Wellington - Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga

18/2 - Wellington
Today we came up to Wellington, a pie stop on th way (is a must) and a pretty hectic drive to the ferry. But we made it having heard storied of well rough crossings we thought it was gonna be awful but it was fine. Well windy when we arrived and Metro picked us up!!!gave us both a hug!-that was very exciting! So iasked him what there was to know about th place as Mambo couldnt b bothered!
Nomads was well busy and we couldnt stay 3 nights like we had planned - very gutted as its meant to be awesome here!! In fact nowhere had any rooms. So unfortu didnt get to see any of the capital!

19/2 - Auckland
Back on the bus at 7am - not what we were expecting!! A long old drive up to Auckland. A stop off in Taupo for lunch and a peanut butter sandwich on th bus! hmmm!! Desperate times! But blue sky and eventually arrived at 7pm ish ahving driven in over Bombay Fields and back to another Nomads. Free meal it was upgraded and a much needed pint!!Shattered and fed up carrying everything around including the dam cool bag!!

20/2 - Hahei (Cathedral Cove)
We were looking forward to today, getting out of Auckland again and getting on with our route round the North Island. Mambo was still our driver but he was like a different (less annoying) person today so all was cool! Played games on the bus to get chatting, met Celia - who Dad taught to drive!!! and generally nice people. He took us up to Mount Eden which looks over the city and see the Sky Tower on the horizon and the crater from a volcano up there and u can see loads of volcanoes around ...i didn't even know New Zealand was volcanic!! So a great view and Eden Park rugby ground where some of the 2011 games will be held after a revamp! We stopped off at a winery and trying th famous feijoa liqueurs which were pretty nice and saw really kiwi trees didnt even think they actually existed here either!..not that th kiwis actually do anything with them they just export them. We hugged a Kauri trees only found in th northern parts of NZ, trees like when the dinosaurs were around and headed to the Coromandel Peninsula. Views from th bus so different from the South Island but still nice jst less of the mountains really. We arrived at the holiday resort which was well cool and we all walked down to Cathedral Cove beach...which was so nice, reminded me of Thailand beaches! Saw loads of dolphins swimming jst off th beach was crazy! Mambo then took us to the Hot Water Beach, he warned us we may have to all get digging but by this time of day people had dug and left so we could pinch someone elses and they were actually HOT!!! all cos heat under the crust. Was really cool there!! Mambo decided to have a party on th bus by flashing th lights to the music on th way back to get ready for us having a bbq altogether - and god that was yum, lovely green lip mussels and gorge garlic bread and loadsa food was a well good night in fact one of the best travelling days for a while!

21/2 - Raglan
So today we zig zagged back across the island to the west coast where we'd heard so much about. Gorge blue sky so i decided i'd go with the chance of doing surfing lessons!! It was well fun, quite a few of us did it and the intructors were cool i did manage to stand up 2 or 3 times but with the help of them shouting when to get on my knees! Randomly met a woman we'd met in Margret River and she had even told us to come to Raglan and she was back here!funneee! Got paid 20 dollars for doing some interview for this dutch group wanting to research about backpackers so that was easy although taking photos on the beach and the shower on the beach was not so funny!!
We stayed up in th bush tonight, quite a funky place but one nights anough here. JSt been out and seen th amazing stars and all the glow worms in the bushes!! Another fab day!

22/2 Mambo dropped us off in town today as we have a few days to chill at the backpackers. Thinking we weren't gonna do anything we were too tempted by the free kayaks so off we went for an hour or so down th estuary which was well good and way easier than when i did it last in Byron. Managed to sneak lots of free internet at th library too which is always a bonus! Had crisps and dip by the water with cider of course and we cooked chilli making th most of a nice kitchen!...well early night, what we'd wanted for the past 8 days or so!!

23/2 A lie in at last!..still no later than 9 though so used to gettin up flamin early! Me and Lucy both went surfing - they actaully gave us a car to take down to the beach, tied the boards on to the roof and off we went in this banger of an estate car, automatic too - fun to be driving! Carrying the boards down the beach and back up the beach was not so fun lol! and i didn't manage to stand up today - gutted but hey more lessons needed was still fun to get back in th water.

24/2 Skyped Mum this morning - that was exciting as a surprise!...spent the arvo subathing and then went to th pub for some cheap beer as i was bored and restless and now ready to leave Raglan. and get rid of our tag a long Carolyn!!arhghh doin my head in! I splashed out tonight and cooked Beef Strog but it was well worth it could tell Lucy was well jealous!ha!

