I'm going to make a bold statement to start...

Queenstown was one of the best trips I have ever been on. 

If I'm honest, I wasn't as excited as I should have been beforehand. Everyone kept telling me it was so cold, and I didn't really know much about Queenstown. We had the trip booked before I had even arrived in New Zealand. We had intended to go to the Winter Festival, however, we didn't really end up seeing much of that. Just a pretty cool fireworks display.

We arrived on the Monday. The flight into Queenstown was incredible. The views flying over the snowy mountains were just amazing. I couldn't stop taking photos! On arrival, it was super easy to get into the town. It's a very small airport, and there was a bus stop right outside the door, and a bus that dropped us right in the centre. 

The only downside to this trip was our accommodation. We stayed in the Southern Laughters Backpackers, which although is very central, is also to put it politely, a dump. The only saviour here was that we had a private room. We had to share a bathroom and kitchen with people that were living there. They were there every evening, cooking the smelliest food! The bedroom had one plug (hello, 2018 when everyone has phones to charge!), and here's the shocker - no hot water in the bathroom. We were told we could use the shower in reception, which obviously we did, but that involved going outside in freezing temperatures before and after (with wet hair) showers. If this place had been cheap, I would have been more accepting of this- but it wasn't. Nowhere in Queenstown is cheap. 

First on our to-do list was to test out the famous hot chocolate from Patagonia. Our first experience was a bit underwhelming, but we went back later in the week and gave it another go - this time it was much better and lived up to the hype. We also sampled one of the desserts - which was possibly one of the best I have ever had. 

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the town, with an early dinner at Joe's Garage. The weather was much better than I expected. We had borrowed some decent winter coats, which made the temperature very bare-able. 

On our second day, we had decided to do a day trip to Milford Sound - one of the top places on my New Zealand to-do list. After discussing with others beforehand, I had decided I didn't want to do a bus journey as it took so long, so I booked a 'scenic flight'. 

Our first flight was cancelled due to the wind, but after a quick but amazing brunch at Torro, we headed to catch the second flight. It was terrifying. As the little plane headed up the runway I remembered how scared of flying/heights I am. The whole time I thought I was going to die, and during landing, I actually dropped my camera to cover my eyes because I thought we were crashing - dramatic as ever. But I don't regret doing it. I felt happy with myself when we returned to Queenstown because I hadn't chickened out + I know how much I would have moaned had we got a bus. 

Whilst we were at Milford Sound, we went on a great boat trip where we got to see some amazing sights. There were snowy mountains, waterfalls and rainbows. The sun was shining and it was so worth the flying stress. 

On Wednesday we took a trip to the ski slopes - Coronet Peak. Anyone that knows me and my ability to be clumsy/ruin my life in any situation will understand that it was not a good idea for me to ski. So instead I watched other people ski and ate food - fish and chips to be precise. The views from Coronet Peak were as expected, incredible. In the afternoon, we went to Arrowtown, a small historical town nearby. The town centre is made up of pretty much one street with old-fashioned looking shop fronts - very picturesque. There is a small museum at one end, and we popped into the well-known bakery at the other end for a cake stop. On the way back, we headed to one of the bungy bridges - again, just to observe because there is absolutely no way I am willingly jumping off a bridge. I'd 100% be that person that either faints on the way down, or is sick on myself, and I do not choose that life. I did, however, get much entertainment from watching strangers inflict this terror on themselves -in fact I probably could have watched this all day. 

The next day we had booked to take a trip to Walters Peak - something that had been highly recommended and I can now highly recommend myself. It starts with a boat ride across Lake Wakatipu (normally in a steamboat, but we went out of season so had to settle with a normal boat). When we arrived at Walter Peak, the farmers did a little sheep shearing and herding show, and then came the good bit. Food. An all you cat eat BBQ - but probably the best BBQ ever (sorry Mum, your spag bol is still no1). I was in heaven, although by the time we had to leave, I felt pretty sick/fat. 

On Friday, we had a bit of a chilled foodie day. We started with brunch at Ivy and Lola's which overlooks the lake. I decided to break my normal routine and stray away from Eggs Benedict. Instead, I had french toast with blueberries - it was delicious. The restaurant had an interesting decor - walls covered in antiques - old-fashioned radios, mixed with chandelier style lights. 

