Day 134 - Picton

I love ferries. There's something about them that is properly grim. I dunno what it is, but its a bit sick. They smell of petrol. They're rusty. They're dirty. They're noisy. But I love them. And this one, after 2 hours at sea, was amazing. An hour heading through Picton Sound (I might have just made that name up, but it makes sense), and the landscape was spooky. The calm turquoise water, the clouds shrouding the hillsides, the lonely huge ferries going the other way. I couldn't take my eyes off it, except for the bitter cold which drove me inside. It doesn't just take a row boat and some sunshine to make me tick...







And as we set down in Picton, I made a quick phonecall, and we hooked up with our long-departed friend from home, Anna - complete with a new dye of red hair, and some cookies for me, Sam and Eve.



We jumped back in the Laser, and headed off, via the most winding, twisted road ever, to Nelson, a town at the foot of the Abel Tasman National Park, which promised nice beaches and cute walks...

Day 131 - Wellington

Wellington was fun. After a 4 and half hour drive down through national parks, past volcanoes, desert valleys, through rain and along coastal roads in the dark, we made it to Wellington - capital city and most awesome town in New Zealand (so we are told). And we had fun.



We stayed for just two day - rushing along to catch Anna in the south island - so on arriving on a sunday night, we hit the sack after a quick walk around the centre. Its small. and cute. Like a bigger brighton - but not as trendy looking. The boys were well dressed, the cafes looked inviting, and the place was pleasing to the eye.

We never got a chance to venture far into the city, but on our only active day we popped into the very charming main museum, called Te Papa. Loads of good exhibits - including one on the "awesome earth" we live in. I loved it.









Then in the evening we met up with Phil, my old workmate, for a pint or two. This was very exciting - the first person (other than tristan) I knew from home who I would encounter. And we drank beer, laughed a lot, drank more beer, and stumbled home drunk at the end of the night. One of my favourite night's in new zealand, if you're ever in Wellington, get me to give you Phil's number. He's a legend.





And so the next day I nursed a KILLER hangover. Along with Sam (who has critised me for making out she is always drunk on my blog - sorry darling). But not Eve. Whatever 22-year-old Eve. We slouched out of bed at about midday, had MacDonalds for lunch, watched tv til 5pm and then I managed to drag myself out with Eve (who's welsh) to the southern hemisphere's ONLY welsh bar!!! Which she loved.



One drink later I was in bed, sleeping it off. We had a ferry to the south island to catch in the morning...



(oh and scott, if you're reading this, it was a pleasure to hear from you mate)

Day 130 - Taupo

I LOVED Taupo. Its nothing very special, but for 24 hours we laughed, cried, ate, and took photos. It was VERY special. After what seemed like a string of dissappointing days on the new zealand tourist trail, we had one last day to play with in the north island before heading down to Wellington to meet up with Phil.



We arrived just after dark and checked into our hostel. Then after sam was chatted up by a complete psycho (who reminded us both of Ady), we headed out for a curry to celebrate our mates Mango and Shilpa getting married. Cheers dudes.



Now, after that, we went back to our hotel room. This bit is a bit hard to explain, so stick with me. Right, so when we checked in, the hostel manager told us that the room might be noisy. But its OK, cos we looked like party animals. and would be up til 1am anyway. we accepted the room (because we couldn't be bothered to look elsewhere) and trotted outside for a drink. On our return, we got back to the room. Eve was first, I was second and sam was third. to walk into the room. to realise that the room was actually situated on top of the speakers of a nightclub. This room wasn't just loud. It was unbearable. The glass in the windows was vibrating from the bass. The curtains twitched with each cheer from the crowd. It was completely insane, and the pounding house music and club-classics continued until 3am. I can sleep through anything, but my body ached after just an hour of broken sleep, waking up at every record change when the DJ increased the volume and bass for the first part of the song. It was literally like trying to sleep INSIDE a nightclub. Insane.

Anyway, the next morning, bleary eyed and pissed off, we checked out, grabbed some coffee, and attempted to make the most of the day. We had 4 things to do. These were:

The Huka Falls
   Driving out of taupo, just for 5 minutes, and this place is a beaut. Its clean and green and has cute rolling hills and little streams. And we spotted a big river with literally CRYSTAL clear water from the roadside. Which later turned into this...







Huka Prawn Park
   I never really understand what a prawn farm was. until we went. too skint to pay for us to get in, we just wandere around and ate some big prawns. But by pumping geothermally heated water into pools with prawns in them, they breed lots, and you can fish for prawns, play prawn golf (wow!) and eat as many as you want - if you can afford to. This was a highlight of the trip - fact.







The Volcanic Activity Centre
   I dragged the girls here, and despite being totally rubbish, it did have a earthquake simulator. And man, they went to town with it. its a box that shakes from side to side, decked out with a single curtain to show the vibrations. Shocker. It was rubbish, but we laughed. Love volcanoes, don't i...











Crators of the Moon
   And for our final assault on taupo, we hit a small free park which has apparently looks like you are walking on the moon. when we arrived, we had to pay (i HATE that), and for the first 20 minutes I shouted my mouth off about how we had been ripped off because it looked NOTHING like the moon. Until we found the good stuff. And it was pretty special. All this was made by hot air. We loved it.









and with that, we jumped in the laser, and headed the 4 and half hours south to wellington, crossing the Tongaririo national park (home to 3 active volcanoes), and a shed load of tiny villages that all looked the same. Except for wellington...

