Sorry readers...I am a terrible blogger as it turns out =) So much has happened since I last wrote. The girls and I ended up staying in Paihia in the Bay of Islands for almost a solid week, just relaxing and soaking up the scenery. One day, four of us (including a girl Caroline from Germany) rented a car and drove all the way up to the tip of the north island to Cape Reinga. It was by far the most beautiful part of NZ that I have seen so far! Absolutely breathtaking!! We all walked out to the end of this green mountaintop where there is a lighthouse. From there, you can look down and see where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet--the waves of each of them crash into one another, and their slightly different colors. Awesome!
After we left Paihia, Sonja, Brigita & I traveled down to Whitianga in the Coromandel Peninsula. We were really lucky there with our hostel because they were set up into separate little houses instead of one big hostel. So, we only had to share a kitchen, shower & bathroom with 4 other people as opposed to 20 or more. In our same little house were two British girls Laura and Hannah who were really great & offered to take us with them in their rental car to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. That was another amazing day. Cathedral Cove is just this stunning area that is all over NZ websites, calendars, etc. However, we couldn't walk down to it from the cliffs because a cyclone had washed away all of the stairs last month. Instead, we could walk down to the beach area called Stingray Bay that was next to it & swim out and around these huge rocks in the water to get to Cathedral Cove. So, we did exactly that. Sonja, Brigita, Laura, Hannah & I all got quite the workout getting over there, but it was sooooo worth it! When we got on shore from our swim, there was a little mini waterfall to our left and the Cathedral Cove arch to the right. Words just don't do it justice--you guys will have to look up some pictures because unfortunately, none of our cameras would have made it thru the swim so we could only take mental pictures =(
Next, we swam back around, and walked back up the "stairs" to the top of the cliff. Now, let me describe these "stairs" for you...from the top of the cliff, they start out as nice normal stairs that may be expected on a cliffside, made of dirt and some support wood. About 20 stairs down, they become a little muddy. Another 20 stairs down, they are SLUDGE. Yeah, you couldn't even walk on them with your shoes or else you would fall straight on your arse...so, you had to take your shoes off, hold on for dear life to any twigs around you & walk down another 20 stairs or so in no less than 2 inches of sludge going between your toes. Good times =) Anyway, when we made it back to the top of the cliff, we got back in the car & drove down to Hot Water Beach. This beach is a geothermal attracation because it has underground reservoirs of hot water. So, at low tide, everyone can go dig a big hole in the sand and make themselves a hot water bath. Some of the holes had water in them that was so hot you could literally see it boiling (no one was in those holes). The girls and I were able to hop around from abandoned hole to abandoned hole as people kept leaving haha..so we finally found one that was perfectly heated & hung out for a couple hours soaking it up. Loooooved it!
Next stop for Sonja, Brigita & I was Mount Maunganui. We had yet another really great group at the hostel there--we met Gustavo from Chile, Alex from England, Luke from Australia, and Hannah & Steve from Canada. All of us went out for drinks one night, then the next night we all played card games outside & had an absolute blast! We rented surf boards one day with Hannah & Steve but the waves were too rough & the current was too strong for us beginners--even Hannah & Steve opted out. So, I shall leave my surfing lessons to another day =) Our friend Hannah from Germany (whom we met in Auckland) came traveling through Mount Maunganui in her little camper van while we were there. Brigita decided to head out with Hannah when she left the next day, so our group of 3 became 2. Sonja & I then headed to Napier, which is where we are now staying for at least a month. By pure luck, we got jobs as waitresses the 2nd day we were in town. So, we are now working for the 5-star hotel that is right next door to our hostel. This is my first experience as a waitress & I am quite enjoying it! The chefs and kitchen staff we work with are just wonderful--Whitney, Khloe, Rachel, Deanne, Carl, Jason, Beau, and Daniel.
Hannah & Brigita actually stopped by yesterday to see us on their way to Taupo, so it was good to catch up with them again. I'm sure we'll all cross paths again later as well. Okay, now that I have written a novel, I will go.
