So, Morgan and I have been in Queenstown for nearly three weeks and it has really had its ups and downs. After Milford Sound we arrived here optimistic that our life would just fall right into place. We would find a house and a job within days and skip all of life's worries. I think we had the idea that we would pass out a few CV's and bam, a job will fall from the sky.
This isn't how life works. I have seen it happen to me and everyone I know time and time again. See, since our arrival to Queenstown our trip has been one long string of highs. Our biggest worry seemed to stop at what sandwich to make, or where to park the van tonight. It makes sense that eventually reality would strike, the cold weather would roll in and our money would roll right out. The pendulum must swing. Our peace wouldn't be grounded in the highs, but in our strength in dealing with the highs AND the lows.
But before we let all of these anxieties creep right in we would celebrate my birthday. We went for dinner Saturday and caught the early bird special! We each and a nice glass of red NZ wine and had our steaks medium rare. We spent the night exploring the tiny streets, popping in and out of bars, dancing, and figuring out the culture of the town. We finished the night with a Fergburger! We had heard so much about this magical lump of meat, wedged between fresh baked bread, onion, lettuce, tomato relish, and garlic aioli. The place is opened from 8:00 am and doesn't close until 5:00 am and believe me, people are eating burgers at all possible hours.
The following morning was my actual birthday. Morgan treated me to a delicious breakfast of coffee, bacon, and pancakes at an adorable cafe. I received many phone calls from home which I loved. That evening we went to a tiny stone lined pub to listen to a boyfriend and girlfriend duo play folk music and then went for some Mexican food. We called it an early night. I found myself watching Ted Talks at ten before dosing off.
At around four in the morning our phone rang and I did not answer in my sleepy stoop er, but I did feel the need to check facebook to see if the caller contacted me there. To my surprise I read a message from Katherine, my twin, saying she got into a bad car accident but she was OK. A lump welled in my throat as I stumbled for my Ipad to sign on Skype, catch a decent signal, grab my headphones and coat and step outside of our shared dorm room. She explained that she was driving too fast in the pouring rain and hydroplaned around a turn. Her car flipped, strangers gathered to help, the ambulance arrived, and shortly after, her husband... The whole thing. She told me she was OK but shaken up. The bruises would appear on her body over the next couple of days and she would begin to see how her seatbelt really had saved her life.
All this to say, I am so unbelievably thankful that nothing worse happened. It shook us all up. As a sister of such an amazing and precious person to me, I felt both lucky and incredibly vulnerable. My family is a gift to me that is so delicate. It is not just worldly things that can destroy their presence in my life, but also the intangible connections that we chose to strengthen and not weaken that can disappear.
The greatest gift in my life, on my birthday and everyday, is my family. I am so far from them yet I have never felt closer. I am loved by them and I love them keenly.
The following day would be met with worry about money and jobs and a place to live but we will get to all that on the next post.
Liz
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Te Anau and Milford Sound
So we reached the little town of Te Anau, pronounced Tea Ah Now, meaning "cave of the swirling water current", in the early evening. The days are getting shorter and shorter here, sun rising aft er seven and setting around 5:30! Anyway we went on search for a hostel called Bob and Maxine's recommended to us by Lonely Planet.
As we drove up the gravel road to the front house we saw a man working on the taillight of his old land cruiser. We got out of the car and he struck up a conversation with us about checking in while he continues tweaking the lights and breaks all the while yelling out "miracle" to himself. After getting settled we went to the grocery store to buy for dinner and the next few days.
Yum, we made pasta with fresh veggies and ground pork, garlic bread, and salad. We even treated ourselves to maple walnut ice-cream which caused the biggest fight so far on our trip! It went something like this.
Morgan and I have different tastes in ice cream. We kinda settled on a couple of flavors. Maple walnut and cookies and cream. However deciding further was the problem. I chose maple walnut because it was half the size and we couldn't keep the ice cream long, Morgan wanted the cookies and cream because we got more for less money.
She saw it as wasting money, I saw it as wasting ice cream. Deadend! In the end we laughed at it watering it down to she's a vanilla lover and I'm a chocolate lover.
After dinner we read by the fire and I watched The Prestige.
The following day we stayed in the big cozy living room as the weather was pure shit. We watched movies, drank so much tea, read, and booked our Milford Sound ticket.
The bus picked us up at 8:00 the following morning right outside our hostel and we drove the hour and a half to the Milford Sound. Our tour guide's name was Tex and he allowed us to stop off at every little bend in the road where we gazed upon the mountains and lakes.
We were able to have our kayaks in the water at around ten. In our shared kayak Morgan and I packed a big lunch of sandwiches, pretzels, apples, oranges, and a cliff bar each. We were soon kayaking towards the sound, going over safety and a brief outline of the day.
Once we rounded a turn in the river we suddenly found ourselves in the glorious Milford Sound. We kayaked toward the left side of the sound and stopped occasionally to talk about the history, it's discovery, wildlife... All sorts of tid bits. The mountains soar above, the fresh water dumps into the ocean from up above, the water is so clear you can see the sea urchins clinging to rocks below, the air is crisp, and the sun shown down on all of it. After we stopped to eat our lunch we spotted two male seals hanging out on some rocks for a lazy afternoon! We spent the afternoon kayaking this beautiful place, the size of it an illusion. From one side to the other it took us an hour to kayak.
