The Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga and Auckland

From Auckland I went North up the aptly named ‘Northland’ to Paihia and the bay of islands. On the way we made some great stops at a newly opened Maori replica village where we saw another version of the haka and learnt lots more about the Maori culture and how they lived before the European settlers arrived. After lunch we went to a bird sanctuary and met Sparky the one legged kiwi, which is the only kiwi in NZ that it’s legal to stroke. He was very cute!! Robert who runs the sanctuary takes Sparky all over NZ to teach children about Kiwi’s and how they can help in preserving them! When we got in Paihia we were our drivers experiment group and he took us fishing…turned out a bit stressful for him as we weren’t very good and kept losing our bait on the rocks! I however caught the biggest fish (which me and kat cooked up into a fish pie a few days later!) and I won the $50 bar tab…lovely!! The next day, slightly tired and hungover we went on our tour up to Cape Reinga, the very northern point of NZ. On the way we drove along 90 mile beach and stopped to do some dune surfing (pretty scary but very fun!) where you climb up the steep dunes and slide down on boogie boards to the bottom clinging on with only your feet as brakes!! From Cape Reinga you got some amazing views, especially when the sun was shining! On the way back to Paihia we stopped an ancient Kauri forest where they used to mine for gum years ago from the giant kauri trees. We also made a stop at a fish and chip shop to get (supposedly) the best fish and chips in New Zealand…they were pretty good and had a beautiful view over the water and the sunset. Exhausted after the trip it was early to bed that night!

For the last few days in Paihia I explored the beaches and took a slightly longer than expected walk to a waterfall through a mangrove forest. It was nice to chill in one place for a while with such beautiful scenery (and take advantage of their hot tub).

When we got back to Auckland I finally got to explore the ‘City of Sails’ and have wondered all over the CBD and the down by the waterfront. Yesterday afternoon I went up the Sky tower (the highest building in the Southern hemisphere) and watched the sun go down over Auckland which was beautiful. Today as it’s my last day in New Zealand (and civilisation for a bit!) I’m sorting a few bits out and chucking out as much as possible from my overflowing backpack! I’ve absolutely loved New Zealand though (as you probably can tell!) and I’d recommend it to anyone to come and visit. Next stop is the Cook Islands to spend 2 weeks lazing around on a beach in the sun (fingers crossed on the sun bit) before heading back over to the USA!

Only one month to go til I’m back home and very excited to see you all then!

Lots of Love

Ro

X x x x x x

Wellington, Raglan, Waitomo caves, Maori evening, Rotorua, Lake Taupo and National Park

My few days in Wellington were lovely and I really enjoyed wandering around the city. Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum was beyond doubt the best museum I’ve ever been to and you literally got lost in there for hours! I took a trip up on the Wellington cable car to the botanical gardens which also gave a great view of the city. The following day I walked around Cuba street with its quirky shops and cafes and the bucket fountain I’d heard so much about! In the afternoon we went on a Lord of the Rings tour as Wellington was the 1st place they used for filming and the production studio was based. It was very cool to see some of the places they used as sets (even if you really did have to use your imagination!) and recreate some of the scenes. Watching the boys pretend to be a black rider on his horse was very amusing!

The next day I embarked on the 12 hr bus trip up to Auckland before catching my bus to start the North island tour. Our 1st stop was Raglan on the west coast which was beautiful! We stayed right up in the rainforest with a view of the sea and spent the afternoon on the beach trying to avoid the sandflies. The following day we headed to the Waitomo caves, a huge network of caves under what looks like regular fields and hills. Most of our bus and I opted for the Tooma Tooma blackwater tubing where you combine climbing and crawling through the caves in some very sexy wetsuits and wellies with tubing through certain sections staring up at the glow worms that live on the roof of the cave. Great fun if a little claustrophobic at times!

Our stop that night was at Uncle Boy’s Marae, a traditional Maori house where we had a traditional Hangi meal and then watched children from the village performing traditional songs and the haka! We then got split in girls and boys and the girls learnt to dance with the poi (they look a bit like onions on strings!) and the boys learnt to do the haka. They definitely made it look easier than it was but we all gave it our best shot! The following day the bus stopped in Rotorua where we walked around the geothermal pools and dipped our feet in one of the swimming baths (holding our noses against the lovely smell!) On the way to Taupo we stopped to swim in a stream heated by the geothermal activity which was pretty toasty before walking to another huge waterfall. At Taupo we found out the weather would be too bad the next day to do the Tongariro crossing which was a huge shame as I’d heard it was amazing! It seems to be really 50/50 with people I’ve met whether they’ve been able to do it or not though and some people have come back 3 or 4 times before they’ve been able too! Because we then didn’t have to get up at 5am we went out to some of the local bars including an Irish bar with a very enthusiastic live band which was great fun!

