We had already been travelling for a week when we arrived in Queenstown, with its contrasting dark green pines and colorful autumn trees welcoming us. After having gone down the storm-tossed west coast of the South Island the warming sun above was a beautiful sight. We headed out to Milford Sound the day after arriving, and I must say that we were extremely lucky with the weather. We had heard about the gloomy clouds and the constant rain that had been hanging around there, but luckily, it reversed itself just in time for us. As it had in Queenstown, the sun was shining beautifully down on us while our boat went on through the sound, and we walked out onto the top deck to take in the view. It was simply majestic: the enormous peaks towering high above us, the clear blue sky, the serenity of the untouched nature in this remote place of the world. Although the wind was relentless and icy, I barely gave it any thought because of the wonder of Milford Sound. We completed the boat ride and I have to say that I was sad to leave, but all the while feeling grateful for having experienced something so inspiring and incredible.
Martin Andersson
Yours:
Writing task _ Céline
A bad journey
Last summer, I was travelling with my sister and 2 friends of us in Thailand. We had 3 weeks to visit this country and wanted to see as many different places as possible. That’s why we used to stay just a couple of days in which city we went. However, we also didn’t have a lot of money to spend. To move between cities, we used to take the bus. Indeed, it was the cheapest way to travel. One day, we wanted to make a very long journey so we chose to take a night bus. We thought it would be perfect as we would be able to sleep in and won’t have to pay for any accommodation. We found a bus that was supposed to leave at 9pm and to arrive in the next city at about 8am. It seemed to be exactly what we needed!
However, nothing happened as we had expected. At the beginning, everything was fine. First of all, the bus left perfectly on time. Moreover, we were so tired because of our exhausting travel that we fell asleep very quickly. However, in the middle of the night, the driver came to wake us up! We were steel sleepy and very confused! First we thought maybe it was already 8am but after having checked the time, we realised it was only 2am! Having no other choice, we took our bags and went out of the bus. It was still dark and we were stuck in a bus station, in the middle of the night.
Unexpectedly, a “Touk-touk” arrived in the bus station. He told us he knew a hotel where we could stay until the end of the night. It was really weird because he had no reason to go to the bus station apart from picking us. And the bus was not supposed to be there that early! That’s why we were starting to think that all this was planned before and that we were the victims of a scam. Therefore we told him we weren’t interested.
First we thought we could wait until the sunset in the bus station and try to sleep a little bit there. However, we quickly realised there were some shady men in this place. We were not really confident as we were only girls in the middle of a deserted place that we didn’t know. Moreover, we saw there was many cockroaches, which are not very nice too sleep with.
The Touk-touk driver was still there, watching at us and obviously waiting us to change our mind. And this is what we did.
We went to his hotel. It was still the middle of the night but of course a woman was waiting for us. It consolidated our idea that all this had been planned before but we hadn’t any other choice. The woman gave us the key of our bedroom. It was the worst hotel we have never had in Thailand. Everything was dirty, it smelled very bad, the bed wasn’t comfortable at all and we could hear everything happening outside.
This night was one of the worst night we had in Thailand. However, we still talk about it and now we can laugh thinking about our misfortune.
A tuk tuk by night
Mine: I've removed some words - can you guess them?
An unfortunate, yet unforgettable, journey
Last summer, I was travelling with my sister and two friends of ours in Thailand. We had three weeks to visit this country and wanted to see as many different places as possible. So we were only able to stay just a couple of days in which city we went __. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend, ___ to go between cities, we went by bus, which was indeed the cheapest way of travelling. During the trip, we wanted to make an overnight journey and we _____ for a night bus. We thought it would be perfect as we would be able to sleep on board and wouldn't have to pay for accommodation for the night. We found a bus that was supposed to leave at 9pm and arrive in the next city at about 8am. It seemed to be exactly what we needed!
However, nothing was to ____ out as we had expected. To begin with, everything was fine. The bus left right on time. Moreover, we were so tired because of our exhausting travels that we fell asleep straight away. But then, in the middle of the night, the driver came to wake us up! We were extremely drowsy and confused! Naturally, __ first we thought maybe it was already 8am, but ______ checked the time, we realised it was only 2am! Apparently we were at the destination we had planned to arrive at, but six hours early! Having no other choice, we took our bags and got out of the bus. Now we were stranded in a bus station in the middle of the night.
Unexpectedly, a tuk-tuk arrived in the bus station. The driver told us he knew a hotel where we could stay until the morning. It was really weird because he had no reason to be at the bus station at such an ____ other than to pick us up. As far as we knew, the bus was not supposed to be there that early, and we were starting to think that all this was planned intentionally and that we were the victims of a scam. So we told him we weren’t interested.
At first we thought we could just wait until the sunset in the bus station and try to get a little sleep there. However, we quickly realised there were some shady men hanging around. We were not really confident as we were only girls in the middle of a deserted place that we didn’t know. Moreover, we saw there were many cockroaches, which are not very nice to sleep with. The tuk-tuk driver was still there, watching at us and obviously waiting for us to change our minds. And this is what we did.
