#new zealand round trip 3 weeks booking

[umichenginabroad]

Week 15: New Zealand

This week was study vacation before final exams (Michigan — take note!). Taking advantage of my late exams, my friends and I decided to book a trip to New Zealand!

On Friday night, I pulled my first ever all-nighter here to finish a report for one of my classes. Then, we got on an early afternoon flight on Saturday to Queenstown in the South Island. Our first night, we picked up our rental car and two of my friends were tasked with learning how to drive on the left side of the road. Once we had that figured out, we explored Queenstown and got dinner at the famous Ferg’s Burgers.  

On our first full day, we woke up early to walk around Queenstown, which was absolutely stunning at sunrise, especially since we landed when it was already dark the night before. Then, we stocked up on groceries and drove to Milford Sound! The drive was so beautiful — I couldn’t stop staring out the window. When we got to Milford Sound, it was time for our boat trip across the fjord! Luckily, it was raining pretty hard, so we were able to see some amazing waterfalls. One of them is 3x the height of Niagra Falls! We didn’t see any dolphins, but we did see a seal in the fjord! Afterwards, we were soaking wet and needed to get to Wanaka as soon as possible, so we immediately headed back up north. On the way to Wanaka, we stopped to get up close to alpacas on the side of the road! We also saw a ton of sheep, cows, and horses. 

After a night chatting with some American backpackers we met in our Wanaka hostel, we woke up early to do the mount iron hike. The views were insane — the houses looked like a little lego town and the water was stunning in front of the mountains. Then, we dove an hour to the blue pools, stopping at the Lake Hawae lookout point on the way. We walked through a bunch of trees and bridges to get to the blue pools and immediately jumped into the freezing glacier water! It’s autumn in New Zealand, and while that means there are beautiful leaves changing color, it also means that it is definitely not warm enough to swim in glacier water for more than two seconds. We quickly got out and walked back through the trees to our car, meeting more backpacker friends on the way! Then, we got hot drinks at a nearby lodge and gas station, and continued on to Lake Tekapo. The drive was beautiful (are you surprised?) and the sunset, while unfortunately early, was unreal. When we got to Lake Tekapo, we cooked our pasta in the communal kitchen and quickly got outside to stargaze! We saw the milky way, a bunch of constellations, and more stars than we’ve ever seen before. The sky was so dark, and we even saw a few shooting stars! 

The next day started with taking in the views outside our hostel at Lake Tekapo. Since we always arrive after dark to our next locations, we never know how beautiful it is around us until the morning. We tried to do the mount john summit track, but it was unfortunately closed due to windy weather. Instead, we walked around the Lake Tekapo walkway and saw the Church of the Good Shepard. Then, we left for Mount Cook, stopping yet again at another lookout on the way. We lost our minds when we realized our hostel was a little cabin in a valley surrounded by the most beautiful mountains we have ever seen! We ran around outside taking in the views in the rain and saw so many rainbows. Then, we warmed up with hot drinks inside. We quickly layered up since it was much colder here and went to the Hooker Valley Track. This walk was the coolest thing I have done in my entire life. We walked through swing bridges, saw waterfalls, so much greenery, snowcapped mountains, and icebergs when we got to the end. It was stunning, but also started raining on the way back which was freezing. After the 3-hour round trip, we went straight to the Tasman glacier, which is 19 miles wide and 2000 feet deep! We did a couple walks and hikes there, and eventually got to a point where we could see the glacier. It was super windy, so we quickly had to turn around. Then, it started raining hard so we headed back home, getting gas on the way. We ended the day getting instant meals at a nearby motel and playing cards with new hostel friends who we ended up running into at three different stops on our trip! 

Our last full day started with a sunrise drive from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Sunrise was beautiful from the car, and we stopped a couple times for lookout points and to get up close to sheep! In Queenstown, we got brunch and then two of my friends and I went to our Skydive drop zone! Skydiving in New Zealand was hands-down the craziest feeling I’ve experienced. It took a while before we geared up and got in our plane to take off, but once we did it was incredibly exciting. The 15-minute flight up to 12,000 feet was gorgeous. Then, the door opened and my friend was first to jump out! I was second, and felt terrified with my feet dangling out of the plane. Once we jumped, it was exhilarating! We could see lakes, snowcapped mountains, sheep, the town in the distance, and so many trees — the views were insane. The adrenaline rush after landing was incredible. We immediately went back into town to get lunch and shop, taking advantage of the New Zealand dollar! The town was so cute and beautiful in autumn. After exploring and getting souvenirs, we got warm cookies and went on a walk to the car to get back to our hostel. We then got ready for a night out! We drank wine and played cards with all the hostel friends we had met the days before, and met some new friends too! Then, we headed out to a bar where there was live music. It was so fun to go out with so many people we had just met! 

The next morning, we woke up for sunrise to take in our last few hours in New Zealand. We then got cheese scones and warm drinks and headed back to the hostel to rest before a scenic drive to the airport. Flying out of Queenstown was sad, but it was cool to see all the mountains from the plane. I hope to be back and explore more of this beautiful country soon!

Anika Satish

Mechanical Engineering

University of New South Wales

Sydney, Australia

[itsninepercent]

die

Another highlight is the Bluff Hill, from here you have a great view over the city and the harbour. The mountain rises almost 100 meters from the earth. If you want to go even higher, you should definitely take a trip to theTe Mata Peak Company. The 399 meter high mountain is located in the eastern foothills of the Kaokaoroa Range in the Hawke's Bay region.

Contributions-Navigation

This year we travelled New Zealand for 3 weeks. The time was short but we have seen and experienced a lot. We started in the north and flew back from the south island.

We always get some cash after landing at the airport for emergencies. At some campsites where there is no one on site, you pay by self-check-in with cash, which you throw into a box. Since New Zealand has few inhabitants in relation to its size, it is very dark at night. Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here.

Bookable online or at the STA Travel travel agency by quoting the discount code "minus50". Valid for departures from Germany to the destinations Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney. Up to 25% discount on all types of travel and on more than 350 round trips worldwide. With China Eastern, Air China, China Airlines, Thai Airways or Etihad Airways you can get up to 700€. You can travel along the river by jetboat or steamer, or venture into a canoe or kayak. Discover distant countries and get to know new people and cultures and sights.

[ginasneesby]

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.

[without-heroes]

How Singapore handles travel under the pandemic

Back in Singapore after returning from a 3 week trip to Europe I can count the people I met in a closed room for longer than 5 minutes on the fingers of 1 hand.

Upon return in Singapore I still have to go into quarantine in a state assigned facility under what is euphemistically called a Stay Home Notice.

The full story below

I live with my Singaporean wife and her daughter in Singapore most of the time and go back to The Netherlands about twice a year. I have 4 kids working and studying there, a brother with his family, my 86 year old father, friends, family and business partners. Enough reason to travel up and down, even when there is a pandemic.

This year I booked the trip in July and went on an empty flight from Singapore to Amsterdam on August 1. On arrival in Europe travellers are advised to keep a safe distance, wash their hands and if they feel sick have themselves tested and quarantined. Following these advises is easy, with beautiful weather, dinners in the garden and drinks on terraces, it’s easy to avoid crowds, keep a distance of 1.5 meters to others and not have to enter ill ventilated spaces. In supermarkets and on the street, arrows and buttons on the floor indicate the walking direction, shops allow only a certain number of people in and people in general adhere to the rules. Face masks are only required in public transport.

When I left Singapore I booked my return flight late in August more or less on a random date expecting – or just hoping – for an easing of the quarantine requirements by then. Which happened – or so I believed at the time – when the Singapore authorities announced the introduction of a tag and wristband which together with a mobile app could ensure that the traveller remained in the assigned location. With such an app the practise of locking up people in hotels could stop. So I changed my flight to August 20.

Studying the regulations a day later reveals though that staying at home for 14 days was still not going to happen. The practise of the authorities of locking up travellers in designated facilities – door locked, no leaving of your room for 14 days, food and drink provided while no visitors are allowed, continued. Only travellers from New Zealand and Brunei do not have to be quarantined and for travellers from the rest of the world actually serving a SHN at home continued to be possible only under a few exceptional conditions.

