Langs Beach

This weekend has been absolutely perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my last weekend in New Zealand. It's incredible to me that I am starting my week of "lasts". My last Packed to the Rafters episode (a new Aussie show addiction), my last Sunday with my host family watching tv and relaxing, my last school week, my last trip. All of these lasts are starting to happen and somehow I feel like my firsts were yesterday. How did 11 weeks go by so fast?

But enough of the depressing! This weekend my family took me to their batch (beach house) at Langs Beach. It's an hour north of Auckland and absolutely gorgeous! The water is bright blue and the waves are huge!! We were worried that the forecast said rain all weekend but waking up Saturday it was GORGEOUS so we headed to the beach! Nick's parents have this red batch with everything you could ever need, including a stunning view of the ocean and a place close enough to hear the roar of those magnificent waves hitting the beach. I don't know if I've ever been more relaxed!

Yesterday Emma and I decided to surf. Yes I said SURF! Nick took us down to give me a personal surf lesson. Tanya was nice enough to catch the humiliation on camera!! It was so nice of him to try to teach me! He joked that he would never take a first time surfer out in these conditions (the waves were literally ridiculous and the tide was in) but I gave it a go and had a blast just riding the board in like a boogie board! I felt cool just holding the surf board and wearing the wetsuit!

That night we went to The Pizza Barn a town over. It was the coolest restaurant and had so much character. We had a delicious meal reminiscing over the last 11 weeks. The highs, the lows and of course the funnies! It was the perfect way to spend the evening. We left the restaurant for the pub to watch the Blues unfortunately lose :( but the evening was still one of the best!

This morning we woke up for a long walk/run along the beach and through the town. It was perfect. Then Nick and Thomas grilled us a delicious breakfast with fried eggs, fried tomato, bacon, toast with speghetti (I'm now a true kiwi for having this! Yum!) and coffee! Then it was off to boogie board! Emma and I had a blast catching waves! It reminded me so much of being a kid again! David and I used to get awful skin burns on our stomachs and forearms from boogie boarding so much in Florida! So fun to be 23 and doing it in New Zealand with my 12 year old host sister! I felt young and loved it!

We headed back to Auckland today but not before hitting Bennett's Chocolates (for the second time) for coffee and chocolate! The perfect end to the best weekend. The rest of the day was spent reading, relaxing and then meeting some family friends for curry and conversation!

I'm absolutely in love with this family, their friends and everything they have shared with me here. I'm not ready to leave them and yet I am ready to be home in some ways. It's such a strange feeling and very much bittersweet. Wish me luck in this last week! In exactly one week I will be in the air flying home. Ahhhh!

   

The Corremandel

This weekend has been one of the most spontaneous surprise weekends yet! Cassie, Allison and I decided we weren't quite ready to quit traveling yet so we hired (rented) a rental car and set off Friday for the Coremandel! Cassie and Allison's host parents have a bach (beach house) in Whangamata and we decided it was the perfect place for a getaway! After having a few issues getting out of town (brilliant brittany asked to pick the car up from the airport instead of the city-cost us 1.5 hours in time to correct that mistake) we were finally on the road! Little did we know the drive to the Coremandel is treacherous! The amount of winds and twines and cliffs we drove through was insane! Not to mention it was raining, fogging, and pitch black out! My driving skills were tested to the max with these ungodly roads. Allison learned firsthand what true carsickness feels like and spent most of the ride with her head out the window. By the grace of god we made it safely to our lovely bach!

Stopping to get some dinner we headed back to the bach in the freezing rain to bunker down with a sappy girly movie and bottle of wine. Such a relaxing evening and exactly what I needed!

This morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast at a local cafe. Then we were off to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach! Cathedral Cove was never on the schedule and yet this stop was by far my favorite! Narnia was filmed at cathedral cove and the sights were breathtaking! Allison and I even climbed out on the rocks to get an up close and personal feel of the waves! The waves were crashing all around us. It felt so surreal to be in a place of such beauty. Definitely a highlight!

