Over the Pond

Tomorrow I leave Auckland for Melbourne, and have to sort my life out and find a job for a few months. I'm going to miss the freedom of travelling, but it'll be nice to be in one place for a while, and I'll be staying with family there. 

But I am going to miss New Zealand a lot. Its snowy mountains, misty forest-covered hills, sparkling clear lakes, spectacular glaciers, golden beaches, vivid colours, volcanic rock formations straight out of Lord of the Rings, the charming Maori accent, activities galore, parties and relaxed atmosphere. 

People say you're either a New Zealand or Australia person, and I've loved NZ. Come on Australia, top this and I'll love you forever. 

The Kiwi Experience Bus

The Kiwi Experience, along with Stray, is one of the most popular ways to get around New Zealand, with a comprehensive network of hop-on hop-off buses around both islands.

The Kiwi bus is very popular with British teens on their gap yahs, and I had pretty much nothing in common with 60% of people on the buses I hopped onto. But, I made some incredible friends and had one of the best times of my life. 

It's a very slick operation, and all the drivers know exactly how it works, and can recommend places that are best to hop off if you have spare time to explore more. As I did it in autumn/ winter, there were four buses a week, so hopping off usually meant three nights in one place, but in summer there are buses every day. However, it's much busier in summer, and there might be some difficulty getting the bus you want unless you call or email the office and book a few days in advance. Most buses I was on, except the first one with the newbies all starting in Auckland, were quiet. Once you're on one bus they assume you're staying on it and following the set itinerary until you book a different bus with the main office. The timetables are available online. 

Most people, including me, hop off for a while in Queenstown, mainly because it's a fantastic place with loads to do. And the most popular route seemed to be Auckland to Christchurch, which works really well. That way you don't have the dull activity-less ride north to Auckland, but having said that I made my own fun on that section of the trip in Taupo and Auckland. The only thing that is a shame to miss out on if you finish in Christchurch is the whale-watching or dolphin swimming in Kaikoura, but you can pay the Kiwi Experience driver NZ$20 extra to take you there, and then arrange a local bus back to Christchurch. 

Before every stop you make, the driver will pass round sign-up sheets for activities on offer. These are normally at a good discount, often as good as 30% off. And there are often a variety of options. Or you can do nothing if you want to save money or feel like having an afternoon/morning off. I was in need of a break after five days straight of at least one big activity per day. I loved the madness, but it's nice to sit back from the fast pace once in a while. 

The drivers do the same with accommodation sheets. Most people stay together, but if you've booked ahead somewhere else they can normally drop you there. The accommodation can be cheaper if you book ahead online, so if you can find out what hostel everyone is staying at, you can save money that way. 

When it comes to choosing what pass you want to buy (basically what you want to see in New Zealand), I would definitely recommend going for one that includes both islands if your time limit/ budget allows. Both islands are packed full of things to do, with the south being more rugged and beautifully wild, and the north full of culture, beaches and activities. 

The Deep South (Dunedin, the Catlins, Invercargill and Milford Sound) is very scenic. But if you're pressed for time I would recommend just doing the Milford Sound day trip from Queenstown. 

I can't comment on the Bay of Islands section because it wasn't included in my pass, but the people who went there, even in autumn, said that it was beautiful. I'd be more inclined to go and see its beaches if it was summer though. 

Either of those sections can be bought from your driver if you want to do them and they're not included in your pass. 

Absolutely look at what passes they have on offer at the time you book. This is just one of their pages on their website. I got my Auckland-Auckland Chilly Bin pass for 46% off, bringing it to less than NZ$900. And that includes the cruise at Milford Sound as part of the Deep South. 

I didn't meet anyone who said they had paid full price for their ticket. So have a look and see what's on offer. They rotate the passes on offer every so often. 

To be honest, I thought that the price I paid was a good deal, and made it worth it. I wouldn't have been happy to pay upwards of NZ$1000 for it. But it all depends on your budget. 

Alternatives include the Naked Bus system, and Stray. 