I want to try and give you guys an understanding of how vast this place was. First of all it's not actually a sound, which is carved from water. The Milford Sound was discovered and named before they knew what Fiords were. So Milford Sound is a fiord, it was carved out by a glacier. And what it left behind is a mountain range flooded with ocean. It holds the second highest mountain in the world that juts straight up from the ocean. Lady Bowen falls, the second highest in the sound, is as high as a 55 story building, only it looks half that compared to the monstrous mountains that surround it. We spotted a boulder on the top of a mountain that Tex has been waiting to fall and we guessed it was the size of a car, wait for it! It is the size of a football field!
Everything here is enormous and seriously majestic. We had the unforgettable opportunity to explore this place for six hours.
It was a day we will remember for always. A day that reminds us of this beautiful and magical world we live in. A day that grounds us if we choose to remember the feelings it provoked. A day that humbles and fills with power. A day that rejuvenates the spirit. We feel honored to have been given the opportunity to explore this place.
We drove back to Te Anau tired from the day. Back at the hostel we had a panic because I thought I'd lost the key. Once found the panic was replaced with jubilation. We drove that evening to Queenstown, so very excited to be arriving in a place that we could hopefully call home for the winter.
Wish us luck. It's time to find jobs and a place to live.
As we drove up the gravel road to the front house we saw a man working on the taillight of his old land cruiser. We got out of the car and he struck up a conversation with us about checking in while he continues tweaking the lights and breaks all the while yelling out "miracle" to himself. After getting settled we went to the grocery store to buy for dinner and the next few days.
Yum, we made pasta with fresh veggies and ground pork, garlic bread, and salad. We even treated ourselves to maple walnut ice-cream which caused the biggest fight so far on our trip! It went something like this.
Morgan and I have different tastes in ice cream. We kinda settled on a couple of flavors. Maple walnut and cookies and cream. However deciding further was the problem. I chose maple walnut because it was half the size and we couldn't keep the ice cream long, Morgan wanted the cookies and cream because we got more for less money.
She saw it as wasting money, I saw it as wasting ice cream. Deadend! In the end we laughed at it watering it down to she's a vanilla lover and I'm a chocolate lover.
After dinner we read by the fire and I watched The Prestige.
The following day we stayed in the big cozy living room as the weather was pure shit. We watched movies, drank so much tea, read, and booked our Milford Sound ticket.
The bus picked us up at 8:00 the following morning right outside our hostel and we drove the hour and a half to the Milford Sound. Our tour guide's name was Tex and he allowed us to stop off at every little bend in the road where we gazed upon the mountains and lakes.
We were able to have our kayaks in the water at around ten. In our shared kayak Morgan and I packed a big lunch of sandwiches, pretzels, apples, oranges, and a cliff bar each. We were soon kayaking towards the sound, going over safety and a brief outline of the day.
Once we rounded a turn in the river we suddenly found ourselves in the glorious Milford Sound. We kayaked toward the left side of the sound and stopped occasionally to talk about the history, it's discovery, wildlife... All sorts of tid bits. The mountains soar above, the fresh water dumps into the ocean from up above, the water is so clear you can see the sea urchins clinging to rocks below, the air is crisp, and the sun shown down on all of it. After we stopped to eat our lunch we spotted two male seals hanging out on some rocks for a lazy afternoon! We spent the afternoon kayaking this beautiful place, the size of it an illusion. From one side to the other it took us an hour to kayak.
I want to try and give you guys an understanding of how vast this place was. First of all it's not actually a sound, which is carved from water. The Milford Sound was discovered and named before they knew what Fiords were. So Milford Sound is a fiord, it was carved out by a glacier. And what it left behind is a mountain range flooded with ocean. It holds the second highest mountain in the world that juts straight up from the ocean. Lady Bowen falls, the second highest in the sound, is as high as a 55 story building, only it looks half that compared to the monstrous mountains that surround it. We spotted a boulder on the top of a mountain that Tex has been waiting to fall and we guessed it was the size of a car, wait for it! It is the size of a football field!
Everything here is enormous and seriously majestic. We had the unforgettable opportunity to explore this place for six hours.
It was a day we will remember for always. A day that reminds us of this beautiful and magical world we live in. A day that grounds us if we choose to remember the feelings it provoked. A day that humbles and fills with power. A day that rejuvenates the spirit. We feel honored to have been given the opportunity to explore this place.
We drove back to Te Anau tired from the day. Back at the hostel we had a panic because I thought I'd lost the key. Once found the panic was replaced with jubilation. We drove that evening to Queenstown, so very excited to be arriving in a place that we could hopefully call home for the winter.
Wish us luck. It's time to find jobs and a place to live.
Star Struck
As our final destination in the South Island was Te Anau, where we would go kayaking in the Milford sound before settling into Queenstown for the winter, after our lunch and quick look around Christchurch we continued our journey southwest. Since we knew driving all the way to Te Anau would be to much for the day, we decided to make a stop at the picture perfect Lake Tekapo so we would have a full next day to experience the drive into Fiordland on the southern west coast.
