Bula!

The view from our dorm - not too shabby!

A trip to the village school. Thankfully we went after class had finished as we were some what of a distraction! The kids were great and not only loved getting their pictures taken but also stealing my camera and taking pictures of us too!

The staff on the islands were great at providing all sorts of entertainment for us.
Learning The Bula Dance! A Fiji favourite.

Highlights of The North Island

Tongariro Crossing - 7hr hike over volcanic terrain

12000ft Sky Dive over Lake Taupo

The Haka at a Maori Cultural Experience

Wine and Dolphins? - What more could you want!

We had a very civilised time up in the north of the South Island as we approached the end of our time there. In particular, our lovely afternoon wine tasting in Renwick. We hired bikes and with our trusty vineyard map, began our route around the countryside. It was such a beautiful day and although neither of us had been on a bike in about...well a long time anyway...it was such a great way to travel! We went to four wineries in the day, I'm not sure if you're up on your wines but I'll name them just incase. We began with Forest (my favourite, their Pinot Noir was delightful and their desert wine I could have drunk with a straw in the bottle.) Then on to Framingham, Seresin and finished with Isabel. It was a really interesting day, and we both felt quite educated by the end of it. So much so that in a bar the other night, we asked the waiter to recommend a wine and he started describing one to which Emma said 'the Pinot Gris?' and she was spot on. How cultured are we.

In total contrast to that day, when we were making our way back to Christchurch we stopped in the town of Kaikoura, famous for whale and dolphin watching. We went out on a boat trip to swim with the dolphins and I dont think I was quite prepared for what we got. We dived in and were immediately surrrounded by dusky dolphins, it was the most incredible experience. We were told that to make it fun for the dolphins, we had to act like them so the would interact with us. That was a fairly amusing sight in itself. And you have to believe me when I say that I was swimming right beside them, and there were about 300...I've thought about how to describe this experience in my blog and I really dont have the words, it was just awesome.

Frans Joseph Glacier

It's time for my latest update but after just reader my brothers latest blog, I must confess I'm rather uninspired to write mine. Never the less I shall go on.

Much has happened since my crazy jumping in Queenstown. From there we went to Dunedin, Te Anau and a cruise along Milford Sound, back to Queenstown (where the craziness hit me again and I did a bungee jump. Seriously, there's something in the water there.) And then we began heading up the West coast stopping to explore the glaciers.

There are two in the area, Fox and Frans Joseph, however it was Frans Joseph which we would be exploring. Our glacier walk began about 2km from the base of the glacier, when our group had to trek through forests, cross many streams, climb up and down several ladders placed rather worryingly against rock faces and eventually made it to the glacier. We had a wee stop then once we put our crampons on our boots we were good to go. It was a strange sensation walking and climbing up steps of ice, and not having to worry about sliding about.


We climbed up and down, literally squeezed through tiny walls of ice, and explored lots of little parts of the glacier. You'll have to excuse my lack of technical terms.

It was so much fun and although we were only able to see a tiny part of the glacier, it was pretty spectacular.

I hope the photos can give you a good picture of what it was like, as I said, my brains not really functioning this morning!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!........

For most of my trip I have been dithering on whether to do a bungee jump or not, and as arrived we arrived in Queenstown, my time was up, I had to decide. After a wee look at some of my options, I thought, stuff the bungee I'm going to do something different...the Canyon Swing.

Along with 6 other idiots we were driven out to the canyon and saw for the first time what we had let ourselves in for. 109m up from the river, there was a platform where we would jump from, then a freefall of 60m and then a lovely swing across the river once at the bottom. Sounds rather nice doesn't it?

So after getting all my gear on, I watched two people ahaead of me do the jump and survive, I was good to go. The staff began hooking me up. chatting away to me (clearly trying to distract me but it was a hard task when all I could think of was jumping off this darn platform!) Then the time came. I had to jump. I had a very brief moment when all I thought was 'you're not going to die so just do it!' And I did. My feet left the edge and I was gone...apart from my lingering scream echoing through the canyon. After the freefall, I swung a little which was actually quite relaxing as the scenery was beautiful, plus it gave me some time to get my breath back. I was pulled back to the top and released from my harness. I was on such a high. After a chat with my fellow thrill-seekers, there was no doubt in my mind that I would do it again. My second jump was a little more scary on the scariness scale (my first was a 2, my second a 5. Eeek!) I could tell you all about that one too but its best if you just take a look.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wXq4Pwb4asI

As you can tell, I was petrified. But it was awwwwesome!

