These mountains 'blue' me away...

So the Blue mountains were definitely worth exploring! We took a break from the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a day, and got a 2 hour train from 'central station' to 'Katoomba'. The journey was smooth and easy, and we didn't get lost like everyone thought we would. The mountains stretched further than the eye could see, and had a slight blue tinge to them, I guess because of the reflection of the sky. We walked along to 'Echo point' and down the VERY steep stairs to the 'three sisters' (three peaks in the picture). We saw some beautiful parrots and peacock-like birds too, but thankfully no creepy crawlers or snakes!

Get merry on the ferry!

One way to see all the best views of Sydney is to hop on the short ferry ride to MANLY beach! You sail past the Opera house, swing by the harbour bridge and then cruise off into the distance with a view of the city skyline. We went to Manly on the weekend, so it was quite busy with surfers, volley-ballers and sunbathers, but the atmosphere was great. Because it was Sunday, we only paid about $2.50 for our whole days travel! The actually beach itself is long and luscious. There's some nice restaurants to treat yourself to dinner, but also lots of bottle shops and ice cream parlours to make your beach days even more enjoyable!

BONDAI BEACH BLISS

Bondai beach really is a cool little hub with so many surfers, beach babes, rooftop cafes and beachside restaurants. I was told by a few people that I'd be underwhelmed, but I actually really liked it! The beach itself isn't too big, and you can take a coastal walk around to Gordon's bay if you want a quieter  spot. It's $6.50 to use the ocean pools as well if you fancy, which looked pretty fun... but I just stuck to eating and drinking on the beach of course ;) it's super easy to get out to the beach from central Sydney, as it's just a short bus ride away. Check it out!

                Down the rabbit hole I go... 

If you're looking for a swanky little bar that has atmosphere, good food, happy hour and plays throwbacks...then say no more! I'd definitely head to the Rabbit hole again, around 6pm on any night of the week. There's daily deals on food and $5 drinks. I had the smoked salmon rocket salad with feta, tomato, red onion and peppers. The cracked black pepper on top topped it off and I wasn't left feeling bloated (which meant more room for alcohol). This place keep getting busier and busier throughout the night and tables were reserved from very early on. It's surely a bar to visit in Sydney if you want something with style!

                     Coffee rivalry...

So apparently Melbourne and Sydney are constantly at battle with each other over who has the best coffee, art, entertainment, food, etc. Which is why Canberra got the the capital city status in the end, as it's smack bang in he middle of both! This cappuccino in Melbourne was pretty damn good! It wasn't even the slightest bit bitter, was smooth and had a rich, hit creamy after taste. I didn't have a bad coffee in Melbourne at all... so am looking forward to trying what sydney had to offer, to compare.

            Magic Mondays in Melbourne

So we arrived to Melbourne on Sunday night and stayed enjoyed the range of bars in the Fitzroy area that evening. The next few days were spent day exploring the lovely St. Kilda beach, federation square, ACMI centre (Aussie centre for the moving image), southbanks coffees and wines, a rooftop cinema and came across a hidden bar called 'Boston sub' on chapel street. GO AND FIND IT! Overall, Melbourne had a real sparkle to it. I found it similar to London, but with slightly less people, and ones that are friendlier on public transport.

                         Truffle up!

So we stayed in the funky St. Kilda for our first night in Melbourne. 2 minutes walk from our place was a busy cafe called the Galleon, with a long line outside. I immediately know it was a place to have brunch! I tried the tuffled eggs with wilted spinach and crispy mushrooms on pied bread, which was a real tongue tingler! I've never had truffled eggs, but I will definitely have them again. The rest of the menu included big meaty breakfasts, but also vegan and gluten free options to keep everyone happy. 

Where: St. Kilda Galleon cafe, Melbourne 

Price: ££

Rating: 8/10

             White sandy beach!

So white sandy beach was part of the Naviti islands around Fiji. This particular island had very high and very low tides throughout the day, which really changed the look of the beach. The family atmosphere here was thriving. You could tell that he workers really loved and cared about each other, but also you as a guest. They all remembered my name and gave me a big hug when I left, which was a nice little touch. Some of the activities included a crab race, Papaya cracking games, coconut cracking, Fijian language lesson and a cosy campfire sing-a-long at night. Assa was known as the 'Human Geko' because he could climb up and down the tree (face first) like a Geko! It was amazing! I told the family that I would tell my friends about White Sandy Beach... so I guess I should keep my word and tell all :)

                Wayalailai is the way-way! 

