When ever you plan to go away for a year it somehow always seems like such a long time and in theory I guess it is, but having now spent 3 separate years on working holidays around the globe, I know just how fast it really can go. New Zealand was on my agenda back in 2010 but when things didn't work out, I ended up opting to spend time in Canada. Looking back I realise that everything happens when the times right and this year in NZ has been the perfect time for me. I've worked for 9 months with Greenpeace NZ who have taught me so much and quite literally changed my life and it was the right time for that to happen. I've become a much more outdoorsy and active person having lived here for so long and even though I've done a lot of adventure sports and hiking around the world, I have somehow grown even more excited by it in these beautiful surroundings.

My life here has been so incredible that a blog post is not going to sum up everything nice felt since being here but what I know is that I have felt so many different emotions over this year and it had shaped me into the girl who I am now. It's not often you can say that the majority of the past year has been filled with incredible happiness and anything that felt crappy at the time now seems so ridiculous! That's the way life is!

I've followed my heart through all situations here and have come out stronger than ever with heaps of incredible friends around me. At the end of it all, I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to have crossed paths with in NZ, whether it be my work mates, old friends reunited, new friends in hostels, family and even those inspirational Kiwis I met in small towns around NZ just telling me to keep doing a good job! Those people have shaped my whole impression of NZ even more than I dreamt of. I'm so excited for anyone due to arrive here or currently on a journey here because it's not just a physical journey to Aotearoa it is most definitely a life changing one.

Kia Ora NZ

I most definitely will be back!

<3

Milford sound

A 13 hour return journey yesterday was what it took for me to tick off one of the most visited places in New Zealand. Incredibly, It is even said that the road there alone, is the best road in the world to drive, and I could definitely see why. I took the trip with Jucy Cruizes who really looked after us and provided us with plenty of funny stories, fun facts and scenic stop offs along the way. The journey was 10 hours each way with a 90 minute Milford Sound Cruise inbetween, but with lunch and scenic stops along the way it made it a tad longer. I have no problems with long journeys so for me this was great and the stops we made along the way blew my mind.

We left at 8:15am and stopped in Te Anau for lunch before carrying on to Milford Road and stopping at various waterfalls, crystal clear rivers (the waters so pure, our guide told us to fill our water bottles from it, and it was beautiful), scenic snow capped mountains and quirky small towns along the way. I could have did the whole journey with my eyes closed and still known how beautiful it was, if the oohs and ahhhs from passengers were anything to go by! People were nearly on the verge of tears including me at some points of the trip because as cliche as it sounds, the scenery was breathtaking like nothing I've seen before. And that's what sums up New Zealand! It goes for anywhere in the country that if you go on a road trip, you're guaranteed to see heaps of different landscapes along the way which keeps the intrepid traveller on their toes constantly.

When we arrived we took the cruise out into the fiords (not actually sounds as we were told) and the weather was definitely on our side. I placed myself in a Titanic position at the front of the boat (not so dramatic) for the entire journey apart from the moment the captain soaked us under a waterfall. It was the perfect view. It reminded me a lot of HaLong Bay, just off the coast of Hanoi, Vietnam but still you could tell you were in New Zealand.

I felt my heart break slightly on the way back passed all this beauty, and knowing that this was the very end of my sightseeing time in New Zealand made me well up. I have done a lot of amazing walks in New Zealand but when I come back here I'll be sure to fit in the Milford Track among other great walks to complete my NZ experience! What an amazing day it was overall 13 hours and all, it was truly incredible.

Kia Ora NZ!

Voted NZ's best day hike and one of the best hikes in the world the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is just that! At various points along the 20km track, it reminded me of the literal meaning of the word 'breathtaking' once again. The track is said to be 'challenging' and at points I really felt that, but nothing that would made me want to turn back - like some of the sign posts suggested. I started at the Mangatepopo entrance and finished at the Ketetahi entrance. I wouldn't do it the other way as the best thins to see are at the start and you're tired by the time you get to the end which was rainforest and a walkway for 2.5hrs.

