We arrived in Auckland on the 15th Feb and booked oursleves into ACB (Auckland Central Backpackers), a huge and kind of impersonal hostel compaired to what we'd been used to but it was clean and had everything we could need. We spent our first couple of days exploring Auckland and nights in 'Globe' the hostel club. Picked up a local 'What's on?' kind of brochure and decided to get a ferry to the Devonport Food and Wine Festival. Really busy, really sunny, good food, great wine and some funky bands on a live stage. We made friends with Charlene, her Cockney husband Conrad, their five year old daughter Jess and their Canadian friend Marty and ended up at their friend's barbeque for the evening.

Started our 'Kiwi Experience' on the 19th Feb when the bus picked us up from ACB and we headed off for the Bay of Islands. We got to Paihia a little awestruck at the amazing scenery we'd seen along the way and booked oursleves onto a boat trip through 'Awesome Adventures' to swim with dolphins. We were given some info on the dolphins and a quick brief when we were warned their is no guarantee we will be able to swim with or even see the wild dolphins. Laid out on the front of the boat for 3 hours, looking for dolphins but were quite content being distracted by the beauitiful views all around. Just when we were about to give up we found a pod of 3 HUGE bottle-nosed dolphins, got kitted up in fins, mask and snorkel and jumped in alongside the boat. WOW........we swam with the dolphins for around 45minutes, they were close enough that we could have touched them. It was amazing to think that they were swimming with us out of choice and could have left at any time. We were both totally overwhelmed and shattered after trying to keep up with 3 ten foot dolphins! We got back to the hostel ('Pipi Patch') and joined the rest of the bus for a barbeque and evening drinks where we met Katie, Katie, Jonny, Nick and Tony. Spent the following day enjoying the scenery and the sunshine in the Bay of Islands.

Got the bus back to Auckland at 4pm when we met Joe, Keiron, Ash and Will. We all booked into Base backpackers where we got a free upgrade to the girls only 'Sanctuary'. We all went out that evening (gorgeous sizzling Chinese at cheap Asian food court) and got back on the Kiwi Ex bus the next day a little worse for wear.

Our next stop was Mercury Bay where us, Joe, Will, Ash, Jonny, Rob, Rambo and 2 big Texas dudes all got a wicked house next to the hostel complete with kitchen, garden and even a TV. Had our first experience with a bag of 'Goon' (reeeeealy cheap and nasty boxed wine - "may contain traces of fish, egg, milk...."!) when we built oursleves a fire on the beach and got to know each other very quickly by playing 'I have never...'.

Got back on the bus early to head to Rotorua stopping at a beach where we sunbathed whilst the lads played 'rugger'. The first thing we noticed in Rotorua was the pleasant smell of sulphur from all the geysers nearby. We booked ourselves in to do 'River Surfing' - going down white water rapids head first with only a plastic board to hold onto and emerged smiling but with a few bruises! A quick change at our hostel ('Hotrocks') and we headed to the 'Tamaki Tours', a Maori experience designed for tourists where we were greeted by a traditional war dance, looked round a village and asked questions, were entertained with traditional singing and dances before eating the most amazing feast of traditional Maori food - something we were definitely ready for after a tiring day and the best food we'd had since mums Sunday dinner!! We headed back to meet the rest of the bus at Lava bar next to the hostel and ended the night in local hotpools.

Back on the bus the next morning and our 'driverguide' Bodhi announced that he had a prize to give away to one person on the bus and began whittling us down with a competition between the two sides of the bus. Bodhi would shout out an object (suncream/bra/condom!) and the first side to find one without getting up and get it to the front of the bus won a point, first to ten. Our team won and moved into the next round. Our next stop was completely random where we saw some crazy woman shearing a rabbit!? We arrived at Waitomo where we went for a walk and visited some caves. Back at the hostel we had a barbeque for Bodhi's 23rd birthday.

Next morning after cleaning up our mess from the night before we headed to Lake Taupo, stopping at Huka Falls which are pretty spectacular and used for hydroelectric power. Way too dangerous, even for the crazy Kiwis to attempt to raft down (as many people had fatally discovered!). Made one more stop for stage 2 of the competition...on a grass verge at side of the main road where the winners of round 1 were separated again and required to make the longest line possible out of the items of clothing they were wearing - we won again thanks to the fact we had bikinis on under our clothes!! the group was then reduced to 5 (including Jen) through a war of 'rock, paper, scissors'. Arrived at Taupo and dropped some people off to do their skydive (the cheapest in NZ). Us, Ash and Rambo explored the town and had lunch before meeting the buzzing gang back at the hostel for drinks before heading to 'The Holy Cow' where the winner was to be decided........through a poledancing competition! A very nervous Jen gained some dutch courage (vodka/redbull) before taking stage after Robs outstanding performance, only to be beaten by Lydia who turned out to be an ex poledancer!!! (no pics of this due to x-rated nature....). The following day was boiling hot and we went to Taupo hotsprings, sunbathed and played more 'rugger'. Second night at Holy Cow where we danced on the tables (us, Ash, Will, Joe, Jonny, Rob, Becky, Sarah, Ella, Sarah, Lydia, Anna, Alyson, Helen) before stealing a tramps guitar and busking on the street with Tom, Nick and James.

