ok this is going to be a speedy update of what i have been up to for the last 2 weeks! yep i cant believe i have not updated this since Auckland!! so so much to tell!!!

Friday 13th March

so we wnet to the very top of the North ISland to a place called Cape Reinga there is a light house and you can see where the 2 seas meet! very beautiful, later on the day we wnet Sand boarding but this was diffrent to the last atempt and tihs involved us climbing a sand dune and chucking ourselves down it on a bodyboard! was lots of fun but the climb up the sand dune was a killer! then we wnet along 90 mile beach, which is a highway! pretty crazy. but you got a wicked view of the hole in the rock form there. on the way back we got some " world Famous" fish and chips - they were good but not amazing!!!

Saturday 14th March

Chilled on the Beach - tiredness from jet lag kicked in!

Sunday 15th March

We court the Ferry over to Russel which si the olded town in New Zealand spend a few hours exploring at then court the bus back to Auckland.

Monday 16th March

Court the Early bus to Mercury bay ( Whitianga ) on the way we went to see Cathedral cove which stars in Nania, it was stunning there white sands, crystal clear waters and the magnifican arch way! in the evening we went to a place called hot springs it was hot pools outside where we sat looking up at the stars drining cocktails!! it was Heaven!

Tuesday 17th March - Marcury Bay to Rotoria

on the way to Rotoria we stoped at Karangagahuk and did a walk through the old glod mine which involved pitch black tunnels! was brill.

Rotoria smells of eggy farts it si really not pleseant but there is hot springs and gysers popping up all over the place! the enening involved a cultral evening into the Maori way of live, it is set in a traditional village with the traditonal welcoming, it was crazy to be involved in! each bus was a tribe we were Kiwi tribe and we had to have a cheif, after they had welcomed us into the village we watch some traditional songs and dances , they were incredible! ( i tried to take photos but it jsut goes nto do it any justice!)

After all this we got fed, oh my days it was incredible it was called a Hangi it is there standard meals steam cooked in the ground on hot rocks. it included carrots, sweet potato, potato, chicken, lamb, stufffing, fish, mussels, salad and GRAVY!!! it was as close to a roast dinner i ahve got in the whole time i have been away! i tried to go for seconds as it was all you can eat buffet, but i failed!! then we got dessert which was steam pudding and Pavalova! (dont worry i made room for it) - the best bit by far was the bus trip home, it is tradional to end a meeting with a song! so the driver made every nationallity sing a song to repersent there country! our bus had about 10 different nationalitys so it took a while we were not allowed off until somewone from each one wnet to the front of the bus and sang!! i have not laughed so much! it involved going around a roundabout 4 times to make sure there was enoguh time!!

Wednesday 18th March

all i have to say is white water rafting!! so so much fun it was down the Kaituna river, it is the only trip that involved a 7 metre waterfall and lots fo rapids! we did not trip the boat but stupidly got out and swam for a bit and then went down a rapid holding onto the boat! big mistake i court my leg on the bottoms and cut and bruised it! and the others got dragged under the boat! but would love to go rafting again!

in the evening we went out for a few drinks with the girls we had met as they were moving on in a diffrent direction to us! - Danced the night away!

Friday 20th March

We joined an extra bus which we added on as we wanted to visit the east side of the North Island! it was a chilled 4 day trip! first stop was Tatapouri. where we went to Chanpange Falls where you can slide into the fall! spent time jumping into the lagoon. then we went rock sliding, which involves a natural rock slope which has water gong down it into a lake and you slide down it face first on a blow up body board stearing with your hands! was great fun but there was also inner tubed which you sat in! as long as you lifted your bum up over the bumps you were fine! this was so much fun as you couldn not control the spinning!!

In the evening we chilled and watched Whale rider, which was set in the next village we entered!

Saturday 21st March

we went to Whangora Marae which was the set for Whale rider, we had spent the morning practising a Maori song whcih we had to sing! was a crazy experience to follow there traditions as they are so different from ours! the building was full of carvings as they did nto have a written language and they recorded history in there carvings!

we then went to Ranituka where we stayed on a farm! i was going to carve my own bone pendent, but they ran out of saw blade! which was a bummer but never mind! Ranituka is the first place in the world to see the sunrise! so we set the alarms to get up at half six to walk up the hill, but ti was cloudy so we went back to bed! a few bothered to go up but said it was a wasted trip!!!

Sunday 22nd March

we moved on to Te Kaha via East caped which is the most eastily point with 765 steps upto a lighthouse!

we stayed at a homestay here which was right on the sea front! we went out fishing to catch dinner! i court one fish which was to small so got put back and then the rocks twice and lots my hook both times!! not very sucessful! luckily Dale did better and court a few that were big enough!!

in the evening the owner coooked us fish and chips from the catch! now that was the best fish and chips that i have eaten!!!

Monday 23rd March

this was the end of our East as adventure so we got dropped off at Taupo which is a beautiful town right on the edge of a huge lake!

Tuesday 24th March

got up late today was it was Skydive day and did not want to think about it much!! but we had the best weather for it even the skys were clear! we were told you shuld be able to see both sides of the island, but you have to much going on to think about that!!

So we did the 15000 ft one which gave us a minute freefall ( which felt like 10 seconds) and the 3/4 minutes with the parashute up!!you got some amazing views on the ride in the plane but in your head all the time was am i really going to do this!!! yes yes i am!as you are so hi you get given oxygem masked! then the door opens you shuffle forwards with someone connected to your back and really they are the ones that get you out of the plane! for a split second you are hanging out of the plane until they go!! it goes so quickly! it was amazing apart from the guy i was with decided to spin it around so much i thought i was going to be sick and when we landed i could nto stand up and was white as a sheet! it took me 3 hours to feel better!!!

Wednesday 25th March

we had a chilled out day and walked to Huka Falls on Waikato river then on the way back went to the hot springs on the side of the river so you could enjoy the piping hot water from the springs and then the freezing cold water of the river!! then we sunbathed and read!! we both said to eachother this is pretty amazing!!!

Thursday 26th March

Ok i had a 5.50 AM start!! yes me getting up early! i was going on the Tongariro alpine crossing hike! it was about 20 km. the cwalk involves some of the most secenic and active volcanic area. you walk up the winding track of the Mangatepopo Vallet to the saddle between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe. you then climb to the red crater (18889 m) then it drops down to the vivid Emerald lakes, a small hike up to the Blue lake then the track starts decending around the northern slope of Mt. Tongariro, then zig-zags down the mountain throught tussock plains then into a native forest!

it was a pretty challangeing hike but well worth it the views were amazing! there is a patch alled devils staircase!! and it is a complete killer!! it took me 6 hours, but i had the best day the weather was perfect the sun was shining down on me!! it has to be one of my highlights of the trip so far!!

my legs are aching now thow!!!!