Next was Hot Water Beach. Here we dug a hole in the sand with 100 other tourists. Volcanic springs beneath the sand allow you to dig holes that will fill with hot water. It's like sitting in a very sandy hot tub that you have to dig yourself! Haha but really it was very cool and we really enjoyed doing it! Then we were back off for a 3 hour drive to Auckland for the Blues game! We picked up Jordan and met up with friends at the game! It was so fun and I'm starting to become a true rugby fan!

This weekend was an incredible surprise. Every moment was filled with something new and something beautiful. I am left with two weeks in the most beautiful place I've ever experienced. How do you say goodbye?

Switch of Classrooms!

I have officially switched classrooms! I am now working in a New Entrance (kindergarten) class! New Zealand is very different from the States. Children do not start school until their fifth birthday. This means that on their fifth birthday, no matter when in the year (other than summer and weekends obviously) they come to school for their very first day! This means that most schools only start the year with one or two New Entrance classrooms and then as those classes fill other New Entrance teachers start! Long story short, Tanya has offered to have me in her brand new class for the next three weeks!!!! I actually get to see a true start to a school year with the age I want to teach!!! I am so blessed! Also have I said lately Tanya is my guardian angel??

Yesterday was our first day, and along with our first day it was 12 five year olds first day too! I didn't know what to expect! Crying kids? Crying parents? Chaos? Calm? Amazingly the kids didn't cry, the moms did cry and there was a little chaos but mostly calm! I am amazed by these little ones already! After having only one day under their belts, they came in with confidence today, even telling their parents the schedule of the day and where their backpacks and home packs go! I have already fallen in love with their little personalities and every day I am overjoyed to be going back to school! It's such a welcome relief to feel so happy in a classroom again!

I have also started another milestone in my life! I have officially submitted applications to HSE and Carmel job openings! I'm even being pushy and mailing principals! I am proud of myself for stepping out of my box and tackling fears! I've learned that persistence is key so I plan to hunt these jobs down with all I have! I'm so lucky to have Jordan and Cassie to help me edit emails and as mutual moral support as we all go through this crazy process of finding and landing jobs! Prayers and thoughts of encouragement would be much appreciated!!

As excited as I am about my new class and job search, 12 little 5 year olds really wear a girl out! Time for bed for me! All of my love to everyone at home! See you all in three weeks!!! (Can you believe it?!)

2 week holiday: Christchurch

Today we made it to Christchurch...
There's not much to say about Christchurch other than that it is terribly sad and still suffering from the two earthquakes in 2011. This city is like walking through a zombie movie. The parts of the city rocked by the quakes are deserted as if life simply stopped and everything froze as it was that day. We were able to do some exploring, even looking at the cathedral that gave Christchurch its name, now partially in ruins. It was so sad to see and yet there is this undeniable pulse in this city to rebuild and make better.

After going through the parts of the city still so badly in need, we headed to a new part of town that is made entirely out of freight containers! Little shops, grocery stores and fully functioning restaurants have moved into beautifully colored containers. They continue with business while their permanent buildings are being repaired! This is one of the coolest forms of architecture I've ever seen! We even had brick-oven pizza made in a little pizza parlor inside a container! Each container had its own personality! I loved it!

The rest of the day was spent watching movies and relaxing with our friends. I am so glad we are able to end this journey with some of the most incredible people! We are so lucky!

In all honesty i am most excited for tomorrow....tomorrow brings massages for us girls! We found discounted massages and will be indulging in an hours worth of heaven. Let me tell you, my body needs it after two weeks on a bus, sleeping in bunk begs, throwing myself off bridges and water-sliding through rocks! I can't wait to just relax!

For now, though, I'm off to bed! Sweet dreams from Christchurch!

