New Zealand's North Island(Or: The Adventures of Tiffany-Crystal, Queen of the Kiwis) Time seems to be accelerating: the last two weeks here in New Zealand seem to have vanished in the blink of an eye, but at the same time we've managed to see and pack in a huge amount. We knew we'd really like New Zealand, but nothing prepared us for how stunningly scenic it would be, or the huge variety of experiences we'd have in just a fortnight - from sunshi...

Townsville to Brisbane, Australia We were rewarded for having survived the long, slow day in Tennant Creek (sanity intact!) by the most spectacular sunset - truly, it was the highlight of the day, that and the sausage sandwiches we had for lunch, made out of leftovers from Alice Springs! We spent the following day on the sweltering coach (broken air-con) and reached Townsville in the evening, greeted by another uni friend of Jess's, Chris, who's stydying a Maste...

Sydney to Alice Springs, Australia Our next stop was Sydney, a big and busy city with towering skyscrapers crammed together and its world-famous harbour. We spent an enjoyable couple of days there doing the usual tourist sights: walking across the Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, art galleries and the bustling Paddy's market where we stocked up on cheap fruit and veg to keep us going in our self-catering hostels. We also met ...

Brisbane to Newcastle  The moment we arrived in Brisbane we knew we'd like being in Australia.  We felt quite at home, things working the same way as back home and the people just being so friendly and helpful, always cheerful.  Backpacking seems to be a very different affair here, a case of getting on and off coaches with suitcases, dressing well, and sometimes even having your own vehicle.  There's also many more backpackers here than we've come ac...