Sunday 29th March

This morning I woke up in a really good mood. Despite their being a minimum of 6 people in the dorm, everyone had been really quiet and considerate and the beds were not only comfy but didn't squeak with every little movement.

Dragging myself out of bed when I couldn't get back to sleep, I went for a run! My first run in months and it was extremely short but as Alex said the other day when she invited me on hers, 'I had to do something good for my body!'. Back at the hostel I looked into a few different options for the next few days and then went to look around the town some.

I ended up catching the bus to Arrowtown which is a 20minute drive away. Its a pretty little old gold mining town, now filled with eateries and boutique shops. I took the time to do the walk down and across one of many little bridges dotted over the river and then strolled about the town, passing a few hours before going back to Queenstown.

Monday 30th March

So today the cold that I had successfully dodged until now, caught up with me. To say I felt like death wasn't much of an exaggeration. As soon as I was up I went to the pharmacy and got some tablets and then dosed myself up.

Last night I had booked to do a combo of the Shotover Canyon Swing and the Shotover Jetboat. At this point I wasn't sure what my head would do with this as it already felt stuffy!

I spent the morning writing a few postcards and feeding my chai latte addiction. Before I knew it, it was time to walk down to the Canyon Swing office.

Checking in I was given a wrist band and a tablet to go through the 'paperwork'. I was then weighed in by Adrian and had a drawing markered onto my hand. Now almost everyone else in my group of six got pictures like cats or spiders. Me? I get a picture of the canyon swing with me having gone splat at the bottom. Really optimistic :) The only saving grace was one other guy was hung in his drawing.

After we had all weighed in we piled into the van and made the 15minute journey out to the jump site. Along the way we were shown a video with all different jump styles so we could start trying to make the decision of which we would do. All the way Adrian mocked us and suggested that dire things lay ahead.

At the Canyon Swing we were given another brief before heading down to the jump platform. Its 109metres high and there's a freefall of up to 6 seconds on jumping. Having decided to go backwards (I've already done the whole face forward thing with the Bungy jump) I volunteered to go first. None of the others seemed in a particular hurry and I knew I would get more nervous waiting.

Having been strapped up and introduced to the rest of the team I made my way onto the platform and spent the next 5 minutes or so being wound up by Adrian and (I want to say?) Paul- two of the best wind up merchants I've ever met! Adrian would push me towards the edge when I was distracted listening to Paul and Paul would joke about the safety of the harness and cables. They would then tease me about hitting the rockface on my way down.

They carried on chatting away and I'm stood there ready to go, wondering if I can or not. My heels are hanging off the ledge, hands linked behind my head and Paul is literally helping me stay balanced on the edge as they talk about how dangerous it is. Then Paul turns to me and says ' oh, are you still here' so I took that as my cue and tip myself up and back off the ledge.

These guys are fantastic. Even knowing they were putting it on for affect, I still had this spilt second as I went over, where seeing their 'oh s***' faces had me wondering if I shouldn't have gone yet afterall. But then I'm flying through the air and to be honest the next few seconds are such a blur that I can't tell you what I saw. But I felt amazing! And as I began to swing in the canyon, sitting comfortably in my harness, I realised I hadn't screamed at all on my way down. Win for me, epic fail for them :)

They give you plenty of time to enjoy the stunning view, gently swinging backwards and forwards. When they do begin pulling you up its at a pretty rapid pace. Which I loved. Yeh im a little bit of a closet adrenaline junky.

Back up top I immediately asked about doing another jump (the first is really expensive but to do another is really cheap) and so I stayed in my harness as the two other girls in the group did a tandem. Funnily enough one of the girls, Lucy is from Southampton too! Unfortunately while Lucy loved her jump, her friend didn't. Still, now she knows and can check it off her list.

Because two of the guys were doing a tandem also, I got told by Julian that I was going again straight away as they needed to swap people's harnesses about. This was a bit of a shock as I was still on an adrenaline high from my first jump!

Having decided to do another 5 pants jump (the more pants the scarier the jump rating, 5 being the highest) I tried not to show nerves. By now Julian was joining in saying that there's no way an English girl could be brave enough to do this jump. Paul and Adrian played with me even more, this time saying they would get a picture of me facing forwards. For this I had to stand on the ledge and lean forwards trusting Paul not to let me go as he was the only thing holding me up! Of course he shoved me forwards before pulling me back to safety.

For this jump I was doing 'Pin Drop'. This involves standing sideways on the edge of the ledge, hands entwined behind my ass, staring at my toes as I leave the platform. I loved this jump just as much as my first one.

Making a point of not grabbing the rope at all until I was wrenched back up (they had promised ribbing like never before if I did) the guys commented on how relaxed I was about it all. I don't think I've ever been so thankful for having friends who love to stress me out, as I was at this particular moment. Because of years of practice, I was able to fool the boys into thinking I was cool, calm and collected. Of course this may have made them try harder...hmmm.

