Hello!

I've done SO much since I last wrote on here so this blog is going to go on forever..hope it doesn't bore everyone too much!

After a really awful and tiring journey from Melbourne - Cairns - Auckland (the plan in Melbourne being a few hours delayed and asked 16 people to get off due to 'fuel overloading', plus a 10 hour sleep at Cairns airport), I arrived in Auckland feeling and looking rough. I got talking to some guys who were on my plane and turns out we were staying at the same place so that was cool. It was also preeeeeeeetty cool that we arrived the same time as the England rugby team. Nice going through customs next to them, very nice! (even though I didn't really recognise any of them..none of them were Jonny Wilkinson haha)

My days in Auckland felt as though I was still in Australia! Very much just another city in another country..I went to the museum with Lucy and Phil (guys from the plane) after frantically running around trying to book myself on the Kiwi Experience bus the next day.. but the best bit was in the evening, where Lucy and I descended upon heaven. Bliss. Pure poetry. Yes, we went to see Sex and The City. IT WAS AWESOME! I loved it! I won't say anything in case some people STILL havent seen it (no excuse people back home as it was out so much earlier there!) but I was a bit shocked that she actually did it in the end.

Anyway..we got up early for the bus to take us to Mercury Bay stopping at lots of places on the way. Luckily we have a great bus driver (Jerky Burkey) and a great group of people.

Our stops included some high point in Auckland where we got great views of the city, and an old crater. We then had Hot Water Beach, which was really cool..you dig a hole in the sand and the water is really hot (or bloody BOILING as my poor feet found out at one point!) and it's basically like a very cheap hot tub. Our next stop was to Cathedral Cove. It was a 40 minute very hilly walk from where I bus pulled up, bloody knackering! But we got there and it was worth the walk, I recognised it from the video footage and photos mum and dad showed me back in February. It was gorgeous and the Cove ceiling is awesome! Very much like a cathedral..... Some crazy people went in the sea - even paddling was an ordeal it was so cold - whilst the sane people wandered about. After a few look out points we made our way to our hostel, Turtle Cove, in Mercury Bay. The hostel was lovely! It was so cosy it actually felt like a proper home, so different to any hostel in Australia. In fact all the hostels in NZ have been great so far (touch wood).

Our second day was spent making our way to Rotorua with again, stops in between! We stopped and had a walk around some caves which were pretty cool, walked down some very dark passages which were scary but i survived so it's all good. We may have had some more stops but I've done so much I've forgotten loads arghhhhhhh. The best bit about the day was the activities! I decided not to do the white water rafting or zorbing, and chose the luging which was SO GOOD. Basically you just sit in a non-motorised go kart style thing, and you can really pick up speed..you ride up to the top in a gondola and get 3 goes down big steep hills..beginner, intermediate and advanced tracks..advanced was obviously the best and I did the girls proud by finishing 2nd on all tracks! Woop!

It was pouring with rain by that point and I was soaked through to the skin, so we got back and had to quickly get ready for the cultural evening. But when I was getting ready I got rudely interrupted..by Kylie and Rose!!!!! It was sooooooooo awesome to see them, I havent seen them since Cairns but it felt like much longer I've been missing them all loads. Saw Ginge a bit later but sadly didn't see Emma...they'd parked outside our hostel to use the showers etc, didn't have long to chat but turns out we're both going to be in Taupo tomorrow which is ace.

The cultural evening was awesome. It was a traditional Maori Hangi and Concert with Tamaki Tours. We selected our chief (Tony) who was given a peace offering by the tribe when we got there, they did lots of traditional war dances, songs etc..it was amazing I absolutely loved it. They tell you that you can't laugh or smile when they're doing their dances etc. That just makes it so hard not to. It would've been much harder if the Maori doing the dance wasnt the most gorgeous man alive! Perv..

We then saw a Maori village and were told how they use weapons/materials etc, how they cook their food (steamed underground). We were then treated to performances from the Maori men and women, and finally given a reindition of one version of the Haka which was awesome! Then we were taken for a feast (literally a feast, so much food!) of meat, veggies, graaaaaavy mmm. lots of food! and drink! We got back to the hostel about 10.30pm after a very entertaining bus journey, Ngata (pronounced Nutter) - best bit was him remembering everyones names - there were about 40 people onboard. Good work. Then it was off to the hostel bar for fun and games.......

Next day we arose very early again and went to the Thermal Reserve and saw lots of Maori stuff again (sorry this is really basic but I've got no time left!) and of course saw the smelly Geysers which were pretty incredible (largest in the world, oh yeah) and boiling mud pools. It was soooo cold and it was a massive relief to sit on the hot rocks, could've stayed there forever! But we were taken to the begining again where we saw Kiwi birds (well, bird, only one!) and were then taught a traditional Maori women dance thing, they spin around these ball on a string type things whilst singing..the boys learnt the Haka, and we then had to perfom for one another! Lucy and I were late and the pictures of us are classic, just looking like we have no idea. Which was true!

We then headed toward Waitomo where we had lunch and then embarked on activities! I decided to do Black Water Rafting. You basically go underground in these amazing caves where they have waterfalls, lots of glow worms on the ceiling, EELS! eek! You sit in a rubber tube for a lot of it..sometimes felt like a very dark and very VERY cold version of the lazy river! It was FANTASTIC though, loved every second of it apart from when I whacked my forehead on part of the cave. For some reason we had to do the last part in pitch black..and yep, typically I'm the one who ends up doing something stupid!! Really hurt though...haha.

We were given the best meal I've had in years (tomato soup and bagel - so good because I was just SO cold) and then headed back to our lovely hostel in Waitomo! Which is where I am now, it's only 8.15pm and I'm ready for bed. Been a hectic few days, it's non stop with the Kiwi Bus but I'm loving every minute of it.

Anyway, best go.. oh, tomorrow I'm doing some pretty cool stuff...sky dive and bungee :)

lots of love! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx