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Published: January 9th 2010
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By the title of this blog, you can probably tell that its been raining a ton since I arrived in New Zealand. Granted, we have had some moments without rain and a gorgeous day in Christchurch, but its been comparable to Seattle weather in October. I’m pretty sure its my fault and these poor people traveling with me just have to endure the wet weather since I really didn’t get a typical fall. Its been my kind of fall since I arrived. I have worn out the 2 sweatshirts and 3 pairs of pants. Most people who know me well know that I am a clothes maniac, so its been pretty liberating to not have much to choose from. It makes life just a little easier and it makes me on time for... get this... everything! Wow, I know! I’m shocked too. Don’t think I’m throwing out all my clothes when I get home though.. no way.
I arrived in Christchurch on December 31st after very little sleep on a red-eye and a loss of 5 hours from Perth. I was actually more jet lagged on this journey than flying 37 hours from LA to Perth. After a nap, I had
about an hour to make a friend so I didn’t spend New Years alone. And, in walked Karen, a nice girl from England who just happened to have arrived that day too and was sleeping in the bunk below me. Not only was she great fun, but she had been on the same journey as me, except East Oz instead of West. How perfect. We set off for a nice dinner and a concert and fireworks in Cathedral Square. Was a little bummed to start Twenty Ten without a kiss from my man, but starting it in the 1st country to hit the new decade was pretty rad too. So, I blew Monty a kiss instead that I think he’s gotten by now.
After a lovely day in Christchurch with perfect weather in the Botanical Gardens, I stored my kite gear and set off on the Kiwi Experience, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour around New Zealand (South Island first, then North Island). Kaikoura on the east coast was our first stop, famous for dolphin and seal swimming and whale watching. Honestly, I’ve luckily seen more whales than most in my life and dolphin swimming was a little out of my price
range, so a group of us set off for a long scenic walk around Kaikoura. The wind was cold, but the weather wasn’t so bad. A delicious BBQ with the group was the ending to a great day.
Next stop, Nelson, known to be the sunniest place in New Zealand. Was planning to stay there a few days and do some kayaking, but rare pouring rain and wind had me scheduling my trip out the next day. On to Westport, down the west coast.... uh oh.... you guessed it, more rain. I used the precious time to catch up on some much-needed sleep and try to kick a cold that had lingered for a few days.
The Kiwi Experience has been a very easy way to travel. We go from stop to stop where you can stay on their itinerary or hop off and catch another bus later. It’s good for 12 months, so take your time. If you don’t feel like booking accommodations or activities, the driver books them for you before the next destination. We stay in some really nice hostels and lodges and its a great way to make friends and keep them for your journey. If
you want to stay at a stop longer, if you don’t like your group (i.e., obnoxious 19 year olds who are going on 12 😊 or you just need a change, stay behind and you get a new bus and a new group. The bus stops at cafes and other scenic areas for walks, hikes and photos along the way. I have to say, it can be a bit touristy, but bus travel is so relaxing compared to driving... I love it!
Our next stop was at a little motel in Lake Mahinapua on the west coast. It reminded me of one you might see off the highway on your way to Westport, WA. Next to the coast, but really in the middle of nowhere. Kiwi Experience does things a bit different than other buses which I love... they take you to some very “local” spots instead of always the touristy stuff that everyone else does. At this tiny motel that was closed to the public, we were hosted by an 84 year old Kiwi named Liz. The old man was a riot! Just hilarious and as sharp as can be. He runs the place just for these groups and
throws a theme costume party at the bar called the Poo Pub. We had time to come up with a theme and pick up costumes before arriving... check the pix... they are a crack up. And, for $21 USD, we got a bed and a huge dinner made by Liz and our driver, Lauren... pretty awesome. The fun outweighed the rain outside... yes, it was still raining 😊. Am I on the Oregon Coast in October or New Zealand? I wasn’t sure yet at this point.
Wow, this is a long blog... oh well, when you’re moving around a country in the speed I am, things change rapidly and there’s a lot to say. And, I haven’t even mentioned the friends I’ve met. Timo (Germany), Sabrina (Ontario, Canada) and Nitzan (San Fran) have been my posse. We bunk together and plan daily adventures. We’ve had great fun messing about, sharing travel stories and dressing up together at the lake. I’m a little jealous as they all speak two languages fluently. I gotta get workin on that spanish I took for 6 years... South America is looking even that more tempting. 😊
Heading on to Franz Joseph for two nights, the
Sneak-attack by an 18 year old...
Funny, out of 15 cameras, he decided randomly that this was a good time for the attack... simmer babe ;) home of a beautiful glacier, one of the only in the world surrounded by a subtropical rainforest (the other being its neighbor, the Fox Glacier). We stayed in the Rainforest Lodge, a very nice place close to the small town. The name is truly fitting since it was tough to go from the kitchen to your room without getting drenched. Torrential rain and lightning all night kept us from the all-day hike on Franz Joseph Glacier we signed up for the next day. Boo hoo. So, Sabrina, Timo and I set off on an 8k walk/hike up to the glacier when the weather cleared in the afternoon and hit the Glacier Hot Pools in the evening... The walk was “just stunning”, as our driver, Lauren, a local Kiwi would say and it was a great day despite the change in plans and weather issues.
As I type, we’re on our way to Wanaka, a ski town set on a lake, known to have better weather than we’ve experience. I plan to hop off for a bit and break from the group. It’s an absolutely beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine!! This drive has been my favorite so far... maybe
because I can actually see the scenery! 😊 Things are lookin up... and speaking of “up”... I’m signed up to skydive over Lake Wanaka today with pristine views of the snow-capped Southern Alps in the background!! .... so, things are literally looking UP, then straight DOWN. A check of my “Bucket List” for sure. Stay tuned!
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Gail Smith
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Wow, it looks like you are having an incredible time. I hear new Zealand is absolutely gorgeous. We sent my parents there for 6 weeks as their retirement gift and they both said it was fantastic. They did the bus thing too. They always wanted to go back!! I am glad to see that you are with a group and making lots of new friends. Of course that is just your nature!!! Love you and miss you. Enjoy the rest of your trip and I loved the long blog!!!