Greetings blog fans!
Firstly, my sincere apologies for my complete neglect of this fabulous blog. As you will see from the previous entry, it has been a record breaking 2.5 months since the last entry. Even by my lax standards, this is mince. I hope you will forgive me and read on for an action packed update on the final portion of my grand adventure.
So, I find myself back in sunny Ayrshire, Scotland (home of the brave). I've actually been back for about 3 weeks, but to be honest I have been getting my head together after a roller coaster few months. Let us start by looking at my last few NZ adventures:
Tongariro Crossing
The Tongariro Crossing is rated as the best one day walk in the world. It is about 19Km and should take about 7-8 hours. A lot of the scenery in this amazing (and still active) volcanic landscape was used in Lord of the Rings (most famously Mt Doom). It was one of the big things (not to be confused with the big things of Australia - it isn't a big prawn or anything) that I wanted to tackle before I left NZ, but things weren't looking promising. The area had been hit with some severe dumps of snow over the previous 2 weeks, and it is one of those trips where you don't really know what the conditions are going to be like until you get there. I chanced it and drove down to Taupo on the Friday night after work and hoped for the best. When I awoke at 5am to catch the bus down to the track, it look like it was going to be a fantastic day. Indeed, it looked great all the way down to the track. However, true to form, once we actually arrived at the track we were greeted by some high grade mist which provided a rather ghostly quality to the start of the walk. I was a bit concerned that I was going to be walking for 8 hours, knowing fine well that I was surrounded by some the best scenery in the world, and not being able to see 2 feet in front of me. However, after about an hour of tramping the mist slowly clearer to reveal the red crater, the emerald lakes and a generally stunning vista. This was a definite highlight of my time in NZ and if you ever get the chance to tackle this track you should go for it (unless you are anything less than fit, in which case forget it - not for the faint hearted!)
Great Barrier Island
There are a number of islands off the coast of Auckland, many of them inhabited and worth a visit. I'd been for a weekend on Waiheke Island the previous year. Waiheke is more like a suburb of Auckland and is easily reached by a 30 minute ferry crossing. Great Barrier, on the other hand, is another kettle of monkeys. It was a place that always came up when I was talking to Kiwis about their favourite places. However, they hadn't eluded to the logistics of getting there. You have 2 options. Option 1 - 4 hour ferry crossing. Option 2 - 45 minute flight on a 12 seater plane. Both options were rather expensive, but as I lack patience I went for the plane option. I actually managed to book a pretty decent fly drive deal. As it was still spring I even got an upgrade to a Toyota Rav 4. I needed it. The island is quite an experience. There is no mains electricity (all diesel generators) or running water/sewage. However, it is truly one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. Many refer to Arran as Scotland in miniature. Great Barrier is like the South Island of NZ in miniature. Big peaks, tons of rainforest, natural hot water springs....amazing. I won't rabble on too much, but if you are ever in NZ, get yourself over there. Indeed, I got to extend my stay. We got stranded on the island for an extra night after the plane failed to take off due to fog (in bloody Auckland). As much as I fancied a diversion to Hamilton, we decided to get some new accommodation and hope for take off in the morning. Luckily the weather had clearer my the morning and it was straight to work from the airport on Monday morning. If you ever get over there then I would recommend the following:
GBI rent-a-car - Hire a fantastic Mazda 121 'funtop' - completely unsuitable for the roads and akin to driving a soft-top milkfloat, but what a laugh. They hired us a car for $20 when our flight was cancelled
http://www.greatbarrierisland.co.nz/
Crossroads backpackers - We stayed at a place called stray possum initially and it was mince. We stayed here the night our flight was cancelled. They gave us a room and let us pay them via online banking 'when we got the chance' when we didn't have cash. Lovely place as well.
http://www.xroadslodge.com/
So, the time had come to bid farewell to NZ. It was hard, but I was ready for home (now I'm home I'm not so sure). I am rubbish at flying. I just can't sleep. So, I had opted for a cheeky stop over....next stop Bangkok!
