New Zealand. Rotorua

Today as ever our day started with an early walk as we left Waitomo. It was through another georgeous lush gorge. Today was the day our Lord of the Rings fans got to go to the motherland and visit Hobbiton. I passed on spending $100 on 

tye visit! But look I got a picture with the bus so can almost pretend I went :)

We were staying in Rotora which has a lot of geothermal activity and absolutely stinks of eggs. Very glad I am only here for one night! In the afternoon we had a look around the free geothermal park and saw a lot of cool steaming and bubbling holes and ponds. 

In the evening we went to a traditional Maori cultural evening. Very touristy but still really good. We were in the woods and were taken around several traditional houses to learn about skills they would be taught by the elder in each house. We learnt about tattooing, weaving, poi, agility training and others. 

Then we saw, the hangi, how our meal was cooked. It was cooked in a pit with hot rocks and then covered in damp hessian and the soil. 

They then put on a show for us with radio al singing and dancing. It was great! The singing was amazing! But after we got to eat and the food was unreal! We had chicken and the best lamb I've ever eaten, fish, a type of sweet potato, a type of carrot and bread which were all cooked in the hangi. It was delicious!! I had to go back for seconds of the lamb. Dessert was the traditional Maori pudding of pavlova(?!) but it was delicious. Two servings needed for that! 

New Zealand. Waitomo

Today we left bright and early again to head south to Waitomo. As it seems as usual we stopped off en route for a little scenic walk. This was down an old mining gorge. It was beautiful as standard! But very very early!

After checking in at our hostel we went caving! I chose an epic 5 hour cave which involveed caving and zip wiring and absailing and the like. We got kitted up into some incredibly stinky wet suits and the headed to the caves. We had to absailed into the cave down a 35m hole with a very narrow part. This was fine except my harness was so uncomfortable I just wanted it to be over as soon as possible! We then did a zip wire or as they call it a flying fox I. The dark! It was in the dark as the caves are famous for having glow worms so they shone amazingly in the dark. The zip wire was cool, if a bit short. The caves were full if these glow worms with their strands of sticky food catching web hanging from them and loads of stalactites. We found out that the glow worms are actually fly larvae l, and so really just maggots with bioluminescent poo. Nice! We then jumped into the water with rubber rings and paddled out way through the caves along the water and under the glow worms. It was amazing and so pretty. I was nowhere near as scared as I thought I'd be! After paddling to the source of the cave we headed back and did some caving up water falls and through the water. We saw a big eel too. It was a cool day, but so exhausting! Looking forward as to my 8:39 start tomorrow to get a slight lie in!

New Zealand. Hot Water Beach

Today we left Auckland for the second time and made our way to Hot Water Beach, so named because of the thermal waters found on the beach. I chose to do kyacking again in the afternoon after checking into our really nice holiday cabins. This time the kyacking was done on the sea and we set off from a beautiful beach called Heihi beach and kyacked to Cathederal Cove which was absolutely awesome! After a pretty hairy entry to the shore through the surf and getting thrown around by a huge wave we got the the beach. This was the beach they filmed the start of one of the Narnia film from and was absolutely idyllic. With countless tiny islands in the bay and a cave through to the next beautiful beach. 

After having the best coffee handmade by our incredibly beautiful guide we set off to the next and final bay. Have I mentioned how beautiful our guide was? 

After getting back we waited until low tide at about 10pm and headed of to the so named Hot Water Beach to try out the hot water! We were supposed to dig a pool in the sand to find the hot water, but we found an abandoned pool and made it ours! The water was so hot! It is about 60-70oc apparently so we were desperate to find some cold water to wash in! But it was amazing, lying in a hot pool and looking up at the stars. I've never seen so many stars and actually seen the galaxy. Definitly the best day of my trip so far! 

New Zealand. Bay of Islands

Today we just had half a day before we had to leave at lunchtime so I took the short ferry ride to Russel. This is an island  in the opposite side of the bay from Piahia from which even more islands can be seen. 

