Sunday, September 14th~
Time to wrap this saga up.
I was awakened around 6 am in the international terminal by the bustle of people rushing to their early morning flights. I freshened up in the ladies room, finished the rest of the junk food for breakfast, and found my way to the shuttle to the domestic terminal. On the plane, I had a window seat and no one was in the seat next to me.
On all four flights on this trip, I was between the window and an empty seat. I didn't want to mention it, lest I jinx my good fortune. But I managed to go 4 for 4. That there's some good travel karma.
It was raining in Sydney when we took off. I found it consoling, not knowing how long it would be before I saw precipitation again. The flight gave me a lot of time to reflect on the trip, an opportunity I've never really given myself on previous vacations. I feel like I learned a lot about myself on this trip, about what I want. I loved the experience of traveling, and assessed how I could do it better next time. And there will be a next time. I am not done with New Zealand, and I have just begun my life of travel. This was a wonderful, eye-opening trip of a lifetime. Can't wait to have some more!
Showing posts with label new zealand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new zealand. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Day 12: leaving (my heart in) New Zealand
Saturday, September 13th~
Today is a cold and gray day, identical to the one that greeted me on my arrival in Christchurch just over a week ago. It gives a sort of symmetry to the trip, I suppose. I got up and checked out of the hostel, stashed my stuff there and went off to say my goodbyes to New Zealand. Last night, Chelsea and Scotty had told me about a market that happens every Saturday, so I headed there first. They hadn’t quite finished setting up, so I treated myself to a delicious breakfast (one last decadent meal for the vacation), and went to browse the stands. I decided to splurge and but myself a jade pendant. I mentioned before that jade, or “greenstone” as it is more colloquially called, is really prominent in New Zealand. It has always been special to the Maori people, and there are certain shapes carved out of the stone that have special meaning to them; the twisted one that looks like a figure-8 (but can have more twists than just one), signifies two lives being bound together, and the spiral represents new birth. I bought a fishhook pendant. It represents “strength and determination and brings peace, prosperity and good health; also provides safe journey over water.” I am happy I have it, something to connect me to the country.
I wandered around for a little longer, then hopped on a shuttle to the International Antarctic Center. Way fun! I want to go there, man! Antarctica, that is. As an attraction, the center rocks! I rode on the Hägglund (the specialized vehicle for traveling over the harsh Antarctic terrain) on a cool obstacle course, watched a penguin feeding, weathered an Antarctic windstorm, watched all kinds of documentaries, and all-around boned up on my Antarctica trivia. The only thing I couldn’t find out was how much plane tickets are to get there. Very fun, though.
I walked from there to the international terminal across the street, dragging me increasingly dilapidated duffel behind me. I think this trip might be the end of the road for my duffel. I suppose it was never going to last forever. Besides, now that I’ve done a little bit of traveling, I desperately want to invest ina backpack. I think that I finally appreciate how much I can streamline my packing. My flight back to Sydney was on Emirates Airline. Love! It was so so nice! The food (lamb stew) was excellent, the wine was free, and I got to watch An Affair to Remember and have myself a good cry. (I think I need to move that film to my top 10. Maybe it’s there already.) But yeah, Emirates rocks.
When I got back to Sydney, I was going to see if I could ditch my duffel somewhere for the night so that I didn’t have to drag it around and further mutilate it. Note: it is impossible to get from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal on foot in Sydney, and you need to pay for the shuttle. What a crock! Well, I had a little sidewalk conference with one of the shuttle drivers, and we determined that I could save about $50 and a whole lot of hassle if I just crashed in the International Terminal for the night. Which I did. I figured, in addition to the economical benefit, it would just be an experience worth having once in my life, and why not have it on my terms? So I bought myself some junk food, busted out the book I bought in Christchurch (The Book Theif, an excellent read), and killed a couple of hours reading. Then it was time for the sleeping. The bench I had claimed in the terminal had four seats on it and was so close to being armless, and yet so far away. There was a sort of awkward divider kind of jutting out between each seat, so it was possible to avoid most of them if you curled up just right, but there was always at least one stubborn bar jabbing me. However, with some clever positioning of my sweatshirt, fleece and bookbag, I was able to sleep in hour increments throughout the night.
Hard to believe that morning comes early in an international terminal.
Today is a cold and gray day, identical to the one that greeted me on my arrival in Christchurch just over a week ago. It gives a sort of symmetry to the trip, I suppose. I got up and checked out of the hostel, stashed my stuff there and went off to say my goodbyes to New Zealand. Last night, Chelsea and Scotty had told me about a market that happens every Saturday, so I headed there first. They hadn’t quite finished setting up, so I treated myself to a delicious breakfast (one last decadent meal for the vacation), and went to browse the stands. I decided to splurge and but myself a jade pendant. I mentioned before that jade, or “greenstone” as it is more colloquially called, is really prominent in New Zealand. It has always been special to the Maori people, and there are certain shapes carved out of the stone that have special meaning to them; the twisted one that looks like a figure-8 (but can have more twists than just one), signifies two lives being bound together, and the spiral represents new birth. I bought a fishhook pendant. It represents “strength and determination and brings peace, prosperity and good health; also provides safe journey over water.” I am happy I have it, something to connect me to the country.
I wandered around for a little longer, then hopped on a shuttle to the International Antarctic Center. Way fun! I want to go there, man! Antarctica, that is. As an attraction, the center rocks! I rode on the Hägglund (the specialized vehicle for traveling over the harsh Antarctic terrain) on a cool obstacle course, watched a penguin feeding, weathered an Antarctic windstorm, watched all kinds of documentaries, and all-around boned up on my Antarctica trivia. The only thing I couldn’t find out was how much plane tickets are to get there. Very fun, though.
I walked from there to the international terminal across the street, dragging me increasingly dilapidated duffel behind me. I think this trip might be the end of the road for my duffel. I suppose it was never going to last forever. Besides, now that I’ve done a little bit of traveling, I desperately want to invest ina backpack. I think that I finally appreciate how much I can streamline my packing. My flight back to Sydney was on Emirates Airline. Love! It was so so nice! The food (lamb stew) was excellent, the wine was free, and I got to watch An Affair to Remember and have myself a good cry. (I think I need to move that film to my top 10. Maybe it’s there already.) But yeah, Emirates rocks.
When I got back to Sydney, I was going to see if I could ditch my duffel somewhere for the night so that I didn’t have to drag it around and further mutilate it. Note: it is impossible to get from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal on foot in Sydney, and you need to pay for the shuttle. What a crock! Well, I had a little sidewalk conference with one of the shuttle drivers, and we determined that I could save about $50 and a whole lot of hassle if I just crashed in the International Terminal for the night. Which I did. I figured, in addition to the economical benefit, it would just be an experience worth having once in my life, and why not have it on my terms? So I bought myself some junk food, busted out the book I bought in Christchurch (The Book Theif, an excellent read), and killed a couple of hours reading. Then it was time for the sleeping. The bench I had claimed in the terminal had four seats on it and was so close to being armless, and yet so far away. There was a sort of awkward divider kind of jutting out between each seat, so it was possible to avoid most of them if you curled up just right, but there was always at least one stubborn bar jabbing me. However, with some clever positioning of my sweatshirt, fleece and bookbag, I was able to sleep in hour increments throughout the night.
