Hello New Zealand!

I can’t believe I’m here! The country that I planned to visit in 2010 before being snatched away when an ugly thing beginning with ‘c’ came back and decided it wanted a rematch! It lost, I won and now I’m here!:)
I’m so excited to be here. I’ve wanted to come here ever since I watched the extras on the special edition DVD of Lord of the Rings (nerd alert). I remember thinking it looked like the most beautiful place ever and now I am finally here.

I was seen off at Sydney airport by my lovely new friends Vix and Rob (and a guy claiming to be Santa…that beard was totally fake though) and I was greeted in Wellington by two lovely old friends (old meaning I’ve known them for a while of course:) Lisa and Ruth. There was also a strange bald guy there just hanging around but fortunately he only had eyes for a another Trout!:)

I’m staying at Ruth’s apartment in beautiful Wellington and when I arrived Lisa and Ruth had put together a little bag of some of the things that make New Zealand great to welcome me to their amazing country. It was so sweet of them. My gift bag included a beautiful map of New Zealand, lots of New Zealand chocolate, wine and a lovely card with the legendary Kiwi saying of ‘sweet as’ on it! ‘Sweet as’ meaning…’awesome’ or if your very British…’I rather like that’ …….at least I think that’s what it means. Correct me if I’m wrong Kiwis?

Ruth told me that Kiwi’s aren’t as patriotic as the Ozzies but then proceeded to tell me that New Zealand has the best of everything. Best country, best meat, best sweets, best coffee. There’s a photo of me sampling my first kiwi coffee and looking like I quite liked it (truth is the milk was boiled and tasted funny but it wasn’t too bad:) New Zealand has just been voted the best country in the world to visit for the thirds time in a row so I’m here to see if that holds true.

I’ve already unleashed my inner geek and been to one of the Lord of the Rings locations here in Wellington and I made a new friend by the harbour!:) Just call me Frodo Turkey legs Trout!:)

So here we go! New Zealand it’s great to be here! If anyone from New Zealand is following 101 Things and fancies a hot choccie and a chat then please let me know and I’ll drop in when I get to your town/village/hobbit hole!:)

SO EXCITED!!
X