Well here I am writing the last entry from New Zealand... I thought the day would never come and yet here it is. I've had an amazing year in New Zealand - experienced & seen so much.  From Stewart Island to Golden Bay to the Coromandel Peninsula - all of it has been so beautiful.  I've met amazing people & have sparked up so many good friendships. Some day I'll be back to trace some of my footsteps..

 

Next stop: Kuala Lumpur.  Tomorrow my flight leaves Auckland and after a few days spent in Malaysia, I look forward to a roadtrip around Northern France with my dad.  Can't wait to drive on the open road again!

 

Cheers for reading the ol blog & see you all next week in Ireland!

At the moment I'm in a little seaside village called Tairua on the Coromandel Peninsula.  It's a really nice place - small & rural and the people are really easy-going.  The weather is still fantastic up here too (apart from a big rain storm last week) and I've been taking advantage by refining my pretty pathetic skills on a surfboard.. I'm having a lot of trouble even standing on the board up here - the waves are huge & have no trouble in flattening me everytime I think I get close to riding one.  Apart from surfing I've been working in a restaurant as a kitchen-hand (doing prep & washing dishes) - the hours are drying up (summer season is coming to an end) so I'm not sure where I'll be this time next week..

 

Had a good time roadtrippin around the North Island with Niamh - we saw lots of interesting things including (can't believe I'm putting them all on a list - makes better reading than a big long sentence I guess):

 

- the longest pier in NZ (well it wasn't that interesting really..)

 

- a lighthouse on the East Cape overlooking the Ocean.  We were supposed to watch sunrise from here - the first in the world, but the car got stuck in the grass when were trying to leave.  We also had to endure a one-way conversation from a local farmer whose land we were
camping on - he was going to charge us to stay but then heard we were Irish.  In hindsight we shouldn't have mentioned a thing as this launched him into an hour-long description of his ancestry (parts of which were repeated over and over for effect).

 

- geysers & bubbling mud pools in Rotorua.

 

- Cathedral Cove & hot water beach in the Coromandel, where you dig a hole in the sand & thermal springs fill it up.  This has to be done around low-tide so we were down before dawn equipped with pots (ahem..) to dig with.  Turned out to be a disaster so we tried again in the late-afternoon when we had a bit more success & eventually gate-crashed into a big communal hot pool.  So nice...

 

- big waves in Raglan where I managed to surf for the first time.  I tried not to think about the shark attack that happened at the start of the summer..

 

- Lake Taupo, where we got wet in the tent & Niamh couldn't do a skydive because of bad weather.  We did get to see the buried village of Te Wairoa though (which was a load of shite by the way).  A volcano erupted in the 1800's sometime & buried a few things that have been excavated since.

 

We even managed to fit in some white-water rafting (where we got deliberately tipped by our guides - for a split second we all thought we were going to die) and jet-boating, a concept unique to New Zealand where the boat is propelled by a jet of water coming out the back.  They can operate in really shallow water - something crazy like 15cm...  After Niamh left, I hung around in New Plymouth looking for work & waiting to see the elusive Mt. Taranaki - a huge (dormant) volcano which looks like Mt. Fuji in Japan.  Didn't find any work (although I did wwoof for 10 days in a motel) and didn't manage to see the famous mountain until the day I decided to leave.  So here I am back up on the Coromandel Peninsula (where I met up with Lynn & did the hot water beach thing again - we managed to dig our very own hot pool this time) lapping up the beautiful scenery & weather and plotting my next move...
 

Two lessons for the day: if you have just spent a good half hour or more writing a blog entry, make sure you make a copy of it before uploading to the web, lest it be swallowed & lost forever.  Lesson two: if you feel a large creature crawling up your arm in the middle of the night, wake up & kill the bastard before it spins a web all over your face.

Right - to resume the task of removing festive greetings from the blog... It's been a long while since I wrote anything up, so this may be a tad long (apologies to anyone with a short attention span).  Since departing Stewart Island, I've had a lot of interesting experiences & have done quite a bit of travel.

