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Published: April 1st 2008
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Night on the Town
My favorite part about this place- us! After a 6-hr layover and another 4-hr weather delay, we finally departed Sydney in route to Auckland. We arrived at about 4 am- fishing pole and all. I downsized my luggage by sending a suitcase home, but it is currently lost somewhere between Parnell, NZ and Ord, NE (that's quite a bit of ground to cover). This time IS NOT my fault that I've lost something, but it's still disappointing to be without my good-butt jeans or little black dress.
We did a bit of sightseeing in Auckland for 2 days (that's about all we needed), then set off for Queenstown. It is a picture perfect mountain town nestled up against a large lake. The town itself is quite small, but it is very touristy and the hotels stay full during the peak travel seasons, as do the bars.
New Zealand really is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. The Lonely Planet is full of adventures throughout both islands, and lucky for us there's heaps to do in our backyard.
There are tons of great walking/running trails all around the area. The hills are quite steep (considering it's the side of the mountain I guess it comes with the territory), but
Easing in to NZ lifestyle
Blowing bubbles after dinner- kiwis sure know how to enjoy the finer things in life I just consider it an added glute workout! I've had a few gos at the indoor climbing gym. It's about 8km out of town, so without a car it's a bit tricking getting out there. We watched a few climbers scale a cliff near our house and that's still a bit daunting for me, so I'll stick with the padded floor of the gym. There's a frisbee golf course through the botanical park. Can't say that I'm any better at it than real golf, but it's still a great way to spend an afternoon. (Abbi- you'll love the pond with lily pads off of hole 16!) Josh just received his fishing gear so stay tuned for details on the upcoming fishing events. Lord of the Rings was filmed throughout the area, but since I havn't seen the movie, I'm not too intrigued by it.
We got down to business with finding jobs and housing, and must say that everything fell in to place very nicely.
We are living in a "share house" with 7 other people. It's quite spacious and nice to come home to a friendly house (altough quite messy at some times). I keep comparing it
Auckland Skyline
Typical city with typical city things to the Real World- except no b*tch fights and everyone keeps their clothes on in the hot tub (more about the "hot tub" later). The house came with a resident cat whom I'm not to fond of, but Josh secretly cuddles when I'm not around. Rent is quite expensive, but there's not a lot of housing to go around so we consider ourselves lucky. Central heating isn't common in New Zealand, so we have to layer-up next to the space heater - this also means more cuddling under the blanket, so I don't mind at all. We're a 10-minute walk from the center of town and have great views of the mountains. We're also near the landing field for paragliders so we see parachutes floating through the sky from our bedroom window!
The wages here are crap, so we really do depend on tips to get by. Most employers don't pay well because they know the travelers will be moving on and there is always someone else to replace them. It's not easy saving up, but that's the price you pay to live in such a great place.
I am furthering my career as a waitress- my greatest
Is this heaven?
Our first Dunky's sighting in months- probably the greatest thing about Auckand. It didn't taste quite the same- it was missing the Masshole love achievement!!! It's a pizza/pasta type place and the owner is really down-to-earth and laid back. I work with a lot of other travelers and must say I love everything about it- excpet for the customers, though. It seems that most people check their manners as they step off the plane and forget how to treat other people, especially those they view as lowly peasant servents. Most people are a bit caught off guard when I say that I have a doctorate and am conducting research on the trends of tight-ass tourists (the last part isn't exactly true, but I think we could write a novel on the topic).
Josh is working behind the bar at a nice restaurant on the wharf. He doesn't have the pleasure of dealing with people, but I think that suits him just fine. He also works with some really great people and enjoys every minute of the after-hours staff beverages- they're even nice enough to invite me in to join them.
We havn't met a lot of true kiwis since there are so many travelers and tourists in the area, but New Zealand definately has a friendly, low-key vibe to it. I think
Josh- is that you?
We saw this sticker in a store window- I think Josh has found his home away from home we'll like it here just fine.
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