I am sad to report that my camera is no longer working.
It was raining for most of the day when I hiked/kayaked
the Abel Tasman and I guess my camera got too wet.
I attempted to fix it by letting it air dry for 24 hours
but everytime I put the battery in, it turns on and then
quickly short circuits. I have a whole days worth of pics
that I need to get off the camera but can't seem to keep
it on long enough to do that.
I am now faced with the decision to buy a new camera or go
without which isn't really a choice at all. I will have
to buy a new one because I can't even imagine going 20
days without taking pictures. Additionally, I have just arrived
in the most beautiful and picturesque region of NZ and I know there
will be much to document.
I could take the chance and see if in a couple of days it will work,
but by then I will be out of a major town center and not able to pick
one up at a reasonable price. So, it looks like I will just have to bite the
bullet and do one less fun activity, in order to pay for it.
I'm currently in the beach town of Hokitika and tomorrow I will head south
to Fox glacier. Stay tuned and hopefully there will be more pics coming.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Bad weather means the blog gets updated
I left Renwick on the 9:45 bus and got to Nelson around noon.
The weather is really terrible here at the moment so it's an
excellent day to catch up on my blog.
I will upload a lot more pictures and try to get the video clips
to finally load. Sorry, I haven't had much luck in that dept.
I am couch surfing here with a kiwi named Glen who works
at a hostel in Nelson. It's basic accommodation, ( a tent out on the lawn)
but it's free and I'll get to explore this area with a local for awhile.
He has the hook up with all the outfitters since he spends everyday
referring backpackers to them so that will be nice. I think we will end up
doing some kayaking in Abel Tasman, hiking in Golden Bay and
exploring the area beaches. Hopefully this front will quickly
pass and we will get our sun and blue skies back.
From here I plan to head down the west coast towards the glaciers and
try to coach surf along the way. This coast is suppose to be very wild
with lots of nature to gets lost in. Again, it will be great to explore
it with a local, if that works out.
Have already met some great people, travelling the same route who have offered
me rides, so I may not bother renting a car. It is really easy to get around by
bus just not very liberating.
The area I am in now is the northern most part of the south island. On a good day it feels very tropical with golden sand beaches and crystal blue waters. The pics should be quite nice.
I can't believe I'm only one week into my trip and still have three more weeks
to go. I very blessed to have this much time to explore this amazing country. It
feels really good to be back on the road and interacting with people from all over
the world. Makes me realize just how isolated I am back home and how much I miss
being a global citizen. America is not the center of the universe, even though we like to pretend it is. To everyone back home, get out and travel. You won't be disappointed.
The weather is really terrible here at the moment so it's an
excellent day to catch up on my blog.
I will upload a lot more pictures and try to get the video clips
to finally load. Sorry, I haven't had much luck in that dept.
I am couch surfing here with a kiwi named Glen who works
at a hostel in Nelson. It's basic accommodation, ( a tent out on the lawn)
but it's free and I'll get to explore this area with a local for awhile.
He has the hook up with all the outfitters since he spends everyday
referring backpackers to them so that will be nice. I think we will end up
doing some kayaking in Abel Tasman, hiking in Golden Bay and
exploring the area beaches. Hopefully this front will quickly
pass and we will get our sun and blue skies back.
From here I plan to head down the west coast towards the glaciers and
try to coach surf along the way. This coast is suppose to be very wild
with lots of nature to gets lost in. Again, it will be great to explore
it with a local, if that works out.
Have already met some great people, travelling the same route who have offered
me rides, so I may not bother renting a car. It is really easy to get around by
bus just not very liberating.
The area I am in now is the northern most part of the south island. On a good day it feels very tropical with golden sand beaches and crystal blue waters. The pics should be quite nice.
I can't believe I'm only one week into my trip and still have three more weeks
to go. I very blessed to have this much time to explore this amazing country. It
feels really good to be back on the road and interacting with people from all over
the world. Makes me realize just how isolated I am back home and how much I miss
being a global citizen. America is not the center of the universe, even though we like to pretend it is. To everyone back home, get out and travel. You won't be disappointed.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Finally made it to wine country
I only a few minutes before I catch my bus to Renwick,
where I will stay at Watson's backpacker for two days,
and tour around the vineyards on bike.
I've been moving around at a quick pace up until now, and
so I am looking forward to just being in one nice spot for
awhile. From here I will move on to Nelson where I may end
up spending 2-3 days as well.