There are two options along the way the first is to hike to the summit of Mt Ngauruhoe aka Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings which they rated as extremely dangerous and I could see why as we walked by the base of it. It would add 2/3 hrs onto your journey and would be extremely difficult terrain to climb on. A lot of people opted not to do it. The second Option was to climb Mount Tongariro which would take 1hr 20 mins which I opted to do! Apart from some tricky snowy, icy situations it was pretty ok and I was super happy when I reached the top.

Overall I would totally recommend everybody to do this walk once in New Zealand. As my video says, it's is up there with some amazing places iv been to like Machu Picchu, Salar de Uyuni, Amazon etc and it is truly breathtaking just wait and see! One thing I would say is be prepared for all weather conditions and wear some good hiking boots because you will find yourself surrounded by snow, ice, sleet, volcanic ash, grit, rocks, mud and water which you will need to be prepared for. No one likes hiking 20kms in wet shoes!

Good luck and go for it :)

So as you've guessed from the title it must be the end of my journey in New Zealand and the end of the huge trip I planned all those months ago! I started in India back in July 2013 and passed through so many countries before basing myself in beautiful Aotearoa! The time is coming where I have to leave this amazing place but it's not a sad time because I know I'll be back. I have a lot planned that I am looking forward to and In no time I'll be meeting new people and telling tales of pretty little New Zealand! And I cant wait to tell them everything!

Since coming back to the north island iv had the chance to work in Auckland city and gain a true love for the place which I couldn't quite grasp before! Iv worked with some old friends and trained some new friends through Greenpeace. Iv visited Mount Maunganui one last time and said goodbye to my old friends Midge and Mark, my old Flatties Ross and Kiran and even popped into Barrio Brothers for an epic meal and a goodbye to my old workmates. I climbed the mount one last time and as I drove away from that special place I knew it would be somewhere i would return. I also finished work with Greebpwace after 9 wonderful months and said goodbye to my Auckland family in Mt Eden before I set off!

Iv had the chance to go to the Cosmic forest festival where me and my friends danced the night away to trance music with hippys in the spectacular surrounding, eat amazing falafel burgers, drink chai and attend some amazing mediation workshops. It was an epic experience and something I'll be keen to do again if I find something as cool elsewhere in the world!

The time has come to finish what I started and over the next week I will revisit friends and visit places I missed alo my travels and once iv done that I can say iv seen everything NZ has to offer.. iv literally had the most kiwi experience possible! Tomorrow I will head to the Tongariro Alpine crossing

So as you've guessed from the title it must be the end of my journey in New Zealand and the end of the huge trip I planned all those months ago! I started in India back in July 2013 and passed through so many countries before basing myself in beautiful Aotearoa! The time is coming where I have to leave this amazing place but it's not a sad time because I know I'll be back. I have a lot planned that I am looking forward to and In no time I'll be meeting new people and telling tales of pretty little New Zealand! And I cant wait to tell them everything!

Since coming back to the north island iv had the chance to work in Auckland city and gain a true love for the place which I couldn't quite grasp before! Iv worked with some old friends and trained some new friends through Greenpeace. Iv visited Mount Maunganui one last time and said goodbye to my old friends Midge and Mark, my old Flatties Ross and Kiran and even popped into Barrio Brothers for an epic meal and a goodbye to my old workmates. I climbed the mount one last time and as I drove away from that special place I knew it would be somewhere i would return. I also finished work with Greebpwace after 9 wonderful months and said goodbye to my Auckland family in Mt Eden before I set off!

Iv had the chance to go to the Cosmic forest festival where me and my friends danced the night away to trance music with hippys in the spectacular surrounding, eat amazing falafel burgers, drink chai and attend some amazing mediation workshops. It was an epic experience and something I'll be keen to do again if I find something as cool elsewhere in the world!

The time has come to finish what I started and over he next week I will revisit friends and visit places I missed alo my travels and once iv done that I can say iv seen everything NZ has to offer.. iv literally had the most kiwi experience possible! Tomorrow I will head to the Tongariro Alpine crossing, then on to Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound and the famous glaciers. No doubt I will blog one last time before I leave NZ and that will prob be a soppy one while I'm sleeping at the airport or something like that! But for now, watch this space and hold out for some amazing new blog entries to come from other parts of this incredible world, because it won't be long until the 'Journey back to the West' begins!

