Flying Solo

For the last 17 days I’ve been living out of a suitcase. It’s not ideal and as I think I’ve mentioned I’ve not done much relaxing since I first left the UK so it was a welcome relief to head across Melbourne to Croydon and the lovely home of Dom, Stricko and Noah oh and Harvey (the German shepherd)

With views of the mountain and an outdoor pool it’s a lovely house and I only wish it was a fraction warmer as I would love to hop into the pool and do a few lengths, side note there is still time and I could just be brave. After all I am British 😂.

After our departure from the city and arrival at home it was finally time for me to hide the suitcase💃🏻💃🏻. The joy this gave me knowing that I could actually just relax for a couple of weeks was high. But then it’s me I’m not going to sit and relax for the whole time – no no. Both Dom and Stricko are keen tri athletes so they’ve got all the gear. So what to do on a Wednesday afternoon, go on the treadmill and restart the couch to 5k app and do some kettlebell strength training 😂😂. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned in a previous blog but I’ve got high cortisol which is undergoing investigation when I get back. One of the main symptoms is abdominal weight gain and struggling to lose weight so I’m not going to lie I was slightly anxious about going away for 6 weeks and not sticking to my exercise routine which usually is 4 days a week of functional strength and 1 day of boxing. Alas I am able to keep on top of that and since being in Australia my resting heart rate has gone down so I must be relaxing 😂.

It was also the first day of having home cooked food, apart from the morning porridge at the apartment in the city, so again a good change.

Day 17 ended with Dom putting Noah down and me falling asleep on the sofa – I hadn’t even had wine. Sadly Stricko had to work late, I was that exhausted I didn’t even hear him come back.

Day 18 or Thursday, started with me learning how to make coffee on a posh coffee machine 😂 (Holly you will be proud), there was even a machine to grind the beans!!! We had a slow start which again was welcome. Today was going to get more energetic as the day went on. First stop a walk to lunch, a good up and down route into Croydon town, to be greeted by a great little cafe where there were lots of options – Dom was keen to tell me we will be there a lot so I can try different options. Today I went for a steak focaccia with onion rings. I’ve not had onion rings in a long time, and they were lush. Along with my go to flat white ✅.

The walk back home and I had the pram, so this meant that I was doing the pram/ sled push on the way home 😂. Thankfully Noah is only approx 6kg but add on the weight of the pram and classic Wood got a bit of a sweat on. In the afternoon, we just chilled, before our adventure out for some late night shopping.

I was thinking of buying a hoody as my new little friend keeps deciding to have a cheeky vom on me 😂😂, alas he has a cute smile so I don’t mind. I also fancied a new pair of trainers but I could hear my mum saying you don’t need anymore trainers…there’s still time and I really want the Leeds Adidas sambas 😂. You will all be pleased to know the only think I bought was a Vietnamese chicken rice bowl and a bottle of water…talking of Vietnam – we are thinking a 2027 Easter reunion there 💃🏻💃🏻.

Day 18 finished with some footie and finishing off the red that was opened on Tuesday. Yes you heard that correctly, a bottle of wine still had some left that was open 2 whole days ago 🍷🍷✅✅.

Another stunning day in Melbourne so a walk up the Yarra River was a great start to the morning. I did make a crucial area and left my sunglasses in the apartment! As mentioned yesterday when I was here 15 years ago I took some similar photos to what I took today. I won’t bore you with the before and after photos but today the sky was so blue! We walked up from Southbank to the Olympic Park then back round to Flinders Street Station to buy a Myki card for use on public transport. Just a casual 5.63km.

The plan for the afternoon was to meet Pam, Pam is my Australian mum 😍. We caught the tram down to St.Kilda, grabbed some lunch from Wedge (thanks to Pam) and then walked to Port Melbourne. In our heads after the mornings adventure we both thought we would be strolling along the sea front in glorious sunshine – catching some winter rays. Alas, we were battling a head wind for 5km and I’m not going to lie my ears were cold 😂. Non the less it was a nice but refreshing walk.