2 week holiday: Rangitata

It was not the best start to a day a girl could ask for. After a minor freak out and talk with the girls about job perspectives and our futures, I decided to forget everything about my future for the next few days so I can enjoy the end of this once in a lifetime adventure. To make the mood worse, it rained all morning and many of the activities for lake Takepo were cancelled. We all said a little prayer of thanks for such gorgeous weather at Mt. Cook yesterday and Queenstown the days before.

As we left Mt. Cook this morning to head towards Rangitata, we made a stop at lake Tekapo. As the rain continued to pour, outdoor ice skating and the hot pools were about the last things we wanted to do. Instead we sat in a mountainside cafe, ate some of the yummiest tomato soup and drank much-needed coffee by the fire. I couldn't have asked for a better thing to do on a cold and rainy day. My spirits began to brighten as I warmed up and dried off.

Next we were off to Rangitata. The rain continued but I wasn't about to let that affect my last day of our Stray Bus adventure! We stopped in a delicious little chocolate shop in Geraldine, had yet another coffee and some truffles. It's amazing the things you find to do when it rains. When we finally made it into Rangitata where Cassie and I immediately ran off to find sheep! It has been on my bucket list to touch a sheep while in New Zealand, unfortunately we did not take into consideration the fact that sheep do not have being poked on their bucket lists. As we got closer they ran away. Such a sad moment for me 🐏

The rest of the day was spent relaxing until dinner. Our bus driver made our whole bus a delicious lasagna dinner with salad, garlic bread and chocolate cake with ice cream! YUM! I think this was the best dinner yet! Then our little "old" bus group retreated to our room to play spoons, giggle and reminisce about our trip together. We all miss the rest of our crew who headed into the Deep South today without us! I'm so excited to head to Christchurch with them tomorrow though! We booked our next hostel for two days with all of them! I can't wait!

For now I'm off to bed in a triple bunk bed thinking about graduation and reminiscing on the fact that in two days I will be considered a graduate, even though I'm so far away. To all of my best friends: I'm thinking about you and this incredible journey we have had together these last four years! I'm proud of you all and wish I was there with you! Love you all!

2 week holiday: Mount Cook

Today started with a switch of buses. It was so sad to load a bus with a new driver and new people. Thank goodness some of our old friends were coming on this trip too! We took off on one of the most terrifying drives ever driven. Our new driver is not exactly great, I buckled in and held on tight through bends and winds through mountains on the way to Mount Cook.

One of the funniest things on our journey was a truck full of sheep! After seeing the sheep truck we thought it was just a truck carrying sheep, but then you could see two dog heads barking between the semis tires! There were the two cutest sheep dogs barking in the wind with their heads out to the world! So funny!!

Our first and only photo stop today was at Lake Pukaki. It is the brightest turquoise because of glacier flour coming down from the glaciers above! Absolutely stunning!

When we finally made it to Mount Cook we dropped off our things and started a hike to Hooker Glacier at the base of Mount Cook. This was a 10km hike and every moment was beautiful! I don't think I've ever been in a more beautiful place (I know that phrase is becoming redundant)! We hiked through rivers, over suspension bridges, on beaches and even saw ICEBERGS!!! It was one of the coolest experiences I've had, and definitely the most picturesque!

Tomorrow we head off to Rangitata where we will hopefully be doing some horseback riding and other fun things! As for me, it's officially 7:00pm and I am curled up in bed. Time for a little rest after such an intense few days! Love and miss you all!!!

2 week holiday: CANYONING!!!

Today was INSANE! I've decided that Queenstown is my favorite place in the world. The day started with a beautiful walk along Lake Wakatipu with a yummy chocolate croissant in one hand and flat white coffee in the other. The views were stunning! The mountains literally rise from the water all along the lake!