Bangkok
This is truly the most bizarre and stunningly insane place I have ever been (and I've been to Tirau). You want to buy something, anything, at a stupidly low price, with free beer and someone firing ping pong balls at you whilst you drink a jelly smoothie....you've come to the right place. I will summarise the highlights forthwith.
The suit
It has always been a dream of mine to get a tailor made suit. However, anyone that knows me will also know that I'm exceptionally cheap. Luckily I was in Bangkok, just the place pick up a finely crafted suit at a bargain price. However, a little warning, there are a lot of cheap and generally rubbish tailors in Bangkok. Be choosy and do your research. I went here:
http://www.dress-for-success.com/
The place is at the higher end of tailors in Bangkok (you could get cheaper, but not better). After a couple of fitting sessions and copious amounts of free beer I got my suit and 4 shirts for the equivalent of about £250. It was the King's Birthday while I was in the city, a public holiday which stretched over much of my stay. These guys managed to get my suits/shirt made and delivered direct to my hotel despite being closed! Highly recommended.
There is plenty to see in Bangkok. Don't bother walking anywhere though. It is a big city, incredibly polluted and there are certain areas I wouldn't be to keen to walk through on my own. Fortunately the skyrail got me pretty much everywhere I wanted to go (only 120 baht for unlimited travel per day - about £2).
Bangkok is an excellent place for a spot of shopping. Now this can mean many things. You can buy anything - rabbit in a dress, viagra, fake rolex, fried insects..and some normal stuff at really good prices. There are different sides to the Bangkok shopping experience. For instance, there are a ton of markets selling all sorts of nonsense. Some are better/less dodgy than others. If you are in town over a weekend you have to check out the Chatuchak weekend market. It is an incredible spectacle. Even if you didn't want to buy anything, just come for a wonder round. Buy a squirrel on a string for a few baht and leave it at the airport if you fancy.
The other side of Bangkok shopping is the malls. There are tons of malls, some high end and some...well, less so. If you want high end go to the Siam Paragon (www.siamparagon.co.th). Basement level - full aquarium with penguins. Seventh floor - Bentley showroom. It also has one of the best food courts. If you want a slightly different experience go to the MBK mall (www.mbk-center.co.th/en/) which is more like an indoor version of the market described above (less rabbits in dresses though). So, you could for example pick up a fake iphone or other such quality merchandise here. If you are into technology then go straight to Pantip Plaza (http://thailand-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/malls_of_bangkok_pantip_plaza) Bloody hell, the Barras has nothing on this place. Mountains of pirate software, movies, mp3s, music and every piece of technology you could ever wish for...and as usual dirt cheap.
Muchos good food is to be had as well. Don't really need to say too much here as you would be extremely unlucky to get a bad meal in Bangkok. However, my special tip would be this place. Very different to anywhere else you will eat (or indeed stay if you fancy) and definitely the best food I had during my trip - http://www.theatlantahotelbangkok.com/
There are of course many cool touristy things to see in Bangkok. I would recommend the Grand Palace (although at 350 baht it isn't cheap) and What Po (see the photos of the 150 ft gold buhda on my Flikr). All very impressive, but they really highlight the bi-polar nature of Bangkok. Incredible wealth and consumerism sits next door to incredible poverty. You sink and swim in this city, and probably quite a lot of people sink, and the sea bed ain't pretty. I was mightily disappointed that I didn't get to see the one tourist attraction that had been top of my list since I spotted it in the guide book - The Museum of Forensic Medicine. Ooh, that sounds interesting I hear you cry. I'd love to see a 75cm elephantitis infected human scrotum. It was shut because of the bloody king's birthday, but check out the website (http://www.thaioasis.com/bkkv/siriraj01.php)
Any then it was all over. It was time to go home. There are of course other stories (if you see me ask me about the 'stealing a lamp from a monk' story, and if you must, the 'my experience of a Thai massage' story). Just a closing note - don't fly SAS Scandinavian Airways - they are mince!
