Hi everyone, so i am back in the mount, have been away for nearly 6 weeks, and it is real nice to be back and see everyone again. I only have 3 weeks left in New Zealand which is unbeliveable! So the last time i wrote i was severly hungover in Dunedin, not good! But the afternoon was brilliant, we headed out to the Otago Peninsula just off Dunedin and we saw so much wildlife and just in their natural environment, it was brilliant. First we stopped and saw Albatrosses, they were really big and very graceful the way they glided in the air. We werent guarenteed to see them but some came really close to us just flying a few feet above our heads. We then went onto private farmland with our tour and a private beach. We first saw seals, and there were SO many. It was the mothers and their babies and there were just loads, and they were all playing in the water and messing about. They were so cute. We then went over to the beach and there were sealions just chilling out, they were still sleepy and didnt really do too much. But there was an elephant seal that had come up onto the beach because he was malting. Our guide had actually never seen one, so it was pretty rare to see them. He was real big and very smelly! And then we went to see Penguins. There were some hanging out on the hiillside with the sheep which was quite surreal and then they started coming out of the sea. We saw two walking across the beach up to the hills. One of them had blood coming down his fin but the guide said they often get little knocks in the water, but if they are really injured they will go and get them and take them to the vets. it was so cool to see them just being themselves rather than in the zoo. So we saw so much and the setting was just so beautiful. We headed back into Dunedin and i was pretty tired so we headed to bed. We had a pretty long drive up to Christchurch to get the car back on time so it was worth the early night.

So we headed to Christchurch in the morning, the road wasnt very exciting at all, but we did go past the cookie time factory! Cookie time is a cookie (obviously) company in NZ and they also made the biggest cookie in the world, check out the guiness world record book! Peter was also a little bit of a fan of the cookies too so we had to stop, and we bought to big packets of cookies! We stayed in a really cool hostel just out of town, it was real chilled out and had a nice garden. We took the car back, quite emotional moment! And then i headed to jack Johnson. He was real good, it was very impressive to see him, he is real talented. It was a good gang of us too, emma who i had done the glacier climb with, 3 english guys she had met and a canadian guy that we had met in Wanaka. It was a fun night, and i met Peter afterwards after a very busy bus journey back to town. Peter didnt come to Jack Johnson, but we went for drinks after in a real cool bar, called Vespa bar. Christchurch has lots of cool bars, and the next night we went to Sol Square, which is a real funky area and went to a bar called Fat Freddys and it was full of old sofas and armchairs and old lamps, it had a really good atmosphere. And it was the jazz festival in Christchurch and there was a jam session in the bar. It was all very chilled! We hired bikes in Christchurch as well, and cycled out to Brighton Pier! It really wasnt very impressive, not a pier like we would think, no funfair!! We cycled back into Christchurch and Peter managed to get a flat tyre. Me and Emma, who came with us, were not surprised as he had been doing jumps and tricks since we got the bikes!! Me and Emma were glad we only hired the bikes for half a day as our bums were pretty sore!! Peter is just too sporty for his own good!! heehee! We also went to see a rugby match, the crusaders who are top of the league and dan carter play for them, that will mean something to some people! It was real fun, and the crusaders won against the warattahs, there was alot of action.

Peter left Christchurch for New Caledonia, and i was alone again! I decided to head back down to Queenstown as i felt i didnt see too much of it. So i headed back down on a very long bus jouney, but i did see mount cook which is the highest moountain in NZ. It had lots of snow on top, we werent very close but it was a good view over the lakes. Queenstown was very busy as seems to be the case with Queenstown, it is very touristy. I made sure i had a fergburger again, they really are the best burgers! The next day i chilled in the town and had a good look round. Then sam and nerolee picked me up and we headed out of town. Mike and Rachel,Krisys brother and fiancee were havign a party for their engagement so we headed for that and it was a pretty crazy night, it was Nerolees birthday too, so lots to celebrate. Rachel, who i hadnt seen since christmas was now very pregnant, and looked real cool. She has only 2 months to go! The next day was pretty chilled out as none of us were feelign too hot, and we had a big roast in the evening after playing hakki sack for hours!! (not sure if thats how you spell it - if you dont know its a little ball with beans in and you stand round in a circle and each person has to kick it in the air, and for a hakki everyone in the cricle has to touch it. We managed about three in three hours i reckon! Then the next day i headed back into town and then was back to Christchurch. I just had one night in Christchurch then flew up to Wellington in the morning (cheaper than the bus and the ferry). So i arrived back in Wellington and on to the North Island, leavign the South Island behind.

Wellington is a really cool city, a little bit like London but a very mini version! It has one street, Cuba Street which is very funky! Whilst in Wellington i went to the art gallery, hiked up a hill in flip flops! And went drinking just a tad! At the backpackers there was a ladies night where ladies got to drink champagne and eat lots of food for free. It was crazy. So me, 3 irish girls and 2 canadian girls got very drunk! And a German guy who i met on the bus into Wellington came and met us and ended up stripping in the bar. crazy night!

So after Wellingotn i went to Napier for 4 days which is a town famed for its art deco architecture. It was a nice town, right by the sea. But the architecture wasnt quite as impressive as i thought it might be. But i went on a wine tour which was real fun! We went to quite a few wineries and tried alot of wine, and we had lunch at one place which was amazing. Goats brie!! I polished it all off pretty much, it was delicious!!

I flew from Napier to Auckland, and surprised Peter at the airport who was back from New Caledonia. I'm such a sap! So we had one night in Auckland, whcih was real nice. And now hes headinng back to France :(

So after a sad goodbye in Auckland i headed back to the Mount! Its real nice to be back and see Krisy and Zajk again. Its gonna be so sad to say bye. So we are partying this weekend and then im gonna try and head up to the coromandal which is just a bit north and meant to be very pretty. And then off to oz on the 1st May!

Still having a ball, have had such a good time in New Zealand, it will be sad to go. But have amazing memories! Such a long blog sorry, and im sure ive forgotten stuff still! Hope you've made it this far down the blog! Photos soon! xxxx