Then we were off for our CANYONING ADVENTURE!!! We found the little store to get briefed and sign our lives away! Then we loaded a van that drove us 15 minutes out of Queenstown to our canyon! Here we geared up in wetsuit, wet jacket, wet socks, wet shoes, life jackets, helmets and carabeaner harnesses! Then we were off to the water! We were instructed to "get acclimated" to the water! We belly and back flopped in and immediately I knew today was going to be epic! We started our short 10 minute walk up the canyon to our first zipline through the trees! We were instructed to not hit the two trees we flew through. And of course I couldn't control my body and smacked my foot into the tree. The guide who caught me lectured me to never do something like that again haha little does he know that I truly cannot control my body and may be the clumsiest person ever but he would soon find that out with our next adventures...

We got to do another zipline across a HUGE canyon! It was insane! Then we got to repel down a cliff side! I ACTUALLY REPELLED!! Our next stop was WATER! The water was by far my favorite! We floated, jumped off 15 meter cliffs, ziplined out to the middle of a canyon and dropped into the water 18 meters up with a repel down, rock climbing a cliff and even did rock water slides! Every moment was insane and I would kill to do again! We met some of the coolest people that were on our team. We saved each other from rapids, pulled each other up rocks and held each other through the waters!

One of the scariest moments of the trip happened during my second jump. As I rock climbed up to the guide at the top of the rocks who would help me jump our professional cameraman who was attached to the mountain above me fell into me! His carabeaner broke and he went hurtling into me. Thank god for my "catlike" reflexes (thanks to my dad of course) I was able to grab onto my guide and hold on for dear life! He saved me from falling 15 meters in a very ungraceful and dangerous way. Obviously in my mind I was thinking "this could only happen to me". But really the trip was fantastic and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to go!

The rest of the afternoon was spent going up the gorgeous gondola to get a birds eye view of the mountains, Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu! We even got to do this fun activity called luging! It was like little go carts that zipped around the top of the mountain! Basically it was the best day ever!!!

Now we are heading off to Mount Cook which is the largest mountain in New Zealand! It's hard to believe I only have 3 days left! Can't wait to see what ahead for the rest of the week!!!

2 Week Holiday: BUNGY JUMPING!

Today was a day for the books!! I BUNGY JUMPED!!! But let's start from the beginning...

We woke up this morning to a beautiful day at Lake Wanaka. We had breakfast at a little cafe on the water and took in the long awaited sunshine. We then packed up and headed off towards Kawarau Bridge in the Kawarau gorge where 8 of us would be jumping off the first commercial bungy site in the world!

As we set off for the short drive, I was amazingly calm heading to my doom. When we arrived at Kawarau we were greeted and shown a short video of AJ Hackett, the man who opened this site. It was fun to see all the jumps he's done! It made me feel safe because I knew he had survived much scarier jumps! Then we were off to weigh, pay and go!

I made it to the counter first. After I paid I was told to go right outside. They immediately began harnessing me and before I knew it I was standing on the edge of a MASSIVE drop into water...

I had a minor panic attack and even cried a little at the top because I didn't think I could do it. I mean, what sane person throws themself off a bridge with only rope tied to their ankles? Apparently this girl because after much convincing from the saint-of-a-bungy-worker, I got counted down and stepped off!!!

The feeling was like nothing I can properly explain. Jordan put it perfectly by saying it feels like flying. For a moment you are suspended with nothing but air and space. And then you BOUNCE! I decided to go feet first which meant that when I hit the bottom I was whipped to a hanging position and then thrown up to drop again! After all of the build up and the fear it was easily the coolest thing I've done yet and I'm so glad I got up the nerve to jump! Next it was time to be pulled down! A boat was waiting in the river to fetch me with a pole and pull me down. I remember laying down and laughing uncontrollably! I couldn't believe I did it and I was so proud of myself!!!

After everyone jumped we headed off to Queenstown! This place is absolutely stunning! It reminds me so much of Vail or some other little Colorado ski town! It's my absolute heaven!

Tonight we are enjoying our last night with our bus group because everyone separates from here. We've all grown really close and it's going to be so hard to say goodbye. I can honestly say I've made some good friends on this trip!

