We had to get up super early in the morning to catch the first ferry across to South Island. It was a few hours crossing but thankfully the weather was a lot calmer than it had been in Windy Wellington (it's local nickname!). We upgraded to the VIP suite where we got a full breakfast and sofas to relax on so it was quite a pleasant journey. There were some stunning views especially as we approached the port in Picton. Once off the ferry, we picked up the car and ...

We had a very early start from Napier to Wellington as it was a long drive. The weather was miserable and the winds were ridiculously strong! We were battling with the car whilst driving and made even more difficult by the windy roads through the valleys. We were very thankful when we arrived in one piece! We arrived much later than planned due to the poor weather conditions so didn't have too much time in the afternoon to explore. So we ended up wandering the CB...

Napier is famous as an Art Deco town and does it look cool or what! You feel like you've been transported back in time. After a severe earthquake in the 1930s they had to rebuild most of the town and that's what it looks like today. It's fairly spread out but the centre is small and quaint. Once we arrived we had a wander around, admiring the buiongs and the ocean views. We decided to go to Mission Estate, one of the oldest vineyards in Hawkes Bay. We did some wi...

We didn't do too much at Taupo due to time constraints. We got there early afternoon and had a late lunch before wandering the town and doing some general sight-seeing. I also got my hair cut which felt amazing! Human again after too many months of the bedraggled look... We took a walk along Lake Taupo and had some fantastic views of the volcanoes in the distance. One of which was 'Mt Doom' from Lord of the Rings, and no that's not its real name which I originall...

We really liked Rotorua. It wasn't a long drive from Jane's in the morning so we had nearly a full day. Our first stop was Te Puia which was a centre surrounded by geothermal pools, geysers and mud pools. They were also a school which focused on teaching the Maori traditions and culture to special individuals from around the country. We had a guided tour and got to see the world famous Pohutu geyser erupt - it has been known to reach 100ft! The only thing was the...