First up was the roadtrip up the East Coast - destination: Nelson.  After picking up the pimpmobile from long-term storage in Bluff on the mainland, I promptly hopped in and headed towards the forested & remote sea-side coast known as the Catlins.  Filled with stunning beaches, sheer cliffs, forest & field, I gradually made my way through the main tourist attractions.  Highlights had to be the petrified forest (ancient fossilised wood on the coast); porpoise Bay (surpisingly enough with its porpoises playing in the surf); Kaka Point with its penguins & seals; and Nugget Point with its seal colonies down the bottom of massive cliffs (actually quite reminded me of Howth).  Stayed in various hostels, the best being an old farmhouse which only had two guests: me & another girl who came from China (or was it India?..) as far as I remember.  I remember getting up at the crack of dawn to watch sunrise the next morning, only to be greeted by an unexpected wave of low-cloud & drizzle.  Now awake, I decided to pack up & head North again...

Next stop: Dunedin.  I spent four nights here, this time opting for a hostel in the town centre.  Time was spent frequenting various night spots in the city; driving around the Otago Peninsula (the last time I was there was quite bleak in the depths of winter - this time it was blistering hot) and spotting a few more yellow-eyed penguins; watching the sea-lions chase unsuspecting tourists with their dogs on the surf beach of St.Clair.  Now recharged & ready to drive again, I headed in the direction of Christchurch.

Passing swiftly through any towns on the way & bypassing Christchurch itself (which I have to admit I'm not a big fan of), I headed to the stunning Banks Peninsula.  There's a summit road which stretches all the way out to Akaroa (an old French port) and along the way you have the option of dropping into any of the numerous secluded bays.  Many kilometers were clocked up doing such trips - in most cases, you need permission to cross private land to reach the beaches.  I spent many an afternoon fishing from the cliffs with nobody else for miles - only seals playing & sleeping beside me (after some initial confrontations & a few chases).  Unfortunately I didn't get as much as a single bite.

After spending a few nights here (which reminded me much of North Mayo), I decided to head towards Kaikoura, the capital of whale & dolphin spotting.  A pretty touristy town with plenty to do.  The heat was something else & got quite sizzled while wandering for miles up the coast past seal colonies & running past nesting gulls (whilst waving my t-shirt at the dive-bombing variety).  Decided to make the effort to go whale viewing, so spent the money & off I went.  It turned out to be a bit like a cat & mouse chase - stopping every so often to suss out the situation (listening for whale echoes using some fancy apparatus) & then racing to the most-likely point where the whale would resurface.  We were quite lucky in that we all got to see two distinct Sperm Whales & I managed to capture some pretty good tail shots as they redived to the depths (which amazingly go down to 2000m - there's a massive canyon exteremly close to the East Coast: hence the large number of different species of whales).  Met up with my crazy French friend Pierre for the last night in Kaikoura & spent the evening in an open-air spa in the pissing rain.

Next morning: Blenheim, the wine-growing capital of the South Island.  Only spent one night here (nothing much happened here) before heading towards Nelson via the stunning Marlborough Sounds.  Arrived in the arty (and quite quaint) city of Nelson just in time for Christmas.

Christmas Day was spent in the Green Monkey hostel (cheers to all the crew for a great Christmas stay!) and much fun was had barbecuing, swimming on the beach & playing various games including touch frisby.  Even received a gift: a squeaky kiwi key-ring which now hangs in the inside of my car.  Met up with tonnes of friends & others from all-over.  Drunken merry times were had.  After spending a good week in the area, I headed out towards Motueka to meet up with Madeleine who was working on an orchard.  After a few days free lodging, I eventually managed to land a job apple-thinning.  Only lasted about three weeks: my mind couldn't take any more numbing.

New Years' was spent at a 3-day dance festival on Takaka Hill.  Bought a huge tent in the Warehouse for little or nothing (was brought back by someone because of a fault, but because the fault was never recorded & hence nobody knew what was wrong with it, it was sold for a mere 30 dollars. As it turned out, only two small & trivial clips were broken - nothing fatal.  Sold it a few weeks later for double the money spent..)  Ended up camping close to the action with five others (and girls at that: lucky me!) & managed to smuggle some alcohol into the non-alcohol event.  Was an amazing experience.  I had never been to a rave festival before & so it was quite interesting.  The weather was shocking: rainy and cold - however it did add to the eeriness of it all, especially at night time when lights would shine through the mist & creep out through the trees in the distance.  Spent much time wandering about in the woods & bush with the torch, dancing all the way.  The music didn't stop for one second until 3 days later when eventually the sun came out & dried our drenched tents.  Roll on Uprising 07!