Getting around by bus as been a bit inconvenient so when I get
to Nelson I am going to look into renting a cheap car to finish
up my time in NZ. There is so much to see and unfortunately
travelling by bus puts limits on me that I don't want. Wish me
luck in finding a good rate.
I will update my blog again, when I have time and access to an
internet cafe. But, I did put a lot of new pics up so check out the
gallery.
Cheers!
where I will stay at Watson's backpacker for two days,
and tour around the vineyards on bike.
I've been moving around at a quick pace up until now, and
so I am looking forward to just being in one nice spot for
awhile. From here I will move on to Nelson where I may end
up spending 2-3 days as well.
Getting around by bus as been a bit inconvenient so when I get
to Nelson I am going to look into renting a cheap car to finish
up my time in NZ. There is so much to see and unfortunately
travelling by bus puts limits on me that I don't want. Wish me
luck in finding a good rate.
I will update my blog again, when I have time and access to an
internet cafe. But, I did put a lot of new pics up so check out the
gallery.
Cheers!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Aahhh no time to blog...having too much fun!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I'm writing this blog at 11pm so please forgive any errors on my part. The whole blog concept is great in theory but actually takes quite a bit of time to maintain and update. So, I apologize in advance if you have checked back a few times just to find no new info. What will be updated a lot more frequently is the Picasa public gallery, so if your jonesing for something new, always try there next. Now, let's get everyone up to speed. I flew into Christchurch on the 29th and stayed through New Years Day. While in the city I did a lot of exploring and eating in cafes because the food is too damn good here. I put a serious dent in my budget but it was worth every penny. The food here is actually quite expensive so it's grocery stores and hostel kitchens for here on out. One day I did manage to get out of the city and do a great hike, starting at the top of the gondola. I put some video of that day on the this page for ya'll to see but you have to promise not to laugh. Yes, I am aware at how much I blinked in one of them, but it's hard for me to be in front of the camera. And you'll notice I have my sunglasses on for all the rest of them :) That simple hike, unexpectedly turned into an epic day for me. I started at the top of the gondola which is actually the rim of an extinct volcano (with the port town being the caldera) and continued hiking all the way to the beach town of Sumner (simply because I could). As you will see from the pics, this is where I encountered my first NZ sheep, right on the trail! For NYE, I was fortunate to meet two awesome girls from Denmark (Susan and Henrietta) to celebrate with. There was free music and fireworks at Cathedral Square, just a few blocks from our hostel. They really made the evening so much fun! Unfortunately, my bus to take me North out of the city came at 10:30 that morning which was a little rough for me. But when new adventures await, you just have to suck it up. So, I've been in Hamner Springs for two days now and will blog about that another time. I leave for Kaikoura in the morning.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Gone a few days, feels like a month
Greetings from Christchurch!
I've finally made it to the south island.
Even though I've just begun my travels it already
feels like I've been gone weeks. I find that time
takes on a different dimension when you travel.
I'm in an internet cafe now, writing this blog and working
to get my pics up in a Picasa public gallery. Right now I am
experiencing technical difficulties but if I actually get it
sorted out, then look for a link to it on this page. That is where
I will post all my pics from now on.
Now here's an update to bring you all up to speed.
For the last 48 hours, life for me has been a whirlwind
of airports, buses and ferries. The flight over was long,
due mainly to the fact I started my journey in Florida, which
feels like the furthest point from NZ. Plus, I had a 7 hour lay
over in LA before I even got on the plane to NZ.
But when you are flying for free, you really can't complain.
By the time I finally boarded my flight to NZ I had already been
traveling for 12 hours and had another 12 to go.
But once I ate, indulged in the free wine and
took some sleeping pills, I was out. Thankfully,
I slept most of the way and was awake for only
the last three hours of the flight. Just enough time
to see Jamie Oliver's new show on the BBC, "Cooking from Home" good stuff!
Quantas has this novel concept of putting all of their entertainment
'on demand' so you can select what you want to watch and when.
What a great idea, how come our airlines don't do that?! Or maybe they do now?
I arrived into Auckland at 6:30 am on the 29th so I
had a full day in the city to burn. Once I got my luggage sorted
and checked-in on my evening flight, I boarded a bus to downtown.
There I boarded a ferry to Waiheke Island to spend the day exploring
and visiting wineries.
