After scary start at Singapore airport with some confusion at check-in over my flight date, I'm on my way to Kiwi land! Enjoyed my first glass of wine in 2 months on the plane which i was ridiculously over excited about and arrived in Sydney for my transfer just as dawn was beginning to break. I always feel a little giddy with excitement when the plane takes off at that point when the engines roar and you're pushed back into your seat & also as the plane lands when you look out over the country you're arriving in & feel the plane rock onto the runway. This time was no exception and couldnt help grinning a little. It's funny because coming to Australia was always the main dream and despite the fact that i'm not actually leaving the airport this time is still feel like "i can't believe i've actually made it!"

Arrived in Auckland on NZ's official first day of spring & everyone says I must have brought the sun with me as it's the best day they've had for a while! It's beautifully clear and sunny blue skies, if a little fresh compared to what i've been used to! After checking into my hostel I went on an afternoon walk with a Welsh rugby player Neil who i met in the dorm, he's been in Auckland a while so was able to show me around. We went to the viaduct and harbour, which was so pretty with white sail boats on glistening water with the harbour bridge in the background. Walked around Queen Street and to the Sky Tower although didnt go up, and after some more wandering went back to the hostel bar where met loads of people and had my first few drinks in NZ! Intended to get up early and do some sight-seeing but jet lag kicked in and i slept in so late! The beauitiful weather hadnt lasted anyway and was cold and rainy so i settled on just visiting the museum which was actually really good and ended up spending whole afternoon there.

All aboard the big green bus! After a quick detour up Mt Eden, one of Aucklands dormant volcanoes with 360deg views over the city we make our way to our first overnight stop, Whitianga (Mercury Bay), stopping on the way at Cathedral Cove, a small beach which you can only reach by foot or kayak. After a 30min walk we emerged on the beach of white sand, clear blue sea, small waterfalls and limestone rocks protruding from the water. Back on the bus we head to our cute guest house/hostel for our first bonding night together, having dinner & few beers, playing pool & watching DVD's.

Day two takes us onto Rotorua, stopping at Karangahake Reserve for walk across rivers & gorges on swing bridges & through old mining tunnels then a lucnh break at Matamata, filming location of Hobbiton in Lord of the Rings so we all had photos with a stone Golem! In Rotorua "Sulphur City" we went to Te Puia, a thermal park with boiling mud pools and steaming geysers that we saw blow. In the evening we went out to the Maori village for a cultural hangi (traditional meal cooked in earth oven) and concert. It was fantastic evening, got picked up by bus driver who had learnt everyone's names and how to say hello in their respective languages of which there were 9 different ones! On arrival at village 2 warriors came out and did a Maori challenge to our allocated "chiefs" which was pretty awesome as the warriors were scary with their eye bulging and tongue wagging and strange gutteral noises! After this introduction we went into the village to be shown around, a few games and Maori training then a concert of song & dance. Had an all you can eat buffet dinner from the Hangi which was sooo good & naturally all us backpackers stuffed ourselves silly, then we were treated to a few more songs from the Maori including the infamous Haka.

Leaving behind the beautiful stench of sulphur in Rotorua we move onto Waitomo for some black water rafting, i opted for the more adventurous ofthe 2 options offered at the Ruakuri Caves & found myself in a wetsuit abseiling into a black abyss, then jumping off a ledge with a tube into icy cold jet black water, had some respite floating along in the tube in the dark gazing up at the glow worms then it was back to adventure with a shove & flying down a zip wire rather unexpectedly into the pitch dark with just the glow worms lighting the caves. Clambouring & swimming through tiny gaps & big rocky pools we then faced 2 waterfalls to climb before re-emerging 3hrs later into the Waitomo forest blinking in the daylight. Finished cold & exhausted but exhilerated!

With a sleep & feeling rested it's onto Taupo, stopping en route for a quick Huka falls walk which look pretty awesome with amazing clear foaming waters racing underneath us on the bridge where we walked. On arrival in Taupo it's rainy & miserable so it's clear that my skydive isn't on today but fingers crossed for tomorrow! Sept 7th 2010 - today I jumped out of an aeroplane!! When i woke up in the morning it was raining again so thought it would be cancelled, wandered down to reception a little sleepily still in my PJ's just to check & soon woke up upon being told the jump was on & they'd be at the hostel in 15mins to pick us up! MAd rush to get ready but at least didnt have time to get nervous! There were 6 of us jumping in 2 groups so the 1st 3 went out in the plane but didnt even get in the air before it clouded over again & we were forced to sit for 2 hrs in our skydiving get up watching a film & waiting for the weather to fine up. Eventually with clearer skies it was our time to board the small aircraft! Flight took 15mins & by this point I was feeling slightly nervous but mostly buzzing with excitement! Had to wear oxygen masks due to altitude we were going to then @ 15'000ft the doors were opened & the first guy went. I ended up last of the 3 but we all went so quickly it wasnt that bad as i barely had to wait at all. Strapped to my jump master he scooted us to the door, I got in position, briefly freaked out & then before i could really think about what was happening he'd flung us out the plane & we're spinning through the sky! That first 5 seconds was such a rush I can't even describe it then I could let go of my harness & put my arms out the eupgoria really kicked in & i couldn't stop grinning as you can see in my video! The force of the air rushing past is immense, the cameraman tried to get me to do various poses but aside from having brain overload knowing i'm free falling from a plane, it's also quite hard to move your arms! Had over a minute freefall which went so quickly but was enough time to stop freaking out & take in the experience, going through the clouds was pretty weird & at 5000ft my instructor Amos pulled the chute & it all suddenly went very quiet & still. He altered the harness so i was in a sitting position & for 3 or 4 mins we cruised towards the Earth, over Lake Taupo & the mountains - spectacular! He did a few circles in the air to check out all the views and then way too soon we were aiming to land which we managed to do as a running landing, very cool! So, so exhilerating, certainly an experience i won't forget! I want to do it again though!!