Kia Ora x

So it's been about 6 weeks since we returned from Tonga! And within those 6 weeks, so much has happened that believe it or not my mind is still trying to keep up with it all! We returned to Christchurch and instantly my team was changed up! Dory and jake left to Auckland and I was joined by Ali and Rob who joined me for an epic road trip around beautiful Dunedin, Queenstown & Wanaka where I met old friends and hung out and some familiar hostels. It was an amazing trip for all of us but one by one my team collapsed and I was left rising solo! The only problem is you can't ride solo as a Greenpeace fundraiser nor Team Leader- which I had been promoted to in the midst of all this! My only option was to head back to Auckland!

This would be the first time back in Auckland working since I left for that road trip in May! It felt like the right option for me. I was feeling stressed, depressed and mega demotivated from the constant change in situations and I needed this badly.. I needed to see some familiar faces and be with people who had the same passion for Greenpeace as me. I was excited!

Upon returning to the big city, I checked into my favourite home away from home- Oaklands Lodge in Mt Eden! I saw some faces I recognised from my first stay there back in January and they recognised me! I met some amazing new friends for life there who would help me celebrate my 26th birthday in style and I would regain my motivation with my new and old co workers! This was meant to be!

I'm currently on my last travel trip up north before my visa ends and I leave New Zealand! I'm returning to some familiar places I came to so long ago with Amy and on another occasion with Braden on my first travel trip! I'm joined by two German boys who have been a joy to work with and to end this journey with Greenpeace! The passed few days have seen future plans crumble and fall before me and had left me wondering why I bother! Constant stress takes it's toll and when multiple things crumble in one go, it just gets too much! Luckily I had these two kind Germans with me providing surprise ginger tea and chocolate! In the midst of all of this craziness, I have support from friends around the world and whole lot of things to look forward to! I have just over a month left in NZ and I am keeping my head held high (Thanks Hayley) and I'm gonna go out with a bang! I'm living in the moment and right now I need to focus on making memories not ignoring the amazing things I have around me!

Peace out worldtravellerz!

Love from New Zealand ... Xx

Today, the beauty and peacefulness of the New Zealand landscape was apparent, today it dawned on me more than ever that I am in a wonderful country and I am truly blessed. Today I wanted to share this with everyone..

Sure, we have been on a constant travel trip since May and I have seen some spectacular sights throughout this rugged, pure country but sometimes you get overwhelmed by everything such as working, socialising and daily errands that you forget to stop and smell the roses. Today I did just that and by pure spontaneity.

Kaikoura is a small town situated on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, and is known for it's whale watching tours, swimming with dolphins & it's epic Kaikoura peninsula walk. Yesterday, after a morning of laziness (it's the wknd after all) we decided to be productive and head out on a hike. Four hours and 11.7kms later, Dory, Manuel and I, found ourselves beat from all the excitement. We had spotted half a dozen seal pups on the riverside as we walked by which was incredible. We had walked up and over cliff tips which seemed so similar to home for me and through fields with only dirt tracks to guide you. We arrived back happy and complete.

Today, after deciding to drop some laundry info the local laundrette, I headed off down the street (in my flip flops for the first time this winter) into the countryside and out of civilisation. I walked towards the foot of the snow capped mountains before me and somehow, 20 minutes in, I was drawn across a field, over some train tracks and onto the sparse, ambient beach. Nothing could be heard around me, only the intense roar of the waves against the shoreline. I just went with it!

I found myself in a meditative state just listening to the ocean roaring at me and reminding me of the strength and powerful ness of Mother Nature. Every thought came to mind about nature and the world and let me to be thankful about everything I am surrounded by, every day. I then found myself going with the flow and continued my relaxation with a yoga self practice. Not a soul was to be seen around me and for a moment I felt like the only person on earth.

If there is one place that has opened my eyes and given me this intense experience, it would have to be Kaikoura and considering I still have more to see in terms of New Zealand scenery and landscape, I'm hoping this won't be the first experience of it's kind. Needless to say, my positive mindset, led me back to the hostel balcony, where I whipped out my yoga mat and contined with some meditation and pranayama while the sun beamed on my face. It truly is a place of unique beauty where you can take a moment to enjoy the crashing waves on the beach but then turn around to admire huge snow capped mountains behind you. Kaikoura - you have stolen my heart :)

Namaste x

Blog- Life

It's coming to my fifth month with Greenpeace and I can't help but think back to all the experiences I have had because of them. I have met and worked with some awesome people since the beginning and have learned so much and gained so much knowledge through the whole journey. I'v now been on the road for over a month and even though this is an incredible experience and I sometimes have to pinch myself, it can all get a bit too much for me.

