Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Right, so its safe to say that slack is an understatement when describing my approach to this blog over the past month and a bit so I'm ready to get back on it. For the past 5-6 weeks Olly and I have been travelling around New Zealand with the Kiwi Experience bus as well as starting off solo in Auckland. Since there is so much to talk about I reckon I will write this entry on a place by place basis and then mention some of the great people we have met along the way.
So starting in Auckland having arrived in NZ I was horrendously jet lagged but very eager to meet up with Olly. For the first few days we eased into things with a climb up Mt Eden to get a spectacular view of Auckland and a quick trip to the island of Waiheke for an explore and a drop of wine tasting. During this time we stayed with Olly's cousin Karl and his wife Alice who very kindly put up with us for a couple days which was greatly appreciated.
After seeing most of what auckland had to offer in a short period of time we decided to join the Kiwi bus on the 24th May. On boarding the bus we were both a little bemused and very content with a 5:1 ratio of girls to boys (something which did even out over the trip). The first stop was Hot Water Beach, a naturally occuring phenomenon meaning that if you dig a hole in the sand scalding hot water will rise to the surface forming a pool of very very warm water which is said to be very relaxing.
From there we headed to Waitomo which is home to the glow worm caves and I indulged in a spot of Black Water Rafting which is essentially tubing through the glow worm caves which I thought was awesome. Before trying this activity are bus driver tried to explain it to us by saying "Has anyone ever been to Disnayland, at night, on acid? Well it's like that". There will be more on Ben the driver later.
After Waitomo it was on to Rotorua which is the geothermic hub of New Zealand with hot springs on every corner. Consequently the whole place smelt like eggs thanks to the strong sulphur content in the springs. Here we had a go at luging in the day which involved sitting on what is essentially a skateboard with a brake and bombing down a big mountain. It was awesome but caused George to smash into a wall and cut his arm, Olly to get serious air off of a ridge and me to hop curb and go careering off the track! In the evening we then got involved in the Tamaki Mauri experience where we went to an old Mauri settlement in the forest and saw how their tribe operated below being spoilt with a feast that was slow cooked underground for 4 hours!
Next up was Taupo which to me seemed like a stop solely in place so that people could go skydiving so of course Olly and I both signed up to do the 15,000ft jump! The first day we tried the weather wasnt good enough to jump and so we decided to come back the next day after seeing what Taupo had to offer in the evening. This turned out to be a great night of inappropriate bingo and chilling out in the TV room. We went back the next day to do the jump and finally managed it. I was third to leave the plane and the fear hit me once Olly had jumped as he was just sucked straight out of the plane and disappeared within a second. When my time came it was amazing, we had 60 seconds of freefall followed by a slow descent over a stunning lake. For some the jump was slightly more problematic, especially the northern girls who went up once and just as they were about to jump were told to come back; however, they managed it in the end and loved every second!
That was it for Taupo and on the morning of the 29th we jumped on the bus safe in the knowledge that it was Ollys birthday. As a result we sorted out a card signed by the bus, a cake and a few beers. On the way to River Valley we stopped off for a spontaneous snowball fight before cracking back on with the journey. The lodge for the evening was set in a stunning v-shaped valley carved out by a powerful river which George and Julian decided to jump in at risk of hyperthermia. Everyone was in the same dorm for the evening which provided some good entertainment topped off by George stealing a stags head from the wall and running around with it scaring various people.
The next stop on the trip was Wellington were unfortunately we only had the evening so decided to sample what it had to offer in terms of nightlife. After a few tips from a huge american in Elmo pyjamas we headed out for a heavy night. The next morning brought with it a considerable hangover but also a beautiful ferry journey through the fjords at the northern tip of the south island before arriving in the port of Picton. Already the south island was proving to be more picturesque than the north (a theme that continued for the rest of the trip).
From Picton we went on to a small beach resort by the name of Kaiteriteri which has to be one of my favourite stops in the trip as there was an incredible bay surrounded by hills providing a picture perfect view. One of the things Olly keeps saying is that everywhere in New Zealand looks like a postcard picture and I can't help but agree with him.
