2 weeks on New Zealand's North Island

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Sunday 20th December

Today I flew from Christchurch to Auckland to meet family friends that I hadn't seen in a very long time. I left cold Christchurch wearing boots, leggings, two tops and two jackets. As I walked off of the plane I was met with a sweltering heat! Wow, the north island was much warmer than the south at this point! After settling in my new hone for the next 3 days we went off for a walk, which turned into a 7km hike at Shakespeare's beach and national park. The views were beautiful and there were so many cows!

Monday 21st December

Today we caught the bus from gulf harbour to owera. This was a typical seaside town with souvenir shops, cafes and normal shops. We stopped for lunch and I had a ham and cheese toastie and a mango smoothie. It was delicious! We found an English shop where I bought pickled onion crisps, Dr pepper, Sun cream and aloe Vera for the sun burn I'd already gotten!

Tuesday 22nd December

Today we got on the ferry from gulf harbour to Auckland harbour. It was a very lovely calm crossing. When we arrived we caught the bus to Auckland Museum. This was a huge museum with 3 floors and lots of exhibits from Maori culture to dinosaurs to volcanoes and earthquakes. There was so much to take in but it was very interesting to learn about the Maori culture and how they live and what their beliefs are. After the museum we caught the ferry back to gulf harbour and went home.

Wednesday 23rd December

Today was the day the real trip started. Today was the day I collected Danni from the airport. Duncan and I collected her from the airport and we drove to volcano view point. It was cold, wet and windy up there but you could see the whole of Auckland with the sunset and the sky tower was lit up with the colours of the French flag. Tonight we stayed at Base Auckland Backpackers. Upon arrival the guy told us are booking had been cancelled which clearly it wasn't. 10minutes later they found us a dorm room and we made our way to the room. After settling in, the door didn't lock and the Windows didn't open. Soon after a German guy walked in and we got talking. Well I should say he got talking. He kept going on and on about his girlfriend who was in another country and how he was in live with her but she loved him and her ex. It got quite boring about an hour into it! A couple hours later we finally fell asleep to get woken up during the night to two drunk girls coming in and leaving the light on! That night we probably had a maximum of 3hrs sleep.

Thursday 24th December

Today was the first leg of our trip. Auckland to Whitianga. It was pouring down with rain all day. We were due to do a boat trip to cathedral cove but unfortunately it was cancelled due to the bad weather, but no worries as we rescheduled for the 26th! We were completely stuck with what to do so we used the magic of Google and found "The Lost Spring". This was a hot pool complex and it was magical. Swimming "caves" with huge amethyst stones all around. In the rain it was still so warm. We ended up sitting in a shallow pool with quite a few people and there was this complete weirdo old woman who thought she was cool and flexible and she was sticking her legs in the air and behind her head, encouraging us to join in. Of course we didn't! We took a taxi back to our accommodation which was "Turtle Cove Backpackers" where we shared a room with 3 frenchies.

Friday 25th December

Christmas Day!!!!! We both opened our one present each. I had white chocolate covered scorpions from Chris and Danni had a top from her parents. It was still raining today so we caught the 2min ferry across to the other side of Whitianga and did a 10km hike with beautiful beaches and views. The 10km hike was to lonely bay and cooks beach. At lonely bay we made a snowsandman called Sandy. We walked up Shakespeare's cliff and the Fire station alarm went off which we thought meant a Tsunami! We made our way back to Turtle Cove and made our yummy Christmas Chicken Dinner and watched Wolf Creek.

Saturday 26th December

Finally we got to do our boat trip to cathedral cove and we are so glad we change our bus pick up time to do it. We visited places such as front beach, cathedral cove, Shakespeare's cliff and gemstone bay. We also saw some snapper fish but to be honest that's not too exciting! After finishing the tour w made our way to out next stop, Tauranga. When we arrived, we wish we could have walked straight back out but unfortunately we'd already paid. We mand our way to our room down a corridor that stank of BO and Indian food. It was bot a good combination. The room was of poor quality too, no Windows, one plug socket and tiny tiny beds. I went back to reception to ask how to use the washing machines, only to be met by two dirty men. I stood behind them as they were also waiting for a receptionist to turn up. Next thing I know, one of them has turned round and straight out asks me..."Do you want to have sex"...I was completely shocked and answered no of course! Then he asked me "Do you have any weed", and again I said no. Once more he asked me for sex so I walked back to the room! I was utterly shocked. Neither of us felt safe at this hostel at all. Oh well, it was dinner time so we made our way down the stinky corridors to the kitchen and we were mortified. There were dirty plates, pans, pots, cuttery, you name it, it was there dirty with food in. And it absolutely stank. We begrudgingly started cooking our food and there were no clean plates so we ate if off of our hands! We washed up our bowls and headed straight back to the room.