And when it comes to deciding how much time to allow, have a look at the 'minimum days' they suggest for each pass, and go from there. Try to leave yourself some days to play with, so you can hop off if you want to. You might meet people you want to stay with. Most people stay extra nights in Wellington, Kaiteriteri and Queenstown. I heartily recommend QT out of those though, if you only have time to hop off in one place. But for the most part I found people didn't hop off in many places, if at all. 

Overall, I think the Kiwi Experience is a fantastic way to meet people, have a nice easy time, and see this amazing country. But it's definitely not the only way to do it.

Full Circle

And I'm back in Auckland! Where I started my New Zealand adventure a month ago. I've finished the Kiwi Experience now, and I've got three days left until I fly to Melbourne on Thursday. It was nice because I was the first person on the Kiwi bus when I started, and I was the last person off when I got back here.

Auckland is a good place to spend a few days. It's New Zealand's biggest city, with a third of the country's entire population living here. But it still doesn't feel busy or crowded in the centre. I think it's quite spread out. There's plenty to see and do, but so far I've been content just to wander round the centre and enjoy being in a city again. Even Wellington feels like a town. But I have been used to sprawling Latin American metropolises. 

It's properly winter now, being mid-June, and yet Auckland is 18 degrees and sunny. This is British summer! If this was my winter I'd have nothing to complain about. But it is weird that there are ice rinks up and winter lights, but it's not Christmas. It feels very incongruous. Southern hemisphere problems. 

Parts of Auckland remind me a lot of my hometown of Birmingham, so it's nice to have some familiarity around me. 

It's also very multi-cultural, with a large population of Pacific islanders and Asian people. There are so many Korean and Japanese restaurants around, I'm in heaven! If only my budget would stretch to eating out for every meal. 

I was worried that my last week here would be dull, but I met a great group of people in Taupo a few days ago and most of them are in Auckland for a few days like me. So it's been a lot of fun. Tomorrow I think I'll do the Sky Tower, the southern hemisphere's tallest building, and possibly take a ferry to New Zealand's answer to the Hamptons, Waiheke Island, on Wednesday. 

I've got to enjoy my last few days of freedom before I land in Melbourne and have to find me one of those job things people keep talking about. 

Retracing my Steps

The last few days I've been heading north, following the same path I took a month ago. I stopped for a few days in Wellington and stayed with my family friends again. They were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. So I left feeling nice and refreshed.

Right now I'm in Taupo again. I hopped off the Kiwi Experience bus here because I've got a week left before I leave for Australia and I didn't want to spend the whole week mooching around Auckland. And I did want to explore Lake Taupo more when I was here the first time. 

This afternoon I did the Barbary boat tour out to see the Maori carvings on the cliffside, and that was really cool to see. And there were skydivers jumping above us, which took me right back to when I did my skydive a few weeks ago. It still gives me tingles to remember it. 

Tomorrow I'm planning to do a walk around the lake for a bit, and then I might go to the hot pools, depending on price. 

Although I'm still having a good time and there are some cool people at my hostel, the majority of the New Zealand fun is over now, and I kind of just want to go to Australia. I actually changed my flight a few months ago to give myself extra time here, in case I wanted to hop off and explore somewhere more, and I kind of regret that. But it's better to still be in nice places for a few days than have to cut short plans, and I wanted to have enough time to be flexible. 

I absolutely love New Zealand though. I have to say, a working holiday visa here is an extremely tempting thought. 

Whale Watching in Kaikoura

After all the excitement of Queenstown, I was a bit worried that my trip back up to Auckland with the Kiwi Experience would be boring, especially as the best friends I made all finished their trips in Queenstown. And yesterday at cloudy Lake Tekapo started to confirm those fears. Today in Kaikoura changed them.

I went whale watching just off the Pacific coast, with big hopes of seeing a whale at least once. And it was much better than that! We saw two separate sperm whales, a pair of humpback whales, common dolphins, dusky dolphins, seals and albatrosses. It was so worth the money to do it. 

The dolphins playfully leapt up around the boat, exactly how I'd imagined them to. 