The next day meant a trip to Westport which was one of my least favourite stops as it is heralded as one of the most incestuous places in New Zealand. Since the hostel allowed alcohol (unlike most) we decided it was best to pre and then head out to see some of these delightful locals. I must say it is one of the strangest groups I have ever seen and probably won't be somewhere I will return to.
We got out of Westport as soon as possible and headed to Mahinapua for the infamous poo party where everyone puts together a fancy dress for a chosen theme. Our theme was "Bad Taste" so it would be wrong to speak about some of the outfits but my personal favourite was Ian flasher get up. The poo party was all that it was cracked up to be and everyone had a great laugh.
After a few nights of drinking a detox was in order at Franz Josef where we had a quiet first night before heading out onto the glacier the second day . Here we intedned to spend about 3 hours on the ice and all was looking good as we took a helicopter to about midway up the glacier. As someone who is quite into geography I really enjoyed the hike and seeing first hand all the thing you read about in textbooks. As a result I was more than satisfied with the day when we got back to the helipad at around 13:00. At this point it all went downhill as the wind had picked up and the choppers couldn't land on the ice. The guides all had a quick chat and it was decided that we should head up to the emergencies supplies which were a 3 hour hike away in order to prepare for spending a night on the glacier (something that has never been done by a tourist party before). At this point it's safe to say I was fairly concerned. Fortunately, when we reached the emergency supplies there was a parachute shelter to sit in for an hour so. Finally at about 16:30 we were told the helicopters could land at a new site by the shelter and it was an all out bundle to get into the choppers controlled by a guide who implemented a "ladies first" policy (turns out chivalry isn't dead). Finally I boarded a helicopter and all cliches aside we flew off into the sunset which was quite a sight. We got back to the hostel at around 17:30 and decided that the best option was to celebrate with a night out which inevitably was a big one.
The next morning we headed off for our final stop before Queenstown which was Wanaka. This was a small town set by a lake where we fed ducks and watched the sunset before cracking on a film in the movie room to unwind. The next morning we went to a place called Puzzling World which is like an illusion theme park; for example, there is a whole room dedicated to making it seem like gravity doesn't exist.
Finally it was time to arrive in the place we had all heard about: Queenstown. I won't run you through this day by day but rather just tell you the highlights. Firstly, the Nevis Bungy jump of 134m with 8 seconds of freefall is possibly one of the most terrifying experience of my life. Having said that the rush you get when falling is amazing. Once you have jumped you are meant to then pull a pin on your ankle to get you upright for the ascent back to the jump platform; when I tried to pull this pin I yanked it so hard I broke the pin meaning that was carried all the way to the top dangling like a lump of meat in the butchers.
Another highlight of Queenstown was the day of skiing at the Remarkables. We were up at the piste for the first lift at 8:45 and one of the last buses back at 4:30. In between we had a great day which involved me getting back into the skiing lark, Olly and Ian taking on some more advanced runs and Sophie flying out of her bindings and faceplanting on a green run. All in all it was one of the best days of the trip thus far.
You can't mention Queenstown and not talk about the food. The highlight of which was Fergburger. A burger joint like no other which could fill you up for the entire day and taste better than any food in the world. My personal favourite was the "Mr Big Stuff" which included 1/2lb of beef, bbq sauce, aioli, lettuce, bacon, cheese, and toasted bun and many other things (please note that Fergburger makes incredible drunk food but is best enjoyed sober). Another mention goes to Cookie Time which provided with warm cookies throughout our time in QTown. And finally there is the ice cream scene. Both tip top and patagonia provided some incredible ice creams with tip tops "goody goody gum drop" flavour coming out as my personal favourite.
Finally with 140 bars in Queenstown the nightlife is better than anywhere in New Zealand but if I told you about the nights out then we would be here forever. It's safe to say they were "Sweet As Bro..."
New Zealand has been incredible and I have met some amazing people. This is without doubt somewhere I will return to in later life but for now I have to look forward to Asia.
Much love,
Charlie
- comments