The next day on the way into the national park we stopped in some more geothermal areas and our driver cooked us lunch of sausages and kumara (a bit like a sweet potato) in a hole in the ground which was definitely interesting! We were then determined to do a bit of walking so set off on a 2 hr walk in the pouring rain to a waterfall and all ended up getting entirely soaked!! Luckily at our lovely accommodation that night we had a hot tub so could warm up in that! It was back on the bus heading north the next day back up to Auckland.

Wanaka, Queenstown, Doubtful Sound, Mt Cook, Rangitata and to the North Island

Our next stop was Lake Wanaka which was a little way inland from Franz Josef on the way to Queenstown. On the way we had some very scenic stops at the famous ‘mirror’ Lake Matheson (shame the drizzle made it a bit blurry) and at a beach for lunch where we saw very rare Hectare dolphins with their curved dorsal fins. When we got to Wanaka we had a wander around the cute town and to the lake. In the evening there was a battle of the buses between us and Kiwi Experience (we were cheated!) which was great fun! The next morning we anxiously looked out the window and saw bright blue sky’s (much to Nicola’s disgust) which meant we could do our skydive!! Very excited but a little terrified, myself, Katie and Nicola heading over to the airport to be prepped before jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft at 15,000 ft!! We couldn’t have asked for better weather and the view was stunning as we went up in the plane looking out over Lake Wanaka and the beautiful snowcapped mountains surrounding it. The only bit that I felt nervous at was when they opened the plane door and I realised I actually had to jump out of a plane! It happened so quickly though that as soon as we were falling I completely forgot about being nervous and tried to smile for the guy with the camera! It was absolutely amazing and I would definitely do it again. We also found out a fun fact a few days later that when Orlando Bloom was in NZ filming Lord of the Rings he also did a skydive at Wanaka…I possibly jumped out the same plane as Legolas!! When we got down to the ground we got to pick the music for our dvd’s (I’ll show you all when I get back…it’s hilarious!) and then got picked up by our bus who all cheered when we got on!

That afternoon we got into Queenstown which was beautiful. It’s got the real feel of a quaint ski resort and has beautiful views over the lake and of the mountains called ‘The Remarkables’ in the distance (used in Lord of the Rings!) In the evening we went out for pizza and drank cocktails out of teapots at World Bar. Nice and early the next morning me and Nicola set off on our bus out of Queenstown to Fiordland National Park to go on our very sophisticated cruise of Doubtful Sound. First we took a ferry across Lake Manapouri before getting a coach (with a v. monosyllabic coach driver) across to the port at Doubtful Sound. The scenery along the whole trip was absolutely stunning and the food they put on was absolutely amazing!! We sailed along for a few hours (experiencing every type of weather) before going out on a smaller boat to have a look at the land closer in. In the evening we saw the beautiful sunset over the water before enjoying an all you can eat buffet for dinner (complete with amazing deserts!). We got woken up at 6.45 with the anchor being raised and looking out our porthole (yes we had a porthole!) it was completely black outside. Another all you can eat breakfast before heading out outside to see the Bay of silence and see the dolphins swimming along with the boat. We also saw very briefly a blue penguin swimming along! It was so peaceful and quiet at Doubtful (we were the only boat there) it seemed strange to head back to Queenstown but we soon made up for it with a slightly impromptu night out with everyone from our Stray bus which ended up at 4am at Fergburger. Good times!

The next morning feeling slightly worse for wear we went up the gondola to watch our friend Michele do the ledge swing (it looked terrifying!) and also see the stunning views of Queenstown. It was snowing when we got up there which made it seem even more like a ski resort. Back in the town we took a wander around and walked through the beautifully autumnal park before heading to Fergburger for dinner (For people who haven’t been to Queenstown you have to go just to go to Fergburger! They are amazing burgers bigger than your hand which are famous throughout NZ and delicious!)