And the whales. They were so impressive! When they were floating on the surface it was difficult to get an idea of how big they are, but when they dive and give you the opportunity for the classic tail shot it's pretty overwhelming. One girl in our group actually started crying. And I was moved. They're just quite majestic creatures. 

Tomorrow morning we're heading north to the ferry over to Wellington, and on the way stopping at a seal colony just north of Kaikoura, which is home to dozens of baby seals. A girl I met in Dunedin showed me a video clip of them all playing around a small waterfall, and it looks like the cutest thing in the world. So that should wake me up in the morning! 

Ten days left in New Zealand now, and then it's over the pond to Australia. And then I need to start job hunting. Time to settle somewhere for a bit, a feeling I'm not exactly used to right now. 

Queenstown!

Queenstown deserves that exclamation mark. In fact, I think it deserves several. What a place!

I'd heard Queenstown was New Zealand's adventure and nightlife capital, so I was imagining a bustling city filled with neon lights and dodgy back alleys. I should have expected a surprise from this country. Queenstown is the most happening village in the world. It's made up of maybe five main streets, and is nestled in a narrow strip of flat land by a pristine blue lake under fantastic mountain scenery. 

And it did not fail to disappoint. I went out on four of the six nights I was there, and three of them were in a row. That's a first for me, but Queenstown is the place to do it. There are bars for every taste. As part of a bar crawl I did we went to one of the two Ice Bars there, where everything down to the floor, chairs, tables and glasses were made of ice. We went to Cowboys, a Western-themed bar with a bull. I'm still nursing a spectacular bruise on my leg from giving that a go. But my favourite place to end the night was Winnie's. There was a good dancefloor, which is basically all I need for a night out. Every Thursday they do a competition night for prizes provided by Peter Pan's. I forced my friend Laura into the dancing contest, and we won! We got a two for one paraglide from the top of Queenstown gondola. (Which for various reasons, mainly the incompetency of the company, we weren't able to do). And our friend Michelle won a two for one skydive as well. All in all it was a successful night. 

Queenstown is also home to Fergburger, where they'll make you a burger as big as your head. And they taste so good. We went there four times. (I just ate a vegetable stir fry before writing this post, cooked with no oil. That's how hard Queenstown hit me). 

Aside from all the bungy jumping, skydiving, luging, jet boating, hiking, canyon swings, and whatever else you could ever want to do, the gondola ride up to the top of a mountain overlooking the town and the lake is well worth doing. We used it to break up the cycle of drunk-hungover-repeat we found ourselves in. And we did some luging while we were there, just for good measure. 

Just as an aside, you'll find some amazing deals for activities on bookme.co.nz, which beat pretty much everything you'll find on the high street. 

After a few days in Queenstown, Laura and I embarked on the Deep South section of the Kiwi Experience. We took in Dunedin, and saw the world's steepest street and Cadbury World NZ. We went to the Catlins and saw sealions and the world's rarest type of penguin on a beach made of petrified Jurassic forest. We spent the night in Invercargill, the world's southernmost city, and then on the third day - Milford Sound. 

Milford Sound is a fjord on the Tasman Sea, and has been unofficially named the Eighth Wonder of the World. You can do it in a long day trip from Queenstown, or stay closer to it, in places like Te Anau.

Now... I don't want to put a downer on it, because it is beautiful. But honestly I didn't think it deserved all the hype. It was a cloudy day when I was there, so it might be different when the water reflects a clear blue sky, but I've seen photos of Scandinavian fjords that were more impressive. However, I would still recommend going. The boat cruise we did onto the fjord was beautiful, and even the drive there through the Fiordland National Park was full of stunning scenery. It's got to the point where your average perfect reflections in crystal clear lakes of snowy mountains rising above rich pine forests is nothing special. I have to keep reminding myself what I'm surrounded by. 

I already miss Queenstown, and I've only been away for two nights. I had great friends there, who have now left New Zealand, so I'm back to travelling north solo. And every day was full of new things, activities, and great sights. It was just the best time. I was on top of the world, at the bottom of the world. 

