Leaving New Zealand

I can't believe I have been in New Zealand three months, time flies by!  I have really enjoyed my time here, I have really done some amazing things, and seen some wonderful sights.  My favourites have to be hiking the routeburn trail with Naomi, kayaking in Abel Tasman with Christof, and cycling from Arrowtown to the coast, all of which were truly fantastic experiences.  Although my earlier plan was to work here in New Zealand, by the time I arrived I was already thinking that living here probably wouldn't suit me - it is so far away from everyone I care about, and the time difference makes even having a phone call hard.  After six months in America, which felt a long way from home, New Zealand is even further.  I also had made tentative plans to continue travelling with Christof.  New Zealand has been a fantastic place to visit but I have not been tempted to stay: I get sunburned even on a cloudy day, all books are at least twice the price of the UK, houses and jobs don't seem to have a much better chance than in the UK, and the country is over run with bright young things here on working holiday visas - the chances of me getting a job doing something I actually wanted seemed slim.  I have also found it difficult here in that New Zealand I think is either over rated, or has changed in the last few years, and matching my expectations to reality has been difficult.  I also think that America exceeded my expectations so far in every way that New Zealand almost couldn't live up to them!
So in two days Christof and I are on a plane for Bali for two weeks of trying to surf.  We hope to get a quick swim in the sea in Sydney between flights, but we shall see. We have spent much of the last few weeks planning the rest of our journey, trying to get visas sorted out, and buying Japan Rail Passes... I am so excited!
Missing you all, and hoping you're all well.