Day 1

So we depatered Wanaka early to head towards Queenstown for a fun packed day!! Our first stop was Puzzle World. It was great fun, it was like being a big kid again (then again it doesn't take much with us lot!). The outside Maze was funny, i think we lasted for about 30mins before we got frustarted cause we couldnt find the towers, we ended up going out of an exit door and going for our bacon sandwich! The illusion room was also a good one, it felt as if we were drunk in it, with the floors slopping and stuff......if we had of been hungover it would have been interesting! :-) After acting like a big kid for a couple of hours we then headed towards Kawarau Gorge, the views were amazing, the roads were really high and winding it was cool. After driving for a while we then went and checked out AJ Hacketts Bungy jumping, we had a free tour of how it was all set up and then we got to watch people throw themselves off a 43metre Bungy there and then. It was really good. I was so tempted to do one, if i had of done it though i would have gone straight for the Nevis which is 134M high. Shame money was running out eh Mum!!

We then pulled into Queenstown. Queenstown is lovely is nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu facing The Remarkables mountain range, the views were out of this world. Whilst driving around Lauren pointed out all the places to go and where not to go! Obviously most of these places were public houses! It was so sad driving in to Queenstown as it was the last time we were all going to be on Lauren's bus, we played our 4 favouraite songs being Hey There Deliah, Manic Monday, Forever Young and Oppuntunites. It was really emotional actually as we were like a little family and we had got to know Lauren really well, she was more like a friend then a bus driver! After out tour of the town we then went to have a big bus photo taken by the Lake, it was quality we all did a human pyrimid, it was awesome! After purchasing out photos we then played Oppurtunity one more time while pulling up to Base Hostel. We checked in our bags arranged with Lauren what the plan for the evening was and then we all headed down to the Lake for a few well earned beverages! After chilling by the Lake for a bit we then back for a shower and change and then the fun began!! Both our bus and the overload bus were out along with the drivers. It was an awesome night, there were plenty of Jagger Bombs drank and loads of dancing! We also did a tally of how many drinks we consumed that night, all im gonna say is no wonder i was hungover the next day!!!

Day 2

As you can all imagine we all woke up with a major Hangover.....so the only option was Bacon and Egg sandwiches!! After finally getting ourselves sorted me and Claire went and played Tennis with Smiley and one of the other drivers, it was pretty good though none of us were in any fit state for a proper game so we just had a knock up. I actually felt abit better after this! When me and Claire arrived back we found everyone else by the side of the Lake having Hare of the Dog.....there was no other option but to join them!! After having a couple of beers we then decided it was time for serious food!! Most of the guys and girlies went for a Mexican (Loz was well happy!) but me and Claire wanted Indian so we went to a restaurant. Just before ordering however we got a phone call from Lauren saying they were having a Take Away in the Drivers house and if we wanted to join them. We were straight up there, home comforts again, it was awseome!! We eneded up staying there that night watching girlies films on the telly, was cool!

Day 3

So today was the Rugby, it was going to be yet another day having a drink. In the morning we went shopping and then 2pm we were all in the pub. The first game was Ireland V Scotland, we went to the Irish Bar (as all the people we were with were Irish), it was a really good atmosphere and the drinks were going down well! We ended upstaying there all night till 10.30pm. Lauren ended up joining us at 9.30pm where we gave her, her present and card. We all chipped in and brought her a photo frame with a group picture of the 17 of us and a card. She loved it, she said we were the best crew ever!! Bless her! After we all had a sing song and made a few speeches, the people behind the bar asked us to leave because we were being too load....we were all just happy!! So we eneded up leaving, some people went home but we eneded up going to the World Bar with Lauren, Andy anda few others!! It was a really good night! :-)

Day 4

Hungover!!! It seems to be the general saying over these days!!