 

Wayalailai has some stunning beaches! It was a much bigger island than our previous, and also went up much higher. We did a hike up to the summit of the rock to watch the sunset, which was beautifulZ however coming down was a real struggle in the dark!!! We also got to snorkel with white tip reef sharks! They were about a metre long and were actually pretty friendly. Our other activity was visiting the village people in their children at their boarding school. The children had a Rota, which meant that they had to clean up and tidy away after themselves constantly... something that should be introduced to our schools in England! The people here just seem to happy and content with life, it was so refreshing and made me realise that life can be simple... we just decide to make it manic?!

             Beachcomber!

This mini paradise island showed us a great time. It's know for its party time, where 'DJ Mamma' plays music all night long until the last person leaves the bar. The entertainment included amazing fire dancers, learning the classic Bula dance and a very English quiz! We were also taught how to basket weave from coconut leaves and had the privilege of about 6 different holy hours during the day/night. Pretty lethal when you have the Sangria!!!

                        Bula!

So Bula is the word to learn when you visit Fiji for sure! You can use it to reply to most things if you like, but it's usually used as Hello or welcome.

The Fijians are the most friendly, happy and smiley people you'll meet. The men won't let you carry your luggage, and you always get a catchy welcome song when reach each new destination. They are very serious about volleyball... and are pretty damn good at it too! 

The Fijians are very family orientated and seem to dedicate their time to making sure you have the best holiday stay with them. This, along with the stunning scenery, distinctive music and cloudless-skies, makes a winning holiday destination for me.

                                  The city of unforgotten earthquakes

Christchurch or CHCH for short, seems more like a town than a city. It has a few cool bars and restaurants, but they seem to be quite far apart form each other. It also has quite an industrial look to it, but still has some character despite this. It just passed the anniversary of the biggest earthquake when we arrived, where 185 people died on 22.02.11. 

There was quite an eerie feel in town, but it was nice to pay our respects at the memorial by the river. Many buildings are still under construction, even though it is 6 years on from the earthquakes. They are still debating whether to reconstruct the cathedral in the middle of town, which at the moment is in ruins! 

As the shopping centre was demolished by the quake, the city decided to create a really funky shopping mall made from super safe and durable shipping containers, and called it the 'Re:Start mall'. It's really colourful and has lots of food/drinks stalls. The picture above is the memorial bridge which commemorates those who fought in the war with Britain during WW1.

                                Buenos dias breakfast fajitas

Black betties was definitely the spot for brunch in Christchurch! I opted for a Mexican breakfast this time just to branch out, and was not disappointed. The black beans were blended with Mexican spices, topped with a runny poached egg. Then you had 3 tortillas to play with, where you could add mushrooms, chipotle aioli, fresh veggies and smashed avocado. I of course had a latte on the side!                              
                                                   Where: Black Betties, Christchurch
                                                                           Price: ££
                                                                        Rating: 7/10

                        Wine not?! 

We called in to Waimea winery just outside of Nelson, which had a real rustic, authentic feel to it. Caitlin was our sommelier, who explained the flavours of our wines in detail, the region of the grapes and what dishes to match them with. We tried the Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Sauvignon Gris, Gruner, Rose, Pinot noir and Trevs Red - a speciality blend of various grapes from the region. 

The cheeseboard was a MUST. It came with sheep's cheese Brie, feta and New Zealand's equivalent to Montego, with candied walnuts, chopped beetroot, sliced apple and water melon on the side. It was accompanied by buttery crackers and soft bread which were well and truly cleared from the board. I enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend giving this vineyard a visit. 

Where: The cellar door, Waimea estates, Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand. 

Price:  Tasting was $5 for 3 wines. However we bought a bottle of red, so tasting was knocked off the price! 

Rating: 9/10

       A little change from eggs for breakfast! 

This fancy little cafe by day, restaurant by night was a hit in my books. I had the 'AOK' which was sliced avocado, on brown seeded bread with an avocado mousse topper and a bean sprout salad. I also added pork and fennel sausages for a little extra to get my meat fix. The bread was nice a quick, and the mousse was creamy. Anymore fennel in the sausages though would have been too much, as I'm not a huge fan of aniseed flavour! I liked the chilled atmosphere and smart decor inside, so it was a nice place to relax if you're in no rush. I'd definitely go back for brunch again one day.

Where: Egmont street eatery, wellington

Price: ££

Rating: 8/10

 

                                               What a load of waffle!

So I could only fit in half of one of these bad boys after my huge dinner at crab shack in Wellington today, but half was plenty! (Above) Some of the waffle holes were filled with soft meringue - crisped off with a blow torch, and the others filled with lemon curd. 