I watched the boys do their tandem jump and and then the last guys solo. After that Lucy did a second jump, this time on her own and she picked to do the chair. I'd thought about doing this one myself but being strapped in gives the boys even more control over you!

Once Lucy was done they asked the girls to go up and view our pictures and videos while the boys did any second jumps. We spent the next 15 minutes or so enthralled with the evidence of what we had just achieved. On coming to Queenstown I had the choice of doing another, higher Bungy or the Canyon Swing. I'm so glad I picked this though as I don't have to think twice about doing it again the way I did with the Bungy. I could quite happily do Canyon swings all day long. Its such a rush and the guys were good fun so long as you dont show fear. Abit like dogs that way!

Once everyone was happy we made our way back to the van and I reminded Adrian that I needed to be dropped at the Shotover Jet on the way back to town. He of course forgot and had to turn back around but I didn't mind as they play a different video after your jumps showing some of the crazier times there. These include a grown man in hysterics, women screaming their heads off and then stopping for the pics and seamlessly continuing afterwards and even guys being kicked off or fooled into sitting into a chair that doesn't exist! Having already decided to return to NZ at a different time of year, im really hoping to do my next swing when it's snowing. It looks epic!

Once at Shotover Jets I got checked onto an earlier tour and made my way down to suit up. Having done 2 jetboats before I knew what to expect but it was great sitting next to an American couple who were experiencing it for the first time. I love seeing people's reactions and despite being an older couple they loved it.

I had debated doing Shotover as while there the only ones allowed to go this far into the canyons I also know that they had a really bad accident a few months ago. But as with every activity there is always an element of risk. Its what makes it such a rush.

This 25minute tour seemed to go really quickly and while it was impressive going through the canyons I have to say my second jetboat in Taupo is still my favourite. I'm not sure if it actually was scarier or if im just getting more used to them but there just seemed to be an extra 'something' about it. That said it was interesting to hear about this area and learn just how quickly the water can rise in the river. If there's enough rain, it can rise a good 10ft in the canyon in just 5hours!

Back in town I went back to the hostel awhile and met my new bunkmate, Paul. He's from Nebraska and has been hitchhiking around NZ for the last 2 months. We immediately got along and were exchanging shots pretty quickly.

After a while I went for a walk down to the Lakefront just after the sun had passed behind the mountains. I walked along the piers with the cafes alive with people and walked out towards the beach. Here I took a few pictures before turning back.

I knew Hannah and Marysia were due back today and on arriving back at the hostel I found I had a message from them inviting me out for a few drinks to celebrate Kims new job. Meeting them at the Pig & Whistle a while later we chatted outside with fires and blankets warming us. After a while we decided to move on and ended up going all the way to the place next door!

As we entered we met 3 others that we knew in one way or the other. One was a good friend of Hannahs, Priscilla, that i'd met briefly my first night in Queenstown and Miriam was also there with a friend of hers. Moving to a bigger table we got drinks and began talking. I got told I had 3 guesses for where Priscilla is from before being given her passport to learn the truth. Looking at her you would guess, Brazil, Portugal, Spain. Places like that. Boy was I in for a shock- shes Dutch!

Awhile later Ryan joined us (also from my 3rd bus) but by then I was being hounded by Priscilla. I mean that in a nice way. Mostly :) As I was quizzed on my past, present and future plans, the time got away from me a little. Since I'm not sleeping much being ill, I had planned on only staying awhile but it was almost midnight when Miriam, her friend and I split from the rest of the group. Then saying goodbye to them at Base I backtracked slightly to FergBurger.

FergBurger is now said to have the best burgers in the NZ and while I hadn't planned on trying them (ive already eaten more burgers in the past 5 weeks than in the past 5 years) they were pretty much empty when we went past. You might not think much of this but since they became world renowned they've begun opening 22hours a day and the queue is almost always an hour or more long. Having only eaten some toast after returning from my activities I was now starved and have to admit the burger wasn't bad. But then I went for Lamb and that in itself is outstanding her in NZ.

Getting back to my room at almost 1am I fell into bed but unfortunately not an easy sleep.

Tuesday 31st March

This morning I had set my alarm early as I wanted to try and get another Canyon Swing jump (the wristbands they gave us meant if there were last minute spaces then we could do another $35 jump) in. Having barley slept again though I put it back an hour and tried to rest some more. Once I did wake up properly I checked the 9.30am slots and saw there was just 1 space available.

Having thrown myself together I made my way to the Canyon Swing shop in the hope that the space was still open, which it was. Paying for the jump I got weighed in by Daniel. He was nice, giving me a drawing of a Pac man eating a ghost.

