Final thoughts

The last two days of my trip gave me time to reflect on this trip and traveling in general. On the Day 9, I left Taupo and went back to Auckland. Didn’t do much when I got back to the hostel – just relaxed and thought about how exciting it will be to take a shower without flip flops again.

The next day I went on a free day tour of Auckland with Kiwi Experience. Free is always attractive, especially at the end of a trip! It was really nice though. We went out and took a walk across the harbour bridge, watched a couple of people bungy jump off the bridge – it was brilliant. The rest of the day we headed out of the city center and went to a couple of areas called Devonport and North Head. Really lovely areas and definitely nicer than hanging out in downtown of Auckland, in my opinion. After the tour, I got ready to go to the airport. My flight was (supposedly) leaving at 6 am, on Friday. Well, that means I would have to be at the airport at like 3 am or so. So I thought, why not just sleep at the airport instead of spending money on a place to sleep? Plus, transport out to the airport would have been tricky at that time in the morning as well unless I felt like forking over $50 for a taxi out to the airport. No thanks. So I went to the airport and found a set of chairs that I would call my bed for the night. You might think that I didn’t sleep very well but I must say, I slept fairly well considering I was using my backpack and luggage as a pillow. The airport is interesting in the middle of the night. I don’t know what it is – just strange noises, the lack of noise that you usually associate with airports, people coming around and mopping around the area where you are sleeping.

A few hours later I woke up and thought I should check in. Right – I was not pleased to learn that the flight was delayed for 3 hours. This airline is not getting any sort of kudos from me! So I proceeded to check in anyway. In the middle of checking in, the man helping me picks up the phone and says “Oh you’re kidding.” Hangs up and announces to his crew that somebody had in fact made a “boo-boo” and the flight was really leaving at 7:30 am, instead of 9 am. Well, yay good news for us! So I head toward the customs and security. Fast forward to about 7:30 am. The plane had just started to board. So much for that promise. In the end the plane finally took off at about 9 am. I had never witness such a disorganized affair. But I made it back to Sydney safely so in the end, that is all that matters, right?

All in all, this has been a lovely trip. At first I was bit nervous being by myself and afraid that I would not meet new people. But I did! I met loads of fantastic people from all over the world. It is really interesting to be sitting at the pub one night and realize that you are enjoying a beer with people from England, Ireland and Holland. Or one night I was on a pub trivia team with three Danish people, a guy from Wales and some Germans dropped in later. Side note: that is the key to a successful pub trivia team – make sure you have people from different countries and then you have all your bases covered! Meeting people from these places not only opened my eyes to what their culture is like but also made me think more about American culture ergo learn more about myself and my roots. It is quite interesting to hear how people perceive the United States (I cannot tell you how many times I had to tell people that American high schools really aren’t like they show in the movies… of course I didn’t go to school in Suburbia). Very interesting conversations always.

And as for New Zealand… beautiful! A really brilliant place with friendly people who show great pride in their country. Being there for ten days really gave me enough time to just scratch the surface but I am so glad I went. I would highly recommend going. It would take some saving up but I promise it would be well, well worth it!

New Zealand Photos!

Photobucket Album

Cheese the Bus Driver and other tales of New Zealand

Day 7 + 8

Yesterday morning we actually had a chance to sleep in for a change. Usually the Kiwi Experience bus leaves quite early. Best night sleep I reckon I had during this trip. The town of Waitomo is really quiet so it was really peaceful and relaxing actually. A nice change from being situated only a couple meters from the backpackers bar a couple nights earlier.

Before we left Waitomo we went on the same walk as the previous day for the people who missed it while they went on a caving adventure (which I passed on – a bit too expensive for my taste). I really enjoy the short walk actually. Very pretty – it reminded me of a jungle a little bit and the caves are nice cool retreats especially that morning when it was really humid and muggy.

After our Ruakuri hike our driver, Cheese (yes, he calls himself Cheese) insisted on taking us to a rabbit shearing demonstration. He claimed it was so hilarious you would “piss yourself.” Cheese also stressed that the rabbits are not treated in a cruel manner and it is not as bad as it sounds or looks. So we went to The Shearing Shed (one of the few buildings in Waitomo) for a little free show. When we entered the room a big fluffy Angora rabbit, Brandy, was awaiting her fur cut. The moderator explained to us that these rabbits need to be sheared up to four times a year otherwise they could die from the heat.

