From New Zealand I say Kia Ora!

Since being on the move, it’s been difficult to get on here to update! So I’m afraid New Zealand is going into 2 giant posts.

On the 4th April I was lucky enough to be heading up to spend a week up in the Northland with family friends.

We had a cottage with this for a front garden! Fantastic.

From this week I have been completely sold on living in New Zealand. To put things into perspective, there are 4 million people living in New Zealand, while 4 million people live in London alone. There is just so much space here! So little development but so many hidden beauties like this natural harbour we found ..

Theres no doubt that New Zealand is for outdoorsy types. That is the beauty of the place! So much to explore that just seems so untouched since the beginning of time. The harbour also provided some good inlets for wakeboarding.

Before the europeans settled here, the indigenous New Zealanders (Maoris) had a set of beliefs about the land. It should not be used for resources, built on, and left in it’s natural state – hence why theres heaps of national parks here! Think England, but a fraction of the people, 10 times more wildlife, and a far more dramatic scenery.

One morning the wind was funnelling into the beach up in Taupo, however after pumping up the 12 it decided to go BANG! What bad timing ey! That was the end of my kiting in New Zealand :( up here was the only place you didnt need a full on wetsuit .. snow was waiting for us down south!

With kiting off the agenda I was keen to explore some more of the Northland, so jumped in a car and headed north. I have never seen such stunning beaches in my life! What’s more, there wasn’t a soul on them!

I was SO gutted I wouldn’t be kiting until Fiji, but hey.. that’s how it goes! The primary reason of travelling was to explore and experience new things, and if kiting wasn’t going to happen then it wasn’t the end of the world.

 After an incredible week up in the Northland, it was time to head South. Having previously decided we were terrible backpackers, having never stayed in a hostel OR taken public transport, we took the Naked Bus over to Rotorua, down to Taupo and Wellington. Naked Bus was the cheapest form of transport to get there, so we weren’t complaining!

Very quickly after a couple of bus runs, this form of transport definately wasn’t for me. They sting you for carrying an extra bag of gear onto the bus, it was so much slower and unreliable! Not to mention the couple of breakdowns on the highway!

rotorua - the geothermal lakeside village. Stank a treat!

Lake Taupo - before heading down to Hot Springs for a bathe

Huka Falls - powering 1/3 of New Zealand's electricity

Time in the North Island gave us an insight into the Maori culture that is integrated into society, which I think is awesome! They would re-tell Maori legends, show off their art, teach tourists their language and generally share their beliefs with us. I am normally so anti – history as it’s so damn boring to know about the past, but these people had me intrigued! English society is  all about who has what money from what source, whether it be new money or old. There is so much more to where you live, what school you went to, what car you drive .. people at home really need to look outside the box of materialism! 

We’re in Wellington now at the bottom of North Island, ready to take the ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton tomorrow morning! Can’t wait to see the South Island, everyone has done nothing but talk in awe about it.

A bit scared of the cold though! We have snow waiting for us!

x