I had a good night sleep last night in the cosy hostel and ended up waking up at half 7 which only gave me an hour to get ready! After a quick shower I treated myself to scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast and during this time maximised my use of the hostels free WiFi. In all I had a very productive morning in what was a good hostel in my books. I loved the laid back nature of the whole place, and it felt like staying in a house and not a hostel. The owner was even as laid back as you can get, just buying our keys back off us with notes from his pocket unlike most hostels who have checklists of our names and do formal check outs!
In the end we left by half 8, the first stop of the day being Cape Foulwind which was just a 10 minute drive or so down the road. It was here our driver dropped us off at this car park and said he would meet us further down the road at a car park so we could do this hour or so walk along the coast. Passing a lighthouse when reaching the top of the hill, the path weaved its way along the cliff top, at times going through bushes and over stiles. The weather was slightly cloudy today but that didn't stop us seeing these seals at this lookout which looked down at these rocks by the sea. There was this really cute pup which couldn't get on the rock and kept slipping over! It was only a short walk from here descending quickly along boardwalks to the car park.
When at the car park we had a wait for our driver, mainly because I had tanked the route and was first back. After some people bought ice creams and other snacks, we were finally off by around 10, continuing down south to our next stop in Punakaiki. It was here we stopped to see the pancake rocks and blowholes. A short 20 minute walk or so took us round to see these distinctive rock formations which basically looked like stacks of pancakes. There was also an area called the chimney pot which emitted lots of steam, but the most impressive part was the Putai blowhole. This was basically a hole which had been eroded away, which splashed lots of water upwards because it got the full force of the waves below.
After looking round the many formations which are still changing due to erosion, we settled down for lunch. It's not surprising its changing so much as the waves were really strong against the rocks! My lunch in the end was just crisps, apples and chocolate, which we spent just outside this cafe area. Some people bought these pancake stacks from the cafe but they were $17 each! There was a decent visitor centre next door as well which was interesting to look round.
We then continued our drive further south, next stop Greymouth where we picked up some people who had come across from Christchurch on the tranz alpine railway. This was just a pick up, and continuing on our drive took us further along the coast. En route we came to the really dodgy bridge which was a single lane shared with an active railway line. The only way to see if a train is coming is to drive onto the railway line as the approach was on a bend! Luckily we got over, although many people were falling asleep by this point so our driver played loud music. He was playing rock and disco stuff all day, and he continued this by turning up the volume!
Whilst on the long journey south, it was mental because when talking to this Tottenham fan I found out he grew up playing football with Callum Chambers! The next stop along was Hokitika which is a town famous for its greenstone. When getting off the bus we got a talk about the jade production in the area and got a quick demonstration about how it gets made from rock to final product. We had a while here after the talk, so I walked down to the beach which had this driftwood sign of the town. The town in all was a little weird but well worth the short visit we had.
From Hokitika it was one last push to Franz Josef which took us down some ridiculously scenic roads. Winding through rainforest we got the odd display of snow capped mountains. They were shrouded in cloud however in places. By around 4 we finally arrived in Franz Josef, famous for its glacier, with our first stop being the tour centre to confirm our tours for tomorrow. I booked the ice explorer which takes me up to the glacier. We didn't have to pay yet though because it is a weather dependent activity. It has been cancelled the last 4 days which wasn't a good sign.
On the way back to the bus it was funny because I bumped into two people I had met back at Kroombit in Australia in a cafe. It was so random! We then checked into our hostel which was a series of lodges within the rainforest. My dorm was pretty basic though not even including plug sockets. Like usual I dumped my stuff however and went out to explore the area, although I couldn't see much as the hills were covered in cloud and the air was moist. It was only a small village, primarily centred around hotels and tour companies to see the glacier. I just went to the information centre and collected a walks map, as well as having a look round some of the shops.
From here I quickly found the villages two solitary geocaches which took me down to the river with white fast flowing waters. From here it was all a pretty laid back evening, although I was starting to feel a little light headed for some reason. I just disregarded this however and cracked straight on with dinner which was lentil curry tonight. I then spent the evening on Skype and on the computer, which then led me to bed. I had the room to myself which meant I used the chance to catch up with things. It wasn't long from there until I fell asleep.
Monday, 31 March 2014
March 28th... From Kaiteriteri to Westport
I had no sense of time again this morning due the lack of power sockets forcing me to charge my phone in the bathroom once again. Luckily we had a later departure today compared to normal which meant I could have a lie in. Despite this I was still up at half 7 although after collecting my phone I just lay in bed for a while because it was quite fresh in the room this morning because someone had opened the window. Breakfast this morning was once again toast, although it was funny in the kitchen as these birds kept coming and stealing peoples food!
Overall it was all a pretty relaxing morning whereby I simply watched the news, and also had a session on the zipline. There was also a pretty decent crazy golf course right next door. By 10 everyone had boarded yet another new bus, and it was nice because there were spaces which is a good sign for booking buses for my onward journeys. Today was one of those days which was a sizeable drive, but made better by having various stop offs. These days are pretty cost effective.
When leaving Kaiteriteri we went along yet more winding roads, passing lots of fruit plantations en route. There were lots of kiwi trees and also vineyards we passed as we drove beside rivers and heavily wooded mountain roads. Geographically I thought Kaiteriteri wasn't too far from the next stop in Westport but we needed to go round this heavily forested and mountainous national park to get to Westport, which made a drive of around 4 hours today not including stop offs.
Before long we arrived at our first stop of the day at the Nelson Lakes, namely Lake Rotoiti near the small town of St Arnaud. We had the option of swimming here which I was tempted to do until the driver mentioned eels in the water. He wasn't joking as well as you could see these massive eels swimming in the water! That didn't stop some people though as they jumped into the lake based round this picturesque woodland setting. The other thing in high numbers round here were bees which wouldn't leave me alone at times. There were even meant to be Kiwis, although I still haven't seen one!
After leaving the lake we continued to the next town along called Murchison which was a small town at the foot of these hills, which today were shrouded in cloud. This was our lunch stop for the day, where I rustled together a few things amongst my bag of crisps, chocolate and other things. After leaving this small township we continued south, now following the Buller Gorge. In 1968 there was a massive earthquake which shook the locals, creating an 11m waterfall along the river overnight! Nowadays the gorge is popular for white water rafting, although it is generally just grade 2 and 3 stuff.
We followed the gorge all the way to Westport in the end which is where the mouth of the river is. En route we dropped off people who opted to get jet boated into town, and also some people who chose to go horse riding. I just wanted to get to town. We also had a couple of lookout stops along the gorge for photos before finally arriving in Westport at around 4. When checking into the hostel which was independent and had free WiFi, I prepared some geocaches for the afternoon. I also caught up with the goings on in the world here after a couple of days without WiFi.
Westport has the highest single mum rate in New Zealand as well as one of the highest crime rates according to our driver, although I don't think there is much truth in that! In terms of geocaching there isn't really much to say other than Westport has a long street full of shops, with a grid formation of housing accommodating the 6000 or so residents. There was an interesting old railway whilst on my searches, and in all I found 6 caches. Whilst out here I also popped into the supermarket, where the bargain of the day went to $1 per kilo of apples! I stocked up on food here ready for Franz Josef as there is only a four square there apparently. On the way back to the hostel I bumped into these girls who called themselves Sisters of Jesus. The fact they were American gives you an idea of of the amount of stuff they were telling me!
Arriving back at the hostel just before 7, I was left with a decision between dinner or a bonfire down the beach. I opted for the bonfire in the end and after a short bus drive down to the seafront I could see why our driver wanted a bonfire so much. The whole beach was loaded with driftwood which made it easy, and the fact our driver had a can of diesel made it even easier. It was a very enjoyable evening in the end as the sun was setting, having a few beers and toasting marshmallows over the fire. Eventually the tide came in however which was really funny because there was one really big wave which washed out everyone's stuff!
After driving back to the hostel, some people went out for a pub crawl, although I stayed behind as I was starving having not had dinner yet. Luckily I had a pasta meal on me which was quick and easy and it wasn't long before I devoured another one of my big portions. I then relaxed in the common room which was very cosy with a small fire and sofas, before eventually heading to the hostel room ready for bed.
Overall it was all a pretty relaxing morning whereby I simply watched the news, and also had a session on the zipline. There was also a pretty decent crazy golf course right next door. By 10 everyone had boarded yet another new bus, and it was nice because there were spaces which is a good sign for booking buses for my onward journeys. Today was one of those days which was a sizeable drive, but made better by having various stop offs. These days are pretty cost effective.
When leaving Kaiteriteri we went along yet more winding roads, passing lots of fruit plantations en route. There were lots of kiwi trees and also vineyards we passed as we drove beside rivers and heavily wooded mountain roads. Geographically I thought Kaiteriteri wasn't too far from the next stop in Westport but we needed to go round this heavily forested and mountainous national park to get to Westport, which made a drive of around 4 hours today not including stop offs.
Before long we arrived at our first stop of the day at the Nelson Lakes, namely Lake Rotoiti near the small town of St Arnaud. We had the option of swimming here which I was tempted to do until the driver mentioned eels in the water. He wasn't joking as well as you could see these massive eels swimming in the water! That didn't stop some people though as they jumped into the lake based round this picturesque woodland setting. The other thing in high numbers round here were bees which wouldn't leave me alone at times. There were even meant to be Kiwis, although I still haven't seen one!
After leaving the lake we continued to the next town along called Murchison which was a small town at the foot of these hills, which today were shrouded in cloud. This was our lunch stop for the day, where I rustled together a few things amongst my bag of crisps, chocolate and other things. After leaving this small township we continued south, now following the Buller Gorge. In 1968 there was a massive earthquake which shook the locals, creating an 11m waterfall along the river overnight! Nowadays the gorge is popular for white water rafting, although it is generally just grade 2 and 3 stuff.
We followed the gorge all the way to Westport in the end which is where the mouth of the river is. En route we dropped off people who opted to get jet boated into town, and also some people who chose to go horse riding. I just wanted to get to town. We also had a couple of lookout stops along the gorge for photos before finally arriving in Westport at around 4. When checking into the hostel which was independent and had free WiFi, I prepared some geocaches for the afternoon. I also caught up with the goings on in the world here after a couple of days without WiFi.
Westport has the highest single mum rate in New Zealand as well as one of the highest crime rates according to our driver, although I don't think there is much truth in that! In terms of geocaching there isn't really much to say other than Westport has a long street full of shops, with a grid formation of housing accommodating the 6000 or so residents. There was an interesting old railway whilst on my searches, and in all I found 6 caches. Whilst out here I also popped into the supermarket, where the bargain of the day went to $1 per kilo of apples! I stocked up on food here ready for Franz Josef as there is only a four square there apparently. On the way back to the hostel I bumped into these girls who called themselves Sisters of Jesus. The fact they were American gives you an idea of of the amount of stuff they were telling me!
Arriving back at the hostel just before 7, I was left with a decision between dinner or a bonfire down the beach. I opted for the bonfire in the end and after a short bus drive down to the seafront I could see why our driver wanted a bonfire so much. The whole beach was loaded with driftwood which made it easy, and the fact our driver had a can of diesel made it even easier. It was a very enjoyable evening in the end as the sun was setting, having a few beers and toasting marshmallows over the fire. Eventually the tide came in however which was really funny because there was one really big wave which washed out everyone's stuff!
After driving back to the hostel, some people went out for a pub crawl, although I stayed behind as I was starving having not had dinner yet. Luckily I had a pasta meal on me which was quick and easy and it wasn't long before I devoured another one of my big portions. I then relaxed in the common room which was very cosy with a small fire and sofas, before eventually heading to the hostel room ready for bed.
Sunday, 30 March 2014
March 27th... Abel Tasman National Park
I was awoken at the crack of dawn this morning due to the two girls in my room getting up early to watch the sunrise. This was a good thing however as my phone was in the bathroom on charge which meant I had no alarm. I trusted it there as there were only 3 of us which meant it would be pretty obvious who took it if it disappeared! Today I basically planned a trip into the Abel Tasman National Park which is easiest accessed by aqua taxi. This is because Kaiteriteri is 12km from the park, and also because there are very few roads to the park.
After having a quick and easy breakfast of French stick and crisps which is also my lunch, I headed down to the zipline in the nearby playground to kill time prior to my 9am departure. Many people only opted for one night in Kaiteriteri which meant they couldn't do the national park, and due to this only 4 people from kiwi experience signed up for my package entitled 'seals and sand' which was a hiking based trip. Other people did kayaking trips, although in general people were either relaxing, and some were talking about hitch hiking in!
Arriving just after 9, this small boat dwarfed by the other companies who offered taxi services turned up and I boarded which involved getting my feet wet along with these older people, primarily Americans. Our driver didn't hang around creating lots of splash before stopping at the split apple rock. It is called this because it looks like an apple cut in half, although legend says it is the remains of a hatched dragons egg. We then carried on deeper into the national park with such little development, dropping people off at Anchorage Bay en route. My group was dropped off at Torrent Bay which was more in heart of the park, only accessible by boat or 4wd.
It was annoying to start with because my feet were covered in sand and I needed my hiking trainers on. I eventually washed them and after waiting for the three Swedish girls to get ready we set off. They took ages though which meant I spent a while on this rope swing, pushed by the Americans at one point. The path left the sandy beach and quickly headed into woodland, climbing rapidly up these rocks to give a view of the beach below. Here I got the message the girls were painfully slow so made my excuses and tanked on in front. I wanted to do all the detours as well.
The path from remained pretty moderate through coastal woodland, heading inland for a while and crossing the odd stream. Every so often there would be cracking coastal views, often seen through standing on these rocks. Perhaps the best bit came as I gently descended through the dense woodland when I reached this really wobbly swing bridge over the Falls River. It was lots of fun and I managed to get a picture as some people passed me on it. There was a five person limit on the bridge however. Shortly after leaving the bridge I got to my first detour option down to Sandfly Bay which was the mouth of the river I just crossed. There were some impressive rocks covered in live mussels down here, as well as yet more amazing coastal views on the sandy beach.
After going back up the steep and rocky path back to the main route, it wasn't long until my next detour, this time to South Head. I didn't have to worry about hills here instead getting more aerial views of the bay I had been on as well as the opposite coastline and islands in the distance. When returning to the main path which went through the forest still, I headed just off the path to Medlands Bay which was my first drinking water fill up point, something much needed. This bay was far smaller than the previous one and had a small river flowing out to sea from it.
The next major point of interest along the coastal track was Bark Bay which was quite a busy beach with day trippers and trampers. I had the option of the shorter low tide track here along the beach, or the slightly longer high tide track which I opted for going through the woods inland. Shortly after going along here I got a look at the tramping hut which actually had pretty good facilities. From here it was primarily boardwalks over a river mouth estuary with brilliant plant life, before gently rising to the small waterfall which also had another swing bridge, which was brand new. You could see a previous path in the rocks which looked proper dodgy!
From here the path climbed at a harsh rate up and over this hill, once again through the trees. There were a couple a decent viewpoints going inland from here. After winding my way down this well used track I emerged at the Tonga Quarry which had a lot of Maori history attached it. If you're wondering the park is named after Abel Tasman who discovered this area in the 1600s. He didn't land however as there were culture differences between him and the Maori people everytime he tried. Somehow from this the park got its name. It wasn't far from the Tonga Quarry to my finish point at Onetahuti, arriving here with two hours to spare!
Due to my early arrival I explored the area starting with this small cave which was full of glow worms. I spent a while here exploring the rocks whilst it was low tide. After this I checked out the pool which was near this small campsite for the trampers. It was very peaceful being set in a secluded area of woodland with a small waterfall. I then walked along the large Onetahuti beach and back again which was a actually quite a long way, following these boardwalks across these newly built bridges over yet another river estuary. This then took me back to the aqua taxi point where I just lay down and relaxed on the beach for my half 3 departure.
The taxi arrived bang on time in the end and as part of the tour we got a seal spotting session around Tonga Island. We saw lots of little pups in this rock pool and these bigger ones on the rocks. They were all pretty cute! We then did loads of tricks on the boat, picking up people at other points back towards Kaiteriteri. It was nice passing all the beaches and bays I had walked on whilst going back. In the end we got back to Kaiteriteri at around half 4, getting slightly wet.
When arriving back I thought I would give my laundry a crack, although I had an awful experience as there was only one dryer which took ages! I was in a long queue when finally washing my load, which meant I ended up relaxing in the common room watching the simpsons and then the news, still with no luck. I therefore went out to the local chip shop for dinner having fish and chips as I couldn't be bothered to fight over the kitchen. In the end I finally finished my washing at just after 8, over 3 hours after starting! I was exhausted by this point which sent me to the bedroom, and after sorting a few things out it was off to bed.
After having a quick and easy breakfast of French stick and crisps which is also my lunch, I headed down to the zipline in the nearby playground to kill time prior to my 9am departure. Many people only opted for one night in Kaiteriteri which meant they couldn't do the national park, and due to this only 4 people from kiwi experience signed up for my package entitled 'seals and sand' which was a hiking based trip. Other people did kayaking trips, although in general people were either relaxing, and some were talking about hitch hiking in!
