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View From Arthur's Pass
One of the first of many gorgeous landscapes!Hello there Everyone!!!
Well currently we're in Christchurch, for the second time, after doing a full loop of the South Island! We're making our way around on the Kiwi Experience bus and it's been really good fun! Stopped in lots of cool places and met loads of nice people! Ans also got the obligatory night to dress in drag!! Gotta love that!! So I'll give ya a bit of a rundown of what we've been up to since arriving here last week.....
Christchurch After Sarah and I stepped off the plane we were greeted at Christchurch airport by our Friend Jo who we met in Melbourne! From there we headed to our hostel and had an exciting reunion with Soaz! Was odd to think I hadn't seen her for seven months! Though we're both really glad she came out as she's so amazing (she told me to write that!) Our first night in Christchurch we had a bit of a catch up, a big fat curry and some drinks obviously! Then the next day we did some exploring of Christchurch. Christchurch is actually a really cute place and reminds us quite a bit of Durham, with
The Lake by the Poo Pub!
I finally worked out my timer mechanism! the whole quaint ambiance feel going on. Our free day here we climbed the cathedral, looked around the arts centre, did some shopping and walked along the river whilst exploring the botanical gardens. Hence all in all we did stuff pretty similar to what a tourist may also do in Durham!! However, the most amausing point of the day was when a pigeon crapped on Soaz! I included the photo obviously! Haha!
Kiwi Experience Begins The next day we began our Kiwi Experience at the god awful time of 7am. Not too impressive! We got a small bus as there was only a few of us heading onto our first stop of Westport and it meant the whole group bonded straight away! There was Laura, Kate and Heather (three medics from Birmigham Uni), Max and Tilly (two girls from Surrey who Jo hit it off with, potentially too much....), Sarah (a girl from Cornwall) and an Irish guy called Brian. Then there was our driver Smiley who had worked on lots of film sets in NZ and told us many stories involving Orlando Bloom being a dirty man whore! Driving just half an hour from the
city the whole scenery changed and all we saw were the stunning peaks of the southern alps behind miles of fields, it really was breathtaking. En route to Westport we stopped at a few places for some walks. One of the best was at Arthur's Pass where we climbed the mountains and made our way to a massive waterfall at the top, it really was awe inspiring. And this was only day one! Before arriving in Westport we had the oppurtunity to go jetboating along the Buller River, and we decided to go for it! We went along the Buller River surrounded by massive gorges at breathtaking speeds whilst the driver did all manner of stunts that had us on the edge of our seats! Once arriving in Westport we stayed in a really cute hostel and spent the evening chilling out.
A Night of Drag Leaving Westport the next day we moved onto the big Kiwi bus and first stopped off to look at a seal colony before heading along further down the coast. The coastal road that we were going along was very reminiscent of the Great Ocean Road in Oz, though apparently is
Ready for Action!
Us in our jetboat on the Buller River! rated more highly. Our next stop was Pancake Rocks, which was a walk along the coast by these amazing rock formations. There were also lots of blowholes there too. The whole thing was really interesting and no doubt a geologist's wet dream! After leaving there we made our way to our accomodation that was literally in the middle of nowhere and called the 'Poo Pub'. En route we stopped off for shopping as they had a bit of a theme night that night where the ladies had to dress in bin liners and us guys had to wear drag. There's really no need to get into the specifics too much. Generally we started drinking (Snakey B's were served!), we got into our costumes and then we continued drinking and dancing the night away in this place that was Wolf Creek territory!! We also got to know the others from the bus, some of which were real characters. There were the two 'cabbage patch' lesbians, Rose and Lindsay who weren't actually lesbians, Vicky the crazy canadian, Alex, Sarah and Katherine who dressed up best that night as Gandalf and the hobbits and most notably the LA lady Gretchen who didn't care
What's Hideous!
Soaz and Sarah look rubbish and 'I'm a Lady!' Also, doesn't Sarah look like Michael Jackson! much for the 'sexual energy' of New Zealand! Seriously! The whole night was great fun and just look at them photos. Hideous!!
Franz Josef After feeling rather delicate the next morning we head to Franz Josef and did our obligatory stops along the way! One such stop was at the Bushman's Centre where the menu consisted of Possum Pie and Unborn Chicken and Dead Pig sandwiches. We were far from impressed! We also did a few walks that day and caught a glimpse of the Franz Josef glacier for the first time. Just look at the photo, the place was amazing! Excitingly, Soazig did a skydive whilst we were going on all these walks the brave girl! She did it over all the glaciers and the weather on the day couldn't have been any better! Once arriving at our digs we had a chilled out night and the next day got up for our day of Glacier Trekking on Franz Josef. This was probably one of the best things I've done since coming away and it was so surreal being in this alien landscape. It was so mcuh fun though and we got to explore caves
Saucy Minx!