After a pit stop coffee with another friend of Doms we headed to the convention centre to meet Stricko and try and buy a bike for baby Noah, which was a success. The evening consisted of a very nice steak dinner and some red wine. We are leaving the city in the morning, I will probably head back in at some point – we shall see 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Today’s activity I thought was going to be the ideal sensory activity for baby Noah. A trip to Melbourne Aquarium. I’d last been to the aquarium 15 years ago, I think I must’ve come own as Dom can’t remember being there and my previous photos were just of sea creatures. Talking of photos I’m going to show you 2 of the same fish – Nemo. One from 15 years ago and one from today. The difference in quality is ridiculous – I’m not sure if the one 15 years ago was taken on a camera or some shitty phone but how technology has come along is crazy.

Back to the aquarium and my idea of a sensory experience for Noah. At the aquarium we met Moan (Simone) a very good friend of Dom and one who also did the Australian exchange back in 2004. It was really good to catch up having not seen each other for so long. So at first Noah was mesmerised by the lights and the effects on the ceiling as we made our way through the initial part of the aquarium. It was almost time for the showpiece the tunnel walkthrough, the bit where Noah would look up gazing at the fish – he was asleep! Poor thing – it’s a tough life being a 12 week old. Non the less we got the chance to see some cool sea life and Noah did get to see the penguins 😂😂

After the aquarium we hit a rooftop bar for a pizza and glass of wine. Followed by a wonder to the shops and a chilled afternoon. The ability to just relax has been the one. The whole purpose of coming to Australia was to see Dom, Stricko, their families and now Baby Noah. It was never to explore for 10 hours of the day and feel exhausted for the rest of eternity as on reflection that’s how New Zealand made me feel. Being non stop for 2 weeks had officially exhausted me – it was incredible but gee whiz it took a lot of my energy 😂😂.

After another early start it was time to leave Queenstown. Now I’m not the best of flyers as you’ve gathered I don’t like heights, but the views leaving Queenstown were incredible. It’s a bit of precarious airport with mountain ranges round the edges and a lake at the end of the runway, but the conditions were just stunning. See photos below.

Having made it safely to Melbourne, it was time to meet up with Dom. Dom and I have known each other since 2004, when we did an exchange between schools at the tender age of 13/14, we have managed to keep in touch and since that point I made it back to Melbourne on two other occasions once in 2006 and the other in 2010, 15 years ago. I have seen both Dom and Stricko in Europe and the last time was my 1 night mad adventure to Rome in 2023 just after 10 days in South Africa.

I made it out of the airport in record time and Dom was still feeding baby Noah, my new little 3 month old friend 😍. For the first few nights we are staying on Southbank as Stricko is selling shoes at a trade fair. The views were stunning from the apartment.

In the evening we met Stricko and his colleagues and had a lush dinner down by the River. Lamb shoulder with roast potatoes and broccoli 😍😍😍.

With me being in my new time zone by 9pm Australia time it was 11pm New Zealand time so I was exhausted! But so glad to be finally back in Australia it’s been too long 😍😍.

Another early start, with a 6.45 pick up – alas I was stood like a lemon and there was a miscommunication with the pickup so I power walked to the bus. Alas, on reflection that would’ve been the better option as it was only a 5 minute walk 🙄🙄.

The journey started by winding our way around Lake Wakatipu to a town called Te Anau which is a very small town and the last one prior to Milford Sound. It’s also home to the second largest lake in New Zealand behind Lake Taupo. Here we stopped for a coffee and a breakfast wrap ✅ I’ve missed my breakfast wraps so this was a bonus😂.

From Te Anau we headed along the 120km dead end road to Milford Sound stopping at some viewing points along the way. This area is part of the Fiordland National Park. The first one Mirror Lake, showing the reflection of Mount Eglinton in the water, now as the sun was shining the reflection was perfect. The next stop was Lake Gunn which was discovered by George Gunn in 1861 ✅. We had another stop at Monkey Creek and the final one just after the Homer tunnel looking down the valley towards Milford Sound.

The road itself took 30 years to build and I can see why, it was full of hairpin bends, steep drops and a tunnel 1.3km in length, the Homer tunnel, which first started being built in 1935 and ended in 1954 has a 1in10 gradient. Initially, the government sent 5 men with picks and shovels, alas they were faced with solid granite rock so didn’t get very far 😂😂.