There were only 4 of us on this trip with Adrian and one of the office girls bumming a lift to the jump site. Once there and through all the checks we made our way down to the platform. Since I was re-jumping, I happily watched as the others completed there's. Mary went first and as lady whom I would guess is in her 60's, she did amazingly well. She just sort of got on and did it. No waiting around or anything. The other two were a young couple and at this point he was extremely nervous. That said i've got to hand it to him he went all out for his first time doing something like this (his girlfriend had already done a bungy jump). They did 'The gimp boy goes to hollywood' jump where you get hung upside down alongside the platform before they release you. Scary stuff.

It was a whole new crew today with Julian being the only one from yesterday and he recognised me immediately. On the ride here I had been toying with 2 different jump styles but now I was here I couldn't decide between 3 or 4! Julian suggested since I enjoy a bit of a rush and i'd already done 2 scary ones yesterday that I do the 'Elvis Cutaway'. This involved my sitting down and sticking my legs out off the platform before lying down. Logan and the other guy (give me a break im meeting dozens of new people a day here!) then move me out so i'm flat on back back in thin air.

These guys did wind you up as it's all part of it but they were nowhere near as big a pranksters as Paul and Adrian. I think because they were more low key and a little more serious I found them harder to read. They actually had me scream -just a little- when they released me suddenly. Something I know they do but it was so quick and smoothly done, that I was still taken by surprise when it actually happened- that's the 'cutaway' part of the jump that gives it the rush.

As soon as I was back up they asked if I wanted to go again. Everyone else had voted no to a 2nd jump so I checked with Daniel that it was okay and then went back for more. I wanted to do flips but I wasn't sure I could pull them off myself never having tried anything like that before. So instead I went for the 'Chair' which does it for you.

Of course having seen this yesterday I knew they would toy with me a lot. And they did. Getting tied to the chair they explained that I would just tilt myself back and over the edge. Of course nothing is that simple. Logan holds the rope so as I tilt backwards it's up to him to let me go when I tilt backwards.

Having completed my second jump I was still reluctant to leave. I really would do it again and again if I could- so it's probably a good thing I'm leaving tomorrow before I go broke on swings alone!

Back in town I did the Queenstown Hill walk which Philip had recommended to me. I honestly didn't feel like doing it with how my head was feeling and my difficulty breathing from my cold. Still, I was glad I made the effort in the end. The views were great, overlooking the Lake and all of Queenstown. We were pretty much level with the gondola at the top and on the way back down I got a view of the next town across on the other side of this mountain range. Not to mention at the top was a bench which I thought I would relax on and when I got closer it had etching saying 'Live Love Laugh'. One of my favourite daily reminders.

Back down in the town I shopped a little and then went back to the hostel to do some laundry. Once that was done I packed up as much of my stuff as possible before heading back into town. I grabbed some takeaway and made my way down to the Lake to watch the sunset behind the mountains.

Wednesday 1st April

Hopping back onto the Stray bus I met my 8th driver, Splash. He's a pretty cool guy who likes abit of a laugh. Very punctual though- he will make you run after the bus if your at all late.

Today we made our way to Mt Cook, stopping along the way for pictures. Firstly to look down at one of the category 6 rapids in NZ and then again a little ways down the road to look at the tiny road twisting through the towering valley floor.

We stopped in Cromwell for coffee and Twizel for a grocery stop followed by a picnic- after weeks of not so great weather it was fantastic to have a warm summers day again. There were a few people like Kelly and her two friends that I knew, as well as Alex and Christian (who now seem to be a 'thing') and two rude girls from previous buses. I stuck to myself for now as I was feeling pretty tired anyway.

As we neared Mt Cook we stopped at Lake Pukaki for more pictures. The view was spectacular with clear blue skies surrounding us. Moving on to our hostel for the night, Splash said that since no one wanted to do activities then we would do two short walks as soon as we had checked in. This wasn't quite correct as I know there were at least a few others who would have like to do some of the glacier options, but Stray only sells them for a package deal which we weren't interested in. Unfortunately by the time we had checked in, any spaces left had sold out.

Knowing a lot of drivers do a long 3 hour hike here, I was pleased that we were doing 2 shorter ones. With my cold my head felt stuffy and there's no way i'd be able to make a longer hike today. The first hike took us up for a view of The Tasman Glacier. This was a great view once we were up there but I was extremely glad it wasn't any longer as it was pretty steep.

The second hike to Kea Point was longer but without much of an incline taking us to get a better view of Mt Cook. At 3,724metres high, Mt Cook is the largest mountain in NZ and we were told that while it was smaller than Everest, it's actually a harder climb in terms of technicality!

Having spoken to a german girl during both the hikes, I got lots of insider information about Oz as she's been working out there for a while. And once back at the accommodation I spent some time taking to my Dutch (and possibly Swiss?) roommates. Well the girl and one of the guys. By the end of the evening the other guy was joking with me too but at first it was like I didn't exist- I put it down to the hangover most of the bus had!

