Monday 29 Nov
We loaded the bus at 7 AM and set off for Whakahoro. We stopped for a swim in the hot water of one of the hot springs. Had a nice waterfall massage! Then we drove to Huka Falls. It was absolutely beautiful! It was really funny on the drive up to the Blue Duck Lodge there was a radio station that seemed to be engineered to me and Nerissa! Hits from when we were growing up through today. It was a really windy and dusty drive, we had to open up the back windows and buckle up our seat belts. It’s a 23 seat bus with the red trailer on the back. The guy who owns the Blue Duck Lodge, Dan, has an incredible story and is doing so much for just one guy. He has something like 22, 000 acres. He farms sheep and cattle and cultivates honey from the natural bush of the manuka plant. He does tourism as a side project, just because it’s fun! Lol. He took the 6 of us and 4 dogs out in a Polaris Ranger to se some of the his land and what he does. The views were absolutely gorgeous (especially where he is building his Top of the World Lodge.) The best way to travel around was standing in the back with the dogs, wind in your face and views that never end. =) It was cool to see how well trained each dog was for their specific jobs. After that tour Dan dropped us off at the Depot (the last building left of the farming era) with Wendy. She told us a bit of the history of the place and took us down to the river to look for fossils and blue ducks. Then we kayaked under the waterfall and the cliffs. I swear everything we did was more amazing and beautiful than the last. After kayaking we climbed back up the muddy rocks and hopped back into the polaris. This time there were no dogs so Nerissa and I stood in the back. We showered and then hung out with the group before a delicious dinner of goat curry. We hung out and watched the staff play with the pet goat at the Blue Duck Cafe. N and I were pretty tired so we turned in early but we were just in timeto hear Claire play guitar and sing. I turne off my iPod and let her sing me to sleep. I have simply loved every minute that I’ve been in this country and it just seems to keep getting better. The land, the people, activities...I can’t keep a smile off my face! =)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday 28 Nov
8 Am departure again. Had gluten free toast and fruit for brekky =) Drove out to Rotorua. Got there about midday. We went into a Maori village for a traditionally cooked lunch. Everything is cooked by the steam of the geothermal activity of the volcanos. After lunch we went on a tour of the village (live village, ~25 families live there). It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. After the tour we witnessed a cultural song and dance performance. Afterwards a van picked us up to go white water rafting and river sledging! We dove and spun and kicked and bounced and surfed down that river! (Hell’s Gate) Sweet as! Got back and walked the hot mud pools park and the Government Gardens. Got boysenberry whip covered in raspberry sorbet and Indian take away for dinner. Was ready for bed around 9. Lol
Sat’day 27 Nov
Started off at 8 AM. Loaded the monster luggage into the trailer behind the bus and set off out of Auckland. We stopped for pics at Mt. Eden. We saw the arena for the 2011 Rugby World Cup from our peak. We kept on driving towards Hahei (the breath of Hei, a Maori chief) with a stopover in Thames. When we got to our campsite we dumped our stuff, changed into our swimmers and head for the beach for 3 hour of sea kayaking around Mercury Bay! We went along the shoreline to Coromandel Cove, had tea on the beach, paddled around the little islands, hooked together and sailed for a bit, then paddled back to the beach we started from. The waves were a bit choppy but it was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done! Nerissa and I swapped places in our double kayak so we each had a turn steering. As our tour guide, Marky Mark, would say “easy as!” When we got back we loaded the bus and took the short jump to Hot Water Beach. We dug holes in the sand and sat in the geothermal hot pools. Nature’s own spa! After a shower and some napping in the sun, we had an amazing barbeque provided by our bus driver/guide! Chicken, veggie medley, gluten free bread, asparagus, capsicum, and strawberries for dessert. =) Played a few games of shithead with the group before calling it a night. We are a fairly small tour group. There is only 6 of us total, 7 including our guide Ali BarBar.