Since I last blogged a lot has changed. The travel team has changed once again and it's now me, Dory and Braden. Change is so good for me because I'm that person who needs new surroundings quite often ( 7years of travelling shows that I guess) and so this has come at such a good time. What's even better is that we are super close to Queenstown/Wanaka which is where my friends Paula, Marisha and Deanna are, girls I cannot wait to see!

After a crazy night in Christchurch last week which saw me hop into a car with a stranger (stupid I know) and head out to one of the biggest clubs there, I vowed to steer clear of any more crazy nights but that probably won't last! Hitch hiking is stupid and I get that, but to be honest, I'm told that Christchurch is one of the safest places and at the end of the day, life is meant to be lived! In saying that, I have booked and paid for my flight to Sydney and my cruise around the pacific islands which I'm super excited for.

However, Iv had my ups and downs throughout this trip and most of the time I have to wake myself up and focus on the positive aspects of where I am right now at this moment! In frickin New Zealand! Today was a pretty shitty day for me (as some days fundraising can be) but something great came from it. Being in extremely low spirits and on the verge of crying on the side of the street, I manifested a beautiful soul to approach me. It was a woman I had met the day before, who I had talked to about India/yoga/meditation and the power of energies. She felt she had been drawn to me and she was the kind of person I loved chatting to about these things. On that note, you can see why her presence, beside me on the cafe steps made me instantly happy and slightly 'saved'.

She took me for a quick cuppa and a chat at the local coffee shop and pulled out her old map of India to which we chatted about. After a massive discussion about everything we had in common, travels and all, we both left each other's company feeling inspired. She had given me the idea to add Bhutan/Nepal and Tibet to my travel plans and I had given her advice on yoga schools in India and places she should visit during her trip.

Following this, I entered a super calm crystal shop where the positive energy hit me like a tonne of bricks. I chatted to the owner and purchased a woven crystal holder for the rose quartz I have and a fluorite crystal (for knowledge, ridding of negative energy and negative emotions) which seemed super appropriate for me at this moment. Stepping out of the shop I found myself feeling instantly different and I guess it rubbed off on the public because I signed up two new greenpeace members in ten minutes! Not such a bad day after all!

I guess what I'm saying is that the world is constantly testing us. It gives us obstacles, highs, lows and everything in between, while it sits back and watches you try to deal with them. It's super hard to see this all as 'life' at the time and so I'm determined to keep this in my mind along with some of what my friend 'Sue' had said that day, to help me believe in myself and life. Cliche as it is, you only live once and it is so true, don't take it for granted, appreciate everything you have.

Living in a materialistic, western society is super different compared to the time when I was in Rishikesh and it is sometimes hard to live like I did then, at peace with myself and my surroundings, but for now I will do my best until I get the amazing chance to experience that incredible culture one day soon.

Namaste x

So as of right now I am on the South Island and making my way towards Christchurch with my Greenpeace team Afrika and Dory. Oh and did I mention we've picked up our first traveller too, who has come along for the ride!

Time has gone by so quickly and I have been road tripping with Greenpeace for over a month now. The team has changed slightly too, considering Christine and I started together and aquired Braden and Afrika from there. Our first week after leaving Tauranga was spent in Gisborne, Napier, Hastings and Waipukarau during which we caught up with our former team mate Jared! Napier was beautiful and showed me some of the most amazing sunsets iv ever seen.

Our second week was spent in Dannevirke, Palmerston North, Levin and Wanganui where we had our best working week to date :) Yey us! These were all smallish places but my favourite types of places to work! Our third week was spent in Wellington which I loved, and where I got to catch up with my friend Naomi from home.