Hard to believe that morning comes early in an international terminal.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Day 11: Riding, improv, and a cute puppy
Friday, September 12th~
This morning got off to a foggy start, but it burned off pretty quickly. Vicki, Laura T., Laura H. and I got a ride from the Lodge manager over to Grasmere in order to do some horseback riding. I guess I just can’t get enough! I am so sooo glad I went riding again! It was such a great experience! Heather, the woman who owns the horses and runs the little horse-trekking business, greeted us in the yard with the horses already tacked up. The saddles weren’t western, but they weren’t English either, and were terribly comfortable. However, the coolest thing was that Heather is really conscious of the horses’ comfort, so she doesn’t use bits. The horses are trained to respond to the different tensions on the ropes tied loosely around their muzzles. So fantastic! I rode a great Clydesdale named Agnes. She was stubborn by nature, but I asserted myself fairly well at the beginning of the ride and soon she was doing (almost) everything I asked her to. We were riding single file for a while, meandering among the rolling hills of the rambling sheep station. I guess Heather thought I could handle myself pretty well, because after a while she said that Agnes and I could go off exploring away from the group. I was pretty tickled that she had such faith in me, truth be told. So Agnes and I wandered around, taking in the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and winding along the faint sheep trails. Unbelievable, friends. Positively stunning. I love horseback riding! Of course, our ride was over too quickly, but we had to get back to Flock Hill to meet the rest of the group for a farm show. (Somehow, Scotty and I managed to squeeze in a couple episodes of Family Guy, though.)
Now, the phrase “farm show”, for me, conjures images of performing farm animals or a staged “day on the farm.” Not the case at Flock Hill, though. Richie, the farmer, took us with him while he went about his business on the station. Today, he had to shift a mob of sheep (about 2000) from one paddock to another. We just stood back and watched him work the herd with the help of two of his dogs, Minnie and Claude. It was so neat to watch! The dogs were crazy-efficient and seemed to like showing off for us, too. At Richie’s suggestion, we shifted our departure time to a little bit later, went and got some lunch, then came back in time to watch them shear a few sheep. It was quite the spectacle. The shearers were magicians! Ooh! We also got to meet an adorable puppy named Mack. Like, crazy crazy adorable puppy. I wanted to keep him. We also met Cindy, Richie’s kids’ pet sheep. She reminded me of Ma from Babe.
Once we finally got on the road (now on the Ching Chong China Bus), we got to Christchurch in no time. We get there around 3pm and had plenty of time to kill before dinner; I spent most of it in an internet café and perusing souvenir shops. Since this was the end of the line for me (most of the group continued on to tour the North Island), I checked in at my hostel and caught up with the gang in time for dinner. We ate at the Dux deLux (yummy seafood Jumbalaya) before heading to the Court Theatre for an improv show called Scared Scriptless. It was hilarious! But it made me miss my days in –{Rough Edges>. A show highlight was definitely when they asked for suggestions from the audience for a body part, and an old woman further down our row whipped off her artificial leg and handed it to the MC. He was so excited he didn’t know what to do! There were some really great sketches (some that I still play in my head more than a week later), and the ensemble was solid. As we were leaving the theatre, Scotty asked what people wanted to do. Not terribly surprisingly, everyone opted to go to bed. I didn’t feel like calling it a night; if I went to bed, then the tour would be over. So I sat on a bench in Cathedral Square, journaling, listening to strains of Danny Boy and Auld Land Sine float into the square from a
distant flute, and trying to figure out how to get back to New Zealand.
Thus ends my New Zealand Connections tour.
This morning got off to a foggy start, but it burned off pretty quickly. Vicki, Laura T., Laura H. and I got a ride from the Lodge manager over to Grasmere in order to do some horseback riding. I guess I just can’t get enough! I am so sooo glad I went riding again! It was such a great experience! Heather, the woman who owns the horses and runs the little horse-trekking business, greeted us in the yard with the horses already tacked up. The saddles weren’t western, but they weren’t English either, and were terribly comfortable. However, the coolest thing was that Heather is really conscious of the horses’ comfort, so she doesn’t use bits. The horses are trained to respond to the different tensions on the ropes tied loosely around their muzzles. So fantastic! I rode a great Clydesdale named Agnes. She was stubborn by nature, but I asserted myself fairly well at the beginning of the ride and soon she was doing (almost) everything I asked her to. We were riding single file for a while, meandering among the rolling hills of the rambling sheep station. I guess Heather thought I could handle myself pretty well, because after a while she said that Agnes and I could go off exploring away from the group. I was pretty tickled that she had such faith in me, truth be told. So Agnes and I wandered around, taking in the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and winding along the faint sheep trails. Unbelievable, friends. Positively stunning. I love horseback riding! Of course, our ride was over too quickly, but we had to get back to Flock Hill to meet the rest of the group for a farm show. (Somehow, Scotty and I managed to squeeze in a couple episodes of Family Guy, though.)
Now, the phrase “farm show”, for me, conjures images of performing farm animals or a staged “day on the farm.” Not the case at Flock Hill, though. Richie, the farmer, took us with him while he went about his business on the station. Today, he had to shift a mob of sheep (about 2000) from one paddock to another. We just stood back and watched him work the herd with the help of two of his dogs, Minnie and Claude. It was so neat to watch! The dogs were crazy-efficient and seemed to like showing off for us, too. At Richie’s suggestion, we shifted our departure time to a little bit later, went and got some lunch, then came back in time to watch them shear a few sheep. It was quite the spectacle. The shearers were magicians! Ooh! We also got to meet an adorable puppy named Mack. Like, crazy crazy adorable puppy. I wanted to keep him. We also met Cindy, Richie’s kids’ pet sheep. She reminded me of Ma from Babe.
Once we finally got on the road (now on the Ching Chong China Bus), we got to Christchurch in no time. We get there around 3pm and had plenty of time to kill before dinner; I spent most of it in an internet café and perusing souvenir shops. Since this was the end of the line for me (most of the group continued on to tour the North Island), I checked in at my hostel and caught up with the gang in time for dinner. We ate at the Dux deLux (yummy seafood Jumbalaya) before heading to the Court Theatre for an improv show called Scared Scriptless. It was hilarious! But it made me miss my days in –{Rough Edges>. A show highlight was definitely when they asked for suggestions from the audience for a body part, and an old woman further down our row whipped off her artificial leg and handed it to the MC. He was so excited he didn’t know what to do! There were some really great sketches (some that I still play in my head more than a week later), and the ensemble was solid. As we were leaving the theatre, Scotty asked what people wanted to do. Not terribly surprisingly, everyone opted to go to bed. I didn’t feel like calling it a night; if I went to bed, then the tour would be over. So I sat on a bench in Cathedral Square, journaling, listening to strains of Danny Boy and Auld Land Sine float into the square from a
distant flute, and trying to figure out how to get back to New Zealand.
Thus ends my New Zealand Connections tour.
Day 10: Ice Caves Cometh
Thursday, September 11th~
Despite the clouds of the previous afternoon, this morning was crystal clear. Perfect day for a heli-hike! Vicki, Tracey, Laura B., Debra and I were the only ones who managed to justify spending $315 on such a venture. We were right. The helicopter (my first time riding in one- very cool) dropped us off about 3 kilometers from the terminal face of Fox Glacier, maybe half way up, with our guide, Hillary (Middlebury, class of ’05- yay Vermont!). She was great and told us so much about Fox Glacier and took us exploring through some stellar ice caves.
