22nd June My final exploration of New Zealand was up to the very northernmost section, the Northlands. I took a 4-hour journey from Auckland to Paihia with the most fantasticly and memorably named Naked Bus company. It was a great relief to discover that clothes ARE worn on this bus, mainly for the reason that my big bag cannot shut with all of my clothes, hoodies and jeans in it, there just is not the room! During my time away I have become an uber-bus-geek and...

Driday 18th June I returned to the north island after my adventures down south, to take a trip around the less-visited East Cape. I'm already kind of sick of the kiwi experience and its mothering, "make sure you put a jumper on" style of tour-guiding but at this time of year there is no other option for visiting this part of the country as the other bus companies stop running tours out here in the winter and the public bus network does not go this far o...

13th June I had been unsure whether I would like the infamous queenstown (various people had warned me of its being VERY touristy, tacky, full of backpackers and 'spoilt'), but within hours of arriving, I absolutely loved it there! On the shore of lake Wakatipu in stunning landscape nestled at the base of the snow capped mountains of Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ranges, with a lively and very affordable drinking, eating and party-scene, great shops and lots ...

Sat. 5th June, 2010 The capital city of wellington was more likeable than auckland, trumping it hands-down in the cbd aspect, with a much more compact centre, less congested, smaller, and with some nice narrow streets, much more pedestrian-friendly. It didn't have the stunning landscape surrounds of aucklands volcano-peppered gulfs, the view from the lookout was much less impressive and it lost points in that category. I spent two full days in the city, three wo...

Tues 25th May It was with relief that I left the congestion of auckland behind on Wednesday, jumped on the big green Kiwi Experience bus and headed out into the wop wops. Within just a few hours it was easy to see how the guidebooks describe NZ as having a "new photo opportunity around every corner". The landscape is so varied that it is literally every ten minutes that rolling green hills become steep, forested volcanoes, become rocky coastline, becom...