Sydney: Australia's Icon

An overnight bus from Byron Bay (with no room for that comfortable sleep across two seats, mind you!), brought me to Sydney where I met up with my English friend Anne. We had first met in Peru in 2008 as we had been in the same 4 day Lares Trek/Machu Picchu tour. She graciously invited me to stay with her in her flat, just minutes away from Bondi Beach....sweet az!! :P We set off that morning along a walk of the Eastern beaches of Sydney (Bondi to Coogee) with Anne's Irish boyfriend Brian, and their two friends CAtherine and Caroline. We lunched at Coogee Beach hotel and then Anne and I attended a birthday party for one of her friends in New Town, where I sampled yet another delicious Aussie BBQ.

The next day was a day at the races for the Sydney Cup!! Picture it: the big oval, beautiful horses paraded around, tiny jockeys, betting forums, food and bar tents, champagne flutes, flashy suits, ruffled dresses, high heels, feathers, and an incognito competition for the biggest and best fascinator that money can buy! (a 'fascinator' is an old-fashioned hat/clip/or decoration that women wear propped on their head. Some can run for hundreds of dollars!) It was an experience to remember and a spectacle where you better try your best to look amazing, like an old day at the races, o prepare to be shunned! I got away with borrowing a red dress and belt from Anne's rommmate Kat, buying black rose-designed tights, black earrings, and a small red fascinator; and rounding the outfit out with my black flats. People commented that my outfit was 'funky and original'....PHEW! Beats being shunned! :P We finished the day with a night at Cargo Bar on Darling Harbour and fireworks!

Morning found Anne and I taking a refreshing swim at Bondi Beach and posing for photos with the beach's famous lifeguards (okay, they may have been volunteer lifeguards, but they dressed the part!) I then transferred to Wake-up Hostel in the CBD because Anne was leaving town for a few days. I went for a long walk around the city, hitting-up famous landmarks such as the Opera Houses, sky tower, and hyde park. That night I was hit full force by an unexplained illness and I had to sweat it out through the sheets.

The next morning I awoke to a horrible smell, disregarded it as I went to take a shower, and then returned to the room to find a hostel staff member throwing a mattress out into the hallway. I put two and two together and was horrified, thinking that that horrible morning smell had been the leftover odor of my night of sweating, then someone had complained, and I had ruined a mattress! Well, fortunately my 'two and two' added up to something other than four because I was wrong: the mattress was being thrown out because someone had peed their bed and THAT was what the lovely aroma was that I had awoken to!....hmmm, whyever was it that I had a craving to return home during this portion of my trip? Hostels....ugh.

This day was ANZAC day, the Austalian rememberance day. A day of honouring and...drinking. I began with another walking tour, this time starting in the quaint suburb of Surrey Hills, with its 2 storey flats squished tall against one another; with swirling challises and fancy fence posts. I was overcome with a craving for a latte, so I took a break at a small, hidden,but very welcoming, cafe called Robo Cog (I would highly recommend this cafe....and unfortunately I have no exact address for it!). After a relaxing sit-down, I set out again in a misty shower of rain, this time to Hyde Park, theh site of Sydney's towering ANZAC memorial. Inside, the mood was somber and I looked over the inner circle of rail to a lower floor displaying a castrated figure of Christ, surrounded by small gold stars with names printed upon them. A volunteer approached me then and handed me a star. I told her, "I don't know any names to write." She smiled, nodded, and suggested "the unknown soldier." I nodded back, wrote my hommage, and tossed the star down. Honouring: check.

Next was, of course, Australia's favorite pasttime: drinking. And I was in luck...my friend Mikael (whom I had also met on my 2008 South America trip, in Ecuador) lives in Melbourne, but was up in the Sydney area for the Anzac weekend. I met up with him and his high school friends at the Alexandria Hotel Pub, the location of their annual Anzac reunion. On an Australian public holiday such as this, there are bound to be 3 things: profuse drinking, rugby/AFL on the big screen, and the beloved game of 2UP! 2UP is only able to be legally playe din pubs on ANZAC day. One person places 2 coins on the stick in their hand, a crowd cretes a perimetre around the tarp on the ground in front of that person, the crowd bets 2 heads or 2 talks with eachother (the person that bets 'heads' holds the money), the coins are tossed up and the winner collects their small fortune (can range for $10 to $100). If the coins land one head and one tails they are tossed again. Pretty basic, eh? The most fair game in the world: an exact 50/50 chance. Interestingly though, these odds still lead to drunken brawls, which is why 2UP is only legally allowed in pubs on ANZAC day and even then only til 6 pm. (Why only ANZAC day? That I don't know.) I walked away $3 poorer, but still felt exhilarated from a small win before my big loss. That's right...my betting budget lasted only 2 tosses. The rest of the night was spent meeting Mikael's kind friends, and catching up with him on Ecuadorian adventures of old.

The next day, some coughs and sniffles still lingered from my sickness, but I was committed to see the Blue Mountains before I headed down to Melbourne the following day. I had high hopes when getting onto the train for the 2 hour ride to Katoomba, but an incessant drizzle and chilly wind had me immediately second-guessing my plan: "Should I just wait on the platform for the next train back to Sydney?", I asked myself. But instead, I tightened the hood of my jacket and stubbornly marched into town. I considered stealthily snapping photos of Blue Mountain postcards, but immediately discarded that idea for fear of being discovered and then being forever jailed in that cloudy and cold village. I ended up biting the bullet and spending a cool $6 on a rain poncho (a clear one with rubber bands at the wrists and a fancy draw-string hood) and umbrella; and set-off into the wet and white uknown, already excited to return to the main street which was overflowing with a plethora of cafes offering warm temptations.

Not 500 metres down the road, as the sideways rain threatened to snap the very existence of my umbrella, I had a revelation: there was no chance in hell that I'd be able to see the Blue Mountains in this weather....I couldn't even see 100 metres down the road! So I grudgingly turned and regretfully conceded defeat to Mother Nature as I trudged back up the hill to the last intriguing cafe I'd seen. I opened the door to the Common Ground Cafe and my mood was instantly transformed: soft guitar music, friendly and attentive staff, a small table of polished wood (big enough for my things and mine alone, which is important when you travel solo and you tend to feel guilty when you occupy a table made for four persons), and a small, hand-painted picture of a bird at lakeside on the panel of wood in front of me. It reminded me of the Preserved Seed Cafe in Chilliwack: homey and inviting like a forest treehouse, with strong missionary undertones. The men served while the women cooked healthy, wholesome, and delicious food (I indulged in the gluten-free blueberry pancakes with yogurt). But alas, my runners were soaked through, and the rain continued to pelt down, oblivious to my plight. Thus I retreated from Katoomba on an earlier than expected train; my only comforts being my IPOD and my dry hat, which was wrapped unceremoniously around my pruned and shivering feet, and in no way did that hat resemble a warm blanket! The train glided back to Sydney under glimpses of an annoying blue sky which peeked through the grey clouds. It would appear that the weather was going to clear, not half an hour since I had given up and left the Blue Mountain area. It was then that I wondered, hopelessly, what life's motives were all about. Life just looked me straight in the eye, smiled a smile of hope, and said, "Life goes on." And with that, I set-off to Melbourne.

Yoga, music, and ......Nimbin.

Next, I set off to Byron Bay in search of my dream of praticing yoga there on the beach. Byron is famous world-wide for its hippie lifestyle and laid-back vibe. It's a shame that the town itself is a bit of a tourist/yuppie trap (but then again...I'M a tourist, so I'll bit my tongue on that point!). However, the place still holds the feel of magic which I had always imagined it to have.



Andrea selflessly offered to drive me to Byron on her day off, which I readily accepted. We explored the town, ate delicious and authentic dumplings and gyoza from a Chinese shop (go figure!) and then continued on to what would be my hostel for the next few days: The Arts Factory (a subsidiary of Nomads). It was raining pretty consistently, but it didn't matter as there was so much to do at the hostel. First, a bushwalk with the crazy, but strangely loveable, Cokcatoo Paul. This guy looked like he'd walked straight out of the wilderness with his bare feet, feathers hanging from his rattail, and his ever-present pet cockatoo (and thus his nickname). He showed us survival skilss and bizarre facts about the environment, even within the hostel grounds. He was the real deal!!



At night, Shane and Willy (whom I'd met on Magnetic Island), Joe and Joss (my new firends from the Arts Factory teepee room...yes, we slept in a gian teepee!), and I watched the (incredibly talented!) talent show. No joke, I would have bought most of these musicians' cds on the spot. Blake Nobel was a particular favorite: he didn't sing, but he drummed his guitar as he strummed it! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzFmgj-_iig This youtube clip was taken during a bluesfest busking competition and I was actually standing right behind the guy that filmed it!) The night then got even better as the crowd from the talent show made its way to the Jungle Hut in the hostel's campsite. The gazebo's 4 corneres housed separate make-shift jam sessions: jim-bays (sp?) in one corner, guitar in another, a tin whistle's melody heard floating above the din of music. A guy and a girl even began playing the plastic rubbish bins! (I felt like I was at a STOMP concert!) And the beautiful feature about this scene was that every separate rhythm and instrument melded into one. I would dance to bongos on one side of the hut which matched the melody of a guitar on the opposite side! The night wore on and the sound grew as if on waves which washed over the crimson glow of the open-air Jungle Hut. In the end, the energy of it overwhelmed me and I retreated to my teepee bed to revel in the unbelievable amount of talen that could be found in one tiny space of the world!