The following day I jumped on a new Stray bus over to Mount Cook through some more beautiful scenery. Everywhere in New Zealand is so different and I’ve taken hundreds of pictures! That night we stayed in a beautiful lodge that overlooked Mt Cook (NZ’s highest mountain) which is currently covered in snow. In the evening we took part in the most random pub quiz and didn’t do too well! We had a nice leisurely start the next day before driving over to Lake Tekapo which was a beautiful turquoise colour where we stopped for lunch. Our accommodation that night is a replacement for Christchurch since the earthquake and was literally in the middle of nowhere on a sheep farm but it was very quaint with a log fire, free chocolate pudding for desert and the strangest 3 tier bedbunks I’ve ever seen! We had a great movie night complete with ‘The Holiday’ (not the boy’s choice) and popcorn.

 The next morning we began heading back up the coast to Christchurch to drop a load of people off before driving up to Kaikoura again. Yesterday we got the ferry over from Picton to Wellington (it was really choppy!) where I’m now spending a few days before going up to Auckland to start my tour of the North Island.

I’m absolutely loving New Zealand and reading this epic blog post back (if you’ve read it all I’m impressed!) I’ve realised how much of New Zealand I’ve seen and how much I’ve loved it so far….you should all come!

Speak soon! All my love,

Ro

X x x x x x

Abel Tasman National Park, Punakaiki and Franz Joseph Glacier

So, after staying the night in Picton I was picked up by the next Stray bus which had come over on the Ferry from the North island and we headed on over to the Abel Tasman National Park via Nelson. On the way we stopped at a Vineyard to do some wine tasting (very nice) and at the airport to look at some microlite planes before checking in at Old Macdonalds farm for 2 nights in our little huts overlooking the park. The next day we set off nice and early for our 12.9km walk through the park to Anchorage, past all the lovely golden sandy beaches and lush greenery. Shame the weather was not at its best because the scenery would have been even more gorgeous in the sunshine. Nevertheless it was very pretty and after lunch at Anchorage we hopped on a water taxi back to the town to avoid the approaching storm clouds (and having to do the walk back!).  It was a very quiet little place so not much action in the evenings other than tv watching so had some good early nights! The next day we hopped on the bus to head down to the west coast, stopping at the aptly named Cape Foulwind to walk round and see some seals. At Punakaiki we stopped to see the stunning pancake rocks and blowholes before heading over to our slightly strange hostel for the evening with beds on the floor and a giant rock in the kitchen! I also got attached by a Weta (looks a bit like a giant grasshopper) while sat checking my emails that climbed up my leg and wouldn’t let go! I screamed so loud the lady from reception ran over to see what the problem was (she also screamed when she saw it!) but luckily got rid of it for me!

The next morning we headed to Franz Josef via a very odd Bushman museum where we watched a video in which fully grown men in shorts jumped out helicopters onto deer to catch them and put them in deer farms…complete with theme tune…very odd! At our ‘Rainforest retreat hostel’ we went to the bar to play bingo and have a few happy hour drinks. In the morning we got up nice and early to go up the glacier. Recently the glacier collapsed at the bottom end so now the only way you can walk on it is to go up by helicopter. This means they are reliant on the weather and unluckily for us there was too much cloud for us to go up. Very disappointing as we got dressed up in the sexy climbing gear (twice!) and got so close to going up we saw the helicopter land. Instead we took a shuttle and then walked over so we could at least see the glacier which was nice (it’s shrinking quite rapidly unfortunately) before heading back to the hostel to go in the hot tub!

New Zealand!! Christchurch, Kaikoura and Picton

Arrived in a very nippy New Zealand on thursday night and checked into my hostel in Christchurch. Went to the mall next day to get myself a new camera (yey!) and some warmer clothes to stop me freezing to death! Had a little wander around the city and its such a shame that the earthquakes have caused so much damage. Much of the city centre is still closed and there are so many building cornered off as unsafe or being knocked down. The next day I started my Stray bus trip and hopped on to my 1st bus to Kaikoura. As recommended by a girl I met in Aus I signed up for the wild dolphin swimming there which was absolutely amazing...one of the best things I've ever done! You get suited up in winter wetsuits with boots, hoods, gloves and jackets to keep you warm in the winter water (I looked super sexy!) and then they take you out in the boats. Because of a rift in the plates out to sea (which makes lots of nutrients and smaller fish available apparently) there is an abundance of wildlife in this part of the coast which is why they are really successful with their whale and dolphin watching trips. We saw a small humpback whale and a sperm whale on our trip and also lots of seals and albatross's which was an added bonus...along with the hundreds of dolphins! Because the dolphins are completely wild they don't entice them by feeding them etc...they just drop you in the ocean with a snorkel where they are and if you look interesting the dolphins will swim around you! They encourage you to make lots of noise to encourage them and swim around in circles (we must have looked ridiculous to the crew!) but it worked and in the course of about an hour we had so many dolphins swimming around us, under us, jumping over us...it was amazing!! I would absolutely recommend it anyone coming to this part of New Zealand! When we finally had to get out of the water it was freezing so we had to quickly get changed and drink hot chocolate before going to take some pictures!