Arriving just after 9, this small boat dwarfed by the other companies who offered taxi services turned up and I boarded which involved getting my feet wet along with these older people, primarily Americans. Our driver didn't hang around creating lots of splash before stopping at the split apple rock. It is called this because it looks like an apple cut in half, although legend says it is the remains of a hatched dragons egg. We then carried on deeper into the national park with such little development, dropping people off at Anchorage Bay en route. My group was dropped off at Torrent Bay which was more in heart of the park, only accessible by boat or 4wd.
It was annoying to start with because my feet were covered in sand and I needed my hiking trainers on. I eventually washed them and after waiting for the three Swedish girls to get ready we set off. They took ages though which meant I spent a while on this rope swing, pushed by the Americans at one point. The path left the sandy beach and quickly headed into woodland, climbing rapidly up these rocks to give a view of the beach below. Here I got the message the girls were painfully slow so made my excuses and tanked on in front. I wanted to do all the detours as well.
The path from remained pretty moderate through coastal woodland, heading inland for a while and crossing the odd stream. Every so often there would be cracking coastal views, often seen through standing on these rocks. Perhaps the best bit came as I gently descended through the dense woodland when I reached this really wobbly swing bridge over the Falls River. It was lots of fun and I managed to get a picture as some people passed me on it. There was a five person limit on the bridge however. Shortly after leaving the bridge I got to my first detour option down to Sandfly Bay which was the mouth of the river I just crossed. There were some impressive rocks covered in live mussels down here, as well as yet more amazing coastal views on the sandy beach.
After going back up the steep and rocky path back to the main route, it wasn't long until my next detour, this time to South Head. I didn't have to worry about hills here instead getting more aerial views of the bay I had been on as well as the opposite coastline and islands in the distance. When returning to the main path which went through the forest still, I headed just off the path to Medlands Bay which was my first drinking water fill up point, something much needed. This bay was far smaller than the previous one and had a small river flowing out to sea from it.
The next major point of interest along the coastal track was Bark Bay which was quite a busy beach with day trippers and trampers. I had the option of the shorter low tide track here along the beach, or the slightly longer high tide track which I opted for going through the woods inland. Shortly after going along here I got a look at the tramping hut which actually had pretty good facilities. From here it was primarily boardwalks over a river mouth estuary with brilliant plant life, before gently rising to the small waterfall which also had another swing bridge, which was brand new. You could see a previous path in the rocks which looked proper dodgy!
From here the path climbed at a harsh rate up and over this hill, once again through the trees. There were a couple a decent viewpoints going inland from here. After winding my way down this well used track I emerged at the Tonga Quarry which had a lot of Maori history attached it. If you're wondering the park is named after Abel Tasman who discovered this area in the 1600s. He didn't land however as there were culture differences between him and the Maori people everytime he tried. Somehow from this the park got its name. It wasn't far from the Tonga Quarry to my finish point at Onetahuti, arriving here with two hours to spare!
Due to my early arrival I explored the area starting with this small cave which was full of glow worms. I spent a while here exploring the rocks whilst it was low tide. After this I checked out the pool which was near this small campsite for the trampers. It was very peaceful being set in a secluded area of woodland with a small waterfall. I then walked along the large Onetahuti beach and back again which was a actually quite a long way, following these boardwalks across these newly built bridges over yet another river estuary. This then took me back to the aqua taxi point where I just lay down and relaxed on the beach for my half 3 departure.
The taxi arrived bang on time in the end and as part of the tour we got a seal spotting session around Tonga Island. We saw lots of little pups in this rock pool and these bigger ones on the rocks. They were all pretty cute! We then did loads of tricks on the boat, picking up people at other points back towards Kaiteriteri. It was nice passing all the beaches and bays I had walked on whilst going back. In the end we got back to Kaiteriteri at around half 4, getting slightly wet.
When arriving back I thought I would give my laundry a crack, although I had an awful experience as there was only one dryer which took ages! I was in a long queue when finally washing my load, which meant I ended up relaxing in the common room watching the simpsons and then the news, still with no luck. I therefore went out to the local chip shop for dinner having fish and chips as I couldn't be bothered to fight over the kitchen. In the end I finally finished my washing at just after 8, over 3 hours after starting! I was exhausted by this point which sent me to the bedroom, and after sorting a few things out it was off to bed.
Friday, 28 March 2014
March 26th... From Wellington to Kaiteriteri
It was a struggle to get up this morning as I had to be up before the sunrise for a 7am departure. To add to this everyone else in my dorm were still asleep by the time my alarm went off which meant I had to be extra quiet. This was due to the fact that basically everyone I had travelled with through to Wellington had now gone either ahead or in other directions, leaving me alone! I did finally get out of bed in the end and after checking out the hostel I went just down the road for the bus. It was absolutely freezing however which has made me think I should probably stop wearing t shirt and shorts, despite the fact the days are still warm.
It was only a short drive this morning after negotiating the one way system out of Wellington to the ferry terminal. It was funny at one point though because the bus didn't make it round a corner which resulted in loads of cars beeping at us! When arriving at the ferry terminal we had to check our bags in like you would at an airport before boarding our ferry which was 10 storeys high! It was a little wait until boarding started but by around half 8 we were aboard ready for a 9am departure.
The ferry itself was pretty impressive featuring shops, restaurants, cafes and even a cinema. You had to pay for the cinema though which were showing newly released movies. I started out on the observation deck right on top which gave me good views as well whilst leaving Wellington, although it was freezing outside. The alternative were these reclining chairs by the windows inside although by the time I discovered them the decent front seats were taken. I instead settled down with a side view window ready for the 3 hour journey.
During the journey I moved around a fair bit, eventually ending up outside on the deck again as we entered the south island. We had to sail through these islands which were very scenic in the sun before arriving in our final destination of Picton just after midday. We were the last to disembark the big ship as we were foot passengers, and after eventually collecting our bags on the conveyer belt which took ages we boarded another bus which was a really old one.
Driving out of the scenic Picton we quickly headed south ready for a stop off at the Marlborough vineyards, a famous wine making region. We had the option of wine tasting here, although the fact I don't like wine meant I opted against it. There was free fudge tasting next door however which was cool and the setting was very picturesque. There were endless vineyards, a rugby pitch, a lake and even free WiFi. All this in the sun!
From here we continued on which already was proving to be a longer journey than I expected. We moved onto winding roads once again here, this time through these large coniferous forests in the mountains until we arrived in the small city of Nelson. Here we dropped off a few people in which looked like a real nice place by the sea and beneath the mountains. We carried on another ten minutes however to Richmond for our days supermarket stop. Based in a shopping centre, I got my supplies for Kaiteriteri as its only a village. I also finally got a new notebook as my current one only has 4 pages left. In all we spent around 45 minutes here in the end.
When leaving Richmond we got on a brand new bus. When I say new I mean we were the first people to use it, which was obvious by the fresh smell and shiny paintwork! It was one last push to Kaiteriteri from here which was basically the other side of the bay, which was massive. It wasn't too long from Richmond and we finally arrived just before 6 in the end. Kaiteriteri is basically the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park, as well as being rated by the guardian as one of the top 5 beaches in the world. I will explore the national park tomorrow which is just 12km away.
After checking into my dorm which was a single bed with a double duvet, I walked out to watch the sunset. I however bumped into the Dutch girls who were on the bus ahead and didn't quite make it to the sunset, instead just walking down the beach. By the time I got back to the hostel time was getting on so I cracked on with dinner which was butter chicken and rice. I think I did too much rice though as it didn't fit on the plate, although it was a very filling meal!
The evening was spent doing yet another quiz night, although the fact this one was held in a locals pub and not a backpackers bar meant it was very serious. The old man running it was very strict on teams and mobile phones, although the questions were far more quiz like unlike the one last Sunday. My team was winning after the first round although we faded badly, especially after the picture round and finished 4th out of 10 teams in the end. It was an enjoyable evening though which was spent with some people I had been travelling with from Auckland, and also the two Dutch guys who have been doing exactly the same buses as me so far! By the time the quiz finished everyone was asleep in my dorm which meant I has to quiet when returning, which I was. It wasn't long from there before I went to bed because I couldn't do much with my phones flashlight!
It was only a short drive this morning after negotiating the one way system out of Wellington to the ferry terminal. It was funny at one point though because the bus didn't make it round a corner which resulted in loads of cars beeping at us! When arriving at the ferry terminal we had to check our bags in like you would at an airport before boarding our ferry which was 10 storeys high! It was a little wait until boarding started but by around half 8 we were aboard ready for a 9am departure.
The ferry itself was pretty impressive featuring shops, restaurants, cafes and even a cinema. You had to pay for the cinema though which were showing newly released movies. I started out on the observation deck right on top which gave me good views as well whilst leaving Wellington, although it was freezing outside. The alternative were these reclining chairs by the windows inside although by the time I discovered them the decent front seats were taken. I instead settled down with a side view window ready for the 3 hour journey.
During the journey I moved around a fair bit, eventually ending up outside on the deck again as we entered the south island. We had to sail through these islands which were very scenic in the sun before arriving in our final destination of Picton just after midday. We were the last to disembark the big ship as we were foot passengers, and after eventually collecting our bags on the conveyer belt which took ages we boarded another bus which was a really old one.
Driving out of the scenic Picton we quickly headed south ready for a stop off at the Marlborough vineyards, a famous wine making region. We had the option of wine tasting here, although the fact I don't like wine meant I opted against it. There was free fudge tasting next door however which was cool and the setting was very picturesque. There were endless vineyards, a rugby pitch, a lake and even free WiFi. All this in the sun!
From here we continued on which already was proving to be a longer journey than I expected. We moved onto winding roads once again here, this time through these large coniferous forests in the mountains until we arrived in the small city of Nelson. Here we dropped off a few people in which looked like a real nice place by the sea and beneath the mountains. We carried on another ten minutes however to Richmond for our days supermarket stop. Based in a shopping centre, I got my supplies for Kaiteriteri as its only a village. I also finally got a new notebook as my current one only has 4 pages left. In all we spent around 45 minutes here in the end.
When leaving Richmond we got on a brand new bus. When I say new I mean we were the first people to use it, which was obvious by the fresh smell and shiny paintwork! It was one last push to Kaiteriteri from here which was basically the other side of the bay, which was massive. It wasn't too long from Richmond and we finally arrived just before 6 in the end. Kaiteriteri is basically the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park, as well as being rated by the guardian as one of the top 5 beaches in the world. I will explore the national park tomorrow which is just 12km away.
After checking into my dorm which was a single bed with a double duvet, I walked out to watch the sunset. I however bumped into the Dutch girls who were on the bus ahead and didn't quite make it to the sunset, instead just walking down the beach. By the time I got back to the hostel time was getting on so I cracked on with dinner which was butter chicken and rice. I think I did too much rice though as it didn't fit on the plate, although it was a very filling meal!
The evening was spent doing yet another quiz night, although the fact this one was held in a locals pub and not a backpackers bar meant it was very serious. The old man running it was very strict on teams and mobile phones, although the questions were far more quiz like unlike the one last Sunday. My team was winning after the first round although we faded badly, especially after the picture round and finished 4th out of 10 teams in the end. It was an enjoyable evening though which was spent with some people I had been travelling with from Auckland, and also the two Dutch guys who have been doing exactly the same buses as me so far! By the time the quiz finished everyone was asleep in my dorm which meant I has to quiet when returning, which I was. It wasn't long from there before I went to bed because I couldn't do much with my phones flashlight!
March 25th... Wellington again
Due to the fact I had 3 nights in Wellington, I had another free day to explore Wellington today. I was tempted to the catch the bus/train somewhere as there are apparently lots of nice walks and bike rides in the surroundings towns, but I instead opted for another day in the main city. Due to this I was in no rush this morning and laid in until about 9! When finally getting out of bed, where surprisingly I was first up, I headed out into town, first stop my new found WiFi hotspot outside my hostel. Wellington has free WiFi everywhere!
My plan of action for the morning was to go to the beehive which is New Zealand's main parliament building. I yesterday found out they do free tours round this and the surrounding buildings free of charge, so I was in! Arriving just before 10 as this unique piece of architecture, I had to go through some real tight security. It was just like going through an airport with myself being searched, and my bag being x rayed. Luckily I got through and from here booked myself onto the tour starting at 10.
Being by far the youngest in the group, we started our tour round the beehive building which was the most modern building. Designed to maximise natural light potential with the windows, the working space all operates around a lift system. Our guide rightfully described it as a doughnut building. We were only allowed to look at the banquet hall here, as the rest of the building was important offices including the prime ministers office! It was funny though because one old man asked about the curtains and then wanted a demonstration on how they opened!
The next part of the tour took us through to this old mansion like building. It was nice talking to people in my group here who despite being considerably older were interested in talking to me. Outside of my personal life, the fact I knew some stuff about politics from when I studied it resulted in me having a political conversation with this guy from south London! When entering the mansion we headed down into the basement where we watched an interesting film about how the building is earthquake proof. It was actually really interesting and in addition we could see the construction with our own eyes. To put it simply the building is on stilts, and the original foundations now have a gap with the ground! In the event of an earthquake the building can move 30cm each way.
The next part of the tour took us round various parts of the building which included corridors with pictures of past prime ministers, artwork and a sculpture representing past links with other countries. There was a lot of historical analysis at this point. Next up was this room where people can present their views to the pm. More impressive was the decoration in here which included Maori weaving and carvings. We then went into the main chamber, the equivalent of the house of commons which showed all the politicians seats. Apparently you can watch debates as the general public. We also saw the room where they open parliament, which has been done by the queen on occasions! The final part of the tour took us to the library. All in all the tour was very interesting, although I couldn't quite take all the political knowledge in!
After leaving the parliament buildings, I went to the cathedral which was a pretty modern building. There were some interesting stained glass windows amongst other things here. After leaving here and walking past many places of worship, I checked out the large westpac stadium. I'm tempted to go to a rugby match here for the atmosphere, I'll just have to see when I pass back through Wellington! From here it was back along the harbour side, passing this massive cruise ship and also this boat which had just come back from exploring Antarctica. One thing I haven't mentioned yet either is the Easter egg hunt they are running around Wellington where they give a map and you have find a number of eggs in the given area. I have seen so many!
By now lunch was well overdue, so after heading back to the hostel I spent the early afternoon sorting out a few more important things. I have now booked all my buses for the deep south section of my trip. By now I had more or less exhausted Wellington of its free things to do in the centre, so I opted for an afternoon of geocaching. This took me out along the harbour side and through the main city centre as far as the main railway station. I found 8/12, mainly because I can never find caches in city centre areas because my gps wanders about because of the high rise buildings.
By now time was getting on, so after yet another walk harbour side, this time back via Cuba Street, it was back to the hostel. I passed a fully kitted out Saints fan en route! After a while relaxing in my hostel room, some new people checked in and things went from finding out they were from Brighton, to finding out one of them was the sister of someone I worked with at Tesco. Funnily enough we knew lots of people in common! To top things off, after coming back from dinner where I had pasta, I met some people from Shoreham in the lift!
Since getting into the hostel that evening, it had been heavily raining and I really needed to get to the new world supermarket to get food for tomorrow. I eventually braved it, which I guess was Wellington living up to its Wet and Windy Wellington nickname, finding out en route I could get to burger king in the dry! I got slightly wet in the end but I got lots of bargains just before it shut. It was then back to hostel ready to sleep for an early start tomorrow morning to go to south island.
My plan of action for the morning was to go to the beehive which is New Zealand's main parliament building. I yesterday found out they do free tours round this and the surrounding buildings free of charge, so I was in! Arriving just before 10 as this unique piece of architecture, I had to go through some real tight security. It was just like going through an airport with myself being searched, and my bag being x rayed. Luckily I got through and from here booked myself onto the tour starting at 10.
Being by far the youngest in the group, we started our tour round the beehive building which was the most modern building. Designed to maximise natural light potential with the windows, the working space all operates around a lift system. Our guide rightfully described it as a doughnut building. We were only allowed to look at the banquet hall here, as the rest of the building was important offices including the prime ministers office! It was funny though because one old man asked about the curtains and then wanted a demonstration on how they opened!
The next part of the tour took us through to this old mansion like building. It was nice talking to people in my group here who despite being considerably older were interested in talking to me. Outside of my personal life, the fact I knew some stuff about politics from when I studied it resulted in me having a political conversation with this guy from south London! When entering the mansion we headed down into the basement where we watched an interesting film about how the building is earthquake proof. It was actually really interesting and in addition we could see the construction with our own eyes. To put it simply the building is on stilts, and the original foundations now have a gap with the ground! In the event of an earthquake the building can move 30cm each way.
The next part of the tour took us round various parts of the building which included corridors with pictures of past prime ministers, artwork and a sculpture representing past links with other countries. There was a lot of historical analysis at this point. Next up was this room where people can present their views to the pm. More impressive was the decoration in here which included Maori weaving and carvings. We then went into the main chamber, the equivalent of the house of commons which showed all the politicians seats. Apparently you can watch debates as the general public. We also saw the room where they open parliament, which has been done by the queen on occasions! The final part of the tour took us to the library. All in all the tour was very interesting, although I couldn't quite take all the political knowledge in!