While we were in Wellington, we picked up a free lonely planet for the South Island. Since we have used the shit out of our lonely planet guides gifted to us for our journey, we knew this would be a good edition since we really found a lot of use in the lonely planet north island guide for our road trips and many side stops. When we first looked through our found book with FREE written over the cover, we found a highlighted section, Lake Tekapo. Of course, that first struck our eye and drew our attention to the lake. Lucky for us, it was right on our path, so we stopped. We first drove in to the town that consisted of about a block of restaurants, stores and an information center. We first stopped in the information center to find a campsite, was told of a $5 campsite down the road along with the knowledge that LakeTekapo is known for its star gazing and has one of the clearest sky's in New Zealand. Sweet as.
We then stopped at the little grocery store for some food, found our campsite, and made our home. Pulled out our camp chairs, took in the views of the new South Island scenery filled with tall jagged mountains surrounding the lake, some starting to fill with snow, made yummy pasta, and as the sun went down, started to realize it was going to be a cold cold night.
Since this was really the first really cold air we have felt since arriving in New Zealand, we pulled out all our real winter gear buried in the bottom of our containers. Thick wool socks, hats, large jackets hoping it would keep us warm as the night would get dark and the must see stars would come out. And holy moly did they. It was only about 7:30 as the sun set and the night and stars reached us. I have been continually amazed by the stars here is New Zealand, yet here in lake Tekapo, I was litterally star struck like I never have been before. As Liz and I sat in our chairs, bundled up, necks tilted back, we stared in awe. Watched shooting stars fly by and take in the sight of the star filled sky, including the Milky Way. We could not believe it, you can actually see the Milky Way. A cloudy band of stars reaching long and tall across the sky like nothing our eyes have ever witnessed or could believe they could see in the plain night sky.Unbelievable.
Cold to our core at this point, we crawled into the van and tried to get warm. Tried and tried and tried, but never succeeded. It was a cold rough night. Shivering with numb toes and hands trying to stay curled up recycling body heat as the night continued. Needless to say, there was not much sleep that night but as the us came up, we crawled out of the cold to feel the sun rays on our skin and bodies, slowly but surely getting its feeling back. We knew then on, as we just moved more south, quickly fast forwarding into winter weather, nights of sleeping in our van would have to be put at a halt for the cold, winter months here in New Zealand.
Once we got our feeling back, enjoyed coffee and peanut buter and jelly toast, we packed in our van and headed for Te Anau and a hostel.
While we were in Wellington, we picked up a free lonely planet for the South Island. Since we have used the shit out of our lonely planet guides gifted to us for our journey, we knew this would be a good edition since we really found a lot of use in the lonely planet north island guide for our road trips and many side stops. When we first looked through our found book with FREE written over the cover, we found a highlighted section, Lake Tekapo. Of course, that first struck our eye and drew our attention to the lake. Lucky for us, it was right on our path, so we stopped. We first drove in to the town that consisted of about a block of restaurants, stores and an information center. We first stopped in the information center to find a campsite, was told of a $5 campsite down the road along with the knowledge that LakeTekapo is known for its star gazing and has one of the clearest sky's in New Zealand. Sweet as.
We then stopped at the little grocery store for some food, found our campsite, and made our home. Pulled out our camp chairs, took in the views of the new South Island scenery filled with tall jagged mountains surrounding the lake, some starting to fill with snow, made yummy pasta, and as the sun went down, started to realize it was going to be a cold cold night.
Since this was really the first really cold air we have felt since arriving in New Zealand, we pulled out all our real winter gear buried in the bottom of our containers. Thick wool socks, hats, large jackets hoping it would keep us warm as the night would get dark and the must see stars would come out. And holy moly did they. It was only about 7:30 as the sun set and the night and stars reached us. I have been continually amazed by the stars here is New Zealand, yet here in lake Tekapo, I was litterally star struck like I never have been before. As Liz and I sat in our chairs, bundled up, necks tilted back, we stared in awe. Watched shooting stars fly by and take in the sight of the star filled sky, including the Milky Way. We could not believe it, you can actually see the Milky Way. A cloudy band of stars reaching long and tall across the sky like nothing our eyes have ever witnessed or could believe they could see in the plain night sky.Unbelievable.
Cold to our core at this point, we crawled into the van and tried to get warm. Tried and tried and tried, but never succeeded. It was a cold rough night. Shivering with numb toes and hands trying to stay curled up recycling body heat as the night continued. Needless to say, there was not much sleep that night but as the us came up, we crawled out of the cold to feel the sun rays on our skin and bodies, slowly but surely getting its feeling back. We knew then on, as we just moved more south, quickly fast forwarding into winter weather, nights of sleeping in our van would have to be put at a halt for the cold, winter months here in New Zealand.
Once we got our feeling back, enjoyed coffee and peanut buter and jelly toast, we packed in our van and headed for Te Anau and a hostel.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Lunch in Christchurch
We arrived in Christchurch around lunch time and the rain fell hard! Lonely Planet named Christchurch one of the top ten cities to visit in 2013.
As you all most likely know, Christchurch was hit by a devastating earthquake on Febrary 22, 2011 at 12:51 pm. The city was busy with people shopping and working and the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck a mere 10 km away. 24 seconds had passed and afterward the city was never the same. When all was said and done, the rebuild would cost $30 billion dollars, the third most expensive natural disaster to ever occur.