Windy Welly definitely lived up to it's name and working on the streets there was crazy some days. We met some friends at the YHA and had some good nights out there during our weeks stay. We met Marvin from Germany and Gerard from Ireland on our first day and spent the next few days hanging out with them. On our last night we met Danielle and Alex from the UK and had an awesome night out with them! The next morning we packed up the car for the ferry and prepared ourselves for Nelson :)

After our week in Wellington, we left for Nelson on the South Island where we spent our fourth week was spent. We were minus Braden who had left for Auckland the week before and now out team was down to two due to Christine finishing with Greenpeace. Nevertheless we aquired the lovely Dorothee from Germany who flew down to meet us in Nelson that week. During the long weekend, we spent time on the beautiful beach, went for tattoos in Tahunanai and hiked Abel Tasman National Park which I really wanted to tick off my list. It was amazing!

After Nelson, Richmond and Stoke we headed down towards Kaikoura where we planned to spend the weekend. along the way we had the opportunity to have some drinks with our former Greenpeacer Tal from Israel, and all his buddies in Bleinham.What a funny night! It led us to continue the party in the car all the way to Kaikoura blaring music and swigging on cheap cider (Sorry Afrika).

Kaikoura was beautiful, the first morning I woke up and saw the sun rising through the window and caught a glimpse of the snow capped mountains, my hear skipped a beat! It was like a postcard! We spent most of that day driving around towards the beach/mountains and taking heaps of pics... Such as...

It was a great day :)

The passed few weeks have been full of ups and downs in all ways of life and living/working and socialising together has proven tough at times... Especially spending 6 days in a recluse cabin the forest in Nelson.. But it has given us all so many awesome experiences and memories we would never have had a chance to go through before!

Who knows how long the travel trip will go on for, but until then, I will enjoy every second of it! And I may have to pinch myself occasionally to realise the life I am living right now! What a journey :)

Here's to the rest of the trip being as memorable as the beginning :)

Peace out xx

The time has finally come for me to leave Mount Maungauni and my beach life as I know it. I am exchanging it for an epic travel trip with my amazing job, that will take me all over the country and down to the much anticipated South Island. This for me means a real New Zealand winter, new surroundings, the chance to get back on the road again and be free (whilst saving the world of course).

It's been a while since my last blog but I don't wanna bore you with the ins and outs of my daily life so I shall be blogging over the next while with news from my adventures. Having spent some quality time with my mam at her beach front house share, I then set off to Auckland to work with the street team up there. I brought my car, filled with everything I own here and hoped to sell it quickly and easily up there. I spent my first week in Oaklands lodge where u had started out with Greenpeace and bumped into a few familiar faces there. The following week I spent in Pentlands Lodge which I also had memories from and so my time in Mount Eden was pretty fun.

I got to work with our very own Paula Bear (polar bear) who came to NZ to promote our Save the Arctic campaign. It was incredible and got me a record day of sign ups. Happy out!

During the week I also managed to catch up with my buddy's Nicole and Lucy during a pub quiz and to work with some new Greenpeace crew which was super fun and rewarding. That was the week I found out that I could take my car on the road trip and that we would actually be leaving as soon as the following week. Me and Christine had manifested this plan and it came together, with our friend Afrika to join us at a later stage! Winning!

The best part was that our first stop was on Tauranga which meant I could spend a week with my mam and friends before heading South. Christine was especially excited because she never for the chance to work there before. We enjoyed time with my mam and my flat mates celebrating mams birthday, nights out and enjoyed our days spent working on the streets of Tauranga.

We also enjoyed a great day out at McLaren Falls which I hadn't had the chance to go to before. We had an awesome day and finished or off with dinner at our local Armazem. This is why I love the Mount!

We are now midway through the week and I have had the chance to catch up with my childhood buddy from home Paula who is making her way down to Queenstown. We had a catch up, dinner and went to the cinema with mam the day she arrives which was so cool. Made me feel so at home. We will be making our way down the coast over the next few weeks, taking in Whakatane, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Wellington and some small towns in between :) we are auper excited to get going, and even though it seems like I'm saying goodbye to the place that took me under it's wing, I feel like I'm just saying see ya later. In the wise words of Arnie, I will be back!

The car is packed, the winter woolies are ready and our ski/snowboarding legs are keen to get going! So over the next two months I will be blogging about some of the amazing sights we see along the way and shall give tips and tricks for anyone already here or anybody planning to come here :)

Peace and Love guys :)

Jade x