Sunday 27th December

Today we caught the intercity but to Mount Maunganui just to get away from Tauranga. It was so beautiful. Again, like a typical seaside town. We both said we wish we had booked to stay here instead! There was live music in the bars, lots of shops and beautiful beaches. We made our way to what we thought was Mount Maunganui and we said it looks so small. We got to the base only to discover it was a completely different "hill". We climbed it anyway as we might as well seeing as we were there. The views were beautiful. Sandy beaches one side and the harbour and cruise ships the other. From the top we saw the real Mount Maunganui so we headed down and decided to make our way over there. As we got closer and closer it seemed to get bigger and bigger! This was going to be hard work. It was a ridiculous heat too! We decided to take the "long/easy" route rather than the "short/hard" route. We began our climb. About 5 minutes later we had to stop under some shade and apply more suncream! It was boiling. After carrying on, we were nearly half way up and we stopped to take in the views. Unspoilt beaches, rainforest, kayakers, boats, oh the life! We carried on up and we were both very sweaty at this point so it was time to complete the rest of the walks in our bikinis, but first we had to take a photo of our sweaty vest top backs! Attractive! Again we carried on and next we reached the top. The views from here were even better! You could see the whole of Mount Maunganui town, all the beaches, cruise ships, harbours, people swimming and so much more. It was so peaceful up there but so hot. It was definitely work the 38minute climb! When we reached the bottom, we were offered free Lipton Peach Ice Tea. Wow, it was so refreshing. Then we realised there were more "cocktails" for free so we had a cosmopolition which consisted of Raspberry Ice Tea, fresh raspberries, a dash of lemon and mint leaf. It was amazing! So we took a photo of the recipe and decided to make some more when we got a chance! Next we made our way to the beach and did a good hour of sunbathing "napping". We woke up very hot so we decided to move on and get some lunch! Chip Shop it was! Sausage and batter and chips to share and the sausage and batter was SOOOO weird and fatty! We did a little bit of shopping and headed back to the bus stop to wait for the bus to take us back to the grim hostel. Only problem is, it never showed! It was a 1.5hr walk back, so we thought we'd do it rather than rush back to the hostel! We walked the 1.5 hours back along the main roads and across the harbour bridge. Luckily we had maps on my phone so we didn't get lost! When we arrived back at the hostel we had toast and tinned peaches to eat and we went to bed.

Monday 28th December

Our next stop is Rotorua. We had booked the earliest bus out of this horrid hostel and reaslied that reception wasn't open so we couldn't get out deposit back for the key, so we left a note and we said we'd phone them later on. When we started getting closer to Rotorua, we could begin to smell that "rotten egg" smell that lots of people had warned us about. After a while I guess you get used to it though! When we arrived we checked ourselves in to "Crash Palace Backpackers" and it was a lovely wee hostel, with a hot tub! We were definitely going to be going in there! We were quite hungry to we made our way to Mcdonalds and ate there and used the free wifi! Wooo! The joys of being a backpacker! We stopped by pak-n-save on our way back to get some food for dinner...spag bol again! We bought some strawberries with white chocolate dipping sauce, muffins and orange kit kats. Yum! We caught out your bus to Wai-O-Tapu pools and it was ridiculously hot. 41degrees! The pools were, lets say, different. Some were very pretty and others were like...whaaaaaa. We made our way around the whole complex trying not to take in the smell too much. After completing, we headed to the shop to munch on a sausage roll and icecream whilst we waited for our bus to take us back to the hostel.



Tuesday 29th December

We didn't know what to do with ourselves this morning we decided to go for a walk to see what we could find! We eventually came across the watersports lake where there were airplanes and helis. So we decided to get on a pedalo! The much cheaper option! The lake was quite clear but unfortunately on the bottom, there wasn't much but pebbles and rubbish! Shame really as there were a lot of swans and ducks living on the lake. We made our way back to town as we were getting picked up to go to HOBBITON! We were both very excited for this trip! It was incredible to know that the actors were standing where we were standing and were actually filming here too! All of the hobbit holes were so small and cute. We took a few snaps and went to the "Green Dragon" for a beverage. Unfortuately they didn't serve non-alcoholic drinks so I had Apple Cider....YUK is all I can say! So glad I don't drink! After arriving back at the hostel later that evening we headed to the Polynesian Spa which was a few minutes walk from the hostel. Here they had a variety of hot pools over looking Lake Rotorua ranging from 38-41 degrees. Here we stayed for a good few hours and chatted and took a few photos! We headed back to the hostel and fell asleep pretty much straight away!

