15th - 4am start, and stuart nicely go the train nearly all the way to the airport with me as he worked nearby. Once I was on my own, I was very nervous. But the flight was fine, and the view over NZ was spectacular. I got talking to a nice couple, who were also starting the kiwi experience the same day as me and staying at the same place. So we headed there together and I explored
Christchurch on my own. Very nice pretty place...apparently based on Cambridge!! I watched a movie that night and also met Paz - a guy in my room who was starting the kiwi experience same time as me and also doing the same trip!! So it was nice to know someone before I even started!

16th - I got aboard the bus and got talking to people, with Paz as my bus buddy lol! We had a fab driver who was very funny - typical crazy kiwi!! We headed to Kaikoura, but unfortuantly the weather was to bad for dolphin swimming, whale watching or fishing! bad times :( So we went to the supermarket and got some food between four of us and some drink. We then pigged out on the hostel sofas watching films with crisp and dip with a nice view over the pretty (misty) bay! Was pretty boring until the evening when about 15 of us played drinking games including ring of fire, claps and WTF!! Was a fab night, got to know lots of people and was preeety tipsy!!

17th - We headed to Nelson and stopped off to see a seal colony. Also stopped to get an ice cream and watch people swim in the clear river. Then our bus temporarily broke down! When we finally got to Nelson we did some FREEE beer tasting, and then had a lovely roast dinner ..mmmm!! We then headed up a huge ass hill to see the sunset at the middle point of NZ. Fab views!

18th - We had an early start (6.30) to get to Abel Tasman national park. Bus seemed a bit lost so took a while! We then got a water taxi to the beginning of the walk. On the way we passed the split apple rock and seal colony. we hopped off and played on the beach for a bit, was a lovely day, gorgeous views and sandy beaches and clear sea! We stopped for lunch, had a 3 half hour walk in total. We tackled some killer death hills, but nicely finished off at beach for some sunbathing and a swim before geting the water taxi back.

19th - We headed to Wesport and stopped off at the beautiful Lake Rotoiti for a picnic. Got attacked by ducks, seagulls and a big black swan and sand flies! fun! We then stopped again by the Buler Gorge adventure place, where I went quad biking with Paz and Dave. It was good but I thought I was going to die!! lol sturdy lil bikes though, however I did crash into a treee!! Was good fun flooring it at the end though! Paz nearly tipped his bike by putting on his front breaks going down a hill! lol! We then went to the hostel and met the others to go to the beach for the sunset but didn't see much. We did have to help some travellers get there campervan out of the sand! We then headed back, had a great 10 dorm room so our group could all be together, with our own kitchen, and we played uno and boggle!!

20th - We headed to Lake Mahinapua but stopped off and did an hours cliff walk on the way. At then end there was a seal colony, but then we also saw KILLER WhALES!!! was amazing...made me even more gutted though that we couldn't go whale watching in Kaikoura. We then headed to the "poo pub" for the kiwi experience fancy dress night out! On the way we stopped off at charity stores and crafty places to get our cozzys together. The theme was "when i grow up i want to be.." so I decided to
go made of money!! so made myself a nice money dress!! We had a great meal cooked for us and the party was really good. Unfortunately I didn't win the fab prize of a canyon swing so I'll just have to pay for it lol! After the bar closed I headed down to the lake with a group of people to check out the glow worms!! oooo!

21st - On the way to Franz Josef we stopped off at the Bushmans Centre. It basically explained how kiwi people used to be real men and hunt deer etc. we went to the museum bit (wasn't very good) and watched a video of how they reduced the number or catched deer by jumping out of helicopters onto the deers back and tackling them to the ground. Saw some possums, eels, deer and goats!! I then
tried a tasty POSSUM PIE!!! and was reaaally nice, it was illegal to sell them so we donated money to a charity and got them for free! We then set off to Franz Josef, beautiful views all the way around the island, especially on the west coast...it is stunning!! However we had a dodger bridge to get the big bus over, called the can opener. Bex didn't make it and managed to hit to side and completely take off one of the bus's side panels!! bad times...was funny though!! When we arrived
we went straight to the skydiving place, however it was rather cloudy and I was hungover so didn't really fancy it, however they didn't take anyone in the end because it was too cloudy. So booked us in for saturday morning at 6am!!!! So we headed to the bar to catch up with Craig, Haley, Dan and Kevin from our previous bus, and had a game of killer pool. I didn't last very long so was an early night for mee!!