The following day we headed to River Valley, stopping at a waterfall that the lads jumped off. The drive to River Valley was long and windy through sheep farming country to our hostel, a cabin in the middle of nowhere (cool rooms, one long bunk bed with lots of mattresses and outdoor toilets from the 1900s!). After a Sunday roast we spend the evening getting to know each other crammed into a small campervan (Bodhis bed for the night!). The next day we were disappointed to find out that the White Water Rafting was cancelled due to lack of rain, meaning the usually grade 5 rapids were only grade 3. Sunbathed and swam in the River before getting back on the bus and heading to Wellington.

Took the long drive to Wellington where we stayed at Base backpackers and went for a BYO Chinese with Will, Rob and Rambo. Went to a Welsh bar before meeting up with the rest of the gang at a club where we danced all night.

Early start on 28th Feb to catch a ferry to the South Island, slept for most of the three hour crossing. Jumped on another Kiwi bus and stopped for wine and olive oil tasting on the way down to Nelson.

Arrived in Nelson at the Prince Albert hostel and booked ourselves onto the Abel Tasman camping trip. We had our first early nite of the trip so far and managed to go without a drink to prepare for the walk ahead the next day! Us, Ash, Will, Joe, Rob, Jonny, Becky, Sarah and Alyson got on a bus then a speed boat to the edge of the National Park to start our mini adventure! As none of us had listened to the directions given we wandered aimlessly for an hour or so before finding the trail that would take us to Bark bay and our campsite.  The views were spectacular and even stopped East End boy Ash complaining about the walk and freshness of the air!! We stopped at Cleopatra's pools for lunch, swimming, sunbathing and a snooze before setting off again and eventually reaching the gorgeous beach that was our home for the night. In a race to set up our tents before dark we came second to Will and Rob who's tent proceeded to fall down an hour later! We lit a camp fire and between the girls and Will managed to consume 4 litres of vodka along with our dry, squashed bread and marmite! (yes...we managed to find some marmite...hurray!) We partyed on the beach and were introduced to possoms by some big Kiwi men who had managed to club one over the head (nice)!  After a few hours sleep we met our guides for the day and paired up for the long Kayak back. On the way we saw some seals and stopped for lunch at a beautiful deserted beach. Once back at the hostel we took a much needed shower and headed out for Pizza and beer where we met Scotty who was to be our next 'driverguide'.

Another early start and we were back on the the bus on our way to Westport, stopping off at a beautiful lake for a freezing swim and amazing scenery. Spent the evening making a HUGE fire on the beach before a select few of us headed back to Scotty's pad ( The Pink Palace) for more drinks and the footy on Sky.

The next day we headed to lake Mahinapua and the "poo pub' which was to be our home for the night. On the way we stopped at a supermarket to buy supplies for our fancy dress mission to make costumes out of bin bags! Us, Becky, Sarah and Lottie had sufficient amounts of Vodka before stapling bags together (and to our skin) and emerged at the bar...very late and slightly drunk...as bees?! Everyone put in loads of effort and some of the costumes were amazing. We drank and danced the night away in the poo pub before heading down to the lake for more beers and a dip (not out of choice!) before bed.

The next morning we set off for Franz Josef - the lads entertaining us on the bus with their karaoke. Us Sarah and Becky managed to blag ourselves a great room at Rainforest Retreat hostel where we all spent the evening playing 'ring of fire' with cheap goon before dancing on the tables in the hostel bar. Later us and Scotty met some glacier guides and Bretto the possom hunter at another bar before a much too late night considering the next days activity.... Got up and headed to the Franz Josef glacier for our 8 hour hike! We were kitted up with waterproofs, boots and crampons before we started the climb. WOW!!! We soon forgot about how tired we were and enjoyed one of the best experiences we have had so far! The pictures say it all... We spent one more night in Franz Josef before leaving for Wanaka.

Bus broke down half way up a mountain and we were shipped back to Franz Josef where we had lunch to shelter from the torrential rain! The bus was eventually fixed and we were on our way to Wanaka, a beautiful lake. Arrived early evening, and had little time to explore thanks to the rubbish Milford bus! 

Next morning Scotty dropped most of the bus off at 'puzzle world' before taking us for a greasy fry up while we waited for Ash and Jonny to do their skydive, then finally off to Queenstown. On arriving we booked into Base and explored the pretty holiday town. That evening was the horizontal bungee in the hostel bar before we all went to World bar. The following day we had some time apart! Kate going on a boat trip with Scotty while Jen went on a tough walk with the lads. Luckly Ash was there so she wasnt the only one tired and complaining!!! But the views were worthwhile. That evening was our last together as a group in New Zealand. We all went to Fergburger for the most amazing burger of our lives....everyone agreed! Drinking, dancing and a tearful goodbye.

Left Queenstown on the 10th March headed for Christchurch with a new driver...Dave. Stopped for photos at Mount Cook, ate cheap Indian at another amazing food court in Christchurch and bumped into Gunni and Ingvild (team Norway, friends from Fiji) in the hostel and went for a beer. Excited the next morning for flight to Melbourne to see Mum and Dad.