Back on dry land we stayed one night there before travelling over to Picton where I'm staying tonight before getting on a new bus tomorrow! The bus timetables are proving a little confusing but I hope I've got it all sorted now so that I can fit everything in I want to! So far the scenery has been absolutely stunning...picture postcard worthy shots around every bend in the road! Can't wait to see some more!

Lots of love to you all!

Ro

x x x x x x

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

Spent one night in Airlie beach which was lovely! Went to the lagoon in the day with a few girls I'd met at Rainbow Beach and then we cooked a very healthy veggie Risotto for dinner. The next day I went on my one day Whitsunday trip on an ocean raft. The boat was quite small and zipped over water incredibly quickly...it was quite terrifying at times! The 1st stop was to do some snorkelling by a some coral reef on the edge of an island. Saw some beautiful fish but this was unfortunately where my camera decided to give up being waterproof and a little bit of water got in! Such a shame but considering I'd had it for 3 1/2 years it hasn't done too badly!! Then went over to the gorgeous Whitehaven beach which was absolutely stunning. Saw hundreds of tiny crabs scuttling back into the water as we walked towards them and headed up to the look out to see the famous view over the beaches which looked like this (though not so sunny!)

We then moved on down the beach to have lunch and spend some time relaxing before heading back to the mainland on another high speed journey (ending in a few doughnuts and lots of holding on for dear life!) Next stop was a few nights in Cairns where I took a day trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef. Such a great experience and even though I was only snorkelling (a few people went diving) I still managed to see 2 turtles, clown fish, parrot fish, sting rays and so many other brightly coloured fish and coral it was fantastic! Took some pics on a disposable camera so hoping to get that developed along the way and see if I managed to get any good ones! The next day it was time to say goodbye to Australia and fly over to the much chillier New Zealand!

Byron Bay, Caloundra, Brisbane and Fraser Island!

Had a great time at Byron Bay and actually got one day of sunshine which was amazing!! Walked up to a lighthouse where you could see some beautiful views of the beaches and some groups of dolphins surfing the waves! Met some great people in the hostel and had some great nights out at the infamous Cheeky Monkeys where you dance on these giant metal tables! Next I took a bus to Brisbane just for one night before heading up to Caloundra, a smaller town on the sunshine where I stayed with my dad's cousin Jean and her husband Pete who have retired out here in a beautiful house right overlooking a river! It was absolute luxury to have my own room and ensuite bathroom with an amazing view and Jean and Pete did a great job taking me to look at lots of the local area. Went for a walk in the rainforest where I saw 3 Paddymelons (little kangaroos!) which were v cute! They are spoilt for choice with the beaches in the area and inland there are beautiful mountains too! After spending a few days with them I jumped back on the Greyhound bus to Rainbow beach to start my 3 day tour of Fraser Island!

I was very lucky to have a great group of people in my 4 x 4...6 girls and one boy (bless him!) and we had such a good time. The tour group get split into cars which you take turns driving across the beaches, sand dunes and through the rivers around the island. It was such a beautiful island and I would really recommend to anyone thinking about it to do the self drive tour rather than going in a big tour bus...the driving was part of the whole experience especially our dj skills...so much backstreet boys! While we were there we went to Indian's head with a great view over the sea (we didn't see any sharks though), a ship wreck that's half buried in the sand, the champagne pools where huge waves crash over the rocks to make the bubbles and Lake wabby which is a lake contained by the biggest sand dune I've ever seen!! We stayed for 2 nights in dorm style accomodation on the beach and had parties on the beach the 1st night and a bonfire the 2nd night...fuelled by plenty of goon!

Now I'm back in Rainbow beach waiting to get a bus up to Airlie beach to go to the Whitsundays, then up to Cairns for a trip out on the barrier reef and then New Zealand on thursday! Time is zipping by but really looking forward to everything coming up!!

Big Love

x x x x x x x x