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ginasneesby · 4 years ago

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September - Viv and Andy part 1

2 years late but in enforced lockdown seems the best time to complete these blogs if I am able to remember to any degree what I actually did.

My first visitors were my sister Viv and her husband Andy, they had planned to come to me for 10 days, sandwiched between short trips to see friends in Australia; meaning I didn’t get the jet lag portion or the sad our trip is almost over portion! Viv had also done a lot of research and even booking in advance so most of the activities were sorted and paid for. This made it easier for me having only been nursing since coming back in July and then having taken more trips than I should have done really given how much money I had saved, spreading the cost meant we could all do everything and any extra costs were paid for with those weeks’ wages!

Their flight got in around 4pm on Thursday 6th, the day after I got back from Queenstown and a few weeks after Rarotonga so sort of felt like I was living at the airport; my carbon footprint this year was pretty shocking. They had booked a posh flat in central Auckland just round the corner from the Sky Tower which I drove directly to, luckily arriving late enough to miss parking restrictions so I could come in and see the place too. Having this flat the whole trip meant they could pack small bags for our planned trips and leave all the rest behind, also there was a gym in the complex which apparently is important ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It did however mean their self-catering kitchen was empty, so first job was to head to a supermarket to grab some essentials, the next day we hadn’t planned anything out of town so coffee and milk were a must. We decided however to go out for dinner rather than cook so I took them for a short walk down to the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter to see the harbour bridge, marina and view across to Devonport. We ate burgers or something similar at a bar and had a couple of cheap cocktails making it to well gone 9 o’clock before all the travelling (and I’m sure some jetlag) kicked in and we all headed home.

The next day I left the pair to figure out Auckland transport and met them at the Devonport ferry terminal, from here we took a gentle hike up Mount Victoria behind my flat (also known as the windiest hill in Auckland) with great views of the harbour, bridge and skyline. There is also an old gun turret type thing that was positioned here because it’s near the opening to the Hauraki Gulf and, I guess, the Pacific Ocean. Obviously we had to take the ‘there’s a giant gun between my legs’ photos but the classic NZ weather of blue sky, crazy wind and blazing sun directly in your eyes led to some interesting facial expressions. We had a late start to the day so after a few hours and a quick stop to see my flat, we were ready to head back over to the city and go for a drink. I took them to an Irish bar which I know seems so wrong but actually there isn’t really what you’d call a typical New Zealand pub (unlike the outdoor bars in Europe) so any pub was good; this one I knew did some classic NZ beers which was good enough for a local feel. We didn’t stay long as we were booked in for a full itinerary of activities on the Saturday but it was nice to end our first full day with a couple of beers, that’s what holidays are all about isn’t it.

Saturday saw an early start to catch the ferry to Waiheke Island, we tried to stay outside on the boat initially but all that wind that’s blow on Mount Victoria, also blows through the Hauraki Gulf and across the bow of the ship, so it was a bit too chilly to remain for the whole journey. There were lots of people on the boat, including a whole host of local primary/middle school football teams who were heading to Waiheke for a tournament; there was a lot of excitement so must have been a big deal! On arrival we were picked up with only about 6 others to head to the Ecozip HQ for the first of our ‘zip, wine and dine’ plans. The sun was blazing as we started out safety briefing for the 3 large zip lines we were about to throw ourselves down, all of which flew over a working vineyard and beautiful patch of NZ bush which we would then walk back through after getting to the bottom. The views from the top were amazing; I love the Auckland skyline anyway but seeing it across the water with the sun shining added an extra splash of magic; always makes a special holiday activity particularly memorable. The zip lines were set up in 2 so Viv and Andy went down together, of course trying to race each other, how else do you zip line, I went down by myself which meant I could 1) take in my surroundings and 2) film the others trying to beat each other. Not sure there’s anything you could actually do to increase your speed but I know they were trying. Each zip faced in a slightly different direction and was positioned high above the bush so each journey down was a new view; I highly recommend doing it as it was great fun. Once we got to the bottom, we were able to loosen our harnesses for the return climb, the guides walked us back up through the bush, pointing out the native plants, trees and animals which the company is helping to preserve and restore.

We were taken back to the ferry port to continue our day which for us meant being picked up by a different coach and taken to the first of 4 wine stops, Stonyridge Vineyard. We had a brief tour of the vines and the cork trees that they grew on site plus a taster of 3 different wines which we were then able to buy a large discounted glass of to have with lunch. Our tables were set up outside on a deck near the cork and olive trees and overlooking rolling green hills, if there’s a better spot to start an afternoon of drinking I haven’t found it. Also a good shout to sell a large glass for cheap at the start, as I found out on a later trip without this option, the tasters as not enough to keep you going for the whole afternoon (and I’m really against paying $15 for a small glass.) The next stop was Rangihoua estate in the centre of the island for some olive oil tasting and some different wine. By this point in typical Auckland fashion the sun had come out in force and wearing jumper, jeggings and boots I was overheating a bit but also determined to catch some sun following a long grey winter. Casita Miro was an amazing vineyard up in the hills towards the north coast of the island, ran by a family with decoration inspired by the Park Guell in Barcelona and Gaudi’s style of mosaic. The vines also grew on a pretty vertical hill, the dad (who was also a Dr) clearly put all his time and effort into the place and it really showed; what free time he could possibly have i don’t know. They gave us a tasting of 5 different wines, red/white and rose, each with a small complimentary snack balanced on a plate on top of the glass; some bruschetta, some cheese and some fruit, classy. Our last spot was Mudbrick Vineyard, with views back towards the city and Rangitoto island across the glittering green water of the Gulf, their vines went up the hill behind the vineyard which must have been near the highest point of the island? The whole place was obviously well established as a venue and even had extra buildings for wedding parties to use a bridal suites etc. We were able to buy more wine and stay longer if we wanted as our return ticket was valid until the last ferry, probably around 9pm. But we decided to head back with the coach and catch the planned ferry, totally in the mood to jump into another bar around the terminal and continue drinking. But in usual fashion the 40 minute ferry journey zapped us of this will and by the time we got back an early start and the best part of a couple of bottles of wine each caught up with us so we decided not to carry on but to crawl into bed probably grabbing something tasty and unhealthy on the way home.

Sunday, after a slow start, we decided to drive up the coast to Muriwai beach where there is a large colony of Gannets living on the rocks, I had been earlier in the year and there were barely any birds there, I guess September being the start of Spring they had all come back to nest. The west shore of Auckland is famous for high winds and crazy waves (they set a whole beach rescue programme at Piha just down the road) so there are some quite dramatic rock formations along the coast. Muriwai has a designated walkway up through the colony and when crowded with birds they literally nest everywhere, right up to the edge of the path so you can get a really close look at them. There was a bit of shagging going up close too which made some of the parents walking around move their brood on swiftly. Down the hill from the birds you can walk along the rock when the tide is out and people come here to fish and look in the rock pools, there’s probably some fresh shellfish being pulled out here and taken straight home for dinner. I had recently discovered a Sunday night market under one of the shopping centres near me which had fresh homemade Asian foods which were all pretty amazing. You could get a pile of dumplings or bao for not many dollars which we did and shared them between us plus some added satay chicken and other deep fried goodies. Not to mention the desserts on offer, ice cream/crepes/waffles all with fruit and chocolate bits and sauces in case the main course wasn’t enough calories. Stomachs filled and plans finalised for our flight the next day, I drove my guests back to their apartment and took myself home to pack for the next adventure down to the south island.

#newzealand #holiday #travelling #auckland #waiheke #zip wine and dine #zipline #ecozip #taste of waiheke #wine #devonport #ferry #muriwai #gannetcolony #2018memories

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roundtheworldrambles · 5 years ago

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Queenstown and Glenorchy, New Zealand

Day 114 – Brisbane to Queenstown, New Zealand

Kia Ora, New Zealand!

I arrived at Brisbane’s airport in the morning, departing on a three and a half hour Virgin Australia flight over the Tasman Sea to Queenstown, New Zealand. After getting lots of feedback from friends, family and fellow travellers, I had decided to start my month-long stint in New Zealand on the scenic, mountainous South Island, before eventually making my way to the North Island and Auckland. Although I was arriving in New Zealand in mid January – the height of summer, we were surrounded by snowy capped peaks as we began our descent into Queenstown.

The arrival into Queenstown’s airport was an event in and of itself. As we approached the airport, we gradually descended along the length of Lake Wakatipu, the mountains surrounding the lake quickly towering above us while we were still in flight. Without my feet having even touched the ground of New Zealand, I could already tell that I would love this country. The beauty of the Southern Alps was unmistakable, even through a tiny airplane window! I immediately was reminded of the feeling I would get when flying into Vancouver, and arriving in New Zealand, I already felt like I was coming “home”. (That or your mind starts playing tricks with you when you have been travelling for over 4 months!).

Although Queenstown has a fairly small airport, it still took some time for me to make my way through passport control and Bisecurity NZ. Given its geographical isolation, New Zealand takes biosecurity seriously, aiming to prevent pests, predators and diseases from damaging the unique environment and biodiversity of the country. Incredibly, the native flora and fauna of New Zealand evolved free of any warm-blooded predators, and as a result, the country is home to several flightless birds, such as the kiwi and the kakapo parrot. Unfortunately, following colonialization of this country, smaller predators such as rats, possums and stoats were introduced to the country, and many of New Zealand’s unique species are currently endangered as a result.

Finally grabbing my pack and passing through Biosecurity, I caught a taxi into town, arriving at my hostel for the night, Black Sheep Backpackers. Over the coming month, it was hard to believe I would only be staying at a hostel for the one night – as I was set to pick up my mini campervan the following day! I met a few of my fellow travellers at the hostel – from Scotland, Quebec , Zimbabwe and England, most of whom were either starting or finishing a campervan adventure of their own. It was terrific to chat with them and get tips for campsites, hikes, routes and excursions – as I was planning on mapping out my roadtrip over the next few days!

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I strolled down into the main area of town, wandering along the main street and the waterfront. It was clear that Queenstown lived up to its reputation as the ultimate destination for lovers of the outdoors! Lake Wakatipu is framed by yellow-green hills, set against jagged mountains in the distance known as the Remarkables – quite a fitting name! Along the streets, countless tour operators offer every imaginable activity and tour – from skydiving and bungee jumping, to white water rafting and kayaking – the options were quite overwhelming! Overhead, paragliders swooped through the air, having launched off Bob’s Peak, a mountain overlooking the town. I stopped by Queenstown’s famous bakeshop “The Cookie Muncher” for an ice cream sandwich before heading to the Department of Conservation (better know as the “DOC”) to gather more information on camping permits, bookings and campsites. Armed with a veritable mountain of flyers, pamphlets and maps, I returned to the hostel for an evening of research and planning for the month ahead!

Day 115 – Queenstown, New Zealand

In the morning, I headed out to Frankton, a Southeast suburb of Queenstown, to pick up my camper van for the following month. During my first full day in New Zealand, I was already amazing by the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals. Not only was I given a free bus pass by a passing couple, but a friendly transit worker named Peter gave me a lift in his car to the campervan pick-up, when realizing I had misread the bus timetable! I could quickly see why NZ is sometimes called the “friendliest place on earth”!

Wicked Campers Queenstown

As having a vehicle is essential when travelling around New Zealand, there were countless options for campervans, large and small, basic and boujee – for me to pick between! Trying to stretch my dollars as much as possible, I ended up going with the backpacker classic – a Wicked Campervan. By far the cheapest option, these vans are best known for their large, bright (and sometimes risqué!) graffiti. Unfortunately – what this also meant is that the first van they suggested for me was decorated with a topless woman and an octopus! I ended up going with an equally bizarre, but less provocatively decorated model – with a large graffitied picture of a dog and a red solo cup! Needless to say, I got many strange looks over the following weeks, when I rolled up to gas stations and campsites! However, more often than not my hilariously decorated van ended up being an excellent conversation starter!

Fortunately my time driving around Tasmania a few weeks earlier had helped me prepare for a long stint of driving on the left-side of the road, so it didn’t take me long to get used to my new wheels. I spent the rest of the day running errands around town to prepare for my roadtrip – groceries at PAK’nSAVE, gas top-ups, trips to Kathmandu (NZ’s answer to MEC) for camping gear, and laundering a second-hand set of pillows and a sleeping bag, donated from a previous traveller. In town, I also picked up extra layers of merino wool, blankets, and fairy lights – as I was determined to make my peculiar campervan as cosy as possible over the coming weeks!

In the evening, I met up with Oran, a Swiss traveller I had met at the hostel. We headed into town to join the lineup at Fergburger, the town’s famous burger joint! A compulsory stop in Queenstown, it is common to wait for up to an hour to get “the best burger in the world”. Oran and I didn’t mind the wait, as we took the time to swap travel tips and pick each other’s brains. As luck would have it, he was heading to Australia the following day, after spending a month in New Zealand – the reverse of what I had done.

I spent my first evening in my campervan that evening – parked in a designated parking lot on the outskirts of town. Although it was the height of summer, the evenings were very cold – and it got pretty brisk inside the van overnight! Before going to bed – I began my new evening routine for the following 4 weeks – reading Shantaram on my Ipad, complete with a glass of NZ wine.