I happen to have a heart condition, not that serious, all under control, but staying alone for a prolonged period of time is not advisable; luckily my cardiologist agrees and puts that on paper so I can discuss the possibility of staying at home instead of in a government assigned facility – at your own cost – with the authorities. After some mails and text messages I get the green light and I receive a Stay Home Notice for my home address.

I decide to fly back, would I have not received this notice but instead a SHN for a government assigned facility, I would have postponed. Solitary confinement by order of a foreign government goes a bit too far for my sense of freedom and identity.

The airport in Amsterdam is quiet but not empty, I see at least another 30 flights that day. Check-in is easy but at the gate trouble is brewing. The Singapore travel regulations are extremely complicated and for all sorts of visitors and the countries they travel from, required forms and permits differ and change from day to day. Staff at the gate, with help from immigration officers, try to assess if travellers have all papers in order. Since they are not familiar with the intricacies of the Singapore travel regulations this goes wrong every now and then; people that could travel are refused access to the flight while some are allowed that will be refused access in Singapore. Transit in Singapore is not possible – apart from very few exceptions – so in that case travellers will have to be flown back to where they came from. Once all is cleared I am I’m on the flight at 9pm and with 26 others we’re on the way.

Upon arrival in Singapore the airport is full of staff and security guards, several temperature checks are done but hardly any other passengers are arriving. Lights are dimmed and shops are closed. Automated immigration is closed and passengers are rounded up in rows for transportation to their designated Stay Home Notice facility. Since I have a different SHN I’m taken to a dedicated counter where 5 officers study my case, not only do they check my paperwork but they also start to interrogate me on my medical condition. Luckily that digging doesn’t go deep, so after 10 minutes I’m escorted out to pick up my luggage. Five minutes later I’m in a taxi home where I install the SHN app on my mobile phone and put on my tag to ensure I stay within the confines of my home. Not 1 step outside is allowed.

Despite publications and announcements in the press, Singapore is effectively closed. Travelling out is possible, coming into Singapore is possible only under very strict conditions and then followed by forced quarantine in a government facility for 14 days. Europe is doing good in terms of handling the pandemic, but it relies on guidance, education and the responsibility of its residents. The Singapore approach relies on command and control. Instructions are given that residents have to follow and strict controls are implemented to ensure adherence to the rules. The above story hopefully illustrates that difference in approach, Singapore closing its borders indicates it will not allow residents to go their own way. Even though I have been in contact only with family and likely took more precautions than the average resident in Singapore to avoid infection with the covid-19 virus, the fact that I have been out of control of the government is now reason to keep me indoors for 2 weeks and bring me back under control of the authorities.

[brynandchristopher]

Island hopping round 2!

Hello! 

It’s been 2 weeks since we last updated and a lot has happened. Last we updated we had just finished our 2nd Great Walk and were heading down the southwest coast to Wellington on the North Island. 

When we arrived in Wellington we were a bit surprised to find how developed and industrial it seemed. There were some low-key skyscrapers, a huge port harbor, and quite a bit of hustle and bustle. Outside of Auckland, New Zealand is very sleepy and quaint so it was a just a bit shocking to be back in a real city. Cities can be cool though! We walked along the seaside wharf and admired the harbor as well as visited the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum. The museum is argued to be the coolest in all of NZ, and being the only museum we’ve been to, we will have to agree. It was indeed super cool and we were enthralled to explore the nature exhibit that explained and demonstrated the unique wildlife and geophysical phenomena present along these volcanic islands isolated out in the ocean. We drove down to the southern most point of the north island to stay the night before our ferry ride the next day. Where we stayed happened to be a marine reserve that boasted an incredible amount of biodiversity. It also advertised marked snorkeling trails in the water - I have a snorkeling set with me from our time in Asia so the next morning before our ferry I decided to brave the water and dive in. I saw a couple of girls the day before snorkeling the route wearing wetsuits but I figured I would be fine without one. The water here is pretty cold but we take a quick dip most days. I was very wrong - it is very difficult to swim long distances in really cold water while breathing through a tube. Unfortunately I had to get out of the water real quick and all I really saw was some cool seaweed but, it was pretty funny for Bryn to watch me flounder.

Later that afternoon we were off to take our ferry to the south island. We got there early and after driving our car up into the giant Bluebridge Ferry we got a lovely window seat and began the 3.5 hour trip across the Cook Strait. The last hour of the trip was incredible. We climbed up to the top of the ferry to watch as our hulking hull glided through steep glacially carved fjords. We disembarked and drove an hour or so to a campground out in the woods where we regrouped and spent the night. 

The next day we drove down the coast and made our way to a town called Nelson. Our plan was to get to Nelson, pick up some more butane gas canisters for our stove and keep driving. We ended up staying for 2.5 days. Nelson was a really hip, fun town with lots of cool organic food shops, local artisan stores, 3 farmers market every week and a freedom-campers service hub with free hot showers! The service hub had just opened up and a a news reporter was taking videos and asked to interview us. We ended up on national news here in New Zealand! If only for a few seconds. (https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nelson-charity-appalled-efforts-host-freedom-campers-instead-homeless) We did some shopping and our first night there we went to a movie at the local theatre, which also happened to be an Italian restaurant but that’s beside the point. We saw 1917 and it was thrilling. Going out to the movies is something we both enjoy a lot and reminds us of home so we had a great time, especially since we snuck in our own popcorn and candy to save some money. :) The next day we went to the local beach called Tahunanui and spent the day walking around and basking in the sun. We have a data plan for our phone(s) but it is somewhat limited so we can’t download a whole lot of stuff - however our provider has these free wifi-hubs where we can get some extra data and download movies to watch in the van. On the hub was a poster for a music festival that night in Tahunanui so instead of leaving we decided to stay another night and check it out. We made our dinner on the beach and found the very small outdoor stage. It was definitely a local family affair with lots of kids running around, local musicians and food vendors, and silly games like limbo and egg tosses between each act. The music was nothing to write home about but all in all It was really fun and we got some boysenberry ice cream.

We were going to try and do a short backpacking trip before our next Great Walk but the weather was amazing and we were feeling the beach, so we decided instead to head up and around the northeastern coast called Golden Bay and check out the highly acclaimed beaches. As we drove up the coast we stopped at the Te Waikoropupu Springs, the largest freshwater spring in the southern hemisphere! We walked 20 or so minutes out to a walkway over the springs where we were able to look down into the clearest water I have ever seen. It has an underwater visibility of nearly 200 feet! It is a sacred place to the local Maori tribe so we were unable to swim but it was still really amazing! And we found a place to swim a ways downriver that was allowed so it all worked out :) We spent one night part way up the bay and chilled on a small beach adjacent to a lot of rare and endangered bird species. We camped near to there and the next day drove all the way up to the northern tip of the south island. There is a famous beach there that we wanted to check out so we got up early and walked the mile or so out to the beach. Wharariki beach was definitely the coolest beach I have ever been to. We had to cross an expanse of massive sand dunes just to get out to the main beach which was probably around 2 miles end to end with huge hills, tons of caves, tidal pools littered with baby seals, and natural archways out in the water and up on the beach. We spent a while just chilling reading our books but the walked the length of the beach gawking at the seal pups and spelunking into the dark beach caves. There was a one that seemed particularly smelly and I had quite a fright as a nearly walked into a sleeping seal hiding in the shadows. We spent 8 or so hours out there and treated ourselves to an ice cream at the very remote and tiny cafe near the parking lot. We drove back down the bay and stayed in the woods outside the town of Motueka.

The next day we drove into Motueka and did some much needed laundry and shopped for our upcoming Great Walk. We mooched some wifi from the KFC parking lot and talked to our parents and then spent the night at the beach in Motueka. We have developed a bit of a tradition of what we eat before and after our Great Walks, and we made rice and dahl that night and went to bed early to rest up. We woke up early and drove to the town of Marahau where we dropped off our car and took a water taxi to the top of Abel Tasman National Park to begin our 3rd Great Walk - The Abel Tasman Coastal Track. 