Upon arrival at the terminal I was greeted with a landscape which is hard to describe. I’ve never seen anything like it other than on google. It was stunning, the weather once again came through – although rain would’ve been a bit better as there would’ve been more waterfalls – this area gets on average 7-9 metres of rainfall a year, and rains for more than half the year. But anyway I agree with Rudyard Kipling it is the eighth wonder of the world.

The 1.5 hour boat trip took us out down the south side of the Fiord to the Tasman Sea then back up the North side. If the captain had decided to continue in a straight line the next bit of land would’ve been Argentina. That’s how south we are – coincidentally we crossed the 45 degrees south line – which means we were halfway between the Equator and South Pole. Whilst on the trip we saw penguins, a seal (I thought initially the captain was getting excited about seagulls and there was me being like they are hell on earth, as mentioned in a previous blog. Alas, there as a guy just chilling on a rock), we also saw a couple of dolphins. So pretty cool. Photo below of seal if you can spot it.

So Milford Sound was truly amazing. I think I’m actually a bit lost for words. Mental I know. It was a slog of a journey back, in total we travelled 600km. Massive shout out to Stan the bus driver and guide for the day!

Upon arrival back into Queenstown I decided to treat myself to a New Zealand you’ve completed it meal at Sunfire (thank god for credit cards, if anyone needs a kidney, actually mine could be useless, MRI scan pending, that’s a story for another day. But in all seriousness I’m available for tutoring 7 days a week come September 😂😂😂).

A starter of prawns, a main of steak and a desert of Brie, along with 2 glasses of Pinot Noir finished off what has been an incredible 2 weeks – I’ve seen and done so much. I’m exhausted but this country is insane. I definitely will be back ✅✅.

Next stop Melbourne 😍😍😍😍

So a little bit of a lie in this morning – I was up and out for 8.15 and took myself for a walk around the bay to find a suitable breakfast location – I wasn’t disappointed and Sunfire was on point – I had some sweetcorn fritters with poached egg and avocado. It was needed as I’d not really eaten much the day before.

This also set me up for my walk around the lake to Frankton marina, a steady 6.7km stroll taking in the scenes of The Remarkables coming through the clouds. It was also cold pushing 1 degrees ❄️❄️❄️.

I had already planned my return journey the little ferry – like a bus but on a speedboat! This allowed me to see some of the lake in all its glory – whilst thinking this guy is going too quick we are gonna flip – myself and extreme sports do not mix. 😂😂

At this point I decided to head back to my room to see if I could do a sneaky bed change – I was in luck and girl below me had left so I quickly swapped the sheets – I also bought an emergency bag – I’ve been stressing about fitting things in my suitcase – I’m under the weight limit but just don’t seem to have any space – probably because I keep buying random tat like a NZ rubber duck for example or a stuffed sheep 🤷🏻‍♀️.

The plan for the afternoon was to head up the skyline – the most extreme action in going to be doing. I don’t really know why I do it to myself, I hate heights and all the way up and down I was thinking well if this goes I’m a gonna – or if I hold onto the seat and it drops I may have half a chance..

Once back down I took myself for a chilled wine. Little did I know that my night would end up escalating in true Wood fashion. I was sat in a bar and there were 3 ladies from North New Zealand, Becky, Sandy and Nat who came and joined my table – they were a hoot – reminded me of Bridesmaids the reunion (20 years later) 😂. They were also very generous and provided me with wine and food.

Here’s hoping I wake up in time for my last day trip for my time in New Zealand.

A 6.15 wake up (I think I woke at 4.30 🙄) ready for a 7am departure from Christchurch. It was going to be a long day, but I was hoping that the views would be worth it.

The first real viewing point was Lake Tekapo and The Church of the Good Shepherd. The views didn’t disappoint.

From Lake Tekapo we passed Lake Pukaki and headed up to Mount Cook. Sadly old Cooky wasn’t playing ball and hid behind the clouds. Whilst there we had a little bit of time so I had a little browse of the information centre. Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand at 3,724 meters (12,218 feet) and was first was first climbed on December 25, 1894, by Tom Fyfe, George Graham, and Jack Clarke. The Hermitage hotel had a museum dedicated to Edmund Hillary. His most notable climb on Mount Cook (Aoraki) was his ascent of the south ridge in January 1948.

