(It's been so hard to find internet! Here's a post I wrote about a week ago!)
(This is very long-winded - sorry about that! It was a big day!)
I’ll be honest: After spending so much time thinking about this day of our trip, a part of me was terrified it wasn’t going to live up to my expectations. But morning dawned clear and bright, with no clouds and lots of sun. Apparently it rains 300 out of 365 days at Milford, and we were lucky enough to hit one of those rare 65 days! We took a Milford tour offered by Tracknet, a local company that provides transportation for trampers (I’ll explain later). It was called Piopiotahi, which is the Maori name for Milford Sound. The tour was great - only 8 people on our small bus, and our energetic and informative tour guide Steve kept us entertained. One thing I’ve loved about our organized bus tours is that usually you end up learning more from the guide/driver over the loudspeaker than you do at whatever attraction you’re driving to.
The reason we chose this tour company is that they offer a more personalized service (not the 70-seater buses common at the Sound), and they offer a lot of photo opportunities and a 30-minute bushwalk. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound (this is the only way to get to Milford, and it takes about 2 hrs) is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and the scenery ranges from gently rolling lakeside views to native NZ beech forests to waterfalls to stunning mountain peaks high above you. We got out and walked around at the Mirror lakes, small ponds that are so still they (you guessed it) mirror the mountains above them. We went for a 10 minute walk along the path to a waterfalls that flows with so much force it’s carved crazy whorls and holes into the rocks around it. And we played in snow, briefly, outside the Avalanche monitoring station just before passing through the Homer Tunnel. Avalanches are a huge problem on the road to Milford - just a few weeks ago the road was closed for 10 days while they cleared it due to avalanches. The scientists monitoring the area have a system worked out - they can detect, using instruments placed at regular points high up on the mounain slopes, when the snowfall is getting to be too much for a particular area. Instead of letting the avalanche happen at random, and possibly squishing a bus under it, the team drops explosives on the affected area, after safely closing the road. The blast sets off the avalanche, and the team is able to predict it’s path and clean it up without anyone being in danger.
The Homer tunnel is pretty scary - one way, with 2 passing bays located near the entrances. It is nearly a mile long carved through solid granite. Until a few years ago there were no lights whatsoever inside - the busses and cars would just enter the black hole in the mountain and head for the tiny pinprick of light at the other end. Now there’s faint tracking lights running along the top of the tunnel -just enough to show you the raw, unreinforced, stone the tunnel was cut out of. Once you break through to the other side of the tunnel you begin your descent into the sound. Now the road get scary, especially when you consider that it’s frequently covered in ice or snow, and you’re passing massive tour busses. You snake your way down the side of a steep mountain via switchback, roads until you’re finally at the bottom, and then, with little ceremony, you’re at the harbor for the Milford Sound cruise. There’s no town there to speak of, just one lodge that’s closed in winter. Basically the town consists of the parking lot for the boat tours.
Our boat was operated by Real Journeys, which I’ll talk more about later. There are stories worth of passenger decks, and of course we had to try them all out before finding the one that suited us! The sound isn’t really a sound - it’s a fiord. But it was named back in the 1800s when it was first discovered (by the Europeans, at least) and they incorrectly labeled it a sound. The cliffs on either side are huge, some capped with snow. Because of the melting snow, there were tons of small waterfalls cascading down into the water below, and rainbows abounded. I have to admit, after trying to describe this darn place for two sentences, that it’s very hard to put words to. Once we get some pictures uploaded I think they’ll speak for themselves, but for now I guess you should do an image search on google for “Milford Sound” to figure out what Im’ talking about.
Some highlights:
-We came alongside a pod of dolphins that swam with us for a while - probably 6 adults and two babies? It was so incredibly bizarre seeing dolphins swimming with snow in the background, because we’re so accustomed to the dolphins back in Florida. It seems more natural to see dolphins in a tropical setting, I guess. These were bottlenose dolphins as well, but a different species of them I think.
-As we emerged from the Sound into the Tasman Sea (our boat did a slow circle in the open water - very choppy!- and then went back into the Sound), we saw a tiny Blue penguin on a rock. Or rather, Mom saw it, and the guy on the P.A,. system saw it, but I had the darndest time picking out that time little penguin on a rock 500 yards away. Blue penguins (also called Fairy penguins, in Australia) are the smallest penguins in the world, and have a bluish sheen to their feathers/fur. More about those later!
As we came out onto the Tasman Sea, the wind picked up and we had to bundle up in our jackets and pull our hoods up. Wool scarves were definitely needed, especially up on the top deck which was exhilarating.
-On two separate occasions we saw fur seals basking in the sunlight on big rocks jutting out of the sea. The guide told us that they were probably adolescent male seals who had recently been kicked out of the pack (do seals have packs? Herds? Groups?) because they were getting old enough to pose a threat tto the dominant males.
-One of the highlights of any Real Journeys Milford trip is that they get up close and personal with the waterfalls cascading off the cliffs above. Dad, you would have loved it! Twice they pulled the boat right up to the cliff face, with the bow about 20 feet from it, so the waterfalls would cascade over it. The wind carried enough spray to us (we were standing on the back open deck) to chill us to the bones. They then reversed the boat with such daredevil prowess that Mom and I kept thinking we were going to bash into the rocks on either side of us!
Like I said, I’ll add photos later, so for now that’s it about Milford!
Once we got back to Te Anau we grabbed a quite bite to eat (from Subway, the only food place open in this town after 5pm) and ate our sandwiches by the lake as large puffy clouds turned pink and iridescent as the sun was setting over the mountains. Temperature was dropping and boarded the Real Journeys boat at 7 p.m. to head across the lake for the Glow Worm tour. This was a catamaran, which meant a slightly less choppy ride. Though for a lake, it was pretty choppy ride! Basically the way it worked was you rode across the lake for about 20 minutes and then disembarked at dock, where a path led you to the visitor’s center. Only three groups (of 12 people) can be in the caves at once, and we were lucky enough to be the first group to go. (We may or may not have casually pushed our way to the front of the mob in order to accomplish this. Maybe.)
The caves were fascinating - I haven’t been in a cave in years (I think I was 14?) and neither had Mom. The entrance was tricky - you actually had to bend over almost double and do an awkward shuffle walk for the first 5 meters or so. The walkway is primarily made of metal, or stone at times, and it’s coated with a rubber mat to prevent slipping since it’s so damp in the caves. Once we stood up straight we gasped - we were alongside a stream which was cutting it’s way through the cave floor. As we progressed on the path the sound of rushing water grew steadily louder until it became a roar The entire cave at this point was probably 10 feet wide, and at it’s widest it got to about 20 feet wide. We paralleled the stream the entire way, stopping at a few places to look at a whirl that had formed in a deep stream pocket, at a “the cathedral”, the tallest point of the cave system.
As we walked we were steadily climbing (at one point the stream turned into a waterfall briefly), and as we reached the top we came upon a small dock with two narrow boats tied up. We climbed in and our guide warned us (again) not to take any pictures or video at all or to make any noise. Both light and noise scare the gloworms into turning off their glow. In a way the ride was almost more special because we have no pictures of it - it will live on solely in our memories. As we pushed off in the boat (we were propelled by our guide, standing on the bow and pulling us along using a chain mounted to the ceiling) we moved into complete and utter darkness. As we moved away from the waterfall behind us the sound of the roaring water diminished completely and then it was eerily silent, except for the slight sound of our boat making ripples in the stream. At this point I had a lot of fun closing and opening my eyes - there was no difference between closed or open the darkness was so complete. When clusters of glow worms started appearing, looking like tiny blue pinpricks of light overhead, it was a complete shock. We had entered the “grotto”, where a few large clusters of glow worms were visible in a small space. Our guide circled us around three or so times so we could take it all in; it was hard to judge distance in the dark but I’d guess we were three or four feet away from where the worms were.
I should pause here and talk a bit about the glow worm (oh boy! Learning!) so you can understand why it glows. Basically the worm, which it reaches this stage of it’s life, crawls up to a nice-looking rock (it must be very moist) and sets up shop. Like a spider spinning a web, the worm secretes a thin “fishing line” that it drops down from the rock. It has maybe 5-10 of these in a small area around it, and then it just sits up there and glows (from it’s bum, really) which attracts bugs to it. When the bugs try to fly to the light, they get caught on one of it’s sticky fishing lines, and the worm feels the vibrations and pulls the line up to eat the insect. It’s light grows brighter the hungrier it is, and if it’s just eaten it might dim it’s light completely, as it doesn’t need a meal. They’re very territorial though, and if another worm sets up shop too close to it, the more established one might eat the newcomer. Eww. So the reason they told us not to try to touch the gloworms is a) to protect them, and b) to protect us from getting covered in gross sticky stuff!