After leaving the parliament buildings, I went to the cathedral which was a pretty modern building. There were some interesting stained glass windows amongst other things here. After leaving here and walking past many places of worship, I checked out the large westpac stadium. I'm tempted to go to a rugby match here for the atmosphere, I'll just have to see when I pass back through Wellington! From here it was back along the harbour side, passing this massive cruise ship and also this boat which had just come back from exploring Antarctica. One thing I haven't mentioned yet either is the Easter egg hunt they are running around Wellington where they give a map and you have find a number of eggs in the given area. I have seen so many!
By now lunch was well overdue, so after heading back to the hostel I spent the early afternoon sorting out a few more important things. I have now booked all my buses for the deep south section of my trip. By now I had more or less exhausted Wellington of its free things to do in the centre, so I opted for an afternoon of geocaching. This took me out along the harbour side and through the main city centre as far as the main railway station. I found 8/12, mainly because I can never find caches in city centre areas because my gps wanders about because of the high rise buildings.
By now time was getting on, so after yet another walk harbour side, this time back via Cuba Street, it was back to the hostel. I passed a fully kitted out Saints fan en route! After a while relaxing in my hostel room, some new people checked in and things went from finding out they were from Brighton, to finding out one of them was the sister of someone I worked with at Tesco. Funnily enough we knew lots of people in common! To top things off, after coming back from dinner where I had pasta, I met some people from Shoreham in the lift!
Since getting into the hostel that evening, it had been heavily raining and I really needed to get to the new world supermarket to get food for tomorrow. I eventually braved it, which I guess was Wellington living up to its Wet and Windy Wellington nickname, finding out en route I could get to burger king in the dry! I got slightly wet in the end but I got lots of bargains just before it shut. It was then back to hostel ready to sleep for an early start tomorrow morning to go to south island.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
March 24th... Wellington
With nothing serious planned for today I was going to have a relaxing morning, but the fact some people who I was travelling on the kiwi bus with were leaving early meant I got woken up. After saying my goodbyes I ended up heading out bright and early with my plan of action simply being to explore Wellington. First stop of the morning was the information centre where I picked up my map, but also had a good look at the things to do in Wellington. My hostel did have a list of the top 50 free things to do and top 50 paid things to do, and that guide was pretty much all I needed in the end.
When leaving the information centre I headed back through town to the conservation centre where I looked at the great walks over the country. I was tempted to do one of these but they are difficult to get to and actually are really expensive because they involve staying in these huts. The most cost effective one happens to be on Stewart Island, which I yesterday found out was $198 to get to! From here it was a stop in Burger King where I prepared some geocaches to find over the morning round the Mount Victoria area.
Heading out of town via the harbour side, I headed up the steep suburban streets just out of town until I entered a path for Mount Victoria. Within the matter of minutes I had left skyscrapers and terraced housing for forest tracks mainly used for mountain biking! I followed the path uphill until I reached this car park which led me right to the top of this viewpoint. There were cracking views over the city from here, and I realised the city was actually quite small. I also got a greater understanding of the fault line which is on the hills behind the city. Apparently Wellington is due a major earthquake which is why the city is investing so heavily in management strategies.
From here I headed round this large hilly park area to find some geocaches. It felt just like rural caching with finds being off dirt tracks and in woodland. The pick of the bunch was this puzzle one where you had to work out how to open this bolt to retrieve the logbook. In all I found 6 round the Mount Victoria area. In the end I emerged the other side of the mountain and dropped quickly into the outer suburb of Mirimar. It was a nice walk in the warm sun along the bay here which included lots of interesting sculptures, and on the side of the hill a Wellington sign just like the Hollywood sign.
After passing the airport and the small shopping parade in Mirimar, I arrived at the Weta Caves which is famous for making props and digital effects amongst other things for movies. Being a free attraction, there was an interesting little shop and museum which included props and memorabilia from films such as Lord of the Rings, Narnia and King Kong. Also included was a half hour film screening which was set in a dark room surrounded by props from Narnia and Lord of the Rings, which went into detail about the history of the company. It showed so many little things like how they make props, effects and future projects. Other films they have been involved in include Avatar, Adventures of TinTin and even Doctor Who!
All in all the Weta Caves was a very interesting visit and I can see why people call Wellington "Wellywood" now! After leaving the studios which included these massive troll figures, I headed back in Mirimar where I couldn't resist getting a greasy sausage and chips for lunch. It was then back into the city heading back via the Mount Victoria tunnel this time and along the road back to the hostel. I didn't really know where I was going, although I kind of found my hostel by accident! It was here I went back to the hostel to sort out my ever growing collection of leaflets, and also fill up my water bottle.
It was then back into town where I had a better look round the shops in the Cuba Street and Main Street areas, until I reached the cable car ticket office. I didn't go on the cable car, instead traversing my way up the hill getting many good photos of this distinctive feature of Wellington. When at top I looked at the observatory, which had with it more views over the city, this time in the other direction. I then headed to the cable car station where I had a good look round the museum which detailed the cars history as well as a few restored exhibits.
My next stop was a walk round the botanical gardens which once again was well worth a look featuring many flowers and trees, along with a wetland area at the bottom. After finding the two caches here, it was back to the cable car where I headed back down into town finding a further two caches. Time was getting on by now so I took a brief glimpse at the parliament buildings and main business skyline before heading back to the harbour side. From here I walked back along to the hostel where I met a few people which had stayed behind from the bus.
The evening was spent catching up on my blog once again, before further developing my cooking skills by making a jacket potato with beans. I then headed out to burger king once again, my WiFi hub where I spent a while catching up on things, which eventually finished with me going night caching in the city. An increasing thing that is happening is cold evenings and mornings, and tonight was no exception as I found the four nearby caches. I am still getting away with shorts in the evenings but I don't think I will as I head further south! The call my most southerly stop the gateway to Antarctica! When returning to my room there seemed to be some kind of party going on, which included people from Iceland which was new to me. Luckily they left, eventually, and I was able to get to bed.
When leaving the information centre I headed back through town to the conservation centre where I looked at the great walks over the country. I was tempted to do one of these but they are difficult to get to and actually are really expensive because they involve staying in these huts. The most cost effective one happens to be on Stewart Island, which I yesterday found out was $198 to get to! From here it was a stop in Burger King where I prepared some geocaches to find over the morning round the Mount Victoria area.
Heading out of town via the harbour side, I headed up the steep suburban streets just out of town until I entered a path for Mount Victoria. Within the matter of minutes I had left skyscrapers and terraced housing for forest tracks mainly used for mountain biking! I followed the path uphill until I reached this car park which led me right to the top of this viewpoint. There were cracking views over the city from here, and I realised the city was actually quite small. I also got a greater understanding of the fault line which is on the hills behind the city. Apparently Wellington is due a major earthquake which is why the city is investing so heavily in management strategies.
From here I headed round this large hilly park area to find some geocaches. It felt just like rural caching with finds being off dirt tracks and in woodland. The pick of the bunch was this puzzle one where you had to work out how to open this bolt to retrieve the logbook. In all I found 6 round the Mount Victoria area. In the end I emerged the other side of the mountain and dropped quickly into the outer suburb of Mirimar. It was a nice walk in the warm sun along the bay here which included lots of interesting sculptures, and on the side of the hill a Wellington sign just like the Hollywood sign.
After passing the airport and the small shopping parade in Mirimar, I arrived at the Weta Caves which is famous for making props and digital effects amongst other things for movies. Being a free attraction, there was an interesting little shop and museum which included props and memorabilia from films such as Lord of the Rings, Narnia and King Kong. Also included was a half hour film screening which was set in a dark room surrounded by props from Narnia and Lord of the Rings, which went into detail about the history of the company. It showed so many little things like how they make props, effects and future projects. Other films they have been involved in include Avatar, Adventures of TinTin and even Doctor Who!
All in all the Weta Caves was a very interesting visit and I can see why people call Wellington "Wellywood" now! After leaving the studios which included these massive troll figures, I headed back in Mirimar where I couldn't resist getting a greasy sausage and chips for lunch. It was then back into the city heading back via the Mount Victoria tunnel this time and along the road back to the hostel. I didn't really know where I was going, although I kind of found my hostel by accident! It was here I went back to the hostel to sort out my ever growing collection of leaflets, and also fill up my water bottle.
It was then back into town where I had a better look round the shops in the Cuba Street and Main Street areas, until I reached the cable car ticket office. I didn't go on the cable car, instead traversing my way up the hill getting many good photos of this distinctive feature of Wellington. When at top I looked at the observatory, which had with it more views over the city, this time in the other direction. I then headed to the cable car station where I had a good look round the museum which detailed the cars history as well as a few restored exhibits.
My next stop was a walk round the botanical gardens which once again was well worth a look featuring many flowers and trees, along with a wetland area at the bottom. After finding the two caches here, it was back to the cable car where I headed back down into town finding a further two caches. Time was getting on by now so I took a brief glimpse at the parliament buildings and main business skyline before heading back to the harbour side. From here I walked back along to the hostel where I met a few people which had stayed behind from the bus.
The evening was spent catching up on my blog once again, before further developing my cooking skills by making a jacket potato with beans. I then headed out to burger king once again, my WiFi hub where I spent a while catching up on things, which eventually finished with me going night caching in the city. An increasing thing that is happening is cold evenings and mornings, and tonight was no exception as I found the four nearby caches. I am still getting away with shorts in the evenings but I don't think I will as I head further south! The call my most southerly stop the gateway to Antarctica! When returning to my room there seemed to be some kind of party going on, which included people from Iceland which was new to me. Luckily they left, eventually, and I was able to get to bed.
March 23rd... From River Valley to Wellington
With a 9am departure this morning for my next stop Wellington, this allowed for me to have some kind of lie in. I actually slept really as well despite the cosy nature of the dorm which was based in the attic. It was fun and games in the showers though this morning as it was really cold this morning, and the water wouldn't heat up properly. Luckily it just took ages to heat and it was alright in the end.
Heading the up the hill just before 9, we saw these two little stray kittens which were loudly purring and must have been freezing. Some people took them back to the lodge. To put into perspective how deep the valley was, the sun was only just rising at this time above the wooded cliffs which is probably why it was so cold! When finally leaving after a mishap with some peoples bags, our driver stopped off at another viewpoint to look at the rolling hills. You can see why no one wanted to settle there as there was like no flat land!
Continuing our drive through the winding country roads, we finally reached proper civilisation again in the form of Taihape. This was simply a drop off and we continued along the now proper road to the small town of Bulls for our lunch stop. It was interesting seeing this earthquake prevention technique they use here, which involves drilling these metal pins about a mile into the ground along the plate boundary, which somehow fixes the previously active plates together. Apparently it has worked, but I kept thinking that doing this will build up an immense amount of pressure and cause a major earthquake. Bulls is perhaps more famous however for its signs, using the towns name to take the mick out of things. For example the bins were labelled responsi-bull, and McDonalds was labelled consume-a-bull!
After a short stay here while our driver refuelled and washed the bus, we continued down south, watching a film called the wolf of wall street. It was actually a pretty neat film as our driver says, and took us all the way down to Wellington. The scenery also got pretty impressive on the way down too as we made it along this cliffed coastal road right by the sea. We ended up arriving into Wellington just after 2 in the end, and it was nice to see sights such as a massive cruise ship and the skyline when coming in.
After checking into yet another base hostel, which makes me wish I got a 10 night pass now, I focused on my bookings for the next leg of my journey. It was an absolute nightmare because I found the deep south section of my bus pass was in fact operated by another company. I also found out the bus no longer stops at Lake Mahinapua, and instead stops at Lake Tekapo which is later on. All I know now is that I arrive in Queenstown on the 4th April. From here I unpacked all my stuff as I am spending 3 nights in Wellington, and also had my own drawer, before heading out to explore this new city.
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand but is by no means the biggest city. It is probably most associated as the political hub of NZ, as well as the main link to the south island. Despite this there is plenty to do within the actual city and surrounding suburbs. As time was getting on by now I decided to spend my afternoon exploring the Te Papa museum which is a relatively new attraction showcasing things related to New Zealand. It was free as well making it even better!
Spread over 6 floors, I started off in the natural environment zone where I learned about the wildlife history, along with the plate tectonics which affect New Zealand. Everything was really hands on and interactive including an earthquake machine and some really interesting facts about earthquake and volcanic activity in New Zealand. I then went onto the floor above which went in depth about the land use and migration amongst other things, having a real strong feeling focus on how people have impacted on the land. Continuing on up, the next floor was all about the Maori and European history including the many cultural aspects of the country right through to things like the war and the impact the British Empire had on New Zealand amongst other things.
After taking advantage of the museums free WiFi, I headed up to the next floor which was an art gallery, before going right to top on this viewing platform. This was built in a way to give views of the harbour and beyond, although it wasn't a 360 view. It was interesting seeing the major fault line from here though. From here I headed down to the two floored outdoor exhibition which was about plants, fossils and caves in New Zealand. It was built to be a realistic walkthrough including waterfalls and manmade caves. To finish my look round it was down to a basement level to look at the quake braker which showed how the building is secure from any potential earthquakes. It was a pretty complex system but in effect the building is on stilts.
All in all the museum was very interesting and I could have spent much longer there reading all the interesting information in depth, even if I was there for around 2 hours anyway! By now it was around 6 so I took the opportunity to take a short walk along the harbour side before heading into the shopping area. The shops were shutting however, but when getting this taster of the city I saw many sculptures and interesting buildings which I will more than likely properly explore in the coming days.
Heading back to the hostel to relax and have dinner which was just noodles to keep things nice and easy, I headed down to the bar to try my luck at another quiz night. Once again I was hopeless with the category's being general knowledge, movies, animals and the human body. I don't know how I am meant to know which country has the largest average penis size in the world! Despite this it was a nice evening which is probably my last time with many of the people I have travelled with since Auckland who are all heading off on different dates and directions. Once finishing up I headed upstairs from the basement to have an evening skype session which rounded off a brilliant first week for me. I was naturally tired when finishing and crashed straight out in high anticipation for a positive football result when waking up in the morning.
Heading the up the hill just before 9, we saw these two little stray kittens which were loudly purring and must have been freezing. Some people took them back to the lodge. To put into perspective how deep the valley was, the sun was only just rising at this time above the wooded cliffs which is probably why it was so cold! When finally leaving after a mishap with some peoples bags, our driver stopped off at another viewpoint to look at the rolling hills. You can see why no one wanted to settle there as there was like no flat land!
Continuing our drive through the winding country roads, we finally reached proper civilisation again in the form of Taihape. This was simply a drop off and we continued along the now proper road to the small town of Bulls for our lunch stop. It was interesting seeing this earthquake prevention technique they use here, which involves drilling these metal pins about a mile into the ground along the plate boundary, which somehow fixes the previously active plates together. Apparently it has worked, but I kept thinking that doing this will build up an immense amount of pressure and cause a major earthquake. Bulls is perhaps more famous however for its signs, using the towns name to take the mick out of things. For example the bins were labelled responsi-bull, and McDonalds was labelled consume-a-bull!
After a short stay here while our driver refuelled and washed the bus, we continued down south, watching a film called the wolf of wall street. It was actually a pretty neat film as our driver says, and took us all the way down to Wellington. The scenery also got pretty impressive on the way down too as we made it along this cliffed coastal road right by the sea. We ended up arriving into Wellington just after 2 in the end, and it was nice to see sights such as a massive cruise ship and the skyline when coming in.
After checking into yet another base hostel, which makes me wish I got a 10 night pass now, I focused on my bookings for the next leg of my journey. It was an absolute nightmare because I found the deep south section of my bus pass was in fact operated by another company. I also found out the bus no longer stops at Lake Mahinapua, and instead stops at Lake Tekapo which is later on. All I know now is that I arrive in Queenstown on the 4th April. From here I unpacked all my stuff as I am spending 3 nights in Wellington, and also had my own drawer, before heading out to explore this new city.
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand but is by no means the biggest city. It is probably most associated as the political hub of NZ, as well as the main link to the south island. Despite this there is plenty to do within the actual city and surrounding suburbs. As time was getting on by now I decided to spend my afternoon exploring the Te Papa museum which is a relatively new attraction showcasing things related to New Zealand. It was free as well making it even better!
Spread over 6 floors, I started off in the natural environment zone where I learned about the wildlife history, along with the plate tectonics which affect New Zealand. Everything was really hands on and interactive including an earthquake machine and some really interesting facts about earthquake and volcanic activity in New Zealand. I then went onto the floor above which went in depth about the land use and migration amongst other things, having a real strong feeling focus on how people have impacted on the land. Continuing on up, the next floor was all about the Maori and European history including the many cultural aspects of the country right through to things like the war and the impact the British Empire had on New Zealand amongst other things.
After taking advantage of the museums free WiFi, I headed up to the next floor which was an art gallery, before going right to top on this viewing platform. This was built in a way to give views of the harbour and beyond, although it wasn't a 360 view. It was interesting seeing the major fault line from here though. From here I headed down to the two floored outdoor exhibition which was about plants, fossils and caves in New Zealand. It was built to be a realistic walkthrough including waterfalls and manmade caves. To finish my look round it was down to a basement level to look at the quake braker which showed how the building is secure from any potential earthquakes. It was a pretty complex system but in effect the building is on stilts.
All in all the museum was very interesting and I could have spent much longer there reading all the interesting information in depth, even if I was there for around 2 hours anyway! By now it was around 6 so I took the opportunity to take a short walk along the harbour side before heading into the shopping area. The shops were shutting however, but when getting this taster of the city I saw many sculptures and interesting buildings which I will more than likely properly explore in the coming days.
