So when me, Daly and Kitchen got back from Kaikoura I was in a bit of a state but I managed to get my washing done and have a nap, then I packed for my North Island trip and that was obviously a huge disaster... I couldnt think straight about what I needed so I ended up basically packing everything I own that wasnt work clothes. My backpack ended up being about 12kgs when I went to the airport which is hugely embarrassing as when I left the UK for my new life overseas I think I had 13kg and that included 5kg of nice clothes that was for work and stuff like that so very shameful! I have literally forgotten how to pack like a pro!! I need to work on this when I head back to Asia as I cant be dragging 12kg around with me for 12 weeks in the blazing sunshine, climbing from one boat to another back pack and all! No way!!

So after the drama of the worst packing ever in the history of backpackers, me and Kitchen decided we would get in the festive spirit again as it was Boxing Day so we watched home alone 1 and then we watched Mr Bean at Christmas which was soo funny I forgot how good it was, literally not seen Mr Bean for like years and years hahaha. What a legend, it really felt like Christmas then for me!! But I was still unable to drink alcohol I was actually drinking a bottle of sprite for the first time in years (without a alcoholic mixer in it). So that was a lovely way to end Christmas this year. Its weird I've had Christmas 3 years away from home and its always strange not seeing Ma and Pa Morren and wor Sis especially this year missing Zacks first Christmas. It never feels to Christmassy in the heat but its nice to experience it outside and enjoying the sunshine I must admit! I am hugely a beach bum, I hate being cold and I love the sun!

So its like 4.30am and I'm getting my taxi to the airport what a nightmare time to fly! Cheap flights - standard. I manage to get myself some kind of decent looking sandwich to have on the plane for my breakfast. Its mad as my flight to Wellington ends up being like 32 minutes or something mad like that, we literally took off, seat belts sign comes off and then like 5 mins later its on again and we're preparing for landing. Over so quick. I was sitting next to some kind of hobo family a couple and their kid/brat, the bloke was gutted as it was so early they wouldnt get him a beer. And thats basically all he talked about for the whole 32 minutes. His daughter kept climbing on him and kicking me and he was just chucking her back at mammy. I love how I always get the noisy people.

I'm in Wellington - Welcome to the North Island! There is a sign on the airport that you read when youre getting off the plane saying 'welcome to middle middle earth' haha they could not be more proud of their connections to Lord of the Rings over here its so funny. I suppose to be fair its clearly got them a lot more visitors than normal!!So I head to the bus station and get the bus to the city as I am off to Lauren's house (lauren who I know from queenstown). Its such a weird bus journey. Im sitting next to a guy who's asking me if I know where this street is and I'm explaining I have no clue I live in Christchurch. The whole time I am just gawping out of the window actually like some kind of special needs window licker. The view is actually quite freaky, I am totally being freaked out by the city. All tall buildings, so many buildings it seems so enclosed and claustrophic and then I realise its because the city is there. I am so used to living in Chch now I am amazed by an actual real life, working city. Its so mental. I cannot stop staring until I get off and then I'm on the street just like 'wow - wtf' it was such a strange thing for me. But having spoke to Laura and Joanne who I work with who also went up north for the holidays they had the same experience. Its like Chch has affected our brains in some strange way haha! Random!! But glad it wasnt just me! I though I was just been a total freakazoid for a change but apparently I was quite normal that day...

Me, Lauren and her housemates chill out drink a spot of tea and breakfast and then me and Lauren head to the Bus Station to find our bus stops for the next day as she is going to Rhythm and Vines when I head to Taupo. We then go looking for some markets but they arent on but we have a nice walk along the waterfront, its kinda cool but I think they could certainly develop some of it a little more. One patch is awesome full of bars etc but then some bits are bit nothing. We meet up with the others and we decide as its a nice sunny day we should go to their city beach. So by the time we get there its soooo windy! Windy Welly as they call it, god its windy though its mad. We end up on a bit of a mission and head to Cuba St looking for lunch somewhere. We end up in a Cuban bar called Fidels it is such a wicked cool bar/restaurant I love it. Its very melbourne! We all avoid the cuban and mexican food on offer and go straight for the burgers as we've seen some come out already and they are BIG!! They come out looking even bigger which is exciting!! They are super tasty and are full of beetroot which they always put in burgers this side of the world - awesome addition. God I hate how I saw awesome so much here! I'm totally turning kiwi argh!! So many words I just say totally different now compared to how I said them my whole life. I unconciously try to speak better english here it really upsets my core. I hope when I go home my accent will come back as I sound really weird now I think!!

