Finally i left Sydney, it was quite emotional leaving sydney. I felt so settled there and made some really good friends. However this is what i came here to do, travel and expereince different things and New zealand was an unplanned adjunct to my travels so even more exciting! As i was half way round the world i thought it would be rude not to!
We arrived in Auckland and headed off to base hostel. It was weird being in a dorm with smelly boys again and they were seriously smelly! Anyway Auckland was quite sereal as its like a mini less lively sydney. I went up the sky tower and took a ferry to a little island and climbed a dormant volcano, Mt victoria which is where i got these stunning views from.

We planned our trip here and decided to do the adventure tour with stray, which was slighlty cheaper than kiwi experince and takes you 'off the beaten track' more. We stayed a few nights in Auckland before setting off early to begin our travels round New zealand, starting with the north island.

On the way to our first stop Hahei, the country side is just amazing and it never stops. Round every corner there is something more beautiful than the last. We stopped off at a beach called 'hot water beach' which is exactly as it sounds. Because of the natural geothermal activity there are parts of the beach that if you dig a hole, it with fill up with hot water and in some places boiling! Unfortunately the tide was in, but it didn't stop us having a go and evendently getting soaked- jeans really weren't the right option! View image View image

The surf at hahei was the most wild i'd ever seen, the waves were at least 10 foot high and the rip was really strong it knocked you right off your feet!
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Our next stop was Raglan, home of the best surfing beach in newzealand. We stayed in the most traquil hostel up in the bush, with hammocks outside our dorms and stunning viws from our doors, paradise!!! View image
The beach was deserted, almost had it to ourselfsView image. I could of got surfing lessons, but i figured i would just have a go and hire a board out. it was well worth it, so much fun! I stood up a few times. heres a pic with me and my surf board. View image. We also stayed to watch the sunset, do you like the contiplating pose?

Next stop was Rotorua what i like to called smelly village cos it stinks! anyway i'll get to that in a min, on the way we stopped at ______ and went black water rafting! sounds moe dangerous than it is. Bacically we climb through under water caves in these attractive wet suits with white wellies (how unfortunate i don't have a photo) in freezing muddy water. In some parts swimming or floating on a rubber ring whilst admiring the glow worms. It was alot of fun, messy and hard work! That afternoon we arrived in rotorua, which smells because of the natural sulphur springs (rotten eggs!!). In the evening we went to a maori night, learnt all about the culture and history of the moari people from a disendant himself. View image

we also learnt the Haike (think rugby and the war dance before the game) View image. It was a really good evening.

Whilst in rotorua we vistied the natural bubbly mud pools (geezers and acid sulpur springsView imageView image

Our next stop was Taupo, and we already new what we were doing here we booked it in Auckland. Have a look at the photo and see if you can guess what we did next View image Your have to wait for the really good photo's of what we did but trust me thery are going to be AWESOME!! watch this space!

CHECK ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sky diving was the best thing i've ever doen. so much fun!! when we landed we all wanted to do it all over again. Couldn't of done it without my girlies hannah and maria, we were so brave!! now i'm on a bit of an adrenalin high got to find me some more!! he he i'll keep you up dated!

Spent the last few days in Wellington, the capital of New zealand. Things have been alot more chilled, visiting museums and walks through the botanical gardens. thought i might do a bit of base jumping for some excitement (ha only kidding)!! Don't have many pics of wellington but here's an amusing photo outside a shop here:

were off to the south island tommorrow and i've got to start planning actually what i'm doing in each place cos time is running out!! not long before i'm back in sydney (home sweet home).