*It is one of the only glaciers in the world that is getting bigger. It grows about 1.5 meters every day. (The other one that is growing is the nearby Franz Joseph Glacier.)
*It is one of the only glaciers that is surrounded by temperate rain forest. This is because it is at an unusually low altitude. If I remember correctly, it is only 800 meters above sea level at its highest point.
The area we were exploring (with the help of crampons and pointy sticks; apparently ice is slippery), changes really frequently, actually, it changes almost constantly. As Hillary told us, the glacier is like a river, flowing down from the nevé to the terminal face, and where we were hiking was like a really big bend in the river. As the ice flows around the bend, it gets forced back on itself forming caves and other cool formations. We got up there around 8:20, so the sun hadn’t hit the ice yet. Then, Hillary took us through a particularly long and complex cave and when we emerged, it was into a totally different world, dazzling bright in the sunlight. Amazing! It got pretty warm pretty fast, which helped us dry off as that big cave had involved a lot of wet butt-wiggling action in order to get through the narrower fissures. It has always been one of my favorite things to climb around on rocks; climbing around on glaciers is now up there, too! I took a whole lot of pictures, so I hope they turn out alright. I can’t imagine they truly capture the magic of the setting, though. It was an excellent experience.
After the helicopter had taken us back to the village of Fox Glacier, we grabbed a bite at the Cook Saddle for lunch (I had a phenomenal breakfast quesadilla). By the time we were done, a replacement van had arrived. I found it quite comfortable, comfy enough to take a nap in. On the road, we stopped in Hokatika, a seaside town that is kind of a center for jade drafting. Jade is HUGE in New Zealand. In the 45 minutes we were in Hokatika, I wandered around a Jade factory and shop, waded in the Tasman Sea, and met someone who actually got the joke on my censorship button. I was very productive. We went from there to Flock Hill Lodge, a working sheep station. We had two cabins, but most of us crammed into one, planning on partying it up later. We went to dinner and hung out drinking wine for a while, as more and more people trickled off to bed. So much for partying it up. In bed by 11:30ish.
Despite the clouds of the previous afternoon, this morning was crystal clear. Perfect day for a heli-hike! Vicki, Tracey, Laura B., Debra and I were the only ones who managed to justify spending $315 on such a venture. We were right. The helicopter (my first time riding in one- very cool) dropped us off about 3 kilometers from the terminal face of Fox Glacier, maybe half way up, with our guide, Hillary (Middlebury, class of ’05- yay Vermont!). She was great and told us so much about Fox Glacier and took us exploring through some stellar ice caves.
Fun Facts about Fox Glacier:
*It is one of the only glaciers in the world that is getting bigger. It grows about 1.5 meters every day. (The other one that is growing is the nearby Franz Joseph Glacier.)
*It is one of the only glaciers that is surrounded by temperate rain forest. This is because it is at an unusually low altitude. If I remember correctly, it is only 800 meters above sea level at its highest point.
The area we were exploring (with the help of crampons and pointy sticks; apparently ice is slippery), changes really frequently, actually, it changes almost constantly. As Hillary told us, the glacier is like a river, flowing down from the nevé to the terminal face, and where we were hiking was like a really big bend in the river. As the ice flows around the bend, it gets forced back on itself forming caves and other cool formations. We got up there around 8:20, so the sun hadn’t hit the ice yet. Then, Hillary took us through a particularly long and complex cave and when we emerged, it was into a totally different world, dazzling bright in the sunlight. Amazing! It got pretty warm pretty fast, which helped us dry off as that big cave had involved a lot of wet butt-wiggling action in order to get through the narrower fissures. It has always been one of my favorite things to climb around on rocks; climbing around on glaciers is now up there, too! I took a whole lot of pictures, so I hope they turn out alright. I can’t imagine they truly capture the magic of the setting, though. It was an excellent experience.
After the helicopter had taken us back to the village of Fox Glacier, we grabbed a bite at the Cook Saddle for lunch (I had a phenomenal breakfast quesadilla). By the time we were done, a replacement van had arrived. I found it quite comfortable, comfy enough to take a nap in. On the road, we stopped in Hokatika, a seaside town that is kind of a center for jade drafting. Jade is HUGE in New Zealand. In the 45 minutes we were in Hokatika, I wandered around a Jade factory and shop, waded in the Tasman Sea, and met someone who actually got the joke on my censorship button. I was very productive. We went from there to Flock Hill Lodge, a working sheep station. We had two cabins, but most of us crammed into one, planning on partying it up later. We went to dinner and hung out drinking wine for a while, as more and more people trickled off to bed. So much for partying it up. In bed by 11:30ish.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Day 9: Glaciers and Glow Worms
Wednesday, September 10th~
Today we left Queenstown in time to hit the Kawarau Bungy Jump (AJ Hackett’s original commercial bungy) before the rush. 3 of our group took the plunge (pun absolutely intended): Laura and Vanesha went tandem and Megan flew solo. I wanted to do it so badly! I was close, but I really think my health insurance would have had a problem with it. Oh well, just another reason to come back! After the jumps, we boarded the bus for a long and boring day of coach travel. Of course, even boring days in New Zealand are pretty exciting; we saw some really fantastic waterfalls pouring down through the temperate rainforest, and we stopped to look at the Tasman Sea. There were a couple of episodes of Friends to break up the monotony, but it was a lot of sitting. Luckily I was endlessly entertained by the changing terrain outside the bus windows. New Zealand is perpetually beautiful.
Fox Glacier is the definition of a quaint little town; population 260 when it’s full, and the sole industry is taking groups to see the glacier. Laura T. and I went to our room (very nice- yet another upgrade for our tour!), had some crappy instant cocoa, and met Vicki, Emma, Vanesha, Laura B. and Debra to go for a walk around Like Matheson. Murray, the town gossip, drove us out and told us a little bit about the area. The walk itself was so nice! The clouds blocked some of the more impressive reflections, but it was still beautiful. We were walking shortly before dusk, so the light was just lovely. We came back and killed time til dinner, then walked across the street to the Cook Saddle, one of the two restaurants in town. Oh man, did I pack it in. Laura T. and I made a conscious effort to eat as much as we could. A huge chicken quesadilla, fires, garlic bread, a banana split and beer. Mmmm mmmm! During dinner, Scotty and I swapped bad jokes. Hilarious!
When we finished eating, we went on a nighttime walk to see the glow worms. It was so neat! They twinkled like pale blue stars on the trees and in overhangs. As we walked, Scotty would sneak off to try to terrify us. It worked on a couple of people, but not this girl. Walking back, we swapped some scary stories, but the rest of the girls weren’t interested in hearing them. A few of us made our way to the hotel bar, where I entertained myself with darts. In bed by 10:30. I know that I am no night owl, but even I wouldn’t mind staying up later than this!
PS. Today, Roxanne the bus died. Sad times.
