Thailand - getting there

I had a flight to Auckland from Christchurch. Me being the master sleeper, slept the entire way so there is nothing to report on that flight.

I had a few hours to kill in the Auckland airport but it being so early in the morning, I have no recollection of what I did. My Auckland flight was a 12 hour ride to Hong Kong. I got stuck in a middle seat, the plain was packed! I got suck next to this old couple that I really didn't care for. I had a messenger bag with me, with my make-up and some books (don't know why I bother, I haven't picked up a book since Argentina!). I stored it under my seat and it barely fit. Let me tell you, I haven't had less room on a plain, ever. I was on Cathay Pacific- not a big fan at all. The old lady was really annoying and bragged about the fact that all she ever brings on the plain is her passport and that's it. I was uncomfortable, yes, but did she have to rub it in?! I fell a sleep soon after and managed to wake up for both meals. They did serve us Ice cream though... yummy. I love not being lactarded anymore!

The Hong Kong airport is massive; I was very sleepy though and once again I can't really remember my hour spent there. I got my next flight about 1.5 hours to Bangkok. Once again I was on Cathay Pacific, but it wasn't as crowded. Obviously I slept from take off through landing. I impress myself with my wonderful ability to sleep anywhere at anytime!

I got into Bangkok at midnight. My bags came with great ease and as I was leaving the airport, as suggested to me I got a hired car rather than a metered taxi. I now know I was ripped off by like 500 baht! That's roughly 15 bucks... but that's a lot out here!

The cab driver barely spoke English and I doubted is knowledge on the where abouts of my hotel. But I was in the taxi and couldn't do anything at that point. We had to stop for gas... arg! I hate that. If you are a taxi get gas before you take a fare!!!! The gas station was an experience though. There were teenage boys working there. The gas thingy is in the trunk of the car, strange, but so was my bag. I got out of the car to make sure they weren't robbing me... I pretended to stretch, but truthfully, I need a little stretching. As I got back in the taxi the young boys did a NY accent and said 'Oh my God'; they were screaming it. I laughed and then they screamed that they loved me. It was a cute moment.

We drove on, and on, and on. The 45 minute ride turned into a 1.5 hour ride. At 2 am the cab driver finally asked some people for directions. he stopped the car when we got to this blocked off road and told me to get out. I was very confused. The street was packed with a lot of Thai people that must have hit the town that night. he off loaded my luggage and was about to leave. My hotel was no where in sight. I asked him where I needed to go and he gave me the vaguest point. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I was being abandoned in Bangkok! He was of no help to me; that was very apparent! i asked the police man and he pointed in another direction but kept on looking at the paper puzzled. Another local looked on and gave me another direction. I just started walking down the street and hoped for the best mind you I was fighting tears!

I finally saw another tourist and asked them, but they were on the piss and once again of no use. They too gave me another direction. I walked and happened to look up... and there it was a small sign with my hotel name, leading to an alley way.

Day 10- my last

That night it rained. It was so strange to sleep in a van with water pouring on the tin roof!

We drove to Christchurch as I had a flight the next day. We checked back into the same hostel and chilled out, watched some movies. We were all pretty poopy. It was an anti climactic day, but I was nackered from the previous day. We had a rally nice dinner out, at a cheap japanese place.

I was sad to leave the girls... but Martina was waiting for me in Thailand and Snickers is on his way... so I had to go.

A wrap up... NZ has been amazing. It truly is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I wish I had a bit longer there... but I really did most of it. The month flew by. I highly recomend for everyone to go... no one should not experience the beauty of NZ. I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but Matt put it really well. When you watch lord of the rings you expect a lot of the background to be computer generated as well... but when you go to NZ, you realize its not. NZ is that beautiful... watch the movie again, or even a few scenes from it- I had the priviledge of being there.

Day 9- Camper Van

A very grumpy morning in Kaikora. It was much earlier than we were used to be up, but the excitement of seeing whales hurled us out of bed and into the front seat to get going. We found a little cafe and got sandwiches to go for brekky. I don't know why I feel like sharing this, but I will anyway. Mine was disgusting; it was such an odd combination. The package said Ham sandwich and had some veggies on it. I was trying to be healthy and picked that one as apposed to the ham and butter sandwich on white bread. The sandwich had ham, tomato, lettuce, pickled onions, a hard boiled egg, and sometime type of spread , all on whole wheat bread. Not very appetizing for 7am!

We got on the boat and bumped into yet another hometown friend of Celia and Lottie's, Sarah and EJ. I swear they know everyone. It was a catamaran that went 30 kts and we flew over to a region of the pacific ocean that had a deep canyon of 1600 meters deep. It was strange to know there was that much water under us! The water was a little bumpy, I am have realized I don't do great boats; I definitely felt a little woozy!

On our way to the Whales, we got to see another informative slide show- I'm a dork I know, but I really like them! Did you know that in 1880 a giant squid was found on the NZ shore- the biggest recorded I believe at 19 meters long. They have donut shaped brains and when they eat they must break it down into tiny particles because the food then passes through the brain. If the pieces are too large it can cause them brain damage.

Also, Sperm whale are named Sperm Whale because of an early incorrect assumption. When the Sperm Whales were first studied their 2.5 tons of a white substance stored in their brain was found. It was thought that it was sperm. There are a lot of jokes there but this is a PG blog, so I will let you come up with your own. They live till about 70 years old.

This tour clearly cannot guarantee a sighting as the whales are in their natural habitat and can't be paid or fed to do shows. We crossed our fingers and actually the night before- I so felt like my mom here... I made the girls visualize seeing a whale and to spiritually ask them to let us see them.

A quick interruption, I don't know how I could have forgotten this. On our way to the Whale watch, Celia was driving in parking lot looking for another spot. We decide to park next to another Escape camper van we saw, stupidly we like to stick together. The van was painted an even better design then ours. It had a cool angel on it. As we were driving I noticed one of the Angels eyes was open and not the other. I remember thinking it was kind of strange that only one was open, but it was a soothing angel and it didn't make me feel uncomfortable. When we got out Celia looked at the van and and was freaked out. Both eyes on the Angel were closed. She too had noticed as we were driving, that one was open. With out me even saying anything, Celia pointed this 'unsolved mystery' out. I know I am not crazy, Celia saw it too. I thought maybe it was the speed of the van or it was painted in a way that it depends what angle you look at it... but nope we tried everything. We drove by it again; we ran by it; we stared at it... both eyes remained closed. We spoke to the owners and no one had ever mentioned anything like this to them, but they did say it was a strange van. Lottie thought we were crazy, Celia doesn't believe in this sort of thing- but knows she saw it and was freaked out, I think I have an angel watching over me.

So back to the Whale Watch. I was desperate to see one. I have to say it would be a major disappointment not to see one. I am happy to report we saw more than they usually do... we saw 4!!!! Wow. They are massive and look cute in the water. They are dark grey and just lay there. Pretty uneventful but so cool at the same time! WE got to see four of them dip under as they go down for food, this is when they flip their tales up- I got some great shots! I can't explain what it is like to see whale. I never ever imagined I would have a chance to. It was very impressive.

As we were going back to shore we stumbled into 200 dolphin swimming and playing together... no exaggeration... 200! Everywhere you turned their were dolphin! They are so graceful and fun to watch. They really seem to enjoy life. They were Dusky Dolphin and mate up to 8 times a day with several different partners.

EJ and Sarah mentioned they were on a tour in the afternoon to swim with dolphin. How could I not after seeing that?! When we got to shore I called up and got on the tour!

When it was time to go on the tour they were thinking of cancelling it. They couldn't find the dolphin. Like the Whale watch this tour was in the Pacific Ocean, with wild dolphin- there was no sea world training here... it is wild dolphin in their natural habitat. We were confused after seeing so many, how could they not find them?! i guess the 200 had split up and all gone in different directions. As luck would have it though they took us out and warned us we might not see any but would get a refund if we didn't. We decided to go- easy decision we sure as heck wouldn't see any on sure, so might as well try.

We got all suited up in the most horrid wet suits- head to toe. We looked like scuba Steve, only in black. I think I looked like a blubbery seal... the NZ winter weight was not doing me justice in that get up! There were about 50 of us and we were split into 3 boats. Luck was on my side again and I was placed ina boat with Saran and EJ. WE also got the best boat driver and tour guide. Their enthusiasm was unmatchable and definitely got us in the spirit and gave us the momentum to attract the dolphins. They explained that we were the entertainment for the dolphins- not the other way round. That we had to be playful and make noises to keep them around.

We found some and quickly got in the water being careful of not scaring them away. I made my dolphin like noises and tried to swim in one... and poof... I had 6 dolphin around me. I swam in circles as they did and them under me, around me, on top of me... it was so cool!!!! I have to admit though they look an awful lot like sharks when they are flipped upside down and are coming at you, staring at you in the eye. But in the end their sweet and playful temperament shines through and it is just the most adrenaline pumping feeling to be out there with them.

It was a cold and rainy day, but we got to swim with them! That batch didn't stay long, but we got them! We tried another two times when some were spotted, but they were more interested in mating than swimming with us. Can you blame them?! After about an hour and half (an hour longer than the tour usually does) of swimming w got another successful batch. I had to swim under me pretty quickly and then as we were about to go back in the boat I had another four circle around me. Once again an experience I never imagined could be part of my life!