Day 116 – Glenorchy and Moke Lake

Lake Wakatipu

In the morning, I headed out of Queenstown to Glenorchy, driving West along Lake Wakatipu. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road when driving – the scenery around me was so gorgeous. I stopped countless times along the way to take in the mountains surround the brilliantly blue lake. The historic steamship TSS Earnslaw cruised along the lake during my drive. Now used for sightseeing trips, this 100+ year old, coal-powered steamship was originally used to transport sheep, cattle and passengers to the high country stations in the hills surround Lake Wakatipu. Watching the steamship chug along the lake in the distance, I felt transported back to another time.

Glenorchy

I arrived at Glenorchy around lunchtime and cooked lunch in the back of my campervan, admiring the magnificent beech forest and towering mountains around me. I could easily see why this location had been scouted for many scenes from the Lord of the Rings – it truly felt as though I had arrived in Middle Earth.

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I drove my campervan down to the shores of the Lake and wandered along the river’s edge, wading in the water. A row of partially submerged willow trees was growing just offshore, the rippling water reflecting the trees and distant mountains. With this incredible backdrop, I spent the afternoon by the water’s edge, relaxing with a book. For me, this was pretty close to a perfect day!

As I prepared to leave Glenorchy to head towards my campsite for the evening, I stopped by the Glenorchy Trading Post for a few snacks and a hot drink. Hopping into my camper, I began to retrace my route back towards Queenstown, the road hugging the lakeside. The afternoon light cast long shadows over Lake Wakatipu, while also highlighting the mountains on the far bank. I was in awe of all the scenery I saw this day – a feeling that would continue to follow me for the duration of my time in New Zealand!

Lake Wakatipu

My Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite for the night was at Moke Lake, a pretty lake off the beaten track, about 10 minutes outside of Queenstown. The road into this campsite was unsealed, and it took me a few minutes to get the hang of driving my camper over the bumps and gravel in the road. I passed my numerous farms and fields along the track, packed full of sheep and goats – stopping my can every few minutes while I waited for them to get out of the way! New Zealand is known for being one of the most populous sheep farming countries in the world, which was quickly apparent! I later learned that the number sheep of NZ outnumber people by 6 to 1! Around the campsite, you could see countless lines tracing along the distant hills – footpaths for thousands of freely grazing sheep.

Setting up for the evening at Moke Lake, I cooked fajitas in my make-shift, campervan kitchen - consisting of little more than a cooler, a hand-pumped water sink, and a camping stove! I spent my evening enjoying the peaceful scenery – with a few “baas” here and there – reading my book, and drinking a glass of wine. Thoughout my time in New Zealand, most of the campsites I stayed in were so remote that there was no cell service, a digital detox which I quite enjoyed!

Typical Campervan Evenings

#newzealand

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malyen0retsev · 7 years ago

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Alphabet Game!

I saw @salt-throne did this and I can’t sleep and am bored SO doing it whether you like it or not lmao

rules: answer the questions in a new post and tag some people you’d like to know better.

a- age: 21 b- birthplace: town in gloucestershire, england, called cheltenham (I know how bloody british is that whole sentence) c- current time: 23:10 d- drink you last had: cup of tea e- easiest person to talk to: irl Sam, he’s my best friend for a reason, on here my main gals @gendry and @geekychemist I mean I met them on here and now they tolerate me across many other social media sites so 😅😂 f- fav song: anything by rhcp or Biffy Clyro tbh - but if I had to specify dani california by rhcp bc I can belt every single word to that and howl by biffy g- grossest memory: my friend shat himself, took his shitty trousers off, and then gave me a hug whilst holding the trousers. I didn’t know he’d shat himself till after at which point I was like DUDE h- horror yes or horror no: that shit terrifies me nope nope nope i- in love: no, do u think I could be yolo travelling like this if I was lol j- jealous of people: I think everyone has the capacity to be jealous so ofc, but as a general rule no k - K BRUH NO CLUE WHATS MEANT TO BE HERE l- love a first sight or should i walk by again: used to be cynical, then it happened to my cousin and him and his wife are the best couple I know… idk. I think if it exists it happens to you once in a lifetime m- middle name: two, Catherine Alice n- number of siblings: one sister Lizzie (who I call Lizard lol) o - one wish: moving permanently to NZ will not be at all complicated lol p - person you called last: my friend Matt’s mum bc she was booking my flights to Auckland for Christmas q - question you are always asked: ‘oh so you have an English lit degree! Do you want to become a teacher??” 🙄🙄 r- reason to smile: we are alive to witness Arya Stark and ginny weasley exist in fiction s- song you last sang: Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters t- time you woke up: 7am I work full time in retail lol u- underwear colour: grey-black striped boxers with the FRIENDS logo on the front v- vacation destination: NZ but I’m here now so I don’t think that counts, so Australia I guess SO I COULD MEET AMY IN REAL LIFE ❤️ w- worst habit: Overthinking it is the root of all my problems and stops me doing shit x- x-rays: when I broke my arm aged 12, and numerous dental fillings since then cos my teeth look good but I assure you are fucked that’s just dental magic y- your fav food: before nz pizza, but since getting here I JUST WANT ALL THE BURGERS z- zodiac sign: taurus

Ok imma tag @blacksmithgendry @gendry @gendryatrash @hauntedlamps @mjtrull @geekychemist @runningatadifferentspeed and anyone else who wants to do this idk

#sarah rambles #questions

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colouredheads-blog · 7 years ago

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KIA HORA, Neuseeland, 6577km und jeder Meter Faszination und Staunen über unseren Planeten.

Irgendjemand sagte einmal „In Neuseeland scheint es, als hätte sich Gott nochmal richtig ausgetobt“ Wir möchten diese These hier in unserem Blogg mit unserem Reisebericht definitiv bestätigt wissen.

Also, lehnt euch diesmal zurück, versucht euch das vorzustellen was wir gesehen und erlebt haben und taucht mit uns ein, in die Magie zweier Inseln.

Noch im Flugzeug von Rio de Janeiro konnten wir ein letztes mal einen atemberaubenden Blick über die mächtigen verschneiten Anden erhaschen. Nochmal ein kleiner Abschied, oder vielleicht doch ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf das was uns die nächsten 48 Tage erwarten wird? Vorkenntnisse über das Land am anderen Ende der Welt hatten wir ja beide schon, aber trotzdem konnten wir es nicht erwarten, wiederholt die Schönheit und Ruhe zu genießen.

Unser Flug ging erstaunlich schnell und entspannt vorbei. Früh Morgens landete der sehr komfortable Dreamliner in #AUCKLAND, zwar die größte Stadt in #NZ, aber doch nicht die Hauptstadt.

Nach einem ordentlichen Kaffee, ging es mit Bus und Bahn zur Abholstation unseres neuen zu Hauses auf vier Rädern. Intelligent eingerichtet und ausgestattet, mit 2 Großen getrennten Betten, das Lenkrad auf der falschen Seite und alles was man sonst so im Camper Alltag braucht, ging es ab auf die Straße, Richtung Südosten und zu unserem ersten Campground. Zwischenstopp beim #COUNTDOWN, NZ beliebtester Supermarkt, (und der mit den besten Schnäppchen, wie sich später raus kristallisierte) um die Vorratskammern zu füllen. Intelligent einkaufen sieht anders aus, jeder schmiss in den Wagen was er gern hat, ohne auf Preise zu achten und wieviel wir eigentlich brauchen, flog uns die Rechnung an der Kasse ordentlich um die Ohren. Am ersten Ground hieß es erstmal einrichten. Recht schnell viel uns auf das wir noch einige grundlegende Sachen benötigen werden um die Zeit und das Abenteuer zu meistern. Sachen wie, ein Holzlöffel, ordentliches Messer, Gaskocher für draußen, Isomatte, Schneidebrett, Plastikboxen und auch noch einen Stuhl, denn einer war schon defekt als wir ihn auspackten.

So ging es den nächsten Tag an einem Baumarkt vorbei der uns mit all den fehlenden Sachen beglückte. Der schönste Moment danach, war zu sehen, wie die gekaufte Gasflasche samt dem Kocher, nicht funktionierte, da kein Gas drin war. Es gibt schlimmeres, gell. Somit musste das Steak im Camper grilliert werden und der ganze Innenraum von einem schönen Ölfilm überzogen werden. Auch dieser Besuch im Baumarkt hat uns erstmal schön ne Stange Kohle gekostet, allerdings haben wir bei Abgabe des Campers, dafür auch en schönes Sümmchen zurück erhalten.

In #MATATA wurde als nächstes gehalten. Den Camper geparkt, durch zwei Büche, über die Düne und schon war man an einem ellenlangen Strand. Und was fehlte? Die Menschen, der Trubel, Sonnenschirme, Liegen, Handtücher. Nix davon war über Kilometer hinweg zu sehen, der Strand gehörte einzig und allein uns. Ein Wahnsinn. Da haben wir uns gern an Miamibeach und Cobacabana zurück erinnert…..und es überhaupt nicht vermisst.

In Matata gab es auch eine warme Dusche, diese hatte nur ein kleines Problem. Man musste um die Kabine laufen, 2$ in ein Schlitz stecken und dann lief das Ding für 10 Minuten. Das hätte man am Besten nackig machen sollen, denn um rumzurennen, dann auszuziehen, fehlte einfach die Zeit, um seid langem endlich mal wieder eine warme Dusche zu genießen.

Ein kurzer Abstecher nach #WHAKATANE, zum Gasbuddle auffüllen und für die ersten Fish & Chips, brachte uns weiter nach #GISBORNE. Vorbei an endlosen Orangenplantagen, blieb uns nichts anderes übrig, als gleich mal 5Kg mit zu nehmen. Am #KAITIBEACH, dem ersten #FREEDOMCAMPING, haben wir unser Wägelchen mal wieder für die Nacht positioniert. Übrigens, das positionieren eines Campers kann ganz schön herausfordernd sein und für reichlich Diskussionsstoff dienen.

Ebenso müssen, oder wollen wir, an dieser Stelle, Neuseelands öffentliche Toiletten, erwähnen und loben. Sauber, gepflegt, aufgefüllt, unterhaltend mit toller Musik und Türschliessern, welche dich mit dem Sound von Raumschiff Enterprise für 10 Minuten mit dir allein lassen. Aber aufpassen, eben nur 10 Minuten, danach darf jeder weitere Gast eintreten. Dieses Erlebnis blieb Dirk vorbehalten.

Nach einen Wahnsinns Sonnenuntergang und einer kalten Nacht, ging es weiter zum #LAKEWAIKAREMOANA. In der #ROSIEBAY hatten wir einen weiteren #FREEDOMCAMPSIDE gefunden. Für all zu Haus gebliebene, #FEEDOMCAMPING gibt es in #NZ fast überall, kostenfrei, meist mit WC und Trinkwasser. Was für die #KIWIS (Neuseeländer) völlig normales, wäre in Europa völlig undenkbar. Sie freuen sich den Touristen damit ihre Landschaft zu zeigen und kümmern sich, meist, sehr sehr gut darum, alles im Stande zu halten. Diese #FREEDOMCAMPSIDES, haben wir somit meistens auch genutzt.

Zurück zu Rosies Bay. Direkt am Wasser mit Windböhen, die uns das Feuermachen zum Albtraum werden lies (aber wir haben es geschafft), bereiteten wir uns vor, auf unseren ersten #GREATWALK. 9 Stück gibt es davon in #NZ. Man ist 2-4 Tage unterwegs, mit Schlafsack, Lebensmitteln bepackt und durchläuft die Landschaft Neuseelands. Zum Schlafen stehen sogenannte #HUTS zur Verfügung, ausgestattet mit einem Gemeinschaftsraum und Matratzen für 30-40 Wanderer. Diese Huts muss man allerdings vorbuchen und zahlen, daher haben wir nur den ersten Hut erklommen.

Im Morgengrauen wurde der Rucksack aufgeschnallt, mit belegtem Broten, Obst und ausreichend Tee gefüllt ging es einen anspruchsvollen Weg nach oben, rechts von uns den See immer im Blickfeld und links der spannende Neuseeländische Wald. Man kam sich vor wie ein kleiner Hobbit. Nach 3 Stunden hatten wir unser Ziel, und damit auch unsere Brotzeit erreicht. Was für ein Gefühl, der Freiheit, der Natur und des Erklimmens des Berges.

Natürlich ging es runter etwas schneller, aber die Knochen und Muskeln schmerzten recht ordentlich, damit hatten wir uns einen Campground mit Dusche verdient. Denn es fing auch langsam an zu regnen.

Unser Camper brachte uns weiter bis nach #NAPIER, hier wurde das erste mal der Golfschläger, seid langem mal wieder geschwungen. Recht beliebt das Spielchen bei den Kiwis. Das letzte Loch wurde uns von einem ordentlichen Schauer versüßt, aber für günstige 10$, absolut genial.