After a little walk around the shops, we took our second trip to Patagonia (as mentioned above), followed by an afternoon nap, and a catch up on Love Island Australia (don't judge - it's hard when you have an addiction). In the evening we attended the Winter Festival fireworks. It was SO busy. It was crazy how many people appeared for the fireworks. The whole waterfront was bustling, all for the sake of a 10-minute firework display! We finished off the day with another amazing meal at Sombreros Mexican restaurant. It didn't look like much from the outside, but the food was excellent. I had my ultimate Mexican fave - Chicken Enchiladas, accompanied by a glass of Sangria. 

The following day, we headed up to see the incredible views offered by Skyline Queenstown. We took a gondola (a very steep gondola) to the top and were treated to the most beautiful panoramic views of the town and all the mountains that surrounded it. There was some interesting history to read about the gondola and a couple of gift shops at the top. There was also a luge, which was unfortunately shut for our visit. We had, of course, booked into the all you can eat buffet - potentially lunch with the best view in Queenstown - maybe even New Zealand. The downside was, the food wasn't my favourite. There was a lot of Asian food and Sushi - which would be 2 of my least favourite choices. Don't get me wrong, I didn't go home hungry, but I felt that there could be a bit more of a selection. Also, the waiter hit me with a highchair and didn't say sorry - not that I hold grudges or anything. 

For our final day, we decided to rent a car. I really wanted to go to Lake Wanaka whilst I was visiting the South Island, and it was a lot cheaper to do it this way rather than take a tour. After taking a moment trying to remember how to drive (it's been a while), we set the sat nav up which immediately took us up a mountain that required snow chains - a U-turn was made. We stopped back in Arrowtown for another brunch, whilst we worked out an alternative route - it was actually a much easier route. Brunch was at the New Orleans Hotel - a bit disappointing - very slow service, but my food was still tasty - my friend, however, took one mouthful and couldn't eat hers.  

When we reached Wanaka, the rain had finally caught up with us. The tree (the main reason I had wanted to visit) was not as exciting as I had imagined. Wanaka, in general, was a really cute little town - bigger than I expected with a large selection of bars and restaurants. After a wander around and a quick hot chocolate stop, the sun finally came out, and we got to see the lake in a much better light - literally. 

And then it was Monday again. We ended our trip stocking up on sweets in a sweet shop at the airport. The week had gone so quickly, but I felt like we had done so much! If you're visiting New Zealand, Queenstown is an absolute must. Every direction you look looks like a postcard!

Getting out of Auckland during rush hour can be a mission in itself. This meant an early start for our 3-day road trip. This time the destination was Rotorua and Lake Taupo.

The drive to Rotorua takes about 3 hours - plenty of time do drink coffee and screech along to 'Power' until we were awake.

I always thought that people were being a little dramatic about the smell of Rotorua but I can confirm it does actually stink. I honestly began to think I would be permanently traumatised and never able to eat an egg again. How people live there I will never understand. I supposed they must be so used to it that they don't actually smell it.

Our first stop was to Hells Gate, a geothermal park with 'boiling hot pools and erupting waters'. The first part of this trip was to take a walk around the park. It took about an hour to walk around, but there was lots of fascinating geothermal pools, mud volcanos, waterfalls and so much more to see - definitely worth doing.

The next part was the mud pools. The rain did not stop us - I had been looking forward to this the most. There we were, in our bikinis, sat in a pool of mud in the pouring rain. Life was great.

Of course,  we acted like children and caked ourselves in mud to the point where people nearby were cracking up when they looked at us. I actually didn't notice any improvement to my skin but I had the best time. You get about 20 minutes in the mud, there are staff members there that tell you when to get out (too long can be bad for you). They provide towels (for a $10 rental fee), and boxes to put your stuff in. You can't wear any jewellery whilst in the spa, and they advise that you wash your swimwear straight away because the smell can pretty much ruin them. Once you have washed off all the mud, you can relax in the sulphur spa for as long as you like to help soften your skin. The visit to Hell's Gate cost $90 each. Hells Gate was recommended to us by a friend, however there are many similar places in the area to choose from that may vary in price. 