We expected our water taxi to just be a a quick transport up the coast but we were happily surprised to find out it was bit more a tour. We were blessed by the tides and had the pleasure of exploring tidal lagoons and seeing some cool wildlife and beaches while our captain told us about the history of the park. We got dropped off in Totaranui where we started the trek. We planned the trip a bit differently that most people do the track and went north on an inland track up Gibbs Hill and then back towards the coast up and around to Mutton Cove. It was a very steep hill and we were feeling the burn after ~9 miles. This first day was by far the hardest elevation wise. We had a lovely campsite right on the beach and were nearly alone which was awesome. We had a dinner of instant rice and quinoa and then instant pasta which we used to much water to make - it was my first time having alfredo soup and it wasn’t all that bad! 

The next day we got up early and headed down the coast winding up and down small hills through the rainforest that hugs the beaches. We made it back to Totaranui and after a quick lunch of trail mix and granola bars, kept heading down the beach to our campsite at Waiharekeke beach. It was a short day of ~6 miles and so we got there in the early afternoon. This was by design so we could avail ourselves to the famous golden sand beaches of the park and bask in the hot sun. We read our books alone on the nearly mile long beach for hours, swimming in the crystal clear turquoise water frequently to cool down. Abel Tasman National Park is known for it color contrasts. The water has vibrant shades of blue, turquoise, and teal and all of the beaches are a rich golden color from the granite cliff-sides and every beach butts right up to the rainforest. We were loving our life in paradise. We had some couscous and lentils and played cards before heading to bed as the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs lulled us to sleep. 

The next day we slept in and there was a bit of an unexpected morning drizzle so we snuggled up in the tent and let it pass. We were in no rush this morning because shortly after our camp was the Awaroa Inlet, which had to be crossed 2 hours before or after low tide. Low-tide being 4:09 in the afternoon we had to wait quite a while to start the bulk of our walk. We took off our boots and rolled up our shorts and crossed through the knee/thigh deep tidal streams that were running out - there was a nice little station to rinse off feet and put our boots back on before heading out to hike 8 more miles at 3:30 in the afternoon. We trudged on quickly up and down some pretty big hills with some incredible views of the sea. We were a bit weary hiking later in the day but we listened to an audiobook as we walked and still had a nice time. We made it to Bark Bay at 7:30 and set up camp and jumped in the ocean to clean ourselves off. By the time we were cooking our dinner everyone else had gone to bed. We had some more rice and quinoa, and pasta mixed with instant peas, not so soupy this time. :) 

The next day we were quite tired. We only had around 7 miles to got but it seemed to drag on and both of us were getting a bit sore. We considered cutting the trip a night short and hiking out the final 6 miles that day but that would’ve sucked and I am very glad we didn’t. Around halfway we did a little side trip to Cleopatra’s Pool, a series of natural pools and waterfalls - it reminded us a bit of the rock slides along the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. We had planned to swim but were dissuaded by the 50 or so day trippers already at the pool. Really cool natural places lose a bit of their luster when you have to fight for space in them. We shared a granola bar as we admired the falls and headed back to the track. After some moaning and groaning we finally reached the cutoff to our campsite and descended down a precipitous few hundred feet to Observation Beach where we spent our final night. This was our favorite campsite of the trip, it was a cool little cove looking out at Adele Island with a family of Oyster Catcher birds and chicks right nearby. There were a couple of families at the beach who lived nearby to the park and had taken their boats in. We were very envious of their variable array of potato chips and cookies, coolers full of wine and beer, and fresh fruits. We chatted them up a bit and got a little bit of trail magic - one of them ended up offering us a bottle of wine and a couple beers as the night went on and it was one of their kids birthdays and we got a slice of birthday cake. It was a perfect night to cap off our adventure and were super appreciative of the luxuries on the trail. 

We woke up for sunrise on our final day and were treated to a beaut. We made our fourth and final breakfast of oatmeal mixed with dried apricots and trail mix, had our tea and set off before 8 o’clock. This was the easiest section of the entire trail and we did the ~6 miles in just over 2 hours, hustling ready to be done. We made it back to Sweetie and were very glad to see her. We had stashed some reward treats in the van and dug-in. We drove back to Motueka for the weekend farmers market and restocked on vegetables and at the recommendation of our booze/cake friends, got a loaf of sourdough bread from Rodrigo’s bread stand. We drove back down the coast and back to Nelson for the free hot shower to scrub the sweat and dirt off of ourselves. After our shower we got the other half of our Great Walk food tradition, post-walk pizza. We got a small veggie and a small cheese and were a bit bloated after eating them both in about 5 minutes flat. We went to the grocery store for some needed staple items and drove a few hours south down the coast to Westport where we stayed the night on the beach. It’s always a pleasure to sleep in our comfy van bed after the sleeping mats for days on end and we slept in. We spent the morning today unpacking our bags and organizing the van, as well as doing some much needed cleaning of our kitchen. We are hanging out in the Westport library and are going to head farther south here in a little while. Not really sure what we are going to do the next few days but totally cool with that, we will figure it out as we go.

Hoping you are all enjoying yourselves. We love and miss you all. <3

Our very best,

Christopher and Bryn

[myaustralia5-blog]

35 Things You Want to Know Prior to Traveling to Australia

My Australia

1. Due to its enormous size, Australia provides a broad selection of climatic zones - in the temperate climes of Southern Australia into the tropical humidity of north Queensland and the arid desert heat of the inside. The summer months (December to February) are usually the very popular for seeing coastal regions like Sydney and Melbourne, while winter (June to August) is a fantastic time to explore the Red Centre.

My Australia

2. Winters are usually mild across the southern countries, but temperatures could be surprisingly nippy in Tasmania.

3. Back in Australia, the very long summer, particularly the 2 weeks around Christmas Day, is the busiest period of the season and also you need to book flights and accommodation well in advance if you'd like to be in Australia during this period.

4. Also Keep in Mind that resort lodging  Is at a premium throughout major sporting events like the Melbourne Cup (first Tuesday in November), the Australian Open (also in Melbourne, each January), Adelaide's engine occasion in March and the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne during March.

5. Unless You're an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you'll require a visa to enter Australia.  It is possible to apply for a selection of visas, such as tourist visas and working holiday visas, but you have to do this prior to leaving home.

6. Back in Australia, tipping is becoming a lot more common, particularly in pubs and pubs. Giving 10 percent of the Entire invoice Is Usually considered proper

7. Back in Australia, driving is on the left, therefore many UK guests will feel at home.

8. Australia is a casual society - do not be surprised to be known as"partner" by strangers.

9. Dress codes are both relaxed: when exercising, except in smart restaurants, most guys wear shorts and T-shirts.

10. Australians have a strong sense of humor.

11. If you are aged between 18 and 30 you might be qualified to apply for a Working Holiday Visa, letting you live, travel and work anywhere in Australia for a year.

12. You can apply for vacation working license if you meet the following requirements

• Be aged between 18 and 30 (inclusive) in the beginning of employing

If You're awarded a Working Holiday Visa, you are able to:

• Input Australia anytime in 12 months of the visa grant

• Stay for up to 12 weeks in Australia

• Leave and re-enter Australia any number of occasions in the 12 months from the date of original entry

• Undertake temporary employment in Australia for up to six weeks with any company

13. Having another Working Holiday Visa you can extend your stay in Australia or return again for one more year until you turn 31. To acquire the next visa, you want to have done a minimum of 3 weeks'specified work', such as fruit harvesting, in a qualified regional place.

14. Australia is a remarkably varied island, continent, and country- both culturally and geographically speaking.

15. Virtually all of Australia's population lives within 50 kilometers of the shoreline.

16. As a former penal colony, the nation is currently a combination of contemporary cosmopolitan civilization and historical Aboriginal customs.

17. A trip to Australia guarantees excellent nightlife, sightseeing, and daring adventures to remember forever.

18. The very best time for Australia travel is involving mid-April to late August, when airfares are the cheapest, although the peak travel season in many areas of Australia is through their winter, the very pleasant time to go to Australia is from April through September.

19. Daytime Temperatures are hot, and it seldom rains. September and October are perfect, once the heat is enough to protect you on the shore in the southern countries and the wildflowers of Western Australia have been in blossom.

Hostels Begin at 20 AUD per night for a dorm room, although they get as large as 40 from the large coastal cities.  Personal rooms with a double bed and a shared bath in hostels array between 80-100 AUD each night.

20. For budget resorts, you're seeking to spend around 75-95 AUD to get a double room, private toilet, TV, and breakfast. Larger, string hotels cost nearer to 200 AUD. Camping prices between 15-30 AUD each night (cheaper if you bring your own tent, more costly if you are parking an RV).