Today we left Queenstown in time to hit the Kawarau Bungy Jump (AJ Hackett’s original commercial bungy) before the rush. 3 of our group took the plunge (pun absolutely intended): Laura and Vanesha went tandem and Megan flew solo. I wanted to do it so badly! I was close, but I really think my health insurance would have had a problem with it. Oh well, just another reason to come back! After the jumps, we boarded the bus for a long and boring day of coach travel. Of course, even boring days in New Zealand are pretty exciting; we saw some really fantastic waterfalls pouring down through the temperate rainforest, and we stopped to look at the Tasman Sea. There were a couple of episodes of Friends to break up the monotony, but it was a lot of sitting. Luckily I was endlessly entertained by the changing terrain outside the bus windows. New Zealand is perpetually beautiful.
Fox Glacier is the definition of a quaint little town; population 260 when it’s full, and the sole industry is taking groups to see the glacier. Laura T. and I went to our room (very nice- yet another upgrade for our tour!), had some crappy instant cocoa, and met Vicki, Emma, Vanesha, Laura B. and Debra to go for a walk around Like Matheson. Murray, the town gossip, drove us out and told us a little bit about the area. The walk itself was so nice! The clouds blocked some of the more impressive reflections, but it was still beautiful. We were walking shortly before dusk, so the light was just lovely. We came back and killed time til dinner, then walked across the street to the Cook Saddle, one of the two restaurants in town. Oh man, did I pack it in. Laura T. and I made a conscious effort to eat as much as we could. A huge chicken quesadilla, fires, garlic bread, a banana split and beer. Mmmm mmmm! During dinner, Scotty and I swapped bad jokes. Hilarious!
When we finished eating, we went on a nighttime walk to see the glow worms. It was so neat! They twinkled like pale blue stars on the trees and in overhangs. As we walked, Scotty would sneak off to try to terrify us. It worked on a couple of people, but not this girl. Walking back, we swapped some scary stories, but the rest of the girls weren’t interested in hearing them. A few of us made our way to the hotel bar, where I entertained myself with darts. In bed by 10:30. I know that I am no night owl, but even I wouldn’t mind staying up later than this!
PS. Today, Roxanne the bus died. Sad times.
Day 8: Riding and Wining and Dining
Tuesday, September 9th~
I got up around 7 today, showered, got my stuff together, and went to breakfast. It had to be an early start because at 8:30, I got picked up by Dart Stables to go and do The Ride of the Rings!!! We stopped in Glenorchy to get rain coats and helmets, and then continued on to the very aptly named township of Paradise. There were only 4 people plus the guide, so it was a nice small group. We were each paired with a horse, and then we set off. Mine was Chester, a beautiful ginger horse and sort of the leader of the pack. He liked to walk near the front of the line, which was hunky dory with me. We rode through the cold and drenching rain to see various sites from Lord of the Rings filming, including Loth Lorien, the distant site of Isengard, the field where Gandalf calls Shadowfax, and where Boromir was killed. However, the fun didn’t end there! We also saw places where they filmed scenes for the upcoming X-men spin-off Wolverine, where Prince Caspian fell from his horse and Trufflehunter’s house from The Chronicles of Narnia, and where they filmed some scenes for Willow! Very exciting stuff. Apparently, Peter Jackson also filmed some scenes there for The Lovely Bones, which is fun because the bulk of the filming was done back in Westchester, PA. Small world! And yes, since it was raining, I managed to get soaked on this activity, too.
I got back to Queenstown in time to meet the group to go on the Gondola (the steepest in the world), and the luge (a kind of go-cart situation, supposedly very fun), but most people bailed when they heard the luge was closed due to rain. Scotty, Megan, Laura T., Tracey and I still went for the gondola experience. I imagine it’s quite magnificent when there aren’t clouds shrouding your view. We chatted over hot beverages in the café at the top and browsed the souvenir selection before heading back down the mountain. When we got down, I left the others to go and check out the Kiwi and Birdlife Park. Why do I insist on observing animals in the rain? I walked around for a while and determined that it definitely wasn’t worth the $33. And that was with the YHA discount. But it was cool to see the Kiwis. They’re nocturnal, so I couldn’t take any pictures, but I still enjoyed the spectacle. I was shocked at how big they are; I always figured they were, like, the same size as the fruit, but these guys were the size of basketballs!
I went from there to wander around downtown Queenstown and Ran into Laura T. and Tracey again. They were on their way to taste wine and I hastily joined them. The shop we went to was really cool! The walls were lined with bottles of wine, enclosed behind glass and hooked up to dispensers. When you get there, you get a card and can either use it as a credit card and pay on your way out, or put money on it and use it like a debit card; then they give you a wine glass and you insert your card into the various dispensers , push a button and presto! Wine for the tasting! I stuck to New Zealand wines, and studiously recorded every one that I tasted, mostly so that I could hold and intelligent conversation with Cassy later. After we had sampled as much as we could before they kicked us out for a private function, we went to the food court to get a light Indian snack, then headed back to our room at the Lakeview Holiday Park.
It ended up being a pretty quiet Tuesday evening; everyone split up for dinner. Scotty, Laura T., Tracey, Vicki and I went to a delightful pub, The Pig and Whistle. I had bangers and mash and some yummy Montheith’s Black. Totally delish; I would recommend it to anyone passing through Queenstown. We went to the Buffalo Club to meet the rest of the group, but shortly after we got there, almost everyone left to go to bed. I stuck around for a little bit, but before long, the rest of us decided to head back, too. Kind of a bummer of a night out, but hey, at least I didn’t spend a lot of money.
I got up around 7 today, showered, got my stuff together, and went to breakfast. It had to be an early start because at 8:30, I got picked up by Dart Stables to go and do The Ride of the Rings!!! We stopped in Glenorchy to get rain coats and helmets, and then continued on to the very aptly named township of Paradise. There were only 4 people plus the guide, so it was a nice small group. We were each paired with a horse, and then we set off. Mine was Chester, a beautiful ginger horse and sort of the leader of the pack. He liked to walk near the front of the line, which was hunky dory with me. We rode through the cold and drenching rain to see various sites from Lord of the Rings filming, including Loth Lorien, the distant site of Isengard, the field where Gandalf calls Shadowfax, and where Boromir was killed. However, the fun didn’t end there! We also saw places where they filmed scenes for the upcoming X-men spin-off Wolverine, where Prince Caspian fell from his horse and Trufflehunter’s house from The Chronicles of Narnia, and where they filmed some scenes for Willow! Very exciting stuff. Apparently, Peter Jackson also filmed some scenes there for The Lovely Bones, which is fun because the bulk of the filming was done back in Westchester, PA. Small world! And yes, since it was raining, I managed to get soaked on this activity, too.
I got back to Queenstown in time to meet the group to go on the Gondola (the steepest in the world), and the luge (a kind of go-cart situation, supposedly very fun), but most people bailed when they heard the luge was closed due to rain. Scotty, Megan, Laura T., Tracey and I still went for the gondola experience. I imagine it’s quite magnificent when there aren’t clouds shrouding your view. We chatted over hot beverages in the café at the top and browsed the souvenir selection before heading back down the mountain. When we got down, I left the others to go and check out the Kiwi and Birdlife Park. Why do I insist on observing animals in the rain? I walked around for a while and determined that it definitely wasn’t worth the $33. And that was with the YHA discount. But it was cool to see the Kiwis. They’re nocturnal, so I couldn’t take any pictures, but I still enjoyed the spectacle. I was shocked at how big they are; I always figured they were, like, the same size as the fruit, but these guys were the size of basketballs!