Last Day in Newy/First in New Zealand
Thursday/Friday 25/26
Continued packing most of the day; Ben took us to the postal shop to ship our boxes home. Packed some more and we ate the rest of the food in my cupboard and watched Glee and Burn Notice. Then headed to Nat’s room for chocolate milk and music! Went for one last drive to Kmart and then we went back to 420 to hang for a bit before Rhi took N and I to the train station. Said more tearful goodbyes. :’( I think I cried the hardest when I said good bye to Emma, Sean, and Nat. I frickin hate goodbyes and crying! I thought I was all out of tears when I said bye to Liam and Angie, but the water works came back on the train after saying bye to Rhiannon. We caught the 11:30pm train in Broadmeadow and had to switch trains in Gosford and that train was suppose to take us to Sydney Central Station but they made us get off in Hornsby. After much debate and talking to the guards Nerissa and I ended up taking a taxi to the international airport terminal. The doors didn’t open until 4 AM (we were rushing because we thought we needed to be at the airport 3 hours before departure). So we had over an hour to wait on a bench outside the terminal. At this point we were beyond exhaustion, I hadn’t slept at all and Nerissa only napped on the train. We finally got in then had issues with our boarding passes because I couldn’t get my itinerary printed. The ticket worker eventually printed our boarding passes and checked our bags. Customs wasn’t ready for us yet so we had to wait for a bit outside, but once we got in it was smooth sailing. Waited for 6 AM boarding, got on, settled in with a movie, saw about 30 seconds of it! Lol. Brekky was a no go since I was about to faceplant in it anyhow. When we landed in Auckland we went right through customs and then went searching for a shuttle from the airport to our hostel. We checked into the Base X hostel and then an hour nap turned into a 7 hour sleep! We still had a bit of daylight left when we woke up so we explored a bit. We found a gelato shop by the harbour that had a selection of 12 sorbets! I’ve never seen so many choices in one shop! I got a double scoop of plum and kiwi and Nerissa go pomegranate and passionfruit. So delicious! We had Subway and Wendy’s guacamole chilli fries for dinner. Uh yum! Walked back to the hostel and sorted out music for Nerissa for a bit, then went to bed. Early day tomorrow =)
Continued packing most of the day; Ben took us to the postal shop to ship our boxes home. Packed some more and we ate the rest of the food in my cupboard and watched Glee and Burn Notice. Then headed to Nat’s room for chocolate milk and music! Went for one last drive to Kmart and then we went back to 420 to hang for a bit before Rhi took N and I to the train station. Said more tearful goodbyes. :’( I think I cried the hardest when I said good bye to Emma, Sean, and Nat. I frickin hate goodbyes and crying! I thought I was all out of tears when I said bye to Liam and Angie, but the water works came back on the train after saying bye to Rhiannon. We caught the 11:30pm train in Broadmeadow and had to switch trains in Gosford and that train was suppose to take us to Sydney Central Station but they made us get off in Hornsby. After much debate and talking to the guards Nerissa and I ended up taking a taxi to the international airport terminal. The doors didn’t open until 4 AM (we were rushing because we thought we needed to be at the airport 3 hours before departure). So we had over an hour to wait on a bench outside the terminal. At this point we were beyond exhaustion, I hadn’t slept at all and Nerissa only napped on the train. We finally got in then had issues with our boarding passes because I couldn’t get my itinerary printed. The ticket worker eventually printed our boarding passes and checked our bags. Customs wasn’t ready for us yet so we had to wait for a bit outside, but once we got in it was smooth sailing. Waited for 6 AM boarding, got on, settled in with a movie, saw about 30 seconds of it! Lol. Brekky was a no go since I was about to faceplant in it anyhow. When we landed in Auckland we went right through customs and then went searching for a shuttle from the airport to our hostel. We checked into the Base X hostel and then an hour nap turned into a 7 hour sleep! We still had a bit of daylight left when we woke up so we explored a bit. We found a gelato shop by the harbour that had a selection of 12 sorbets! I’ve never seen so many choices in one shop! I got a double scoop of plum and kiwi and Nerissa go pomegranate and passionfruit. So delicious! We had Subway and Wendy’s guacamole chilli fries for dinner. Uh yum! Walked back to the hostel and sorted out music for Nerissa for a bit, then went to bed. Early day tomorrow =)
Wednesday 24 November
Tried to go to the beach with Rhi and Nerissa but it was still incredibly windy and the sand was pelting all of us. So we just came back and hung out at the pool. Nerissa helped me start taking stuff off my walls and putting my room away in boxes and bags. Later we went to Sean and Liam’s touch footy game and then made dinner. Hung out with IH nd then Teds and the we got ready to go out for one last night on the town! We went to Soho with IH and then walked to Customs House with Cramer and Nerissa to meet Teds people. Stayed for a bit and then caught the train home because we couldn’t get a taxi. Found Mattio and Max and a few others. Nerissa wanted to go to bed so I let her take my bed and I went for a swim at Teds.
Tuesday 23 November
Nerissa arrived today! ! =) Timmy and Nat went to the airport with me to pick her up! =) So exciting! We spent the day hanging out and taking pictures around campus. She came to the gym with me and then we just hung out and watched a movie.
