Taupo

I arrived at Lake Taupo yesterday after a nice drive through a blistering rain storm. The weather here is just as amazing as the scenery, very extreme. I found Napier a bit boring and more of a retirement community. Taupo has been really cool since I got here, very young and full of activities. The city itself is small (pop. 20,000) and right on the North End of the lake. Again, a very clean, new city and fishing and Skydiving are the main attractions here. People also use it as a gateway to Tongariro National Park that lies to the South of the Lake. Lake Taupo is NZ’s largest lake and is constantly stocked with plenty of large trout, originally brought over from California a hundred years ago.

(Lake Taupo, Mt. Rapehu in the distance)

I’m staying in a hostel, or backpacker’s as they call it. It’s really cool because it’s a great place to meet other people my age who are traveling. Great especially if you are traveling alone! Rooms are like dorms and about $20/night. People at these places are really open and talkative. However, it seems from the few Kiwis I’ve met, making fun of America is a common pastime. Americans have obviously gotten a bad rap here because of politics, movies, and TV. It’s kind of hard being American sometimes.

Today I went to a thermal place called the Craters of the Moon. A nice walk through a preserve filled with steam vents and mud pots. The air smelled of sulfur and you can imagine the sound of hissing and gurgling as you look at the photos.

(Steam vents, bubbling and hissing sounds, mud pots. All in a day's walk)

I think tomorrow I’m headed off to Rotorua, but I might stay here another night if things work out. And as promised, here are a few photos of Napier.

(Down by the Seaside...)

(Bottlebrush flower, native to Australia, but in Napier's botanical gardens)

(Art Deco madness)



(Seaside Promenade)

On the Road

Greetings from Napier! I collected an eclectic array of nice car camping equipment when I was in Wellington from second hand stores and their equivalent of Walmart--I got a nice new camping chair for 10 bucks and a stove for 30 there. I got my car all packed and left on Monday for a 2 week tour of the North Island. I’m trying to do it as cheap as possible so I can make my funding last until near Christmas, but we’ll see what happens.

After battling a crazy hailstorm out of Wellington I spent my first night in a hostel in Masterton. The hail storm got so bad I couldn’t hear anything, my windshield wipers froze up, and I had to pull off the road under a tree for a while; hail was about the diameter of a dime! Not much to see in Masterton, so I left early and arrived mid-day in Napier. Napier is a city on the Eastern Coast that was leveled by a 7.9 earthquake in 1931. They rebuilt most of the city in Art Deco architecture style, characterized by pastel colors, very bold, distinct features like lightening bolts and zig-zags…seems like it came out of the American 1950s. Besides the architecture, I haven’t found much to do here. The area is surrounded by vineyards, so I might go tour them.

I’m staying in a great campground here. It seems most of the campsites in New Zealand are really nice and include amenities such as a kitchen, hot showers, and laundry. The kitchens are really clean, usually made of stainless steel, include sinks, refrigerators, and gas cooking stoves and BBQs. Non-powered tent sites are $15/night pp and you can also rent cabins and units that have their own kitchens. I also noticed most motel rooms here also have their own kitchens. NZ is really set up for easy, self-sufficient traveling. I can really see why this place was voted the most backpacker-friendly place in the world.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can!

My Car

Here's a couple of photos of my car. I'm really excited about this vehicle and its ironic because its the cheapest car I've bought and its also the newest I've ever owned. This Nissan drives so well-it just idles along and when I put my foot into it, it goes well. Its very responsive and has good brakes. I don't have a stereo at the moment, so the road trips alone will be a bit hard, but I do have my ipod.


At Bobby's house we changed the oil and fixed up the dents a little. The bumper was a bit damaged and about to fall off, so we fortified it and attached it solid. Yesterday we spent 3 hours replacing a CV boot. It seems that Kiwi's are multi-talented and are very much do-it-yourself'ers. There is also quite a bit of pride in being a Kiwi; I can't remember the last time I was proud to be an American...haha.

Finally got a vehicle

After days of looking at lots of cars both parked on the side of the street and through the internet, I finally got a new car: A 1996 Nissan Bluebird, a 4 door sedan with a 2L engine. I got such a good deal on this car, I only paid $1700 NZ for it mainly because it had a few non-crucial dents in it. I'm suprised how cheap cars are here compared to the US since it is an Island and all here. I think its because of all the cheap Japanese imports they get tweak the market. This car is mechanically perfect and runs really nice. The inside is immaculate and it has only 139,000 kms on it. It was a really good deal compared to all the cars I looked at in the price range of $2000. Its so new I haven't had a chance to get photos for it so stay tuned.

Rob and Debby's brother-in-law, Bob, knows a ton about cars and takes them apart all the time. He is quite a character, incredibly nice, and really funny. He took me around town for a couple of days and we looked at cars and had a great time. I really am really getting to know Rob, Debby, their son Sam, and now Bob and Shelly really well, what great people!

