Rainbow Beach and beyond

We spent the evening we got back with all the people we had met on Fraser as we were all staying in the same hostel. It was wicked. Then the next day we just chilled out, played some basketball, went to the beach and stuff with people from the hostel. In the afternoon we got a free shuttle to the place were all the sand gets blown out from the sea - it was wicked it was just like a massive bit of land covered in sand. We got to watch sunset from there and it was awesome. We also finally got to see why it was called rainbow beach as the sky was lit up with millions of different colours.

That evening, we got on an all night bus to Airlie Beach which is where we are now. It's so nice here - gorgeous weather and palm trees everywhere. We spent the morning walking round different market stalls and doing some shopping. Tomorrow we're going on a 2 day boat cruise to the Whitsundays which should hopefully be good.

FRASER ISLAND

That afternoon, we met our group for our Fraser Island trip the next day which consisted of mainly Irish people - a group of 3 irish guys and a girl, an irish couple, a belgian couple and then me, flo and aaron. We had our safety briefing which was a bit scary as they kept talking about cars rolling over on the sand and people dying and then watched a video made by the australian government...apparently the best way to get rid of a dingo is to cross your arms across your chest and shout "go home dingo". They really know their stuff over here. So we spent the evening getting to know our group and preparing for our early start the next day.

So in the morning, fairly typically as we were doing something fun, it was pouring with rain. Nightmare. And it didn't stop all day. We had to pack our cars and have another long talk in the pouring rain before we finally set off in our trucks with 4 other groups to the barge at about 9am. The Irish guys had already finished a whole crate of beer by the time we got there (it was a 15 minute drive) and all of us girls had only had one. This pretty much summed up our trip and continued for the next three days which meant stopping for toilet breaks approximately every kilometre. Fun. After about 2 hours of driving round the island we found ourselves in exactly the same spot we were dropped off. Argh. We got through it with some pretty awesome tunes and a lot of roof-banging it was wicked. We then drove to the campsite to meet the other groups as the tide was coming in. We drove into the campsite with our music blaring and a lot of wooping. Everyone hated us. It was great.

So, we seem to have got landed with all the broken equiptment - our rain cover was full of holes so we sat and ate dinner, rain dripping onto us. Mine and Flo's tent was also broken so we had to sleep in the truck - which at the time seemed annoying but actually turned out to be the best thing ever as the seats were like a proper bed - really long and wide and it was warm and dry in there. Everyone was really jealous the next morning when they woke up in puddles having barely slept and we had had the best sleep ever. But it was all good - the other groups kept saying that we have all the worst equiptment but we have the most fun. Hell yeah. We sat around under our ripped up rain shelter singing really loudly - the other groups thought we were so obnoxious but we finally managed to get them all into it and it was wicked. We had one of the funnest nights ever that night it was wicked cos there were loads of us at the campsite and a substantial amount of goon.

The next morning we were all in a good mood despite everyone still being soaking because it had stopped raining!!! This was literally the best news ever. We drove to Lake Mackenzie and spent a few hours there swimming and sun-bathing. It was amazing - the clearest, brightest blue water you will ever see and bright white sand - stunning. It was what you think of an island paradise to be like. wow. After that fun, we set up camp by the beach and then went to visit another lake called Lake Wabbi. This one wasn't as impressive but the walk to it was - many kilometres through nothing but sand - it seemed like we were in the desert it was amazing. We took some awesome photos on the sand dunes and walked back at sunset - gorgeous. The campsite that night was much quieter as the other groups weren't there, but we sat around watching the amazing stars right next to the beach with a different group that was there. Amazing. There were also loads of Dingos around the campsite it was amazing. Also a giant frog which jumped into our food and made everyone scream.

The next morning we awoke to find our entire camp covered in dingo footprints and there were a few still around. We drove the the shipwreck and had a look around which was pretty cool, and then sadly we had to drive back to get the barge back across to the mainland. SAD. This was definitely one of the funnest things we've done so far I really didn't want to leave. WAAAH.