The waffle itself was soft and buttery and cooked in about 60 seconds! I certainly got a sugar high after this one, followed by crashing out on my bed! Regardless of this... don't ever miss out having this cheap little dessert if you're ever in Wellington. It's only a small little window below the Library bar, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Where: The little waffle shop, Courtenay Place, Wellington 

Price: £ (low)

Rating: 9/10

  I saw a Kiwi! (Bird, not the fruit)

So I finally got to see New Zealand's national bird in a sanctuary solely dedicated to conserving this cute little bird, to stop it becoming extinct. It has many predators and is a poor fighter, so it's population is decreasing rapidly. The Kiwi is a mammal-like bird which develops in its mother's womb in just 10-30 days. The egg is then laid and kept warm by its father for up to 80 days before it hatches. The 'kiwi encounter' foundation in Rotorua provides a safe environment for the eggs and chicks, keeps them well and feeds them until they are a big enough weight to survive independently. Then they are released back in to the wild, straight back where they were found. They are cute little beings that can't actually fly... so they will stay native to New Zealand for sure!

        Candles and Cocktails

Ponsonby 

The longroom - swarve decor, great atmosphere and affordable cocktail list 

Lime and passion fruit Caprioska 

Where: The longroom, Ponsonby, Auckland 

Price: ££

Rating: 9/10

Smashed avocado and a flat white

So we met a lovely Swedish girl one night who told us that she worked at a cafe that does great brunches. Obviously we wanted to check it out, and I was pretty glad we did! I had the smashed Avo on seeded brad with poached eggs, feta, tomato and balsamic vinegar drizzle. It was super fresh and super tasty. A flat white on the side complimented it well, and they even threw in a New Zealand classic 'Jaffa' chocolate on the side.

Where: The Exchange cafe 

Price: ££

Rating: 7/10

Cocktail o'clock...

I love a good cocktail on an evening, and really wanted to try something different. So I went for The Amethyst (on the right) which mixed pomegranate seeds with fresh lime, tequila, Cointreau and fresh chillis for a bit of extra spice. It was quite refreshing and spicy at the same time. There was a cute little seating area outside area overlooking the lake, so we sat out and enjoyed the view too!

Where: Little Blackwood Bar, Queenstown

Price: £££

Rating: 7/10

The BIG CLASSIC FERG!

So Ferg burger is THE PLACE to get a burger when in Queenstown. It has a national reputation for having the best burgers in town. The wait to order is never shorter than 20 minutes and the queue is always out of the door and down the main road, even late at night! Ferg are open from 7am-5am, which means a burger after a night out is also a MUST! I have had 3 burgers so far, and plan to have a few more before I leave. I didn't think I'd give in to the hype... but I most certainly did! 

I had the classic Ferg burger which consisted of a huge juicy beef patty, lettuce, tomato relish and aioli, in a soft bun.

The others I've tried: 

Bun laden - falafel 

Spring chicken - with lots of aioli

Where: Ferg Burger, Queenstown 

Price: £

Rating: 9/10

Spot the yoga pose

The view at the summit of the 'Ben Lomond hike' in Queenstown was stunning. 360 views from 1748m up really takes your breath away. It took us 5 hours to hike up and down, but it was a super steep and rocky climb to the peak. We were also greeted by a Kea at the top, which is a cheeky parrot-Iike bird that likes to steal your food. We then decided to treat ourselves to a 'Ferg burger' at the end... what an absolute treat!

Big kid for the day!

So I thought I was such an adrenaline junkie and could cope with heights and crazy falls, etc. But I was super nervous to do THE BIGGEST SWING IN THE WORLD today! It was a 300m drop into a canyon filled with rocks, so it's kind of understandable. The guys at the top were teasing us, saying that our straps were loose and kept pretending to push us off the edge early. Then they counted down from 5, but dropped us at 2... the cheeky buggers! The butterflies in my stomach went crazy! It was terrifying, but equally amazing! I would definitely recommend if you're not prone to heart attacks that is...

Milford Fiordlands... NOT sounds!

It was a long old drive to Milford, but the scenery was beautiful when we got there. We boarded the 'Jucy boat' for a 90 minute pleasant cruise through the Fiordlands (valleys filled with salt water????? Topped wth water from the glacier). The largest waterfall was 3 times the size of Niagara Falls in North America, and we cruised right up to it and got drenched! It was a dry, sunny day which made it really pretty, however I've also heard from travellers that it is even more stunning when it rains, because hundreds of waterfalls are created from the tops of the mountains.

I'll never get sick of salmon and eggs!

