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Hello from New Zealand!
This country is incredible....so so beautiful what you see in lord of the rings is exactly what the landscape around here is like - but better! Just spent 3 nights in Q'town which is full of people doing ridiculously crazy things from bungee jumping, canyoning, skydiving, paragliding, rafting - the list is endless! It's subsequently got quite a good party atmosphere and is busier than alot of towns in New Zealand so much fun was had. The fact that the whole population of New Zealand is about that of Birmingham might give you an idea of what this country is like!
The bus I'm traveling on started off a bit dull but has since picked up 100% and I've met some great people...from fellow uni graduates to an amazing 61 year old lady called Mo who has more energy than anyone I've ever met - she's so inspirational - she's done all the massive 4 day walks, sleeps in hostels and comes out drinking and dancing with everyone in the evening! I want to be like her when I'm that age! Met a lovely Canadian girl who I've been travelling with for about a week (weeks are along time to be traveling wtih people in the travellers world!) and will meet up with her again tomos...had big group of us who were together from Nelson to Q'town but we've all gone to different places so a new group is forming!
Rather than Germans (like OZ), NZ is full of Dutch who are far more sociable and fun to be around. There is, of course, plenty of Brits as well to keep me entertained!
There's so much to do in New Zealand; I'm definitely going to have to return. The walks here are some of the best in the world and can at least 4 days (I don't have enough time to do any of them) but there are plenty of full day walks that I have done, through the most spectacular terrains and landscapes...I would like to say I could call myself a hiker but I don't have walking boots so I think I would insult any proper hikers...
Have done some brilliant things - black water rafting through glow worm caves in Watimo - you spent 3 hours crawling through tiny holes under ground in water and get thrown on rubber rings down underwater streams - was so so so much fun and the glow worms are so beautiful - its like natures own nights sky. Did my 12,000 ft sky dive over the fox glacier which was one of the best things EVER - I loved every minute - was in a 2 seater plane and got a 25minute scenic flight over the glaciers and moutn cook before the jump - it was brilliant. Got to take our cameras on the jump as well which is really unusual, so me and this other guy who jumped next to me took pictures of each other coming down. Cannot explain how much I loved it - if it wasn't so expensive I'd do it every day! Did a full day glacier hike using crampons and all the equipment the following day wich was also amazing - the ice is blue and we were crawling and climbing over ice craters and crevices etc. The list goes on of amazing things...in a large town (12,000 ppl - thats big for NZ!) which reminds me of Olney at the mo - not many people got off here but you can go and see hundreds of penguins on the beach which I'm off to do in a mo. Its a bank holiday here today as well which is why everything ios really quiet but gunna try and hitch a lift to a big celebration happening just outside of town which includes a free traditional Maroi meal. Had an overnight stop at town called Dunedin (3rd biggest in NZ - its still tiny and so quiet though!) which is where NZ's biggest uni is - they tried to build the city to replicate Edinburgh - its not quiet the same but has the same charm about it - would be an ace place to go to uni thats for sure. Unfortunately all the students are on holiday at the mo so it was a bit quiet. Further north on the S Island I've been to a town with wicked hostel called Greymouth and a goregeous town called Nelson where I did kayaking and hiking in the spectacular Abel Tasman national park....wish I'd had time to do the 4 day walk their - it would have been amazing! Hostels in NZ have been pretty good.,..most have free homemade soup in evenings as well which is always a perk fo rthe budget traveller!
Met a lovely girl who's just come from S AMerica and done the same route I'm planning on so she gave me heaps on advice on where to go/what to see etc so I feel pretty sorted on that front - can't wait!
It's surprisingly cold here in NZ - ngihts are really chilly - not boding well for the tan...I'm hoping parts of S.America should help!
Got a fer more town's to visit in the S Island before heading back to the North where I plan to do the Tongariro crossing, white water rafting and visit the East of the North islands which is still very traditional and has many of the Maroi's living....looking forward to that loads.
Can't belivve its only 2 months till I'm home...it has gone far too quickly - I'm already planning my next trip - there's so much I want to see and do!
Right off to meet my friends for hitching and Penguins!
Sending you all lots of love,
xxxxxxx
ps sorry for lack of postcards...I'll try harder
pps sorry for spelling mistakes - the keyboard is bad aND i'M BEING lazy!
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