Fiji was awesome! But let’s start back with the end of New Zealand. Finals went well enough, I think I did good, I just don’t know if it was good enough…guess we’ll see when my transcript comes across. If worse comes to worse I’ll be retaking a class back at WMU. My last few days in New Zealand were a riot. A few nights out on the town and a bit of ultimate Frisbee, but those days passed far too quickly. The last night I hadn’t planned on drinking so I could be feeling good to travel in the morning and to feel good when I got to Fiji. Well those plans pretty quickly got thrown out the window. I ended up going out and having an absolute blast. It was definitely one of my top night during my semester. The end of the night was a bit hazy but I’m pretty darn sure I saw the sun starting to come up when I was walking back. The next day I was woken up still a bit under the influence, said a few goodbyes and lugged my heavy ass bags to the bus stop. Upon arriving at the airport and checking in I quickly passed out and took one of three naps of the day. Luckily enough I woke up to board my plane to Auckland which I quickly feel asleep on again. After waking up and transferring to my international flight I quickly passed out open mouthed, seat in the upright position and probably snoring up a storm. I woke up hung over and feeling absolutely terrible. It didn't help that when i stepped off the plane i was hit by a wave of pure heat and humidity, causing me to sweat and become further dehydrated. I made it through the line and even after waiting for my shuttle for a good 15 minutes made it to my resort, where i met up with a friend. The resort was absolutely gorgeous right on the beach, which was awesome, but also had a shady pool that had cooler water when you needed to get out of the heat, since the ocean water didn't really offer any relief. The first day i applied suntan lotion a bit unevenly and ended up with a messed up tan I'm still sporting today, haha. The local Fijians, if that's what they're called, were a bit shady so i spent most of my time at the resort, shoot and darn, but the country was really pretty. I also was able to ride my first horse, it was awesome we took them up the beach, i dug it. I mean that's basically fiji, sat around read a fair amount, got a sweet tan and had a few drinks, one which most certainly had a little umbrella in it :D
Leaving was soooo hard but i tried my best to keep a positive attitude about coming home to my family and all my great friends. My flight from Fiji was incredible, i flew united in by far the most comfortable economy seat I've ever been in. The seat had a outfolding footrest that extended for the length of your feet and the seat reclined back almost to horizontal which was perfectly fine with the people behind you cause they were like 10 feet away from you. It was truly incredible!My flight from la to detroit was pretty uneventful, i sat next to a guy who just spent two weeks in new zealand fishing, coincidentally, so it was cool to talk to him about his trip and what i saw and all that. when i got to the airport i was so damn impatient i almost yelled at the guy sitting next to me to get up and move so i could go see my mommy! But nope he took forever. But no worries i got to my mom and to my surprise my brother eventually.It was great i was so happy to see them!
Here are the links to all my recent adventures:
Abel Tasman
Fiordland
FIJI
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
8 days and i'll be home, 10 and i'll be in Kalamazoo
Hey everyone!
Well it's official I'm done with my classes and finals!
I finished yesterday afternoon, and i'm certainly feeling relieved. This was probably my worst semester as far as grades go since being in college, luckily my grades don't transfer except for one class and I think that may be pretty darn close to an A anyways so no worries.
To back track a bit i went on an absolutely awesome trip to fiordland to do some hiking a few days ago. It was quite the trip. It got delayed a few days to start, but then we ended up leaving christchurch late on the day we were finally supposed to go too. We left the ChCh at around 6 pm and didn't get to fiordland til something like 5am we started hiking immediately on something like 2 hours of sleep. It was exhausting, and snow covered. The weather was nuts the entire time we were there. After a five hour healthy track covered in snow we broke the tree line where we saw just how crazy the weather was. The winds were terrible and we were completely grayed out in every direction we looked, you couldn't see anything and we ended up hiking in snow that drifter in spots to the point where if you stepped off in the wrong spot you ended up close to up to your waste in snow. When we made it to the hut we were staying in we found the rest of the track had been closed off due to the poor weather conditions, so it looked like we were stuck. The hut was a bit of a better experience than the last rat infested one but the room we stayed in was quite a bit colder.The snow we tracked in didn't melt if that tells you anything. The next day after one of the coldest but most refreshing sleeps we talked with the hut manager who said they weren't sure if they would open the rest of the track or not, so instead of worrying about it we headed over to some awesome caves where we spent three hours spelunking. The caves were amazing and we had an absolute blast. We were also finally able to see out on the lake and see the surrounding area which was absolutely dazzling, one of the most beautiful places I've been in New Zealand. The next day we simply hiked back the way we came took a quick bath in the freezing lake then headed to queenstown for a bit of a side trip. From there i drove us home the 8 more hours we had to go then passed out at 3am in my own bed.
The next day i studied for the entirety followed by the next day of two finals, and a few beers before bed. And now it's today!
I've already had to say goodbye to two of my friends...it's pretty tough, i hoped it wouldn't but i can't say i didn't see it coming. Luckily I'm one of the first people to go so i wont have to watch everyone else take off, whew. I leave november 14th from here which is just three short days from now, then head to Fiji which i leave the night of the 17th and i'll be home just 2 hours later november 18th at 12:30 am (that is with all the time changes etc.) So yeah that's the story now. I'll update everyone with Fiji and do a final wrap up write I'm sure, plus i'll post links to all my pictures from recent adventures.
Cheers
Well it's official I'm done with my classes and finals!
I finished yesterday afternoon, and i'm certainly feeling relieved. This was probably my worst semester as far as grades go since being in college, luckily my grades don't transfer except for one class and I think that may be pretty darn close to an A anyways so no worries.
To back track a bit i went on an absolutely awesome trip to fiordland to do some hiking a few days ago. It was quite the trip. It got delayed a few days to start, but then we ended up leaving christchurch late on the day we were finally supposed to go too. We left the ChCh at around 6 pm and didn't get to fiordland til something like 5am we started hiking immediately on something like 2 hours of sleep. It was exhausting, and snow covered. The weather was nuts the entire time we were there. After a five hour healthy track covered in snow we broke the tree line where we saw just how crazy the weather was. The winds were terrible and we were completely grayed out in every direction we looked, you couldn't see anything and we ended up hiking in snow that drifter in spots to the point where if you stepped off in the wrong spot you ended up close to up to your waste in snow. When we made it to the hut we were staying in we found the rest of the track had been closed off due to the poor weather conditions, so it looked like we were stuck. The hut was a bit of a better experience than the last rat infested one but the room we stayed in was quite a bit colder.The snow we tracked in didn't melt if that tells you anything. The next day after one of the coldest but most refreshing sleeps we talked with the hut manager who said they weren't sure if they would open the rest of the track or not, so instead of worrying about it we headed over to some awesome caves where we spent three hours spelunking. The caves were amazing and we had an absolute blast. We were also finally able to see out on the lake and see the surrounding area which was absolutely dazzling, one of the most beautiful places I've been in New Zealand. The next day we simply hiked back the way we came took a quick bath in the freezing lake then headed to queenstown for a bit of a side trip. From there i drove us home the 8 more hours we had to go then passed out at 3am in my own bed.
The next day i studied for the entirety followed by the next day of two finals, and a few beers before bed. And now it's today!
I've already had to say goodbye to two of my friends...it's pretty tough, i hoped it wouldn't but i can't say i didn't see it coming. Luckily I'm one of the first people to go so i wont have to watch everyone else take off, whew. I leave november 14th from here which is just three short days from now, then head to Fiji which i leave the night of the 17th and i'll be home just 2 hours later november 18th at 12:30 am (that is with all the time changes etc.) So yeah that's the story now. I'll update everyone with Fiji and do a final wrap up write I'm sure, plus i'll post links to all my pictures from recent adventures.
Cheers
Monday, October 27, 2008
Here's the latest and greatest!
Yoyoyo!
My classes are done, finals are only left. i have a two week break from my last class til my first final, then i have 11 day break from my first final to my last two which are on November 10th. For the first break i took off for Abel Tasman national park for a few days of sea kayaking. It was absolutely gorgeous. On the very first day we paddled back into a lagoon where there were two seal pups who decided to swim around our kayaks and play with us. It was so awesome. We camped at a few sites right on the beach which was absolutely awesome. The whole national park was so great! The whole trip was pretty awesome except for our last day out there when it decided to rain. We had already packed three people in a two person tent so I already didn't sleep well then i woke up wet and cold. We then had to pack up our kayaks in the freezing rain then kayak some 15+ kilometers in the same freezing rain. It was pretty terrible but something we all look back on and laugh at now. The next day we headed back down the east coast and did some wine tasting. It was so much fun, we hit like twelve wineries, i mean drinking for free is always good by me. I was amazed how different wines are, i mean i figured you had to be some kind of experienced to know the differences but having pinot gris after pinot gris you start to notice the changes in flavor. After drinking all day we got home and reunited with my other mates and we all went out for Jon, one of the guys on my kayaking trip's birthday. It was certainly and interesting day and interesting night! The rest of this week has been pretty uneventful while i prepare for all my finals, blahhhhhhhh. Oh wait, except for the fact that yesterday i went and tried to surf!!! It was so much fun, but way more work than i ever hoped or imagined. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and there was a huge group of us that got out there which made it that much more fun. I didn't have any luck standing up , but i was able to catch a few waves enjoy the ocean since i also rented a wet suit. But yeah otherwise all I've done is study and get ready for my next trip down to Fiordland from november 2nd-8th. That's about the story for now... I'll catch you up again soon!
Cheers!
Final note: I'll be home november 18th at at some ridiculous hour in the morning and that is final!