It was still the middle of the night when we got to the hotel, but of course a woman was waiting for there for us. This confirmed our idea that ___ this had been pre-planned. But we had no other choice. The woman handed us the key to our bedroom and we ________ly accepted it.
It was the worst hotel we stayed at in Thailand by ____: everything was absolutely filthy, everything stank, the beds were extremely uncomfortable and the noises outside came straight through the walls. We got very ______ sleep.
This was probably the worst night we had in Thailand. However, we still talk about it and now we can laugh thinking about our misfortune.
Yours:
The South Island - a memorable journey
By Sophie
Doubtful Sound by Kayak
My trip to the South Island of New Zealand started on the 7th of April. Firstly, I flew from Auckland to Christchurch and slept one night in Christchurch. I kicked off myStray Journey in Christchurch. My bus departed from Christchurch International Airport for a stunning drive up the East Coast to the coastal port town of Picton. We stopped along the way for a view of some seal colonies and arrived mid-afternoon to see some amazing views over the Marlborough Sounds. We arrived in Picton in the evening and I was dropped off at a nice hostel. Then I met some other guys who would also start their journey with Stray the next day, a Friday. We went out for dinner and after that we wandered over to a nice pub in the center of Picton.
The next day, Saturday, the Stray bus picked us up and we met the people with whom we would travel around for the next two weeks. We cruised through the famous Marlborough region to Abel Tasman National Park. We stopped at a local Marlborough vineyard to enjoy a wine tasting. Then we headed to the spectacular National Park. And in the evening we had a delicious barbeque. The day after, we woke up early in the morning to go kayaking. We had a wonderful kayak tour for three hours. On our tour we saw some dolphins and a big group of seals. We finished the kayak tour on a beautiful beach and had a delicious lunch. Besides that, we made a great walk throw the Abel Tasman National Park. We spend the rest of the day with a delicious dinner at a burger place.
The day after, we headed through Kahurangi and Nelson National Park, where we stopped for a picnic lunch and drove to the peaceful town of Hanmer Springs. We spend the afternoon, surrounded by mountains and a big forest, in the thermal hot pools. We had a nice group dinner and enjoyed a few drinks in a local pub.
On Monday we drove early in the morning back to Christchurch and drove through the township Akaroa Harbor. We swam with the world’s smallest and rarest wild dolphins in the open sea. It was an amazing experience. After that we made our way back to Christchurch. We checked out the city and enjoyed our free time. The next day started with a stunning journey across the Canterbury Plains. We continued our journey over the famous Arthur’s Pass to the West coast. We visited Hokitika and ended our day on the little town of the Franz Josef Glacier. The next day we enjoyed a free day and explored the Franz Josef Glacier. We planned to go on a heli-hike on the Glacier, which got cancelled because of the bad weather. Even though we had a nice day.
The next day we headed down the West Coast towards Mount Aspiring National Park, stopped at the beautiful Lake Matheson, and took a short walk to a waterfall as we travelled through the mountains Haast Pass towards Makarora. When we arrived in Mount Aspiring National Park we had some time to enjoy a short walk through a forest to the stunning Blue Pools.
The day after, we drove to the Fiordland National Park. Within Fiordland we visited Doubtful Sound, which is surrounded by huge waterfalls. We went on a boat and we began our beautiful overnight cruise. We enjoyed a delicious meal, while cruising past seals and dolphins. After that we had the opportunity to rent some kayaks to explore Doubtful Sounds a bit.
After the amazing overnight cruise, we headed down to Queenstown and had three awesome days there. One of the highlight was the Nevis Swing, horse riding, luging and enjoying the time with the whole group.
Unfortunately the time in Queenstown was over and we headed off to Naseby, where we spent the night. After that we drove back to Christchurch, where we finished our Trip.
Mine:
The South Island - a memorable journey
By Sophie
My trip to the South Island of New Zealand started on the 7th of April. Firstly, I flew from Auckland to Christchurch and slept one night in Christchurch. I kicked off my Stray Journey in Christchurch. My bus departed from Christchurch International Airport for a stunning drive up the East Coast to the coastal port town of Picton. We stopped along the way to look at some seal colonies and arrived mid-afternoon to see some amazing views over the Marlborough Sounds. In the evening I was dropped off at a nice hostel in Picton. There I met some other travelers who would also be starting their journey with Stray the next day.
We all went out for dinner and after that we wandered over to a nice pub in the center of town.
The next day, Friday, the Stray bus picked us up and we met the people with whom we would travel around for the next two weeks. We rode in the bus through the famous Marlborough region to Abel Tasman National Park, stopping at a local Marlborough vineyard to enjoy a wine tasting. Then we headed to the spectacular National Park. In the evening we had a delicious barbecue.
On Saturday we woke up early in the morning to go kayaking. We had a wonderful kayak tour for three hours. On our tour we saw some dolphins and a big group of seals. We finished the kayak tour on a beautiful beach and had a delicious lunch. Besides that, we had a great walk through the Abel Tasman National Park. At the end of the day we had a delicious meal at a burger place.
On Sunday we headed through Kahurangi and Nelson National Parks, where we stopped for a picnic lunch and then drove to the quiet town of Hanmer Springs. We spent a lovely afternoon soaking in Hanmer's famous thermal pools surrounded by mountains and a great forest. We had a nice group dinner and enjoyed a few drinks in a local pub.
