Sat 3rd Jan - Taupo
Georgie is up early to get her bus and then ferry to the South Island.. not long after me and Rachel are also departing on the bus with another new driver Jared... and we are in a white bus that is not a Kiwi Experience! On route to Taupo we stop to see the views of the Mountains Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and Ruapehu. In Taupo we drop a couple of German girls off at the skydive centre and then we stop next door to spend an hour at Adventure Land.. huge bouncy castles with different fun activities.. trapeze bars.. slides.. trampoline..tightrope.. it is a very hot day, a lot of fun but tiring!
In Taupo we stay at a different hostel to our first leg here called Urban Retreat, In reception, as we arrive to check in, we find Laura and catch up. Soon after checking in Annie faints at reception!! We take her back to the room to rest. Tomorrow I will be undertaking the one day Tongariro Crossing (a 5.30am pick up.. and 19km trek) so I head out to buy supplies. In the evening we eat the hostel meal, chili con carne, then Rachel and Laura begin drinking ready for a big night out. Me and Annie play pool, and I am soon heading off to bed ready for my early start!
Georgie is up early to get her bus and then ferry to the South Island.. not long after me and Rachel are also departing on the bus with another new driver Jared... and we are in a white bus that is not a Kiwi Experience! On route to Taupo we stop to see the views of the Mountains Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and Ruapehu. In Taupo we drop a couple of German girls off at the skydive centre and then we stop next door to spend an hour at Adventure Land.. huge bouncy castles with different fun activities.. trapeze bars.. slides.. trampoline..tightrope.. it is a very hot day, a lot of fun but tiring!
In Taupo we stay at a different hostel to our first leg here called Urban Retreat, In reception, as we arrive to check in, we find Laura and catch up. Soon after checking in Annie faints at reception!! We take her back to the room to rest. Tomorrow I will be undertaking the one day Tongariro Crossing (a 5.30am pick up.. and 19km trek) so I head out to buy supplies. In the evening we eat the hostel meal, chili con carne, then Rachel and Laura begin drinking ready for a big night out. Me and Annie play pool, and I am soon heading off to bed ready for my early start!
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| Annie! |
Sun 4th Jan - Taupo
I'm up at 5am.. eat some breaky and then wait outside the hostel, along with a number of other travellers, for the bus to pick us up and take us to the starting point of the one day trek.. (#No.1onedaywalkintheworld..!). The journey is about an hour so it is possible to get a bit more sleep. When we arrive at the starting point of the days trek I bump into a Dutch lady who was on my bus from Kaiteriteri and who also did the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk.
To begin with the walk is flat, and it is cold morning.. after reaching the base and passing by the mighty Mount Doom...in fact Mount Ngauruhoe the next part of the trek is a steep ascent .. called Devils Staircase.. to the South Crater. As I ascend it becomes very cloudy and cold! I had intended to attempt the optional trek up the Mountain but due to the weather conditions I continue on the normal trek.. and in hindsight I doubt if I would have been able to do it!.. it would have certainly been extremely tiring.
Next I reach the base of the Red Crater Ridge and begin the difficult and very steep ascent.. stopping at times to take in the impressive views. After reaching the summit I begin the second optional hike to the Mt Tongariro summit but at the half way point I decide to stop and take in the views of the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake, eating my pre packed lunch. I then turn back and after arriving back at the Red Crater Summit I begin the descent to the Emerald Lakes.. loose and unstable gravel, slipping beneath my feet.. I stop here and find my Dutch friend and a German girl from my dorm here also.
Next there is a short flat trek and a small ascent to the huge Blue Lake, on route and on arrival I have excellent views back to where I have come from.. the Red Crater and Mount Doom in the distance. After the Blue Lake I follow the path down the Rotopaunga Valley to the Katetaki Shelter, passing by the active volcanic Te Mari Crater. At this point I am knackered.. but still have another 2 hour long, fairly flat, descent to the Ketetaki car park... I arrive around 2.30pm and at 3pm board the bus back to Taupo.. I'm asleep as soon as I hit the seat.
At the hosel I rest and then Annie cooks a tasty dinner. Becca and Gareth have arrived in Taupo today so we catch up with them, and the group head off to watch Fast & Furious 6..I instead listen to my Spanish podcast.
I'm up at 5am.. eat some breaky and then wait outside the hostel, along with a number of other travellers, for the bus to pick us up and take us to the starting point of the one day trek.. (#No.1onedaywalkintheworld..!). The journey is about an hour so it is possible to get a bit more sleep. When we arrive at the starting point of the days trek I bump into a Dutch lady who was on my bus from Kaiteriteri and who also did the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk.
To begin with the walk is flat, and it is cold morning.. after reaching the base and passing by the mighty Mount Doom...in fact Mount Ngauruhoe the next part of the trek is a steep ascent .. called Devils Staircase.. to the South Crater. As I ascend it becomes very cloudy and cold! I had intended to attempt the optional trek up the Mountain but due to the weather conditions I continue on the normal trek.. and in hindsight I doubt if I would have been able to do it!.. it would have certainly been extremely tiring.
Next I reach the base of the Red Crater Ridge and begin the difficult and very steep ascent.. stopping at times to take in the impressive views. After reaching the summit I begin the second optional hike to the Mt Tongariro summit but at the half way point I decide to stop and take in the views of the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake, eating my pre packed lunch. I then turn back and after arriving back at the Red Crater Summit I begin the descent to the Emerald Lakes.. loose and unstable gravel, slipping beneath my feet.. I stop here and find my Dutch friend and a German girl from my dorm here also.
