Kiwi Experience - Part... I can't remember where we're up to! :P

So since my last main travelling update (aside from the Whale Watch), I have left Queenstown and travelled up the east coast of the south island, spent a couple of days in Christchurch enjoying the World Buskers Festival and catching up with an old friend :) Spent a couple of days in Kiakoura whale watching, seal watching, sunbathing, sea-food eating, rockpooling. Then I waved goodbye to the south island and crossed back to Wellington, meandered back upto Taupo and this afternoon I arrived back at my starting point in Auckland!!!! The Kiwi Experience 'Funky Chicken' pass is finished!!! Sad times but VERY VERY excited to be going home soon to see a certain someone :) :) :)

Just gonna go for a few days upto paradise in the Bay of Islands (as you do) this week then have a 28 hour flight home!!! Will be in the care of Qantas this time next week!!!

Here are some general photos from the last few days - enjoy!

Beautiful Kiakoura - The view from stood ouside my hostel!!!

 Walk around the Kiakoura Peninsula to see the Seal Colony (this was the only cloud in the sky!!)

 Are you looking at me!?

ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME!!!??? (P.S. Yes I know I'm not very witty :P Can't blame me for trying!)

Check out this poser!

Think he was pretending to be a statue!

More of beautiful Kiakoura!

Went rockpooling (at sunset, outside the hostel.... I know, I know, amazing! :)) Anyhoo, went hunting for the famous Paua Shells that get washed up here (you pay $8 + for a good one in a tourist shop).... and look what I found!!!! :) And all because I was prepared to get my feet wet lol! :)
(NB: I didn't find them all nicely arranaged like this for me unfortunately, this is post finding them!)

Couple of days later, back in Taupo - Huka Falls

No coulour editing at all - this is actually what the water looks like there!

Another Taupo sunset! :) :)



Mike - I Love YOU! See you in 1 week!!!!! :) :)

Whale Watching - Kiakoura = ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!

I LOVE it when expensive things you pay to do turn out to be worth every single penny and more - don't you!? Well I have just arrived back from a Whale Watch in Kiakoura (East Coast, South Island), renowned for it's sealife and I literally couldn't wait to jump online and share this with you - IT WAS FANTASTIC and I literally can't stop smiling!

Kiakoura has resident Sperm Whales 12 months a year. However, even though we saw 6 of these, they don't really do much, though still very awesome in size and granduer, and I managed to 'very-nearly' get a good tail raise photo. The best was by far to come when we ran into a rare occurance - a Pod of 15 Orca (Killer Whales)!!!! And we didn't just follow them, oh no! They played around, alongside and under the boat for the best part of an hour! Even the guides say that they only see orca maybe once a month tops and seeing them playing with us like that was one of their best sightings in years!!! And this is on MY particular boat trip - WOW! Can you tell I'm buzzing people!!!??? lol!

So I managed to achieve a few ok photos and some awesome video - enjoy!
(Please note that holding a camera still on a choppy boat, trying to get a good photo of things that don't stay still is near impossible - the following are the best I could get I'm afraid!)

Sperm Whales

Nearly got the tail-raise here - 2 seconds too early - bum! :P

Orca/Killer Whales (Pod of 15, complete with gigantic male, mums and babies!)

Big Daddy (trust me he was HUGE!)



Kiwi Experience: Part 4 - Queenstown and Milford Sound

Milford Sound and the Milford Road

Beautiful Queenstown

Kiwi Experience - Part 3

I know, I know, it's been ages! Sorry! Lets just say that the west coast of the south island is remote and wild and the internet/phone signal is either terribly slow or expensive!!! Today I finally arrived in Queenstown where I will be for 5 nights with easy internet access so more posts coming up :)

Have quite a few photos to share from the last week, where I have been to the Centre of New Zealand, Nelson, Westport, Cape Foulwind, Lake Mahanipua, Franz Josef, Wanaka and around numerous lakes, mountains, relaxed in glacier hot pools and climbed a glacier!!! See - I have been busy!! 

Here are some pics... :) (would like to apologise for not remembering all the exact names for particular lakes, mountains etc, but they are beautiful all the same!)

Sunset from the centre of New Zealand (Nelson)

 Centre of NZ!!! Check out the cheesy grin! :D

 Nelson Lakes National Park

 Crazy british boys from the bus about to get a freezing dunk! (A bit chuffed with my photo taking timing here though :P)

 Beach bonfire in Westport with the group

 Cape Foulwind (closet point to OZ)

 Beach sunset at Lake Mahinipua (yes I know, the lake is behind me here, this is the sea!)

 Sunset at Franz Josef (the first time we saw blue sky in 2 days!)

 Near Queenstown (whilst we watched our Bus drivers do a tandem bungy jump!)

 Puzzling World - Wanaka

Mangee and Josh (our drivers) - Tandem Bungee Jump! (oops it's the wrong way round on the blog but it took an age to upload so you will just have to turn your heads for now!)