Hey all

Its my last day in New Zealand before flying off to Sydney. I am actually really sad to be leaving this beautiful country and the friends that Ive made. I am meeting a couple of people (James, Olga & Jenny) but it many of them will become Facebook faces...

The last week has been calmer with less activities day to day, but still having a fantastic time. But as things have started to slow it has made me more eager to start something new :)

After Queenstown we went to Invercargill, which is the dullest place in the world but it was on route to Milford Sound which of course was amazing. Not as brilliant as we have hoped but apparently this is because it did not rain on the day that we went and this is when everything is most spectacular. The following day we headed back to Queentown and spent two nights here again. We had loads of fun when we went up the mountain in a gondola and then did Luge-ing at the top. This is where you chase around in carts going down steep slopes and crashing in to each other.

Queenstown is really beautiful, on a lake and with a lot to do you could easily spend a week here!

I arrived in Christchurch last night after a long day on the coach, we did stop again for photos stops and saw this beautiful lake which was the blues Ive ever seen (apparently due to the Glacier defrosting) but it was still an 8hr journey.

Christchurch is still a bit of a mess due to the earthquake, again its not the greatest weather either so it all looks a bit grey. It kind of looks like Bournemouth as its a really English town! However the most exciting thing to happen in Christchurch is that I felt my first Earthquake last night. Since their major earth quake 6 weeks ago (which was the same level as Haiti last year) they have been suffering from after shocks and last night's one was 4 on the rictor scale which is quite large!

So I will be sorry to leave tomorrow but my first 'leg' of the travelling has been such an amazing experience. New Zealand totally exceeded my expectations and Im now worried about whether the rest of the world can be as amazing as this??

I am also glad that I wasn't really aware of what NZ was like before I came as I think I would have been worried about all the walking and the extreme activities and written it off as not being for me. I left the UK without any trainers or outdoor clothes so that's how prepared I was!

The Stray bus tour has also been brilliant. I was so worried about getting on a coach for 21days but this has been one of the best things about the trip and being with all the new people I have met!

So maybe one of the things I have learnt is to give every thing a try (maybe except bunji jumping) as sometimes Ill enjoy it more than I think!

So Australia here I come...

Miss you all xxx