Hong Kong to Auckland

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I apologise in advance but this is going to be a long post. Should be shorter from here on in. Just so much going on in the last few days.

The rest of Hong Kong was cool, check out my facebook photos (add me mum!) to see what else we did. It basically envolved a bit more sightseeing and some drinking of very expensive cocktails ( 10 pounds) in a sky scraper bar. I enjoyed it but I feel I've done Hong Kong now, I don't think I would go back now.

The flight to Auckland was okay, lot of turbulence and I was so tired but I couldn't sleep - very annoying. So tired when we arrived! It rained a bit - felt like home. Got picked up and taken to Mount Eden before heading to the Hostel - they call it a mountain, it's there highest - it's a hill...! Settled in at the hostel, I'm in a room with 5 other guys from BUNAC which is lucky cause a lot of people ended up in random rooms. We pretty much all fell asleep really early and that was that.

We ended up getting up about 7 and going for breakfast then taking a wander down to the harbour. It's a nice city, very clean and fresh looking. Past the centre it's very flat, all just 2 floor houses, all surrounded by trees, suburbs pretty much, there's not that much big built up city area. It's nice. We had our orientation at the IEP centre in the morning, it's just opposite the hostel. They told us about NZ, about Travel and about getting set up in NZ. It was really good but completely overwhelming and there just seems so much too do! Got my NZ sim card ([phone]), and I'll possibly buy another one on Vodaphone as it's only $2 to phone home but everything is expensive with it so I'll just keep it for that. Also set up my bank account so got a few things done now.

I've been feeling quite homesick but it's probably cause I'm not settled and I'm still not sure what I'm going to be doing yet. I also miss the Australian lot, I get on fine with the guys here but there's no one I'd say I was great friends with so I'm probably going to look for a flat share with locals, not sure though. A few of the BUNAC guys are thinking of looking for a flat so I might see about that - just don't know at the moment.

Major vain moment coming here but don't care - feeling a lot better today since I sorted out my stuff in the hostel, had a nice shower, did my hair and make up and put on some nice clothes. Sounds vain as but it's made me feel a lot better so I don't care. Speaking of clothes, I've defo brought all the wrong stuff! It's a lot colder here than I had assumed, I'm going to buy a jacket, probably a jumper, some longer sleved t-shirts and some socks - managed to some how not bring any of my long socks, pretty gutted too as they were nice new ones! Oh well! Need to buy a middle sized bag too cause got nothing that will do!

Anyway, this morning when getting ready I've come up with a plan of what I might do while I'm here. After orientation I just felt there was so much stuff to do and I'd never have time for it all but I'm feeling a bit better about it all now. So I think what I'm going to do is live here in Auckland for 2-3 months, get a job and travels the close areas while I'm here on days off. Then I think I'm going to travel the South Island before it gets too cold, working as I go if I need. Then i think I'll head over to Oz while it's cold in NZ for about 2 months, then head back to NZ and see the rest of the North Island (actually the more I type this the more I'm thinking this is defo what to do). I might visit Fiji for a couple of weeks in the winter if I have the money. I think this will take me about to the end of my visa. If I can find someone to come with me I'd like to head back through Asia. Cool, I like the sounds of this. Just need to get sorted here in Auckland and I can start planning it all! Got the hostel till Sunday at the moment so got a good few days to get sorted.

I'm sure there was a lot more I wanted/had to say but this will do for now! Just know I'm missing you all seriously much and wish me luck getting sorted.

Love always,

Charlotte xx

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