i heart New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Dunedin, University of Otago, Willowbank

filled with all my wonderful memories, adventure and experience of a lifetime!

sweet as!

and off we really go!
on e plane, i was watching movie all e way, for 10hrs, 6movies!
dad mum me with all our luggage at singapore changi airport.
by then, my face seems to have "swelled up"! due to difference in climate? not sure y, but it just did! felt like a loster!

*1st jul*
Day 12

the day has finally arrived! dreadfully. =(
at chc international airport!
standing infront of e wishing well, wishing that i do not need to go back singapore! will my wish come thr? well, apparently, not. =(

at the ever-famous christchurch city center
night sight!

there were many different types of cheese available.
i'm not a cheese eater, so i didnt exactly know how to appreicate them!
and that silver huge container, i think its where milk are stored!

stopped by a cheese factory, where they make their cheese!
well, winter being the off-peak season, its not e cheese-making season too! this is due to e lack of high quality milk from e cows! *hehe


see how e sky changes colour!

sun set!
nz has beautiful sunset.
each sunset is different in its own special way!

after our cruise, its back on e roads back to chc.
on our journey back in our car, e sky! e clouds! e sun! e landscape!
i'm so going to miss all these!

beautiful scenics on our cruise.
the sun, the sea, the peacefulness, what else can i ask for!
*perfect!

so cute! so cute!
i should be swimming with them! =(
anyway dolphins "jump" out of e water to catch their breathe and in they go again. so to be able to take such photos, is an acheivement itself. =)
well, e hector's dolphins are playful. they tend to enjoy mingling with swimmers, which should have been me. and "hang" ard cruises.

ok! i didnt get to swim with dolphins, but i managed to see them.
these are the hector's dolphin aka NZ dolphins.
they exist only in NZ, majorly in this habour.
an endangered species and known to be the world's smallest dolphin

cant remember e name of this species. but its a nz native bird!

seagull!
so proud of myself to be able to take such shoots with the SLR super zoom camera!

blowhole!
a pity it didnt blow too much this time!

take a closer look!
this is an existing traditional maori marea!
maori are the indigenous pple of nz. well i took a module on maori society, and was tested in e exams on the marea, so i know! and now i see one with my own eyes!

on our cruise!
enjoying e beauitful view!

e view from where i was was amazing!
somehow, its fortunately that most of e special landmarks and wildlifes are on the left side of e cruise, where i am!

and we're off!
off to explore e habour! and lots of wildlife!

so instead of going out sea to swim with my dolphin, we decided to take e wildlife cruise!
better than nth!
so its boarding time!


along a "lake"!
fly away birds!!!!

on a small bridge to....

exploring the community of Akarao and e locals and their homes.
corners of Akarao that tourists normally dun get to explore and see. we did!

scenic of Akaroa!


*30th jun*
Day 11

a very disappointed morning!
we travelled an hour from CHC to Akarao, me being all ready and excited about swimming with dolphins! something i've been wanting to do so much.
but to my disappointment when i reached the counter, they lady told me its cancel! cancelled? just like that? w/o informing me? i did advance booking and they have my contact details!
my heart sank! i was really disappointed
well, its cancelled due to e wind and sea condition. well, no one to blame, but i'm still disappointed!
yea! that boat is e boat i was suppose to take, to take me out to sea to meet my dolphins!

"hello! hello! how are u doing?", thats me talking to one of them! *hehe
so cute so cute so cute!

ain't they just soooo cute?
and they're really friendly to us! esp to dad!

part of it, is a small section of handicraft and patchwork shop!
many beautiful beautiful items & patchwork!

went to Wai Ariki!
this place has interesting, one of a kind looking animals!
some are on sales! i want i want i want!

lunch!
nacho! its yummy!
and pumkin soup, i think!

headed to the community library!
main purpose was to use the internet to do our online checkin for our flight back to singapore.

presenting Hanmer Horse!

after an hour of riding thr rivers, steams, hills, valleys etc, we're back!
it was great!
a pity that it was too cloudy, so couldnt see too much view from afar!
but its still nice!

and off we go! on our journey and horse ride!

up onto my chestnut brown colour horse i go!


*29th jun*
Day 10

time for horse riding!
so here's Hanmer Horse Riding Stable. they have approx 25 horses

Le Gite Backpackers at Hanmer Spring.
a really beautiful and homely place to live in!
the hall was much warmer than our rooms.

after a warm "bath" at the hot spring! feeling refreshed. although e mineral smell was quite strong, a nice meal completes it!

temperature of e water approximately 40degree.
comparing to e weather temperature... hmmmm 5degree? or even lower, maybe

look at e thickness of e snow.
even on e benches.
and despite e coldness, ice cream is good!

yup! we were at the rock pool!
beautiful resort too!

dad enjoying himself!
its shiok! so shiok!


we're reached!
M.... Hot Spring Resort! *cant remember how to spell*
note: this isn't e popular Hanmer Spring Hot Spring.
its abt an hour drive away.
we discovered this Hot Spring from bayan. he told me this place is much much nicer than the so highly promoted Hanmer Spring Hot Spring. so i trust him on that!
and i wasn't disappointed! =)
hanmer spring hot spring looks just like a typical public pool area, although its more commonly promoted by NZ tourism board. it
anyway here, we made new friends. 3 japanese. they said this is different from the hot spring they get back in japan.

continuing our drive!


*28th jun*
Day 9

we stayed here! at Hokitika!
this place is lovely!
1st class leh! with qualmark creditation too!

stopped over a salmon farm!
so many salmon!
in e water slping ard.... to being in e freeze waiting to be cooked!

on our drive towards Hokitika!

*27th jun*
Day 8

presenting my most beautiful lake in NZ!
Lake Wanaka.
my 4th time being here.
its still so pretty! but this time less sun! so less sun effect!

our backpacker accomodation in queenstown
well, faith's lowest rating backpackers! =(
but still a good experience being here.
scenic at Queenstown Coronot Peak!

after a tiring day of lessons. i was exhausted and my leg ached.
but e view is simply breath-taking!
and i'm proud to say: I CAN SKI!

snow snow snow! snow everywhere!
see that thingie! its e lift!

tada! thats all!
all dressed up! but just shot of attaching on the ski and be on e ski ground.
well, we didnt bring our camera to e ski ground.
just carrying e gears and walking in e shoes, i'm clumpsy enough
its heavy and its so cold till hands r numb and its kind of difficult to walk with e shoes!


*26th jun*
Day 7

the time has come! for SKIING!
so before we started with lessons, had to get all our gears and stuff.
i was kind of lost though. but yea! the kiwis are helpful pple =)