New Zealand is very hard to describe as in a lot of ways it is like my dear home country.
It has to be said that this is also one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. To quote Billy Connolly he says that Scotland is a bit like New Zealand in that you are constantly saying 'wow! Look at the amazing scenery and five minutes on and you are saying wow! Look at the amazing scenery'.
In other ways it is very easy to describe, the people are friendly (if a little odd) and the hills and mountains reminded me a lot of home. I may even go so far as to say the landscape and mountains were better than Scotland on some occasions.

I arrived in New Zealand at the end of March after spending 2 days on a plane... (The things I do for some people!) and then our first task was to buy a car.
I was surprised to find that Jon actually knew a lot about cars and after a test drive consulted me on whether to purchase - not a wise move as I didn't have a Scooby, I would have just preferred a red one! So Jon was now the proud owner of a green Subaru Legacy and it has to be said it was a lovely wee car and did well for the month that we were driving in it.
The following morning (after Starbucks and SHOPPING) we left Auckland and arrived in Pahia, Bay of Islands and stayed in the Pickled Parrot. It has to be said that the names of things here were far more imaginative than Nepal’s constant 'Lovely View Hotel' 'Nice View Hotel' 'Green View Hotel' - you get the picture.
Pahia was one of the prettiest places I have ever been to and it was added to by the fact that it was warm and sunny for the 3 days we spent there and the seafood was the best I have ever tasted anywhere.

Of course adjusting to westernised culture was again pretty weird. However I actually enjoyed the luxury of a sit down toilet and a clean (hot) shower and a fast internet connection more than I thought I would. On the flip side however it also made me feel bad as when I left I was not enjoying India much and wanted to leave. This made me feel bad as I have the LUXURY of leaving, before I left I spoke to Minnie (the Indian woman I shopped with in Delhi) and she told me that a lot of people in India don't like it either, the smells and the beggars and the corruptness but they are stuck with it. I on the other hand have the luxury of leaving which they don't. I was also horrified that the price of a packet of batteries in New Zealand would buy me a nice hotel room and 3 meals in India! I soon got used to westernised life again though and enjoyed some real home comforts I haven't had in a long time i.e. since the USA, like Dominoes Pizza, baked beans and a decent pint of beer!

Over the next 2-3 weeks we travelled in the North Island going to Russell which has the oldest Church in New Zealand, also to Raglan which is very pretty. The we headed to Rotorua which has hot water and sulphur bubbling up from below the surface, great fun but the water is very hot and steaming and the sulphur stinks, I was blaming Jon for the smell until we realised it was the sulphur!
There are some great photos from the North Island which I will upload when I can.

People in India must think USB is a shop or a restaurant or something as people come into the internet place and ask 'USB?' and there almost never is!

We decided that we wanted to see some Lord Of The Rings Locations as well and as we got further south we passed through the area where they filmed Hobbiton. It doesn't really look like it though as so much was changed digitally for the films.
On the way to the ferry we decided that wine quaffing was to be the order of the day. We went first to Masterton and then on to Martinborough, wine regions a-plenty-hic!
And for what it’s worth Jon I am sorry about the egg roll.
Let me explain..........Jon and I left early from Masterton, in the village I was hungry (I ate like a horse in New Zealand, and Jon agrees with my family that I need a plastic scoop bib) so I went to buy an egg roll (which we both love). At this point Jon did not want an egg roll. I sat in the car and ate it while he went to buy things for the ice box. On his return he said he had wanted a bite of my egg roll, however it was 'evident from the mess on my face, clothes and general area in the car' that it was finished. Then he said that 'really you should have kept a bite for me' I enquired if he wanted an egg roll? 'No'. Did he want me to go and buy him one? 'No'. Did he want me to go and buy one and let him have a bite? 'No'. It was a bite of THAT SPECIFIC egg roll he had wanted and now it was gone.
And I thought that I was hard work!!!

Anyway enough of that, the wine region was beautiful - well it was ALL beautiful really it was hard to say which bits were nicer than others. Napier was nice and we spent a lovely couple of days there going to see the aquarium, dolphin show and mini golf.
It has to be said at this point that I never realised what a bad loser I am at games (not that I hit him with the golf club, I just threw water over him). I didn't realise that I was a bad loser - but to be honest when he won every game we played from Boggle (yes we found that and had great fun!!) to mini golf to lateral thinking puzzles to a huge maze, then its no wonder I got to be a bad loser!!

After Napier I think we headed to Wellington and actually stopped for 4 days or so. One of the interesting things that happened there was the fire alarm going off at 5am in the morning. We found out later that it had been due to a car crash, followed by a chase followed by a knifing. It’s weird to think that if you asked most people which was safer - New Zealand or India most people would choose New Zealand when in fact I feel totally safe in India, I never once saw anyone hitting anyone else or any aggression or violence.
The museum in Wellington is worth a look as are the shops! I also set up my skype in Wellington so feel free to skype me! The other thing worth a look is all the art painted on the buildings near the zebra painted hostel as there is loads of it and it is all really good.

