I left Steve and Tom in Queenstown as they have an extra 10 days (because they are not going to Perth), so I was about to do a couple of weeks of solo travelling. We'd made quite a few friends in Queenstown so it was a shame to be leaving, but I wanted to make sure I got to see everything I wanted to on the North Island.

So I left Queenstown and spent most of the day going to Christchurch. When I was in Christchurch I bumped into a couple of people I knew from Queenstown so went for some food and a drink. The next day I travelled to Kaikoura and got talking with someone called David, who went to Southampton Uni as well (I've met quite a few alumni already - small world!). There was an opportunity that afternoon to do swimming with dolphins, but there wasn't enough room on the boat. I might have another go in the Bay of Islands.

From Kaikoura I headed to Picton for the ferry to Wellington. We had a few pods of dolphins following us for part of the journey, which lasted about 3 hours. Unfortunately it was cloudy so the views weren't too clear. Wellington was by far the biggest place I had been to (someone said Christchurch was NZ's biggest city, but it certainly didn't feel it).

I decided to stay two nights in Wellington. I met up with David the next day and we went to the Te Papa museum (which is free) and to the Parliament Buildings. Te Papa museum was pretty impressive to say its free admission. Spent a couple of hours there looking at the Maori exhibits and had a go in the earthquake simulator! Then went on to the Parliament Buildings and luckily made the last tour of the day (which was also free). They showed you around all the buildings, including the House of Commons (or NZ's equivalent). Apparently you can hire out the room outside the Commons for weddings! The NZ Symphony Orchestra was also practicing for a function that evening.

By the time we got back to the dorm another guy was in there (Tom from Somerset). We ended up going to watch the new Rambo (complete blood bath - put me off visiting Burma) and then went for a few beers afterwards. The pub we went into even had London Pride on tap and bottles of Old Speckled Hen. Felt I was back home.

I left Wellington on Tuesday (the 8th). We stopped off in a funny place called Bulls. The locals make fun out of the town name (outside the police station is said "Come in and see a Consta-Bull"; the clothes shop was called "La-Bulls" etc etc). I then got off the bus and headed to Rivery Valley (which is about a 30 minute drive from a place called Taihape). This is a retreat in the middle of nowhere and well known for Grade 5 white water rafting. Unfortunately when I got there they said the river was too low, so ended up going for a walk and sitting in the hot tub. That afternoon there was a roast dinner so ended up chatting with a couple of girls from Bournemouth, a guy from London and one from Sweden. Luckily there was a bar so had a few drinks as well.

The next day (Weds) I headed to Taupo. I signed up to do the Tongariro Crossing the following day, which is an 18km walk across the Tongariro National Park. It was an early start - the bus picked us up at 6.10am. Only one other person was doing the walk from my hostel, a guy called Ritchie from Ireland. He'd been travelling for almost a year after quitting his job in sales. Luckily the weather was fantastic and a clear sky. I was a bit nervous when the bus driver took our mobile numbers so he could pass them to Search and Rescue if we didn't return to the other side of the mountain! The names on the route were also a bit interesting - "Devils Staircase", "No Man's Land". We were warned if the winds picked up we may have to do some of the crossing on our hands and knees, which reminded me of Patsy's story from Tenerife! Luckily we didn't need to do that.

It was a tough walk, especially the first 2 hours which was pretty much all uphill. The views at the top were worth it though. The ground at the top was warm due to the volcanic activity. One of the mountains we climbed by was Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. There was a lot of steam coming from the mountains as well and quite a strong smell of sulphur at times. We also passed some turquoise coloured lakes which looked pretty spectacular. The walk too about 6 and a half hours and was pretty challenging.

That brings me to today, Friday. It's another fantastic day, very warm and sunny in Taupo. I have been on the phone with HSBC moaning as they have blocked my credit card. I have agreed to collect a new one in Perth.

I'm about to head to a natural spa and have a dip (I've been told it's like having a bath). Then tomorrow I am heading to Rotorua and hoping to do some black water rafting, which I'm told is pretty good fun. Tom and Steve are arriving in Taupo this afternoon so I'll be meeting up with them. Tonight is an Irish girl's birthday party (Orla) who we met in Taupo, so we are all going dressed as pirates! Will write again in a few days, or maybe when I get to Perth! Hope everyone at home is well!