My classes are done, finals are only left. i have a two week break from my last class til my first final, then i have 11 day break from my first final to my last two which are on November 10th. For the first break i took off for Abel Tasman national park for a few days of sea kayaking. It was absolutely gorgeous. On the very first day we paddled back into a lagoon where there were two seal pups who decided to swim around our kayaks and play with us. It was so awesome. We camped at a few sites right on the beach which was absolutely awesome. The whole national park was so great! The whole trip was pretty awesome except for our last day out there when it decided to rain. We had already packed three people in a two person tent so I already didn't sleep well then i woke up wet and cold. We then had to pack up our kayaks in the freezing rain then kayak some 15+ kilometers in the same freezing rain. It was pretty terrible but something we all look back on and laugh at now. The next day we headed back down the east coast and did some wine tasting. It was so much fun, we hit like twelve wineries, i mean drinking for free is always good by me. I was amazed how different wines are, i mean i figured you had to be some kind of experienced to know the differences but having pinot gris after pinot gris you start to notice the changes in flavor. After drinking all day we got home and reunited with my other mates and we all went out for Jon, one of the guys on my kayaking trip's birthday. It was certainly and interesting day and interesting night! The rest of this week has been pretty uneventful while i prepare for all my finals, blahhhhhhhh. Oh wait, except for the fact that yesterday i went and tried to surf!!! It was so much fun, but way more work than i ever hoped or imagined. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and there was a huge group of us that got out there which made it that much more fun. I didn't have any luck standing up , but i was able to catch a few waves enjoy the ocean since i also rented a wet suit. But yeah otherwise all I've done is study and get ready for my next trip down to Fiordland from november 2nd-8th. That's about the story for now... I'll catch you up again soon!
Cheers!
Final note: I'll be home november 18th at at some ridiculous hour in the morning and that is final!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
My semester is winding down. It's my last week of class i can't even believe it! It's also a high time of stress. I have a test this Friday that is worth %50 of my grade. As well as a big important paper due Friday. However after that i get a nice 2 week break until i have to take my first final, yay. Time for more travel. Me and a few friends will be heading up to Abel Tasman National Park to do a few days of Sea Kayaking and camping. It should be absolutely awesome! From There I'll be heading out to another place, TBA, for a few more days of hiking and camping before coming back to ChCh for my Maori final. After taking that the 30th i get another 11 day break before i have another final, so again more travel time. I plan on heading down to fiordland, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful areas on EARTH! Again we will probably mostly be hiking but hopefully we can get some more sea kayaking.
In some cool new and happening news i have a new flat mate! His name is Michael and he's awesome! He's working on his masters in Mechanical engineering i believe, some type of engineering anyways. He's really nice, plays soccer, tennis, mountainbikes and is always up for the beach or Frisbee or anything me and the rest of my friends are up to. Everyone has enjoyed him so far and he stayed out with us dancing it up and hitting all sorts of bars til 3:00am+. The only thing I'm not that happy with is he beat me in a pint chugging race last night...ugh, i think I'll get him next time.
Everything else is pretty standard. The weather is getting more and more beautiful everyday, not that it really has been bad at all the entire time I've been here. We went out and did some more cliff jumping the past weekend as well as made it into town and the market where i was finally able to finish my souvenir shopping.
I'm started to get really sad this trip is kinda wrapping up...only like a month left. I'm really getting scared to come home. What if everything is different...it's scary. I'm sure I'll get back and it will seem like nothing has changed but right now I'm pretty nervous. I'm really going to miss all the people here. They're all such great people and I've had such incredible experiences with them. Things that have changed my life and I'll never forget. It's hard to imagine them leaving my life and being so far away from me. I'm getting a little misty thinking about it. Better stop writing before i get really sad.
Oh! one more thing i believe my dates for coming home may be changing. Originally i was planning on the 17th now it looks more like the 24th, of november of course.
Alright i'm off to bed.
Cheers!
In some cool new and happening news i have a new flat mate! His name is Michael and he's awesome! He's working on his masters in Mechanical engineering i believe, some type of engineering anyways. He's really nice, plays soccer, tennis, mountainbikes and is always up for the beach or Frisbee or anything me and the rest of my friends are up to. Everyone has enjoyed him so far and he stayed out with us dancing it up and hitting all sorts of bars til 3:00am+. The only thing I'm not that happy with is he beat me in a pint chugging race last night...ugh, i think I'll get him next time.
Everything else is pretty standard. The weather is getting more and more beautiful everyday, not that it really has been bad at all the entire time I've been here. We went out and did some more cliff jumping the past weekend as well as made it into town and the market where i was finally able to finish my souvenir shopping.
I'm started to get really sad this trip is kinda wrapping up...only like a month left. I'm really getting scared to come home. What if everything is different...it's scary. I'm sure I'll get back and it will seem like nothing has changed but right now I'm pretty nervous. I'm really going to miss all the people here. They're all such great people and I've had such incredible experiences with them. Things that have changed my life and I'll never forget. It's hard to imagine them leaving my life and being so far away from me. I'm getting a little misty thinking about it. Better stop writing before i get really sad.
Oh! one more thing i believe my dates for coming home may be changing. Originally i was planning on the 17th now it looks more like the 24th, of november of course.
Alright i'm off to bed.
Cheers!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Hey Everyone
Hey Y'all
I know i haven't been on in awhile but there is not a whole lot of new going on with me, or at least i wanted to build up a few cool things to say before typing out another post. First things first, the weather is getting incredible and it's officially spring here!!! I'm loving it except that the beach is constantly calling my name, making it incredibly difficult to focus on class and sometimes making it even harder to go to class. But don't worry mom, I'm doing what i need to. Last week we had a beautiful day so me and a small group of friends went to our favorite hidden away beach, Taylor's mistake, where we made a fire and camped under the stars for the night. It was so much fun, we drank, played music, sang songs, then curled up in our sleeping bags right on the sand with no roof over our heads. It was so much fun! The next morning we woke up and sat in the sun all day. A few people paddled out on there surf boards while me and a few other did a short but beautiful hike. On the way back from the hike, we heard our friends on there boards call out to us. Well they were just down in the water below us ranting and raving about the cliff jump they had just done. Well, who am i to pass up on an opportunity to do something cool while in New Zealand, no one that's who. So after watching my friend Ryan jump in with no wet suit, both surfers had them on, and come up alive I was feeling confident enough to do it myself. It was so much fun, absolutely freezing cold, but sweet nonetheless. I've never done a cliff jump before so I'm was more than happy to make that one my first. This past weekend my friends and I headed to a place called Hanmer Springs, a sweet little village known for it's natural hot springs. After getting a late start on friday night, we made up for it with a hearty party. The next morning we woke up, did a nice hike and checked out the sites before jumping in the hot pools for the afternoon. The place was really cool, it had pools of varying temps, ranging from 28 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius. After taking all we could of sweating and being dehydrated we hit the road on the way back, which for the guys in my car and I was an adventure in of itself. After noticing some weird shifting patterns we had all the emergency and warning lights come on in the car, certainly nothing of which we wanted to see. Especially since our other friends in the other car were well ahead of us and in a rush to return the rental. After pulling off and restarting the car all seemed fine, that was until we smelt a prominent burning smell throughout the car. Again we pulled over, promptly followed by a police officer who told us there was a garage just 5 minutes up the road. Well we made it there, where we checked the oil to find it had absolutely none. We promptly put a liter and a half in and hit the road again. From there on we had no more problems and luckily enough got home safe. Crisis averted, thank god.
Overall, my classes are going fair. They're really difficult to deal with sometimes because they have so many references to there own politics and history of which i have no idea. My social work class especially has been difficult because it is all about the welfare of New Zealand, so when i have to write a paper, i have no basis to start it since i know none of their programs nor know any of the history of their programs.It is also way more difficult to get an A here. For my first antarctic studies test, we had 50 minutes to write 4 essays, i wrote the entirety of the time and was still unable to do better than a B, ugh. Good thing there is only one class that my grade transfers home and effects my GPA. That class is going OK, again tough to understand, but the one grade i've had in it so far has been an A.
Otherwise things here are pretty standard, my friends are all super nice and i enjoy them, but i am still definitely missing everyone at home. This upcoming weekend i plan on heading up to Kaikoura to go whale watching which should be absolutely amazing and possibly hang out at the sea food festival.
Any other questions, feel free to shoot me a comment.
Love, Cheers!
-Garrett
I know i haven't been on in awhile but there is not a whole lot of new going on with me, or at least i wanted to build up a few cool things to say before typing out another post. First things first, the weather is getting incredible and it's officially spring here!!! I'm loving it except that the beach is constantly calling my name, making it incredibly difficult to focus on class and sometimes making it even harder to go to class. But don't worry mom, I'm doing what i need to. Last week we had a beautiful day so me and a small group of friends went to our favorite hidden away beach, Taylor's mistake, where we made a fire and camped under the stars for the night. It was so much fun, we drank, played music, sang songs, then curled up in our sleeping bags right on the sand with no roof over our heads. It was so much fun! The next morning we woke up and sat in the sun all day. A few people paddled out on there surf boards while me and a few other did a short but beautiful hike. On the way back from the hike, we heard our friends on there boards call out to us. Well they were just down in the water below us ranting and raving about the cliff jump they had just done. Well, who am i to pass up on an opportunity to do something cool while in New Zealand, no one that's who. So after watching my friend Ryan jump in with no wet suit, both surfers had them on, and come up alive I was feeling confident enough to do it myself. It was so much fun, absolutely freezing cold, but sweet nonetheless. I've never done a cliff jump before so I'm was more than happy to make that one my first. This past weekend my friends and I headed to a place called Hanmer Springs, a sweet little village known for it's natural hot springs. After getting a late start on friday night, we made up for it with a hearty party. The next morning we woke up, did a nice hike and checked out the sites before jumping in the hot pools for the afternoon. The place was really cool, it had pools of varying temps, ranging from 28 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius. After taking all we could of sweating and being dehydrated we hit the road on the way back, which for the guys in my car and I was an adventure in of itself. After noticing some weird shifting patterns we had all the emergency and warning lights come on in the car, certainly nothing of which we wanted to see. Especially since our other friends in the other car were well ahead of us and in a rush to return the rental. After pulling off and restarting the car all seemed fine, that was until we smelt a prominent burning smell throughout the car. Again we pulled over, promptly followed by a police officer who told us there was a garage just 5 minutes up the road. Well we made it there, where we checked the oil to find it had absolutely none. We promptly put a liter and a half in and hit the road again. From there on we had no more problems and luckily enough got home safe. Crisis averted, thank god.
Overall, my classes are going fair. They're really difficult to deal with sometimes because they have so many references to there own politics and history of which i have no idea. My social work class especially has been difficult because it is all about the welfare of New Zealand, so when i have to write a paper, i have no basis to start it since i know none of their programs nor know any of the history of their programs.It is also way more difficult to get an A here. For my first antarctic studies test, we had 50 minutes to write 4 essays, i wrote the entirety of the time and was still unable to do better than a B, ugh. Good thing there is only one class that my grade transfers home and effects my GPA. That class is going OK, again tough to understand, but the one grade i've had in it so far has been an A.