Tomorrow we will be CANYONING! Can't wait to share the crazy adventures to come!

2 Week Holiday: Franz Josef to Lake Wanaka

Today started my favorite leg of our journey so far! We are heading into Wanaka and Queenstown in the next two days!! After missing out on my glacier Heli-Hike because of weather I've decided to beef up my adventure!!! I've officially signed up to pilot a stunt plane and bungy jump tomorrow!!! But you'll hear all about that in my blog tomorrow, more about today!

We woke up this morning to make our way to Wanaka. The drive to Wanaka includes stops at some of the most gorgeous lakes in New Zealand. The first stop was Lake Matheson. This lake is called "mirror lake" because the lake contains a mineral that makes it reflect the scenery more than other lakes. The mountains above can be seen as clearly in the water! GORGEOUS! We took a walk along the lake, unfortunately the cloud cover was heavy and it was more difficult to see the Southern Alps than on a clear day. Regardless, it was a gorgeous start to our day! As you know, anytime I'm in the mountains I'm a happy girl.

Our next little lookout stop was at Knights Point where you can stand on the edge of a cliff and look down to the sea. It was, of course, raining and cloudy but I've realized some of our best moments have involved running to take pictures in the rain! So we sprinted to each lookout for photo ops and then ran back to the bus a little damp but laughing like crazy!

My favorite stop today was Thunder Creek waterfalls! It's a 75 meter high fall in Mount Aspiring National Park! It was absolutely stunning! Running down the path tothe falls in the rain may be a highlight! Leading up to the falls we counted 17 waterfalls and then another 5 after! These falls and this entire drive was gorgeous! This national park is where Lord of the Rings was filmed! No wonder! It's breathtaking!

Lake Hawea was our next short photo op stop! It was absolutely gorgeous and I'm in love with this scenery! Our last stop was Lake Wanaka where we will be staying tonight! Lake Wanaka is the brightest blue I've seen in a lake. Not exactly Geist beautiful but it'll do. GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!!! As we were driving along each curve in the mountainside offered a more stunning view than the last. Sometimes I pinch myself to prove this is real life.

After we checked into our hostel we quickly went down to the beach to take yet more photos! We decided jumping pictures were a must! I honestly don't think I've laughed that hard in a very long time!

I'm missing all of you a ton and wish I could've packed you all in my suitcase! Sending my love home!

2 week holiday: Franz Josef Glacier

Today was supposed to be a day of extreme sport with a helicopter ride to the top if Franz Josef Glacier and a hike through crevasses, unfortunately the weather was poor and all heli-hikes were cancelled.

Commence Plan B:
We decided to stay in and be lazy all morning since we had no obligations. I was able to FaceTime my parents and Brian and it was the perfect piece of home I needed. Then we went off to explore Franz Josef!

We started at the West Coast Wildlife Centre. This little centre houses the rarest Kiwi birds in the world. They breed and release these funny little creatures. As we walked through the dark exhibit we were on the lookout for the birds! The enclosure has little protection around it and I was so tempted to pet the kiwis! They are the funniest little animal I have ever seen!

We then were off to lunch and window shopping! This little town is adorable. All of the shops are nestled between mountains and the view is breathtaking. It reminds me so much of Colorado and I was slightly nostalgic.

It's been a lazy afternoon with laundry doing, ice cream eating and hot tubbing. I think this is the most relaxed I've been since starting this trip! Can't wait to see what is ahead tomorrow! Sending my love!

2 week holiday: To Franz Josef Glacier

Today started with a bang and a boom and a walk that was pointless. Our backpackers had scheduled a lovely walking tour of Blackball, and when I say lovely Blackball, I mean a walking tour without the lovely but lots of history. Our guide was interesting and a little long winded. But really there was a lot of history and it was at least interesting to learn about New Zealand mining in the 1800s.