It was a beautiful walk through a footpath lined by trees and flowers with a soundtrack of cicadas and birds to the beach. I got to the beach early and was almost alone. It was beautiful with the islands in the background. It was a much nicer beach than at Paihia. I should have had a dip but no idea why I decided not to. The water was a bit chilly but lovely and calm. As I had to leave at 12 it was a trip too short, but very glad I went! 

New Zealand! Paihai

After arriving late into Auckland and getting to my hostel in time to go straight to bed for my 7am pick up! The coach took us straight to the north of the island to Paihai and the Bay of Islands. Highlights of the bus journey include our driver trying to convince us of a breed of pink sheep that have been bred in NZ at this place called Sheepworld. Haha!

After the clouds cleared it was a georgeous day. We had the afternoon free and I chose to go kayaking. I was in a 2 man boat with a girl from Sweden and we were completely out of sync paddling but we made it in the end. I didn't take any photos as didn't want to get my phone wet! We kyacked through along the coast and into some mangroves which was amazing. We then went up to some waterfalls and kyacked below them. My kyacking buddy wanted to go under the falls but I was too much of a spoil sport, so we went quite close instead. Haha!  The beach is so pretty and dark sand with loads of shells. There is apparently loads of shell fish to be had around here. 

So far the people I have met have been nice. I am very aware that I am so old! I'm feeling that I well really enjoy the places we go, but really dislike the hosteling part! 

Sydney part 2

I have been loving staying with Katie in Manly. She is so lucky to be staying in such a chilled out place. The cafés and bars are beautiful and the food and coffee is so good. It is such an amazing lifestyle and such a polar opposite way of life to busy Sydney. After applying for my Vietnam visa in a shopping centre in a suburb of Sydney, very strange, we met up and went to Bondi. As it is the most famous beach in Sydney it was of course super busy and touristy. They even have free wifi on the beach! 

We did the long but picturesque walk along the coastal path to Coogee. It was beautiful!

The next day it was forecast to rain and did it! Me and Shama took a trip to the art gallery as something to do inside! I met a girl who was on the Great Ocean Road tour on our gallery tour. So bizarre! Took some beautiful photos of the harbour from the ferry in the wet weather. 

Thursday Katie took the day off work and we took a road trip to the Blue Mountains. They are called blue due to the haze of eucalyptus oil coming from the trees. We first went to the Wentworth Falls and they were so beautiful! We did a little walk through the forest to the falls and the views were spectacular. 

At the falls I found a proposal to me carved into the rock. Result! Finally!

Next on our whistle stop tour was the Three Sisters. Apparently one of the most famous sights in the mountains. It was so touristy and definitely not as nice as the falls but very pretty none the less. 

We had a lovely lunch in Katoomba and the town was so cute. Had some great shops and cafés. 

My last day I had to collect my passport from the shopping centre again and as it was a lovely I took a walk through the botanic gardens and I finally managed to take some photos of the beige and opera house in the sun!

New Zealand. Cape Reinga

Today we set off bright and early to travel up to the most northerly accessible part of the island, Cape Reinga. We started off with a stop in a rain forest to look at the wairu trees. An ancient NZ tree which was almost harvested to extinction. They are extremely tall trees with an enormous circumference. They were used for Maori canoes and then by the British for houses and for boat masts as they grow very straight with no beaches on the trunk. 

Next we headed up to 90 mile beach. You could actually drive on this beach and we did in our bus! 

After driving further along the beach we drove into the dunes and found the biggest one which the driver estimated was about 120m high to go boogie boarding down! It was awesome! After the effort of getting up there, and it was so windy! Got friction burns on my feet from trying to steer!

After lunch we headed up to Cape Rienga which is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. As with what seems like all of NZ the sights were amazing! So beautiful with the waves meeting in the middle of the sea. 

On the way back to Paihia we stopped of to have "the best fish and chips in the world"! Not up to British standards is say but nice. I think they probably earn the title from being nice and looking out over a georgeous bay. But we had to eat on the bus :( 

Sydney

This is my 4th day in Sydney and this is the first sunny day! I arrived on Friday and stayed with Shama in a suburb called Tempe. It was so nice to be in a house and not feel pressured to get up and do stuff as the weather was so rubbish! 

