Days 12-15 of Fall Break: Sydney

Our travels to Sydney did not exactly go smoothly, but we made it and that’s what is important.  Long story short, the soonest we could get to Christchurch was an hour before our international flight to Sydney.  After convincing Emirates to re-open their check in for us, our luggage almost did not make the flight.  Then, the travel agency that booked my flight failed to make sure I had a visa.  Aren't travel agencies supposed to make sure you have all your ducks in a row?  Luckily it went through when it did otherwise who knows what I would have done because it certainly would not have been flying to Australia.  This whole day of traveling to Sydney was by far one of the most stressful days of my life.

Customs was a breeze in Australia. The customs lady is the first and only person I have ever met that was able to correctly guess what country my last name is from.  I get overly excited about such little things.  We were greeted by rain, an unfriendly taxi driver, the reality of how expensive Sydney was going to be, and an adorable hostel all within the first hour of arriving in Sydney.  Even though we were only there for two full days, I am very satisfied with my time there.  Here’s a recap of our time in the land down under.

Famous photo spot

We got up early after planning out a large itinerary for our first full day in Sydney, and we somehow managed to accomplish all of it!  We began our day with a walk to Mrs. Macquaries Chair—an excellent spot to capture the perfect photo of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.  After being a tourist for about 20 minutes, we strolled through the Royal Botanic Gardens where we had the opportunity to see cockatoos live, up close, and personal—these birds are so loud, but it was a unique experience getting to see them.  We had heard about $20 day travel passes that were good for the ferries, busses, and trains that run throughout Sydney, so our next mission was to find a train station to purchase them.  We put these tickets to good use right away as we took a ferry to the Taronga Zoo.  This is one of the world’s best zoos, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time looking at all the animals.  I felt like a little kid again and began to question why I did not major in Marine Biology because I would love working in a zoo.  We saw every animal imaginable, but I think my favorite was seeing the elephants because they are such fascinating creatures. 

Zebras!

After the zoo we ventured to Darling Harbor.  This area is known for cafes and shopping, but we specifically went there to go shopping at the Hard Rock Café, so really we just combined the two into a quick trip.  I love getting shirts from Hard Rock Café’s around the USA, but this was my first one from another country.  Some habits are just tough to break.  Whenever my family travels, we always stop at Harley-Davidson shops that our along our journey.  This was our next mission that proved to almost be unsuccessful.   Someone at the information desk gave us the wrong train station to go to so we were unable to visit the actual store.  However, we arrived back in King’s Cross (where we were staying) at a decent time and I noticed while we were exploring that we were on the same street that had a Lifestyle store for Harley-Davidson (basically a clothing store).  We made it with ten minutes to spare till closing time and we were able to get some shirts from a store in Sydney.  The shirts always say what store they are from and it always makes for great conversations when around other motorcycle riders especially.  I’m sure my dad, little brother, and grandpa will be happy to have shirts to add to their collections.

Darling Harbor

After a full day of traveling around the city—by foot, ferry, or train, my mom and I were exhausted!  We accomplished so much especially since we got lost for about an hour and a half.  We had Ramen Noodles for dinner at our hostel before going to bed early.  Day #2 was going to be an early day, which has been the theme of the past two weeks!  We spent the second day driving, touring, hiking, and seeing the Blue Mountains.  They are about 2 hours from the city, but after our tour guide, Diego, picked up everyone from various hostels, it was about 3 hours of traveling.  We stopped at Sydney Olympic Park on the way.  It was cool to see where the Olympics were recently held as well as the Olympic torch, that thing is huge!  Our first hike was Cliff Top Walk.  It was scenic and full of waterfalls and beautiful sights of the canyon land.  Afterwards, we had lunch before making our way to our second hike.  We stopped Eagle Hawk Lookout to see the Three Sisters formation, which was pretty neat.  Our final hike of the day was the Katoomba Falls Track which consisted of going down 1000 steps!  The track was beautiful and the Katoomba Falls were breathtaking.  We were able to pay money to take the steepest train in the world (52 degrees) back up instead of the 1000 steps.  Wellington may be steep, but the most steps I do at a time is a little less than 200 (and neither my mom nor myself were ready to multiple that by 5).  It was worth the money, although I was slightly creeped out by the train and thought I might die if it broke.  On the way back into Sydney, we were able to see kangaroos on the side of the road.  Never thought I’d be able say that!