I Heart Campervaning

The great thing about our campervan is the freedom we have to stop and go when and where ever we please because New Zealand is just so beautiful we have found ourselves stopping a lot! For those of you interested I will give a little idea of where we have been driving. From Christchurch we went to Methven - Geraldine - Lake Tekapo - Lake Pukaki and Mt Cook- Twizel - Wanaka - Arrowtown and currently we our in Queenstown. So here's a few highlights so far:

Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki are both beautiful, the water is an amazing colour of turquoise and surrounded by hills and snow covered mountains, they are both pretty spectacular. We caught a glimpse of Tekapo in the sun but then sadly the rain came and they just don't look as nice then! But thankfully we were able to see Pukaki in gorgeous sunshine.

Not too far from Lake Pukaki is Mt Cook and near the base of the mountain in Mt Cook Village, is the recently opened (Dec07) Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre. It featured a small museum on climbers, mountain rescue etc and of course Sir Ed. They had some really interesting things and aswel as the museum they had a 3D show on Mt Cook and a planetarium show which was very cool! When we first arrived the weather was still pretty rubbish and we couldn't really see Mt Cook, but just as we were leaving the centre the cloud had lifted and there is was. Pretty amazing.

We had a great time in Wanaka, mostly because we spent an afternoon in Puzzling World! Indoors, are rooms of optical illusions and puzzles and all sorts of crazy fun things and outside there is a maze! In each corner of the maze was a coloured tower and we had to get to all four before finding the exit. Well, we found the first three relatively quickly but the fourth, we could not get to at all! It was very frustrating but funny at the same time because we kept bumping into the same people who were just as frustrated as we were. We finally made it to the last tower but then had the almost impossible task of finding the exit. I have no idea how long we were in that maze for but if felt like hours...and just so you know, we did make it out...eventually!

Another great thing about Wanaka was the cinema. A tiny little one screen place with sofas, beanbags and comfy chairs instead of the normal cinema seats. They also had an old Morris Minor in the cinema which you could sit in, very cool! And half way through the film they have a short break when you can buy fresh out of the oven cookies...and it was the best cookie I have ever tasted, look at the size of it!!We went to see the film 'Once', an understated film about songwriters in Dublin which although a little independant film, won the Oscar for best song 'Falling Slowly'. I recommend you check both the film and the song out.

I should also add that it is freezing here. Quite literally. We left a bucket of water outside our van last night and this is morning, the top had iced over. Just remember that we have no heating in our van, so we are a little chilly at night time. So much so that last night, I wore 2 pairs of socks, my pj's, 4 tops, my hoodie, sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag, blanket, duvet and gloves....and I was just about warm enough.

Kiwi Country

Well I can't beleive it. We are now over half way through our trip...that's just a crazy thought. Only one good thing can come from this though, we're now in New Zealand! It is so exciting to be here because I have wanted to come to New Zealand for such a long time and now that I'm here I'll say it again, I can't quite believe it!

We started off in Christchurch and had only planned on staying here a few days while we got some plans sorted out. In an amazing story, we bumped into some friends of friends at church that I had previously met at a wedding in Scotland. Crazy! So they invited us to stay with them at at their house, and we ended up staying a week! It was such a treat to be in a home (with a fire!) and we were shown such amazing hospitality by Aaron and Emelie.

I also went to my first rugby game while in Christchurch, Crusaders (Canterbury) vs Blues (Auckland) as part of the Super 14's tournament. It was so fun and the Crusaders won, yay!

On our last day in Christchurch, we picked up our van...oh yes, we have a campervan and it is brilliant! We're going to be driving around the South Island in our van for 4 weeks and so far it has been a lot of fun. Here's our wee baby beside one of the amazing lakes we've visited, Lake Tekapo:

This is very brief, but just wanted to give you a wee glimpse at what is to come when I'll write in much more detail! Back soon...

SYDNEY!!