Heading back to the hostel to relax and have dinner which was just noodles to keep things nice and easy, I headed down to the bar to try my luck at another quiz night. Once again I was hopeless with the category's being general knowledge, movies, animals and the human body. I don't know how I am meant to know which country has the largest average penis size in the world! Despite this it was a nice evening which is probably my last time with many of the people I have travelled with since Auckland who are all heading off on different dates and directions. Once finishing up I headed upstairs from the basement to have an evening skype session which rounded off a brilliant first week for me. I was naturally tired when finishing and crashed straight out in high anticipation for a positive football result when waking up in the morning.
March 22nd... From Taupo to River Valley
This morning we set off bright and early at 7am to go to our next stop in River Valley. Despite spending two nights in Taupo I am almost certainly going to stop here on my way back to Auckland because I never actually got to explore the town other than main town area. We were meant to get spanking new bus this morning but we were instead given an old hire bus as they still haven't refurbished a bus for us!
The first stop of the day was in the small town of Turangi which is also on the shores of Lake Taupo a little further round. This was just a WiFi and supermarket stop, and before long we continued along the road before stopping at a scenic lookout over the Lake Taupo. Our driver is good at stopping off at random places en route for scenic viewpoints and little walks! It wasn't long before we reached another viewpoint along this mountain road we were climbing which gave brilliant views of the alpine crossing from yesterday along with a clear view of the mountain I climbed. It really put into perspective what I had done and the fact it was sunny with no cloud meant I could clearly see it was a cone volcano!
We then continued up the mountain which was along yet more winding roads covered in rocks surrounding us. Unfortunately we didn't make it up the mountain where we were going to go for a short walk round the ski resort, instead stopping off in a layby to get a different view of Mount Ngauruhoe and its surroundings. The bus was old to be fair, and on our way back down the mountain we stopped at the visitor centre which was an interesting look at the national park, as well as a toilet break.
When reaching the bottom and joining a proper road, we continued along to the small town of Wairoura which is home to NZs largest military base. This was also an ice cream stop as Mr Wong did really cheap ice creams for us! The town itself was pretty impressive being set beneath this large snow capped mountain. From here it was one last push to River Valley, and our informative driver told us how this area didn't really get any proper settlement until the 1950s. This is due to the landscape which was basically just rolling hills. As a result of this farming is very difficult, although the NZ government has apparently pumped a lot of money into giving this area agricultural gains. The weather is also a bit precarious too with long dry summers and cold wet winters. To put it simply, not many people live here.
Before long winding country roads became gravel tracks and after descending down this remote lane for a while we stopped where our driver told us to walk the rest of the way. We thought he was joking, but after loading our bags onto a 4wd trailer we went down this steeply descending gravel track which would never have got the bus down! Our accommodation tonight was a lodge by a river in a valley, hence why it was called River Valley. I had wondered why I couldn't find any information in my lonely planet guide and I now know why!
When arriving and checking into the 16 bed dorm which was simply a row of 8 beds in a bunk formation, I went out to explore. Going down to the river which is good for white water rafting, an activity I opted against, I crossed the river on their pulley system. It was basically a plank of wood with a rope on a pulley! From here I walked with the Norwegian guys on the bus to the top of the other side of the valley, getting brilliant views on the way up including the lodge, bus and river below. We eventually reached a sign which indicated the hunting zone which meant we couldn't go any further.
When reaching the bottom we found out that the rope had snapped on the bridge. We did see something going on below but couldn't work out what, although when there one of the guys was in water fixing it. The water was apparently freezing though! I eventually got myself back to the lodge where I lay river side watching this German guy fishing. He is quite a laugh! It was nice to have a nice and relaxing afternoon around the lodge, opting the against the two main activities of white water rafting and horse riding which were so expensive. The other things offered included spa treatments and even a pitch and putt course!
After such a lazed back afternoon in this scenic area, I soon cracked on with dinner which was just pasta this evening. It took ages though as the kitchen was so crowded in comparison to number of people cooking. It was then a chilled evening in the lodges communal area, where I ended up having an evening largely made up of Tesco banter as I found two other people had worked at Tesco! It was all pretty laid back, although by the time I went to bed, I saw these guys who already had awful hair making it worse in the bathroom. They are having a worst hairstyle competition! It was then finally to bed, using my sleeping bag which saved me a mighty $3!
The first stop of the day was in the small town of Turangi which is also on the shores of Lake Taupo a little further round. This was just a WiFi and supermarket stop, and before long we continued along the road before stopping at a scenic lookout over the Lake Taupo. Our driver is good at stopping off at random places en route for scenic viewpoints and little walks! It wasn't long before we reached another viewpoint along this mountain road we were climbing which gave brilliant views of the alpine crossing from yesterday along with a clear view of the mountain I climbed. It really put into perspective what I had done and the fact it was sunny with no cloud meant I could clearly see it was a cone volcano!
We then continued up the mountain which was along yet more winding roads covered in rocks surrounding us. Unfortunately we didn't make it up the mountain where we were going to go for a short walk round the ski resort, instead stopping off in a layby to get a different view of Mount Ngauruhoe and its surroundings. The bus was old to be fair, and on our way back down the mountain we stopped at the visitor centre which was an interesting look at the national park, as well as a toilet break.
When reaching the bottom and joining a proper road, we continued along to the small town of Wairoura which is home to NZs largest military base. This was also an ice cream stop as Mr Wong did really cheap ice creams for us! The town itself was pretty impressive being set beneath this large snow capped mountain. From here it was one last push to River Valley, and our informative driver told us how this area didn't really get any proper settlement until the 1950s. This is due to the landscape which was basically just rolling hills. As a result of this farming is very difficult, although the NZ government has apparently pumped a lot of money into giving this area agricultural gains. The weather is also a bit precarious too with long dry summers and cold wet winters. To put it simply, not many people live here.
Before long winding country roads became gravel tracks and after descending down this remote lane for a while we stopped where our driver told us to walk the rest of the way. We thought he was joking, but after loading our bags onto a 4wd trailer we went down this steeply descending gravel track which would never have got the bus down! Our accommodation tonight was a lodge by a river in a valley, hence why it was called River Valley. I had wondered why I couldn't find any information in my lonely planet guide and I now know why!
When arriving and checking into the 16 bed dorm which was simply a row of 8 beds in a bunk formation, I went out to explore. Going down to the river which is good for white water rafting, an activity I opted against, I crossed the river on their pulley system. It was basically a plank of wood with a rope on a pulley! From here I walked with the Norwegian guys on the bus to the top of the other side of the valley, getting brilliant views on the way up including the lodge, bus and river below. We eventually reached a sign which indicated the hunting zone which meant we couldn't go any further.
When reaching the bottom we found out that the rope had snapped on the bridge. We did see something going on below but couldn't work out what, although when there one of the guys was in water fixing it. The water was apparently freezing though! I eventually got myself back to the lodge where I lay river side watching this German guy fishing. He is quite a laugh! It was nice to have a nice and relaxing afternoon around the lodge, opting the against the two main activities of white water rafting and horse riding which were so expensive. The other things offered included spa treatments and even a pitch and putt course!
After such a lazed back afternoon in this scenic area, I soon cracked on with dinner which was just pasta this evening. It took ages though as the kitchen was so crowded in comparison to number of people cooking. It was then a chilled evening in the lodges communal area, where I ended up having an evening largely made up of Tesco banter as I found two other people had worked at Tesco! It was all pretty laid back, although by the time I went to bed, I saw these guys who already had awful hair making it worse in the bathroom. They are having a worst hairstyle competition! It was then finally to bed, using my sleeping bag which saved me a mighty $3!
Monday, 24 March 2014
March 21st... Tongariro Alpine Crossing
I was awoken by an array of alarms this morning as we decided to get up at 4.45 for a 5.30am start today to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. When mine went off my phone fell down the side of the bed which made an active start to the morning! I was actually quite surprised by the amount of people who signed up for this activity, as our group filled a small bus load! The reason we had to be up at half 5 was because we needed a bus transfer to the start of the crossing which was an hour and a half drive.
After a rather sleepy bus journey we arrived at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing just after 7 just in time for the sunrise which was impressive. The company organising the bus gave the option to hire many things, and I hired a thick jacket for $10 which could be refunded if I didn't use the coat as if I wore it I would have to break a band. The woman was selling it as an insurance policy! It was pretty cold and windy when exiting the bus with the mountains surrounding shrouded in cloud, although apparently the sun would burn much of it away. I opted to just stay in a hoodie to start with.
Following the Mangatepopo stream along boardwalks we began to get impressive views of the valley behind as the sun rose, although you could barely see the mountains in front as they were cloud. I started off walking with the British girls on the bus but I soon made the decision to tank it on because I wanted to climb the mountain further ahead. Before long I passed basically everyone who had already stopped for rests, and I headed up the fast rising devils staircase which was pretty rocky. In general the path was just cloud which made me damp, but every so often the sun would come out and give an impressive view.
By about quarter to 9 I arrived at the turn off for Mount Ngauruhoe which was listed as a 3 hour detour from the main 19.4km track. Described as extremely dangerous, I opted to climb this active volcano which was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. It was pretty easy to start with following these blue poles with these two Dutch guys I went skydiving with yesterday, but before long the cloud became stronger and we couldn't see the path. After clambering up these rocks as the path became ash and loose rocks which gave way, we stopped for a break to assess the situation. I sat there munching on my scotch fingers!
In the end the two Dutch guys decided to go back, but luckily I bumped into a group of British and we continued upwards along this narrow ridge of fixed rocks. By the time we reached the top of these rocks the path became ridiculously difficult as it was just loose volcanic stones which gave way. In the end we just took it slowly and with a bit of teamwork we reached the top. You couldn't see a thing though but the achievement was amazing as we jumped around in joy at reaching the 2291m summit. Whilst up there a couple of people reached the top, but in all just 7 people made it with many giving up along the way. Just 3 of us were from kiwi experience.
We didn't stay up on the small ridge for long as it was freezing, and just cloud with a sheer drop one side, making my $10 investment in a jacket a pretty good one! Coming down was the fun part as the ground gave way. It was easier however to almost run down the loose volcanic sediment than clamber down the rocks, although this created lots of rock falls. One rock even hit someone on the leg but they were ok! In the end it took just half an hour to get back down and by the time we reached the bottom we had our lunch whilst we were sheltered.
The next section took us back along the main alpine crossing through this flat arid land before heading up along the red crater ridge to reach the summit. This was a pretty challenging section although it was pretty well kept and nothing comparable to the mountain we just climbed! The fact oaps were walking the main trail puts it into perspective. By the time we reached the top we passed the turn off for mount Tongariro although we couldn't do this after strict instructions from our bus driver not to do both mountains due to time.
After leaving the red crater summit we headed along this ridge with winds blowing across, although our descent was easy compared to the mountain. En route we passed the emerald lakes which stunk of sulphur, and also were a pure blue colour when the sun was out. By now I was only in my hoodie again and we traversed along this well kept gravel path getting views of the great Lake Taupo in the distance. The path then zig zagged down to the Ketetahi shelter where we met with the Dutch guys I started climbing the mountain with. We got views of the volcano emitting large amounts of sulphur from here.
With just around 4 miles to go here and just under an hour until the first bus left we decided to go for that bus. Walking fast downhill we soon entered a woodland environment, which was really warm by now and I was just in a t shirt! Before long walking turned to running as we went through the undulating forest and exited the volcanic risk zone. In the end we made it to the bus 20 minutes early, although the five of us got the last five places on the first bus!
When arriving back in Taupo I jumped straight in the shower, washing my feet which were literally black! I then bought plenty of supermarket supplies, and after a quick WiFi session in burger king I went out to this more posh burger place for a proper burger with a few people from the bus. Before long we went to the hostel bar which was really quiet, although it was $5 drinks! We just discussed what we had done which in terms of climbing the mountain was the toughest terrain I have been on due to its instability. The actual hike was pretty moderate though and I can see why it is such a popular route with the views and natural landforms along the way!
After a rather sleepy bus journey we arrived at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing just after 7 just in time for the sunrise which was impressive. The company organising the bus gave the option to hire many things, and I hired a thick jacket for $10 which could be refunded if I didn't use the coat as if I wore it I would have to break a band. The woman was selling it as an insurance policy! It was pretty cold and windy when exiting the bus with the mountains surrounding shrouded in cloud, although apparently the sun would burn much of it away. I opted to just stay in a hoodie to start with.
Following the Mangatepopo stream along boardwalks we began to get impressive views of the valley behind as the sun rose, although you could barely see the mountains in front as they were cloud. I started off walking with the British girls on the bus but I soon made the decision to tank it on because I wanted to climb the mountain further ahead. Before long I passed basically everyone who had already stopped for rests, and I headed up the fast rising devils staircase which was pretty rocky. In general the path was just cloud which made me damp, but every so often the sun would come out and give an impressive view.
By about quarter to 9 I arrived at the turn off for Mount Ngauruhoe which was listed as a 3 hour detour from the main 19.4km track. Described as extremely dangerous, I opted to climb this active volcano which was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. It was pretty easy to start with following these blue poles with these two Dutch guys I went skydiving with yesterday, but before long the cloud became stronger and we couldn't see the path. After clambering up these rocks as the path became ash and loose rocks which gave way, we stopped for a break to assess the situation. I sat there munching on my scotch fingers!
In the end the two Dutch guys decided to go back, but luckily I bumped into a group of British and we continued upwards along this narrow ridge of fixed rocks. By the time we reached the top of these rocks the path became ridiculously difficult as it was just loose volcanic stones which gave way. In the end we just took it slowly and with a bit of teamwork we reached the top. You couldn't see a thing though but the achievement was amazing as we jumped around in joy at reaching the 2291m summit. Whilst up there a couple of people reached the top, but in all just 7 people made it with many giving up along the way. Just 3 of us were from kiwi experience.
We didn't stay up on the small ridge for long as it was freezing, and just cloud with a sheer drop one side, making my $10 investment in a jacket a pretty good one! Coming down was the fun part as the ground gave way. It was easier however to almost run down the loose volcanic sediment than clamber down the rocks, although this created lots of rock falls. One rock even hit someone on the leg but they were ok! In the end it took just half an hour to get back down and by the time we reached the bottom we had our lunch whilst we were sheltered.
The next section took us back along the main alpine crossing through this flat arid land before heading up along the red crater ridge to reach the summit. This was a pretty challenging section although it was pretty well kept and nothing comparable to the mountain we just climbed! The fact oaps were walking the main trail puts it into perspective. By the time we reached the top we passed the turn off for mount Tongariro although we couldn't do this after strict instructions from our bus driver not to do both mountains due to time.
After leaving the red crater summit we headed along this ridge with winds blowing across, although our descent was easy compared to the mountain. En route we passed the emerald lakes which stunk of sulphur, and also were a pure blue colour when the sun was out. By now I was only in my hoodie again and we traversed along this well kept gravel path getting views of the great Lake Taupo in the distance. The path then zig zagged down to the Ketetahi shelter where we met with the Dutch guys I started climbing the mountain with. We got views of the volcano emitting large amounts of sulphur from here.
With just around 4 miles to go here and just under an hour until the first bus left we decided to go for that bus. Walking fast downhill we soon entered a woodland environment, which was really warm by now and I was just in a t shirt! Before long walking turned to running as we went through the undulating forest and exited the volcanic risk zone. In the end we made it to the bus 20 minutes early, although the five of us got the last five places on the first bus!
When arriving back in Taupo I jumped straight in the shower, washing my feet which were literally black! I then bought plenty of supermarket supplies, and after a quick WiFi session in burger king I went out to this more posh burger place for a proper burger with a few people from the bus. Before long we went to the hostel bar which was really quiet, although it was $5 drinks! We just discussed what we had done which in terms of climbing the mountain was the toughest terrain I have been on due to its instability. The actual hike was pretty moderate though and I can see why it is such a popular route with the views and natural landforms along the way!
Saturday, 22 March 2014
March 20th... From Roturua to Taupo
Today we were blessed with a 9.30 start which was a good thing because everything has been so full on just lately! I was however up by 8 though to head down the post office to send a few things home. My bag is now 2kg lighter, although as you can imagine its not cheap sending a package that weight to the other side of the world! When boarding the bus there were too many people like in Auckland, although I was fine. The whole booking side of things on kiwi experience isn't great as they don't give booking confirmations and they have a confusing stand by system which works as pot luck over first come first served. This worries me for my leg after Wellington!
First stop of the day was Te Puia where we had the option of visiting a park full of big geysers and to learn more about the Maori culture. At first no one got up, but eventually half the bus emptied after the guides sale pitch. I opted against this as I saw a smaller version of the geysers in the park yesterday, and also had the Maori thing last night. To be honest the guide selling it us was more worried about the free wifi aspect when selling it to us.
I instead opted for the free option which was a walk through the redwood forest near Rotorua. It was very relaxing after eventually setting off through the tall pine trees and ferns, and due to the fact we had time on our side we extended the walk deeper into the forest. I have the option of going mountain biking up here on my way back to Auckland, which I am tempted to do.
