Kiwi Experience - The Finale!

So it's over - I'm home!!! But before I do a few summing-up posts I need to quickly share the happenings of my final week in New Zealand. you may not like to hear it but I spent the final week on a sub-tropical beach unfortunately - terrible I know! :P
I spent the last week up in the Bay of Islands (Paihia) and at Cape Reinga right up at the tip-top of the country where the weather is HOT HOT HOT :) (a bit too hot if you ask me but hey, I shouldn't complain lol!) :P

So here are some photos from the last week...

Paihia - The Bay of Islands, AKA Paradise :)

The hostel I was in had free kayaks to borrow, so one morning myself and a friend went for a paddle on this lovely scene, around a few islands for a couple of hours, and back for brekkie - no-one else around apart from a few ferries to nearly run over us lol!
(unfortunately no photos from actually kayaking as I wanted to enjoy myself not worry about getting my camera wet)

Cape Reinga Day Trip - perfect weather, visit to the cape, sand-boarding, driving 90 mile beach, swimming in both oceans (Pacific and Tasman Sea) within an hour of each other, freshly caught fish and chip dinner (or as the Kiwi's would say 'Fush and Chups'!!) - All in all a LOVELY day!

Cape Reinga

Where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet - you can actually see the two currents meet :)

Sand-boarding - Amazing fun! (But not quite good enough to make walking up that sand dune worth it more than a couple of times lol!)

90 Mile Beach - Officially 'State Highway 1' !!! (And before you ask it's not actually 90 miles long, its 64 miles long due to some miscalculation way back when!)

Waitangi Day (6th Feb) - New Zealand National Holiday celebrating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori and the British.
Waitangi is just up the beach from Paihia where I was staying so I was in the right place for all the Maori celebrations, the presence of the Prime Minister and a few protests and debates (common at this event).
The show was good though - lots of traditional long boat displays and The Huka en Mass!

So that concludes the trip! I am now HOME both physically and metaphorically and suffering hugely from jet lag after a 28 hour flight lol! Turns out I only took 3 1/2 thousand photos in 9 weeks - that is actually not a lot for a member of my family!!!

There will be a few blogs coming up in conclusion of my trip, I have A LOT to be thankful for! :)

But for now, that's it - thank you for reading!!! I have been informed that more of you were reading these than actually told me :)

Please just know that if you ask me how my trip was, I will probably direct you to the blog for now. 9 weeks is a lot to sum up in a few sentences lol! For now let's just say it was AMAZING and everything I hoped it would be, but I'm VERY VERY glad to be home to my Fiancé - I missed him quite a bit :P :)

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!!!!! :) :)

The Great Ocean Road

So, I decided to splurge a little and do a trip/tour thingy and the one that comes highly recommended in Melbourne is a One Day tour of the Great Ocean Road. Even better they have a 'Sunset Tour' option which naturally was my choice so yesterday off I went in a bus with 24 other people from all around the world and a very friendly, hilarious, aussie driver (though he definitely had his own politcal/environmental agenda lol. Though his quirks did make it all the more entertaining!).
So I played co-piolet for the day, sat at the front with the best views and prayed for good weather!
Here's what the tour incuded...

Bells Beach

Historical Light house

Seaside Villages

Great Otway National Park

Lush Rainforests

Wild Koala spotting

Port Campbell National Park

Sunset at the world famous Twelve Apostles

Loch Arc Gorge

London Bridge

Unfortunately the weather wasn't great and the sunset we got was just about there but very stormy looking skies (quite nice though actually). Thankfully the rain came only in the times we were in the bus so all in all a good day was definitely had and it was just about worth the money :)

At the end of the day it was nice to spend the whole day travelling with a whole bunch of other people.... it can get quite lonely always doing stuff on your own!

Here are some piccies as promised...

So that was that!

And now I am in Wagga Wagga, with family, in the sunshine, in 'real' Australia contryside, with the dogs and the horses and the chickens, relaxing, unpacking, ready to spend a lovely 9 days over Christmas! I've been here 7 hours and already it's lovely! (Though I did get bitten by 6 mozzies within the first 5 minutes lol - typical!)

Love to you all for Christmas!

Mike - wishing you were here!! xx