Boy this post is long! Ok, to wrap up…. We learned a bit about the attraction once we got back to the visitor’s center. The man who rediscovered the caves (in the 40s) used to charge admission and show people the caves. He set up wooden boardwalks but they were pretty dangerous, as they rotted quickly in the damp air. Real Journeys (back when they had a different name) bought the attraction from him in the 60s or 70, and cleaned it up and turned it into a big attraction. They had to build the grotto boats inside the cave - they weight something like 2.2 metric tons and can’t fit through the cave entrance, and they had to build the walkways using special equipment (and wetsuits!) as the cave is so hard to navigate. Real Journeys, it turns out, is a local Te Anau company that had the bright idea, back in the 60s and 70s to start offering tourists easy ways to experience Fiordland. Now it’s a huge company employing hundred of people, and they run tours in Milford Sound, Te Anau, and Queenstown (From what we can tell). Their board of directors still meet in Te Anau. We’ve noticed a lot of pride in NZ when a company is 100% kiwi owned, as foreign interests have crept into the profitable NZ tourism arena, and it was real pleasure getting to deal with Real Journeys.
To really wrap it up (promise!), the boat ride back was spectacular if only because it was now about 9pm and very dark, so we sat up on the top deck (in the freeeeezing wind!) and looked at the stars. The Milky Way was prominent, as was the Southern Cross constellation, and millions of other stars stretched across the sky as well.
Mom says:
“In the boat, as we returned back across the lake, we bundled up with our scarves, mittens, hats, hoods, and went up to the top deck. The boat was probably going at least 40 mph (yeah, I know , it really is in knots ….) and as we climbed to the top deck, the icy wind was bracing. But the climb up and the cold was so worth it as we were rewarded with millions of stars, and a quarter moon. Breathtaking! Trine stretched out on the cold metal bench so she could look up at the stars. What an awesome way to end an absolutely stunning day in the South Island.”)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Arriving on the West Coast....8/22/08
We basically spent the night in Christchurch and then left the next morning - our sightseeing time in the city will come later, when we’re spending two nights there. One thing I have to mention about flying in New Zealand - it’s bizarre. Obviously there hasn’t been a 9/11 here to really kick airport security into high gear, but still - you basically print your boarding pass and check your bags (all without anyone requesting a photo ID) and then walk to the gate. There’s no metal detector, and no security at the gate - it’s right next to a coffee stand across the hall from your baggage check. They do have dogs roaming about, accompanied by security personnel, who sniff bags at random. From our experience, half the time the dog is sniffing because the person is carrying some kind of food in their bag, so we’re not quite sure how effective it is.
The flight to Queenstown was pretty stunning. Immediately after takeoff you’re flying over the Canterbury plains - a patchwork of multi-colored fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The flight path takes us along the Southern Alps for a time, and then crosses over. Along the way you’re looking down on miles upon miles of snowcapped peaks, hidden mountain lakes, and deep valleys. In a word; gorgeous. We saw New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mt. Cook, but from the air it didn’t look that tall at all! As we approached Queenstown, mom looked out the window and said “I think I see our runway over there!” To which I replied “Can’t be! That’s way too small to be a runway!” And of course it was our airport, uncomfortably close to the lake’s edge, and with only one major runway (despite the massive international flights that arrive/depart from the airport). We landed with lots of room to spare, since we were flying in a small 80 person plane with propellers (eek!) on the wings. We saw a Jetstar jet land though, and that runway looked way too small for that plane.
Upon landing we grabbed our rental car (for the record- much much nicer than the car we had on the North Island), and drove into town for a quick bite to eat and a look around. We didn’t do much besides shop and walk along the lake, and then mom grabbed a sandwich from Subway while I went for “takeaway kebab” which, despite the name, is just a gryo. Can’t figure out why they call it kebab. Then we set off for the two and a half hour drive to Te Anau, where we were going to stay for two nights. The drive was not too bad. The first hour the road ran beside a lake, and was pretty hilly and narrow (a lot like a West Virginia mountain curvy road), but then we drove through farmland and the road straightened out a lot. We couldn’t stop staring at the fields we were passing - dotted with thousands of sheep and looking for all the world like West Virginia, but then when you looked higher you realized the whole tableau was ringed by massive snow-capped peaks.
We arrived into Te Anau just before sunset and stopped off to get groceries before checking in at our hostel. IT was much colder here and we bundled up in coats, hats and scarves. Te Anau is a small town, with a few main streets and two supermarkets. In the winter half of it seems shut - at least as far as restaurants and hotels go. But it was the pefect base for our Milford Sound tour (the next day) because it was small and quiet and very picturesque. It’s situated on the appropriately named Lake Te Anau, the largest lake on the South Island. Across the lake, the ever-present snowy mountains provided a great backdrop for the few pictures we were able to take before the fog rolled in. We grabbed dinner at a local hangout. I had bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) and mom, horrified at my choice, had blue cod, the local specialty.
Our hostel was, well, a hostel. I’m planning w hole entry later detailing our various accomodations, but let’s just say that our previous hostels (in Auckland and Christchurch) had been classy and clean places with a welcoming sense about them. This place was dirty and cold and oddly laid-out, and the people were very strange.
Next up: Milford Sound, and Glow Worms!
The flight to Queenstown was pretty stunning. Immediately after takeoff you’re flying over the Canterbury plains - a patchwork of multi-colored fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The flight path takes us along the Southern Alps for a time, and then crosses over. Along the way you’re looking down on miles upon miles of snowcapped peaks, hidden mountain lakes, and deep valleys. In a word; gorgeous. We saw New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mt. Cook, but from the air it didn’t look that tall at all! As we approached Queenstown, mom looked out the window and said “I think I see our runway over there!” To which I replied “Can’t be! That’s way too small to be a runway!” And of course it was our airport, uncomfortably close to the lake’s edge, and with only one major runway (despite the massive international flights that arrive/depart from the airport). We landed with lots of room to spare, since we were flying in a small 80 person plane with propellers (eek!) on the wings. We saw a Jetstar jet land though, and that runway looked way too small for that plane.
Upon landing we grabbed our rental car (for the record- much much nicer than the car we had on the North Island), and drove into town for a quick bite to eat and a look around. We didn’t do much besides shop and walk along the lake, and then mom grabbed a sandwich from Subway while I went for “takeaway kebab” which, despite the name, is just a gryo. Can’t figure out why they call it kebab. Then we set off for the two and a half hour drive to Te Anau, where we were going to stay for two nights. The drive was not too bad. The first hour the road ran beside a lake, and was pretty hilly and narrow (a lot like a West Virginia mountain curvy road), but then we drove through farmland and the road straightened out a lot. We couldn’t stop staring at the fields we were passing - dotted with thousands of sheep and looking for all the world like West Virginia, but then when you looked higher you realized the whole tableau was ringed by massive snow-capped peaks.
We arrived into Te Anau just before sunset and stopped off to get groceries before checking in at our hostel. IT was much colder here and we bundled up in coats, hats and scarves. Te Anau is a small town, with a few main streets and two supermarkets. In the winter half of it seems shut - at least as far as restaurants and hotels go. But it was the pefect base for our Milford Sound tour (the next day) because it was small and quiet and very picturesque. It’s situated on the appropriately named Lake Te Anau, the largest lake on the South Island. Across the lake, the ever-present snowy mountains provided a great backdrop for the few pictures we were able to take before the fog rolled in. We grabbed dinner at a local hangout. I had bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) and mom, horrified at my choice, had blue cod, the local specialty.
Our hostel was, well, a hostel. I’m planning w hole entry later detailing our various accomodations, but let’s just say that our previous hostels (in Auckland and Christchurch) had been classy and clean places with a welcoming sense about them. This place was dirty and cold and oddly laid-out, and the people were very strange.
Next up: Milford Sound, and Glow Worms!
Goodbye NZ!!
Even though I haven't posted about the last few days (three days of awesomeness are as yet unread by you!!), we're leaving New Zealand tomorrow. We're both kinda sad about it - NZ has been absolutely wonderful, and of course there's still a lot more to see here. But for a short visit we hit all the highlights, and haven't regretted a thing! I'm personally very exicited to head to Australia, because it means I'm that much closer to the final Lucksmiths concert!
A brief teaser from Mom before we go (yet another pay computer - $1 gives us 20 minutes)....
"Today temperatures in Christchurch were spring-like; much warmed than we've experienced thus far. Christchurch is built like an English town - gardens and flowers are everwhere, and there are many cathedrals and churches. After a brisk walk to Cathedral Square, we boarded the tram and explored the city. I was thrilled by the spring-time flowers: the daffodils, tulips, and many flowering trees along the Avon river. (Katrina laughs at my flower obsession! Ok, Katrina typed this while mom dicatate, and Katrina chose the word obsession over a more subtle and suitable word, such as love.)
The best part of our day was the visit to the Antartic Center, "the coolest classroom on earth" according to the brochure. We learned all about Antartica, but we'll tell you about that later! We'll tease you with the following tidbits: Hagglund ride, up close and personal with the blue penguins, and an artic storm that left us freeeeezing!"
A brief teaser from Mom before we go (yet another pay computer - $1 gives us 20 minutes)....
"Today temperatures in Christchurch were spring-like; much warmed than we've experienced thus far. Christchurch is built like an English town - gardens and flowers are everwhere, and there are many cathedrals and churches. After a brisk walk to Cathedral Square, we boarded the tram and explored the city. I was thrilled by the spring-time flowers: the daffodils, tulips, and many flowering trees along the Avon river. (Katrina laughs at my flower obsession! Ok, Katrina typed this while mom dicatate, and Katrina chose the word obsession over a more subtle and suitable word, such as love.)
