TAUPO

Along our way down the North Island we spent two days in Taupo. We had originally planned three however the Tongariro Crossing had been cancelled unfortunately (it was a blessing in disguise because I definitely would have struggled doing an 8 hour trek up a mountain.) We kick started our first day in Taupo with a sky dive! We arrived at Skydive Taupo and had our safety briefings and got into the suits; unfortunately we had to wait a little while for the clouds to clear but when they did it was beautiful! I had spent the majority of the time waiting with the skydive company's pet cat so I was pretty content. About 6 of us were put in the plane; Brad and Taby were in my plane and it was reassuring knowing you are doing it with friends! We had a 15-20 minute flight up to 15,000ft. It was amazing to see the views and in the plane Brad was more scared than me! At 8,000ft up you are given oxygen masks for the rest of the way; which did make me a little nervous but you quickly forget about it. When we got to the right spot the door opened and we were all out in about 20 seconds; it was so fast! It was quite daunting watching people fall out the plane as there was a little suction noise as they fell and they disappeared quite quickly.

When it came to my turn to fall I shut my eyes as this was what put me off my bungee- being able to see how high you are! I expected to feel quite uncomfortable as soon as you fall as I thought there would be some spinning but it felt so smooth and the guy on my back promised he would get me out as soon as possible! The free fall was about a minute long but it literally felt 10 seconds! I chose the package where a photographer jumps and videos you whilst takes pictures so it was fun to have someone else jumping alongside you! It was the most surreal experience and the views are incredible! After a minute of free fall which is literally indescribable it's the best thing I've ever done; you have a 5 minute parachute ride down, although mine ended up being nearer to 10 minutes because the heavier the load the quicker you fall, so I ended up being last to land. I couldn't stop smiling and asking my tandem master what everything was, it's made me love New Zealand even more! I would 100% do it again, however I wouldn't fall from any higher because towards the end of the free fall my ears started to get a little painful because of all the pressure, but it wasn't bad enough to put me off doing it again; I think the adrenaline made it seem a lot less painful! When we landed everyone in the group just couldn't stop smiling! 

We headed back to the hostel after and met back up with everyone else, we all went to a bar quiz in the evening and had some drinks.

The next morning we had a lazy morning and we then went on a sailing boat at 2pm, we all had some drinks and pizza whilst having a sail in Lake Taupo which was really nice! After a few hours we were back on land and decided we didn't want to go back to the hostel so we chilled by the lake until it got dark. This has to be one of my favourite memories from New Zealand because we all had so much fun. There was about 13 of us just chilling, drinking, dancing and listening to music. When the sun went down we went back to the hostel and went into the bar- after the bar man refusing to serve us because we were a bit too happy for his liking we went round a few other bars before heading to the local Irish pub where it was very lively. We all had some more drinks and had a dance and it was a good night!

I think Taupo has to be my favourite place we went to in New Zealand; not necessarily for the town but because of the memories we made. We had so much fun with the best group of people, and we finally got to do a skydive!

ROTORUA

Rotorua

Brad was so excited to get to Rotorua because it meant Hobbiton! You can go on a guided tour of the movie set and peak at all the hobbit holes. We got lucky with the weather and it was such a sunny day! We arrived with our group and jumped on the mini bus to the set. Admittedly I haven't watched the films properly so I wasn't as excited- I was just there to be Brads photographer; which he took advantage of as I'm pretty sure he got a picture in front of every hobbit hole and everything he saw- even crossing over ropes and things we weren't meant to just to get a picture. It was really nice to see and the area is so well maintained! We were told a lot of facts about the movies and sets- including a tree that was cut down and put back together again in a different area, but because it had been cut down and was dying the leaves had turned different colours; so they hired university students to hand paint all the leaves on the tree. We were there for a few hours then we were given a free cider/beer in the green dragon pub. 

When we got back onto the coach we were taken to our overnight cultural Maori experience. This was in a little village and we were told we needed to prepare a chant ready for the village leaders. The song chosen was spice girls- if you wanna be my lover so we all rehearsed and were ready to make an entrance. We arrived, sung our song and then had afternoon tea, as in the Maori culture when you do anything sacred/special you have to neutralise it with food- which was absolutely fine by me. After too many biscuits and making our own jam donuts we were taken to play some games. We played one for about 45 minutes with long poles where you have to chant then throw them to the person next to you, or beyond them. We picked it up quite quickly- minus a few who really didn't know how to catch; but it was good fun. Then we were shown our rooms- they were huge rooms with single beds down each side; one was for 20 people and the other room held 15. We were told about the structure of the huts, as each one represented a loved one who had passed on. Next we had to learn a song in Maori and do some actions. This was so much fun and we later had to perform this to the evening guests. We had time to change and put some warmer clothes on ready for the opening performance by the villagers. This was so amazing to watch and slightly scary at times as it's similar to the huka facial expression wise; and it's very disrespectful to laugh. It lasted about 15 minutes and then we were invited in to learn more about each sector in Maori culture/society. Unfortunately they were only workers but they all descended from the culture and were dressed (including temporary facial tattoos) and performed no different to how you would've expected back in the day. We learnt about different roles in society and it was incredible to learn more about it; as travelling through New Zealand it is mentioned a lot and all places still have their Maori names, so it interested me quite a bit. We then had dinner- it was made underground for several hours and was so tasty. As backpackers we were so grateful for a nice meal and it was so nice to be cooked for instead of having to do it yourself (mum I will never take your cooking for granted again) 

