Thursday 29th July
I checked out of the 'Dusky Lodge' hostel in Kaikoura and did a bit of shopping before I got on a fairly rundown minibus at 10.30. The weather took a turn for the worse as we made our way south along the coast, but there was no more to see on the way down to Christchurch than there had been on the way up. The day started to pick up as we approached Christchurch, and it was nice and sunny when we arrived into the city centre at 12.30.
The driver dropped me off round the corner from 'Vagabonds Backpackers Hostel'. I had booked a single room for my last night in New Zealand so that I had more space to repack my rucksack and to have a change from a room full of other people. It only cost NZD40, and the hostel was a good place to hang out.
I walked into town and went to the library, did some emailing and did a bit more research on the North America trip, just to make sure that I was giving it the best shot that I could. I was planning on treating myself to a fancy dinner, but I was still in the mood for saving my money and I ended up eating pasta and tuna. It still tasted really good after having eaten it so many times over the last few months!
I got my bag packed, making sure that I jettisoned what I didn't need and, being the good backpacker, making sure that there was efficient use of all the space in the bag that I had come to know and love so well. My last night in New Zealand was an early one like so many of them had been. I had had the most incredible time in New Zealand, and seen so many awesome things, but I was very much looking forward to going to the US, and particularly to catching up with my friends over on the other side of the Pacific. It was going to be a long journey that would take me over half way around the world, and I was very excited about it.
