Due to the ridiculous laws in this country our easter sunday beer turned into an easter coke, as you can only drink with the purchase of a main meal anywhere in the country! played a few card games and went crazy with our soft drinks! Easter monday started at a ridiculous time, and we were on the coach by 6.15am heading to Tongariro national park. We arrived and it was freezing even with all the jumpers and hat i had brought! The walk started off easy with l...

Left Rotorua for Taupo this morning, easter sunday after an action packed day! went white water rafting yesterday which was fantastic! went down a 7 metre waterfall, the highest one you can raft down in the world, and with a fern in my hat i was team mascot/warrior princess, and it stayed in! we landed miracoulously the right side up! after an exhausting morning, we rocked up to pizza hut for all you can eat pizza, pasta salad and desert! spent the afternoon e...

Left Auckland early am and spent my first day aboard the magic bus! After the obligatory stop at mcdonalds for brekkie, we head towards waitomo. With several very expensive options available, i decided just to wander, went in the museum about caves and glow worms, learnt a lot about them! went on a walk to a look out, but there were so many cows in the pathway that we had to walk right out of the way to get round them! Arrived at Rotorua about 4.30pm, and went ...

New Zealand has brought. . . a new exchange rate to remember, a change back from hungry jacks to burger king, and welcome rain has turned into cold rain. China town is full of Koreans, and iced coffees have turned back into hot coffees. Auckland is. . . as i had been warned, nothing special. Another big city without the character of melbourne or sydney, or the heat of cairns. Chcolate has returned to a more reasonable price, and timtams are (thank god) still ...

Arrived safe and sound after some major drama at the airport regarding my certain lack of valid ticket! flight only just over 4 hours but the lovely folks on air new zeland treated me to salmon pasta salad, complimentary drinks and lots of free films! Staying in a hostel with real beds! nobody above or below me, a proper matress near the ground with only the sky to look at! its such a novelty it made the dramas worthwhile! Raining in Cairns this morning, but sti...