Monday 22 November
Went to the beach with Emma B to meet the boys. They left after a while and Em and I went for a swim. We “swam” for about a half hour and then let the sun dry us. Joined up with the other IH girls who were sunning down the beach from where we were. After a bit it started to get really windy and the sand was pelting us so Emma and I left to get an ice cream! =) I just hung around 420 for the rest of the arvo. Played shithead then went to the Harry Potter movie with nat ad Holly. It was so good! It was also a pretty sad day. We had to say goodbye to Holly. So most of us stayed up until 4 am to say by and send her off with Nat to the airport. We buried a painting of Nat’s in her luggage while she was sleeping. ;)
Day 2
Sunday 20 Nov
5 AM wake up to go back to Echo Point and see the sun rise over the Three Sisters. It was absolutely gorgeous! The cloud cover over the valley was spectacular. =] After taking photos at Echo Point we took the rocky, muddy trail to Katoomba Cascades and Falls. Much longer trek than we expected! We took an alternate routh to get out of the park and walked back to the hostel. Had to check out by 10 AM. We had enough time before our train to check out another part of the park. We decided to try and find Leura Cascades. It was a long and STEEP climb! Whenever I stopped to take a pic my legs would be shaking. Doesn’t help that they were sore from gym on Friday. The cascades were beautiful and the forest was incredible. That has to be one of my favourite NPs =). Once we all made it out of the valley we headed for the train station. 5.5 hours and 3 trains later we made it back to Newy. I dropped off my stuff and then just chilled in Teds.
5 AM wake up to go back to Echo Point and see the sun rise over the Three Sisters. It was absolutely gorgeous! The cloud cover over the valley was spectacular. =] After taking photos at Echo Point we took the rocky, muddy trail to Katoomba Cascades and Falls. Much longer trek than we expected! We took an alternate routh to get out of the park and walked back to the hostel. Had to check out by 10 AM. We had enough time before our train to check out another part of the park. We decided to try and find Leura Cascades. It was a long and STEEP climb! Whenever I stopped to take a pic my legs would be shaking. Doesn’t help that they were sore from gym on Friday. The cascades were beautiful and the forest was incredible. That has to be one of my favourite NPs =). Once we all made it out of the valley we headed for the train station. 5.5 hours and 3 trains later we made it back to Newy. I dropped off my stuff and then just chilled in Teds.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sydney/Blue Mountains
The next Saturday (19)
Khema slept over last night and took the 8:30 AM train to Sydney with me, Bridget, and 2 of B’s friends. We parted after lunch in Paddy’s Markets. She went shopping with her friend and I went through the markets with B and the others. I couldn’t find Matti a dingo but I think he’ll like the alternative =). After the markets we headed back to the train station to wait for the train to Katoomba. Another 2 hours on the train and then we checked into our hostel and had a snack. We made up our beds and then set out to Echo Point to see the Three Sisters lit up at night. This was the beginning of our Blue Mountains trip. Walked by a handmade chocolate shop on our way back to the hostel. =) It smelled delicious! It was really unlucky that we would have time tomorrow to go and get any =( . Read a bit of Jane Austen before bed.
Khema slept over last night and took the 8:30 AM train to Sydney with me, Bridget, and 2 of B’s friends. We parted after lunch in Paddy’s Markets. She went shopping with her friend and I went through the markets with B and the others. I couldn’t find Matti a dingo but I think he’ll like the alternative =). After the markets we headed back to the train station to wait for the train to Katoomba. Another 2 hours on the train and then we checked into our hostel and had a snack. We made up our beds and then set out to Echo Point to see the Three Sisters lit up at night. This was the beginning of our Blue Mountains trip. Walked by a handmade chocolate shop on our way back to the hostel. =) It smelled delicious! It was really unlucky that we would have time tomorrow to go and get any =( . Read a bit of Jane Austen before bed.
Dubbo to Newy
Sunday
Woke up early again to drive back to Newy. This time Nattie’s mum drove because she was meeting Nat’s dad in Newy to go to Sydney together. We got there a whole lot quicker! (Nat has green P’s so she can only go 100 kph) We went to the beach a little while after getting back to Newy. It was an interesting trip but still fun in the surf. Had a sleepover in Victoria’s room tonight. I was so tired I didn’t make it through the first 15 mins of the movie! Lol
The next week was full of chillin but the pool with Rhi, random drives with Nat, Macca’s runs with Ben and Emma, a headcold, gym with Henry, and of course going out on Wed with IH and Friday with Teds peeps. Had my last day at gymnastics on Friday =(
Woke up early again to drive back to Newy. This time Nattie’s mum drove because she was meeting Nat’s dad in Newy to go to Sydney together. We got there a whole lot quicker! (Nat has green P’s so she can only go 100 kph) We went to the beach a little while after getting back to Newy. It was an interesting trip but still fun in the surf. Had a sleepover in Victoria’s room tonight. I was so tired I didn’t make it through the first 15 mins of the movie! Lol
The next week was full of chillin but the pool with Rhi, random drives with Nat, Macca’s runs with Ben and Emma, a headcold, gym with Henry, and of course going out on Wed with IH and Friday with Teds peeps. Had my last day at gymnastics on Friday =(
Weekend in Dubbo/Narromine (6/11?)