After lunch (Burgerfuel, because why not?) we started the drive to Lake Taupo. On route, we stopped at Huka Falls. The most beautiful coloured waterfalls I have ever seen, and a must see when in the area. The blue colour of the water was incredible. There are various walks and lookout points at Huka Falls. We were feeling a bit gross following our mud bath, so didn't venture too far. The rain has also made the footpaths a bit muddy, and although I was a mud pro now, my white converse were not prepared for this abuse, so after a few pics and a while staring at the pretty water, we continued our journey to Taupo.

We had booked an Air BnB for our stay. We were staying in a converted garage which was perfect and only cost $150 for 2 nights (pretty cheap for accom in NZ). After our early start, we were pretty tired, so we decided to have an evening in. We headed to the nearest Pak n Save and stocked up on junk food. Stopped at Dominoes on the way back, and we were sorted.

On Day 2, we got up nice and early and headed straight back to Rotorua. Due to the miserable weather the day before, we hadn't really done much. First stop was obviously breakfast because hangry Megan was not invited. We went to CBK Craft Bar, which did an excellent Eggs Benedict (my go-to brekkie) and the staff were really friendly too!

We spent the late morning exploring The Redwoods Treewalk. Tickets are $25, and you take a walk through the forest up on suspension bridges. Along the way you can learn all about the Redwoods - there's even a little treehouse near the end. It's a very simple concept, but it works and we had a great time. There is also an option to go in the evening when all the trees are lit up - which I bet is also very pretty!

As we got to the end of the tree walk, the rain made a reappearance. In between showers, we went to see the lakes. Rotorua is famous for its lakes, and the blue and green lakes are just 2 of 17 in the area! Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotokakahi are right next to each other but are supposedly different colours. Personally, I couldn't really see it - but I think it was due to the poor weather conditions. Nevertheless, they are still stunning lakes and definitely worth a visit. There are viewing platforms between the lakes so you can view both at the same time. There are also plenty of walking trails in the area.

Next on our to-do list, was Kerosene Creek. Approx 30 minutes away from Rotorua, Kerosene Creek is a little hidden (but surprisingly popular for its location) hot pool, with a mini waterfall. It is a geothermally heated stream, that visitors can bathe in. The water isn't very deep, and the water is a great temperature to relax in - even following hours of torrential rain! There is a small car park when you arrive - and the hot pool is a 5-minute walk into the bush. As one of my favourite stops on our trip - I would absolutely recommend this if you are in the area.

In the evening we headed back to Taupo, where we had tickets for a cocktail cruise on the lake. This was an odd one, because although it was still really fun - there were no cocktails in sight - despite being advertised as this. There was, however, plenty of wine and pizza - what dreams are made of. The lake cruise took about two hours. The weather was still pretty rubbish, so visibility wasn't great and the views weren't as good as they could have been. One of the key points of this trips was to see the Maori carvings in Mine Bay. I was under the impression these were carvings from 100s of year ago, but in fact they were completed in 1980. They took 4 years to complete and are now a major attraction in New Zealand.

On our final day, we got up super early to get a McDonald's breakfast - which isn't as boring as it sounds. Lake Taupo is home to 'The World's Coolest McDonalds' - and it literally has an aeroplane next to it that you can sit in whilst eating. As we got there super early, there was no one else there so we had our own private jet experience. My Sausage and Egg McMuffin eating had never been so exciting!

After a quick photo shoot on the Taupo sign, it was time to say goodbye to the town, and head back to Auckland. Not without a quick stop at the Waitomo Glow Worm caves of course.... 

In 2018, I decided to up sticks and move to Auckland, New Zealand. I was granted a working holiday visa for 1 year and headed over on my own into the unknown. 
I thought I would share I few things I learnt along the way just in case anyone reading just happens to be moving to Auckland..(You never know)

Where to live

If you are not planning on getting a car for your trip, a good location is pretty important as the public transport system in Auckland isn't fantastic. Recommended suburbs include: 

Ponsonby
Grey Lynn 
Mount Eden 
Kingsland 
Mount Albert 
Parnell 

You can find rooms on TradeMe, or on Auckland Flatmate Facebook groups. 