21. Food is not cheap in Australia! Most decent restaurant Eateries price at least 20 AUD.  The ideal value food would be the Indian and Asian restaurants where you could find a really satisfying meal for under $10 AUD!

22. Local city buses and trains price 3-4 AUD. The hottest and most affordable way to travel would be to push yourself.

23. Flying can be quite expensive as a result of limited competition, particularly if going from shore to shore. I normally avoid flying in Australia unless I'm pressed for time or there's a sale.

24. Multi-day Tours and activities are expensive, usually costing 400-540 AUD. Day excursions will cost approximately 135-230 AUD. As an instance, a one-way visit to the fantastic Barrier Reef can price 230 AUD as a two-night sailing trip round the Whitsunday Islands can cost up of 540 AUD. A three-day Visit to Uluru out of Alice Springs is about 480 AUD. Walking tours are approximately 50 AUD and afternoon excursions to wine regions are between 150-200 AUD.

25. Suggested daily funding - $60-80 AUD / / 43-57 USD (Notice: This is a proposed budget assuming you are staying at a hostel, eating a bit, cooking all your foods, and utilizing local transport. This also depends heavily on the amount of excursions you're doing! Employing the budget suggestions below, you always have the option to reduce this amount. But should you keep in fancier lodging or eat more frequently, anticipate this to be greater!)

26. The amount of crime is not any greater than in the united kingdom. Be cautious with personal possessions and travel records in towns and popular tourist destinations.

27. Avoid carrying everything in 1 bag. Do not  Leave bags unattended in vehicles, public areas or nightclubs.  Theft from safety deposit boxes is normal in the more affordable hotels and hostels.  Be particularly attentive at night at the busy tourist regions of Sydney such as Kings Crossdown city George Street, Hyde Park and Centennial Park.

28. There have been a few significant sexual assaults against British nationals in Australia.  Be careful at the city center of Alice Springs in the nighttime. There have been quite a few incidents of harassment, robberies and attacks (including sexual assault) on overseas tourists.

29. Alcohol and drugs may result in you being alert, less accountable and not as conscious of your surroundings. If you're going to drink, know your limit.  Drinks served in pubs abroad tend to be more powerful than people in the united kingdom.

30. Beware of scams where potential tenants Are requested to move a deposit into an overseas bank accounts in exchange for keys into a rental home in Australia. British travellers have fallen prey to such scams.

31. You can reduce the danger of  Losing your passport by acquiring a proof of credit. This can be a recognized form of ID for several services such as opening bank account or entering licensed premises. By acquiring a card shortly after you arrive you may limit the requirement to take your passport with you.

32. In case your passport is stolen or lost you could have the ability to acquire an Emergency Travel Document in the nearest British Consulate. .

33. Australia is a massive country. If you are researching national parks it may take some time to get help in the case of an emergency.

34. The terrain and extreme heat could have a serious influence on your capabilities. Take loads of water and also a way of rigging up shield from sunlight.

35. Australia is home to some of dangerous Animal species, out of crocodiles, jellyfish and sharks to venomous  Insects, snakes and spiders are present in many areas of the nation.

[fifth--business-blog]

8 Budget Plan Friendly Trip Ideas for 2018

Updated: 11/8/2018 | November 8th, 2018

While many of us dream of traveling the world (or at least taking a few months off from work in pursuit of adventure), it’s not always feasible, even for those with the best of intentions. A lot of things can get in the way.

I frequently talk about long-term travel and round-the-world trips, but I know that realistically, not everyone can or wants to enjoy this style of travel. I don’t think traveling the world is hard, but I also know that what I do isn’t for everyone.

Some people just want to go on a cheap vacation for a few weeks. Not everyone has the time or luxury to take an extended trip.

So what do you do when you only have a short amount of time and a short amount of money?

What are some budget vacation ideas that aren’t about traveling the world?

Even if I won’t find you backpacking Cambodia for three months or walking the Camino de Santiago, there are many ways to get on the road and see the world without breaking the bank! Here are eight cheap travel ideas if you are cash-strapped and/or time-poor:

Cheap Vacation Idea 1: Be a Local Tourist

How often do you visit the tourist sites in your own city? Hardly ever, right? I know New Yorkers who have never seen the Statue of Liberty and Bostonians who have never walked the Freedom Trail. I once took a Dutch friend on a tour of Amsterdam because, despite growing up there, she had never seen the local attractions that lure millions of visitors to the city every year.

We’re all guilty of this. It took me five years to see the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok (even after living there), and I’ve still never been to Bunker Hill in Boston despite spending the first 24 years of my life there.

We always put it off until tomorrow, because when we live in a city, we think there is always a tomorrow.

We get so caught up in our daily lives we forget that we can have a cheap vacation in our own city. We don’t have to go anywhere!

If you’re short on time and money, there’s no better way to spend some free time than to wander your own city. No matter what its size, it has a number of wonders that you’ve never seen or even known about because you just don’t like! We’re busy leading our lives and following our routines. It’s normal but let’s look at your home with new eyes.

Be a traveler in your own town!

Important tips: When you become a local tourist, check out of your house and into a hotel, hostel, or guesthouse. It’s important to get out of your familiar environment because if you stay home, you’ll find something to do around the house and create excuses for why you can’t sightsee. Moving to a different location can help give you that feeling of adventure, excitement, and unfamiliarity.

Moreover, be sure to go to your local tourism office and get a city tourism pass. These cards allow you to see a wide range of local attractions for free or reduced prices and can be your way to see your local sites on a budget. They aren’t just for outsiders!

Cheap Vacation Idea 2: Travel Regionally

Travel brings to mind faraway and exotic destinations. It invokes images of all the places we’ve dreamed of and seen in movies. Because of that, few people look in their own backyard for adventure — as my Aussie friends always tell me before they jet off somewhere, “Mate, you’ve probably seen more of Oz than I have!” — but it offers just as many places to travel.

I could say the same thing as my Aussie friends. I grew up in Boston, and from there, I could visit New Hampshire, the woods of Maine, the bed-and-breakfasts of the Berkshires, or the farms of Vermont. New York was a four-hour car ride from home. How often did I do that? Not often enough!

Exploring your own region is an underrated and often overlooked aspect of travel. It gets the occasional lip service in magazines, but driving across the United States made me realize how much our own countries have to offer us and how often we overlook that for some foreign place.

There’s something special about being a stranger in your homeland and realizing you really don’t know much about it as you thought.

We think because we’re born in a place we understand it but every country has regional differences that make it unique and, unless we travel to see and experience them, we’ll never fully understand the place we call home.

Driving across my country (the U.S.) taught me a lot about it. It gave me a deep appreciation for it, the people, and the diversity within its borders. It broke down stereotypes and misconceptions I had about the different regions in the US. My time exploring my own backyard was just as important to my growth as any trip to a foreign country.

If you’re on a limited budget, can’t afford a flight or a trip to exotic lands, or just want to do something different, don’t forget that you can always travel your own country. It can be just as powerful as visiting another country.

Cheap Vacation Idea 3: Go to National Parks

The great outdoors present a great chance to go somewhere on the cheap. Camping, after all, costs very little money. Camping fees in national parks are as little as $15 USD per night in the United States, $15-40 CAD in Canada, $10-60 AUD in Australia, and $17-22 NZD in New Zealand. And in many places in Japan and Europe (especially Scandinavia), you can camp on public lands for free. Additionally, you go camping stocked with all your own supplies and accommodation (i.e., a tent), so you don’t have to worry about spending lots of extra money. Your food bill can be whatever you spend on groceries and nothing more.

You don’t need to love camping to spend time in the national parks, either. Personally, I hate camping. I’m not the camp-in-a-tent kind of guy; I need toilets, beds, and hot water. Luckily, many parks provide cabins. While hiking the Grand Canyon, I stayed at a national park lodge at the bottom. I had a room in a dormitory, but for a few nights, it was the cheap accommodation I needed.

There’s almost always a park nearby and spending a few days with nature is not only good for your wallet but also good for your soul.

Along these same lines, Camp in My Garden is a website that lets people camp in someone’s backyard (or garden). Got an RV that needs parking? Check out RV with Me, which finds cheap parking and overnight solutions for RV owners!