I was so thankful to have had to successful goes- especially that it was the first and the last go that I swam with them. It was perfect- a great way to start and end the trip! Apparently we were very lucky. One boat only got one go in the water and barely swam with them and the third boat got nothing! I am a lucky girl... so thankful for all that I have seen.

That night we went to that same bar for a few drinks. Lottie left early but Celia and stayed to listen to a local band. They were these old dudes that played rock / blues. It reminded me of the Mondo days. I really enjoyed listening to them. I also met a South African bloke that was on the Kiwi bus. A few days prior to meeting him he was on the bus and it had an accident. I explained how curvy and narrow the roads are so this isn't a shock that this could happen- but how terrifying! The bus driver dropped his phone, while driving and hte dope bent down to get it. I wonder if it was just a reflex or what not, but how stupid! He fell out of his chair and missed the bend in the road. The bus went down the cliff. Thankfully there were strong shrubbery to catch them. But all the seats broke as they crashed down and some windows were smashed. Thankfully only minor injuries, but they had to do evacuate the bus before it plummeted. They broke through he windows and climbed out. How scary!

One more thing... I saw four whales and swam with dolphin all in one day!

Day 8 - I think Camper Van

We got a very late start the next day- as cuddling in the TV room seemed like a much needed activity. We had a long drive ahead of us- about 8.5 hours to Kaikora.

The drive was though rain forest mountains. I think it was one of the most beautiful drives yet. We had to drive through a National park- it was curvy road inside the rain forest. There were a million shades of green, so bright and full of life.

WE hit the coast line and decided to veer off for a little walk on the beach. We reached the water and it was magnificent. There was a friendly fisherman completing the picturesque moment. The sand was black from the volcanoes and the water was sea foam green... I now understand where the name of the color comes from! It was a misty day and the mountains in the background were peaking out through the fog. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for more than a few minutes as we had a long drive ahead and it was getting dark. We did stay long enough for me to put my feel in the cold waters of Ross beach.

We drove on- through the single lane highway. There were tons of one way bridges we had to pass over. This was true for most of our rides, but these had train tracks on them too! We not only had to worry about a car coming from the opposite direction but now had to fear a train as well! Doing this at night was no easy task- but we honked the horn before we went over each time and hoped that that was enough!

We made it to Kaikora and found the dodgiest camp site. It was awful, but its all there was. We had an early start the next day, alarm set for 6 am!

Frans Joseph day 2

We woke up, checked out late again and head to town (around the corner for the one block strip). The most disgusting breakfast was eaten as we were deciding our next plan of attack. The previous night at the bar we spoke with one of the glacial tour guides; he said everything was booked up for the next 4 days. I was pretty bummed about this because we didn't have any time to spare and I felt like I had to do more than just see the glacier. But what was there to do?

We bumped into the bar tender from the night before (not a shocker with a town of that size). He said to check out the half day tours- which seemed more feasible to my out of shape body!

After three attempts we got in an afternoon 5 hours hike in Frans Joseph glacier. We had to move our whale watch to a day later... but shockingly everything worked out so well! As Lottie and I were booking it, Celia didn't want in on this one, Celia bumped into Harry, Sophie and Matt- they are friends of theirs from home that we hung out with in Auckland. Matt decided to jump on the hike with us and an hour later we were off!

The hike was out of this world. Please understand, I was walking, in / on / through and on top of a glacier!!!! It was pure ice! We had cool spikes on our boots and goofy rain jackets on. It was out of this world. The glacier didn't seem that big from the front ground, but as we hiked and from what I saw on that plane ride, I knew it was! Every morning the tour guides go and chip steps into the ice to make the trek. The steps were very steep and so high for my short legs that at times I had to just kneel and boost myself up! The sky was cloudy so unfortunately I didn't get that sunny glow that I saw in Argentina, but at least it wasn't raining! This was one of the most exciting and different excursions I have ever done... for sure one of the coolest experiences in my life. We walked through ice caves and licked the ice! The air was crisp and clean. I walked on a glacier,; never thought I could say that in my life!

We got back to town and Celia booked us into the same hostel that the other guys were in. It is the nicest hostel I have ever stayed in. We got our own room with a bathroom, free vege soup at 6pm and a cozy TV room! The soup was exactly what we needed after that hike!

The crew hit the town that night for another silly evening at Monsoon- "when it rains, they pour".

Frans Joseph

The girls picked me up from the boat and we realized what a small world we live in... I was on the cruise with their old biology teacher; her husband and I had the swim together. Craziness.

We left Manapouri for a nine hour journey to Frans Joseph. The drive was extraordinary once again. We stopped halfway in Queenstown- I love that place! Unfortunately in was getting dark and we missed a lot of the beautiful country side as we drove on. Thankfully I did that drive with mom, so I didn't miss out! We stopped in Fox and ate at the same place mom and I did. This time, I got pizza. Yes kids, more cheese. The girls got sick from it and I seemed to do just fine. I can eat cheese- I just don't understand, but I am not going to fight it!

We arrived at Franz Joseph and about 1o pm. WE pulled into the park we wanted to stay in, but the front desk was closed. it had a sign to go to the bar for check in- woohoo!!! A bar! It was pumpin' and most likely filled with Kiwi bus kids- the jump on jump off tour bus. Well, they had no more sights left, so we were forced to get a room... oh the luxury! I was so thankful that we had to get a room- a private shower, a comfortable bed!

Lottie and I hit the bar for a couple of drinks that night. It was such a strange place. A lot of the locals go there and try to prey on the tourists- I find it revolting but quite humorous. WE didn't stay long... a comfortable big bed was calling.

We had no plans for the morning but we had booked a Whale watch in Kaikoura for the following day- so we new we needed to be productive and drive off that night.

Day 6 and 7- Doubtful Sound

No camper van for me this evening! The girls drove me to Manapouri to catch my overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound. This is the one thing that I really wanted to do here. Since mom and I did Milford Sound I was anxious to see the more secluded and bigger version of it. I couldn't imagine something being more beautiful that Milford, so I had to see it with my own eyes. I was not sure what to expect though as I was doing it alone. On one hand I was really excited to have sometime alone, on the other it is always more fun to do things with people you know... but I was confident that I would meet people and again I was thankful to have some time alone! As I waited for the boat more passengers came. I was a good 35 years younger then all of them! Time alone... I needed it anyway.

We were waiting on a dock and I noticed that the mountains around us were okay, but nothing spectacular. I was really confused over the fuss everyone makes over Doubtful. I stayed positive and hoped that nearby would be what I expected! We loaded a small boat and I grew more confused...

It turns out we had to take a boat 1.5 hours, to a 1 hour bus ride which would get us to our cruise. The bus ride was spectacular as I am sure you expected! We drove on the curviest road as of yet literally in the rain forest. We made it to the cruise boat, really cute 70 or so passenger boat.

I paid for a quad- again minding my budget! They brought us to the bottom level of the boat and to my dismay it was like that crazy hostel- we had 4 person cubby holes! Thankfully I got a bottom bunk and my cubby hole mates were great! Well one we didn't really speak to, but the other two were a couple from England Nicci and Ricky. They were very inclusive and made me feel like I had instant friends! Even if the accommodations were not as nice as I expected, it was a lot better than sleeping in a van!

The boat served us the best banana and chocolate muffins and coffee as we set sail. Finally my expectations were met. Doubtful Sound is incredible. Now I wouldn't say they are more beautiful than Milford, if anything the other way round- but what makes this so special is how secluded it is. No other boats were in site and the mountains seemed to be closer together making it feel more intimate. The mountains in Milford however were taller, steeper and not as wide as these. Again, even though they are so similar, it is apples to oranges- or more like tangarines to clementines... so similar you could mistake them at first glance, but something that you can't really put your finger on makes them uniquely special.

Within the boat ride we saw dolphin- wow. I can't get tired of seeing them. They are so playful and cute. We learned that the mountains have tree avalanches. The trees are covered in rain forest, but because the mountains are huge rock formations, there isn't much soil. Because of this, the trees form a intermingling of their roots, they hold one other standing (think of a knot in your hair). With big storms sometimes they get loose and a tree might fall causing many more to fall. Literally a wide portion of the trees will fall causing everything below it to fall as well, exposing the rock. Over time moss starts to grow, then bush, smaller trees and finally mother earth repairs herself and the rain forest is in tact.

The water was black here. It was really cool. You couldn't see one inch lower that the surface of the water. You couldn't see through it at all. We went Kayaking. Mind you it is still very cold here. We lucked out though and got a mostly sunny day. They say that is the nicest they get in Doubtful- so I was very lucky! As I paddled I got some water on me and it was freezing- but it was to prepare me for my next activity! We kayaked for about an hour and it was great to get up close to the mountains to really understand their height and to see them is much greater detail.

My next activity was swimming! I wish my step dad Bill was with me, I thought of him instantly... he would have loved this! I knew I wanted to do it... but I also knew it was cold. I really did it for him because I know he would have been the first one in; I had to experience it for him. As I said before the water is black. I couldn't think about what might be under me! I jumped in the 10 degree Celsius water and gasped for breath. It took the breath out of me for a good 30 seconds, that's how cold it was! I actually stayed in. I made myself get used to it and was in there for about 10 minutes, longer than anyone else. Only about 10 people went in, but all of the passengers were watching from the different floors and were cheering us on. Other people tried to stay in with me, but they called me crazy and quickly went back out... I was floating on my back loving it. Bill... it reminded me of the Colorado River swim we had... you would have loved this! I have to say though when I got out I had pins and needle sensation all over my body. That didn't stop for a few minutes. I have never felt it like that before!