So I decided to have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon instead this time, so it's slightly different right?! The eggs were mixed with cream so it was even tastier. The Hollandaise sauce was nice and thick too. I also got a free coffee because I stayed at Nomads, which is always a bonus when you're travelling! 

Where: Joe's garage 

Price: £

Rating: 6/10.

Jump for your life!

So jumping out of a plane was a cocktail of weirdness, excitement and nervousness. The whole experience felt pretty surreal. We were taken to 12,000ft in a tiny aircraft, packed in like sardines. You had to be strapped to your 'tandem master' on the way up and also had your personal camera man in front of you, creating a video the whole way through! My ears popped when we got about half way, then you could start to feel the altitude sickness nearer to the top. I think my mind switched off a little to the fact that I was about to jump, because it felt way shorter than a 45 seconds free fall. I felt butterflies for about 2 seconds, then the rest was just wind in my face and mouth... it was not pretty! My favourite part was when the parachute ejected and I got to control the cords overlooking beautiful Queenstown.

NICE cream

So this is the place to have an ice cream when you're in Queenstown. There were about 20 unique flavours, which made it super hard to choose only two for myself! I went for the boysenberry, apple and raspberry frozen yoghurt & the mascarpone strawberry cheesecake ice cream. The texture was silky smooth and just the right temperature for sensitive teeth... as silly as that sounds. You can then go out and eat it in front of a stunning mountain view over lake Wakatipu.

Where: Patagonia, Queenstown 

Price: ££ 

Rating: 8/10

Tunisians know how to bake!

This Tunisian orange and lemon cake had the right amount of moistness and softness, along with strong flavours which complimented a nice milky latte on the side. Vudu cafe serves an array of brunches which I will be returning to try in the next few days for sure. The selection of cakes was quite large, it was really difficult to choose just one! You can find this place on Rees street in the middle of Queenstown. It has a front and back door, so there's no excuse for missing it! 

Where: Vudu, Queenstown, New Zealand 

Price: ££ 

Rating: 7/10

A taste of Wanaka

Wanaka is full of fancy restaurants. I decided to opt for a tasting menu with paired wines. Entrees included smoked salmon, popcorn corn on the cob and a duck, pickled fennel and fig dish (above). The main was confi lamb shoulder, iceberg lettuce with horseradish and potatoes roasted in duck fat. Dessert was a cylindrical ice cream cone with vanilla pods and apricots. 

Where: Kika, Wanaka 

Price: ££££ 

 Rating: 9/10

Wonderful Wanaka

Wanaka was the next stop from Franz Josef, before Queenstown. We drove along the west coast where the sand flies were hideously irritating, to a beautiful lakeside town with lots of character. The town itself gets busy in the winter too, and has a real ski-town feel to it. You can trek 3 hours up to Roys peak, or 45 minutes up mount iron. Both have stunning views! The lonely tree in the picture is famous for being out so far in the lake on its own. So far Wanaka has offered a lot of fancy restaurants, quirky bars and leisurely walks.

'Ginuinely' happy!

 Gin and tonic in a crystal cut glass with a raspberry rim, overlooking the Lake Wanaka is a great way to end a day. You can see the sun setting in the distance, behind the glorious snowcapped mountains. The story from the night before had left a nice sheet of white on the tips. This bar had a lovely, heated roof terrace, smooth music and ambiance. Not to mention the crisp drink that went down easily. 

Where: Gin and Raspberry, Wanaka 
Price: £££
 Rating: 7/10

Troll alert

 So my nieces gave one of their favourite Troll toys to take away with me for good luck, and asked me to take him everywhere that I go. So here he is at Thunder Creek falls, which has fresh glacier water from the southern Alps in the South Island. It was a refreshing pitstop from Franz Josef to Wanaka.

Fish when it's freezing

 So it rained and it poured when we arrived in beautiful Franz Josef, and it was pretty cold! It was quite cold, and our glacier climb was cancelled on both days. We were absolutely gutted, because it is a MUST DO here. The clouds were too low to allow the helicopter to get you up. Instead I had a tasty grilled fish burger with a garden salad.

Where: Full of Beans, Franz Josef
Price: £££
Rating: 5/10

Time to learn a little history

It was a rainy, windy day in Wellington. The perfect day to visit Te Papua museum. I'd highly recommend the Gallipoli war exhibition, which showed how the Anzacs (Kiwi and Aussie soldiers) joined forces with Britain in WW1 to fight in Turkey against the Germans. Worth a visit. 