As an example of this, I will now relate a rather embarrassing story to you. One evening as I was lounging on my bed in the teepee, a guitar melody and a harmony of male voices drifted to me. I got up and followed the music as if in a trance. It didn't take me long to discover 2 happy-go-lucky males sitting on the dryers in the laundry room, singing 'Road Trip' and 'Take a Load Off Annie' to pass the time while their clothes dried. I sat on a dryer myself and listened in bliss with 2 other passerbys. AFter a few more tunes and basic introductions and small talk (establishing that the two musicians were from Vancouver Island), a German bystander asked them to play a song of their own. Vince, the one on the row of dryers to the right, offered up "The Costa Rica song?", and his co-musician agreed. As soon as they began playing ["Let's leeeave this place and goooo to Costa Rica..."] I silently judged these two as liars, as I had heard the song before back in Vancouver! This revelation I saved until later during a private chat with Joss, Joe, and Vince where I confronted him with, "Sooo why did you say that you wrote that Costa Rica song? I know you didn't write it cuz I've heard it before." That's when Vince smiled a smile that only an innocent man could smile (and which made my certainty of accusation falter), and said, "Yah, you've heard it because you're from Vancouver and I won a radio contest there with that song. I'm Vince Vaccaro and I wrote it." [Insert "Katie's humiliating epic failure of accusation" here]. I then asked, like a bumbling idiot, "Soo, are you famous?" (whispering the last word like you'd whisper the word 'bomb' on a plane). He replied, "Yes, but only in Vancouver, haha!" ....And I struggled to repress my urge to ask for a photo with him....idiot.
[Here's the music video with Vince for 'Costa Rica': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVpimIEvGg]


Moving on to happier, less embarrassing subjects....the next day finally produced beautiful sunshine. I used this good weather to attempt a walk to the nearest Salvation Army with the objective of satisfying my growing urge to accumulate some sort of wardrobe. However, I didn't realize this walk was about 3 kms one way under the blazing sun. And so I gratefully hitch-hiked back in an air-conditioned vehicle (where I was offered a job as a tuk-tuk biker, and regretfully declined), then haphazardly walked through town to the famous lighthouse. In the end, my efforts paid off and the hike was worth the beautiful views from the top of the hill, as well as the stroll back along the picturesque beach, relaxing in the misty airs of Byron Bay. The day culminated with meeting up with the 'crew' (Joss, Joe, Shane, Willie, Amy, and Robin) to head out for a night of debauchery and picnic table dancing at the legendary Cheeky Monkeys.


The next day brought a very unique experience: a day-trip to Nimbin, the pot capital of Oz. I took Happy Coach Tours (highly recommended!), with Joss, Joe, Willy, and Shane, a handful of strangers, and our very 'out-there' and crazy (but again, loveable) tour guide, Taylor. Nimbin proved to be everything it was famous for: a tourist trap town centred completely around weed. Shop names like "Bring-a-Bong", grannies asking you if you'd like some pot cookies, and (my personal favorite), the Nimbin museum, showcasing and documeting the town's history with marijuana. This museum takes about 30 seconds to just walk through its 5 rooms, but literally hours to absorb every detail on its walls, floors, and ceilings. A few decades ago, some Australian students decided that they would rebel the rules and demonstrate for the legal use of marijuana. These demonstrations in Nimbin soon earned attention. The man who started the museum began by gathering material associated with Nimbin and marijuana use, ....and his collection doens't seem to have stopped! Newspaper clippings, religious quotes, famous sayings, a phrase said in passing by the old geezer down the street, psychedelic paintings, VW vans bursting half there bodies out of the walls and floors, how-to-grow-your-own-pot infomercials....and everything in between. It was a cluttered collection of epic proportions with knick knacks from every facet of life because, as one quote read, "Life is the real trip." And so, if your trip brings you to Nimbin, this museum is a must-see.

Byron Bay: you took my breath away. Nimbin: you made me laugh. Thank-you both.

Bris-Vegas!!

I'm not exactly sure how Brisbane earned its nickname of Brisvegas, but that's not to say that this city has nothing to offer! In fact, I found it to be one of the most livable cities that i'd come across in Australia. Perhaps this was due to my fabulous hosts: Natalie Stigwood and John Rose, soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Rose! (woot woot!!)

Nat first obliged with taking me out for a great thai meal and then over to the high school where she works for a taste of normal life (something I often yearn for while travelling): a school play about the plight and perserverance of Australian women through the years; fitting for a production put on by an all-girls school. The play was very entertaining and the calibre of acting was high. I also learned a bit about Oz history....Fair dinkum! :P

Nat and John live in teh West End, and with its bohemian/hippie-ish vibe I felt right at home, like I was back in Kitsilano. I began to really miss home but told myself that I was holding out for that ultimate euphoria of travelilng which was just around the bend; to which I scolded my thinking and revamped this thought: the euphoria of life isn't something you wait for, it is NOW! (thank-you, Eckhart Tolle!)

So I took a ride on one of the super-savy City Cat boats which glide up and down the river; the river which winds its way through the heart of the city, a river which is the lifeblood of Brisbane and its mortal threat (as seen from the legendary floods of this year). However, the aftermath of this catastrophe not a few months later is little to none due to the hard work of Queenslanders. All that I saw that are left as a reminder are quite a few construction sites around the river and, in the West End, a line of plastic bags all tangled in the trees...10 feet off the ground!

I also enjoyed a photography exhibit in QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre) by Reina Irmer titled " A View From the Sixth Row": a collection of photographs from the dress rehearsals of famous musicals, as seen from the view of the audience. An intriguing concept, and I even saw my Lambchops character from FAME! I then cruised through the Modern Art Museum with my friends, Aine and Orla; a museum which we discovered was more like a funky, eclectic playground for adults and kids alike! That night became a menagerie of dining and drinking with Nat and her family, starting with 'conveyer-belt sushi' with delicious lychee-vodka drinks on the fantastic Queen Street, Fat Yak Pale Ale at Jimmy's on the Mall, German blonde low carb beer at the Bavarian Beer Cafe on Riverside (with a spectacular view of the Story Bridge litup a light blue), then across 'Europe' to the Belgian Beer Cafe for a passionfruit lager (mmmmm...delicious burps! haha!). Soon the tiredness set-in, and after surviving on terrigying taxi 'rally race' home, we settled in to sleep.

After a much-needed sleep-in, I sampled my first Australian latte at the much-recommended Alberto's Cafe, and was soon addicted to that creamy goodness in a glass. Tea is mere 'pennies' less than lattes here, so I have given up on hot drink for another...for the time being ;) It was a Saturday morning so I mosied on down the river to the West End markets where I regrettably realized that I did not have enough time to truly relax into the bohemian vibe and sample the tasty treats and musical talent scattered amongst the stalls of trinkets. That nigh tI went ou twith Andrea and Tom (the two 'Brisbanites' I had met on the plane over from Fiji), and some of their friends and family. I was hospitably entertained by Andrea's mom, Jill, a loveable lady, in Cleveland (a suburb of Brisbane), and then the group drove to the ocean in Manly to enjoy an evening picnic of fish and chips, burgers, wine and beer.

The next evening I was a dinner guest at Nat's parents' Queenslander home (a style of house with high ceilings and open windows to allow a continuous breeze through the rooms). Here we enjoyed a REAL Aussie BBQ and I was obliged to coin the cliche phrase of "Let's throw another shrimp on the Barby!!" (who can resist the temptaion??) I was pleasantly surprised by such delicious combinations as prawns, pineapple, and banana on a skewer...who knew?

As Nat and John drove me up to Kangaroo point to look out over the city lights, I knew that the hospitality of my hosts had opened my heart to the vivacity of 'Brisvegas'.

I'm goin to the zoo, zoo, zoo.....

Next greyhound stop: Noosa, the millionaires' playground, the surfer's dream, and the backpacker's hopeless fantasy on a minimal budget. Despite the crowd of expensive vacation/retirement homes lining the banks of the Noosa river, I didn't feel too out of place with my mismatched backpacker garb. I believe that this is due to a deep sense of community which ran through the backbone of Noosa and both impressed me and made me homesick. After my arrival, I opted for an evening jog along the river and was confronted with the Sunday BBQ ritual of families laughing, playing, eating, and drinking. So many families, in fact, that one melded into the next until it felt like one giant poligamist colony! (okay, not really, but it was a funny thought at the time). I was pleasantly surprised, yet again, with the free exercise equipment dotting the path along the river (such a great idea!....please, can we do this in Vancouver? Run, do some chinups, run, do some eliptical, keep jogging.....so great!) and then enjoyed a crisp purple and pink sunset above the mountains and down the length of the river.





The next day I set high goals for my physical fitness (which had slowly ebbed to nothing while on Fraser Island), and began with a yoga session followed by a kayak trip down the river. I was feeling alive and energized as I paddled past the mansions which lined the river banks, turned, and paddled back up the river into....hey! what's this? A breeze!? I soon realized how much a small breeze can affect a river kayak and I found myself counting my strokes aloud to 50, then breaking for a minute, then counting again in order to slowly creep back up the river. I didn't notice at the time (as i was focused on simply making it back) but my back muscles were yelling at me to stop such forceful strokes as they strained against the river water....and, unfortunately, they ocntinued yelling at me for several days :S I finished the day with a walk through the National Park, a visit to an out-of-the-way little cove I found called....well, Little Cover; and finished a very solitary day with a well-deserved chocolate/banana smoothie....to ease the backpain of course ;)





The following day, I continued south to Mooloolaba, from where it was suggested I go to the Steve Irwin/Australia Zoo, and was pleasantly surprised to discover my Irish lads, Damien and JP, staying the night in the same hostel. The Mooloolaba Backpackers hostel was impressive with separate kitchens and washrooms for all 5 floors and a camaraderie among the semi-permanent "renters", most of whom were backpackers who worked as berry pickers on nearby fields, in an attempt to extend their working/holiday visas.





