Auckland with Aunty Kay

From the Bay of Islands it was back to Auckland for a little more R&R, but this time Kel's Aunty Kay very willingly let us stay with her. Firstly though, after Kay picked us up from Auckland city centre it was time to was time for a bit of sight-seeing. We visited a dormant volcano with the most spectacular views of the city, the harbour

From here it was time to head to Aunty Kay's. Here we met Eros (aka Nero the cat) whom we feel became quite accustomed to our presence in his domain; although he did throw up on the carpet when it was just us in the house, but we won't hold that against him. Dinner time was pizza in a lovely pub, a cheeky cocktail for myself and Kay and lots of chats and swapping stories. A lovely evening with lots of home comforts.

Once we had a full belly it was back to Kay's for a nice sleep to recuperate for the sight seeing the following morning. We visited a dormant volcano with a spectacular view of the city as well as the harbour and a nice walk around the city. We did a spot of shopping and had a yummy Panini for lunch.
Once back at Kay's boring tasks our mother's tend to tackle for us (such as washing and drying our clothes) were done - it is always nice to wear clean underwear. This was also one of the first times we noticed that Chris has bought more socks with him than he has clothes.

Queenstown

Word on the street, Queenstown is the party capital of New Zealand so of course it had to be tried J. Here Chris would do his tandem sky dive, something which I was still very unsure about at this point.

On arrival we booked in to our dorm and went up and met our dorm mates. Firstly, Claire (not a clue what her name was by the way but Chris thought Claire was appropriate), a lovely girl from Sheffield visiting friends in New Zealand and Colm… a chubby Irish man with really smelly feet. This of course was all well and good, I could just about cope with it until bedtime when he began to snore like a steam train. Not fun at all. So after not sleeping a wink that first night in Queenstown I was a complete gruffalo the next day and wished to be moved rooms.

Had a word with the rasta bloke in reception who was nice enough to move us (ensuite bathroom this time too J) to a room just across the hall. Two nice Finnish girls in here and a Brazilian guy called Adolf (he was actually called Harold but it really sounded like he said Adolf). After my little rant, it was time to make our way down to the sky dive shop, but because of the clouds it was cancelled for today and we had to re-book it for tomorrow (to be honest I was a little relieved as it gave me a bit more time to psyche myself up for it). So instead, we went and did the shotover jet. A red jet boat, flying around river bends, doing 360turns, all whilst travelling a speed of 120 kmph, pretty intense I must say.

Once back at the dorm we felt it was dinner time and this meant Ferg Burger. Possibly the best burger I have ever tasted, just imagine Gourmet Burger Kitchen and multiply the size and taste by 10 and you have yourself a Ferg Burger. I had a lamb one and chris went for the beef one with blue cheese - naturally there was more burger round his mouth than in it (my man likes his meat J)

The following morning it was time for the sky dive and for me to get over myself and just get on with it. Chris was lovely and supportive, told me to be brave and everything and said I could do it. Nice and encouraging, but I was still peeing my pants. We went to the base and put all the sky dive gear on (naturally, the first hat the bloke tried didn't fit my head). Then we got in the smallest, most rickety plane to go to 15,000 feet where we would jump out strapped to the front of the instructor. And if that wasn't bad enough, I was petrified of how high we were and Mike the instructor goes "don't worry, only another 4,000 feet to go." At this point, I was pretty sure I was going to die. Meanwhile, Chris was absolutely fine, with his finger-stache out, having a laugh with his instructor he couldn't have been any less scared. So I decided to suck it up. Chris went first, a small part of me wanted to cry because I thought I would never see him again L then it was my turn, head leant back on Mike the sexy sky dive man he just jumped out.

By far the strangest/most amazing experience ever. Free falling for 65seconds which only felt like 20, with baggy cheeks flapping in the wind, cant see, cant speak, cant hear, and all the while a bloke is in front of you trying to take pictures (not the best set of photograph's taken of me I must say). You feel like you are flying. Then the parachute comes out and bam, done. A lovely feeling of weightlessness, just floating through the air. Touch down and my man is there to give me a cuddle :-D Very very proud of myself.

Next day was the luge,

Christchurch and the Earthquake

Coming to the end of our time in Queenstown, Chris and I decided to book our bus to Christchurch where we would be staying with Dale and Vasilis for 5days prior to our flight back to Auckland and then on to Melbourne. It was only after this though that we learnt of the extent of the damage the earthquake in Christchurch had caused and started to get a little worried. Spoke to Dale and Kel's though who informed us that everyone in their family was ok J very very happy to hear it. However, now our Christchurch visit needed to be cancelled and we needed to make other plans.

After much time, phone calls to everyone - jetstar, Quantas and STA Travel Chris and I decided to get a bus from Queenstown to Christchurch, and a flight from Chrischurch to Auckland where we would (if Aunty Kay didn't mind of course) stay with her a little longer and possibly visit somewhere else not too far from Auckland. All set with a bucket of pasta, chris and I would get the bus to Christchurch and sleep at the airport until our flight at 10am the next morning.

But without thinking I let this slip to Dale and she would not allow us to sleep in the airport and she came and got us and took us back to her house. We were very grateful as it was lovely to meet Dale and Vasilis for the first time J And instead of cold pasta in a tupperwear box we had ribeye steak, lamb, pork chops and roast potatoes. Chris started sweating after the vast meat intake as Vasilis kept piling meat on his plate.

We also got to visit Gordon and Gwen (Dale and Kay's ma and pa and Kel's grandparents) and Coco the dog. Chris: It was a major earthquake and if I was not as strong as I am then Em would have been crushed. Em: Tiny after shock which we hardly felt and Dale had to point out to us and the 3 others we slept through in the night were weird and we were starting to understand just how affected Christchurch was by all this.

Next morning, awake to a full on fry up (not good as we were still full from the night before).

Dale dropped us at the airport and we sid goodbye, sad times but we will see them again in the summer J Aunty Kay here we come…