Hello Helena. I am very proud of you for hiking 7.5 hours, I would of got a donkey!! I'm glad to hear that you are finally getting a tan, we wont recognise you when you finally come home. Well I am fine, I had a fantastic time in Centre Parc's with C. I was spoilt rotten and was treated like a princess. We had a manicure, pedicure, massage and spent 2 days in th aqua spa with was lovely as they have a big hot tub outside and we were sat in it on Wednesday night when it was snowing, it was very romantic. He made me breakfast in bed each morning and even cooked at night for me, then we would curl up in front of the log fire and watch a DVD. I know you are probably feeling sick after reading this (ha ha)!!! Anyway, I am still going to the gym, Evelyn dragged me down there on Saturday and Sunday, I nearly died as my body went into a state of shock. Went out Saturday night with Tasha's cousins to Gunwharf. One of them got kicked out of Jongleurs as he couldnt stand up and then went missing for 2 hours. We had all the security staff looking for him as we reported him missing, only to find out that he had walked to Southsea in the freezing cold !!! but it was a fun night. My Brother and his wife are having their second baby on Friday by C-Section so I will be an aunty again, I am so excited. Well take care hun and I will speak to you soon. Love Holly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hey Helen, we're on our final few hours here in Dublin so thought we'd stop and leave you a little message as promised. Well, we've had a fantastic time here and intend to come back next year but for longer and with loads of money! It is a very small world here, met people from pompey (mainly matlows), manchester, liverpool, doncaster, london and nottingham. We've both been good and behaved ourselves with only a few cheeky kisses. Jen picked the matlow as i had 24 year old John from Liverpool (Honest!) plus a few Irish. Everyone has been lovely and friendly, managed to get a few free buses cos we've not got the travelling bit down to a T like you. We stood on the streets looking lost and pathetic with our map so they took pitty on us!! We'll remember that trick for next time. Nightlife is fantastic so many pubs and clubs to choose from, we were spoilt for choice. Everyone did stare at us as we were the only ones out without coats on in these minus conditions but it worked out for the best as we got escorted down the streets wrapped in the irish mens coats!! We've threatened to not come back as we've had marriage proposals from a couple of lovely Irish lads but sadly due to lack of funds we must return to good old pompey. Had two full days of sightseeing and a day of shopping, our feet don't know whats hit them as they are so sore. We've been to quite a few places but there is still so much more we want to see in Dublin and the rest of ireland. We're sure you'd really like it here, we will be coming back without a doubt. We've got some photos which we will e-mail to you when we get back. Well that's it, we're off now got a bus and plane to catch in a few hours. Hope you are well and have enjoyed our little lowdown on Dublin. Look after yourself. Loads of love and hugs, Jen & Jules the converted English to Irish Gals!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Helen have tried numerous times to get you completely obliterated on our nights out....pray tell me how a stranger has managed this conquest and me your old bud from uni hasn't been able to????? i need to meet this young lass....i'm not very proud of my work. need to consult my 'getting wasted' guide and figure out where i was going wrong. good work though. i'll expect more of this kind of behaviour when i see you in melbourne (which i am starting to love by the way) x x x

Thankyou kara, but my tan is onatural! You cheeky minger! My tan covers my arms, chest, face and now my legs!! The rest of my body has i'm afraid people been covered up with my clothes. You know me i dont really like sunbathing and the whole bikini thing is still an issue for me. Oh well, travelling cant cure everything! Anyway, i'm in the bay of islands and i nearly didnt make it. I went out sat night in Auckland with nat who i met in Christchurch and rotoura. It was a messy night and i dont think i can drink wine ever again! Especially when i saw it coming back out of my mouth at about 3am and 11am sunday morning. Luckily i was not sick on the bus, but i really must apologise to the Nz government as i was sick in one of their protected heritage areas. D'oh! So i made it eventually, i even got through all the jokes that were made about me on the bus from my driver...yeah thanks! I had to lay down for the whole journey, thankfully when i did manage to raise my head at a 90 degree angle the countryside duplicated england, so i didnt feel to bad. Got to hostel and went to bed, then i saw Tim from POrtmsouth who i meet earlier on in my trip and he asked me striaght away if i went out the night before....i think i looked ming! God i needed my fellow ming at that mo in time! Today, monday i feel soooooooo much better and i even managed a small walk to the supermarket and now i'm just spending the day chillin yet again. This is the life!! Tomoz i'm on the road again and going to Cape Reinga, which is the northern tip of Nz and hopefully goin to visit some sand dunes on the 90mile beach and do some sand boarding!!! Then over the next few days i may do a boat trip around the islands and visit another port town called russell. Friday i return to auckland and sunday i return to Oz. And that'll be my Nz trip over. Truly gutted! So then, i hope you all had a good weekend? Love to you all. Helen xxxxxxx

OH MY GOD YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A TAN..... did you take Kara's advice? Right, where's my fake tan!!!! x

