Queenstown is hyped up the moment you mention New Zealand so I had high expectations! Luckily it did not disappoint. It's a very attractive ski resort surrounded by mountains and filled with shops and bars. Staying at the Nomads hostel which is really nice. In a room with 7 others from the bus. On the way to queenstown we stopped at the site of the first ever bungy jumping company. A few people from the bus jumped which was great to watch but there was a full...

Franz Josef is home of the Franz Josef glacier. The entire bus signed up to do the full day hike of the glacier the next day. I've heard from so many people it was the best day of their time in New Zealand so I'm really looking forward to it. In the morning we had to put on a ridiculous amount of layers in preparation for the hike. Only to be told, it's cancelled due to the weather! Gutted. Because I'm on a tight schedule I don't have the time to stay another da...

It rained...

Nelson was the first stop on the Kiwi bus that we would spend as the group and driver that would be together for the next week or so. Not a lot to do in this small town unless you spend money visiting Abel Tasman National park. We were told about a walk you can do to the centre of NZ so a few of us set off. When we eventually found the route it was pretty steep and hard work! The view over Nelson and the hills behind was well worth it. Even if the information...

Met some girls at the hostel in Christchurch who were catching the kiwi bus too so we made our way there together. Had to get a little bus to the Antarctic centre and then met the rest of the people on the big green bus. Set off on the bus up north to Kaikoura and enjoyed the first glimpses of the New Zealand landscape. I wanted to do whale watching but the way that the buses run means I won't have time to. So just a quick overnight stop in kaikoura. As we drov...