Die Reifen wurden wieder geheizt und weiter ging es nach #WOODVILLE, absolut abgelegener Campground und hier sind wir das erste mal auf einen öffentlichen BBQ Grill gestoßen. Ja ja, die Kiwis haben im Nirgendwo plötzlich einen professionellen Gas BBQ Grill hingeballert und somit war klar was an diesem Tag auf den Teller kam. Natürlich Burger.

Weiter an knospenträchtigen Weinstöcken, endlosen Schafweiden und gefühlten 25 Millionen Schafen vorbei, fuhren wir nach #MARTINBOROUGH, bis runter ans #CAPEPALLISER, das Mallorca für Seelöwen, Robben und Seehunde. Die reihen sich hier dicht an dicht und lassen sich unbekümmert die Sonne auf den Pelz scheinen.

Der nächste Tag begann mit einer erneuten Runde Golf, 18 Löcher, das ging ne Weile. Und die Kiwis haben es nicht halb so eilig auf einem Golfplatz wie die Europäer. Danach eine verdiente Nacht am #LAKEWAIRARAPA und los, ab nach #WELLINGTON, die Hauptstadt Neuseelands.

Kleine Microbrauereien, tolle Restaurants, coole Kiwis, fancy Innenstadt und Hafen, das ist #WELLINGTON. Ein Eldorado für die #COLOUREDHEADS. Diesmal war der Campingplatz etwas weiter außerhalb und 1.5 Stunden entfernt von der City, das machte uns nix, wir trotzten dem Weg und liefen ihn 4 mal hin und her. Ein jeder der in #WELLINGTON verweilt, muss sich unbedingt das #TEPAPA, Neuseelands National Museum anschauen. Erstens ist es kostenfrei und zweitens haben die Neuseeländer eine Art Geschichte darzustellen, welche einem dem Atem raubt.

Die Fähre Richtung Südinsel musste gebucht werden, das hatte Dirk übernommen, leider einen Tag zu früh, weil er mal wieder die Ohren ganz wo anders hatte als der Zeitplan verkündet wurde.

Nun, gebucht war sie, also ahoi, auf die Südinsel. Mitten rein in Neuseelands beste Weinregion, #MARLBOROUGH. Halleluja, die besten Sauvignon Blancs werden hier in die Flaschen gefüllt, von circa 150 Weinproduzenten. Das musste entdeckt werden, am besten ging das auf einem Tandem und den Regenergüssen von oben. Es schien wie verhext, jedes mal als wir uns auf Fahrrad schwangen, ergoss sich der Himmel aufs neue. Wir waren gut ausgestattet, mit Karte, Wasser und Regensachen. Man fährt also mit dem Radl von Winery zu Winery und probiert jeweils die edlen Tropfen. Fast jede Winery hat eine sogenannte Cellardoor, welche jedem ermöglicht, einfach mal rein zu schauen und zu probieren. Toll gemacht, wirklich, und jedes Weingut ist ganz anders als das vorige, absoluter Individualismus, klasse.

Wir haben das Rad auch wieder ganz und mit allen Teilen abgeliefert und sind nicht wie 2 Trunkenbolde über die Straßen geeiert.

In der Nähe von #BLENHEIM und #RENWICK gab es noch ein #AVIATION Museum, hier hat es mal kurz wirklich zwischen uns gekracht, was glaub auch verständlich ist nach so langer Zeit und immer wieder zusammen. Im Nachhinein haben wir darüber gelacht und mal wieder festgestellt, das es nur einen Grund gab dafür. Das Mundaufmachen und das geliebte Reden miteinander….und schon flutscht es wie geschmiert. Klingt wie in einer richtigen Beziehung, oder?

All die Aufregung war am nächsten Tag verflogen und wir fuhren über Alpine Straßen die zusehends erwachende Landschaft Neuseelands. Das Grass erschien irgendwie immer ein bisschen Grüner, die Schafe wolliger und die Kühe mit fetteren Eutern. Die höheren Berge waren immer noch wie gezuckert von Schnee und wir fanden den wohl herrlichsten naturbelassensten und wahrscheinlich auch kältesten Campground, auf unserem Weg nach #HANMARSPRINGS.

Hier wurde aus einem kleinen Spaziergang um die Stadt, überraschender Weise, eine Wanderung bis auf 1319m hoch. #MOUNTISOBEL wollte von uns erklommen werden und jeder, aber auch wirklich jeder Schritt zum Gipfel, hatte sich an diesem Tag gelohnt. Nicht nur das der Ausblick auf die Stadt fantastisch war, nein man konnte gefühlte 150km weit schauen. Das Wetter war mehr als nur optimal um Neuseelands Landschaft von oben zu bestaunen. Ein Gefühl der Freiheit, der Ehrfurcht und „der König der Welt“ überkommt einen. Wahnsinn.

Nach Wanderungen kamen, schon fast traditionsmäßig, Nudeln in die Pfanne, das heißt, Alex sein Spezialgebiet und er schwang ordentlich den Kochlöffel. Und mit diesem Satz möchten wir ein paar Eß, Koch und Waschweib Geschichten erzählen. Da Alex der Frühaufsteher von uns Beiden ist, ist er auch meistens der Kaffeekocher, Obst und Brotaufschneider. Am Abend hat dann meistens Dirk übernommen. Zwischendrin gabs immer mal ein lecker Kecks, Obst oder Schokoriegel. Liebe Schweizer, #CADBURY macht euch mehr als Konkurrenz. #WEETBIX ist in Neuseeland ein muss am Frühstückstisch. Ein Riegel aus gepressten gesunden Körnern, Flackes und Zügs und Sachen. Zum Trinken wurde jeden Tag neu Tee gekocht und dieser auch den ganzen Tag getrunken. Unwahrscheinlich aber war, Dirk hat es durchschnittlich öfter in Neuseeland auf die Toilette geschafft als Alex. Und das will etwas heißen. Des Weiteren darf jetzt jedem die Kinnlade runterfallen, denn, 24 Flaschen Bier und 4 Flaschen Wein haben uns über den ganzen Zeitraum in #NZ über, für besondere Gelegenheiten belustigt. Weiter darf man hier zum Besten geben, dass unser Essen genauso unterschiedlich war wie Neuseeland selbst. Auch das Resteessen am letzten Tag wurde sehr gelobt. Freiwillig hat Alex meistens auch noch das Spülmittel, Bürste und Schwamm gespielt, somit waren irgendwie ganz von selbst alle Fronten von Anfang an geregelt.

Während Dirk damit beschäftigt war den Camper unter 10 Liter Verbrauch zu bringen, hat Alex den Job des Führers, Koordinators und Copiloten übernommen und wir gelangten nach #CHRISTCHURCH. Und auch wenn man diese Stadt schon einmal erlebt hat, ein zweites mal ist hier definitiv immer wieder lohnenswert. Eine Stadt, vom Erdbeben gebeutelt, erstrahlt im neuen Glanz. Ein Mix aus Denkmal geschützten Häusern und Neuerbauten, architektonischen Meisterleistungen. Grandios. Die Menschen dazu sind einfach herrlich und das urbane Leben wird hier gezeigt wie sonst nirgends auf der Welt. Stadtplaner haben hier einen fabulösen Job gemacht, denn es scheint hier alles ineinander zu fließen, mit den Menschen und ihren Wünschen und Träumen.

Über die Hausberge Christchurchs, ging es weiter nach #AKAROA, einem kleinen Städtchen, geprägt von französischen Siedlern und in einer herrlichen Bucht gelegen. Fish & Chips standen auch hier auf dem Speiseplan und ein kleiner Trailer direkt auf dem Pier, mit seiner Oma drin, wir glauben dort die besten Fish & Chips gefunden zu haben.

Die Sterne am nächtlichen und glasklarem Himmel leuchteten uns den Weg weiter nach #TIMARU und #OAMARU. Die weit aus interessantere Stadt von beiden war, #OAMARU. Ein alter Hafen umgestaltet und neu interpretiert mit dem Charme alter Siedlerkunst. Ganz ganz geil gemacht und überall wurden industrielle Zeichen gesetzt. Sei es eine Bank aus alten Zugrädern oder die Bäckerei welche aussah als ob man 1920 durch sie durch flanieren.

Mit einer Nacht auf einem Campground kurz vor Dunedin, #LONGBEACHDOMAIN, welcher einem das Gehirn frei pustet und kaum bekannt ist, wir waren fast allein dort, ging es nach Dunedin. Die Stadt in der die leckere Schokolade gemacht wird. Eine Tour wollten wir durch die heiligen Hallen machen und vielleicht das Rezept mit nach Hause nehmen, aber die Eintrittspreise haben uns dann doch umgestimmt. Somit ging es zur steilsten Straße der Welt. #BALDWINSTREET, schon allein das Hochlaufen ist verdammt anstrengend, weiter zum wohl schönsten Strand der Welt. #SANDFLYBEACH, der hat soviel weißen Sand und Dünen, das es bald schon gar nicht mehr war sein kann.

Als nächstes baute sich der sogenannte #NUGGETPOINT vor uns auf, spektakuläre Felsformationen, welche das Meerwasser mit seiner permanenten Kraft der Wellen bearbeitet und weiter formt.

#BLUFF der wohl südlichste Punkt & Ort Neuseelands, abgesehen von einer weiteren Insel, stand als nächstes Ziel auf der Karte. Von hier aus waren es nur noch 4810km zum Südpol und es war noch nicht mal so kalt.

#MONKEYISLAND, war ein spannender Campground, denn hier schienen einige Mahori (Ureinwohner) Dauer zu campen. Eine junge Frau fuhr zu schnell durch ihr Territorium, zack stand sie da mit der Kelle in der Hand.

#KEPLERTRACK hieß der nächste Punkt auf der Karte und auch der nächste #GREATWALK. 6 Stunden sollte der Weg zur ersten Hut beanspruchen, wir haben das in 3.5 Stunden hinter uns gebracht. Ja ja die wanderlustigen #COLOUREDHEADS. Da oben hat es einen gerade mal aus den Schuhen gehauen und aus den Socken gefegt. Wieder einmal mal hatten wir traumhaftes Wetter und Ausblicke die einen fast die Tränen in die Augen pressen. Meine meine Herren.

Noch schnell eine Nacht auf einem kostengünstigen Campingplatz mit Dusche am #LAKETEANAU, denn nun freuten wir uns auf das wohl heiß ersehntest Ereignis Neuseelands.

#QUEENSTOWN und den besten Burger der Welt, #FERGBURGER. Wir mögen uns erinnern das jeder 6 Stück in den 2 Tagen Aufenthalt verdrückt hatte und jeder Bissen war purer #FOODGASMUS. Wir sind uns einig, niemand konnte das bis jetzt toppen.

Nun ging es flott weiter an der nicht ganz so spektakulären Westküste, über #LAKEWANAKA, am #FOXGLACIER & #FRANZJOSEPHGLACIER vorbei, kurze Nacht in #WESTPORT bis nach #MOTUEKA. Hier haben wir uns getraut oder besser gesagt entschieden, eine Nacht in so einem Hut des #ABELTASMAN GREATWALKS zu übernachten. Der große Backpack wurde bepackt mit allen nötigen Sachen und auf gings. Ein spektakulärer Walk über 25km. Was hier unsere Augen und Gehirn verarbeiten mussten, geht weit über Vorstellungskraft. Weiße Strände, Kristall klares Wasser, Dünen, Flüsse, Wald, einfach nur Natur pur, und was für eine. Da bleibt dir der Knödel im Halse stecken.

Die Fähre war gebucht, diesmal zum richtigen Tag und Mutter Erde schenkte uns noch einen perfekten Tag auf der Südinsel. Die Überfahrt zurück auf die Nordinsel wurde durch 10m hohe Wellen, deutlich spannender als die Hinfahrt. Es krachte und rumpelte die ganze Zeit und die Wellen nahmen uns fast jegliche Sicht.

Mit einer Zwischennacht, trafen wir ein, am letzten #GREATWALK unseres Neuseeland Besuches. Das #TONGARIRO ALPINE CROSSING, ist genau so spektakulär wie es heißt. Im Prinzip überquert man einen Vulkan, stapft im Schnee, hat den Duft von Schwefel in der Nase und erfreut sich an under dressed oder diesmal nicht besonders gut ausgestatteten Touris. Herrlich.

Eigentlich wollten wir danach in #HAMILTON stopp mach, bei zwein die wir in Bolivien kennen gelernt hatten, um mal wieder Wäsche zu Waschen und vor allem sich selbst. Das haben wir dann verworfen, denn wir wollten unbedingt noch den Nördlichsten Zipfel Neuseelands sehen. Next Stopp, #WHANGAREI. Ein nettes Städtchen, hier wollten wir nun endlich das langersehnte Lamm auch mal auf dem Teller sehen und nicht nur auf der Weide stehend. Enttäuschung, die Stadt war wie ausgestorben und ein Restaurant hatte offen, es gab auch Lamm, nur leider nicht so wie wir uns das vorgestellt hatten, naja aus irgendeinem Grund wird es schon richtig gewesen sein.

