http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island , Hawkes Bay en-us Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:25:44 BST Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:25:44 BST Hello..... well as a few of you keep telling us it has been a while since we updated our blog so here is the updateOur last entry finished with us going to work in a Feijoa orchard pruning the trees. On the Monday we moved into our new home an old packhouse big shed We parked up our van inside plugged in and settled into our living quaters a nice sofa toilet and kitchen better than some http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Porangahau/blog-304903.html Just before we left i had dinner with my great friends Sarah Cox and Anna Holman. Sarah's husband Richard asked me about the approaching trip and i was more than happy to describe all our exciting plans. Afterwards Richard who is from Yorkshire and has higher sarcasm levels than most was silent for a few seconds and then concluded so basically you are following winter around the world. I l http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-292968.html Well it is time to catch you up to date on our travels We have been having a lot of fun and covering much ground but getting to writing and finding internet less. Our last blog brought us to the North Island and this one covers April 23 to 28th up the East Coast from Wellington.Our first stop along the way was a quick one to take a picture of the Tui brewery Tui was happy to see a flag beari http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/blog-275965.html YoFor the past 5 weeks we have been earning a crust and honing our apple picking talents. We were advised to contact Phil and Kirsty who own an orchard on the outskirts of Hastings. Unfortunately we missed the Royal Gala harvest but as they are so kind they sorted us out for work on a friend's organic orchard until the Jazz were ready to be picked.The organic place was well out of town and in a http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-263777.html It's surprising how much can happen in a few weeks. I'm still picking blueberries and actually enjoying it....sometimes. I've met wonderful people and I'm having so much fun. Me and Tove are going to Taupo on Thursday meeting up with Natalie and Louise there and we're going SKYDIVING yay Jumping out of a plane I'm very excited not only because it means not working for a couple of days. Af http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-260749.html The date is Wednesday March 26th and I am continuing my theme of writing on Wednesdays. I would first like to wish happy birthday to both my parents this is that special day of the year when my dad is 2 years older than my mom. I'm writing this from the living roomkitchenbedroom of my flat as we talked our kiwi neighbors into letting us scype their internet service for two weeks for 15. Its http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-259892.html The WorkAs the old adage goes you canrsquot polish a turd during some of our work days I would have preferred to do that hence there being little glitz and glamour in picking apples. I know what yoursquore picturing. A sundappled orchard blue sky hazy laughter floating between the trees as we pranced majestically up and down the rows casually plucking apples from their stems as we suppe http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-258425.html The title of this blog are my thoughts as I drove for the first time in NZ today. Everything is inverted and I don't think it is so much the driving on the other side of the road that gets to you its more the sitting on the other side of the car. That freaks you out. You are so used to puting your car space in a certain area so it doesn't hit anything and now everything is inverted. It's wierd. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-257568.html Umm.. nothing really to say.. I have about 4 stories that I couldn't put up in the other one and this is one of them.. I'll put the other stories up one is about another experience with party pills one is about the rich girls that live in Haverlock North and the other one is short and about an experience i had in the hostel in san francisco.Send me a message when you can read this and i'll po http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-256869.html After spending our last couple of days in Cairns wandering aimlessly drinking a lot of coffee and trying to avoid the heat we headed to the airport on Sunday 24th February six hours early for our flight. Well therersquos usually something to do at the airport. Cairns International Terminal has about two flights per day. Ours wasnrsquot until 2250 therefore nothing was open. Irsquod hoped http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-256494.html Australia Backpacking Discovery and Alcohol Our Two Month JauntAustralia will always remain to in my memory as the place where I truly understood what people meant when they referred to the following points Being a traveller and not a tourist and Roughing itSo far going on holiday usually referred to a 2week trip to a sunny clime a couple of hours away full of Britons intent on ruining http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-256493.html Before I start this blog I want to address some of my last blog. I talked about a pill I took called party pills. This pill which I bought over the counter at a liquor store was legal today the NZ parliament voted to make it illegal actually and I could not have gotten in any trouble for using in it. Nor is it or was it considered dangerous. They banned it because too many young kids are http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-255995.html Hey everyone Thanks for your comments and messages. It's so nice to hear from you guys and that all is well.Well for this blog we have numerous highlights including failing our WOF MOT and being eaten alive by sandflies and mossiesMaking our way up from Milford Sound thank you mother for your ingenious pearls of wisdom seemed to be done with triple the rapidity of getting down the East coa http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-254119.html It's Sunday March 9 and I'm writing this because there is nothing else to do. It's 1115 in the morning and I'm feeling pretty crappy after what I will call an interesting day yesterday