Apart from making some dinner I had a quiet night watching the sun set behind the mountains from our balcony. Yep I said balcony :) The only disappointment of the evening was that it clouded over, so despite being one of the best spots in NZ for star gazing, it was rather unimpressive.

Thursday 2nd April

So today we headed for Rangitata. Like most people I made the mistake of thinking this was an actual town but it isn't. Instead it's an area surrounding the Rangitata river, so no wonder I had trouble finding a weather forecast!

Having stopped for another photo opt at a Lake, I realised Marysia was on the bus. Stopping again a little later in Tekapo we got coffee and caught up. We then walked down to try and get a view of the Lake as it's one of the better known ones, making all the postcards. Unfortunately as soon as we got down there we had to rush for the bus as I tried to convey to Marysia that Splash really would leave us behind! Getting back on I found that Youst had also hopped on the bus here. As we drove out of the town I caught sight of the Good Shepard Church- another place that makes all the postcards for the crazy star gazing you can do there when conditions allow.

Today a lot of people were going rafting as it's meant to be the best place in NZ to do it. I on the other hand booked to go horse riding again. I got away with being the only person doing it until Alex realised and then she joined on- but opted to go with Christian rafting at the last minute. So after dropping the rafters off the rest of us did a grocery shop- with us only now realising that it's easter weekend so we should stock up for the next few days. With that in mind I opted in for the group meal Splash proposed- bbq but at least not burgers this time!

I then got dropped at Peel Forest riding and spent the next 3 hrs or so with Pauline and our mounts- Tommy for me, a standard bred ex racer and Vinnie for Pauline, an ex pacer and new guide horse. It was a pleasant 2 hours riding. Sometimes through the river that came up to our shoes and mud up to the horses hock. And at other times we rode through the forest. We passed the lodge that Brian (?) and Penny (the stables owners) part own and rent out- mostly to Americans who come to the area to go hunting.

The whole area farms Deer like so many places I've seen in NZ. Its so odd to see them all fenced in by the dozens. But also quite a great sight at this time of the year as they come into rut- hearing the bulls call and it echoing around the Mountains is quite impressive.

After the ride the 3 of us had some tea and listened to Brians tall tales. He had told me earlier when they were checking I could ride that he once had someone claim to be experienced only to find out that by experienced she meant she had 'watched extensive horse riding programs'. Urm, yeh. That so does not work! I'm always hesitant to call myself an intimidate rider as I've never had actual lessons but to say you can ride at all when you've never been on a horse is just asking for trouble.

After Pauline dropped me at the rafting place where we would be staying tonight, I checked in. They had decided to put me in 'The house' which is down the roads a way. Having been told there would be a lot of drinking going on tonight I was glad to be away from the worst of it. Even more so when they said there were only 4 people staying there.

I was told that once the rafters were back someone would give me a lift to 'the house'. I was bemused by this at first as it's meant to only be 5 minutes walk away. Of course once in the van with my bags I was grateful as we went down the hill across a tiny bridge, turned left and then climbed back up a hill. Not a nice trip with all our packs.

Once there the guy showed me around and said I had my choice of one of the dorms or I could have my own room. Of course he never got further than that. My own room or sharing? No competition!

Quickly changing into my bikini I grabbed my water and kindle and headed out to the garden to chill out and enjoy this last bit of sun. Not long after this the 4th person staying at 'The house' showed up and we began talking. Debbie is also a brit and like me had also opted to do the group meal- and was also regretting it! We wanted to enjoy our views and small corner of paradise as long as possible. Agreeing right there and then that we would go eat and then escape as quickly as possible.

And that's exactly what we did. Most group meals begin around 7pm but might not be prepared until nearer 9. Of course despite dragging ourselves away from our view and arriving a little after 6.30pm, everyone had eaten leaving us with very little left. Not great since we had paid the same as everyone else but at least there was something I suppose. As soon as we had eaten and chatted with Debbies friend Sherene a while, we actually snuck down the side steps and ran until we were out of sight. Uhuh. You wouldn't believe we're two of the older group members the way we creeped out before getting dragged into the beer wand games.

Back at 'The House' we got drinks and made our way onto the deck to catch the last of the pink skies as the sun disappeared. We then spent the next few hours sat talking as the sky turned dark and the stars appeared. We could hear the bull deers calling from the other side of the mountain and it echoed in the stillness of the night. And just a little before we headed inside we saw a shooting star. I've seen a few in my time but none like this. It looked huge and bright as it raced across the sky. The perfect end to the evening, especially for Debbie who had, had a bad experience with Stray so far.

Back inside I spent a few hours reading before showering and calling it a night. In my own room. With my own space. Yep, it was a good day :)

Friday 3rd of April

Today we had an early start as Splash came to pick us up in a van as the road and bridge is too small for the coach to come across. On the bus we set off again only to have the most brilliant sunrise happening outside the windows. Truly gorgeous with reds, oranges and blue.