After dinner the other guests went home, but we stayed and we got the hot tubs to ourselves and the bar! The girls and I took advantage of the huge open fire so we warmed up and toasted some marshmallows. Then jumped in the hot tubs for a few hours! It was nice to chill and chat with everyone and it makes you closer as a group because you can really get to know everyone. We went to bed in the early hours of the morning and we had a buffet breakfast at about 8am which was so nice. 

Overall the Maori experience was one of the best memories I will have from travelling. You cannot experience it anywhere else and it was so nice to just listen to other people's way of life and the history of their country. It was definitely worth every penny and I am so happy we did the overnight experience instead of the evening one because you just don't get to experience it properly!

The next morning we headed for Rotorua's geothermal parks to see the geysers. I was actually quite looking forward to this because it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. But as we were driving towards it the whole town of Rotorua absolutely stinks like rotten eggs because of all the geothermal activity. We entered the park and went round with a tour guide who explained how the activity was happening and different aspects of the Maori culture. She also took some eggs and was able to cook them in one of the geysers, that's how hot they are. It was amazing to see and one of the geysers was extremely active!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Rotorua and it was probably one of my favourite places in New Zealand we went to. We didn't explore the town because we simply didn't have time to, but all the activities were amazing!

Waitomo

Our bus stopped at Waitomo for one reason- the glow worm caves. This was one of the main reasons why we picked the North Island over the South as we had both wanted to do this for a while. We had a 3 hour time slot with our group where they took you into the caves and you black water rafted 65m underground. We were made to put thick wetsuits on- these were already wet from the previous group and it was the most disgusting feeling putting a cold wet, wetsuit on. But we quickly got over it as we were loaded into a mini bus and taken to a little creek. For some unknown reason- I still don't actually know why they made us do this; they made us jump backwards into the shallow, freezing cold creek and just float to the stairs. We then got back into the mini bus and drove to the caves. We had to climb through the smallest of spaces- one being so tiny we had to sit on our rings and lay all the way back and get pulled by our feet through. We floated through and had to jump off a few waterfalls... backwards into the darkness... Was actually quite scary at points seeing as I'm afraid of the dark. When we got further into the caves we all had to form a line and hold each other's feet to keep connected and turn off our headlights. Then you saw the amazing glow worms!!! There was so many of them and it was incredible to see! We got to see them for about 15 minutes just tuning in the darkness, but you could always see at least a few when exploring the caves. It got so cold in the caves and by the end we couldn't wait for a hot shower! It was an incredible experience! Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures because we simply just would've lost the GoPro, you were constantly climbing or trying to float around.

Hot water beach

We had an early bus from Auckland and about four hours later we arrived at our hostel. We were in new lodges which were actually really nice! We didn't get much time before we were rushed off to our first activity- kayaking. We were broken off into 3 groups and after a safety brief and how to use the kayaks we were in the water. It took me and Brad a few minutes to actually figure out how to get speed up and get to where we wanted to be. The guide took us round the marine reserve and round the costal line. The water was crystal clear the whole way round and you could see straight to the bottom! We kayaked round to Cathedral Cove and stopped off for a hot chocolate and a wander round. We kayaked for around 3 hours and heard some stories about the bay we were in and the islands around us. When we got back onto land we jumped back onto the Kiwi bus and headed back to the hostel. We grabbed some food quickly and ate it as we walked down to hot water beach. It was literally the same as any other beach but there was a particular part on it where you dug down into the sand to make a little pool and the water in it was boiling! Our bus driver told us it can get up to 65 degrees and it occurs because the earths crust is thinner at that point so it's the heat from the core rising up that makes the water boiling hot. 

The way New Zealand bus trips work out means it gives you one day and night in each location, so we are literally gonna have a couple weeks of early starts everyday and many activities everyday! We really enjoyed hot water beach and it was so nice to do a new activity as neither of us have kayaked before. It was also amazing to finally get to experience the hot water beach as I don't think it occurs anywhere else!