Me by Katoomba Falls

My mom and I went out to eat for a last meal together.  We went to this adorable pizza place called Doughboy where we were able to order personal pizzas and eat outside.  It was nice, and the pizzas were delicious.  My flight back to Wellington was due out at 9:15.  We decided to get to the airport at 7, so we were ready to go by 6.  I get up early for class here in NZ, but not as early as what I have been getting up all break!  Unfortunately, my mom’s flight wasn’t until 1:25 so she could not check in and I had to be through security by 8:30.  We said our good-bye’s, which was tough after an incredible 2 week adventure together.  My flights back were smooth, and it felt pretty weird coming back to my flat after such a long time away.  Now, I have 7 weeks of school left, and 3 and half weeks of finals before I head to Fiji.  I cannot believe how lucky I am and that I am able to make all of my dreams a reality.

Days 9-11 of Fall Break: Wanaka and Queenstown

WARNING: This blog is Rated R for Adult Content. Reader discretion is advised.

We departed Franz Josef on the morning of the 16^th.  It was another day full of beautiful scenes that made me think about how I’d love to enjoy a morning coffee taking them in on a regular basis.  Our first stop was at Lake Matheson.  We had an hour and a half hike that we were able to catch an unbeatable mirror image view of Mt Cook and the Southern Alps on the lake.  Our other stops included Peak Viewpoint where we were able to see Fox Glacier, Bruce’s Bay where we were able to take in the coast with hopes of seeing dolphins (but we didn’t), Knights Point which was of more gorgeous coastline views, Pleasant Flat where we were able to see Mt Hooker (yes, Mt Hooker), Gates of Haast where we were able to see views of the river by bridge, and lastly Lake Hawea Lookout where we had views of Lake Wanaka.  As Bods (our Kiwi Experience Bus Driver) says, “Our drive to Wanaka was done Japanese style: Stop and take photo!” (Imagine that sentence in Japanese-mocking accent tone)

Lake Matheson

When we arrived in Wanaka and got settled, my mom and I went out to explore the city with our first mission being to get another memory card for the camera.  Yes, we already took over 1000 pictures in a week, and that was just on one camera (the nicest one of course).  Next we had heard you could maybe feed dolphins in the bay that was close to our hostel.  Unfortunately, once again, we were unsuccessful, but it was awesome to see the views as the sun set over the city.

I had quite a problem the morning I woke up in Wanaka.  NZ does not have screens on windows.  Our bathroom in our hostel was tiny, so in an effort to keep it cool my mom had opened a window that was in our shower to let in some air.  Well, this window had a ledge and when I got in I set my shampoo and conditioner on the ledge.  As soon as I let go of them my shampoo fell over and right out the window.  We were on the second floor.  So there I stood, naked, ready to take a shower, with no shampoo.  Long story short, I had to get the man from the front desk to take me to the bar which was two floors below our room to get my shampoo, but could not find it.  It had fallen onto a ledge that I noticed while eating breakfast after we had already ventured down there.  Luckily it all worked out and I got my shampoo back.  This is my life, seriously. 

The beautiful city of Wanaka

We left for Queenstown the next morning around 9.  We made one stop on our way and that was at the Kawarau Bridge, one of the bungy jumping sites of AJ Hackett.  We learned about how bungy jumping started.  A lot of people on the bus had to pay for their jump from the Nevis Bungy, which is 134 meters high—the third highest in the world.  I have no intentions of doing this particular bungy, but I do hope to make it back to Queenstown to do the smaller bungy off of the Kawarua Bridge.  Everyone start praying for me so I have the courage to do this within the next three months. 


