The End

I've been home over a week now and am slowly starting to get back to normal. I've suffered from a bit of jet-lag and have been a little ill due to the cold and physical and emotional stress of my long journey home, but I've enjoyed seeing a few friends and family and getting thrown straight back into dancing for the Christmas show.

It's been nice to have a good night's sleep in my own bed after being cramped up in plane seats for so long:

And I've certainly enjoyed having warm cuddles from Campbell again:

I find it funny how everything in Brisbane revolved around keeping cool but back home all I want to do is keep warm. The 40 to 0 degree temperature drop certainly wasn't welcomed.

It's been lovely being home but I can't lie that I'm missing Brisbane and all my lovely friends. Constant updates of where they are and what they're doing make me jealous:

But Teesside can still be beautiful, even on a cold Winter's day:

All I can say looking back over this whole experience is 'wow'. The friends I've gained and the memories I've made will never be forgotten. Each individual person holds a special place in my heart which I will treasure for life. I've gone from being a small person with big aspirations to someone who can stand proud and say they've accomplished their goal. I've had so much support but I'm proud to say I've grown in confidence and independence. I couldn't recommend study abroad enough, it’s character building and life changing. I would happily relive each and every day; even during the rare moments I felt down and would have usually had a sob, I physically couldn't because in comparison to every other emotion a little blip of sadness was nothing. Griffith University is truly a wonderful institution, making me feel welcome and comfortable from beginning to end- in fact, much more than that. To all those who made my experience unforgettable, ‘G’day!’ and a big koala hug from little me. Brisbane, you've been good to me, I miss you, but I can promise I’ll be back again one day.

For my memoriemakers:

Bye Bye NZ

My time in New Zealand was short and fairly cloudy, but luckily we managed to get one clear day- so we made the most of it. We had a very mountain-oriented day, visiting the mountain, taking pictures of the mountain, watching the sunset with the mountain in the background...

 

We managed to pull ourselves away from the mountain long enough to visit some shops and surrounding towns though:

Followed by a relaxing soak in the hot tub and evening chills:

The next day was very layed-back. We had milkshakes by the sea whilst reading our books and then visited the beach to watch the kite-surfers;

On Thursday it was time so say goodbye and move on to Auckland. I stayed in the lovely SkyCity Hotel (with a view of the base of the SkyTower), visited a distant relative and explored the city. For dinner I had a lovely three-course meal at the Orbit restaurant- something I'll never forget!

So this was supposed to be my last night before the long journey home. However my plane ended up getting cancelled and I had to spend an extra night in Auckland. It was very stressful and tiring, but on Sunday morning, after 5 months, I finally made it home!

NZ Part 2

Georgia has been taking care of me all week and keeping me busy. I've visited Hamilton Gardens:

Mount Maunganui:

The Waitomo glowworm caves:

and seen various other sights on my travels around Cambridge:

as well as spending some down-time with the family:

On Saturday my Auntie Anna and Uncle Darren came to pick me up and take them to their place (their house is amazing) in New Plymouth. We've been trying to pack things in before I leave for Auckland.

A few of the sights from the drive down:

 their garden

We went on Chaddy's Charters:

 look closely and you can see seals!

The local park:

Searching the volcanic sand beach for driftwood:

I've seen a few of the sights but am still holding out for a clear day so I can see Mount Taranaki!