I went from there to wander around downtown Queenstown and Ran into Laura T. and Tracey again. They were on their way to taste wine and I hastily joined them. The shop we went to was really cool! The walls were lined with bottles of wine, enclosed behind glass and hooked up to dispensers. When you get there, you get a card and can either use it as a credit card and pay on your way out, or put money on it and use it like a debit card; then they give you a wine glass and you insert your card into the various dispensers , push a button and presto! Wine for the tasting! I stuck to New Zealand wines, and studiously recorded every one that I tasted, mostly so that I could hold and intelligent conversation with Cassy later. After we had sampled as much as we could before they kicked us out for a private function, we went to the food court to get a light Indian snack, then headed back to our room at the Lakeview Holiday Park.
It ended up being a pretty quiet Tuesday evening; everyone split up for dinner. Scotty, Laura T., Tracey, Vicki and I went to a delightful pub, The Pig and Whistle. I had bangers and mash and some yummy Montheith’s Black. Totally delish; I would recommend it to anyone passing through Queenstown. We went to the Buffalo Club to meet the rest of the group, but shortly after we got there, almost everyone left to go to bed. I stuck around for a little bit, but before long, the rest of us decided to head back, too. Kind of a bummer of a night out, but hey, at least I didn’t spend a lot of money.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Day 7: Queenstown! Self-proclaimed Adrenaline Capital of the Wolrd!
Monday, September 8th~
This morning, I was up by 7 on the Milford Mariner. Another great breakfast buffet before the boat started cruising around some more. We were going out to the Tasman Sea before returning to port. It got a lot rougher when we left the safety of the fiord. A whole bunch of us were leaning over the rail on the bow when a large and unexpected wave drenched us. Give the events of the previous day, no one was surprised that I would up wet. It was neat being out in the open sea, though. Looking back towards the fiord, you could hardly tell it was there; in fact, when Captain Cook himself drew the first map of New Zealand, it was nearly perfect, except for the omission of Milford Sound. It wasn’t discovered until generations later, by a man named Milford, if I’m not mistaken. On the way back through the fiord, we saw seals sunning themselves on the rocks and penguins bobbing alongside the boat. We were all bummed out not to see any dolphins, but I think we got over it pretty fast. The waterfalls and cliffs were too spectacular to spend any time lamenting absent dolphins.
We got back to Milford and headed to Queenstown, adrenaline capital of the world! On the way, we stopped in Te Anau again for lunch and watched Dirty Dancing on the bus. Naturally, “Time of my Life” became our unofficial theme song for the rest of the tour. As we trekked, the scenery looked so much like Rohan it couldn’t have been anything else. After arriving in Queenstown, I took off to explore the town. I caught up with the fam (well, some of them), thanks to Skype and an internet café. Then I went on a hunt for mittens. No dice, but I did find a really fantastic turquoise hat, so that was cool. I met the group (sans Laura H. and Laura T.), to go and experience the Shotover Jet. The Shotover Jet is a high speed jet boat that operates on the Shotover River, which is lined by steep canyon walls. What a thrill! The driver would swerve as close as possible to the canyon walls (sending Emma into absolute hysterics), and take us into drenching 360⁰ spins. It was like a 25 minute roller coaster ride, but with a Wild Water Rapids spin. I think it was totally worth it to do, and I somehow even managed to convince myself to splash out (no pun intended) for a souvenir photo pack. I’m glad I’ll have something to remember it by. Once again, though, I managed to get soaked. Now I’m that girl. Great.
Later, we met for dinner; Ferg Burger was the destination du jour. It’s a burger joint with a really nice array of burgers (go figure). I was assured that they were the best burgers ever. I don’t know that I would go that far, but I did have a pretty spectacular meal. I went for Mr. Big Stuff: 1/2lb of meat with bacon (American-style streaky bacon, which is infinitely better than crap Aussie bacon- no offense), mild Edam cheese, bbq sauce, and all the fixin’s. Everything I like in a burger! Next, we went next door for some ice cream. After far too much time deliberating, I settled on a cone of Fruit Salad sorbet. I assure you I was not disappointed. We hung out at Fraser’s (a bar), until we could get into our next destination: Minus 5⁰! The bar is completely made of ice, so we got kitted out with parkas and gloves, paid our $22, and went in. It was so much fun! The drinks (all vodka cocktails), were served in glasses made of ice; the bar was ice; the walls were ice; there were ice sculptures everywhere! It was -7⁰C while we were in there, so it was truly the real McCoy. Quite the experience!
Afterwards (‘cause you’re only allowed to stay in there for a half an hour), we went back to Fraser’s for a few more drinks. I disappeared from the group for a little bit to call Babs for her birthday, then met them in time for some bar dancing (not me, I assure you). As they say, it’s all fun and games… until a bar stool falls on someone’s foot. In this case, Megan’s. I’m not sure exactly how it all happened, but she was in a lot of pain. So a contingent of people walked her home, and the rest of us made our way to the World Bar. Finally a really good dark beer! Monteith’s Black, a nice porter. Everyone thought I was drinking Guinness, which was just silly. I tried to explain the difference between porter and stout, but they weren’t interested. Who can blame them? We were all too busy doing shots from a tea pot anyway. It was a fun novelty, but the shots were all really really sweet. At one point, a guy came over and stamped our hands so that we could get free drinks for the rest of the night. I never figured out why, but I am not one to question. I had a few more beers and called it a night.
Highlight: the played Crabbukkit!!! I was the only one excited about it, but my excitement waaay over-compensated.
Indeed, the nightlife in Queenstown is none too shabby!
This morning, I was up by 7 on the Milford Mariner. Another great breakfast buffet before the boat started cruising around some more. We were going out to the Tasman Sea before returning to port. It got a lot rougher when we left the safety of the fiord. A whole bunch of us were leaning over the rail on the bow when a large and unexpected wave drenched us. Give the events of the previous day, no one was surprised that I would up wet. It was neat being out in the open sea, though. Looking back towards the fiord, you could hardly tell it was there; in fact, when Captain Cook himself drew the first map of New Zealand, it was nearly perfect, except for the omission of Milford Sound. It wasn’t discovered until generations later, by a man named Milford, if I’m not mistaken. On the way back through the fiord, we saw seals sunning themselves on the rocks and penguins bobbing alongside the boat. We were all bummed out not to see any dolphins, but I think we got over it pretty fast. The waterfalls and cliffs were too spectacular to spend any time lamenting absent dolphins.
We got back to Milford and headed to Queenstown, adrenaline capital of the world! On the way, we stopped in Te Anau again for lunch and watched Dirty Dancing on the bus. Naturally, “Time of my Life” became our unofficial theme song for the rest of the tour. As we trekked, the scenery looked so much like Rohan it couldn’t have been anything else. After arriving in Queenstown, I took off to explore the town. I caught up with the fam (well, some of them), thanks to Skype and an internet café. Then I went on a hunt for mittens. No dice, but I did find a really fantastic turquoise hat, so that was cool. I met the group (sans Laura H. and Laura T.), to go and experience the Shotover Jet. The Shotover Jet is a high speed jet boat that operates on the Shotover River, which is lined by steep canyon walls. What a thrill! The driver would swerve as close as possible to the canyon walls (sending Emma into absolute hysterics), and take us into drenching 360⁰ spins. It was like a 25 minute roller coaster ride, but with a Wild Water Rapids spin. I think it was totally worth it to do, and I somehow even managed to convince myself to splash out (no pun intended) for a souvenir photo pack. I’m glad I’ll have something to remember it by. Once again, though, I managed to get soaked. Now I’m that girl. Great.