The boat had soup and rolls waiting for us. I had a quick hot shower and headed up for soup. This was such a nice break from the van!

That night we watched a slide show learning about the animals in the area as well as the plants. Did you know that NZ didn't have any animals on it before the Europeans came? I think I might have mentioned that before. Because of this, the for fathers- as she called them decided to bring some in. They first set some rabbits free.

Rabbits will be rabbits and reproduced at such a rapid rate they had to get rid of some. Because of this, they brought in Stoats. The Stoat realized it was a lot of hard work to catch the quick rabbits and decided to target NZ's native flightless birds in stead. These birds- the Kiwi and Penguins are fligthless because they had never been prey before. They didn't know to fear other creatures or to flee for their lives. The Stoat had an easy time attacking them. Now the Stoat were a problem so the Possum was introduced to NZ. The Possam are such pigs they eat tons of vegetation every night- literally and are killing NZ's beautiful greenery. Now all people and tourists are encouraged to run over them.

I have never seen so much road kill in all of my life. Literally every Kilometer has about 3 or 4 dead possum. It is really disgusting to see freshly hit ones. We finally got our first hit to Franz Joseph... but that is a fast forward. I have to say though it was really cool but almost gagged while it happened, you could feel the entire right side of the van lift a little.

Another cool bird NZ has is the Wood Parrot. It is green in color and it's feather look like the old rounded shingles you see in BK and LI. I think I can speak for my entire family in saying that the Scorsone / Sour's will be wood parrots in our next lives... actually, throw in the Muchnik boys, they would too... These birds eat berries... they eat so much that they actually have food that sticks out of it's mouth. It literally stuffs it's face silly. The berries ferment before it is digested so the birds pretty much get drunk. They are often seen falling out of trees and missing their landing on a tree branch. Eating so much it turns to wine... what a life!

I also met another great couple from Virginia / NC, Chelsea and Adam. They just got married out of Uni and decided to travel for while. I might see them again in Thailand. WE had a great laugh over the piano that was on the boat. There was an announcement made after dinner that it was there to be played and such. No one had, but as we were waiting to delaod the boat I noticed the sheat music they had on it- the soundtrack to Forrest Gump... too funny.

That morning we went to a portion of Doubtful Sound that was a dead end... so it was like an alcove in the Mountains. It was reflective water, so the mountains were just as spectacular mirrored itneh water as they were above. They turned off all of the moters and generators on the boat for dead silence. All of the birds were heard. We relaxed there for about 15 minutes in silence, just listening to nature and admiring the stunning water and vista. I wish I could start every morning like that. Every problem seems to go away, I was at peace.

Day 5- Camper Van

We had another night in Queenstown, though we were very tired and it was rainy. We walked around a bit and found a local crafts fair. There was some really nice jewelry and knit items. Too bad I am on a backpacker's budget... there was a lot I wanted. I did treat myself to a yellow bracelet which I know I will get a lot of use out of in Thailand.

That night we went out to dinner- the same Thai place mom and I went to. It felt nice to be in a warm restaurant with real linens! After dinner we went to the movies and saw 300. It was a lot of fun- I love a war movie or a movie with men in loin cloths!

Day 4- Camper Van

We drove from Te Anau to Queenstown. Not a very long drive, only about 3 hours. On the side of the road in a town called Garston, stood the most adorable church. It was white with red window shutters and stood between autumnal trees. There were mountains in the backdrop and fields around it. I had the girls stop so I could take a picture. We actually saw it on the way down and I couldn't stop talking about it. Something about it grabbed me and I had to capture it.

We set up shop at a campsite in Queenstown and chilled out for the day. This by far the nicest campsite we have stayed at- only the showers are $1 for 8 minutes! We met some other young campers, but their camper was so nice! It was definitely a camper... Winnebago style! It put shame to our van, but they invited us for a drink and we got the night started there.

We ended up going out to World Bar. It is a sister bar to the World Bar in Sydney- though that one is much better! We had some teapots and danced the night away. I called Matt, the nice guy mom and I met... but somehow we didn't end up meeting. it was great to go out as we hadn't had a fun night out in a while.

It was really interesting to stay at that camp site for one reason: you could see where mom and I had that crazy buffet that night. We were basically sleeping at the base of that mountain... I didn't realize how high up mom and I were. It was really cool to see it at night because the only thing visible were the lights on the restaurant.... so it seemed to be hanging in mid air.

Day 3- Camper Van

We made brekky and sat along lake wanaka with coffee and PB&J sandwiches. I cannot explain how beautiful and peaceful it was. That is until Celia decided to feed the ducks which then attacked us.

We spent some time at lake Hawea. What makes these lakes so incredible is their vastness- they are huge and are surrounded by mountains. Whether the mountains are covered in rain forest, or pine trees, or they might be rocky and at times tan colored as explained before, they are always massive and completely entrap the water. When the sun hits the water, everything seems to glow. NZ has more water than I ever imagined and yet I never get tired of seeing the lakes.

There was a sadness that we felt. It was funny that Celia commented on it and it was exactly what I was feeling. We saw such amazing natural parts of the earth, but knowing we might never see any of them again was somewhat sad. Don't get me wrong I feel very fortunate to have at least seen them with my bare eyes... but to be so moved by them and more than likely I wont have the opportunity to experience them again is a hard feeling. How do process all that you have seen in such a small amount of time and keep on going to see more?! You can never have too much time in a new place, eh, unless it stinks.

As we drove we saw more fall foliage. The leafs are really changing in color. Today we saw more reds, orange and golds. It reminded me of NMH and the drive up to Boston. Along the drive were steep mountains, right up next to the highway- which by the way is a two lane highway, being very curvy roads! There were falling rock signs, but unlike the states, their was no netting to catch the falling rocks. It was just a 'beware you can die' signs.

Along the highway was a little scenic turn off. It was a look out called Hardana Valley. It was a hill that looked out onto Frankton. We walked up the steep hill- the first bit of excersize any of us has seen in months! Sadly we were out of breath. Once we made it up, it was another spiritual moment for me. The pictures will have to show all that I saw. Everywhere you look in NZ you can't go wrong and the longer I am here the more breathtaking it seems to get, even if I look at the same thing.

We also passed lake Hayes and Wakatipu- which is massive! As I said before I can't get tired of spending time at lakes. One is more beautiful than the next.

We stopped in Queenstown for lunch. I love Queenstown- by far my favorite citry in NZ and maybe the only one I like. We went to the famous Fergburger. A little burger joint that every backpacker loves- they are massive burgers for not much money! It has nothing on Corner Bistro, but they were good! I had the Southern Swine- a burger with bacon and avocado!

We made it to our final destination for the evening- Te Anau. It seemed pretty cool with bars and restaurants, but we were pooped and called it an early night! Before heading to the camp site we went to see about tours to Darling Harbor. Well, there were none available for 3 days- and that was the whole point of leaving the cool Queenstown to and going to Te Anau... but I booked the overnight cruise for three days later and we decided to spend the night and head back to Queenstwon in the morning. We could have saved ourselves the three hour leg if we had just enquired abou the tour in Queenstown like we originally planned on doing- doh!

That night was PB sandwiches and more star gazing- the milky way was still visible!!!

Day 2 - Camper van

This was a much more action packed day. We set out driving at about 11- we really can't wake up earlier than 10 (which happens to be check out time at the parks and we always manage to check out late). We started our day at Plums Cafe. It was the most adorable spot for breakfast. I had a delicious- fresh out of the oven Berry muffin... yummy! That with a soy cappuccino- a great way to start the day. We also met a few people that gave us tips and must sees for our journey!

We drove to Lake Tekapo. There is a church on the hill top, along side the water with windows at the rear of the church; they had the most spectacular view of the mountains. The church was grey stone, standing alone. It was really sweet, serene and one of a kind. I would have loved to spend some time alone in it, with no other tourists or friends and just been able to admire the view and enjoy my surroundings... but oh well- I enjoyed my time in it just the same.

We drove into town and I went straight into the air safari office (one of the suggestions by a Plums patron). They didn't have any tours that actually land on a glacier- and I heard that that was spectacular. I next went to the helicopter office and they do offer that excursion- just not on that day... no such luck! We didn't have another day there so I booked the air safari.

Celia and Lottie opted against the plain ride for lack of funds but were darlings to wait for me to do it- there was no way I was missing an aerial view of Mt. Cook, Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, NZ alps and some lakes. As we were waiting to get on the 12 (about that) passenger plain, they asked if anyone wanted to sit up front. Who's hand shot up faster than any of those oldies could even process the question?! Yep, I once again scored the front seat!

We first went over the lake and flew toward the mountains. It was interesting to see the mountain terrain change. It went from sandy / desert looking, to rocky mountains, to snow capped, to straight up ice- glacial mountains. We went so close to the mountains that I was in complete bliss. You could see the cracks and crevices in the ice. You could see avalanches of snow coming down. We were so high that we were above the clouds and could only see the peaks of the mountains. As we were cruising around one of the glaciers, we hit turbulence...