The next part did look kind of cruel and looking around at the faces in the room, there was a mixture of horrified, laughing and not-sure-what-to-think looks. The lady doing the shearing tied the legs of the rabbit and so it stretched out and it look really uncomfortable for the rabbit but the moderator assured us that this process is not cruel and that they had been approved by some humane association, making it alright… I guess. Then they went on with the shearing. So much fur came off that rabbit, it was unreal! I will say that it was an …. interesting thing to do, I guess. The rabbits were cute though. Really puffy – like a giant cotton ball with ears sticking out.

After departing the Shearing Shed, we made way for Taupo (pronounced toe-pour). Taupo has a lot of outdoor activities but unfortunately the two days I was there, it was raining and windy so there was not much we could do. People who wanted to go skydiving were disappointed when that was cancelled. Taupo has the largest lake in Australasia. It can actually fit Singapore into it! There are a lot of volcanoes around and yes, they are actually active. I really wish I had more to say about things I did in Taupo but alas, we cannot change Mother Nature. Plus it might be for the best because this is the first rain in about two months that this area has seen, so they did need it. I did manage to go for a bit of a walk along the lake front to snap some pictures before the rain and treacherous wind hit.

The night we arrived in Taupo we hit the new bar below the hostel. After listening to loads of early 90s pop music, which my hostel roomie and I reckon only just arrived here in New Zealand, we thought it might be a good idea to check out the Irish pub around the corner. A great idea it was. It was really cool and actually worn in – as if you could smell the musty smells of cigars smoked there long ago before a smoking ban and beer being spilled on the floor. Ah, bottle that scent – Eau de Irish Pub. Ha ha. Anyway, there was a young bloke playing that night and we were commenting on how lovely his voice was. Turns out that this guy recently signed a $5 million contract deal with Universal and he was just coming back to Taupo to show his appreciation for his friends and family in that town (it is not a very big city either – about 22,000). His name is Will Martin and all the locals I spoke to kept saying to me “Take a picture with that guy – it’ll be worth millions some day!” It was funny but really nice to see how proud they were of this 21 year old. So, I took a picture with him and will cherish it as these people told me to. I also bought his album today as a nice little souvenir. That way, someday if he does become big (but honestly his music probably wouldn’t be big in the States) I can say that I saw him in some po-dunk bar in Taupo, New Zealand. Very lovely.

Tomorrow morning I am heading back to Auckland. It has been a great week exploring the country side and actually seeing the real New Zealand. The people are so great and very proud of their country. When you travel, you really have to leave the cities because when it comes down to it, a city is just a city. A country’s true colors come out outside of these areas of steel and concrete. I will be in Auckland for a day and since I didn’t see much of the city besides Waiheke Island, I am going to go on a free day trip of the city. But more about that later. Cheers!

Kiwis, and Sheep and Geysers - Oh my!

Day 6

Today we left Vegas. Um, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? No, not really. Obviously I just wrote about it, didn’t I? Before we left the area we went to Te Puia which is a park where we could see some big geysers in action and big mud pools. Also, they have 2 kiwi birds in captivity and we got to see them. Kiwis are endangered and the park actually has a breeding program which is reasonably successful. I must say, I thought the kiwi was actually much smaller but man, the kiwi is quite a pudgy thing! Kind of cute though… in its own peculiar way.

Side note: Do you know why New Zealanders are known as Kiwis to everyone in the world? No, it is not because of the fruit. And it’s not because of the fat little bird. It is actually because of the Kiwi shoe products. The name picked up in World War I when the polish was used by soldiers. Funny thing is, an Aussie man actually created it but before the shoe polish hit the markets his wife, who was from New Zealand, passed away. In memory of her, the Aussie man called his product Kiwi. And the name caught on. Don’t you love fun facts?