Danach gab es für uns nur noch die letzte Bastion zu erklimmen. #CAPEREINGA, der Nördlichste Punkt, wohl auch der ausgestorbenste, es gab einen genau einen Campground, aber der war schweinegeil. 2 Tage haben wir hier oben verbracht, sind endlich auch mal in die Fluten gesprungen und haben hier wirklich zum letzten mal in NZ die Wanderschuhe an gehabt. Hier oben gab es wohl die längsten und größten Dünen welche wir jemals gesehen haben, diese wollten wir natürlich besteigen und berutschen. Leute, es klappt auf keinen Fall auf einem Müllbeutel….

Somit blieben uns noch zwei Tage um wieder nach Auckland zu kommen, den Camper zu putzen und ihn abzugeben, wieder einmal die Rucksäcke zu packen und einem der wundervollsten Länder der Welt adé zu sagen.

Damit ist der Reisebericht aus Neuseeland auch schon wieder zu Ende, aber nicht ohne ein paar wertvolle Fakten, Side Erlebnissen und Gedanken die uns beschäftigt haben.

6577km sind wir mit unserem Camper gefahren, das bedeutet rund 12 mal Tanken, was heißt, rund 1200$ gingen allein nur für Sprit drauf. Rund 300km haben wir in Neuseeland zu Fuß entdeckt und dabei nur eine Blase bekommen. Auf 41 Campgrounds haben wir genächtigt, und hier gilt ein ganz großer Dank den Kiwis und dem Department of Conservation, welches sich um alle Nationalparks, Walking Treks, Greatwalks und eben auch Campgrounds kümmert. 4 Greatwalks haben wir mitgenommen, ca. 15 kg Nudeln und ebenso Kartoffeln verspeist und das wichtigste, Duschgel verbraucht man Durchschnittlich nicht mal 200ml😂😂😂.

Lange haben wir überlegt was man allen Lesern und Zuhausgebliebenen mitgeben kann um zu verstehen was Neuseeland ausmacht. Die Antwort ist am Ende ganz einfach, vergesst die mindestens 27 Stunden Flugzeit um hier runter zu kommen, es lohnt sich und lohnt sich und lohnt sich tausend mal mehr.

Camping ist nicht für jeden etwas, schon gar nicht ohne fließend Wasser, Dusche und richtigem WC. Ja auch ein Plumpsklo ist unumgänglich. Sandflys beißen dir permanent die Füße auf, Frischwasser musst du haushalten, Dumpstations musst du finden und eben, das kochen beschränkt sich auf zwei Flammen. Wir haben es lieben gelernt, mit all den Tücken und Kniffen.

Die Straßen Neuseelands sind nicht die besten und sind den Gewalten der Natur permanent ausgesetzt, somit oft zu reparieren, aber dieses Schauspiel ist grandios. Man wird auf 30kmh gedrosselt, dann steht oft eine kleine Frau oder Mädchen mit einer viel zu großen Uniform und stoppt dich, wenn sie das Go von der anderen Seite bekommt, dreht sie das Schild und du darfst fahren. Das beste daran ist, man wird immer freundlichst gegrüßt. Und das nicht nur an Baustellen sondern fasst in jeder Situation oder Tagessituation. Die Kiwis sind einfach ein mega liebes Völkchen.

Jeden Tag aufs neue kommst du aus dem Staunen nicht mehr raus, denn die Landschaften Neuseelands sind einfach so unterschiedlich, da ist wirklich von allem etwas dabei. Die Ruhe dabei ist ohrenbetäubend. Wer hatte schon mal die Möglichkeit dem Frühling bei seinem Einzug in ein Land einen ganzen Monat über Zeit zu zuschauen. Es ist Wahnsinn. Genau so Wahnsinn waren unsere Bettzeiten, meist lagen wir 20 oder 21 Uhr in der Falle, was auch gar nicht schlimm war, um so eher ist man wieder erwacht um aufs Neue zu sehen und zu entdecken.

Genau so stand jeden Tag ein kleines Fitnessprogramm auf der Agenda, jeden morgen gab es Kniebeuge, Armkreisen, Situps und Liegestützen, man mag gar nicht glauben wie schnell man die Anzahl hier in die Höhe treiben kann. Ja ihr lest hier richtig, gesunde Ernährung, viel trinken und Sport, hätte man von uns kaum erwartet wa.

Wir haben das Schnäppchenjagen im Supermarkt erlernt und können nun, wie die Kiwis, bei 10 Grad Celcius, locker in Flip Flops laufen, denn abgehärtet sind wir alle mal.

Wir sind immer noch total geerdet, zugegeben, der Gesprächsstoff geht uns allmählich aus und das morgendliche andere Gesicht zu sehen, bringt auch keine richtige Freude mehr zum Vorschein, aber wir sind nach wie vor, sehr sehr stolz drauf diese Reise erleben zu dürfen und möchten keine Sekunde davon missen.

Das Missen oder besser gesagt, Vermissen steigt stetig, die Familie, die Liebsten, Freunde, Verwandten und Bekannten fehlen doch nach einem halben Jahr sehr. Man ist halt nicht mehr im Hamsterrad des Alltages gefangen und somit schweifen die Gedanken in ganz andere Richtung, als wie sie das vor einem halben Jahr getan haben.

Während ihr diesen Text lest, sind wir schon wieder auf dem Weg Australien zu erkunden. Auf einem Schlag schnellte das Thermometer für uns ganz weit nach oben und auch der Körper braucht da einen Moment der Gewöhnung.

Wir fahren die Ostküste von Sydney, über Brisbane, bis nach Cairns hoch, ein Surfbrett wird sich besorgt und auf jeden fall der Schnorchel im Great Barrier Reef eingetaucht. Bis zum 30.11.2017 sind wir ,mit dem Camper unterwegs und was danach kommt, steht noch auf keinem Blatt Papier. Auf jeden Fall ist die Unterkunft für Silvester in Sydney schon sicher gebucht.

Wir freuen uns das ihr immer so fleißig lest und uns folgt, haltet uns weiter die Stange.

We miss you all.

Eure #COLOUREDHEADS

Alex & Dirk

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35elms · 5 years ago

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Day 43 -> 45 | Christchurch -> Koh Samet: Waking up feeling much refreshed after our exxxtreeeemly lazy Day 42, we started with a Breakfast of Champions. Eggs Benny for Claire, Matt’s favourite dish of the holiday, Shakshouka, topped off with some raspberry doughnuts. Because we deserved them (we promise Les!).

Then ensued some more holiday grooming including: shaving that beard off to prevent unsightly tan lines (and general unsightlyness let’s be honest), and a treat yo self pedicure because Claire decided it’s much too tricky doing it yourself in a campervan.

The excitement continued with packing! Again, tricky in a campervan, especially when one of the campers is mourning facial hair they were oh so proud of. But we smashed it! And treated ourselves by enjoying a tasty Vietnamese salad with some bits that needed to be finished up: Prosecco and dried raspberries - what are the chances!

After a very very sad goodbye to Cammy 🥺😢😞 we hopped on the plane up to Auckland to settle into another Ibis Bougie (how many points are we on Mudgie?!) pre 6am flight to Sydney followed by Bangkok! A delicious dinner of roast chicken for Claire and chicken burger for Matt before an early night pre very early start.

Quantas treated us much better than Philippine Airlines and we managed to sneak into the lounge for some pre flight snacks (and Bloody Mary’s after Justine called us wimps) in both Auckland and Sydney making the whole experience much more pleasurable than our flights bringing us out to NZ! Claire managed to watch 4 Disney films (must be a world record) en route, whilst Matt enjoyed a few stiff gins and got stuck into some box sets.

On arrival in Bangkok, we hopped in a taxi to the port where a boat would take us out to Koh Samet island for 6 nights in absolute luxury! Shattered, smelly and hungry, we enjoyed long hot showers before ordering some delicious steak sandwiches and hitting the hay pre Claire’s unreasonably early alarm to ensure we could bagsy the best sun beds... updates to follow!

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disappearingground · 5 years ago

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Interview: Jenny Lewis on 'The Voyager', True Love, and her Musical Sisterhood.

Coup de Main October 6, 2015

INTERVIEW: JENNY LEWIS ON 'THE VOYAGER', TRUE LOVE, AND HER MUSICAL SISTERHOOD.

By Shahlin Graves

There’s a red panda toy on-stage tonight - undoubtedly a first for Sydney’s Metro Theatre (after the show, bemused Australian venue staff take photos of it on their phones). The 'lil panda sits proudly, surveying its surroundings - star-spangled rainbows and bouquets of fresh flowers - looking on as JENNY LEWIS and her five-piece band impress the heck out of an adoring audience.

Jenny Jr., The Panda, (as named during our interview at soundcheck / photos here) looks how I feel - equal parts ecstatic and reverential. When the last decade of your life has been soundtracked by all of Jenny Lewis’ albums, this kind of silent shout-out is like the bucket-list item I’ve always wanted to become reality, but just didn’t know.

Hours earlier, while writing a postcard addressed to New Zealand, Jenny tells us an anecdote about her time on Mumford & Sons’ stopover tour: "I just did this Gentlemen Of The Road festival show, and they have postcards pre-stamped backstage for the artists, so that you can send a postcard to someone - but I just sent postcards to myself, and I sat there for hours writing poems on these postcards about the Jersey Shore. I don’t know if that was their intention, putting them there."

Jenny Lewis is my spirit animal - she’s unashamedly unapologetic, the epitome of big sis wisdom, and a good human; like the very best kind that exists. Whoever said that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, has obviously never met Jenny.

"Can we embrace? I feel like I need to hug you after that," says Jenny post-interview, and the feeling is wholeheartedly mutual.

"...for me, it’s all on the table. My work, it comes from my soul, I’m never writing for someone else. I write from that feeling; so there are no rules."

COUP DE MAIN: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today! I grew up listening to Rilo Kiley, so this is such an honour! And in celebration of your existence, as tribute, we’ve bought you a lolly-lei made out of snacks. JENNY LEWIS: Oh my gosh, you guys! Are you serious? Thank you! What are these snacks? Milk bottles?! Thank you, I’ll need these later.

CDM: Selfishly, I’m so happy that you’ve got some Rilo Kiley songs on your current set-list - I don’t think Rilo Kiley ever came to New Zealand, so this is like the end of a long wait for me. JENNY: No, and we didn’t make it to Australia. Blake [Sennett] has a fear - or had a fear - of flying, so I think that was one of the reasons why we didn’t make it in the end. It’s a long flight, it’s quite a commitment - but that’s what drugs are for. <laughs>

CDM: Well, so that you have a super good reason to come visit NZ next time you’re in this part of the world, we’ve adopted you a Red Panda from the Auckland Zoo back in New Zealand. JENNY: WHAT?! This is the best interview I’ve ever done. This is the cutest little guy ever! This is Jenny Jr.? Because I have a purse - it’s like a little mouse-purse, and I call him Gary - and I wonder if Jenny Jr. will fit inside of Gary?

CDM: Jenny Jr. and Gary can be friends! JENNY: Yes! Perfect.

CDM: After working with Ryan Adams on your latest album and then touring together, it’s rad that it just so happened that you’re on the road together again here in Australia. Is tour-Ryan any different to studio-Ryan? JENNY: Ryan is pretty consistently himself, but the coolest part about travelling with Ryan is that he travels with a pinball machine in a road-case. So backstage, there’s always pins to be played. I was never a pinball fan until I started making 'The Voyager' with Ryan, and now I’m a pretty... I can’t say that I’m very good at it, but I really enjoy blowing off steam.

CDM: Can you beat Ryan? JENNY: I can’t beat him at anything. Maybe I could beat him at making a better Grass-Fed burger or something, but that’s about it.

CDM: Girls can do anything, Jenny. Keep practicing. JENNY: Yes! But he’s a pinball fanatic. I’d have to put in a couple years - I don’t have the time to play that much pinball.

CDM: While in NZ last week, Ryan made national news after he helped rescue an abandoned kitten that he found in a cemetery. Is that a normal kind of life-event for Ryan? JENNY: Really?! Did he really?

CDM: Ryan was the #1 Trending Topic on NZ Twitter with #CemeteryCat. He was roaming a cemetery one night, happened upon this abandoned kitten, then rallied our entire nation to try and help save/adopt it. JENNY: Did he just happen upon the cat?

CDM: I assume he was staying at the hotel opposite the cemetery. JENNY: Amazing! We’ve unfollowed each other on social media, so I don’t know anything about #CemeteryCat. <laughs>

CDM: 'The Voyager' album opens with 'Head Underwater', in which you sing, "Looking out on my life / As if there was no there." A year on from the album’s release, do you still feel that disconnect with your past selves? JENNY: No, and I think that line is about the past even in the song. Like, this is what happened to me and I’ve come through it. By the end of the song, that is no longer the case.

CDM: When you look back on your life, do you visualise your past selves as Matryoshka Russian nesting dolls? Or more like pieces of a jig-saw puzzle that fit together? JENNY: That’s a good question. I think more of the Russian dolls, because that little you - that little innocent girl - is always in there somewhere.