So after this huge feed we head to the op shop as I want a book for my long bus ride so we spend ages looking through this huge op shop it has so much amazing stuff in! I love those places!! Me and Lauren then go an meet Robyn! A fellow geordie wahey!! We meet her on a waterfront bar we have cocktails they are bloody gorgeous!! After a lovely catch up with her me and Lauren head home for naps haha we are so rock n roll! Lauren is a year younger than me I love her - we're always asking each other 'what am I doing with my life' haha she is a total adventure queen like me! She goes home in a few months and then plans to head to France for ski seasons as she was snowboarding in Qtown before she broke her wrist!! She's used her Oz visas up so she cant go back there. Its stressful when you start running out of countries to live in that have strick immigration policies!! So we both have naps then for our tea her housemates make us nachos with chilli beef for tea its soo good we have all the extras too guac, salsa, sour cream and cheeeeeeeeeese so much cheese! We dont have jalapeanos but you know you cant have it all. Not all the time anyways... haha :) So we then all just sit about, having a good chatter. Its so nice to catch up with Lauren, she lives with Hannah who was an awesome (argh that word again) friend of mine back in Qtown but shes off in Australia as her sisters live there so her whole family were reuniting there for christmas which is nice. Shame I dont get to see her though! So we head off to bed for some more sleep time as Laurens bus is at 7.30 and mine at 9 so instead of getting drunk and playing edward scrumpyhands like we would have in qtown we go to bed like normal adults!!

So I'm gonna go straight back into Wellington after Taupo as it kinda makes sense that way for me, so yeah I went to taupo and now i'm back (taupo will be my next entry) My bus from Taupo was traumatic to say the least, it took 7 hours and I was very hungover from the night before NYE! A girl next to me was sleeping on my shoulder for hours despite me pushing her off me repeatedly she was totally conked out. If I didnt know better she'd taken some valium or something as she was gone! I tried to sleep but kept headbutting the window - awkward. So I read instead and ate chocolate and illegally drank coloured juice! Only water allowed apparently haha yeah right! That night was new years day me, Lauren and Alice (who was now back in Welly) were planning to go out that night. Whatever. I was meant to be sleeping at Alices So i text her when I was nearly there saying I was nearly there and she was out having totally forgot what day I was coming back! haha shame on her! Laurens bus was due to get in at the same time as mine but hers was early and mine was late - standard. So I went to hers when I finally arrived and we decided to get Pizza before we went to Alices (she was now back home ready for me and Lauren to go round and party...) so we went to Hell's pizza which to be honest is the greatest pizza ever its $16 for a large and its soo good. Dominos is $5 a pizza which is mentally cheap- thats 2 english pounds 50 for a large dominos kids - told you england was a rip off nation haha. But dominos has nothing on Hells. ME and Lauren clearly cant eat a full one each but we decided tonight we were as were dying from the year before haha so we got a large each and decided to share a garlic bread. of course that was way to much I managed half my pizza and all my garlic bread and I was done! We were so stuffed we obviously ended up not going to Alices, I ended up staying at Laurens again as I couldnt be bothered to go to Alice's haha. Oops. So off to bed we went!!

The next day we had a lie in and chilled out then headed to the Te Papa musuem, we met Alice there. This is the musuem of NZ, they had a earthquake house so i went in there and experienced a fake earthquake since I always miss them here. THey had a air NZ exhibition where we got to go on some space age flight simulator where it shows you what flying will be like in a few years they hope it was awesome they transported me to a beach with a cocktail I was over the moon!! ITs a cool place - huge! but also hot and sweaty so we decided a drink was in order so we went and sat in a beer garden with wine!! We just chilled out there until I had to leave to get my bus back to the airport for my flight. It was soo lush seeing the girls again, we figure we'll be reunited in England this year and they will probs both be home when I get there which is good. I am trying to convince Alice to meet me in Asia when she leaves NZ though! I hope she comes it would be nice to see her there so we can party hard together again!!

At the airport I got a caramel slice as I had decided detox was happening starting from the next day so I though I'd get something amazing before I start to cleanse my body. I love caramel slices. This one was utter s***e though to be honest I was livid! I definitely should have got cake instead. It was crap. Worst thing was I walked between two shops selling them about 10 times before I picked one and I def went for the wrong one. I think it was a sign from buddha to stop being so fat this year though! I did manage to force 3/4's in until I quit...

So anyways thats enough for Wellington banter, peace out- love not hate !! xxxxxxxx