NZ - 'Kiwi Experience' Bus

The Kiwi Bus
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The Kiwi Experience (K.E.) are a series of buses travelling around New Zealand. Similar to regular buses you can jump on and jump off. Except the K.E. stops at towns/cities and major attractions rather than your local Sainsbury's or Library.

Shower 1....2.....3.....all in use. Doh! All toilets, sinks and even the 'do not use unless disabled' toilet were also in use. It was 6.30am and I was madly rushing around in almost darkness attempting to get ready for the 7am bus pickup. It seemed the whole hostel were also on the bus that morning. Jumping on board the bus I spotted the guys and girls I had played pool in Nelson a few nights ealier. Random!

Blow holes
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Deciding to get reaquinted with them I sat next to Rob. Rob traveling with Nick were just two amoung a bus load of 41 others. I immediatly started getting acquinted with everyone who had all known one another for a week already. It was another salad mix of nationalities ranging from Germans, French, Swedish, American, Irish with the majority being British.

On our way our hilarious guide Eamon made me, as the new recruit to the bus, stand up and introduce myself. Thanks mate!

Our route was down the west coast stopping along the way marvelling at spectacular sights and sleep overs. The first stop was some cool coastal features featuring blow holes. This was made from water eroding holes into the rocks all the way to the top surface. When a powerful wave came in water and air would blow out through the rocks.

Johanna getting too touchy touch with the horses
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At one stop one of the Swedish girls - Johanna, managed to stroke one of the horses a little too gently and kindly which the horse clearly enjoyed alittle too much!!

One of the nights was a fancy dress party and after much deliberation over themes ranging from the usual School dress to toga we opted for Beach. In search of an outfit Nick, Rob and I hunted down a superstore to found our attires. See picture! They were in fact childrens beach towel hods. And I managed to throw in a pair of Elmo seseme street pants for good measure. However we were outdone by American Billy who in typical USA fashion went to town by buying a complete diving outfit.

Fancy dress night
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The next morning we opted to for a well deserved full English breakfast. Our driver managed to find a cafe in the middle of nowhere and so our mouths watered in antisicipation. However on discovery the menu consisted of Possum road kill, Wheel Tread Possum and Road Kill of the Day - you'll kill em, we'll grill em. For some reason none of this sat well with the girls, in fact nor any of our stomachs. Thankfully there was a smaller more serious menu near by which featured traditional breakfasts.

Nick and I
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Over the course of the next few days we stopped off at the Franz Joseph glacier. Been one of biggest in the world we had a number of options to climb it. A few of us eager ones opted to scale the huge ice cazims with ice picks and rope harnesses. Meanwhile, the rest of the bus load decided to take the helicopter to the top. The glacier was 5km wide and over 50km long. Climbing the terminal face (front of the glacier) proved to be one of the most challenging as it was a vertical drop with rocks wedged inbetween 30m high ice blocks.

The winner!
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More to come:

• Bungy jump - 134meters over ravine
• Partied it up in Queenstown
• Another 'ill never do that again' karoke session