We made our way straight to Christchurch where half the group got off including Marysia. After changing buses and getting new people on we found that we were actually only 2/3rds full despite people having had to leave as they believed it to be full- Stray really need a better system implemented to stop this happening.

After leaving Christchurch we made our way to Kaikoura but unfortunately for those who wanted to do Whale watching this afternoon, we hit easter traffic and arrive later than planned meaning they missed out. On arrival we stopped at Encounter Dolphins so those doing the swim tomorrow could sort themselves out.

I had sent an email earlier when I had wifi asking them if they could book me onto whichever tour had spaces as I was hopping off for the weekend in Kaikoura (Stray only get 6 places reserved for the whole coach). Unsure if I had a place booked I went in to talk to them. They booked me on for the 1pm swim saturday and put me on wait lists for sunday as the weather was due to worsen from midday saturday, putting all trips in jeopardy.

Having sorted that as much as possible I hopped onto the bus long enough to get dropped at my accommodation for the next 3 nights, 'The Fish Tank Lodge'. Arriving just after 2pm I found that typically the reception was closed for lunch. Leaving my pack in the lobby I made a run down the road for a -you guessed it- chai latte and then proceeded to wait. Luckily for me, the girl came out early and checked me in.

I planned to explore the town but having gotten wifi briefly I found I had an email from Dolphin encounters stating that they had infact booked me on a 9am tour but if I wanted it confirmed then I would need to contact them before 4pm! Rushing down to the office I straightened it out and remained on the 9am slot since I didn't want to risk the weather stopping me from going. That sorted, I spent an hour or so exploring the town before going back to the hostel to make some dinner.

Saturday 4th April

So getting up early I had some breakfast and went into the lounge area where the wifi is best. As it turns out the sun was just coming up over the water so I had a fantastic view as I messaged back home. Anything to take my mind off my upcoming Dolphin swim!

Now don't get me wrong, everyone I had met raved about this trip but I am not a water baby by any means. I'd been in NZ for over 5 weeks and had yet to swim in the sea, sticking with paddling. Okay while on the South Island there may have only been one or two feasible opportunities for this, but I passed it up a lot while on the North Island.

On top of this I have never snorkeled before and only worn a wetsuit a couple of times back when I was in school. As it turns out, once I had walked down to Dolphin Encounters and checked in, a girl I had passed earlier began talking to me. Lisa is Dutchie and like me not a fan of open water. Quickly bonding over our lack of experience and nerves we agreed to stick together. And stick together we did, through getting our kits (wetsuits, hoods, fins, masks and snorkels) getting on the bus and luckily getting onto the same boat.

Once on-board we were given a little information about the trip and asked if there were any complete beginners to snorkels. Mine and Lisas hand were the only ones to go up. As it turned out as we made our way to the back of the boat for instruction, there were a couple other newbies as well as others wanting refreshers. This made us both feel better.

Soon we were being told to sit at the back of the boat as we approached the Dolphins, ready to slip off for our swim. This in itself was an interesting experience as you slowly get submerged in the water as the boat slows. Then you hear it's horn, indicating that it's safe to go so we slip off the back and begin pushing through the water.

Before leaving the Encounter base we had been shown a short video with does and donts. Most of it was pretty standard. Swim without using your arms so not to disturb the dolphins, no touching or splashing, distress signals etc. So as im looking down into the water in search of these Dusky Dolphins I kept my hands on my thighs to resist using them as much as possible.

Soon I was passed by my first Doplhin and it's both astounding and a little scary as you turn to follow their path or engage them. More than once I would have Dolphins come within inches of me both from in front of me, behind me and even under me. They are such peaceful creatures though so I never felt threatened just concious of not colliding with them. People on the other hand were a little trickier to avoid as we were all so focused on what was happening beneath the surface!

Looking into the relatively clear water I could see Dolphins swim to the surface as they would do the leaps that Duskys are so well known for. In attempts to engage the dolphins we would swim in circles and make noises as best we could through the snorkels. I can't say I found this as successful as others but I did have instances of circling around with Dolphins looking at me with their gentle, soulful eyes.

At other times I would have a half dozen dolphins swim underneath me from behind. I think this was my favourite thing and I didn't even try to entice them then as it was just amazing to be surrounded by them on every possible side.

I had brought a disposable waterproof camera from back home for this very instance (though it would have been nice to remember I had it when I did the stingray feeding!) but had left it on the boat until I got the hang of snorkeling. This took a while and then I didn't want to waste time with the Dolphins so I waited until the majority of them had swum further away before hopping back on the boat.