Welcome to The Land Down Under

We arrived in Brisbane, exhausted, and got a train to Yeronga where we were going to stay with some of Flo's family friends. We left the station to some INTENSE heat compared to NZ. It was weird, we hadn't really seen sun in a while and were still in our massive coats, scarves, and about 10 other layers of clothing. fun. It got a tiny bit hot. When we got to their house they said that they had left a key hidden outside but we couldn't find it so were stuck in the heat in all our clothes untill someone came home. When we finally managed to get in we went straight to sleep for a while and then woke up to dinner with the whole family after which we went to watch Anna play touch rugby. Weird game. The next day we went to meet Flo's friend Aaron who was staying in Brisbane - we walked around the city and then spent the rest of the day planning the rest of our trip up the east coast. The next day we went to watch Lilly play hockey and then we went to Lone Pine which is a Koala sanctuary where there are loads of other animals as well. We spent the day with Jamie, a friend of the family we were staying with, hugging koalas, seeing kangaroos and other weird australian animals - it was pretty cool. Very smelly. That evening Jamie, Hannah and one of Anna's friends came over so we stayed at their house and generally chilled out. The next day, after saying bye to everyone we got a bus to Rainbow beach.

This morning we went out in a boat and fed wild dolphins - wicked. It was actually a bit disgusting as we had to pick up all the horrible dead fish to feed to them . Yuck. But they were so cute and they had loads of fighting scars on them. Also spent quite a lot of time watching this one seagull bullying all the other seagulls on the beach. It was hilarious. Bit tired now as we had to leave at 6.55. yuck. We're going to Fraser Island tomorrow for 3 days -- having our safety briefing in a bit. Exciting.

Bye bye New Zealand...

So the next day we got up super early to catch a bus to Christchurch -- this time without the Danish girls (SAD) as me and Flo chose to do a trip to Mount Cook on the way. After a massively long drive we finally got there but it was too misty to actually see Mount Cook. Typical. But nevertheless, the views were incredible - it looked like a little alpine village surrounded by snow and mountains. We went on a cool walk across the snow to get closer to the mountains and it was gorgeous. Then we got back on the bus and drove straight to Christchurch, getting there at about 7pm. That evening we met everyone in the hostel where we got the wicked team room to ourselves and then watched a movie with the Danes and some others. The next day, we went out for a last bruch with our amasing friends and then spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around town. I bought about a million kiwi-related things. It was awesome. I debated buying a blow-up Kiwi but I thought that might be a step too far and it was quite an ugly one as well so I didn't. What self-restraint eh. We spent our last evening together in the hostel with everyone else and then watched some movies and stuff until 3am came and it was time to say goodbye before our flight at 6am...ouch. It was saaaaaad. Waaahhh. The Danes were AMASING and so was New Zealand. A month is literally no time at all and it went by so fast. mental. Anyway we got a shuttle to the airport and got on the plane after having had to sleep at all. Highlights of the flight included me having to be escorted off the plane before everyone else in a swine flu mask because I had told them that I had a cold....OH DEAR. Embarassing. Just a little bit.

Milford Sound? Doubtful. It's actually a fiord!

The next morning we got a bus to Queenstown with the Danes which pretty much took all day. The next day we decided to go on an overnight cruise to Milford Sound but me and Flo only booked it like 10mins before it left so that was stressfull. It was incredible though and we caused such a riot on the boat. Milford Sound is a Fiord which means that it was a valley carved out by a glacier ages ago which is now flooded by the sea. Pretty cool eh. The views were incredible we saw a gorgeous sunset and we even got to see dolphins, seals and albatrosses! Wicked. The dinner was this incredible 4 course buffet - wow. The next morning we got to go kayaking which was cool and we then decided to go mental and jump in the water. it was FREEZING. On the way back to Queenstown me and Flo stopped in Te Anau and went to see the glow worm caves they have there - it was really cool but quite scary as you are in a boat in a cave and it is pitch black. The glow worms looked like little stars.

The next morning we all went for a hike called the Fern Hill Loop which starts in Queenstown and takes you up a massive mountain. It was some of the steepest climbs I've ever done in my life. Painful. But the view at the top was completely worth it. It was snowing pretty hard by the time we got up t0 the top it looked like we were in some sort of fairy tale land. It was Amasing. After some fun rolling down montains and doing the Haka by the Danes we climbed back down through the snow-filled forest. It was unreal.

Today we're just walking round Queenstown, doing a bit of shopping and stuff. It is constantly raining. I am eternally soaked through. We have a really early bus tomorrow morning to Christchurch which is our last stop with the Danes before we leave NZ. SAD.

Also, contrary to the pained face I am making at the top of the mountain, I was actually very happy.

Are we uman, or are we glacier?

