After 1 unforgettable year / 12 incredible months / 51.5 awesome weeks / 363 life changing days I finally stepped back on to English soil where I was reunited with my family.
After arriving back from Sydney late on the 29th Liam, Andrea and I went for a final brunch at prefab on the Monday. I had a plate piled high with sweet waffles and my last Wellington coffee; how I'll miss these.
That evening a group of us (pictured above) went to Ombra for a final meal out. Ombra is a Spanish tapas restaurant with wonderful food, which we all shared, and my first taste of bellinis to celebrate.
After our gorgeous meal we returned to Waiteata where we met up with a large group of internationals and kiwis (most pictured to the right) for a goodbye party. It was a great fun night but sad to say goodbye to so many people.
On my final day in Wellington I did what I do best... I ate. For lunch, after saying goodbye to my buddy Maria, a group of us went to Ekim Burgers for some gourmet burgers followed by gelato from Kaffee Eis. In the afternoon we met up with a group at Southern Cross; I was far to full to eat anything here. By the evening I had worked up an appetite again so I could go next door for an amazing Mexican night where Justin had made enough food to feed a small army.
It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone but we all promised that some day in the future we will meet again.
Liam, Andrea and Drew got up at 5.15am to say our final goodbyes before I caught the shuttle to the airport. It was very surreal to drive through Wellington, knowing it was the last time. I couldn't have asked for a better city to spend my study abroad in; I will and already do miss its beauty and relaxed yet fun vibe.
My first flight didn't go as smoothly as planned. Air New Zealand had obviously had a miscommunication with Singapore airlines meaning they would only let me have 20kg rather than the 30kg I was entitled to. This led to me having to stuff a load of items into my hand luggage and throw away some things, including my rock collection. It didn't help that my flight was also moved so it left half an hour early.
My second flight, from Auckland to Singapore, was fine. I was sat between a nice, very chatty guy from New Zealand and a woman who slept the majority of the way.
As usual on planes I didn't go hungry because surprisingly good meals and snacks were wheeled out every couple of hours. I also got to try a Singapore Sling, meaning I wouldn't have to buy one in Singapore.
By the time I arrived in Singapore it was evening, and even later in New Zealand time, so I made my way straight to the hostel and went to bed.
I got up early on Thursday for the breakfast of cereal, toast and Milo at the hostel before heading to the botanic gardens for the morning.
The gardens were wonderfully vibrant with so many plants I'd never seen before. My favourite area was definitely the National Orchid Garden which was full of a huge array or beautiful and rare orchids, which I took far too many photos of.
Around 1pm I took the MRT (underground train) back to the center where I found a the Lau Pa Sat Hawker center for lunch. Hawker centers host a huge range of food stalls, each with a favourite dish, and many tables in the middle which people share. There is a great atmosphere as hundreds of people bustle about with their trays of aromatic food. I chose the sea food laksa which was absolutely delicious but rather tricky to eat so I made a bit of a mess; this seemed to be the norm though.
To cool down, as it was very humid and about 30C, I then tried an Ice Kachang from another stall. This is a bowl of shredded ice with syrups, fruit, red beans and sweetcorn poured over. It sounds and looked very strange but was wonderfully refreshing.
Once I'd had my fill from the hawker center I made my way to the Fullerton Hotel where I caught the water taxi along the river to see all the main sights on the waterfront. It was great but very hot.
From the ferry I strolled back along the river to Clarke key and through Fort Canning Park where I saw medieval gates, barracks, an archaeological dig and many spices. I made a quick stop off in the national museum before heading to Raffles. Raffles was a little underwhelming as it had almost become a posh shopping arcade but it was nice to see not the less.
By then I was getting peckish again so walked to China town to find another hawker center for dinner.
This time I tried the Maxwell Food Court which was busier and more basic than Lau Pa Sat but still served a huge range of dishes to tantalize the taste buds.
On Friday I returned to Chinatown to visit some of the temples and wander through the markets which sold anything from silk scarves to dried squid.
The photo to the right is from the Buddha Tooth Temple which contained many ornate statues and offerings. It was interesting to see such a different way of life. I also went for stroll along some of the smaller streets to see the ornate, oriental buildings and some smaller temples.
In the afternoon, after an amazing Chicken rice and sugar cane juice from the hawker center, I took the MRT to Little India which was a massive contrast to where I had been in the morning. There were yet more market stalls but these were selling sarees and lots of spices. There were also some very big department stores; one of which I went to take a look inside and had to have my bag cable tied shut. The temples shown here were from Little India.
Finally, around 7pm, I took the MRT to the airport where I used up my change on a coconut and fruit ice kachang then collected my bags and went through to the very swish departure hall. By 11pm I was on the plane (in an aisle seat this time) and homeward bound. I watched some films and the sunrise and managed to get in a few hours sleep between meals.
Finally, at 5.55am I was back on British soil. Mum, Dad, Tom and Grandma had kindly got up in the small hours of the morning to welcome me home with a big bunch of flowers and a balloon. It was so lovely to see them all again after so long.
I now feel as if New Zealand was all a fantastic dream as I've slotted back in to my English life. I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to spend a year in such an incredible country and that I was able to meet so many lovely people and go on a variety of life changing adventures.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog and that it has shown you a little overview of what my year with the Kiwis was like.