After returning to the bus we drove back to Te Puia, passing the tot trot en route where loads of toddlers walked past us! When at Te Puia the people told us how they had a hard boiled egg cooked through the steaming volcanic waters. From here we took the short drive down to Taupo, passing through the forest before entering more countryside. The scenery we see from the bus each day is so diverse! En route we stopped off at Huka Falls which was this waterfall, although it was more like really fast flowing rapids. There were many good vantage points to view the blue frothy waters, and after a few photos we continued to Taupo.
Taupo is a small town located on the big Lake Taupo, which is bigger than Singapore. The lake is said to be have formed from the biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history, and is the resultant crater. This highly volcanic active area lies on one the worlds five super volcanoes, which if erupted could be catastrophic as the ash would block the sun for a year! Taupo itself is a small town with all the facilities you need and more. It is basically the adventure capital of the north with so many activities ranging from bungy to giant swings, and even a booze cruise. Today is the day I opted to do a skydive!
After checking into the base hostel which was pretty modern with loads of internal activities running, and even plugs by the beds in the 4 bed dorms, I dumped my stuff and headed into town as my skydive pick up wasn't until 4. Like Roturua I soon found the free WiFi in the shape of burger king, and from here I explored the shops which were arranged in a grid formation. The supermarket here was also really cheap! It was then back to the hostel to relax and psych myself up before the skydive!
The pick up was bang on time, getting transferred by limo to the airport just outside town. Upon arrival we had a safety briefing, although they were just trying to scare us, before watching a video about the photography packages they offered. There was a choice between freefall cam or handycam, and I opted for handycam which was basically the person I was diving with taking a video including interviews. We also had to choose our music on this one and we had a choice of 5 songs in 3 categorys, one for going up, one for the dive, and one for the parachute down.
After filling in all the necessary paperwork for everything, we moved onto the dressing room where we had these suits and harnesses put on us. It was then a matter of hanging around and waiting for the plane to come down whilst the others jumped. They all came down in quick fashion with a matter of seconds between them all, which meant it was my time to jump. I am doing the 15000ft jump which includes 60 seconds of freefall!
By now I had met my diving partner and he told me I was on the last one of the day and that I was stopping him from going to the pub! After a short interview we boarded the plane, the door still open and headed to the runway where the corrugated plastic door was shut. We then took off in the bright pink plane and began our ascent, getting a scenic flight commentary and the odd random selfie and interview on the way up. At about 8000ft we had to put on an oxygen mask which I broke, probably because I was absolutely s***ting myself! By now I was firmly attached, and we soon reached the 15000ft mark where the door was opened and this waft of cold air came in like a vacuum!
After getting told if I was ready, we shuffled along to the point where my legs were dangling out, and before I could even appreciate the views I was falling in mid air! I asked to flip out the plane but I lost my bearings so god knows if I did. I always thought the feeling would be falling, but it was completely different, something hard to explain! I was never worried about the ground coming closer as I was always so far away, and at about 5000ft after a minute of freefall the parachute was opened. From here my next interview was awful, and after viewing the stunning lake and volcanic scenery I had a bit of fun with steering the parachute. I was just spinning round in circles. By now the ground was in sight, and after a quick landing lesson I landed straight on my feet! It was all over so quickly in the end, although the experience was amazing!
After landing and getting unchanged, we were able to go into this cinema room and watch our video. Mine was awful because my mouth was wide open from the freefall, although it was better than some peoples who's faces were squashed! My interviews were also awful but they kind of portrayed how I was feeling! After watching everybody's video it was back into the limo to go back to the hostel, getting the sunset on the way home. I got myself dropped off a countdown though as I needed lunch as I am going hiking tomorrow.
When returning to the hostel I simply relaxed, although I soon ended up in burger king with a sundae and frozen coke to get a warm room with WiFi. It was a really cold evening. I then headed back to the hostel where I followed everyone else in sleep as we had a 5.30am start tomorrow. I didn't want to be one of the people going to the bar and hiking the next morning!
First stop of the day was Te Puia where we had the option of visiting a park full of big geysers and to learn more about the Maori culture. At first no one got up, but eventually half the bus emptied after the guides sale pitch. I opted against this as I saw a smaller version of the geysers in the park yesterday, and also had the Maori thing last night. To be honest the guide selling it us was more worried about the free wifi aspect when selling it to us.
I instead opted for the free option which was a walk through the redwood forest near Rotorua. It was very relaxing after eventually setting off through the tall pine trees and ferns, and due to the fact we had time on our side we extended the walk deeper into the forest. I have the option of going mountain biking up here on my way back to Auckland, which I am tempted to do.
After returning to the bus we drove back to Te Puia, passing the tot trot en route where loads of toddlers walked past us! When at Te Puia the people told us how they had a hard boiled egg cooked through the steaming volcanic waters. From here we took the short drive down to Taupo, passing through the forest before entering more countryside. The scenery we see from the bus each day is so diverse! En route we stopped off at Huka Falls which was this waterfall, although it was more like really fast flowing rapids. There were many good vantage points to view the blue frothy waters, and after a few photos we continued to Taupo.
Taupo is a small town located on the big Lake Taupo, which is bigger than Singapore. The lake is said to be have formed from the biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history, and is the resultant crater. This highly volcanic active area lies on one the worlds five super volcanoes, which if erupted could be catastrophic as the ash would block the sun for a year! Taupo itself is a small town with all the facilities you need and more. It is basically the adventure capital of the north with so many activities ranging from bungy to giant swings, and even a booze cruise. Today is the day I opted to do a skydive!
After checking into the base hostel which was pretty modern with loads of internal activities running, and even plugs by the beds in the 4 bed dorms, I dumped my stuff and headed into town as my skydive pick up wasn't until 4. Like Roturua I soon found the free WiFi in the shape of burger king, and from here I explored the shops which were arranged in a grid formation. The supermarket here was also really cheap! It was then back to the hostel to relax and psych myself up before the skydive!
The pick up was bang on time, getting transferred by limo to the airport just outside town. Upon arrival we had a safety briefing, although they were just trying to scare us, before watching a video about the photography packages they offered. There was a choice between freefall cam or handycam, and I opted for handycam which was basically the person I was diving with taking a video including interviews. We also had to choose our music on this one and we had a choice of 5 songs in 3 categorys, one for going up, one for the dive, and one for the parachute down.
After filling in all the necessary paperwork for everything, we moved onto the dressing room where we had these suits and harnesses put on us. It was then a matter of hanging around and waiting for the plane to come down whilst the others jumped. They all came down in quick fashion with a matter of seconds between them all, which meant it was my time to jump. I am doing the 15000ft jump which includes 60 seconds of freefall!
By now I had met my diving partner and he told me I was on the last one of the day and that I was stopping him from going to the pub! After a short interview we boarded the plane, the door still open and headed to the runway where the corrugated plastic door was shut. We then took off in the bright pink plane and began our ascent, getting a scenic flight commentary and the odd random selfie and interview on the way up. At about 8000ft we had to put on an oxygen mask which I broke, probably because I was absolutely s***ting myself! By now I was firmly attached, and we soon reached the 15000ft mark where the door was opened and this waft of cold air came in like a vacuum!
After getting told if I was ready, we shuffled along to the point where my legs were dangling out, and before I could even appreciate the views I was falling in mid air! I asked to flip out the plane but I lost my bearings so god knows if I did. I always thought the feeling would be falling, but it was completely different, something hard to explain! I was never worried about the ground coming closer as I was always so far away, and at about 5000ft after a minute of freefall the parachute was opened. From here my next interview was awful, and after viewing the stunning lake and volcanic scenery I had a bit of fun with steering the parachute. I was just spinning round in circles. By now the ground was in sight, and after a quick landing lesson I landed straight on my feet! It was all over so quickly in the end, although the experience was amazing!
After landing and getting unchanged, we were able to go into this cinema room and watch our video. Mine was awful because my mouth was wide open from the freefall, although it was better than some peoples who's faces were squashed! My interviews were also awful but they kind of portrayed how I was feeling! After watching everybody's video it was back into the limo to go back to the hostel, getting the sunset on the way home. I got myself dropped off a countdown though as I needed lunch as I am going hiking tomorrow.
When returning to the hostel I simply relaxed, although I soon ended up in burger king with a sundae and frozen coke to get a warm room with WiFi. It was a really cold evening. I then headed back to the hostel where I followed everyone else in sleep as we had a 5.30am start tomorrow. I didn't want to be one of the people going to the bar and hiking the next morning!
Friday, 21 March 2014
March 19th... From Waitomo to Rotorua
Today I could finally have some kind of lie in as we weren't leaving until 9, which meant I didn't wake up until just before 8. The guy next to me in my twin room was obviously having a good dream though as he was bouncing on the bed, although I eventually woke him up as it was really funny. My problem this morning was that my neck was aching like hell probably due to the caving, although I had a solution in the form of my tiger balm which did the trick just nicely! After once again packing my bag, something I just know inside out, I got onto our bus ready for the next leg of our journey to Rotorua. Its funny when boarding these buses though because its all about getting the front seats so you can book onto things first!
After leaving Waitomo, we stopped off at the small town of Otorohanga en route which our driver described as a free WiFi stop. It was in fact his old home and he told us about the old times when McDonalds came to town, the biggest thing he claims to have happened to Otorohanga! We then continued along the roads, where I have just lost my bearings, to Hobbiton. We had the option to have a tour here which is where the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were filmed. I opted against it however as it was very expensive and I felt I wouldn't really connect with it all. It was nice though because we could look round the front concourse and see some of the scenic views, although they meant nothing to me!
It was then one last push for Roturua, where we were greeted with a horrible stench of fart like smells. Roturua also lies on a volcanic rift which means the crust is thin. This also means there are loads of holes and stuff in the ground which emit sulphur, hence stinking the place out. After a quick look round the small city, although it was more like a town, we stopped off at the Tamaki Maori tour centre where I had booked myself onto a culture tour to learn about the Maori culture. This was scheduled to take place this evening, so after paying up we headed to the hostel.
After checking into another base hostel which was adequate lets say, I headed off into Roturua for an afternoon of geocaching. There was the option yesterday of an array activities including luging, zorbing, white water rafting and bungy to name a few, but I opted against them mainly because I pass back through Roturua back up to Auckland, but also because some of these activities run elsewhere. I will assess my money situation when if I return in late April!
I had written down a few geocaches back in Otorohanga based on the green areas near the hostel. This resulted in me heading up to government gardens which was basically a golf course and an old Victorian house. It also had a nice boardwalk beside Lake Roturua which was literally steaming in places and stunk of eggs from the sulphur. There were also cracking views over the lake along with abundant bird life. It was all very relaxing. It was here I found 4 caches in all. I then continued into town where after finding a couple more caches I got a taste of the large array of shops and restaurants which all looked really modern. For my final two finds it was into the city park where there were all these pools fenced off emitting lots of steam. Although it stunk they were so fascinating, and I liked seeing the bubbling mud in one of them which just plopped! All in all I got a brilliant taster of the main town area, finding eight caches in all.
When returning to the hostel, I headed back into town to the supermarket which was just out of town. There were actually 3 supermarkets here, and so many other warehouse stores, although I found the local burger king which is so cheap in NZ, and also has the best free WiFi! After having a good look round the shops, I headed back to the hostel to relax and write my blog, which I think I have finally got on top of. I then got ready for this Maori village visit which I really don't know what to expect!
Getting picked up at 7, our native Maori driver was giving us a language lesson on the "Waka" (bus). My Maori phrasebook goes as far as Kia Ora which literally means good health, and Aye which means yes! When arriving we waited outside the village, and our buses chief who we nominated stood in the middle. Before long other bus loads of people arrived and there were eventually 4 chiefs. We were then confronted with all these Maori people who performed a Te Wero, the welcoming ceremony to decide if we were friend or foe. It was hard to keep a straight face as these people jumped around with their tongues and eyes out, before finally inviting us into their village.
When in the village we did an array of things such as the agility challenge where we had to jump round this ladder. I also got selected as a guy to perform the haka, a male only dance they do before battle. It was embarrassing being on my knees sticking my tongue out! The girls then had their chance doing a dance whilst twirling these balls. The next stop was the woodwork house where we learned about Maori carvings, before moving onto a game where they said left or right in Maori where you held a stick and had to run that direction to the next stick without it falling over. The final house was the arts and crafts where we learned about weaving. The whole setting was so professional with fires, houses finished to the last detail and people all in proper dress with face paints and everything.
After leaving the village we visited the wharenui where where we were treated to show including songs, dancing, acting and most of all the haka which was really impressive! We then visited the Hangi which was the oven where they cooked our dinner. It was basically cooked underground on hot rocks in these big basket things. It was pretty impressive when they lifted them! It was then finally time for dinner which was an all you can you hangi feast consisting of lamb, chicken, the most amazing stuffing, carrots, potatoes, and these weird vegetable things. There was also fish and mussels available. After two plates full of this I moved onto dessert which was pavlova and was a different class from back home!
The whole evening was so well organised and it is really hard to explain it because there were so many Maori terms and traditions we saw throughout the evening! To finish a closing speech was performed and then a final haka, although I didn't join in as I felt stuffed! We then headed back onto the bus where we had songs to represent each country. The most impressive was the Dutch pair doing the national anthem with their eyes closed and hands on their chest! When finally arriving at the hostel, I laid straight down telling everyone in my room what they had missed out on! The light then swiftly went out as it was quite a long evening!
After leaving Waitomo, we stopped off at the small town of Otorohanga en route which our driver described as a free WiFi stop. It was in fact his old home and he told us about the old times when McDonalds came to town, the biggest thing he claims to have happened to Otorohanga! We then continued along the roads, where I have just lost my bearings, to Hobbiton. We had the option to have a tour here which is where the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were filmed. I opted against it however as it was very expensive and I felt I wouldn't really connect with it all. It was nice though because we could look round the front concourse and see some of the scenic views, although they meant nothing to me!
It was then one last push for Roturua, where we were greeted with a horrible stench of fart like smells. Roturua also lies on a volcanic rift which means the crust is thin. This also means there are loads of holes and stuff in the ground which emit sulphur, hence stinking the place out. After a quick look round the small city, although it was more like a town, we stopped off at the Tamaki Maori tour centre where I had booked myself onto a culture tour to learn about the Maori culture. This was scheduled to take place this evening, so after paying up we headed to the hostel.
After checking into another base hostel which was adequate lets say, I headed off into Roturua for an afternoon of geocaching. There was the option yesterday of an array activities including luging, zorbing, white water rafting and bungy to name a few, but I opted against them mainly because I pass back through Roturua back up to Auckland, but also because some of these activities run elsewhere. I will assess my money situation when if I return in late April!
I had written down a few geocaches back in Otorohanga based on the green areas near the hostel. This resulted in me heading up to government gardens which was basically a golf course and an old Victorian house. It also had a nice boardwalk beside Lake Roturua which was literally steaming in places and stunk of eggs from the sulphur. There were also cracking views over the lake along with abundant bird life. It was all very relaxing. It was here I found 4 caches in all. I then continued into town where after finding a couple more caches I got a taste of the large array of shops and restaurants which all looked really modern. For my final two finds it was into the city park where there were all these pools fenced off emitting lots of steam. Although it stunk they were so fascinating, and I liked seeing the bubbling mud in one of them which just plopped! All in all I got a brilliant taster of the main town area, finding eight caches in all.
When returning to the hostel, I headed back into town to the supermarket which was just out of town. There were actually 3 supermarkets here, and so many other warehouse stores, although I found the local burger king which is so cheap in NZ, and also has the best free WiFi! After having a good look round the shops, I headed back to the hostel to relax and write my blog, which I think I have finally got on top of. I then got ready for this Maori village visit which I really don't know what to expect!
Getting picked up at 7, our native Maori driver was giving us a language lesson on the "Waka" (bus). My Maori phrasebook goes as far as Kia Ora which literally means good health, and Aye which means yes! When arriving we waited outside the village, and our buses chief who we nominated stood in the middle. Before long other bus loads of people arrived and there were eventually 4 chiefs. We were then confronted with all these Maori people who performed a Te Wero, the welcoming ceremony to decide if we were friend or foe. It was hard to keep a straight face as these people jumped around with their tongues and eyes out, before finally inviting us into their village.
When in the village we did an array of things such as the agility challenge where we had to jump round this ladder. I also got selected as a guy to perform the haka, a male only dance they do before battle. It was embarrassing being on my knees sticking my tongue out! The girls then had their chance doing a dance whilst twirling these balls. The next stop was the woodwork house where we learned about Maori carvings, before moving onto a game where they said left or right in Maori where you held a stick and had to run that direction to the next stick without it falling over. The final house was the arts and crafts where we learned about weaving. The whole setting was so professional with fires, houses finished to the last detail and people all in proper dress with face paints and everything.
After leaving the village we visited the wharenui where where we were treated to show including songs, dancing, acting and most of all the haka which was really impressive! We then visited the Hangi which was the oven where they cooked our dinner. It was basically cooked underground on hot rocks in these big basket things. It was pretty impressive when they lifted them! It was then finally time for dinner which was an all you can you hangi feast consisting of lamb, chicken, the most amazing stuffing, carrots, potatoes, and these weird vegetable things. There was also fish and mussels available. After two plates full of this I moved onto dessert which was pavlova and was a different class from back home!