From Wellington we caught the ferry to the South Island. We headed straight for Abel Tasman National Park and I spent a day walking there while Jon enjoyed the sights of Nelson and had a day’s course in bone carving. The flora and fauna is amazing in Abel Tasman and is worthy of more than a days hike but we were keen to get to Arthur's Pass so we just spent one day here.
As we headed down the coast it became apparent that the south island was far nicer and more beautiful than the north island.
That night we stayed in Kaikoura in 'The Lazy Shag' and the village itself is really pretty and although their fried egg rolls are not up to much their savoury scones are the best on the planet!! They also have a great wee Irish pub. There is a great spot for rock pools as well (if you like that kind of thing!)
We headed across to Arthur's Pass and spent one night in a little place called Sheffield (far nicer than the real one) and stayed in the loveliest hostel I have ever been in. It was so old fashioned and they had a big cooking stove and a log stove and a piano, very nice and home comforting.
Arthur's Pass is stunning. Make sure you go to the pie shop in Springfield before going through though, it’s totally amazing - although fighting with your boyfriend over the last lamb and mint pie is optional....!
We stopped constantly on the drive through as the scenery was so spectacular and Jon was taking loads of photographs which I will pinch as they are much better than mine! In the village of Arthur's Pass itself we climbed up to a waterfall. Not quite as huge as the Mexico ones but was pretty impressive all the same.


From there we stayed at the Franz Joseph glacier and the following day we climbed around on the glacier - pictures of my 'these came out of the ark crampons' to follow! They wouldn't have stuck in butter never mind on ice! The glacier was great fun though as there were pre-cut steps and loads of caves to go exploring in - see pictures!

From Franz Joseph we headed to Queenstown through some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. It was a lot like Skye and reminded me a lot of home as it wasn't tree covered like the rest of it. The only disappointment was there were no views to be had of Mount Cook.
Queenstown was a little uninspiring, full of British people and not a lot else. There were a few shops and it is definitely the daredevil capital of New Zealand with bungee jumping and hang gliders aplenty. The climb up to the basket of dreams is worth it though on a fine day as the view is stunning and there were plenty of toadstools to keep Jon amused.... (To photograph them I mean not to eat them!)
After a teapot in Queenstown we headed back to the Puzzle world place we had seen and spent a FANTASTIC day there. I discovered that myself and Jon both love puzzles and we had a great time!! Firstly we went round the maze (separately) and Jon beat me by 7 minutes and then we spent ages doing all the rest of the puzzles. We also went to see the illusions rooms where you appeared very small or big or tilted and it was all great fun. We bought a lateral puzzle book for the car and had great fun with it till the end of the road trip!
After Puzzle world we stayed at the YHA in Mount Cook and the next day I persuaded Jon to come hiking with me!
We had a great day climbing up behind the village and onto the shoulder that looks onto a huge glacier with Mount Cook on the right hand side. We had amazing views for the whole day and even Jon was impressed when we saw an avalanche!
We spent that night in Twizel at another lovely hostel with roaring log fires and stoves and the next morning we headed for Christchurch.
On the way to Christchurch we stopped in a place called Geraldine that claimed to hold the 'Worlds biggest Jersey' which was fun to go and see. Geraldine also has a very good pie shop.
Have started to compile a list - Following a viewing of 'the worlds largest jersey' I am going to make a list of the 'one offs' that I have seen on my travels, only started the list a few days ago.
1. Seen New Zealand’s oldest church
2. Been across New Zealand’s longest bridge.
3. Seen the world’s biggest beer glass in Christchurch
4. Seen the worlds biggest silver cup (Jaipur India)
5. Seen the world’s biggest sundial (Jaipur India).

We didn't do a lot in Christchurch except get a few things that I needed before returning to India and having a last dominoes pizza.

I can honestly say I loved New Zealand and myself and Jon got on so well. I love travelling with him; he is good company, fun, laid back and the most caring and sensitive man that I have ever met. I am glad that we got to see one another again and we had a lovely time for the month that we were together.
I hope that it’s not too long before we see each other again. I will miss him a lot for the next while as he is to stay and work in New Zealand whereas my next blog will be from Africa!!!

New Zealand has taught me a few things
1. Badgers taste like marmite
2. I am incapable of eating anything without it going down my front and in my hair
3. Don't eat the last of an egg roll even when Jon has said that he doesn't want one
4. Don't drive too close to the car in front
5. Don't put your red silk sleep sheet in the wash with your new blue New Zealand t-shirt with sheep on it
6. When you loose Dudley check every pocket you have and he will be in Jon’s fleece pocket! This was a very bad moment for both of us! However we did have a full fry up celebratory breakfast when we found him again. We had been hiking the day before and thought he had fallen out when we reached the track again on the way down and had stopped for a last break before the hours walk back to the hostel. We were all geared up to go back to Mount Cook and search when we heard a giggling coming from Jon’s fleece pocket and there was Dudley!