Otherwise things here are pretty standard, my friends are all super nice and i enjoy them, but i am still definitely missing everyone at home. This upcoming weekend i plan on heading up to Kaikoura to go whale watching which should be absolutely amazing and possibly hang out at the sea food festival.
Any other questions, feel free to shoot me a comment.
Love, Cheers!
-Garrett
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hey there
Hey, i know i haven't written much lately, but not a whole lot has been going on since i got back from my break. Back to the classes and the like, blah. Last weekend i spent a weekend volunteering, it was a blast. It was a group of about 14 australearn kids that all headed to akaroa and transplanted lavender bushes from an old lavender farm to a park. We had some amazing meals that the people who ran our hostel made us and were able to go out on the owners boat. We saw hector dolphins which are the smallest and rarest dolphins on earth, only living on the south shore of new zealand and numbering in the 5000's. The weather has finally taken a turn for the better here, and i can go outside in shorts. I've spent a few beautiful days at the beach learning to skim board and trying to work on getting out to surf, but it's still a bit too cold to spend an extended amount of time in the water without a wet suit. But yeah that's about it. If there is anyone who wants a post card from me that hasn't got one yet just let give me your address and i'll be sure to get one to you.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Continued
**sorry if the writing is lame or makes no sense, i originally planned on editing and revising but then...well then i got really lazy and realized my point will get across anyways. Also note links to my pictures will be put up as soon as they're uploaded to photobucket
Day 5
Ahh, we got to sleep in which was so nice after the long day of kayaking. We also got to get back in touch with the world and jump online. After that we made our way to another healthy brunch of fish and chips, then we really started our day heading off onto a hike which ended up taking far longer than expected. It was really pretty however, which for the most part made up for the length. We first headed up to a look out to look over and out into the bay, which was gorgeous. For the next two hours however we didn’t see anything but the trees surrounding us. The forest was really cool and so was the trail although the ups and downs were absolutely exhausting. After finally making it through that portion of our trail we came to a trail sign saying we were still looking at about 4 hours of hiking yet…we were demoralized to say the least, however at this point we really had no choice but to forage on and head home. We reached the town of Opua and found a little shop bought a bit of food and an energy drink then headed off onto the last section of our trail, supposed to take some 2 hours. This was by far my favorite part of the trail, it was all along the coast looking out into the bay. Taking us into mangrove swamps and back a bit into what looked like a tropical forest. Along the way found a little shout off to a look out, it was up quite uneven and steep terrain. About half way up this little path we had a big step up where I completely tore open the crotch of my pants. The only pants I brought for this first half of the trip. After the sun set we finally found ourselves at home completely exhausted and run down but we had made it and that’s what matters. We were really excited for dinner too, spaghetti with sausage and with some homebrewed tea from some plants our kayak guide had suggested we make tea from. Well the tea tasted pretty good overall, although we didn’t have any sugar to sweeten it up a bit, but when we went to cook our sausages we only found out that they had been thrown out…so it was shells and a bit of tomato sauce for dinner, not the hardiest of meals. After dinner we took showers cleaned up played a bit of pool and then hit the hay more than ready for bed.
Day 6
Another early morning, we had a bus to catch. After trying to get up for the sunrise and reconsidering we slept another hour then got ourselves moving. We packed up and headed to our bus stop, then headed off to Auckland. We of course met awesome people again, one at the bus stop, Caroline from Scotland who lives in Swaziland, and another guy who’s name I never caught who was a professional photographer. He showed us some of the shoots he had done, his pictures were, as expected, spectacular. Although the start of the bus ride was a bit flat and farmy it ended up being one of my favorite drives thus far in NZ. Ocean on one side with rolling hills and mountains on the other. We got to our hostel and then meandered out onto the town. New Plymouth is a cool little town/city place. After buying a few groceries for our adventure we bought a pizza ate pizza hut which was delicious, we again headed back to the hostel where we et some amazing people, again. I'm sure by now you're sick of hearing about meeting amazing people but they're everywhere and we can't help it. We talked to them for a few hours and then called it a night getting prepared for our big tramp the next day.
Day 7
We got up early and prepared to start the day. We got on our very early bus, and headed out to Egmont village where we thought the visitor center and our hike started. What we didn't know is that we actually got dropped off about 16 km (10 miles) away from the START of our hike. We had no choice so we started walking thumbs out with hopes to catch a ride. Luckily we hadn't made it far when a park employee pulled over and gave us a ride to the top of the mountain, we got so lucky! From there we checked out the trail, talking to the park ranger, made a plan of action and headed out. It was the most amazing trip tramp I’ve ever done. Really rugged terrain, beautiful outlooks, diverse scenery, and a cool hut to stay in for the night. When we made it to our hut we signed in and checked out what everyone else had to say about the place we were staying for the night. Every comment above ours, every single one, said huge rat problem, or angry rat, or we slept good...after we barricaded our rat friend in for the night. Then on top of there being a rat problem, both me and Luke for matches or a lighter, so we had no means for lighting up the heater to keep us warm for the night, needless to say we were disappointed. But the view from out our hut window was amazing...and the stars that night, like nothing i had ever seen. Clear and twinkling and as far as the eye can see. It was just gorgeous. We woke up the next morning to a cold and rainy day. We packed up waited for a break in the weather and hit the trail back to the visitor center where we figured we have to complete our ten mile walk back to our bus stop. The trip back went much quicker the second time around but was even more beautiful since the clouds and mist had cleared a bit more. Upon getting back to the visitor center, dirty and smellier than we had ever been in life, we took a seat for 20 minutes then headed out onto our 10 miles hike home. it was short lived though, again hitchhiking and nice people pulling through to get us a ride back to our bus stop, I love nice people! That night we got home, settled into our hostel yet again and headed out for more groceries and another pizza hut pizza, which was again delicious. Upon getting home we met our roommate a middle aged aussie man who we talked with late into the night regarding politics, social welfare systems, peanut butter and jelly, we covered every aspect under the sun.
Day 8
Once again another early morning and a walk to the bus stop. We took the bus from new Plymouth down to wellington. On the ride we met another uni student heading back to her school in wellington who was super friendly as per usual who we got to ask all about life in NZ and life as a uni student for a Kiwi. (Side note: The attractive girls live on the north island. If you ever come to NZ and are a single male you will want to know this and will thank me later.) After a bus switch and six hours later we arrived in Wellington Exhausted from lack of sleep and long hikes still wearing on us. We found local hostel where we were able to store our bags for the few hours we'd get to spend in Wellington. Wellington was a really cool city, as expected being NZ's capital city. It was clean and had some really cool public art as well as some awesome capital buildings. We did a short hike through the botanical gardens to a lookout down onto the bay which was beautiful. We then found this cable car ride which was supposed to be awesome and to our surprise really cheap. We got there and asked how long of a ride it was, 15-20 minutes, so we figured it would just be a quick loop around the city which would be cool. Well...it turns out it was just a ride up a hill, maybe half a mile. Ending at the botanical gardens, then a ride right back down. We just laughed about it and enjoyed our ride, and re-enjoyed our view from the botanical gardens. After that we found ourselves some lovely McDonalds dinner and found our way to the airport to fly on home to ChCh. That night we got home took nice showers packed for our second week then headed off again towards queenstown. We drove through the night, still exhausted only catching brief naps until about 3am when we were running out of gas and decided to sleep in the car outside a gas station and waited for it to open. We got a couple hours of extremely uncomfortable sleep then again hit the road after refueling. We got to queenstown around 9:30am and started to explore the city, looking for fun things to do and a hostel to stay in for the next couple nights. We found a nice place with a kitchen in the room and four beds all to our own for $26 about $20 USD, it also offered us a spa (hot tub) and plenty of other little perks. The four bed place being perfect since we had met up with our friends Jon and will in chch and headed out with them. After settling into our place we decided to go out do jet boating. It was sooo fun and sooo cool. WE shot up shallow rivers and across big lakes, doing 180s and just flying around in general, we had a blast. After that we did some grocery shopping, and put some air in one of our tires which seems to be slowly losing air...eek. We then made dinner and settled in calling it an early night to finally get some good sleep and rest up for our big day the next day.
Day 9
We woke up and had a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, then me and Luke broke off to go do the nevis bungy jump. We got there early and check in. By the time the bus came to pick us up and take us out to our site we were bursting with anticipation. The bus ride was about 45 minutes through some beautiful scenery and along some cliff sides. When we got there they harnessed us up and sent us out on a little basket type thing out to the main bungy pod. Me being the heaviest of the group of 11 went first. It was sooo scary. First they make you sit in this birthing type station to strap your feet in and get you all set up, the whole time you're looking over your shoulder out at what you're about to jump off. You then get up and waddled over to the edge, my heart was racing. I had to be asked to move further out onto the ledge, oh my goodness i was freaking out at this point. He started the countdown, 3...2...1...then gave me a suggestive nudge and i leapt out. The feeling was incredible and felt far from 8.5 seconds of free fall. It was sooo cool. Everyone should bungy at some point in their lives if given the chance. Especially the nevis if at all possible. Luke loved it too. After we jumped we were sent back across where we watched more people jump. After that we headed back into town to look for haircuts. We didn't have any luck finding cheap ones especially since we just want a couple of ridiculous hair do's but we did find a little piercing place where I decided to get my ear pierced. It's the inside part of my ear i got done. I got it there since my face isn't made for piercing and this would be a bit more hidden, except that she put a huge ball on it so it stands out pretty good in there. Overall, it was something I wanted to experience and have done now, so I’m more than satisfied with it. After that me and Luke headed back to the hostel and met up with john and will who mountain biked all day. From there Jon and Luke switched places and me and Jon went and got a fish and chip's lunch. After that we bought a couple scrumpies and went back to the room to start the drinking at 3 and to watch a movie til the other boys got back. From there we got an awesome dinner at fergburger, which served the most amazing burger ever, and then headed out to minus five bar where everything is made of ice, even the glasses, it was really cool. There were tons of different ice sculptures throughout it as well as some really nice ladies from Boston we talked to the majority of the time we were in there. We hopped to a few different bars from there and then after another stop for chips at fergburger called it a night.