Soaz lives up to her name! and cravasses and try and scale the glacier in some pretty nasty places! Sarah and I went in the fast group whilst poor Soaz went in the slow group! Tut Tut! After spending the whole day trekking that night we had a chilled one as it had pretty much taken it out of us!
Wanaka After leaving Franz Josef we made our way to Wanaka and stopped en route at Lake Matheson, one of the most famous mirror lakes in New Zealand. The conditions could have been nicer but you can see from my photo that it was still quite sepctacular. From here we made our way to Wanaka and once there we stayed in the luxury backpacker accommodation of Hotel Wanaka! We had a telly in our room and an en suite with bath! The rest of the day we explored the tranquil setting of Lake Wanaka. Like everywehere else in New Zealand it was another postcard perfect setting with a huge lake and snow capped monutains behind! You really had to pinch yourself! Then that night it was yet another chilled one!
Queenstown Our journey to Queenstown was pretty exciting
as we stopped at Puzzling World, which was a really random place with a very confusing maze! Though excitingly me and medic Kate did finish it first! Get us! From here it was onto Queenstown-Now this place was completely awesome! Not only was it one of the beautiful set towns I've ever been too (set around a massive lake with huge snow capped mountians beside it) but it was also so much fun! Once arriving we stayed in a very nice hostel and we got a really good room with an amazing view of the lake and mountains, it was gorgeous! Our first night there our whole bus met up for a big night out! It started at the bar in our hostel which had karaoke night and it was awesome! Me and medic Kate were surprisingly good singing Summer Nights and won free drinks! Though amusingly the dj commented on how he could 'feel the sexual tension!' Haha! From there it was onto the world bar where we indulged in the speciality teapots! And generally danced the night away!
The next day we felt slightly fragile and head to Pizza Hut buffet to see to that! From there
Action Man!
Me glacier trekking! we rode the gondola to the hill overlooking Queenstown to have a go luging! The luging was so much fun and as there was a big group of us it made it very competitive! Our last circuit I was getting far too cocky and whilst going a bit too fast around a corner I crashed into the side and took quite a lot of the track with me! Very funny but very embarassing! After our action packed afternoon we had a quieter evening and had a couple of drinks with dinner.
The next day we got up early for our day trip to Milford Sound. Was a really early start as the place was so far. And our bus was so cold it was ridiculous, hence I'm kinda a bit ill at the mo! En route there we did the obligatory walks and saw more stunning scenery! This place really is just so beautiful! Once at Milford we boarded our cruise around the sound and did a big loop around. The place was gorgeous with huge moutains protruding from crystal clear water with aqua blue skies above, you felt so privieleged to be there. After finishing the cruise and
Puzzling World Toilets!
Soaz and Sarah give their full attention to the task in hand! also looking at the underwater obseravtory we headed back to Queenstown for our mammoth bus journey on the evil bus of coldness! Once back in Queenstown we opted for a bit of a night out as we were leaving the next day and once again ended up having some teapot action! Good times!
The next mroning we waved farewell to Queenstown and headed back to Christchurch. Would have loved to have stayed in Queenstown for longer as I loved it so much there, it's really left a lasting impression and I really hope to head back at some point. The bus journey back to Christchurch was a very long one but we did stop off at the Church of the Good Shepherd. This was a tiny little church overlooking a crystal clear lase with huge snow capped peaks behind. It was no surprise this is the most photographed church in New Zealand and the place felt so spiritual.
Once back to Christchurch we checked into our hostel and then after dinner hit our beds as we really have't got much sleep the last 10 days as our bus always leaves so early! We're spending today In Christchurch just
Karaoke!
See that sexual tension! catching up on things, hence I'm wriing this, and tomorrow we head to Kaikoura beofre heading to the North Island. So far I'm completely in love with this place and it really is one of the most magical places I've ever been too! I know I sound very soppy but it is true!
Anyways, hope everyone is doing well and those with exams I hope they treated you well! If you've finished your exams then make sure you party hard!!
Muchos Loveage
Stewart
-x-
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Rob
non-member comment
ha ha
Loving the pic of Soaz covered in shit! Just like a night out back home! Miss you all. Loving Rob xxx