Cheap Vacation Idea 4: Book a Last-Minute Cruise (or Book Far in Advance)

Cruises are normally very expensive, affairs with a seven-day Caribbean cruise costing over $600–700 USD per person for a small interior room. And, if you’re traveling alone, you often have to pay the price of two people since not many cruise lines offer single traveler rooms!

But, if you’re the last passenger running onto that ship, you can find some sweet deals.

Cruise lines always offer incredible last-minute deals. No ship’s captain – or cruise company – wants to leave with half the cabins empty. If you wait until a few weeks before departure, you can find some really amazing deals as cruise lines scramble to find passengers. Plus, cruise operators always throw in some on-board amenities, free upgrades, and cash vouchers to sweeten the deal.

The website CruiseSheet often has cruises as low as $30 per day! (It’s the best cruise booking website in the world!)

Conversely, if you book over a year in advance, cruise lines also offer amazing low fares for early birds.

Cruises are the one form of travel for which I recommend visiting a travel agent if you’re part of a big group. They have wonderful working relationships with the operators and can score better packages than booking online.

After you book, keep an eye out on prices, because if they drop, you can often call your travel agent or the cruise company itself to get a partial refund or vouchers to use for dining and alcohol on the boat.

READ THIS —> Click here to read my guide to finding super discounted cruises (and how to save money once you are on board.)

Cheap Vacation Idea 5: Think Outside the Box

Forget Mexico and go to Guatemala. Skip Paris and head to Budapest. Forget Italy and see Greece (it’s really cheap!). Ditch Brazil and take on Bolivia instead. The list goes on and on. There are countless cheap alternatives and budget destinations around the world!

Travel counter to the prevailing trend.

Zig when everyone zags.

If people are going in the summer, you go in the spring or winter. Skip the popular destinations and head off the beaten path a bit.

Contrarian travel will save you a bundle of money. It’s like reverse commuting. While others heading into the city in the morning for work are stuck in traffic, you breeze the opposite way hassle free. The same is true for travel.

The more you are a contrarian in where – and when you go – the better off you’re wallet will be. Plus, you’ll enjoy destinations more because there will be fewer crowds. No one loves a crowd!

READ THIS –> Click here for 10 Destinations to Visit on a Budget to help give you ideas on where you to go!

Cheap Vacation Idea 6: Book a Last-Minute Tour

Just like cruises, tours are best booked last-minute. Tour companies need to fill the seats just like cruise companies, because once that trip departs, they still have the same costs. Last-minute tour bookings work the same way as cruise bookings.

Why are tours so cheap last-minute? Well, think about how people plan vacations. You get the time off work, you book your vacation, you buy your flight, and you go. Since people pre-book, prices are higher in advance because these companies understand booking patterns and then price accordingly. As departure time nears, companies know people aren’t likely to turn up and book on departure day, so they sweeten the price to increase bookings. So take the time off work, wait until the week before, see what’s cheap, and then go.

My favorite company, Intrepid Travel, often offers 15–30% discounts on last-minute tours.

Cheap Vacation Idea 7: Become a House Sitter

Accommodation can eat into the cost of a trip big-time. You might get a flight deal, but then accommodation — even if you can find it cheaply — might push the cost of your trip into unaffordable territory. A way around that is to stay somewhere for free. While I like Couchsurfing, it’s hard to do that for two weeks without annoying your host. A unique way to overcome this is to house-sit for someone while they are on vacation. You get free accommodation, a kitchen to cook in, and the chance to explore a destination in depth. It’s a pretty unique way to travel and one that I know a lot of world travelers take advantage of. You can even do this in your own region too, to cut down on transportation costs.

Cheap Vacation Idea 8: Grab a Cheap Flight

Nowadays, you don’t have to guess where the cheapest flight from your home would be. You can look up a whole list of flights (from cheapest to increasingly more expensive) using a site like Momondo or Google Flights. With those sites, you can type in “(the closest airport to you)” for your departure city and “everywhere” for your destination. Then a list of the cheapest flights appears in front of your very eyes, so you can choose where to go within your budget. This is how I decide where to go when I don’t have a specific place in mind. It’s a great tool!

Here are some other great airline booking sites where you can find deals:

Not everyone can jump overseas at the drop of a hat or spend six months backpacking around Europe or Asia. A fancy vacation to Mexico may be out of your reach. But while you might not have a lot of time or money, luckily there’s more than one way to see the world. These cheap vacation ideas may be exactly what you’re looking for!

Travel is simply the art of going somewhere new and different and exploring everything the place has to offer. It doesn’t matter if you have two days, two weeks, or two months. Use these cheap vacation ideas and go explore – on a budget!

Want more? Read these articles to get more specific destination ideas for where to have a budget vacation:

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation To find the best budget accommodation, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. You can book your hostel – if you want that instead – with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

[nopoodles]

In 2018 I made a series of short stories on my short story blog thingy, each part titled Welcome To [insert relevant thing here]. My wife encouraged me to turn it into a book so I put it somewhere in my pile of book ideas and vowed to come to it when I had the time and brain space.

In 2020 I was staying with my in-laws as Covid-19 surged through the world (but before march when people accepted that fact). We had just moved back from New Zealand (because covid) and were intending to move into our own place asap (because my wife had a job and the 3 hour round trip was costing more in fuel than we would have paid in rent).

For 6 weeks after we moved into the house we rented we had no WiFi so I spent my time on this sci-fi project. I worked at it and worked at it but felt like I wasn't getting anywhere.

So, when we got WiFi, I put it away for a while, decided I either couldn't manage it or I at least couldn't manage it yet.

In April 2021 for Camp NaNo, I picked it back up again, aaaand then I had the sudden and inescapable desperation to have a book out there with my name on it (there were lots of behind the scene pieces involved) so I put it back down and worked on a piece closer to completion (Merry Arlan: Breaking The Curse)

Now it's July/August 2022 and the second book in the series I've begun publishing (Guardian Cadet Series) is out with feedback readers and I decided to try this sci-fi thing again. Oh, and we moved. And I was sat in a house without WiFi as the world burned around me...

I'm starting to worry that this project is a bad omen, or maybe I just want to write it when shit hits the fan, after all, it's a sci-fi dystopia about dehumanisation

[beamingangel]

the wonderful @fairycloudz tagged me for this little ask thing (thank you sunshine! 💗)

relationship status? single

lipstick or chapstick? definitely chapstick!! i looove soft lips

three favourite foods? ooh this is hard! hmmm im gonna a with: fruit salad, the cocunut-tofu-veggie rice dish at my local thai restaurant and warm goat cheese with honey 🍯

song stuck in your head? flavour of the week by american hi-fi

last movie you watched? “this is the end” bc of this gif

i thought it’s a funny movie but I was actually scared of that weird demon thing and also the huge satan lmao

top 3 shows? the middle, criminal minds, superstore

book you‘re currently reading? “a man named ove” by fredrik backman. A family friend bought it for me in Sweden and i really like it so far!!

last thing you googled? „vacuums“ bc my flatmate and I have the shittiest vacuum eVER and really need a new one

time? 11:52 pm

dream trip? a round trip in new zealand would be awesome! 🇬🇸

anything you want? clear skin lol

i tag

i don’t really talk to anyone on here bc im shy so I’m just gonna tag my some of my (latest) mutuals 🌸

@monet-kid, @coffee-avenue, @geminikiss, @harry20gayteen, @rainbowstyles, @soulmateghosts, @mangogf

[hookysblog]

Isreal, Australia and New Zealand.

BARBY CLUB, TEL AVIV, ISRAEl!

MERCH SITES...PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSICIAN

https://the-hacienda-uk.myshopify.com/

 https://peter-hook-uk.myshopify.com/

Our second trip to Israel!

Complete with me nursing a really bad sore throat and chest;(

Not too many death threats this time I believe, what a world eh! Quite a long flight, but flies by with the boys. Immigration is easy until our sound guy gets dragged off for questioning about his granddad (who he never knew?).

He is kept for a long time, which is a little worrying, but is eventually let in and never really found out what it was all about?

His Big Bad Grandad sounds interesting!

