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Hey everyone,
Hope all is well......
I arrived in Christchurch about midnight, first thoughts - cold! So I get myself to the hostel at about 2am and wake everyone up when I arrive at the hostel dorm - I was little miss popular! It's very difficult getting three rucksacks and a pair of skates through a fire door whilst making no noise! Not much time in Christchurch for this visit...... After breakfast I go straight back to the airport to get a flight to Auckland. Very very excited - I have tickets to the All Blacks v Eng and also now my rugby shirt - I'm like a kid at Christmas!
6th June - I've just had the first lie in for about 2 weeks - I was absolutely knackered and still trying to fight off a cold which has been threatening for the last month. I went off to the kiwi experience office and sorted out part of the trip and how I am actually going to travel round nz. Armed with my guide books for the trip I find a pub and start planning my intinerary. 3 pint of Guinness later, a conversation with the little bro and parentals and half my trip is planned. After some food in the pub I headed back to the hostel for an early night - a big day tomorrow :)
Absolutely typical I wake up feeling awful! Not a hangover, but proper ill, stupid cold, of all the days.......oh well dosed up on paracetamol I head off to the Brew on the Quay for my pre-match feed. Also met a few English blokes also off to the game, after discussing my plans in nz and them telling me they thought I was only 22 ( yep, I'll take that) I went off to find the train to Eden Park. Eden park stadium is great, after watching a bit of the ladies match, Samoa v the black ferns I went in search of a pub, all had massive queues to get in then I found an Irish bar so went in. Very shortly after a couple took me under their wing for pre match drinks which was cool. Everyone is so friendly out here, it's great and I got free beer :) determined to not do the usual running to stadium and nearly missing kick off, I get there in time to see the Hakka which was brilliant, then I sung my lungs out to the national anthem! As i say I was a little excited! Turns out I was sitting next to a welsh guy and girl from Ipswich! New drinking buddies for after the match! The game was great, the atmosphere brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed myself, my new friends then took me to a cool bar near where they live and then the drinking continued, I really had a fab fab day and night! I had such great time, so glad I was able to go
Right, back on another flight back to queenstown this time. Never ever am I booking a flight after a rugby game, rough was not the word to describe how I felt the next day. I actually had to have a little lie down in the airport - I looked a bit homeless at that point! The phrase 'never drinking beer again' came to mind......again!
I arrive in queenstown - now it is cold there!! But wow wow wow the place is simply beautiful, I was a bit speechless at the view from my dorm room - brilliant blue lake surrounded by pine trees and magnificent mountains. I'm in heaven!
Having spent the rest of the day scouting out ski deals and sky dives, I then went back to bed!
The next day was quite chilled out, went for a bit a wander around town and did the blog etc and then watched a film with the other hostel bods.
Katie and Janine were arriving today, so after they got here we then went to the world famous Fergburger! It is the best burger I have ever had, it was huge!!!!!! We then found a nice warm pub and had a mulled wine, which seemed a bit odd drinking mulled wine in June but it was lovely.
Today is ski day!!! The three of us venture up the mountain in all our ski gear for 2 lessons. The scenery and the mountains on this way up to coronet peak was stunning, the river a lovely turquoise colour. Having arrived at the base building we get our skis, poles and boots. Oh my god the boots are sooooo heavy and really difficult to walk in! The first lesson was great, I was actually not as bad as I expected to be, got the snow plough nailed straight away. And then fell over standing still and smashed the scab on my elbow from skating, blood all over my hire jacket, off to first aid I went. The magic carpet was quite funny, a conveyer belt basically that gets you up to the beginners bit, I nearly fell over just trying to get onto this!
anyway our teacher was very impressed with us, we were even beginning to do turns and stuff! We move up to the novice class tomorrow. Feeling knackered and bit bruised we headed back for Fergburger number 2 and a warming glass of wine and the pub quiz which. We came 2nd in this.
Ski day 2, lesson went well more turning and stuff. In the afternoon I spent the time practicing all my turns, then kept falling over and not being able to get back up again. Having also now got the raving hump and losing my patience I gave up and went back, tomorrow is another day.....
Wake up today feeling really ill, no skiing for me today, think I needed a rest. So I went in search of warm boots and then went for a little walk to sunshine bay. The more you go walking the more beauty of queenstown you discover, the scenery is simply breathtaking, I'm so glad I am coming back again for another week at least, this is somewhere I could spend a lot of time.
Ski day 3, determined that I will not lose my temper with myself again I go back for another lesson, different instructor this time and much much better. I can now turn without doing the splits - very exciting !!!! In the afternoon I get brave and go on the chair lift, wow this ones a bit steep! I make it down in one piece....just! and then go back up again and again and then fall over trying to get off the chair lift, it was very funny! We also met up with Esther and John today, which was a lovely surprise!
Ski day 4, no lessons today, just me and the slopes! Didn't do too badly although did get hit by a snowboarder who was equally as bad as me!!! Anyway, my legs are now absolutely done in, so that's me done for this week. I've really enjoyed the skiing and will be having another go when I get back, might even give snowboarding a crack when I return - it does look very cool!!!we then went off to the pub to watch the rugby....
Arrrgggghhhhh - today is skydive day! So nervous it's making me feel sick! We get to the sky dive place to say it's been postponed for an hr and to come back then, now feeling even more nervous Katie and I grab and coffee and then head back, it's been put back till 12 which is no good to me as i have a flight, so I have no choice but to cancel! I will be doing this on my own when I come back in a few weeks. So next on the list was the Shotover jet. This was so so so much fun! We went hurtling through the canyon on the river, so close to the rock it was incredible, 10 360 degree spins and it was over. Absolutely brilliant, I'm definitely doing this when I come back....
Next stop Auckland and the kiwi experience bus........
Take it easy
Lou xx
- comments
Becky Sounds amazing Lou. Looking forward to hearing the next installment x
Jan Pardon Dont be tempted to get a tattoo - nearly everyone in NZ has one - or dozens! Best wished, Jan and John
Sue Wood Ha does that mean Jan & John have a hidden one or two somewhere?!