I thought I was going to die. I didn't know what to do as we would plummet what felt like a few feet but was more likely alot more than that! I thought we were going to come crashing down on the ice. All the pilot said was 'sorry for the bumps'... negative on the comfort I was seeking! I just focused on taking pictures and forgetting a reality that could take place... I now have the most amazing photos! it really was all worth it.. what I saw is not visible from the ground and is probably not seen by 99% of the people in the entire world. Wow- but I must say I was glad to have done this tour and not one that actually lands on the glacier!

I was shaking for a few hours after this trip both for my life and what I had seen. We set out driving again, passing Lake Pukaki and Twizel. Twizel is a nothing town with 1 gas station and maybe a store- it was very strange. Along the way we drove through tan colored mountains and we were surrounded by more fields and farms. What was cool about this leg of the trip were the trees. We saw a lot of beautiful, rich green pine trees- but even more impressive were the trees that changed in color. I am not sure what type of tree they were, but much like New England foliage- NZ has such trees. They were the most beautiful gold color leafs. At one point they also looked like they were growing in the ground, like their trunks were in the ground and the top half were visible.

We made it to lake Wanaka and stayed at the Wanaka Holiday park. It was a cold night, so we got some red wine to help get us toasty. The town was cute, it had a main strip (one block long) with stores along side of it. I cooked dinner at the camp park, in the communal kitchen. We were wearing our ski suits, as I said it was cold! We got the funniest looks in the kitchen and no other camper would talk to us. We found it hilarious. Wait till you see the photos.

We drank our wine outside the van, in our fold up chairs, wearing our ski outfits and played old maid. Funny times!

A big mention to the sky that night... not as impressive as the sky in Fraser Island, however it was still unbelievable. We lucked out and got a clear night which displayed the majestic stars. We were able to see the milky way and tons of stars!

An amazing second day!

P.S.

Passion pop is a really cheap sparkling wine... I re-read my entry and well, it was strange, sounded like I might be hinting at something else... but nope. We just had a little bubbly and slept.

Day 1- camper van

Day 1 we set out on the road with Lottie driving... we passed a lot of rolling hills and greenery. it reminded me a lot of Virginia with the vast farmland. I have never seen so many sheep in my life. They really are cute, but it is just crazy seeing thousands of them in a field.
Another oddity for me is Deer breeding. I am used to seeing deer in the wild, not hundreds of them together in a gated field. We also saw a lot of cows.... they don't look like US cows, size and shape wise they do... but color wise they are different. They have all black ones, all white ones, all brown ones... and black ones with a white stripe down the middle. They almost look fake because I am not used to seeing them like that.
We also passed the Pukaia gorge... it was the most beautiful color blue, flowing water amidst bright green plants and big rocks.
On $84 worth of gas we made it to Geraldine were we called it a night in a camp sight. We shared a bottle of passion pop and some giggles and called it an early night. We slept width wise in the van which was not a good idea. We couldn't stretch our legs out... first night sleep was one of the worst I have ever had in my life.

Christchurch

We had to head to Christchurch to pick up our camper van!!!! We flew there from Auckland.

Our hostel was interesting to say the very least. We were housed in a 38 person dorm and had a cubby whole with three beds in it. The room was split in cubicles. It was so odd.

We found the most adorable cafe- it was called Swiss cafe. The nicest man owned and operated the one man show. The food was heavenly; the best scrambled eggs I have ever had. You could taste the butter and milk he used in it! In NZ they also serve American Bacon and not the Aussie ham version they try to pass off as bacon- it's just different!

I also have to mention that we got delivery one night. I ordered a paste with some sort of tomato based sauce. An hour later the food finally arrived to starving bellies! They got my order wrong and sent over a cream sauce to this lactarded girl! I was too hungry to care, after a minor hissy fit of course, and I ate it. This brings me to the question: am I big liar?! I had no reaction, much like after eating the ice cream in Argentina, and the eggs at the Swiss Cafe... nothing. Am I really lactose intolerant? I am still too scared to test it... but maybe it is just in the US?! That is reason enough to move! bring on the cheese... got to love the fat man's candy!

We also had a great meal at an Indian restaurant. It was some of the best I have had- cooked in 1500 year old clay pots- or something like that. Yes Ben, i am not sure I believe it either!

Before picking up our camper van we realized we would have no heat for the next few weeks for bed time... and we were heading further south! Yikes! We went to the second hand shop and picked up some of the tackiest ski suits you ever would see! I went for a one piece- black with a red stripe. I look like a big poof ball in it. I of course had to get a matching knit hat that decoratively has a Bourbon brand patch on it! Celia went for a purple number with flowers on it and a Firestone racing jacket. Lottie, being our driver, went for purple cankle giving bottoms and a BMW dark purple pull over. Pictures to come, I promise! No heat, but warmth!!!!

We picked up our van. It is spray painted all hippy camper van like. I must say we got the best of the lot. Our has some cool flowers on it. The other choices were either a tacky Maori art one or a Bob Marley one- and there was no way I was driving in that thing, I had to draw the line somewhere!

Bay of Islands

What fun!

We loaded onto the bus very early in the morning... the Kiwi experience. We stopped at a little brekky spot for a half an hour- not long when 50 people need to order, get food and load back on the bus. We were towards the back of the bus so many people loaded in and cued up ahead of us. It is kind of Cafeteria style and you can also order at the register. Everyone was just staring up at the board.... so my NY efficiency impatience?! ) set in. We knew what we wanted so I walked up to the register and ordered our toasties. The woman seemed more than happy to get the orders started! Well, I don't think I impressed the rest of our bus as we got some majorly dirty looks. We were not off to a good start.

We got to our hostel, pipi patch. We had booked an excursion for the day- the EXCITOR- think the beast in NY but only better! We had to put on these ridiculous rain suits... but we were so cold, we were more than happy to! We loaded onto the boat and sat in the front- we had to wear seat belts. They promised for a jolty ride over the waves. Apparently some people have broken their hip on this thing. There was no way I was not sitting int he front though!

The boat ride was in the ocean and it was a rainy day... it was hailing actually, so the waves were massive! It was so much fun, we caught so much air! The girls and I had our arms raised high the entire time, but the rest of the passengers were a little poopy. The scenery was just incredible. Mountains all around us, and arctic chill colored water. At one point they stopped the boat... this to me was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

About 15 dolphin were swimming next to us. I can't remember what type they were, but they are the largest and most playful in the Dolphin family. They were jumping up and doing flips. One must have jumped 10 feet out of the water and twirled in the air. It was unbelievable. Here they were in the wild, putting on a show for us- Sea World has nothing on this act!

The boat went incredible fast at 40 knots. We had a casualty- my glasses. Unfortunately it was not my sunnies- but my seeing glasses. This free trip just cost me upwards of 500 bucks! I have to say though, after seeing the dolphins.. I didn't care in the slightest.

After the boat ride we couldn't feel our toes! It was so cold!!! The girls and I had a nice dip in the hostels hot tub! It seriously took about 10 minutes to even feel the tingling sensation in my toes... it took them that long to even start defrosting!

That night we went to the bbq that the hostel put on. We walked in and people were already seated together, we were still feeling out casted from the mornings experience. We 'got in' with what seemed like a cool crowd... and they were. We spent the next two days with the most fun group: Steve and Jaime (he was in Harry Potter) from England; Jason from England- does the worst Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, but nothing funnier; Amy and Milly from England (yes, again) and Dave from Scotland.

We all went out that night- danced a lot and won a bunch of prizes that we never used. I won a 2 for 1 paragliding trip (couldn't take because of the weather)for doing 5 push ups in front of everyone! The night was incredible... smiles, laughs and lots of dancing all around. It was cool getting to know them- Steve was teaching me a lot about English rock music; we hit it off really well. Celia, Steve and I outlasted everyone and ended up at a club (mind you this town is tiny) called the Lighthouse. It was definitely a local hang out... it reminded me of Dusk till Dawn.. I kept on expecting something weird to happen.

The next day the girls and I were signed up for horse back riding. The rest of the gang took a day trip to the very top of the island to the Sand Dunes. They went surfing down them- they all seemed less then trilled when they got back. The weather was not on their side and neither were their hangovers!

The girls and I went to brekky before our pick up. Can we guess what happened? yep, we missed our pick up. Yet another mis-hap! We had to pay $10 each to reschedule for the afternoon. It actually worked out to our advantage- we got a private ride and much better weather! I expected More out of the ride. It wasn't the prettiest environment- or I just expected more. However what I enjoyed most was the serenity and just being able to not talk for a while and enjoy nature silently... I was able to absorb my surroundings much better that way.

In the afternoon we hit the hot tub again. Milly and Amy joined upon their return as well. As I was getting out of the little luxury tub, I cut my foot on a rusty nail! Fast forward to a few days later- I got a nasty infection, had to go to the doctor and I am now on 9 days of antibiotics. The free trip just cost me another hundred bucks.

Night two of Bay of Islands was just as fun as the first- even more so. We snuck goone into our room and held a pre-party. This is where Jason debut his Arny impression. I have never laughed so hard in my life. This time the whole gang made it out to the Lighthouse. We were pretty much the only ones dancing, but we were lively enough for the entire place! Great fun...