So I'm home. Look me up. Give me a cuddle. Give me a job. I missed you and if you missed me you should take me for a pint (I might buy you one in return). Thanks to all of you who have stuck with the blog. It isn't much, but is a small record of a great time in my life. Now for the next chapter...
Love and kisses
Tambo x
Wednesday 23 December 2009
Monday 28 September 2009
An end has a start
Greetings blog fans!
As usual, I have been somewhat neglecting my blogging duties. I would love to tell you that this was due to a variety of exciting adventures, but I'd be lying. The truth is I have been exceptionally busy, but for a variety of complex reasons. A lot has happened since my last update. I'm not really keen to discuss a lot of this on the old bloggy-woggy, but I'll give you a quick update on the latest developments.
As you may have guessed from my last entry, I didn't like Australia much. I really can't tell you why...I just didn't. When I got to Sydney, I really didn't feel like hanging about. It was a cool city, but by that point I had become a bit 'scunnered' with kangaroo land. So, I made the decision to come back to NZ. Although it was fairly cheap to fly back, it was a far from simple process. I originally arrived in NZ with a 1 year Working Holiday Visa. By the time I got to Sydney my visa only had 2 weeks left to run. Although the visa could be extended by another 11 months, I had to apply in person. I also had to go through a full immigration medical (blood tests, chest x-rays, physical) which was less than fun and just a wee bit pricey. By the time I had got all my results and put together my application I only had 11 days left on the visa! I asked the nice lady at immigration how long it would take to process my application and I was told that their 'target' was 30 days! It was rapidly looking like I was going to get the chance to experience life as an illegal immigrant (not something on my 'to do before I'm 30 list'). However, all credit to the normally less than efficient Kiwis, I was granted my visa extension 24 hours before my stay became officially 'unlawful'.
So, here I am back in NZ. I have moved into a new place in Mount Eden with views over the city. I also managed to get another temp assignment at AUT university, this time in the research office. There has been a lot of other stuff going on, but I'll tell you about all that when I see you.....
Which leads me on nicely to some exciting news (for me anyway) - I'm coming home! I will be leaving NZ on 3rd Dec, stopping in Bangkok for a few nights of hot lady-boy action. I will be back on UK soil on 8th December. I have mixed feelings about coming home. At lot has happened, a lot has changed, and to be honest I really don't know what to expect. I'll be extremely sad to leave, but I think the time has come. See you in Dec chums!
Tambo x
As usual, I have been somewhat neglecting my blogging duties. I would love to tell you that this was due to a variety of exciting adventures, but I'd be lying. The truth is I have been exceptionally busy, but for a variety of complex reasons. A lot has happened since my last update. I'm not really keen to discuss a lot of this on the old bloggy-woggy, but I'll give you a quick update on the latest developments.
As you may have guessed from my last entry, I didn't like Australia much. I really can't tell you why...I just didn't. When I got to Sydney, I really didn't feel like hanging about. It was a cool city, but by that point I had become a bit 'scunnered' with kangaroo land. So, I made the decision to come back to NZ. Although it was fairly cheap to fly back, it was a far from simple process. I originally arrived in NZ with a 1 year Working Holiday Visa. By the time I got to Sydney my visa only had 2 weeks left to run. Although the visa could be extended by another 11 months, I had to apply in person. I also had to go through a full immigration medical (blood tests, chest x-rays, physical) which was less than fun and just a wee bit pricey. By the time I had got all my results and put together my application I only had 11 days left on the visa! I asked the nice lady at immigration how long it would take to process my application and I was told that their 'target' was 30 days! It was rapidly looking like I was going to get the chance to experience life as an illegal immigrant (not something on my 'to do before I'm 30 list'). However, all credit to the normally less than efficient Kiwis, I was granted my visa extension 24 hours before my stay became officially 'unlawful'.