Bob and Shelly live on top of this huge hill at the end of this totally scary road. It is all blind corners, is barely big enough for one car width and is really steep! Coming down you think you are going to go off the edge, some might get vertigo. Bob has this piece of crap old car thats totally a trip! It runs fine but looks like hell. He uses it for repairing that crazy road of theirs.
(Bob's crazy beat up car that still runs. Its filled with dirt, weeds growing in it, and spider webs)

(Bob and his dog Jack)

(A view from Bob and Shelly's house. The picture doesn't do it justice. Beyond that grass is pretty much a cliff. Down below is the town of Eastbourne, a suburb of Wellington. On a clear day, the mountains of the South Island appear on the horizon in this setting)

Once you get to the top of this place, its like a dream. The view is stunning. On a clear day, you can see the South Island at the end of a long blue carpet of ocean. I just sat out there for 1/2 hour looking at it the first day. People here just don't realize how lucky they are to have views like that. But since there aren't as many people, many people can have nice views I guess.

A couple of days ago I went sailing. It was only for an hour since Rob is just looking after this boat for a friend while he's away. We ran the motor for a while and decided to put the sail out. It was great. No one on the water, we had the whole harbor to ourselves. Its really amazing being in a place where there just aren't people everywhere. Wellington has the feel of a city and suburbs, but its just more laid back and sleepy. I don't feel as rushed. However, driving on the other side of the road is a different story! Wow, talk about different. I don't feel like I know where the boundaries of my car are when I'm driving. I keep reaching for the seatbelt on the left, and I keep turning on the windshield (windscreen if you speak Kiwi) wipers when I want to signal a turn. Backing up is hard too, I can't look back over my left shoulder very well. I'll get it though. I've only driven a few times, and each time it gets a little easier.(Sailing on Eres Tu in Wellington Harbour)
Car insurance here is soooo cheap! I got liability insurance for a whole year for like $150. Full coverage would be around 200-300 bucks for the year with like a 300 deductible.

I'm planning on sticking around Wellington for a few more days while getting ready for a trip up North to explore the North Island. I'm going to have to do a little planning since I want to make it to New Years before I have to work! Talk to you all soon. Oh, and X-prof, are your initials SRO?

Becoming Mobile

I'm still in Wellington at the moment getting my bearings and staying at Rob and Debby's lovely house. They have been so nice and welcoming, I'm so grateful for their hospitality. Its making getting settled in quite a bit easier. Plus, I'm making some wonderful friends out of it! Their place is really cozy and has a killer view of Wellington harbor. We have tea a lot (english style) and eat wonderful meals. I've helped a little bit with the yard work to give a little something back.

Tom and Micki, my family friends, left this morning for Auckland, and onto the rest of their holiday; I'll miss them!

So I'm trying to get some wheels to move about the countryside as I feel a bit stranded. I've been tossing up the idea of getting a campervan which would allow me to save on lodging as I could sleep in the back. It would also give me a bit of personal space, like a sanctuary if you will, and be my home away from home. However, I've found its a little hard to find a decent looking van here in Wellington for a good price. So, I've thrown in the idea of just getting a car or station wagon type vehicle to save $$ on gas mileage and size. Also, it would be a bit more economical for when I settle down, and would handle much better on mountain passes and roads. Hmmm, I'm still undecided...

For your visual pleasure, here's a few photos I took on a sunny day in the Wellington harbor from the ferry.

(Downtown Wellington)

(Sailboats and Suburbs in Wellington Harbour)

Wellington

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy here visiting and doing heaps of things.

I arrived in Wellington on Monday evening after a short 1 hr plane ride on a 737 a quarter full. The domestic flights here are a pleasant experience in which security was minimal and you only have to arrive 1/2 hr before your flight leaves even in Auckland, city of 1.5 millon.

(Waterfront on a cold, windy day in Welly)

In Wellington, I was met by Tom and Micki and their Kiwi friends Rob and Debby. What incredibly nice people they are! They invited me into their beautiful, quaint home for a stay (which is ending up to be a week) and we've eaten some excellent home cooked meals.(A nice view of the bay from Rob and Debby's house. The harbor is muddy from all the rain the day before.)

Wellington is incredibly beautiful and reminds me a lot of Seattle. Its very hilly, compact and full of art. The city is clean and fairly new. It was rainy all week and lots of wind is characteristic here giving Wellington a well deserved nickname of "Windy Welly." The first day we walked around downtown and saw the parlimentary buildings and the waterfront. Civic square is really nice, surrounded by libraries and art. There is a ball made of metal fern leaves that hangs in the middle. They have an excellent modern museum here on the waterfront called Te Papa. It's fairly new and has 5 floors of stuff on geology, Maori culture, science, history, etc. You can spend ages here and move around lots since it is not crowded at all by American standards. And the best part...its FREE! Imagine that. I didn't spend much time in there and missed the Waitangi treaty (sorry X-prof, btw who is X-prof? Dr. B. is that you?), however I did see an actual copy at a parlimentary building, really neat. They were in hermatically sealed boxes at low light. There was a fire and the treaty was somewhat destroyed because of that. Pretty sad how much land that the British took away from Maori's. I did see exhibits on Maori culture and about forces that formed NZ. It included an earthquake room. I hope to spend some more time there in a few days, since I'll be in Wellington for at least 3 more days.