My trip to the Australia Zoo began with catching the official bus for the half hour ride and watching an episode of Crocodile Hunter while on the bus, just to get us in the mood. It was at this time I learned Steve Irwin's philosophy of "Conservation through exciting education", and I saw it realized at the zoo throughout the rest of the day. First things first, I queued up to feed one of the three elephants at the zoo. Seeing as these girls eat literally TONS of food each day, why not let the guests of the zoo have some short, interactive, and supervised feeding time? AFter experiencing the sad and lonely elephants of the Beijing Zoo, each kept in their own small, fenced spaces, it was refreshing to see elephants which could actually be described as looking 'happy'.

The zoo was truly amazing. More like an interactive petting zoo than anything else. I saw emus, koalas, tigers, red pandas, dingos, roos, wallabies, birds, lizards, tasmanian devils, camels, cassowaries, snakes, wombats, and CROCS!!...all very well0maintained as far as my high zoo standards go. I couldn't pet ALL the creatures, of course, but was close enough to feel interactive without interfering with the animal's routines...if that makes any sense :P The croc show was incredible, showcasing the astounding feats of strength and agility of the crocodile (not to mention their hunting skills!) And the heartfelt tributes and rememberance of Steve Irwin throughout the park brought me to tears several times. All in all, the only trial of being at this zoo was travelling solo and trying to find photographers to capture the memories of me at all the exhibits. Not bad, Steve. Not bad at all.

A Gem on the Sunshine Coast

Next came one of my most prized experiences on the trip: 3 days and 2 nights on FRASER ISLAND!! Coming into this, I was of the midnset that I hd to go on this excusrion simply because it was "THE" backpacker experience on the East Coast of austrlia, but after signing up for the Nomads tagalong 4WD tour, I noted the awesome sunny weather, met what would turn out to be my amazing team (Charlie, Zak, Hannah, Laura, and Alex from the UK; and Magnus, that crazy Norwegian man!), and realized that this would be one hell of a trip!

We awoke early on Day 1 for debreifing, organizing supplies, and an informative, but oh-so-outdated 80s safety DVD; then left 3 hours later to catch the 30 minute ferry from Hervey Bay over to the island, which is made up completely of silica sand and boasts 42 lakes....and so much more. After sampling the bumpy roads made of either sand or mud (and we're talkin fly-off-your-seat kind of bumps!), we were thankful for our big ass 4WD jeeps for rutted trails and beach driving. The group of 21, plus our guide Kevin, trailblazed in 4 jeeps to 4 of the 42 lakes:
-Birrabeen (blue) lake: with clear water ebbing to light blue, dark blue, and then green.
-Wabby (green) lake: boasting catfish and located at the bottom of massive sanddunes, and with a green expanse of lush forest on the opposite side.
-Lake Alom (brown lake): which hosts hundreds of tea trees which gives it its orangy shade of color and is inhabited by dozens of small turtles.
-Lake Mckenzie: I could have stayed here for hours! Unbelievably clear! I could open my eyes under the fresh water and see about 10 metres all around me and out into the dark, deep centre of the lake. We had to be careful to not have a lot of sunscreen on before entering the water because it's been known to have been shut down on account of no drainage system to naturally clean the water.

Other spectacular sights included, but was not limited to, 4 wheel driving along miles of beach, massive rainbows above desert-esque sand dunes, the Mahena shipwreck (sunk directly into the beachsand on the eastern shore with waves crashing over its sides), the champagne pools where you could sit waist-deep in seawater pools and feel the waves hit the rocks behind you and the bubbles trickle down like champagne over your back, and a short hike up to Indian Head Point: a cliff overlooking the shark-infested ocean and stretch of beaches.

The diversity of Fraser Island's landscapes was astounding. On top of this, our jeep team melded together as if we were best friends in only 3 days time. We camped together in the Nomads permanent campground, but tended to carouse a little too much in the evenings, which I blame upon our goon and beer supply, and spend very little time in our actual tent, except to sleep maybe 5 or 6 hours in a druken stupor. We cooked together, sang in the car together (Disney classics were a big hit!), watched out for the ever-present wild dingos, ate as many gummys and chips that we could, fell off railings to the ground 2 metres below (an unfortunate tippping accident involving Alex and Hannah), and discovered new Aussie rules to our old favorite card games (for example, the 'Gecko' card in Ring of Fire (aka Sociables) where everyone must immediately put their belly on some solid surface around the room. This was much more fun than you would think!) To top it all off, on the third and final day we floated at a leisurely pace down the crisp, clear, and cold waters of Eli Creek....a MUST while on Fraser Island!! As our little, 3 day pocket of adventure came to a close, we walked away with close friends and life-long memories.

The East Coast....only an introduction to Oz

After leaving Cairns, I headed south to Mission Beach. In actual fact, I would have bypassed this little section of the coast simply because I hadn't heard anything about it; but as chance would have it, I had met a guy in New Zealand named Dave who had worked at Scotty's Hostel in Mission Beach and he had asked me to stopover there and deliver a message to the girls at reception for him. Well, as silly as it sounds, a promise is a promise. So I pulled into Scotty's for only one night.....and then decided to stay for a few more!! I was immediately enchanted by the hostel: a pool, lush grounds, fun bar next door, incredibly nice staff...and all of this AFTER cyclone YASI had ravaged and raped the coastline of the majority of its natural beauty. I would not have even known that such a disaster had occurred there, until I saw before + after photos as well as talked to some of the melancholy locals who griped about the government not giving them the funds to clear the beach or even prevent the trees from dying. The trees could have just been replanted as the roots don't need to cling deep underground......and I agreed with the locals. This is a serious issue for a small area of coastline that basically makes a living off of tourism and is now struggling to survive. Maybe I wasn't getting all of the facts, but it seemed very irresponsible of the government to simply mow the trees along the beach up into mounds along coast and then not pay any more attention to the situation. Again, maybe I'm getting the wrong idea.

Apart from that devastation, Mission Beach was a great place and I even regrettably resisted the offer to stay on as a cleaner for free accomodation. One night a group of us were in the bar and, seeing as we were almost the only ones there, we asked for 80s music and proceeded to play a game of guessing the artist, title, and YEAR of the song. If you got all three correct, then you won a shot from the bar. It was a jolly good time, and then Adam, the bartender, told us that he only had enough money left for one more round of the game. It was then that we realized that he had been buying the shots with HIS OWN MONEY! This is what I'm talking about: the staff went above and far beyond any expectations. This is also where I had my first GOON experience (what a crap hangover that was! And don't attempt to drink while lying down....you'll just end up wearing your alcohol. :S ), and also where there was a successful trapping of a 4 metre python next door to the hostel (yah...you heard me right....4 METRES!!). Mission Beach was full of surprises....especially the news that heavy rains had cancelled greyhound buses thru to Airlie Beach. But things aren't always as they seem. This unforeseen delay actually allowed me to see Magnetic Island (a stop which wasn't originally scheduled), and meet up with some friends whom I'd met up north: Amy and Robin, Shane and Willy; and make some new friends: Aine and Orla, and JP and Damien.

So, as usual, something that seemed like a frustrating annoyance of travelling was actually a blessing. Amy, Robin, and I shared a small (small!) bungalow in the aptly named Bungalow Bay: a hostel with a koala sanctuary on site and thriving ecosystem of bats, birds, wallabies, and any other creature that you were lucky to see while walking out of your bungalow. The beach had a pathetic area for swimming (within the stinger nets) because it was still jellyfish season, so we opted to stay near the glorious pool, complete with poolside hammocks and a rough pool floor that felt like sand. Our Irish pal Willy had a birthday while we were there and we spent the night at Base Hostel bar playing limbo and drinking champagne. The next day we visited the on site koala sanctuary and were confronted with exotic birds, lizards, echidneas, koalas, snakes and crocodiles. It was also here that I learnt that a wild koala is actually more dangerous than a snake!! Those long nails arent just for looks! Drop bears.....apparently not just a legend ;) After the obligatory picture holding a koala, you notice that they really dont have much goin on in that head of theirs! Eating eucalyptus all day to the sum of 3% sugar intake doesnt allow much in the way of an active lifestyle. In fact, while you are holding the koala, you are told to resist the temptation to bounce them like a cuddly baby, simply because the koala will think that you, the tree, is moving in a strange and uncontrollable way, so the koala will dig its talons in a little deeper into your flesh. Man, the things that you dont know about koalas!!

After a night of coconut bowling in the bar....yes, coconut bowling...we got the go-ahead from greyhound to continue on to Airlie Beach....and into the wettest weather that I had encountered on the trip so far! I had planned to do a Whitsunday trip there on the boat Venus. Strangely, the trip on this boat continued to be cancelled due to bad weather; even as other trips continued to venture out onto the highseas. I was confused about this, until I spoke with one of the salespeople for the Venus trip, and they confided that the Venus boat was actually an old, woooden, London riverboat and couldn;t handle anything stormy whatsoever (I actually found out later from another source that the company was in a law suit for taking people out on the stormy seas and almost capsizing!) After hearing this and waiting for 4 days thinking that the boat would be allowed out, I declined paying an extra fee to be upgraded to an actual yacht, and instead swallowed my pride and decided that one day I would have to come back to Oz to do some sort of life-defining scuba trip: Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation, and Whitsundays all in one tidy package. As it was, the weather was horrible in the Whitsundays and this was not how I had envisioned, nor how I had wanted, my Whitsundays trip to be. And so, with the help of Aine, Orla, Fiona, and Vicky, we drowned our sorrows in Jamisons and Jack Daniels at the hostel bar Beaches, amidst an almost steady downpour of rain. After being in a hostel which smelled of alcohol and who knows what else, having to clean up the dirty dishes of roommates I didnt even know, and then seeing a spider the size of the palm of my hand on the wall (and then, to my dismay, I had to sleep in the room the next night by myself....my eyes carefully trained on the hole in the wall where the spider had retired to the previous day), I was quite tickled pink to catch an overnight bus to Agnes Waters with JP and Damien, my Irish lads.