Hi everyone, well i have now arrived in Auckland for the last bit of travelling around Nz, boo hoo! Bad start to Auckland, am in a s***e hostel and had to change rooms as the one i was in was sooooo small and not enough lockers...well a gal has to feel comfy and i dont want a bad dorm room to be a last memory of nz. Well now where did i leave you guys, i have been rotorua and then moved onto Mt Maunganui (at least i think you spell it like that) Very nice place, lovely beach, climbed up to the lookout and spent time chillin walking along the long vast beach listen to music. I am soooooo mellow man! Sweet! (kiwi term there!) Anyway, auckland is overcast and there was a very long traffic jam to get here! God its like being at home! Anyway here for 2 nights and then move on to the bay of islands which is at the very top of the north island and i may just about see amercia! Only joking!! Anyhoo, hope everyone is ok? Big hug to you all, love Helen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.s just looked and realised I haven't written on here at all this year until then, how shocking of me!!! Promise you will see a marked improvement from now on!!!! (though I have been emailling!) xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi honey and everyone that reads this, I haven't written to u on here 4 ages so thought i'd better so everyone knows I haven't forgotten, finally had chance 2 catch up on all ur photos n that wivout my sis hogging the pc 4 a night. I have to agree with everyone, all still looks great and can't tell u how much NZ appeals to me tho not the bungy jump (rather scared of heights so would work myself in2 a right state!!!) or egg like smells, ewwww!!! So impressed u've done all that and have the photos 2 show it hun, tho I always knew u had guts, u r some girl n love it! Have 2 say Helen u actually have a tan, its coming along a treat now (well the arms at least from the photos!).
Well i'm all excited about my mini adventure 2 Dublin on friday 4 a long wkend, mmm those Irish men wiv their gorgeous accents, can't wait tho knowing my luck i'll miss the fit ones! haha. We'll take photos of r trip 4 u.
Will speak soon, love n miss ya lots, Jen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Helen,
Its sounds like you are having a great time still. I am amazed that you did a bungi jump you have more guts that me! I think that is the same place that Rob did his bungi! My brother has now left auckland and is travelling around the north island first, so you never know you may bump into him.If you are lucky!
I am now back at work after my week off, however I am counting down the weeks until our trip. We will not be around that much at my mums but if you fancy a visit we will be there from 15th-18th and 1st-4th, the 2 weeks in the middle we are off up the west coast in a motorhome. Anyway let me know what you are planning when you return to oz!
Better go,
Love Gemma xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Helen....thanks for the message on my site....i'm now in melbourne and it kinda feels like i've come home coming back to oz. strange strange feeling, not that i think i'll be staying forever or anything tho! i'm staying at the Coffee Palace and err....its not the greatest i've stayed in. sooooooooo noisy i've never known anything like it. hardly slept last night and my room was very very cold. still, its a roof....and that's the way i've come to think now! off to get a job now and i'm very excited about being here. can't wait to settle for a bit - the sight seeing has been great but too much and you get exhausted. i read some snippets of your messages and it seems you've done afew of the things we did and some other bits?? all sounds wicked and i can see you've impressed all the peeps back home???!!! enjoy auckland, how long have you got there? i came to really like it cos i had quite a long time there....if you are there for any wine festivals i highly recommend going to one. pick up an events guide to see whats on....oh and if you wanna do the skytower, think about maybe going for an all you can eat dinner buffet at the restaurant at the top for NZ$28 instead of just paying NZ$25 to go up as i think you get virtually the same view! and of course lots of food......thought that may appeal!!!!! enjoy! Tx

Ooooo, i 4got to say, monday night i went to a maouri night where we visited there village, ate and watched them perform choosing a chief ceremony and they did all these tribal dances and did the haka (you know wot the all blacks do) it was wicked and i loved every minute of it. The haka is used as a defence in a fight and in the good old days 600 men would normally all do it. I tell ya tho 600 men doing that would be enough to scare the english army, well definatley the usa army anyway! Strangely a gal i met in Christchurch was there to so we had a good chat and planning to met up in Auckland on friday night to paint the town red! Right i'm off now! Helen xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hay guys and gals. How are we all? Good i hope? I'm currently in Rotorua and it stinks of egg constantly so i'm looking forward to having some fresh nz air when i move on to Mount Maun......(cant spell it) this afternoon. While in Rotorua i met up with Liz who i met in Napier and we spent yesteday wondering around the thermal wonderland where there is all geothermal hotspots, boiling water etc etc. All very good, but yet again it stunk and i dont think i can eat egg ever again. Like taupo rotorua is in the volcano section in the north island and all around the city you see these like release valves from the earth below, they are in random places like in parks, street corners etc. Rotorua is well known for its spas and mud baths. So last night me and liz had the dorm to ourselves and we went to the hot tub in the hostel and bought ourselves some mud masks and used the regenerising eye pads that my mummy got me for xmas and we chilled all evening! It was wicked, i havent done that in yonks! The pictures are quite amusing. The annoying thing was that when we washed it off we had to go out of our room to the bathrooms outside! Luckily it was dark! Well its the 1st of March and that means i have 12 days to go till i return to Oz. I'm gona be really sad to go as i love Nz, but it is the start to another adventure and i get to see a famililar face of the young teresa again! Yay! No death defying stunts to report back at the mo...............! I'll keep you posted! Ha, ha!! Love ya, miss ya, take care Helen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx