You are currently browsing the Australasia category.
New Zealand. Three months I spent with you. I remember coming to you in quite a state from Oz but even before we touched down, I had made a new friend. I travelled the Coromandel Peninsula and stayed at cute little Coromandel Town where I hitchhiked for the first time. Kauri groves and basking in the intense sun after getting a shoulder massage from the waterfall on 309. A good intro to NZ gaining plenty of good tips from so many who were just finishing up their stint here.
Continue Reading…
Christchurch was a fun artsy town with lots to do. We went to Science World to play trying out the vertical slide, rock climbing and my favorite, the gyroscope. We picked up our old friend Hiro who is living here and visited the Cookie Time factory. We just had to check out the museum boasting the worlds` largest cookie. You can even buy bags of broken cookies for a discount. I especially liked the Cookie Time mascot who looks like a red cookie monster on drugs. In the Botanical Gardens, there was a whole forest of Camillia trees! K, S and I had fun playing in the autumn leaves. Continue Reading…
In Akaroa, the food was gourmet and the owners were almost as sweet as their desserts. Le Bons Bay Backpackers is a small family run hostel in a restored 120 year old homestead. We arrived on a dark and cold windy night. We were a little concerned that we wouldn`t find the place through all these windy roads but we finally made it. Garry kept our food warm for us which we promptly gobbled up before collapsing into bed.
Continue Reading…
We were driving to Mount Cook when Kenneth decided to open the window to take a picture of the red clouds and sunset when SLURP! Our beloved Beamish was sucked out of the passenger window. 100 meters down the road we whipped around to retrieve him when we witnessed a white 4WD abducting our precious purple alien!
We frantically raced after the suspects to reclaim our lost family member when suddenly they came to a stop. We exited King, our little Danish car, with a look of strong contempt on our faces. I was just about to demand to know just who they thought they were, when I noticed the passenger cradling a shotgun. Continue Reading…
We checked into Te Anau and it was already dark so we would have to wait till morning to see the lakefront view. After a restless sleep, we spent the next day walking around the lake. Kenneth and I were fascinated by the large red and white spotted mushrooms living under the trees. The trees and water really calmed me.
Later, we went for some beers with Ian who showed up then drove back to Queenstown on yet another sunny clear day. We made yummy Thai food and played pictionary before mango ice cream for dessert. Continue Reading…
Our second dive was along a steep wall just shy of where Milford Sound meets the Tasman Sea. Drifting through the peaceful aquamarine soup, we encountered the black coral which was really not black at all. They are actually like an amalgamation of delicate white snow flakes. As if it were the first frost on an early November morning, coating the leafless spiny branches in an immaculate white lace.
Continue Reading…
Awoke at a very early 7am then were picked up by Taranaki Scuba guides, Dave and Tim. We made the quick drive to the boat launch. After wiggling our way into the (wrong size) wetsuits, we boarded the craft but not before getting a small taste of the frigid water in our boots. Brrrrr! They say that if you get one good day in Milford Sound, you should consider yourself lucky. We got 2 out of 3.
The sky was an intense light blue with cotton candy rings lingering just below the mountain tops. Continue Reading…
The next morning K, S and I jumped in the car with Beamish and his bad self, navigating in the passenger seat. We made it to Milford in about 5 hours stopping occasionally to admire the ever-changing landscapes. We saw blue ice glaciers spilling down the rugged mountains and deep valleys inhabited by millions of trees.
Continue Reading…
I spent a few days back in Qtown just sightseeing and enjoying the sunny days and the pub filled nights. I found Ken and Sus again so we all camped in the backyard of one of the hostels as everything was full. It wasn`t as cold as I thought it would be although the nights are getting progressively colder each day. You can even see your breath in the mornings.
Continue Reading…
After the Catlins, I drove to Invercargill where we finally made it to our hostel. But not before almost killing us in a roundabout…hey, it was going the wrong way! I was shocked at how dead this town was. Where were all the people? The streets were eerily empty so I chalked it up to being a holiday weekend. Everything was closed and there was really not much to do so it was a really good thing that the hostel was comfortable.
Continue Reading…