Later, we met for dinner; Ferg Burger was the destination du jour. It’s a burger joint with a really nice array of burgers (go figure). I was assured that they were the best burgers ever. I don’t know that I would go that far, but I did have a pretty spectacular meal. I went for Mr. Big Stuff: 1/2lb of meat with bacon (American-style streaky bacon, which is infinitely better than crap Aussie bacon- no offense), mild Edam cheese, bbq sauce, and all the fixin’s. Everything I like in a burger! Next, we went next door for some ice cream. After far too much time deliberating, I settled on a cone of Fruit Salad sorbet. I assure you I was not disappointed. We hung out at Fraser’s (a bar), until we could get into our next destination: Minus 5⁰! The bar is completely made of ice, so we got kitted out with parkas and gloves, paid our $22, and went in. It was so much fun! The drinks (all vodka cocktails), were served in glasses made of ice; the bar was ice; the walls were ice; there were ice sculptures everywhere! It was -7⁰C while we were in there, so it was truly the real McCoy. Quite the experience!
Afterwards (‘cause you’re only allowed to stay in there for a half an hour), we went back to Fraser’s for a few more drinks. I disappeared from the group for a little bit to call Babs for her birthday, then met them in time for some bar dancing (not me, I assure you). As they say, it’s all fun and games… until a bar stool falls on someone’s foot. In this case, Megan’s. I’m not sure exactly how it all happened, but she was in a lot of pain. So a contingent of people walked her home, and the rest of us made our way to the World Bar. Finally a really good dark beer! Monteith’s Black, a nice porter. Everyone thought I was drinking Guinness, which was just silly. I tried to explain the difference between porter and stout, but they weren’t interested. Who can blame them? We were all too busy doing shots from a tea pot anyway. It was a fun novelty, but the shots were all really really sweet. At one point, a guy came over and stamped our hands so that we could get free drinks for the rest of the night. I never figured out why, but I am not one to question. I had a few more beers and called it a night.
Highlight: the played Crabbukkit!!! I was the only one excited about it, but my excitement waaay over-compensated.
Indeed, the nightlife in Queenstown is none too shabby!
Day 6 (Part II): Party in the fiord!
Once we were safely anchored in Harrison's Bay, there was an opportunity for various aquatic activities. Some people went out on the tendercraft, a motor boat wildlife experience. Sounded great, but this girl opted for kayaking! I mean, how many times in your life do you get an opportunity to kayak in a fiord? I couldn't pass it up.
We all managed to get into our kayaks, and were lining up for a group photot, when the inevitable happened.
I fell out of the kayak. Into the fiord. In the winter.
My first thought was "Thank God I didn't bring my camera!" Followed instantly by "GOOD LORD THIS WATER IS BLEEPING FREEZING!" However, I managed to hand my flip flops to Felix, our guide, swim back to the ship, and got back into my kayak with some dignity. Of course, I was famous on the ship for being the one who fell in, but it's all good. Actually, I had my suit on under my clothes and had fully intended to go for a dip later, but it was shocking to go in so entirely unexpected. But all part of the experience, eh?
We paddled around the bay for over an hour and it was so beautiful! We saw nesting fiordland penguins, the second rarest breed of penguin in the world, and they were so cute! One little guy was hopping around on the rocks, putting on a little show. But really, when it comes to show-offs, the seals take the cake! New Zealand Fur Seals were swimming all around us as we kayaked around. Very very cool. I headed back a little bit before everyone else in order to go for the aforementioned swim. Scotty had said he would go, too, but when I got back, he was taking a nap, so I went it alone. Well, not entirely alone. There were a lot of disbelieving onlookers on the back on the ship when I dove in. The water was about 10 degrees Celsius (roughly 52 degrees Fahrenheit). Might as well have been freezing! But it was exhilarating and it only took me a couple of hours to warm up afterwards; I warmed up with a cold shower. I looked like I had a terrible sunburn, my skin was so red from the cold. Good times.
Dinner on the ship was marvelous! Tomato and lentil soup, seafood salad, scalloped potatoes, yams, roasted veggies, salmon, satay chicken, rice pilaf, pasta, and countless desserts. It was quite an event. After dinner, we watched a slide show about the fiord, then Chelsea, Scotty, Megan and I settled in for a nice long game of Monopoly. I kept calling the spaces by their good old-fashioned American Atlantic City names, but they were actually named after locales around NZ. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I played a game all the way through, and don't think I ever played a game where absolutely no one was cheating. Scotty won, possessing all 32 $500s (as he announced regularly for the next couple of days).
After the game, it was time for bed, but I went by way of the stern of the ship. And there, twirling and flipping in the water by the light of the ship, was a seal. I watched him for a while, marveling at the fact that I was in New Zealand watching a seal swimming in his natural habitat. Wonders never cease. Then I went back to my cabin (shared with Emma), and sank blissfully into the amazing pillows and fell asleep.
We all managed to get into our kayaks, and were lining up for a group photot, when the inevitable happened.
I fell out of the kayak. Into the fiord. In the winter.
My first thought was "Thank God I didn't bring my camera!" Followed instantly by "GOOD LORD THIS WATER IS BLEEPING FREEZING!" However, I managed to hand my flip flops to Felix, our guide, swim back to the ship, and got back into my kayak with some dignity. Of course, I was famous on the ship for being the one who fell in, but it's all good. Actually, I had my suit on under my clothes and had fully intended to go for a dip later, but it was shocking to go in so entirely unexpected. But all part of the experience, eh?
We paddled around the bay for over an hour and it was so beautiful! We saw nesting fiordland penguins, the second rarest breed of penguin in the world, and they were so cute! One little guy was hopping around on the rocks, putting on a little show. But really, when it comes to show-offs, the seals take the cake! New Zealand Fur Seals were swimming all around us as we kayaked around. Very very cool. I headed back a little bit before everyone else in order to go for the aforementioned swim. Scotty had said he would go, too, but when I got back, he was taking a nap, so I went it alone. Well, not entirely alone. There were a lot of disbelieving onlookers on the back on the ship when I dove in. The water was about 10 degrees Celsius (roughly 52 degrees Fahrenheit). Might as well have been freezing! But it was exhilarating and it only took me a couple of hours to warm up afterwards; I warmed up with a cold shower. I looked like I had a terrible sunburn, my skin was so red from the cold. Good times.
Dinner on the ship was marvelous! Tomato and lentil soup, seafood salad, scalloped potatoes, yams, roasted veggies, salmon, satay chicken, rice pilaf, pasta, and countless desserts. It was quite an event. After dinner, we watched a slide show about the fiord, then Chelsea, Scotty, Megan and I settled in for a nice long game of Monopoly. I kept calling the spaces by their good old-fashioned American Atlantic City names, but they were actually named after locales around NZ. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I played a game all the way through, and don't think I ever played a game where absolutely no one was cheating. Scotty won, possessing all 32 $500s (as he announced regularly for the next couple of days).
