New Zealand Farewell to the North!

It feels like ages since I have updated this now and as we plan to set off on our next adventure I know I need to tell you guys all about our last travel trip sorry it took so long!

At least (spoiler alert) you know its a happy ending as I am writing this safe and sound from Christchurch.


New years with good friends

So here goes rewind back to Christmas last year and we were at the Cowshed with Janette, Alan and the pups having a proper Kiwi Christmas and New Year. But all good things must come to an end so we said goodbye again and set off for Auckland on the next leg of our journey.

First it was time to let our hair down and see old friends in Auckland, a final taste of Auckland summer. We had bought tickets months ago for a Roger Waters gig and excited was an understatement. The gig was great as expected and we had a few days catching up with friends.

From there it was back to backpacker life on the road and the final farewell to the North Island just a few must dos to tick off the list. White island was first. (for everyone that gave us christmas money thank you this is what you bought us)

White Island the active volcano. It starts with a boat, the sea is choppy and its a rough ride there but fun, the sun is shining and its great just sitting on the back of the boat seeing the birds and dolphins play around you.

Then you see it New Zealand's most active cone volcano its been giving off coulds of gas for as long as anyone knows and is still going strong around 150,000 years later. The guys on the boat come round with hard hats and gas masks and you know you're close. From there you get the dingy to shore (I have no sea legs so this was erm graceful to say the least ha ha)

You make it to shore and take a walk around the craters edge some parts are so smokey your eyes sting and you need your gas mask but they give you sucky sweets to help you adjust Im not sure why it works but it does. Popping ears on planes and volcanoes is there nothing the humbel sucky sweet cannot do!

Finally lunch and a dip in the sea jumping off the boat into the clear water was great to cool off after the heat of the crater.


Then back on the road for another adventure this time in the form of lord of the rings mountain climbing as we took on the challenge of the Tongariro Crossing.

The night before we bunkered in for the night at a cool campsite or so we thought about 30mins after we arrived our camp mates arrived and they brought everyone! bugs, so many bugs, I have never seen so many bugs! we were finding them in stuff for weeks.

The next day we headed for the crossing an early rise with the sun for the epic trek ahead. Mark and Chris did the whole thing (at its higest point its 1886m) and me and a friend went water fall hunting we walked with them for the first 10km then they headed up the mountain.

Then we camped up for Chris's birthday celebrations a few friends at a campsite singing songs by the fire. There was meant to be a rare lunar blood, blue and full moon all at once but it was too cloudy to see.

And after a few rounds of goodbyes the next morning our firends were gone and we decided to sleep off the hangover in the van. Then the first storm of the year hit and with it came rain and wind, lots of it. So we had no choice but to stay put held up in the van for the next 24hrs waiting for a break in the weather. Poor Mark the tent was a bad choice that night.

As quickly as it came it was gone and that meant so were we. Packed up, a little soggy but ready to go.

Wellington was next it was going to be a long drive. We stopped for the night in a little motel place outside Wellington. A private room for the three of us for our last night together for a while seemed ideal especially when we all realised we had to empty our bags and organise our stuff. I still dont know how I manage to get so much stuff in such a small backpack but somehow I do.

The next morning it was time to say cheerio to Mark for a few months we dropped him at his hostel made sure he definately wanted to stay and then we were off. Mark worked while we did the South Island and turns out was offered a job in the South Island on a dairy farm.

For Chris and me though it was time to camp our last night in North Island it felt a bit strange thinking we would not see this island again for a long time after calling it home for the past year. The campsite took my mind off it with the best possible solution kittens so many kittens running around everywhere they were adorable. There must have been about 20 cats wandering about the camp so much cuddles were had.

Then reality hit at 3.30am alarms buzzing bleary eyed we had a ferry to catch better get going. Norman (my van) is not the quietest van so I'm sure everyone was loving me that morning trying to start him for the 6th or 7th time. He's not a morning person!

I had never driven on a car ferry before and I was not sure 4am having 3 hrs sleep was the best time to try but here we go! Also a good time to mention Norman has no power steering, and gears with a mind of there own sometimes its all part of the adventure right?

I worried for nothing it was the easiest thing ever and parked up like a pro i'll have you know.


So with Norman safely stowed below we went to check out the huge boat. It has everything tvs, food, shops, a cinema and loads of decks to get those famous photos of Marlabrough Sound. It didnt take long before things got interesting a pod of dolphins came to see us and jump around the boat. I really like dolphins and in New Zealand on most boats dolphins are around.

No sooner did I get my final glimpses of the North Island fading into the distance did we begin to see the first outline of the beautiful south. Marlabrough Sound is something else miles of mountains, forest, hills, clear water and sandy hidden bays. Dolphins, sea birds and fish play in the waves of the boat, the sun shines over head and it really looks like paradise. AND I have not even set foot on the South Island yet!