25.10.11 - The morning in Abel Tasman National Park Kaiteriteri, Journey to/and Westport

This morning we all got up and check out was at 10am. Most of the people from the group had booked activites for the day so the bus was leaving late at 12.30pm. I woke before the alarm and headed to the shower with full intention to hopefully speak with Scott online on FB.

Wifi in NZ is practically in non existance (for free). Ironic when SE Asia it was free everywhere yet in such a country such as NZ, you have to pay for it?! WTF?! Not good when you're missing your boyfriend like crazy, I can't whatsapp nor email on FB or even Skype. Most places charge $5 for the hour. The hostels i've been staying at charge $2 for 20 mins!!! Seriously this place is SO expensive. I had no idea NZ was just like London - my god a bit of a shock to the system when I got here from Asia, living like a queen and practically spending nothing.

SO.... I felt so guilty that I hadn't spoken or even have the opportunity to contact home for a few days bar a text message, that I got ready from my shower and headed straight to the PC's. THANK GOD, Scott was online. The only thing was... I only had 20 mins. We got as much conversation in as we could and unforunately we were cut off at the end where my time ran out. Today i've kind of been a little distracted with the idea of home and hoping that all is ok.

After speaking with Scott I was under the impression that the bus was leaving but actually it turns out it wasn't. Brilliant, Raz gets it wrong again, otherwise i'd have spoken for longer. Still we'd arranged to Skype one another in the next biggest town which is Queenstown, but it'll be 3 more days until I reach there. The good thing is, it is a big town compared to these romote stops along the west coast of the south island and so i'll be staying there for 4 nights compared to the 1 night i've been staying at a place so far, hence i just haven't had the opportunity to contact home.

The girls and I headed to grab some cofffee for the morning, since the weather wasn't good enough to sit on the beach. Cat who I met last night turns out that she works for E&Y also, and actually knows the two girls i'd met a few days ago on the bus and who I spent the evening with in Kaikora. They say it's a small world don't they.

Following coffee and breaky we went to play crazy golf the pass the time while we waited to hear that the kayaker's had returned and the bus was leaving. This although so stupid was such a laugh, and was actually when I properly spoke with Jo and Matt for the first time. They were a couple 6 months married who were travelling for three months as part of a delayed honeymoon. They were the lovliest couple and they were from Hull. We played in teams of four and went around the course taking the pee out of one another and just generally having a giggle. I won out of my team of four, whoop whoop - not that I take winning seriously or anything. Me... no!!!! LOL

Next stop on the itinerary was Westport. This again is a remote place on the West Coast of the South Island, and again quite a sleepy town. The hostel is owned and run by two guys (not quite sure if they were a couple) one of which is an ex-chef. Matty talked the girls and I into purchasing a home cooked meal from the hostel which was spaghetti carbonara with chicken and bacon for the bargain price of $10. It was absolutely yummy at that too and i'm so pleased we had it. Before dinner we had seeked out the supermarket for more wine to have before and after tea. Tonight it was Karen, Claire, Leanne, Neimph, Cat and I who shared a 6 bed dorm. Also in the hostel was a gorgeous old fashioned fireplace in the middle of a huge TV room, filled with leather sofa's and heaps of bean bags. Already we'd decided on a few glasses of vino each, a yummy dinner and a movie night. After dinner we took our wine in front of the tv, made ourselves comfy on the beanbags and sat and chilled out in front of the tele in the dark apart from the log fire burning watching none other than, wait for it..... Die Hard. Whoop whoop!!! After Die Hard we watched American Pie 2. It was such a chilled out night. Exactly what was on order after filling our bellies with heaps of pasta and wine. Perfect!

Getting into bed, the girls and I had said after two proper chilled out nights we'd get on it at our next destination. Matty had already tee'd us on today telling us that at Lake Mahinapua (AKA The Poo Pub) it was fancy dress night. The bus decides on a theme and in half an hour visiting just a charity shop and a matalan style shop we have to purchase an outfit. Oh my good god. I'm looking forward to it already :-)

After the past few days on board the bus now and meeting nothing but lovely lovely people getting into the swing of the kiwi bus is coming into play. I went to bed a very happy bunny :-)