14/02/09: Happy valentines day everyone!! We had an early start- up at 5 to catch bus at 5.40 to the Tongariro Crossing- it was still dark!! It was an hours drive there with the driver telling us the risks and route, etc, sounded very scary! Plus everyone had hiking boots and walking sticks and there was me in my k-swiss trainers!! HaHa! We arrived at drop-off point and began the hike at 7.30! Its a 19.4km walk up mountains and volcanoes and by crystal clear lakes! At one point we reached 1900metres up! It was awful walking up the first bit called the devils staircase- i have never been so exhausted! Plus the terrain was so changeable it was mainly rocky gravel and so it was so easy to trip. We finally reached the highest point- after lil alex got very cross with me for keep stopping- but we was still near the front!! Then we was at the red crater- it was so dangerous cos u have to climb up rocks and theres a really steep drop!!! It was a spectacular view tho! Then was the hardest and scariest thing i have ever done- the descent down this crater! The problem was that the pathway was mainly dust and small rock and so everyone was just sliding down and tripping over- well not everyone but i was!! Lil alex was getting really frustrated but i just couldnt do it! Especially as there was a steep drop with loads of rocks each side!! Some professional hikers tried to show me but it was hopeless and lil alex was getting really cross!! Eventually two nice german women on our bus linked hands with me and we helped eachother down cos they were struggling too- i kept falling tho and nearly taking them with me- but they were nice about it! Seriously it was hilarious!!The rest of it was downhill and not too awful but jesus, i am knackered now and my knees have seized up!! plus my hands got swollen on the walk- i thought i had been bitten by something poisonous or touched a poisonous plant but luckily they have gone down a bit now so i think it was the cold up there and the altitude?!!? We completed it in 6.45hrs and they say it takes 8 hours! We was also on the first bus back so i think we done well!! We come back and collapsed. Then i showed lil alex how to use the washing machine and tumble dryer- but i think he's pretending not to learn so i have to do it! Then we had a typically backpacker tea- tinned spaghetti and the bread was mouldy so i couldnt even have toast with it but lil alex said he needed a bit more penecillin! I have twisted my ankle on the walk cos it is very painful to walk on! We were absolutely knackered so ended up having an early night!!

15/02/09: WOW!!! Guess what I just did???? I done a 15000ft sky dive!!!!! But lets start at the beginning! Had a bit of a lie-in and then got up and got ready- went for a walk to find some breakfast- I finally found a bakery that done vege pies!! We walked to lake and sat by it eating them! Then had a mooch around and I said to lil alex bout the sky dive cos i have been tempted since we got here and today was our last chance!! He said he was up for it so we come back to the hostel and asked at reception- they phoned up and booked us in for 2pm!! We chilled in the room til then- half excited, half nervous!! We got picked up in a mini bus and taken to airport. It was about 180pounds for a 15000ft tandem skydive with the photos, a dvd (which is sooooo cool) and a t-shirt! We got suited up and met our tandem partners- mine was Johnni. Plus the guy who jumped with us to do all the filming and pictures!! Then got on the lil plane! I was last on- so sitting right by the door on the floor- it also meant i was first off!! We climbed up high and had to put on oxygen masks. I was scared cos ur partner attaches u when ur in the air- i had to sit on his lap and he strapped us together! I asked to make sure he had done it properly!! Then the doors opened and before i really had time to think about it we was gone! The camera man went first and filmed everything! On the 60 second freefall i tried to make actions- like thumbs up and swimming! It was so exhilirating!! The views were great too! Then the parachute goes up and you jolt upwards and then gently glide down- WOW!!!! We watched the video and then got bus back to hostel to tell u all about it! Went down by great lake and got dinner from Burger Fuel- a nice, healthier burger place and ate it beside lake. Then went back to room and chilled all evening- lil alex done the dark washing- so he must have learnt something!!!