So, here I am back in NZ. I have moved into a new place in Mount Eden with views over the city. I also managed to get another temp assignment at AUT university, this time in the research office. There has been a lot of other stuff going on, but I'll tell you about all that when I see you.....
Which leads me on nicely to some exciting news (for me anyway) - I'm coming home! I will be leaving NZ on 3rd Dec, stopping in Bangkok for a few nights of hot lady-boy action. I will be back on UK soil on 8th December. I have mixed feelings about coming home. At lot has happened, a lot has changed, and to be honest I really don't know what to expect. I'll be extremely sad to leave, but I think the time has come. See you in Dec chums!
Tambo x
Sunday 2 August 2009
Goodbye blinky bill
Greetings blog fans
Welcome to the first of my blogs from Ozzy. I have finally completed by first epic voyage, my grand tour of the east coast. Here are the high/lowlights:
Cairns
This was my first stop in Oz after setting off from a rather rainy and bloody freezing Christchurch NZ. I was looking forward to some heat and sunshine, and there was plenty in Cairns. However, despite the welcome increase in temperature, I have to admit I absolutely hated Cairns. If you like getting shit faced every night, you'll love this place. If you want anything else....you really won't. Unfortunately I was booked in for 3 nights, which was 3 nights too long.
Port Douglas
This was a great spot. Located about 90 minutes north of Cairns, PD still has the good weather but a much more 'grown up' atmosphere. Lovely beaches, nice cafes, and a fantastic hostel with cheap beer. What more do you want. Stayed here a couple of nights and then it was off to...
Cape Tribulation
This was the most northerly point on this voyage. In fact, this is really as far north as you can go without a four wheel drive. En-route we had a cruise up the Daintree river, my first chance to see big scary crocs in the wild (they don't do much, but I spotted a couple shagging..nice). There isn't much here, but the rainforest and wildlife is incredible. I would recommend doing a evening guided tour through the rainforest. This is the best time to see a lot of the animals. My tour even features a demonstration of the cane toad's little known moonwalking skills. Some would call it animal cruelty...I call it bloody funny. Good spot, but 2 nights was enough. After a night in PD and a night in Cairns on the way back down, it was time to embark on the Southern leg of my journey. Next stop was...
Mission Beach
Really liked it here. Again, the hostel was cracking and right next to the rather nice beach. You can do some skydiving and white water rafting here. I am too cheap, so opted to get pissed and talk bollocks.
Magentic Island
Accessed from Townsville, Magnetic Island is a touristy wee island about 30 minutes from the mainland. I opted to stay in a Koala reserve and as part of my package I got hold one of the furry little swines (NB very sharp claws). The island was nice, but as ever, any more than a couple of days and you would probably go crazy.
Airlee Beach
Airlee Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. There are around 60 operators offering various different types of sailing experience around these stunning islands. Quite frankly, some of the boats are shit and I heard some horror stories from other travellers. Two points of advice - if you want to sail just rock up a couple of days before a book something last minute (you can get some great standby rates). Second - be choosy, as you definitely get what you pay for. I went out on a racing yacht (Broomstick) and it was and incredible experience. The crew were great, the other guests were a good laugh, and belting round the islands at high speed (and at some rather scary angles) was the highlight of my trip so far. Highly recommended!
Hervey Bay
Having done the Whitsundays, it was time for some more island based fun on Fraser Island. The largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island has some truly stunning scenery including crystal clear lakes and pure white silica sand beaches. There are also lots of baby stealing dingos. I did a guided 2 day trip as I am a complete wimp. Lots of fun, but not a patch on the Whitsundays.
Noosa Heads
Now this is a nice spot. I'll admit it is a bit poncy, and you couldn't survive here without a serious amount of cash, but it was a nice place to spend a couple of nights.
