So you'll probably notice I keep throwing the name Marielle around in this entry. I think as you read you'll get an idea of what she's like and it's always better to show rather than tell.
So Marielle and myself decided to go to Takaka as it sounded worth visiting and the hostel has free use of bicycles. Being our first day and not knowing the area we just cycled to the nearest beach. We could see a few black shapes on the horizon but couldn't see any details and so thought nothing of it. Then a local woman told us they were three stranded sperm whales and we'd be able to see them when the tide was out. After an interlude of cycling and honesty box shopping we were back on the same beach wondering what to do. We decided to leave and return in a few hours when I decided to take a picture before we went. As my phone has no zoom I went into the water to get slightly closer and found it wasn't deep at all. I started walking out further to get a closer picture and I realised I'd be able to get right up to them as the tide was going out. At some point Marielle who was waiting for me on the beach to take a picture decided to follow me. So how to describe such an experience? Well of course it is tragic that three beautiful mammals should meet this end but it was a truly fascinating experience. The whales feel like rubber but you can tell they are real animals because there is blood running from the wounds. They also were covered in scratches that had healed over time. I guess living in the ocean can be tough. The real interesting part is the mouth. They have teeth on the top but not the bottom. They can just swallow animals such as octopus whole so there's no need for chewing. Also of note is the eyes which are small and hard to spot. Everything about whales is on a bigger scale but there's no need for eyes to get bigger if they already see everything like ours. We had some speculation on what their final moments were like before leaving. By this point the beach was full of locals who had all been sharing the news with each other. We told Seymore back at the hostel mainly because he knows everything and could fill us in on the facts. Did you know a dead whale is an environmental hazard because whales are full of oil? Well we do now.
The following day we didn't have any big plans but Seymore had organised a day trip with some guys in the hostel and said we should totally join. We were in the back of the second car with Seymore in the front passenger seat telling us everything there is to know about plants, weather, wind turbines, anything of importance. He is a better tour guide than any guide I've ever had. He led us through a delightfully warm swamp and a beach with sand that was perfect for joyfully running over. There were weirdly shaped limestone rocks which Marielle took some good photos of. While we were at the beach Marielle and I filled a plastic bag with muscles to eat later but no baby muscles. Were not monsters! Overall a superb day. You really do see more with Seymore.
The rest of our time was spent cycling to the best attractions in the area which were whatever Seymore had recommend. We have explored caves, examined lichens (she's into lichens), swam in a streams and listened to a tui that sounded like a plasma rifle (pew pew). The hostel owner Joules directed us to a lovely forest walk past a small hydraulic power station which was awesome. Joules is aptly named as she is full of energy like us.
Now all I need to mention is a fellow who travels under the name of Eli. Now Eli talks in such a compelling way that you don't realise how weird he is as he tells you about all the highlander/vampire/dinosaur erotica that has been published. Oh and he does a a perfect impression of agent smith from the matrix. There were bouts of hysterical laughter interspersed with awkward moments.
It is worth mentioning that we now have a tent and sleeping bags and are currently camping in Kaiteriteri waiting to rejoin the kiwi experience bus. I think that's everything.
Oh wait I forgot to mention that the kiwi birds can kill each other with kung fu kicks. They are being decimated by possums and stoats yet still they feel the need to kung fu kick kick each other to the death. They really are as stupid as they look.
Saturday 29 November 2014
Sunday 16 November 2014
Wellington and South
As I arrived in Wellington I once again had the disorienting experience of being plonked straight into the centre of a bustling city. As luck would have it there was a fireworks display in the harbour on my second night. I had slept through bonfire night in Taupo due to being exhausted from an entirely uneventful previous night. I figured the top of Mt Victoria park would be a fine place to view the display and I was not wrong. A good number of locals had also come to this panoramic viewing area and we got a fabulous display interspersed with fireworks set of by residents. I also visited the museum which tells you everything you need to know about the natural and human history of New Zealand.
Now you may have noticed in my last blog I rather matter of factly reclalled falling of a mountain bike. This hurt me slightly and wasn't a problem until the yank of the parachute opening during my skydive made it worse. A trip to the doctors confirmed that I had fractured a rib. There isn't much to do but allow it to heal and refrain from extreme activities.
On my last day in Wellington I went on a walk down to the coast to see some seals. There are operators offering to take you there in an off road vehicle for 100 dollars but I was far too adventurous/tight to take this option. At one point the wind was so strong I could barely walk against it but of course this wasn't going to stop me. I got to my destination and found two well camouflaged seals basking in the sun. On my return I was picked up by Kate who is a friend of the family. She was kind enough to treat me to a delightful meal at a Mexican after walking the dog. We got on very well and will meet again when I come back through Wellington.
