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!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
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!! :)
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!! :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
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
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
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sane, stupid, lame, silly, crazy, original, ......
HEY EVERYONE!
Welcome to the blog for my next travel adventure!
The title of the blog reveals one of my dearest obsessions (the tv show 'The Amazing Race'), as well as an assignment for all of you blog-followers out there....should you choose to accept it ;)
I'm going to be travelling for about 7-8 months, and I'd like to have a list of tasks to attempt in each country, city, town.....wherever you send me.
I can't guarantee that I'll do each and every task, but DAMN IT! I'm gonna try my hardest!
Here's the trip itinerary:
Feb. 3-March 14th: New Zealand
~2 weeks: Fiji
~3 months: Australia
~2-3 months: South East Asia
(including, but not limited to: Indonesia, (Singapore?), Malaysia, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos)
So go ahead and start coming up with the funniest, wildest, and wierdest things that I can do on this trip (sane, stupid, and lame requests will be considered).
Please comment on this blog entry so that I can keep all of them in one place.
Also, I will attempt to photograph each task so that I can post the pic to the blog to prove that the task has been completed.
Thanks for your help, everyone!! The adventure begins February 3rd, 2011!!
Welcome to the blog for my next travel adventure!
The title of the blog reveals one of my dearest obsessions (the tv show 'The Amazing Race'), as well as an assignment for all of you blog-followers out there....should you choose to accept it ;)
I'm going to be travelling for about 7-8 months, and I'd like to have a list of tasks to attempt in each country, city, town.....wherever you send me.
I can't guarantee that I'll do each and every task, but DAMN IT! I'm gonna try my hardest!
Here's the trip itinerary:
Feb. 3-March 14th: New Zealand
~2 weeks: Fiji
~3 months: Australia
~2-3 months: South East Asia
(including, but not limited to: Indonesia, (Singapore?), Malaysia, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos)
So go ahead and start coming up with the funniest, wildest, and wierdest things that I can do on this trip (sane, stupid, and lame requests will be considered).
Please comment on this blog entry so that I can keep all of them in one place.
Also, I will attempt to photograph each task so that I can post the pic to the blog to prove that the task has been completed.
Thanks for your help, everyone!! The adventure begins February 3rd, 2011!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)