So today we decided to do Luging. Luging is like Go-Karting. There is two courses a Scenic course and advanced course. Me, Loz, Claire, Emma, M, Linda, Niamh and John went. We first had to go up in the cable cars.....it was hilarious, we had to go so high up. It was quite scary especially when the cable car stopped and we were swinging!! When we finallt made it up to the top we checked in and away we went! It was great fun......we had loads of races and we had a few crashs too! Don't ask me how John didn't hurt himself he came straight off it going round a tight bend, i came around the corner to find his cart on the verge and John collecting his shoe!! Very funny! We did the course 6 times, 3 on the scenic and 3 on the advanced. The scenic was longer with bad bends and the advanced had loads of big hills and you seemed to go faster on it. I lifted off my seat a few times, it was quality. Loz seemed to win everyine, she was a right dirty driver raming me off the road once along with a few other people!! After having a hours of fun we then had a drink and ice-cream at a cafe and took in the breath taking views. It was amazing, you could see over the whole of Queenstown. That night we all just chilled out and watched Sophia's and Shane's DVD's they had taken over out trip.....it was hilarious some of the things they got on video - and Shanes commentary was so funny! Hopefully his gonna send us all a copy!! After watching the DVD'd we had to pack up as we were moving to Pinewood Lodge and going to Milford Sound.

Day 5

The alarm went off at 7.00am - we all just wanted a lie in!! We got all our things together and made our way down to reception where we got he bus from for Milford Sound. Just as we were about to leave Lauren pulled up in her bus and came and said her goodbyes to us all...... it was cool saying goodbye! We then headed onto Milfiord Sound, it took about 4hours to get there before getting on our cruise and it hadn't stopped raining from the time we left Queenstown! We saw some amazing views on the way. When we finally got on the boat we had a buffet lunch and then we went up on deck in the rain to look at all the beautiful waterfalls, there were loads of them it was really nice! Claire and Emma got soaked by one of them when the driver went up close to one of them, was very funny!! After being on the cruise for 2hours we then stopped off and went to Milfors Deep Underwater Observatory, it was cool under here we saw loads of fish! After going in the Obsevatary we then got back on the cruise and headed back to get on the bus. Once boarded the bus we then had a long drive back to Queenstown. LJ our bus driver was a laugh though so it wasn't too bad......not the same as Lauren though!! We finally arrived back in Queenstown at 9.15pm where we got dropped off at Pinewood Lodge. It was really nice, we were a 5min walk from town and we had our lodge. There were us three, Em, Linda, M, Niamh, Paddy 1, Paddy 2, T and John. It was like our own little house with our own seperate sitting room and kitchen. It was so much better then base. That night we just chilled out with pizza infront of the telly!

Day 6 - 27th February

Today we just chilled out all day not getting out of bed till 11am. It was great to have our own bedrooms and not have bunk beds!! We just watched TV while Emma and T went and got their tattoos. That night we invited people round for drinks at our place before going out in town. People arrived at about 7pm, thats when the drinking began, it was nice not going out so early. We just played drinking games and we got very competitive playing Flip Cup against the lads again. However they beat us this time so the score is now 1-1!! :-) About 11am we went into Base Bar and danced the night away!! Emma, Niamh and Linda had to get up at 7.30am as Linda was going home and Em and Niamh were going rafting..... i din't envy them at all!!

Day 7

After our big night out we woke up to a clean Lodge! We were expected to put all the tables and chairs back to normal but we woke up to a clean place bar the washing up. The cleaning fairy's had been in!! :-) So after getting ourselves ready we went shopping all day and cooked on the night. We also rented a DVD player, but when we got it home it didnt work as there wasnt a remote. We were gutted so we watched the two channels we had and had an early night!

Day 8

So today was our last day in Queenstown, we ended up having a lie in in the morning and then we went for lunch and beverages in the afternoon. It was strange not having things planned for us to do, we were so used to Lauren planning everything for us!! That night we packed and chilled out in front of the telly again ready for our early start in the morning as we were heading to out last destination Christchurch! :-(

Queenstown was an amazing place, i loved it! It was a nice enough sixe and Pinewood Lodge was a really nice place to stay. We didn't want our time there to end.....especially cause we know Christchurch is our last stop of our amazing trip!

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