On the boat ride over I met the first of three groups of fellow Americans.
Turns out the first family on holiday in NZ included a sister who lives in Tampa
and graduated from USF - "it's a small world after all". Chatted with her brother Michael on the ferry ride over and ending up running into the family again on the ferry ride back. Turns out his brother found them an mazing deal and they all flew business class to NZ for $1500. What a score!!
On the bus I met my second American family, this time from California.
We were all heading to the same destination, so they let me join their group
for the afternoon. We hit two wineries, the second one being a recommendation of a client of mine in Tampa. He told me I had to try the "crack blue cheese" and so I did, along with some sheep's and goat cheese. The food, wine and ambiance at Stonyridge was fabulous and great way to kick-off my trip.
On the bus ride back to the airport I met my other set of Californians
who live on Waiheke. Got the local insight into the area and learned that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were just on the island. Apparently he is very cool
and down to earth.
I then got on my evening flight to Christchurch. I am staying at Coachman's Backpacker, in a 6 bunk dorm room, for $25 NZD a night. It's basic, quiet, clean, centrally located near the main downtown area. I heard from one of my roomies that the big new year's celebration at the Lux has sold out and is "the place to be" on NYE so I feel fortunate to have already bought my ticket.
It's 2pm now so I need to wrap this up and go seize the day. I will try to update the blog as often as time and money will allow. Hope you enjoyed reading about my travels thus far. I'll do my best to keep them entertaining.
I've finally made it to the south island.
Even though I've just begun my travels it already
feels like I've been gone weeks. I find that time
takes on a different dimension when you travel.
I'm in an internet cafe now, writing this blog and working
to get my pics up in a Picasa public gallery. Right now I am
experiencing technical difficulties but if I actually get it
sorted out, then look for a link to it on this page. That is where
I will post all my pics from now on.
Now here's an update to bring you all up to speed.
For the last 48 hours, life for me has been a whirlwind
of airports, buses and ferries. The flight over was long,
due mainly to the fact I started my journey in Florida, which
feels like the furthest point from NZ. Plus, I had a 7 hour lay
over in LA before I even got on the plane to NZ.
But when you are flying for free, you really can't complain.
By the time I finally boarded my flight to NZ I had already been
traveling for 12 hours and had another 12 to go.
But once I ate, indulged in the free wine and
took some sleeping pills, I was out. Thankfully,
I slept most of the way and was awake for only
the last three hours of the flight. Just enough time
to see Jamie Oliver's new show on the BBC, "Cooking from Home" good stuff!
Quantas has this novel concept of putting all of their entertainment
'on demand' so you can select what you want to watch and when.
What a great idea, how come our airlines don't do that?! Or maybe they do now?
I arrived into Auckland at 6:30 am on the 29th so I
had a full day in the city to burn. Once I got my luggage sorted
and checked-in on my evening flight, I boarded a bus to downtown.
There I boarded a ferry to Waiheke Island to spend the day exploring
and visiting wineries.
On the boat ride over I met the first of three groups of fellow Americans.
Turns out the first family on holiday in NZ included a sister who lives in Tampa
and graduated from USF - "it's a small world after all". Chatted with her brother Michael on the ferry ride over and ending up running into the family again on the ferry ride back. Turns out his brother found them an mazing deal and they all flew business class to NZ for $1500. What a score!!
On the bus I met my second American family, this time from California.
We were all heading to the same destination, so they let me join their group
for the afternoon. We hit two wineries, the second one being a recommendation of a client of mine in Tampa. He told me I had to try the "crack blue cheese" and so I did, along with some sheep's and goat cheese. The food, wine and ambiance at Stonyridge was fabulous and great way to kick-off my trip.
On the bus ride back to the airport I met my other set of Californians
who live on Waiheke. Got the local insight into the area and learned that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were just on the island. Apparently he is very cool
and down to earth.
I then got on my evening flight to Christchurch. I am staying at Coachman's Backpacker, in a 6 bunk dorm room, for $25 NZD a night. It's basic, quiet, clean, centrally located near the main downtown area. I heard from one of my roomies that the big new year's celebration at the Lux has sold out and is "the place to be" on NYE so I feel fortunate to have already bought my ticket.
It's 2pm now so I need to wrap this up and go seize the day. I will try to update the blog as often as time and money will allow. Hope you enjoyed reading about my travels thus far. I'll do my best to keep them entertaining.