The road works (in the centre of Tel Aviv at midnight???)  hold up our arrival at the hotel for a couple of hours, with all the roads leading to it closed. What a mess! We end up walking, which with the equipment isn’t easy;(

A lovely day dawns and our wacky little hotel called Hotel Cinema, has film posters and projectors everywhere. I am in the actual projection room at the top of the old theatre, complete with hole for the lens to poke through, really weird. I grab a haircut by the Mighty Zohan and a lovely pizza. The area we are in is very vibrant, in other words …..Rocking! The gig looms and we being joined today by Hadar Goldman, an Israeli violinist from the punk band Ciam, whose other claim to fame is the purchase of Ian Curtis’s old house, 77, Barton Street, Macclesfield. Hadar wanted to open it up as a museum but has not been successful so far, sadly. Could be a job for me in my dotage as a curator, like Night at The Museum eh?;)

Anyway, he is very nervous but the lads are on top form and the gig goes great from start to finish. Hadar is great on Atmosphere and Autosuggestion, and the three hours fly by! The lads are off early the next day to OZ but I don’t follow until the night of the day after, so have a bit of time to kill.

It is Yom Kippur here and everyone seems really worried I will starve to death. So like a real student, I invest in two Pot Noodle’s and a load of chocolate and after raiding the breakfast buffet, I think I will survive;) I sleep again after brekkie and wake and walk down to the beach. Spending the whole afternoon just watching the world go by.

Yom Kippur lasts from dusk until dusk the next day and as the sun goes down the noise levels decrease, until the only sounds you can hear are the children playing in the deserted streets. Breakfast is provided on Sunday for us and my wonderful hosts have hired me a mountain bike for what is called ‘Childrens Day’ here.

I have not cycled for years so am a little apprehensive to say the least. I get the bike on the street and it is really strange…..There are no cars at all! The whole place is deserted with every shop closed. The only problem is my chest….I am like puffin’ Billy.

In the old days there would be no power or phones in the city I am told. The leaves soon settle in the road and it gives a post apocalyptic feel as I cycle along topless the leaves blowing round me. I go down through the deserted market to the beachfront, and there the place is completely alive, with thousands of kids on every size and kind of bike, motorised skateboards and tons of electric scooters everywhere. It is completely magical, it really is.

I AM SPELLBOUND;)

 I love the bike and watching the kids in huge groups cycling along the freeways and empty streets is heart warming, it really is and I only give up because I am worried about getting sunburnt, heading back to the hotel for a hat and a T-shirt and a Pot Noodle. I go back in the afternoon suitably attired and ride and ride, until I have to give up because my arse is so sore (no 50p jokes please!). As the sun sets the city gets back to normal all too soon with the noise level rising to it’s usual roar by 7p.m. On the way to the airport for my flight to Oz the busy, noisy streets seem so coarse compared to how they were a few hours before, what a shame. I sail through Immigration/Customs, my granddad must have been ok? (Didn’t know him either;(

I begin a to long trip to Australia, one of my favourite places on earth.

 METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Throat and chest still bad but we persevere;)

I arrive the day of the gig so by the time gig time comes I am completely addled. It reminds me of being drunk, it really does. This Joy Division ‘2 album’ night was added at short notice after our Japanese gigs fell through, but is very well attended. Great to play Closer again, wonderful. Martin our new keyboard player is top from start to finish, a great response. I crawl off to bed exhausted. Not much time to relax because we are off the next day for a gig at….

 CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

 Lovely to be back, a beautiful city, very Parisien. It was here that I wrote most of The Hacienda Book funnily enough, when I was Djing at Parklife in 2008, you got the week off in-between so I thought it was a great time to start. Australia looms large in my books lives, as you will see later;)

The on stage sound is tough at this place, which I remember all too well from last time, but the gig goes great and is Sold Out! Too. Great reception for both Unknown Pleasures and Closer, yet again! An almost humane leave sees us off to……

 THE STUDIO, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

 Another beautiful country and now we have a lot of English friends living here now. Hi Carol;) Back to Substance tonight, which is nice.

I have to give in here, I am finding it hard to sleep my chest is crackling that much, so a trip to the Doctor’s beckons. Strangely both me and Pottsy have the same problem???

The Doctor says I am ‘crackly’ and he is ‘wheezy’,

 ‘Where’s Grumpy?’ I ask?

 He doesn’t laugh;(

 $350 Dollars light and we are both Amoxcycillined up and off we go.

Gig goes great from start to finish. Still struggling with my throat which is really annoying Grrrrr! I am waiting for the Biotics still to kick in. But I take it easy by cycling all over the place puffing gently. It’s my new thang!

It’s wonderful how both countries are completely suited, and go out of their way to encourage cycling. I follow the river past the Zoo all the way down to the centre of the city. Then get embarrassed because I am the only one topless? So head back. Hard on the chest again but well worth it! Grab a Kebab before the gig and I am ready!

The place is packed and gig goes great. The lads are on fire.

Ecstatic reception to both records!

Catch up with a few old mates, lovely to see you again Platty;) Next stop…

  THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

 Back to Substance and another Sold Out gig. This getting boring….only joking, after all our hard work it is the best compliment ever, thank you all.

Nice venue and everything goes well, recovering nicely;) Off early tomorrow so after more smashed Avacado we are off to…

 THE GOV, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

 Another beautiful place.

Nice, quiet and very suburban. Lovely old theatre venue that is packed and of course….Sold Out! Bit of an altercation with some fans at the front, but it is soon sorted and the bouncer tells me it’s the same guys he threw out last time we were here….go figure? Very cold here at night in spring, so wrap up if you are visting. Up earlish to hop over to …….

 CORNER HOTEL, Concert’s 1, 2, AND 3, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

1.I feel marginally better today, thank god!

So have a lovely first day here, visit the Dior exhibition at the Museum along with The Great Wave exhibition by the Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hokusa

.

  A very cultural day indeed! Enjoy a lovely stroll back to the Hotel and struggle through a short gym session, which does make me feel better.

It’s gig time before I know it and it’s back to The Metro for the struggle with the foldback.

Gig is a struggle and I cannot get the vibe, but it goes down well I must admit. Nice early night.

 2.Have a lovely Big Morning out for breakfast/Brunch with Viv (Big Day Out owner and very old friend) and one Zombie film later am ready for round two.

DING DING! Better gig tonight, great audience, sound still shit. The only place that sounds worse than this place is our very own Fac251 The Factory, where there is nothing you can do to combat it, believe me we have tried everything.

Lovely to see Viv Lees, with his son at the concert too. God we are getting old!

 3.Last night and we turn down a bit onstage and magically it sounds better for it. Play really well and great reaction gives us heart for our long trek to…….

 THE ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

 This is one of my favourite places on earth. It really has to be seen to be believed, and that’s despite nearly dying from food poisoning here once see Inside New Order for details;) I am so happy we are finishing here. Stay in a wonderful Casino Hotel that is HUGE! Great pools inside and out, huge gym and as I am feeling a lot better I get in there and have a great workout, so good to be back to normal. Finish off the day sunbathing with a Virgin Mary and with dinner at their very own NOBU, am ready for whatever the concert brings.

Tonight we are back at one of my favourite venues. It’s an old Cinema complex transformed into a great gig. The dressing room used to be one of the smaller theatre’s but they have normal dressing rooms now….Boo Hoo! Do the meet and greet like a Old Mancunian Santa Claus then it’s the show, Sold Out show did I say? Hee Hee!

The sound is great, the audience is great, band is great!

What a wonderful end. I thank everyone and we are done ready for home, but Oops…… I forget to thank Phil Murphy and Steve Jones and they will not let me forget it either, sorry boys;(

Nice to see Brian Jary (I used to sit next to him at Salford Grammar in 1967) and his wife, along with Ken and Georgina our old friends too;) Wake to a huge storm, which is beautiful to watch.

After a fantastic breakfast with the biggest Las Vegas style buffet I have ever seen, Dan our Tour Manager takes us to the airport for the first of our three planes home.

 Thank you for such a fantastic time…..EVERYONE!

 Cheers Hooky, ’17.

[tamboradventure]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

Posted: 4/30/2020

It takes a village to keep this website going. From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, I have a lot of help. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people.

It’s not just me writing and posting about my travels. I have a big group of full-time staff helping juggle everything.

I realized a lot of you don’t realize that so, today, I wanted to introduce the team to you.