The girls asked if I was done swimming and I said no but was surprised when I was told there were only a few minutes left anyway- we had been in the water for 40minutes! Quickly asking one of the girls to grab my camera I slipped back in the water just as the dolphins came past the boat again. Swimming amongst them I tried to take a few pictures. I'm pretty sure all I have is water shots or possibly people, but I did at least try!

Once the horn blasted another 5/10minutes later, I made my way reluctantly back to the boat. Once up there I handed in my fins(Yes! I hate these things, it's like, how many times can we trip clair up?)hood, snorkel and mask. Then I began stripping out of my wetsuit. It took another 15 or so minutes to get back into our street wear, manoeuvring in the cramped boat.

Afterwards we could move onto the deck to have hot chocolate and ginger biscuits as we watched the dolphins play some more. Having swallowed my fair share of salt water when trying to sort my snorkel and mask out, I was feeling a little uneasy as the salt content here seems pretty high. Still, sipping some hot chocolate I began to feel better and before long I was attacking the biscuits with gusto :)

I did feel sorry for one lady on the boat who was being sick but I was also glad it wasn't me!

Making my way up to the front area I took some pictures only to give up and take videos instead. Being Ms Observant I didn't realise until they told us that there had been two different types of dolphins swimming with us today. The expected Duskys, found only in the southern hemisphere but also the Common Dolphins who interact with humans a lot less.

To say it was an amazing experience was an understatement. To swim with wild animals in their natural environment is a real privilege. To have two types of Dolphins choose to play with us, even more so. And to top it off I pushed my limits once more and faced a fear by snorkeling. All before 1pm.

Back at Encounters base Lisa and I headed straight out, both agreeing that despite the weather forecast neither of us were likely to be doing much today, leaving it all for tomorrow. I can't say I was exhausted physically or mentally but I was tired in a really contented way.

Parting with Lisa just a little ways down the road we exchanged details so we could keep in touch. Heading into a local market I spent a little while exploring here. Its advertised as a market but it's a cross between that, a farmers produce market and a car boot sale. Still I may be needing a few more layers so I thought i'd check it out. I came away with some 'new' jean shorts (not exactly the warmer clothing I was after!) and a long sleeve hoody top from two girls also travelling. $3 im not worried about spending! I also got some more jam. I've still enough to see me through NZ so I know I will be leaving some behind at my last hostel but this particular Dumpsy Dearie jam (apple, pear and plum) was a nice change.

Once back in my hostel I showered and had some lunch. After this I passed the afternoon at a cafe enjoying the sun. In the evening I saw amazing pink colours dancing across the water again as the sun set and I got some chips and sat on the beach awhile.

Sunday 5th April

This morning I realised it's six weeks until I arrive home and I've been away almost double that long already. With just 10days until I fly out of NZ I can't help but feel a little sad. I'm so glad I did SEA and im sure i'll enjoy Oz once im there but at the moment I feel like there's so much left to explore in NZ. But hey, that's why I'm already planning my trip back :)

After having a lazy start to the day reading and relaxing I decided the drizzle didn't appear to be getting worse so I would head out for a bit. I had planned to do some shopping in Kaikoura but honestly I just really wasn't in the mood. So pretty soon I headed in the opposite direction trying to talk myself into the 3hr walk I had planned to do. I think I surprised myself when I did start onto this track!

The walk took me up and over the peninsula to the other side and after awhile I found myself at the mariner we had set out from yesterday morning. Continuing my walk it took me all up along the cliffs giving me amazing views of the crystal clear waters below, the farmland covering the hills and mountains and distant bluffs.

Once I got maybe 3/5ths of the way into the walk I had the choice of going down to the beaches below. With the path looking steep and rather endless I choose not to go down. After all, the maps all showed it to be a dead end walk. Of course the maps were wrong.

Walking along the cliff path I had fantastic views and could see the white rocks below that during high tide arnt visible. And I could also see the dozens -maybe hundreds- of seals dotting these rocks all along the next mile or so of coastline.

Once I eventually made it to the other end of the track I made my way down and around, thinking I would try to get back along slightly before the tide came all the way in. As soon I walked on the rocks I found a seal perched up high up on a rock and another down in a crevice. Neither seemed bothered by all the people.

Just a little further on I managed to slip and ended up getting my foot soaked. Between this and the tide already being further in than I had hoped, meant I began the walk rather reluctantly back to town. Along the way I ran into Alex who had just arrived and grabbed another chai latte to tide me over.

Monday 6th & Tuesday 7th of April

The next two days were spent on my latest bus with Lolly as a driver, heading north to Auckland.

After hopping on monday morning we made our way to Picton and did the ferry crossing arriving into Wellington late afternoon. First thing the next morning we loaded our bags onto the bus in the dark and spent the next 12hours making the journey to Auckland. Our only real stop being in National Park.

Once in Auckland I checked in and soon made my way out to meet up with Hannah and another two of her friends. Everyone had had busy days so it was only a brief catch up before going our separate ways and calling it a night.