but I will get to that later. Also sorry about the title of the blog but I'm reading Dostoyevsky and I think that title is sweet as. Note the use of the Kiwi term sweet as sweet. They use as all the time http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-254099.html Hello again. It is currently Wednesday March 5 and it is 1 o'clock in the afternoon here. As I am writing this the primary elections from Tuesday are closing down in the US which is weird to think about. Also I'm apparently getting into a rhythym of writing a blog on every Wednesday and I have no idea why. I have had some free time so I could have written alot more but I guess there is j http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-252831.html Day 1214 Tuesday Wed Thursday 22426We had a beautiful drive down from Taupo to Napier. Taupo is on Lake Taupo which is a big lake that was created from an explosion and which literally blew off the top of a mountain. The drive down to Napier was nice and we actually went 50k without mountains. I think it is about 150K from Taupo to Napier. The NapierHastings area is really interesting and http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-250795.html Hello everyone. It is currently Wednesday I think February 27th at 730 and I am in the same internet cafe in boring Hastings. I don't really have that much exciting to talk about in the way of adventures so I will just give a basic rundown of how my life has been over the last week or so as well as some observations I have. I arrived in Hastings last Tuesday. The bus dropped me off right http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-250538.html photos of us http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240804.html Spent a most enjoyable day wandering round this city. It was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and rose again in fashion. They found that the lagoon had emptied and the land risen so more room for planned development was available. It is certainly well worth a visit. Doubtless you can find all that on the web with pictures. I also found out a lot about possums from the possum shop. Hope you l http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240572.html Today we drove down to Napier the art deco city. On the way we stopped at Wairoa to look at the Kauri lighthouse easy to find as its been moved into the town centre. Then we slowly followed the road down round Hawke's bay through several spectacular gorges till we came to Tutiri lakes an excellent place for a picnic take note George and Beb. Also several lakeside walks. We have the photo http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240208.html How to lose yourself and utterly forget that you live in the grey smog and battle the 45 degree pavement rain of Englandrsquos grand capital... You come here of coursehellipFive miles of uninterrupted burnt golden sand aqua blue skies a sea of three maybe four colours at any one time an energetic breeze and a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This is Hawkes Bay. Known as the Wine Country of http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/blog-234480.html DATE VISITED NEW YRS EVE AND NEW YRS DAY After another half day of driving down the coast from the East Cape we entered Hawkes Bay. Our base for the night was a town called Napier which was shook by an Earthquake in the mid 1920's and was flattenned as a result. Napier as a result of this natural disaster presents to the visitor a vast array of Art Deco architecture which was built shortly a http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-231902.html Hi EverybodyWell here we are in New Zealand and rain has stopped play for the moment we have had torrential rain for the last day or so. Just as well we have hired a car to tour the North Island as otherwise we would have been drowned rats. We spent two days in Auckland staying in Sky City an hotel situated within a massive casino and entertainment venue quite a place we had a meal in the r http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-228728.html I went down to Hastings on saturday staying at the Sleeping Giant's Backpackers it's greatWorking in a vineyard bloody hot...but it's okay and it'll keep me going for a few weeks.Can't post any pictures though maybe in 2 weeks. I'm leaving Hastings on december 31st yes I don't know where I'll be celebrating new year's yet.I'm a bit sad that I won't be in Amsterdam for new years I'm going http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-228450.html Kia OraThere can't be a better way to see a place than from a bicycle. I hooked up with Bike DeVine for a wonderful daylong trip. I was on my own and for 60 NZ got pick up and drop off at my hotel water map and a route they customdesigned for me to let me get to Te Mata Winery which was one I was keen to taste at. The day was like all the others have been clear cloudless blue sky brilli http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Hastings/blog-223832.html Stop the presses Quit tasting wine and marveling at art deco The local Santa Claus in the village of Levin near Wellington has been sacked by the corp. sponsor for the parade because there were expanded duties including a lolly scramble and they wanted to try someone new. Not your fault Kris we're just headed in a new direction and your real beard and belly isn't working. The new Santa ol http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-223342.html Greetings blog watchersI boarded an Air New Zealand prop plane in chilly drizzle last night and landed in the sunny and warm Hawke's Bay region of the North Island. Once again I feel like I've landed in the travellers' version of hog heaven. The small seaside town ringed by hills filled with homes that perch dramatically all the way up was all but flattened in a 1931 earthquake. When it was reb http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-223232.html Holy freakin' crap my friends have been arrested under NZ terrorism laws The house i was staying at in Wellington 128 Abel Smith Street was raided by the police about 5 days after i left it. There are members of the Maori community who want to have a Maori state and were starting to get organised. The NZ officials arrested the leaders of this movement. Two of my friends who are not involved wit http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-213502.html