We spent 5 days in Auckland before getting on the Kiwi Bus. The first day we arrived before the hostel's reception was even open so hung out for an hour or so before checking in. Stellas boyfriend Tom picked us up from the airport; it was very nice not to face the usual - now how the hell do we get out of here dilema!

We were staying at Queens Street Backpackers which Stella had recommended after staying a whole month there because it showed movies in the lounge. I watched Walk The Line, I love that movie and Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon is very good too :)

We were still a bit wired for the travelling so went straight out to the shops! Quicksilver, Billabong and Ripcurl were all about a two minute walk from our hostel and had lots of stuff we liked but unfortunately wasnt cheaper than the UK as Id been expecting. Thats been a consistent problem around NZ to be honest; youre traveling but nothing is any cheaper than the UK and youre eating out two or three times a day so it adds up. For the record I was massively over budget within the first 10 days of being in NZ, by about 700 plus pounds! Anyway so we didnt buy anything in the shops but did indulge in the major expense here - eating! Found a bar that did breakfasts - I had a really nice hot apple muffin and beth ordered pancakes which were HUGE. Biggest pancake breakfast Id ever seen, and the biggest mug of hot chocolate too. The pancakes came with baked bananas and hot berry compote, Divine. I think then we went back to the dowm and slept and for the next 3 or maybe 4 days we were definately jetlagged. Woke up at about 5 am everyday and by 4 in the afternoon I was yawning and ready for bed!!

We had another good breakfast at Jaffa, one of Stella's favourites and tried a Jaffa shake which tastes just like chocolate orange. Mmmm. And the serving is huge!! I had good eggs benedict too. And they do these orange Jaffas' - candy covered chocolate balls, and had a big glass jar of them on the counter. The bloke took one look at me and filled up a coffee cup full of them which I happily munched all the way back!

Stella did lots of driving me around and I got to hear all the NZ radio stations, esp the one where she worked. She took me to two malls where I picked up a new bikini in the sale, very pleased with that. I was offered a free pair of 'jandals' which confused me considerably. It means flip flops apparantely. Stella said the look on my face was priceless as I tried to compute! Didnt take any in the end, didnt want another thing in my rucksack! (You know youre a traveller when..)

We had a bit of a night out with Stella and Tom on Friday, starting at the food court for some noodles, then a fruity beer at the Belgian Beer Cafe then went to the hostel nightclub - 'First Base'. Cheap drinks but unfortunately no one our age there really, certainly no lookers and the DJ was rubbish so it wasnt a very late night as we were still fighting with jet lag.

The next morning just as I was texting our friends Matt and Emily who we did the Inca Trail with, we bumped into them in the street and went for coffee and a cake :) Really nice to catch up. We have seen them twice since randomly, its a small world!

When we met them and for the rest of that day it absolutely poured with rain. The weather in Auckland was pretty mixed up actually. Lots of pouring rain and cold wind but the occassional afternoon that was really hot and sunny. Think a combination of rain and jet lag stopped us doing any sightseeing in Auckland, so didnt really get a very good impression. A lot of New Zealanders hate it, really hate the city and I certainly wouldnt like to live there if there was an alternative like say Nelson or Wanaka. It just seemed to have a lot of seedy joints and the buildings were a bit wierd, like deserted streets in a country western. So I didnt do the skytower or the harbour or any of the nice things, just too tired and it was too cold and wet outside. Another trip maybe..

So, back to Matt and Emily. We went to the Kathmandu sale (that shop is so pricey you have to go to the sale rail) and got some good 3/4 length pants. Then we went to the Kelly Tarllton Antartic and Underwater World which was a really good thing to do on a rainy day, we all really enjoyed it :) Saw some HUGE rays in the aquarium, I really love those things, and these ones were really lovely, we saw them being fed. We also did the snowcat ride which is a little rail tour of the penguin enclosure and it was so funny watching Matt panicking as he doesnt like rides at all, especially when we told him it would be going upside down and all sorts ;).

On the last evening I went to Stellas friend Dans house for a bit of a house party and it was nice to put a face to a name for him and some of her other friends. Then it was time for the Kiwi Experience aboad the big green bus...