So: where am I now?! I'm currently in Golden Bay and more specifically in Onekaka near the famous Mussel Inn, where until recently you could swap a possum tail for a pint (possums are a non-native species that tear through tonnes of bush every year & hence considered a pest) - the day before I arrived, the 5000th free pint was supplied - a final landmark for the concept.  I'm doing some WWOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) with a local couple who grow their own vegetables & own a willow weaving business - here's the web site: http://www.willowworks.com.  Basically I work 4 hours a day (willow-weeding, other gardening, some cooking - general helping out I guess) in exchange for an awesome room & really tasty meals.  It's a fantastic experience & it's fascinating to watch an artisan work at his craft, weaving various baskets from the willow farmed on location.  I'm having extreme amounts of fun in the hot sunshine - roaming the quiet beaches, camping, fishing (with normal rods & those made from forest branches!), going on road-trips to stunning bays & frequenting the odd local party... I'll probably stay here a bit longer & then move my reluctant ass to the North Island before my visa runs out! 

So there you have it: a trip to Golden Bay is a must if you ever come to New Zealand.  Watch out for the massive spiders and remember to save all your work on the ol computer as you go along....

Happy Christmas everyone! I'm in Nelson at the moment (top of South Island), where the sun is shining & it's nice and hot. Barbecued steak for Christmas dinner tomorrow on the beach!

Wow - where to start?!

It's been quite a while since I wrote anything in this blog - I guess it's time now that I've left Stewart Island & am travelling elsewhere...

I had a great time on the island - it really is a beautiful place (check out the photos I've uploaded). Such a shame that the weather was pretty crap the whole time I was there.  We even had snow showers one day in late Spring! Thankfully I didn't let it get to me all that much & accomplished tonnes of things I wanted to do. 

I'm not sure where to begin to be honest & will probably miss out a fair few things. I guess Ulva Island would be a highlight - it's a wildlife sanctuary that is predator free (no stoats, no possums, no rats etc.), so the birdlife there is pretty amazing.  Tonnes of inquisitive weka (flightless bird that a lot of people mistake for the kiwi), parakeets, kaka, saddlebacks etc etc etc.  Got a lift out to the island a few times on the local water taxis & was intrigued each time..

I was pretty lucky to get the opportunity to go kayaking in the bay too (thanks Liz & Lucy!).  The very first time was pretty interesting as my powers of balance weren't the best & I was fortunate not to tip over.  Despite the early nerves, got brilliant weather & saw lots of little blue penguins in the waves & shags on the rocks. 

Went to Mason Bay with Brossie when he visited (a tear still comes to the eye when I think of bidding him farewell...) - had amazing weather for the walk out to the beach where we saw a grand total of one kiwi (Brossie saw its arse) & a possum which I was tempted to kick (non native animals that destroy tonnes of bush in New Zealand & as far as I know kill baby kiwis too).  I was pretty sick wich food poisoning (which turned out to be something called compila bacta), so Brossie did the noble thing and carried all our stuff for the 4 hour hike in & out.  Thanks man!

As well as all of the above, I got a chance to go on a touristy kiwi-spotting tour on Ocean Beach.  Well worth the spend - we spotted four different creatures, one of which sniffed my foot (actually followed me at the back of the group & banged his long beak against my shoe - was such a good experience).  I've put up a few photos which are quite blurry owing to the lack of a flash.  You can just about make out their shapes if you look closely..

Hmm - what else??... Got to know some really interesting locals & others from all over. Got to learn some Poi moves (thanks Stacey!) & even got the drunken opportunity to do the fire version.  Thankfully I didn't do much damage to myself or anyone else. 

Work was ok too - was a waiter in the South Sea Hotel & worked tonnes which allowed me to save up a bit for another road-trip (which I'm on now).  The hotel crew were all cool & had a lot of fun with everyone.  Maybe some day I'll pay another visit before I'm booted out of the country!

Had an awesome leaving party just before I departed the island - lots of drink & fire involved in the Hurley House..

That's about it I think (well probably not actually..).

Travelling up the East coast at the moment - started off with the Catlins down South & made my way up through Dunedin, then Christchurch (Banks Penninsula - what a beautiful place) & now am in Kaikoura (getting sizzled by the sun & attacked by seagulls & seals protecting their young..)  Hopefully will go whalespotting tomorrow.

 

Well here I am back to square one! Saying goodbye to old friends & starting afresh with the new...