I am now loitering in the Sunny town of Motueka. This is near the Abel Tasman national park which has stunning white sandy beaches making it feel like a tropical paradise although it is more warm than hot. I had a walk along the coastal track which involved some wading through the sea at points. I am staying at Edens edge lodge (the area has an apple theme going) which has a fantastic view of the surrounding hillside. With it's perfect weather and sweeping views it doesn't take much to make me stay here longer.
Now you may have noticed in my last blog I rather matter of factly reclalled falling of a mountain bike. This hurt me slightly and wasn't a problem until the yank of the parachute opening during my skydive made it worse. A trip to the doctors confirmed that I had fractured a rib. There isn't much to do but allow it to heal and refrain from extreme activities.
On my last day in Wellington I went on a walk down to the coast to see some seals. There are operators offering to take you there in an off road vehicle for 100 dollars but I was far too adventurous/tight to take this option. At one point the wind was so strong I could barely walk against it but of course this wasn't going to stop me. I got to my destination and found two well camouflaged seals basking in the sun. On my return I was picked up by Kate who is a friend of the family. She was kind enough to treat me to a delightful meal at a Mexican after walking the dog. We got on very well and will meet again when I come back through Wellington.
I am now loitering in the Sunny town of Motueka. This is near the Abel Tasman national park which has stunning white sandy beaches making it feel like a tropical paradise although it is more warm than hot. I had a walk along the coastal track which involved some wading through the sea at points. I am staying at Edens edge lodge (the area has an apple theme going) which has a fantastic view of the surrounding hillside. With it's perfect weather and sweeping views it doesn't take much to make me stay here longer.
Monday 10 November 2014
Auckland to Wellington
I wrote this on my phone and was unable to upload any photos. However, I have provided links to enhance your reading experience.
My original plan for New Zealand had been to work in Auckland for a few months before traveling at the height of summer. However while Auckland is a perfectly agreeable city it is not what I travelled to the other side of the world for. It was time to get of the city and see the land of the long white cloud while finding some waterfalls to immerse myself in along the way. The first place the kiwi experience tour bus took myself and fellow travellers to was hot water beach. Hear you can dig a hole in the sand and bathe in water heated by the molten rock which most of our planet consists of. Our tour guide/driver made it sound as if the exact location of the hot water on the beach required specialist local knowledge. In reality you simply need to look for the part of the beach full of people digging holes and the vising water vapour.
The following day involved an exciting trip to the waitomo caves. I had naturally picked the most exciting tour which involved an abseil in followed by a zipline and a few hours floating in an inflatable ring. Our party of nine descended with no difficulty and were amazed by the plentiful glowworms which inhabit this subterranean world. They have the appearance of small green LED lights and live on insects that have the misfortune of wandering into the cave systems. I also saw some glow worms in an old mine shaft and on a night walk, they get around. As we entered the 8 degrees C water there was much high pitched squealing from all of us. I figured I was going to freeze to death so may as well enjoy myself while I could. Anyway we all made it out without dying of cold or disturbing any balrogs. There was even a nice strong flowing waterfall to go through.
The next destination was Rotorua which I had decided to spend some extra time at, mainly to stay at somewhere other than Base Rotorua. I had picked A hostel called Funky Green Voyager which was as delightful as it's name is weird. The rooms are richly decorated with posters and paintings. Plus their no wearing shoes inside policy really makes it feel like home. Before settling down for the night I had a trip to a Maori village. Here we were taught some Maori words and attempted to do the haka. The highlight was a feast prepared in a hangi. The hangi method of cooking involves heating rocks in a fire then using the white hot rocks to oven cook food in a pit. Our hosts were quite insistent that we could have as many helpings as we liked. This is why it truly was the highlight. Feeling invigorated by this meal I spent the night at the hostel playing taki. For those of you who don't know taki is the mental Israeli version of uno.
My time in Rotorua was spent admiring the stunning geological activity and exploring the nearby forest. In the process I managed to fall off a mountain bike. On my last day I decided to try and find a hot water spring up rainbow mountain (yes that's real). After breakfast and second breakfast I set off on a 30km bike ride in torrential rain. The weather in New Zealand is remarkably changeable so I was confident it would clear. It didn't. I arrived at the bottom of rainbow mountain soaked and later than expected. I decided to head back but not without swimming in a warm lake while taking care not to let a drop of water near my mouth.
On the long ride back the weather actually did clear and I had some pleasant views.