After hopping on the bus we were off for Franz Josef Glacier! Along the way we made a few fun stops. Our first stop was at Hokitika. This little quirky town is home of the largest jade factory in New Zealand. Cassie and I purchased some jade jewelry to take home! It's amazing that jade earrings here, in the homeland of jade, only cost $20! Gorgeous!!!

Our next stop was Lake Mahinapua. This little lake is usually a gorgeous stop, but of course these girls forget they are traveling with the "Cheslyn Curse" so instead of gorgeous mountains and blue skies, we got grey clouds covering the views and buckets of rain. It was still fun to run in the rain and act a fool!

Then we were off to Franz Josef! We arrived without any issue and the rain continued to fall! We went to dinner and had drinks at the local bar. We woke up this morning to more rain and no chance of the glacier helicopter hike that we planned to do because of the awful weather! Looks like today we might be making our own fun! Wish us luck!

2 Week Holiday: BLACKBALL(ed)

We got up early this morning to head off to the Wild West Coast! Today is Anzac Day which is a day of remembrance for all the New Zealand soldiers who have perished in war. In remembrance you wear a red poppy flower on this day. I have mine on now. As we traveled we came across an army procession in one of the little towns. We got to stop and get out to commemorate the fallen. I thought of Adam my cousin and his dedication to our country. Across borders, across world and cultural differences there is an appreciation to all service men and women. I was emotional looking at the wreaths laid upon the war memorial for the fallen and still serving Anzac troops (Australia and New Zealand), knowing my family has a similar connection. I said a little prayer for Adam at this gorgeous memorial where the mountains meet the sky.

As we started off this morning, Cassie and I fought for the front seat of our bus! We were determined to have leg room today! It's the longest day of traveling with little stops but the most scenic views! Lonely Planet calls this drive the top 10 most scenic must-drives in the world! Absolutely breathtaking! You can see the sheep perched on the side of the mountains and the trees starting to color for autumn.

We stopped at gorgeous Buller River for a photo-op (our driver clearly knows he has American girls on his trip). Then off we went to Tauranga Bay where we saw a seal colony and STUNNING rock cliffs!!! I took off from the group for a few to find the perfect cliff. I stood by myself capturing the view. It was so peaceful and exactly what I needed, a short time to reflect on how lucky I am.

Punakaiki was our next stop. This place is known for its pancake rocks. The pancake rocks are some of the coolest rocks and cliffs I have ever seen! You realize how small you are when among such magnificent beauty!

Finally we made it to the teeny tiny town called Blackball. We dropped our stuff and since there was nowhere else to go and nothing else to do everyone headed to the bar. This night turned out to be the most fun I've had yet!!! All of the Stray Bus passengers ended up playing Bullshit, Kings and other drinking games! It's amazing how games go across languages and cultures! At one point we started playing a game where everyone had to choose a piece of dress up clothing (dress up clothes were actually provided at this bar-hopefully you are getting a picture in your mind now of where we are staying) if you chose the wrong color card. I lost every time. I ended up wearing a dress, skirt, 4 hats, a cow skin vest, a mascarade mask, and a clown costume. People had wigs on and the beer kept flowing! I've never had more fun getting to know people! I feel like we have made incredible friends that will continue for the rest of this trip! We have Canadians, Germans, Swedes, Scotish, Swiss, English, Columbians, and one kiwi (our driver). I'm loving this trip and can't wait for our next stop FRANZ JOSEPH GLACIER!

2 week holiday: Abel Tasman SAILING

Today was absolutely fabulous! We woke up early this morning to have breakfast and pack for our day-long adventure! We headed off for the first part of our day which was hiking 12 kilometers! With our packs stuffed we headed off on one of the Abel Tasman's most scenic hikes.

We were so lucky to have gorgeous hiking weather. After three hours hiking through waterfalls, up and down hills and through the rainforest we finally made it to Anchorage Beach. This beach is known as the gold sand beach and I was amazed at how gorgeous it was! We joked that it was the consistency of cornbread mix! So different!