The next morning, after saying a sad goodbye to Fran and Turlough, we got a bus to Nelson. Took so long to get to our hostel. Nightmare. But it was all worth it as we got our own special fun really high landing which had 2 beds on it it was amazing. We spent the evening at the cinema watching 17 Again and Vicky Christina Barcelona. Nelson was a dump. Got a bus to Franz Joseph Glacier very early the next morning..had to run to the bus stop from our hostel on the other side of town and very nearly missed it, only to find out that they do a pick up from the hostel. ARGH. Bus took basically all day and after we got there we just chilled out at the hostel playing pool and stuff and having free soup. The next day we made ourselves get up really early and we decided to do the Robert Point Track - a hike which takes you to a great viewing point of the glacier. It was wicked with loads of scrambling up rocks and things and climbing down massive drops. We got such a good view at the end it was amazing.

That evening we got a bus to Fox Glacier. It rained all day the next day so we couldn't really do anything. But we did go up to a viewing point of the glacier with these 2 girls we met and it was pretty cool. Spent the rest of the time watching movies and stuff in the hostel. In the evening we met these 3 Danish girls called Anna, Camilla and Ida we are AMAZING and so much like us. Love them. The next day me and Flo went on a guided walk of Fox Glacier. It was definitely one of the most amazing things I've ever done. It was incredible. We had a funny guide called Matty and we got to wear wicked crampons (spiky things) on our feet. WOW. Walking on the ice was amazing we got to walk on steps carved out of ice and go into ice caves and tunnels it was so great. Definitely one of the best days of the trip so far. It was so weird the way the glacier was surrounded by rainforest - amazing contrast - it looked unreal.

Goin Daan Saaaf

We thought it would be cool to go to the national park anyway even though we couldn't do the Tongariro Crossing but it was Anzac day so everything was closed so we got really pissed off with Taupo and Tongariro and just got a bus to New Plymouth. After about ten years on the bus we finally got there and were greeted by Flo's cousin Sandra who took us on a little drive around the town. We had dinner with her and then her boyf Dean came over, already quite drunk from a rugby game he'd been to, and insisted on taking us out on the town! We met loads of his 'bros' and it was hilarious. The next day we went for a walk in the park with Sandra and some more of Flo's fam and then met Dean to go and catch Paua, a type of shellfish, at the beach. We all got kitted out in our fit wetsuits but they were really hard to catch and Dean was the only one who caught any. We went over and had dinner with some more of Flo's fam and ate all the Paua we had caught which was SO GOOD. The next morning, Sandra's mum Jean, who was hilarious, took us to the Te Papa museum where there was loads of cool old Mauri stuff then out for coffee. Then me and Flo went for an epic bike ride along the coastal walkway which was wicked and we saw a glorious sunset. Then we went back for a last dinner with Sandra and Dean and also met Sandra's daughter Rebecca and her hubby and baby Molly who was so cute!

The next morning we got a bus to Wellington which took an absolute age. When we got there we chilled out in the hostel for a while and then went on a cablle car which took us up to some nice views. But there was a private function going out which we didn't realise and so we tried to go into the museum bit wearing our tramp gear while everyone else was dresed in suits and were told to leave. Awkward. The next day I got to meet Fran and Turlough, Flo's friends from South America! They were great and we went to the Te Papa museum with them and looked at the giant squid. Then we all went back to the hostel for a free barbeque they were doing and we sat and had some drinks with Laura, a girl from out hostel and a scottish man called Paul from our room. Fran and Turlough left early to get a train back to where they were staying and the rest out us went to see a show called 'The Intricate Art of Caring' which was prettty good.

The next day we went to the cinema with Laura in the morning to see The Boat that Rocked again! So great. It was a wicked artsy cinema and every chair had a famous person who had sat there written on it. Then we walked for ages in the pouring rain to the Tatoo Museum which turned out to be shit. Soaked and pissed off. But then we met Fran and Turlough at the hostel and had really good dinner with Laura as well. Then we all went out to Base Bar which was really fun, mainly because of the ugly photos of everyone and the ginger onion we met. The next day we went to get the Ferry to the south island with Fran and Turlough - watched Happy Feet and Music and Lyrics on the ferry it was great. Got a hostel in Picton with them and just chilled out and had dinner and stuff. Really nice. Also spent quite a lot of time laughing at Florence's face in a few photos - Igregiously Repugnant, as Turlough described it. Ha ha.

This computer won't let me upload any photos so I'll do that when I next get a chance...snore.