CDM: The line, "If for just one second it helps us to remember that we like each other the most" in 'Slippery Slopes', is one of my favourite lyrics on the album. It’s so unashamedly unapologetic, which isn’t a typical narrative for female musicians in this day and age. Why do you think pop-culture stereotypes tropes of female fidelity and infidelity, pitting 'good girls' against 'bad girls'? JENNY: That’s a big question and I think that everyone’s sexuality is their own - you’re on your own path and there’s no right or wrong way to do things. I’ve been in a committed long-term relationship, and that has ebbs and flows, as any long-term relationship does. But it’s funny, 'She’s Not Me' from 'The Voyager' [album], some people have assumed that I’m saying, "She’s not me, she’s easy," as if she’s promiscuous - and that’s not the point of the song at all because I would never say that about another woman and I don’t judge women by how they choose to carry themselves in that regard. But really, it’s just about someone who’s a little easier to live with than me. <laughs> She’s easy; I’m a little more complicated, it’s a little more difficult with me.

CDM: Another of the album’s important takeaway lines, is of course, "There's only one difference between you and me / When I look at myself, all I can see: I'm just another lady without a baby," in 'Just One Of The Guys'. Do you feel frustrated with society’s gender constructs? JENNY: I do, but that line in that song is-- well, it changes from night to night, but on most nights, it’s light. It’s not entirely heavy, and I think that it’s okay to talk about those things in your work. I think there are pressures... like, you have to choose between your career and having a family - you can do both, or you can choose neither, or it’s okay to define yourself through your work rather than other humans that you’re creating.

CDM: I don’t really read album reviews unless it’s research-related, so I only read The Telegraph’s review of 'The Voyager' this week. They said, "Given Lewis’s age and retro-musical instincts, major stardom may now be beyond her grasp, but if you like your pop music grown up, she’s up there with the big boys." Every word of that sentence makes me livid, from them putting an expiry date on your career to the 'big boys' idiom. Do you think that music journalists would be judging these songs in the same way if they were Rilo Kiley songs? JENNY: I don’t know... because if they were Rilo Kiley songs, if my band were still together, I’d still be a 39-year-old woman writing pop songs. I didn’t actually read that review when it came out. <laughs> I was reading an interview recently with Meryl Streep and she said something really interesting. She said that when she turned 40, the only parts that she was offered were parts to play witches in movies. <laughs> So if someone like Meryl Streep feels it, I certainly feel it. But what she’s done, and she’s continued to do amazing work, is she’s also created a writer’s workshop for women over 40 - and it’s specifically for women over 40. So I think that kind of journalism... it will always exist, but I don’t let it affect my work.

CDM: In Kim Gordon’s book, 'Girl In A Band', she says: "For high-end music labels, the music matters, but a lot comes down to how the girl looks. The girl anchors the stage, sucks in the male gaze, and, depending on who she is, throws her own gaze back out into the audience. Since our music can be weird and dissonant, having me center stage also makes it that much easier to sell the band. 'Look, it’s a girl, she’s wearing a dress, and she’s with those guys, so things must be okay.'" Do you agree or disagree with those thoughts? JENNY: Well, I think that’s why we play indie-rock. Because we don’t necessarily have to subscribe to that. I can only talk about my own experience, and in the way that I’ve presented myself as a female up on a stage with my band or with Rilo Kiley... and I grew up and I was extremely shy - I was a tomboy until I was in my mid-twenties - and when I started feeling more comfortable-- like if you look at early Rilo Kiley photos, I was in jeans and t-shirts, and then I started becoming more confident and just feeling more attractive. And so I started wearing dresses and I started wearing hotpants, and it infuriated some of the people in the audience - some of our hardcore fans - as if I had sold out. But really what was happening, was I was growing up and coming into my own and feeling more comfortable in my own body.

CDM: Because what you’re wearing totally affects the quality of your music. JENNY: Right! But it’s so funny how no-one ever said anything about what Blake was wearing - if he had a moustache or not, or long hair or short hair, or shorts or Tevas, hat or no hat. But suddenly somehow the quality of the music declined because the length of my pants got shorter. So it��s absurd. But again, you embody your own femininity and sexuality in your own time.

CDM: 'Love U Forever' ironically voyages from the bliss of young love, to "the feeling of hell in a hallway" when a relationship is no longer shiny and new. Do you believe in true love? What does true love mean to you? JENNY: I do. I think you have to believe in true love. I think practical love is also a part of the equation, and it takes work to be in love, and I think standing in love is something different than falling in love - and I think that’s the ultimate goal. You meet a lot of people that fall in love very quickly and obsess and then it sort of ends, but just the idea of standing in it is different.

CDM: Through Rilo Kiley, Jenny and Johnny, and now 'The Voyager' album, you’ve documented your relationships in a public way over a series of albums. It would be easy to dwell on the negative aspects of that sharing, but what have been the upsides for you personally? JENNY: I learn about myself through my songs. And sometimes I write things that I don’t understand in the moment - I write songs because I have a hard time expressing myself in my own relationships, so a lot of times I’ll write something and then three years later I’ll truly understand how I felt at that time. So for me, it’s all on the table. My work, it comes from my soul, I’m never writing for someone else. I write from that feeling; so there are no rules. I never tell myself what I’m not supposed to write about. But talking about my relationship, that’s different - if I’m giving an interview, I think you want to keep some things for yourself. But once you start making rules about what you can and cannot speak to, then you could find yourself in trouble.

CDM: Do you think it’s more important to move forward or move on? JENNY: Move forward. Because, do you ever really move on? I don’t think so.

CDM: In the Rilo Kiley song, 'Love and War (11/11/46)', you asked: "Can vanity and happiness coexist?" Over a decade later, have you found an answer for that question yet? JENNY: HA! I love that line. That line is so funny, I really thought about it for so long. I think that I probably wouldn’t write that line today, because the hope is that you become more comfortable in your own skin as you get a little bit older. But if I could tell my younger self anything, it would be like, 'Don’t worry about it.' Like a 22-year-old Jenny Lewis, 'Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. You look great. Don’t worry about it.'

CDM: You worked with Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij on 'Completely Not Me' last year, for the 'Girls' soundtrack. He’s such an extreme perfectionist, that seems like it would have been the opposite studio experience of working with Ryan Adams who is so primal and instinctual? JENNY: It’s a completely different style of working. Ryan is all analogue - yeah it’s all instinctual, but he is also a perfectionist if he has an idea about the song itself. He doesn’t let the musicians dwell on the process, but he’s very specific about what he wants to hear. Rostam is in a digital world, so things change when you’re not even in the room. But working with both of those guys I learned so much, and I actually am working on a song with Rostam right now - we just started writing something together and I always love working with him.

CDM: You’re so super all about the sisterhood. From having Z Berg perform with you on Jimmy Kimmel Live, to playing at Haim’s Sam Jam benefit show and also having the Haim sisters appear on-stage with you at Coachella this year. As sort of the Patron Saint of Valley Girl musicians, do you feel like a proud Mom watching Haim take over the world? JENNY: How do you know all this stuff?! This is great! <laughs> I am so, so proud of them. I’ve had so many amazing musicians in my band over the years, Este and Danielle Haim, Blake Mills who’s amazing, Natalie Prass was in my band last year... so I’ve seen so many people go on to do really amazing things after spending a little time in my band. I’m so lucky to have people for a short amount of time. And I’ve learned so much from the Haim girls; I’m so incredibly proud of them, and I’m always there if they need me. They were actually over at my house a couple of weeks ago and were talking about songs and writing. I’m always a resource - if you’ve done time in my band, I’m always here for you.

#publication: coup de main #album: the voyager #year: 2015 #mention: songwriting #person: ryan adams #song: head underwater #song: she's not me #song: just one of the guys #mention: meryl streep #mention: love #song: love and war #person: haim

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indianrestauranttakeawaypapakura · 6 years ago

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Namaste New Zealand!

People of New Zealand are well known for their adventurous food preferences. The Kiwi diet is no longer only influenced by pizzas, burgers, and western fast food but is also being increasingly tantalized by the spicy Indian cuisine. It is seen that the consumption of Asian fast food in New Zealand has soared up by 20% in the past five years. Every so often there is a new restaurant popping up in new areas. The Suburbs in New Zealand has witnessed incremental growth in Indian restaurants in their vicinity. Indian restaurants in Takanini or Restaurants in Papakura are seen to flourish with diners crowding in for a bite in these regions of Auckland.

An old tradition

Indian food is praised for its curries, mouth-burning spices and the complex flavour pairings that come along. With the use of cardamom, tamarind and other similar pungent ingredients, the resulting taste is unlike anything found elsewhere around the globe. But scientists in India have now found exactly what makes Indian food so good — it is the lesser number of overlapping flavours in ingredients. “We found that average flavour sharing in Indian cuisine was significantly lesser than expected,” researchers wrote. India’s traditional food has been globally appreciated for its beautiful use of herbs and spices. The cuisine is known for its large assortment of dishes and the traditional cooking style that has been perfected and passed down over generations. The cooking style in India is largely subdivided into South and North Indian cuisine.

A new age

With the immigration rules loosening up for foreigners, it has become easier for several Indian restaurants to thrive in New Zealand, especially in cities such as Auckland. The second largest group of New Zealand Asians are the Indians, accounting for about 2.6% of NZ’s total population. Indians the fastest growing ethnic group and New Zealand has seen the highest number of migrants to their country is from India. Suburbs in areas of Auckland and other urban centres, such as Takanini or Papakura offer some of the best opportunity for these emerging Indian Kitchens in the neighbourhood.

New Zealand sure loves a nice curry

What is on the minds of New Zealanders when they try Indian food? Some of New Zealand’s favourite Indian dishes seem to be the paneer Kathi roll, long grained basmati rice topped with some flavourful Indian curry, tandoori chicken (favourite anywhere across the globe), butter chicken, bunjal chicken and palak daal.

These are just a few of the mouth-watering dishes being cooked in New Zealand’s numerous Indian restaurants!

#Indian restaurants in Takanini

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dieeinsamewandersfrau · 8 years ago

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I’m back folks! Back in Australia, back to nannying, back with new tales to tell and new friends to visit across the world.

I should have known: I made a rough plan and who would have guessed, they did not work out. But I had an amazing time! I’m seriously considering doing a w&h year in NZ as well, because I think I fell in love with that country. Anyways, how did my plans not work out? Well, I wanted to get all the way back to Wellington, but the furthest south I got was Taupo. I didn’t even do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, so I really have to come back. So what did I end up doing?

I spend my first night at an Airport! Exciting, right? Well, not really, but I arrived quarter to 12 and had to pick up the rental the next morning like 10 minutes away from the Airport, so that really was the best option for me. It’s not too bad, with a good temperature and wifi and everything.

After picking the car up, I went to Mt. Eden to get a good view of the city. The weather was crazy, within five minutes it changed from ‘I have to wear a beanie’ to ‘oh my gosh let’s take that jacket off’. Apart from that, the view was great and I met Oheney, a Boston guy who’s originally from Ghana and currently lives on Hawaii. We spend the rest of the day together, I got to have a shower at his hostel and had a few drinks on the roof with some more backpackers. From there, we went to a club, where I met some more amazing people. I ended up being the last of our group to be there and went to the casino with Jack and Alex, two Kiwis who I really enjoyed spending time with. After figuring out that I would otherwise sleep in my car, Jack offered me to stay at his place. Guess what? He’s moving to Germany for his girlfriend while I’m typing this! What a small world.

He ended up giving me some advice on what to see north of Auckland, and I ended up going to Bay of Islands before then driving down to Lynne’s (a cousin of a friend) place in Matamata. There, I booked my Hobbiton-Tour for the next day, which I really enjoyed. Especially the free beer at the end. :D At Hobbiton, I met my next companion: Nick, originally from Argentina and at the moment living in San Francisco. We ended up spending the day together, went swimming in 10° cold Spring Water and warmed up out feet in Rotorua’s hot springs. After Lynne heard that he would stay the night in his car, she invited Nick over to stay at her house as well. He went on on his own the next day, but he had forgotten a pair of shorts at Lynne’s, so I had to get those back to him by Monday. I figured I would go to Mount Maunganui and then out with Alex on Saturday again and meet up with Nick on Sunday. We then went to Waiheke and as we weren’t really interested in the vineyards, simply had a great burger and a long walk around half of the island. Took us the whole day that trip. I crashed at Alexander’s place - his family is amazing. Roots in Samoa, lived in Africa for a while, dad does trips across the world as a teacher, it was just really interesting to talk to them. After that, I went to Rotorua again to see the mudpools and hot springs, and travelled the next day from there to Taupo have the greatest experience of my time over there: I finally did my first bungee-jump. 47m over the river, getting my picture taken and then it was 3, 2, 1, bungee! I have to say, I’m probably going to do it again whenever I get the chance to. It’s such a great feeling!

The same day, I met a friend from high school who’s travelling New Zealand at the moment. We exchanged stories of our travels and discussed what the future might hold for us, before parting again after sunset.