Wednesday 30th December

Today we went White Water Rafting on the largest commercial waterfall in the world. We were so nervous! The falls is 9m tall, which infact looked like a baby when we reached it and we kept expecting a larger one and the guide Cam was tricking us, but luckily he wasn't. It was SOOOOO much fun! Each rapids we did something different such as going forwards, sideways, backwards and even standing up! Danni and I were the only two who remained standing of course 😉 We've now deicded we will be AMAZING at surfing - haha. We also did some jumping off of a 4m high cliff, and because I am such a nice person, there was this older lady at the top who was very scared of jumping, and what a suprise, her husband had left her up there, so I held her hand and we jumped together! What a thrill! Next, Cam made us get out of the raft and he made us float/swim down the rapids and his exact words were "Don't out your feet down or you'll become a permenant fixture". So then we got scared! Was he joking or was he being serious?! After arriving back at the base, we looked at the photos and some of them are SO embarrassing but we purchased them anyways as you only live once ey! And memories and all 😊 We went back to Rotorua town, had a Nandos and then got picked up for a Maori evening tour. We were looking forward to learning the culture and of course, eating the Hangi. Only problem was, we didn't realise how much food there was or how nice it was going to be so we were so full after Nandos. Silly us! Oh well, we ate it anyways! It was strange how the cooked their food in the ground. Potatoes, veg and meat! When eating the food you could taste the earth and suprisingly it was quite yummy! Lamb, chicken, roasties and fruit salad. But of course, the fruit salad was not cooked in the ground 😉 We were then entertained by a Maori performance which included the Haka, dancing, singing and explaining what their tools were used for in battle and how they were made. They also explained the facial tattoos which are of 4 birds. Parrot - represented talking skills. Bat - represented immortality. Owl - represented Wisdom. Kiwi - NZ symbol. They also explained the tattoos on the left side represented their fathers side and the right side the mother. Each of their tattoos mean something symbolic to them and/or their tribes and more often that not, if you ask them what they mean, they will not tell you. After all of this was over we went to visit the glow worms which were really hard to see and the camera refused to take photos of them! It was a very pretty sight though. After this fantastic evening, we headed back to the hostel and went to sleep!



Thursday 31st December - NYE!!

3...2...1...BUNGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! My thrill in life! I plan to bungee in every country I visit and jump off of every bungee I come across, whatever the cost may be! This was only a baby compared to my first bungee - which was the largest bungee in the world! 47m with 9m freefall. It was pretty fun! Afterwards we walked to Lake Taupo, did our food shopping for the Tongariro Crossing which was just sweets, crisps, shapes and water! What a healthy bunch we are! Oh well, we will certainly need the sugar!



HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!



Friday 1st January - NYD!

Lets start as we mean to go on. Up at 5am to get ready for the famous Tongariro Crossing. This is classed as one of the top 10 walks/hikes to do in New Zealand and the average completion time is 7-9hrs for the 19.7km. We were going to be so knackered by the end of it, but what better way to start the new year. Start as you mean to go on and all that shizzle! When we arrived at the carpark for the start of our walk there were so many people! We thought everyone would be recovering from a hangover, not attempting a 9hr hike! We had a quick wee in the toilet and it was one of those endless pits like they had in the olden days. They were sooooo smelly! We took a photo at the beginning of the crossing and off we went. Luckily the rain and wind hadn't arrived yet so we started off quick just incase it hit us at the wrong time. Luckily there was no sunshine so it wasn't too hot! Along our route, there were 3 check points we had to reach in a certain time to enable us to finish before the bad weather hit us. The first were the toilets, second was the Emerand lakes and the 3rd was the hut. The route was very different at each point. Some bits were a path where as others were steep rocks which could collapse and fall at any minute. We were being very careful. The emerald lakes were the best part of this crossing and of course this is what the Tongariro Crossing is famous for. They were a beautiful green colour which looked so un-natural! Our descent ended up being very windy and very steep but when we made our way to the hut, we were doing very well on time so I called home to wish them a Happy New Year as it was just coming in for them! So far we were 2.9km from the end and under the 5hr mark and we were determined to complete the crossing in 5hrs. We ended up running some bits as we got closer to the bottom as it started to get flat. Soon we couldn't run anymore so in the end we completed the crossing in a record time of 5hrs8mins. We were very pleased with ourselves and we cheered as we reached the end, only to be greeted by lots and lots of people sleeping! We found a table to lie on, ate the rest of our supplies and had a little nap. Finally our bus came to pick us up but a couple who were on the same bus still weren't back so we couldn't leave. 1hr later they eventually made it down! We then headed back to the hostel, had some toast and were in bed by 19:30!

Saturday 2nd January

This morning we woke up in so much pain, we could barely move! What had we done to our poor bodies! And what a shame, it was raining on the day of our boat cruise. Yet again. We slowly made our way down the the Barbary maori carvings boat cruise and we were put on another boat (that wasn't a yacht) otherwise we would have ended up being soaking wet! We arrived at the carvings, only to be told they aren't infact done by Maoris but by high uni students! Why would they advertise this as Maori carvings when they aren't! They were made in 1977! What a joke this tour was. We headed back to the harbour and wrote a bad review for this trip as it was a complete waste of wonga. We then headed to the I-site to ask what we can do on a rainy day like this and her answer was "nothing". Helpful as always! We went into town, stopped for a burger and then headed back to the hostel. We got into bed at 4pm! Of course we didn't sleep, we watched films and talked!

Sunday 3rd January

We ventured on the 6-7hr drive to Wellington. We slept, we ate, we slept, we ate. We arrived in Wellington 2 hrs late, got some food and then went to sleep! What a boring day, but I guess it's good to relax.

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