin was stinging. We only managed 2 bombs off the floating platform before we got too cold.
Wanaka is actually really nice and in summer I bet its amazing!
The scenery in this part of the south island is stunning too; rolling mountains and glistening lakes. We're off to Queenstown tomorrow and I'm there for 5 nights as its supposed to be amazing so I'm super excited! It'll be quite nice to stay in the same place for more than a few nights too.
Xxx

The South Island

The ferry journey from Wellington to Picton took 3 and a half hours and that was followed by a loooong bus journey to Kaiteriteri. Me, James, Rachel and Alex had decided to spend 2 nights here as it was the entrance to Abel Tasman National park. We only got to the hostel quite late so couldn't really do anything too exciting but we did make fajitas which were awesome. The next day 2 of us went for a bit of an hours walk around some of the beaches and clambered over some rocks which was fun. We timed it right as when we came back for some lunch it started to lash it down and we were all feeling a bit tired so ended up having a duvet day watching Lord of the Rings. I am absolutely gutted that we didn't get into the park but the weather was just awful and it was expensive to get the water taxi to some of the walks. Abel Tasman is one of the oldest and smallest National Parks but is also supposed to be the prettiest. Hopefully I'll be able to come back in the future.
The next day we hopped on the bus to Westport and the weather was still horrible. The hostel wasn't too bad though. It was a really chilled independent hostel called Bazils and had quite a homely feel so it was nice. The worst thing was the cost of internet - $10 for a day is ridiculous! The others went surfing whilst I went for a wander about the shops. That evening we cooked tea and had a nice chat with some guys who were studying in Auckland and travelling in between. One of them was taking a class in the haka so we were all quizzing him on that and watching videos of classes and stuff so it was another relaxed evening.
The next day we headed out to Lake Mahinapua to somewhere called the Poo Pub. On the way we did a walk to a Seal Colony and there were quite a few pups. I really wanted to take one home as they were THE cutest things I've ever seen. The night was effectively fancy dress night where everyone got really drunk and bonded as a group. We didn't get out to see the beach or lake as it was still pissing it down. It was a hilarious night though and looking back at the pictures was a good laugh. It was a struggle getting up in the morning and on the way to Franz Josef we stopped off at somewhere called The Bushmans Centre. It was one of the weirdest places I've ever been and the people who ran it were off their heads. It was all about the introduction and history of deer farming in NZ but there were possum skins everywhere and it was just horrible.
We made it to Franz Josef eventually and its a town effectively made up of 2 roads but there are some fantastic walks and glaciers around.
The weathers starting to look up so touch wood it stays that way and I can get something resembling a tan!
Xxx

P.s the drivers are really cool too, check out Cuddles who got involved in the fancy dress!