Brisbane
Bris-vegas is the 3rd largest city in Australia and it generally gets a pretty hard time for being, well, a bit mince. I loved it. Sure, its no Sydney, but for a relatively small city I thought it was great. I even went to an AFL (Aussie Rules Footy) match (which I didn't understand one bit). Nice city, nice friends, nice beer. Overall, a very enjoyable visit.
Byron Bay
I really liked it here. I arrived the day after the end of Splendour in the Grass, a but music festival that takes over this hippy dippy town. There were come 'interesting' characters still lingering around, but this didn't detract from what was a lovely spot.
Port Macquarie
This was the last stop before Sydney. It was pretty quite, but it was a great opportunity to chill out before reaching the big smoke. If you happen to pass through, try out the whale spotting tours. This is the cheapest place to do it in Oz (only $35) and I saw loads of the big blubbery chaps. There is also a Koala hospital. If I don't get a blind Koala for Christmas this year I will not be amused!
Sydney
So, I have finally arrived in Sydney and my intention is to get some work and top up the funds a bit. I haven't really had a chance to get to know this city yet. I'm staying with some lovely relatives out in the suburbs while I get myself sorted. Lets hope I get sorted quickly as I'm going slightly mental having not worked for about 3 months now (sounds good, but in practice is a big mind-numbing).
I'm still making my mind up about Australia. To be honest, I really don't feel the same connection as the one I still have with NZ. I really miss NZ and to be honest I am still thinking about going back before I come home. However, I want to give this place a chance. I will try and be patient (not by greatest skill) and see how things pan out. That said, I think I have some interesting choices to make over the next few weeks and it we will need to wait and see which way I swing......I'll keep you posted.
As ever, I miss you all...and for the first time I actually miss Scotland.
Take care
Tambo xx
Welcome to the first of my blogs from Ozzy. I have finally completed by first epic voyage, my grand tour of the east coast. Here are the high/lowlights:
Cairns
This was my first stop in Oz after setting off from a rather rainy and bloody freezing Christchurch NZ. I was looking forward to some heat and sunshine, and there was plenty in Cairns. However, despite the welcome increase in temperature, I have to admit I absolutely hated Cairns. If you like getting shit faced every night, you'll love this place. If you want anything else....you really won't. Unfortunately I was booked in for 3 nights, which was 3 nights too long.
Port Douglas
This was a great spot. Located about 90 minutes north of Cairns, PD still has the good weather but a much more 'grown up' atmosphere. Lovely beaches, nice cafes, and a fantastic hostel with cheap beer. What more do you want. Stayed here a couple of nights and then it was off to...
Cape Tribulation
This was the most northerly point on this voyage. In fact, this is really as far north as you can go without a four wheel drive. En-route we had a cruise up the Daintree river, my first chance to see big scary crocs in the wild (they don't do much, but I spotted a couple shagging..nice). There isn't much here, but the rainforest and wildlife is incredible. I would recommend doing a evening guided tour through the rainforest. This is the best time to see a lot of the animals. My tour even features a demonstration of the cane toad's little known moonwalking skills. Some would call it animal cruelty...I call it bloody funny. Good spot, but 2 nights was enough. After a night in PD and a night in Cairns on the way back down, it was time to embark on the Southern leg of my journey. Next stop was...
Mission Beach
Really liked it here. Again, the hostel was cracking and right next to the rather nice beach. You can do some skydiving and white water rafting here. I am too cheap, so opted to get pissed and talk bollocks.
Magentic Island
Accessed from Townsville, Magnetic Island is a touristy wee island about 30 minutes from the mainland. I opted to stay in a Koala reserve and as part of my package I got hold one of the furry little swines (NB very sharp claws). The island was nice, but as ever, any more than a couple of days and you would probably go crazy.