So, without further ado, here’s they are:  

Erica

Erica has been working for me for almost six and a half years and is the events director of The Nomadic Network, our travel community. She keeps this community thriving. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean and Costa Rica; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

1. I cooked an American Thanksgiving feast for my Thai co-English teachers in Thailand where barely any of the mashed potatoes, carrots and peas were eaten so my host-grandmother fed in to the monks for the following week unbeknownst to me.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup. I was a vegetarian at the time.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

I spent 11 days on a coconut water only fast at a yoga retreat in Cambodia, twice

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel. I also taught the students how to use “boo” colloquially.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans in the town’s market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on a FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge in Ecuador for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

My college education was entirely free. How? I got a ton of tiny scholarships (I applied for everyone I could get my hands on) that added up, being a Residential Assistant in the dorms, and studying in Qatar actually saved me money (in the most expensive country in the world).

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

Last summer, I took a trip to Tunisia with some friends. I wish I could have stayed longer – what a cool country!

  Chris O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s transitioned to full-time and has branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and helps me with all of our various admin tasks. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers.

When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or hanging out with my rescue dog, Grimo.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 16 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I wrote a book (and am working on another one)

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 15 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

  Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

  Raimee

Raimee does all of our social media and content marketing. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds out our content calendar, analyzes data, edits video, creates digital marketing campaigns, and designs our social media graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times. If I told you how many times I’ve watched the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once hung out with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the whole time (side note: He’s a SUPER nice guy!)

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

I try to read 1-2 book(s) EVERY week!

I used to play the saxophone (and I wish I still did!)

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’ve acted in a few independent and short films and as an extra in some network TV shows (I even have an IMDB page!)

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

  Carmela

Carmela is the Executive Director of our non-profit FLYTE that makes travel accessible to underserved youth from across the country. She handles anything and everything from fundraising, working with our partner schools to plan student trips abroad, connecting with our incredible donor community, and managing our volunteer team.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I had the privilege of taking my first international trip when I was 3 to visit my family in the Philippines where I refused to ride the local jeepneys because they didn’t have seatbelts! Since then, my love for travel has evolved. In 2012, my husband, Raymund, and I took a round the world honeymoon that was supposed to scratch the travel itch (lol). We came back home to NYC for a few years before taking the leap to become full-time remote workers, and have lived all over the world ever since.

When I’m not running FLYTE, I love planning trips (even if they’re not my own), practicing yoga, hiking, rock climbing, reading, eating, and eating cookies (which are their own food group, in my opinion).

I LOVE Math! I have a degree in it, taught statistics to college students, and few things make me happier than a well functioning Excel spreadsheet.

I come from a family of educators. My parents were both teachers before they immigrated to the US from the Philippines in the 70’s. Before I left to travel, I worked for the Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, the largest school district in the country, and now running FLYTE is pretty much my dream job because it combines my love for education with travel.

The Notorious BIG and I share the same birthday. Juicy is one of my favorite songs.

I still don’t fully understand how to use Twitter.

I like suspenseful movies & TV shows, but hate the feeling of being in suspense, so I often read what happens before watching so I can relax and enjoy my viewing experience.

My favorite cartoon is Alvin & the Chipmunks. I still have an Alvin doll that I was gifted on my 1st birthday. It bears no resemblance to the actual Alvin Seville anymore.

I attended an all girls high school and a women’s college – that environment there largely shaped who I am today.

My guilty pleasure is watching Terrace House – the Japanese equivalent to the Real World.

My dad has an identical twin brother and they used to play tricks on me and my cousin when we were younger. It’s equally funny and traumatizing.

I hate raisins, especially in cookies.

I’m an only child, but have over 30 first cousins. I love them as if they were my actual siblings.

Raymund and I met in Hawaii. For that, and many other reasons, it’s my most favorite place in the world.

I know every lyric to every song from the Sound of Music.

  Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after twelve years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook.

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan.

I don’t drink coffee.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

P.S. – We’ve launched a new Patreon where you can get stories and tips I don’t share on this blog, a private Facebook group, phone calls with me and the team, live Q&As, postcards from the road, signed copies of my books, and much more! Click here to get access!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use — and they’ll save you time and money too!

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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British Airways Launches ‘Book with Confidence’ Policy

With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID19 outbreak, booking a trip away, whether it be for business or leisure, is a much more stressful decision that it normally would be. To allay at least some of the concerns that travellers may have, British Airways has launched a ‘book with confidence’ policy that gives customers the flexibility to delay travel that is booked during the next two weeks without any charge.

The ‘book with confidence’ policy covers all British Airways routes with changes available right up to departure. The policy is available for new bookings made between 3 and 16 March 2020. Andrew Brem, British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer said, “As some customers may choose to change or delay their travel plans at the moment, it’s important we offer them greater flexibility. By waiving our change fee our customers can have the added confidence to book a trip with British Airways that suits them.”  It should be noted however, that any fare difference due to a date change will still apply. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: British Airways, COVID19. 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[witchcraftrp-blog1]

experience report of the 16 days New Zealand round trip

In New Zealand it is not quite so easy. Except for access to overnight sites, gravel roads are in most cases prohibited for rented campers. So we had a hard time in New Zealand and would not have got many points. Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here. Our trip is already a few years ago. It would be really wonderful if the situation is different now. Unfortunately we felt this way on our trip - which doesn't mean that we don't find Germany just as, if not worse, littered. I think you will also live on the impressions and experiences for a long time to come.

New Zealand is not an adventure

How long does it take from Germany to New Zealand?

In general, all over-the-counter medicines - such as aspirin, paracetamol or vitamin tablets - do not need to be declared to customs on arrival in Australia or New Zealand.

Nevertheless, crime is slowly increasing, depending on the category, and violent attacks on tourists have also been reported. Choose a safe speed for yourself and let other vehicles pass. The maximum permitted speed of 100 km/h should not be considered a goal, this speed is too high in rain or darkness and for many bends.

How many inhabitants does New Zealand have?

New Zealand is often referred to as an expensive country. But in general, the price difference between New Zealand and Germany is relativized. Dining out or alcoholic drinks are more expensive, but petrol and food in the supermarket are a bit cheaper.

In the itinerary we sometimes describe accommodation so that you can get an impression of our accommodation. This described accommodation is the first one we ask for. However, if it is no longer available, we will book an alternative accommodation. In general we try to keep the character of an accommodation.

New Zealand in 3 weeks - is it worth the ?

New Zealand continues to seek similar agreements in the Pacific region. Negotiations on a free trade zone with the PR China have been underway since 2005. In 2008, 5.3 million dairy cows lived in New Zealand, 90% of dairy products are exported, making New Zealand the world's largest exporter of dairy products for a long time.

[seanscowgirl]

tour new zealand

This might also interest you:Travel with experiene-New Zealand

|} a visa is required for all forms of employment or for longer stays. Further information is available on the New Zealand Immigration Service website. Whether jungle-like rainforests, fjords, volcanic landscapes, white sandy beaches, green hills or high mountains - hardly any other country is so diverse in its nature. Many plants grow only in New Zealand, which is why many Europeans are confused at first. In contrast to many other countries there are no poisonous or dangerous snakes and predators. If you would like to stay longer in New Zealand, you need a visa. For those who want to get their adrenaline pumping, there is a choice of rafting, jet boating and paragliding among other activities. Afterwards you can finish your New Zealand 3-week round trip in one of Queenstown's many cosy restaurants. Kaikoura is beautifully situated between the sea and partly snow-capped mountains. The town is also famous for its whale watching tours. In the afternoon you can make a detour to the Ohau Waterfall, which is located 27 kilometres north of Kaikoura.

Application required

Today, not only the Pike29 Memorial Track commemorates the deceased, but also a plaque for the victims of the Strongman mine accident. Here you follow the Greenstone Track through a false beech forest and catch views of the Greenstone River. On the second day the track takes the hikers to Lake McKellar. Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here. The landscape is characterised by ancient pine trees and huge mountain slopes, which come to life especially on rainy days. On the third day you have the opportunity to explore the area on foot, row on the lake or relax while reading a book.

You are sure to find interesting facts about the country and its people in the National Museum in the capital Wellington. It is the political and cultural centre of New Zealand and attracts many tourists every year with its attractive location in the extreme south of the North Island, between the coast and the hills. The city centre is quite small and tranquil, so you can easily explore it on foot.

