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Published: August 29th 2008
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7th - 8th June - Wellington
Having spent the night in Christchurch we were on a flight to Wellington early the next morning. Crossing the Cook Strait between the two islands on a windy day is not a pleasant experience, especially when on landing the pilot asks you to remind yourself where your nearest emergency exit is! Putting the flight behind us we checked into our hostel and then set off round Wellington on foot. First stop was the waterfront where we visited the Te Papa Museum which has many exhibitions on the Maori culture. We watched a performance by Tama Wapapi who was a solo artist on acoustic guitar before seeing how New Zealand was formed in the Extreme Forces exhibit.
That evening it was time to see the All Blacks! We had managed to grab ourselves tickets to see the New Zealand rugby team face Ireland at the Westpac Stadium. As we walked through the streets towards the stadium there was a great vibe. Every bar we passed along the way (most of which were Irish - theres a surprise!) was rammed with supporters. We ate at a hotdog stand before getting our faces painted. With Rick
and James having bought All Blacks shirts previously they completed the look with black and white faces. Instead, Ross and I decided to create a bit of a rivalry in the group and support the Irish. It was a longshot but the underdog always deserves some support. The atmosphere in the stadium was great and watching the Haka is something that had to be done during our time in New Zealand. The game was exciting but there was never any doubt who would win as the All Blacks claimed victory. It had also began to tip it down so when we finally arrived back at the hostel we were well and truly SOAKED!
8th - 9th June - Lake Taupo
Today we arrived at the largest lake in New Zealand, Lake Taupo, which is also the largest freshwater lake in Australasia. We also made a quick trip up to the Huka Falls in Taupo which forces 220,000 litres of water over the edge every second (thats enough to fill an olympic swimming pool!) In the evening we then walked to the infamous hot water springs for a dip. It was a surreal sight seeing the springs with steam
The Sheep Dog
This guy patrolled the hills a while back billowing out of what could have quite easily been a normal stream. Having spent some time relaxing in the springs we made back for our hostel.
9th - 12th June - Auckland
Back on the bus we were heading for Aukland. Having met back up with some of the group from Queenstown it was destined to be a great last few days. There was a brief stop off at Rotorua along the way which is famous for its hotpools and distinct bad egg smell due to the Sulphur in the ground. It was strong! We then had a lunch stop at a little place called Hobbiton where the set of The Shire from Lord of The Rings was filmed. We then 'kept on truckin'' until we reached Auckland in the afternoon. We had made it! The Kiwi Experience was complete. After saying goodbye to our driver, Pam, we had a quick walk down the main street before settling in at ACB Base hostel in preparation for a big night ahead of us for James' birthday. It definitely lived up to expectations as James was entered into the Fear Factor competition at Globe Bar, competing against several other crazy
Bed time
When we found a bed in Christchurch aiport...we thought it suitable to sleep in! people to eat...
1.Weetabix coated in Marmite (He passed)
2.Chilli Juice, Wasabi sauce & Chillis (He passed)
3. Raw squid, prawns, mussels and a pint of fish juice (He passed...just)
4. The final...all other competitors had waved the white flag...A bowl of cat food and 3 litres of milkshake warmed over 24 hours. (He WON!!!)
It was a night of epic proportion and ended in jubilation as we hailed James as the winner, getting well stuck in to the $100 bar tab! The hero status that James acquired as a result of this great feat was even more comical. Being stopped in the street was not uncommon over the next few days!😊
Jonathon and I set out on one day to see a bit of the city, visiting The Quay and Minus 5 Degrees - the ice bar, before heading back down Queen Street having a look at the many shops.
On the 12th it was time to jet off to the island paradise of Fiji, leaving the natural beauty of New Zealand behind but taking away so many great memories. This is definietly somewhere I will be making a return visit at some point in my life.
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