So we've started our trip. 4 of us - me, Tiago, Gemma & Ian in our lovely cortina! Had a joint leaving/birthday party then it was bye bye Auckland.

Our first stop was the Coromandel Peninsula, which is a very popular holiday spot for New Zealanders. We wanted a few days just doing nothing on the beach as we'd all just finished work.

We stayed in Coromandel Town at the most beautiful hostel called Tui Lodge. It was set in lovely gardens with an orchard where we could pick our own fruit and also had hammocks all over the place and a trampoline!

We went to a bueautiful beach nearby - loads of white sand and the sea was so clear you could see the bottom. The hostel had told us about another beach that not many people know about so we went there as well. We had to climb over a load of rocks, then trek though the bush for 15 mins but it was definitely worth it. Very secluded and peaceful - total bliss!

Next day we went to Whitiangia which is another town in Coromandel and then onto Hot Water Beach. At hot water beach you can dig a hole in the sand 2 hours either side of the low tide and then you have your very own hot pool - its got something to do with volcanic activity under the ground. We weren't able to dig a hole as we were too early but the sea there was amazing - the waves were huge. It's one of the 4 most dangerous beaches in NZ for swimming so we didn't go in but it was awesome to watch the waves crashing in.

Our last day we spent at Hahei which is another Coromandel town. Again, another beautiful beach! There is a really nice walk here to a place called Cathedral Cove which Gemma and Ian did but Tiago and I decided to sea kayak there instead. God, it was bloody hard work but loads of fun. We had a double kayak and we went to the cove and then kayaked further out to some small islands. We were out for about 3 hours and I thought my arms were going to drop off!

So that was the start of our trip and so far I'm loving every minute of it! NZ really is so beautiful - everywhere we go we see gorgeous beaches and stunning scenery. I would definitely recommend everyone to take a holiday here!