Lovely drive up to kaikoura, well every drive is lovely in NZ! It took around 4hours from CC. Getting there at lunch time & sun was shining so we walked down to the pebble beach, wind was very strong though, couldn't go in the sea! Lovely little town & seafront but not much going on. Stunning view of the sea which is turquoise blue & the sureal looking mountains in the background! I got invited out by the kiwi bus driver (hush hush) with 2of my friend...

I spent one night in Christchurch after a 7hour journey from QT! We walked round that evening & saw the devastation from the earthquake, it was like a ghost town that day as it was a bank holiday (2jan), and because there's hardly anything there anymore! We saw the cardboard church they built after the earthquake & the white seats in memory of those who died which is very sad, and a shopping mall made out of large containers! Quite strange & sad here....

When I arrived in queenstown on Friday 27th dec I was pretty shattered after my mammoth journey but still the views on the way in & seeing the town gave me energy as it was so stunning! The lake is a few different blue colours, beautiful! I instantly love NZ, so pleased to be here travelling it! I strolled in to nomads hostel & got a room, in a 6 bed dorm. I was in QT for 6 nights, went on a bar crawl with a few guys from my hostel room. Had a great night...