Wednesday 8th April

Today I had originally hoped to take the ferry from Auckland to the Cormandal as that's one place I haven't managed to get to on this trip that I really wanted to. However it turns out that Wednesdays are the only day the ferry doesn't run.

Instead I took a different boat across to Rangitoto an active volcanic island. Its only a 25minute ride from Auckland and on climbing the summit, you have amazing views over Waitemata Harbour.

Once back in the city I got some groceries and then headed out to try and catch the sunset as I know it was stunning my first night in NZ. Unfortunately while today had been warm, it had also been extremely cloudy meaning there wasn't much to see.

Thursday 9th April

Today I met my 10th Stray driver, Muesli, and within an hour Papa G was in danger of losing top spot. Its amazing how drastically different all the drivers are. I've had a couple really good ones, a couple with potential and others who are lovely people, but not so good for this job.

Muesli talks a lot and seems to have lived or travelled to most places people are from (except maybe the 3 Icelandic girls who had joined this trip- the first Icelandics I've knowingly met!). As such he has a tonne of knowledge and loves telling stories.

The only real stop we made as we headed for Paihia was to visit McKinney and Simpson, two Kauri (pronounced as Cody) trees. These trees are native to NZ and 90% of them were lost years ago. With the ability to strip there bark when the tree becomes 'ill' and produce a glue like substance to help it 'heal' itself, the trees have long lives and apparently we're part of the inspiration behind the movie Avatar.

On arriving in Paihia, we went to the information office and booked whatever tours we had decided on. Then getting dropped at Base we checked in. Having prebooked my own bed here I was away from the group but given Bases usual accommodation, I was pleasantly surprised.

Before I went out for a walk I got distracted by an email from Kevin, the guy who had been part of our Elephant experience in Laos. He had emailed through the pictures he had of me from that day. It brought back such fantastic memories, definitely one of my best days during the months I've been away.

Eventually getting out I walked the 2.5km to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the treaty between the Maori and the British crown was signed on the 6th of February 1840. I didn't go in as there wasn't long before closing but I carried on up the hill as Muesli had suggested to get views across the Bay of Islands area. It was worth the walk.

Back in town I got an ice cream as it was still a few hours until the bbq I had signed up for. Talking to my dormmate a little I had a quiet evening as I wasn't feeling 100%. Besides I want to relax for the last few days I have in NZ.

Friday 10th April
This morning I woke up early despite trying to have a little layin. Staying in bed till everyone else left though gave me the run of the place once they were gone. Somehow I still ended up being late leaving for my Cream trip though.
Now the Cream trip isn't about cream in the slightest despite dairy being the biggest income in NZ, especially here in the north. The Cream trip is a 6/7hr boat trip encompassing a couple of the half day options. We would tour around many of the 144 Islands, taking the original postman's route. Along the way we would watch for dolphins and if the opportunity presented itself, swim with them. After having made our way to the Hole in the Rock, we would then stop on one of the islands for a while before returning to Paihia.
Unfortunately for me the weather wasn't the best and the sea was quite the rollercoaster at times. We did spot a pod of Bottlenose dolphins just after leaving Russell at the beginning of our trip but they had young calves amongst them. While this prevented us from swimming with them, I enjoyed watching them as they swam in front of the boat.
These would be the only dolphins we saw and while we made it to the Hole in the Rock, the sea conditions meant we couldn't pass through it. However it was still an interesting day and I was happily surprised at the Island we stopped at.
Urupukapuka is one of the bigger islands and on walking up the rolling hills dotted with sheep, I was amazed at the views. Not only could I see Othehei Bay where we were docked but I had 360degree views. Despite the sky being a huge grey blanket of cloud, the lushness of the area was stunning. The grass and trees all different shades of green, the water sparkling blue and a view stretching for miles. I can only imagine what a clear sunny days adds to it!
Having not found anymore dolphins the crew put out the boom net for people to play in before heading back to Paihia. Arriving a little after 4pm I went to collect my 'swim with dolphins' refund. While I was disappointed not to have had the chance to do the swim I wasn't surprised given the sea conditions. Luckily not being too prone to motion/sea sickness, I had enjoyed my relaxing day and The Bay of Islands is definitely on my list for my NZ return.