I've spent an amazing week up the West Coast with Pierre - saw so many things from sea-level glaciers, to glow-worms in the forest, to jade on Hokatika beach, to being eaten alive by sandflies in Jackson bay.. I've also had an incredible time on Stewart Island - me & five good friends from Wanaka - from trekking through the bush over two days, to boat-fishing with hand-lines & eating our fresh catch for lunch & dinner..

I've decided to stay here on Stewart Island while the rest of my travelling possy have moved on elsewhere in New Zealand (& in Orla's case - gone home!) - working in South Sea Hotel in the only township on the island (Oban).  Start at 8am tomorrow and will probably have a fair few hours per week to work. Hopefully will save tonnes for the next adventure.

Just to let you all know - there isn't any reception here on Stewart Island so the best way to contact me is through email.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to upload some photos at some point - although internet is very expensive here & facilities are limited. 

Anwyay - till the next time, ciao ciao!

Just back from a 2 day trek in Mt Aspiring National Park. 9 of us decided to set off and trek through the bush in the Matukituki Valley.  Unfortunately we chose a pretty stormy day to set out.  After Madeleine was blown over by 120km/hr winds and Pierre lost (& then found) his glasses, we decided to continue on through the pissing rain.  Wading through rivers up to our thighs, soaked through (but all grinning and bearing it), we got to Mt. Aspiring hut after 3 hours.  These huts are a bit like the bothys in Scotland, which are basic shelters (in some cases with running water) that you pay a nominal fee to stay in.  It was pretty damn nice sitting beside the fire (for which we had to brave the storm to get firewood from the forest) and drying out, sipping cider and playing cards by candlelight.  The next morning, the sun was splitting the stones (although it was a bit cold) which was a nice change from the day before.  We decided to split into two groups - half of us continued on towards Mt. Aspiring, while the rest cut back and did the Rob Roy Glacier hike.  Was a stunning walk through varied terain - crossing huge plains, trekking through forest and bush, crossing rope bridges over racing water... Really amazing stuff.  The day really warmed up and we all had a great time soaking it all up.  Eventually we decided to turn back and all had lunch back at the hut.  After filling our stomachs, we all set back and re-united to head back to Wanaka. 

 

Speaking of hikes, did Roy's Peak today too (with Pierre and a Danish girl we met on the way) - it's 1550m high, so I think it might just outdo Ben Nevis in Scotland.  Nice walk and great views of the Matukituki Basin and Lake Wanaka.  Stunning morning for it too!

 

That's about it from me - off to the West Coast bright and early on Wed morning, then Stuart Island on the 12th. 

It seems like ages since I updated this blog.. Lots has happened - from visiting Milford Sound to experiencing Wanaka Fest to buying a car. 

The town has been hopping over the last 10 days with tonnes of events including rail jams (snowboarders/skaters doing tricks etc.), street gigs, outdoor films etc etc.  The festival ended the day before yesterday with a huge fireworks display - quite impressive for such a small town.  It's quite fitting that the festival should coincide with me deciding to leave town - I guess it's a way of wrapping things up.. I finish work this Sunday and then after hanging around for 10 days or so, I'll be heading up the West Coast - possibly to see more rainforest and the glaciers by the sea. Then a group of us are meeting in Invercargill in the South - from there, we'll be getting the ferry to Stuart Island (NZ's third main island), a true wilderness with raw nature at your fingertips.

I've just uploaded some photos of my new car - a Honda Prelude (1988).  It's a great car to drive and has amazing power. I've always wanted a sports car... Unfortunately it's an automatic - but I guess it's a nice change from the norm.  It does have a sports setting though which increases revs and lets the car take off.  I did fancy buying a van with space for a good few people, but since Spring is here, it's handier just to pack a tent in the boot and travel a bit lighter.  Roll on the roadtrips!

Just moved into a flat for two weeks - get to have my own personal space for a change.. It's so nice waking up in a queen size bed & not having to worry about five other people being in the same room. Mind you, I do have to contend with Harry (the flat dog) trying to wake me up.  There's always a compromise I guess! I'm not really an dog or cat person but he's actually quite a nice animal.

Went to Rob Roy glacier yesterday - it's in Mount Aspiring national park - just a stone's throw away from the resort I ski in.  It was given World Heritage Status quite a while back (1970's I think..) for it's outstanding natural beauty.  Four of us drove up and got a bird's eye view of the monstrosity.  The walk was really nice & involved going across a rope bridge in winds of 100km/h! Was quite an adrenalin rush. Check out the photos!