The best part of our day was the visit to the Antartic Center, "the coolest classroom on earth" according to the brochure. We learned all about Antartica, but we'll tell you about that later! We'll tease you with the following tidbits: Hagglund ride, up close and personal with the blue penguins, and an artic storm that left us freeeeezing!"
Monday, August 24, 2009
One Photo! (and third post in one night!)
After wrestling with flikr (and this internet connection) for far too long, here's the only photo I could get to upload! I went on a "Ride of the Rings" horseback ride today (more on that later), and this is the view down onto the Dart River, aka Minas Tirith aka a bunch of other things. This valley was used numerous times in LOTR, and also in Prince Caspian and the new Wolverine movie.
Leaving Wellington, and the Ferry and Train to Picton 8/21
(Two posts in one night, cause internet is so hard to come by! Read the one below this first)
We got up bright and early and took a shuttle to the ferry station, to catch our Interislander ferry between the islands. In many ways, this was our absolute favorite day, because of the wide variety of people we met. We were standing outside watching semi-trucks drive onto our ferry (truly fascinating - we got lots of pictures for you dad!), when mom struck up a conversation with a woman next to her. We got to talking, and she gave us lots of tips about the ferry - where to sit, what the ride’s like, etc. We chatted as we boarded the ship, and found out she was a lecturer (professor) at a University in Hamilton (just south of Auckland), who taught literature. She didn’t like to fly, and so was taking the ferry and the train to Christchurch, just like us. We parted on the ferry, though we kept running into her on the decks. As we entered the straits at the tip of the South Island, mom struck up a conversation with two older men next to us - truck drivers who’d driven their big rigs on earlier. They told us that the docks we were passing were mussel farms - most of the New Zealand green mussels you buy overseas come from this part of New Zealand.
The scenery, both as we left the North Island and made our way through the fiords to the South Island, was beautiful. The ferry trip was about 2 and a half hours total, and only about the middle hour takes place at “open” sea - you can see both land masses the entire time. It got a bit choppy out there, but nothing too bad. We kept cycling through the inside and outside seating, so we could see all the sights and stay warm. We bumped into our lecturer friend a few more times, and we chatted about various things. We met a family, in the inside cabin, who seemed to be British. The mother talked to us a bit about the South Island, and their little son (adorable, maybe about 6?) kept warming us that it was “Freeeeeezing!!” down there. (It’s not) The husband was insistent we do the Shotover Jet Rides in Queenstown, though we had no intention of doing any such thing.
As we neared Picton, the harbor town on the south island where the ferry stops, we met up with our lecturer friend again, and asked her some questions about the train and how to get there. We ended up following her off the ferry, and that’s when we finally learned her name - Kirsten. Or Kirsteen? We’re not that sure about the spelling J Picton is a tiny town who sole purpose seems to be the ferry stopping point, and the beginning of the Tranzcoastal train to Christchurch. We got our tickets for the train, and discovered they assign seats based on when you pick the tickets up, as we ended up sitting across a small table from Kirsten. Here’s where our journey got really crazy, but first I’ll tell you about the trip itself.
The train is pretty tiny - about 6 cars long, and one of those cars is an open air picture-taking car. The seats were old and lumpy and cramped. We traveled along the coast for the majority of the journey, and at times we could see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. We passed through miles and miles of pastureland, both for sheep and cows, and lots of tiny one-stop towns. The biggest surprise was about halfway through, when Kirtsen told me to look out the window facing backwards - suddenly huge snow covered peaks were visible. We began traveling along the Southern Alps at this point, with the mountains on side and the sea on the other. The trip was about 5 hours long, and if not for our seatmates it might have been unbearable….
So. Our car held about 25 people, arranged in small groups of four around little tables. Ourt of those 25, about 15 of them had got on in Blenheim, the next major town south of Picton, and they were all traveling to Christchurch for a big rugby match. As Kirsten put it, oh so politely, “rugby attracts a certain…jkind… of fan.” THey were loud, drunk, and very very excited to be traveling to support their small team as they took on a larger one with more money. Apparently their tiny poor team had been on a bit of a winining streak, beating bigger teams with matching jerseys, etc, so their game across Christchurch was a biggie. (Sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? Starring Russell Crowe in ten years, maybe?) So suffice it to say our car was loud, filled with laughter, and our tiny bathroom was frequently in use by drunk people. By the end of the night, when we entered our car after walking to get tea, the smell of beer hit us like a sledgehammer when we opened that door.
As I mentioned above (boy I’m long-winded today!) this would have been unbearable if not for our seatmates. Across from us was Kirsten, who did her best to drown out the noise with an ipod and a book. Across from her was this fascinating man who barely ever talked, and when he did he appeared very uncomfortable with the whole process. He was from Virginia Beach, but had moved to Vietnam two years ago with his wife so she could teach physical therapy. He was touring NZ alone for something like two or three months. Across the aisle from us was a man named Barry, who was pretty hysterical. He’d been a school teacher and/or principal for the last 42 years, and in fact had taught a large portion of the drunk 30-somethings sitting behind us. He’d stand up and glower at them, and they’d yell out (Before he had to say a thing) “Settle down!” He was a world traveler - just toured Easter Europe, and then spent time in Dubai. He was a local man through and through, and in fact had played rugby in his youth, for either the team he was traveling to cheer on or an older team that was now defunct - we don’t recall. His friend Steven (or Stephen?) was interesting as well - about fifteen years younger, and had spent time as a fisherman before becoming a mussel farmer. From him we learned how mussels are grown (there’s an entire industry devoted to selling mussel eggs to farmers!) and we learned of the fishermen’s hatred of seals because they eat all the good fish. Next to them was a British woman who was traveling alone, who had taken a “fear of flying” course before leaving England so she could make the trip. We think her name was Katie, but we didn’t write it down and thus forgot it.
So in the midst of this loud and crazy train car, the 7 of us chatted for hours on end, learning about each other and the various countries we all hailed from. This is when we learned Kirsten is writing a book about the history of the piano in colonial New Zealand, and that she was on her way to Dunedin to take a meeting with her publisher - fascinating stuff! There’s more chatting I could mention but I don’t want to bore you guys. Mom and I ate quite a bit on the train, since we’d been eating almonds, apples, and granola bars for the last three meals. They had little food packs you could buy and they’d heat them up - I had a beef casserole which was surprising yummy, and mom had vegetarian lasagna. We also had, for the first time ever, Devonshire tea: two scones, tea, cream, butter and jam. Very yummy! We figure if it was this good on a train it had to be even better at a real restaurant!
So that was it for our big day of travel. We exchanged email addresses with everyone, and I showed Barry how to play Brain Age on the Nintendo DS my amazing boyfriend bought me, and then we arrived into Christchurch!
Next up: Flying to Queenstown, and Te Anau!
We got up bright and early and took a shuttle to the ferry station, to catch our Interislander ferry between the islands. In many ways, this was our absolute favorite day, because of the wide variety of people we met. We were standing outside watching semi-trucks drive onto our ferry (truly fascinating - we got lots of pictures for you dad!), when mom struck up a conversation with a woman next to her. We got to talking, and she gave us lots of tips about the ferry - where to sit, what the ride’s like, etc. We chatted as we boarded the ship, and found out she was a lecturer (professor) at a University in Hamilton (just south of Auckland), who taught literature. She didn’t like to fly, and so was taking the ferry and the train to Christchurch, just like us. We parted on the ferry, though we kept running into her on the decks. As we entered the straits at the tip of the South Island, mom struck up a conversation with two older men next to us - truck drivers who’d driven their big rigs on earlier. They told us that the docks we were passing were mussel farms - most of the New Zealand green mussels you buy overseas come from this part of New Zealand.
The scenery, both as we left the North Island and made our way through the fiords to the South Island, was beautiful. The ferry trip was about 2 and a half hours total, and only about the middle hour takes place at “open” sea - you can see both land masses the entire time. It got a bit choppy out there, but nothing too bad. We kept cycling through the inside and outside seating, so we could see all the sights and stay warm. We bumped into our lecturer friend a few more times, and we chatted about various things. We met a family, in the inside cabin, who seemed to be British. The mother talked to us a bit about the South Island, and their little son (adorable, maybe about 6?) kept warming us that it was “Freeeeeezing!!” down there. (It’s not) The husband was insistent we do the Shotover Jet Rides in Queenstown, though we had no intention of doing any such thing.
As we neared Picton, the harbor town on the south island where the ferry stops, we met up with our lecturer friend again, and asked her some questions about the train and how to get there. We ended up following her off the ferry, and that’s when we finally learned her name - Kirsten. Or Kirsteen? We’re not that sure about the spelling J Picton is a tiny town who sole purpose seems to be the ferry stopping point, and the beginning of the Tranzcoastal train to Christchurch. We got our tickets for the train, and discovered they assign seats based on when you pick the tickets up, as we ended up sitting across a small table from Kirsten. Here’s where our journey got really crazy, but first I’ll tell you about the trip itself.
The train is pretty tiny - about 6 cars long, and one of those cars is an open air picture-taking car. The seats were old and lumpy and cramped. We traveled along the coast for the majority of the journey, and at times we could see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. We passed through miles and miles of pastureland, both for sheep and cows, and lots of tiny one-stop towns. The biggest surprise was about halfway through, when Kirtsen told me to look out the window facing backwards - suddenly huge snow covered peaks were visible. We began traveling along the Southern Alps at this point, with the mountains on side and the sea on the other. The trip was about 5 hours long, and if not for our seatmates it might have been unbearable….
So. Our car held about 25 people, arranged in small groups of four around little tables. Ourt of those 25, about 15 of them had got on in Blenheim, the next major town south of Picton, and they were all traveling to Christchurch for a big rugby match. As Kirsten put it, oh so politely, “rugby attracts a certain…jkind… of fan.” THey were loud, drunk, and very very excited to be traveling to support their small team as they took on a larger one with more money. Apparently their tiny poor team had been on a bit of a winining streak, beating bigger teams with matching jerseys, etc, so their game across Christchurch was a biggie. (Sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? Starring Russell Crowe in ten years, maybe?) So suffice it to say our car was loud, filled with laughter, and our tiny bathroom was frequently in use by drunk people. By the end of the night, when we entered our car after walking to get tea, the smell of beer hit us like a sledgehammer when we opened that door.
As I mentioned above (boy I’m long-winded today!) this would have been unbearable if not for our seatmates. Across from us was Kirsten, who did her best to drown out the noise with an ipod and a book. Across from her was this fascinating man who barely ever talked, and when he did he appeared very uncomfortable with the whole process. He was from Virginia Beach, but had moved to Vietnam two years ago with his wife so she could teach physical therapy. He was touring NZ alone for something like two or three months. Across the aisle from us was a man named Barry, who was pretty hysterical. He’d been a school teacher and/or principal for the last 42 years, and in fact had taught a large portion of the drunk 30-somethings sitting behind us. He’d stand up and glower at them, and they’d yell out (Before he had to say a thing) “Settle down!” He was a world traveler - just toured Easter Europe, and then spent time in Dubai. He was a local man through and through, and in fact had played rugby in his youth, for either the team he was traveling to cheer on or an older team that was now defunct - we don’t recall. His friend Steven (or Stephen?) was interesting as well - about fifteen years younger, and had spent time as a fisherman before becoming a mussel farmer. From him we learned how mussels are grown (there’s an entire industry devoted to selling mussel eggs to farmers!) and we learned of the fishermen’s hatred of seals because they eat all the good fish. Next to them was a British woman who was traveling alone, who had taken a “fear of flying” course before leaving England so she could make the trip. We think her name was Katie, but we didn’t write it down and thus forgot it.
So in the midst of this loud and crazy train car, the 7 of us chatted for hours on end, learning about each other and the various countries we all hailed from. This is when we learned Kirsten is writing a book about the history of the piano in colonial New Zealand, and that she was on her way to Dunedin to take a meeting with her publisher - fascinating stuff! There’s more chatting I could mention but I don’t want to bore you guys. Mom and I ate quite a bit on the train, since we’d been eating almonds, apples, and granola bars for the last three meals. They had little food packs you could buy and they’d heat them up - I had a beef casserole which was surprising yummy, and mom had vegetarian lasagna. We also had, for the first time ever, Devonshire tea: two scones, tea, cream, butter and jam. Very yummy! We figure if it was this good on a train it had to be even better at a real restaurant!
So that was it for our big day of travel. We exchanged email addresses with everyone, and I showed Barry how to play Brain Age on the Nintendo DS my amazing boyfriend bought me, and then we arrived into Christchurch!
Next up: Flying to Queenstown, and Te Anau!
Wellington: Our one full day in the city 8/20
In the morning we had to return the rental car, which as you may have guessed was a nightmare. Once again we were driving through downtown in rush hour, trying to find the rental car place near the ferry dock. One thing I didn’t mention in the other Wellington post was that the road names change names constantly, and it’s a little little city. In the space of 10 blocks half the streets have changed names three times already. After we finally turned the car in we ended up walking back into town, about a fifteen minute walk.
We passed this great billboard (which I got a picture of!) for a local coffee chain. It had a photo of a Starbucks cup with the Starbuck’s logo all blurred out, and the words “Well, at least they got their President right.” I love seeing ads or commercials that reference the US when I’m overseas - it really gives a glimpse into how other countries view us. The interesting thing is that while there are Starbucks here, there aren’t as many as I would have thought. (Subways, on the other hand, are everywhere. You wouldn't believe how many Subways we've seen. Also, of course, KFC's, McDonald's, and Burger King. But fast food joints here are super nice - we saw a Burger King that was nicer than most restaurants back in LA!)
After the walk (and some inadvertent shopping - it’s really hard to tear mom away from a store!) we took the iconic cable car up to the top of the Botanic Gardens. Built in the early 1900’s, it shared a lot of similarities with the funicular we often took in Bergamo Italy- it even had a stop at Victoria University, so the crowd was much the same as the Bergamo funicular. The views were gorgeous, of course, but the real treat was the Botanic Gardens. It’s little wonder kiwis are so skinny, with lush city parks like this one to walk in every day. We were quickly exhausted, since all the paths we picked seemed to be nearly vertical. We passed a woman who must have been 80 or 90 years old, patiently walking up a steep slope with what must have been her daughter. What great exercise! We felt bad for being exhausted J
Back down in the city, we headed for Cuba street and the infamous Bucket Fountain. Very few people besides my LOTR friends will understand the significance of this fountain, whose notoriety concerns a drunk Elijah Wood and some, uh, inappropriate urination. My friend Caity (hi Caity!) made shirts for herself, Connie, and I in college that said “Bucket Fountain Climbers” so I had to find that fountain. In real life it’s very low key, situated next to a playground and a small café. I took a picture next to it and then we moved on, towards another LOTR sight I wanted to snap a picture of - the Embassy Theatre, where LOTR: Return of the King premiered to thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of screaming fans, clogging the streets.
Then it was on to Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand, and a truly amazing (and free!) experience. It’s a very modern museum, no stuffy things behind glass here - everything is displayed in an organic way, with easy to read displays and a great synthesis of the different displays in each section. We experienced a small earthquake in a purpose-built house exhibit, and spent far too much time reading personal accounts of immigrant’s voyages to NZ in the 1800s - very fascinating. My favorite quote, which I can’t quite remember, was written by someone approaching NZ on a ship and went something like, “We thought the hills were extremely rocky, and we thought there was no way we could possibly farm it, until we saw the rocks move - they were sheep! More sheep than I’d ever seen in my life!”(FYI: It still looks like this!)
Another great exhibit was set up like the cabin of an old airplane - we sat in the seats and watched a looping video where they interviewed people who came to NZ in the 1900s, either by plane or ship. There was a Polish man who escaped Nazis to come here, and thought he’d gone to heaven, and a Scottish woman who came here when she was 15 and hated it at first, and even more stories. It really brought to life that period in New Zealand history. Speaking of NZ history, we sat down for a brief video (experience, really) where we took a tour through kiwi nostalgia. The theatre was set up like an old junk shop, and as the video began to play, lights hit various items in the shop which then came alive. Tin soldiers moved during WWII footage, a baby’s crib rocked over photos of kiwi children growing up. It was interesting because on one hand, this exact same video could be presented in America and it would work, but on the other hand it was uniquely kiwi. The anti-nuclear protests, the ferry disaster, the Maori march, etc, are all experiences unique to those who grew up in New Zealand.
On top of these cultural exhibits there were also exhibits on the animals and flora of the islands, and the Maori people and their history here, as well as geothermal phenomenon and earthquakes. There was also this cool room (mom and I can’t remember the name right now) with a massive topographic map of New Zealand on the floor. It was brightly lit up, and the room was dark, and when you stepped on a tile that region lit up. Mom and I traced our journey across the country by walking across the room, and noticed geographic features we hadn’t noticed.
After Te Papa we grabbed dinner at a funny little place - it was billed as American Southwest/Kiwi fusion, so we knew we had to try it. They had a few authentic Mexican type dishes on the menu, though they didn’t have any margaritas at the bar. We ended up splitting a pizza and a salad, and really enjoyed both. The warm chicken salad had chicken, baby gherkins (pickles - yuck!), brie cheese, tomatoes, on spring greens, with a cilantro lime dressing. The pizza was also chicken and brie, with “streaky bacon” and plum sauce. One quick thing I have to mention, for the benefit of my wonderful boyfriend (hi dear!), is the bacon here. More often than not, the word “bacon” is used to mean ham. For real. Not even a pancetta-like ham, fried in the skillet or anything. Just straight up thick cut ham. Sometimes we’ll se the words “streaky bacon” which seems to refer to bacon as we know it, though that’s not always a reliable indicator as sometimes we’ll order something with bacon in it, and actually get bacon. Can’t quite figure that out.
Oh! Another food thing: Hokey Pokey. I want to ask a kiwi what that is, but near as we can tell it’s a sugary dessert type thing, sold in bags in the candy aisle. They have hokey pokey flavored ice creams and chocolate, but we don’t often see real hokey pokey. Something else to figure out!!
*I didn’t mention this earlier, but for those who don’t know, Wellington is stretched on a narrow piece of land next to the crescent-shaped harbor. About six blocks from the water the steep hills begin, which seems to be the beginning of some of the suburbs. We were on the 22nd floor of our hotel, and we entered on what we thought was the ground level but turned out to be level 8. The first floor ended up being on the street below (south-ish) the street we entered on - it’s that steep.
We passed this great billboard (which I got a picture of!) for a local coffee chain. It had a photo of a Starbucks cup with the Starbuck’s logo all blurred out, and the words “Well, at least they got their President right.” I love seeing ads or commercials that reference the US when I’m overseas - it really gives a glimpse into how other countries view us. The interesting thing is that while there are Starbucks here, there aren’t as many as I would have thought. (Subways, on the other hand, are everywhere. You wouldn't believe how many Subways we've seen. Also, of course, KFC's, McDonald's, and Burger King. But fast food joints here are super nice - we saw a Burger King that was nicer than most restaurants back in LA!)
After the walk (and some inadvertent shopping - it’s really hard to tear mom away from a store!) we took the iconic cable car up to the top of the Botanic Gardens. Built in the early 1900’s, it shared a lot of similarities with the funicular we often took in Bergamo Italy- it even had a stop at Victoria University, so the crowd was much the same as the Bergamo funicular. The views were gorgeous, of course, but the real treat was the Botanic Gardens. It’s little wonder kiwis are so skinny, with lush city parks like this one to walk in every day. We were quickly exhausted, since all the paths we picked seemed to be nearly vertical. We passed a woman who must have been 80 or 90 years old, patiently walking up a steep slope with what must have been her daughter. What great exercise! We felt bad for being exhausted J
Back down in the city, we headed for Cuba street and the infamous Bucket Fountain. Very few people besides my LOTR friends will understand the significance of this fountain, whose notoriety concerns a drunk Elijah Wood and some, uh, inappropriate urination. My friend Caity (hi Caity!) made shirts for herself, Connie, and I in college that said “Bucket Fountain Climbers” so I had to find that fountain. In real life it’s very low key, situated next to a playground and a small café. I took a picture next to it and then we moved on, towards another LOTR sight I wanted to snap a picture of - the Embassy Theatre, where LOTR: Return of the King premiered to thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of screaming fans, clogging the streets.
Then it was on to Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand, and a truly amazing (and free!) experience. It’s a very modern museum, no stuffy things behind glass here - everything is displayed in an organic way, with easy to read displays and a great synthesis of the different displays in each section. We experienced a small earthquake in a purpose-built house exhibit, and spent far too much time reading personal accounts of immigrant’s voyages to NZ in the 1800s - very fascinating. My favorite quote, which I can’t quite remember, was written by someone approaching NZ on a ship and went something like, “We thought the hills were extremely rocky, and we thought there was no way we could possibly farm it, until we saw the rocks move - they were sheep! More sheep than I’d ever seen in my life!”(FYI: It still looks like this!)
Another great exhibit was set up like the cabin of an old airplane - we sat in the seats and watched a looping video where they interviewed people who came to NZ in the 1900s, either by plane or ship. There was a Polish man who escaped Nazis to come here, and thought he’d gone to heaven, and a Scottish woman who came here when she was 15 and hated it at first, and even more stories. It really brought to life that period in New Zealand history. Speaking of NZ history, we sat down for a brief video (experience, really) where we took a tour through kiwi nostalgia. The theatre was set up like an old junk shop, and as the video began to play, lights hit various items in the shop which then came alive. Tin soldiers moved during WWII footage, a baby’s crib rocked over photos of kiwi children growing up. It was interesting because on one hand, this exact same video could be presented in America and it would work, but on the other hand it was uniquely kiwi. The anti-nuclear protests, the ferry disaster, the Maori march, etc, are all experiences unique to those who grew up in New Zealand.
On top of these cultural exhibits there were also exhibits on the animals and flora of the islands, and the Maori people and their history here, as well as geothermal phenomenon and earthquakes. There was also this cool room (mom and I can’t remember the name right now) with a massive topographic map of New Zealand on the floor. It was brightly lit up, and the room was dark, and when you stepped on a tile that region lit up. Mom and I traced our journey across the country by walking across the room, and noticed geographic features we hadn’t noticed.
After Te Papa we grabbed dinner at a funny little place - it was billed as American Southwest/Kiwi fusion, so we knew we had to try it. They had a few authentic Mexican type dishes on the menu, though they didn’t have any margaritas at the bar. We ended up splitting a pizza and a salad, and really enjoyed both. The warm chicken salad had chicken, baby gherkins (pickles - yuck!), brie cheese, tomatoes, on spring greens, with a cilantro lime dressing. The pizza was also chicken and brie, with “streaky bacon” and plum sauce. One quick thing I have to mention, for the benefit of my wonderful boyfriend (hi dear!), is the bacon here. More often than not, the word “bacon” is used to mean ham. For real. Not even a pancetta-like ham, fried in the skillet or anything. Just straight up thick cut ham. Sometimes we’ll se the words “streaky bacon” which seems to refer to bacon as we know it, though that’s not always a reliable indicator as sometimes we’ll order something with bacon in it, and actually get bacon. Can’t quite figure that out.
Oh! Another food thing: Hokey Pokey. I want to ask a kiwi what that is, but near as we can tell it’s a sugary dessert type thing, sold in bags in the candy aisle. They have hokey pokey flavored ice creams and chocolate, but we don’t often see real hokey pokey. Something else to figure out!!
*I didn’t mention this earlier, but for those who don’t know, Wellington is stretched on a narrow piece of land next to the crescent-shaped harbor. About six blocks from the water the steep hills begin, which seems to be the beginning of some of the suburbs. We were on the 22nd floor of our hotel, and we entered on what we thought was the ground level but turned out to be level 8. The first floor ended up being on the street below (south-ish) the street we entered on - it’s that steep.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Road to Milford....a teaser!
We're in the hostel in Te Anau right now, with a wonky internet situation. The long and the short of it is that I typed up a massive entry on the laptop, but we can't get on the internet with the laptop (wont' work) so I'm using the desktop in the game room here. So instead of posting that big ol' entry, here's a little teaser Mom wrote about our day today. If I'm good I'll have a proper post about today up in, oh, about five days ;)
"This morning dawned sunny and clear, but a little bracing. Trine and I ate breakfast of cereal, toast, and honey, and packed up a lunch of peanut butter sandwiches with banana and honey to take on our bus trip to Milford Sound. The small bus picked us up about 8:30 am and there were only 8 of us. The driver and guide, Steve, was a faunt of information and kept us educated and informed every mile of the way as we drove along Lake Te Anua. The snow capped mountains rimmed the lake and are just beautiful. Along the way we stopped at various places. My favorite was Mirror Lakes. We walked along a moist boardwalk under the dripping trees to the small lakes where the morning sun reflected the mountains and large conifer trees on its surface. Later we took a short 30 min walk throught the forest. Or as he called it - the Bush. Every tree was covered in dark green moss and the trail was dark and swampy. Steve gave us a running commentary on all the trees and wildlife as he led us to the edge of a glacial lake where the wind was whipping down from the mountains making white caps on the water. More gorgeous waterfalls and chasm stop offs as we continued up the narror mountain road to the top of the pass at Homer Tunnel - highest point 960 meters (what the heck is a meter again?)... which I know is pretty high in elevation. The tunnel was chiseled out of the granit and was a mile long ... very scary to drive through... it is one way with some turnouts for passing vehicles the other direction. "
To be continued!!
"This morning dawned sunny and clear, but a little bracing. Trine and I ate breakfast of cereal, toast, and honey, and packed up a lunch of peanut butter sandwiches with banana and honey to take on our bus trip to Milford Sound. The small bus picked us up about 8:30 am and there were only 8 of us. The driver and guide, Steve, was a faunt of information and kept us educated and informed every mile of the way as we drove along Lake Te Anua. The snow capped mountains rimmed the lake and are just beautiful. Along the way we stopped at various places. My favorite was Mirror Lakes. We walked along a moist boardwalk under the dripping trees to the small lakes where the morning sun reflected the mountains and large conifer trees on its surface. Later we took a short 30 min walk throught the forest. Or as he called it - the Bush. Every tree was covered in dark green moss and the trail was dark and swampy. Steve gave us a running commentary on all the trees and wildlife as he led us to the edge of a glacial lake where the wind was whipping down from the mountains making white caps on the water. More gorgeous waterfalls and chasm stop offs as we continued up the narror mountain road to the top of the pass at Homer Tunnel - highest point 960 meters (what the heck is a meter again?)... which I know is pretty high in elevation. The tunnel was chiseled out of the granit and was a mile long ... very scary to drive through... it is one way with some turnouts for passing vehicles the other direction. "
To be continued!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
More driving excitement, plus snow! 8/19
After our relaxing time in Rotorua we jumped into the rental car and took off for Wellington, in the rain. Mom was sick and I was stressed from driving, so we made a lovely pair as we drove south to Taupo, which is nestled on the largest lake in the southern hemisphere. I wish it hadn’t been overcast because we could barely glimpse the vastness of the lake as we drove alongside it. North of the town is Huka Falls, a very short (maybe 6 feet tall?) waterfall, with enough water flowing over it every second to fill two (!) Olympic-sized swimming pools. The entire lake drains into this one small waterfall, so the force of the water is just astonishing.
After that brief stop the real driving begins. Depending on traffic, Rotorua to Wellington is about six hours, though for us it ended up being seven and a half. One of the most bizarre things about New Zealand is the vastly different terrain you can cover all in one day. South of Taupo is gently rolling hills covered in sheep and trees (to be honest, ¾ f the North Island is gently rolling hills covered in sheep and trees. No joke.), and then suddenly you pass a sign for a National Park, and the terrain instantly becomes a little more barren. As you continue, it’s alpine trees mixed with a whole lot of nothing, which devolves into nothing, and suddenly you’re on the Desert Road. Not a true desert, of course, but three massive volcanic mountains on the west side of the road create a shadow where traditional kiwi vegetation doesn’t grow, and thus it looks desert-ish. One of these mountains, Mt. Ruapehu, was shot extensively in LOTR, so I was especially excited to grab a few pics, except that the rain was pouring down and the mist had settled so that we couldn’t see anything but the low hills directly in front of us. So no mountains for us. Instead, we got snow!
As we slowly climbed the low hills we increased in elevation, and all of a sudden the rain turned to sleet, which turned quickly to big wet snowflakes falling all around us. Of course this meant we had to get outside and play in it, because snow is such a rare occurrence for us - I haven’t seen snow falling from the sky since I was 12. We made a few snowballs and took a few pictures (and laughed at the British couple doing the same thing, only in shorts and flipflops!).
The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we arrived in Wellington just as rush hour hit. Oh boy. Speaking as someone familiar with Los Angeles traffic, driving in Wellington was horrible. Our hotel was in the business part of town, which was bumper to bumper, with pedestrians darting out in front of you every half a block. The setting sun was in our eyes, and half the streets are vertical straight up the side of the hill. Once you figured out how to get back down again you inevitably wound up on a one way street going, you guessed it, the way you absolutely did not want to go. Mom and I estimate it took us 45 minutes from first passing by our hotel to finally find it again, and we actually had to pull over at one point because we were so giddy with fear that we couldn’t stop laughing. Did I mention that all of these streets are tiny, and we were whipping by parked cars with barely an inch between us and their mirrors.
Our first evening in Wellington we walked down to Courtney Place and had an excellent Indian dinner at the Great India restaurant (Mom’s first!) before walking back to the hotel room. Our hotel was pretty nice, though our rooms were on the 22nd floor - the top floor. The hotel was undergoing renovation (hence our expedia discounts) and only one elevator was working for all those floors. The plus side was we managed to meet a lot of cool people waiting in various lobbies for that darn elevator to arrive.
That’s it for now. Must catch up soon!
(**Funny story, by the way. Mom and I have been sending postcards like mad, with the stamps that we bought with the postcards. $1.50 for an international postcard, or so we were told. We found out yesterday that the price went up in July, to $1.70, and no one that was selling us the $1.50 stamps told us. So I’m guessing maybe some of those postcards might go through, if the postmaster is feeling generous. The rest will go to the great unclaimed postcard heaven, never to be seen by it’s intended recipient. So….. If you don’t get a postcard, don’t feel bad because chance are we totally sent you one and it never made it out of the country. I swear!)
(Also! To answer a few questions - yes, the water here does swirl the opposite way in toilets, etc, but to be honest you barely notice it. The toilets here are so different from those in the US that the water doesn’t really swirl at all - the flush sends jets of water practically straight down into the bowl, without room for swirling. )
Yum!
One of my favorite things when in a new country is familiarizing myself with the food. I’m not talking about local fish delicacies, or even what types of fruits are available (though I’m still upset that I’m in NZ and still haven’t had a fejioa). I love the food they serve in vending machines, at gas stations, and in the premade aisle at the supermarket. Potato chips are everywhere, though they’re all salt and vinegar or chicken flavored. We saw some crackers today that were “flavors of the world” themed, with one flavor being “Texas BBQ.“ It’s actually pretty hard to find pretzels because chips are just everywhere. Mom and I finally got the chance to go to a supermarket in Wellington, and I marveled at the frozen hangi dinners and the lukewarm meat pies, and the prevalence of premade Indian food. Savory pies and muffins are everywhere, and today mom and I had “melties“, which was just cheese and veggies inside a calzone-type shell, heated up. I love seeing fairy bread, which seems to be just be sweet bread with marshmallows basked inside, everywhere we go.
Fairy Bread is one of the many different foods where I’m not sure if it’s a NZ (or NZ and Aussie) thing, or if it’s a British thing known to many countries besides the one I’m in. Like on the day we found the Bucket Fountain (!) in Wellington. Mom and I eat had a pot of tea and shared a banana flapjack in a diner/café/coffeeshop called Mr. Bun, while watching a pigeon hopping from table to table inside the restaurant. So: banana flapjacks. Basically, it’s sliced bananas and custard rolled inside something that’s not quite a pancake but not thin enough to be a crepe. Is that a British thing or not?
Obviously kiwis are big on tea, being a former British colony and all. Personally there’s only so many times a day I can have black tea before I start to gag at the sight of it - I love tea to death, but black tea is so boring. Coffees here are strange (British?), with a whole different terminology. That didn’t surprise me in a place like Italy, but when you’re speaking the same language it’s hard having a different vocabulary. For instance, from what we can tell a “short black” is espresso, while a “long black” is what we consider coffee, but is for all intents and purposes pretty nasty. (It’s espresso plus water, resulting in a bitter sludge) We’ve decided it’s far better to only order cappuccinos or “flat whites” (basically a cappuccino with very little foam) because the milk is included and the bitterness is gone. Also, a lot of coffee shops put the milk and sugar in for you, instead of having a little station. Also, the marshmellows they use here, for hot chocolate and desserts, are all fat medium-sized pink and white dudes. None of those little ones we get in the states, or any of the huge, s’more-style marshmellows. Only these pink and white oblong squishy jobs that never fully dissolve in a cup of hot chocolate.
Today on the train to Christchurch (I wrote this entry over the course of three days, so excuse any weird time jumps) Mom and I had Devonshire tea for the first time - two scones with butter, jam, and clotted cream. YUM!!!! (We made our seatmate get a pic of us, which is incredibly dorky but hysterical)
That’s it for now on the food front. I’m sure I’ll be updating more about it later.
(Though I do have to mention that the tap water here is phenomenal. In Rotorua it was like drinking chilled alpine spring water - crisp and refreshing. Even in Auckland and Wellington, the two biggest cities in NZ, the tap water is a thousand times better than Zephyrhills, Sparkletts, or Aquafina. They do something to our tap water in the US to aerate it, making it not very refreshing. Here that’s not the case at all, and I’m going to miss it so much when I leave!)
(Katrina)
Fairy Bread is one of the many different foods where I’m not sure if it’s a NZ (or NZ and Aussie) thing, or if it’s a British thing known to many countries besides the one I’m in. Like on the day we found the Bucket Fountain (!) in Wellington. Mom and I eat had a pot of tea and shared a banana flapjack in a diner/café/coffeeshop called Mr. Bun, while watching a pigeon hopping from table to table inside the restaurant. So: banana flapjacks. Basically, it’s sliced bananas and custard rolled inside something that’s not quite a pancake but not thin enough to be a crepe. Is that a British thing or not?
Obviously kiwis are big on tea, being a former British colony and all. Personally there’s only so many times a day I can have black tea before I start to gag at the sight of it - I love tea to death, but black tea is so boring. Coffees here are strange (British?), with a whole different terminology. That didn’t surprise me in a place like Italy, but when you’re speaking the same language it’s hard having a different vocabulary. For instance, from what we can tell a “short black” is espresso, while a “long black” is what we consider coffee, but is for all intents and purposes pretty nasty. (It’s espresso plus water, resulting in a bitter sludge) We’ve decided it’s far better to only order cappuccinos or “flat whites” (basically a cappuccino with very little foam) because the milk is included and the bitterness is gone. Also, a lot of coffee shops put the milk and sugar in for you, instead of having a little station. Also, the marshmellows they use here, for hot chocolate and desserts, are all fat medium-sized pink and white dudes. None of those little ones we get in the states, or any of the huge, s’more-style marshmellows. Only these pink and white oblong squishy jobs that never fully dissolve in a cup of hot chocolate.
Today on the train to Christchurch (I wrote this entry over the course of three days, so excuse any weird time jumps) Mom and I had Devonshire tea for the first time - two scones with butter, jam, and clotted cream. YUM!!!! (We made our seatmate get a pic of us, which is incredibly dorky but hysterical)
That’s it for now on the food front. I’m sure I’ll be updating more about it later.
(Though I do have to mention that the tap water here is phenomenal. In Rotorua it was like drinking chilled alpine spring water - crisp and refreshing. Even in Auckland and Wellington, the two biggest cities in NZ, the tap water is a thousand times better than Zephyrhills, Sparkletts, or Aquafina. They do something to our tap water in the US to aerate it, making it not very refreshing. Here that’s not the case at all, and I’m going to miss it so much when I leave!)
(Katrina)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
A quickie!
