New Zealand

Hi everyone, its going to be a big long blog today rounding up the three best bits so far including Mahia, New Plymoth and Piha. We’ve been in New Zeland for three months now and so far i have enjoyed every bit of it.

So we set of from Auckland presuming to go down the coast and do the south island. We decided to go round the east cape and head to Gisbourne, there wasn’t much to see at Gisbourne everyone was saying how it was the big surfing capital of the world but when we got there, there was only two surf shops and one of them had hardly any boardies. So we decided to go to Napier the art deco capital of the world. We stayed at a top ten campsite where i met thousands of kids, the weather wasn’t the greatest whilst we were there and some days we felt a bit gloomy but one day when the weather was perfect we decided to go to Hawkes Bays number one attraction Spalsh Planet. It was basically a water park with tonnes of magnificent slides but it also held go karts and other stuff. The first slide me and Will went on was the skycastle screamer, it really lived up to it’s name. We sat on the top of the slide looking down, when we saw a sign saying cross your legs and arms when going down the slide or else you might fly off the side then we got a bit scared. Will went first, screaming for four seconds and then a huge splash, I followed shortly after and two seconds later I felt burning on my back and then heard another huge splash. When I got off the slide my heart was pounding and I was sweating.

We had arranged to go to one of Will’s old friends house for Christmas and new year, about twenty people were coming including three kids and two dogs. On Christmas day I got a pair of board shorts, a pack of cards, top trumps a skateboard and a fishing rod. Loads of people were turning up for Christmas day, a guy called Scott had brought his quad bike and me and will took it for a test drive down the beach, it was amazing. On New Years Day every one had turned up including the kids, we were all playing ball tag around the acres of field. Everyone was drinking beer and bubbles it was so great and funny. After the amazing time we made our way back to Napier with a few friends, we stayed at their house for one night and they told us that we should head to New Plymouth on the other coast because it was beautiful. So we decided to skip the south island and just do the north, we made our way across the highway to New Plymouth.

On the second day Mum and Will decided to get their hair cut. Really I should have had mine cut as well because i still need it cut now. Me and will were in the barbers shop when we came across three people, two men and one kid, who had the same Bristolian accent. They were actually from Bristol and had emigrated here. We decided to meet them at the surf club one night and i became friends with their kid, he was really cool and he was just like me. I’m trying to download the newest version of MSN when we get more interenet as i still need to add him. On my birthday we went to the coolest pool on earth! It had a vast yellow float coming from the side of the pool into the middle. We took it in turns to run across and make it to the end, if you fell off you would line up and do it again. The line went quickly so it wasn’t too bad. Also, there was the fastest slide in New Zealand, named the Hydroslide, personally I thought the sky castle screamer was alot faster. That night we went to the Crowded Houses restaurant and I had steak for my dinner. I got given for my birthday, chocolates, magazines, jumper, t-shirt, and a camera. At Fitzroy beach I had one of the best surfs of my life you will probably see the picture on my mum’s blog.

At the moment we are staying in Piha. We have been here for about two weeks and Tom and Claire have just joined us. I haven’t really had a surf yet but today I’m going to go in. I couldn’t surf because I met some friends and was playing with them and knocked my finger and sprained it, it swelled up like a gigantic elephant. It went purpley red for a day or two and we weren’t really sure what happened to it. Every day I have come into the Piha cafe and done my school work, for example I am doing my school work right now. I also have an iced chocolate every day which are really great. The chef is amazing and the Piha Rescue (English Breakfast) is amazing. We walked up to this waterfall and found two swimming places. Everyone was swimming in one place but we were told if you walk up the waterfall there was another place to swim. So we decided to go up there and there was no one there. It was completely deserted. We took my waterproof camera and took some amazing shots of us jumping off the rocks. The first time I jumped off I was feeling really nervous and I could taste salt watery sweat dripping down my forehead!

We have one night left in New Zealand and this will be spent in a hotel. Mmm a bed. We had fajitas last night, we have been having them recently. I have to say, they are lush. Love New Zealand so far and I hope Australia is exactly the same, fingers crossed it will be. We will be meeting up with a few more friends and another blog update when we get to Sydney.