The whole evening was so well organised and it is really hard to explain it because there were so many Maori terms and traditions we saw throughout the evening! To finish a closing speech was performed and then a final haka, although I didn't join in as I felt stuffed! We then headed back onto the bus where we had songs to represent each country. The most impressive was the Dutch pair doing the national anthem with their eyes closed and hands on their chest! When finally arriving at the hostel, I laid straight down telling everyone in my room what they had missed out on! The light then swiftly went out as it was quite a long evening!
Thursday, 20 March 2014
March 18th... From Hot Water Beach to Waitomo
Last night our driver guide told us to be ready by half 7 to leave Hot Water Beach for our next stop in Waitomo. This meant an early wake up and I had to be woken by alarm as it was still dark at half 6 when we all woke up. I think I still prefer having darker evenings however because by the time I get to end of my trip in NZ the days will be much shorter as it will be close to winter! Due to the rush this morning I just had toast for breakfast, and surprisingly everyone was ready by half 7 to leave!
On our way out of Hot Water Beach where we returned to the winding mountain road in the countryside we came in on, we stopped off at this lookout over with views of the sunrise over the ocean. Like yesterday there were many islands and our guide told us that they are used to encourage the growth of endangered species in NZ. A short while later when continuing along the road before joining a straighter road, we stopped at the small town of Paeroa. This was basically our supermarket stop of the day, although it was interesting seeing its history as a gold mining town. It is also famous for the drink l&p although I've never heard of it!
After spending around 45 minutes here we took a short drive down the road to Karangahake Gorge where we went for a short walk round this old gold mining area. It was fun to start with crossing this wobbly rope bridge, before following this fast flowing and rocky river along this walkway on the side of these cliffs. The scenery was pretty impressive. Crossing another rope bridge, we entered an old mining tunnel which was really dark, although there was the odd exit with a viewpoint looking over the river we had just passed. Before long an old railway track became visible which marked the end of the tunnel. There were remains of old trucks, and we followed this all the way back to the car park we arrived in. It was only a half hour walk or so but the old mining remains and scenery were amazing along the way!
When returning to the bus after taking advantage of a water fountain which actually gave cold water, we were told about future activities this time in Roturua. It seems that activities are booked a couple of days of prior which means I don't really need to worry about booking in advance like Australia. Kiwi Experience reserves more than enough places on things for everyone! Our driver has also done everything himself so he was honest about what he thought about everything. The other thing I did was book my buses to Queenstown, although the dates could change as there are a couple of places I think I want to stay longer in on the way down. As it stands I arrive in Queenstown on 2nd April.
After a sizeable drive down to Waitomo, we stopped off at the black water rafting centre where I paid for my caving trip. I opted for the 5 hour black abyss trip, the most expensive but I just thought to myself when I am ever going to get the chance to go caving back in Lancing! Being with kiwi experience does get you discounts which was good though. After paying up we took the short drive down to the hostel where I checked in my room which was a twin room with single beds, pure luxury compared to what I've been used to! As I had a bit of time on my side as I wasn't getting picked up until 3.45, I took the opportunity to write my blog which I have basically caught up on now!
A short while later after exploring the small village of Waitomo which didn't have much at all, I got picked up ready for my caving trip. After a quick safety briefing we got into these thick wet suit things which included everything from socks, wellies, trousers and a jacket. We were told not to wee in the suits though as it doesn't go through the suit. Apparently it instead stays inside and when finishing at the end it washes all round the body and makes you stink! We then had to put a harness on along with all these karabiners ready to partake in the necessary activities within the cave!
After a short transfer by minibus we arrived at this remote car park and had a quick safety and practice session abseiling down a small hill. We were then up one by one ready to abseil 35m down into this pitch black hole! There were 6 guys and 2 girls in my group, and it happened to be the girls who took ages to go over the edge. I was described as Spiderman when reaching the bottom, although I did keep banging against the wall as I lowered myself in! It was a spectacular sight at the bottom as I relaxed on a rock with glow worms above, waiting for everyone else to come down.
When we were all eventually down the bottom, we followed this metal walkway surrounded by cave corals and oceanic fossils to this zip line. Our guide went first, who was then followed by one of the guys, and all we heard was a big bang followed by swearing! One by one everyone went into the pitch black, until I was last up. It was real fun, and I found out the bang was in fact the guide bashing a rubber ring. When at the bottom, the guide did embarrass me as he told me the way down was by bouncing when hanging there. He then turned the light on and I looked like an idiot!
After a short break with flapjacks, we then got ready for the next section which was tubing. This involved us jumping into this water on a rubber ring and floating down the cave. I was first up and the water was freezing! After all the guys went down, we were left with the girls once again who were scared to jump off. They got off eventually! We then did a little warm up exercise which finished up with us chucking ourselves everywhere in the water. When all warmed up we lay in our tubes and grabbed this rope which we used to pull ourselves along the water. It was actually really hard work, although I soon realised the water was really shallow!
We then turned out our torches, linking up our rubbing rings after learning a bit more about glow worms. We floated back the way we came in a snake like formation looking at the impressive array of lights above, before ditching our rubber rings where we started. This enabled us to walk/swim to the next section, before arriving at a section called the drunken stroll. The clue is in the title because when walking along here the rocks were unpredictable which made us go everywhere! At the end of this section there was a waterfall which we could hear on approach, and we went down it on our bellies on this metal slide.
We then sat down on these rocks where we had chocolate and more warm cordial. We also got a group photo here where we managed to get these illuminated pictures by moving our helmets lights with the cup over it. We then continued along the water along this ridge before heading up this small turn off where we saw an eel. It was then onto this tight section which was a squeeze to get through, before emerging at the foot of this waterfall. We had to climb this without ropes, and after climbing these two major sections we followed the water flow outside where it was now dark. It was a challenging end which required strength but when looking back at what I had just done I was like wow!
After hiking back through the forest a minibus was waiting for us and after a short transfer we arrived back at the centre where we had soup and bagels waiting for us. We then as a group bought a memory stick which included some cool photos of us, before heading back to the hostel where I was exhausted! It wasn't long before I was in my room and curled up in bed!
On our way out of Hot Water Beach where we returned to the winding mountain road in the countryside we came in on, we stopped off at this lookout over with views of the sunrise over the ocean. Like yesterday there were many islands and our guide told us that they are used to encourage the growth of endangered species in NZ. A short while later when continuing along the road before joining a straighter road, we stopped at the small town of Paeroa. This was basically our supermarket stop of the day, although it was interesting seeing its history as a gold mining town. It is also famous for the drink l&p although I've never heard of it!
After spending around 45 minutes here we took a short drive down the road to Karangahake Gorge where we went for a short walk round this old gold mining area. It was fun to start with crossing this wobbly rope bridge, before following this fast flowing and rocky river along this walkway on the side of these cliffs. The scenery was pretty impressive. Crossing another rope bridge, we entered an old mining tunnel which was really dark, although there was the odd exit with a viewpoint looking over the river we had just passed. Before long an old railway track became visible which marked the end of the tunnel. There were remains of old trucks, and we followed this all the way back to the car park we arrived in. It was only a half hour walk or so but the old mining remains and scenery were amazing along the way!
When returning to the bus after taking advantage of a water fountain which actually gave cold water, we were told about future activities this time in Roturua. It seems that activities are booked a couple of days of prior which means I don't really need to worry about booking in advance like Australia. Kiwi Experience reserves more than enough places on things for everyone! Our driver has also done everything himself so he was honest about what he thought about everything. The other thing I did was book my buses to Queenstown, although the dates could change as there are a couple of places I think I want to stay longer in on the way down. As it stands I arrive in Queenstown on 2nd April.
After a sizeable drive down to Waitomo, we stopped off at the black water rafting centre where I paid for my caving trip. I opted for the 5 hour black abyss trip, the most expensive but I just thought to myself when I am ever going to get the chance to go caving back in Lancing! Being with kiwi experience does get you discounts which was good though. After paying up we took the short drive down to the hostel where I checked in my room which was a twin room with single beds, pure luxury compared to what I've been used to! As I had a bit of time on my side as I wasn't getting picked up until 3.45, I took the opportunity to write my blog which I have basically caught up on now!
A short while later after exploring the small village of Waitomo which didn't have much at all, I got picked up ready for my caving trip. After a quick safety briefing we got into these thick wet suit things which included everything from socks, wellies, trousers and a jacket. We were told not to wee in the suits though as it doesn't go through the suit. Apparently it instead stays inside and when finishing at the end it washes all round the body and makes you stink! We then had to put a harness on along with all these karabiners ready to partake in the necessary activities within the cave!
After a short transfer by minibus we arrived at this remote car park and had a quick safety and practice session abseiling down a small hill. We were then up one by one ready to abseil 35m down into this pitch black hole! There were 6 guys and 2 girls in my group, and it happened to be the girls who took ages to go over the edge. I was described as Spiderman when reaching the bottom, although I did keep banging against the wall as I lowered myself in! It was a spectacular sight at the bottom as I relaxed on a rock with glow worms above, waiting for everyone else to come down.
When we were all eventually down the bottom, we followed this metal walkway surrounded by cave corals and oceanic fossils to this zip line. Our guide went first, who was then followed by one of the guys, and all we heard was a big bang followed by swearing! One by one everyone went into the pitch black, until I was last up. It was real fun, and I found out the bang was in fact the guide bashing a rubber ring. When at the bottom, the guide did embarrass me as he told me the way down was by bouncing when hanging there. He then turned the light on and I looked like an idiot!
After a short break with flapjacks, we then got ready for the next section which was tubing. This involved us jumping into this water on a rubber ring and floating down the cave. I was first up and the water was freezing! After all the guys went down, we were left with the girls once again who were scared to jump off. They got off eventually! We then did a little warm up exercise which finished up with us chucking ourselves everywhere in the water. When all warmed up we lay in our tubes and grabbed this rope which we used to pull ourselves along the water. It was actually really hard work, although I soon realised the water was really shallow!
We then turned out our torches, linking up our rubbing rings after learning a bit more about glow worms. We floated back the way we came in a snake like formation looking at the impressive array of lights above, before ditching our rubber rings where we started. This enabled us to walk/swim to the next section, before arriving at a section called the drunken stroll. The clue is in the title because when walking along here the rocks were unpredictable which made us go everywhere! At the end of this section there was a waterfall which we could hear on approach, and we went down it on our bellies on this metal slide.
We then sat down on these rocks where we had chocolate and more warm cordial. We also got a group photo here where we managed to get these illuminated pictures by moving our helmets lights with the cup over it. We then continued along the water along this ridge before heading up this small turn off where we saw an eel. It was then onto this tight section which was a squeeze to get through, before emerging at the foot of this waterfall. We had to climb this without ropes, and after climbing these two major sections we followed the water flow outside where it was now dark. It was a challenging end which required strength but when looking back at what I had just done I was like wow!
After hiking back through the forest a minibus was waiting for us and after a short transfer we arrived back at the centre where we had soup and bagels waiting for us. We then as a group bought a memory stick which included some cool photos of us, before heading back to the hostel where I was exhausted! It wasn't long before I was in my room and curled up in bed!
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
March 17th... From Auckland to Hot Water Beach
It was a mission getting up this morning due to the jet lag making me think it was 4am when it was actually 7am! I eventually managed to get the motivation to get up however and as if by magic by room was full of sleeping people when I emerged from my top bunk. I never heard anyone come in so I must have been tired! I didn't really have much to do when leaving the hostel as I had barely unpacked my bag since arriving, and after gathering all my stuff together I headed out into Auckland.
First stop of the day was the Kiwi Experience office to try and sort out my booking. It turned out that I was already booked onto the 17th and that the email I sent them last week about having that date did in fact get through to them. This meant I could crack straight on with touring New Zealand. How it works is basically there are sectors made up of a few days, so my first sector is Auckland to Wellington. I am automatically booked onto buses from here to Wellington for the coming days on the minimum time, however if I want to stay longer somewhere I can. I am just going to do minimum time to Wellington because I basically pass back the same way back to Auckland minus a few stops, so if I miss out on anything I don't need to worry so much.
After getting onto my bus which was classed as full, we set of for our first stop Hot Water Beach. Another thing with Kiwi Experience is that it works more as a tour company than a hop on hop off bus. It is suitable for people of all budgets with options of free stuff to the big thrills along the way. To be honest I'm still trying to get my head round it all myself. After eventually getting out of Auckland after a few problems with someone's booking, we stopped off at a service station for a toilet break. Our driver who is staying on the bus all round NZ on the minimum time was very good because he so honest about everything! I have 42 days to do a 25 day minimum trip valid for a year so I have a bit more time on my side so I will probably change drivers a few times!
Continuing on through the lush green countryside, we continued on to the town of Thames. En route our driver gave us forms of optional activities and accommodation which was all pretty easy to sign up for. I feel far more confident now as our driver knows the things worth doing, as well as the things on a budget. When arriving in Thames which was a supermarket stop, we were basically told by the driver it was a s***hole. Thames is basically an old gold mining town. It wasn't that bad though and I liked looking out on this boardwalk with my first impressive views over this big river mouth with hills in the background full of birds. I did take the chance of getting food here too at NZs other big supermarket Pak n Save. I also got some folders as my other ones had fallen apart!
We then continued through this winding road through the rolling hills straight through to Hot Water Beach. After checking into the hostel and having some time to sort out our stuff, we all headed down to the beach famous for its natural hot pools. This area basically lies on a volcanic rift which means that the distance from the crust to the mantle is less than usual. This also means that you can dig holes in the beach at low tide which fills with heated water. Despite being unsuccessful when digging my own hole as it had cold water, I just stole other peoples, although some were unbearably hot even letting out steam! I eventually found a nice one which I relaxed in the warm water for a while. Before long however the tide came in which cooled down the pools as the waves engulfed the pools we dug!
After returning to the hostel, our next optional activity was Cathedral Cove which was a short drive away up the coast. Only accessible by foot or boat, I got my first taste of NZ hiking as I passed along this coastal path through trees and past open countryside with sheep as far as the horizon in the green rolling hills. There were also brilliant coastal views of the islands out to sea, and before long we dropped down to Cathedral Cove. This was basically a big archway formed through erosion, with a few stacks out to sea. This was all surrounded by a white sandy beach, made better by the fact it had been a hot sunny day all day.
After returning back along the same path back to the car park, a walk I completed in sandals, we were transferred back to the hostel. I cracked straight on with dinner upon return, and it was nice to be cooking in daylight as there is effectively darker mornings and darker evenings here compared to what I had in Australia. It was noticeably cooler though this evening compared to Australia. Dinner this evening was beef and vegetables with rice which probably sounds better than it was! By evening I spent my time sorting out my paperwork and having a good read of my kiwi experience book to see what I really want to do. I need to be careful because there are so many things to do!
Before long most of my dorm were going to bed, so I followed suit although I had to get sorted in the dark. All in all I have got the impression that kiwi experience is going to be very good at making sure I see everything. I probably don't even need my lonely planet guide, although it does give me a greater insight into things. All I need to do is have good dreams about the things I really want to do here in New Zealand!
First stop of the day was the Kiwi Experience office to try and sort out my booking. It turned out that I was already booked onto the 17th and that the email I sent them last week about having that date did in fact get through to them. This meant I could crack straight on with touring New Zealand. How it works is basically there are sectors made up of a few days, so my first sector is Auckland to Wellington. I am automatically booked onto buses from here to Wellington for the coming days on the minimum time, however if I want to stay longer somewhere I can. I am just going to do minimum time to Wellington because I basically pass back the same way back to Auckland minus a few stops, so if I miss out on anything I don't need to worry so much.
After getting onto my bus which was classed as full, we set of for our first stop Hot Water Beach. Another thing with Kiwi Experience is that it works more as a tour company than a hop on hop off bus. It is suitable for people of all budgets with options of free stuff to the big thrills along the way. To be honest I'm still trying to get my head round it all myself. After eventually getting out of Auckland after a few problems with someone's booking, we stopped off at a service station for a toilet break. Our driver who is staying on the bus all round NZ on the minimum time was very good because he so honest about everything! I have 42 days to do a 25 day minimum trip valid for a year so I have a bit more time on my side so I will probably change drivers a few times!
Continuing on through the lush green countryside, we continued on to the town of Thames. En route our driver gave us forms of optional activities and accommodation which was all pretty easy to sign up for. I feel far more confident now as our driver knows the things worth doing, as well as the things on a budget. When arriving in Thames which was a supermarket stop, we were basically told by the driver it was a s***hole. Thames is basically an old gold mining town. It wasn't that bad though and I liked looking out on this boardwalk with my first impressive views over this big river mouth with hills in the background full of birds. I did take the chance of getting food here too at NZs other big supermarket Pak n Save. I also got some folders as my other ones had fallen apart!
We then continued through this winding road through the rolling hills straight through to Hot Water Beach. After checking into the hostel and having some time to sort out our stuff, we all headed down to the beach famous for its natural hot pools. This area basically lies on a volcanic rift which means that the distance from the crust to the mantle is less than usual. This also means that you can dig holes in the beach at low tide which fills with heated water. Despite being unsuccessful when digging my own hole as it had cold water, I just stole other peoples, although some were unbearably hot even letting out steam! I eventually found a nice one which I relaxed in the warm water for a while. Before long however the tide came in which cooled down the pools as the waves engulfed the pools we dug!