Cheers,
A
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Postcard Perfect
Since I last wrote, I have FINALLY seen the amazing scenery that I've been waiting for, been diving & have met more great people. We checked out of our Auckland hostel on Wed & traveled by bus to Whangarei to this really great small hostel with just wonderful people. We met Adam and Peter, a couple of local Kiwis, two American guys Ryan and Sean who were on R&R from the Coast Guard, Andrea from England, a guy from France, as well as a girl from Germany, a woman from Scotland, and a few other local kiwis. On Thurs night, we all played cards outside at the picnic tables, had some drinks, and then Adam suggested that all of us walk up the road at 11:00 at night in the pitch black with just our torches (flashlights) to go see some glow worms. So, a group of 10 of us set out on a 20-25 minute walk, took this crazy path through these woods, and all had to walk single-file when we got to this point where on the left was a steep drop where you could hear waterfalls & on the right was a rock wall that we had to stay as close to as possible. We got to this point where a long time ago, some men had started to carve out tunnels through the rock looking for some "buried treasure." (They didn't find any, so the tunnels didn't go far). Nonetheless, we all crouched down and went into the tunnels with our torches and looked around for a bit. Then, we went back out onto our path outside the tunnels and walked up a little further, turned all our torches off, held hands walking up some stairs since you literally couldn't see anything without our torches, then we looked to our right and there were hundreds of these glowing lights covering the rock wall. It was just perfect--you could hear the waterfalls to the left, then see these glowing lights to the right. Definitely one of those nights that I will always think of fondly.
Thurs during the day, I went DIVING!! A van picked us up from the hostel & took us on a very high-speed 45-minute ride on mountain roads to the town of Tutukaka. From there, Andrea and I went on a dive boat that took us about 50 mintues out to Poor Knights Islands. It was incredible. I look back at the pictures of the dive site and still can't believe that I went diving there. Wonderful day! Friday, Sonja, Brigita & I checked out of the Whangarei hostel, which was quite sad since the group there was just so much fun. That is something I've learned you have to get used to around here---you meet great people, but you usually have to say goodbye to them very quickly.
Our next stop was Paihia in the Bay of Islands, which is where we will be until Tues. The hostel istself here is the best yet--so cute, clean & spacious--plus, it is set with the New Zealand mountains in the background on one side, and the beaches on the other! Yesterday, I met a girl at the new hostel named Annki from Germany. So, the four of us borrowed some bikes from the hostel and took them with us on the ferry across to Russell. We biked around for a bit, then found a beach called Long Beach that was just incredible...it literally looked like a postcard picture. We stayed there all day swimming and laying on the beach (and..uhh..getting sunburned). It was a really wonderful day though. We are now in the process of figuring out where to go next & how to get there. We are considering jobs in Kerikeri an hour north, but we need to make some phone calls first. Well, internet isn't free here, so I will be logging off now.
Cheers,
A
Thurs during the day, I went DIVING!! A van picked us up from the hostel & took us on a very high-speed 45-minute ride on mountain roads to the town of Tutukaka. From there, Andrea and I went on a dive boat that took us about 50 mintues out to Poor Knights Islands. It was incredible. I look back at the pictures of the dive site and still can't believe that I went diving there. Wonderful day! Friday, Sonja, Brigita & I checked out of the Whangarei hostel, which was quite sad since the group there was just so much fun. That is something I've learned you have to get used to around here---you meet great people, but you usually have to say goodbye to them very quickly.
Our next stop was Paihia in the Bay of Islands, which is where we will be until Tues. The hostel istself here is the best yet--so cute, clean & spacious--plus, it is set with the New Zealand mountains in the background on one side, and the beaches on the other! Yesterday, I met a girl at the new hostel named Annki from Germany. So, the four of us borrowed some bikes from the hostel and took them with us on the ferry across to Russell. We biked around for a bit, then found a beach called Long Beach that was just incredible...it literally looked like a postcard picture. We stayed there all day swimming and laying on the beach (and..uhh..getting sunburned). It was a really wonderful day though. We are now in the process of figuring out where to go next & how to get there. We are considering jobs in Kerikeri an hour north, but we need to make some phone calls first. Well, internet isn't free here, so I will be logging off now.
Cheers,
A
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sightseeing in Auckland
Where to begin? Well, I met Brigita, my Slovenian penpal on Thurs (Wed in the U.S.) & she is absolutely adorable. She, Sonja & I have been getting along famously. We all went to the Backpacker Pub Crawl Thurs night after Brigita's arrival and had a good time. We met Danny from America (Missouri) during the evening & all did some dancing and chatted about our trips so far. On Friday, us gals went to Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter--saw some penguins, manta rays, sharks, etc. Sonja & I snorkeled in the shark aquarium in this small cage with netted sides and a clear plastic bottom. The guy who helped us get suited up in our wetsuits, etc. was awesome---his favorite word was "sweet," but in a Kiwi accent hehe. It was one of those acquariums where it is actually a tunnel that the visitors walk through. So, it was fun to have all of the visitors looking at us snorkeling =) It was pretty fun, although the water was absolutely freezing! I must admit, however, that it REALLY made me antsy to actually go diving!! I can't wait until we hit some scuba diving spots!
