Lake Mahinapua

Day 1: On the way down towards Mahinapua, we made a stop at a small town nearby so we could get the supplies in for a fancy dress party that evening. The rule: Bin-Liners had to form the majority of the outfit. Being a bus full of skint backpackers, we weren't too upset with this!

After shopping around, I decided to go as The Phantom of the Opera and managed to find a mask that would do the job. We then got back on the bus bound for LM.

After checking in, we all took a stroll to check out the nice Lake and also down to the beach, which was nearby. While there, myself, Cahal, James and Casey challenged the welsh lads to a game of touch Rugby on the sand. 3 football players and an Ice Hockey player versus 3 lads who actually play Rugby - No prizes for guessing who won! Good laugh though, even if it did remind me how bad I actually am at it. Running ahead of the ball isn't really helpful is it! Definately not my game.

After enjoying a nice roast dinner at the hostel, the rest of the evening was spent getting our outfits ready for the party. Everyone's Bin-Bag choices were as follows:

Me: The Phantom of the Opera
Cahal: Army Man
Casey & Courtnie: Cowboy and Indian
Erika: Bunch of Grapes
Sam & James: Crayons
Ginge: Men In Black
Josh: Zorro
Kevin: A walking buffet (I think - it was a bit weird!)

There were some other good outfits at the party including Catwoman, A Baby and Tag as a Smoke Police Officer, who was basically just dishing out sweets to anyone who wasn't smoking. Needless to say, he was pretty popular.

All-in-all, everyone was quite creative and got involved, which made for an enjoyable, if very boozy party. The best outfit would be voted on the bus tomorrow, with the winner getting a free Canyon Swing once we reached Queenstown.

Next up - Franz Josef. A chance to visit one of New Zealand's many Glaciers. Another first for me.