If you come to New Zealand, you have to include Queenstown in your itinerary. It may be tiny, but it packs a punch. 

And I Owe it All to New Zealand

More madness and fantastic fun on the south island. I can't write everything I've done since Wellington, but I've found a great group of people who I've been with on the bus and seen some fabulous scenery. Today was especially unbelievably beautiful, travelling from Franz Josef to Wanaka.

I guess the highlight of the last few days was hiking on the Franz Josef glacier. We were the first group allowed onto it in a week because of poor weather conditions, so we were incredibly lucky. 

We were fully kitted out with layers, boots, crampons, and a fetching bumbag for some food and our cameras. Then we were flown up to the glacier in a helicopter. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so that was very exciting. And the views were spectacular before we'd even set foot on the ice. 

Once we got used to walking with crampons we started up the ice sheet, avoiding holes that dropped away into nothingness. And it was so much fun. We traversed crevasses, ice walls and caves, using ropes to walk along icy ledges. And all the while we were surrounded by glittering ice and snow; tall mountains on either side, the rock only divided by the occasional waterfall; and blessed with a bright blue sky. 

Once the sun was on us it wasn't too cold, but we were in the shade for the first two hours of our three on the glacier. 

I count myself very lucky that I got to do this, not only because of the weather, but because the glacier is retreating and it's unclear how many years there are left when it will be safe to walk on it. So at least I can say I've done it. And it was a great experience - definitely a New Zealand highlight. 

Tomorrow we get to Queenstown, which I'm really excited about. It's meant to be a hub of activities with a beautiful setting. Hopefully it will live up to its reputation! 

Every time I assess my life at the moment I'm happy with it. Going travelling is easily the best decision I ever made. Long may it continue. 

Whirlwind

Oh my god. The last few days have been manic! Manic in the absolute best way. I'm loving New Zealand and everything it has to offer. I feel like I've done more in the last week than I have in my whole life. 

The Kiwi Experience really packs it in with the activities. I've done at least one thing (usually two) that I've been looking forward to every day. 

Just a few highlights have been: 

Black water rafting in the Waitomo glowworm caves. I was slightly nervous about these because I don't like being trapped in small places, but I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. There was only one bit that was quite tight, where the roof of the cave came down to about two feet above the water, and when you're floating in a rubber tube that doesn't leave much room for your body! 

The glowworms were beautiful, and at one point we all turned off our head torches and just watched the small pricks of turquoise light dance along the ceiling high above us. We even jumped backwards off some waterfalls into splash pools, because the two hours underground paddling through ice cold water apparently wasn't exciting enough. 

The whole thing was great fun, and I'm no longer worried about going into caves. It just took a while to regain feeling in my fingers... 

On Tuesday most of my bus did the famous Tongariro Crossing, a 20km hike over two active volcanoes, also passing Mt Doom. And I can't recommend this enough. It is difficult, especially at this time of year now it's getting to winter. In fact we were told not to attempt Mt Doom, an optional off-shoot of the main path, because we'd need crampons and ice picks. Some people did try it (this is the Kiwi Experience after all) but everyone who did was forced to turn back by the weather. 

The weather was mixed, but while it was a gorgeous day with blue skies in the real world, once we reached the top of the Red Crater the weather closed in on us. We were enveloped in swirling clouds and battered by strong winds. The winds can get up to 120km there so it's not for the faint of heart, especially with the sharp drop into misty nothingness that keeps you company for a decent stretch of the ascent. 

But the views were incredible. Absolutely worth the 6.5 hour hike. You start off in a dead volcanic plain, with some marshland stretching to the hardened lava flows winding down the steep mountainside. It's proper Mordor territory. 

Then you head up the Devil's Staircase and see the stunning Mt Doom from its neighbouring steaming volcano. 

From there you keep going up into snow-covered rocky terrain. 

Then it gets really good. When the clouds parted we were rewarded with views of the surrounding valleys, Lake Taupo and best of all, the Emerald Lakes at the foot of the mountain. 

Claire and I (she was the girl my pace seemed to match so we did it together) had lunch just above the lakes, and it was so worth the gruelling climb and slippery scree-slide to get down. 