Day 10
We woke up and checked out of our hostel then decided to make our way out to Wanaka. The drive was as expected gorgeous! We did a little hostel shopping then found our place for the night and settled in. We made a big lunch then went to walk around the town and check it out, and to find out when the Rugby match would be on. After we finished exploring we made a beautiful chicken alfredo for dinner then headed back out to the bar for the game. It was a blowout, all blacks (NZ's national team) vs. Samoa, 101-13, absolutely outrageous. After the game we watched some karaoke and then headed home since the other three boys have to get up early and ski.
Day 11
The boys got up and got the tire fixed then after hearing the snow report decided to wait another day for skiing. So instead we watched a movie and caught a bit more sleep. After that we headed out to do a hike which because of a missed turned we never found. However, the drive was absolutely beautiful and we did find a couple other shorts hikes to do. After exploring around and throwing the rugby around we went to the grocery store then went back and made a brilliant fajita dinner. After that we ate ice cream and relaxed for the night (mostly playing on kids play sets in the park), getting ready for checking out, heading to the glaciers, and hiking/skiing all day tomorrow.
Day 12
My day started off awesome, besides the fact that my camera screen broke. I slept in and checked us out of our hostel then headed out on my own, since everyone else had gone skiing, and started a beautiful hike up mt roy. I started along the lake, enjoying the sunshine and mountains then found my way along the road to the mt roy trail. The trail was pretty bland, about ten foot wide and just switchbacks all the way up the hillside, so I decided to liven things up a bit and started exploring the mountainside without the trail. It was fun, and the scenery was amazing. Looking down onto the lake was awesome as well as at all the surrounding mountains, and then into the town. After a few hours on the mountainside i decided to head back down and make my way into town, since I needed to be back for when the other guys got back from skiing. After struggling to find my way to the part of the coastal track I had skipped to make sure not to miss mount Roy, I was off again and headed back towards town. I was certainly pooped and ready to sit down when I got there and it's a good thing since we were looking at something like a 4 hours drive ahead up to fox glacier, where we would be staying for the next couple days. The ride was beautiful at first but quickly became quite dull when the sun went down. We made it there around 9pm thinking we'd have a note on the door stating where we were to go since we would be getting in after the office closed. We did find the note...but it wasn't for us. It was for some other group of Irish people, so we had absolutely no idea where to go or what to do. We contemplated simply sleeping in their kitchen, but before shacking up there we again met some extremely nice people who explored the hostel and found a room with four beds and no one in it (we didn't realize it was a no lock hostel and all we had to do was explore a bit, to find our way). We settled in and got ready for our days tomorrow.
Day 13
9:20 am i reported to fox glacier guide building. From there I started my day of all day hiking out on fox glacier. It was quite amazing! I had such a good time. Also, my guide looked just like Cornelius from the Rudolph the red nose reindeer claymation movie. Pretty much you just need to check out my pictures to see what i did all day. After getting back from my hike at approximately 5pm i met up with the guys, of which two sky dived in the morning, and we headed to Gillespies beach, which was as expected beautiful, like everything else in this country. We watched the sun set and skipped rocks out on the surf, which was quite large, then headed home for showers and a movie. The hostel we stayed in offered a huge projector screen to watch movies so we maxed and relaxed with that for the night.
Day 14
Our Final day…After sleeping in a bit we set off on the road towards Franz Josef glacier, the second of the two big ones. We got there took a few pictures but due to recent weather weren’t able to get very close, which was a bit disappointing. From there we headed up the west coast, which just so happens to be a rainforest, for another spectacular drive and for the pancake rocks. We got to punakaiki right as high tide hit which was perfect to see the blow holes. As the waves crashed in water shot up through different holes which had formed from the water erosion of the sandstone and limestone over the years. It was awesome, of course it was awesome and beautiful even without the shooting water, but who am I to complain about getting both. From there we headed off again on our way back to the Chch. We had to drive back across the country and through the beautiful mountains. Although it was dark by the end of them what we were able to see was fantastic. We all got home, and went our separate ways to shower, shave, get to work on our laundry and get ready for class the next day. In summary: The trip was absolutely amazing!
Day 5
Ahh, we got to sleep in which was so nice after the long day of kayaking. We also got to get back in touch with the world and jump online. After that we made our way to another healthy brunch of fish and chips, then we really started our day heading off onto a hike which ended up taking far longer than expected. It was really pretty however, which for the most part made up for the length. We first headed up to a look out to look over and out into the bay, which was gorgeous. For the next two hours however we didn’t see anything but the trees surrounding us. The forest was really cool and so was the trail although the ups and downs were absolutely exhausting. After finally making it through that portion of our trail we came to a trail sign saying we were still looking at about 4 hours of hiking yet…we were demoralized to say the least, however at this point we really had no choice but to forage on and head home. We reached the town of Opua and found a little shop bought a bit of food and an energy drink then headed off onto the last section of our trail, supposed to take some 2 hours. This was by far my favorite part of the trail, it was all along the coast looking out into the bay. Taking us into mangrove swamps and back a bit into what looked like a tropical forest. Along the way found a little shout off to a look out, it was up quite uneven and steep terrain. About half way up this little path we had a big step up where I completely tore open the crotch of my pants. The only pants I brought for this first half of the trip. After the sun set we finally found ourselves at home completely exhausted and run down but we had made it and that’s what matters. We were really excited for dinner too, spaghetti with sausage and with some homebrewed tea from some plants our kayak guide had suggested we make tea from. Well the tea tasted pretty good overall, although we didn’t have any sugar to sweeten it up a bit, but when we went to cook our sausages we only found out that they had been thrown out…so it was shells and a bit of tomato sauce for dinner, not the hardiest of meals. After dinner we took showers cleaned up played a bit of pool and then hit the hay more than ready for bed.
Day 6
Another early morning, we had a bus to catch. After trying to get up for the sunrise and reconsidering we slept another hour then got ourselves moving. We packed up and headed to our bus stop, then headed off to Auckland. We of course met awesome people again, one at the bus stop, Caroline from Scotland who lives in Swaziland, and another guy who’s name I never caught who was a professional photographer. He showed us some of the shoots he had done, his pictures were, as expected, spectacular. Although the start of the bus ride was a bit flat and farmy it ended up being one of my favorite drives thus far in NZ. Ocean on one side with rolling hills and mountains on the other. We got to our hostel and then meandered out onto the town. New Plymouth is a cool little town/city place. After buying a few groceries for our adventure we bought a pizza ate pizza hut which was delicious, we again headed back to the hostel where we et some amazing people, again. I'm sure by now you're sick of hearing about meeting amazing people but they're everywhere and we can't help it. We talked to them for a few hours and then called it a night getting prepared for our big tramp the next day.
Day 7
We got up early and prepared to start the day. We got on our very early bus, and headed out to Egmont village where we thought the visitor center and our hike started. What we didn't know is that we actually got dropped off about 16 km (10 miles) away from the START of our hike. We had no choice so we started walking thumbs out with hopes to catch a ride. Luckily we hadn't made it far when a park employee pulled over and gave us a ride to the top of the mountain, we got so lucky! From there we checked out the trail, talking to the park ranger, made a plan of action and headed out. It was the most amazing trip tramp I’ve ever done. Really rugged terrain, beautiful outlooks, diverse scenery, and a cool hut to stay in for the night. When we made it to our hut we signed in and checked out what everyone else had to say about the place we were staying for the night. Every comment above ours, every single one, said huge rat problem, or angry rat, or we slept good...after we barricaded our rat friend in for the night. Then on top of there being a rat problem, both me and Luke for matches or a lighter, so we had no means for lighting up the heater to keep us warm for the night, needless to say we were disappointed. But the view from out our hut window was amazing...and the stars that night, like nothing i had ever seen. Clear and twinkling and as far as the eye can see. It was just gorgeous. We woke up the next morning to a cold and rainy day. We packed up waited for a break in the weather and hit the trail back to the visitor center where we figured we have to complete our ten mile walk back to our bus stop. The trip back went much quicker the second time around but was even more beautiful since the clouds and mist had cleared a bit more. Upon getting back to the visitor center, dirty and smellier than we had ever been in life, we took a seat for 20 minutes then headed out onto our 10 miles hike home. it was short lived though, again hitchhiking and nice people pulling through to get us a ride back to our bus stop, I love nice people! That night we got home, settled into our hostel yet again and headed out for more groceries and another pizza hut pizza, which was again delicious. Upon getting home we met our roommate a middle aged aussie man who we talked with late into the night regarding politics, social welfare systems, peanut butter and jelly, we covered every aspect under the sun.
Day 8
Once again another early morning and a walk to the bus stop. We took the bus from new Plymouth down to wellington. On the ride we met another uni student heading back to her school in wellington who was super friendly as per usual who we got to ask all about life in NZ and life as a uni student for a Kiwi. (Side note: The attractive girls live on the north island. If you ever come to NZ and are a single male you will want to know this and will thank me later.) After a bus switch and six hours later we arrived in Wellington Exhausted from lack of sleep and long hikes still wearing on us. We found local hostel where we were able to store our bags for the few hours we'd get to spend in Wellington. Wellington was a really cool city, as expected being NZ's capital city. It was clean and had some really cool public art as well as some awesome capital buildings. We did a short hike through the botanical gardens to a lookout down onto the bay which was beautiful. We then found this cable car ride which was supposed to be awesome and to our surprise really cheap. We got there and asked how long of a ride it was, 15-20 minutes, so we figured it would just be a quick loop around the city which would be cool. Well...it turns out it was just a ride up a hill, maybe half a mile. Ending at the botanical gardens, then a ride right back down. We just laughed about it and enjoyed our ride, and re-enjoyed our view from the botanical gardens. After that we found ourselves some lovely McDonalds dinner and found our way to the airport to fly on home to ChCh. That night we got home took nice showers packed for our second week then headed off again towards queenstown. We drove through the night, still exhausted only catching brief naps until about 3am when we were running out of gas and decided to sleep in the car outside a gas station and waited for it to open. We got a couple hours of extremely uncomfortable sleep then again hit the road after refueling. We got to queenstown around 9:30am and started to explore the city, looking for fun things to do and a hostel to stay in for the next couple nights. We found a nice place with a kitchen in the room and four beds all to our own for $26 about $20 USD, it also offered us a spa (hot tub) and plenty of other little perks. The four bed place being perfect since we had met up with our friends Jon and will in chch and headed out with them. After settling into our place we decided to go out do jet boating. It was sooo fun and sooo cool. WE shot up shallow rivers and across big lakes, doing 180s and just flying around in general, we had a blast. After that we did some grocery shopping, and put some air in one of our tires which seems to be slowly losing air...eek. We then made dinner and settled in calling it an early night to finally get some good sleep and rest up for our big day the next day.