Sights from our drive to Wanaka: Lake Hawea

Upon our arrival in Queenstown, we went down to the waterfront and took a group photo.  It was tough saying good bye to the friends I’ve made through the Kiwi Experience bus, but there are a few that I know I’ll see again.  Everyone stayed at various hostels in Queenstown.  Our bus driver left us with an inspiring message about how life isn’t about fancy cars and nice clothes; we are put on this Earth to live and enjoy it.  I plan to carry this way of life with me forever.  I saw quite a few people that I knew once we got to Queenstown including some fellow AustraLearn participants, my tour guide that I had at the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, two of my roommates, and my friend from UWL, Natalie (who just completed an internship in NZ).  Queenstown brought a very “at home” feeling to me right away.  My mom and I took the Gondola to overlook the city.  I also decided to feel like a kid again and do the luge.  It was fun riding a little cart down a hill.  I only went twice, but it was worth it.  That night we met my good friends: Suzanne, Kayla, and Cameron at Fergberger to have a HUGE cheeseburger.  It was great introducing my friends that I have made here in NZ to my mom.  We chatted for about two hours while enjoying our dinner.

Queenstown

On April 18^th my mom and I were able to see Milford Sound; it is one of the most beautiful places in the world according to National Geographic.  We went on a cruise so we had to leave Queenstown at 6:25 in the morning!  While waiting outside of our hostel to be picked up, I noticed someone waiting so I asked if he was doing the Mitre Peak Cruise in Milford Sound.  He was and after introducing ourselves we learned that all three of us were from Wisconsin.  It is crazy how small this world can feel at times! Our coach arrived and we began the nearly 6 hour trip to Milford Sound.  It took 6 hours because we picked up other people around Queenstown and Te Anau.  We also had a half hour break before we ventured towards Fiordland National Park.  We did a number of stops along the way.  We stopped at Eglinton Valley Veiwpoint, Mirror Lakes, and The Chasm, all of which allowed us the opportunity to stretch our legs and get some exceptional photos.  We even went through a 3.81 meter long tunnel through the mountain.  Our cruise in Milford Sound was absolutely beautiful.  We had a gorgeous day and a boat with about 30 other people on, compared to maximum capacity of 75 so we were able to get lots of good photos (which is very important to me while traveling).  We went all the way to the Tasman Sea and like every other time we had the opportunity to see the dolphins, we did not.  The two hour cruise was worth the 10 hours of travel we had for a roundtrip back to Queenstown.  We had a CHEAP AS dinner in the bar at our hostel that night: pizza AND a beer for only $5.  It was my cheapest meal ever so far in NZ.  We met with our friends from Kiwi Experience and my friends from Wellington before heading to bed.  It was quite a long day.

A view from Milford Sound

Days 7 & 8 of Fall Break: Franz Josef Glacier

WARNING: This blog post is Rated R for Adult Language. Reader discretion is advised.

The ocean I was able to wake up to

We departed Mahinapua at 9:30 on April 14^th, but before we left I had time to take in the sights of the ocean which was about 300 meters from our hostel.  It is not every day I get to wake up to the ocean.  Oh wait, I guess I do that in Wellington a lot, but I am not right next to it—I just have an “awesome as” view.  It was a relaxing way to start the day.  Then, to my surprise when I headed back, I was able to see the mountains that were covered by clouds the previous day.  It was another scenic drive as we made our way to Greymouth—home of Franz Josef Glacier. 

Friendly mama goat

Our first stop; however, was not scenic.  We stopped at the Bushman’s Center to learn about deer population control.  The “tour” consisted of an entertaining video watching people jump onto deer from a helicopter—literally, among other hunting techniques.  Thankfully, after the educational video we were able to feed possums and see a real eel that was supposedly 80 years old.  I also got to pet a mama goat that was very friendly and just wanted some attention by everyone.  It brought a smile to my face.  After that we stopped at some neat places including a glimpse of the Southern Alps.  When we pulled to the side of the road, our bus driver reminded us of the importance of looking both ways before crossing the road.  He said, “In NZ we have this really awesome law—it’s called ‘common fucking sense’ so look both ways!”  It was pretty funny.  Our last stop was at Lake Mapourika, which turned out to be more of a bathroom break because it was a windy day.  It is a sight that produces some neat mirror images, but we did not get to enjoy them. 

View of the Southern Alps

Upon our arrival in Greymouth we went to book our glacial activities for the next day.  My mom and I planned to do the Glacial Explorer.  This particular activity included a helicopter ride up to Franz Josef Glacier and a three hour guided hike.  Afterwards, we went on a hike in town called the Canavans Knob Walk.  We were able to see the Tasman Sea and Franz Josef Glacier at different points during the hike.  It was a fun and free activity because the hike was about an hour walk away from the Rainforest Retreat, our hostel for two nights.