Well, what can I say...I love Sydney. I always thought Melbourne would the city for me and Sydney would just be a bit, well, like a big busy city. Don't get me wrong, it is, but how can you not love a city when within 20mins of arriving, you can walk to the Opera House, surrounded by the beautiful Botanic Gardens and all while basking in the sun. That was really how we spent our first day. After a rather uncomfortable 9hr overnight bus journey from Coffs Harbour, we arrived at our downtown hostel at about 7am and unable to check into our room until the afternoon, we hit the sights.
Of course our first stop was the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and we had a bit of a 'ta dah' moment when we turned a corner and there was the Opera House. It really was quite strange seeing such a famous icon right in front of us.

Ok, another adventure we made some may call 'embarrassing', some may even call 'sad'..... I however was very excited to be able to step foot in Summer Bay, (thats Home and Away for those who have no idea what I'm talking about). Oh yes, I can now say I have stood on the same ground as Alf Stewart and Sally Fletcher, wow. Along with Emma and Susan, there were also another four British girls on the same bus as us on the search for Summer Bay. That made it less embarrassing. After getting off the bus, we weren't quite sure which way to go so in a undeniably tourist move, one of the girls went up to one of the local lifeguards and asked where Summer Bay was. He pointed us in the direction and we were off. They had been filming in the morning but sadly we were too late. Nevertheless, very cool if a Home and Away fan.

So one day, I treated myself to something quite special. I was in Sydney, I had to. I went to a concert in the Opera House. A wasn't really fussed on what to see, I just wanted to see something. So with a combination of availability and time, the outcome was a concert by the resident symphony orchestra. Now if this bores you feel free to jump onto the next section, I think it will be about mountains or something...... So anway, it was amazing. We were treated to a pieces by Dvorak, Block, and Brahms 5th Symphony arranged by Schoenberg. Susan and I were both treated to a visionary delight of both are chosen fields, both in architecture and music. Although we were in the cheap seats, it was quite interesting as we were sat in the choir stalls behind the orchestra, giving a whole new perspective to the concert. I was able to read the percussionists music, see when the timpanist was given a dirty look by the conductor while still able to see the violins of course. It was a really great experience.

For our final day in Sydney, we left the city and headed off into the surrounding hills, The Blue Mountains. Called this, because of a blue haze that lingers over the mountains due to the Eucalyptus trees. It was so beautiful, helped by the amazing sunshine that we luckily had! We were driven around to the best viewing spots and every one of them gave us incredible views of the mountains.

Melbourne

I'm going to just say a little about Melbourne (because I'm actually now in New Zealand and want to get onto that soon!)

Melbourne was pretty cool, a nice city to wander around with a great market right next to our hostel which was kind of cool. But for now, all I'll say about Melbourne is 'Neighbours Night'. That's right, after going to Summer Bay, it was only fair to give Neighbours their turn. I'll warn you none-Neighbours fans, you may not have a clue what I'm talking about! After missing our bus (because we were told the wrong time by the hostel lady, grrrrr) we got a taxi to this very British looking pub which seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. Hmmm, we thought we had been taken to the wrong place. After a wee look around I saw a little sign which said , Neighbours Night, so we went in. Well what a sight. A pub filled to the brim with Brits, chatting, drinking, and watching Neighbours re-runs on a big screen in the middle of the room. What was I doing?! We bumped into some friends we'd met up the coast and they were equally embarrassed to be there which made me feel better. Then entered Safari Pete. Your typical aussie, in safari gear ready to get the crowd going. After a wee warm up act and finding out where everyone was from (and it really was just Brits), they brought out the Neighbours guests. So our star line up? Steve Parker, Michelle Scully, Dylan Timmons and of course the one and only Dr Carl Kennedy (and his band!). So then we had a quiz while the actors came round each table and we were able to have a wee chat with them and get photos with them, slighty awkward at times but quite cool. Michelle Scully was the best. She was so lovely and we had a very funny girly chat with her! I asked her if she still kept in touch with Connor and she smiled and told us she was still going out with him, since the show!! She was so sweet and got all embarrassed. I want to be her friend. We didn't win the quiz but all was not lost as Dr Carls band came on! They were surprisingly good, although that really wasnt down to Carl's talent. It was a very fun night though!

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour was a bit special to me because it was the end of our time down the East Coast. Although we weren't quite finished yet, with only Sydney and Melbourne left, it was our last little beach town...our last chance to swim in the ocean...our last chance to walk along the beach...my last chance to surf...it brings a tear to my eye just writing this!