Day 9
We woke up and had a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, then me and Luke broke off to go do the nevis bungy jump. We got there early and check in. By the time the bus came to pick us up and take us out to our site we were bursting with anticipation. The bus ride was about 45 minutes through some beautiful scenery and along some cliff sides. When we got there they harnessed us up and sent us out on a little basket type thing out to the main bungy pod. Me being the heaviest of the group of 11 went first. It was sooo scary. First they make you sit in this birthing type station to strap your feet in and get you all set up, the whole time you're looking over your shoulder out at what you're about to jump off. You then get up and waddled over to the edge, my heart was racing. I had to be asked to move further out onto the ledge, oh my goodness i was freaking out at this point. He started the countdown, 3...2...1...then gave me a suggestive nudge and i leapt out. The feeling was incredible and felt far from 8.5 seconds of free fall. It was sooo cool. Everyone should bungy at some point in their lives if given the chance. Especially the nevis if at all possible. Luke loved it too. After we jumped we were sent back across where we watched more people jump. After that we headed back into town to look for haircuts. We didn't have any luck finding cheap ones especially since we just want a couple of ridiculous hair do's but we did find a little piercing place where I decided to get my ear pierced. It's the inside part of my ear i got done. I got it there since my face isn't made for piercing and this would be a bit more hidden, except that she put a huge ball on it so it stands out pretty good in there. Overall, it was something I wanted to experience and have done now, so I’m more than satisfied with it. After that me and Luke headed back to the hostel and met up with john and will who mountain biked all day. From there Jon and Luke switched places and me and Jon went and got a fish and chip's lunch. After that we bought a couple scrumpies and went back to the room to start the drinking at 3 and to watch a movie til the other boys got back. From there we got an awesome dinner at fergburger, which served the most amazing burger ever, and then headed out to minus five bar where everything is made of ice, even the glasses, it was really cool. There were tons of different ice sculptures throughout it as well as some really nice ladies from Boston we talked to the majority of the time we were in there. We hopped to a few different bars from there and then after another stop for chips at fergburger called it a night.
Day 10
We woke up and checked out of our hostel then decided to make our way out to Wanaka. The drive was as expected gorgeous! We did a little hostel shopping then found our place for the night and settled in. We made a big lunch then went to walk around the town and check it out, and to find out when the Rugby match would be on. After we finished exploring we made a beautiful chicken alfredo for dinner then headed back out to the bar for the game. It was a blowout, all blacks (NZ's national team) vs. Samoa, 101-13, absolutely outrageous. After the game we watched some karaoke and then headed home since the other three boys have to get up early and ski.
Day 11
The boys got up and got the tire fixed then after hearing the snow report decided to wait another day for skiing. So instead we watched a movie and caught a bit more sleep. After that we headed out to do a hike which because of a missed turned we never found. However, the drive was absolutely beautiful and we did find a couple other shorts hikes to do. After exploring around and throwing the rugby around we went to the grocery store then went back and made a brilliant fajita dinner. After that we ate ice cream and relaxed for the night (mostly playing on kids play sets in the park), getting ready for checking out, heading to the glaciers, and hiking/skiing all day tomorrow.
Day 12
My day started off awesome, besides the fact that my camera screen broke. I slept in and checked us out of our hostel then headed out on my own, since everyone else had gone skiing, and started a beautiful hike up mt roy. I started along the lake, enjoying the sunshine and mountains then found my way along the road to the mt roy trail. The trail was pretty bland, about ten foot wide and just switchbacks all the way up the hillside, so I decided to liven things up a bit and started exploring the mountainside without the trail. It was fun, and the scenery was amazing. Looking down onto the lake was awesome as well as at all the surrounding mountains, and then into the town. After a few hours on the mountainside i decided to head back down and make my way into town, since I needed to be back for when the other guys got back from skiing. After struggling to find my way to the part of the coastal track I had skipped to make sure not to miss mount Roy, I was off again and headed back towards town. I was certainly pooped and ready to sit down when I got there and it's a good thing since we were looking at something like a 4 hours drive ahead up to fox glacier, where we would be staying for the next couple days. The ride was beautiful at first but quickly became quite dull when the sun went down. We made it there around 9pm thinking we'd have a note on the door stating where we were to go since we would be getting in after the office closed. We did find the note...but it wasn't for us. It was for some other group of Irish people, so we had absolutely no idea where to go or what to do. We contemplated simply sleeping in their kitchen, but before shacking up there we again met some extremely nice people who explored the hostel and found a room with four beds and no one in it (we didn't realize it was a no lock hostel and all we had to do was explore a bit, to find our way). We settled in and got ready for our days tomorrow.
Day 13
9:20 am i reported to fox glacier guide building. From there I started my day of all day hiking out on fox glacier. It was quite amazing! I had such a good time. Also, my guide looked just like Cornelius from the Rudolph the red nose reindeer claymation movie. Pretty much you just need to check out my pictures to see what i did all day. After getting back from my hike at approximately 5pm i met up with the guys, of which two sky dived in the morning, and we headed to Gillespies beach, which was as expected beautiful, like everything else in this country. We watched the sun set and skipped rocks out on the surf, which was quite large, then headed home for showers and a movie. The hostel we stayed in offered a huge projector screen to watch movies so we maxed and relaxed with that for the night.
Day 14
Our Final day…After sleeping in a bit we set off on the road towards Franz Josef glacier, the second of the two big ones. We got there took a few pictures but due to recent weather weren’t able to get very close, which was a bit disappointing. From there we headed up the west coast, which just so happens to be a rainforest, for another spectacular drive and for the pancake rocks. We got to punakaiki right as high tide hit which was perfect to see the blow holes. As the waves crashed in water shot up through different holes which had formed from the water erosion of the sandstone and limestone over the years. It was awesome, of course it was awesome and beautiful even without the shooting water, but who am I to complain about getting both. From there we headed off again on our way back to the Chch. We had to drive back across the country and through the beautiful mountains. Although it was dark by the end of them what we were able to see was fantastic. We all got home, and went our separate ways to shower, shave, get to work on our laundry and get ready for class the next day. In summary: The trip was absolutely amazing!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
More of my story!
Day 2
It started with an early morning because we needed to check out of our current room and move into another one to save a few bucks of course. The main theme of the day was RAIN. We maybe had maybe a couple short breaks from it during the day, but it was pretty constant throughout. We walked towards downtown on we found a church with a service about to start so I saw my first catholic service that wasn’t for a funeral, it was really interesting, and an experience I’m glad I had. After the service we meandered to down to the visitor center to find some things to do in Auckland on a rainy day since originally we were going to hike for the day, We found out that the museum was only 5 dollars so we were pretty sold on that. It was really cool, it was three levels and had some really cool exhibits especially about maori and south pacific peoples. After that we headed back to the hostel to jump online and update everyone who cared about our lives, and to check out our tent situation to see if we needed to purchase a rain fly or what. Well we had a rain fly, what we were missing however was our tent poles . But we figured oh well shit happens we’ll figure out something and maybe be able to make some sort of a lean to with it anyways, who knows. Then it was dinner time again and time to get ready to go out on the town, even though we had to get up at six the next morning. We had an awesome lasagna and salad for dinner with a couple pints then met up with a friends friend who attends Auckland Uni. He took us out to show us a couple bars, we had an awesome time. After a quick stop on the way home at McDonalds we found ourselves in bed at 1 or 1:30 am.
Day 3
We rolled out of bed painfully at 6 am packed up and hit the road to find our bus stop and check in and whatnot. After eating cheap micro waved eggs and toast at the café next to the bus stop we loaded up our bus which to our surprise was a tour bus, so we had a guide to tell us all about the areas along our path. The bust was really cool too it had windows all along the top giving us a panoramic view of the sky which today was a beautiful blue with the few spotty clouds. The only problem with the bus and it being a guide bus was we were planning on catch the second 4 hours of our needed 8 hours of sleep on it…but the guy didn’t stop talking, obviously greatly inhibiting our ability to pass out. After getting to Piahia we needed to find a place to stay, I had found that campsite for $12 a night which between the two of us seemed like the cheapest and best option, so after the bus driver drove us around to all the hostels to check the prices we went for a long long long walk to the other end of town only to find out the site was 12.50 per person, we had found a hostel for just 15 dollars, so the choice was pretty obvious. We moved into our hostel to find that not only did we have a sweet game, free kayak rental, bike rental, and a hot tub but we also had a 5 person dorm completely to ourselves! It was amazing! Since we had already spent the day looking for places to stay we grabbed one of the kayaks and headed out to one of the many island the Bay of Islands has to offer. It was really cool, we pulled up on one and explored it around and just explored around for awhile. When the weather looked like it was going to turn we headed back and played a little ping pong and darts, where we met and awesome Canadian couple we talked to til we went to bed for the night.
Day 4
Because of recent storms the water was a bit murky and not so good for snorkeling so instead we found a sweet guided sea kayak tour. They took us all over the place, out to this awesome waterfall where I conveniently tipped my kayak and made a bit of a fool of myself, but it was all in good fun. The was a bit cold and took my breath away upon hitting it but overall it was nice to do a little swimming, although I did end up looking my sun glasses because of it . After the waterfall we had a nice little tea and biscuit (cookie) lunch and had a nice chat with our guide. He was an awesome guy, from Maori descent, with tons of knowledge of the area, historically, ecologically, he just knew a ton. We also got to talk him about the difference between our cultures and lifestyles and general attitudes in life, which is always fun. After lunch the tide and come in and filled with mangrove swamps with water once again, allowing our kayaks to get back and into them. It was so fun! We got to go off on our own a bit and weave in and out of the trees and just explore in general. The weather for the most part cooperated with us too, on and off showers, clear blue skies then not so much but it really was pretty enjoyable being in the rain in the mangroves, so it didn’t really matter. We got back pretty early in the afternoon and were certainly ready to take full advantage of the hot tub and did we ever. After the tub we got back into regular clothes and headed into town just doing a bit of exploring. It’s certainly a cute little town with a bit of history, being the town adjacent to where the treaty of Waitangi was signed. We made ourselves some dinner following then decided to go back to the game room to enjoy the rest of our night.
