Parting is such sweet sorrow
Wednesday
Up early, we went for a drive to the mirrored lakes. Unfortunately the torrential rain obscured the view completely, but it was a refreshing jaunt nonetheless. If interested, Al H has a postcard of what the lakes are meant to look like.
We arrived in the lovely lake town of Wanaka in the afternoon, as did, thank gaaad, the sunshine. Wanaka, most famous for the tree, has the most beautiful views and is full of little cafés, bars and boutiques; somewhere your ma would love. Al went for a walk around the town and I later went for the dreamiest run to a creek, bypassing 7000 tourists lining up for a picture with the lone tree.
Later on we went for a drink where a boy from Southend tried to coerce us into participating in slam poetry and another older gentleman tried to give us weed in exchange for papers. We left and found some friends in the pub.
Thursday
We got up early and visited the lone tree in all its majestic glory. (As it was 7am we were the only ones there - Al). We enjoyed a few stops including a fab hike, where Emma, Al and I rediscovered our love for nearly all forms of the Sugababes, yet another opportunity for real fruit ice cream and some bungy jumping, where I also experienced some extreme sports when Al lobbed a bottle at my head (playing the greatest game of all time, catch the bottle - Al). We then made our way to my - and literally every other tourist in the world's favourite city - Queenstown.
Ready to go full Andrea, we went for a walk and headed to the Irish bar for a few cheekies. We then got our glad rags on, met Tom for a drink and headed to meet the group (for our celebratory 'made it to Queenstown meal and bar crawl - Al) and were reunited with the love of our mutual lives, our original bus driver and chief of our hearts, Martin.
Later on, we headed to another bar that we promptly left when they started playing strip musical chairs. We are too old and I am too catholic for that shit. We then discovered The World, now My World, the best club in existence. We ended the night with some famous Ferg Burgers. Apparently this is where all the celebs go to eat when they are in town. Al got a tofu burger and it was actually to die for.
Friday
It was such a dreamy Friday (realising Queenstown was actually Stars Hollow - buskers, a market, bumping into everyone we'd ever met in New Zealand - Al). Obviously we got a pic of Bear, who is wholly responsible for my enduring love of Gilmore Girls, enjoying the scene. We met with Emma and a very nervy Haz who had booked a bungy jump - please, please ask me to send you the video - and had some delicious gyoza for lunch. We then got the BIGGEST ICE CREAMS YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. If I can - technology is hard - I will post a picture here. We sunbathed for hours, bumped into a few people, and Al and Haz had some dips in the lake.
Later on, we had some cheekies with Haz, bumped into Andrea (💞) and went to the lake to watch the sunset. Haz effortlessly managed to insult our new friends, Tim and George, so he trotted off to Cowboys solo. Al got white girl wasted on sav again, and then we went back to The World, she was pretty bonkers and incensed by life, but did request Queen Bey for me, which was quite romantic.
Saturday
The longest day of all time. Met terrifying Helly and went to Milford Sound, but not before we stopped every four seconds for yet another photo opportunity. Terrifying Helly was our new bus driver. A Mauri lady who demanded respect, she left one passenger on the either side of a one way mountain tunnel because he hadn't returned to the bus at precisely the agreed time.
At the beginning of the journey I spoke about someone not realising they were sitting behind me, and spent most of the morning praying for a hole in the ground to open up and save/swallow me whole. We saw the eighth wonder of the world as we tucked into a pot noodle (weird), as well as some dolphins. Arriving back in QT late and exhausted, we went for ice cream (just realising how much fucking ice cream we ate), and had a very civilised drink.
Sunday
Sunday and we were on the move again! This time to Tekapo, where we were reunited with our favourite girls on the bus. Tekapo is, you guessed it, a lovely lake town! Famous for its star gazing opportunities and a tiny church built by English settlers, there isn't a huge amount to do there. We headed straight to the lake, and wiled away the hours sunbathing, reading, napping and dipping in the water. We spent the night with the girls under the milky way swapping stories and taking the piss out of Toni's purse. Al and Iris also saw a shooting star, it was all just heavenly.
Monday
Al and I got up very early to climb the summit of Mount John, it was our hardest hike yet, but so worth it. Considering that I had to go down Arthur's Seat on my bum a few years ago, I'd say our fear of heights is very nearly conquered. Anyway, then it was off to Christchurch! We stopped off in Geraldine and all bought a lifetime's supply of chocolate, I finally succumbed to cravings and got some of my crack, TimTams.