Agnes Waters is a small township which is virtually connected to the adjacent township of 1770. The latter is the place where Captain James Cook first landed in Australia....in the year 1770 (James Cook is well-known for his completely unimaginative way of naming parcels of land that he came upon!) We stayed at the great little hostel of Cool Bananas ($26 a night, and totally worth it, with its large outdoor area, hammocks, and a feeling of being welcome). The lads and myself opted for a surf lesson on our first day there....and unfortunately, it seemed as though everyone else in the area also had the same idea as there were FORTY people in the lesson! However, the surf instructors took it in stride and created a rotation pattern for us....which got quicker as we went along and were promplty tuckered out by the onslaught of waves and simply trying to keep our boards in the correct position. I had tried surfing a few years back in Costa Rica and had sworn that it would be my last time. This was until someone had keenly observed that I had not had a lesson for my first time on a board and that due to this fact I was actually crazy to think that I would enjoy that first experience AND get up on the board! Hmmmm...okay, so I figured that I had better try it again, and I was pleasantly surprised! I got up, stayed up, and rode into the shore (arms in the air in a show of acheivement!). This happened about 5 times in 2 hours.....it may not seem like a lot but its enough to keep you going out into those waves with a feeling of pride and adventure. The person who had suggested that I take a lesson and try surfing again had been right: the few tips that the instructors gave out had been invaluable. Even just knowing to tuck your toes under the end of the board until you stand up made all the difference. Later on that day I went out with Scooteroo: the most bad-ass bunch of scooters (souped-up to look like motorcycles) that you have ever seen! Everyone in the group (again, about 40 people who decided to get out on the open road) wore leather jackets with flames. Most, including myself, were a bit wobbly at first, but once we got out on the roads around Agnes Waters and opened it up to about 70 kms....spedometer rattling all the while, I realized that ¨hey! Im actually in Australia....and Im on a motorcycle!!¨ The feeling was phenomenal and the rush of the warm air against my cheeks while I sat back and watched the greenery of Oz pass by set my very soul on fire. On the return journey back to the Scooteroo yard, it began to downpour; but, as the Scooteroo staff pointed out, we had now seen what it is really like to ride a motorcycle, rain and all. Upon returning to the hostel, elated and soaking wet, I settled in to watch ¨Into the Wild¨, and once again felt that sharp stab of regret that my loved ones at home werent there to share this feeling with me. As the moral of the movie relates, travelling is one of the best experiences there is to discover yourself, but it loses that little bit of magic when you cant share those moments with the ones you love.

Crocodiles, Venomous Snakes, Jumping Spiders....Why am I going to Australia??

Indeed, why is it that I wanted to send myself willingly to the continent known for having the most venomous snakes, and spiders the size of your hand? Where ancient predators, like sharks and crocodiles, lurk just beneath the glare of the water's surface? I don't know....maybe I wanted to conquer my fears, or perhaps just stare them straight in the face before I turned and ran screaming; but on March 25th I flew from the docile, relaxing cradle of the kava from Fiji, to the harsh, ozone-less, threatening-you-with-every-crack-in-the-wall-that-could-hide-an-insect AUSTRALIA! And after I had spent one day in that country of red-sand, the dreaded taipan, and ockers.....I LOVED IT!!! Okay, sorry for the drastic change in mood, but it's true. Australia is yet one more of those countries which we, over in North America, tend to view in the negative light of the media pigeon-hole; and we eat up every newscast and printed word there is. (Okay so maybe it's just me that focused on the pigeon-hole that declared Australia to be up to its ears in dangerous animals) Sure, there are venomous snakes and creepy crawlies, but they're more scared of me than I am of them! (cliche, but true....wouldn't you attack a foreign species that sneaks up on you unknowingly and then begins to scream?) I think my love for Australia first flourished on my two plane rides to get to Cairns from Fiji when I sat beside, first, Andrea and Tom from Brisbane, and then Matt and Chris (also from Brisbane), all of whom dispelled the myths of Australia's most fearsome creatures (drop bears?) and welcomed me unhesitatingly to call on them at any time, should I need the shirt from their back or the last lolly in the cupboard. "Hmmmm," I thought as I dropped down onto the Cairns runway, "maybe I'm not walking into a death trap." I stayed at Northern Greenhouse ($25 a night...a little expensive by Cairns terms, but a great hostel in my books!) right in the centre of town. For my first Oz excursion, I chose to go up to the hippie markets of Kuranda, high above Cairns. I took the skyrail up, stopping at several landings in the rainforest to take guided tours through the bush flanked by enormous trees whose names eluded me; which added to their glorious sense of intrigue. During these guided tours I saw (in order of 'chances of death if I had touched them'): a tree frog, a golden orb spider, and a red belly black snake (not bad for my first day in Oz, eh?). I continued on to see Barron Falls and finally into Kuranda to roam the sundrenched street (only one) and hippie markets scattered throughout the alleys and surrounding parks. The village was dreamy and full of a "Peace, man" kind of feeling. The frozen yogurt from the Original Rainforest Hippie Market was a fantasy of flavour all on its own. I then hopped on the Kurnada Scenic Railway and coasted down the mountains, through tunnels, and around cliffs for the 2 hour trip back to Cairns. Honorable mention goes to the Earth Hour celebration in Cairns that night, where I saw a harp being played alongside a didgeridoo, and more cracked-out aboriginals than you could shake a fist at! (Think Granville street with a dash of Hastings and you'll get that strange street view which I beheld that night). The following day I set out on Capt. Matty's Waterfall Tour. This was a highlight of my stay in Cairns and Capt. Matty (a barefoot, dreadlocked guide who knew everything and anything there was to know about Oz and wildlife [crocs in particular] and dreamed of owning his own pirate ship hostel within the next ten years) made the day one to remember. We first saw a Cathedral Fig tree (reminiscent of the giant mother tree from the movie Avatar.....I seriously thought I'd get the pleasure of seeing one of those giants emerge from the gaps between the vines!), and then went swimming in Lake Eacham ("What are those bubbles? Turtles?" " Nope, just scuba divers"....bizarre), where pythons had been known to curl up in the rafters of the women's toilet....not sure if that was just a punk aussie story to scare the foreigners, but it worked...I held my bladder til the next stop. We encountered leeches, were warned of causiwaries (the large, flightless birds of australia), and found out that 'Kangaroo' is actually indigenous for "I don't know what you're saying." [Side story: The English blokes who first came to Australia went out in the country and discovered these creatures with giant pouches, hopping on two long feet. The foreigners asked the aboriginals, "Hey, what are those animals called?", and everytime they asked, the aboriginals would say, "Kangaroo" with a strange expression on their face, and oftentimes they would even turn and walk away. So the animals went down in the books as 'Kangaroos', even though it was later discovered that this phrase actually means, "I don't know what you're saying. I can't understand you. Go back to wherever you came from and quit messing with our native species." ....okay so I added that last bit, but good story, eh?] We jumped off rocks in Dinner Falls and sat underneath the pounding waters for an impromptu massage. Next, we stopped at Millaa Millaa pub, in the middle of friggin nowhere, and had the pleasure of dining amongst the most red-neck population of alcohol-consuming individuals that I had ever been around. These blokes were true aussie gents, in their t-shirts, short shorts, socks pulled up, and toothless smiles. The pub was nice enough: clean and friendly, so the experience that we came away with was one of comic relief and awestruck giddiness....and a full tummy of beer and hamburger, mmmmmm. We then went on to Milla Milla Falls where the famous commercial for Herbal Essences had been filmed (yes, we girls attempted the famous hair-flip!) I'd never swam underneath a waterfall to discover that sanctuary of stillness where the water falls just overtop of you....as if the force of the river above pushes it so far out that the droplets have no choice but to follow that gushing force of water. You can actually see them start to fall on top of you, and then get whisked out with the rest of the flow, only to land safely two feet beyond you. The effect was mesmorizing, and I thank Capt. Matty for insisting that I go see it; so much so, in fact, that he slung me over his shoulder, walked out waist deep, and plunked me down in the water. Never again did I tell him that I was too cold to go in. :P The tour rounded out with Zillie Falls, Ellinjaa Falls, Crawford's Lookout, and Josephine Falls; all beautiful and breathtaking. After the final waterfall, we had tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and a plethora of sugary goodies awaiting us. Our group was a fantastic one, and we were all sad to see such a great day come to a close. I thought, "If this is what Australia is all about, then BRING IT ON!!" :D