25/2 - Rotorua
Natalie picked us up and first stop was Waitomo, famous for its caves, all along i was gonna do the tubing but decided not to bother afterall plus it was quite a lot of money - decided NZ was about th outdoors not caves! So we had a pretty boring morning as the activities all lasted 4 hours and we obv had to wait..so spent most of th time in a cafe with yum carrot cake - typical tho th 1 time i don't do an activity. We had to jump off and get public bus to Rotorua as we didn't wanna do the cultural night in Maketu so we got to Rotorua later on to a well nice place i'd booked. Managed to skype tor for a big chat which was cool and v exciting!!

26/2 Off White Water Rafting this morning!..i was well excited about it but i think it was a bit of a let down all the hype of the 7m waterfall and how we're all gonna fall out - yeah we went under but not quite as dramatic as they made it out to be. Me and Lucy went at the front purposely for the photos and yep we got some well good ones! I cooked a big fry up for lunch, well fancied it! and later went for a wander to see Rotorua by myself with no followers!! Had a few beers in the garden with Daniella, nice german girl and Martin a dutch guy who managed to occupy us - he was cool.

27/2 Fry up for breakfast today!! Can't remember th last time i had that ooh probs Wanaka actually but i didnt cook that one! No peanut butter today! Me and Lucy went off Zorbing which was awesome! loved it! First we did teh straight hill together with water and then we somehow got a free ride so did the zig zag one separately!-wicked so much better than i expected! Quickest way to spend 44 dollars though!lol. Resisted on th photos tho they were wick! Oh and we tried our luck at hitch hiking to get there and had no luck - thought it was th thing to do in NZ!! Later we found the Hot Mud Pools and we're in the geo thermal region and succeeded also Lake Rotorua, it's amazing how different all these lakes over NZ look. We cooked together tonight ready for tmro night so chicken tonight again!!...oh and th famous jacket potato! The day ended with a Tim Tam night - love them!

28/2 - Taupo
We had to hang around for the bus then Nick picked us up! We'd previously met him briefly on his training further south. so he was cool and well up for being a driver! We stopped at more Hot Pools then a walk down to Huka Falls en route to Taupo. Me and Lucy went straight down to th lake with an ice cream then chilled, martin came and met us as he moved on to Taupo too today and had cider at the irish pub not much else going on here.

1/3 - Back to Auckland
As if it's March! and yet another mish to the supermarket to take stuff on with us while we had time to kill-aarhgh!! Daisy was our driver today and reminded us both of Ollie!!haha he just had the nose! Go to Nomads and went out to meet Steph!!-that was cool just before she flew out to Thailand. We went for happy hour drinks down at the harbour and came across a bunch of kiwis that wanted to buy us drinks!!-champagne and beer - fab! Good night after we went to a food court and stuffed our faces withe chinese! We crashed early tho!

2/3 - Paihia
Woohoo out of Auckland again!..over Harbour bridge driven by Scratch, AUck aka city of sails and u can see all the boats as u drive out of the city and tons of traffic!! We stopped at the Marine Reserve at Goat Island and went on a glass bottom boat trip round the island looking at fish - i was still feeling rough from last night aarghh couldnt cope with looking down! saw a few mokeys though!-maybe! Gorge coastline. A few hours later we arrived in Paihia - driving in to the town reminded me of Rock (but bigger) with the boats and the beach etc. He took us for a tour showed us Waitangi where that whole famous treaty was signed. Unfortu it was raining so course Lucy bad mood!..i went for a walk to get some fresh air and something more exciting that pasta for tea!-jst couldnt face it!! Jacket potato and tin of chilli it was! Chatting out the back met Chris and Hannah, Chris went to uni with Fudge!..and also they should have been flying to Chile!!

3/3
No hurry to get up and well comfy beds finallY! L being well anal about bed bugs etc. We got some jumping photos on the beach and got the ferry over to Russel. Nice, quaint little place jst wandered round and back. Was sooo hot this arvo so chilled by th pool - tan looking back into shape now! Yep rank pasta tonight eurgh! Went out and took pics of the moon over the sea was well amazing.