Still recovering from a devastating earthquake that took place seven years ago, Christchurch is a city on the mend. We had a mosey about and visited the historic cemetery where Al took her top off (respectful? Answers on a postcard please). The settlers must've originated near home, as areas were named Beckenham, Sydenham etc. We wandered about, found a sweet little road called New Regent Street and enjoyed some drinks.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, Al met up with her pal from home James and had a delicious coffee, we then said goodbye to the girls and went to an amazing book shop. As poor backpackers, we had to take snaps of all the books we wanted to buy, but I suppose that is some sort of enticement for eventual full time employment. We then made our way to the art gallery. It was excellent, and free! There was the pefect exhibition for Scaz - celebrating yellow, so we took loads of snaps that one day we may actually send to her. Al celebrated with yet another ice cream. Later on, we had a couple of drinks with James and enjoyed a fun review of the Kiwi Experience.
Wednesday
We were up early to return to the north! After the shortest flight of all time, we arrived in Auckland. Al got a very lovely haircut for £12 (do all haircuts in NZ cost £12?) and a very nice lady told me my eyebrows were completely the wrong shape. We made our way to Mission Bay and spent our last day in NZ as we did the first, but this time with properly applied suncream. The missing ozone layer isn't a myth, guys. I've just realised that we got another ice cream for the walk home (have we gained four stone without realising?), and danced our way back to the city with Tay. We had a lovely last night in NZ, feeling very blue, but so grateful to have experienced it. Although, the hostel was a HOVEL and our room smelt of MEATY SAMOSAS. Eurgh, it was the actual worst.
And that is the end of New Zealand. We loved, loved, loved it and are coming back for our fortieths, if we can wait that long.
I hope you have enjoyed this very insightful, high brow section of the blog (it's not going to improve). One very obvious thing I noted was the poetic names the Mauris gave the mountains and lakes, such as Cloud Kisser and the like, and then the white men turned up and renamed them after each other, which sums it all up really.
Up early, we went for a drive to the mirrored lakes. Unfortunately the torrential rain obscured the view completely, but it was a refreshing jaunt nonetheless. If interested, Al H has a postcard of what the lakes are meant to look like.
We arrived in the lovely lake town of Wanaka in the afternoon, as did, thank gaaad, the sunshine. Wanaka, most famous for the tree, has the most beautiful views and is full of little cafés, bars and boutiques; somewhere your ma would love. Al went for a walk around the town and I later went for the dreamiest run to a creek, bypassing 7000 tourists lining up for a picture with the lone tree.
Later on we went for a drink where a boy from Southend tried to coerce us into participating in slam poetry and another older gentleman tried to give us weed in exchange for papers. We left and found some friends in the pub.
Thursday
We got up early and visited the lone tree in all its majestic glory. (As it was 7am we were the only ones there - Al). We enjoyed a few stops including a fab hike, where Emma, Al and I rediscovered our love for nearly all forms of the Sugababes, yet another opportunity for real fruit ice cream and some bungy jumping, where I also experienced some extreme sports when Al lobbed a bottle at my head (playing the greatest game of all time, catch the bottle - Al). We then made our way to my - and literally every other tourist in the world's favourite city - Queenstown.
Ready to go full Andrea, we went for a walk and headed to the Irish bar for a few cheekies. We then got our glad rags on, met Tom for a drink and headed to meet the group (for our celebratory 'made it to Queenstown meal and bar crawl - Al) and were reunited with the love of our mutual lives, our original bus driver and chief of our hearts, Martin.
Later on, we headed to another bar that we promptly left when they started playing strip musical chairs. We are too old and I am too catholic for that shit. We then discovered The World, now My World, the best club in existence. We ended the night with some famous Ferg Burgers. Apparently this is where all the celebs go to eat when they are in town. Al got a tofu burger and it was actually to die for.