After the game, it was time for bed, but I went by way of the stern of the ship. And there, twirling and flipping in the water by the light of the ship, was a seal. I watched him for a while, marveling at the fact that I was in New Zealand watching a seal swimming in his natural habitat. Wonders never cease. Then I went back to my cabin (shared with Emma), and sank blissfully into the amazing pillows and fell asleep.
Day 6 (Part I): More Mountains than you can 'magine.
Sunday, September 7th~
(*Just a heads up, this is when my journal entries started getting really verbose. I’ll try to break them up into multiple entries. There was just so much going on! Ok, keep reading now!)
BIG DAY! We kicked it off with a great hot breakfast buffet at the hotel, then hit the road. Our first stop was at Mrs. Jones’ fruit stand. There were so many delicious things! I deliberated for some time, then picked up a couple of plums to munch on. Wouldn’t you know it, I come all the way around the world and go to a real salt-of-the-earth fruit stand and wind up with plums grown in the US of A! I also had some yummy real fruit ice cream (hokey pokey ice cream with banana), which was 100% New Zealand, so that made up for it. During the drive, Chelsea and Scotty were sitting up front playing “Horse and Tractor.” The game is simple: when you see a horse or a tractor, say “horse” or “tractor” (depending on which it is, of course), and get a point. I think this is going to be the next big Motha’ Van hit.
We stopped for lunch in Te Anau, the township on the shore of the lake of the same name. I know you’re probably already getting tired of hearing it, but it was just gorgeous there! The sky was steely with clouds, but the water was bright turquoise, and framed, as ever, by the Southern Alps. As we continued on the road, we pulled over for photo opps at Eglington Valley, the Chasm, and the Mirror Lakes, each more beautiful than the other. I can’t imagine ever getting tired of the utter splendor at every turn. It is simply magnificent. I find myself fighting back tears at the sheer beauty of it. Since we were on the road all day, there was no opportunity to get to Mass this Sunday, but it is so easy to experience communion with God when you are witnessing such awesome wonders.
Our destination for the day was Milford Sound, only accessible by a long winding road through the mountains, including the Homer Tunnel. Truly a marvel; the tunnel was simply carved out of the rock and it remains roughly hewn today, some 50 years after its opening. I am ashamed to admit to my siblings that I tried to hold my breath, but it was in vain. The tunnel took several minutes to get through and Roxanne (our tour bus) could only go so fast. After we came through the tunnel, we made it to Milford Sound in no time and boarded the Milford Mariner, our accommodations for the night.
The ship was beautiful! Our group got upgraded from the normal ship the tour goes on (dorm style quads and shared bathrooms), to en suite doubles. Very swanky. Our rooms rocked, complete with portholes and super comfy beds.
A word about Milford Sound: it is not a sound. It is a fiord, the northern-most fiord in New Zealand's Fiordland, which includes 14 fiords of all different shapes and sizes. There is a story that the Maori people tell about the creation of the Fiords. (Bear with me; I might get some of the terminology wrong, so I apologize in advance). The seas were controlled by a sort of grumpy goddess who would send the waters into sudden tumult with powerful and ferocious storms. A benevolent god, the patron of the Maori people, wanted to protect them, so he picked up his shovel and dug out a fiord; it provided some protection from the winds, but he accidentally formed islands which made it dangerous for the Maori sailors. He tried again and again to dig a perfect fiord, but he found fault with each one until he dug his 14th fiord. It was wide and deep and long, but not easily seen from sea and with lots of bays to provide the sea-farers with plenty of protection from the ferocious seas.
So, we cruised around the fiord for a while, admiring the steep walls of the mountains lining the water, carved out millenia ago by countless glaciers. We moored in Harrison's Bay for the night, and lo! then the fun began!
(*Just a heads up, this is when my journal entries started getting really verbose. I’ll try to break them up into multiple entries. There was just so much going on! Ok, keep reading now!)
BIG DAY! We kicked it off with a great hot breakfast buffet at the hotel, then hit the road. Our first stop was at Mrs. Jones’ fruit stand. There were so many delicious things! I deliberated for some time, then picked up a couple of plums to munch on. Wouldn’t you know it, I come all the way around the world and go to a real salt-of-the-earth fruit stand and wind up with plums grown in the US of A! I also had some yummy real fruit ice cream (hokey pokey ice cream with banana), which was 100% New Zealand, so that made up for it. During the drive, Chelsea and Scotty were sitting up front playing “Horse and Tractor.” The game is simple: when you see a horse or a tractor, say “horse” or “tractor” (depending on which it is, of course), and get a point. I think this is going to be the next big Motha’ Van hit.
We stopped for lunch in Te Anau, the township on the shore of the lake of the same name. I know you’re probably already getting tired of hearing it, but it was just gorgeous there! The sky was steely with clouds, but the water was bright turquoise, and framed, as ever, by the Southern Alps. As we continued on the road, we pulled over for photo opps at Eglington Valley, the Chasm, and the Mirror Lakes, each more beautiful than the other. I can’t imagine ever getting tired of the utter splendor at every turn. It is simply magnificent. I find myself fighting back tears at the sheer beauty of it. Since we were on the road all day, there was no opportunity to get to Mass this Sunday, but it is so easy to experience communion with God when you are witnessing such awesome wonders.
Our destination for the day was Milford Sound, only accessible by a long winding road through the mountains, including the Homer Tunnel. Truly a marvel; the tunnel was simply carved out of the rock and it remains roughly hewn today, some 50 years after its opening. I am ashamed to admit to my siblings that I tried to hold my breath, but it was in vain. The tunnel took several minutes to get through and Roxanne (our tour bus) could only go so fast. After we came through the tunnel, we made it to Milford Sound in no time and boarded the Milford Mariner, our accommodations for the night.
The ship was beautiful! Our group got upgraded from the normal ship the tour goes on (dorm style quads and shared bathrooms), to en suite doubles. Very swanky. Our rooms rocked, complete with portholes and super comfy beds.
A word about Milford Sound: it is not a sound. It is a fiord, the northern-most fiord in New Zealand's Fiordland, which includes 14 fiords of all different shapes and sizes. There is a story that the Maori people tell about the creation of the Fiords. (Bear with me; I might get some of the terminology wrong, so I apologize in advance). The seas were controlled by a sort of grumpy goddess who would send the waters into sudden tumult with powerful and ferocious storms. A benevolent god, the patron of the Maori people, wanted to protect them, so he picked up his shovel and dug out a fiord; it provided some protection from the winds, but he accidentally formed islands which made it dangerous for the Maori sailors. He tried again and again to dig a perfect fiord, but he found fault with each one until he dug his 14th fiord. It was wide and deep and long, but not easily seen from sea and with lots of bays to provide the sea-farers with plenty of protection from the ferocious seas.
So, we cruised around the fiord for a while, admiring the steep walls of the mountains lining the water, carved out millenia ago by countless glaciers. We moored in Harrison's Bay for the night, and lo! then the fun began!
Day 5: Losing my heart to New Zealand, one day at a time
Saturday, September 6th~
What a beautiful day! Chelsea and Scotty, our tour leaders, basically rock the house. We have a small group; usually they have around 30-36, but there are only 10 of us, all girls. It’s a pretty great group. My friend Vicki (from last night’s dinner excursion) is on the tour, too, which is fun. Here’s the group: Vicki (England), Emma (Scotland), Laura H. (England), Vanesha (England), Laura B. (Northern Ireland), Debra (Northern Ireland), Laura T. (England), Megan (England), and Tracey (Adelaide, Australia). The UK has incredibly strong representation. Word up.