Bay of Islands & Cape Reinga

We left Auckland at 7am to catch our bus to the Bay of Islands! We were excited as it was our first time exploring more of New Zealand and we had heard so many good things about it. When we arrived we had our first day to chill out but I think all the nights out in Auckland had caught up with us so we used the afternoon to catch up on some sleep! In the evening we had the BBQ at the hostel and had some drinks before heading to bed for our early start the next day.

Our second day we took a bus up to Cape Reinga; something I would definitely recommend doing as it was definitely worth it. We did a walk to the lighthouse and saw two seas meeting. We were so lucky with the weather as it was boiling hot! There were lovely views and it was incredible seeing the most northern part of NZ! Once we had done the walk we got back on the coach and got taken to the biggest sand dunes I have ever seen. We climbed up them which was so tiring and when we got to the top we got to body board down. You could end up going so fast you would fly through the tiny river and onto some grass just after it! It was such a good experience and our tour guide definitely enjoyed it because he took us twice the height of all the other groups around us. Afterwards we took a long drive on 90 mile beach (exactly the same as 75 mile beach on Fraser Island) and stopped at a fish and chip shop on the way home that did the most incredible battered fish; Brad went back for more.

Our third and final full day we spent swimming with wild dolphins!! Neither of us wanted to go to the likes of sea world and swim with them in a swimming pool where they're trained as I hate anything like that. We opted for the most natural way to do so and we are so glad we did! Because they are completely wild we took the chance of not actually seeing or being able to swim with them; but 15 minutes into the tour we found some and they were incredible to see up close. The skippers had to assess the pod as you can't swim if there's babies or if they're feeding or sleeping and luckily they weren't! There were tons of them and it was definitely one of the best days we have had travelling; or ever! We all got undressed in about 2 seconds and were straight to the back of the boat and shoved some flippers and a snorkel on ready to go. We were all in the water so fast, and it was absolutely freezing but you sort of got an adrenaline burst and raced over to the dolphins. Somehow I was one of the first over to them and it was one of the best feelings when they were swimming round you and they were so playful. For some reason however they didn't stick around long and they disappeared after about 10 minutes. The skippers were quite confused and we got on the boat and just accepted they were wild and you can't ever control them. We continued to search for some; and found them again but they didn't hang around long and each boat has a certain amount of time they can swim with the dolphins to keep them happy. We left them alone and headed to a little spot to snorkel, but I just sunbathed on the tiny boat deck. When Brad came back from snorkelling he spoke to the skipper as he was so desperate to see killer whales, but we were told they are only found every 6-8 weeks and even he hadn't seen any this year so it was highly unlikely.
But, our luck hadn't run out just yet! After a while the skipper got a call and the dolphins behaviour
all made sense- they had spotted wild orcas (killer whales) further out!

We drove further out to sea and the waves were quite rough considering we were only on a tiny boat with about 12 people on it. However it was all worth it to see a family of killer whales just swimming about. They were absolutely huge and at some points right next to the boat and you could see them swim underneath! It's something that just topped the day off and made it so special and you really appreciate where you are and what you're doing at times like that! We took so many pictures but everyone on the boat was just so excited and enjoying the moment it was hard to get good pictures.

We headed home after and there was such a good atmosphere on the boat. In the evening we just chilled and did boring things like cooked and our washing- travelling has matured me seeing as now I can actually work a washing machine. We packed our bags and got ready to leave for Auckland the next morning.

Overall the Bay of Islands was definitely one of the best experiences and there is so much to do up there. We wished we had longer and in the summer I can see it being an incredible place to go as there's so many islands. We would definitely go back because there was some activities we just didn't have the time to do. The dolphin encounter is something I would 100% go back and do because they're wild and every trip will be different, so you may never know what you see next time.

Auckland!

This was our first stop in New Zealand and we used Auckland to meet up with people we had already met travelling. Our first 3 days in Auckland we were with Toni and Luke, another couple we have met who we've got along so well with! We arrived on Friday evening so we all decided to go to the rooftop club next door to our hostel. After way too many drinks and pictures we ended the night with a $5 dominos.

Our first proper day in Auckland we were all planning to go to Waikiki Island but unfortunately it was a little bit overcast and we were just all too hungover to move much. We all wandered round the shops and had a few drinks in a little cowboy themed pub near the harbour. In the early evening we all had a nap and then got ready- played too many games of uno and headed out. We went to a club but it was a bit too odd so we headed to a sports bar (so the boys could watch football) and had a few more drinks in there. Once again we finished the night with a $5 dominos- you can literally never go wrong with a £2.50 pizza.