Hey all! Ended up not going to Milford Sound as the road was closed because of avalanches.  Such a shame that a massive dump of snow had to arrive when we all planned our big road trip.  Not to be defeated easily, we all decided to go East instead towards Dunedin (Scottish for Edinburgh) and the Otago Peninsula.  The latter is a big area of land just beyond the city and basically consists of a world renowned nature reserve.  Stunning is the best word to describe it.

 

So we all set off in two cars (9 of us altogether I think) and eventually got there after a few snack stops.  Walked around the city for a bit & stocked up on the all-important beer & food.  Then headed out towards our hostel - Bus Stop Backpackers.  I ended up sleeping in a hippy caravan, while Selena slept in a van & the others slept in the main house itself. What an awesome hostel.  I could see the stars through a skylight while in bed & awoke to the sun rising in the morning.  Couldn't have had a more beautiful view across the Pacific.

 

The first night we got there we decided to check out a beach that apparently hosted blug penguins at dusk.  Hung around for a while, got bored, most people went back to the hostel, decided to stay with Pierre & just as it was getting dark, low and behold five penguins swam into the bay and waddled up the beach towards us.  It was really humbling to see them come in.  The blug penguins are quite small (maybe a foot tall or slightly more) - but are beautiful creatures.  It was quite hard to distinguish any colour since it was quite dark, but it was an amazing experience nonetheless!

 

After a night on the beer, we all got up early & went trekking across some sand dunes towards a massive sandy beach.  Stumbled across a sea-lion sleeping in the dunes & lapped up the fresh sea air! Later on, we headed for Sandfly Bay which was also renowned for wild penguins - this time the yellow-eyed variety (apparently very rare).  When we got there, we headed up towards a wooded lookout to avoid scaring the animals away.  We only managed to see one on the hill in the distance & all wondered how the hell he waddled all the way up that distance! After learning that patience is a virtue from the day before, some of us hung around & braved a hail storm in the sand dunes until a few penguins eventually arrived through the waves & climbed up the sand towards us.  They were amazing looking creatures - much bigger than the blue variety.  Took lots of photos - check out the new albums!

 

So there it is - if you ever go to New Zealand, a trip to the Otago Peninsula is well worth it.  Think West of Ireland and multiply by about 4 in terms of beauty. 

 

No other news really- been skiing loads. Conditions are really good at the moment - almost a metre of snow has fallen in the last week, so still plenty of powder about.  Probably take a snowboarding lesson next week & also threatening to do a sky dive at some point. I'm shitting myself already.

Went shooting for the first time last week... A big group of us went along and did target practice & clay pigeon.  Wasn't so bad at the first (a good few blacks), but missed every single one of the clay shots.  The fact that I kept forgetting about the shotgun kick didn't help the cause.  Needless to say the ol' shoulder was a bit bruised at the end of the experience.  After embarassing myself completely trying to shoot guns, we all decided to go play crazy golf - was also a first for me.  We all had a great time despite the fact that all of us were miles over par (in fact all of us except one - Alex was under on pretty much every hole.. Maybe he cheated).

Decided to take it easy today - resting my leg after a big jump up the mountain yesterday.  I've been becoming quite fearless on the slopes and yesterday probably went a bit too far.. Jumped about 5 feet in the air over the edge of a groomed trail and landed on my leg.  Took me about an hour to recover completely... At least I didn't do serious damage.  We've been doing all the black runs which is great - some of them are naturally formed half pipes, so you can go down at tremendous speeds & get great lift over the edges.  It's a great adrenalin rush.  The other day, Orla & I decided to hike to the summit of Treble Cone and ski down.. The views were stunning (just put up some photos) and the snow was amazing coming back down.  We'll definately be doing more of those.

Not much other news really - looking forward to Milford Sound this weekend.  Eight of us decided to go down - think it takes about 6 hours to drive there. Should be absolutely stunning. Check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford_Sound. 

 

 

It's been a while since I updated this blog - not sure where to start.. To be honest I haven't really been up to all that much. Apart from the usual skiing trips, I've been going out quite a bit and doing a few walks here and there.  Today I got a lift up to the Clutha river which runs into Lake Wanaka.  It was quite mystical with steam rising off the water (bright green for some reason) & the smell of tea tree was everywhere.  I've another couple of hours to relax this evening before a shift in the restaurant - hopefully it won't be too manic.  The place seems to be constantly full of people - it can be quite stressful at times & sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it, especially since tipping is unknown in New Zealand.  Then again I shouldn't complain - the ol salary funds my trips up the mountain.  Not much other news really.  I've put up a few new photos & hopefully will again soon.  Till the next time ciao ciao!

