Kia Ora! It's been a crazy couple days. Having so much fun in Tasmania, saying bye to the people I met there, leaving Australia after being there for 10 weeks, the excitement of coming to New Zealand. It's been quite the roller coaster ride, but here I am in Auckland. It's not the capital of NZ (Wellington is), but it's the biggest city. I'm only 4 hours behind Calgary now. Well, I guess technically 20 hours ahead. NZ only has one time zone, so it'll be the same for the rest of my trip. Today I climbed Mount Eden, the biggest hill in Auckland. It actually felt like I was in the shire of lord of the rings. Lots of green, grassy hills. The lookout was pretty nice. I'll attach some pictures. Tomorrow I'm starting my ... read more

I haven't posted in a while and missed the whole outback and Adelaide. I figured I'd write about Melbourne now because it's a cool city and I have lots to write about. I'll get back to the outback later because it was such an amazing, unique experience that I want to take my time writing about it to do it justice. I've spent the last 3 days in Melbourne and it's unlike any city I've ever been in before. If I had to describe it in one word it would be quirky. There are a ton of little cafes, ice cream shops, bars, shops and they're all in these intricate alleys. It's very confusing and difficult to find your way around. People here are very artistic almost in a San Francisco kind of way. One of ... read more

Byron Bay is the most Easterly point in Australia. Did a really nice hike today to the point (about 3 hours return). The view was great and definitely worth the sunburn. I've already bought 4 bottles of sunscreen since I've been here. The town itself is a really small hippie town known for it's surfing. The waves are good for beginners because they are small, break pretty deep and roll a long way into shore. I was going to rent a surfboard but was too tired and had enough sun for the day after the hike. It's very different from Surfers Paradise - a lot of people here don't wear shoes, there are lots of people with dreadlocks, wearing really loose, bright hippie clothes. Even the backpackers that hang out here have a very chill mindset ... read more

After Hervey Bay, I spent one day in Noosa. I'm past the great barrier reef now, so it's white sand beaches and big waves (and of course lots of surfing). Noosa is a really laid back town. Everyone there seems to be content just being a surf bum, living a simple life and not having any stress out ambitions. My hostel was in a great location - right on the beach, so I went for a few good body surfs. I was going to try surf lessons, but they are apparently the most expensive in Noosa and it was a weekend, so the beach was pretty crowded. I'll try in Surfers Paradise (where I'm going tomorrow). Brisbane is the opposite of Noosa. People here are wearing suits, lots of office buildings, people walk like they have ... read more

Alright, well haven't posted in a while! I think my last post was my last day in Cairns (feels like forever ago!) After Cairns, I went to Mission Beach. The hostel I started at is called Jackaroo. It felt more like a tropical resort than a hostel. They had a swimming pool, hammocks, a slip and slide, giant outdoor movie screen, games rooms etc. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and felt like a big family. By the time I left, I knew everyone's names, where they're from and a bit about them. There isn't much to do in mission beach. The first day I checked out the beach and "town" (it's like 10 buildings). The beach was pretty nice and there was absolutely no one there. It goes on as far as the eye can see and ... read more