Sat’day
Got up bright and early for the zoo! Drove into Dubbo to go and see the Western Plains Zoo This zoo is so huge that you can either rent a bike or trolly cart or drive your own car around! We just drove Nattie’s car and still did a fair bit of walking. Saw the meerkats being fed their brekky! =) We got ice cream at the lion’s station. We made excellent time through the whole zoo and only missed the echidnas and emus. We couldn’t find the maned wolf.
We had plenty of time before going back to Narromine before dinner so we checked out some of Nattie’s favourite shops in Dubbo, got her eyebrows waxed, went to the cultural centre museum, and tried to find a place that sold native Aboriginal jewellery with no luck. We grabbed a bit of food then went to the Narromine Aviation Museum! It was so neat! They had the history of Narromine aviation and Australia’s war involvement. There was also a replica of the Wright Brothers first aeroplane. By this time Nattie and I were pooped, so we stopped in Nat’s mum’s office at the airfield and said hi and bye (g’day!). Then we went home and watched Mulan 2. Went back to the part of Balto that I missed while Nattie baked for her mum. I finally got people bumps! BJ (Nat’s sister) cooked dinner again. Then I slept through another movie/helped Nattie bake/watched Taxi. Then I watched 2 Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place with BJ because I couldn’t sleep.
Got up bright and early for the zoo! Drove into Dubbo to go and see the Western Plains Zoo This zoo is so huge that you can either rent a bike or trolly cart or drive your own car around! We just drove Nattie’s car and still did a fair bit of walking. Saw the meerkats being fed their brekky! =) We got ice cream at the lion’s station. We made excellent time through the whole zoo and only missed the echidnas and emus. We couldn’t find the maned wolf.
We had plenty of time before going back to Narromine before dinner so we checked out some of Nattie’s favourite shops in Dubbo, got her eyebrows waxed, went to the cultural centre museum, and tried to find a place that sold native Aboriginal jewellery with no luck. We grabbed a bit of food then went to the Narromine Aviation Museum! It was so neat! They had the history of Narromine aviation and Australia’s war involvement. There was also a replica of the Wright Brothers first aeroplane. By this time Nattie and I were pooped, so we stopped in Nat’s mum’s office at the airfield and said hi and bye (g’day!). Then we went home and watched Mulan 2. Went back to the part of Balto that I missed while Nattie baked for her mum. I finally got people bumps! BJ (Nat’s sister) cooked dinner again. Then I slept through another movie/helped Nattie bake/watched Taxi. Then I watched 2 Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place with BJ because I couldn’t sleep.
Weekend in Dubbo/Narromine (6/11?)
Friday
Set off for the gym with Brent around 8. Spent a good hour there and then had a shower, and then packed. Managed to get it all in one bag! (Nat- Good on ya mate!) Packed up Nat’s car and headed west toward Naromine. It was hot, sunny, and a long drive; but one of the best road trips ever! With frequent stops for lollies and petrol we made it to Nat’s house around 5ish. 6 hours of dancing, laughing and of course singing at the top of our lungs. :D When we got there we went straight back to Dubbo to hit the grocery store for her sister. We then watched Mulan whilst her sister made dinner. It was yummy. I had to watch Balto so that I would finally understand what “people bumps” were. Sadly, I saw the beginning and the end of said movie and missed the important part! I fell asleep. So I needed to watch it again. Lol. Helped Nattie with her chocolate slice and then went to bed.
Set off for the gym with Brent around 8. Spent a good hour there and then had a shower, and then packed. Managed to get it all in one bag! (Nat- Good on ya mate!) Packed up Nat’s car and headed west toward Naromine. It was hot, sunny, and a long drive; but one of the best road trips ever! With frequent stops for lollies and petrol we made it to Nat’s house around 5ish. 6 hours of dancing, laughing and of course singing at the top of our lungs. :D When we got there we went straight back to Dubbo to hit the grocery store for her sister. We then watched Mulan whilst her sister made dinner. It was yummy. I had to watch Balto so that I would finally understand what “people bumps” were. Sadly, I saw the beginning and the end of said movie and missed the important part! I fell asleep. So I needed to watch it again. Lol. Helped Nattie with her chocolate slice and then went to bed.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
my most sincere apologies
Hello to anyone who has been following my blog. I'm sorry you had to deal with my horrible orating skills to find out what I've been doing! lol. I'm not going to be able to post any of my activities most likely until I get back home, but I might be able to do something with my extra time in Auckland next week. I'll be hand writing what I can, but most of what has happened is so emotional I don't have the words to express what I'm feeling. So much grief in leaving friends in Newcastle and joy and awe and amazement at the land of New Zealand. I feel as if pieces of me are gone, I just left them in Newcastle (well now most of them are in their respective towns, but thats not the point is it?). I love you all and will report when I can. Be prepared for a lot of posts at once!!! :)
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