We headed back to Queens town the next day- after the best nap of my life.

Quick mention- a shout out if I may- to the cute cafe next to the hostel. We ate most of our meals there... they had the best fish and fried banana burger ever... their chickpea burger was top notch as well!

Bay of Islands rocked. Though cost me a fortune!

Auckland

A little insight to the city. I hate it. It has nothing to offer- no culture, no beauty, nothing. I have not hated a city more. A few days before I got to the girls, they were walking home from a bar and some huge dudes came at them out of a van. They picked a fight with the guys and were about to go for little Celia when sweet Michael stepped in. They punched him and he hit the ground with his head massively hitting it hard- to the point that the entire street stopped in awe. The guys fled off and nothing could really be done. Thankfully Mike was only unconscious for a couple of minutes, but it must have been very scary. I am sure this could have happened anywhere- just a wrong place at the wrong time scenario... but this made me hate Auckland even more.

I was glad to have won the trip because it got us out of there. The night before we left, we had a big night out. We met some guys in our room, Mike (a different one), Duncan and Will... we all went out together. We went to Globe bar, not worth anymore words than that. We did however stop at the White Lady before going to bed... yummy! It is an old street trolley converted into a walk up burger joint. I had a toastie... good stuff!

We overslept in the morning and missed our bus to the Bay of Islands. It was a mis-communication with the boys and what time they were waking up. I have never been more disappointed with myself and in the foulest of moods. I ran down stairs like a mad lady, PJ's and all- trying to catch the bus and stall it. It was still there but as I booked it upstairs to get the girls, I realized I didn't have my key to even get into the hallway. The three of us had to re-check into the hostel and frowns were going all around! The girls went back to sleep, but I couldn't.

I calmed myself down and remembered that everything happens for a reason. After this trip- numerous examples- I whole heartily believe this. I went to the travel agent and realized it was no big deal that we missed the bus. I rescheduled everything for the next day. I however was determined to salvage the day and the image that I had for Auckland. I really wanted to find some charm and appreciate any aspect of it. I asked numerous people that live there- what we could do to achieve that. And there was not one idea thrown out. They all could not offer anything to do to appreciate Auckland. I once again gave up on Auckland.

Instead we decided to cook a big dinner. Sweet Michael and I were the head chef's. We made a big roast dinner. Lamb with roasted potatoes and red onion, gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, parsnips, garlic bread, Yorkshire puddings (like Pillsbury dough pop can biscuits- kind of, but best similarity I can come up with). It was an incredible meal! After the last nights disaster, we called it an early night in the TV room.

We made it to the bus the next morning!

base backpackers

Mom left and I was now with the ladies. They had made friends in the hostel, so I once again had a nice network. That evening we went to the hostel's bar for quiz night. We were on a team with an abosulute sweetheart named Michael, Al and his girlfriend, Russ the other American (very competitive), and some other girls. By the way quiz nights at bars are very big in these areas...never heard of one before Oz!

It was a fun night... we won! We won a $100 beer tab... and for 10 team mates that was a pitcher (or jug) of beer each. Harry (girl) also won the raffle mid-quiz, which was a $50 bar tab. She graciously shared. At the end of the quiz- wait quick interruption, one of the questions was what do all the continents names have in common? We guessed they all end in a vowel. Well, the answer was they all end and start with the same Vowel. ie. EuropE, AustraliA... but goth Russ and I argues that was hugely incorrect. North americA and South americA don't! Everyone in the bar argues that it was just the America's... but really, talk about ignorance... there aren't 6 continents.. there are 7! We got the question thrown out!

Back to the games end, after winning both beer tabs... there was now a drinking game contest- heads or tails. It is very simple: the person running the game flips a coin each round. The players have to guess either heads or tails by touching another team player on their heads or butt. I guessed tails each time... and WON!!! I entered at the last minute and had no idea what I was playing for- I thought it was another beer tab which I would have been very happy with. Nope, it was for a free trip to the Bay of Islands!!!!

The next day the girls and I signed up to go on a three day, two night Bay of Islands trip. We were to go the following day.

Rotarua

Please say it with rolling R's as everyone here does. Mom and I went here next after one more night in Auckland. Once again we were booked on a tour with fat American couples and Japanese families... random, just random. We were waiting for our bus on our sketchy street of Auckland (more to come about that), when a cracked out Maori couple were just feet away, sitting on a bench. They started yelling at tourists- a lot to handle at 8 in the morning!

We made it on to our bus with again another chatty bus driver that talks the entire time. Please note I have become a pro at tuning them out. I put my alice band headband (cotton headband) over my eyes with my bright purple pillow perfectly placed around my neck... I slouch down and pass out! I think mom read like 6 books during all of our bus journey's... me, I sleep! I think I needed to catch up on all the lost sleep from Oz!

Well, I did not get to sleep too much. This was yet again a jam packed day. I think mom and I were a little over stimulated at this point with all that we had seen... but we were enjoying each other's company... and how often do we get to travel NZ?!

One of our first stops was the glow worm caves. We had no idea what to expect or what they even were. An educational sign was displayed outside the center. We read all about the worms and the larva- how they turn into flies... yuck! What the heck were we going to see?! We thought this might be another mis-adventure of ours... but to our surprise it was really cool! The caves looked like cement drippings... big droops that formed arch ways and gloppy solid columns. They were all natural occurrences from water that had once flowed through there- it was limestone that now formed these caves. We still were confused by the glow worms... where were they? What were they? We walked with the guide to the end where it got very dark and we were to load onto a huge row boat. He explained that these worms hang from the ceiling and have no poop shoots... the food gets broken down and forms at the end of the worms... and that my friends is what glows! We looked up and saw a few... but once we were loaded in the boat we saw thousands! I wish my poop glowed...

We also saw geysers this day. Smelly, blow holes from the earth and stinky colored pools of water. If you have never seen one, head to Yellowstone Park, I think they are more impressive there. The Geo-thermal park was very cool though and we had the best Maori woman guide. She was very graceful in her mannerisms and once again mom and I impressed a tour guide with our enthusiastic questions. She showed us the carving school they have there. In Maori tradition, still practiced today, it is the men that do the carvings which serves both as art and tells a story. At first this struck me as sexist, but it is their culture and the explanation- which other than the women can't drag the tree out of the forest to make them- I can't really remember. We also saw the weaving school- yes, yes, for the women.

I can't remember where- I think it was the trout farm... I wont even bother it was so lame... where we saw a life sized statue of a once present bird in NZ. Again, I can't remember it's name but it is in the Emu family- not the friendliest of birds! It stands at over 6 feet tall! The things were massive. They are now extinct, as they served as the Maori's protein meals when they first settled in NZ. I believe it was said that NZ had no mammals inhabiting it when humans first reached here. They also have nothing poisonous (or so we were told, apparently there is one spider which is deadly)... but other than that, no snakes or scary animals! They do however have tons of sheep... 5:1 ratio on sheep to New Zealanders! After driving through most of NZ, I would have guessed 10:1!

We stayed in the nicest hotel in Rotarua. We were signed up for a traditional Maori feast and cultural play... we knew we were in for a doozy! It happened that it was in the conference room of our hotel and the food turned out to be a buffet (grrr). We were seated with a Japanese couple with their adorable 2 year old daughter that was scared of the performance (don't blame her!). An Australian family was also seated with us. It was the nanna (young in her 50's I would say), her husband, the woman's daughter (in her 30's), and the granddaughter at age 12. At first they seemed lovely and the nanna seemed to have a lot of class. But as the night progressed the dynamic between all of them became apparent and the conversation just geared toward the inappropriate side at times. I will move on to the Maori hokey show...

Obviously they were in traditional clothing with face paint and all... a lot of chanting songs and arm waving dances. I don't mean to poke fun at their culture, but they make funny faces to put it simply. To scare off other tribes, they widen their eyes and stick their tongues out and make it move like a sleazy construction worker or gypsy cab driver. This was done to scare off the other tribes. It just looks ridiculous. Mom and I had to hold back laughter as we really did not want to offend their culture. We had a few cocktails with this dinner it was needed!

All I will say about the family is the little girl made insinuating jokes that the Maori men took a liking to me and then simulated their tongue action. She is 12. Mom and I left right after the performance.

The food... the meat was cooked underground from the earths steam... the smelly blow hole stuff. I am sure you can imagine how not good it tasted! It was bland and stunk like egg.

The next day mom and I were to do another tour. The man got there and it turned out we were the only ones on the tour... it was us and the tour guide, in his van with his 3 year old son. What?! We didn't mind, the kid was cute, but it once again was odd. The man for starters had crazy eyes... where do we look?! He was actually very interesting and insightful on the Maori culture, but a little instense. In the present day they are much like the US's Native Americans minus the Casino's. The culture is dying with the older generations as younger one's assimilate into the more prominent lifestyle. It was apparent this saddened him, understandably. But he and others are doing a lot to help their people and spread more education about the Maori culture. He did however talk far too much, poor mom got stuck talking to him for a couple of hours as I took a snooze.

