I'm Baack! | Vacation Post |

Hello everyone, apologies for the lack of updates but I have just returned from vacation!  Last week my best friend and I packed our bags and went on a little trip to that great island across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand. I was overdue for a vacation like this, and to be honest, four years of uni without a proper holiday really got the best of me.

Photo of me overlooking the Wakatipu Lake in Queenstown, Otago.

For the first few days we stayed in Auckland. After exploring the city we took a ferry across to Devonport, an old colonial suburb, and walked up Mount Victoria to see the stunning views of the city and Rangitoto Island. 

Also, being Lord of the Rings fans we went to the Hobbiton set, which was massive. The hobbit houses were so adorable, and I’m pretty sure I took over a hundred photos of their little doors and windows. The amount of detail that has gone into this set is mind boggling! Apparently they even hired people to put washing on the clothes lines just so there would be footprints in the ground. (Whaa-?!)

Yes, even the mold is real.

Afterwards, our group was taken to into the warmth of The Green Dragon Inn where we indulged in a few jugs of cider. I also sat on Samwise Gamgee’s chair (soz Sam).

On the fourth day we put on our thermals and flew down to Queenstown. I saw snow for the first time ever and learnt how to (kinda) ski up at The Remarkables. Seriously, skiing was probably the most painfully frustrating experience ever, and the next day we woke up with aching muscles, bruises all along our shins and ankles, and a new found respect for the sport. I can't wait to do it again.

Watching the sun set from the Skyline, Queenstown.

Queenstown was definitely the highlight of the trip. It's such a beautiful, quiet town, surrounded by water and mountains, I really didn't want to leave. But now that I'm home, I feel as refreshed and energized as ever and ready to take on the next semester (sort of, haha).