Our last few weeks in Auckland were pretty busy as we tried to cram in as many things as possible. In between packing and saying goodbye to our new found friends we managed to climb mount Rangitoto, go out for a meal out at the top of Aucklands highest buuilding (the Sky tower), go to the Ireland/All Blacks game, return to the West coast beach of Karikari, sell our van and generally making the most of being in New Zealand. Our last night in Auckland was back where we started at Rick and Doreen's and they very kindly gave us a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hello Dad! Hope you enjoy a wonderful 65th birthday. Sorry we are not there to celebrate with you, but we are thinking of you! lots of love Adele and Simon xxxx [View Full Entry]

---

---

Making the most of our extended holiday and to escape getting into the trap of 9-5 (which it actually is over here!) we try to go away most weekends. Auckland is in a great position and it is really easy to get to loads of different places within a few hours. We were also fortunate enough to bump into a couple of like minded Brits, Mo and Simon (aka Mr and Mrs Snow) who have turned into our weekend away buddies. Since we have been in Auckland we have had weekends away in Raglan (surf capital of NZ), Waiheke (wine growing [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sooo since the end of February we have been living a 'normal' life in Auckland. We have rented a lovely flat in Newmarket which has stunning views of the water and a couple of volcanoes (fortunately ones that haven't errupted for a while). I quite like that I can stand and do the dishes and see a volcano, which is very green and has cows on top! Despite the cows we are actually only a few minutes from the city centre and even closer to a whole parade of some of the best clothes and shoe shopping in the country - [View Full Entry]

---

---

Having got this far across the world, we realised we had to hop across the pond to Oz. We spent a lovely few days in Sydney taking in the famous sights and catching with some old friends. Then we headed out to the Blue Mountains. The highlight of Simon's trip was travelling back on the new Air New Zealand plane (none other than a 777-200R, or so I am informed)! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Wellington was supposed to be the final destination of our New Zealand tour. The plan was to re-join the real world and get jobs, live in accommodation that wasn't on wheels and live like a Kiwi for a while in the capital city. Unfortunately, destiny, or rather the Wellington job market, had other ideas and after a few rather depressing weeks we decided the odds were better in Auckland where the population has hit the 1 million mark compared to the 400 000 in Wellington. We still had a good time in Wellington, getting to see the rugby sevens, enjoying the [View Full Entry]

---

---

We hit the westcoast next and headed north to some of the South Island's main tourist attractions, the Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers. Both were stunning and induced lots of talk using words not heard (and never expected to be heard) since GCSE Geography such as "terminal and lateral morraine"!! We were able to get up close and personal to the glacier faces and watch enormous chunks of ice fall into the rivers below which landed with a big echoing boom! After the glaciers, and plenty more geography talk, we continued our drive further up the westcoast. The drive was beautiful [View Full Entry]

---

---

After a relaxing week in fiordland we fancied a change of pace and headed straight to the adventure town of Queenstown. As it was Adele's birthday and the van was beginning to smell we booked into a hostel and mentally prepared ourselves (pacing up and down and sweating) for Adele's birthday treat - a 142m bungee jump from a high wire platform!! Together with 6 other people we took a minibus to the top of a canyon, put on our harnesses and took a very wobbly cable car to the jumping off platform from which we hurled ourself into the abyss [View Full Entry]

---

---

After leaving the steep streets of Dunedin (apparently home to the steepest street in the world - which we couldn't find!), we headed further south to the, as yet, relatively unexplored coastal region of the Catlins. This area was 'awesome' (Simon's new favourite word) and seemed to have more seals and birds than tourists. After spending a couple of days exploring the beaches and wildlife of the Catlins we got back in the van and drove southwest towards Fiordland passing through tourist magnets such as Invercargill (New Zealand's equivalent of Slough) and Tuatapere, self titled "home of t [View Full Entry]

---

---

There is just too much sky, scenery (and sheep) in New Zealand to fit in one small camera. Every corner we turn and hill crest we go over we are presented with stunning views in every direction. If only we had a pound for every 'wow' uttered! We arrived in Christchurch in time to celebrate New Year with fireworks and new found friends in the main square, before setting ourselves up with a faithful (so far) campervan to take us on the next leg of our adventures. We headed east first to the turquoise-watered peninsula of Akaroa (where unfortunately it was [View Full Entry]

---

---