See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right Hi everyone - I'm home! I flew into the motherland exactly a year to the day I left - Thursday, 28th April. It was a long journey from Auckland via Los Angeles and into Heathrow - about 27 hours in total - but I was still bright and breezy to meet my family at the other end! I had such a nice welcome from my family and friends, I reckon I should go away more often!
 | | On board a cable car! |
I've been really busy since I got back, lots of catching up and going out (oh it's such a hard life!) but I've still found time to come up with a final update, so here it is. Last time I wrote, I had booked to do the Heli-hike up Franz Josef glacier. It was expensive but you reached the best ice and had two hours to explore the caves. My mates did the full day hike, which was almost half the price and still a great trip, but our way got us to the best bit in two minutes . I did get some stick from them but it's what I'd always planned to do and had budgeted accordingly. See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right Franz Josef itself was a beautiful place and we were really lucky with the weather - it was freezing but very sunny. The Kiwi Experience bus's next stop was en route to Wanaka (skiing town) where we took in the sights of Lake Mattheson and the mirror image of Mount Cook on the lake. Had it been the ski season, Wanaka would have been bustling but it was really relaxed for us with fantastic views of snow-capped mountains - another of New Zealand's picturesque paces. Next stop was Queenstown, aka the Adrenalin Capital. But when you're not swinging over a canyon or jumping out of a plane, there are loads of cafes, bars, shops and another beautiful lake to walk around. Our stay here involved a lot of drinking and having fun but the highlight was the canyon swing that me and three mates won at a fancy dress competition - as mentioned in my last update. See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right The canyon swing is 109m high with a 60ft freefall. It's a relatively new addition to the thrillseeker's to-do list, having been devised by some local lads, and it was loads of fun. Unlike a bungee jump, you can go off backwards, suspended upside down or even with a chair attached to you - pretty much anything with the jump master's approval. It was a completely different sensation to bungee-jumping and sky-diving and was definitely smoother on the joints as there's no jarring! From Queenstown I went on a day-trip to Milford Sound, one of the world's wonders. It was an early start but I was glad I went. We cruised around the Sound on a boat for a couple of hours taking in the scenery. If you like walking, this would be a definite to visit. We then headed to Christchurch - New Zealand's mini-England and commonly known as the Garden City. Then we travelled up to Kaikora where I swam with dusky dolphins! See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right Despite the water being a bit chilly this time of year, our wetsuits did the trick and we had about two hours in the water chasing them and swimming with them. We weren't allowed to touch them but you could play with them by spinning in circles and diving down. The more interesting you were in the water, the more curious they found you! This was my last activity before heading back up to the North Island where I did the bay of islands. As the Kiwi bus route back up pretty much retraced the route I'd already done, I decided to save on three days of travelling by getting a cheap flight up to Auckland from Christchurch. If anyone's thinking of doing the Kiwi Experience around New Zealand or any organised tour, I'd recommend flying into either Auckland or Christchurch and out the other. By the time I arrived in Auckland, I only had a week of my trip left. I met up with some friends and headed on to the Bay of Islands which is renowned for its mild climate and great sailing. I did a sailing trip which took you out to sights such as the hole in the rock (see my pictures!). It was a great day for sailing as the sun was out and the wind was up. Then it was time to buy some last minute things to take home and starting planning my trip back! The people I met in NZ were fab and we had a lot of fun. I remember being told before I went that if you got on the first bus for the Kiwi Experience and hated everyone then get off and wait for another one. If you hate everyone on the second bus then you've been unlucky so get off once again - but if you hate everyone on the third bus then it's you that's got the problem! Fortunately I met a really good bunch on the first bus and we pretty much stuck together till the end. See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right All in all, I've met so many people along the way who've made my trip unforgettable. We shared many experiences - good and bad! - and I'll never forget them. I have so many best bits, the list would be endless. Australia was a real mix: travelling up the West Coast in a yellow bus, climbing Ayers Rock, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, driving Frazer Island, living and working in Sydney and then spending Christmas and New Year there - absolutely fabulous! Also, while I was there, I hit a bit of a crossroads. I had the chance to be sponsored to stay there - but seeing as I'm back I think you'll gather I decided against it. The job wasn't something I'd ever been interested in and I'd have had to commit to two years there. It was a tough decision but I'm pretty sure I made the right one. Being stuck in Australia would have been all well and good but there's so much I want to do in the next two years and if I'd stayed I certainly wouldn't have had my great experience in New Zealand. New Zealand was very fast-paced and involved doing a lot of activity in a short space of time, spending my last remaining money! To be fair, I knew NZ would be expensive but it was money well spent. My sky dive still makes me feel proud and how could I forget blackwater rafting in Waitamo Caves, canyon swinging, BBQs on hostel roof-tops, horse trekking and of course the bus journeys with wacky conversations and drinking games! So I'm still in a whirl with it all but now it's back to work as normal. I was fortunate enough to get my job at East Midlands Airport back for the summer but then who knows? Maybe someday I'll be back reporting from some far off place once again! Fingers crossed! A word of advice though: deciding to do this trip wasn't easy. If you have no ties then go for it. If you do have commitments then it's more complicated but in the end you have to do it for yourself - especially if you're young. You realise lots of things when you're away - what home means to you, who your mates are, what drives you. And if you leave someone special back home, you'll both realise each others' worth while you're away. And when you get home, that's the real test - a happy ending or a new beginning? Find out as you will! Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed hearing what I've been up to. It's been a pleasure sharing it with you all. Lucy x See Lucy's travel photos via the links on the right | 