During the helicopter ride

The real fun began the next day.  I feel like this day was and is by far one of the best days of my life.  I was able to cross off two things from my bucket list: a helicopter ride and exploring a glacier.  It was absolutely incredible.  In fact, I don’t think that incredible even comes close to describing this experience.  The whole morning was so fun and being on a glacier was indescribable.  We hiked around, crawled through crevasses, sat in glacier holes, saw waterfalls on the ice, and climbed through ice waves.  What is so unique about this experience is that every group that goes on the glacier experiences something different—we literally had to chop out “ice” steps as we moved around the glacier.  Hands down, one of the coolest things I have ever done in my entire life.  I still feel like it was a giant dream and it does not seem like something that was a reality.  Luckily I have amazing pictures to remind myself that it really happened.  I’m proud of my mom too.  She’s afraid of heights and doesn’t like small spaces, and she conquered her fears effortlessly the entire morning.  We finished the afternoon off at Glacier Hot Pools.  There were three separate pools: 36, 38, and 40 degrees Celsius.  It was relaxing after a morning of playing on the ice.

Views of Franz Josef Glacier

My mom and I during our glacier hike

Days 4-6 of Fall Break: Nelson/Abel Tasman/Westport

3:30 a.m. came very early on the 4^th day of our trip.  We had to be at the airport by 5:30 which meant our taxi was at my flat to pick us up at 5 a.m.  We were early, but I figure it is always better to be early rather than late.  In fact, I cannot stand when people are late, but I won’t get off on that venting rampage of mine at the moment.  We had to go to a remote area of the airport.  I had heard about flying through Sounds Air, which was really our only option to arrive in Nelson in a timely matter that day.  Well, this particular airline only allows a carry on so my extra luggage and my mom’s luggage had to be paid for by the kilogram.  It was our lucky day because there was only one other gentleman on our flight, so our extra weight did not matter and the guy who checked us in did not charge us anything.  This is why I love NZ.  In the planning stages I had booked the flight to Nelson on the wrong day and they simply just let me change it with no fee!  Oh, and the guy who checked us in, Gordon, also loaded our bags, also gave us our flying debriefing, and also flew us to Nelson.  My first experience on a 12 seat plane was a pleasant one.  Everything from check in, to take off, to the actual flying time, and to the landing was completely smooth.  The sights from the flight made me feel as though I was dancing along the light of day as I watched the sunrise along the horizon. 

Our tiny plane

On Thursday we were to meet up with Kiwi Experience, a hop-on, hop-off traveling bus at 2 p.m.  Since we had no other way to get to Nelson by that time, we had to fly early and I figured we would find something exciting to do in Nelson in the meantime.  We left the airport about an hour after we arrived, which was an hour too soon.  I figured we could store our bags at our pick up location and tour the city.  Unfortunately the place did not open up until 11 a.m. so we sat underneath an overhang and out of the rain on a cold day for an hour.  Luckily, we tried again at 9 and someone was around.  We spent the morning shopping around shops in Nelson.  It was an enjoyable morning and early afternoon.  My mom and I usually spend Wednesday’s together shopping, running errands, and going out to lunch, so it felt like a Wednesday all over again, only this time it was in New Zealand.  We had lunch at a place called Mango because it was the cheapest we could find!  I still cannot seem to get over the prices for food—especially when it comes to going out to eat.  I introduced my mom to cider (a fruity beer is the best way I can describe it) at the bar that held our bags all day (we had to do something to thank them)!  I’m not sure if she enjoyed it or not, but I know I did.