After checking out the elusive kiwi bird, we headed over to the geysers which were about ready to blow. It was pretty cool actually. At first I was kind of like, “oh… neat.. a whole bunch of steam.” But then the thing erupted and it started to rain on everybody. Oh yeah, and it was smelly too. We all snapped some pictures of nature at work. Before we left the park, those of us on the Kiwi Experience bus had the fine opportunity to learn a traditional Maori song. The girls learned how to play a “poi” which simulates the sound of drum. It is a soft ball on the end of string and the lady tried to teach us a short little number that involved spinning the poi and using rhythm. Not going to lie – I kept hitting myself in the face. Good thing the ball was soft. After performing our number (only to a crowd of 8) we then headed back to the green machine and made our way to Waitomo, a small village in the middle of nowhere. There is one street with about 20 houses and buildings, tops. We are only spending a night here. The area is especially known for the water caves. I went for a short hike through Ruakuri Scenic Reserve and checked out some of the caves which were pretty cool. Some other people went on paid tours and evidently that was neat – could see glow worms and the whole bit. But glow worms are really just glow-in-the-dark maggots in my opinion so… yeah… I’ll pass on that thanks and stick to my free hike.

And with that folks, I am going to the one watering hole here in town. It’s called Curly’s Bar. How can you not love a name like that?

Viva la Rotorua!

Days 4 + 5

The past couple of days were spent in Rotorua. After departing Mercury Bay, we made a pit stop at Karangahake Scenic Reserve to stretch out legs and rejuvenate. We had a few choices for little walks and as the bus driver explained our options some of got confused but definitely heard him mention something about “go that way and you’ll be walking for four days at least.” Damn – wish I would have listened better. Luckily I was not the only one who tried to listen but then got confused. I ended up joining hiking forces with a girl from Ireland and two guys, one from Poland and other from Denmark. We figured we could find our way through this area. It was a nice little walk. That area in particular used to be the place to go for gold mining so we walked through a bunch of old mining shafts, some which were pitch black and couldn’t see a hand in front of our face! The Irish girl figured that taking a bunch of flash pictures would help lead us to our destination. And indeed it did – I only tripped like, twice. Never fell but I did trip and chip the nail polish on my toes (Yeah – flip flops weren’t the best footwear for trekking through a completely dark, old mining shaft). But it was really nice and got to meet a few people which is always the lovely thing about traveling.

After that break we traveled a bit more to a town called Matamata. Lord of the Rings (or general film fans) can appreciate that this is also the sight of Hobbiton, the movie set for the LOTR movies. We made a quick stop for lunch and to grab some photos of the sign, which according to the driver is quite possibly the most photographed thing in all of New Zealand. I’m sure it is photographed a lot but I would have to venture a guess and say that Milford Sound down at the very bottom of New Zealand is a bit more visited but what do I know! It’s only listed as one of the places you must see before you die (And unfortunately, I will not be seeing it – my trip is limited to the North Island).

When we arrived in Rotorua – or Vegas as the Kiwis call it – our driver educated us about how this town is known for its Maori culture and geothermal activity. The town itself also has a very peculiar smell to it because there are high levels of sulphur in the ground, which is also why you could spot steam coming out of the ground from behind a house. There are quite a few boiling mud pits in the region as well but it is considered quite therapeutic so it’s manufactured as soap and other skin products (Mud bath anyone?) Aside from the steam, strange coloured lake and rotten egg smell, Rotorua has a lot of cultural activity. Kiwis are quite proud of their heritage and ancestors, the Maori. They ruled the land before the English colonized it. Maori people have a rich history and descendants are quite proud of this. Maori is actually an official language of New Zealand, along with English of course. You are guaranteed to be greeted by “Kia Ora” which is equivalent to Americans saying “How ya doin? Hello! Hey! Wasssssup?!?!” or Australians saying “G’day, mate! No Worries!” or Mexicans saying “Hola! Como Estas? Buenos Tardes! Buenos Noches! Gracias!” or English saying “Cherio! Cheers! Tah!” or Hawaiians saying “Aloha!”…. and well, you get my point. It is custom to just say Kia Ora back to the person who says it to you. The literal translation for Kia Ora (which is pronounced more like Key-ora) means “I am full of life!” But it has become a saying for virtually anything from ‘Hello to Goodbye to Thanks to I understand to No Worries.’