The next day, the three of us walked to the Auckland Museum--Brigita (Gigi) got us a tad bit off course on the way there, but it made for a hilarious stroll. Oh, my favorite quotes of the day: Brigita pointing off in a nearby location says, "Oh, park!" Sonja responds, "Isn't that a cemetary?" Haha. When we finally got to the musum, the trees around it were soooo gorgeous! I have no idea what kind of trees they were, but they were huge and had thick, wild branches. So, we stopped and took some photos--I was called a monkey by Sonja. That night, a group of us went out to a pub/bar called Northern Steamship (Sonja, Brigita, Danny, Hannah from Germany, Kirsti from Holland, and me). That was quite fun. We also visited one of the parks, Albert Park, which is really nice.
Yesterday, we went to Okahu Bay for a beach day and to celebrate Waitangi Day with the locals. It was a huge festival with a great band, delicious food, and a positive atmosphere. I ate THE best chicken kabob I've ever had in my life. Last night, Brigita & I also went to the Sky Tower and saw incredible view of the city. Today, we went on the free bus tour around the city---I was unaware that it also included a FREE walk across the Harbour Bridge. This isn't just any walk you see..it usually costs at least $80.00 because you walk across in harnesses and are connected to the bridge so as to not fall off the side =) Then, three people on our tour (including two British guys who I learned are adrenaline junkies) bungee jumped off the center of the bridge while we were there. It was SO fun to watch them jump & cheer them on. The last stop of the tour was North Head, which was amazing. It felt like we were nowhere near the city when we were there--beautiful green hills. Loved it!
Tonight, we are going to chill out at the hostel and plan out our trip up north, which shall include Bay of Islands and 90-mile beach. Sonja & I have become fond of Auckalnd very quickly, but we are definitely excited to be going toward the gorgeous scenery that New Zealand is known for having. Well, there is so much more to say, but I will have to leave it for the next post.
Cheers,
A
The next day, the three of us walked to the Auckland Museum--Brigita (Gigi) got us a tad bit off course on the way there, but it made for a hilarious stroll. Oh, my favorite quotes of the day: Brigita pointing off in a nearby location says, "Oh, park!" Sonja responds, "Isn't that a cemetary?" Haha. When we finally got to the musum, the trees around it were soooo gorgeous! I have no idea what kind of trees they were, but they were huge and had thick, wild branches. So, we stopped and took some photos--I was called a monkey by Sonja. That night, a group of us went out to a pub/bar called Northern Steamship (Sonja, Brigita, Danny, Hannah from Germany, Kirsti from Holland, and me). That was quite fun. We also visited one of the parks, Albert Park, which is really nice.
Yesterday, we went to Okahu Bay for a beach day and to celebrate Waitangi Day with the locals. It was a huge festival with a great band, delicious food, and a positive atmosphere. I ate THE best chicken kabob I've ever had in my life. Last night, Brigita & I also went to the Sky Tower and saw incredible view of the city. Today, we went on the free bus tour around the city---I was unaware that it also included a FREE walk across the Harbour Bridge. This isn't just any walk you see..it usually costs at least $80.00 because you walk across in harnesses and are connected to the bridge so as to not fall off the side =) Then, three people on our tour (including two British guys who I learned are adrenaline junkies) bungee jumped off the center of the bridge while we were there. It was SO fun to watch them jump & cheer them on. The last stop of the tour was North Head, which was amazing. It felt like we were nowhere near the city when we were there--beautiful green hills. Loved it!
Tonight, we are going to chill out at the hostel and plan out our trip up north, which shall include Bay of Islands and 90-mile beach. Sonja & I have become fond of Auckalnd very quickly, but we are definitely excited to be going toward the gorgeous scenery that New Zealand is known for having. Well, there is so much more to say, but I will have to leave it for the next post.