Sights of Nelson

We arrived at our first hostel, Kaiteri Lodge, for the night in Kaiteriteri around 5.  It was raining out so it made it very easy for my mom and me to have a relaxing night in to catch up on our sleep.  On Thursday morning we were able to do a hike in Abel Tasman National Park, which is one of the most beautiful places in NZ.  After spending only a morning there, I already know I want to try and go back at some point while I am here.  We took a water taxi to our starting point and passed Split Apple Rock along the way.  This rock literally split right down the middle one day and it was on my list of things I definitely wanted to see while in NZ.  We arrived at Te Pukatea Bay to begin the Pitt Head Trail.  It was a leisurely hike that we ended in Anchorage, another bay a little further north of where we began.  There simply are no words to describe the beauty of the golden sand and the clear blue water.  There was an area at the end of the beach that had some unique rock formations so we checked that out as well.  It was the best part of the day for me.  I enjoyed taking my hiking boots off and dipping my feet in the crystal clear water.  I am glad I did it because I spotted a stingray close to shore.  And to make things even better, during the walk back down the beach I also spotted a jellyfish and a starfish.  Abel Tasman was absolutely beautiful and I only saw a small part of it. 

Abel Tasman

We left Kaiterteri at 12:30 and headed for Westport.  There was an opportunity to do some adventurous activities, by my mom and I decided to pass since we had already done something that day.  It was a low key night once we arrived, but the low key nights have provided me the opportunity to reflect upon each day.

Split Apple Rock

On day #6 we cruised down the west coast of the South Island of NZ.  It is called Highway 6 and I’m a nerd and appreciate the irony of it being on our 6^th day.  This was mostly a day to travel down the coast, but Kiwi Experience allowed us to stop at numerous locations and do some hiking.  Unfortunately, it was raining, but I have learned to not let weather bother me much here.  After all, I am living in Wellington and it is always either nice or not nice—not much in between.  Our first hike was the Cape Foulwind Walkway.  We were able to spend an hour taking in scenic views of the coast that even included the sites of seals.  I took tons of pictures because it is what I do when I travel, but the pictures just will never do justice to the sights I see here.  Our next stop was a viewpoint along the coast called Irimahuwhero.  It was a short stop, but again, the sites were worth it.  Stop #3 was at Truman Track.  It was a short hike to the coast.  My mom and I were able to take in the unique sights of the coastline.  Our last stop of the day was at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.  This was also a place that I had on my list of must-sees before arriving in NZ.  They were awesome!  I am completely in awe of the beauty the God has created in this world.  We did stop at one last place our bus driver compared to the Great Ocean Road in Australia called the Apostles.  It was gorgeous, and even though it was raining, I can see why he compared it to this place that I have seen pictures of.

View from Cape Foulwind Walkway

We arrived in Mahinapua for the night.  Our hostel was called Mahinapua Hotel, also known as the legendary “Poo Pub.”  This place has been on 20/20, and the Prime Minister in NZ calls the owner, Les, who is 87 to wish him a happy birthday.  They say he’s the oldest bar owner in the country.  It was wonderful to be greeted by him and to meet him.  Every Kiwi Experience bus traveling the South Island stops at this place; it’s really quite remarkable to think about how he makes a living.  We were able to walk down to Lake Mahinapua upon our arrival.  It was breathtaking and I met a woman from Christchurch who said it would be the most remote spot in NZ we’ll ever be.  It was peaceful.  Les and our bus driver, Bods, cooked us a wonderful steak meal inclusive of potatoes, rolls, pasta, corn, and green beans.  I always jump at the opportunity to stuff my face so that’s what I did that night.  After that, we had the bar (which looks the same as it did 20 years ago) to ourselves and we had a dress theme of “Bad Taste.”  It was everyone’s goal to offend other people in the room.  “Bad Taste” with a combination of alcohol made for a very fun evening that I’ll never forget.  There we were partying with people from Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Brazil, Holland, and everywhere in between.  Anyone who walked in that bar would have never known we were strangers.

Days 1-3 of Fall Break: Auckland & Wellington

I know I mentioned this in my very first NZ blog post, but I am going to say it again. NZ reminds me a lot of Wisconsin. For example, take the “Welcome to Wisconsin” sign that we pass upon entering home territory. That sign reads around it: agriculture, recreation, and industry. These three words define NZ in many ways. When driving around, one sees farms of all sorts: dairy, sheep, beef, pigs, alpacas, and even deer. I have decided that NZ is dedicated to not working hard—by this I simply mean that they are dedicated to being with people they love or doing things they love; if they are always working they are not able to do these things. Therefore, recreation can describe NZ very well (not to mention all the cool things that a person can do here at any given moment). All in all, it is a very outdoors-based country. As far as industry goes, well, the travel and tourism industry is huge here. Not a day has gone by where I haven’t met someone visiting this beautiful country.

