Well....finally got to an internet.....just been having to much fun!! Now i would love to start at the beginning, but i dont even know wot day it is let alone which day ive done which activites so im gonna relay it as i remember it!!Im currently in Wellington, but not stopping long. Gotta get up at 6 am to catch the ferry down to the South Island!! This last week has been absolutely amazing, I really cant believe how much ive done and as many of u probably dont know my digital camera didnt make it so i dont have pictures of it all!! Luckily everyone took photos and hopefully ill be able to add them as i get them! So lets start with Auckland.....over a week ago. We stayed three days, and were still not sure why so much of the population live there. Really not a lot there, so we caught up on sleep, checked up cooking in big communal kitchen, experienced the joys of big dorms (getting woken up at 3 am by a big security man checking our names was NOT one of them), got lost trying to find the 'beautiful' coastal walk (turns out to be v wet, v unbeautiful, and full of pylons...but enjoyed the exercise), watched the allblacks game, went clubbing and visited the only chain of coffee shop in the city....starbucks!!! (but for the record did resist burger king, even tho there were THREE in our street....unfortunately Hadley got drunk and ate one for each of us)!!!

So getting out of Auckland felt great....we got chatting to a couple outside the hostel also waiting for the kiwi bus. Deep in conversaton we they see the kiwi bus fly past us!! So fully loaded with backpacks we run to the bus luckily making it because it was a red light. Diesel, our bus driver.....very laid back character!!! Full of lots of stories....not of which true!!

We soon met lots of ppl on the bus, most of which have stayed and will stay with us all the way down to Queenstown. It took about two days to get to know everyone, and we have a really nice and sociable group. So now its gets a bit blurry!! So ill just list the many activities i have done (and refuse to check the bank balance)!!! Starting, i think, will zorbing!! Three of us, on a VERY cold and wet day, getting into an inflatible ball of water and getting pushed down a hill. Bit like a water slide, very quick but good fun. Getting out and shivering after wasnt!!! Now wait, that cant of been first coz i didnt have my camera then, so lets go back a step. Kayaking!!! Excellent fun, beautiful views, but as i was getting my camera out of the wetbag to capture the moment....its slipped to the bottom!! Luckily no pics on there.....and replaced it few days later!! My scariest activity was today....first ever time on a horse. I did i on my own as the others did white water rafting. After 10 mins of realising that horses dont bite, i got into it and ended up galloping, not that i controlled it, horse was a bit nuts!! Defo do it again tho, not sure ill b able to walk tomorrow!!

The thing i HATED the most, and payed the most for was black water rafting. I was very tired and cold that morning anyway, and didnt read what it actually involved. Drifting down a river underground in a rubber tube......FREEZING!!!!! I completely froze so the guide fed me chocolate to keep my sugar levels up!! Not all bad. After that it got better and ended up climbing up these full on waterfalls and it was amazing!!

The most challenging (and im still paying for this) was what i thought was a little trek over the mountains. Bus driver told us it would only take 4 hours....told u he lies. So we got up a 6 am, myself and julie and megan and TREKKED up a VERY VERY steep volcano, named DEVILS staircases which was the start of an 18k trek taking 8 hours. THe most amzing feeling wen we got to the summit and ate lunch on the snow, we could see mount doom where they filmed lord of the rings!! The decent was amusing, very steep and rocky, then snowy!! My best day by far.....the best feeling of achievement and inspiring me to do a lot more hiking!!

Living the travelling life is great fun....learing how to live cheaply and trying to avoid eating out and making my own sarnies and snacks to eat on coach!! The hostels weve stayed in have all been fab, yesterday stayed in this wicked one with 36 of us all in a double room, so sociable. Will update again in a week or two to let u no how south island is....plan to do my sky dive over the glaciers if the weather permits!! Ive prob missed out lots more, and will try and put some piccies on when i get more internet credit. Miss you all!!!!! ps apologise for spelling mistakes....no time to check it....tut tut i no!!!x