After returning to the hostel, our next optional activity was Cathedral Cove which was a short drive away up the coast. Only accessible by foot or boat, I got my first taste of NZ hiking as I passed along this coastal path through trees and past open countryside with sheep as far as the horizon in the green rolling hills. There were also brilliant coastal views of the islands out to sea, and before long we dropped down to Cathedral Cove. This was basically a big archway formed through erosion, with a few stacks out to sea. This was all surrounded by a white sandy beach, made better by the fact it had been a hot sunny day all day.
After returning back along the same path back to the car park, a walk I completed in sandals, we were transferred back to the hostel. I cracked straight on with dinner upon return, and it was nice to be cooking in daylight as there is effectively darker mornings and darker evenings here compared to what I had in Australia. It was noticeably cooler though this evening compared to Australia. Dinner this evening was beef and vegetables with rice which probably sounds better than it was! By evening I spent my time sorting out my paperwork and having a good read of my kiwi experience book to see what I really want to do. I need to be careful because there are so many things to do!
Before long most of my dorm were going to bed, so I followed suit although I had to get sorted in the dark. All in all I have got the impression that kiwi experience is going to be very good at making sure I see everything. I probably don't even need my lonely planet guide, although it does give me a greater insight into things. All I need to do is have good dreams about the things I really want to do here in New Zealand!
March 16th... From Cairns to Auckland
I had an awful nights sleep last night, which I can't explain because I was pretty relaxed about my flight ahead. It was also really weird because my phone went from full battery to no battery during the night, and it was lucky I heard the low battery vibration otherwise my alarm wouldn't have gone off! In the end I got out of bed at around 5am to charge my phone and also get another positive football result! I think it was because I skyped on my phone last night and didn't logout. Skype and phone is all still pretty new to me.
After checking out of the hostel, I walked to airport, saving me a $22 transfer fee. It was a fair walk but it was nice to get one final look at the coastal mangroves and hills that surround Cairns when walking in. When arriving at the airport I found it all pretty confusing as it said relax next to my flight. I soon realised this applied to the plane and not me, and after queuing behind this large group of Asian people I managed to successfully check in.
Security was pretty simple, with just an x ray on my bag, and also this machine which scanned me. The machine however detected I had a sweat patch on my back! The people going through were all pretty laid back, and I was soon through to the departure lounge which had a select few shops. As I had an odd $20 remaining I decided to have breakfast here, having a sausage roll with wedges. I washed that down with a bottle of lift and mars bar!
After looking round the shops which just sold duty free items, gifts and food in general, I just relaxed which basically involved me pacing round the lounge. By 10 boarding started and I boarded this relatively small plane compared to my last flights as it only had one aisle and about half the amount of rows this one. It was still good though as I got my screen full of movies, games and music. I ended up watching the 50th anniversary doctor who in the end!
Before long lunch was served, although only a select few passengers got it with their ticket which included me! It was basically a noodle salad with beef, and an apricot cake on the side. I also took full advantage of the free drinks on flight which could be ordered from my seat, and from there was swiftly brought to the seat! By now I was well into the flight and just spent my time thinking, with their flight show showing the location and everything on in the background.
In the end we landed about half an hour early due to the wind being behind us, and I was soon out ready to face security. I had to fill out a declaration form of various things I was bringing in, and I ticked yes on a few boxes which worried me! Luckily it just involved a quick check of my passport, following by a questioning session. From there I got my bag x rayed, and then I got sniffed by a dog, and luckily they didn't find anything I shouldn't have so I was out the airport in Auckland.
When leaving the airport, I got the shuttle bus to the city by half 6, and from here it took a good half hour to get to the centre. The city itself reminded me of Sydney with all its shops and harbour side. My first stop was a half hearted trip to the kiwi experience office which was shut, so I headed to check into my hostel. I soon found out there two Nomads down the same street after arriving at the wrong one! When going into my room it was an absolute tip with peoples belongings on the floor. I just left my stuff on the bed and headed out into town.
All I wanted to do as it was getting late was see the distinctive skyline, and I soon found a good position on the harbour for a few photos. I then headed to the supermarket which was called countdown, the equivalent of woolworths as they had the same logo. It was confusing because wafers in Australia were $0.59, but here $1.39. Conversely chocolate bars in Australia are at least $2, but here about a $1. All in all NZ seemed to be fractionally cheaper. I just simply bought a reduced pizza here for dinner.
From there I headed to burger king for free WiFi after getting a glimpse at the shops. When finishing it was nearly midnight although I wasn't tired because my body clock was telling me it was nearly 9. When arriving in my room I was surprised no one was there, although tiredness started to set in and I turned the light off and went to sleep.
After checking out of the hostel, I walked to airport, saving me a $22 transfer fee. It was a fair walk but it was nice to get one final look at the coastal mangroves and hills that surround Cairns when walking in. When arriving at the airport I found it all pretty confusing as it said relax next to my flight. I soon realised this applied to the plane and not me, and after queuing behind this large group of Asian people I managed to successfully check in.
Security was pretty simple, with just an x ray on my bag, and also this machine which scanned me. The machine however detected I had a sweat patch on my back! The people going through were all pretty laid back, and I was soon through to the departure lounge which had a select few shops. As I had an odd $20 remaining I decided to have breakfast here, having a sausage roll with wedges. I washed that down with a bottle of lift and mars bar!
After looking round the shops which just sold duty free items, gifts and food in general, I just relaxed which basically involved me pacing round the lounge. By 10 boarding started and I boarded this relatively small plane compared to my last flights as it only had one aisle and about half the amount of rows this one. It was still good though as I got my screen full of movies, games and music. I ended up watching the 50th anniversary doctor who in the end!
Before long lunch was served, although only a select few passengers got it with their ticket which included me! It was basically a noodle salad with beef, and an apricot cake on the side. I also took full advantage of the free drinks on flight which could be ordered from my seat, and from there was swiftly brought to the seat! By now I was well into the flight and just spent my time thinking, with their flight show showing the location and everything on in the background.
In the end we landed about half an hour early due to the wind being behind us, and I was soon out ready to face security. I had to fill out a declaration form of various things I was bringing in, and I ticked yes on a few boxes which worried me! Luckily it just involved a quick check of my passport, following by a questioning session. From there I got my bag x rayed, and then I got sniffed by a dog, and luckily they didn't find anything I shouldn't have so I was out the airport in Auckland.
When leaving the airport, I got the shuttle bus to the city by half 6, and from here it took a good half hour to get to the centre. The city itself reminded me of Sydney with all its shops and harbour side. My first stop was a half hearted trip to the kiwi experience office which was shut, so I headed to check into my hostel. I soon found out there two Nomads down the same street after arriving at the wrong one! When going into my room it was an absolute tip with peoples belongings on the floor. I just left my stuff on the bed and headed out into town.
All I wanted to do as it was getting late was see the distinctive skyline, and I soon found a good position on the harbour for a few photos. I then headed to the supermarket which was called countdown, the equivalent of woolworths as they had the same logo. It was confusing because wafers in Australia were $0.59, but here $1.39. Conversely chocolate bars in Australia are at least $2, but here about a $1. All in all NZ seemed to be fractionally cheaper. I just simply bought a reduced pizza here for dinner.
From there I headed to burger king for free WiFi after getting a glimpse at the shops. When finishing it was nearly midnight although I wasn't tired because my body clock was telling me it was nearly 9. When arriving in my room I was surprised no one was there, although tiredness started to set in and I turned the light off and went to sleep.
Monday, 17 March 2014
March 15th... Cape Tribulation Day 2
After my early night the night before, I didn't wake up until like 7 this morning which gave me a solid 10 hours sleep which was just what I needed. I was debating last night whether to hike up Mount Sorrow today, or whether to walk down to Emmagon Creek which was a 7km walk. I opted for the creek in the end because apparently the mountain is a 6 to 7 hour round trip and I only had 6 hours till the bus picking me up. There was also a requirement to declare you are going up the mountain which made me think that I was likely to get lost!
After a swift turnaround from waking up to getting ready, I checked out the hostel and started following the road down the creek which apparently has a rope swing and is good for swimming. Shortly after leaving however the heavens opened although I managed to find shelter under a tree whilst the shower passed over. En route I picked up a bag of Rambuttan to eat along the way which were these red fruit's covered in soft spikes, which when peeling away the skin had a grape like flesh round a seed. They were really nice, and the bag was massive!
Continuing along the road, it soon became a gravel track and I found out that the road was constructed in the 80s to create a more direct link to Cooktown. The only other route goes round the Daintree! There were protests when constructing however as the locals felt it was destroying the rainforest. When going along the undulating gravel track only accessible by 4wd, I only saw one car! About an hour and a half after leaving I finally arrived at the creek which was yet another crocodile risk zone. The road continued on through the creek. From here I followed what I thought was the path to the swimming hole but after getting stuck several times on those vine things the path turned into swampland. I therefore headed back to the main creek.
When getting back to the creek I noticed someone had been doing shooting practice on the crocodile sign, and when doing the return walk back to hostel, passing this fig tree en route, I realised that the real path to the swimming hole was in fact opposite the fig tree. It was too late when realising however to go back and I continued through the now sunny rainforest road back to the hostel. There was occasional opening in trees en route which gave me some brilliant views of the coastline and beaches below the undulating road.
When returning to the hostel, this time munching on some pomegranates, I caught up on another blog while I had the chance. I then headed out to do the Dubaji boardwalk which I was going to do last night. It was jammed full of plants and wildlife such as crabs and butterflies, and when completing the short walk I emerged at the beach. It was interesting reading all these information boards going round which gave me an insight into the rainforest, mangrove and swampland environments I passed through. I did however get a foot full of swamp water at one point though as the path was flooded!
Prior to leaving Cairns yesterday we were instructed to be outside PKs at 1 for a pickup to do the second half of our Cape Tribulation Connections trip. By half 1 we were still waiting, but eventually our new guide arrived. Apparently our new driver who was aboriginal was a really bad timekeeper, and that soon became evident! After picking up the day trip passengers from Cape Tribulation beach where they were having lunch, we headed back for Cairns through the rainforest the way we came. En route we stopped at the Daintree ice cream shop where I got a pot with coconut, banana, passionfruit and wattle seed ice creams inside. They were all really nice except the coconut which I naturally dislike anyway. It was annoying because that was the scoop right at the bottom!
Continuing through the rainforest, we made a swift crossing across the Daintree river on the car ferry, although our guide told us about some previous human fatalities due to crocodiles on the river which wasn't so nice. By now we were safely out without having to worry about any landslides stranding us! The next stop of the day was further down the road to see the Mossman Gorge. When arriving in the small town which had lots of little shops, we parked up ready to be transferred by shuttle bus to the gorge. Upon arrival I viewed the waterfall formation by viewpoint, before heading downstream to go for a swim in the river. The current was really strong however so I stayed more by the rocks to avoid being swept downstream, in the cool waters.
After finishing swimming, we had afternoon tea where I just ate all the chocolate biscuits, before getting back on the shuttle bus to Mossman for the minibus. When re boarding we continued driving south, where are guide took a slight detour to give us a driving tour of Port Douglas. Like Cairns, this small town has grown rapidly in recent years due to tourism. It was also interesting to see all these palm trees which were apparently transported from Cape Tribulation in the 80s. All in all it was a modern town with plenty of shops and tourist facilities.
It was then one last push for home, stopping at the rex lookout once again to watch my final Australian sunset! On the way back in our driver kept telling us all these aboriginal stories about how hills were created in Cairns. It sounded like waffle in the end because he spoke for so long! Luckily I was the first drop off when arriving in Cairns which meant I didn't have to hear anymore about how this hill was actually a woman crying!
After checking into the hostel, I headed straight into town where I got myself a subway for dinner. I also went into Woolworths for one last time to get some supplies for the flight tomorrow. On the way back to the hostel I found this night market which sold these help yourself Asian food stalls where you could fill a dish. It made me wish I went for dinner here! I also got a reminder of Thailand as these people were selling massages amongst other things! By the time I got back to the hostel time was getting on, although I managed a quick Skype session before packing my bags which only took a matter of minutes! Once again the football was on at night which made things interesting, but I eventually opted for some sleep.
After a swift turnaround from waking up to getting ready, I checked out the hostel and started following the road down the creek which apparently has a rope swing and is good for swimming. Shortly after leaving however the heavens opened although I managed to find shelter under a tree whilst the shower passed over. En route I picked up a bag of Rambuttan to eat along the way which were these red fruit's covered in soft spikes, which when peeling away the skin had a grape like flesh round a seed. They were really nice, and the bag was massive!
Continuing along the road, it soon became a gravel track and I found out that the road was constructed in the 80s to create a more direct link to Cooktown. The only other route goes round the Daintree! There were protests when constructing however as the locals felt it was destroying the rainforest. When going along the undulating gravel track only accessible by 4wd, I only saw one car! About an hour and a half after leaving I finally arrived at the creek which was yet another crocodile risk zone. The road continued on through the creek. From here I followed what I thought was the path to the swimming hole but after getting stuck several times on those vine things the path turned into swampland. I therefore headed back to the main creek.
When getting back to the creek I noticed someone had been doing shooting practice on the crocodile sign, and when doing the return walk back to hostel, passing this fig tree en route, I realised that the real path to the swimming hole was in fact opposite the fig tree. It was too late when realising however to go back and I continued through the now sunny rainforest road back to the hostel. There was occasional opening in trees en route which gave me some brilliant views of the coastline and beaches below the undulating road.
When returning to the hostel, this time munching on some pomegranates, I caught up on another blog while I had the chance. I then headed out to do the Dubaji boardwalk which I was going to do last night. It was jammed full of plants and wildlife such as crabs and butterflies, and when completing the short walk I emerged at the beach. It was interesting reading all these information boards going round which gave me an insight into the rainforest, mangrove and swampland environments I passed through. I did however get a foot full of swamp water at one point though as the path was flooded!
Prior to leaving Cairns yesterday we were instructed to be outside PKs at 1 for a pickup to do the second half of our Cape Tribulation Connections trip. By half 1 we were still waiting, but eventually our new guide arrived. Apparently our new driver who was aboriginal was a really bad timekeeper, and that soon became evident! After picking up the day trip passengers from Cape Tribulation beach where they were having lunch, we headed back for Cairns through the rainforest the way we came. En route we stopped at the Daintree ice cream shop where I got a pot with coconut, banana, passionfruit and wattle seed ice creams inside. They were all really nice except the coconut which I naturally dislike anyway. It was annoying because that was the scoop right at the bottom!
Continuing through the rainforest, we made a swift crossing across the Daintree river on the car ferry, although our guide told us about some previous human fatalities due to crocodiles on the river which wasn't so nice. By now we were safely out without having to worry about any landslides stranding us! The next stop of the day was further down the road to see the Mossman Gorge. When arriving in the small town which had lots of little shops, we parked up ready to be transferred by shuttle bus to the gorge. Upon arrival I viewed the waterfall formation by viewpoint, before heading downstream to go for a swim in the river. The current was really strong however so I stayed more by the rocks to avoid being swept downstream, in the cool waters.
After finishing swimming, we had afternoon tea where I just ate all the chocolate biscuits, before getting back on the shuttle bus to Mossman for the minibus. When re boarding we continued driving south, where are guide took a slight detour to give us a driving tour of Port Douglas. Like Cairns, this small town has grown rapidly in recent years due to tourism. It was also interesting to see all these palm trees which were apparently transported from Cape Tribulation in the 80s. All in all it was a modern town with plenty of shops and tourist facilities.
It was then one last push for home, stopping at the rex lookout once again to watch my final Australian sunset! On the way back in our driver kept telling us all these aboriginal stories about how hills were created in Cairns. It sounded like waffle in the end because he spoke for so long! Luckily I was the first drop off when arriving in Cairns which meant I didn't have to hear anymore about how this hill was actually a woman crying!
After checking into the hostel, I headed straight into town where I got myself a subway for dinner. I also went into Woolworths for one last time to get some supplies for the flight tomorrow. On the way back to the hostel I found this night market which sold these help yourself Asian food stalls where you could fill a dish. It made me wish I went for dinner here! I also got a reminder of Thailand as these people were selling massages amongst other things! By the time I got back to the hostel time was getting on, although I managed a quick Skype session before packing my bags which only took a matter of minutes! Once again the football was on at night which made things interesting, but I eventually opted for some sleep.
Sunday, 16 March 2014
March 14th... Cape Tribulation Day 1
I was once again woken up by my alarm this morning which seems to be becoming a normality just lately! I had a 7.05 pick up this morning from the hostel to go on a 2 day 1 night trip to the Cape Tribulation. I once again packed really light for the trip, and once again opted against my raincoat even though the forecast said thunderstorms! After being picked up on time for once, it was really frustrating because someone was late for their pick up which put us behind schedule. Their reason was that they were having a coffee!
On the drive up north passing the outer suburbs of Cairns, our driver told us that Cape Tribulation had London's yearly rainfall in 24 hours the other day! When they say wet season they mean wet season, although apparently dry season is wet too because the area is a rainforest environment. When driving further up the coast we were told about the northern beaches which are apparently stunning as they have rainforest so close to them. We also passed the skyrail, although we couldn't see the top as the hills were shrouded in cloud. This is an alternative way to see the rainforest, viewing it from above in a cable car.