I went on to discover glowwormcaves, waterfalls, beaches and a green landscape worthy of New Zealand’s reputation, but as I said, really did not get to see even close to everything I would have liked to see. I relaxed for another day in Auckland before then really being sad about having to leave that beautiful place. For a moment it even seemed as though New Zealand felt the same way, because the responsible employee failed to type in my correct Passportnumber multiple times, which resulted in my check in taking ages.

Now there’s not much left to do for me than hope that I will be able to return someday and that I’ll meet up with all those amazing people I’ve met somewhere on this planet again.

#New Zealand #AdventureAgain #NewFriendsOldFriends #howstheweather #sogoingback #bungee #finallyaproperupdate

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willswalkabout · 8 years ago

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New Zealand. I've put off writing this blog for an obscenely long period of time. And it really isn't that I didn't have the opportunity. I think I just know it takes time so it does become daunting, and this only increases as the amount to get in also becomes greater. Technically it's now been a day under 3 weeks since I last posted (at the time of writing). I'm sitting in a hut on the Kepler track so won't be able to post till tomorrow night at the earliest. The plan is to split it into 3 but we'll see how it goes. When I last wrote I was about to land in Auckland and join up with Ellen so I'll pick up from there. I got into Auckland very late and then exiting the airport took ages as my tent had to go through customs. It had been tightly wrapped for storage but was returned to me in one massive pile of material, as they'd had to somehow inspect every inch. Eventually I got an uber to the air BnB Ellen was staying in. She'd had the last two nights on the island of Waiheke, with some contacts called Nick and Beth, who I hope to visit later in the trip. The next day we started a 9 day road trip to Queenstown, during which we would cover a total of 1418 miles. The descriptions of these days may seem pretty lightweight, but there was often a lot of driving. We learnt to embrace this and just enjoy the stunning scenery, but this acceptance was not immediate. Day 1 we picked up the car and trying to do a decent amount of shopping that would hopefully cover us for the majority of the trip. We drove to our campsite on the South side of lake Taupo, via a visit to the Huka falls. The campsite was really nice and though we'd actually had a booking for the day before we successfully convinced the campsite this wasn't the case and managed to keep the night. My all in one stove was used for the first time since early September, to great success as we dined on mushroom risotto. Day 2 we drove to Wellington, one of NZ's 3 biggest cities. We would have been doing the volcanic Tongariro crossing however sadly the weather meant it was closed. Wellington is supposed to be quite young and hip however sadly we didn't get to indulge in this culture due to the long drive. We did however visit New Zealand's national museum which had some very impressive exhibitions on their immigration history, as well as involvement at Gallipoli. We stayed the night at our weirdest air BnB experience. The house belonged to an elderly man who had appeared to have resorted to living and sleeping in his living room so that all his bedrooms could be rented out. However this meant that the wardrobes were full of his clothes, and stuffed toys filled the property. It was a little creepy, and after a long days driving we took advantage that evening of NZ having cheap dominos. Having spoken to people later in the trip it seems Wellington was not done justice and I would like to return. Day 3 involved getting the 9am ferry across the Cook Straight, to Picton on the South Island. It's quite an expensive crossing when you're taking a car, however the 4 hours are beautiful, especially as you meander into Picton harbour, a route which is hard to describe in words so I'd advise looking up Picton on a map. The ferry had a couple of nice restaurants and we got chips, before disembarking to drive along the stunning Queen Charlotte's drive. It is viewpoint after viewpoint as you begin to round the island's north coast, making it sometimes difficult to keep your eyes on the road. We drove to a beautiful Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite which was practically deserted. We also made a trip to the beautiful Cable Bay beach, with white sand deceptively cold water. After stocking up on supplies in Nelson we went back and made some pretty decent pasta that night. Day 4 was a very long drive to Abel Tasman, probably the only real disappointment of the trip. Though it was fun to pick up a German hitchhiker for part of the day, the drive was long and windy, and what met us at the end was a tad underwhelming. This campsite was also empty but felt like it would be packed during the summer. I had read about opportunities to rent kayaks and do other watersport activities, however on consulting the workers of the campsite this is a summer season thing, and nobody comes with the kit when they are not going to be in demand. We did do one beach walk before making some noodles and going to bed before we were eaten alive by the resident sand flies. Day 5 and we had to get to Punakaiki on the north west coast. The five hour drive was daunting at first but turned out to be very manageable, assisted by good ice cream about half way through. We both loved Punakaiki and its famous 'pancake rocks', which look like a stack of American variety. There was a beautiful prehistoric looking beach where it was overlooked by a dense rainforest. We managed to use the shadows created by the sunset to take some awesome photos, and had a very lazy pot noodle for dinner. There was a massive Aussie cub camp group at the campsite, whose antics and irritation of the leaders provided amusement. Day 6 we drove down the Franz Josef Glacier. We stopped on the way to do a short walk in the town of Ross, known for its gold mining past. We also bought some chocolate hot cross buns, something I've found many of in Australia and New Zealand, for the trip. After 3 consecutive nights camping and with 2 more to come we decided to take a night off and stay in a hostel. We chose a good one too, as we ended up getting a 4 bed dorm all to ourselves, and were able to wash our clothes and use their fully kitted out kitchen. The 1 hour walk to the glacier was a whole experience in itself, and added yet another landform to our incredibly varied list from NZ so far. We spent the evening chatting to some Germans, who I'm convinced have now overtaken Kiwis in terms of most populous nationality in the country. Day 7 was one of the best drives of the trip, down to Wanaka, past lakes Wanaka and Hawea. We had actually planned to stay at a campsite between the two lakes which didn't need booking. Though on arrival there were no other campers, it was off the highway, and generally had nothing going for it with zero cooking facilities. We chose to drive on to our site in Wanaka and stay for 2 nights. This was the campsite with the best view by a long way, looking out straight onto the lake. Wanaka is a gorgeous lakeside settlement with mostly high end restaurants along the front, with a couple more affordable. We got fish and chips, and a falafel burger. Day 8 was nice as we didn't have to clear out in the morning, having the pitch for 2 nights. We had three plans for the day and in the end only managed about one and a bit. We first planned to paddle board, as Ellen had so enjoyed doing in Waiheke. However the sun was deceiving and instead we settled for a pie, from some shop that had won way to many awards not to be investigated. We did however go to Puzzle World, probably the oddest attraction I have ever seen. It is one pretty odd dude's dream, and is a mixture of illusion rooms and a massive maze. It's hard to describe exactly what the rooms were but they made you feel like you were on a steep slope when in fact you weren't. Whereas another had over 200 concave faces that all followed you around the room as you moved. The maze was also not messing around and was exhausting. We did the 'easy challenge' which was supposed to take a maximum of 90 minutes. We laughed at this estimation, believing ourselves to be decently intelligent. It took us 107. In the afternoon we attempted to do the Roy's peak track. We had massively underestimated its difficulty and duration, as well as Ellen's hamstring situation which is still feeling the effects of a tear suffered last year. That evening we had a massive bowl of pasta and went to bed pretty early. Day 9 marked the end of the trip, and we drove the hour and 15 to Queenstown. We'd booked a hotel for this night, our last before around the 25th July in nearly 4 months time. After a swim in the hotel's pool, we had a short look around the town and went to a great Thai place for dinner. After the past 9 nights accommodation we did also order room service chips solely for the experience. The next morning we had the hotel's buffet breakfast and I dropped Ellen off at the airport for her 11am flight. She was to go to Auckland, followed by a 12 hour layover in Beijing and then home. A total journey time of well over 40 hours. It will be tough not seeing her for so long but I'm also incredibly grateful she made New Zealand work around university holidays, and we had an amazing 10 or so days. In the next post I'll meet up with Eleanor, a school friend, the same day Ellen was dropped off, and spend a few days in Queenstown before the Milford Track.

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ginasneesby · 4 years ago

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September- Viv and Andy part 2

On my previous trip to New Zealand in 2008, I and my friends spent a crazy month driving around the whole country with multiple stops and lots of road time, this time round I wanted to spend less time in the car and more time doing things. Top of Viv and Andy’s list was Whale watching in Kaikoura which is on the South Island near Christchurch. With our base in Auckland we decided to fly down meaning maximum time doing stuff and no long days hauling ass down the country. Domestic travel is super easy in NZ so I booked us some last minute fights to Christchurch for the Monday and with no plans till the next day we were able to take our time and minimise travel stress.

We got in mid-afternoon and with google maps in hand tried to work out where our hostel was in relation to the airport, fairly typically I remember it being the opposite side of town, but decent buses and small bags meant it wasn’t too much of a hardship. We stayed at a youth hostel near the botanical gardens in a 3 person room, I guess meant for a family with one child, Viv and I hadn’t shared a room for a good few years so that was a bit weird; but it was comfy enough and we were going to be out most of the time anyway. After a quick freshen up, and a mini google, we headed back out to find somewhere to eat, Monday night in a big city, shouldn’t be too hard eh?

The town centre was absolutely dead. The shopping streets were clean and well-kept with big high street brands, wide streets with multiple pedestrian crossings and yet no people around except us. There didn’t appear to be any little bars dotted around, no bustling restaurants, the only place we found that had a few restaurants/bars in one location was dark and shut up. Perhaps this is different at the weekend, but it gave a slightly abandoned vibe, since the 2011 earthquake it seems lot of people left town for safety/work/the ability to drive on roads that hadn’t collapsed; and really you can’t blame them. We eventually found a small place that was one of those airstream caravans with a heated outdoor seating area that did burgers and pints of beer, by this point we were pretty hungry so it would have been good but honestly, I remember it being particularly good. On the way back to the hostel we passed a giant old school joystick controller mounted in the pavement which was linked with a large screen on the side of a building, with this you could play a giant game of space invaders. Again, we were the only people around in the streets so we played undisturbed for some time; although Andy was the only one good at it so after a while we gave up.

We were picked up Tuesday morning by a local man with a van who drove us all the way up to Kaikoura for the day, it’s about a 3 hour journey so a lot of driving for a day trip, but if you wanna see whales, Kaikoura is where you need to be. It was also really great to have a local drive us as we didn’t know much about the earthquake, save what had been on the news, so getting his insight and experience was sobering but important. On the way out the city, he pointed out some of the local sights that were no longer there, including the CTV building that completely collapsed leading to 115 of the 185 deaths in the disaster. The roads up the coast were also all twisted and broken having been fixed up slowly over the previous 7 years, at one point completely undriveable due to landslides and collapse. They took a long time to be fixed to the point of everyday use partly due to the extensive damage but also lack of money in region (Canterbury is quite a large area to share a budget).

Looking into the earthquake, the reason it was so devastating was three fold:

1) It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, the epicentre was only 6 and half km from the city centre and it was shallow. This meant there was simultaneous vertical and horizontal ground movement, with eye witness accounts describing people being ‘tossed in the air’ as well as increased liquefaction causing more ground movement, undermining many building foundations.

2) There had been 2 large quakes in 2010, one measuring 7.1, which had already weakened some buildings and infrastructure in and around the city.

3) It was midday so the city centre were full

We made our way fairly slowly up the coast with a bit of chat and narration, over the last 7 years despite the money problems, a lot of work had been done to make these roads passable. Highways in New Zealand are pretty much all single lane and in most places it’s the only road, so with highway 1 out of commission there is no way north from Christchurch without going across to the west coast and back again (a 400km dogleg.) We were booked on a whale tour in the early afternoon and arrived with just enough time to have a loo stop and a quick drink before heading out; we had to watch a health and safety video first which was basically, boat go fast/sit down. The company then took us the last bit of the way to the harbour and onto the boats which were catamaran style and set up inside with swish bucket seats. The boat was pretty full with what seemed to be one large group of Chinese tourists so if we had any hope of getting 3 seats together and by the window we needed to be quick; I knew from experience that I get a bit sick so having somewhere to sit inside where you can still see the sea is useful. After another small health and safety talk (boat fast/sit) we were on our way; most of these tours have the ‘if we don’t see anything we’ll book you on another tour’ policy which isn’t always great coz people don’t tend to hang around Kaikoura for more than the day they’re booked, but it does mean the company would lose money so they really want to see something as much as we do.

Sick as a dog, I spent the whole time sitting outside on the back staring at the horizon coz I was told staring at a stationary line can help (it didn’t) but I made it through without spewing so I call that a win. We didn’t see much to begin with but these boats are set up with all sorts of underwater gadgets so they can try to identify where whales can be located. Kaikoura sits at the southern end of the Hikurangi trench which has depths of 3km very close to shore which has led to a large number of deep sea species ending up here; this food source is pretty irresistible to whales and so unlike a lot of places they can regularly be seen within a short distance of the coast. The boat sent out a pulse thing and the responding squeaks gave us a heading and eventually we came upon some sperm whales; the sickness subsided for a few minutes so I could watch and take some pics. To be honest, the whales were great, but even just being on the sea and looking back across the southern alps was amazing enough to justify the days travel, I’ve never heard my sister exclaim as much as our drive up once we got near the mountains. We returned to the harbour and were met by our driver who took us into Kaikoura for our included fish supper, having felt sick for the last few hours a giant pile of chips with decent ketchup was literally the best.