On Monday we rode early in the morning back to Christchurch and drove through the township Akaroa Harbour. There we got to swim in the open sea with the world’s smallest and rarest wild dolphins! It was an amazing experience. After that we made our way back to Christchurch and checked out the city and enjoyed some free time.
The next day started with a stunning journey across the Canterbury Plains, then over the famous Arthur’s Pass and down the West Coast. On the coast we stopped briefly in Hokitika and ended our day at the small settlement at Franz Josef Glacier. The next day we explored the glacier. We'd planned to go on a "heli-hike", but sadly it was cancelled due to bad weather. Even so, we had a nice day.
The next day we headed down the coast towards Mount Aspiring National Park, stopping at the beautiful Lake Matheson, where we took a short walk to a waterfall. we crossed back over the Southern Alps via the dramatic Haast Pass to Makarora. When we arrived in Mount Aspiring National Park we had some time to enjoy a wander through the forest to the stunning Blue Pools.
The day after, we drove to the Fiordland National Park. Within Fiordland we visited Doubtful Sound, which is surrounded by magnificent waterfalls. We all got on a boat and began a beautiful overnight cruise. We enjoyed a delicious meal, while cruising past seals and dolphins. After that we had the opportunity to rent some kayaks to explore Doubtful Sound a bit.
After the amazing overnight cruise, we headed down to Queenstown and had three incredible days there. The highlights for me were the Nevis Swing, horse riding, luging and simply enjoying being with the whole group, which had become really close.
Unfortunately the time in Queenstown was over and we headed off to Naseby, where we spent the night. After that we drove back to Christchurch, where we finished our truly wonderful trip.
Yours:
A memorable journey to the South Island
My journey to the South Island began on a Saturday morning in front of the EF school. A friend and I decided to join the EF South Island trip for two weeks during the Easter holidays. We weref 25 people in a group and our means of transport was a minivan with an attached trailer. Our trip began with a long drive to Wellington, where we would take the ferry to the South Island and then start the adventure driving down the east coast and then back up the west coast.
Along the way we saw some memorable, breathtaking places such as the Nelson National Park Lakes. I tried to memorize the view, which was stunning and somewhat otherworldly. On the first days we enjoyed some quite agreeable weather, which allowed us to take in the magical scenery that the South Island has to offer. We did unfortunately have some bad weather when we were on a boat cruise on the Milford Sound. We tried to spend some time on the deck to take some pictures of the surrounding scenery, but the wind and the rain made it quite hard to do so. We were expecting to see Mitre Peak, but the fog made it beyond the bounds of possibility. Nevertheless, we had a special highlight during this cruise: near a waterfall we saw dolphins! Quite unusual and unique for this place.
A high point of our trip was Queenstown. It was the most beautiful city I saw in the South Island. The location, the atmosphere and the views we experienced were unbelievable. Queenstown, apparently known as “the city of adrenaline”, had the perfect scenery to try out the Nevis Swing. At first I was scared to do this but afterwards the only emotion was… adrenaline at its highest. Another exhilarating activity I did was “luging” on the hills of Queenstown. The “Skyline Queenstown Luge“ is a cart, which you can jump on and ride down two different tracks, depending on your skills. We had to take the Gondola to go up and then we had the chance to do it. I was luging I was able to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery surrounding me.
Nahid Karim
The Nevis Swing
Mine: changes in bold
A Memorable Journey to the South Island
My journey to the South Island began on a Saturday morning in front of the EF school. A friend and I decided to join the EF South Island trip for two weeks during the Easter holidays. There were 25 people in a group and our means of transport was a minivan with an attached trailer. Our trip began with a long drive to Wellington, where we would take the ferry to the South Island and then start the adventure driving down the east coast and then back up the west coast.
Along the way we saw some memorable, breathtaking places such as the Nelson National Park Lakes. I tried to memorize the view, which was stunning and somewhat otherworldly. On the first days we enjoyed some quite agreeable weather, which allowed us to take in the magical scenery that the South Island has to offer. We did unfortunately have some bad weather when we were on a boat cruise on the Milford Sound. We tried to spend some time on the deck to take pictures of the surrounding scenery, but the wind and the rain made it quite hard to do so. We were expecting to see Mitre Peak, but the fog made it impossible. Nevertheless, we had a special highlight during this cruise: near a waterfall we saw dolphins! Quite unusual and unique for this place.
A high point of our trip was Queenstown. It was the most beautiful city I saw in the South Island. The location, the atmosphere and the views we experienced were unbelievable. Queenstown, apparently known as “the city of adrenaline”, had the perfect scenery to try out the Nevis Swing. At first I was scared to do this but afterwards the only emotion was… adrenaline at its highest. Another exhilarating activity I did was “luging” on the hills of Queenstown. The Skyline Queenstown Luge is a cart which you can jump on and ride down two different tracks, depending on your level of skill. We had to take the Gondola to go up and then we had the chance to do it. While I was luging I was able to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery surrounding me.
Nahid Karim
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