4/3
We walked to Haruru Falls, a walk that Scratch had suggested to us, luckily our room mate was leaving so she drove us 3k up the road to the start of it which was well helpful! Whole walk was 13k in the end - nice walk thro th mangroves on the boardwalk, of ocurse we couldnt walk steadily like i would have preferred! but hey good to get some exercise! Back by 2 and its been so hot again so we had lunch at the beach then more pool time. Few ciders, chatted to Chris and Hannah and mine and lucys last night together!! WOnder what 2mro will be like.

5/3
DIdn't sleep that well last night. We just dossed by the pool, Chris and Hannah were leaving today too. and we jst gave each other a quick hug when she got on th bus. I went into town to do stuff and realised i havn't beeen on my own since before the Sam and Ollie days!! Oh well i know i'll be fine still bit gay tho - temporarily! Chatted to Lennia in th room and later Tiina and Gemma were back from the Cape so all was cooL! Had my last jacket with beans and skyped dad at last which was nice!

6/3 - Cape Reinga and NInety Mile Beach
What a fab long day!! We dorve along past Doubtless bay - all looking lovely and onto 90 mile beach, bombing along!! was so cool. Met Claire from Manchester so spent the day with her which was nice! The truck/bus lorry thing was so cool and everyone just stares at it! Loads of photos and sand boarding down the Tapuki sand dunes - tho i rolled it and sunglasses went flying and i jst laughed! Course i had a 2nd go but too scared of falling off i didnt sare go too fast!gay! We had lunch at Tupatapata Bay which again was lovely. Next was the lighthouse at Cape Reinga which i'd been so much looking forward to get jumping pictures there!..and sure thing we did! Amazing views where the Pacific Ocean meets teh Tasman Sea. We went to Gumdiggers Park for a tour thing to learn about gum and tea tree oil from the Kauri trees and the hard life of the settlers. And the last and well ready for stop at Mangonui Fish and Chip Shop!!!-yummeeeee!! so good overlooking the sea me and Claire loved it! Such a good day!

7/3
Had th room to myself this morning!- the day flew by, updated photos on FB, treated myself to an actual fresh sandwich at a place overlooking the sea that i had been eyeing up! Met Claire for a couple of hours for a gorge passionfruit ice cream before she left which was nice sitting by the beach. I braved beans on toast for tea - this really is the last time plus the heinz beans were still on offer!! Packed and realised someone has stolen my all occasions dress - full on gutted! plus its the only that fits!!- blatantly one of th cleaners as noone else was in my room all day -so angry! Spoke to Mum, and chilled, annoying girls in th room too aarghhh! Thank god i leave tomorrow!

8/3 Back to Auckland
So thats the end of bread and peanut butter woohooo!!..and no cool bag to carry around may even ditch my 6 week old water bottle! Got a well nice toastie in town whilst killing time before the bus at 1. Lovely day again so left Paihia in the sun. Scratch took us back down and it was fairly lively journey - playing games and chucking stuff down the bus including cherry gatorade everywhere!!! Weird being back in Auck, 3rd time at this hostel. Went for a few happy hour beers down by th harbour and caught a bit of a replay of an Arsenal game! Got the free meal (well upgrade!) and saw Gemma from Paihia so ate with her, chocolate was needed to another trip to th supermarket and who to i bump into but Mark (ginger!) thats 4 times throughout NZ!!arrghh walked back with them and did a runner! Still quite cool to chat. Msg from Josefien wanting to know if i'll be back in france!-can't decide now tho! Finally a message from Kate!which was nice.

9/3 Woohoo Mum got her flowers on her bday! Got up well early as there is no lying in auck as veryones up for planes or trips early. I posted hoody and dvds finally and got on the free Stray city tour which was actually pretty good. Not many of us on it but a few english guys to chat to so all was cool as. Got a free harbour bridge climb too and watched a few bungy of it - god that 40m looks like nothing compared to the Nevis! That occupied me til 3 ish, jst had a look up and down Queen St then got the bus to Kohimarama to meet Peter and Annie! (still can't say the name of that place!) aka Kohi i later found out. Without my compass i did manage to meet them! yay! tho we had to drive to Mission Bay as the one they had in mind was closed. Drank beer in record time and had good catch up which was sweet. They even dropped me back in town! I found an irish pub with steak night - omg!!! it was sooo yum and so much steak! had heard that theres a lot of vege stuff in fiji so thought i better make up for it before i get there! Nothing much else to do - ready to leave 2mro now.