Mom and I saw some more geyser's, some beautiful gorge's, and a lot more... I just can't remember. We did so much it all blends together. This was Easter day and a really amazing way to spend it. We headed back to Auckland for an evening arrival. We met up with my friend's Celia and Lottie that I had met in Bondi beach. We had a lovely dinner and headed to the hostel where I would spend the following two nights. We introduced mom to her first glass of goone, out of a mug! She couldn't even finish it. but we did get her very giggly- especially trying to pronounce Aluminium (the English spelling and way of saying Aluminum).

It was my last night in a hotel and my last night with mom. We did so much, but it went by so quickly, that I can't believe it came and went. It was harder saying good bye to mom this time round then it was when I first left NY. It was an unbelievable 10 days together.

I miss you mom... thanks for the memories... glad you treated yourself for once!!! Wish you could be here still... miss you tons! You are the best.

St Leger

I saw a street called St Leger... made me think of one of my favorite families, the Legers!!! Love you guys...

More Queenstown and Milford Sound

We had two more nights in Queenstown. The day we got back from Fox we decided to have a nice dinner together- a couple (yes they were above 70, we should have known) suggested we take the gondola up the mountain to the scenic restaurant for a sunset dinner. It sounded amazing! yummy dinner, on top of a mountain and a sunset, in NZ... I mean really, sounds like a once in a lifetime experience!
we got on line for the gondola and realized we were the only people below 70 and that it was a buffet dinner... errrr, I hate buffet's... food that is produced for the thousands that sits out for far too long to dry out from already being overly bland because it was made with no love. Once again, I hate buffets... but what instinct do we listen to?! The once in a lifetime or the surrounding factors?
We took a walk to the neighboring cemetery (hmmm, see above discription of our company!). It was actually really interesting. Some of the graves were from the 1800's and were a mix of religions.
Mom and I decided to go for it... we took the gondola up there... and keep in mind it was a first gondola trip for mom! All I will say is that they had the most incredible steamed salmon I have ever had. It was moist and fresh and a big surprise... though the rest of the food... bad, just bad.
There is a notable mention for the dessert tray though. New Zealand's famous Kiwi Pavlova. It is marshmallowee yumminess...
Oh and as for the sunset... ummmm... all the mountains cover it, it's the sunrise that would be spectacular... fooling tourists happens to be a worldly occurrence. They got us... BUT... we had a lot of fun... it was worth it for all of the laughs and silliness mom and I shared!

We went to Milford Sound the next day... wow! It is a #2 on my list if I have to categorize (that will be a blog to come) all of the natural sights I have seen during my travels. We took a boat ride through them. Apparently it rains 80% of the time and we lucked out with the most beautiful day. The sun was shining and reflecting off the water- it made the trees on the mountains a spectacular vibrant green color. We were surrounded by the steepest mountains I have ever seen.. and they were so close in proximity. It reminded me a lot of Whitsunday's in Aussie (if It hadn't rained the whole time I was there)... but even more impressive. As I said before it is the scale to which NZ is comprised of... small Islands jam packed with massive mountains and tons of water... too hard to explain... a must see for all.

That night mom and I were back in Queenstown... we went to an opal store and saw a 40 thousand dollar opal... wow.

Another funny moment for us... we went for Chinese for dinner and there was this German in his early twenties eating with some girls. And his accent was hilarious... two funny quotes... "I prefer this one; I take it" (all Arnie like) and a new classic... "I am the Arnold Schwartzenager type of guy. Not in body, but in speak." Mom and I burst out laughing... we just couldn't help it!

Queenstown and more

As I said mom and I signed up for a jam packed 8 days... but I think it was even more than we expected! Firstly I have to comment on the tours we were put into... a bunch of old fogies (mostly fat Americans) and Japanese families. We were not the right fit at all!
We stayed in a place called Earnslaw Lodge... it seemed nice at first with lake views (unlike anything you have ever seen... beyond beautiful)... it turned out to be almost like a B and B... for the exact reason why I hate them... nosy, pushy owners... we couldn't get away from them!
I have to interrupt my entry to write about the flight in. I forgot to mention how breathtaking it was. We flew into mountains... and when I say flew into.. I couldn't be more literal... it seemed like I could reach out of the plain and touch them. I have never experienced a flight like that before.
I love Queenstown... it is really cute and looks like a Vail, Colorado type of ski town. The only thing that kills it is the chain fast food joints... though as much as we complained about seeing them... every time mom and I got a whiff of KFC we couldn't help but crave it!

The next day we went to Fox glacier. It was a bit of a let down, I can't lie. It was nothing compared to the Glaciers in Argentina. We did a two hour walk there... what was so amazing about it though, was that the glacier was in between massive mountains. We also had a great tour guide that really appreciated all the questions mom and I asked. We got to try some of the glacier too... yummy ice! The glacier was tall and we got pretty close to it, but it wasn't as pretty as Argentina because they are covered in dirt. Now I know it is natural earth... but dirt is dirt and just doesn't look pretty!

What did look pretty was the drive up to Fox. It was a full days drive... with the most annoying bus driver ever.. he just wouldn't keep quite! In all of the brochures and tourist info we read, it said to get bug spray for all of the brush flies. I bought some in one of the rest stops we made and the driver made fun of me! I spent a pocket breaking $13 on it (remember I am a backpacker now) and didn't appreciate him patronizing me! Well... it didn't stop there... he teased me in front of the entire bus multiple times... even the next day! I will admit, it turns out we didn't need it after all and I sent it home with mom, but boy did he get under my skin! I think mom had many laughs off of it though... so did I.
Well, this bus driver went on and on about the lunch spot at a Salmon farm... we walked into see three pools of muddy looking water where they farmed them. Mom and I were not impressed but were very hungry! That tubby driver doesn't know good food like I don't know anything about bug spray!
Along the drive we saw a stream that was filmed in Lord of the Rings... do we believe the tubby man? I have a feeling every stream tourists pass or every mountain they claim it to fame... but what the heck, I believe it... it was that beautiful! This guy named Matt that mom and I befriended a few days later made a great point... when you see Lord of the Rings you think a lot of the scenery is digitally enhanced, but going to the south island of NZ make you realize it wasn't... it IS that beautiful... I have seen other parts of nature in other parts of the world like it... but not the vastness and compactness of it all that the South Island has. It makes it so much more impressive.
We also saw a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the rain forest as we got closer to Fox. Mom and I saw the most amazing spider web... sounds wacky, I know- but it was. It most have just rained as the spider web was all dewy. It had water drops all along the web. The way the sun light now hit the web, showed little rainbows in the drops of water. The web was completely iridescent... I have never seen anything like it. It made mom and I late for the bus... once again, as we were always the last ones on.

We had a great dinner together. I had the most delicious lamb ribs ever... they were tiny and tender. It was such a treat from what I have gotten used to eating!

The next day we were headed back to Queenstown. We stopped at Hawea lake- wow! It was a reflective lake. Wait till you all see the pictures. I think it is one of my favorite things I have seen in NZ so far. They call it a mirror lake... there are snow capped mountains behind it and they perfectly reflect in the lake. I have to go back it was incredible. We also hit the halfway point of being in between the equator and the South Pole. I thought that was pretty cool.

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland was my next stop... to go meet up with mom! Mom decided to come visit me along my travels and this is where she found me... though a few bumps in the road before then!
Mom, being the best mom ever... booked us into a four star hotel. She was supposed to get there before me... but it turns out her flight got delayed and she missed her connecting flight in LA. It sounds like she met some interesting people though- a diamond dealer, an Auckland native, and a hopeless romantic going to meet his love.
Mom finally got to the hotel as I was taking a much needed nap, after all it was the day after V-fest! American Airlines, my least favorite airline (you will recall that tid bit from a previous post) lost her luggage... with my AVEDA products... after backpacking for so long even face wash seems like a great luxury!
We had wonderful dinner together at Thai Chili... very yummy, and it was great to catch up. We were both pooped and hit the bed pretty early.
The next day we realized Auckland was a dump!!! Seriously nothing redeeming about this city as you will later read. It is dirty, big buildings (stop thinking NY)... there are no charming neighborhoods or eateries and the shopping just stinks! The restaurants are either fast food or expensive places, even if the food is mediocre. There is no in between... it's really interesting, Australia was somewhat like that too.
Mom and I went to the travel agent and we booked our lives away for the next 8 days... we had to be out of the hotel, packed, in a cab to the airport by the hours end... we were determined not to spend a minute more than we had to in Auckland!
We were off to Queenstown...

