http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jen77/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Jen77 en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 11:44:54 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 11:44:54 +0000 I hate early starts 7.15am pick up 8.30 on the big yellow boat and guess what Yeap I got eaten alive by mosquitoes last night You think Irsquod learn. Every time I arrive in a hot country first night out I get savaged. 9 bites this time so off to the shop for after bite cream and a beach towel I left mine in Oz. Then all aboard the big yellow boat. I decided on 3 islands and the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Fiji/Yasawa-Islands/Nanuya-Island/blog-211371.html Wow how hot is it. Irsquod forgotton how much I missed the sun. The first thing I hear when I get through customs is ldquoBulardquo welcome. Everyone is so friendly. A lady approaches me I obviously stand out as a lone backpacker she takes me to the office where I pick up all my travel vouchers and then takes me to my transfer bus. So I arrive at the hostel Nadi Bay Hotel basic b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Fiji/Nadi/blog-215354.html The day has arrived again leaving friends behind. Today Stu and I flew to Auckland. So we said our goodbyes to the guys wersquod spent the last month with Sean Becky and Sam and we boarded our plane to Auckland. A sad day but I have to move on kind of getting used to goodbyes now. So we arrived in Auckland and decided to do a bit of last minute souvenir shopping. Then it was off the po http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-211356.html Well today was a long day. Pretty much a straight run up to Christchurch but it took about 7 hours. When we got there Sam Sean Becky Stu and I decided to have a big night out. The gang would be going there separate ways in 2 days and none of us wanted to fly with hangovers so tonight would be our ldquolast nightrdquoSo we all grabbed some dinner and then hit the hostel bar where we s http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-214999.html Wersquod had a pretty early start today with the Milford Sound trip but we still decided to hit the town tonight as we had no plans for next few days so it was time to take advantage of this party town. As part of our snowboarding packs we had vouchers for the casinos for free chips and drinks. So after a few in the hostel we headed to the two casinos in town. I managed to win 20 in the fi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-214993.html Not much to write about this as the pictures tell it all so i'll keep it brief.Today was a ridiculously early start 6.30am so the four of us dragged ourselves to reception still half asleep and boarded the bus for our day trip to Milford Sound. It took around 4 hours to get there and then we boarded a boat for a 2 hour cruise around Milford Sound which is actually a fiord. The scenery here http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Milford-Sound/blog-213501.html We caught the bus fairly early today up to the snow field Coronet Peak to take advantage of the lessons on offer. Over the next 3 days we had 2hr lessons both morning and afternoon. I couldnrsquot wait to get started. So we picked up all our gear jackets pants boots boards and off we went. Sean had boarded quite a bit so he went off in a different group Sam I had skied before but ne http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-213499.html We left Franz Josef today heading for Wanaka. Now this is quite a long drive and normally en route we would stop at various spots for pictures including Fox Glacier and views of Mount Cook but the weather was still pretty shocking so it was pretty much a straight run to Wanaka arriving early afternoon.This is a really sweet town again reminded me of a ski resort and surprisingly when we go http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Wanaka/blog-213498.html So today we left Uncle Les and Lake Mahinapua and it was Franz Josef todayrsquos destination. Only one stop along the way today Pukekura Pookekura where we visited the Bushman centre. This showed us how people make a living from various things including possum trapping and helicopter deer recovery. They showed us a film of men basically throwing themselves out of helicopters onto deerr http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-213272.html Tuesday 11th OctoberBoo Hoo I feel ill today. Combination of alcohol and curry for tea I think. We are off to Westport today. We stopped at Richmond to pick up a picnic lunch then on to Nelson Lakes National Park. The views of Lake Rotoiti were stunning. We went for walk for over an hour through the bush then it was picnic lunch and off to Westport. Tonight was a lazy on for me. Everyone http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Mahinapuha/blog-213261.html Saturday 8th OctoberToday we left the North Island and took the ferry to the South Island. Six of us Becky Sam Sean Stu Kim Me decided to leave the Kiwi bus for a couple of days as we had found a wine tour were you hire mountain bikes for the day. Yoursquore given a map of the wineries and off you go. So we arrived in Picton in the South Island and jumped onto another bus to Blenheim http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Blenheim/blog-211070.html Yippee We had a lie in this morning the bus didnrsquot leave till 10amhellip.Woohoo Then it was off to Taupo. En route we passed Tongariro National Park in it Mount Ngauruke Naruhoee which was Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. Then a brief stop at Huka Falls quite spectacular 11 metres high and formed by an earthquake. We arrived in Taupe early afternoon to spectacular views of t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Taupo/blog-211066.html Noooohelliphellip.Yoursquove guessed it another early start and ouch my head hurts Way too much last night. Wersquore off to Rotorua today the geothermal and cultural centre of New Zealand. Once again we stop enroute for a walk. Irsquove decided that within the insurance policy for Kiwi Experience they have to stop everyday and make us go for walks to keep us healthy because they http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-211052.html Okay so this is when everyone has told me my Kiwi Experience will really begin when I start heading south. We met our driver Jared and basically unless I stop extra nights in places hersquoll be my drive through all of New Zealand. So Becky Stu and I boarded the bus with a few others from our hostel and there were already some on the bus and we headed to Mercury Bay Whitianga. First stop http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Mercury-Bay/blog-211049.html Hey guys well Irsquove arrived at my hostel in Auckland and itrsquos pretty sweet. Female only floor and you get free Aveda shampoo and conditioner fluffy white towels nice cosy duvets but most importantly no snoring men. Well Irsquom only in Auckland for one night before I set off on my Kiwi Experience so I didnrsquot get up to much just chilled in the hostel before my 7.10am pick http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-209648.html Ok I'm being a bit lazy here but I know a few people have been hasseling my Mum because I haven't kept my blog upto date. Well I'm on a mission now to get it up to date. In the meantime I thought I'd be lazy and give you a sneak preview into what I will be doing for the next 4 weeks. You see I'm booked on a bus tour called the Kiwi Experience which basically means that my itinerary is all pla http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-196725.html We flew back to Cairns on Wednesday 20th June and arrived at the same hostel Caravella 149 at around 6.30pm. Bizarrely we ended up in the same dormitory and the same beds as first time round We showered then headed straight out to the good old Woolshed the bar in town that provides our cheap evening meals then back to the Hostel for some goon. It was like wersquod never been away. There http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Cairns/blog-189700.html The day Irsquove been dreading has finally arrived. Monday 27th August Irsquom leaving Australia. Yesterday and last night were pretty tough saying goodbye to everyone. A few tears where shed. Irsquove met some fantastic people in Australia and hopefully made some lifelong friends but itrsquos time to move on. Packing was pretty tough too I canrsquot believe how much stuff Irsq http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-196474.html Ok so now Irsquom in Sydney and what joy I had had driving aroundhellipNOT A typical big city with the usual one way systems. We decided to head to Bondi Beach hoping that wersquod find somewhere to park the van overnight. No such luck it was all paid parking so we headed back towards the city to a little to a place called Bondi Junction and parked up on a residential street for the nig http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-189699.html The Drive to Nimbin in itself was an adventurous one and we got lost too It was just like driving the back roads through the Yorkshire Dales. So like I said in my last entry Nimbin is renowned for one thinghellip.marijuana. It has to be one of the funniest places we have been to so far. I donrsquot think I spoke to one person that wasnrsquot stoned. Even a little boy of around 10 years http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Nimbin/blog-168747.html