Yeah it wasn't, but I enjoyed the routine of having a base.

Yes I did Milford sound, bit of an anti climax tbh, stunning but I'd got really high hopes.

No I didn't do Stuart Island, but I did go right down south to Invercargill....spent some time in Dunedin, was very student orientated, couple of great museums, wildlife place, steepest street in the world which was pretty cool... Yes did coromandel,,,,stunning landscapes on the drives, yes Bay Of Islands.

I found it did get quite samey and I didn't find NZ hugely sociable. I stayed in hostels, some of them I pretty much had to myself,,, maybe it was the season....

I loved Queenstown, such a cute vibe and not too big..... Did a few big hikes..... Did Arthur's Pass, ...slept in my car few times...I slept in it for two nights at mount cook in the campground, lol, I was freezing!! .... But yeah I went to loads of places in NZ, ones I can't even remember... I really miss their dairy!!! Tip top ice cream, omg, they do ice cream so much better than us, so much more variety...and I miss Whittaker's peanut butter filled chocolate. Lol

As a whole I preferred Asia though, Thailand and Bali. Singapore was insanely expensive, I went to Raffles (about £40 for a Singapore sling), Santosa island was amazing.... Went Kuala Lumpur, that was really cool (stayed in a hostel that was in a multistorey car park)

Yeah I stayed in Auckland for couple of weeks, ugh, just another city tbh!! I stayed on this gay street, I can't think what it was called at the nomads hostel, K road? And I got a tattoo from sunset tattoo there.

What made you come back to the UK?

The impending prison sentence

Lol. Well TBF I should have been jailed years a go but I'm still free as a bird shagging around

Oh god, I need to go gym but I CBA. I have put it off for a week.

You need to settle down like Ben

TIBB sent me to jail years a go when I lost the plot.

But they came to their senses in the end.

In what sense?

Oh like partner wise? I have too high standards and I like my bed ha

Stop shagging around get yourself a partner to share your life with

You would have been there post Covid. Tourism took a massive tumble so was prob a lot quieter than usual which is a shame, but it’s so expensive to travel there now most people are picking Europe/Canada instead. Glad you had a nice time though.

And hahahaha good old k road :joker:

And yeah Asia is grand. I want to go back there again and explore parts I haven’t. Philippines and Bhutan are high on my list.

And covid brought me home lol. The government ceased all work visas just as was reapplying as mine was near the end and literally made all immigrants leave :laugh:

I wish. Lol

Well I don't actually, my standards are too high and like a bed to myself normally.

The problem is when the sex has gone you got nothing

When you spent 2 nights in your car at cook mountain, did you have your glasses on when you planned the trip?

I envy you, that trip sounds like once in a lifetime stuff, my serious question is, do you think its changed you?

Yeah that's true and that's a real shame!

Would you return if you could?

I'm 33, but they changed visa rules for Aus allowing 2nd and 3rd visas without the need to do 90 days farming.... I lasted 3 weeks, I did strawberry picking...soul destroying...I ended up just eating the strawberries in the end and they pay you per bucket $5!!! Then I did grapes which was hourly paid and better, but seasonal so only so many days you can do..... So yeah could go back for couple of years of I apply before my 36th birthday, see what happens

Hahahaha I did fruit picking when I was in Aus. Mine was mangoes. :joker:

I’ll defo return to NZ, which was the original plan after Covid but I found a partner so hence in Wales. We plan to retire in South Island though.

Well you have if it's a different shag each time. Haha, but yeah I know what you mean.

I can't force a boyfriend,that would be kidnapping

Haha, yeah I did, it's all part of traveling. Me, my car and my backpack. It was so remote, it's either that or you pay extreme amount for a hotel...and you don't pay anything extreme when doing it the way most backpackers do even though I had a car.

Made me realise I can do pretty much anything, I'm more capable than I think.... And now I'm just bored by everything. I need busy-ness to keep me happy and my mind engaged.

You're a good un Thomas, get busy with some planning.:blush:

Mangoes, how exotic.

I wouldn't return I don't think YBH, I've always seen home as the UK, but I do love to travel....solo. can do what you want.

Ahhh, fair play to you.

South island is great, I loved Picton and the Marlborough region. I worked on reception in a hostel in Picton,, 3 hours a day for food and accomodation... Was great!!

I hope your plans come to fruition

Not for a while I don't think.

I need to prioritise on what I want.

I'd like my own place. See what happens.

And thank you that's very kind of you to say

Nice area to be!

Where’s your next travel plans for?

Not sure, I would like to return to Oz at some point. I loved it.

I worked in healthcare there and also worked in healthcare in NZ (bit of forensics, was mental, we had security guards, some of the stories I could tell - loved the adrenaline even if NZ healthcare feels very behind the times compared to UK)... Funded my travels...

When I was in Oz I only did the east coast so be great to do other parts, Darwin etc.

Darwin is a shithole lol. But start there and head to Kakadu national park then down to Katherine and across to Broome and then along the coast to Perth and Freo.

I’d recommend a 4x4 as you can get off the main roads and up the very, very, very long dirt tracks to some really nice remote beaches on the north coast. I did it as part of a 4x4 convoy for a couple of months.

That sounds awesome. Yeah I did a 4x4 on Frasier Island which was such great fun.

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