Now it is very easy to put your name on a skydiving sign up sheet. Going up in a small plane to partake in said sky dive is very different. I giggling nervously on the way up while making the most of viewing lake Taupo from the air. You might imagine it takes some great feat of courage to make the jump but in reality your skydiving partner (who actually knows what to do) just sits you on the edge of the plane and then throws you out. I paid close attention to the banana position you should put your body in for the initial leap. For the rest of the fall popular culture had taught me well. So initially I made a kind of AAAHHH sound but soon I was completely loving the experience while being oblivious to the obvious danger. After crashing through a cloud I felt the yank of the parachute and I felt sick. I spent the gentle part of our decent focusing very hard on not throwing up. Now the skydiving people had a video package on offer which involve pre and post dive interviews along with a music video of the dive itself. Anyway there was no way in hell I was paying the extra 100 and something dollars for that. Besides I have already been interviewed this year and they didn't have the song I wanted. So instead I ask you to picture in your mind me falling from 15000 metres to the tune of robot rock.
My original plan for New Zealand had been to work in Auckland for a few months before traveling at the height of summer. However while Auckland is a perfectly agreeable city it is not what I travelled to the other side of the world for. It was time to get of the city and see the land of the long white cloud while finding some waterfalls to immerse myself in along the way. The first place the kiwi experience tour bus took myself and fellow travellers to was hot water beach. Hear you can dig a hole in the sand and bathe in water heated by the molten rock which most of our planet consists of. Our tour guide/driver made it sound as if the exact location of the hot water on the beach required specialist local knowledge. In reality you simply need to look for the part of the beach full of people digging holes and the vising water vapour.
The following day involved an exciting trip to the waitomo caves. I had naturally picked the most exciting tour which involved an abseil in followed by a zipline and a few hours floating in an inflatable ring. Our party of nine descended with no difficulty and were amazed by the plentiful glowworms which inhabit this subterranean world. They have the appearance of small green LED lights and live on insects that have the misfortune of wandering into the cave systems. I also saw some glow worms in an old mine shaft and on a night walk, they get around. As we entered the 8 degrees C water there was much high pitched squealing from all of us. I figured I was going to freeze to death so may as well enjoy myself while I could. Anyway we all made it out without dying of cold or disturbing any balrogs. There was even a nice strong flowing waterfall to go through.
The next destination was Rotorua which I had decided to spend some extra time at, mainly to stay at somewhere other than Base Rotorua. I had picked A hostel called Funky Green Voyager which was as delightful as it's name is weird. The rooms are richly decorated with posters and paintings. Plus their no wearing shoes inside policy really makes it feel like home. Before settling down for the night I had a trip to a Maori village. Here we were taught some Maori words and attempted to do the haka. The highlight was a feast prepared in a hangi. The hangi method of cooking involves heating rocks in a fire then using the white hot rocks to oven cook food in a pit. Our hosts were quite insistent that we could have as many helpings as we liked. This is why it truly was the highlight. Feeling invigorated by this meal I spent the night at the hostel playing taki. For those of you who don't know taki is the mental Israeli version of uno.
My time in Rotorua was spent admiring the stunning geological activity and exploring the nearby forest. In the process I managed to fall off a mountain bike. On my last day I decided to try and find a hot water spring up rainbow mountain (yes that's real). After breakfast and second breakfast I set off on a 30km bike ride in torrential rain. The weather in New Zealand is remarkably changeable so I was confident it would clear. It didn't. I arrived at the bottom of rainbow mountain soaked and later than expected. I decided to head back but not without swimming in a warm lake while taking care not to let a drop of water near my mouth.
On the long ride back the weather actually did clear and I had some pleasant views.
Now it is very easy to put your name on a skydiving sign up sheet. Going up in a small plane to partake in said sky dive is very different. I giggling nervously on the way up while making the most of viewing lake Taupo from the air. You might imagine it takes some great feat of courage to make the jump but in reality your skydiving partner (who actually knows what to do) just sits you on the edge of the plane and then throws you out. I paid close attention to the banana position you should put your body in for the initial leap. For the rest of the fall popular culture had taught me well. So initially I made a kind of AAAHHH sound but soon I was completely loving the experience while being oblivious to the obvious danger. After crashing through a cloud I felt the yank of the parachute and I felt sick. I spent the gentle part of our decent focusing very hard on not throwing up. Now the skydiving people had a video package on offer which involve pre and post dive interviews along with a music video of the dive itself. Anyway there was no way in hell I was paying the extra 100 and something dollars for that. Besides I have already been interviewed this year and they didn't have the song I wanted. So instead I ask you to picture in your mind me falling from 15000 metres to the tune of robot rock.
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