9:30am left for River Valley. Stopped to go for a 6km walk to see Taranaki falls in torrential rain. Soaked. Sun came out as soon as we got back to the bus.

Got a pic with a giant carrot on the next leg of the journey. And also a tank.

Got to River Valley lodge, in the middle of nowhere. Absolute scenes. Opted for the 6 bed dorm instead of 17!!

Roast din with nut roast for din dins 👌🏼 then played games.

9:30am lads back on tour. Went to Te Puia geysers and saw a geyser explode. Got nothing on Iceland. Saw another Kiwi but he was a bit shy and hid at the back. Also saw bubbling mud pools and cooked an egg in a naturally boiling pool.

Stopped off at Huka falls on the way to Taupo. All activities cancelled cos of the crappy weather so dranks in the room it is.

Made enchiladas for din and then went to a pub quiz. Came 6th out of 8. 👍🏼

Off to the buried village. Managed to get in for free 😏

One of the volcanoes erupted in 1886 and destroyed loads of Rotarua, one village is still partly buried. Walked round the archeological site and saw a cool waterfall. Stopped off at a volcano viewpoint on the way back to Gen’s frens mums.

Had a roll for lunch then Gen and fren kayaked and me and the Mum walked round to ‘jumping rock’. Not cool that they live on top of a giant hill 😰

BBQed when we got back. Halloumi and Lind burgers and veg kebabs then chocolate bananas and pavlova 👌🏼

SAW A REAL LIFE KIWI! Managed to get a booty pic before being told we can’t take photos.

Saw the eggs in incubators waiting to be hatched, didn’t get to see the lil baby’s in the kindergarten though 🙁

Named one of them cuddles. Officially.

Went next door to the skyline place and got a Gondala up the mountain to Mario kart back down. Two Mario runs in the rain. Got absolutely soaked.

Went back to Gen’s frens to get dry and have lunch before going to the Polynesian spa natural hot pools. So hot it made me light headed.

Went out for cuzza for din.

8:30am left the hostel and went for a walk round the caves before starting the journey to Rotarua. Stopped in Hobbiton for the peeps going to see the Hobbit village then left them there and carried on.

Dropped our bags at the hostel and walked for an hour to go to the Kiwi hatchery. Got all the way there to be told the tours only run at 10am 😒 tried the winery next door instead and that was by appointment only.

Managed to get an advent calendar in the supermarket tho 👍🏼

Got the bus back and chilled in the hostel before being picked up for our Maori experience.

They’re Polynesian peeps which means they come from within the triangle of Hawaii, NZ and Easter island.

Learnt some weird stick game and the Hakka then saw how they cook food in a pit underground. Had a show before eating it. Loz at all you can eat strikes again.

Super weird bus journey back with the bus driver singing and driving round and round the roundabout.

7:30am departed hot water beach. Stopped off in Paeroa at Karangahake gold mine. Rode in a cart like in Waluigi’s gold mine (Mario kart) and saw glow worms. Super crazy cool.

Got to the hostel in Waitomo and had some lunch before being picked up for Black Water Rafting. Major effort getting into the outfit. Wetsuit dungarees, fleece, wetsuit jacket, wetsuit socks, boots, helmet. Good to go.

Drove to the caves and picked our rubber ring of choice. Practiced jumping off waterfalls in the river. Caves here we come. One bit the ceiling was so low you had to sit in the tube and lean back and push yourself along off the ceiling to get through. G would freak.

So cool when we turned our head torches off and floated along with glow worms all over the cave above us. Felt like I was on a ride in Disney.

Had just over an hour in the caves then drove back and had the task of getting the cold wet outfits off. Nearly wet myself.

Soup and bagels to warm up 👌🏼

Went to the pub in the eve for some group bonding.

Tai got his stepdad to take me into the city so he didn’t have to wake up. Got there an hour early so got myself a maple and walnut scone in Starbs.

Went to the bus stop, met a new gal pal.

Let the Kiwi Experience begin. Crazy bus driver passed around a sheet to sign up to accommodation for the next two days.

Stopped for a pie on the way and then later stopped at a supermarket. Me and Jen got some veg and stuff to make din togevs.

1:30pm arrived at the hostel. Changed into a bikini and shorts and went back on the bus to Cathedral Cove. Started raining just as we got there 😒 walked down to the cool cove which is apparently in the second Narnia film 🤔

Thank god I didn’t pay £60 to go kayaking in the rain.

Came back and picked up some spades to go down to Hot Water Beach. Can dig yourself a pool in the sand and it’s like a lil hot tub because of the volcanic rock underneath, but the sea is sill freezing. Super cool.

Cooked ourselves din at the resort. Feel like I’m camping.

Bagged myself the double bottom bunk. Result.

Stayed an extra day so that we could go to a winery somewhere. Took until like midday for him to try and find a car as his nan was out in it. Turns out she wasn’t back until 4pm so that was a waste of everyone’s time.

Managed to watch an ep of I’m a celeb. Other than that, all round boredom.

Finally got out and the first thing he does is go to his cousins to talk to him for 10 minutes because he doesn’t have a phone!?

Went to a local vineyard and had some wine but was a bit awks by this point cos I was bored and vexed.

After we went to his friends office to have beers and play pool. Grateful for some extra company.

Lovely hash brown burg on the way home.

Can escape in the morning.

Made myself at home with some poached eggs and salmon on toast.

Went out to Christmas wonderland. Got nothing on London. Missed the market as it’s only open on Sunday and Santa is only there weekends too 🙁

Off to the night noodle market via an expensive pub. I miss Asia prices. Got a Thai pancake in the noods market.

Drove through St Heliers on the way home and saw some Mauri tribe buildings.

Had my first bar of chocolate in three months 🤤 watched a Christmas film to get in the festive spirit 😊🎄

Checked out my hostel and walked for nearly two hours as Tai was too hungover to come and get me 🙄

Had some avo on toast then set off on the sightseeing tour just as it started to rain. Like being back in England.

Luckily it stopped by the time we got to Piha. Black sand beach. Saw some cool surf and climbed the cliffs. Ticked lion rock off the list (rock shaped like a lion).

Got a fish burg on the way home then he left me to watch Mad Men whilst he went to his cousins.

Came back and watched a film and his mum made din 👌🏼