New Zealand: SkyDive Update

Well, after three attempts, finally managed to do the Sky Dive! Possibly the best thing I've ever done! 12,000ft, although I wish I'd jumped 15,000 now. I have a video too just to prove I actually did it! The landscape around Taupo was amazing. Lake Taupo, the mountains, everything was stunning! It was strange as it didn't really feel like I was falling. If it wasn't for the ground appoaching at 200km/h, I wouldn't have thought I was. Definitely the highlight so far. Still shaking a bit though.

Tomorrow off to trek the Tongariro Crossing, if the weather's good. About 7hours trekking. I don't care though, I can do anything now...

New Zealand: Week One

First week in New Zealand was great. Arrived not really knowing what to do or where to go. Checked into the Fat Camel hostel in Auckland and hit the town with some guys I'd met on the way over from Fiji. Did the tourist thing and went to the minus 5 degree bar and up the Sky Tower. Next day I spent figuring out how I was going to travel round. Decided on the Stray Bus which provides a hop-on, hop-off service. Seemed to be the best balance between partying and actually seeing the country, rather than the Kiwi Experience for the former and Magic Bus for the latter. I went for the "Moe" tour which takes you round both islands, and covers some pretty exciting places. First day we headed over to Hahei, where we went down to Cathedral Cove and in the evening (11pm - low tide) treked down to Hot Water Beach to find hot pools. This involved digging about 20 holes in the sand before finding somewhere where the temperature was bearable - not sea or burn-your-skin-off temperature. We were up early the next day to head over to Raglan where we stayed at a chilled out hostel looking over the beach. We decided to do the two-hour walk around the hostel, which was more like a hike, and made me realise how unfit I am. After Raglan we headed to Maketu, for some "Maori culture". This involved all the guys from the Stray Bus doing a haka, which was possibly the most excruciating experience of my life. We watched the Maori guys perform the haka about 1metre from us, which was actually quite scary! The place itself was a little disappointing as it wasn't as cultural as I'd hoped. We headed to Waitomo Caves where we did the Tumu Black water rafting. Wasn't quite black-water rafting, but was definitely worth it. Took about 3 hours, consisting of squeezing through some fairly some tunnels, floating down river with lights off looking up at maggots (a.k.a. glow-worms), and diving into the ice-cold water. Next stop was Rotorua which smells of egg due to the sulphide in the area. A couple of us decided to get off the bus and do a road trip over to East Cape. This is where you be the first to watch the sunrise, which was pretty spectacular. We then headed down to Napier taking the scenic route via the coast - with me driving! On the way back we stopped briefly in Taupo (which we will be going to again on the bus), went to the "Craters of the Moon", which I reckon the advertising standards agency would have a thing to say about, and the Haku waterfalls. Arriving back in Rotorua, we went white-water rafting which involved going down a 7metre waterfall, and I almost died.

New Zealand is different to how I imagined it. It's a considerably quieter than I thought - walking the streets at most times of the day you'd be lucky to bump into anyone. The landscapes are amazing though, and the people really friendly. Tomorrow we rejoin the bus and head back to Taupo, where I might sky-dive... possibly...

Last days in Fiji

So Beachcomber was a bit of a write-off. I think if I'd been in a group, everyone wasn't already completely hammered, the guy next to me didn't snore like a walrus being electrocuted, and there wasn't sick everywhere, I probably would have stayed. I only suffered one night and hopped over to Bounty Island. Totally different to Beachcomber in every way. Perhaps a little too quiet, and I wasn't sure how I was going to fill the three days. It turned out quite well. I was approached by a BBC crew on the island filming for a south Pacific documentary to be shown in 2009 who required extras to be members of a boat crew stranded on an island about 200 years ago. It was such a laugh! We had to have fake beards and everything! First night we had to film a camp fire scene on the beach. Second day involved some serious boat rowing, for about 6 hours. When you eventually see the programme, I'm oarsmen #3 and beachcrawler#1 nearest camera. Not sure if we'll make the credits though. The rest of the time I spent lounging on the beach, and to be honest, I'd had enough of beaches by then. Spent the last night in Nadi, at Smuggler's Cove, which was actually pretty good for main land Fiji. West coast of Fiji isn't great for beaches. Best places on the mainland are along the south east coast, but I didn't make it as far as that.

I really enjoyed my time on Fiji. The people who worked there and the visitors (for the main part) were really friendly, and will probably try and meet up with them later in my travels.

Next stop New Zealand!