Our second day and third days were quite similar- we had a lie in and then got odd jobs done and headed out about midday. We went to other parts of the city and explored round there and found somewhere for dinner. In the afternoon we headed back to the hostel and played more games of uno!

We had another night in Auckland after our trip to the Bay of Islands to catch up with our friend Alex who we had met on the Whitsundays who's now living the dream and living in New Zealand! It was so nice to have someone show us where to go and we had the nicest meal and had some drinks in an Irish pub. 

I definitely wish we had a car to explore more of Auckland and I wish the weather had been better to explore some islands and the volcano! Just another reason to return to New Zealand! 

SYDNEY

We arrived in Sydney with little sleep and too many bags at 6.30am. We jumped in a taxi- who didn't actually know where anything was and we got dropped basically in the middle of Sydney outside a hotel which we weren't even staying in. After a nightmare of trying to find our hostel we eventually stumbled across it and checked in. We chilled on the sofas for a while till our room was ready and when it was we headed straight out after dumping our bags. We took a wander into the city and shopped around, it was manic and all the shops were so big; it was just like London. For some reason we just kept going completely brain dead in the middle of Sydney shopping centres and forgetting where we were and how to get back to the hostel. (Sounds reassuring to our parents- sorry!!) it happened everyday we were there so either we're going mad or Sydney is just a confusing city. Once we were getting tired we headed back to the hostel and waited for dinner time. We did explore the rooftop garden of our hostel in the evening and took some pictures of the opera house and bridge at night.

Our second day we checked out our hostel and headed down a few roads to our hotel; Sydney Harbour Rocks Hotel. We left our bags there and went for a wander round the opera house and bridge to see it in daylight. We took lots of pictures and stopped in the Guyllian cafe for milkshakes. Early afternoon we went back to the hotel and just chilled out for a while; it was unbelievably nice to have a room with a good shower and proper bed. I was so happy to have a dressing gown again! In the evening we headed out to the Opera Bar which is just under the opera house and with a direct view of the bridge which was nice! We had a lot of cocktails and a really lovely meal to celebrate our anniversary :) 

The next day we had a lay in and took advantage of the 11am check out. Next door to the hotel was a creperie so it was not up for debate where we were having breakfast. We sadly headed back to our hostel and waited there for our check in. Once we checked in and realised the room stunk of cheesy feet we headed straight out to the city to look around some more. After a shop around again we cooked dinner and chilled for the rest of the evening.

The next day we headed to Bondi Beach. We got the bus there and when we got there it was a little cloudy so we expected the worst but as we walked along the coast line it was so warm and sunny! We headed straight for the infamous icebergs and took loads of pictures of the swimming pool and we chilled in the cafe and had some milkshakes. Whilst we were there we also saw loads of dolphins! It was amazing to watch them all playing together and was an added extra to the day! When the dolphins disappeared we begun the Bondi to Bronte walk. It had amazing views and we stopped along route on some rocks and watch the surfers as the waves were huge! We continued the walk and got to Bronte sooner than we expected so we chilled there for a while before heading back to Bondi. We were going to continue to 

Coogee but we could see it in the distance and the views would have just been the same and it got so hot, so we just decided to head back. When we got back to Bondi we had lunch on the grass above the beach and just relaxed. When we were done there we caught the bus to Bondi junction which is surrounded by so many shops so we had a look round and after an hour or so we headed back to the hostel. In the evening we just relaxed and cooked dinner.

The next day we had another early start and headed to the Blue Mountains. It was a three hour train journey so we allowed time for that and when we got there we caught a bus to echo point to get a good view. When we got there it was a lot more touristy than we expected so we got our pictures and had a little walk round then quickly headed off into the quiet part of the coastal line for a two hour trek to Leura Cascades. When we got there we were immediately stunned with Bridal Veil Falls which was the biggest waterfall I've ever seen (I was too little to remember Niagara Falls) we then walked round and saw the Leura Cascades which went up for ages into the trees. After some pictures we headed out onto the main road. We decided not to trek for two hours back the way we came so we headed off to find a train station. Half an hour later we found one and stocked up on food for our three hour train journey home to the city. It was so nice to spend some time walking in the forest after spending a couple days just in the city. 

On what we thought was the day we flew out (I accidentally got our flight date wrong oops) we ended up just chilling in the city again, but by this time we were ready to leave Sydney as we were getting way too excited for New Zealand!

Overall we enjoyed Sydney however it wasn't our favourite place. I found this quite surprising because everyone along the way had said how much they loved it and it's the best place; but we didn't really fall in love with it! We would go back, but definitely in summer :)