On our journey back we went at our own pace stopping for photos across Kaikoura, the southern alps and the pacific ocean; every one suitable for display like most of the south island. We also came across roughly a billion seals lying on spits of rock right next to the coastal road who were totally unfazed by our proximity and were, I swear, posing. The main bulk of the journey back we spent listening to our own things, I’m pretty sure I had the newest episode of ‘My dad wrote a porno’ which I was trying to get through without disturbing the driver or laugh so hard he asked what I was listening to. Having consulted my guests, we cannot remember what we did that night so it was clearly super important but having had a long day I’m sure we just flopped into bed.

Our flight back wasn’t until the evening so we had the whole day to play with in Christchurch; I wanted to go to the earthquake memorial which was a short walk through town. I had been the CHCH briefly in 2008 but only stayed for a half day due to time constraints so I don’t really remember what it looked like; I only really have a picture in my head of an old cathedral with a spire on a square. This, as it turns out, was the famous Christchurch cathedral who’s spire fell in 2011 and still wasn’t safe for visitors so they had built a ‘transitional cathedral’ while they fixed up the original. This was right next to the earthquake memorial so we were able to see both; the memorial ‘185 empty white chairs’ is a sombre little patch of grass on a junction with a bunch of chairs all painted white to represent the 185 people that lost their lives. The chairs are all different and range from wicker to kitchen to office to wheelchair, there’s even a baby carrier as sadly there were some children who died. There is discussion of how to make this memorial permanent as the chairs are just made of normal chair material and have required some upkeep and painting since 2012; I think it’s totally worthwhile as it’s a poignant reminder of the 5th worst disaster in NZ history.

After lunch we still had some time so we headed to the Canterbury museum in the botanical gardens, here there was a large exhibition on Antarctic exploration as a number of famous expeditions have taken off from CHCH. Now people tend to travel from Chile or Argentina as it’s a shorter journey by sea and they come to the Antarctic Peninsula which has a lot of wildlife, however, what’s-his-name Scott and thingy Shackleton didn’t know this in advance so left from NZ on a few trips. I don’t remember what else was in the museum but we did head to the café for a cuppa and large piece of cake before retracing our steps from a few days earlier and heading to the airport. I was really hoping for us to get back in time for my regular Wednesday night pub quiz at Zac’s bar; we just about made it only missing the first round. As we were 3 extra we had to form our own team so Canterbury UNT were not the same size as all the other teams put together; I don’t remember how we did but I’m sure we won. Right?

#newzealand #travelling #christchurch #earthquake #kaikoura #whale watching #wildllife #fish and chips #canterbury museum #pub quiz

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sjworldtour · 5 years ago

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04/10/19 Lava bombs on Rangitoto

We’ve arrived in New Zealand! Attacking the jetlag hard by exploring a volcano.

Our last morning in Rio we packed up and dragged our luggage to Campo de Santana, a nice city park crawling with agoutis, massive ducks and a peacock. We relaxed on a bench in the shade until it was time to catch an Uber to the airport. We had a handful of Reais to use up, so bought some Milka Daim (found it at last!) and some cheesy Brazilian Pao breads.

We flew 4 hours or so to Santiago on a very pleasant Latam flight, then had a burger meal in the airport where they tried to give Joey a beef burger and then got grumpy when we didn’t leave a tip. Then on to the big flight, 12 hours across the Pacific to Auckland, skipping October 3rd entirely. Not too bad a flight, we are now Latam fans.

Landed at just after 4am and killed a bit of time going through the biosecurity customs checks. We had to lose our supply of spices (though not, thankfully, the chocolate) and our tent got taken away for questioning. Eventually got through, killed some time, got a shuttle to our hire car place, got our car and headed for Auckland. It feels very nice to have the car, we have decanted ski gear, tent etc so our normal life backpacks are a bit more manageable.

Parked in an expensive car park in Auckland and wandered down to the ferry terminal to catch the 9:15am Fullers Ferry to Rangitoto Island. We had to scrub our boots to prevent the spread of Kauri dieback disease, which is apparently a fungus doing its best to spread throughout NZ, and they asked us to check our bags for rats.

Rangitoto is one big volcano and is completely brilliant. It’s covered in lava bombs in big wide black fields, interspersed with pioneer plant species and a multitude of noisy birds. We saw a cool bird someone told us was a tui, and since then have seen them everywhere. They are mockingbirds and one we met sounded exactly like R2D2. We explored some excellent lava caves, had our lunch on the crate rim, and tried to work out how old the information sign was from how much more vegetation there is compared to what it described.

After lunch we looped down a long trail past a secret black sand beach and Joey had a small paddle. There was quite a long stretch back to the pier and we started flagging quite a lot, realising we had not been in a bed for 48 hours. We made it back in time, passing old bachs (beach houses) and reading the stories of who lived in them.

Back in Auckland, we checked in to the biggest hostel in the world, where they play super loud dance music on reception all day long, and popped out for a cheeky bit of pizza. We made ourselves slightly more human, played a little bit of ping pong, and then drove out to meet Stuart and Michelle who will be our hosts for the next few days.

On the way to their house we stopped for a wander round Cox’s Bay Reserve, a park in a smart neighbourhood, where we laughed openly at a girl being enthusiastically humped by her dog.

Stuart and Michelle were super lovely, feeding us delicious noodles and discussing our plans. We were a bit zombified and probably not the best house guests, but will hopefully be a bit more fun once we have had some sleep. They have a mad cat who has sudden and obvious mood swings.

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angsarapblog · 4 years ago

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Have I told you before that the best burgers can be found in New Zealand? I am pretty sure about that since I had tried many burgers in my life, from different cities worldwide, I don’t want to boast about my travels (personal and work) but to assure you of that statement I was lucky enough to have visited 34 countries and roughly 150+ cities to date, of which I try to sneak in some burgers here and there. While there are good burgers in those countries, I still find the ones in New Zealand way much better, not all of them of course and this regardless of how cheap or how expensive they were, honestly some cheap ones are better than your $100+ burgers. I even tried McDonald’s quarter pounder and Burger Kings whopper range in most of those countries and nothing compares to our quarter pounder and whopper here. Do I rest my case? I hope some well-travelled follower that had tried New Zealand burgers stand by me and comment below.

So what does the New Zealand burgers have that others might not have? Well first New Zealand is blessed with an amazing produce, like our world-renowned beef and dairy (cheese) plus our great selection of vegetables which are all grown locally. Add to that the amazing talents of chef with a multi-cultural experience through their colleagues and customers definitely there is only one output, great food. One prime example of that is this place we are featuring today, the Flaming Onion.

Flaming Onion has been in the burger business for around 8 years and this humble Gourmet Burger Restaurant and Takeaway joint had won many awards. The premises is like your typical New Zealand takeaway shop so don’t expect a nice spacious restaurant like your big giant burger chains. What they lack in shop fitout, they make up in their amazing burgers. This place was one of the first places dined in after the New Zealand lockdown and it was the perfect place to have your first burger after a long quarantine period.

During our visit we grabbed three of their burgers. First was the Diablo (NZ$15.50) made with NZ Premium grass-fed Wagyu beef, Manuka smoked bacon, Swiss Cheese, Truffled Wild Mushroom, Spicy Tomato and Chilli Relish with Lettuce on our toasted gourmet bun.

Next was The Smokey One (NZ$15.50) made with NZ Premium grass-fed Wagyu beef, Manuka smoked bacon, Swiss Cheese, Smoked Chipotle Aioli, Smoked Bourbon BBQ sauce with lettuce and tomato on our toasted gourmet bun.

And the third was The Bronx (NZ$15.50), and yes, it is made with NZ premium grass-fed Wagyu Beef, Manuka smoked bacon, American Smoked cheese, Chipotle Aioli, Spicy Tomato Relish and Onion Jam with lettuce and tomato on our toasted gourmet bun.

If you would have noticed patties are all made with NZ premium grass-fed Wagyu Beef and served on a gourmet bun, and those two elements is what makes this burger joint amazing. No doubt the patties was amazing, it was so soft and meaty, thickness was perfect, not to thin and not too thick. The bun was great as well, brioche like that is soft and fluffy, not to bready and with a slight crisp outer shell. Then it all differs with the ingredients that are added to it. Diablo was the hot and spicy one but remember this is not Asian spicy, its Kiwi spicy, so it’s just right. The Smokey One like the name suggest will taste smoky thanks to the smoked bacon, smoked Chipotle Aioli and Smoked Bourbon BBQ sauce. Then the Bronx which represents a New York style burger.

Everything was great, all well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. Serving size was good was well, it’s not absurdly large, just enough to fill you up without the challenge of finishing it all. While the patty has a good thickness on it, because of the light bread, it does not feel a burden finishing this burger. Size is probably a bit larger than a whopper.

This for me is one of the best burgers I tried in New Zealand, which means one of the best I tried in the world. Its reasonably priced, reasonably sized but excessively delicious, this is how a burger should be, a simple nice light bun, juicy and perfectly cooked good quality patty, plus just a few fresh ingredients to accompany the meat and not overpower it.

The Flaming Onion Address: Shop 6/1 Lydia Avenue, Northcote, Auckland 0627, New Zealand Phone: +649 419 0325 Website: https://www.theflamingonion.co.nz/

Flaming Onion (Northcote, North Shore City, New Zealand) Have I told you before that the best burgers can be found in New Zealand? I am pretty sure about that since I had tried many burgers in my life, from different cities worldwide, I don't want to boast about my…

#Restaurant #Review

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waywardsparrownz · 7 years ago

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WINGS OFF! ~

Finding Finchly on Facebook was pretty easy, but it looked liked he hadn’t been active in a while. Good for him, I thought - probably too busy having adventures. As chance would have it, I had business in Auckland. Stuff small towns like Paihia weren’t well equipped for. So I shot Finchly a quick message and packed my bags, heading south on an Intercity bus the next morning. No hitchhiking for this birdie!

Talking to fellow travelers had given me some ideas. I’d be needing a bus pass and cell phone plan. My current T-Mobile setup was, shall we say, a little less worldwide than the powers that be would like you to believe. My stubborn insistence on keeping my beloved American phone number had turned into an expensive, and frustrating, waste of time. At the moment there was a big sale happening with Stray bus passes, and I really wanted one. Prepaid “hop-on hop-off” bus networks seemed like a great way to see New Zealand. Much more reliable than hitchhiking and not so risky as buying a car. I’d get those major items out of the way, and do a bit of shopping. Need shorts! More shorts! Day in the big city, then head back to Paihia and prepare for my bus trip Maybe I could get Finchly interested! If he ever checks his messages… I grumbled, staring at my phone as the bus started moving.

Now in case you haven’t been warned: the bus trip from Paihia to Auckland is 4 hours long, and there are no stops along the way. Let me say this again. The bus drivers DO NOT stop for anything short of a dire medical emergency. So don’t be that stupid idiot who drank a large latte right before leaving. Obviously I’m not speaking from experience, but please consider yourself warned.

Auckland was just as frantic and hurried as I remembered. Maybe even more so. Felt pretty glad I was only staying the one night: That sort of energy tends to rub off on me. Ran my errands with plenty of time to spare. Which was probably not a good thing, because I filled up the extra time with a expensive shopping spree. Still holding strong: my brand new Kathmandu raincoat is the best item of clothing I’ve ever purchased, #excusesforsplurging!

Now it was burger-time! I make a point of finding the best burger in every city I visit. I tell people it’s strictly for investigative purposes, but in truth I just really enjoy having an excuse to eat lots of bacon burgers. I have a similar, albeit much stronger relationship with coffee, but coffee needs no excuses or reasoning. Coffee is life. All hail caffeine! Where was I… Oh yeah! So if anyone’s interested: “Burger-Fuel” is a NZ chain that makes fantastic burgers. People complain about the price, but as Finchly would put it: “They can all go suck an egg!” I’d been once before, and had been looking forward to round 2 ever since. Ordered, took my prize outside, and leaned up against the wall taking in my surroundings. I’d eat here and maybe catch some music in the park afterwards. There was usually a live band playing…

I’d been absently feeding and chatting with the some sparrows when the shadow flickered across my vision. Clit-clat-thump-thump. Pigeons! Now I’ve never figured this out, and no pigeon has ever bothered to tell me: but I’ve always wondered how they know… Maybe it’s a secret pigeon telekinesis. Or mini walkie talkies? Just how is it that whenever there’s food they all show up. Not one of them. Not two. No, the whole entire family and all the in-laws and twice removed cousins. “Feed us!” they chant. “Feeeeeed us!”

“That’s a good looking sandwich brother.” The largest of their number strutted across the table towards me. His beady eyes gleamed greedily.

“Meh, it’s alright. Kinda wish I’d gone for the dumplings across the street.” I lied, casually tucking some stray items into my bag. These fellow’s crests looked all too familiar: West Auckland Mob…

“…And those fries… Ummm - mmuumm!” He clacked his beak, edging closer. His friends spread out forming a semicircle round my small table. I looked around, trying to conceal a building sense of unease. All my sparrow friends had disappeared. “You’re looking kinda edgy bro. What’s the matter?” His friends chuckled. Another six pigeons glided down from nearby rooftops.