It started with an early morning because we needed to check out of our current room and move into another one to save a few bucks of course. The main theme of the day was RAIN. We maybe had maybe a couple short breaks from it during the day, but it was pretty constant throughout. We walked towards downtown on we found a church with a service about to start so I saw my first catholic service that wasn’t for a funeral, it was really interesting, and an experience I’m glad I had. After the service we meandered to down to the visitor center to find some things to do in Auckland on a rainy day since originally we were going to hike for the day, We found out that the museum was only 5 dollars so we were pretty sold on that. It was really cool, it was three levels and had some really cool exhibits especially about maori and south pacific peoples. After that we headed back to the hostel to jump online and update everyone who cared about our lives, and to check out our tent situation to see if we needed to purchase a rain fly or what. Well we had a rain fly, what we were missing however was our tent poles . But we figured oh well shit happens we’ll figure out something and maybe be able to make some sort of a lean to with it anyways, who knows. Then it was dinner time again and time to get ready to go out on the town, even though we had to get up at six the next morning. We had an awesome lasagna and salad for dinner with a couple pints then met up with a friends friend who attends Auckland Uni. He took us out to show us a couple bars, we had an awesome time. After a quick stop on the way home at McDonalds we found ourselves in bed at 1 or 1:30 am.
Day 3
We rolled out of bed painfully at 6 am packed up and hit the road to find our bus stop and check in and whatnot. After eating cheap micro waved eggs and toast at the café next to the bus stop we loaded up our bus which to our surprise was a tour bus, so we had a guide to tell us all about the areas along our path. The bust was really cool too it had windows all along the top giving us a panoramic view of the sky which today was a beautiful blue with the few spotty clouds. The only problem with the bus and it being a guide bus was we were planning on catch the second 4 hours of our needed 8 hours of sleep on it…but the guy didn’t stop talking, obviously greatly inhibiting our ability to pass out. After getting to Piahia we needed to find a place to stay, I had found that campsite for $12 a night which between the two of us seemed like the cheapest and best option, so after the bus driver drove us around to all the hostels to check the prices we went for a long long long walk to the other end of town only to find out the site was 12.50 per person, we had found a hostel for just 15 dollars, so the choice was pretty obvious. We moved into our hostel to find that not only did we have a sweet game, free kayak rental, bike rental, and a hot tub but we also had a 5 person dorm completely to ourselves! It was amazing! Since we had already spent the day looking for places to stay we grabbed one of the kayaks and headed out to one of the many island the Bay of Islands has to offer. It was really cool, we pulled up on one and explored it around and just explored around for awhile. When the weather looked like it was going to turn we headed back and played a little ping pong and darts, where we met and awesome Canadian couple we talked to til we went to bed for the night.
Day 4
Because of recent storms the water was a bit murky and not so good for snorkeling so instead we found a sweet guided sea kayak tour. They took us all over the place, out to this awesome waterfall where I conveniently tipped my kayak and made a bit of a fool of myself, but it was all in good fun. The was a bit cold and took my breath away upon hitting it but overall it was nice to do a little swimming, although I did end up looking my sun glasses because of it . After the waterfall we had a nice little tea and biscuit (cookie) lunch and had a nice chat with our guide. He was an awesome guy, from Maori descent, with tons of knowledge of the area, historically, ecologically, he just knew a ton. We also got to talk him about the difference between our cultures and lifestyles and general attitudes in life, which is always fun. After lunch the tide and come in and filled with mangrove swamps with water once again, allowing our kayaks to get back and into them. It was so fun! We got to go off on our own a bit and weave in and out of the trees and just explore in general. The weather for the most part cooperated with us too, on and off showers, clear blue skies then not so much but it really was pretty enjoyable being in the rain in the mangroves, so it didn’t really matter. We got back pretty early in the afternoon and were certainly ready to take full advantage of the hot tub and did we ever. After the tub we got back into regular clothes and headed into town just doing a bit of exploring. It’s certainly a cute little town with a bit of history, being the town adjacent to where the treaty of Waitangi was signed. We made ourselves some dinner following then decided to go back to the game room to enjoy the rest of our night.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Start of the great adventure
Day one!
We’ve arrived in Auckland! Exhausted but we’ve made it. We have got to stop drinking the night before we have to get up early and do things, so irresponsible. We had our first mishap right off the bat buying a round trip bus ticket to get back to the airport…well we didn’t need to go back to the airport since we’ll be taking off from the sky tower via a bus to Piahia. Oh well only five dollars lost. After checking into our hostel we moseyed down the street to enjoy an awesome six dollar breakfast! From there we ventured into downtown heading for the sky tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. We found it after some wandering but we found it none the less. We took this really cool glass front and glass floored elevator to the first observation tower giving us a great view of the city however it paled in comparison to the view from the sky deck the high view point we could reach. We could see the entirety of Auckland from the sky deck, it offers a full 360 degree walk around to see out. It was gorgeous. On one side was the city the other looking out in the bay and beyond to the ocean. Although a bit nerve racking at times it was pretty cool to look down and see how high up we were. After the sky tower we got on a bus and headed out to a place called one tree hill. On the walked up the hill we found ourselves in a green pasture dotted with sheep and new baby lambs! They were soooo cute. I took far far too many pictures of them but as stated before, so cute! At the top of the hill we again found ourselves looking out at a spectacular sight all around. Although not as high up as the sky tower the location was beautiful and the sights were as well. After that we moved into town and got fish and chips, a deep fried hot dog and seasoned wedges for me. After lunch we went back to our room to catch a much needed nap. We woke up and went for another walk downtown just to check out what Auckland at night was like, after a short walk we decided to head back to the hostel to get our free meal which came with the room and hang out at the bar there. We went up to our room to find 8 crazy punk kids drunk as all hell inside it telling us that they over booked the room and needed to talk to us. Well we ended up getting moved to another room but they did upgrade our free meal, we got a burger, baked beans and fries, It was great! We then got a jug of Tui one of the greatest beers and played some pool, by ourselves then with some locals. We also tried our hand at come slots, which went well for Luke at first then poorly for him and poorly for me throughout, which sucked. Then it was time for bed seeing that we hadn’t got much sleep as of recent and had to switch rooms early in the morning to save a few dollars. After a short talk with our Australian roommate me and Luke crawled into bed.
We’ve arrived in Auckland! Exhausted but we’ve made it. We have got to stop drinking the night before we have to get up early and do things, so irresponsible. We had our first mishap right off the bat buying a round trip bus ticket to get back to the airport…well we didn’t need to go back to the airport since we’ll be taking off from the sky tower via a bus to Piahia. Oh well only five dollars lost. After checking into our hostel we moseyed down the street to enjoy an awesome six dollar breakfast! From there we ventured into downtown heading for the sky tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. We found it after some wandering but we found it none the less. We took this really cool glass front and glass floored elevator to the first observation tower giving us a great view of the city however it paled in comparison to the view from the sky deck the high view point we could reach. We could see the entirety of Auckland from the sky deck, it offers a full 360 degree walk around to see out. It was gorgeous. On one side was the city the other looking out in the bay and beyond to the ocean. Although a bit nerve racking at times it was pretty cool to look down and see how high up we were. After the sky tower we got on a bus and headed out to a place called one tree hill. On the walked up the hill we found ourselves in a green pasture dotted with sheep and new baby lambs! They were soooo cute. I took far far too many pictures of them but as stated before, so cute! At the top of the hill we again found ourselves looking out at a spectacular sight all around. Although not as high up as the sky tower the location was beautiful and the sights were as well. After that we moved into town and got fish and chips, a deep fried hot dog and seasoned wedges for me. After lunch we went back to our room to catch a much needed nap. We woke up and went for another walk downtown just to check out what Auckland at night was like, after a short walk we decided to head back to the hostel to get our free meal which came with the room and hang out at the bar there. We went up to our room to find 8 crazy punk kids drunk as all hell inside it telling us that they over booked the room and needed to talk to us. Well we ended up getting moved to another room but they did upgrade our free meal, we got a burger, baked beans and fries, It was great! We then got a jug of Tui one of the greatest beers and played some pool, by ourselves then with some locals. We also tried our hand at come slots, which went well for Luke at first then poorly for him and poorly for me throughout, which sucked. Then it was time for bed seeing that we hadn’t got much sleep as of recent and had to switch rooms early in the morning to save a few dollars. After a short talk with our Australian roommate me and Luke crawled into bed.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
I'm back again
Ok ya'll i'm back! Last time i talked about starting all my classes. Well for the most part they're still pretty dull. However, i did drop my psychology class to take a social work class which so far is way better! Other than that yeah classes are all the same. It's been pretty darn rainy as of late so there really hasn't been that much adventuring and fun things happening in my life. I did however as you saw venture out to akaroa, about an 1 and fifteen minutes away from Chch (christchurch), and it was absolutely gorgeous. We wanted to do a hike there up to a couple summits but instead went down some crazy one lane road that ended up leading to some awesome views, but no hikes. We were on that lane where you see me and my mates standing on top of the car. This past weekend we found our way to lyttelton, click to see pictures, which was also pretty cool. We took a pretty sweet tunnel through the mountains to get to it then took the road over the mountains on the way back. It was again pretty rainy there so we only spent the afternoon there but it was still pretty and cool, i guess making it pretty cool. This upcoming weekend Lil' Jon some ghetto rapper is coming and doing a free concert so we're going to that, it should be a riot. Then one more week til my Two week break! Me and my friends have that whole trip planned out too, that's mainly what we've been doing on our rainy days. It's going to be awesome. But i'll tell you all about that as it comes. But now i guess i need to get to updating more photos and the like, and i guess perhaps doing some work for school...perhaps.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wow I'm busy
Sorry everyone i've been swamped as of the last couple weeks. I've been traveling hanging out with friends and trying as many new things as i possible can! Classes started last week and they seem pretty intense. My Psych class so far is all about the brains and all this complex stuff, more biology then theories of psychology, a bit dull and a bit over my head, but the lab, aka tutorials here, was far more interesting and more based off theories and the like. My Human geography class is dull dull dull but again the tutorial slightly makes up for it and certainly helps clarify things. The maori class has been interesting and fun overall but I've only had it a few times and the same goes for the antarctic studies. Overall i would say i enjoy my classes thus far but they quite a bit more demanding then classes back home at least as far as time goes. My geog class for example is 4 times a week plus a two hour lab, luckily though he got rid of the fourth day so we could do his readings, blahhhhhhhhhh, but it's still three times a week plus as stated before a two hour tutorial. The grading is really interesting here too. all my classes are based basically on three grades. Usually a tutorial grade, one big essay, and the final exam, and then perhaps there will be another test if there is no tutorial for the class. So like for my Geog Class the grading breaks down as 30% for the lab, 20% for the essay an 50% for the finals. I kinda appreciate skipping all that bull shit busy work we do back home and just concentrating on tests, it's nice. Last week i also went out and took dance lessons. It was an absolute riot!!! i definitely plan on doing them again this Thursday. I learned a few basic steps to modern jive, merengue and salsa, and will continue to learn more with each lesson i go to. I also tried to learn to play rugby but the guy i was supposed to meet up with showed up late so we're in the process of rescheduling when i can learn to play. As you saw from the pictures i also went downtown last week and explored the cathedral and went to the science alive museum. Both were a ton of fun! Then Sunday my friend Luke and I went out and checked out Sumner beach and took an absolutely beautiful hike called Taylor's mistake along a cliff line. It was so awesome as you can tell by the pictures. Tonight is one of my friends birthdays so we plan on throwing her a small shindig but now it's time to make my staple meal grilled cheese. I'll give more updates soon.