Those I need to thank..
Before I get into the juicy details of my trip I just
need to give thanks to a few people who made this trip
possible for me.
To Shannon Burnett for meeting me at 10:30pm on the
eve of my departure to open up my storage unit so I could
retrieve my passport. I literally could not have gone on
this trip without your help. Get ready for your awesome
bottle of NZ vino. I will 'suffer' through visiting
all the wineries, tasting all the varietals, till I find just the
right one for you and Roy. It's a sacrifice I know,
but one I am willing to make.
To Dad for use of the frequent flyer miles to get me here,
for your generosity at Christmas, for taking care of my
car and kayak while I am away and for understanding your
daughter's need to fly.
To Mom and Roger for helping me move my stuff into storage,
for your generosity at Christmas and for inspiring me
to take this trip. It feels great to be back out in the world.
need to give thanks to a few people who made this trip
possible for me.
To Shannon Burnett for meeting me at 10:30pm on the
eve of my departure to open up my storage unit so I could
retrieve my passport. I literally could not have gone on
this trip without your help. Get ready for your awesome
bottle of NZ vino. I will 'suffer' through visiting
all the wineries, tasting all the varietals, till I find just the
right one for you and Roy. It's a sacrifice I know,
but one I am willing to make.
To Dad for use of the frequent flyer miles to get me here,
for your generosity at Christmas, for taking care of my
car and kayak while I am away and for understanding your
daughter's need to fly.
To Mom and Roger for helping me move my stuff into storage,
for your generosity at Christmas and for inspiring me
to take this trip. It feels great to be back out in the world.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
One Week
I can't believe December is half over and I leave
for New Zealand one week from today!
More folks have come forward to share their NZ travel
experiences with me and I am grateful for the knowledge.
As a result,I feel very confident about my intinerary and
how to best spend the precious time I have there.
As it stands now, I will fly into Auckland and spend the day
exploring the city until my evening flight to Christchurch
(now referred to as ChCh). ChCh marks the beginning and ending point
of my clockwise route around NZ. I'll be there three days,
including New Year's Eve before setting out on the open road.
My intinerary is a loose one but here are some of the highlights:
-Hiking and Camping at Mt. Cook
-Wildlife viewing in the Otaga Pennisula
-Kayak/Camping in Doubtful Sound
-Backcountry hiking throughout Southern Alps
-Swimming in mountain lakes
-Climbing Fox/Franz Joseph Glacier
-Some cliche adrenaline junkie/tourist activity
-Fly fishing
-White water rafting
-Kayak/Camping Abel Tasman
-Bike tour of Marlborough's wine region
-Hamner Hot Springs
-Whale watching, surfing and dolphin swimming in Kaikoura
and much, much more.
In the next 7 days I will pack up my house, move all
my belongings into storage, pack for NZ, finish up
the last of my massage appointments, celebrate the
holidays with my family, take care of loose ends and
then depart for the airport. Needless to say it's
going to be a busy week.
for New Zealand one week from today!
More folks have come forward to share their NZ travel
experiences with me and I am grateful for the knowledge.
As a result,I feel very confident about my intinerary and
how to best spend the precious time I have there.
As it stands now, I will fly into Auckland and spend the day
exploring the city until my evening flight to Christchurch
(now referred to as ChCh). ChCh marks the beginning and ending point
of my clockwise route around NZ. I'll be there three days,
including New Year's Eve before setting out on the open road.
My intinerary is a loose one but here are some of the highlights:
-Hiking and Camping at Mt. Cook
-Wildlife viewing in the Otaga Pennisula
-Kayak/Camping in Doubtful Sound
-Backcountry hiking throughout Southern Alps
-Swimming in mountain lakes
-Climbing Fox/Franz Joseph Glacier
-Some cliche adrenaline junkie/tourist activity
-Fly fishing
-White water rafting
-Kayak/Camping Abel Tasman
-Bike tour of Marlborough's wine region
-Hamner Hot Springs
-Whale watching, surfing and dolphin swimming in Kaikoura
and much, much more.
In the next 7 days I will pack up my house, move all
my belongings into storage, pack for NZ, finish up
the last of my massage appointments, celebrate the
holidays with my family, take care of loose ends and
then depart for the airport. Needless to say it's
going to be a busy week.
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