Kia Ora!
I guess I'll start with a brief recap of the last two days in Fiji. The meke at Smuggler's was alright but the fire dancing was brilliant! My last day in Fiji I went on a day cruise around the Mamucas. Spent a few hours on an island snorkeling and hanging out and the afternoon on a boat seeing the outer islands. Made me a little sad I didn't spend a few days there, but I am happy that I got to see much more of the main island than most travelers do. After one more evening at Smuggler's with my Fiji friend crew (some of whom I hope to meet up with here on the South Island) I flew out to Auckland.
My first afternoon in Auckland I just wandered around downtown and discovered the Asian food alley (yum!). The second day I did the 16km Coast to Coast trail which inclded climbs of One Tree Hill and Mount Eden (both over 600 ft). That night I went out with my Kiwi roommate for a bit to the Sky Tower area to see all the trndy casino goers. Early the next morning I hopped on the Magic Bus heading South. Magic is great as it is full of travelers going the same direction so it is way easy to meet people. Plus you can hop off and spend a few nights in many different places and catch another bus going through. Our first stop was at Waitomo Caves where we did a cave tour and then took a slow boat ride into a dark cave where there are thousands of glowworms that light up the ceiling. Really cool! We also went to New Zealands only alpaca rabbit shearing center... interesting but sad. That evening we went to Roturua where a bunch of us went to a Maori village and then to a hangi (feast with food cooked all day underground). The village was interesting but kind of cheesy. The feast was good though as was the company. The group of us went out later that night. Rotura is in the midst of a geothermal area and always smells like rotten eggs. Lovely, eh?
The next morning (I can't keep track of days of the week, sorry), we headed down to Taupo. On the way we stopped at a geiser that they make every day at 10:15 AM using soap (random). It is neat though, shoots up 20 feet. Next stop was at a geothermal park. Really stinky but the colors and pools are worth not breathing through your nose for an hour or so. Then we were on to Taupo. Taupo is where most people sky dive and bungy jump. I passed on them both but we watched some bungy jumpers and most of my friends threw themselves out of a plane. I got to hear all the stories that night. I planned to stay in Taupo for a few days to hike the famed Tongariro Crossing which is a 20km hike that goes over Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately bad weather (winds and snow) caused the pass to be closed when I was there so I went ahead and left Taupo the next morning. After a grey, rainy day on the bus, the sky cleared as we hit "windy Wellington". We got to experience the city's nickname firsthand from the lookout over the city where gusts had people hanging onto the railings. My English buddy Susan and I spent the afternoon wandering around Welly and taking the cable car to the Botanical Gardens (thanks for the tip Liz!). That night Susan, David (Ireland) and I cooked a communal dinner in the hostel. All of the hostels in New Zealand (that I have been to so far) have great kitchens so it is easy to buy food and cook. Later a group of us watched LOTR The Two Towers in the TV lounge. Had to be done while in NZ :).
So I guess now we are at Tuesday which is when I hopped on the ferry and headed down to the South Island. I have 3 weeks here and am trying to sort out my itinerary (but it is a challenge, I am much better at just going and seeing what happens). The ferry drops off in Picton where I have spent the last couple of days. Yesterday I took a boat out to do some of the 71 km Queen Charlotte Track. Holy views!! I am totally blown away by the scenery in New Zealand. My hike started with a steep 50 minute climb to met the track and then I hiked 12 km to Torea Bay. I could have gome further as I was 2 hours early for my boat, but that was the pickup... This afternoon I am going on a winery tour of the Marlborough region famed for its Sauvingnon Blancs. Tomorrow I head to Nelson and the Abel Tasman Track (do I spend 2 nights or 4??).
That's me caught up. Unfortunately this cybercafe doesn't have USB ports so I can't upload pictures but I'll try to add one to this post later and want to post my North Island pictures next time I have some online time. Maybe Queenstown... who knows...
Congratulations to Andy and Meredith on their engagement!! Hope everyone else is doing fabulously and making plans to come meet me.
Til next post...
I guess I'll start with a brief recap of the last two days in Fiji. The meke at Smuggler's was alright but the fire dancing was brilliant! My last day in Fiji I went on a day cruise around the Mamucas. Spent a few hours on an island snorkeling and hanging out and the afternoon on a boat seeing the outer islands. Made me a little sad I didn't spend a few days there, but I am happy that I got to see much more of the main island than most travelers do. After one more evening at Smuggler's with my Fiji friend crew (some of whom I hope to meet up with here on the South Island) I flew out to Auckland.