I don't think any of us were quite prepared for how intense the climb would be, but we all managed it. I think our first clue should have been the sign at the start of the trail saying: "Stop! Are you prepared for this?" and the numerous signs later on warning not to stay in these areas too long due to volcanic activity. So if you do it, which I do recommend, take winter gear, plenty of food, and be ready! 

Now the last thing is easily a highlight of my life so far, and it will be difficult to top. This was the afternoon before the Crossing, at Lake Taupo. 

I did a skydive. A skydive! Me! Now if you know me, you'll know that I'm not the kind of person you'd expect to do one. But I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I came to New Zealand, with beautiful blue sky, and didn't throw myself out of a plane. 

And because I'd decided I was going to do it, and knew I wouldn't back out, that seemed to blanket me in an unshakeable sense of calm. Even when I was going up to 15,000 feet, watching the ground drop away into a landscape painting, I felt fine. Even when I was sitting at the door of the plane, legs dangling into the wind, with Ricky strapped to my back, I felt fine. 

And then we jumped. 

I have my face immortalised in the video they took, and it ain't pretty. The first two seconds or so I did not feel fine. I think it was the shock, especially as I'd been so weirdly calm. But then, once I opened my eyes and looked down at the view, I loved it. It didn't feel like falling, and there was no stomach lurching feeling, thank god. It was very windy, and if you look directly down then you can't breathe because of the wind, but the views... Thinking back still makes me smile. Lake Taupo glittering in the sun, the fields and mountains shining green, the volcanoes on the lakeside spurting plumes of white steam into the air far below. Indescribable. 

From 15,000 feet the freefall lasts one minute, and from 12,000 it's 45 seconds. It goes incredibly quickly, and then the parachute opens with a crotch-crunching whoosh. I was originally going to go for the 12,000 option, but when they asked me I changed my mind at the last moment. Why not, ey? And it was worth it for the extra time of flying through the air. 

And afterwards everyone was still soaring. The feeling is amazing. We all watched each other's videos in the small cinema room at Skydive Taupo HQ, and saw our cheeks flapping in the wind. The most hilarious is when the wind catches your lips and forces them open like a demented duck. Thankfully that didn't happen to me, but my cheeks were going a mile a minute. You can actually choose the music they put over the video from a selection they have, and I chose Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO. Of course. And when they say the line "I'm in a speedo trying to tan my cheeks", the wind catches mine and they wobble like crazy. Well done, video editor. 

I think it's because the last few days have been such a whirlwind of new exciting things, but it still doesn't feel like I did a skydive. That was some other insane adrenalin-junkie, not just little old me. 

I'm starting to think this is indeed the best time of my life. I'm most certainly in a high period right now. 

I'm currently staying with family friends in apocalyptic-wind battered Wellington, and tomorrow morning I rejoin the Kiwi Experience bus on the ferry crossing to the South Island. I've heard very good things about the south, so if it's better than the north I will be the happiest man on earth. 

Fush n Chups

Well New Zealand is off to a flying start. It's such a jam-packed itinerary with the Kiwi Experience there's barely time to stop and think.

Yesterday I was picked up by the bus in Auckland, and I was the first person on it, but it quickly filled up, with just one seat spare out of 55. So there's a lot of us! The driver was exactly how I'd imagined, overbearingly a *cool dude* playing the clown, with the occasional casual racism thrown in for good measure. 

Most of the people on the bus are Brits, as I'd expected, and young, also as expected. There are some proper lads on this bus, who I don't have a lot in common with. But I've met some really cool people. Generally the more mature, and older, passengers. I think I'm getting old... 

So from Auckland, we headed to Hot Water Beach and our accommodation there. The beach was beautiful. Lonely Planet voted it one of the top 25 most beautiful beaches in the world. Not too shabby. But more than that, its name comes from the pools that you can dig in the sand, which fill with naturally hot water from the ground. And I mean hot. Sometimes it was too scalding to stand in the pools. 