Day 128 - Gisborne & Napier

Gisborne is a BEAUT. After a tiring but beautiful drive (through what looks JUST like Cornwall/Devon), twisting around hills and scooting through valleys, we arrived in Gisborne. The YHA (youth hostel association) hostel was a beaut, the man who ran it was super cool, and we settled down in the final hour of beautiful sunshine to drink cider on the decking and got drunk.



Gisborne itself is nice. It kinda looks like any other american/kiwi town, grid streets, not heaps of character, but enough to distinguish it from the other towns. But for our two days, its DRENCHED in sunshine, and looks great. After drunkenly watching Ghostbusters, we slept off our hangovers until the mid-afternoon, then walked for a couple of hours up to the highest point of the town, and down again. It was nice.







In the morning, we hopped back in the laser, and decided to visit Napier. We'd read it was a "totally art-deco city", because an earthquake in the 50s destroyed everything, so it was all rebuilt art-deco-style. What a highlight. Anyway, it was (again) sun-drenched, and everything looks good in the sunshine. But the buildings were cool, the palm trees were tall, and the people were nice. We walked on the beach a little, had a routy KFC, and headed off for Taupo before the sun went down.

Day 126 - Hot Water Beach & Rotorua

Today is not just any ordinary day. Its not just any old, get-in-the-car, drive-somewhere-new, do-something-exciting kinda day. Today is special. Today, is my birthday.



But, before we get to that, we need a quick recap. Monday morning, and after hitting Macdonalds for lunch (sick, this country is killing me), we headed the 100odd kilometres across the Coromandel peninsula, along winding coast roads, dirt-tracks over mountains, and motorways cross-country, we ended up at a place originally entitled HOT WATER BEACH. Nice. It was too late in the day to get down and dirty in the sand, so we drove to Whitianga where we stayed in this cute hostel on the beach and watched my first episode of Sex and the City in 4 months. I went out for a little walk on my own too, listened to some music that tristan made me, and contemplated how being 27 would change me. It looked a bit like this...



   

In the morning, we packed up and made the 30 minute drive to beach. To start with, we had no hole to lie in. We had no spades. and we had no way of sampling the warm geothermal waters that everyone was enjoying so much. That was until we STOLE someone else's pit. and then it was GREAT.







The water was kinda lukewarm, but 'in' the sand it was scolding hot. like, properly burning hot. some people had buckets, to empty the cooled water out. and their pits were steaming. but we were content just splashing around in a lukewarm hole. for about 10 minutes.



so anyway, we jumped in the car (right after some other routs stole 'our' pit) and headed south towards Rotorua. Then, on my birthday of all days, we got a PUNCTURE. I've never changed a puncture before in my life, but with a little direction from eve and sam, I managed it. Sweet as.





Rotorua is known as the 'stinky city', because it honks. I mean, it stinks SO MUCH of sulphur, its a bit gross. We checked into a hostel with a heated spa (nice), and had a dip, then after a grand spaghetti bolognase, we downed a few pints at the local routy hostel bar, where some old dude came onto sam, told me I wasn't a real gay, and then made me feel bad for telling him to go away.



How was my birthday? A bit rubbish. I mean, I got to lie in some hot water on the beach. And I got to eat my favourite meal. And I got to be in new Zealand, which I really shouldn't take for granted. BUT, it was just a little too far away from all my friends to be special. Gutted. Next year will be MUCH better, I'm sure.



Anyway, the next day, we got up early (we were staying in a criminally noisy hostel)and headed into town to cheer myself up a little. Sam bought me a new lip piercing (well, a new stud for my piercing, not an actual new hole in my face), and I got my beard trimmed. AND, now this is exciting, Sam managed to spot GRETCHEN in a shop.



OK, so here's some background on Gretchen. Before I left, I asked Tristan and Jess to give me something which I could take round the world on their behalf. And they gave me Gretchen. But I told them that the chances are, I would probably LOSE gretchen at some point. Apparently its not a problem, tristan told me, because "gretchen ALWAYS come home". She may wander off, but she will ALWAYS come back. So when I left Gretchen in a hostel Cusco, Peru (that's MILES away from here), i never thought I would see her again. And guess what, she's come home. After 3 months apart, she's come back. You can check on HER adventures here, but until the next time she wanders off, she'll be right by my side.



Anyway, that day got EVEN better. We hopped in the car to do my birthday treat, which was to go Zorbing. I'd never been zorbing before, so this was going to be exciting. Despite the course downhill looking VERY short, we were told it was great fun, so we paid up (15 quids) and changed into our zorbing attire.



The principle is that you get inside a massive infatable ball and roll downhill. Adda bucket of cold water, and you slip and bounce all the way down. Apparently its dangerous (insurance policies don't cover you for zorbing, no matter how much you pay), but it just looked FUN. I jumped in, started rolling the ball downhill, then fell over and BOUNCED all the way down. about 3 minutes of laughing, tumbling, swallowing water, and watching the sun dance around. It was unreal. I loved it. From the very start to the very end, you have NO idea which was is up, and it genuinely is like being inside a washing machine. Brilliant.







Then, after calming down from the grief we caused our adrenal glands, we headed into town where there are loads of bubbling pools of mud. Cute.





And after that hectic day, sam cooked us up a whole trout for dinner (I did my part - I bought microwavable rice from the supermarket), and we got another noisy night's sleep, before jumping in the Laser and heading east to Gisborne, on the east coast.