Fast forward to the end of April 2013 and you have Morgan and I, wide eyed and jaw dropped at the remaining work left to do. Most of the city center is still shut down to rebuilding, shops and restaurants have been permenantly shut down, and construction is down every road you turn.
We finally parked and walked to the pop up shipping container mall. This little section of the city was built immediately after the quake as a temporary center for famous shops, banks, and food stalls and it has remained two years later. It's colorful and you can feel the creative energy everywhere. Morgan endured in Indian food and I horsed into a bratwurst with spicy mustard.
We strolled the streets imagining the chaos and devastation of that day, wondering how we would feel if it was our city. We found ourselves deeply moved by the rejuvenation needed by its resilient citizens in order to piece back the city.
We soon moved on in an attempt to gain some km's before nightfall.
As you all most likely know, Christchurch was hit by a devastating earthquake on Febrary 22, 2011 at 12:51 pm. The city was busy with people shopping and working and the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck a mere 10 km away. 24 seconds had passed and afterward the city was never the same. When all was said and done, the rebuild would cost $30 billion dollars, the third most expensive natural disaster to ever occur.
Fast forward to the end of April 2013 and you have Morgan and I, wide eyed and jaw dropped at the remaining work left to do. Most of the city center is still shut down to rebuilding, shops and restaurants have been permenantly shut down, and construction is down every road you turn.
We finally parked and walked to the pop up shipping container mall. This little section of the city was built immediately after the quake as a temporary center for famous shops, banks, and food stalls and it has remained two years later. It's colorful and you can feel the creative energy everywhere. Morgan endured in Indian food and I horsed into a bratwurst with spicy mustard.
We strolled the streets imagining the chaos and devastation of that day, wondering how we would feel if it was our city. We found ourselves deeply moved by the rejuvenation needed by its resilient citizens in order to piece back the city.
We soon moved on in an attempt to gain some km's before nightfall.
South Island: An Introduction
The South Island.
I must begin by telling you that, although the south island is 33% bigger then the north, the south holds only 23% of New Zealand's population!
Engrossed in our iPad devices and two and a half hours into the ferry ride, we became giddy at the site of the dark mountains that caught my eye just beyond the foggy windows. Morgan and I immediately got up to spend the last hour of the ferry outside. We sat on the deck and watched as we entered a harbor, the water beneath us a choppy veridian green and the mountains a dark Prussian blue. The wind nipped at our noses and we bundled up next to each other taking turns sighing. Overwhelmed was the only feeling I could grab for. I had an overwhelming feeling that I might be swallowed up by the vastness of the land, just the two of us exploring the south island.
We drove off the ferry and headed for Christchurch. Only two hours into our jurney and the sun had set and the stars crept out. No longer wanting to drive, we found the closest free campsite and parked our van, made some dinner by head torch light (thanks Dad), and fell fast asleep. We woke up to cool air, cow bells, and snow capped mountains.
From there we drove down the curving roads to Christchurch.
The landscape.
So about this landscape... I am in awe about the colors, in love with them.
Some trees shoot straight up, a narrow streak of lime green, resembling well trained soldiers standing before pale blue mountains. Other trees look like explosions of yellow powder,leaves so small and delicate you'd think you could lightly blow on them and the entire tree would scatter.
The mountains are varying shades of blue and meet the sky with confidence.
The rolling green hills seem as though they are, in fact, sheets of silk with air flowing beneath them. I am reminded of the parachutes I sat under as a child during recess. The group of us would stretch our tiny arms up, holding ever so tight. Then all at once we'd sit criss-cross underneath the fabric, enchanted as the parachute took its time releasing the trapped air, cascading elegantly towards the ground. These are the rolling silky, creamy green hills. Each are peppered with sheep that take the form of grains of rice from a distance.
The white clouds move in and out from beneath the sun, Morgan and I adjusting to the cool shaded air.
And so we drive, wide eyed, to our next destination.
It is actually a wonderful challenge to continue to be transformed and renewed by the beauty around us. The amount to take in through sight is overwhelming.
Then there are the other senses.
The sound of wind approaching through rustled leaves.
The smell of the cold, salty sea.
The feel of grass between your toes.
I know these experiences have entered my soul.
I hope that it may forever remind me of the world's beauty and harmony.
As the south island reveals its majesty to us, may we receive it humbly and with ease.
I must begin by telling you that, although the south island is 33% bigger then the north, the south holds only 23% of New Zealand's population!
Engrossed in our iPad devices and two and a half hours into the ferry ride, we became giddy at the site of the dark mountains that caught my eye just beyond the foggy windows. Morgan and I immediately got up to spend the last hour of the ferry outside. We sat on the deck and watched as we entered a harbor, the water beneath us a choppy veridian green and the mountains a dark Prussian blue. The wind nipped at our noses and we bundled up next to each other taking turns sighing. Overwhelmed was the only feeling I could grab for. I had an overwhelming feeling that I might be swallowed up by the vastness of the land, just the two of us exploring the south island.