Later in the evening a bunch of headed to a Maori cultural performance to gain a bit more insight in the culture and where they come from. We arrived at the “village” but before we could enter the Maori performers a welcome ceremony, a re-enactment of what they did when outsiders tried to enter their village (outsiders obviously being us tourists). Pre-delegated chiefs represented the outsiders while Maori men performed the welcome ceremony. Then they laid down a peace offering which one of the chiefs picked up and this basically shows a sign of respect. After the peace offering had been picked up a lady came out and sang a song that gave authority for the outsiders to enter the village. Inside the village were recreated versions of Maori houses and demonstrations of some of the tools that were used by the people long ago. After this brief session we were led to the meeting house for a performance. First, the men and women performed what was a traditional dance that was supposed to intimidate the enemies before a battle. It didn’t seem too bad but that’s because only about 10-12 people were performing as opposed to the 700-800 Maori people that would do this dance on the battle field. To balance out the cultural performance then they performed a love song based on an old Maori tale. It was sung in Maori of course but it was still quite lovely. After the performance we got to head to the feeding house – which I was looking forward to all night. The meal was a Hangi traditional meal. Hangi is a method of cooking a meal. Basically it is food cooked on hot rocks under the ground. There’s a hole in which the food goes into and is covered. We reckon that they really just cooked our meal in kitchen, keeping it warm in crock pots. But it is more fun to think that they really did prepare it the traditional Maori way. It was delightful though – a feast of lamb, chicken, fish, pasta, cole slaw, breads, carrots, sweet potatoes and for dessert we had pavlova, which is a popular treat down in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a meringue pie topped with fruits and it’s really light and lovely.

Once we had our fill we were driven back to our own village, the hostel situated no more than 2 yards away from a rowdy bar. Yeah – super easy going to sleep with a bunch of backpackers screaming and the bad dance music thumping all night. Welcome to life in a hostel and backpacking.

The next day…..

I finally had fallen asleep the sweet sounds of my own music and drowned out the early 90s pop music blaring from the bar next door. The next day was a free day in Rotorua. It seemed to be a grand day for walking so that’s what I did. I started off by just walking through the town centre and tried to figure out why New Zealanders call it Vegas. I have never been to the real Las Vegas but judging from movies (because you know, the movies are always true and spot on) and what people have told me, Rotorua cannot even compare. I think they refer to it as Vegas because of how many tourists come through and also, the one strip of motels they have. I guess each country has to have its own Vegas. After catching a feed at a café, I headed for a nice walk around Lake Rotorua. Now, this lake isn’t a typical lake that people go fishing at or take their boats on. Honestly, it is kind of unattractive. It has a milky colour to it and that again has to do with the sulphur. I concentrated more on the background, hills and the horizon. It all contributes to the vast diversity of New Zealand’s landscape. After my long walk I relaxed in the Government Gardens a bit and caught my breath. I sat in the rose garden and thought about how my mom would really enjoy the scenery. Lots of really pretty roses and different colours as well. I walked in front of the Rotorua Museum and decided against paying the admission and settled on taking a picture of the building instead. It’s a pretty neat looking structure. Out in front of the museum there are several grounds for croquet or cricket. Today there were a few groups playing croquet. Admittedly, I was jealous and wanted to join in. And again, I settled on taking a picture so people would know that other countries do actually take croquet serious. I also wondered how they would do in the Croquet Farm Challenge that some of my friends and family like to partake in down at the ol’ Kohlbeck ranch, ha ha! Overall, not a thrill-a-minute kind of day but I was fine with this. I had a nice, tiring day of pounding the pavement all day. I also realized that the rotten egg smell of the town was not for me and was ready to move on the next day to Waitomo.

The Journey Continues - Kiwi Style!

