And so it all begins, starting with a flight from Cairns over to Auckland, New Zealand. In the past few weeks I have been on many lengthy bus journeys and so a 4 and a half hour flight with my own TV screen felt more like a way to recharge the batteries than a means of getting from point A to B.

Arriving into Auckland did bring a shock in comparison with the weather that I had become accustomed too in far north Queensland but it wasn't long before the English in me became used to the slightly cooler climate.

Once off the plane it was a straight shuttle to the centre of town, one which dropped me off right outside my hostel, Base Auckland. The location was prime, right in the middle of Queens Street and therefore the centre of Auckland. This posed its own worries before entering as many central city hostels that I have stayed in around the world are cramped, dingy and overpriced. This couldn't have been a more wrong preconception before seeing Base Auckland. The reception was spacious with a comfortable waiting area, moving round to an extensive internet cafe backing on to an even bigger communal kitchen. The rooms themselves were very clean and despite being in the centre of town they managed to shut out any external noise.

After settling in to my hostel the realisation of being alone once again in a new country daunted upon me. However as all experienced travellers know a network of connections and acquaintances span far and wide, this was proven as I met several people in the communal kitchen that I had bumped into in Australia before meeting other Australian connections in the town centre. The town itself was made for me not by the large impressive commercial shops and bars on the main street itself but by the unique alleys and side roads which lead off with small pubs and bars giving a more intimate atmosphere that is missing in so many cities. The reunion with friends from previous travels ensured any remote feelings of isolation were blown away and there was nothing left to do but to listen to other peoples stories of their time in New Zealand and to let my excitement build for the morning and the travelling ahead..