We're in the Ferry Terminal in Wellington, and internet is $2 for 20 minutes, so we figured why not? We got the laptop power situation working, so expect more posts in the coming days. We're going to have a relaxing day of travel today- 3 hr ferry across the strait and a 5 hour train ride down the coast. Both are supposed to be stunning (especially with this weather - chilly but no rain means crystal clear skies)...even with the scenery I think we;'ll still have time to write up some posts on mom's laptop. It's so easy to forgot things once your vacation is over, and we're both eager to set down our memories as soon as possible. I'm not even keeping a real journal, since this is practically the same thing (and trust me, ths will be much easier to readin 20 years than my crappy handwriting!)...
We'll go into more detail later, but we saw real snow on our drive down to Wellington - it came out of nowhere and was gone 10 minutes later, but there were at least 4 inches on the ground and there was a pretty heavy snowfall. I got really excited - haven't seen snow fall since I was 12! :)
Ok that's it for now, time is running out. Thinking of you all on our travels!
We'll go into more detail later, but we saw real snow on our drive down to Wellington - it came out of nowhere and was gone 10 minutes later, but there were at least 4 inches on the ground and there was a pretty heavy snowfall. I got really excited - haven't seen snow fall since I was 12! :)
Ok that's it for now, time is running out. Thinking of you all on our travels!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Rotorua, driving on the left, and demons! 8/17 & 8/18
On our last day in Auckland, we took plunge and rented a car. I still can't believe they rented to us, because we looked like we had no idea what we were doing. After that initial left turn, and a merge lane, we were riding pretty good. After driving on the left for two days I have to say it's not horrible, unless you have to drive through a roundabout, a stop sign, any kind of intersection, a passing lane, or a pedestrian walkway. You know, so everything else is fine :) The roundabouts are actually pretty awesome - the rare stoplights are oddly timed and take five minutes to cycle through, so roundabouts save you a lot of time. We always try to take a moment when we get back in our car to remember the whole "left" thing, and usually we're ok. One interesting thing about the roads is how small they are - the major highway isn't very major at all, at times turning into a two lane road with stoplights through the heart of small towns. Most every highway here (at least outside of the major cities) is two lane, with passing lanes every few kilometers.
We first took the car on a Katrina Excursion... I wanted to find a particular beach where they shot a bunch of scenes from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Before you ask, yes that show is the reason I've wanted to go to NZ since I was 12. I predate LOTR by years, people! Anyway, we ended up getting a tad bit lost, but we stumbled upon a beautiful beach instead - Muriwai. It's famous for surfing, and for a gannet colony that nests there during the summer.
Next it was off to Rotorua - about a three hour drive through rolling green (and I mean green!) hills. Rotorua is kind crazy - when mom and I were driving into town, we thought there was a bush fire, because of the huge amounts of what looked like smoke rising from the ground. Turns out it's steam, and it's everywhere. The road to our lodge has random steam spots right next to the sidewalks, practically in people's backyards. The whole area is a thermal hotspot, due to two tectonic plates rubbing up against each other. This morning we went to Wai-O-Tapu, and saw bubbling mud, sulpher pools (for the three of you who'll get it: demons!), and boiling pools of water.
The area is also awash in Maori culture, where cultural shows and exhibits have sprung up to meet the tourist curiosity. We went to a Hangi dinner and show our first night in town, and I have to admit it was pretty amazing. We were greeted by warriors arriving in a handcarved war canoe, and then we experienced a series of performances before eating a semi-traditional hangi meal, consisting of meat (chicken and lamb) and potatoes (regular and sweet, or kumara as they're called here) cooked in an earthen oven for hours. Then we walked through the nearby Rainbow Springs at night to see gloworms, an eels, massive Rainbow Trout, birds (kea and tui, if I recall), and then the highlight of the evening: kiwi birds! Kiwis are nocturnal, so if you want to see them in their "natural" habitat, you need to see them at night. There were three out when we went through the exhibit, and one of them (a male) was going crazy. He was running back and forth in his enclosure, and we soon found out why - he sounded a screeching mating call in the attempts to connect with the lady kiwis in the adjoining enclosure.
Another local attraction is the Agrodome, a commercialized farm just outside of town. We took a farm tour (I got to pet some alpacas!) and then watched a sheep show, where they explained the billion different kind of sheep (I think it was more like 17 or 19, but still, who knew?) and sheared a sheep on stage.
Tonight is our last night in Rotorua, and we're going to miss our B&B very much! Mom won the hostel vs. nice accomodation battle in a few towns (Rotorua, Wellington, and Queenstown), and so far I have to admit it's really nice. We're staying at the Kuirau Lodge, which is just incredible. They have two cats and a border collie (Serena: His name is Jack! And you and Miya would love him!) and mom and I have really enjoyed hanging out with the animals. A few thermal highlights include the tile floor (naturally heated by re-routed waters from the ground below) and the pool out back (also naturally heated, and the hot tub contains real mineral waters from the ground). Mom said, as she was floating in the 96 degree pool under the stars while it was about 50F outside, "This is as close to heaven as you can get!" I'm personally worried she's not going to leave tomorrow when we check out :) She might just dive in the pool and never come out.
Tomorrow we're off to Wellington - it's a long drive, so we're going to break it up by stopping at a few scenic places on the way. We might be lucky enough to see snow, though hopefully we won't have to drive in it!
We first took the car on a Katrina Excursion... I wanted to find a particular beach where they shot a bunch of scenes from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Before you ask, yes that show is the reason I've wanted to go to NZ since I was 12. I predate LOTR by years, people! Anyway, we ended up getting a tad bit lost, but we stumbled upon a beautiful beach instead - Muriwai. It's famous for surfing, and for a gannet colony that nests there during the summer.
Next it was off to Rotorua - about a three hour drive through rolling green (and I mean green!) hills. Rotorua is kind crazy - when mom and I were driving into town, we thought there was a bush fire, because of the huge amounts of what looked like smoke rising from the ground. Turns out it's steam, and it's everywhere. The road to our lodge has random steam spots right next to the sidewalks, practically in people's backyards. The whole area is a thermal hotspot, due to two tectonic plates rubbing up against each other. This morning we went to Wai-O-Tapu, and saw bubbling mud, sulpher pools (for the three of you who'll get it: demons!), and boiling pools of water.
The area is also awash in Maori culture, where cultural shows and exhibits have sprung up to meet the tourist curiosity. We went to a Hangi dinner and show our first night in town, and I have to admit it was pretty amazing. We were greeted by warriors arriving in a handcarved war canoe, and then we experienced a series of performances before eating a semi-traditional hangi meal, consisting of meat (chicken and lamb) and potatoes (regular and sweet, or kumara as they're called here) cooked in an earthen oven for hours. Then we walked through the nearby Rainbow Springs at night to see gloworms, an eels, massive Rainbow Trout, birds (kea and tui, if I recall), and then the highlight of the evening: kiwi birds! Kiwis are nocturnal, so if you want to see them in their "natural" habitat, you need to see them at night. There were three out when we went through the exhibit, and one of them (a male) was going crazy. He was running back and forth in his enclosure, and we soon found out why - he sounded a screeching mating call in the attempts to connect with the lady kiwis in the adjoining enclosure.
Another local attraction is the Agrodome, a commercialized farm just outside of town. We took a farm tour (I got to pet some alpacas!) and then watched a sheep show, where they explained the billion different kind of sheep (I think it was more like 17 or 19, but still, who knew?) and sheared a sheep on stage.
Tonight is our last night in Rotorua, and we're going to miss our B&B very much! Mom won the hostel vs. nice accomodation battle in a few towns (Rotorua, Wellington, and Queenstown), and so far I have to admit it's really nice. We're staying at the Kuirau Lodge, which is just incredible. They have two cats and a border collie (Serena: His name is Jack! And you and Miya would love him!) and mom and I have really enjoyed hanging out with the animals. A few thermal highlights include the tile floor (naturally heated by re-routed waters from the ground below) and the pool out back (also naturally heated, and the hot tub contains real mineral waters from the ground). Mom said, as she was floating in the 96 degree pool under the stars while it was about 50F outside, "This is as close to heaven as you can get!" I'm personally worried she's not going to leave tomorrow when we check out :) She might just dive in the pool and never come out.
Tomorrow we're off to Wellington - it's a long drive, so we're going to break it up by stopping at a few scenic places on the way. We might be lucky enough to see snow, though hopefully we won't have to drive in it!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Auckland - Days One and Two! 8/15 & 8/16
Auckland: We haven't really slept since LA, though I think we slept on and off on the plane for about 5 hrs. That was one NICE flight by the way - I haven‘t flown international in so long I forgot how amazing international flights can be (ETA: Originally I wrote "1st class" because I was typing while jetlagged. Please note we did not fly first class, because if we could afford that we wouldn't be staying in any hostels at all). Movies and tv choices that seem endless, food every two or three hours, hot towels, etc. . Once we got through customs and to the hostel I think it finally hit us that we were tired, but it was 9am. Everyone was in the kitchen of the hostel having breakfast and we stumbled in with our bags. We changed clothes (to trick ourselves into thinking it was a new day) and then we set off for the Auckland Domain (massive city park), and the Auckland museum. It was really neat - the whole first floor is devoted to Maori art and culture and history. After that first floor we decided to grab a bite in the lobby of the museum, which is when we realized a) we were hungry, and b) we'd been eating nonstop since we left LA. A series of hilarious events ensued, which taught us that we weren't quite ready to concentrate on words yet - all the displays were blurring together and we decided it was time to be outside, since the light rain had stopped. We left the museum and headed to the ferry port, and took the ferry over to Devonport, a small seaside town across the bay from Auckland proper. We hiked to the top of Mt. Victoria, which feels like it’s two miles above sea level but probably is more like 800 meters, but we have to remind you guys that that’s 800 meters practically vertical……those paths are probably at 20% grade. The views are incredible.