The first stop of the day was the Rex lookout for views of the Wangetti beach. This is an aboriginal village and our guide told us a story about the area here. Continuing north through the small town of Mossman which we visit tomorrow, we arrived at the Daintree River. It was here we embarked on a river cruise to go crocodile spotting, and after a quick morning tea we set off in the rain through the murky waters of the river. It wasn't long before we saw our first crocodile, although we couldn't go too close as it was opening its mouth. One of the warning messages on the boat was not to put your hands out the boat as apparently the crocodiles can jump! Luckily the one we saw was on bank.
Continuing along the river getting rather wet from the makeshift canvas roof, we came across another crocodile, which was massive! This one was basking in the trees however so we didn't get such a good view. Nearby however we saw two of her babies on a log which were cute if you can call a crocodile cute. About an hour after leaving we arrived at the Daintree car ferry, the only way of crossing the river where our guide was waiting for us.
I studied the Daintree and the impacts of tourism last year in geography, so it was interesting to be actually be here, as we winded through the rainforest. You could see past evidence of landslips, and the recent rain made waterfalls on the side of the road! Apparently the record length of a day trip to Cape Tribulation is 6 days due to landslips by bad weather! Before long we stopped at another lookout which gave views of an island famously shaped like a crocodile. It was round this area Steve Irwin died.
Driving deeper into the rainforest along the basic road nearby the coast, we stopped to go along the Maruja rainforest boardwalk. The heavens opened when entering however and I got absolutely soaked, although it was very interesting hearing our guide talk about the many plants and mangroves within. There was this impressive palm tree inside, and it was fascinating seeing how quickly rainforest changed into mangroves salt marshes. They say Cape Tribulation is where the rainforest meets the reef, and the village is named as this was the point Cook couldn't go any further up the coast due to the shallow reefs meeting the shore. Cooktown further north is where he settled for a few months in 1770 to repair his boat as he hit the reef.
A short drive up I was dropped off at my hostel, PKs Jungle Village. I am effectively doing the day trip but over two days which allows me time to explore Cape Tribulation instead of turning straight back. After checking in I checked out the wet Myall beach and walked as far as a creek which went out to sea. I didn't risk crossing the murky waters though as it was a crocodile risk zone.
I instead headed back to the hostel and followed the road to next beach along, Cape Tribulation beach. En route I came across a fruit stand where I helped myself to these fresh rainforest pomegranates which had a real sweet citrus taste to them as they were yellow in flesh! When arriving at the beach, I walked to the lookout getting my first aerial views of the dense rainforest headland and the obvious patches of reef out at sea. I also followed another rainforest boardwalk here which took me out on Myall beach, the other side of that creek!
Once again heading back to the hostel, blessed by nice weather since arriving, I walked the other way to the Mason swimming creek, which included views of the clouded mount sorrow. I am tempted to climb this tomorrow if the weather is nice, although it takes 6-7 hours to walk apparently! This is the only place in the area you can get a phone signal as well. On the way back to the hostel I etched my name into some bamboo as everyone else had, leaving my mark on the world heritage listed site! It is the most biodiverse place in the world the Daintree, with the most endemic plants and species. This is mainly down the fact Australia hasn't touched another land mass for over 150 million years in terms of plate tectonics.
By now it was getting late and I was bit stuck for choice on the dinner front as the cafe was shut, and the hostels food was really expensive. I instead went to the local supermarket and had Bombay potato and rice in the end. The fact I had nothing planned for the evening meant I could finally catch up on my blogs, although I wanted to go and do a rainforest night walk as it is more active at night. I only got as far as the car park however before chickening out due to hearing crunching of sticks and grunting noises in the pitch black rainforest. I was also worried as crocodiles are more active at night, and walking through a risk zone in darkness is a bit risky!
When returning to the hostel I found out that the locals really were mental, and despite the population of Cape Tribulation only being around 150 people, they made a racket. Apparently due to the fact there is no police north of the river, means that everyone drink drives up here! I managed to avoid the mayhem however, going straight to bed as I couldn't justify rainforest prices!
On the drive up north passing the outer suburbs of Cairns, our driver told us that Cape Tribulation had London's yearly rainfall in 24 hours the other day! When they say wet season they mean wet season, although apparently dry season is wet too because the area is a rainforest environment. When driving further up the coast we were told about the northern beaches which are apparently stunning as they have rainforest so close to them. We also passed the skyrail, although we couldn't see the top as the hills were shrouded in cloud. This is an alternative way to see the rainforest, viewing it from above in a cable car.
The first stop of the day was the Rex lookout for views of the Wangetti beach. This is an aboriginal village and our guide told us a story about the area here. Continuing north through the small town of Mossman which we visit tomorrow, we arrived at the Daintree River. It was here we embarked on a river cruise to go crocodile spotting, and after a quick morning tea we set off in the rain through the murky waters of the river. It wasn't long before we saw our first crocodile, although we couldn't go too close as it was opening its mouth. One of the warning messages on the boat was not to put your hands out the boat as apparently the crocodiles can jump! Luckily the one we saw was on bank.
Continuing along the river getting rather wet from the makeshift canvas roof, we came across another crocodile, which was massive! This one was basking in the trees however so we didn't get such a good view. Nearby however we saw two of her babies on a log which were cute if you can call a crocodile cute. About an hour after leaving we arrived at the Daintree car ferry, the only way of crossing the river where our guide was waiting for us.
I studied the Daintree and the impacts of tourism last year in geography, so it was interesting to be actually be here, as we winded through the rainforest. You could see past evidence of landslips, and the recent rain made waterfalls on the side of the road! Apparently the record length of a day trip to Cape Tribulation is 6 days due to landslips by bad weather! Before long we stopped at another lookout which gave views of an island famously shaped like a crocodile. It was round this area Steve Irwin died.
Driving deeper into the rainforest along the basic road nearby the coast, we stopped to go along the Maruja rainforest boardwalk. The heavens opened when entering however and I got absolutely soaked, although it was very interesting hearing our guide talk about the many plants and mangroves within. There was this impressive palm tree inside, and it was fascinating seeing how quickly rainforest changed into mangroves salt marshes. They say Cape Tribulation is where the rainforest meets the reef, and the village is named as this was the point Cook couldn't go any further up the coast due to the shallow reefs meeting the shore. Cooktown further north is where he settled for a few months in 1770 to repair his boat as he hit the reef.
A short drive up I was dropped off at my hostel, PKs Jungle Village. I am effectively doing the day trip but over two days which allows me time to explore Cape Tribulation instead of turning straight back. After checking in I checked out the wet Myall beach and walked as far as a creek which went out to sea. I didn't risk crossing the murky waters though as it was a crocodile risk zone.
I instead headed back to the hostel and followed the road to next beach along, Cape Tribulation beach. En route I came across a fruit stand where I helped myself to these fresh rainforest pomegranates which had a real sweet citrus taste to them as they were yellow in flesh! When arriving at the beach, I walked to the lookout getting my first aerial views of the dense rainforest headland and the obvious patches of reef out at sea. I also followed another rainforest boardwalk here which took me out on Myall beach, the other side of that creek!
Once again heading back to the hostel, blessed by nice weather since arriving, I walked the other way to the Mason swimming creek, which included views of the clouded mount sorrow. I am tempted to climb this tomorrow if the weather is nice, although it takes 6-7 hours to walk apparently! This is the only place in the area you can get a phone signal as well. On the way back to the hostel I etched my name into some bamboo as everyone else had, leaving my mark on the world heritage listed site! It is the most biodiverse place in the world the Daintree, with the most endemic plants and species. This is mainly down the fact Australia hasn't touched another land mass for over 150 million years in terms of plate tectonics.
By now it was getting late and I was bit stuck for choice on the dinner front as the cafe was shut, and the hostels food was really expensive. I instead went to the local supermarket and had Bombay potato and rice in the end. The fact I had nothing planned for the evening meant I could finally catch up on my blogs, although I wanted to go and do a rainforest night walk as it is more active at night. I only got as far as the car park however before chickening out due to hearing crunching of sticks and grunting noises in the pitch black rainforest. I was also worried as crocodiles are more active at night, and walking through a risk zone in darkness is a bit risky!
When returning to the hostel I found out that the locals really were mental, and despite the population of Cape Tribulation only being around 150 people, they made a racket. Apparently due to the fact there is no police north of the river, means that everyone drink drives up here! I managed to avoid the mayhem however, going straight to bed as I couldn't justify rainforest prices!
Saturday, 15 March 2014
March 13th... The Great Barrier Reef
This morning was an early morning as I had to be at the Reef Fleet Terminal at 7.15, which was a half hour walk from my hostel! Due to this I was awoken by my alarm, and from here maximised my time in bed before heading out in the rather damp outside. The flooded path had drained outside my room though which at least meant I didn't get my feet wet. I was going to get breakfast from Woolworths this morning but I found out it didn't open until 8 so I ended up having to have crisps and chocolate from the nightowl instead!
Heading to the reef fleet terminal bang on time, I boarded my boat for the day called the Ocean Free. With about 30 people with a range of ages onboard, it was basically a large sailing boat. I was going to take the Ocean Freedom boat out but when booking I was told it was out of action for cleaning. Upon boarding we were given the option of tea and coffee, with muffins on the side.
The plan for the day was to sail to Green Island which was a two hour boat ride from Cairns. Due to the fact barely no one was eating the muffins meant I was eating more than my fair share on the way out. It was nice seeing the skyline of Cairns and the surrounding rainforest disappear into the skyline. A short while after leaving we were given a safety brief as I was doing a dive as well as the snorkelling. It was all pretty standard with nothing other than health and safety, along with showing us all these hand signals which meant various things. It was impossible to remember them all as most were related to seeing fish!
I was first up for diving when anchoring up nearby Green Island, and with a two to one diver to instructor ratio we were really well looked after. I was first into the warm blue waters which was made better by the fact we had clear blue sky's with the sun gleaming down on us! When descending this time my ears were a little dodgy, but I just took things slowly using their nose pinch technique to gently pop them which really helped. When in the water it was a far more coral based system, and despite still being a brown based coral system with the odd coloured coral, it was made more spectacular by the fish. My favourite was the massive blue fish, but the sheer diversity of fish meant there are simply too many to talk about!
In the end I was down below for around 25 minutes, and got complimented by the instructor as I managed the whole thing on my own, successfully controlling my water level. I'm really tempted to get my PADI qualification now. After completing the dive I headed straight back out to go snorkelling which was done by one of the boat crew, seeing yet more fish, and also getting to hold this massive sea cucumber. The water was actually really shallow in places as well considering we were a fair way from the island, although this naturally brought me closer to the illuminated corals and fish from the sun.
When getting back in the boat, I was lucky enough to see a shark in the water, and by the time lunch was served around 4 of them were circling the boat! These were only small ones though that don't eat humans. Lunch today was these platters of meats, pasta, salad and bread, and everytime they seemed to get empty another platter was brought out. I certainly wasn't hungry, making the most out of the food, especially the chicken drumsticks!
After lunch we were transferred to Green Island by the small boat that was towed behind us. The island itself was only small and was home to a posh hotel at $600 a night. People were getting transferred in by helicopter! Whilst on the island I walked to the nearby pier to go turtle spotting without luck, then heading on a loop round the sandy island with lots of rocks. It only took about half an hour to go round, and on my return I followed this boardwalk inside the island past this crocodile centre. The small centre houses the biggest crocodile in captivity in the world! The boardwalk continued round and it was very interesting reading all the signs, which took me out to the hotels entrance. Outside were a few expensive food places, and some shops. After a short look round I headed back to the beach ready to be transferred back to the boat.
When re boarding the boat I relaxed in the shaded shelter for a bit whilst some people completed their extra dives which was an optional extra. I opted for the island instead, and before long everyone was back on the boat ready to set off back to Cairns. We were given platters of tropical fruit when leaving which was very refreshing. A short while after leaving as well the boats captain hoisted all the boats sails up and turned off the engine ready to sail back to Cairns. It was all pretty relaxing from here, and it was interesting hearing about this proposal to build seven high rise hotels and water park amongst things in an area currently swampland nearby Cairns
Continuing through the calm waters in the gleaming sun, we were brought out these platters of cheese and biscuits, and I even bared a glass of complimentary wine. I think everyone was full by now which meant I had lots of cheeses. Before long Cairns came into the skyline, and to top things off for the day we were brought out these platters full of cake. They were very nice although I was glad when finally arriving back in Cairns as this signalled the end of what felt like a food binge!
After disembarking the boat I looked round Cairns and its gift shops getting a couple of souvenirs. I also passed the tree where all the bats were, which I now know are called flying foxes. The final stop before heading back to the hostel was Woolworths where I just a got a couple of supplies for dinner, before trekking back through town to the hostel.
When back at the hostel, I relaxed in the common room having a quick skype session and using the WiFi, before heading down to the seafront to have a french stick and shortbread I bought for dinner. I also took the evening to pack my bags ready for yet another early start tomorrow morning. Before long it got quite late as I took part in the hostels quiz night which was far more manageable, although I didn't win. It was frustrating when going to bed though as the Japanese people in my room made a racket when returning at around midnight which woke me up.
Heading to the reef fleet terminal bang on time, I boarded my boat for the day called the Ocean Free. With about 30 people with a range of ages onboard, it was basically a large sailing boat. I was going to take the Ocean Freedom boat out but when booking I was told it was out of action for cleaning. Upon boarding we were given the option of tea and coffee, with muffins on the side.
The plan for the day was to sail to Green Island which was a two hour boat ride from Cairns. Due to the fact barely no one was eating the muffins meant I was eating more than my fair share on the way out. It was nice seeing the skyline of Cairns and the surrounding rainforest disappear into the skyline. A short while after leaving we were given a safety brief as I was doing a dive as well as the snorkelling. It was all pretty standard with nothing other than health and safety, along with showing us all these hand signals which meant various things. It was impossible to remember them all as most were related to seeing fish!
I was first up for diving when anchoring up nearby Green Island, and with a two to one diver to instructor ratio we were really well looked after. I was first into the warm blue waters which was made better by the fact we had clear blue sky's with the sun gleaming down on us! When descending this time my ears were a little dodgy, but I just took things slowly using their nose pinch technique to gently pop them which really helped. When in the water it was a far more coral based system, and despite still being a brown based coral system with the odd coloured coral, it was made more spectacular by the fish. My favourite was the massive blue fish, but the sheer diversity of fish meant there are simply too many to talk about!
In the end I was down below for around 25 minutes, and got complimented by the instructor as I managed the whole thing on my own, successfully controlling my water level. I'm really tempted to get my PADI qualification now. After completing the dive I headed straight back out to go snorkelling which was done by one of the boat crew, seeing yet more fish, and also getting to hold this massive sea cucumber. The water was actually really shallow in places as well considering we were a fair way from the island, although this naturally brought me closer to the illuminated corals and fish from the sun.
When getting back in the boat, I was lucky enough to see a shark in the water, and by the time lunch was served around 4 of them were circling the boat! These were only small ones though that don't eat humans. Lunch today was these platters of meats, pasta, salad and bread, and everytime they seemed to get empty another platter was brought out. I certainly wasn't hungry, making the most out of the food, especially the chicken drumsticks!
After lunch we were transferred to Green Island by the small boat that was towed behind us. The island itself was only small and was home to a posh hotel at $600 a night. People were getting transferred in by helicopter! Whilst on the island I walked to the nearby pier to go turtle spotting without luck, then heading on a loop round the sandy island with lots of rocks. It only took about half an hour to go round, and on my return I followed this boardwalk inside the island past this crocodile centre. The small centre houses the biggest crocodile in captivity in the world! The boardwalk continued round and it was very interesting reading all the signs, which took me out to the hotels entrance. Outside were a few expensive food places, and some shops. After a short look round I headed back to the beach ready to be transferred back to the boat.
When re boarding the boat I relaxed in the shaded shelter for a bit whilst some people completed their extra dives which was an optional extra. I opted for the island instead, and before long everyone was back on the boat ready to set off back to Cairns. We were given platters of tropical fruit when leaving which was very refreshing. A short while after leaving as well the boats captain hoisted all the boats sails up and turned off the engine ready to sail back to Cairns. It was all pretty relaxing from here, and it was interesting hearing about this proposal to build seven high rise hotels and water park amongst things in an area currently swampland nearby Cairns
Continuing through the calm waters in the gleaming sun, we were brought out these platters of cheese and biscuits, and I even bared a glass of complimentary wine. I think everyone was full by now which meant I had lots of cheeses. Before long Cairns came into the skyline, and to top things off for the day we were brought out these platters full of cake. They were very nice although I was glad when finally arriving back in Cairns as this signalled the end of what felt like a food binge!
After disembarking the boat I looked round Cairns and its gift shops getting a couple of souvenirs. I also passed the tree where all the bats were, which I now know are called flying foxes. The final stop before heading back to the hostel was Woolworths where I just a got a couple of supplies for dinner, before trekking back through town to the hostel.
When back at the hostel, I relaxed in the common room having a quick skype session and using the WiFi, before heading down to the seafront to have a french stick and shortbread I bought for dinner. I also took the evening to pack my bags ready for yet another early start tomorrow morning. Before long it got quite late as I took part in the hostels quiz night which was far more manageable, although I didn't win. It was frustrating when going to bed though as the Japanese people in my room made a racket when returning at around midnight which woke me up.
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