[gemmaameera]

Honeymoon in New Zealand &amp; Fiji, 3 weeks New Zealand trip

Today you will continue your journey to Rotorua, a village founded by Maoris on the shores of the lake of the same name. Geysers, warm mud pools and water springs make Rotorua one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. Fine sandy beaches border the crystal clear ocean, where you can swim, sail and snorkel safely and experience the exotic wildlife of the coral reefs.

We visit the Franz Josef Glacier in the afternoon on a hike. If you wish, you can take an optional helicopter flight up to the glacier (additional charge CHF 260.- per person). In the morning we enjoy the mystical scenery of the heavily overgrown, steeply sloping rock faces. Surrounded by beautiful nature, the village is an ideal starting point for hiking, mountain bike tours or water sports. Via the Canterbury Plains, the fourth largest wine growing area in New Zealand, we drive to Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island. Walk along the harbour and enjoy the sunset over a delicious dinner. Time for your own explorations, in the former gold mining town.

Day 22: Departure from Fiji

Instead a starry sky without light pollution. Prices for all-inclusive packages start at around 1500 Euro for 8 days. Through the mountain landscapes of Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound.

New Zealand round trip total & swimming in the South Seas

In the event of illness, a general practitioner (GP) must first be consulted, who will then arrange for a referral to a specialist if necessary. New Zealand Safety New Zealand is considered a safe country to travel in. Visitors can move freely and without concern. Milford Sound, Bay of Islands, Te Anau, Wanaka, Rotorua and Tongariro; the sounds of these places melt in your mouth. In the same way, the diverse landscapes of the North and South Islands will leave you speechless. If you want, you can even book tours, excursions and activities via the app. Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here.

[imyobe]

Why Do You Agonize Over Writing? imyobe

What DO you know? Actually, you recognize lots more than you think.

If you're writing fiction, you possibly realize all which you want to understand. What you desperately want to do is to get started. Writer's Block?

Probably that what it seems like. But in fact there may be no "Writer's Block". It's all a characteristic of perspective.

Do you agonize about what you write? Do you write a sentence and then re-write it to make it "perfect"? How do when it is "perfect"?

A better query is "How do you droop disbelief even as you are writing"?

For example, once I organized this piece, its draft reproduction turned into replete with little crimson squiggles everywhere. Every line looks as if its bleeding pink ink. And so it changed into: I don't care (while I'm writing) if what I've written is spelled correctly. I do not even care if it would not cling together. Those are steps I'll take once I get around to modifying it.

My goal for this draft is to place down as a minimum 2,500 words in under 2 hours. My intention is to do those 2,500 words in much less than an hour. But if I can maintain a writing velocity of 1,two hundred words an hour, I can write a 36,000 word tale in just under 30 hours. By writing 2 hours a day, that's most effective 15 days well worth of writing!

A novel is round 50,000 words. At 1,2 hundred phrases an hour, I can write that in simply over forty hours. To write that novel in 30 days, I best have to write less than 2 hours a day!

So, what's stopping me? A story idea? What need to I write about? How must I write approximately?

Questions, questions. "Who cares," say I. "Let's just cross and do it."

For example, I like to write down motion stories, now and again mysteries, and from time to time thrillers.

But where to start?

Here's an idea. Last week I took an audio take a look at to decide if I changed into a candidate for listening to aids (My spouse vociferously and emphatically says "Yes!!).

Boring material, you say? Let's discover it further. How approximately this tale fragment:

The listening to test changed into going smoothly. Eleanor Brightwater had finished the "When you pay attention the tone, press the button" part. She turned into now sitting quietly together with her eyes closed because the audiologist intoned,

"Say the word 'bat'". "Bat".

"Say the phrase, 'run." "Rune".

"Say the word, "like'". "Bike".

There become a pause.

Then she heard in a softer voice, 'Say the phrase 'knife'." Knife".

"Say the word, 'Murder'". "Mother".

"Say the word, 'kill'".

Her eyes flew open. Looking through the booth's bulletproof glass window, the first issue she noticed was the audiologist slumped half out of his chair, an unsightly hash on his forehead that extended down to a line around his neck, and then to a sea of pink that had stained his white lab coat.

The second issue she saw turned into a grinning apparition with pointy teeth, waving a butcher's knife in a single hand and strangling a microphone in the other. It gave a maniacal giggle, then caught its tattooed tongue out at her.

Eleanor screamed, and clawed the earphones from her head. She lurched in opposition to the booth's door, however it would not budge, pinned via some heavy item outside.

She beat on the glass until her fists started out to bleed.

Sobbing hysterically, she tried to rib the booth-set up char loose.

The apparition jumped up and down, time and again putting the audiologist and the desk, guffawing maniacally. It shrieked at her and slapped the booth's window with the knife.

She knew what it wanted to do to her, however she changed into powerless to repel.

[ now... How would you fill in the next paragraph?]

So far, I've written underneath 700 words of simply over a complete of 1200 words for this article. It took me less than forty five minutes to compose. Another 15 minutes to head lower back and correct the spelling. I'm now not beating my time, however neither am I at a loss for words. The words are all there, neatly assembled, packaged, and reeling out as if I were analyzing them off of an uncoiling ticker tape.

And you can do this, too.

All you need to do is to trust that you may do it.

And practice.

And write.

And write a few more.

But permit's cross lower back to "How Do I Start?'

Here are some useful steps:

Step #1: Take a clean piece of paper (covered is OK, as you can desire. Using a laptop is optional) and sharp pencil without an eraser.

Step #2: Pick up any book you have got at hand. Open it randomly and choose a paragraph.

Step #3: Start copying that paragraph. Write down the primary 50 phrases or so.

Step # 4: Close the ebook. Write a sentence that completes the remaining thought that you copied from the e-book.

Step #6: Continue writing, forgetting about spelling errors, grammatical constructions and the other 'ilities' that make up what other people think is ideal prose.

Step #7: Write for at least 1 hour before preventing.

Se, you've got begun!

Now you could move returned and spell check what you wrote. Punctuate it as you may desire, or toss it all within the recycling bin. The act of writing is more important that what you wrote.

Now, shall we say you want to increase beyond starting copying something. OK, let's strive another story.

Think of your remaining quality vacation. Visualize your self being there. In your mind's eye, see the surroundings. Then write a one sentence description approximately whatever you see.

My remaining ride to England, I flew into Heathrow, and took the express educate to Paddington Station.

[I continue the thought thusly... ]

When I exited the teach, the primary component that caught my eye changed into a Paddington Bear shop. In the window turned into an oversized statue of Mr. Paddington Bear, himself, keeping his ubiquitous suitcase.

"Hello, Mr. Bear! Where are you off to this time?" I said.

Paddington Bear turned to me and stated in a melodious voice, "I'm off to Australia and New Zealand! Never been there, however I've heard it's a adorable trip."

"But you are from Patagonia," I said. "Have you been lower back there?"

"No, no longer considering the fact that I left, many years returned," he replied.

"Don't you ship posts to them to allow them realize what's happening and where you are?"

Sorrowfully, Paddington looked down at his brown shows. "I can not write," Paddington Bear stated with a sigh. Then he perked up, "But my Author does! I'll get him to ship some posts. He's exact at that sort of things. And I understand my kinfolks again domestic are questioning what's come to be of me. Thank you for the suggestion!"

Then his shoulders drooped again. "But they cannot read, either," he said as a unmarried tear coursed down his bushy nose, plopping on the marble statue base.

"How can that be?" I asked. "After all, a person had to write that notice that 's round your neck!"

"You're right," and he brightened up. "I'll bet a person down there can do it! Thank you for the suggestion."

With that, Mr. Paddington Bear stepped off the marble base and vanished!

So, I ask again, "Future Novelist, What's preventing you?"

Mister, Pick Up That Pen and Write!!!!

Writing is certainly one of Norm Huffnagle's passions. Introduced to the yearly extravaganza, NanoWriMo, some years ago, he became bitten by using the Writer's Bug. Since then, he is published three novels, novelettes, thirty-five brief subject matter books, and numerous Self-Help articles, such as a "How To" series on Beating Writer's Cramp. All in all, Norm has written and self-posted over a hundred forty five titles, such as both eBooks and paperbacks.