I have to take time out here to mention our stunning lack of pictures and video, part of the multimedia extravaganza we promised you. We had a snafu involving power and cables and plugs (we have all our plugs, except for the correct one for our computer) so our computer time is severly limited - typing this has taken up 5% of this poor netbook’s battery. I hate to sound like a Mac person, because I hate Mac people, but I want my Mac!!! : )
Ok, so back to Auckland. Figured out the bus system to get back to the hostel - haven’t really gone into detail on the hostel yet, and probably won’t because of this massive lack of battery time, but it’s really nice. Even my mom, who was very hesitant about the whole hostel thing, is very impressed by how clean and nice it is. (Also, I’m giving up on spell check. No time for such frivolities. Same with advanced sentence structure and varied writing. That’s for people with power cords.) We ended up crashing at 9pm our first night in Auckland, and slept a full 10 hrs to wake up refreshed for our early morning Rangitito Volcanic Explorer tour, out on Rangitoto island, which (shocker0 was formed by volcanic activity 700 years ago. We walked across pumice rock, strewn all over the island during the many eruptions, and climbed to the summit, which was rather unimpressive due to the tall trees growing down in it (makes the huge volcanic crater look less deep.) After the ferry back to the mainland it started pouring the rain, though it was this light (but wet!) sideways rain - not at all what I pictured when I thought of a rainforest-type climate. We did a little shopping around downtown and then boarded a bus for Mt. Eden, a virtually perfectly intact volcanic cone in one of the Auckland suburbs. Another super steep climb awaited us, but by then we were practically drenched (Mom kept saying variations of “Why are we doing this??” to which I kept replying “Because I’ve seen pictures of this, and I want to see it in person!”)… once we got to the top of this mountain, even mom realized it was worth it. What used to be the inside of the volcano long ago sprouted grass and dirt, and the Maori people eventually cut terraces in the sides to they could grow crops. As we crested the top of the cone, in the rain, and finally saw inside, it was pretty breathtaking. Again, no pictures right now, so take my word for it!
After Mt. Eden we went back to the hostel to dry up and clean up, and then went out for a very lovely dinner at a local (Parnell) restaurant. More on that later, as battery is dying. If we can’t find the right plug tomorrow, we might have to update solely from internet cafes, in which case updates will be limited. Tomorrow we’re renting a car (left hand driving - yay!) and driving to Rotorua, where we’ll be for the next two days.
Thinking of all you!
(Katrina)
I have to take time out here to mention our stunning lack of pictures and video, part of the multimedia extravaganza we promised you. We had a snafu involving power and cables and plugs (we have all our plugs, except for the correct one for our computer) so our computer time is severly limited - typing this has taken up 5% of this poor netbook’s battery. I hate to sound like a Mac person, because I hate Mac people, but I want my Mac!!! : )
Ok, so back to Auckland. Figured out the bus system to get back to the hostel - haven’t really gone into detail on the hostel yet, and probably won’t because of this massive lack of battery time, but it’s really nice. Even my mom, who was very hesitant about the whole hostel thing, is very impressed by how clean and nice it is. (Also, I’m giving up on spell check. No time for such frivolities. Same with advanced sentence structure and varied writing. That’s for people with power cords.) We ended up crashing at 9pm our first night in Auckland, and slept a full 10 hrs to wake up refreshed for our early morning Rangitito Volcanic Explorer tour, out on Rangitoto island, which (shocker0 was formed by volcanic activity 700 years ago. We walked across pumice rock, strewn all over the island during the many eruptions, and climbed to the summit, which was rather unimpressive due to the tall trees growing down in it (makes the huge volcanic crater look less deep.) After the ferry back to the mainland it started pouring the rain, though it was this light (but wet!) sideways rain - not at all what I pictured when I thought of a rainforest-type climate. We did a little shopping around downtown and then boarded a bus for Mt. Eden, a virtually perfectly intact volcanic cone in one of the Auckland suburbs. Another super steep climb awaited us, but by then we were practically drenched (Mom kept saying variations of “Why are we doing this??” to which I kept replying “Because I’ve seen pictures of this, and I want to see it in person!”)… once we got to the top of this mountain, even mom realized it was worth it. What used to be the inside of the volcano long ago sprouted grass and dirt, and the Maori people eventually cut terraces in the sides to they could grow crops. As we crested the top of the cone, in the rain, and finally saw inside, it was pretty breathtaking. Again, no pictures right now, so take my word for it!
After Mt. Eden we went back to the hostel to dry up and clean up, and then went out for a very lovely dinner at a local (Parnell) restaurant. More on that later, as battery is dying. If we can’t find the right plug tomorrow, we might have to update solely from internet cafes, in which case updates will be limited. Tomorrow we’re renting a car (left hand driving - yay!) and driving to Rotorua, where we’ll be for the next two days.
Thinking of all you!
(Katrina)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to Kiwi Birds and Kangaroos!
If you're reading this, it means that either myself or my mother like you enough to give you the link to this blog, so you can follow our adventures through New Zealand and Australia. We're going to be updating as often as we can, both while we're on our trip and when we get back. Our vision for this blog is for it to be a place where we can post pictures, observations, and experiences for all of you to read, so we're not stuck in a coffee shop in Wellington sending 17 emails to 17 different people :)
So why are we going in the first place? Where are we going? What's the deal with this blog? Read on!
It all started with a gut-wrenching email in my inbox on Tuesday May 12th, 2009. From Lost and Lonesome Records, the subject line was simple: "The Lucksmiths say farewell." For those who don't know, The Lucksmiths are an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia who've been making excellent music with densely layered lyrics since 1993. For many fans, including myself, their music became the soundtrack to the formative years of my life. And the first song I ever heard by them, "Birthday Present for Katrina," became my official birthday song for some crazy and inexplicable reason.
Then came a series of additional emails from my older sister, Cathy. She knew of my Lucksmiths love (having bought me a few of their albums) and had heard the news. A few offhanded comments (Me: I'd totally go to their final concert if only I had the money! Her: You should totally consider it....) led to a shocking moment: Cathy offered to pay my airfare, if I wanted to go to the concert. So I leapt at the chance, and a few developments soon followed: 1) I couldn't fly all the way to Australia without going to New Zealand, given their proximity and the intense love of NZ I've had ever since I was a kid. And 2) I wasn't quite so sure I wanted to go alone. Enter... My mom. Who's never been out of the country except for on a cruise, and who's always wanted to go on a trip with me. We've always eyed Italy (who hasn't? I'd love to go back) but that darn Euro to US Dollar thing is a pain. The NZ Dollar, on the other hand, is awesome, and the Australian Dollar's not too bad either. So... there you go! There's the story behind our trip.
(Katrina)
If you're reading this, it means that either myself or my mother like you enough to give you the link to this blog, so you can follow our adventures through New Zealand and Australia. We're going to be updating as often as we can, both while we're on our trip and when we get back. Our vision for this blog is for it to be a place where we can post pictures, observations, and experiences for all of you to read, so we're not stuck in a coffee shop in Wellington sending 17 emails to 17 different people :)
So why are we going in the first place? Where are we going? What's the deal with this blog? Read on!
It all started with a gut-wrenching email in my inbox on Tuesday May 12th, 2009. From Lost and Lonesome Records, the subject line was simple: "The Lucksmiths say farewell." For those who don't know, The Lucksmiths are an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia who've been making excellent music with densely layered lyrics since 1993. For many fans, including myself, their music became the soundtrack to the formative years of my life. And the first song I ever heard by them, "Birthday Present for Katrina," became my official birthday song for some crazy and inexplicable reason.
Then came a series of additional emails from my older sister, Cathy. She knew of my Lucksmiths love (having bought me a few of their albums) and had heard the news. A few offhanded comments (Me: I'd totally go to their final concert if only I had the money! Her: You should totally consider it....) led to a shocking moment: Cathy offered to pay my airfare, if I wanted to go to the concert. So I leapt at the chance, and a few developments soon followed: 1) I couldn't fly all the way to Australia without going to New Zealand, given their proximity and the intense love of NZ I've had ever since I was a kid. And 2) I wasn't quite so sure I wanted to go alone. Enter... My mom. Who's never been out of the country except for on a cruise, and who's always wanted to go on a trip with me. We've always eyed Italy (who hasn't? I'd love to go back) but that darn Euro to US Dollar thing is a pain. The NZ Dollar, on the other hand, is awesome, and the Australian Dollar's not too bad either. So... there you go! There's the story behind our trip.
(Katrina)
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