Airlee Beach
Airlee Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. There are around 60 operators offering various different types of sailing experience around these stunning islands. Quite frankly, some of the boats are shit and I heard some horror stories from other travellers. Two points of advice - if you want to sail just rock up a couple of days before a book something last minute (you can get some great standby rates). Second - be choosy, as you definitely get what you pay for. I went out on a racing yacht (Broomstick) and it was and incredible experience. The crew were great, the other guests were a good laugh, and belting round the islands at high speed (and at some rather scary angles) was the highlight of my trip so far. Highly recommended!
Hervey Bay
Having done the Whitsundays, it was time for some more island based fun on Fraser Island. The largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island has some truly stunning scenery including crystal clear lakes and pure white silica sand beaches. There are also lots of baby stealing dingos. I did a guided 2 day trip as I am a complete wimp. Lots of fun, but not a patch on the Whitsundays.
Noosa Heads
Now this is a nice spot. I'll admit it is a bit poncy, and you couldn't survive here without a serious amount of cash, but it was a nice place to spend a couple of nights.
Brisbane
Bris-vegas is the 3rd largest city in Australia and it generally gets a pretty hard time for being, well, a bit mince. I loved it. Sure, its no Sydney, but for a relatively small city I thought it was great. I even went to an AFL (Aussie Rules Footy) match (which I didn't understand one bit). Nice city, nice friends, nice beer. Overall, a very enjoyable visit.
Byron Bay
I really liked it here. I arrived the day after the end of Splendour in the Grass, a but music festival that takes over this hippy dippy town. There were come 'interesting' characters still lingering around, but this didn't detract from what was a lovely spot.
Port Macquarie
This was the last stop before Sydney. It was pretty quite, but it was a great opportunity to chill out before reaching the big smoke. If you happen to pass through, try out the whale spotting tours. This is the cheapest place to do it in Oz (only $35) and I saw loads of the big blubbery chaps. There is also a Koala hospital. If I don't get a blind Koala for Christmas this year I will not be amused!
Sydney
So, I have finally arrived in Sydney and my intention is to get some work and top up the funds a bit. I haven't really had a chance to get to know this city yet. I'm staying with some lovely relatives out in the suburbs while I get myself sorted. Lets hope I get sorted quickly as I'm going slightly mental having not worked for about 3 months now (sounds good, but in practice is a big mind-numbing).
I'm still making my mind up about Australia. To be honest, I really don't feel the same connection as the one I still have with NZ. I really miss NZ and to be honest I am still thinking about going back before I come home. However, I want to give this place a chance. I will try and be patient (not by greatest skill) and see how things pan out. That said, I think I have some interesting choices to make over the next few weeks and it we will need to wait and see which way I swing......I'll keep you posted.
As ever, I miss you all...and for the first time I actually miss Scotland.
Take care
Tambo xx
Monday 29 June 2009
Over the ditch
Howdy blog fans
Whilst I had the best intentions to keep the blog up to date during my final NZ tour, I have failed somewhat. Give me a break...I've just been having too much fun.
The last 6 weeks have been immense and it has been a fantastic experience to see NZ in all its winter glory. Yes, summer is awesome, but I reckon NZ really shines in winter.
I think we last spoke when I was in Nelson, my first stop in the South Island. I won't bore you with all my exciting adventures since then, but here are some of the highlights:
Queenstown - A lot of people hate Queenstown, but I bloody love it. I have never lost my phone in a drunken stupor in my life...but I did in Queenstown. Basically, Q-town is great for a visit but you really couldn't live here long term. You would be sucked dry of cash and liver cells in a couple of weeks. I spent a week there, so I left with half a liver. I got drunk, I jetboated, I went skiing for the first time in my life. It was muchos fun.
Dunedin - Dunedin is suposedly the most Scottish place in NZ. Baws! The only haggis for sale was in a tin and it was bloody $13. However, I liked this little slice of tartan quite a bit. This may have been something to do with the drunken tour of the Speights Brewery (no really, I got pished) and the Cadburys factory (I ate muchos free chocotlate). I also enjoyed a little jaunt on the Taieri Gorge railway, which was stunning - see www.taieri.co.nz
Oamaru - Do you like penguins? Do you like mad people racing Penny Farthings down the street on a Saturday? I have just the place for you. Saw some penguins, but missed out on 'penguin cam' in the pub.