We drove off the ferry and headed for Christchurch. Only two hours into our jurney and the sun had set and the stars crept out. No longer wanting to drive, we found the closest free campsite and parked our van, made some dinner by head torch light (thanks Dad), and fell fast asleep. We woke up to cool air, cow bells, and snow capped mountains.
From there we drove down the curving roads to Christchurch.
The landscape.
So about this landscape... I am in awe about the colors, in love with them.
Some trees shoot straight up, a narrow streak of lime green, resembling well trained soldiers standing before pale blue mountains. Other trees look like explosions of yellow powder,leaves so small and delicate you'd think you could lightly blow on them and the entire tree would scatter.
The mountains are varying shades of blue and meet the sky with confidence.
The rolling green hills seem as though they are, in fact, sheets of silk with air flowing beneath them. I am reminded of the parachutes I sat under as a child during recess. The group of us would stretch our tiny arms up, holding ever so tight. Then all at once we'd sit criss-cross underneath the fabric, enchanted as the parachute took its time releasing the trapped air, cascading elegantly towards the ground. These are the rolling silky, creamy green hills. Each are peppered with sheep that take the form of grains of rice from a distance.
The white clouds move in and out from beneath the sun, Morgan and I adjusting to the cool shaded air.
And so we drive, wide eyed, to our next destination.
It is actually a wonderful challenge to continue to be transformed and renewed by the beauty around us. The amount to take in through sight is overwhelming.
Then there are the other senses.
The sound of wind approaching through rustled leaves.
The smell of the cold, salty sea.
The feel of grass between your toes.
I know these experiences have entered my soul.
I hope that it may forever remind me of the world's beauty and harmony.
As the south island reveals its majesty to us, may we receive it humbly and with ease.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
How Wellington stole our hearts
We arrived in Wellington after a very long day of driving from Lake Taupo. To be honest I, and I believe Morgan as well, was quite ready for the city, socializing, and showers! We drove into the harbor and marveled at the bustling city set amongst rolling hills of evergreens and the pink and blue waters reflecting sunset. It only took two phone calls before Morgan found our new home for the next three nights.
Cambridge Hotel. It was once a hotel but now it's a hostel. One reception, one living room connecting one kitchen, one long bathroom, and plenty of stacked dorm rooms. We dropped our luggage, tapped into the inter web, and soon hit the showers. We were both so very excited to see blow dryers! Finally I can do something with these bangs! A little advice: Don't cut bangs before indefinite budget traveling!
We made some dinner, drank some beer, and met some of the residents. We met a few good people from, can you guess, Ireland who'd been living in Wellington for months, turns out we can't shake Irish people, they are everywhere! Anywho, we hit the town in search of dancing. And that we did! Danced, met fellow travellers, played pool, roamed the vibrant streets. This city is so young, so artistic, so colorful.
The following day we hit the Cambridge restaurant for three dollar breakfasts! We spent the day exploiting the free wifi, watching tomb raider, and, let's face it, nursing our hangovers.
That night we indulged in some burgers and fries for dinner. BTDub, the fries here are incredible! Every time! That evening was interspersed with movie watching, chocolate eating, skyping, and browsing the web.
We rose bright and early, ate our breakfast of apple scooped with heaps of peanut butter, and set out for the incredible Te Papa. Te Papa is New Zealand's national and art museum and it roughly translates as "the place of the treasures of this land". On our way we were thoroughly distracted by the bustling weekend farmers market. Couldn't help ourselves, we bought basil hummus.
We finally entered Te Papa at around ten in the morning. First things first, the beginning of New Zealand. This is a sort of interactive science walk through where you learn all about tectonic plates, volcanoes, earthquakes, water's impact, the moons pull... EVERYTHING! Morgan and I had a chance to revert to childhood in the best ways possible.
If not for our hunger we'd have stayed there for hours. However, around twelve thirty we wanted some grub. We didn't venture far because we were heading back to the museum afterward. Did I mention it's free? So we ate our lunch of BBQ burger, me and chicken blt, Morgan, along with snake bites.
Upon our return to Te Papa, we read up on refugee's history in New Zealand, women's rights, economic ups and downs, and so on. Basically any cultural history we could soak up. Following that we explored the plants and animals role's on the land. We saw how illegal transport of certain plants has wiped out entire species. We read about the Mauri creation story. We watched a film called "My Place", showcasing seven people and their deep connection to their land in different parts of the country.
We left the museum wonder filled. People here are so in love with their land. They take such pride and have such strong roots here. I was inspired by the devotion it's people have to preserving every aspect of life here. It was nearing five in the evening and we still hadn't managed to see everything!
As the sun set, we roamed the streets listening to street music and wandering in and out of funky shops. For dinner we sat at the bar of a restaurant called Chow. Morgan ordered some delicious coconut milk cocktail while I sipped on some bitter citrus cocktail with muddled mint. For dinner we shared blue cheese and peanut wantons, beef satay with spicy peanut sauce, and spicy yellow chicken curry. Everything was divine. On our stroll home we stopped in for gelato. When it comes to ice cream I am an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of lady, chocolate for me. Morgan went with biscotti which was mouth watering as well. We called it a night early, bellies full.
In the morning we geared up to check out. I phoned my brother Paul and very much enjoyed hearing his laugh, catching up. We sucked down some cappuccinos and headed for Mount Victoria.