The average room can cost between $150-$300 a week – dependant on location and budget. 

Jobs

Finding a job is fairly easy. There are numerous ways to do this. My background is admin, so I contacted a local recruitment company and became a temp – this gives me the freedom of working pretty much when I want. 

Temping can also be done in other job fields, and adverts are easy to find online. Admin work pays about $20+ per hour so can be great to save some money. 

If you prefer hospitality, there are tons of cafes and bars that are always recruiting. If you want to work in a coffee shop, you are likely to need barista experience, however, some places may be willing to teach you. Hospitality can pay a slightly lower wage at $16+ per hour – however, you may find some places that are willing to pay more.

There are also companies such a Sidekicker and The Recruitment Network that employ you on a casual basis, and you can just work the shifts you want. They often have work at events and concerts. This could be anything from security to bar staff. The plus side of this is that you may get to enjoy some of the events for free.

Helping Hands is a great website that allows you to create a profile documenting your experience and skills, which employers can view and contact you regarding jobs they are recruiting. 

You may also find casual work available 

Opening a bank account 

ANZ is the only bank that will open a bank account for someone on a working holiday visa. You will require a proof of address – this is something I struggled with as they would not accept a letter from my landlord. I ended up using a bank statement from home with my UK address, and then once my account was set up I changed it to my NZ address – bizarre procedure. 

You also require photo ID (must be your passport) and a copy of your visa 

You will be given the option of whether you want an EFTPOS card or a Visa card. I chose EFTPOS as it was free, but I will be going back to get a Visa card as you are unable to use EFTPOS for online purchases. Visa also comes with Paywave (which us Brits just refer to as contactless). 

IRD number

You require an IRD number to work in NZ, and it’s a pain to get one. The bank provided me with the form I required and you need to complete it and take it to a post office with a copy of your visa (the whole thing is required – don’t let the post office try an give you some back), and a signed/stamped bank statement that shows that you have an account and have made a withdrawal and a deposit. You also have to supply a copy of your passport. 

If all your information is correct, it should take 10 working days to process. 

I would recommend getting your bank account and IRD number sorted as soon as you get to NZ as it can take quite a while, and you need these before you can get a job.

Making friends 

Moving to a new place can be lonely if you do it alone. I was lucky to have a friend already living in Auckland; however she works a lot so I spent a lot of time on my own. 

There are lots of ‘friendship groups’ that are city-specific on Facebook. They arrange lots of different events that anyone can attend. I joined these, but I never felt confident enough to attend an event, however, a friend from home told me about Bumble BFF. For those who don’t know, Bumble is an app similar to Tinder, however, it has a feature for finding friends rather than love. I was a little apprehensive about it at first but ended up plucking up the courage to meet a group of girls for drink one evening and I was so glad that I did. There were quite a few people using the app that were just like me – even from England and had just moved to Auckland on a one year visa not really knowing anyone. I’m so glad that I joined Bumble, as I don’t think I would have enjoyed my time in Auckland as much on my own. 

Since I have been here, I have also discovered Hey! Vina which is made by Tinder and is there version of a 'making friends app' - although there are more profile feature available on this one, there doesn't seem to be as much activity. 

Other useful tips 

It was weird being on my own for the first time in a month. Me and Hollie had been together 24/7 and now I was sitting in Brisbane Airport waiting for my flight to Auckland. As much as I loved it there, after a month of travelling in Australia and living out of a suitcase, I was pretty excited to settle in New Zealand and have a base for a while. 

I was crazy nervous when I headed from Brisbane to Auckland. The only confirmation I had received for my visa was an email in March last year, which seemed inadequate. When I tried to check in to my flight 24 hours beforehand, it told me that wasn’t going to happen and I had to speak to someone at the airport. Once I got there, they were all breezy about it and checked me in straight away, whilst I had turned up 2 hours early because I thought I was going to have trouble. 

I flew with Air New Zealand, which was a pretty good airline. At the airport, I made awkward eye contact with Pete Doherty after noticing his bizarre outfit choice of a smart shirt and tracksuit bottoms. Pretty sure I was the only person in the departure lounge that knew who he was though.