22nd - Today we did the popular Glacier hike - we got all kitted up and looked the part..crampons and all!. We got on a bus to the beginning but had 2km walk through the valley to the glacier. It was very steep at the beginning, was so weird to actually climb on a one!! Was a nice sunny day but the cloud cover was constantly changing. We had to walk into crevises, steps chopped out by our guide with
a pick axe. Really funny when Caroline got stuck in one, with her ass in Mels face as Mel attempted to give her a push whilst the rest of us were stuck behind in what felt like a freezer!!!!! haha!! Luckily the guide had a rope to help her out! We climbed through a mini cave, formed by the natural plumbing of the glacier. It was a really cool day, didn't feel like 8 hours! When we got back we headed to the hot pools and chilled out and relaxed our achy muscles!! was fab!! :)

23rd We got picked up at 6am and taken to the sky dive. Its supposed to be the 2nd best place in the world to sky dive at Fox Glacier - 2nd to Mt everest which cost $US 35,000!! This was was only 150quid! Theres is however only a 20% chance of a clear sky...and lucky us..we had one!!Caz and Paz went 1st during the sunrise, Andrea and Crystal went 2nd. Me and Bex got bored so we decorated ourselves with marker pen! then it was our turn. I didn't get to practice the position for falling out of the plane on the ground apprently because I didn't buy any photos or dvd...nice!!took my own camera for freeee!! The view was immense, so clear with sunshine bouncing off the snowy mountains. Saw the 2 largest mountains in NZ inc. Mt Cook and also saw fox glacier. Jumped at 12,000ft..me 1st!! Was incredible, tiny bit scared leaving the plane but it was like an amazing floating feeling when you were out!! didn't think about it too much, scenery was breathtaking! Spinning was fun..fab experience..worth the wait :) !! Afterwards, we met the others and headed to Lake Wanaka. Gorgeous place, really nice hostel too! We went kayaking on the lake surrounded by mountains for an hour to soak up some rays!

24th We headed to Queenstown, and on the way we stopped off at Puzzling world. Pretty cool place, full of holograms, mind tricks and mazes! Big kids hehe!! We then checked out the K.Bridge bungy, not very high in my opinion!! lol! But you go into the water! We stayed at Nomads which was lush, great beds, balcony and sauna!! :) all the girls off the bus paid to do a pole dancing lesson that evening with some bubbly! It was good fun and i managed to make it to the final 3 of my group..how..I do not know!? Was pretty tipsy! The instructor was amazing though, new respect for pole dancers, its not easy! We then headed to town to meet the lads and put on a toga for the toga party!! We also met up with some of the other bus so there was a big group of us! I <3 QT!!

25th Canyon Swing day!! I woke up with a bit of a hangover - not good! I joined Paz and Fraser and went to the Canyon Swing. Got a nice monster drawn on my hand, then got on the bus. We watched a video on the way to the canyon about different ways to jump - I chose backwards which was rated 5/5 pants (very very scary!!!). I was absolutly bricking it when it was my turn to jump, the guys like to mess around a little which was kinda funny...until I got to the edge! I actually thought I couldn't do it!! They wouldn't let me change and go forwards..I got very nervous and got hyseterical and couldn't stop giggling! I jumped though and it was the scariest feeling ever, and a major adrenaline rush! So nice when the rope catches you at the bottom lol!! Pretty picturesque at the bottom. When I got back up I decided to do ANOTHER jump as it was only like £17...bargain! I thought it would be less scary but I was wrong! This time I went upside down, you're not allowed to do the same jump twice! I was bricking it again, and they dropped me mid conversation! lol! I got both DVDs, good giggle, but my hangover kicked in again when the adrenaline wore off! So I went back for a nap! Then I met the others and went to get a famour ferburger! Was fab - tropical swine - burger with pineapple = good! That evening we stayed in and had a room massage session!

26th - Milford Sound - early start. Got on the bus and started to sleep when the bus crashed into the side of a cliff! It shattered a window but luckily didn't break as Bex was sat next to it! Had to wait for another bus, but scenary on the way down was spectacular on the way down, did take 4 1/2 hours though! We got on the boat and had a yummy buffet! The boat ride was gorgeous, and then we stopped at a not so impressive aquarium. We then got back on the boat and bus, was a long way to go for a 1 1/2 hour boat trip, but still very good! When we got back we went out again ... QT=party place!

27th We got up and went luging with the lads as it was their last day! Caz was sscared of heights so she panicked on the gondola to the top of the mountains, was pretty funny, gorgeous view of QT though. Luging was good fun, then when we got back we played ring of fire and had drinks on our balcony before another night out for Paz, Jez and Petes last night - bye boys!

28th Bex and Dave went to do their K.Bridge bunjy, I painted their faces with butterfly and bee first! When they got back we went and played frisbee gold and I came 3rd! We then watched everyones skydive, bunjy and scuba dvds on the big screen in the hostel and chilled. We said goodbye to Fraser and Marco (who showed us how to get free washing but tricking the machines...useful but a bit late! lol!)

29th I sorted out my plans for fiji and then went and sunbathed and played some boggle!! I also went and made a bead necklace and got ready for out last night out for me, dave, bex, dan and kev! bye QT :(

30th I got the bus to christchurch, but had a chatty annoying driver! Bex and Dave got off half way to check out the lord of the rings area. In christchurch I visited the botanical gardens, very pretty. 4 lads in my dorm were from huntingdon..weird!

New Zealand.. DONE!