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Hi everyone,
Wow it feels like a long time since I wrote on here!!
Been busy busy busy! Well what have I been up to since I last wrote, ohhhh I went swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura which was amazing as it was out in the sea and they were in their own environment hapily swimming around!
From Kaikoura we went back to Christchurch briefly and then onto Queenstown and back to the madness (although not quite as mad as last time) We watched the Superbowl (or most of it!) and then the boys hadn't had enough so we went to the field to play some American football and soccer (or football to most of us) I of course was rubbish so instead spent time taking photos and sunbathing!!!
We also took a day trip to Milford sound which is a cross between a lake and a ginormous cove which is very scenic with waterfalls and seals!
Then we said goodbye to Queenstown (weep) it really is my favourite place so far on my trip! Waking up to the mountain and lake views, I just loved it!
We then took the 7 hour trip back to Christchurch (yes again-the 3rd time!!!) to stay overnight before driving another 5 hours to Picton to get the ferry to the North Island! I need to add that the whole journey was in the now famous "Carolina" we now also had Andy so there were 5 of us in a 1985 Toyota Corolla also with 5 peoples luggage-lets say it was interesting!!! I don't think that my legs have recovered from being so squashed! But really though thanks have to go to Andy and Carolina for getting us round NZ, I really can't complain too much as it has saved us an awful lot of money!!
We arrived in Wellington that afternoon exhausted, but we still managed to find ourselves in a strip club as nothing else was open!!! The ladies were very nice trying (a failing) to teach us girls to pole dance!!! Can I just add here that we were fully clothed! It was an experience anyway!
We also went to the New Zealand museum in Wellington and had a walk around the harbour, I wasn't overly impressed with Wellington considering it is the capital city but it is nice to see it.
Then we headed to Lake Taupo which is quite a nice place with a big lake and we stayed in a nice hostel. There was not much to do in the evening though and the most exciting thing was smoking sheisha in a funky cafe and also watching the locals sing karaoke!
But I did decide to jump out of a plane (it was a bit crazy actually very last minute, Andy said i'm gonna do a skydive tomorrow do u fancy it and I thought why not! Well u only live once! (Didn't realise until afterwards that my insurance didn't cover extreme sports-oops!)
It was AMAZING, falling 12,000 feet the first 8,000ft is freefall and u fall at 200kph and it only takes 45 seconds and then the last 4,000 feet is with the parachute which is also cool as u get to take in the view a bit more and I could so the lake which was beautiful. You can see some pictures, I will put some more up another time! I am definately going to do it again and I would recommend it to everyone. I'm so glad that I did that rather than the bungy jump!
In Taupo we also did the Tongario crossing which is a 7 HOUR WALK UP AND DOWN MOUNTAINS!!!! Arggghhhh why did I put myself through that? We had to get up at 5am to get a bus to the beginning to start the walk in the freezing cold, I was not in the best of moods as u can imagine! But is got worse, at one point we had to climb the devils staircase which was a 45 minute steep uphill walk and I really thought I wouldn't make it I was in so much pain but I did (in 40 minutes Han said when I got to the top- quicker that is estimated!) I can't say that I enjoyed the walk but I saw mountains (and climbed some) and also a volcano, and best of all I did it!! Got some pretty nice pictures as well, will put those up soon!
Then we headed to Rotoroua (smells of rotten egg), which is surrounded by sulphur pools so hence the smell. We went to the spa and bathed in some sulphur pools-up to temperature of 42 degrees (good for the skin apparently!! hmmm not convinced just made bikinis and towels smell really bad!) We also went to a Maori experience where we learnt about their culture and had a meal cooked in the ground and wandered through the forest to see glow worms!
The best thing that we did though has to be Zorbing, this is where up to 3 people get put into a giant plastic ball (like a hamsters exercise ball) and get rolled down a hill. The boys went in one ball and us 3 girls went in the other, they also added a few buckets of cold water to make it more interesting!! It was what I imagine to be a cross between being in a washing machine and a hamster in his exercise ball! So much fun-Freya is already planning to bring it to the UK!!!
Now we are in Auckland, haven't been up to much so far except for booking my trip to China and the rest of my flights and so I will be back in the UK on 12th April- not long now but still so much to see!!! Got about a week in Auckland, going to Hot water beach and cathedral cove in a couple of days and then it is Freya's birthday so we will have a celebration.
Then everyone starts to leave and go their separate ways which will be sad!!
But I am really looking forward to the rest of my trip and experiences some asian culture.
Well that is about it for now, will put some more pictures up soon.
Lots of love
B xx
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