Waking up with severe hangovers following a night of celebration for our skydives & MArc's birthday we make our way to the remote River Valley, stopping on the way to take in the scenic mountain views & waterfalls in Turangi then a 2hr walk in Tongariro National PArk to really blow away the cobwebs! I can't get over how beautiful New Zealand is and it's not just relegated to a few outstanding areas in national parks etc, the whole country is just stunning everywhere you look! In Rvier Valley we were meant to be white water rafting as it's renowned for it's amazing grade 5 rapids but unfortunately was cancelled in morning as water level was too high. Shame but given my track record on rapids maybe it's not such a bad thing!

Passed through Wellington on quick overnight stop arriving late so the only thing i really saw was the hostel bar which is a hazy memory in itself...! Saving up my sight-seeing for the return trip as quite desparate to get to Queenstown now - the road to Nevis as our bus has hailed it, in anticipation of our bungy!

An early start the next morning sees us on the ferry crossing the Cook Strait to the South Island. Most of us spent the journey spralled across the seats or on the floor of the bar sleeping like hobos, getting on looks from other passengers - we must have looked a right sight! Our first overnight stop in South Island is Nelson, a small city with a young alternative vibe and some cool little pubs with live music, then it's on to Westport, stopping at scenic points throughout the day including Lake Rotoiti, stunnign still lake surrounded by snow capped mountains & forests. Went to local pub in evening to watch NZ take on Australia in the rugby.

Continuing down the west coast we stop for walks at seal colonies, pancake rocks & blow holes before arriving at Lake Mahinipua where we stay at a cross between a pub & static caravan site they call a hotel for the legendary Poo Party hosted by 85yr old completely mad landlord Les. He cooked up a massive meal of venison stew & steaks to line our stomachs for our fancy dress party - our theme is bin bags so 5 of us girls dressed as cows...mooooo.

Further down the West Coast we arrive in Franz Josef for a couple of days to do a glacier hike which was a lot of fun & very refreshing! Donning spiked ice shoes we climbed the ice blue glacier, finding caves and ravenes before heading back down to thaw out at the hot spa.

Carrying on we have an early morning stop at Lake Matheson near the Fox Glacier where the mountains are reflected on the perfectly still lake like a mirror. Got some beautiful postcard perfect pics! A stunning drive takes us past the now familiar scenery of snowy imposing mountains, rugged gorges, turquoise rivers & waterfalls to Lake Wanaka, another beautiful sight where we spent a chilled evening watching DVD's in preparation for the move into party & adrenalin capital Queenstown tomorrow!

On our way into Queenstown we stop at the Kawarau bridge, the original bungy site for a quick talk on the bungy and to sign our lives away for the big one! Some of our group had a little taster by jumping the 43Mtr bungy here but i'm saving myself for the 134Mtr Nevis, wouldnt want to make it less scary now would i?! All signed up for tomorrow with the adrenalin pumping already & a big grin we head into Queenstown. After dumping bags @ the hostel i went for a walk around the surprisingly cmall city & on passing a piercing studio made a spontaneous decision to get my forward pinna (ear) pierced, Queenstown fever kicking in already!

Waking up to a snowy morning after a big night out i realise with slight trepidation that it's bungy time, eeeeeek!! The 40min drive to the site was funny as 2 of the guys were freaking out which actually made me feel a bit calmer as i was nowhere near as worried as they were at this point! All harnessed and ready, me & the 3 girls had to wait til last as goes in weight order so after watching the boys jump we were finally in the cable car and hauled out across the gorge to the jumping platform - now i'm feeling the nerves! I'm second up & more excited than nervous as i try not to think too much about what i'm about to do! Before i know it i've been strapped up & am shuffling to the edge of the platform with a huge grin on my face hiding the fact the my hearts punding a million miles an hr and i feel a bit sick! Arms outspread with my toes to the edge i make the mistake of looking down into the gorge and river below & mutter a few choice words under my breath then hear the countdown 3...2...1... and jump without giving myself time to hesitate, hurtling headfirst in an exhilerating freefall towards the river with my arms still outstretched im pleased to say the grin stayed firmly on my face and remained there for several hrs afterwards! i think in the short time from that leap it's a bigger rush than the skydive as you make the jump yourself which is by far the hardest bit & then you're on your own falling. Had a bit of trouble finding the cord to release my legs so i could be oulled up in sitting position but i managed it in the end so i didnt get the stigma of going back up like a fish! When i was being pulled back up i layed back laughing to myself & taking in the surroundings while snow was falling around me, insane! It was a lot more gentle than i thought it would be on the bounce, in fact i didnt even feel it. This one is the 3rd highest in the world so only 2 more to go!!