Today was a lot of sight-seeing, but all sights well worth seeing, I assure you. New Zealand is an unspeakably beautiful country. The Southern Alps are nothing short of spectacular. Scotty took us on a hike to see a mini-glacier. It was breathtaking (no, not because I’m out of shape. I did alright.), walking through the valley beneath the snow-topped mountains. When we got to the end of the trail, we looked out at the glacier (which was hard to distinguish because of all of the gravel heaped around it. Apparently that’s the glacial thing to do, cover yourself in gravel.). And there, towering behind it, stood Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. Truly an awesome sight.
This evening, we stayed at a hotel- quite a nice change after several days of hostel-ing it. We had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant, followed by a couple of drinks at the adjoining bar. I quite enjoyed Speight’s Old Dark Ale. Thank God New Zealand has a handle on dark beer!
What a beautiful day! Chelsea and Scotty, our tour leaders, basically rock the house. We have a small group; usually they have around 30-36, but there are only 10 of us, all girls. It’s a pretty great group. My friend Vicki (from last night’s dinner excursion) is on the tour, too, which is fun. Here’s the group: Vicki (England), Emma (Scotland), Laura H. (England), Vanesha (England), Laura B. (Northern Ireland), Debra (Northern Ireland), Laura T. (England), Megan (England), and Tracey (Adelaide, Australia). The UK has incredibly strong representation. Word up.
Today was a lot of sight-seeing, but all sights well worth seeing, I assure you. New Zealand is an unspeakably beautiful country. The Southern Alps are nothing short of spectacular. Scotty took us on a hike to see a mini-glacier. It was breathtaking (no, not because I’m out of shape. I did alright.), walking through the valley beneath the snow-topped mountains. When we got to the end of the trail, we looked out at the glacier (which was hard to distinguish because of all of the gravel heaped around it. Apparently that’s the glacial thing to do, cover yourself in gravel.). And there, towering behind it, stood Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. Truly an awesome sight.
This evening, we stayed at a hotel- quite a nice change after several days of hostel-ing it. We had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant, followed by a couple of drinks at the adjoining bar. I quite enjoyed Speight’s Old Dark Ale. Thank God New Zealand has a handle on dark beer!
Day 4: Look, ma, I'm in New Zealand!
Friday, September 5th~
After a 1am fire alarm at the hostel, I managed to get up and out by 6am to catch the airport shuttle. I have never had an easier time getting through security and customs, and everyone was all goodness and kindness. Happily, I was able to catch up with Shir one last time in the Duty Free shops. We were both heading to Christchurch, NZ, at the same time, but weren’t on the same flight. Bummer. But it was cool to see her again. We convinced each other that candy was an appropriate breakfast.
From a great distance, New Zealand looked to be framed by wide sandy beached. However, as we got closer and closer, those sandy beaches turned out to be the mighty snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps. Magnificent!
Upon arrival in Christchurch, I found a shuttle, checked into my hostel, and took off to explore Cathedral Square. First, I checked out the cathedral itself. It’s an impressive building, dark grey stone rising out of a large paved square, closed off to all traffic but trams. I paid $2 to climb the tower, and it was well worth it. Well, first of all, (for those of you who aren’t aware) I kind of have a thing for spiral staircases, so I got my fix for a while. But the view was just lovely. Looking out over Cathedral Square, I watched people milling around some carts laden with wool scarves and gloves and trucks selling kebabs and chips; I watched men playing a game of chess with super large pieces on a board at least 2meters X 2meters (heh, I said meters. Embrace the metric system). I spent all of my batteries snapping shots from the heights, so I headed back to my room to charge them. On my way, I ran into a couple of girls from the shuttle and they invited me to join them on a town tram tour. It wasn’t bad; Christchurch really is a lovely town, but I don’t think the tour was worth $14.
At this point it was only 4:30 in the afternoon, but we (Marie, Vicki and I) were hungry, and opted for an early dinner. After some aimless wandering, we landed at Valentino’s. An excellent choice! We had a really nice cabernet/shiraz/merlot blend and I had an absolutely delectable lamb dish. Delicious!
After I had said goodnight to Marie and Vicki, I hit the bar connected to the hostel for a beer. There, I met Luke, a delightful Canadian from Alberta. We enjoyed some conversation over a few beers (Monteith’s Original; New Zealand beer is waaay better than Australian beer!), but by 10:15, I called it a night. Up early for the tour!
After a 1am fire alarm at the hostel, I managed to get up and out by 6am to catch the airport shuttle. I have never had an easier time getting through security and customs, and everyone was all goodness and kindness. Happily, I was able to catch up with Shir one last time in the Duty Free shops. We were both heading to Christchurch, NZ, at the same time, but weren’t on the same flight. Bummer. But it was cool to see her again. We convinced each other that candy was an appropriate breakfast.
From a great distance, New Zealand looked to be framed by wide sandy beached. However, as we got closer and closer, those sandy beaches turned out to be the mighty snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps. Magnificent!
Upon arrival in Christchurch, I found a shuttle, checked into my hostel, and took off to explore Cathedral Square. First, I checked out the cathedral itself. It’s an impressive building, dark grey stone rising out of a large paved square, closed off to all traffic but trams. I paid $2 to climb the tower, and it was well worth it. Well, first of all, (for those of you who aren’t aware) I kind of have a thing for spiral staircases, so I got my fix for a while. But the view was just lovely. Looking out over Cathedral Square, I watched people milling around some carts laden with wool scarves and gloves and trucks selling kebabs and chips; I watched men playing a game of chess with super large pieces on a board at least 2meters X 2meters (heh, I said meters. Embrace the metric system). I spent all of my batteries snapping shots from the heights, so I headed back to my room to charge them. On my way, I ran into a couple of girls from the shuttle and they invited me to join them on a town tram tour. It wasn’t bad; Christchurch really is a lovely town, but I don’t think the tour was worth $14.
At this point it was only 4:30 in the afternoon, but we (Marie, Vicki and I) were hungry, and opted for an early dinner. After some aimless wandering, we landed at Valentino’s. An excellent choice! We had a really nice cabernet/shiraz/merlot blend and I had an absolutely delectable lamb dish. Delicious!
After I had said goodnight to Marie and Vicki, I hit the bar connected to the hostel for a beer. There, I met Luke, a delightful Canadian from Alberta. We enjoyed some conversation over a few beers (Monteith’s Original; New Zealand beer is waaay better than Australian beer!), but by 10:15, I called it a night. Up early for the tour!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Teaser Entry
Friends! I have returned! I took so many pictures and journaled diligently throughout the entire trip so that I could share everything with you in excrutiating detail. Of course, first I have to decipher my chicken scratch and type it all up (grumble grumble), so as a sign of good will, I present you with these pictures from my trip. I promise, I took all of them, they're not some lame-o internet downloads. This here's the real McCoy, ladies and gents. More to come! I promise!
A sheep station framed by the grand Southern Alps.
Sydney Opera House (of course)
Mount Cook, the tallest peak in New Zealand, on the shores of Lake Pukaki.
Fox Glacier
A sheep station framed by the grand Southern Alps.
Stay tuned!
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