Kiwi Adventures!!!!
Trip Start
Mar 30, 2009
1
3
8
Trip End
Jun 29, 2009
Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I last left you in Wellington and from there it was on to the ferry to head for the South Island. We arrived in Nelson where quite frankly there is nothing to do apart from a very steep climb to reach the geographical centre of New Zealand. Unfortunately it is not that spectacular......!Then it is on to Westport where we spent the night in a very cosy and homely hostel playing cards and watching dvd's! Then the next day to Lake Mahinapua, where the crazy hostel is run by some 83 year old man who is very very funny!!!! The theme that night for fancy dress is that the boys have to dress as girls and the girls have to make costumes out of bin bags! My initial thought was 80's (yep melis we had the same idea) and I had it all pictured in my head, though somehow it came out looking more hawaiian.....
Next day we move on again though this time we will stop of for two days!! Us travellers get very excited about this as it means you don't have to pack your bag again the next day (it gets a bit tedious..)So this is Franz Josef - a world famous glacier. We arrive on the saturday and we are all supposed to go climbing on the glacier on the sunday. However some of us decided we would rather do the helihike which means that rather than doing a full days climbing to get to the middle of the glacier, you jump in a helicopter and get dropped off at the top where the most beautiful ice is. Naughty I know but the views were just spectacular. But when we arrived on the saturday the weather was perfect for it, so I literally jumped off the coach got changed and got in the heli!!Good job we did it on the saturday beacuse those who waited till the sunday had their trips cancelled.....The heli ride was amazing and we then spent about 2 hours climbing on the ice, going through ice caves and generally having an amazing time taking in the views!Then it is back in the heli again and before you know it you are back on normal ground again - quite bizarre really! The next day is just a day off and catching up on some sleep!From Franz Josef we travel to Lake Wanaka where we drove along the Haast pass which has some of the most amazing scenery I have seen so far so the bus ride was very enjoyable!Just the one night here and then it is on to Queenstown - the adrenaline centre of New Zealand. The first night is party time as one of the bus drivers turned 40. So the next day is just a stroll around town..!The day after that though is Bungy jump time. I had signed myself up for the Nevis which is the world's 3rd largest bungy....!That morning I feel quite nervous and wonder what exactly I have let myself in for??!!However by the time I get on the bus to get there i'm quite excited. The bungy is from a gondola that sits suspended in a valley so you have to get into another gondola to actually get there! You get inside and they jump people in weight order so i'm second from last and have to watch everybody else go before me! They put ankle straps on and a body harnass ans show you how to release the ankle strap once you are on the second bounce so that you can tip your body the right way up as they pull you back rather than hanging head down. By the time I jump I am very very excited and the butterflies are not nervous ones but excited ones. They count down the jump quickly and then you just go, watching the ground rush towards you - so so cool!!!!!!Now I want to do Hong Kong which is the largest in the world :))) Afterwards it is off to Fergburger for a well deserved treat. Ask anyone in NZ where to get the best burger and they will tell you to go here.
The next day in Q'town is much more relaxed with a trip to Milford Sound - the world's 2nd most popular attraction after the pyramids in Egypt. This trip takes you to Milford Fiord (it is not actually a sound) and the best way I can describe it is that this is NZ's most iconic scenery. The photos just cannot do it justice. We got a 2.5 hour boat ride on the fiord and once again everything is just spectacular The mountain scenery is very dramatic. Now I am in Christchurch which is very English just not so old and will move to Kaikoura soon to see some dolphins hopefully!!
Enjoy the photos!
Much love abs x x x xx
