It's Tuesday at 8am and we left Greymouth by Magic Bus to Franz Josef. We were excited knowing that it wouldn't be long until we were climbing the famous Franz Josef glacier. During our journey we stopped off at a town called Ross known as gold town (www.Ross.org.nz). Unusually all forms of gold are found here - alluvial deposits, quartz and also beach sand gold. The main claim to fame for this town is that New Zealand's largest nugget called the "Honourabl...

After spending 2 nights in Nelson we were off again. This time to Greymouth, the land of hair mullets and inbreeds!!! Had it not been for the country's Monteith's brewery being located here we suspect the Kiwis would have drilled around the town and pushed it into the sea (towards Australia) as it's own little island with it's odd inhabitants firmly detached from the mainland. We left 6 Sept on the 8:15am Magic Bus taking us across the picturesque Buller Gorge o...

It was Saturday 4 September and we were off on a shuttle bus to get the 10:25am ferry to Picton (South Island). During the ride, we watched the news on the Christchurch earthquake and they confirmed that a state of emergency had been imposed. The last 20 minutes of the boat journey was stunning as we entered a waterway known as Queen Charlotte Sound. When we arrived at Picton It was again confirmed to us that the scenic train was not running to Christchurch but ...

It was Thursday 2nd September and we were off to Wellington by Intercity bus. During the trip we passed many spectacular mountains on either side of the road, plenty of sheep, cows and a handful of lakes. The bus stopped off for 30 mins so the passengers could grab some lunch then we continued onwards to the capital, Wellington. We arrived at 5pm and were promptedly greeted by clouds and rain. It felt just like the UK. As locals drive on the same side of the roa...

We set off early (7:40am) by Magic bus on Tuesday 31st August heading South for Taupo. It took 2.5 hours to reach the first stop, Waitomo, known for its famous caves. Waitomo when translated from Maori means water in holes and was discovered over 100 years ago by an European explorer with a local Maori chief. The Waitomo cave houses the famous glowworm grotto. These little insects hang from the ceiling of the cave with lines suspended from their bodies (similar t...