Cheers!
P.S. Mom if you're worrying all I'm eating is Grilled Cheese and Peanut butter and jelly you should be. Haha, i'm just joking me and three other guys have started making dinner together regularly, we've done quesadillas, spaghetti and sausage, cordon bleu and stir fry, and tacos. So no frets!
Cheers!
P.S. Mom if you're worrying all I'm eating is Grilled Cheese and Peanut butter and jelly you should be. Haha, i'm just joking me and three other guys have started making dinner together regularly, we've done quesadillas, spaghetti and sausage, cordon bleu and stir fry, and tacos. So no frets!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Ok new updates are coming soon seriously
But here are the pictures from my hike this weekend!
Taylors Mistake
But here are the pictures from my hike this weekend!
Taylors Mistake
Saturday, July 19, 2008
More to come...
Pictures of Downtown Christchurch
Check out downtown Christchurch, It's pretty radical! i'll have more life updates soon!
Check out downtown Christchurch, It's pretty radical! i'll have more life updates soon!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
My Address, My Photos
Ok the moment you've all been waiting for my address, well here it is:
For standard mail:
Garrett Warrilow
flat 22 room 31
Ilam Village
PO box 6362
Christchurch
For Courier Mail (parcel):
Garrett Warrilow
Flat 22 Room 31
Ilam Village
Homestead Lane
Ilam
Christchurch
I also have started using photobucket which puts my photos in a nice little slideshow for you, it's pretty flash if you ask me (trying to get up to speed with their slang). Here's the link for my orientation pictures: Click here for Orientation Picks
and here is the link for my most recent adventure to Dunedin and the All Blacks game
Click Here for Dunedin Pictures
Let me know if they work for you guys please so i can try and fix it asap, hopefully everything is sweet as (more slang for good)
cheers
P.S. i also have a cell phone here and a land line phone let me know if anyone actually wants those numbers i can't see where you would, we should really skype if you want to hear my voice :)
For standard mail:
Garrett Warrilow
flat 22 room 31
Ilam Village
PO box 6362
Christchurch
For Courier Mail (parcel):
Garrett Warrilow
Flat 22 Room 31
Ilam Village
Homestead Lane
Ilam
Christchurch
I also have started using photobucket which puts my photos in a nice little slideshow for you, it's pretty flash if you ask me (trying to get up to speed with their slang). Here's the link for my orientation pictures: Click here for Orientation Picks
and here is the link for my most recent adventure to Dunedin and the All Blacks game
Click Here for Dunedin Pictures
Let me know if they work for you guys please so i can try and fix it asap, hopefully everything is sweet as (more slang for good)
cheers
P.S. i also have a cell phone here and a land line phone let me know if anyone actually wants those numbers i can't see where you would, we should really skype if you want to hear my voice :)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I'm back after a weekend in Dunedin!
Wow i just had one of the most incredible weekends of my life!
I headed down with 4 people to Dunedin, about a 5 hours drive south, to see the All Blacks, New Zealand's rugby team, take on South Africa. I didn't have a ticket when i headed down there, but i really didn't care, i wanted to see Dunedin anyways. We stayed with one of my friend's friends in her flat it was really nice and she was nice enough to show us around town too. After a first night there we decided to go to the All Blacks store downtown, so of course we could buy some swag. I bought a few things and while i was checking out the lady asked me if i had tickets, i of course said no but a few of my friends did. The next thing i knew a man comes up to me and tells me he has an extra ticket and would sell it to me for $50, that was like 50-75 dollars less than everyone else i knew had paid for theirs so i of course jumped on it. The game was a ton of fun! I didn't know what the hell was going on and we lost but it was fun none the less! Oh little weird note, everyone pees in public here. I walked out of the stadium and there was like 10 guys all lined up and girls in the bushes all just peeing in the grass. And it was more than just at sporting events people seem to be ok with doing it anywhere. Ok more on the trip. The drive was absolutely beautiful, just sooo gorgeous the whole way. The first day we got there we went to a place called sand fly bay to see the penguins come up onto shore for the night. We only saw two but we also saw sea lions just lounging about on the beach, they were so cool. I don't have pictures of the penguins because it scares them but i do have a few of the sea lions check them out. I mean the beach was gorgeous without the wildlife but that was certainly a bonus. We also stopped on a beach on the way down to see some boulders of some sort. The beach was again absolutely gorgeous! While we were there we also go to see some mini horses being walked by there owner, they were pretty cool too. The next morning after our first night we went down to tunnel beach. Gosh i had more words to describe it but it was amazing, just amazing. you walk down to a trail and come to an area of absolute cliffs, then the trail continues on to a small tunnel supposedly dug and chiseled away by a farmer in the 1800's to give his daughter a beach who the first time out ended up drowning. You follow this tunnel down and end up down at the beach, which i suppose you could have already figured, surrounded by cliffs and walls of rocks all around. It was incredible. That night was the game night and then out to the bars, which were a riot as always. Then today we woke up got dressed and hit the road on our way back home.
Ugh, classes start tomorrow, guess the party is semi over. I'll let you know how they go. Ok that's it for the most part for now. I don't have any sheep jokes but I'm working on it. Cheers
I headed down with 4 people to Dunedin, about a 5 hours drive south, to see the All Blacks, New Zealand's rugby team, take on South Africa. I didn't have a ticket when i headed down there, but i really didn't care, i wanted to see Dunedin anyways. We stayed with one of my friend's friends in her flat it was really nice and she was nice enough to show us around town too. After a first night there we decided to go to the All Blacks store downtown, so of course we could buy some swag. I bought a few things and while i was checking out the lady asked me if i had tickets, i of course said no but a few of my friends did. The next thing i knew a man comes up to me and tells me he has an extra ticket and would sell it to me for $50, that was like 50-75 dollars less than everyone else i knew had paid for theirs so i of course jumped on it. The game was a ton of fun! I didn't know what the hell was going on and we lost but it was fun none the less! Oh little weird note, everyone pees in public here. I walked out of the stadium and there was like 10 guys all lined up and girls in the bushes all just peeing in the grass. And it was more than just at sporting events people seem to be ok with doing it anywhere. Ok more on the trip. The drive was absolutely beautiful, just sooo gorgeous the whole way. The first day we got there we went to a place called sand fly bay to see the penguins come up onto shore for the night. We only saw two but we also saw sea lions just lounging about on the beach, they were so cool. I don't have pictures of the penguins because it scares them but i do have a few of the sea lions check them out. I mean the beach was gorgeous without the wildlife but that was certainly a bonus. We also stopped on a beach on the way down to see some boulders of some sort. The beach was again absolutely gorgeous! While we were there we also go to see some mini horses being walked by there owner, they were pretty cool too. The next morning after our first night we went down to tunnel beach. Gosh i had more words to describe it but it was amazing, just amazing. you walk down to a trail and come to an area of absolute cliffs, then the trail continues on to a small tunnel supposedly dug and chiseled away by a farmer in the 1800's to give his daughter a beach who the first time out ended up drowning. You follow this tunnel down and end up down at the beach, which i suppose you could have already figured, surrounded by cliffs and walls of rocks all around. It was incredible. That night was the game night and then out to the bars, which were a riot as always. Then today we woke up got dressed and hit the road on our way back home.
Ugh, classes start tomorrow, guess the party is semi over. I'll let you know how they go. Ok that's it for the most part for now. I don't have any sheep jokes but I'm working on it. Cheers
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It's been a crazy few days, cont.
Ok so yeah Rotorua rocked! I had a ton of fun, for the most part everyone is really nice and I've got along with them. There was only one other person from Michigan on my trip and she to central, boooo, but she is very nice. Otherwise I've met people from just about everywhere across the united states. And now that I'm here at my Uni I've met people from all over the world. To start look at my roommates. I have one working on her masters from Canada, whose name i was told but can't recall. Then there is a guy named swahala maybe, i can't really remember and he was from Tuvalu a teeny tiny little island northwest-ish of Fiji. And then there is Bob from Samoa. We are still expecting one more roommate, we'll see what kind of diversity they'll bring. I registered for classes today, I'm taking an antarctic studies class, a psych class on cognition, a class on Maori society, and human geography. My schedule seems pretty cool except for the fact that i have antarctic studies at 8am Tuesdays and Fridays, blah. Hmm what else is going on... I went grocery shopping on my own for the first time, and discovered they don't have American cheese here!!!! shit my plan for grilled cheese daily is screwed. So i went for this cheese called tasty, yes the type is tasty, it makes a pretty decent grilled cheese, overall i'm satisfied and will be more than able to deal with it as an american cheese substitute. Ok any questions just leave me a comment and i'll answer away.
