Well, what a year it's been! I must admit that it's nice to be home, despite the freezing climate - the snow actually seemed pretty and quaint rather than the usual pain in the ass (funny how a year in the sun can addle the brain!) Naturally the biggest highlights are seeing my family and friends again, but I'm also loving the small things that you come to take for granted before setting off with just a backpack full of essential items; sleeping in your own bed, not having to check out by 10 for fear of losing your key deposit, [View Full Entry]

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With 'why does it always rain on me?' running firmly through my mind, I tried to ignore the pounding rain upon arrival at Rarotonga at 4am, telling myself it will have cleared up by the morning. My spirits were lifted when I entered the arrivals hall (well small room which also served as immigration, departures, duty free shopping and anything else you'd need at an airport!) and was greeted by a man singing tradtional island music and playing a ukelele - at 4am!!!! Loa Angeles could certainly learn some lessons here! I'd had a bit of a nightmare organising some accommodation [View Full Entry]

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New Years Day was spent mooching around, not doing very much at all - much like New Years Day anywhere else in the world I'd imagine! We wondered into town to have some lunch and as the heavens opened and the torrential downpour showed absolutely no signs of stopping, we had to get a taxi back to the hostel. The highlight of the day had to be the look on Kirsty's face when one of our Kiwi roommates asked her if she'd learnt any Maori words. She looked absolutely baffled - the accent must have thrown her as she couldn't understand [View Full Entry]

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Having collected 'The Mumbler', named after our favourite Penguin in Happy Feetand also because it was like 'The Gambler's' smaller, slower (if you'll believe it!) cousin, we drove North to Napier along some stunning but extremely twisty and mountainous roads. After a brief detour to Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotameteaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu - funnily enough the location of the longest place name in the world, we arrived in Napier late afternoon and our first task was to find the two houses that our Grandma and her sister grew up in when they lived in New Zealand as [View Full Entry]

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The next part of my journey around New Zealand was to Wellington to meet my sister who was coming over for Christmas and New Year. I would have to get a coach North to Picton and then the ferry across the Cooks Straight - apparently the roughest ferry crossing in the world - bring it on!! As Vic was also heading North she jumped on the coach with me, and thank God she did for the moral support! If anybody was wondering, Hitler has had a sex change and now drives coaches between Christchurch and Picton, leaving behind doddering old ladies [View Full Entry]

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The journey down to Queenstown was broken up by a couple of stops at Lakes Wanaka and Hawea. The lakes in this part of the world are truly stunning - pools of icy blue water, as it's generally glacial run off, flanked by snow capped mountains - just beautiful! We made a brief stop off in the very picturesque Wanaka where I ran around like a mad thing trying to organise some fizz and plastic glasses for one of the girls on the bus, Matilda's, 19th birthday. It was here that I was reunited with Vic and Dutchie who had gone [View Full Entry]

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When will I ever learn - flying and hangovers do not mix! I just made it in time for my transfer to the airport and after a very painful couple of hours trying to stay awake, boarded the plane to Christchurch. Or at least it was supposed to be Christchurch, but it was doing a very good impression of London on a cold rainy day! Perhaps subconciously predicting the state I would be in, I'd thankfully booked myself into the Sanctuary - an all female dorm at Base backpackers that smells lovely (not of boys and backpackers!) and gives you squashy [View Full Entry]

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'Right you have to get out immediately!' - not the ideal words to hear at 08.30 on a Saturday morning when your head's pounding from the previous nights excesses! Re-wind to Friday night and we've just checked into the Altamant, the boutique hotel which has 1 dorm room where Wigg and Christophe were staying. After a lush meal and a couple of bottles of vino at a Thai restaurant down the road it was back to the room for a few goon related drinking games before heading into town. We can remember Rory and Marta, 2 others staying in the dorm, [View Full Entry]

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Noooo! I didn't want to leave Melbourne and this wasn't helped by the girls' encouragement for me to stay! But, there was still more to be seen and so on Saturday morning we bade a fond farewell to Kate and Claire as they headed off to the races again and we set out for the Great Ocean Road . We were very lucky to have 2 clear sunny days for the drive down the ridiculously beautiful Great Ocean Road. Whilst it's not very long (only a couple of 100 kms, if that) there's a breathtakingly gorgeous photo opp at every turn [View Full Entry]

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Brrr, the weather was very chilly, so being back on the road again wasn't ideal, especially was The Beast has a cracked muffler meaning that carbon monoxide could potentially be leaked into the car, so we had to drive with the windows down at all times - oh the joys of backpacker cars! The stunning scenery did something towards making up for the frostbite but thankfully it only took 2 days to reach Melbourne, a lot less than anticipated, as I was starting to wonder how much longer I could cope with the 3 of us crammed into a 2 man [View Full Entry]

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