The Magic of Fiji

As I was saying, I awoke the next morning to a lush, tropical paradise, an enormous pool, freshly prepared food, and a multi-blue expanse of ocean! I was immediately inspired to practice some yoga by the water's edge and was delighted that the sound of the water lapping against the sand was more similar to a lake than an ocean! Voli Voli Beach Resort was a fabulous way to unwind and deeply relax. It wasn't their busy season so there were times when I was the only person in the pool (and the surrounding pool deck, for that matter). In spite of the isolated setting, I made some great friends: Gijs from Netherlands, Rosie from England, Siobhan from Ireland, and Radik from Czech Republic. The staff were excellent and knew you by name. Sasha was a treat as he danced around and made exotic cocktails (he used to do a drag show at the resort, but then it was considered too risque....pity). The kava ritual was the most interesting cultural aspect I came across......again and again and again! Kava is a root found in Fiji which is chopped up so that it looks like tea, is then soaked like tea to create a 'muddy' water, and then drank. You find out later, as your tongue numbs and your brain slows, that Kava actually has a slight narcotic effect and is virtually drank in every resort and social gathering in Fiji! And you should see the looks on their faces when you try to refuse! Good lord! The ritual is an experience in itself as you sit on a giant woven mat on the sand and take the kava from a special, carved coconut bowl. After you choose your size (low tide, high tide, or tsunami) you cup-clap your hands once, say "BULA!", drink the coconut bowl full of kava water, return it, say MOTHA (meaning 'empty'), and cup-clap three times. This ceremony has been happening nightly for as long as the Fijian history can remember and it continues to happen today until the wee hours of the morning. After VoliVoli, I had an uneventful journey back to Nadi (other than a thunderstorm, which are frequent; and a stay in a 40 bed dorm....yes FORTY!! It's actually amazing that this stay was uneventful). The next day I was off to Blue Lagoon resort on the island of Nacula, the island furthest north in the Yasawa chain to the west of the big island. This resort was PARADISE! For a meticulously clean dorm and three 5 star meals a day, it was $110 FJD a day (or $65 canadian). Look at it this way: I would pay at least $40 a meal for these same dinners at home, and THEN we got breakfast, lunch, and accomodation. The lagoon sparkled 7 colours of blue and lapped softly against the blindingly white sand beach. At this resort, the love was in the details, such as the old sailing lanterns lit nightly along the pathways. I would lounge and nap most of the day, in a hammock or lawnchair, and it was here that I actually reached my life's pinnacle of relaxation! I felt it, and it was oh so nice. As for some activities, there was a giant sandbar at low tide located a half hour's walk from the resort which was stunning and we attended a church service in the local Fijian village (where the majority of the resort's staff come from) which had an angelic choir, and adorable, curious children in the front pews. We also went caving in the same cave which is featured in the movie 'Blue Lagoon', made bracelots from plant leaves, visited a small (very small) bakery on another island to have cake and tea, got a $20 cnd massage for an hour (i felt like I was lathered in a vat of coconut oil!), and it was a ritual for Kathrin (my 'sweat sister') and I to have pina coladas on the beach or in the ocean while watching the sunset dance upon the ripples of the ocean.....I can still taste the coconut. I also met some fabulous families, such as the Italian family who is actually living on Vancouver Island, or the Norwegian family of four kids under 12 years old and is travelling for six months around the world! (absolute respect for that one!) After Blue Lagoon, Kathrin and I headed to Octopus Resort, the sister hostel to Blue Lagoon, and again lived in lavish luxury for two nights. We had an interesting game of 'shot for shot' volleyball with the staff.....Fiji vs. Foreigners and you get a shot of alcohol for every good shot....and well, every bad shot for that matter. As you can imagine, it was quite a good time! Coincidentally, I met up with some friends whom I met on the Kiwi Experience bus in New Zealand! (amazing how small the world is....especially when you're all travelling on the same route!) At Octopus Resort, I enjoyed open-air showers under the stars and my first experience with a mosquito net (I strangely felt like a princess....not sure why! :P ), and an extremely large cockroach which had us on edge for the rest of the night. But all in all, we were sad to leave such a haven of relaxation. Due to an unfortunate accident, I was without my camera for this last week in Fiji; but fortunately, I've had several people promise to send me pictures of our time at the resorts, namely, Kathrin, Voltaire, and Kate :) This circumstance of being unable to take pictures made me realize the importance of actually LIVING in the moment instead of experiencing it through a 2 inch x 2 inch screen (sounds silly when you think of it that way, eh?). As a result, I can actually remember the experiences during this week better than any on my trip!! Nevertheless, I did give in at the Fiji Airport and bought a Sony camera for $160 cnd (woot woot! what a price!) It's not waterproof.....but it's a 2 inch x 2 inch screen .....and isn't that what we all want in life? ;) And so the plane lifted off of Fiji territory and landed in a place which has always been shrouded in danger and adventure (well, at least for me): the land of OZ!! (or australia, for those of you who are big Wizard of Oz fans and were feeling a bit confused). WHat was in store next?: a crocodile, a bungy jump, snakes slithering every which way!? Find out in the next installment of this travellin' blog :)

Vina, Una, Raji, and Thomas

BULA FIJI!!!

Welcome to Fiji, indeed!! The names in the title of this blog are the names of my Fijian angels :) But first, we'll start at the very beginning....

After stepping off the Air Pacific plane and out of the Fiji airport, I was almost physically smacked with humidity! But I was oh too happy to be alive and in Fiji. I waddled under the weight of my backpack to the bus stop to catch a local bus over to Lautoka, where I would change buses and then head to RakiRaki at the north end of the big island of Fiji, and then a 15 minute taxi to the tip of VoliVoli beach (gotta love the names, eh?). I was enchanted by the local bus with its bike bells instead of stop bells, an open door policy (literally) at all times, pop music or Indian music blasting through the speakers (for those of you who don't know, Fiji had many migrants from India early on and now I would suspect that the population is almost half of Indian descent), and the pretty much invisible bus stops (not to mention that the local bus doubles as a school bus....I can't imagine the stares I was getting, being the only white person on the bus and NOT in a school uniform!). The white clouds and the lush, green landscape flash by the window and the only thing you can do through the heat is smile. I will never forget the look on a little girl's face as she walked aimlessly along some train tracks beside the road. As the bus drove by, we made eye contact, and her eyes lit up, her smile grew broad on her face, and her hand started waving wildly as she ran her little legs just trying to keep up with the bus. It was all I could do to not jump out the window and start running with her! When I was in China, I realized (while playing hide and seek with a little Chinese boy) that a smile transcends language; but here in Fiji, I realized just how much a smile can cut through tension. The first thing that stikes you about the Fijian people is their smiles, and next on the list is their willingness to help you....no price, no hassle, and no problem. When I glanced around the bus, I realized that a few young faces would continue staring back at me; but as I flashed them a broad grin, I was greeted with giggles and brilliant white teeth. I first spoke with Vina who sat beside me, hesitatingly at first. I leaned over and asked, above the wind of the open window, "How was school today?", she lit up and replied, "Fine, thank-you. How was school for you today?" I was instantly charmed. As we continued along I made small-talk with her and her two friends Una and Raji. Suddenly I realized that we were stopped alongside a sign which read 'Lautoka' and rushed to get up. The girls put there hands up for me to stop and asked me where I was headed. I told them that I had to change buses in Lautoka to get to RakiRaki. The girls ushered me to sit down again and told me that this was not the correct stop. As we rumbled on towards my actual stop, I realized what a situation it would have been to have gotten of the bus at the first Lautoka stop: an industrial district mostly comprised of hardened looking men and about a half hour walk from the true Lautoka bus station. My three little angels then told me that they'd help me find the correct bus (which was much appreciated at the busy bus station). It was not until I had safely stowed my bag and got on the bus that these three little girls (maybe 10 years old, at that) waved an enthusiastic good-bye and disappeared into the crowd. I was already amazed at this country. But the next angel took the cake. About halfway to RakiRaki, an older Fijian man named Thomas sat next to me. Even though it was extremely difficult to understand him (what? sorry? pardon me? ohhhh! [and nod head even though i still don't understand]), we managed to talk about our families and my trip to Fiji, etc... He then asked me if I had planned to get a taxi in RakiRaki when the bus stopped. When I replied yes, he informed me that the taxi services generally stop at 6 pm in RakiRaki! I balked at this and sputtered pure nothings because, well, what could I say? But immediately Thomas asked the bus attendant to get a taxi on the phone, which prompts the attendant to call his best friend and ask him to be waiting for me. I could not express my appreciation!! The sun had already gone down and it was a 15 minute car ride to where I needed to be! Thomas made sure all was ready for me and then got off the bus before rakiraki, waving farewell and smiling a huge squinty smile at me. I flashed him one back.

The taxi was definitely waiting in town and swiftly brought me to volivoli beach resort. It was dark at the time, but the next morning i was to awaken to a masterpiece of nature and R & R.
[stay tuned for my next Fiji post!!]

So Long Kiwi Adventures!

Well, if you've been watching this blog closely, then you'll have noticed that there hasn't been much activity for several...ahem....weeks (oops!). Now, I could throw in a few excuses here; such as laziness, procrastination, expensive internet fees, busy schedule...., but who really wants to hear excuses ;) Here's the low-down on my last week in New Zealand....the land of adventure, Maoris, and the long white cloud :)

From the hustle and bustle of Queenstown, I hopped on another Kiwi Experience bus and headed from the west coast of the South island to the northern end of the East coast: the town of Kaikoura. This bus trip took about 10 hours as we bypassed Christchurch so as not to add to the confusion: us being a bunch of camera-happy tourists who can't understand fully the devastation of the quake and who mindlessly eat and drink the scarce resources (and not to mention use the toilet paper!). So, although Christchurch was originally supposed to be the highlight of my trip, as I would have got to see my friend Anita (who got through the quake fine, thank goodness!), we instead detoured and headed to the next stop: Kaikoura and dolphins!

Now, I feel that I'm pretty good about being optimistic with the weather, but I can admit that I almost drowned in the downpour of rain that was Kaikoura for nearly the whole two nights and days that we spent there. It's a pity because I really feel that this town flourishes in the sunshine; but even so, some amazing things happened there. First off, I SWAM WITH WILD DOLPHINS!! We were up at 445 am (ugh!) and it was freezing, but oh so magical! The boat operators tell you to make as much movement and noise as possible because these dolphins are not trained to come to you....YOU must entertain THEM! If they like you, then they will continue to frolick with you. Well, this 'entertainment' of mine was exhausting (!!) but was so worth the pay off! They'd glide by you and then begin to circle, and if you could keep up with those circles then they would go faster and faster until you were absolutely dizzy and disoriented; and then they'd slow down and look you straight in the eye before dashing off into the murkiness of the distant ocean. I'd often (against the wishes of the boat operators) try to touch the dolphins (who wouldn't?!) but then as I realized that these creatures were much more in their natural environment than I was and with a flick of their tails could shoot a thousand metres away (a possible exaggeration), I thought, "What am I trying to prove to myself?" and then sat back and enjoyed the interaction; with immitations of dolphin squeals erupting from my snorkel.