It's been a crazy few days
Shit, i had this all written out but my computer restarted while i was sleeping so i guess I'll rewrite it all. I've been extremely busy lately it's been nuts, but an absolute blast. Since the last time i wrote i can't believe how much I've done. The next day i went luging, not on ice but instead on cement tracks it was a riot. The next day i went to Waitomo and went caving. We started by doing something like a 60 meter repel down into it, it was sooo fun. I also went to the traditional hangi dinner where we saw the hoka performed an ancient Maori war dance. Oh man i also saw a sheep get sheared as well as an angora rabbit getting sheared. That's what the pictures are of in the album below, just to let you guys know. I have also been to the bar for my first time...and second time...and third time haha. I have to admit i got a little giddy the first time i got to buy beer as well, i know it's a little embarrassing but i thought i might as well be honest about it. But man oh man beer is not cheap here. The best deal I've been able to find so far is 18 beers for $20, it sure makes me miss the old 30 for $15. But so far the beer is good here, and I've even started to drink a bit of dark beer, it's starting to kinda grow on me. ok there is more to say but i have to run again! i'll get you all caught up soon
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
I'M HERE!!!!
Whoa! I'm here i can't believe it! So far it's beautiful and I'm having fun. But let's backtrack a bit to the start of it all.
My day started off fine enough my flight from detroit was on time and went smoothly, no one sat next to me so i had a bit of room to spread out...it was really nice for a 45 minute flight. However, the happy tune changed shortly after stepping off my flight in chicago...I looked to the big board only to find my next flight was already delayed an hour, well by the time it actually took off it was more like an hour and a half. Then once i got on I was in the aisle sitting next to the two asian people. The man sitting beside me didn't put the arm rest down between us making it very awkward the whole time, of which 90% of the time the little man slept anyways. Not only was that uncomfortable but the guy in front of my kept adjusting his seat directly into my knees, needless to say i was unhappy. It was 4 hours of misery. Then, when i got to LA i had to find another terminal which was supposed to just be across the parking lot according to this very pleasant lady at the help desk, but in reality it was across a busy street and then down the road a ways. But no frets I found it and made it to my flight with no problems. And this flight was great! All sorts of movies to choose from and tv shows, a monitor to myself put directly in the back of the seat in front of me (which by the way was occupied by a very odorous smelly obese man). The lady who sat next to me was very motherly and extremely pleasant to talk to. She was very supportive of me and extremely helpful. Oh, and the guy from take home chef was totally on my flight, he flew coach too! It was amazing and funny, i don't think anyone but me and the lady next to me knew him though cause no one was bothering him.
My flight from LA to Auckland wasn't bad at all, it seemed short and was pretty comfortable and very well serviced. I slept for a few hours with the aid of a benadryl. However, not everything was so great, i proceeded to baggage claim...NO BAGS! shit! Luckily, i wasn't the only one, in fact everyone who flew with me from Chicago didn't have theres as well. Of course that only makes me feel better and didn't really help my situation. I filed my report and moved on, i went through customs no problem and managed to find my Orientation leaders, who directed me to a bus that took me to where i am now in Rotorua. The drive was very pleasant although a bit cramped. The country is absolutely beautiful! So far there has always been mountains or beautiful hill sides to see either in the distance or right in my face, and as thought, plenty of sheep. However we did go through dairy country so there was plenty of cows to see as well. Everyone in my group seems nice enough but it's all so awkward, i kinda wish i had done this with a friend, but i'm enjoying my alone time as well. Maybe i should just go get a beer so i can relax and then it won't be awkward at all, or at least i won't notice haha. I'm staying in this teeny tiny little hostel room with a guy from de paw university, not de paul, de paw. And they have tracked down my luggage, it should be back to me tomorrow sometime, so thats a relief, good thing i packed my carry-on for just such a disaster so i'll be fine til then. Ok well i got to run, i'm sorry this was probably all over the place and could use some heavy editing, but alas, i'm running out of time and it will have to wait til another day. Hopefully i got my main points across...chicago sucks, baggage lost, New Zealand beautiful, overall happy, that's about it. I'll keep you posted as often as i can get internet over the next couple days, but it's not cheap so we'll see.
My day started off fine enough my flight from detroit was on time and went smoothly, no one sat next to me so i had a bit of room to spread out...it was really nice for a 45 minute flight. However, the happy tune changed shortly after stepping off my flight in chicago...I looked to the big board only to find my next flight was already delayed an hour, well by the time it actually took off it was more like an hour and a half. Then once i got on I was in the aisle sitting next to the two asian people. The man sitting beside me didn't put the arm rest down between us making it very awkward the whole time, of which 90% of the time the little man slept anyways. Not only was that uncomfortable but the guy in front of my kept adjusting his seat directly into my knees, needless to say i was unhappy. It was 4 hours of misery. Then, when i got to LA i had to find another terminal which was supposed to just be across the parking lot according to this very pleasant lady at the help desk, but in reality it was across a busy street and then down the road a ways. But no frets I found it and made it to my flight with no problems. And this flight was great! All sorts of movies to choose from and tv shows, a monitor to myself put directly in the back of the seat in front of me (which by the way was occupied by a very odorous smelly obese man). The lady who sat next to me was very motherly and extremely pleasant to talk to. She was very supportive of me and extremely helpful. Oh, and the guy from take home chef was totally on my flight, he flew coach too! It was amazing and funny, i don't think anyone but me and the lady next to me knew him though cause no one was bothering him.
My flight from LA to Auckland wasn't bad at all, it seemed short and was pretty comfortable and very well serviced. I slept for a few hours with the aid of a benadryl. However, not everything was so great, i proceeded to baggage claim...NO BAGS! shit! Luckily, i wasn't the only one, in fact everyone who flew with me from Chicago didn't have theres as well. Of course that only makes me feel better and didn't really help my situation. I filed my report and moved on, i went through customs no problem and managed to find my Orientation leaders, who directed me to a bus that took me to where i am now in Rotorua. The drive was very pleasant although a bit cramped. The country is absolutely beautiful! So far there has always been mountains or beautiful hill sides to see either in the distance or right in my face, and as thought, plenty of sheep. However we did go through dairy country so there was plenty of cows to see as well. Everyone in my group seems nice enough but it's all so awkward, i kinda wish i had done this with a friend, but i'm enjoying my alone time as well. Maybe i should just go get a beer so i can relax and then it won't be awkward at all, or at least i won't notice haha. I'm staying in this teeny tiny little hostel room with a guy from de paw university, not de paul, de paw. And they have tracked down my luggage, it should be back to me tomorrow sometime, so thats a relief, good thing i packed my carry-on for just such a disaster so i'll be fine til then. Ok well i got to run, i'm sorry this was probably all over the place and could use some heavy editing, but alas, i'm running out of time and it will have to wait til another day. Hopefully i got my main points across...chicago sucks, baggage lost, New Zealand beautiful, overall happy, that's about it. I'll keep you posted as often as i can get internet over the next couple days, but it's not cheap so we'll see.
Monday, June 30, 2008
I'm ready
Alright well less than 48 hours from now i'll be on my way to New Zealand. I'm packed now and wondering if i'm really ready for this. It still really hasn't hit me that i'm leaving for as long as i am, but i'm sure it will all be over before i know it. I think i have everything i need but then again how can you be packed for 5 months in two suitcases and a carry on? We'll see i guess. The posts on this blog will probably come fast and furious at first since i won't have any friends and i'll have plenty to talk about, but i'm sure that will drop off as the semester goes on. I'll try to keep everyone up to date on my life.
Alright back to goodbyes and all the other loose ends before i leave.
Alright back to goodbyes and all the other loose ends before i leave.
Monday, June 2, 2008
I leave...
I leave in a month. Eek! i think i more or less have all my side trips decided, it's just a matter of having enough time to do it all and see it all. I'm excited and scared!
Friday, May 16, 2008
New Zealand Facts:
1. They Speak English
2. There are 44 millions sheep to about 4 millions people
3. They have their own currency the New Zealand Dollar which runs about $1.46 to every $1.00 USD
4. New Zealand is composed of two islands, the more populous North Island and the more scenic South Island (Christchurch is on the south island)
5. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and is the most southern city on the North Island
6. Auckland used to be the capital of New Zealand until it moved to the more central location of Wellington, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand with a population around 1.3 million.
7. Maori is the name of the original people of New Zealand, they have their own language, which is one of the two national languages of New Zealand (English of course being the other). They immigrated to New Zealand from Hawaiiki a polynesian island.
8. New Zealand boasts the worlds second highest bungee Jump, the site of the original bungee jump, the southern most bar in the world, the world's southern most library, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, and many more exciting things!
9. To find out what time it is in New Zealand simply subtract 8 hours from the current time here and add a day. if it's 9pm Monday here subtract 8, making it 1pm then add a day making it 1pm Tuesday.
2. There are 44 millions sheep to about 4 millions people
3. They have their own currency the New Zealand Dollar which runs about $1.46 to every $1.00 USD
4. New Zealand is composed of two islands, the more populous North Island and the more scenic South Island (Christchurch is on the south island)
5. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and is the most southern city on the North Island
6. Auckland used to be the capital of New Zealand until it moved to the more central location of Wellington, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand with a population around 1.3 million.
7. Maori is the name of the original people of New Zealand, they have their own language, which is one of the two national languages of New Zealand (English of course being the other). They immigrated to New Zealand from Hawaiiki a polynesian island.
8. New Zealand boasts the worlds second highest bungee Jump, the site of the original bungee jump, the southern most bar in the world, the world's southern most library, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, and many more exciting things!
9. To find out what time it is in New Zealand simply subtract 8 hours from the current time here and add a day. if it's 9pm Monday here subtract 8, making it 1pm then add a day making it 1pm Tuesday.
So a few notes on my trip:
1. I leave July 2nd and I'll be home November 18th
2. I'll be in Fiji from November 14-17
3. When I'm in NZ it will be their winter, with average lows in the 40s and highs in the mid 50s
4. I'll be in Christchurch, New Zealand at the University of Canterbury
5. More information will be coming as i gather more FAQ's
2. I'll be in Fiji from November 14-17
3. When I'm in NZ it will be their winter, with average lows in the 40s and highs in the mid 50s
4. I'll be in Christchurch, New Zealand at the University of Canterbury
5. More information will be coming as i gather more FAQ's
Thursday, May 15, 2008
It's May
So welcome to my New Zealand Blog. I'll try and keep this up so you guys can hear about my latest and greatest adventures and I guess just everyday life here. Right now I'm just planning my trip, looking into what i want to do when I'm there and where i want to go. I'm really excited but really nervous at the same time. I'm going to be away for so long away from all the people i love, and then on top of that, it will be hard to talk to everyone because of the time difference. Who knows...
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