Tongariro alpine crossing: Today was a very special day indeed! Today I climbed an active volcano, trekked 19.4km and saw mount doom! It was just what I needed too. After a few more chilled days and far too long on the bus we all arrive at my final stray stop before returning to Auckland. Plus after the disappointment of not being able to skydive the day before I was more than ready to tackle the mountain! After an incredible early morning of a 5.30 start we ar...

Cultural Stop 1: Marae in Mourea Our next stop was something a little different. The stray bus tour prides itself on going further off the beaten track and showing you more about the culture and history of New Zealand. So out stop for the night was in a small village near rotorua called mourea. After a short drive we arrive at the Marae where were greeted by Naomi. The Marae refers to the whole area where the tribe live. So there was a dining hall, bathroom and ...

Glow worms at waitomo! Today we travelled from one coast to te other. So from white sands and crystal clear waters of the east coast the stray bus crossed the country to the more rugged west coast with its black sand and tough surf. But on the way we stop off at the little village of Waitomo, famous for one thing: its caves! And inside this network of secret caves you can find another hidden treasure. Lots of beautiful, sparkling glow worms! I chose the more...

The wheely long day! Fully recharged I head on up to Auckland. After a night in what can only be described as a box with beds I thankfully check out of the ACB Base hostel and join my new bus members :). (For anyone looking for a hostel in Central Auckland try nomads but NOT the fat camel) However today was going to be a rather long unlucky day. Firstly our new driver Panda was an hour late and to add to that he forgot to pick up someone. But after a little fa...

Pit stop time! So after a busy and energetic two weeks travelling the South Island I though a nice break was due in the wonderfully windy capital, Wellington! However my first night was not of rest. Instead we sampled the midweek nightlife to give the guys the leaving party they deserved. After returning in r early hours of the morning we then had to wake up for a 6.30 departure... But then I could go back to bed whilst the others had a 11 hour bus ride! The ...