We went on a walking tour of Sydney on Saturday (in the rain) which was ok. Not as interesting as the Melbourne tour, but maybe there isn't as much interesting stuff in Sydney. But at Lleast it didn't make me feel bad for all the invading of the British as the Melbourne one did! In the evening we went to watch some fireworks in Darling Harbour. They seem to have a lot of free fireworks going on all the time! This one was valentine day themed. We also saw a Sebian festival and a Valentines festival, any excuse for drinking in the day!

On Sunday Katie came over! We went out for some beers then I went back to hers in Manly. It's so nice! Seems like a really relaxed place with a big surfer vibe. I've spent today on the beach, as this may be the only sunny day this week! The beach is georgeous and full of surfers and people exercising. Definitely the place to be after school and work. 

Great Ocean Road Day 3

After waking up in a gorgeous lodge which has narrowly escaped being burnt to the ground last month, with kangaroos around and air conditioning (amazing!) we set off on our last day. Due to the wildfires we couldn't visit the waterfall that we were supposed to so we visited some aboriginal art work in the Grampians which was 10,000 years old. It was really impressive for being so old! It was a sacred mens site where they would perform circumcisions and other man stuff. 

This was in a forest that had been burnt a year ago and was starting to regenerate. It was fascinating to see how life finds a way. We also saw wallabies! So still need to see a platypus and a wombat! 

The rest of the day was mainly taken up with driving home. I'm so glad to be away from the flies!!! I've been bitten more these few days than I have my whole life I think! Not itchy but so ugly! 

Great Ocean Road day 2

Today we set off early again to see the 12  in the first light. There were only ever 10 but there are only 8 left, and 2 of those are stumpy lumps. 

We then went to see several other scenic view points along the road in including the so called London Bridge. Nothing to do with London it seems. The photos would have been great if is wasn't to misty. 

We then ventured off the Great Ocean Road to visit the Grampians. Named by a Scottish man, so in true Australian style he named them after somewhere he knew in Britain. He thought the looked like the Grampians in Scotland. I've never seen them, but I can't image any landscape in Scotland looking much like this! They were very picturesque forests with amazing rock formations. 

We stopped for lunch in an extinct volcano and saw emus and koalas :) 

We scrambled up a small part of the rock to the top and all tok turns taking photos of us at the top of a small pinnacle. Angus, our very own 18 year old stud and his three groupies loved making him pose  on top of the rock for him. So funny and they are all so young and naive. Cheating about a levels and how amazing they are as they are travelling. 

We have stayed overnight in a telly nice lodge, so much nicer that last night!! I'm sharing a room with Natalie who is English, Sophia who is German and Peter who is an enigma from Australia. We have been trying to crack him and make him talk all trip but he is such hard work! He spoke more tonight but is he so funny! We saw loads of kangaroos today too and there are loads around the lodge. If it hadn't been in a massive bush fire the place would be beautiful in sure. Was very lucky that it survived! 

Great Ocean Road Day 1

Today I started on a three day trip along the Great Ocean Road and into the Grampian National Park. I an on a bus of 22 with a mixture of a few older couples but mainly lone travellers my age and younger. It seems like a really good mix of people and have met some really nice ones. 

The Great Ocean Toad is about 270km running along the coast somewhere between Melbourne and Adelaide. Today started off as a chilly cloudy day which got exasperated my the smoke from the forest fires. We stopped at a place called Torquay which was pretty stinky of smoke. It was full of surf shops and as a girl I met called Natalie said, looked very 1990s. We went to a couple of beaches but they were pretty un remarkable in the cloud. Then the road started! 

The road was spectacular and very windy! After a few more unnecessary stops we went into a national park where the sun came outand saw koalas! In trees and walking across the road! 

We then got back on the road and stopped at so many beautiful places on the road to see the limestone stacks and beaches which all have stories about which person sailed into them and which English person they are named after. So happy the sun came out as it made it totally worth the trip. 

Definitly the most picturesque beach I've seen in a long time! After dinner we came back to some different stacks to see the sun setting. It was a bit hazy but still georgeous and I saw my first kangaroo and an eagle! A day full of Aussie wildlife!