The rest of the time in Kaikoura was spent dodging large raindrops from overhang to overhang and meandering through little shops and checking out menu prices. Worthy mention goes to the Strawberry Tree Irish Pub where the mahogany decor was so saturated with the memories of its drunken patrons that it smelled sweetly of revelry and merriment. And the potato and leek soup wasn't too bad either. Also in Kaikoura, as a few of us waited out the rain in the hostel while watching Lord of the Rings 2 (an intuitive experience, mind you, to watch any of the films of the trilogy while actually IN New Zealand), we experienced a small earthquake (!!!) Only about 5 seconds long and nothing to really write home about, but it was the first of it's kind for me! (we were told it was an earthquake and not an aftershock because Kaikoura does not share the same fault line as Christchurch). Let me just say that I have a whole lot of respect for earthquakes and what the people of Christchurch have had to go through in recent days. This small, tiny, i would guess non-existent blip on the rictor scale which we experienced that day actually shook the house AND the couch which we were sitting on!! IMAGINE!! And this was nothing compared to the quake a few weeks earlier!! Respect, man. Respect.

As we left Kaikoura and headed to the Picton Ferry the next day, we enjoyed several viewings of seals on the rocks (ya gotta love the little barks that the baby seals give to their parents!). These seals look so utterly pathetic trying to get around on the rocks that I had to remind myself of how versatile they are in their own natural aquatic environment. After the ferry back to the North Island, I stayed for several days in Wellington. On the way south on the bus, I had stayed only from 7 pm to 7 am in this wonderful city; consequently seeing absolutely nothing except the hostel bar (in which Stine and I were the only ones dancing, lol!). This time around I took a few days to relax and really experience the city. And Wellington was fabulous! A boardwalk full of active residents and equally restless tourists surrounds the grand expanse of harbour, and the city is littered with bohemians, government officials, and backpackers alike....all living in harmony. (awww). I visited the Te Papa museum (NZ's largest museum, boasting 6 levels of artifacts and interactive wonderment). Here I spent 3 and a half hours perusing the facts and features mainly highlighting the Maori and European interaction and even THEN I missed some exhibits! The photography exhibit (I believe it was Brian Bryce) was the highlight for me; as well as relocating my lost camera at the lost-and-found (thank-god my brain-dead ways of losing my things is supplemented by kind souls who return them) :) Cuba Street had a fantastic artsy feel, with Fidel's Cafe (a bohemian-esque cafe with outdoor, undercover seating, camo-mesh walls, bright colors, good music, and delicious carrot cake) being a highlight for me. On the way to Wellington is also where I met my two favorite dance buddies: Yuval from Israel and Dave from England. If you've ever seen my dance moves then you can appreciate the scene of the three of us dancin' the night away and ignoring the gawks and looks of bewilderment from the innocent bystanders.

Alas, the final days came and the bus moved steadily up from Wellington, with a brief stop in Taupo (where I had a creepy run-in with a german man who owned a second-hand book store....after an hour of chatting I left the store with his psychic assurance that I would be fine with regards to poisonous creatures in Australia and a growing concern that I had just spoken with the devil), and then up through Rotorua and back to Auckland. This bustling metropolis which I had already visited twice on my kiwi trip, was not too much in my books: the outlying suburbs such as Parnell peaked some interest, but I couldn't even muster up the money or the fascination to hitch it to the top of the skytower and take a look around (what a boring backpacker I am!). On the other hand, I took a ferry out to Waiheke island (about 30 minutes from Auckland) and stumbled upon beauty and wine in the heart of hippy bohemia. Waiheke has a charm that is similar to what I imagine Byron Bay will have: long, white sand beaches (with optional nude sections), friendly locals, brilliantly-colored buildings, and WINE!! I spent my day doing yoga and sunning myself at the rather isolated Palm Beach, then taking the local bus back to the main town and walking over to the closest winery (which, at this point in time, I have forgotten the name of....dammit! It started with a 'c' though, haha) ....perhaps a little too much wine was drunk. I do remember the barman taking pity on my lonely travels and giving me a few extra tastings along with some very interesting wine knowledge. I then stumbled along to the next winery where I realized that I had planned my day incorrectly and should have done the wineries first as they were all getting ready to close. Oh well, it was a beautiful walk through the scenic backtrails from wine country to the ferry. After another two nights in Auckland I said good bye to Aotearoa (Maori for 'land of the long white cloud), and all the adventures which I had had there. Five weeks of bus tour was just enough to get an introduction to NZ; but I feel like, with my own means of travel, I could stay in this green and gorgeous adventure country (pathetically free of ANY dangerous animals, excluding the nasty sand flies) for several months. There's always time ;)

And so, on March 14th, I flew on to my second destination country: FIJI.

Queenstown parties and the beauty of Milford Sound!

Hello Hello!

Well, last time I left off I was headed to Wanaka where I spent one very chill night with good friends. First off we settled in to the hostel and then off to the best burger joint in town! (too bad I can't remember the name of it!) Honestly though, this was the best burger that I have ever had....in my entire life....and lives to come! (that includes having tasted a reknowned fergburger!) Gourmet burger patty, garlic aoili, bbq sauce, ANOTHER sauce (gotta love the sauce!), tomato, lettuce, onion, pineapple, shredded edam cheese, and an enormous bun (are you drooling yet??) After we had filled our tummies and were completely satisfied, we waddled across the street to experience the most fantastic idea for a cinema that I have ever encountered: it was a small theatre, filled with COUCHES and all kinds of easy chairs and then halfway through the movie we paused for an intermission and went to grab some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a hot chocolate, or a latte, etc...and then settled back into our comfy seats to enjoy the last half of the show. In my opinion, the world should be filled with these places!! :P We saw The Fighter (a must-see show, by the way! Fantastic acting....and that's coming from a person who cringes when she has to watch a boxing movie!). I left the theatre jogging and giving a jab, jab, right hook combo all the way back to the hostel (and you KNOW that I did! haha)

Our next stop was Queenstown. I would describe Queenstown as a magical place. Very touristy, but so much so that it is just accepted. It is rumoured that you would have to spend a year here and $70,000 before you could complete every activity that Queenstown has to offer! Obviously, I have neither that time, nor the money, so I am being very low-budget and just enjoying the spectacular (and cheap) views that this Whistler-esque village has to offer! The town itself is surrounded by towering mountains named The Remarkables (they really weren't very imaginative with the names in NZ, but at the same time, this makes their naming system unique and quite adorable :) On the other hand, you can't say that these mountains AREN'T remarkable! Their craggy peaks snake their way up to the sky and change their colours as the day wears on. There is a gigantic lake situated right at the base of Queenstown, as well as parks, mountains, and a gondola which climbs to the top of the nearest mountain and....of course....boasts a bungy which plummets you through the air right over the heart of Queenstown (is this place great, or what??) It's a haven for the adrenaline junkie, a romantic getaway for honeymoooners, and a sanctuary for the worn-out Kiwi Experience buser, such as myself. Queenstown has it all.

I went out on the town here for the first two nights....no matter that they were monday and tuesday nights and that we only visited two bars in all! But that's the way this place works: every night is a Friday, and the crowd is full of cheap backpackers dancing and drinking til the wee hours (those hours being 130 am for myself, lol!) The hostel bar at Base named Altitude has a karaoke night on mondays...and you know that I can't resist a good karaoke night! The girls and myself did a great rendition of "Man, I feel like a woman!" (complete with Rich, our resident outgoing guy, doing a short stripp-tease on stage....just the top, just the top ;) ). Then I selected Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" to sing solo, and immediately began to question my choice. I'd sang it well before when in Vancouver, but the crowd here was much bigger, much rowdier, and much more....well, critical. But after hearing a few slow love ballads sung (and sung not too badly either), I decided to just go for it.....and drank a little more, haha! So then I was called to the stage, the music started (I could hardly hear it, or myself!) and I looked out into the crowd and saw the face of everyone of my buses around NZ, from the first bus to my current one (as everyone tends to meet up in Queenstown). They were all cheering me on and it gave me the courage to sing my heart out, act out every emotion, and dramatically air guitar my way to a free night at the hostel as a prize! The whole crowd was singing and air guitaring along with me. I tell you, that kind of rush is up there with skydiving and delicious burgers! :P After that amazing feeling we continued on to World Bar and enjoyed teapots of alcohol (Russian Roulette is my absolute fav: vodka, kahlua, triple sec, and coca cola!).

Yesterday I ventured out to Milford Sound on a bus tour. This place is a World Heritage Site and is on the nominee list for the 8th wonder of the world. The Sound was covered in ice by a huge glacier 20,000 ago. The ice carved through the mountains towards the Tasman sea, and then left enormous sheer cliff faces as it melted and created the water at the moutain base. The Milford Sound should technically be named the Milford Fjord as it was created by a glacier, and a 'sound' is created by a river which erodes away the surrounding mountains. At any rate, this place is one of beauty, serenity, and grandeur as the mountain faces drop thousands of feet to the water below. We were greeted by downpour rain for the bus ride in, but soon realized that this made the day more dynamic as the small ribbons of waterfalls appeared on the mountains surrounding us....like veins for these mammoth beasts of rock! Once we hit the Sound, we stepped onto boat for a hot lunch buffet, and the rains immediately cleared up and Mr. Sun paid us a visit! Perfect weather! The boat brought us directly underneath the waterfalls, we cruised beside some seals sunning on a rock, and we gazed stupidly at the sheer size of everything around us (there's nothing else that you could really do!) Several times I put away my camera, telling myself that there is no way to capture this on film, and everytime I had to bring it back out again, just in case THIS was THE SHOT of the day!! Such a fantastic experience and I recommend it to anyone travelling through NZ.