Next there is a short flat trek and a small ascent to the huge Blue Lake, on route and on arrival I have excellent views back to where I have come from.. the Red Crater and Mount Doom in the distance. After the Blue Lake I follow the path down the Rotopaunga Valley to the Katetaki Shelter, passing by the active volcanic Te Mari Crater. At this point I am knackered.. but still have another 2 hour long, fairly flat, descent to the Ketetaki car park... I arrive around 2.30pm and at 3pm board the bus back to Taupo.. I'm asleep as soon as I hit the seat.
At the hosel I rest and then Annie cooks a tasty dinner. Becca and Gareth have arrived in Taupo today so we catch up with them, and the group head off to watch Fast & Furious 6..I instead listen to my Spanish podcast.
Mon 5th Jan - Auckland
In the morning I Skype my good friend Martin, its great to catch up after so long. Soon after I am checking out and boarding my final Kiwi Bus back to Auckland!
Guy is our driver for the day. We make one stop to Rotorua where we then drop of a few travellers before heading to a Kiwi Retreat where are given a guided tour. Finally at the end of my time in NZ I have seen a Kiwi! No pics unfortunately as they are nocturnal.. but we get to pass through a blacked out room and see them running about.
On arrival to Auckland it is goodbye to the Kiwi Experience Bus! Annie heads to our hostel but has plans to maybe stay with a friend during her time in Auckland. In our room we meet Jacob, a Canadian traveller who is leaving at 5pm to fly home.. he has already had a few drinks and soon we are heading to the bar situated in the hostel for some afternoon drinks. Back in the dorm I find Devan, a Canadian girl I met along with her friend Sam during my time in Byron Bay..! After catching up I head up to the kitchen where Annie and Rachel have begun cooking, and then to a table outside on the rooftop area.. I see Marcus (Swedish guy who I kept bumping into along with his two friends Walter and Victor during my time travelling down the East Coast of Oz!), I head over to catch up with him.
After dinner, me and Marcus head to the bottle shop for some wine supplies and then pre drink back in the dorm.. Rachel and Annie decide to stay in..I end up consuming far too much and head out for a fun night.. but a horrible morning..
Tues 6th Jan - Auckland
Me and Rachel have signed up for a free walking tour today but I am in no state to get up so Rachel heads off whilst I wither away in bed. It is a horrible morning.. when I crawl out of bed around midday I take a hour to sip my way through a can of fanta.. feeling sick.. Eventually I leave the hostel to seek some food at 3pm and find a heathly cafe where I have a falafel pita lunch and berry smoothie.
When I return to the hostel, Rachel is back from her days trip which I find out was great.. but I would have not coped on in the state I was in! Earlier Isa, my dancing friend I met in Kaiteriteri, has messaged me about meeting up this afternoon in town. I head to the nearby Albert Park where we meet up and catch up.. last time we saw each other was in Queenstown before I went on my bottom bus trip.
We have spoke about partying again next time we meet up, I am just about re-energised, so Isa heads off to buy some alcohol.. oh dear.. here we go again.. she returns with a bottle of vodka and sprite, we begin drinking and then head off for some dinner.. to a pub with great food. We find a bar to head too and have a fun dance. The night is cut short when Isa has to return to her couchsurfing house as she has the key to let the host in and the other flat mates are out!
Me and Rachel have signed up for a free walking tour today but I am in no state to get up so Rachel heads off whilst I wither away in bed. It is a horrible morning.. when I crawl out of bed around midday I take a hour to sip my way through a can of fanta.. feeling sick.. Eventually I leave the hostel to seek some food at 3pm and find a heathly cafe where I have a falafel pita lunch and berry smoothie.
When I return to the hostel, Rachel is back from her days trip which I find out was great.. but I would have not coped on in the state I was in! Earlier Isa, my dancing friend I met in Kaiteriteri, has messaged me about meeting up this afternoon in town. I head to the nearby Albert Park where we meet up and catch up.. last time we saw each other was in Queenstown before I went on my bottom bus trip.
We have spoke about partying again next time we meet up, I am just about re-energised, so Isa heads off to buy some alcohol.. oh dear.. here we go again.. she returns with a bottle of vodka and sprite, we begin drinking and then head off for some dinner.. to a pub with great food. We find a bar to head too and have a fun dance. The night is cut short when Isa has to return to her couchsurfing house as she has the key to let the host in and the other flat mates are out!
Weds 7th Jan - Auckland
And so.. the time is here.. my final day in New Zealand and the end of my adventures in Australasia, before a new chapter begins, across the vast pacific ocean, in South America. I have a good laugh with my head of music on Skype and then head out for lunch and my final meal with Rachel! I skype my mate Dan who I met in Oz and then it is time to collect my belongs and leave the hostel.. In reception we find Kai and Anna have arrived.. there is time for one final drink, so we head to a nearby pub..
.. then its time to say goodbye .. what an incredible time I have had in New Zealand!
And so.. the time is here.. my final day in New Zealand and the end of my adventures in Australasia, before a new chapter begins, across the vast pacific ocean, in South America. I have a good laugh with my head of music on Skype and then head out for lunch and my final meal with Rachel! I skype my mate Dan who I met in Oz and then it is time to collect my belongs and leave the hostel.. In reception we find Kai and Anna have arrived.. there is time for one final drink, so we head to a nearby pub..
.. then its time to say goodbye .. what an incredible time I have had in New Zealand!
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| Kai, Rachel, Anna and Me.. a final drink and goodbyes! |
Looks like you are having such an amazing time Adam!!! Miss you lots and lots, if you ever want to skype somebody in england let me know. Have an amazing time in south america (how long are you there for and can I come meet you?!?) xxxx
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