Saturday 11th April
Getting up early I joined what seemed like half the hostel on a day trip to Cape Reinger- the most northerly point of mainland NZ. Along the way I saw more cows than I have in all of the rest of NZ, showing me just how big dairy farming is up here.
We were back to rolling hills -though the vibrant greenery struck me as unusual- and sheep. So many sheep. After a couple of hours we made it to 90mile beach. This beach isn't actually 90miles long but it got its name as years ago people measured how long it was by using how far a cow could walk. A cow can walk about 30miles a day and it would take 3 days to cover the stretch of beach, so 90 miles it must be.
90 mile beach is actually considered a motorway here in NZ, making it both the oldest and newest one there is. The oldest as people used it to get between places before there were vehicles but the newest as the tide comes right in everyday, recreating the 'road'.
After having driven along it for an hour we got out and took some pictures. We were able to see the 'real' hole in the rock in the distance too. Back onboard we made our way to some huge sand dunes for people to do sandboarding. Now I admit I had planned on doing this but on getting there I figured there were less pros than cons.
The pros being that it looked steep so if I managed to get speed up it could be quite scary/exciting. The cons being, sand flying in my face, collisions, boarding into water or bushes etc. The list went on.
After the sandboarding we made our way up to Cape Reinger where we were given an hour to explore. This area along the northern coast is truly spectacular and I wish I'd had longer to spend walking there. As it was I walked down to the rather famous lighthouse, reading the plaques along the way.
The whole area here is woven into Maori legend. They believe that when people die they come here to either grow wings and pass into the realm of their ancestors or if they haven't earnt it, then to fall into the water and be devoured by a sea monster. As with all places regarded to have Maori dead or spirits, there's no eating in the area- in this instance as it may distract the spirits from their journey.
After Cape Reinger we made our way to a showroom with Kauri trees. Since these trees are now protected these pieces are made/carved from ones that are already beyond saving. We then got fish and chips before heading to an actual Kauri forest to end our day.
Back in Paihia I went for a walk along the coast a little before the sun set, enjoying just how relaxing and peaceful this area is.
Sunday 12th April
I stumbled out of bed at just after 6am this morning to go and watch the sunrise. Having seen some of it yesterday I thought going earlier I might get some more colors. However given the cloud cover right where the sun was rising, I didn't stand a chance.
Crawling back into bed at 7am I tried to fall back to sleep only to fail miserably. Instead I spent a couple of hours talking to friends back home before getting up and moving.
I had paid extra so I wouldn't have to check out until noon giving myself more time to relax. As I was about to go for a walk one of my roommates came in and we started chatting. It took about 20minutes for us to realise that not only were we both traveling with Stray but that we had already been on not 1 but 2 of the same buses! Admittedly it was only for a total of 4 days but neither one of us recognized the other. At least it's not just me struggling to keep up with all the new faces :)
Leaving my roommate - nope still don't know here name- to make some tough calls on where to spend her last few nights in NZ, I went into the town and wandered awhile. I briefly went back to the hostel to check out a little later on but spent most of my time reading and looking in the shops.
Once 2pm rolled around I made my way back to meet the Stray bus, with Muesli as my driver again. While I was happy about this, I was less happy being told that they couldn't drop me at my accommodation in Mt Eden. Don't get me wrong, Muesli was great in telling me where I needed to go and all, but I had specially emailed to ask Stray if it would be a problem before booking outside the city center.
So as you can imagine the next few hours went rapidly down hill. I decided to get a bus as Muesli had suggested rather than to try and find my way in the dark lugging my backpack, daypack and grocery bag. It may only be a 25minute walk but with no clue of the area, this didn't sound like fun.
But of course it was Sunday and by the time I worked out what bus I needed, I had to wait a good 30minutes for the next one. And then a drunk guy started chatting to me. In the dark. At a bus stop. Yep, I have all the luck. As it turned out, while I was relieved when he left, he was a nice guy and harmless enough.
Once on the already crowded bus, at a guys urging I backed my backpack onto the empty space next to him and tried not to let my other bags topple me over. Soon with the drivers help I was jumping off just a few hundred feet from my accommodation.
Once in I met my roommate- though we didn't actually speak - and then went in search of the kitchen as the fridge in our room was growing things. Once I eventually found my way around the kitchen I decided to take my cuppa back to my room, only to have a handful of 'clumsy' issues along the way.
Needless to say I gave up soon after and stuck close to my room for the remainder of the evening. I may also have made a dent in the bottle of cider ive been carrying around for a few weeks now!

Monday 13th April
Despite having been warned by my roommate- whom I would later find out is named Matt- that he snores, not once on waking during the night did I hear evidence of this. And I woke a lot though I was surprised I managed to sleep until just after 7.30am given the storms that had woken me a few hours earlier.
After reading and trying to look some things up on the subpar wifi, I eventually gave up and decided I would just have to wing it for now. Still with it pouring down I was pretty reluctant to go out to do the errands I needed to do.
Eventually deciding it wasn't going to let up I put my waterproofs on - I knew I'd been carrying them for a reason- and headed out to find the village. As it happened I was out for 2 1/2hours and they were the only ones that it didn't rain in!
After completing my tasks I decided to do the Mt Eden walk after all. Despite it being hazy and overcast the 360degree views were still pretty fantastic and I was glad I'd made the effort.
Back at the hostel I spent my time alternatively reading and trying to get ready for the next leg of my trip- and the final one. Oz.