Australia

We had a good trip and have plenty of photos (I'm serious, Mum and I each took around 800) and postcards and souvenirs to remember our trip by.

Now its back to work and school and uni for everyone but despite all that, it really is a good feeling to be back home

Well, I would love to say we were in New Zealand, but no such luck. I am currently at at an internet kiosk at the Brisbane Airport. Those of you who are local, will know that there were dramas on the Gateway Bridge (closest access to the airport today) a truck ran into the toll booths and managed to explode and set fire to all the other toll booths. Access was closed in both directions accross the bridge and delays of up to 8 hours were expected. Needless to say, we paniced and left as soon as we found out (this was just before 3pm our flight was at 7:20) we had to change our plans and recruit boyfriends as drivers (thanks boys xox) and made it to the airport in almost record time (after driving around the wrong side of Brisbane).

Upon our arrival at the airport we discovered our flight had been delayed by two hours (it was going to be slow leaving Fiji) so we really didn't need to rush. So it's 7:20pm now and we have been here since 4pm. It appears our flight may be leaving earlier than thought (around 8:45) and may board in 55 minutes. Then we will be on our way. We should now get to Auckland around 2am their time. Suddenly the motel we booked doesn't seem as good an idea...

Hope to post again soon with happier tales

Still haven't left yet but I thought I would post the itinerary as it might be a few days before I find the internet again...

Friday 30th June – Auckland to Pahia
Saturday 1st July – Excitor Jetboat (Pahia back to Auckland)
Sunday 2nd July – Waitomo Caves and Auckland area
Monday 3rd July – Waitomo to Rotorua (detour for Zorbing) to Taupo
Tuesday 4th July – Thermal Wonderland and Hellsgate
Wednesday 5th July – A public holiday in New Zealand, so we don’t know what we’ll be doing, should probably be in Wellington
Thursday 6th July - Picton (South Island) to Kaikoura to Christchurch
Friday 7th July – Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass
Saturday 8th July – Greymouth/Pancake Rocks (possibly Glaciers)
Sunday 9th July – Fox-Franz Joseph Glaciers
Monday 10th July – Haast to Wanaka
Tuesday 11th July – Possible day for skiing
Wednesday 12th July – Queenstown (Shotover Jet?), Te Anau
Thursday 13th July – Milford Sound
Friday 14th July – Either Dunedin or Mt Cook…don’t know which direction we will take
Saturday 15th July – Christchurch
Sunday 16th July – Fly home to Brisbane from Christchurch

Well here is the first entry of this blog. Not a lot to share just yet since we're still in Oz. Everyone is starting to set aside things they're taking and working out how much they can fit. For those of you who don't know, the family is heading to New Zealand next week for just over a two week period. We are flying into Auckland on June 29 and out of Christchurch on July 16, hoping to see a lot of New Zealand in between. Well, I will keep you posted