I have decided to stay at Maple Lodge instead of finding a flat as the atmos is great and i have made friends. Also it means i don't have to pay bills and be involved in such hassle. Also I have moved into a twin room with Dorothy (a German lassie who was in the bunk below me) and it's just great to be able to properly unpack and spread out and have a bit more privacy. The room smells VERY damp though and is a bit dark and dingy but we've sprayed it with laven...

Loving Wellington and getting into the swing of city life as best i can. There's been so many highlights this last couple of days, i don't know where to start. First and foremost, i started my temp assignment at the NZ Rugby Union yesterday and have been grinning ever since. The magnitude of having the opportunity to work in such hallowed halls hasn't really sunk in and i keep having to pinch myself. The British Lions Tour is absolutely huge here for many rea...

Windy Wellington. They don't call it that for nothing, do they? Jeez! I suppose eventually you kind of get used to having your hair and clothes permanently at right angles to your body. And lipgloss?! Well there's just no point in wearing it unless you want all your hair and general flying bits of newspaper and kebab wrappers stuck to your face! After a slow start (euphemism for having a horrible time) i have settled in to Wellington and just love it. I'm stayin...

We decided to go through Tongariro National Park - into the heart of Mordor!! Sorry it's all gone a bit Lord of the Rings! It seemed the obvious choice to have a bit of a LOTR pilgrimage as we were driving straight through many of the film locations. Sadly there was so much low cloud that we didn't see a single glimpse of the volcanoes - Ruapehu or....or...and the other one beginning with an N! But we could see the huge wilderness type area that was used for...

Left Auckland and hit the road finally! Decided to get to Wellington asap for maximum earning potential as i'm a bit skint (once again!). So i headed straight to Taupo which was a pleasant 3 and a half hour drive through Hamilton and beyond. Saw road signs for Matamata (where Hobbiton was created for Lord of the Rings) and Te Awamutu (where the Finn brothers of Crowded House fame were born and bred). Didn't really have time for stopoffs so no photos i'm afr...