On the plane, I discovered that I was smart enough to book a meal which passed a bit of time - although it was only a 2-hour flight.  I was a little off put by the kiwi girl sat next to me with her shoes off and on her tray table - inches away from my chicken pasta. But after eating my meal and watching a movie (Murder on the Orient Express - good film) my ordeal was over. 

When I arrived in Auckland, no one even asked to look at my visa. There were no questions regarding my departure from the country or financial situation (I don’t yet have a return flight booked), and all they seemed to care about was whether I had any food in my luggage (I didn’t - surprisingly). Even when I declared on my customs form that I had come into contact with a kangaroo AND a koala within the last 30 days – because I just wanted to tell more people because it was so cool – they didn’t even bat an eyelid. I was the only person in the internationals queue as I had come from Australia, so I whizzed through and was in arrivals nice and quickly.

I was staying with my friend Megan - another friend I met during my time doing Camp America. When I arrived she took me to see some pretty nighttime views of Auckland City - it was 1am. This was my first viewing of the skyline which included the Sky Tower. As pretty as it was, it was super dark, and I was still in shock at the fact I had made it to New Zealand to take it in properly. 

_{My first impression of Auckland was that it was small. I had been told it was a small city, but it wasn’t at all what I expected. It has a very small population for a city, and the streets are a lot calmer. To put it into perspective a little, the population is 1.377 million in Auckland, and in London, it is 8.788 million. That’s a big difference. It’s even crazier to think that the population of the whole of New Zealand is 4.7 million, and the population of the UK is 65.6 million. The capital of New Zealand – Wellington – has a population of just 496,000.}

_{Auckland is built on volcanoes – yes, you read that correctly – and they are active. There have been about 90 eruptions within the last 9000 years, and there could easily be another one within our lifetime. On one of my sightseeing trips, I made a visit to the Auckland Museum which has a fascinating exhibition about the volcanoes. This includes a simulator which recreates what it would be like to be in a house in Auckland during a volcano eruption – it was pretty cool but also a little bit scary. Knowing my luck, there will probably be an eruption over the next year, because that’s just my life.  The plus side of the volcanos is that you can climb them and see some incredible views. Mount Eden is pretty central and is a great spot to have a picnic looking out over the city. One Tree Hill is Cornwall park is also beautiful with amazing views.} 

_{Another thing that I have noticed is that everything seems pretty expensive, at first I thought it was just because I was still thinking in £’s but actually, even when you convert it, it is still expensive.  For example, the average price for a small bottle of diet coke is $4. This would be about £2 – which I would absolutely never spend, that’s almost double the average UK price. (I’m lying, realistically I would spend all of my wages on D.Coke if required). However, the country redeems itself with its $5 Dominos pizzas. Apparently, they don’t really like them here – weird.}

I've now been in the country for 2 months, and I have done so much. It was weird settling into my new lifestyle - in fact, it still is. I've had to make new friends and find a job and at times it has been hard. There has been plenty of moments where I have just wanted to come home, and a lot of times where I have felt very lonely. The experience is very different from Australia where I had someone with me every step of the way. Luckily everyone here is so friendly. The family I stayed with for the first month helped me settle in and showed me around. I was initially living out west of Auckland, in the suburb Te Atatu South, however as I don't have a car, I decided to move closer to the city so it was easier for me to get to work and explore the city.

I got work pretty much straight away and chose to go part-time to start off. I'm now looking for a full-time job and its a little harder. I think I may be temping for a while - which is fine as it gives me more freedom - but I feel anxious about not having a job set in stone. It makes me not want to spend my money and I'm stingy enough as it is.

At the moment I don't really have a life plan. Some days I think I want to go home soon because I miss my friends and family, and other days I realise I am living a great life experience and want to stay as long as possible. Maybe I'll find a good permanent job or a husband (lol) and stay here forever, or maybe I'll get fed up with people pronouncing my name wrong and book a flight home soon. Megan and I have a trip to Queenstown booked in June, which I am really looking forward to. I think I would like to do a tour of the South Island too. A lot of people tell me that Auckland is not a true New Zealand experience, so I am eager to explore some new places.