Coffs really only has 1 main attraction, well that's not counting 'The Big Banana', a park where you can learn all there is to know about bananas...would we call that an attraction!? Anyway, for us, the main attraction had to be the Pet Porpoise Pool. Imagine Sea World on a much smaller, more intimate scale. We had the chance to get up close with all sorts of water creatures, from feeding little Blue Penguins to getting a big, wet kiss from a seal.

We also got to see the dolphins perform their tricks and give them a pat ast they swam past in the pool. I dont know if you've ever felt a dolphin but they feel rather odd!

Another highlight of our time in Coffs was a wee canoe trip down Coffs Creek. Due to the tide, we had to set off about 8.30am which was brilliant because it was so peaceful and the sun was still low in the sky and it was just gorgeous. We did have slight issues going in a straight line, but we were content just bobbing along any which way.

The Journey Continues...

Well, since my last entry we've travelled 1287km, spent approximately 25hrs on 6 different Greyhounds (the buses that is, not the dogs) and spent, mmm well lets just say a good few hours on the many beaches of the East coast.

Our first stop after Fraser Island was Noosa. A favourite spot for the wealthy folk of Brisbane, it had some rather lovely holiday homes and condos...but sadly once again it was the ever trusty hostel for us. We did't spend too long here so aside from a day on the beach (how could we not) and a really nice walk in the National Park where we spent more time watching the surfers than we did walking (at their skill I should add!), are main attraction was Australia Zoo. Best known for being Steve Irwins zoo, they definately dont let you forget it. His face and well known slogans are plastered everywhere and you can buy anything and everything with his face on it..literally...I found that you can even buy a little bit of plastic for squeezing toothpaste out of its tube..?!

We'd already seen a lot of the animals in the zoo either in the wild or in wildlife sanctuarys but we did get upclose with the kangaroos and give them a wee pat which was cool.

From Noosa we had a short stop in Brisbane, our first taste of city life since coming to Australia. I felt lost being surrounded by skyscrapers and traffic instead of the ocean! We had just one day in the city so we headed for some much needed culture in the lovely riverside area os Southbank where we hit the Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Museum of Culture and Art Gallery. It was all very civilised. Oh and for those Neighbours fans out there, we walked right past Paul Robinson!!

For a lot of you, you will be aware of my love for surfing, even before trying it for myself, I dreamt of the surf life. So imagine my excitment when the next stop on our journey down the coast was a place called Surfers Paradise! Yes, it really is a real place!! So of course, while there I had another surf lesson...how could I not. Still not quite pro standard yet, but I am getting better! We also spent Easter Sunday here and we were very lucky to spend the day with the parents of my sister's friend and their friends. We went to church in the morning with them and then back to their house for a yummy Easter lunch. It was so lovely to be back in a house and eating proper home cooked food...I don't think I've ever enjoyed vegetables so much! In the afternoon we were invited to some friends house for some drinks and nibbles. They lived in a gorgeous house in quite a fancy area so this was a real treat. Their house backs on to a river so before we tucked into that, we were taken out in their little boat. It was all going well, the 3 of us and the person's whose house we were at, Bob, enjoying a lovely cruise down the river as the sun was shining and it was just great. That is, until the engine hit a rock and Bob stopped to check out everything was ok. It was. The only problem was the engine wouldn't start again. Slight problem. He tried and tried but it just wouldn't start again. After many failed attempts, we went ashore onto the bank, us girls having to pull the boat up onto the muddy bank...still in my Sunday best I should add! So sadly that was the end of our cruise on the river, which meant a 15min walk home in bare feet. Poor Bob was highly embarrassed and felt awful, but we just found it funny and a wee story to remember! The good news after our long walk home, was that the champagne had been opened and waiting for us on the patio. I do love the backpacker life.

The next day, Bob and his wife Glenda invited us to join them for their weekly 14km walk along the beach which was great. I would happily walk for miles if it was along a beautiful beach! They also took us to 'The Spit', a point where a strip of water called the broad water meets the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful with amazing views of Surfers Paradise.


From Surfers, we hit Byron Bay, a lovely little town, largely populated with hippies. A highlight was a walk up to the lighthouse which was gorgeous. You could see for miles in all directions out to the ocean and it was just beautiful.Susan and I walked up in the afternoon but it was so beautiful we decided to stay up and watch the sunset over the town below, wow!

This is also at the lighthouse...pretty self-explanatory.