Up a steep long winding road sits a platform for the soul purpose of looking down on and admiring the city below. So that we did. The wind was crisp and the clouds milky as whipped cream.
We then drove over to the botanical gardens and took in the smells of the glorious rose gardens! Hundreds filling the courtyard, some growing taller then me. I buried my nose deep into the center bud and took in the sweet fragrant smells, eyes closed. Moments like these when I'm so profoundly envious of those bees, practically bathing in their nectar.
We soon headed for the ferry, eager to make the cross to the South Island. We will definitely be back in Wellington soon!
Cambridge Hotel. It was once a hotel but now it's a hostel. One reception, one living room connecting one kitchen, one long bathroom, and plenty of stacked dorm rooms. We dropped our luggage, tapped into the inter web, and soon hit the showers. We were both so very excited to see blow dryers! Finally I can do something with these bangs! A little advice: Don't cut bangs before indefinite budget traveling!
We made some dinner, drank some beer, and met some of the residents. We met a few good people from, can you guess, Ireland who'd been living in Wellington for months, turns out we can't shake Irish people, they are everywhere! Anywho, we hit the town in search of dancing. And that we did! Danced, met fellow travellers, played pool, roamed the vibrant streets. This city is so young, so artistic, so colorful.
The following day we hit the Cambridge restaurant for three dollar breakfasts! We spent the day exploiting the free wifi, watching tomb raider, and, let's face it, nursing our hangovers.
That night we indulged in some burgers and fries for dinner. BTDub, the fries here are incredible! Every time! That evening was interspersed with movie watching, chocolate eating, skyping, and browsing the web.
We rose bright and early, ate our breakfast of apple scooped with heaps of peanut butter, and set out for the incredible Te Papa. Te Papa is New Zealand's national and art museum and it roughly translates as "the place of the treasures of this land". On our way we were thoroughly distracted by the bustling weekend farmers market. Couldn't help ourselves, we bought basil hummus.
We finally entered Te Papa at around ten in the morning. First things first, the beginning of New Zealand. This is a sort of interactive science walk through where you learn all about tectonic plates, volcanoes, earthquakes, water's impact, the moons pull... EVERYTHING! Morgan and I had a chance to revert to childhood in the best ways possible.
If not for our hunger we'd have stayed there for hours. However, around twelve thirty we wanted some grub. We didn't venture far because we were heading back to the museum afterward. Did I mention it's free? So we ate our lunch of BBQ burger, me and chicken blt, Morgan, along with snake bites.
Upon our return to Te Papa, we read up on refugee's history in New Zealand, women's rights, economic ups and downs, and so on. Basically any cultural history we could soak up. Following that we explored the plants and animals role's on the land. We saw how illegal transport of certain plants has wiped out entire species. We read about the Mauri creation story. We watched a film called "My Place", showcasing seven people and their deep connection to their land in different parts of the country.
We left the museum wonder filled. People here are so in love with their land. They take such pride and have such strong roots here. I was inspired by the devotion it's people have to preserving every aspect of life here. It was nearing five in the evening and we still hadn't managed to see everything!
As the sun set, we roamed the streets listening to street music and wandering in and out of funky shops. For dinner we sat at the bar of a restaurant called Chow. Morgan ordered some delicious coconut milk cocktail while I sipped on some bitter citrus cocktail with muddled mint. For dinner we shared blue cheese and peanut wantons, beef satay with spicy peanut sauce, and spicy yellow chicken curry. Everything was divine. On our stroll home we stopped in for gelato. When it comes to ice cream I am an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of lady, chocolate for me. Morgan went with biscotti which was mouth watering as well. We called it a night early, bellies full.
In the morning we geared up to check out. I phoned my brother Paul and very much enjoyed hearing his laugh, catching up. We sucked down some cappuccinos and headed for Mount Victoria.
Up a steep long winding road sits a platform for the soul purpose of looking down on and admiring the city below. So that we did. The wind was crisp and the clouds milky as whipped cream.
We then drove over to the botanical gardens and took in the smells of the glorious rose gardens! Hundreds filling the courtyard, some growing taller then me. I buried my nose deep into the center bud and took in the sweet fragrant smells, eyes closed. Moments like these when I'm so profoundly envious of those bees, practically bathing in their nectar.
