Just Another Smith...

It really was a painfully early morning, with the alarm going off at 4.45am. I jumped out of bed, preventing the desire to snuggle under the duvet for a bit longer, and thought about my priorities. Tea. That would wake me up, and start the day right. I also grabbed a cereal bar, had to get the carbs in for our long hike! We were picked up by the shuttle bang on 5:20, and not long after we'd found a seat we were both zonked out. An hour and a bit later, we had arrived at the Mangatepopo carpark, and the beginning of the Tongariro Crossing. First we had to sign in, providing phone numbers, and all the emergency contact details - glad this bit was thorough and that we weren't on our own out there. The team then checked that we had everything we needed, and offered the chance to hire some hiking equipment. We both knew that Ben's trusty-but-kind-of-falling-apart Vans might not make the journey, he opted to hire a pair of boots.  This was it, after months of going back and forth

Once again, we were both awake before the alarm and had to quietly get changed so as not to disturb anyone. Packing up our belongings, we managed a quick breakfast and last minute look under beds before checking out. We were on our way to Taupo today, and were both excited for more adventures south. It was a busy coach and we were not sitting together, but it was a short journey and we were surprised to find it came with air-con and free Wi-Fi! Sometimes it's the little luxuries. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) one of these luxuries was not a toilet, and when we arrived in Taupo our first challenge was to find one! It was a bit of a trek, but turned out not to be the hardest challenge of the day. We were booked in at The Haka Lodge, and were very happy to find that although we were too early to check-in, we could leave our bags and get freshened up. It was looking like a warm day, so on came the shorts and vests for both of us! We then had some chill

With our alarms buzzing early, I was glad to find that I had actually slept rather well. We quickly and quietly scrambled into a few layers and met Hazel in reception. The town seemed so still and peaceful as we walked to the lake. The only sound was the glorious morning chorus. Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake on the North Island - we couldn't even see the other side! We watched in awe as the sun illuminated the day, throwing splashes of colour into view. The reflections in the lake were stunning and we stayed to enjoy the show until the slow hum of the town grew and a steady flow of people passed us by. You could spot the locals; they barely even glanced up to enjoy the beauty around them. I could never imagine being so blasé. Back to the hostel for breakfast, I was coerced into eating my very first hard boiled egg. Can't say I'll be doing it again soon! We had big plans to explore the geothermic activities available in town before our evening at the Tamaki Maori

I was up bright and early ready for our big day of sightseeing, not only were we going to visit The Shire, we were heading south to Rotorua via the Waitomo Caves. It’s safe to say we were both feeling a little giddy as we packed our stuff, met Hazel for a quick breakfast and checked out.   I was glad it was only a short walk to the bus stop, I seemed to have accumulated a lot of extra weight – must be the snacks! After filling out water bottles, we were surprised to find that we were also provided snacks (chocolate cookies) and a bottle of water from the tour company. With our luggage safely stored below, we climbed on up and chose our seats towards the back of the bus.   With all 52 people finally onboard, our driver introduced himself and explained our itinerary as we rattled down the highway. Damian was incredible, I could have listened to him talk all day about nonsense, his voice was like honey. As it was, he actually had so many interesting things to tell us about the history of

Woke up happy after a much needed deep-sleep, Ben slept in longer than me - we both hoped this would help fix his jet lag! This morning we had a bit of admin to do before we set off to explore Auckland. We had decided it would be easier for us to get new SIM cards as, despite what I was told in Oz, my phone did not work over here. Cue a walk down to Vodafone, where I was actually served by someone from Northampton?! I could not believe it; the chances must be so slim!   Once we were all sorted, it was time for a wander down to the harbour to find a good spot for food. It was a glorious day and after a slow walk admiring the deep green sea, and awfully expensive boats, we found Dr Rubi’s Rooftop Brewing Company. It had an amazing view, and we timed it exactly right to get seats together on the terrace overlooking the quay. Hazel and I both ordered the ‘Bang Bang Chicken’, Ben had a pizza and we threw in extra fries to share. Odd things to eat so early, but hey, we were on holiday. A

My Air New Zealand flight over to Auckland felt very fancy, on a shiny new plane. I was a bit upset to not be able to admire the view though - why do people close the blind? They must realise there are other people craning their necks to get a glimpse out of "their" window. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant flight of just over 3hrs, I couldn't help but pity Ben and his mammoth journey out. I would be arriving about an hour after he had landed, I was so excited to be reunited and to explore New Zealand together!! At customs, I had a few concerns about some of my possessions; I had brought over the last of my groceries (risotto rice, tea bags etc), and also had rather grubby shoes. Luckily, having queued to an attended kiosk, I could speak to a lovely chatty man who not only stamped my passport, but also advised me on how to fill out my arrival card properly. For the first time in my life, I had something to declare! Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one and had to endur

After the most amazing time exploring Western Australia, it was time to head back to where it all began. I had two days in Sydney before my flight to Auckland, where I would begin a whole new adventure with Ben. This was a very reflective time for me, I walked from Bondi to Coogee again, and loved that I could still find my way around the city too. I spent my last evening sitting by Darling Harbour, my old favourite haunt, and reading my blogs. I had had the most amazing experiences, and couldn't believe it was the end; time sure flies when you're having fun!!  People always ask me: "what is the best place you have ever visited?" I honestly find this question so hard to answer, and the more places I visit, the harder it becomes. I can never really have a favourite, because every place is unique and special in its own way, and impossible to compare.  However, I have decided to list some of my top memories from my 351 days down under - in chronological or

After a few wild days, I was glad to be able to chill out in Perth and take it at a slower pace. That is, of course, once I had dragged all of my belongings into a much nicer hostel halfway across town. I wanted to see a bit more of Perth, bits that I hadn’t been able to see during my whirlwind visit with M. This meant taking a gloriously long sunny walk along Swan River to Kings Park. It felt slightly strange that Perth City itself was not actually on the coast, but of course that didn’t stop them from building “beaches” along the shores of the river. Having wandered around the botanical gardens, admiring the many beautiful plants, I crossed the river to visit the zoo. Perth Zoo was over 120 years old, and had all the classic animals – lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, penguins, and of course a lot of native animals too. I was most impressed by their elephant enrichment demonstration. It was really informative and fun, with the elephants showing how they would raise their legs one at