Anther crazy Queenstown night to celebrate our bungy's has me waking up with another hangover & an impending canyon swing. Still it's a great cure! Me & Katie head out to see the crazy wind up merchants in charge of throwing you off who have been given instructions by the 2 boys before us from our bus to be as horrible as possoble to us! There are 5 of us at our jump, me & katie & 3 men we dont know, when they ask who's going first a silence falls so i decide to bite the bullet & go first! i chose a backwards jump as it's rated 5/5 for scariness :-D & so i find myself perched precariously with my heels off the back of another platform 109mtrs above a canyon leaning back at the mercy of the evil instructors taunting me by pretending to let me go & pulling me back in. I have to put my hands behind my head, lean back and jump off the platform, when i leap back and start falling it's a massive shock as i think i was expecting the instructors to mess about a bit more and not let me go! The freefall ends with a swing out into the canyon & i catch my breath - hangover gone! Round 2 is a tandem jump for me & Katie & we opt for "Gimp Boy Goes To Hollywood" - where we're suspended upside down out above the canyon and they pull a release cord to send us flying down & out. Both swings were a lot of fun but not the same league as the bungy!

Day 4 starts out early heading up the windy mountain roads to Cordrona for a day of snow boarding. Have 2 x 2hr lessons & free time in between for practice. Managed to improve on my limited skills & got to almost mastering heel & toe turns but it's fair to say a lot of the time was spent falling over on my bum or knees & i now have the bruises to show for it! in the afternoon the wind really picked up & blew all the fresh snow away so we were boaring on ice which made it really difficult, not to mention painful. It was pretty tough exhausting day & at the end it was just me & PAul still sticking it out from the original 8 on the lessons!

Was due to do a boat trip put to Milford Sounds but the roads were closed due to snow so had a quiet last 2 days in Queenstown giving my heart a rest & recovering from a cold...i guessthats what you get for walking around in the snow in flip flops :-(

It's time to head back up north again & a long day;s travel gets us to Christchurch late afternoon. I'm just staying here 1 night as been told a lot of the city is still closed due to the earthquake damage from 3 weeks ago & driving through to our hostel you can see a lot of the evidence with piles of rubble where buildings once stood & construction work going on everywhere. I ventured out in the evening to get some food with Jennie & Katie & we were shocked by how deserted the city was at only 8pm - we barely saw another person in what should be a fairly busy city but it seems the effects of the earthquake are still taking their toll. At 6:22am there was an aftershock of 4.5 - not small but although i half woke up i just thought it was the person on the bunk below me moving about so i didnt realise til i saw the news in the morning, typical!!

The following morning run takes us to Kaikoura where i've booked up to go whale watching for the afternoon but due to choppy seas the trip is cancelled so after visiting a seal colony, having fish & chips & walking on the beach (an impressive coastline with snowy mountains rising out of the sea), there's nothing left but to go to the pub where we entered a quiz and failed miserably!

Saying goodbye to the South Island i board the ferry back to Wellington where a shockingly drunk evening prevails (Wellington seems to have this effect on our group) & so follows a rather lazy day spent dossing in a park while the boys played football, enjoying the sun & it being warm enough to get some skin out!

The rest of the journey back to Auckland is rather uneventful as it's just a quick run back now, stopping overnight at Taupo again & passing through smelly Rotorua. Having slowly said goodbye to our original 17 strong group, only 6 of us remain to check into our Auckalnd hostel. On our last night together we have one last night on the Country Medium - NZ's finest goon (for those who aren't cultured, this is cheap hideous boxed "wine" that guarantees drunkeness & memory loss - a backpacker fave!). In typical goon style i end up waking 15mins after i was meant to be on a bus to the Bay of Islands so I'm stuck in Auckland for 2 more days, feeling very jealous as everyone heads off to pastures new!

It's been an awesome, jam-packed adventure of a month in New Zealand - i love this country! Such beautiful surroundings (i feel like i may have over-used the word beautiful in this blog!) & friendly people. The 3 biggest cities, Auckland, Christchurch & Wellington are still quite small & every other town or city has such a friendly small town feel about it, all buildings are low rise & the towns are usually only a few blocks big. It has a really unexploited feel about the country as it's not built up anywhere. Hope it stays this way, would definately come back!