Sorry this post is so late; I've been pretty busy over the past week and a half, making my way back to the UK and meeting up with everyone.
On 25th June, the day after finishing my exams, I caught the 3 hour, 6am flight from Wellington to Sydney.
After dropping my stuff off at Central Station YHA I set off by foot down George Street towards the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was around 20C so perfect weather for exploring.
Everything seemed very big and busy after a year in New Zealand; it was almost like being back in London but without the rain!
About an hour and 50 photos later I made it to the water front and Sydney's main tourist site. Here I was nearly blown away by the wind as I photographed the Opera House and Bridge from all angles. I sat out in the Botanic Gardens to eat my lunch which included some Kangaroo Jerky from the local supermarket; very much like beef but leaner.
I then went through a stroll through The Rocks; an older district, then under the bridge and up to the observatory to take in the view. After a few laps I eventually managed to make my way on to the Harbour Bridge. I walked half way across and captured the photo below.
Once back down I bought a couple of boomerangs for Joshua and Samuel and a mocha from a lovely little French Patisserie with a cute courtyard out the back.
Around 4.30pm I head back through the Botanical Gardens to Mrs Macquarie's Chair in order to watch the sun set behind the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
On the way back to the hostel I then stopped off in the New South Wales Art Gallery for a spot of culture then the supermarket for some food.
On Day two I went on a tour to the Blue Mountains which aren't actually blue or mountains. The apparent blue colour is due to the refraction of light by the eucalyptus oil in the air and the 'mountains' are actually a dissected sandstone plateaux.
I was picked up by Blue Ribbon Tours at 7.45am and taken via the Olympic park to Featherdale Wildlife Park, where most Australian animals can be seen.
At Featherdale I saw many beautiful birds, a range of snakes and other reptiles, wallabies, wombats, penguins, emus, dingos, tasmanian devils and I was able to pet a koala (surprisingly coarse) and feed some kangaroos.
Next we drove on to the Blue Mountains where we went for a few short walks to see the iconic three sisters and views across the many eucalyptus trees which make up 95% of the vegetation in the area.
In the afternoon we took a walk to a waterfall then visited the town of Leura which has a range of sweet little independent shops; most of which I bobbed into to escape the cold wind.
Finally, at around 6pm we caught a boat back, under the Harbour Bridge, to Circular Quay.
It was a fantastic day and so nice to see a more rural part of Australia. My tour guide was really informative and the other people on the tour were very friendly.
Day three- I made a Ferry trip to Manly. It was yet another beautiful day so I decided to do the Manly Scenic Walk along the coast which supplied me with many paddling opportunities and countless breathtaking views. Overall the walk was about 10km but at the end I got a little lost as I had to take a diversion due to part of the pathway being closed. After wandering the streets for a while I finally found the free bus back to Manly.
From here I wandered down the main high street and picked up a frozen yoghurt to eat on Manly beach. Before catching the ferry back I wandered down to shelly beach where I collected some beautiful little shells.
I carefully timed my Ferry back to Circular Quay so it would coincide with sunset. It was certainly worth it as the sky behind the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, streaked with deep pinks and firey reds, made for a spectacular view.
After a waterfront stroll I returned to the YHA for dinner and to say Happy Birthday to Mum over Skype.
Manly is a fantastic spot and I'm so glad I made the trip across, especially for the ferry ride back.
Day 4 - Newtown and Glebe for brunch and a stroll.
I'd been told that Glebe was a nice area to visit on a Saturday as this is when they have their market. When I arrived there at 9am I was not disappointed. I walked the length of Glebe point road, passing colourful, old houses with ornate iron balconies along the way. At the end I came to the waterfront right next to ANZAC bridge.
I loved the bohemian vibe in the area with loads of independent bookshops and cafes. At 11am I went to one of these cafes to meet my friend Kim for brunch. Kim is one of the two Australian's I met when doing the Routeburn and she lives in Sydney so had offered me some advice on the area. It was so lovely to meet up and catch up on everything we'd been up to over the past few months. The cafe we went to, Wedge Espresso, was great; one wall was completely open so we sat looking out on the bustling street whilst soaking up the winter sun.
We both had an incredible sandwich with avocado, poached egg, gruyère, double smoked ham, chipotle mayo and rocket (yum) and I discovered Sydney's coffees are just about up to Wellington's standard.
After brunch we went for a wander through the market which was full of beautiful handmade items and second hand clothes. I managed to get a top for $3 and a skirt for $2. Kim then went home and I spent the afternoon exploring Sydney University and China town. Around 5pm a random storm blew in for about an hour then the sky very quickly cleared again as if nothing had happened.
Day 5 - Final day, at Bondi beach.
I caught the bus to Bondi beach with the intention of maybe surfing. When I got there, however, the waves were too small even for my level so I instead went for a coastal walk and an iced coffee. The walk was wonderful and really scenic. Bondi beach was much quieter than in most of the photos but a really nice, relaxing way to end such a fantastic trip.
By 6pm I was on the plane flying back to Wellington for the final 2 days of my New Zealand adventure.
I had an incredible time in Sydney and am so glad that I had the time to pop across there. I was incredibly lucky with the weather and am really thankful that I was able to have such a wonderful experience.