From Mount Cook we headed south to Queenstown past several mountain ranges and into Central Otago where I was greeted with the sights of vineyards 🍇🍷. We arrived into Queenstown at 6pm so missed the sunset, fingers crossed for good weather and stunning scenes tomorrow.

So the day was pretty uneventful, the hostel well its a hostel…as I walked into my 4 bed dorm there’s a boy (young man) sat in his boxers on the top bunk! You can imagine how I felt as I walked in and realised I’m also on the top bunk 🙅🏻‍♀️. Hopefully one of the two on the bottom bunks leaves tomorrow and I can do a cheeky swap. I did look on booking.com to see if there was an alternative – alas I couldn’t really justify over £300 for 3 nights when on one of the days I’m getting up early to go to Milford Sounds. So I made the adult decision to have wine and deal with it 😂😂🍷🍷.

A leisurely start to the morning. Did some more laundry, this time my lights 😂. Rock’n’roll lifestyle. It was raining when I woke up, a change from the forecast. My first stop the gondola for the views, I had booked this, so had no other option. The views were great…50 shades of grey, that is all I could see from the top. Although to be fair once out of the cloud the views weren’t too shabby. Whilst up at the top there was a little discovery tour, so I suppose I gained more of an insight of Christchurch itself.

Once back down from the fantastic viewing experience I hopped on the bus back into Christchurch and ready for the tram ride. The driver was very adamant that I should sit inside, I was adamant that if I was going to take photos and truly absorb the experience I would sit outside. This was a 50 minute journey around the centre. It was remarkable to hear about the earthquake that hit in 2010 then 2011, there was vast devastation and the majority of the city was left in ruins, the cathedral which was once a focal point of the city still stands un repaired, sadly due to lack of finances scheduled works have been postponed.

The street art is massive over here, ranked as a global street art capital, Christchurch’s vibrant and growing arts scene comes alive on the streets city walls.

Once I had been on my tram tour I decided to do a bit of tourist shopping, you’ve got to remember your adventures somehow, so a few magnets and a hoody later I was ready for some fodder. Well what did I encounter pre food, a little wine tasting in the market for 10 dollars. I couldn’t say no, it was raining and I’m in New Zealand, notorious for its wine. The Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir were my faves.

By this point I decided to be sensible and instead of doing a gin tasting I thought it wise to get some lunch, so opted for a keto burger all the protein gains ✅ – not going to lie I’m starting to get a bit anxious about not doing any exercise – ok you could argue I’ve been walking around a lot more than normal, but those biceps aren’t gonna stay like popeye for longer without a bit of action. Role on Melbs – I know Dom has got some weights to keep me on point.

Whilst having lunch I had a revelation. I was going to get a tattoo to go with the one I got in memory of granny. Seeing as the trip is very much associated with my queen I decided it would be appropriate to get a permanent reminder of my visit, so off I trotted. By chance there was a tattoo parlour below where I was staying and it had good reviews from Faith and her friend Jamie. 45 minutes later and I walked out with a New Zealand fern above my little stars and heart for the queen 😍😍😍. Not going to lie I for a bit emotional but c’est la vie.

The plan for the evening was to meet up with Faith and drive up to some viewing points, but as you can imagine the views didn’t happen as the place was covered in low cloud. Weather 1 – Charlotte 0 although it was good just to catch up and drive around. Whilst on the drive we had a minor scare, my phone and watch both started screeching, I initially thought I had knocked my watch and it had triggered an alert, alas it was my phone giving me an emergency alert with a tsunami warning, 30 seconds later Faiths phone started screeching at her! Crazy really.

The evening finished off with a chicken souvlaki and a glass of red, a massive shout out to Faith for showing me around and for the lovely time at the hot baths and for dinner. It was soooo good to catch up and also seeing Aimée on video call too! It’s been so long!

It’s an early departure tomorrow for my final location of this part of my adventure – Queenstown.