My first afternoon in Auckland I just wandered around downtown and discovered the Asian food alley (yum!). The second day I did the 16km Coast to Coast trail which inclded climbs of One Tree Hill and Mount Eden (both over 600 ft). That night I went out with my Kiwi roommate for a bit to the Sky Tower area to see all the trndy casino goers. Early the next morning I hopped on the Magic Bus heading South. Magic is great as it is full of travelers going the same direction so it is way easy to meet people. Plus you can hop off and spend a few nights in many different places and catch another bus going through. Our first stop was at Waitomo Caves where we did a cave tour and then took a slow boat ride into a dark cave where there are thousands of glowworms that light up the ceiling. Really cool! We also went to New Zealands only alpaca rabbit shearing center... interesting but sad. That evening we went to Roturua where a bunch of us went to a Maori village and then to a hangi (feast with food cooked all day underground). The village was interesting but kind of cheesy. The feast was good though as was the company. The group of us went out later that night. Rotura is in the midst of a geothermal area and always smells like rotten eggs. Lovely, eh?
The next morning (I can't keep track of days of the week, sorry), we headed down to Taupo. On the way we stopped at a geiser that they make every day at 10:15 AM using soap (random). It is neat though, shoots up 20 feet. Next stop was at a geothermal park. Really stinky but the colors and pools are worth not breathing through your nose for an hour or so. Then we were on to Taupo. Taupo is where most people sky dive and bungy jump. I passed on them both but we watched some bungy jumpers and most of my friends threw themselves out of a plane. I got to hear all the stories that night. I planned to stay in Taupo for a few days to hike the famed Tongariro Crossing which is a 20km hike that goes over Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately bad weather (winds and snow) caused the pass to be closed when I was there so I went ahead and left Taupo the next morning. After a grey, rainy day on the bus, the sky cleared as we hit "windy Wellington". We got to experience the city's nickname firsthand from the lookout over the city where gusts had people hanging onto the railings. My English buddy Susan and I spent the afternoon wandering around Welly and taking the cable car to the Botanical Gardens (thanks for the tip Liz!). That night Susan, David (Ireland) and I cooked a communal dinner in the hostel. All of the hostels in New Zealand (that I have been to so far) have great kitchens so it is easy to buy food and cook. Later a group of us watched LOTR The Two Towers in the TV lounge. Had to be done while in NZ :).
So I guess now we are at Tuesday which is when I hopped on the ferry and headed down to the South Island. I have 3 weeks here and am trying to sort out my itinerary (but it is a challenge, I am much better at just going and seeing what happens). The ferry drops off in Picton where I have spent the last couple of days. Yesterday I took a boat out to do some of the 71 km Queen Charlotte Track. Holy views!! I am totally blown away by the scenery in New Zealand. My hike started with a steep 50 minute climb to met the track and then I hiked 12 km to Torea Bay. I could have gome further as I was 2 hours early for my boat, but that was the pickup... This afternoon I am going on a winery tour of the Marlborough region famed for its Sauvingnon Blancs. Tomorrow I head to Nelson and the Abel Tasman Track (do I spend 2 nights or 4??).
That's me caught up. Unfortunately this cybercafe doesn't have USB ports so I can't upload pictures but I'll try to add one to this post later and want to post my North Island pictures next time I have some online time. Maybe Queenstown... who knows...
Congratulations to Andy and Meredith on their engagement!! Hope everyone else is doing fabulously and making plans to come meet me.
Til next post...
6 comments:
Hi Stacy! the trip sounds exciting & enlightening so far... thanks for the updates... i am traveling vicariously thru you!
"most of my friends threw themselves out of a plane" - Stacy, this is why I love you and your sense of humor. So glad that you are having a good time. I am beginning to think that I would be an awful travel partner for you - this ole fart would not be able to keep up!
We miss you. Gmail is very quiet. I will have to find time to watch your LOTR DVD while you are in NZ.
Stacy! Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you. I can't wait to see pictures. -- Heather
I feel like I'm going to say this every time I read what you've been up to...I'm jealous! Your trip sounds like something right from a movie, it's awesome! Keep the stories coming : )
Do you feel like that you, as an American, are now received differently now by the non-Americans after the recent election?
When I travel, I'm always fascinated by the love-hate relationship between the Yanks and everyone else. While there are a lot of common reactions towards us, not surprisingly, every continent has its own impression of Americans and how we ought to be treated. Throughout your journey, I would love to hear your observations on this.
Keep on having fun, and be careful!
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