Friday
It was such a dreamy Friday (realising Queenstown was actually Stars Hollow - buskers, a market, bumping into everyone we'd ever met in New Zealand - Al). Obviously we got a pic of Bear, who is wholly responsible for my enduring love of Gilmore Girls, enjoying the scene. We met with Emma and a very nervy Haz who had booked a bungy jump - please, please ask me to send you the video - and had some delicious gyoza for lunch. We then got the BIGGEST ICE CREAMS YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. If I can - technology is hard - I will post a picture here. We sunbathed for hours, bumped into a few people, and Al and Haz had some dips in the lake.
Later on, we had some cheekies with Haz, bumped into Andrea (💞) and went to the lake to watch the sunset. Haz effortlessly managed to insult our new friends, Tim and George, so he trotted off to Cowboys solo. Al got white girl wasted on sav again, and then we went back to The World, she was pretty bonkers and incensed by life, but did request Queen Bey for me, which was quite romantic.
Saturday
The longest day of all time. Met terrifying Helly and went to Milford Sound, but not before we stopped every four seconds for yet another photo opportunity. Terrifying Helly was our new bus driver. A Mauri lady who demanded respect, she left one passenger on the either side of a one way mountain tunnel because he hadn't returned to the bus at precisely the agreed time.
At the beginning of the journey I spoke about someone not realising they were sitting behind me, and spent most of the morning praying for a hole in the ground to open up and save/swallow me whole. We saw the eighth wonder of the world as we tucked into a pot noodle (weird), as well as some dolphins. Arriving back in QT late and exhausted, we went for ice cream (just realising how much fucking ice cream we ate), and had a very civilised drink.
Sunday
Sunday and we were on the move again! This time to Tekapo, where we were reunited with our favourite girls on the bus. Tekapo is, you guessed it, a lovely lake town! Famous for its star gazing opportunities and a tiny church built by English settlers, there isn't a huge amount to do there. We headed straight to the lake, and wiled away the hours sunbathing, reading, napping and dipping in the water. We spent the night with the girls under the milky way swapping stories and taking the piss out of Toni's purse. Al and Iris also saw a shooting star, it was all just heavenly.
Monday
Al and I got up very early to climb the summit of Mount John, it was our hardest hike yet, but so worth it. Considering that I had to go down Arthur's Seat on my bum a few years ago, I'd say our fear of heights is very nearly conquered. Anyway, then it was off to Christchurch! We stopped off in Geraldine and all bought a lifetime's supply of chocolate, I finally succumbed to cravings and got some of my crack, TimTams.
Still recovering from a devastating earthquake that took place seven years ago, Christchurch is a city on the mend. We had a mosey about and visited the historic cemetery where Al took her top off (respectful? Answers on a postcard please). The settlers must've originated near home, as areas were named Beckenham, Sydenham etc. We wandered about, found a sweet little road called New Regent Street and enjoyed some drinks.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, Al met up with her pal from home James and had a delicious coffee, we then said goodbye to the girls and went to an amazing book shop. As poor backpackers, we had to take snaps of all the books we wanted to buy, but I suppose that is some sort of enticement for eventual full time employment. We then made our way to the art gallery. It was excellent, and free! There was the pefect exhibition for Scaz - celebrating yellow, so we took loads of snaps that one day we may actually send to her. Al celebrated with yet another ice cream. Later on, we had a couple of drinks with James and enjoyed a fun review of the Kiwi Experience.
Wednesday
We were up early to return to the north! After the shortest flight of all time, we arrived in Auckland. Al got a very lovely haircut for £12 (do all haircuts in NZ cost £12?) and a very nice lady told me my eyebrows were completely the wrong shape. We made our way to Mission Bay and spent our last day in NZ as we did the first, but this time with properly applied suncream. The missing ozone layer isn't a myth, guys. I've just realised that we got another ice cream for the walk home (have we gained four stone without realising?), and danced our way back to the city with Tay. We had a lovely last night in NZ, feeling very blue, but so grateful to have experienced it. Although, the hostel was a HOVEL and our room smelt of MEATY SAMOSAS. Eurgh, it was the actual worst.
And that is the end of New Zealand. We loved, loved, loved it and are coming back for our fortieths, if we can wait that long.
I hope you have enjoyed this very insightful, high brow section of the blog (it's not going to improve). One very obvious thing I noted was the poetic names the Mauris gave the mountains and lakes, such as Cloud Kisser and the like, and then the white men turned up and renamed them after each other, which sums it all up really.
lol i love your blogs they are amaze this is all x
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