Bucket List ✓

Every day I find myself more and more in awe of this magnificent world that God has created. Every place is unique and special in its own way-- from the mountain views to the beaches, the fields to the rivers. I've been blessed to see three incredible countries on this journey and I've loved every single second of it. I can't believe that this is my life!

I may have said that Fiji is my favorite place on this planet, but New Zealand might have pushed it down in the ranks. Every place I've been so far has its perks & its downfalls. Fiji was beachy and beautiful and the people were amazing, but the water is unsafe to drink and getting places can be a hassle. New Zealand has possibly the most magnificent mountain views in the world, amazing night life, and tons of adventurous activities, but the weather was a bit chilly at times and walking the hills was killer on the glutes. Choosing a favorite between these two week-long trips is actually impossible... So I'll just tell you about my crazy extreme New Zealand adventure!

A group of 63 Bond students loaded up an airplane to fly to Christchurch where we stayed for one night in a jail. No, not in jail. In an old jailhouse! The jailhouse had been converted into a cool youth hostel just about 10 years ago. It was pretty creepy but we got in at 2am so it was easy to fall asleep.
The next day we loaded up 2 buses and began the journey to Fox Glacier. The views from the bus were stunning! We got to spend time on the bus bonding with other Bondies, napping, and taking in the scenery. At one point all of the girls on my bus had to use the restroom extremely badly so our bus driver pulled off to the side of a narrow mountain road just so we could pee. Needless to say he was our hero! 
When we arrived at fox glacier the girls I travelled with (Kiersten, Baylee, and Meg) and I were the last ones to get off the bus as per usual. It seems we're always the last to do everything. It worked out in our favor though because we got the only room left at the hostel which was a family suite. We got our own bathroom, kitchenette, and tv! 
The next morning at 8am we began the trek up fox glacier. Split into 2 groups, we were given boots and socks to wear for the mountain hike. Even though it was early and the weather was chilly, the experience was incredible! We drank water from a waterfall running off the glacier and took countless pictures with the gorgeous views. 
After the glacier hike we ate a quick lunch and loaded the buses on our way to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world! It was so cool to get to experience Queenstown because we spent an entire class period in Adventure Tourism talking about the city and its activities. I actually got to participate in several that we talked about! AJ Hackett was the inventor of bungee jumping and made the first bungee in New Zealand. We got to jump 47 meters (~155 feet) from a ledge on one of his Queenstown bungees! The experience was epic. It took 3 seconds of courage to run and leap off of the platform, but once I was flying in the air it was all worth it. The view was incredible and the adrenaline rush was insane! That day we also got to ride a gondola to the top of a mountain and race in luges down the side of it. I ended up going too fast, crashing my luge, almost losing my GoPro, and getting a pretty gnarly bruise... but it was SO worth it. :)
The next day we rode in a jet boat down the Shotover River, whipping around corners, nearly hitting boulders, and doing 360s in the canyon. It was a blast!! Next we white water rafted down the Shotover through some class 2, 3, & 4 rapids. Our tour guide was hilarious and helped me back in the raft when I was the only one (of course) to hit the water. That night we explored Queenstown on a party boat cruise to the Below ZERO ice bar, hitting up some other cute pubs and bars as well. At the last bar, the Buffalo Bar, we ran into our friends Chris and Alex from the UK who we met in Fiji... it was such a random coincidence! We had so much fun hitting the dance floor and catching up for the night, but the next day it was time to head to Wanaka for our final activities.
The first day in Wanaka about 20 of us were supposed to go skydiving, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to wind conditions. So Kiersten, Emily, and I got some gelato in the town and relaxed down by the lake while we waited for the rest of the Bondies to meet up. We had a nice dinner at the hostel and ended up going to a little movie theater across the street to see the new James Bond movie. This theater was adorable! They sold homemade cookies, ice cream, popcorn, and all sorts of snacks. The seats were mostly couches and the staff was so friendly. It was a pretty unique experience. 
The next day we left Wanaka and headed back towards Christchurch. We made stops at Lake Tekapo hot springs (which were really hot pools) and a real New Zealand sheep farm where we ate AMAZING homemade food and got to see a sheep shearing display. When we arrived back to Christchurch we were in a different part of the city, where earthquakes had recently devastated the town. It almost looked abandoned. We found some dinner at a small restaurant by the pier and spent the rest of the night hanging out at the hostel preparing for our early flight back to the Gold Coast.

New Zealand was the adventure of a lifetime! Between the extreme bucket-list activities, nights with Bondies on the town, and laughs with friends, I never once was bored. New Zealand is an incredible country-- and I only saw part of the South Island! I guess that means I'll have to venture back there one day if anyone wants to join. :)

For now I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy my last short week in Oz. I can't believe how quickly time has flown! See you soon, America!