the day after the skydive was a lazy one. Everyone was really hungover and devoid of energy and enthusiasm for anything apart from tea and sweets. Me mark and aaron did drum up enough energy for a game of mini golf but the 'contest' ended unsatisfactorly in a tie between me and mark (i still think he cheated somehow) so i had to just remind myself that i'd already taken all his money off of him at both darts and pool. The sunday night was karaoke. At first everyone was rather sheepish but after a truly awful showing from the team extreme girls things picked up quickly and by the end of the night i had been crowned karaoke king and they couldnt get the microphone off of me.

Unfortunately the drive from taupo to river valley was plagued by such bad weather that i'm sure some people started building Arcs. Being scottish i thought i'd seen all the types of rain possible but this was something else. This deprived us of some amazing scenery (so i'm told) and was a sogn of things to come. We made it to river valley though and got settled into the 'orgy room', so named because everyone in the dorms sleep in the same bed. The night was a quiet one and i learned the card game "werewolves" which got quite heated and a some points almost looked like real murder would be commited. River valley is a lodge in the middle of NOWHERE. its actually not just the back of beyond but the very, very, very back of beyond. No phone/tv reception etc etc. its a beautiful place and a great hostel. unfortunately i have no photos of it cos i lost my memory card for my camera in taupo.

Next was wellington. i'd been told really good things about it and it didnt disappoint. The first night was my last night with the lads i'd been with up until now in NZ-Mark, Magnus, Aaron and Erraz. So we had 'the last supper' in the hostel and then got absolutley legless and said goodbye. The rest of my travels in this country will be with the team extreme girls who have kindly adopted me into their group. The first day in windy welly was spent nursing yet another hangover but the second day me, gemma, helen and meg went up in the cable car to the botanic gardens overlooking the city. We walked back through all the gardens and had lunch at the rose garden. That night was one of the Swedish Charlotte's (for there are two) 21st birthday. So another night was called for. This one however was, for me, quite unique in that it was just me and 17 girls.....i've had worse nights!

Then we got the ferry from wellington to picton on the south island and got the bus to Nelson. We stopped for some wine tasting in marlborough valley and i actually found a white wine that didn't make me want to vomit instantly, so a good pit-stop. Went out that night but it was quite quiet and i was basically just being chaperone to the drunken girls, including Jane-the pool shark (she absolutely tanned me at pool.) The next day we were meant to go to the Abel Tasman national park for a hike but the weather was too bad-more rain and wind. So i amused myself by shaving a moustache for Movember (a charity thing where guys down under grow moustaches for the whole of November) which made me look like my dad which was a bit scary. I also walked up to the center point of new zealand.

The next day was preety quiet but i still managed to jump into a freezing cold lake purely so i could get another cheesy photo. The night was spent watching chick flicks with all the team extreme girls (gemma, helen, megan, katie, jane, pip and jenny) and i could feel my masculinity draining away.

Next to Lake Mahinipua and the infamous Poo Pub Party. This is where the driver of your bus chooses a theme for the party and everone gets dressed up in that style. Ours was 'bright and tight' so i stupidly decided to wear bright red silky boxers and a load of insulating tape. I think the outfit looked pretty good, even if the girls did insist on putting make up and nail varnish on me (in fact i'm typing this the next day still with hot-pink nails, oh dear.) It was a truly memorable night and a bloody good laugh.

Sweet as bro