It's autumn here now, but the days are still quite warm here in the north, and yesterday it was very sunny and pleasant. So our next stop - Cathedral Cove - and the hike there, were lovely. The Cove is so worth going to. The rock formations are nothing short of majestic, and we were there at sunset, so the volcanic islands offshore shone with the orange light and the clouds hanging over the ocean turned violet. 

I finished the day with my first fish and chips in three months since I left home. And it was a Friday - chip night! I even treated myself to some Cadbury chocolate for dessert. Living the dream. 

Today we came to Waitomo. This is something I've been looking forward to for months - the glowworm caves. There are lots of options for going into the caves, including wet and dry ones. I went for the second most extreme wet option, so there wasn't an abseil or zip line, but it was NZ$100 cheaper. With the Kiwi Experience we get discounts for all the activities we do, so it was NZ$90 for the 'Black Labyrinth' with the Legendary Black Rafting Co. 

Now I really wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this trip, as I get a bit claustrophobic, and I didn't know how I'd cope with two hours in the dark. But I absolutely loved it. 

We were given all the gear - thick wetsuits, helmets with torches, and rubber rings for the black water rafting element of the trip. The guides were very nice, and talked us through what we were actually going to do. 

The limestone caves are beautiful. And you're accompanied the whole way through the twists, turns, tunnels and the occasional waterfall by the ethereal glow of the glowworms on the roof of the caverns, clustered around the enormous stalactites. At one point we all switched off our head torches and looked up at them. Such a sight. 

Everyone's hands got extremely numb by the end of the trip, but the wetsuits kept our bodies warm enough. Even when we were jumping backwards from the top of waterfalls into the splash pools below. 

It was such a good experience, and something I might have skipped if I wasn't doing the Kiwi Experience. That's one of the main reasons I paid the extra money for the bus trip, rather than just going for a hop on hop off intercity bus pass. I want to push myself to do things I wouldn't normally. Now is the time in my life to do these things. 

The crazy schedule continues tomorrow, with Hobbiton (omg) and the Maori cultural dinner and show in Rotorua. Can't get enough! 

No Pink This Week

Oh New Zealand! Right from when I stepped off the plane I was comfortable here. It's so similar to Britain. Wandering round Auckland this afternoon I felt like I could be in a district of my hometown that I just hadn't been to before. 

But a big difference is the cleanliness. I barely saw any litter on the streets all day. I'd been told that New Zealand is a clean country, but it's a really clean country. And everyone I've come across has been very friendly. And I feel so safe, even wandering round unfamiliar city streets at 6am this morning. So far, this country is doing it right. 

Getting here was on the shortest 13 hour flight ever, after my 24 hours on a bus last week. That trip actually feels like ages ago. So much has happened between then and now. 

And now, here I am, missing a Wednesday from my week and a bit sleep deprived, but wandering round the town made me feel very at home. For one thing, it rained. I haven't seen rain in weeks. But the temperature is comfortable, about the same as Santiago was. So I haven't been thrown in at the deep end just yet. 

Earlier I was thrown into some kind of familiar food-related ecstasy though. I went shopping for lunch, and came across a treasure trove. Baked beans, British tea, Patak's curry sauce, Bisto... And all the Cadbury chocolate I could ever want. And in fantastic flavours we don't have in the UK, like Rocky Road. What did we do to not deserve that!? 

But there's already been some reverse culture shock. I keep wanting to 'Hola' people, and almost throwing toilet paper on the floor, because there's no bin for it, because the plumbing works here! Heaven. And there are no stray dogs. And they drive on the left, so I keep looking the wrong way when crossing the road. South America could kill me yet. 

So on the whole, New Zealand, with its autumnal leaves (I haven't seen deciduous trees in months), Maori language option on ATMs, and singing pedestrian crossings, is hitting the spot. 

Doesn't mean I don't miss Latin America just a little though. 

Tomorrow I start the Kiwi Experience bus tour, heading to the first stop at Hot Water Beach. I'm not sure how beach-appropriate the weather will be, but the area looks beautiful. Time to start my New Zealand adventure! And quite possibly put on weight. I've missed a lot of food... 

