Finally managed to get out of Auckland today which was a relief as although for a city it is quiet nice, after a few days you have seen all of the main sites and need a bit of greenery!

Finally saw my first sheep! It was pink! No jokes, something to do with anger management but that may have been the sense of humour of our bus driver (Jared).

It was an early start as the bus picked us up at 7.30 but as I was the only one in my room it worked out quiet well as I didnt wake anyone up in the process! Suddenly couldn't seem to fit everything back in my bag which was weird as I don't remember buying anything else.

After a 4 hour bus trip we arrived in the Bay of Islands! It was amazing, like all those photographs you see in travel magasines, but better. So peaceful and a very nice change to Auckland.

Went on a pony trek up through the mountains which was quiet an experience in itself as we started off in the glorious sunshine with me with my factor 50 on and ended with us soaked to the skin in a thunderstorm with all of the horses freaking out! Fantastic scenery though and we were taken up right into the volcano area to look over the Bay and then we took the horses across the baech and into the sea! I though I was going to drown as the horses were practically swimming!

Most of the people on the bus were either in groups or were German and so noone really spoke to each other so I was quiet glad that I have now left most of them up there and am joining a different group tomorrow!

In the evening I was really lucky that I was with a good group of people in the dorms and we ended up sitting on the decking and playing poker to the wee hours!

Unfortunately there was a girl that was really ill and up all night and her temperature was through the roof so it was decided that her friends in the dorm were going to take her to hospital, however they had all been up drinking on the beach until 3 in the morning so I ended up driving with this guy and the girl that was ill to the hospital all in our pjs!

From the horse trekking I had met a couple of Maori tribe people who were running the activity and got talking to me as I was practically the only one that could ride! They ended up inviting me and another girl on their kayak at 6 in the morning to go out to the islands and puck muscles off of the rocks and cook them. It was the most amazing experience and a true look at the culture and something that you could never plan for. Unfortunatly having only had an hours sleep I forgot my camera!

Anyways, I am now back in Auckland just for the night, back at Nomads as it works out that I get a bed a meal and a beer for 10 squib a night so can't complain at that. And AGAIN I got upgraded, I think I will end up disappointed when I finally get what I pay for.

Please leave me lovely messages!