Cheers,
A
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
At home already
Where to start...well, I have met a wonderful new friend Sonja from Finland. She had actually previously contacted me from a New Zealand backpacker board shortly before we both arrived here, and now we've been doing some exploring around Auckland together. Yesterday, we went to a cafe for dinner in the city, then out to the cinema for a movie--no, we are not lame...we were just tired. =) Today, we met up in the backpacker lounge after getting ready, went out for lunch, then went to the harbour & walked around the city. Auckland is very similar to any other big city, except it is VERY clean and the people are soooo nice. The locals are so interested to know where you are from & are so genuinely excited to hear about what you are doing, where you are going, etc. It's very refreshing =)
I have also met a few other backpackers through Sonja--Nick from Holland, Taylor from Vancouver, and Victor from Sweden. They are all very nice as well. Brigita, my other penpal, will be arriving at the hostel in a couple of hours also, so I'm very excited to finally meet her. Tonight, there is a Backpacker Pub Crawl which consists you being taken to 4 different pubs/bars throughout the evening for only $10! It is apparently very popular & can get up to 100 backpackers all going out at once. I'm sure it will be an evening to remember! Tomorrow, Brigita, Sonja & I will be going on a FREE bus tour around the city--yeah, I'm not sure how that works, but it is actually completely free of charge. Then, on Saturday, we will be going to this Antarctic adventure thing so Brigita & Sonja can see penguins (they've never seen them before). This is the same place where I would like to cage dive with some sharks...so we'll see.
Auckland is SOO expensive. I saw one of those neck pillows you use on planes on sale for $39.50!! Outrageous! Oh, but how I knew I loved New Zealand (besides the prices) was when Sonja and I were out to eat today, I saw a woman in her 60s with BRIGHT pink hair, and then just a few feet from her was another woman in her 70s wearing bright blue converse shoes. It's official; I am finally home haha.
Cheers,
A
I have also met a few other backpackers through Sonja--Nick from Holland, Taylor from Vancouver, and Victor from Sweden. They are all very nice as well. Brigita, my other penpal, will be arriving at the hostel in a couple of hours also, so I'm very excited to finally meet her. Tonight, there is a Backpacker Pub Crawl which consists you being taken to 4 different pubs/bars throughout the evening for only $10! It is apparently very popular & can get up to 100 backpackers all going out at once. I'm sure it will be an evening to remember! Tomorrow, Brigita, Sonja & I will be going on a FREE bus tour around the city--yeah, I'm not sure how that works, but it is actually completely free of charge. Then, on Saturday, we will be going to this Antarctic adventure thing so Brigita & Sonja can see penguins (they've never seen them before). This is the same place where I would like to cage dive with some sharks...so we'll see.
Auckland is SOO expensive. I saw one of those neck pillows you use on planes on sale for $39.50!! Outrageous! Oh, but how I knew I loved New Zealand (besides the prices) was when Sonja and I were out to eat today, I saw a woman in her 60s with BRIGHT pink hair, and then just a few feet from her was another woman in her 70s wearing bright blue converse shoes. It's official; I am finally home haha.
Cheers,
A
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Hello New Zealand!
Well, I have arrived! After 3 flights and over 24 hours of travel time, I am finally at my hostel. I can't technically check in for a couple of more hours, so I figured I'd let everyone know that I arrived safely.The flights were great...almost didn't make my connection to LA in the Atlanta airport due to Delta's tardiness on my first flight. But, after getting a good cardio workout running to my gate after we touched down in Atlanta, I made it to the flight just a few minutes before takeoff! The last flight, the 13-hour flight, wasn't nearly as bad as I expected--7 hours of sleep, 2 movies, and a few TV shows, and I was in Auckland! The lady who sat next to me on the NZ flight was in her 60s & had her hair dyed dark with bright purple tips (awesome)--thought that was worth noting haha.
It was thrilling to look down during our descent and see the greenery of NZ. Can't wait to explore it! Oh, and I purchased a New Zealand prepaid phone...expensive for outgoing calls but all incoming calls are completely free (even international calls). First thing on my list to do after I'm able to check in is SHOWER! Nothing like 24+ hours of traveling with no shower haha. Well, I think I will go get in contact with one of my backpacker penpals that already arrived here a few days ago & see what we can get into today.
Cheers,
A
It was thrilling to look down during our descent and see the greenery of NZ. Can't wait to explore it! Oh, and I purchased a New Zealand prepaid phone...expensive for outgoing calls but all incoming calls are completely free (even international calls). First thing on my list to do after I'm able to check in is SHOWER! Nothing like 24+ hours of traveling with no shower haha. Well, I think I will go get in contact with one of my backpacker penpals that already arrived here a few days ago & see what we can get into today.
Cheers,
A
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