Only two more nights in Queenstown....time to enjoy the sunshine! :D

From Taupo to Wanaka: crossing the islands and then some

Hellooooo everyone!
First off, thanks to everyone who has left comments and suggestions for tasks on this blog. I really appreciate the time that you take to do that, and it makes me feel that much closer to home :)

So after hitting up the East Coast, the bus found it's way back to Taupo (home of the skydiving jump, if you've been following closely). On this return trip through the area, I decided to take on the Tongariro Crossing: a hike through the mountains, tundra, and 'jungle' in the region which averages 7 hours! The hike was incredible and exhausting! Halfway through they have a point of no return where you have to turn around if you feel that you won't make it the rest of the way....a route that I momentarily considered and then kind of regretted not taking during the arduous last 2 hours of downward path through a hot jungle forest. But all in all the views were spectacular and the feeling of having completed a feat as difficult as this hike was amazing. I htink that the strangest thing about this hike was the landscape which was constantly changing: tundra to mountain to flat crater to mountain to deep red crater to emerald lakes to moutain paths to jungle.....just incredible!

The next day the bus ventured to River Valley Lodge with a stop at Tongarki Falls (sp?) to do a hike which ended at the river where part of Lord of the Rings was filmed (which part? I don't know. Which scene? I don't know....but it definitely looked like a landscape from Lord of the Rings, haha!) At the picturesque River Valley Lodge we played some sand volleyball (with the menacing sand flies...don't even get me started on those little pests! They are my arch enemies at the moment!). The game was great for meeting a busload of new people. I didn't do the rafting there (I'm actually starting to watch my bank account now), but I took in some eye-opening swimming in the icy cold river and then a nice break in the hot tub. The next day was a bit of a disappointment because we drove all day to Wellington and then I had only planned one night there. This meant arriving at 7 pm and leaving at 7 am....thus, I've planned on 3 days in Wellington when I return to the north island in about 8 days. (wow, 8 days! It's wierd to think that my time in NZ is almost over!)

Next we crossed the beautiful Marlbourgh Sound to go to the south island and then drove to the ever-sunny Nelson....in which, the next day, it rained. But we made the best of it as 7 of us rented a van and attempted the 2 hour drive to Abel Tasman National Park; on which we went to a brewery, got lost, found a quaint winery in the countryside with $2 wine tastings, and then eventually found our way to the park where we dined on wine and all the fixings of a great picnic: cheeses, crackers, fruit, meat, and chocolate. Next we walked to the first lookout (in a park which takes a few days to walk its entirety) and enjoyed the views...even on a cloudy day.

It was on this day that the earthquake occurred and we, fortunately, didn't even have the slightest idea while we were in the park. However, although the devastation is isolated, the whole country has felt the impact of destruction from the quake and is grieving for the city of Christchurch. It's gotten quite emotional a few times while watching newscasts and knowing that the inhabitants of the city of, in some cases, lost home and loved ones and are just trying to pick up the pieces...while dodging aftershocks and the apparent arrival of another giant earthquake (although these have just been rumours). Thank god that my friend Anita, whom I was going to stay with, was okay. One of the hostels which the bus frequents in Christchurch was flattened and yes, there were some casualties...none from the kiwi experience, but it's still a horrible situation. The kiwi buses are now detouring around christchurch except for those people that have flights out of the airport. These people are told to bring enough water, food, toilet paper, etc... to last them until their flight leaves. I just received a message from Anita who said that they are now able to use the toilets, but they still have to boil their water. If you are able to donate any money to help the situation for the people fo Christchurch, then please do.

Onto brighter notes, the next day out of Nelson I was on Morrie's bus. Morrie is a dread-locked, surfboard-toting New Zealander who is constantly seeking adventure and is quite a laugh to talk to. He gives out beer to anyone who jumps off the bus and kisses lollipop men and women (or construction workers) when we have to stop for contruction. The beer count goes up the more undesirable the worker seems to be. Double points for a ginger (or redhead) because Morrie is one. We haven't had the honor of witnessing this spectacle yet, but I'll be sure to get lots of pics if it ever happens!! We continued on to Lake Rotiti: nestled in the mountains and full of....eels and ducks. Well, okay, not FULL of eels, but seeing them under the dock and then NEEDING that jumpshot off the dock into the same water was a little unnerving, but I did the jump, got the shot, and then got my ass out of the water. The ducks there were SUPER friendly....as in they would crawl all over you trying to get at your food! One guy in the group even got his nipple bitten as a young duck attempted to snatch his slice of pizza. Crazy little buggers! We then rolled into Westport .....which is not much of anything, but gave us a chance to go to a pub for dinner and drinks and a pool game (involving the whole bus!) and meet the crew which was a good night.

On Morrie's bus, he tends to stop at any and every stop there is for a scenic snapshot or a short walk through the forest. At first these stops are abhorred as you try to relax or catch up on some sleep, but then you realize that this IS New Zealand and these stops are getting you up close and personal with it. Next we went to Lake Mahinapua, home of the legendary Kiwi Experience Poo Pub night (no, no 'poo' is involved...this comes from 'Ma-hin-a-POO-a'). Every bus has different costume themes to fulfill for the night, and ours was "tight and bright: anything tight and bright". At first we balked at the idea as we didn't have time to shop at thrift stores, but with ingenuity, and some rummaging through the hostel's clothes box, we all came up with fabulous costumes (you MUST see facebook pics for the feel of this night!) Every kiwi bus that comes through (which is every night) gets a group photo and these photos are put on the walls, and then in albums when the walls are full. The night was merry and BRIGHT as we drank $10 jugs and chose our own music from the jukebox. :P

The next day (without a hangover for myself! AMAZING!), we ventured to Franz Josef, the site of the incredible Franz Josef glacier! 2 nights here allowed us to enjoy a day of trekking out on the glacier. We climbed the ice through caves and crevasses (sp?) and ultimately hiked a total of 16km (painfully reminiscent of the Tongariro crossing!). Halfway through the hike i thought, "Well, this is just like any other hike." But as the day wore on, I realized, holy shit! I'm on a glacier!!" and this feeling was incredible!

Now we are in Wanaka. Tonight will be an easy night as a group of us are going to the local cinema which employs couches for seats and serves hot chocolate and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies in the intermission :) :) The movie being shown is The Fighter, which my parents have told me is a must-see! Tomorrow we are off to Queenstown where I will spend 5 days (a luxury in the life of bus travel!) and will see the magnificent Milford Sound.

Kia Ora!!

East As, baby!

Hey all!
So recently I just got back from the East As side tour with Kiwi Experience which introduced me to some awesome new friends and some breathtaking scenery....in 4 short days. Not enough time on that east coast!
First off, to experience a bit of the maori culture that permeates the east coast, we stopped at a tree very sacred to the maoris where travellers leave offerings of nature to the tree (ie: flowers wrapped around twigs, etc...) and this should provide safe travels and good weather. Well, apparently we left enough for safe travels but not enough for nice weather because it rained 2 of the 4 days...but we still made the best of it.
We stayed at 3 different hostels described as
1) a peaceful lodge, about 15 minutes from Gisborne, nestled in golden hills just across the dirt road from a stretch of sandy beach
2) a quiet farm on the most eastern point of New Zealand boasting horses, a ping-pong table, a campfire pit, undrinkable water, and the first lookout point to see the sunrise this side of the dateline
3) a soul-cleansing, ocean-front sanctuary in Te Kaha where the lady who runs the place smiles at you like you are family :)

The first stop I engaged as a relaxing one. The group mingled and met eachother (after our grueling 8 hours on the little bus! At least our driver, Pedro, was a bit of a character and made the hours pass much quicker). I got in a little yoga on those golden hills amongst all the sheep (OH the sheep!) and then we made our dinners and settled into the movie Whale Rider, which was filmed right down the road from where we were staying....beautiful.

The second day brought us to that middle-of-nowhere horsefarm that I described above and as I declined the horseride (horses and I just don't agree that I should enjoy a comfortable and stress-free horsebackride), I instead opted to carve a bone necklace. I chose the twist design which signifies infinity and lovers being together even over long distances....ahem, I bet you can't guess who I was thinking of ;) We then played some ping pong and had good times around a crackling fire.....even some make-shift smores were roasted! I was up at 530 am to hike a small hill and be one of the first in the world to view the sunrise the next morning, but unfortunately the clouds were steadfast in their decision not to part. At least the view was still pretty.

The third stop, and my favorite, gave us an oceanfront view, a beautiful yard in which 6 of us girls practiced some yoga, a long stretch of secluded beach, a bbq dinner (including sushi! haha!), and a huge 10-person hot tub only steps from the rocks along the ocean. There we sipped wine or beer and watched a beautiful sunset. This place was heaven.

It was unfortunate that the next kiwi bus to come through was four days away. If it came along everyday then I may have chosen to stay a few extra nights at each stop because they certainly deserved some more attention. If you are ever in New Zealand, I highly recommend the gorgeous scenery and laid-back attitude of the north island's east coast.

Mercury Bay to Taupo: From underground to 15000 ft!

