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