At the hot water beach

This is the first of probably four or five blog posts that I will write about my fall break/vacation. Let’s begin with Sunday, April 8th. I met my mom in Auckland at about 9:15 a.m. Surprisingly enough, she was the first person I saw upon entering the baggage claim area because customs was a breeze for her. It was an early morning for me. I didn’t exactly go to bed until 2 in the morning, and got up at 5:45 in order to get ready, do last minute packing, and make it to the airport in time to check in and go through security. I think I was feeling the jet lag my mom had all day too. A couple I was put in contact with through one of my parents’ employees met us in Auckland. Keith and Carolyn live approximately two and a half hours north of Auckland. I had been talking with them since the beginning of January about anything and everything pertaining to New Zealand so it was wonderful to finally meet them.

Cathedral Cove

We began our journey with them to the Coromandel Peninsula. I highly recommend googling this place. It was absolutely gorgeous. Our first stop was a hot water beach. A hot water beach entails digging a hole in the sand and having hot water rise up in it during low tide. Unfortunately we arrived late (and it was Easter) and the hot water spots were well taken up so I dug my own hole close to where the tide came in. The water may not have been hot, but it was warm and worth it. It was a great experience and I am glad to say I was able to do it. From there, we drove about six kilometers north to see Cathedral Cove. Again, google this place! We hiked for about 45 minutes before arriving at the beach where we were able to see the cove and the gorgeous scenery it entailed. It was nice to get some sun on a warm day. Keith and Carolyn took us on a scenic drive to Coromandel Town. It was here that we got fish and chips (NZ’s official meal of choice) and drove to the beach and ate off the back of the truck at sunset. I couldn’t think of a more unique way to enjoy my first official meal of NZ. We headed back to Auckland. It was an early night for my mom and me as we were both extremely tired from traveling and lack of sleep.

Sights from our hike to Cathedral Cove

On Monday we got up early, had breakfast with Keith and Carolyn and said good bye. I cannot express my gratitude enough to these kind and generous people. They made our first day in the Auckland area a smooth one. They dropped us off at the ferry station so we could begin our travel adventures for the day. My mom and I took the ferry to Rangitoto Island where we were able to hike up a volcano to a lookout point of the Auckland city skyline. Quick fact: Auckland is made up of volcanoes so we had to do something volcano-related while there. The hike was enjoyable for us because we had another gorgeous day to enjoy. And the view? Well, it was incredible of course! Once we were finished we took the ferry to Devonport to have a late lunch and do some souvenir shopping. We arrived back in Auckland at about 3:30 where we did some more shopping before relaxing.

Auckland city skyline from Rangitoto Island

CAN I GET A DRUM ROLL PLEASE?! I still cannot believe I can say that we did this. We had dinner at the top of Sky Tower! Sky Tower is a lot like to Space Needle in Seattle. I cannot say which is cooler since I have only been to Sky Tower, but I can say that the views of Auckland at night from a height of 328 meters took my breath away. We ate at The Observatory. Lucky for me it was a buffet so I did my usual three trips for dinner and two trips for dessert. I was stuffed from mostly seafood. I have developed a love for sushi and my love for fish has deepened since being in NZ. It was delicious and incredible to enjoy dinner at such a height. Sky Tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and the 27th tallest building in the world. I personally cannot think of anything being much taller.

Sky Tower at night

My mom and I spent so much of Tuesday in an airport. Our flight was at an odd time so we didn’t have time to do anything before leaving Auckland and then it was delayed by an hour which really cut our time in Wellington short. I am disappointed I wasn’t able to show my mom more of my city that feels like a home away from home to me. I was able to show her the highlights in about two hours: Cuba Street, Courtenay Place, and the Wellington Waterfront. We had dinner at Burger Fuel and my mom was able to officially try Tim Tams: the best cookie in the world. Even though the time was cut short, I think my mom got a decent vibe from Wellington. It was another early night because of our early morning flight (6 a.m.) to Nelson.