Adiós

Tomorrow I leave South America. After three months, six countries, and countless unforgettable experiences. The time has passed unbelievably quickly since the 20th February, when I first touched down in fabulous Rio. This section of my journey ending has kind of sparked a quarter-trip crisis. I certainly didn't think I'd be this sad to be leaving this continent. Not because I didn't like it, because god knows that's not true, but because I didn't think I'd have time to get emotionally attached, having moved about so much. But apparently I can't not get emotionally attached. 

Having said all of this, I am so excited about New Zealand. Travelling there will certainly be easier and less stressful than South America. I wonder if that will make it less exciting. 

My last few days have been here in Santiago. It's a nice city - very modern, with lots of green spaces and an interesting blend of historical buildings and sparkling skyscrapers, one of which is the tallest building in Latin America. This evening I went and watched the sunset from one of Santiago's hills, Cerro Santa Lucia, and had a bit of reflecting time. 

The last few days were made especially nice by staying with my friend who lives here. He very kindly invited me to stay with him, so it's been a comfortable few days. And on Friday night I met up with a couple who were on my salt flat tour, so it was nice to see them again. 

I'm not planning a wild last night, but I think there might be wine involved at least. Chilean wine is so good, and half the price it is in the UK. 

And even though I'm taking a giant step across the Pacific tomorrow night (and losing a day in the process) it's definitely not goodbye to Latin America forever. In the last three months I've just scratched the surface of what this place has to offer, and my head is brimming with ideas for future trips. So I guess it's not adiós, it's more hasta pronto. And I feel better about that. 

My Trip

I thought I'd just give a brief overview of where I'm planning to go on this trip, although I'm prepared for my plans to completely change at times. This will be a lesson in flexibility! (A lesson I think I need to learn...)

I booked my ticket with STA Travel and it cost £2200, so considering the amount of flights it includes, and the distance I'll travel, I absolutely could not fault the deal. There are some mileage and destination restrictions, but luckily everywhere I wanted to go fitted in nicely with those.

So the plan!

On 20th February I fly London to Rio, and I'm there for the spectacular Carnival period. I've got tickets booked with a friend (who happens to be travelling in Brazil at the same time as me) to go to the Sambadrome and watch the samba parade there, which just looks fantastic. (I'm a big fan of Latin dancing, so that was a big draw of the Rio Carnival for me).

I'm then planning to make my way down the south coast of Brazil and end up at Iguassu Falls on the border of Argentina, and then go to Buenos Aires. From there I'll fly to Peru and work my way down the coast to fly out of Santiago, Chile. I'm hoping to arrange some volunteering for when I'm in Peru (yes, I'm actually volunteering in Peru...) but that's still high up on my to-do list!

Then I've booked a Kiwi Experience bus tour of New Zealand to take in both islands and see the sights. And possibly even do a skydive! It will be winter there, so I'm preparing to wrap up warm. Might be a bit of a change after South America...

Then I've got a Working Holiday visa for Australia, and hope to be there for a few months while I work and build my funds back up. And conveniently wait for the weather to warm up.

I fly out of Cairns and have a week in Hong Kong before heading into Bangkok and traversing South East Asia in a loop, and then I come back to the UK from Bangkok. At the moment I'm expecting to be back in January or February next year (my flight ticket is valid for 12 months from the date of departure) but obviously if my money runs out I'll be back sooner! Flexibility, Miles, flexibility...

My ticket is flexible, in that I can change the dates (and even destinations) for a fee. I bought STA Travel's Multi-flex Pass, which allows for three changes without an admin fee charged by STA Travel. However, if the price of the ticket I want to change it to is more expensive than what I paid, I have to pay the difference.

And that's the flow of my trip! As you can imagine, I am incredibly excited. And while part of me just wants to leave right now and start exploring the world, another part of me is still very attached to the UK and home. I know I'll be fine once I'm out there (I've lived in Japan twice, for which I kept a different blog - Memoirs of a Gaijin) but there's a lot to get done before it's a reality.

Wish me luck!