We soon headed for the ferry, eager to make the cross to the South Island. We will definitely be back in Wellington soon!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo. New Zealand's largest lake that also happens to lay in a caldera of super volcano. No doubt lake Taupo would be stop on our journey. But first, a stop in Waitomo and a tour of glow worm cave. Since we really have been taking the cheap end of things and passing on guided tours, we decided to pay the $48 to get a close look at Glowworms and have a tour through a cave. When we all gathered at the entrance of the cave and our guide was going through all the safety precautions, Liz and I really had no idea what we were heading in. As soon as the door opened (yes, a door to a cave) and we walked through. I couldn't believe my eyes. Like seriously, I couldn't believe it. I actually thought I was at universal studios. Maybe it was the door, but as i looked around in awe, it was the glistening limestone walls that go for ages. It was the stalactites hanging from the walls and ceiling like icicles. The stalagmites growing from the floor. All formed and continuing to form, from water over thousands and thousands of years. Turns out, it wasn't universal studies, it wasn't man made, it was natural and it was beautiful. As the guide took us through the cave explaining the history, pointing out different features, including faces carved in the stone for a little humor (those were natural too...like shapes you begin to see in clouds if you look long enough), everyone took in the sites around them in awe and in silence. Eventually, we started heading down in darkness to the end of the tour. This was a boat ride along the Waikato river, new Zealand's largest river, and the river that feeds into lake Taupo, but first going through the cave. The first group of people got in the boat and we were left to wait for him to come back. Liz and I stood in the darkness, knowing there was a river but having no idea where it was, or even what direction our guide headed. It was dark, like real dark, all you could see was the little blue glow of hundreds of Glowworms above us. Little larvae shining their light to attract other insects so the larvae can eat. Now, I was amazed earlier in the cave, but now I was REALLY amazed. It almost seemed like you were looking up at a dark sky filled with really bright shining stars. After waiting about 10 minutes in pitch black making jokes about falling into the pitch black river, animals that lurk in the river (like eels) or the cave falling in and having no light to be able to see how to save ourselves, thankfully, the guide came back. As the the remainder of our group got on the boat, the guide pushes off the dock and we float in darkness and silence, no engine or paddle, under the glow warms taking in there majesty until we see light. The end of the cave. We stepped off the boat and on to a dock and that was that. It was glorious and left me wanting to explore more and more caves but on we must push to Lake Taupo.
When we arrived to Lake Taupo in the late afternoon we first headed into the town of well, Taupo. After first driving through, we parked our van and decided to walk around. We visited a couple cute stores, made a trip to the bank, then headed down to the lake for a good view. And good view it was. The lake seems to go on and on and on, surrounded by beautiful house lined hills and, of course, the amazing clouds cutting off the mountains in the distance really topped it off. We sat at a lakeside table taking it all in. Over this past month, Liz and I have experienced many breathtaking views. They just don't seem to stop. Because of this, we find ourselves in stillness having to take in each view, trying to capture it forever. Of course we have cameras, and hundreds of pictures in our memory cards, but those really don't do New Zealand's beauty any justice. For any of you guys that have been, you know what I mean. The layers and layers of blue, from the oceans, the rivers, lakes, mountains, the sky along with the contrasts of the greens, the deep greens of the rolling hills or many different types of vegetation we pass, and now in the fall we have bright yellows, oranges, reds, every direction is scene to be seen. As much as the pictures don't do it justice, neither will any words. Yet, from the moments we wake up until we crawl back into bed to sleep, we find ourselves near speechless over and over, many times we are only able to muster the words "wow" or "this is just beautiful."
After taking in the sight of New Zealand's largest lake, we headed to our free campsite at this place Reid's farm, one of new Zealand's largest and most well known free campsites. It was located about 5 minutes outside of Taupo along the river. We found a spot among the already settled tents and vans near the bathrooms and settled in. Pulled out our new chairs we were very excited about and stove ready for dinner. Pasta with garlic and tomato along with a salad. We are growing to love our little camping stove more and more and becoming more adventurous with it. The next morning? Bacon and toast. Although the stove is very little and it took us about an hour to cook the bacon and toast the toast, we love it. It is always an adventure in itself to find what we can make with our limited budget and our limited tools.
Once we enjoyed our bacon and toast, we went to Huka falls. A little north of Taupo where the Waikato river goes from being 100 meters wide down into a 15 meter wide canyon. Although the falls aren't tall the tallest or anything like that, they certainly are powerful. 220,000 litres of crystal blue water rushing down into a pool. After a small hike around the falls we went to huka honey hive, where they have there own bee hives you can view and of course lots of honey to taste or buy. We spent along time fascinated by all the bees and everything we learned about the bees from the different types, like scout bees sent to find flowers with good pollen, honey bees, sent to collect pollen, worker bees, queen bees, the honey, beeswax, royal jelly...oh that royal jelly, and many more crazy bee facts. After becoming bee experts, we sampled honey, and lots of it. I had no idea of all the different honeys that exist! Once we were honeyed out and thought we have to buy some honey, we ended up leaving with a mango chili mayo. I guess we were really honeyed out, but this sauce was just to good to pass up.
Honeyed out, we headed back into town. We first found a nice quite spot on the lake to make sandwiches, featuring what else but mango chili mayo. A very nice addition to our love of sandwiches and our mass consumption of them. Then we headed to pac n' sav, our favorite grocery store here based on one thing...it is cheap! We stocked up on fruits, cheeses, ham, pasta, trail mix, etc. and headed back to our free camp site where we were early enough to grab a prime spot right on the river. We set up our chairs, grabbed our books and enjoyed the passing river, kayaks, and groups of Asians finding amusement in the littlest of things. Once it started to get darker we made our dinner. Butter chicken and a salad with avocado and corn along with a glass of wine. Delicious once again. Once it grows dark, we climb into the back of our van with our lights to continue reading.
