Auckland was a very chilled out couple of days for us. We had to drive back down from the Bay of Islands so didn't arrive until lunch. We parked in the city centre, which was of course a nightmare, and found a small cafe for some food. After that we spent the afternoon wandering around the city and shopping. As a city, and especially after the likes of Sydney and Melbourne, I wasn't overly impressed. It was a bit dull and there wasn't masses to do... It just seem...

After arriving at Auckland airport we had a long drive up to Paihia where we were staying for a few days. It took roughly three and a half hours but there was some gorgeous scenery along the drive. I was shocked at how green New Zealand was compared to Australia! Once we arrived I freshened up before going to see Josh, one of my friends at home who has been away for almost a year. It was so surreal seeing someone in a place completely out of context! We were supp...

Ohhh Sydney! What a place. I was surprised at just how much I liked it as I wasn't anticipating too. Not that I thought I wouldn't like it, but I'm not really a city person. I think the thing was that it didn't really feel that big. Each area was individual and quirky, and it was almost like you were moving between different towns rather than one massive city. Anyhow, our first full day we had a day trip to the Blue Mountains planned with your group, Blue Diamo...

What a packed couple of days! Although we only really had about 24 hours actually at Ayers Rock. Or Uluru which is the aboriginal name for it. We landed about half 11 on Dad's birthday into a tiny airport. By this point, it was already scorching outside - mid 30s! And not even the hottest part of the day... We drove to the resort and checked in but due to the heat we waited for a bit before we ventured out to the rock. We got down to the rock around 4pm but it wa...

Our first full day was Sunday so to get to know the city better we decided to do the Free Walking Tour (tips are expected at the end). It was a really interesting walk, made better by our tour guide Matt who was very insightful, telling anecdotes and funny tales about the history of the city. The walk took us past the Old Gaol, the Carlton Gardens, China Town, the Greek Precinct, the State Library, Federation Square, Yarra River, all the street art, some cathedra...