Went for a walk along the ‘back beaches’, lots of spikes grass. Keri and mark ran up a hill and back another way so me and Ben walked back along the beach 😏

Built a sandman due to the lack of snow and Christmas scenes.

In the eve was Riverton Santa parade. Tess was in it as a tree. At the end loads of classic cars and then tractors came through. Super weird.

Had a Christmas FaceTime at the cafe 😏

Came back for one last sleep til Santa. Hopefully he got the memo I’m in New Zealand. Ben left a carrot out for the reindeer 🎄

Stole some WiFi from the cafe.

Came back and tanned and then went kayaking. Tess and Ella capsized me. Freezing.

Drove round to a different bay in the afternoon to go surfing. Surf wasn’t great but we had lil dolphins swimming around super close to us. V cute.

Mark and Keri went out for din and left us to our own devices.

Rained in the morning so played a board games with fun facts about NZ. Sun came out which meant tan time.

Keri went for a bike ride and came running back up the garden shouting ‘quick, get your shoes’. Stress. She’d seen dolphins down in the estuary so we ran to the car but they’d gone by the time we got down there. Came back and saw them jumping about further out in the sea. Cuties.

Played a quick version of monopoly. Lost.

Came down to a cafe and bought a milkshake just to get WiFi. Desperate times.

Watched the others paddle board/kayak from the warm deck.

Fish and chips for din then rockpooling on the beach.

Had vegemite on toast. So Oz.

Moved some hay bales into the trailer to take to Riverton. Bloomin’ heavy and cut my arm. Farm life is not so me.

Delivered some home made truffles to the neighborinos on the quad bike.

Off to Riverton. Unpacked my case for the first time.

Went paddle boarding after lunch then attempted to top my tan back up on the deck.

Keri made the mistake of inviting me on her bike ride and then spent the whole time waiting for me 😏

Christmas movie after din 🌲

Called G dog on the landline as there was still no WiFi.

WiFi is back!!

Sat on the edge of a tractor whilst Tess drove it back into the shed. Stroked some horses.

Took two of the horses down to Riverton after lunch. Had a mare getting into the field as they didn’t know the code for the lock. Finally got in and dropped them off then dropped some presents off at the beach crib before driving back to Winton. Cheeky ice cream on the way home.

Kicked off cos Ben and Ella were fighting so Keri made them get out the car. Awks.

Fed some animals before din. Found two sheep locked in the chicken shed, had to let them free, lil cuties.

Few card games before beddy byes.

6:55am got a mini van thing with a trailer down to Keri’s in Winton. Driver forgot to stop until I asked if we were stopping, then I had to walk all the way back to where she should have stopped.

Got picked up by farm manager Wayne and taken to the farm. Awks introduction to Ella, Tess and Ben. Showed me round the house and then showed me the horses. Took me on a quad bike round their many fields. No sheep in them at the mo as they’ve gone to Wayne’s for Christmas.

Played some tennis before luncheon. Then played some board games and brushed the horses. Do not trust horses and she made me dig out his feet. Uncomfortable.

5pm Keri arrived home in her swanky self driving car.

Got to do some laundry 🎉 whilst they all did some wrapping.

Made my own din as they were having beef ragu 🙄 made maself an omlette.

Watched what was supposedly a Christmas film but was actually about some horse farm or something. Ben made a bread and buts pud which we had whilst playing cranium.

Bed time in my own room with my own double bed in lovely smelling clean pjs 😌

Kiwi bus left me. Had three hours to cotch about before my bus. Had a wander to the shop then made myself mushroom and Brie pita pockets 🤤

Managed to get a lift from one of the lodge staff to the ‘town’ where I caught the Intercity bus back to Queenstown.

4:40pm back in wonderful queenstown. Checked back into ma hostel then went off to get giftage for Keri. Treated maself to a classy $7 Patagonia hot chocolate and only got charged $1.50 😏😏 what a bargain.

Reused my free meal voucher for din as they didn’t take it off me last time.

Early night for ol Loz ready to begin Christmas in the morn 🎄

Brb queenstown, off to Lake Tekapo. My last ever journey on the kiwi bus 💔 Stopped at lake Pukaki on the way, the bluest water I ever did see. Sad though as it’s crazy blue because of the glaciers melting 🙁

2:30pm arrived at our little lakeside lodges in Lake Tekapo. Yet another mountain to climb. This time was mount John. A mere 1.5 hours. The wind at the top was insane but you could see v v v blue water for dayz.

Came back down and wandered along the lake to a cute little church. Apparently New Zealand’s most photographed church.

Was gonna go for a dip in the blue blue lake but got as far as our ankles and thought I was gonna get hypothermia.

Came back and cooked myself a mushroom and Brie burg.

Crew left me 🙁 lone wolf once again.

10am off to check in for my human catapult. 40 minute wait for the bus, watching the catapult video over and over again. Good lord, what am I doing with my life 😬

Got on the bus for a 40 minute drive up to the canyon where I shall take my life in my hands.

Across the bridge to the catapult and swing area. Had to watch three people do it before me, never been so scared in my life. Got harnessed up and walked to the edge shaking everywhere. They hoisted me up into position, laying in the air over the canyon, then pinged me at 100kph in 1.5 seconds 😳 thought it was over when I felt the tension then I bounced back up and was falling again. Dangled above the river for a while before they lifted me back to the platform. Scary stuff. Got a free t shirt tho 😏

Bus back to the town. Got a ferg pie on the way back to the hostel. Also amazing.

Wandered around the town until I bumped into someone I knew. Got some bevs and an amazing caramel cream ice cream and sat on the beach by the lake in the glorious sunshine 😎

Got a free pasta meal for buying a drink 👌🏼 then finished off the day with a salted caramel cookie that I queued for about 20 mins for.

Another day, another mountain to conquer. 8 hour trek up Ben Lomond. Relentless. Had a lovely falafel bagel at the top, overlooking the whole of queenstown. Walk back down was not good for my blisters. Had one hour to go and that was the gondola section so went in to see how much. She told me $25 so I said I’d walk. Must have seen the pain in my eyes as she then let me on for free 😏

Walked back to the hostel in my stinky stinky socks. Shower was most welcome.

Managed to get myself some new flops at long last.

Met back up with the crew and had a world famous ferg burg for din.

Fell asleep from walkies.