As we were eating we watched our catamaran boat pull to shore! WE GOT TO GO SAILING!!! We went through some rough ocean and I got SOAKED! It was incredible! I had never been sailing on such a huge boat and loved every minutes of it! We even got to see seals! So cute!

After a long day of testing our sea legs we finally made it home absolutely FROZEN! We grilled up mean chicken salads and now It's barely 7:30 and we are all locked in our room in pjs and ready for bed! So much for four wild college students! Goodnight from Abel Tasman! Off to Blackball (some nowhere western town) tomorrow!! All my love to you all!

2 week holiday: Picton to Abel Tasman

We started our morning with breakfast in a lovely garden outside our backpackers (NZ name for hostel). After some toast and a coffee we got ready to head into Picton!

We started among the shops stopping into the arty ones. We went into a little shop that had Evolve jewelry! This is the jewelry that is New Zealand made and similar to pandora! My host family had bought me an Evolve "love" bead for y birthday! I was so excited that this place had the wrap bracelet I wanted and even a kiwi bird for it! I treated myself to a belated birthday gift/only souvenir!! It's gorgeous and the perfect thing to remind me of this gorgeous trip!

We then wandered to the bay, having no idea what it looked like since we came in at night. We walked through a gate into the most gorgeous view I have ever seen. Mountains literally rise from the ocean and the colors are unimaginable! I will never forget the pure beauty that this place holds. And to think Picton is considered a "nonstop" for our trip! I can't imagine what beauty lies ahead!

We headed back to our backpackers to wait for our bus! An hour later than expected we boarded our Stray Bus! Our driver informed us our first stop would be a $2...wait for it...WINE TOUR OF OUR FAVORITE NZ WINERY!!! We knew we had chosen the right bus tour!!!

As we drove each side of the bus was surrounded by vineyards! We were informed we were touring through Marlborough wine country! I was in heaven!! We stopped at Bouldevine's winery to sample the delicious wines! We were clearly in our element sampling the wines, not to mention it awarded us some of the most gorgeous views yet!

Back on the bus we headed to the Abel Tasman National Park for two days of adventure and beauty! Tonight we are staying in Old Macdonald's Farm Barn! We cooked out, drank wine and sat by a bonfire! I couldn't have asked for a better stay! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! All my love from New Zealand' sweet dreams and good morning :)

2 Week Holiday: Wellington and THE FERRY

Today was such a gorgeous day...for Wellington. Haha the winds here are ridiculous and I've decided at no point on this trip am I going to have a fabulous hair do, so no judgement from you all!

We left our gorgeous cafe for Tepapa Museum. It was fun to see all of the different exhibits that express New Zealand's history. My favorite part, if I'm being completely honest, was walking along the Wellington seaside wharf. Some of the most gorgeous views of the city and the sea can be seen from the boardwalk on the wharf!

After our museum adventure we grabbed a beer and sat along the seaside before heading off to shop! It was so fun seeing and experiencing this city but I was ready to board our ferry for the South Island!

As we approached our port we picked up our friend Lauren and headed to the boat! I was blown away with how HUGE our ferry was. It was basically a cruise ship! I have never been on a large boat before and I have to admit I was a little worried. We headed to find comfy seats by the snack area and bar, claiming couches and a table! Score! Then we were off for a 3 hour ferry ride. We had been warned that the ferry can be terrifyingly rough, even throw people from their seats due to rough seas. Thank god this didn't happen to us! It was pretty smooth sailing and we even made it to Picton without anyone losing dinner!

When we made it to shore we were picked up by our hostel. Upon walking in the door we were given warm apple crumble and vanilla bean ice cream. This little hostel is absolutely gorgeous! It's a little colorful house with pink walls and gorgeous wood floors! I'm already in love with this place and I know so much is to come!

Tomorrow we catch our Stray Bus for our massive trip!! Wish us luck :)