Day 9 of my tour of New Zealand was taking me to the South Island, with a 11.35am departure from Rotorua I was able to have a leisurely morning. Another night of being alone in my dorm meant my sleep was getting better. First stop breakfast at lotus cafe, the usual flat white and today’s offering of Avo on toast set me up nicely for the day, until I got a text: “A message from Air New Zealand. Your flight has the potential to be disrupted due to forecast low cloud and visibility conditions in Rotorua today. It is still scheduled to depart, though we recommend staying up to date on the status of your flight.” I hopped into my taxi and got to departures, the assistant said the flight has left Christchurch and if the plane lands you are going, if not you are getting a bus to Auckland. Well the plane landed – it was a female pilot so she smashed it and I was on my way 🛫

Upon arrival in Christchurch I made my way to my accommodation, the Drifters hostel – in terms of facilities I think so far this one has been the better of the hostels. I did a laundry run ✅ and had a beer whilst waiting for my evening activity.

I was picked up at 5.30 by Faith. Faith has moved to Christchurch from the UK and works as a physio. Some of you will be saying who on earth is Faith, well she is the sister of a friend from many moons ago Aimée. Aimée and I go back all the way to high school, from a-level chemistry with BEarl to the start of our friendship and the Australian exchange back in 2004. You will hear more about that in the upcoming days. So off we went to the He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools. Where we met Faiths friend from football, Jamie. These pools were lush. Ranging in temperature up to 39 degrees 😍. The setting was pretty stunning too in New Brighton by the coast. The evening was finished off with a pizza and a glass of Pinot Noir. It’s always great to see familiar faces, and meeting new people. I’ve probably not seen Faith since she was a wee nipper so it’s always good to catch up! 😍😍

Well what a dream, no one in my dorm at the hostel so I slept like a log. I even managed to watch extra time and the penalties of the Euro Finals. It came home ✅✅ up the lionesses! 🦁🦁. Today’s itinerary consisted of a trip to Hells Gate, approx 10 miles out of Rotorua. But first up Eggs Bene with smoked salmon and a flat white from a local community cafe.

I was picked up at 9.50am, oh no wait it was 10.20 so I was stood like a lemon for half an hour on a street corner outside a South African food store of all places. Anyhow, my shuttle driver was very apologetic and took me on my way to Hells Gate. The name came when over 650 years ago a Māori princess named Hurutini lived within reach of the area. She was married to a Māori chief whose lack of respect and mistreatment drove her to take her own life by throwing herself in a boiling pool. When she found her daughter, Hurutini’s mother let out an anguished cry “Auē tāku tiki nei”. This cry was shortened to Tikitere, the sacred name Hell’s Gate is known by today.

It was a 2km walk around the area with over 20 different viewing points. The pools ranged from a temperate 30 degrees to well over boiling and were pretty acidic so the following sign was pretty appropriate.

Non the less it’s pretty spectacular to hear the earth bubbling below – I just wish you could share smells as it was very aromatic 🤣🤣.

The area was also home to the Kakahi Falls (See above photo). With a temperature of 40 degrees, these are the largest hot waterfalls in the Southern Hemisphere. Historically, Māori warriors would bathe here to remove blood and cleanse themselves after battle as the sulphur acts as an antiseptic.

The last part of the self guided tour was learning the art of Whakairo (Māori caving), I chose the template for strength and it’s not a bad effort in all honesty, a good piece of tat to remember my travels – just got to remember to declare it when I fly to Aus 🤣🤣.

The next part of this visit led me to the mud baths and sulfur waters. The nutrient-rich water relaxes the body, while the mud gently exfoliates the skin. Supposedly I was meant to leave rejuvenated and fresh, ready for the rest of my adventure. I was more stressing that I had worn leggings and that is an absolute no no when wet and damp from a spa 😂. But it was good to just chill.

Upon my return to Rotorua I dropped off my soggy belongings and headed out for a stroll of Rotorua, I was yet to really see the local area. Over 6kms later, I had seen the geothermal pools in Kuirau Park, a little church down by the lake, the lake itself, a load of seagulls (I actually hate these, what is the point to them. They give me the fear everytime I go on break duty 🤪) and the sulfur pools. By the end of my walk I was in need of food and drink, seeing as I had neglected lunch, but some lamb ribs with chimichurri salsa and a whisky sauce hit the spot. This followed by sampling the local Pinot Noir made for another cracking day in New Zealand. This was my last on the North Island, the next stop Christchurch.