My last day in Sydney :(

It was a hard concept to grasp that I would be leaving Sydney. On some level I was ready to go and explore more of the world... but it was very difficult to do so. I had met so many great people there and Indy's really became my home- there was a lot of comfort there... though if you saw the place you would definitely wonder how... but it was the people- no doubt.
Anyhow... I really shouldn't have a sad face up in the title of this blog. I had an amazing last day. We went to V Fest... a music festival put on my Virgin.
My boys Jay, Snickers, Mike, Marty, Chris and Will came as well as my girl Kat. It was an unbelievable day... full of sunshine, massive crowds, Jager bombs (too many) and great music. I am quite impressed with how many acts we got to see. There were three stages, we only made it to two... but we saw all the bands we originally planned to and some more!
The day started in the V tent... listening to some beats and warming up with some beer. We were all together and loving being in the moment. It was a red tent with cool lights and blow up chairs. There were well dressed hipster-esque locals and little tweens bopping about. It was an interesting mix- but none the less a great DJ was on.
I should say the day first started at the Jager tent... two bombs each to start... then the tent.
Before the first band that we wanted to see came on, another bomb, then it was time for Phoenix- a french band... check them out really great!
Next was a surprise act... have never heard of them... Nouvelle Vague... AWESOME! I think they might be one of my fave acts of the day... two lead female singers... and one played the Kazoo... how can you not love that?!
We next saw NY Dolls... a lot of fun... there were some die hard fans and it was really cool to see them get into it... it made it all the better.
Gnarls Barkley- very commercial... but WOW... amazing performer... the violinists were amazing and made me think of Karen... a huge crowd was around for him... and the energy was amazing and built up for the next act on this stage...
Before that we hit up a few songs from Jarvis Cocker... but this was inline at the Jager tent again. It was cool to hear some of his act.
Groove Armada... soooooo much fun... probably the most energetic time for us of the day... sadly this is where most of us split up.. but it was so hard for all of us to stick together... and I am impressed we did so for that long! Snickers, Kat, Will and I ended up spending the rest of the evening together. But I must say this act kicked ass!
Again on line at the Jager tent... we caught some of Beck...
Next was about a half hour of the Pet Shop Boys... So much fun! Incredible performance... I really must say.
And the highlight of the night... The Pixies... all I can say is awesome.
At the end of the night it was chaos getting out. We were cold... on a sugar low from all of the red bull and lack of eating (oops, we forgot to eat ALL DAY)... we felt like we were coming down from drugs... it was awful... we ended up having to walk in the cold rain to find food then a cab. It did suit my mood at that point though... I had one of the best days of my life in Sydney... where I had some of the most incredible 8 weeks of my life... and it was coming to and end in a few hours...
I will never forget my time in Sydney...

Melbourne...

I went to Melbourne for the weekend, before taking off for NZ. It was actually the wekeend before my last. I had to see Craig before I left and needed to visit what could quite possibly be my second favorite city in the world- Melbourne.
We hit the same great bars as we did my first trip there... but it is always an interesting experience in that crazy house hold. Drama all around...
Craig had some girl leaving very nasty text messages to him... but I must say she is the fastest texter I have ever seen in my life. For being crazy, it was very impressive. Craig definitely attracts drama in his life and on some level, or every level, loves it. I love that after offending the girl and telling her not to text him ever again, he too complimented her on her fast texting skills... priceless.
There is more to Craig's drama with another girl... but you get the point.
Craig is not the only one with drama in that house hold... remember his roommate Ciaran?! Well for fear of my own life I don't want to get into it too much... his ex girlfriend is crazy! We were all hanging out and had multiple run ins with her... she is stalking him! it boarder lined- not funny! Crazy emails and texts were sent by her to both Ciaran and Craig... she showed up at brunch randomly and then later at home. She offended his new girlfriend Kamaka.. who is sweet as could be.
It was certianly an entertaining weekend at both Craig and Ciaran's expense... I love being sane.
We did manage to have a lovely dinner, Bec's, Tom, Ciaran and Kamaka, Craig and I. I also had a nice afternoon beer at this great bar... I think it was called Cookie. If you are ever in Melbourne check it out... it is a perfect afternoon, mid-shopping stop... Dave, Craig and I had some beers there... they have a massive selection.
All too much fun.

Neighborhoods

As I previously said, my job allowed me more time in Sydney- which meant more time to explore! I am proud to say that I went to almost every neighborhood of Sydney. Here are some reviews:

Surry hills- love it. Kind of like Williamsburg but not quite as much going on. They have an amazing restaurant there called Longrain (I think)... They have cute bars and really yummy local eateries.

Paddington- Mainly Oxford Street which has the only good shopping (almost)in Sydney. All really nice boutiques line the street as do posh couples spending a Saturday afternoon together. Definitely worth checking out. Reminds me of West broadway in Soho.

Newtown- the other good shopping area. It also has really great Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.

Manly- You have to take a ferry from Circular Quay to get there... but sooooo worth it. It has a really nice beach and great restaurants (is that all I talk about?!)... I spent a great day there with Martina, Phil and Alaska. We had a blast at the 99 cent store, yes they are not only in NY! We tried on the goofiest sunglasses and almost got kicked out!

Bondi Junction or as I nick named it "The Junk"... it truly was the Junk... just an area with a big shopping mall... it doesn't need to exist. Though I did get a great waxing there and a much needed shopping day on my own. Lizzy had one of those days as well and brought me and Sophie back these massive cupcakes... mmmmm.

Kings Cross- I think I already touched on the Cross. Got to love the red light district. I had a fun night with Big Steve and Snickers... we went A-wall from this club we all went to... we didn't like it. We ended up at Sports Bar and hung out with the strangest characters... the Gaff is also located in the Cross... a massive bar we went to a lot with a lot of dark corners!

Darling Harbor- Clearly along the harbor... this houses one of my favorite places, the Aquarium... even though the Sydney Aquarium is not in my top 3... I went again and liked it more! I think I was a little harsh the first time (still not in my top 3 though! )... Matty, Brad, Lizzy, Sophie and I had a nice afternoon there. Still no giant octopus though. Darling Harbor also has a lot of nicer bars that we went to in my earlier days in Sydney.... quite expensive though so we stopped that after a few weeks!

Sydney Center... very corporate and infested with shopping malls and mass produced fashion... other than me working there we can get rid of this too.

Coogee. A nice beach area, very touristy and more family oriented.

Bondi Beach... my home. Where you can walk around barefoot, have bbq's on the beach, dine outside or take pictures with the local kukoo that lives on the cliffs at the beach. I love Bondi.

My job

I am not sure if I ever mentioned how I got my job and what exactly I was doing.
Well, one of my biggest supporters of this trip is Ben, Amber's husband. He lived in Sydney for a bit and gave me some contacts here to help me get settled in- Ali and Ian.
When I first arrived in Sydney I gave them a bell and met with them for lunch. They showed me their business, which is an outside marketing company. Through that they had access to PVC billboards and decided to make handbags out of them. There are a few other companies out there that do this... but none have really taken the market. I saw the bags and liked the concept... but off I was to go travel up the coast.
In Byron Bay, my first day there and not knowing anyone... I found myself with a lot of thinking time. There was something about the bags and that project that intrigued me and made me come up with a lot of ideas. With out having asked for it, I sent Ian and Ali a very long email, as they later teased me about, detailing what I thought needed to be done and lots of other ideas. I had no idea what type of response I would get... "Mind your own business"; "What the hell do you know about design?!"; "Thanks but no thanks"... to my surprise it was much different.
I ended up working for them for 6 weeks.. designing and developing 6 bags for them to launch with. It was a really interesting project and allowed me to experience a lot of Sydney.
I never expected to have an opportunity like this during my travels... before I left NY I said that I would be open to anything that came my way... and I think this is a perfect example of achieving this goal I set for myself.
They have just asked me go to China to oversee production of the bags... yet another twist in this adventure of mine!

Harbor Cruise

I was set to leave on Sunday but had a big weekend planned before my departure. A crew of us went on a harbor cruise- dinner and open bar. I expected a similar experience to Amber's bachelorette party... but was suprised at the much lower, budget version we went on this time.
It was myself, Mike, Marty, Will, Kat, Kezza (Kerrie), Claire and the new girl from Canada who's name has totally escaped me. A great group.
The dinner was buffet and we all know how much I hate them... but it did the trick and on to the open bar. Well, it was free beer or wine... and the wine was Goone, disguised!!!! They tried to pass off the boxed delight into pitchers... but I saw the metallic bags in the trash! Luckily my smile got me free Smirnoff Ice all night from the porter and one of the bartenders... woohoo!
The cruise was really pretty... passing the bridge and the Sydney opera house definitely made it worth it. It was a nice way to end my time in Sydney. We also saw Luna Park in the backround all lit up. For those of you that don't know, Luna Park was created by the same guy that made Coney Island. There is one in Sydney, one in Melbourne and of course the famous one in Coney Island, BK, NY.

The Swiss Grand

I had enough of the hostel and needed a break as did Lizzy and Sophie... we booked oursleves into the Swiss Grand for one night... had room service and ate it in our bras.... lounged around and gave ourselves special hair treatments... a much needed and cleansing day... we just needed a night to get rid of the little buggers that creeped and crawled about the hostel! Will never forget this wash away of a day!

St Paddy's Day

I also had the good fortune to be in Sydney for the great Irish day! Everyone at Indy's was psyched for the day long beer fest... We started the morning in the backyard getting the plan together. While doing so, we had a new arrival- Kat from Scotland. She, Amy, Kezza and I went for a very filling brekky at my fave spot to make sure we had enough grub in our bellies for the beer to come. For my last two weeks at Indy's these were my 'girls'... having many adventures together... also all member of room #5.

Richard, the temperamental owner was cleaning out the fridge and decided to throw a rotting cucumber at me... hitting me at my biggest target... slimy and gross to say the very least... but he gave me a beer for it... and after all cucumbers are green and it got me a beer... so in a very strange way it was fitting to the day!

Claire and Ricky are a darling English couple living in Bondi just doors down from Indy's... their balcony faces our garden. They are Indy's vets, actually having gotten out and getting a flat... once again, very good friends that I miss dearly. We went to their house... the Kiwi sisters, Maxine from Canada, Kezza, Amy, Snickers, Matty (I miss that boy!) and Jaime... had some beers and left overs and headed over to Beach Road hotel. Lots of Buck Hunter was played (I kicked ass!) and the longest game of pool between Kat and I... where we almost got into a fight with an oldy local because he felt like we should just give up...