“Oh nothing. I’m just running a bit late you see, and…”

“Hey Tubs, I think he’s trying to run away with our burger!” One of the pigeons to my left was getting impatient.

“It’s not our burger.” The big pigeon cooed, rolling his eyes at the commentator. “He hasn’t given it to us… Yet.” Tubs shuffled on to my plate, nibbled one of the fries - staring me down. “Mmmm… Kumera chips. Usually I’d be a bit more casual about this, but my mates are hungry see.”

“Uh huh.” I backed up slowly, holding the burger tight, as the mob closed in. Maybe I could get away through the kitchen.

“How about we make a deal?” There were seven of them on the table now. “You give me the burger, and we’ll let you go.” I flicked my eyes to the side - they’d blocked off the kitchen door! Tubs hopped up onto my arm and adopted a friendly tone. “Common chum, no one wants any trouble. Just set down the burger and we’ll forget…”

“Hey, American dude!”

“Finchly?!” Flanked by a good two dozen brawny European and Kiwi sparrows, my friend fluttered unsteadily up to my shoulder.

“Dude! How’ve you been? Guys! Hey guys! This is the dude! He’s the dude I’ve been telling you about. Is that a kiwi-burger? I could so eat a burger right now. I’ve had waaaay too much… Hey guys, what were we drinking?” I caught a few different answers, but whatever it was - Finchly’s buddies had obviously had a lot of it.

Finchly was sitting on my burger by now, nibbling away contentedly. “Guys, this is good! Come on up!” His chest feathers were a mess of ketchup and aioli.

“Ahem.” Tubs looked flustered.

Clackety-click, nibble-nibble. “You know this guy?” Finchly tried wiping his beak off, to little success, and glanced from me to the large pigeon.

“Hey Tubs, let’s just take the burger and get outta here. The pub opens in like an hour.”

“Wow, wow, bro! Is your name really Tubs?” Oh dear…

“You got a problem with my name birdie?”

“Finchly…”

“Nah chill bro. It’s a good name.” Oh thank goodness. “I mean it fits you reeeaaallll well. Cause you’re so chubby! Hahahaha!” Dammit! Finchly laughed uncontrollably, and quite a few of his friends joined in. “I mean look at him.” Feeling bolder amidst the encouragement of his of his pals Finchly fluttered somewhat tipsily down to the table and nudged one of the fiercer looking thug pigeons. Pointing at Tubs, he hopped up and down excitedly. “He’s all mush. When’s the last time you saw such a fat pige..”

With a terrific war cry, Tubs lunged off my arm and plowed headfirst the little sparrow. They skidded sideways across the table and plummeted to the sidewalk amid alarmed sparrow squawks and pigeon cheers. Finchly didn’t stand a chance on a good day, and was knocked out cold, I suspect, before he hit the ground. Tubs shook his victim around a bit, then readied himself for one last hearty wing-smack. That was about the moment two dozen furious sparrows attacked. “Bite him!”…“Pull his tail!”…“Get him! Get him!” No pigeons came to the aid of Tubs that day. They all dove for my fries. As did every single bird on the block.

What started as a small skirmish devolved rapidly into a full on street brawl. Weaving to avoid angry pigeons talons - and the snapping beaks of many species - I scurried around the table to where I’d seen Finchly fall. There he lay: spread eagled on the sidewalk, unmoving. I scooped him up and dashed away, covered by a small band of his kiwi buddies. Round the corner, down an alleyway, into Albert park.

“Where am I?” My friend awoke 25 minutes later in the YHA common room.

“Off the streets. Which is exactly where you need to be buddy. I’m taking you out of Auckland.” In the intervening time, some of Finchly’s soberer comrades had filled me in on Auckland pigeon gangs. These birdies wouldn’t be showing their faces round this city for a while.

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cartzypage · 7 years ago

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Bucket List Item Complete: Guess Who Went Bungee Jumping In Auckland, NZ?

Our arrival into Auckland

The next stop on my world cruise on Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Watch is Auckland, New Zealand. This was my second time in Auckland and this time we actually had an unexpected but much welcomed overnight in the city.

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Our ship arrived into Auckland a full day earlier than expected so that more time to get out and explore. Auckland is located in New Zealand’s North Island and has an urban population of around 1,534,700. A last minute change of plans meant that I was going to get to bungee jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge with AJ Hackett Bungy Jump. Since Danielle was definitely not going to join me, she decided to venture off into Auckland on her own to shop and explore.

AJ Hackett Bungy Jump

AJ Hackett Auckland Bungy Jumper

I arrived at AJ Hackett Bungy Jump after taking a cab from the CBD. What’s AJ Hackett Bungy Jump? Situated under the iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge, the AJ Hackett Bungy Jump in Auckland is a 40m bungee jump. That’s just over 131 feet from the bridge where you’ll jump so hold on. It’s also the only over water bungee jump in all of New Zealand AND Australia.

From the AJ Hackett Bungy Jump New Zealand website:

Old meets new – the most enduring sight on the Auckland horizon is also home to a Bungy operation of epic proportions. Our Bungy Pod is attached underneath the bridge, and is ready to go for thrill-seekers looking for a buzz in New Zealand’s biggest city. You can even dip your head in the ocean below, bouncing back up feeling fierce and unstoppable.

Checking In At AJ Hackett Bungy Jump

Upon check in and payment, you’re then asked to step on the scale not once, but twice. And then, yes this is true, your weight is recorded on your hand with a bright red sharpie marker. Oh that’s always a way to impress people is to show everyone around you exactly how much you weigh with shoes, jeans, and a full stomach. On your right hand they record a number for you to collect your photos and videos at the end.

Obigatory selfie before the jump

From here you move into the locker area where you can put everything you own into a locker. Then one of the staff members will get you into a harness and a hard hat for the walk under the bridge.

Look who’s excited to jump!

Walking Auckland Harbour Bridge

Auckland Harbour Bridge

Once you’re ready to go, you’re then escorted outside for what seemed like an hour long walk when it was really maybe 20 minutes.

Auckland Harbour Bridge over Waitematā Harbour

Auckland Harbour Bridge

This was similar to the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb I did in Sydney where you’re attached to the railing by a lead that you have to maneuver along and around the edges.

Arriving At The Bungy Pod

How to bungee jump

Finally, we arrived at our last stop and we could now walk up a small ladder to the final destination. Once inside, we were merely steps away from the actual jump area and a sign on how to and not to jump.

Waiting for my turn at AJ Hackett Bungy Jump at Auckland Harbour Bridge

There was a young woman on the ledge preparing for her jump and it was only at this moment that it hit me that I was actually going to bungee jump.

Preparing For The Jump

Getting prepped for the bungee jump

The order for jumpers is predetermined and I was the second one to go in my group. The first person in my group had previously bungeed jump and I was glad I could watch someone go before my jump. When it’s your turn, you’re asked if you want to touch the water or not. Considering my red hair bleeds in water, as much as I wanted to, I decided to pass on that part of the jump. Then you have to sit down while they attach something that looks like ankle weights to you. Then elastics are strapped on over your shoes so you don’t lose them.

Waiting for my turn to jump (Image by G. Vukovic of Line Photography)

I gasped as I saw him jump and then dangle above the water below, mostly because I knew I was next. Click To Tweet

From here they tell you the procedure on jumping and that you can pull the strap to right yourself whenever you like after the first bounce. You’ll probably bounce up to five times and it’s up to you whether you like the feeling of blood rushing to your head or not. Jumper number one hopped on up to the platform, quickly made a sign of the cross, and then fearlessly jumped into the air. I gasped as I saw him jump and then dangle above the water below, mostly because I knew I was next.

Now It’s My Turn

Rethinking the moment just before I jump (Image by G. Vukovic of Line Photography)

Then you kind of have to hop over to the ledge and it was here that I really started to question my sanity. The staff member, Bjorn, who was assisting jumpers said, “Ok I’m going to start counting down now from 3 and you can go.” For some odd reason I then asked if he was going to push me. Bjorn didn’t hesitate and replied, “No you’re going to jump. 3, 2, 1.” Clearly, he just needed me to jump.

Taking the plunge! (Image by G. Vukovic of Line Photography)

The experience was liberating and free and reminded me why I like to take chances on everything on my life. Click To Tweet

And like that ——- I was airborne and free. The jump lasted less than 15 seconds but was amazing. I righted myself and found I was giggling like a little girl. The experience was liberating and free and reminded me why I like to take chances on everything on my life. If I don’t try it, how will I ever know that I like it or that it’s something I was supposed to do? While this approach to life may not be for everyone, I’m trying to live a life free of regret and what if’s. Bungee jumping in Auckland is an example of how I should always live my life. From my righted position I was slowly lifted back up to the deck where I had a perma-grin on for the remainder of the day.

The Girl From California

Waiting for jumper to jump

When all of the jumpers in our group had gone, we needed to wait for an escort back to the office. In the interim, I started chatting with a girl who had jumped on her own. I asked her where her friends were and she said she was alone. She was from California and had just arrived in Auckland that morning. The Bridge climb was all that she thought she was going to do that day. At the last minute she added on the bungee jump. Brave girl!

Walking Back Across The Bridge

Walking down the steps after the bungee jump

Back down the stairs to the platform below we went before we could walk across the bridge again.

Getting ready to walk back across the bridge (Image by G. Vukovic of Line Photography)

Another view from Auckland Harbour Bridge

This time I allowed myself a little extra time to soak up the views of Auckland. We had to wait again for an escort so I whipped out my phone for more pics.

View from Auckland Harbour Bridge

While you’re walking across the bridge, you’re not allowed to take your phone out. So in the end I was grateful for the break so I could take a few quick pics of the Auckland skyline.

Dinner And A Night In Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand and the Sky Tower where I jumped from on my last visit

While my bungee jump was the highlight of my time in Auckland, it certainly wasn’t the only thing that I did. After walking from the bridge back to the ship, I had to quickly shower and change to get ready for a night out in Auckland.

My dinner salad was delicious!

First stop was dinner and I had a fresh salad filled with lots of goodies like pumpkin and mango chutney. Vegan options were limited where we looked so I was glad I found this salad, which I ordered off the menu minus cheese. Danielle had a pizza, of course, and we left feeling satisfied.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Watch changing berths in Auckland, NZ

That night we enjoyed a few drinks out here and there around Auckland. We even got to watch our home, Black Watch, change berths. At first it was cool and then suddenly worrisome as we realized all of our possessions were on a ship that was technically leaving. Luckily, she found her new berth and all was right in the world.

Day Two In Auckland

Another view of the Sky Tower in Auckland

Day two in Auckland meant getting up and out to explore the city for a few more hours. When I woke up I just didn’t feel right and I attributed it to lack of sleep and hunger.

Our Auckland Hop On, Hop Off Explorer

We had tickets for the Auckland Explorer Hop On, Hop Off Bus to get a layout of the city.

View from the Auckland Hop On, Hop Off Bus

Inside the Auckland Hop On, Hop Off Explorer Bus

Our drive along the water in Auckland

There are two options for bus tours: Either the red or blue line tour. We chose the red line.

St. Mary’s Cathedral Church

Some of the stops on the red line tour include Bastion Point lookout, Michael Savage Memorial Gardens, Kelly Tarlton’s, Holy Trinity Cathedral, and Parnell Village.

Auckland Museum

An Afternoon In Auckland

Our final stop on the tour was Queen Street/Civic Theatre. We were starving and in search of food as always and this seemed like the best place to stop. After walking for blocks, we agreed our best bet would be Burger King. They even have a “salad burger” which is a whopper minus the meat. Or for me, minus the meat, cheese, and mayo or simply a bun with a piece of lettuce, tomato, pickle, and an onion. I ate about half and then really didn’t feel well at all.

I didn’t want to bail on our afternoon in Auckland so we checked out some shops for souvenirs. I had been trying to meet up with one of my college friends, Andy, who now lives in Auckland. I figured I’d go back to the ship first. After getting to the cabin, I needed to lie down and I didn’t get up again until the next morning. Not sure if it was a stomach bug, something I ate, or what, but I was zapped and couldn’t go back out. I even ended up missing the beautiful nighttime views of Auckland at sailaway. So sad but I had no control over how sick I felt. Not the best way to end a visit to Auckland, but it just means I need to come back again and visit, right?

Final Thoughts on Auckland

Auckland is one of those cities where you can and should spend more than one day exploring. The last time I visited I jumped from the SkyTower and this time I jumped from Auckland Harbour Bridge. I get the feeling that Auckland is synonymous with adrenaline for me. I can’t wait to return and soon.

Have you visited Auckland? Can you suggest other destinations in New Zealand that you found equally exciting? Leave your comments below. Discover some other great destinations and travel ideas here on the Travel Shop Girl website .

On my new SPONTANEOUS TRAVEL SCALE of 1-5, with 1 being super easy and spontaneous and 5 being you better plan far in advance, Auckland scores a 1 for spontaneous travel since it’s always easy to find something fantastic and fun to do.

While I was provided a reduced media admission to AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand and a complimentary hop on, hop off bus tour from CruisingExcursions.com, as always all opinions and photographs, unless otherwise noted, are my own.

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