Day 3:

It’s been a hot day. I just returned from a stroll down at Hahei Beach on Coromandel Peninsula, which is known for beautiful, secluded beaches. There are some really spectacular views and lots of walking trails. I suppose I should back up a bit and begin with the morning. Today started bright and early when the Kiwi Experience bus came to pick up a bunch of us up from the hostel. Can’t miss the bus really – it is a big ol’ bright green machine. The Kiwi Experience isn’t really a tour per se but rather a transport system that allows backpackers to hop on and off wherever the bus stops. So for instance, I bought a Geyserlake pass which goes starts in Auckland, then travels east to Mercury Bay where we stay overnight. In the morning we are departing for Rotorua which is southwest of Mercury Bay. If time allows and you want to, then you can stay in that place for an extra night because another Kiwi Experience bus comes every day and then you hop on that bus to the next destination. From Rotorua, is Waitomo then down to the adventure capital of the North Island (evidently), Taupo. After Taupo, then it is back to Auckland. You can buy really extensive passes that cover both north and south islands but that is for people who have more than 10 days like me. So anyway, the first stop of the day was Mt. Eden, the highest point in Auckland. Mt. Eden is a dormant volcano and from the top you gain 360 degree views of the city. On the way up, the driver told us a story about a few mysterious, mischievous people who hauled rubber tires to the massive crater, poured petrol all over then lit it on fire thus creating black smoke. Beings how this was a dormant volcano, people in Auckland started to panic, rightfully so. The pranksters were never caught but had they been, they would have been in the world of trouble. Another funny sight on the way to the top, we saw a small herd of cows just lying on a patch of grass near the bend of the road. City cows – I couldn’t quite work out where they belonged because well, no barns or anything like that around. Just a giant crater and houses. I guess it really depicts New Zealand quite nicely – cows everywhere, even in the city.

After leaving Auckland, we stopped in a village called Thames for lunch. Nothing really much to say about it. I ate a chicken avocado sandwich, chips (fries to Americans) and a ginger lime soda. From the short time we were there I sensed that this area was kind of a hippie village. For it being quite small I noticed a fair amount of holistic health practices, unless this is just a big thing in New Zealand. I don’t really know – I’ve only been here for a few days. Anyway, we left Thames and were on the way to Mercury Bay, or in the Maori language, Whitianga (pronounced Fit-e-ang-a). The clouds had parted by this time and the sun was beating down when we arrived to Cathedral Cove. Even with sunscreen my Midwest skin cannot handle the sun. I was outside for about an hour and my shoulders turned a tad pink. But it was still a lovely day, outside of being on a bus for awhile. The scenery was quite nice though. It is pretty much like what they would show on TV or the movies – rolling green hills and large herds of sheep gathering under a large tree for shade. More from me later, mates!

First Days in New Zealand

So as you may notice, I wrote these as the events were happening. I started writing in one of those little notebooks like Harriet the Spy. And it's actually kind of cool. People seem to think you're a reporter or something. I will be trying my best to keep up as the days go by otherwise I anticipate it will be too much to write all at once. Also, pictures will probably come at the end. My goal is to put it into a slide show format.

Day 1:

I’ve been here since 7:30 am and finally now, at noon, the gate attendants have begun making announcements about flight AR1183 service to Auckland and continuing on to Buenos Aires. Mostly the announcement is apologies for the delay and thanking us for our patience which, really, do we have any other choice? I’m a bit curious why my name is suddenly called over the PA to see the gate attendant. Just a change of seat… still, you can’t help but think the worst when that happens. Like, what the hell did I do? I already randomly got selected to be searched for explosives. No big deal. I go back and take my seat on the floor near the back of the waiting area for Gate 31. A woman remarks to me that the wait is ridiculous. I nod and say yes… yes it is ridiculous. We finally get to start boarding at about 12:30 pm. Since I am flying Aerolineas Argentinas, I have the chance to brush up on my Spanish and curse my lack thereof Spanish education in high school and how that screwed me over during university study. But I digress. Make it to Auckland, New Zealand at around 6:00 pm, local time (2 hour difference from Sydney). The rest of the airport stuff is a piece of cake. My bag comes through the carousel ride almost straight away, I’m waved through customs in less than 3 minutes, exchange my Australian currency for some New Zealand dosh and the free airbus shuttle to my hostel is awaiting me outside the door. The hostel I’m at is nice but I can’t help but feel like I’m at my first day of college except less people speak fluent English. A) I’m in a city that I am unfamiliar with B) I’m stuck in an unattractive dorm room with people I don’t know C) Just confused. But it’s alright – the front desk is more than happy to answer my millions of questions, which is good because that’s about how many I have.