(Civic sqare, downtown Wellington. See the giant hanging ball in the center, its an art exhibit: a metal ball carved into fern leaves.)

(Parlimentary Buildings, the Beehive (left) and legislature building on right)

The next day we took a drive to the countryside. There are so many exotic trees and bush here. There is a silver fern, which is the symbol of NZ and they are like trees, look like something out of the Jurrasic era. Martinborough is a small wine town, mainly populated recently due to vineyard growth. Past town we drove by some sheep (imagine that) and on to Julicher Vineyard, owned by a friend of Rob's.

(Little hotel in the cute town of Martinborough)

(Sheep waiting to get sheared, partly for need for wool, and partly for animal well-being. Really cute ones!)
(Julicher Vineyard near Martinborough. Mainly Pinot Noir grapes and some Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Noir in NZ is excellent and growing in popularity globally!)

Yesterday I took a ride through the harbor here in Wellington on our first nice day (even no wind!). It was beautiful and full of sail boats. The water seems so clean here.(Days Harbor in Wellington. The rocks are sedimentary and really rough. You can tell this place is very young geologically)

Well I'm here till at least Tuesday and I'm looking to buy a campervan to I can tour the North Island before more friends come to visit! More later...thanks for reading. Cheers.

Auckland and a first impression of the Kiwi lifestyle

Greetings again from Auckland. I’ve been here a few days and plan to leave tomorrow evening bound for Wellington, the Southernmost capital in the world. Now that I’ve gotten a chance to get over some of my jet lag, I’ve made some observations of Kiwi life in Auckland. Speaking of jet lag, I’ve had this weird motion feeling, like vertigo since I’ve gotten here. I don’t know if its jet lag or that I’m adjusting to the opposite coriolis effects in the Southern Hemisphere? A few other Americans have said they felt the same way.

I’ve gotten a bank account now and was very pleased with the options. In addition to the fact that you don’t have to be a resident of NZ and have no address here, the interest rates for a savings account are 7%! Many things are I think pretty expensive here. Cell phones aren’t as prevalent and calls cost 49-89 cents/min. mobile to mobile or to a landline. However, cell phone companies don’t want to screw you out of money as bad as it seems in the states. You can sign up for month to month plans, 1 yr, or 2 yr. There are pretty much no start up fees and definitely no hidden fees.

Social Life: People here are laid back, not stressed-out, and relatively friendly. However, they still are city-like and not as outspoken as I expected. Bars and clubs are open till 6am, 18 is the drinking age and prostitution is legal here. There is no smoking in public places anywhere in NZ.

Environment: Auckland is cleaner than Seattle, reminds me of Portland or San Diego. Saw 2 or 3 homeless people but no one actively asking for money. Plenty of green parks around full of people playing soccer, cricket, and reading books. No trash or homeless. Handguns illegal here but theft and break-ins seems to happen a lot in certain neighborhoods. Weather is nice (65-75 F) and its springtime, like the month of May. Lots of flowers in bloom and the air smells really fresh, botanical and sweet. Its funny, all the trees and flowers are pretty different; I feel like I’m in a far away land (and I am!). There are a few familiar things like snapdragons, orchids and fox gloves. Air is clean and pollution is not a problem. Kiwi’s are really into conserving their ecology and environment which is great.

Yesterday I went to a suburb called Devonport and hiked some extinct volcanoes which were scattered with old gun turrets and military barracks-beautiful parks were well kept and green. Saw some people in parachutes floating the thermal updrafts. Not attached to anything-looks like fun!

Today I went to a large park and walked through a botanical garden full of ferns, flowers and exotic trees. Tomorrow I'm off to Wellington, so I'll see what that has to offer.

I'm finally here!

(The waterfont in Auckland. Lots of cafes and people catching happy hour)






I finally made it to Auckland! I stepped off the grueling 12hr plane trip onto NZ soil for the first time and took a deep breath. The air was fresh (yes, suprising at the Airport) and had a sweet smell from spring blossoms. I was already impressed by the friendliness and civility of the customs officers in NZ. Suprisingly conversational and nice, contrary to our usual serious and strict treatment in the states.

In a daze, I boarded the bus for my hostel and forgot they drive on the other side of the road! Commuted during morning traffic, or lack there of. Nothing like Seattle-almost no backups. The city seems much more relaxed and people seem happy and not so rushed. Hardly any graphiti and trash in the streets, it seems to be a nice, clean city. The water in the harbour is turquoise blue and the air a slight salty smell. My hostel is pretty nice and clean, sharing a room with 3 other guys.

Internet seems to be a lucrative industry here. Rates are about 3-5 NZ dollars/hr. In starbucks, wireless internet is $15/hr! It seems no one is on laptops in coffee shops. In fact, I haven't seen a laptop yet.

My family friends Tom and Micki are arriving in Wellington in 3 days, so I might go try to see them. For domestic airfare, there is no 2 week window to avoid, a flight to Wellington (1hr) three days from now costs about $115 NZ (one way). This works out to about $70 US.

Well, I'll post more later when I'm not so jet lagged!