It's pretty tough trying to keep this blog going.. I'll try to enter something every week - hopefully some new photos will be up soon too.

Been working my ass off recently - up bright & early for the World Cup Final (6am!) and then back in the evening time. They really seem to like split shifts here in Wanaka. Can't complain though as I just had three days off, one of which was spent skiing up at Treble Cone.  There was over a foot of fresh snow which was quite nice & I got to test my brand new skiis & boots (which broke the bank by the way). Looks like I'll be buying my season pass for that resort since there's more to do & it's a lot more challenging than Cardrona (which I went to last wk).

Apart from that not much else happening really - lots of people moving away from Wanaka for jobs elsewhere. It's a shame as I really got to know quite a few people. I guess that's the curse of the backpacker - you have to start afresh every so often..

Wow - what a place! It's absolutely stunning - snow capped mountains surrounding a huge lake & a nice quaint town by the shore.. The drive here was interesting - we had to go over the Mackenzie plateau from Christchurch which I think is around 2000 feet high.  There was a massive snowstorm a few weeks back on the South Island, so needless to say there was tonnes of it on the drive up.  The views were amazing - hoar frost & snow everywhere. Every lake we drove by had steam rising off it - quite incredible.

Got a job here the other day - in a restaurant by the lake - guaranteed at least 20 hours a wk which ain't bad. That'll pay for accomodation & food.  Will have to get a ski-pass at some point too. Bleedin expensive!

Took advantage of a crazy deal this morning - a local airstrip were doing cheapo trial flights for 50 dollars (25 quid sterling) so I signed up with another Irish guy I met.  What I didn't realise was the plane was only a two seater, I got to sit in the pilots seat & flew for twenty minutes! I had total control of the plane in the air!!

Right - gotta head and find a flat somewhere..

Will upload some photos at some point!

Arrived in Christchurch two days ago - quite English & very like Cambridge (it has it's own river with punts & even it's university is a mimic).. Not sure if you could really call Christchurch a city - quite small actually & have seen most if not all of it already. Saw the Pacific for the first time - tonnes of surfers taking advantage of the waves.

Off to Lake Wanaka tomorrow morn then maybe Queenstown a few days later.

Roll on the mountains!

Spent three days in Singapore & four in Bangkok -both interesting places..

Bangkok: it's probably the most crazy, dirty & busy city I've ever been too. It's also the most hot & humid - it's impossible not to change your clothes at least once a day (unless you're quite happy being the dirty, smelly backpacker..) 

Was staying in a really nice guesthouse with air-con for less than 15 euro - bargain. Was called New Siam 1. Quite close to the old town & around the corner from Khao San road (from The Beach). First thing that hit me when I arrived was the traffic - jam after jam after jam!  The city's infrastructure is seriously fucked up with not much in the way of transport friendly to tourists.  The only real option is either tuktuk or river express boat.  Tuktuks are pretty interesting - they're basically a 3-wheeled motorised rickshaw - when you get them, your heart is in your mouth as you weave between cars & taxis at 100 miles an hour! And the back is open so you're exposed to rain, fumes etc. Rented one for 50p the first day which was dirt cheap. Only thing is when you don't pay a premium you have to endure stop after stop involving vendors trying to stuff cashmere suits and fake gems down your throat. Every sale gets the tuktuk driver a bit of commission. Bastards! To be honest it was interesting the first time but you really get sick of the whole process.

The city is one incredibly seedy place too - you can see live sex & ping-pong shows (women playing ping pong with their privates - nothing really left to imagination...) - had to go see one since it's part of the whole culture there. Fucking hell - it might seem like every man's dream, but was a bit too much for me. Didn't last beyond an hour I don't think.  If you like partying and pervert shows you'll love the place..

Singapore was really nice too - very clean & efficient but a bit uninteresting & more expensive than Bangkok. Most intriguing thing I did was go on a night time safari involving tonnes of animals in natural enclosures - you get to see them up close.

Kia ora all!

I'm going to use this space to keep up to date with you all while travelling in New Zealand.. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to upload photos & some interesting blogs!