Independent travelling

Unfortunately my relationship with 'Britney my tent' came to a quick ending. I left her and jumped ship and decided to leave my tour of NZ (along with several others)two weeks earlier than planned. Why? Well, I'd had enough of the hour taking us to places stuck in the middle of nowhere, having to be at our camp for 5pm every night, bed early (as there was nothing to do in the rain/cold), going on 'hikes' which were actually short walks to silly trees and waterfalls, pulling up to 'tumble-weed towns' for a toilet stop and quick coffee and activities being cancelled with nothing else for the rest of us to do. Enough was enough.

It wasn't exactly how it was depicted on their nice, shiny brochure..eg camping in picturesque places in secret locations - eh, yeah, not even the Maoris knew of these fields!  I called the towns 'tumble weed towns' because when we got off the tour bus (in some, not all), there wasn't a sinner about, even in the rush hour.  Signs above shops squeaking in the wind..so naturally, I was waiting for some tumble weed to knock me down as it blew across the road.

So headed to Queenstown early with two other girls from the tour and enjoyed our new independent travelling lifestyle.  Have been on the south island for 3 weeks now and made my way through places like Kaikora, Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Te Anau, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Franz Josef, Greymouth (mullet town), Nelson City and now am in Picton before I cross on  the ferry to Wellington. I've visited lots of little places all over both islands but these were the main ones in the South Island.  In Wellington, I'll live it up in a posh hotel for a few days (free - yippee) before a 12 hour bus journey back to Auckland.  Instead of tenting it, I've stayed in hostels - some I've come out scratching and others have been gorgeous and really homely (like 'The Bug' in Nelson City, so go there if you're ever here)

Being off the tour and going solo has been great and less restricting - I'm able to do whatever I want, whenever, instead of always feeling rushed and not seeing places properly.  I've been hiking the Franz Josef Glacier in sexy crampons, paragliding over Nelson, walking to the 'Centre of New Zealand'. Yesterday I 'tramped' (the Kiwi word for hiking...suits me perfectly..a tramp, tramping in NZ) the Abel Tasman National Park. Caught a bus and hiked 25kms to Anchorage - passing by lush green forests, coves and bays that were nearly all to myself.  Had to get the bus back in the afternoon, but would have loved to spent a couple of days sleeping out in the huts along the track which can take up to 3-5 days in total to complete. Depends how fast/slow you tramp.

The South Island is absolutely stunning on a lovely, sunny day with all the amazing scenery.  But, now I've seen enough and completed about 90% of everything I've wanted to do here.  I prefer the cities of Nelson, Wellington and Auckland with a bit more life than small townships like Geraldine and some other Gumboot village, which was so uninteresting I can't remember the name of it.  It's been enjoyable and I've met great people and made good friends along the way, but it hasn't exceeded South America.  There's so much information overload in all the little streets/villages of Peru. I miss the pollution, hustle and bustle, noises, people selling everything everywhere you walk,  festivals happening every weekend or even during the day - you can't be bored.

Here in NZ, I haven't fallen for the place entirely - a bit like information underload - the opposite of Peru. I think I was spoilt there.  The Kiwis are lovely, friendly and very accommodating and their country is stunning and they're proud of it too and so they should be, but it's not for me.

What next then?  Well, it's back to the North Island tomorrow and Auckland in a few days to meet up with my friend Audrey, who's meeting and travelling here. Oh and she'll be loaded with goodies from home (like Haribos, yum, yum and some other things I need..so thanks mum and Donna for getting them all for me). Have looked into working on farms/Woofing for free accommodation/food after showing Audrey the highlights of Auckland and the North Island.  After that...who knows?  But I'm thinking a slight change to our flight tickets and an earlier entrance into Australia, sooner rather than later.

Just a wee note...Get well soon to my aunt Anne - I know you've been following my blog since I've left, so make sure you get out of that hospital soon. Thinking of you x



Rush hour in a typical NZ town!



Could swear that was the Mourne Mountains in Ireland



Hiking the Franz Josef glacier, NZ



Porter's Beach, Abel Tasman, NZ