This morning was a big day. We woke up to enjoy coffee along with an apple and peanut butter. Filled up water bottles, packed our backpack and set out for the tangariro alpine crossing. A 7 hour hike along volcanic terrain about 45minutes south of Taupo and known as New Zealand's best one day trek.Yet, as we started our drive, we noticed it was POURING rain right in the direction we were heading. Since we rarely reach Internet, and most of the time we don't know our plan for even the next day, we haven't way of checking anything like the weather...we just hope for the best. The best was not happening. We arrived to one end of the trail to a sign saying "road closed due to danger or recent volcanic activity" . Welp. So we headed to the other entrance to at least see what this was about. This entrance was open and in the poring rain and cold winds read about the track and saw half the track is closed from a volcano that erupted late last year and since it was on Maori ground, and they find the recent volcano rock very sacred, that part of the track was closed. After much consideration and debate, we decided to put off the trek until summer and better weather. We left disappointed but knowing it will be much more enjoyable and we will be able to see more when we return. So we had little chice but to continued our quest south.
When we arrived to Lake Taupo in the late afternoon we first headed into the town of well, Taupo. After first driving through, we parked our van and decided to walk around. We visited a couple cute stores, made a trip to the bank, then headed down to the lake for a good view. And good view it was. The lake seems to go on and on and on, surrounded by beautiful house lined hills and, of course, the amazing clouds cutting off the mountains in the distance really topped it off. We sat at a lakeside table taking it all in. Over this past month, Liz and I have experienced many breathtaking views. They just don't seem to stop. Because of this, we find ourselves in stillness having to take in each view, trying to capture it forever. Of course we have cameras, and hundreds of pictures in our memory cards, but those really don't do New Zealand's beauty any justice. For any of you guys that have been, you know what I mean. The layers and layers of blue, from the oceans, the rivers, lakes, mountains, the sky along with the contrasts of the greens, the deep greens of the rolling hills or many different types of vegetation we pass, and now in the fall we have bright yellows, oranges, reds, every direction is scene to be seen. As much as the pictures don't do it justice, neither will any words. Yet, from the moments we wake up until we crawl back into bed to sleep, we find ourselves near speechless over and over, many times we are only able to muster the words "wow" or "this is just beautiful."
After taking in the sight of New Zealand's largest lake, we headed to our free campsite at this place Reid's farm, one of new Zealand's largest and most well known free campsites. It was located about 5 minutes outside of Taupo along the river. We found a spot among the already settled tents and vans near the bathrooms and settled in. Pulled out our new chairs we were very excited about and stove ready for dinner. Pasta with garlic and tomato along with a salad. We are growing to love our little camping stove more and more and becoming more adventurous with it. The next morning? Bacon and toast. Although the stove is very little and it took us about an hour to cook the bacon and toast the toast, we love it. It is always an adventure in itself to find what we can make with our limited budget and our limited tools.
Once we enjoyed our bacon and toast, we went to Huka falls. A little north of Taupo where the Waikato river goes from being 100 meters wide down into a 15 meter wide canyon. Although the falls aren't tall the tallest or anything like that, they certainly are powerful. 220,000 litres of crystal blue water rushing down into a pool. After a small hike around the falls we went to huka honey hive, where they have there own bee hives you can view and of course lots of honey to taste or buy. We spent along time fascinated by all the bees and everything we learned about the bees from the different types, like scout bees sent to find flowers with good pollen, honey bees, sent to collect pollen, worker bees, queen bees, the honey, beeswax, royal jelly...oh that royal jelly, and many more crazy bee facts. After becoming bee experts, we sampled honey, and lots of it. I had no idea of all the different honeys that exist! Once we were honeyed out and thought we have to buy some honey, we ended up leaving with a mango chili mayo. I guess we were really honeyed out, but this sauce was just to good to pass up.
Honeyed out, we headed back into town. We first found a nice quite spot on the lake to make sandwiches, featuring what else but mango chili mayo. A very nice addition to our love of sandwiches and our mass consumption of them. Then we headed to pac n' sav, our favorite grocery store here based on one thing...it is cheap! We stocked up on fruits, cheeses, ham, pasta, trail mix, etc. and headed back to our free camp site where we were early enough to grab a prime spot right on the river. We set up our chairs, grabbed our books and enjoyed the passing river, kayaks, and groups of Asians finding amusement in the littlest of things. Once it started to get darker we made our dinner. Butter chicken and a salad with avocado and corn along with a glass of wine. Delicious once again. Once it grows dark, we climb into the back of our van with our lights to continue reading.
This morning was a big day. We woke up to enjoy coffee along with an apple and peanut butter. Filled up water bottles, packed our backpack and set out for the tangariro alpine crossing. A 7 hour hike along volcanic terrain about 45minutes south of Taupo and known as New Zealand's best one day trek.Yet, as we started our drive, we noticed it was POURING rain right in the direction we were heading. Since we rarely reach Internet, and most of the time we don't know our plan for even the next day, we haven't way of checking anything like the weather...we just hope for the best. The best was not happening. We arrived to one end of the trail to a sign saying "road closed due to danger or recent volcanic activity" . Welp. So we headed to the other entrance to at least see what this was about. This entrance was open and in the poring rain and cold winds read about the track and saw half the track is closed from a volcano that erupted late last year and since it was on Maori ground, and they find the recent volcano rock very sacred, that part of the track was closed. After much consideration and debate, we decided to put off the trek until summer and better weather. We left disappointed but knowing it will be much more enjoyable and we will be able to see more when we return. So we had little chice but to continued our quest south.
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