“I’m an idiot! I forgot a towel!”

“That’s alright, mate. We have towels to lend out.”

“How do these pay phones work? My card isn’t working.”

“The phones you need are actually in the internet café.”

More and more and more.

That’s pretty much the first day of my trip. I retreat to bed, read a magazine and listen to Cat Powers until I fall asleep, trying to forget about my pounding headache that has radiated pain down my neck and spine.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the name of a burger joint I spotted on trip from the airport. “Burger Wisconsin: Home of the World’s Best Burger.” True story – I can’t be sure if they were referencing the great dairy state but I like to think they were. Hellooooooo WISCONSIN!!!! (That 70’s Show reference for those who didn’t pick that up).

Day 2

11:06 am

When I laid my head to rest last night, my head was about to explode from pain (and no alcohol was involved – which perhaps this was the issue). I wasn’t pleased to wake up with the same headache in the morning. Despite this, I pulled myself from bed convincing myself that I would probably feel worse for wasting a day of exploring a new city and country even though I didn’t really have much of a plan. I had a few ideas in mind but contriving an execution plan was the issue at hand. I knew that first I needed some coffee-like beverage to fix my head. I found a place and ordered a flat white. After the first sip I could feel the vice-grip around my head alleviate a bit. I know, it’s a caffeine addiction – a bit sad really. Whatever’s clever though! I now had the energy to navigate through the streets of downtown Auckland and figure out what I was going to do with my day. After finding my way to the harbour, I decided upon a day trip to Waiheke Island – a nice day trip from the city (recommended by the tourist brochures – marketers must love me). The ferry to Waiheke Island is about 35 minutes and from there I was going to take a bus tour around the island. I was thoroughly impressed with the atmosphere of this place. It really does remove you from Auckland. By 2:30 pm, I had decided against going to the Auckland Museum and that I needed to hang around Waiheke for a bit. The tour was really nice – we had some really spectacular views of beaches, the crystal blue water and some vineyards on the rolling hills. Evidently this is a big spot for vineyards. I didn’t try any wine but I did try some of the local brew. The one that is brewed on the island sort of reminded me Fat Tire, a bit less bitter, so I enjoyed that one. I’m sipping on one now but to be honest I can’t recall the name right now. It starts with a ‘M.’ It’s ok. Oh yeah, about the tour (imagine that – talking about beer sidetracks me). Evidently it is quite a bureaucratic system to get a house here. But I can see why people want to buy or build a house here. The vibe reminds me a bit of Isla de Mujeres in Mexico or even like the Cayman Islands except a tad cleaner, no beggars or people approaching you to buy a bracelet that they insist will go to charity (Ha Ha, that one goes out to my family. Remember the Bahamas? Poor Jesse). After the tour I was hoping to hire a scooter and explore a bit. After learning that it required $1000 bond on your credit card in the case of damage, I decided I didn’t want to risk that pretty penny (Besides, then I couldn’t sit here and drink local beer). Had I been thinking, I would have dressed a bit cooler and rugged so I could hire a bicycle. Oh well though. I am currently gazing out at the lovely blue water that is spotted with sailboats. It’s a relaxing view I must say. Better than Auckland’s skyline. I have only been here for a day and I’m sure it has cool things to offer but honestly, the city itself is pretty unattractive. If I weren’t leaving on the Kiwi Experience bus tomorrow, I would probably make an effort to stay on this island for a few days more. But the big green bus awaits me tomorrow morning. And then I am off to see a few more places on the North Island: Mercury Bay, Rotorua, Waitomo and Taupo. Should be a cool time and hopefully I meet some good people. I’m told that many of the people are also solo travelers and quite open-minded so that’s good news.

Another side note: Earlier I was chilling on Oneroa Beach when I spotted something a bit peculiar: a sea gull with one leg! Not even kidding – You ever have those moments when the batteries in your camera die at the wrong time? This was one of those times. I will have to let you imagine a one legged sea gull hopping around as it caws. It was kind of a pitiful sight but at the same time, sea gulls are really freakin’ annoying!