New Zealand

Ahhhhh. New Zealand. What can I say? The scenery just doesn't stop here. It's just like being in the movies. Minus the Hobbits.

Before I go on - I just want to say thanks for all the nice comments. It's great to read them and the e-mails from everyone. So, please keep it up! I need the inspiration to continue posting pictures and writing this blog! Also, if there's anyone who isn't receiving my entire photo album for each leg of the trip, and you want to look at eight gazillion photos, let me know and I'll add you to that list too. :-)

My first night in Auckland was just a blast. I ended up off the beaten path where I escaped the backpacker crowd and really experienced the local nightlife. First a cozy wine bar with a hipster jazz band then some heart pounding Brazilian drummers. Besides the bartenders, there was a very limited about of English being spoken in this particular club. Was I in still in New Zealand? This night definitely made me want to extend my travels to South America. I've been eating peanut butter and jelly to make this financially possible. :-) No, really I have been.


Rob arrived at the wee hour of 5:15 AM the next morning. Then we got watch Ohio State Basketball! Ok, well it wasn't that exciting for me but they did win. Go Bucks! We checked out Auckland, took a ferry to a quaint island the next day and then we were off with our rent car to see as much of New Zealand as possible during Rob's 10 days. Rob was such a trooper, braving the left side of the road, he only almost killed us twice or maybe it was three times. But that was fine because #1 - I wasn't driving and #2 -after a few of these experiences I thought to myself, "how dangerous can skydiving be compared this?" Thus inevitably giving me the courage to make the big jump. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that when we were going to turn, we'd give a signal to the other drivers by turning on the windshield wipers. Classic. Nevertheless making us laugh and laugh every time.

Our first stop was Roturua, which is basically a hot be of geothermal activity. Geysers, hot springs, boiling mud pools and the smell of sulfur waiving through the air. It was really interesting, plus we were able to learn a bit about the Maori culture. Rob was even able to find a local bar who found the final basketball game for him. At this point I found the local spa for a soak in the hot springs and a mud wrap. Side bar: As I write this I'm totally laughing at the juxtapose between then and now. If anyone could see the hostel where I'm staying tonight in Auckland they would be laughing too. Toni, I'm really glad you loaned me that great sleeping sheet. It's come in handy a few times! Oh and we also went Zorbing in Rotorua. This is where you get in this big rubber ball filled with water and they roll you down a hill.

Ok, so next we went to Tongariro National Park where we need the Tongariro Crossing hike. I've never seen anything like it. The volcano, the crater, the emerald colored pools, it was a bit surreal. But the 6 hours of hiking snapped me back into reality with pretty sore feet.

Then we moved onto the South Island. First we had a relaxing afternoon in the nice town of Napier then drove to Abel Tasman National Park where we went sea kayaking with fur seals. We paddled into this secluded cove where there were about 50 young seals who were ready to entertain us! One seal even jumped onto our kayak! Apparently that rarely happens. The entire day was a blast. A tour guide, Tom, had us in stitches he was so hilarious.

Next we headed down the west coast, which was very Highway One-esque with beautiful stops along the coast. Although I guess there's no glacier on the Highway One. So add that and some much bigger mountain ranges. We spent the night in Wanaka, which is about an hour North of Queenstown and actually much nicer. The locals were quick to tell us all about how Queesnstown used to be like Wanaka before it became commercialized and how they'd like to slow down the growth they're seeing. We could understand why. But we had bigger issues. We were in a quandary. Go to Milford Sound or not go to Milford Sound? It was a five hour drive, one way! As you can imagine Rob was a little tired of driving and plus there wasn't enough time! What to do? So, we flew! This (minus the skydiving) was the highlight of my trip so far. If anyone remembers the beginning of Jurassic Park where they're flying the helicopter to the island, well that's Milford Sound and that's essentially what we did. Then we landed and took a cruise through the sound and returned to Wanaka over the ice capped glacier filled mountain range. What more can I really say about that.

Then off to Queenstown, which is for sure the adventure capital of the world. We tried to kid ourselves by going to nice dinners, wine country and gondala rides but then we found ourselves jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet. Pretty indescribable. So I'm not going to try. I highly recommend it for anyone who's ever given it a thought. Suffice to say this was a thrilling end to Rob's trip.

Then the incredibly sad goodbye in an airport motel in Christchurch.

I'm not going to write about that either.

After the tearful departure I was off to Kaikora where the weather didn't do much to lift my spirits. Apparently the southerly winds just rip through NZ sometimes and it was cold. But, Kaikora is a cute coastal town with an amazing snow capped mountain range, not so bad. And, I went horseback riding for the first time in my life. I really liked it! My horse, Doc, wanted to run past the other horses to take the lead of our group. Basically Doc and I related to each other well. Besides that I did some hiking and a lot of quiet time in Kaikora. That was until the last night where I met Stephanie, who I've decided is a German version of Suzanne. We had a blast!

Then back to Christchurch to spend a few days. I adored my backpackers lodge there. It was so cute and right next to this great park which was perfect for jogging. http://www.dorsethouse.co.nz/ Just like Kaikora I was pretty relaxed there, just enjoying the park, Cathedral Square and the Art Museum.

After a few days I flew back to Auckland, spent the night and then took a bus to the Bay of Islands. This is the northern most part of New Zealand and I thoroughly enjoyed the three days I spent. It was warm and sunny. Just perfect for the cruise of the island where I saw tons of dolphins and several Orca! While there I also went sand surfing down these crazy sand dunes! Also took a bus trip down 90 mile beach where this bus actually drives down the beach, just speeding along. Oh and there were the Kaori trees, so impressive. I guess they are second largest to the Sequioa?

In summary, the past three weeks has been filled with excitement, awe of the landscape, laughter, fun nights out but a little sadness too. I fly to Bangkok tomorrow and I finally feel ready. Three weeks was the perfect time for me to spend in New Zealand.

Again, please, please, please send me your thoughts, questions or comments here or at kasemarie@hotmail.com - that's what it's all about!!!









:-)