Managed to get up to do some washing but the flipping laundry room wouldn't open, had to go down to reception 4 times, what a farce! Just got it done in time before my second cousin Sally and her fiancé Shand arrived who lived in Auckland. Took us around 3 hours in the car heading north to get to Tapuaetahi where the beach house was for the weekend. We went via Shand's friend Peter's house in the middle of nowhere, who was a lovely, eccentric and funny chap wh...

Woke up early to go for a run which turned out to be more eventful than anticipated. As I got to the end of Lake Rotorua I was attacked by two tyrannous seagulls which sent me scurrying into the trees! Think I will be nervous of them evermore. Arrive in Auckland mid-afternoon and Gilly and I decided to head up the Skytower as it was the city's premier attraction. The views across the 4th biggest city in the world by area were fantastic, however seeing people...

The day started with Dave faring us goodbye as he was heading off east, still somewhat stunned I imagine from what he had seen only a few hours earlier. The rest of us got on the bus, with only me and Gilly heading to smelly Rotorua, the rest of the crew going on to Auckland. I Rotorua I convinced Gilly to join me at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, which could only be better than the Craters of the Moon. We had to get a shuttle bus there and the driver wa...

Woke up feeling rough (unsurprisingly) but just made it to the bus for 7:30am pick up. At the breakfast stop I carried on the healthy lifestyle with a Maccy D's where I first chatted to Gilly and Marian who had met on the Kiwi bus and seemed really cool. On the bus I was sat across from Dave, who it turned out did the LPC at Holborn last year and was starting at Herbert Smith in Feb, what a small world! When we arrived at the quaint but cool Urban Retreat hoste...

Probably the least eventful day so far, despite one truly bizarre incident. Woke up still angry from the night before's events yet bid an emotional farewell to the Nelson crew, was genuinely gutted to be leaving them. Landed at Wellington airport and wasn't expecting the gale force winds when I stepped off the plane…hence windy-Wellington! With no accommodation pre-booked I headed to the YHA hostel as it had the best reputation in town. Unfortunately I had forg...