Kia Ora!!
Hello everyone, and welcome to a friendly information update about the wonderful country of NEW ZEALAND! First off, yes, everyone drives on the opposite side of the road and this does make for a bit of a pause until you are absolutely, 100% sure that no cars are coming (and makes you think that 10 year old kids are driving the vehicles until you realize that their parents are driving from the right side of the car...oops). The prices here are incredibly amazing if you are from Canada (among other places). Yes, they are cheap, but what I mean is that if it says $5 for a pint of beer, then yes, it is $5 for a pint of beer!! No tax, no tip, just five WONDERFUL dollars! And, funny enough, there are no pennies or nickels. The lowest form of currency is 10 cents, and the bills are conveniently made of a thin sort of plastic so you can send them through the wash or try your hardest to rip them and they'll be as good as new! (why hasn't north america caught onto this??) There are not really any poisonous or dangerous animals/critters here (I honestly don't know WHY i'm going to Australia after this (home of all species of dangerous animals, or so it seems), but i guess you gotta try it once, right?) I am loving jumping into water or trudging through the grass and not worrying about encountering anything that could choose to eat me :P

A sandal is called a 'Jandal' because it looks like a 'Japanese sandal', you will hear "Sweet as, bro!" more times than you can count in one day, and if someone says, "Yip, yip, yip....naw" then this means " yes, yes, yes...no" and you should only listen to the last answer they give as you have been asking the question....which, in this case, is 'no'. Reststops are surprisingly clean and always full of toilet paper (a miracle in my books!), and although there are plenty of farms and mountains here, I actually find the landscape similar to that of Colombia (go figure!): lush and verdant with a variety of bush and trees; including the fern tree (a palm tree, but with ferns instead of palm fronds....a personal favorite). The views have a plethora of green colours....and these will also change depending on whether the sun is out or if there is cloud cover. It is amazing that these bus trips can be entertaining just from looking out a window! If New Zealand were a person....it would be a beautiful, volumptuous adrenaline junkie :P

Which leads me to my next point....all the activities that there are to do here! Holy frick...I swear that I've spent at least $2500 already...and yes, it is still my first week [insert tear drop here]. But as my new friend Savannah says: "You only regret money that you don't spend!" And so goes the mantra for the kiwi experience bus tour....

Last Wednesday we went to Auckland for a friendly night of $5 personal jugs of beer and poledancing (led by our lovely instructor, Savannah). [note: this led to a small, but tender bruise on the underside of the left, upperthigh....ew]. After some fun dancing (and one excellent strobe light!) we were off the next morning to Mercury Bay via Cathedral Cove. Cathedral Cove is in Coromandel which is home to a national reserve that boasts many a beautiful beach. This cove is no exception. It's famous for those pictures of people standing underneath the great arch of eroded rock....unfortunately the arch has recently been prone to rockfalls and was a little dangerous to walk through, but we still kayaked out there across the ocean, got our arch pictures (wonderful jump shots, mind you) and then had our kayak guides treat us to lattes, cappucinos, and hot chocolates on the beach....how random is that?? Then we headed on the Mercury Bay for a home-cooked meal of spaghetti bolognese [we stayed at Turtle Cove Hostel: $26/night with $7 spaghetti meal....great little hostel, but sadly, no skype]. The next day we were off to Rotorua, home of some tremendous thermal hot spots, but first with stops in the beautiful Karangahake Gorge and Matamata, also known as Hobbiton where the Lord of the Rings was filmed (and of course a cheesy pictures with the Gollum statue, hee hee). The thermal pools in Rotorua were really quite bewildering....even the street grates were leaking thermal smoke from the underground. A strong smell of sulphur permeated the air and you could get away with passing any silent farts that you wanted....not that I did, honestly ;) That night we went to an authentic Maori cultural show and dinner. George, my son for the trip...that will be explained later, was named chief of our tribe (aka the bus) and had to participate in ceremonies and haka dances....makes a mother proud, eh?! The feast we ate was cooked in a covered pit in the ground and was as scrumptious as christmas dinner!! Honestly delicious!

The next day we headed to the Luging on a hill overlooking Rotorua and sped down hills on small un-motorized go karts...controlled by whether you push forward (faster) or pull back (slower) on the handles.....I went rather slow (such a tame person, eh?), while I watched others zoom by and try to crash eachother. I must admit that my timidness may have been due to the story about a girl who was recently on kiwi experience and shaved off a layer of forehead skin when she skidded off her luge while maneuvering a corner. No thank-you!! We then continued the thrills in agroventures where Stine, Kim, Savannah, and I tried out the Freefall extreme. Basically you get suited up in a jump suit and then lay out over net which is positioned over a high-powered fan and you try to float on top of it. A great warm-up for skydiving!! :P

We then headed to Waitomo and the enchanting glow-worm caverns. I suited up for the Black Labrynth...a trek that took us through rocks, into underground caverns, and floating through giant caves on innertubes in a frigid river. Luckily we were completely covered in wetsuits and were able to comfortably enjoy the magic of the tiny 'maggot poo' of the glow-worms twinkling overhead....how romantic ;)

After a night in Waitomo, we ventured on to Taupo where we stopped at the majestic Haku Falls for some picture opportunities, and then off to SKYDIVING!!! I had always wanted to do it, but only recently have I gotten over the fear of spending money and decided to get the dvd of the experience....I was so glad that i did! (NZ $500, which is $375 CND for jump, DVD and T-shirt...not bad!) The jump was fantastic, superb, and out of this world!! The only moment of fear was when I was scooted towards the door and was literally sitting on my tandem partner with all of my limbs dangling out of the plan....situated 15000 ft above Lake Taupo....what a rush!! Then the jump, and then....pure bliss!!! You reach terminal velocity so quickly that all you can think about is: "What dance move did I want to do for the camera??" LOL! After the rush of the freefall for over a minute, the cord was pulled and we floated/spiraled gently to the safety of earth. This experience was not to be missed and I smile everytime that I think back to it!!

Tomorrow I head out to the east coast in an 'add-on' tour called East As. It focuses on Maori Culture, sunrises on the eastern most point to see the sun rise in the morning, and....hot tubs? haha.....perhaps even an International Idol comp thrown in just for good measure! And you KNOW that I'll be on top of that one!!

I've been attempting to keep up with yoga while I'm here, and my good friend Stine is definitely keeping me to it!! It's a great and relaxing way for us to get some extra toning while not breaking a sweat, haha! I've also been dubbed the 'Mum' of the trip as I am one of the oldest girls on the bus, I am 'cultured' (which means that I drink a glass of wine with dinner while everyone else drinks 3 pints of beer), I am not interested in any romantic adventures, and I go to bed whenever I darn well please! (yes, this means earlier, rather than later). The boys on the bus have especially taken to calling me Mum, and Georgie even asks me to do his laundry...how sweet, haha. But it's a great excuse for doing what I want to do (aka: going to bed early), because, as we all know, Mum knows best!! ;P There's a lot of snoring in the dorm rooms, followed by early bus trips (usually before 8 am everyday)....but that is just making me look even more forward to heading to Fiji and relaxation after this whirlwind trip!!

Miss y'all!! And yes, all these activities are expensive, but they are definitely not to be missed while in New Zealand!!
PS- first person to comment on what 'Kia Ora' actually means wins bragging rights!! :)

Pahia - The Bay of Islands

Kia Ora!!

Well, after 2 years this trip has FINALLY begun!! And although I am very much missing everyone from home (don't ever doubt that, you guys!), this journey is already off to a fun and adventurous start!!

So first off, there was about 17 hours of flying and 10 hours of layovers which took me from Vancouver through to LAX, Nadi (Fiji), and then Auckland. The flights were okay as I always had someone friendly to chat with (not to mention meeting up randomly with Dustin Timms, a guy I went to school with at Sardis Secondary, while at the LAX airport! We flew together from Vancouver to Nadi and had a delirously good time with Derek and Jo (Torontans) whom we also met on the 11 hour, red-eye flight. Having a giddy good time while flying for that long is always a good time!) The crew on this Air Pacific flight is worth mentioning....they were so nice!! I guess that's why Air Pacific is called the friendliest airline in the world. They definitely lived up to their name! After landing in Fiji at 5 am local time, we were greeted with bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Fijian men who played ukeleles and guitars and sang traditional songs. Anyone that can make me get dancing at 5 am after a long flight is amazing! This made me extend my Fiji trip from one week to 12 days, and I hadn't even left the airport!

Auckland is as most big cities are, although the skyline (with their enormous Sky Tour) is breathtaking at night and the beaches all around the city are quite inviting. I stayed up in Parnell at City Garden Lodge which was laid-back and easygoing...just what I needed for getting over jet-lag. Oh, and I had my first hammock encounter of the trip there! I do looooove hammocks! The hostel is about $30 NZ a night, and is well-worth it. [btw, i'm going to be giving some hostel info throughout the blog just for those of you who may be planning a trip to NZ, or anywhere I'm travelling, soon].

I met a group of friends at the hostel (Michelle and Emily (saskatchewan), David (UK), and another girl from North Carolina), and we took in Waitangi day on February 6th down at Okahu Bay just on the outskirts of Auckland. Waitangi day is the day that the Maori people signed a treaty with the English. This music festival that we lounged around at featured local NZ artists and LOTS of reggae.....soooo perfect for a sunny day (although, it was this day that I realized that North American sunscreen is not nearly cut out for the lack-of-ozone NZ sun :S I suffered a minor tanline across my head. Okay, so it's more like a dark red line arcing across my forehead, tracing the line of my headband! Ugh! a few more days and it should be gone, haha). We then walked to Mission Bay for some swimming (not the best of swimming around Auckland...the ground was a little muddy), and then to sleep for the next day to Pahia.

Pahia is known as the Bay of Islands. On the Kiwi Experience bus trip I met some great people whom it will be sad to say good-bye to (although some of them will be travelling with me for most of my NZ trip), and we've taken boat trips through holes in rocks (haha, sounds funny when said that way), dolphin sightings, bar trips (Straight arm drinking! so funny!), bus tours to Cape Reinga (where the pacific ocean and the tasman sea meet) which included speeding buses along the 90 mile beach (that was a strange feeling!), SAND DUNE BOARDING, beautiful tropical beaches, and....fish and chips :P [Check facebook for pics of all these adventures!] We're staying at the Pipi Patch hostel in Pahia: about $25 CND a night, and that included a big bbq dinner on the first night!

Today we head back to Auckland on the bus and then onto more of the North Island tomorrow. It's misty and cool today, but I am loving the reprieve from the nasty sun that's been following me around for the last few days! I'm sure my skin will level-out eventually :P

xxooO