Kaikora.

Our first rugby game!

Home Sweet Home

So now we're in Queenstown, or as the title of this blog suggests our new home! (for the next 4 months any way mums and dads- dont get worried!) it's real nice hear-v. ski tow esq! We got straight onto the jobs of finding somewhere to live and it paid off as i (Nat) have a beautiful fully furnished room in an amazing house! only down side is that it's as a lodger with a women and her 11 year old kid, but is a bargin at $150 a week (abou 52 quid) and this includes all mod cons like internet, cable etc. It's really plush-will post photo's once in! now we only have to find somewhere for Fuzz-think this should be quiet easy though!
Ermm.....so after the interviews and boring stuff is out the way we reckon we could spend A LOT of money here, specifically have our eyes on this thing called a canyon swing, another rafting trip and handgliding, so we'll have to get these jobs to pay for it all eh!!!!
Every one that's been here has also said we have to go to a place called Ferg burger, so once i'm off my ridiculous porridge and soup diet i think you all know where we're headed!
Ok that's it for now, hope you're all well!

Exploring the south

Spent a few days in Wellington, the captial city, which had a really good vibe to it, lots of little cafes (finally decent coffee!) museums and art gallerys, though they don't call it windy welly for nothing! After exploring the city we hopped over to the south island and stayed in picton, where we found our favourite hostel, this may be due to the free homemade apple crumble every day! Winner!

Then travelled to Kaikora. Kairkora is a little costal town with the sea on one side and snow capped mountains surrounding it, very scenic. Everyone we have met likes the south island better and its not hard to see why! Once again attempted a bike ride (will we never learn!) but this time we were smart enough to bike to the local vineyard, for a wine tour and tastings!

From there we travelled to christchurch, which is just another big city. However here we did go to our first ever rugby game! Was a semi final match so good turn out and the home team destroyed the opposition so everyone was in good spirits! Have to admit to really enjoying the rugby, its brutal but good fun! Gonna find a bar to watch the finals this weekend, Go Crusaders!

Nat is still on her porridge and soup diet, and has taken to dreaming about burgers! a few more days and she should be back to her solid food eating self!

The latest edition to our travelling mini family, meet nats tongue piercing!! Sorry can't rotate the pic, she is currently talking like dennis waterman from little britian, very entertaining! She was very brave and didn't cry! although there was minor dribbling...

Hiking with swedes.

Went on a hike in Taupo up to
the Falls and volcano craters.
Ended up walking for 6 hours!


Hike ended with a dip in a natural hot spring, found on the hillside, which was gorgous.

check out those smiles!

Us with our sky dive certificates,
which state that we did indeed jump
out of a plane at 15'000 feet!!
Highly recommended!!

Rafting

Us going over a 7m waterfall!!! Wet your pants moment!


See we made it!
In the rapids!!

Natural Highs!

We travelled down to Taupo today, the reason we choose to come here is, its the skidiving capital of new zealand, home of the cheapest ski diving. So this afternoon both me and nat jumped out of a plane at 15'000 feet (the highest you can jump from). Parents breathe, we are obviously both fine! It takes about 20 minutes to reach that height then you get dangled out of the door, as your instructor seats behind you and trys to get you to smile for the camera! Before you know it your falling, from that height you get to freefall for a minute and then the shoot is opened and you steadly descend, the instructor let me take control which was cool, got to steer! Good landing and its all over. Can safetly say its was INCREDIBLE (yes the capitals are neccessary), probably the best thing I've ever done.

Off to celebrate our non death today!
love nat and fuzz xxxxxxx

Hi to all!
We've now moved down to Rotorua, via some quite little quiet towns called Whangarei and Whitianga. Had lots of lazy days so fully rested and relaxed! Today we had the pleasure of going white water rafting- lots and lots of fun! Think the best part was the 7 metre water fall that we rafted/fell down! Some paddles were lost but luckily no limbs! Despite my intitial fear of drowning(fuzz), well it is called the river of death! it was an amazing experience, gonna try and do it again in the south island!

Rotorua is the home of many thermal parks so the town has a general "egg" smell floating around....hmmmm hopefully we'll get used to it! Found an Irish bar that sells guinness but sad to say it's not quite the same as at home! not bad though and definatly didn't make us frown!

Oh yeah, in Whitianga we hired out a car for the day (pimpin' and white i tell you!) after a quick lesson in how to drive an automatic (not very fun, boring way to drive!) we drove out to hot water beach(lava runs under it and heats the water, so you get hot water patches), low tide was at 7:40 so we had to get up pretty early to get there!! The girl from the hostel said it was one road so we couldn't get lost but we, special as we are, managed to! No worries though as got there in the end, water was a bit high to dig holes but did get to feel the hot water bubble up in the sea....this was ace and very hot!
That's it for now, will up date again in the not too distant future!

Bay of Islands

Have moved out of Auckland up to the bay of islands, which is a cute little costal town at the top of the north island. Staying in a sweet little hostel, very different to the busy main auckland one. Got free use of bikes and kayaks though which is cool, oh and free pool. however it took us nearly an hour to play one game... hmmm

Took a tour up to cape reinga which is the very top of the island and bordered by ninety mile beach. There we got to do sand dune surfing(see pic), which is as much fun as it sounds!! We're still findin sand in our clothes a day later! The other pic shows what happens if you don't check the tides before driving down ninety mile beach, it was a BMW!

Today we went dolphin spotting......and got to swim with them which was pretty cool! also on a cruise round the bay of islands....went through a hole in the rock which was supposed to be pretty amazing although we didn't find it so spectacular! But ace day anyway, finished off superbly with some damn good ice cream....although did manage to get this all over my hands!

Wet suit is not a good look!!

Auckland baby!

Auckland

Hey,
Spent four days in Auckland, which is a cool place but much like every other big city you have been too, lots of starbucks and mcdonalds, but very cheap sushi much to nats joy! We stayed in a big hostel in the city centre, which was good as they were geared towards helping backpackers. Free dinners and a cheap bar, not too shabby! Shared a sort-of flat with 20 girls, (big queue for the bathroom!). Some girls from the flat took us out for the night to see a live band. The band were ace, as were the best burgers ever that we got after! Honestly veggie burger heaven inc. pinapple, egg, cheese, onions, salad and lotsa Ketchup (see attached photo!). Walked into the pub and wondered why there were twenty guys wearing matching shirts, Nat asked and it turned out to be the sandhurst rugby team! You can't escape the brits here, they are all over the place. Sad to say can't avoid the chavs either- we had to pull one of the guys we met away from an undesirable! oh well- at least it didn't ruin the night!

One of the backpacker companys runs a free city tour, so we did that one day (they get to plug their tours, you get a free day out) So got to get out of the city and see a more historical side. Went up to the maori sacred ground, and visted the volcano crater just outside the city also a sacred tribal ground. Also home to the best prank story I've heard in ages... apparently some uni guys filled the crater with tyres set them on fire, then called the local radio station saying the volcano was smoking! This was back before police helicopters so 3000 ppl were evacuated before they figured it out! how cool is that.

Did the hostel bar quiz, and came second netting us a $50 bar tab, which (being the smart girls we are) we used during happy hour the following day, see dad I do know how to be good with money!!

Gonna start our tour of the north now. X