We met up with Daz, Danny, The Irish lads- Stephen and Bob, and the sweetest irish girls who's names have completely escaped me... we were a good crew and all headed into King's Cross... the Gaff. Kezza, Daz, Danny, Stephen, Bob and I left shortly after getting there and headed to a club to hear some beats. It was a very late night that seemed to roll away...

The club was okay. The music was great... but the place was pretty small and they didn't have any lights to accompany the music, which I happen to like... it was no Twilo... but it did make me think of my dear Kara and Greg who are living in San Diego... miss you guys!!!

When we left... there was a massive fight outside. Apparently the fight had travelled down some blocks with the ambulance following the massive crowd that accompanied the fight...we saw someone head get smashed into the sidewalk... second time in my life I have seen that... and hopefully the last! We booked it out of there into the first cabs that we saw! Kings Cross is the kind of red light district of Sydney... not dangerous by any NY standard... but seedy, filled with sex shops and strip joints. It is notorious for being more rowdy.

Never had a bad St. Paddy's day yet... and it was the 10th anniversary of a very monumental day for me...

Mardi Gras

I had the pleasure of being in Sydney for the big Mardi Gras celebration! There was a huge parade on Oxford Street... traditionally a gay run celebration, is now enjoyed by the entire city. Huge floats and costumes danced the streets. I was at a roof top party, which I brought Lizzie and Sophie to... the guys from my work brought me. We had a nice areal view and got to avoid the chaotic streets... though it did look like great fun!

After the party I went out with Harry, who I worked with- a native to Sydney, his girlfriend and their friends. It was the first time I was hanging out with real Sydney folk, going to real Sydney bars- I have to admit it felt nice to feel normal and not like a backpacker- though I did miss my friends that day! We went to Good bar... awesome spot and an after hours place... no clue where... but the bars were what I am used to- very similar to the spots in Melbourne that I love and places from home- the burg. I met one of the guys that kind of runs the place... and his model girlfriend... we hung out a bit... and I embarrassingly saw them at my brekky spot the next day... and yup, I was still wearing my dress... oops!

Obvo the day made me think of P and Brent... and the mermaid parade... wish you could have all been there!

Some random info...

Schooners... a half pint. That is how most beer is sold. I guess so you can drink it before it's gets warm. Most brits and irish found them to be very annoying.

Vegimite... the most disgusting spread for bread i have ever tride- aside from Marmite or something like that... it is thick and dark in color and just gross... it is like the brit and Aussie Peanute butter... but it just can't compare!

At Subway (dear Jared's, Jenny Craig) they don't have chips (crisps). You can't get a 6" meal with them... only a cookie... now how is Jared supposed to maintain his weight with that?!

Foster's beer- it's gross, a different formula than the States and no one drinks it here.

Toilets... firstly when askign where the restroom is, one jsut asks where the toilet is. Or when one gets up they simply say they have to go to the toilet. Straight to the point- I like it! The toilet has a half flush and a full flush- Australia has been in a droubt and I understand it has something to do with that. I tested it it out... it's a farce... I think it is like NY's recycling program! A great idea though...

Your welcome... is no worries.

Pharmacy (or pharmascist) is Chemist... I like it... but I think that is giving them a little too much credit... they aren't making the morning after pill, or mixing up the lice shampoo... they are grabbing it off the shelf!

Raisin is a Sultana. And yes Raisin Bran cereal is Sultana Bran... I just don't get it.

Pepper as in red bell or green pepper... is CAPSICUM... huh?! That was Nick's (Snicker's) fave... he giggled everytime he got to say it!

Rocket. Every sandwhich had Rocket it in it. I avoided it for a couple of weeks till I found out it was field greens... whatever!

Indy's / Surfside backpackers

I feel like I need to devote a blog to my living accommodations in Sydney. I know that I have touched on it a bit, and some of it may be redundant.. but deal with it and read on. As it was quite entertaining for me living there for 2 months, I think you should find it quite amusing to read!

As I mentioned before, I stayed in a hostel- a backpackers haven or hell to some, but I will touch on that in a bit. Many groups came and went, always hard to say goodbye. I have to say that has been the best and worst part of staying there. I met so many dynamic people that really taught me a lot about myself and influenced my life, that saying good bye was almost tragic. I know that sounds dramatic, but it is just a fact that I probably wont see about 90% of them ever again. Thanks to email, facebook and myspace I hopefully will at least be able to stay in touch.

I first stayed in room 3, me being the only girls for a few days till Lottie and Celia moved in. It housed 12 and was hot as hell!(temperature, but the guys too!) Sometimes more slept in the room, sometimes less... I am sure you can figure out why- privacy was a rarity! We often slept in the TV room... found downstairs. It had a large screen TV, a plethora of comfy bean bags- which we shared and cuddled as we slept in the only room with air con! A lot of our hungover days were spent there too... after the beach that is! We also held many movie nights here. About 20 of us would cram in and watch a flick... I think I got banned on picking them though... Welcome to the Dollhouse didn't fly, Donnie Darko was borderline and Election was mixed response as well... movie nights were our nights off from going out. My roommates from room # 5 (the all girls room I moved into which housed 8) used to tease me when I would actually sleep in my room... it was a shock if I did.

I think I will interrupt and talk about our Brekky spot. About 12 of us (this of course is all before I started working, though things didn't change that much), would go out for brekky everyday at the same spot. It was just up the road... we usually wore last nights dress, no shoes, a fresh face and sunny's! They made the best fruit frappe's (like a fresh fruit slushy!). This brekky spot carried on through my entire stay, from the newbies to the vets! Lizzie and I developed a little crush on our server... we never got anywhere with him though... oh wait, I did get a sentence out of him the last time she and I went together! I never saw him again though...

Back to Indy's... Indy had a buzz gate we had to get through.. then a little outdoor hallway and into the main area. The hallway was filled with smokers and drinkers post 10pm as our 'garden' closes at night. We hung out there every night till the sun came up or till we went to the beach for a skinny dip in the shark infested ocean, sunrise singalong on the beach or bed.

Speaking of sunrises... the one that stands out to me was really amazing. It was spent with a special friend... blanket brought to the beach- summer was ending at this point. After some time on the beach we walked up to a bench and watched the sun rise. The most beautiful orange and yellows flashed through the clouds and made them glow. It was one of those moments that was shear happiness and you could only be thankful to be in that spot at that moment with that person... comically we went to McDonald's afterwards with all of the degenerates for some brekky... it was one of the funniest moments ever, still a little tipsy, giggling the morning away.

As I said before we had sing-a-longs on the beach with Bob as our song chair. Bob was and is a great character. A very genuine man, full of positive energy and wisdom- as well as being Irish! He would play the tunes in the garden playing DJ... always playing good songs and dancing the afternoons away. He had a theme song for those he liked... mine was 'those boots were made for walking'... as I wore my cowboy boots a lot... and late night (or early mornings) it was New York New York. We spoke of having dance offs, but never did... as competitive anything was thrown out the door... but it was a good laugh! The garden as I speak was a concrete area... with two pic nic tables, stairs leading to a bottom area with a ping pong table. We had a 'boy band' in the garden. Little Phil, Matty, Dave and the random straggler with their guitars would serenade us all and try and woo the ladies... My best mate Jay envied their voices... hahahaha...but he had charm of his own! We all listened and sang along as we drank the backpackers delight- Goone.

On to Goone... to put it bluntly- it's box-o-wine! It is an amazing creation. It is big, but gets you drunk in about 3 cups full. It cost about $13 AUD for 5 liters of the stuff. The metallic bag inside, when empty can blow up into the most comfortable pillow! The box when cut creatively, makes the ever so impressive goone hat or even armour! All juvenile, yes... but we shared many laughs!

The bathrooms at Indy's were gross! I often showered in the guys room... sexy shower time! hahahaha... Much like boarding school we would shower at the same time and gossip or sing. The site of Steve and Marc in the shower together was classic.

The kitchen was a nightmare. It had two sets of burners, no oven and enormous cockroaches. the sinks were always filled with dirty dishes and I think I mentioned before that the lack of dishes led us to drinkign out of bowls! it just made the place even better... Our food was kept in huge restaraunt style fridges, though if it were not locked up it surely would be gone in the morning... It was kind of an unspoken free for all.

As I said before the hostel was too much to handle for some. It was a constant party... even on down time it was always fun. We had big dinners, usually catered by me, or bbq's at the beach. The greatest thing was knowing that you always had people around you- especially when knowing all your friends and family were thousands of miles away. We all became family very quickly and became quite astute at realizing when someone needed a little cheering up. I learned a great deal about myself here... learning patterns that I fall into in regards to friendships or seeing how other people react to situations and how I would differently or the ability to analyze other people- their demeanor and how I see myself or how I strive to be... the list can go on, on how introspective this time was for me and how extroverted it allowed me to be! It definitely was a confidence booster and eye opener for me... for another, not so much. A Hawaiian girl left after one night... she couldn't deal with the on goings of the place and left in tears... dear sweet kukoo... I hope she found her peace.