Just four Lake bums

Nelson lake national park was a pretty stunning site. The water was a little chilly, and had rather large eels in it, but otherwise was quite enjoyable and peaceful!

Hikers heaven

Abel Tasman National park was a real beaut. We took an aqua Taxi across the bumpy sea to a more secluded part of the park. It was a leisurely hiking trail, with a lot of bugs! However I thoroughly enjoyed it and rewarded myself with a fresh Vanilla milkshake later.

Latte alert

It's always time for a Latte when you have one of those wet, miserable days whilst away travelling. The Latter art was pretty and the coffee itself was smooth. We stopped of in a place called 'Panukaiki', where there were the formations were stacked like pancakes. There were also lots and lots of cute seals hanging about!

A healthy backpackers lunch

If you've ever backpacked, you'd understand that cheap is cheerful, but not always tasty or sustainable, over a long period of time! Today we decided to throw together a few colourful fruits and veggies, alongside some hummus and a jasmine green tea. It was only a few NZ dollars between us too. No malnourishment for this traveller!

When blue meets green

Just a sensational view from the peak, looking over Taupo. The lake in the distance was formed by a volcanic eruption 5000 years ago. It is also roughly the size of Singapore!

Snow capped volcanos and waterfalls

Stopping off at Terikaki falls was a must when travelling from Taupo to River valley. Perfectly blue skies, above a dormant volcano and a refreshing waterfall was a lovely pit stop. There was a good footpath walk through the trees which looped you back round to a fancy hotel which served high tea. Unfortunately, I did not treat myself to that at the end (although I'm sure I deserved it).

Yellow yumminess

This Eggs Montreal was cooked to near perfection! The salmon was super fresh and the muffins were toasted just right. The hollandaise sauce was very rich and creamy, so I didn't need another bite. It went down smoothly with a little Latte on the side. 

Where: Olive on Cuba street, Wellington 

Price: £ (very cheap)

Rating: 8/10

Lodge in the wilderness

Next stop was River Valley, where we stayed in a rather large lodge and had a tastyyyyy roast dinner, lots of wine and a little chocolate when we got peckish later. There was a beautiful river down in the valley, as you may have guessed from the name. It had a pulley swing that went across it, so that you could swing and jump in the chilly water (if you were crazy enough).

It would be Rhubarb not to...

Fig and rhubarb crusted pie, with a scoop of fresh mascarpone went down a treat. The crisp pastry with sprinkled sugar complemented the taut filling. I also had an apple, lime and mint herbal tea in a cute little pot. It was an explosion of flavours. 

Where: Loretta's, Wellington 

Price: ££

Rating: 7/10

Kia Ora!

...also means Welcome, in the Maori language. Staying with the native tribe is a real cultural MUST, when visiting New Zealand. We played traditional games, learnt their alphabet song, and the men jooned in with the famous Haka ritual dance. We also indulged in 'Hungi???' Which is their famous way of cooking underground in a pit with hot coals. It was truly succulent and delicious! 

Just chilling, waiting for Frodo...

So Hobbiton village in Matamata, Rotorua really made you feel like a hobbit! The gardens were kept in pristine condition , and there were large and small Hobbit holes to create different perspectives for the film. You also get a free hobbit cider at the end in the cutest little hobbit bar!

Tall trees

We stopped off to explore the beautiful Redwood trees in the forest on our way to Taupo. Definitely worth a walk, there was an hour or half and hour option. We were told to watch out for 'weta' bugs. I didn't see any big ones, but I could certainly hear them.

Windy summit!

Took a short, but very vertical hike up to the summit of Mount Tauhara Maunga. We were very nearly blown away during this picture (as my hair shows). We met a friendly Canadian on the way up, who gave us a well deserved bottle of 'Lion red' Kiwi beer at the top too! There were a couple of slips and slides on the way down, but we survived and made it to the lake to have a little picnic. 

Cathedral cove

About a 30 minute hike down, up and down again to a beautiful little cove area with an variety of trees growing sideways from the rocks above you. You only have a limited time to enter through the arch to another beach area, before the tide rolls up and traps you in. 

 Pulled pork kiwi fruit nachos

Lots going on here! These nachos were an explosion of taste, finished off with an original 'Kiwi fruit salsa'...seeing as I am in Kiwi territory!

Cost: £££

Rating: 7/10

Pump up the heat at Hot Water Beach

A place where you use shovels to dig deep in to the sand to make your very own hot tub! You have to search around a little for the right spot of not too hot, not too cold. Just like Goldilocks and her porridge. 

...Legend has it that the native tribes used to cook their enemies alive in these hot pools and eat them to spite the other tribe. NICE.