Doubtful Sound - You have probably heard of Millford Sound, this is the larger (13 times larger to be precise) and much less accessable sound to the south of its more famous cousin. It isn't a sound, it is actually a Fijord. It was stunning, need I say more.
Wanaka - Like a quiter, more chilled out version of Queenstown. Shame it was so bloody foggy (not so good for stunning lake/mountain views)
Mt Cook / Lake Tekapo - this was a last minute diversion, which turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the trip. The biggest mountains in NZ, covered in snow on a crisp blue day. Amazing....but again, very cold.
So, I now find myself back in smelly Christchurch (regular readers will know I despise Christchurch). Tomorrow morning I will get up a 4am and go to the aiport, by 6pm NZ time I will be basking in the 27 degree heat of Cairns, Australia. It has been bloody cold here (I think people understimate how cold it gets here....-3 during the day is not unusual), so I'm looking forward to getting the jandals out again.
Despite my excitement about heading to Oz, today has been somewhat tinged with sadness. The Beast, my trusty 1989 Toyota Corolla, the best car I have ever driven, was today taken away to th big scrapheap in the sky. It ran with absolute reliability during my entire voyage (7,500 Km) and during the preceeding 10 months. However, sensing that my time in NZ was coming to and end, the beast 'died' as I rolled into my final NZ hostel in Christchurch. I could tell it had died as the temparature gague actually went above zero (worryingly, the very rarely happened). The nice man gave me $300 and I said goodbye to a faithful friend. RIP Beast, you will always be in my heart.
As a final farewell to NZ, enjoy moutache gate, a great example of why the NZ media is a bit retarded (but regularly hilarious):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTlpH28QTw
See you in Oz!
Love and kisses
Tambo x
Whilst I had the best intentions to keep the blog up to date during my final NZ tour, I have failed somewhat. Give me a break...I've just been having too much fun.
The last 6 weeks have been immense and it has been a fantastic experience to see NZ in all its winter glory. Yes, summer is awesome, but I reckon NZ really shines in winter.
I think we last spoke when I was in Nelson, my first stop in the South Island. I won't bore you with all my exciting adventures since then, but here are some of the highlights:
Queenstown - A lot of people hate Queenstown, but I bloody love it. I have never lost my phone in a drunken stupor in my life...but I did in Queenstown. Basically, Q-town is great for a visit but you really couldn't live here long term. You would be sucked dry of cash and liver cells in a couple of weeks. I spent a week there, so I left with half a liver. I got drunk, I jetboated, I went skiing for the first time in my life. It was muchos fun.
Dunedin - Dunedin is suposedly the most Scottish place in NZ. Baws! The only haggis for sale was in a tin and it was bloody $13. However, I liked this little slice of tartan quite a bit. This may have been something to do with the drunken tour of the Speights Brewery (no really, I got pished) and the Cadburys factory (I ate muchos free chocotlate). I also enjoyed a little jaunt on the Taieri Gorge railway, which was stunning - see www.taieri.co.nz
Oamaru - Do you like penguins? Do you like mad people racing Penny Farthings down the street on a Saturday? I have just the place for you. Saw some penguins, but missed out on 'penguin cam' in the pub.
Doubtful Sound - You have probably heard of Millford Sound, this is the larger (13 times larger to be precise) and much less accessable sound to the south of its more famous cousin. It isn't a sound, it is actually a Fijord. It was stunning, need I say more.
Wanaka - Like a quiter, more chilled out version of Queenstown. Shame it was so bloody foggy (not so good for stunning lake/mountain views)
Mt Cook / Lake Tekapo - this was a last minute diversion, which turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the trip. The biggest mountains in NZ, covered in snow on a crisp blue day. Amazing....but again, very cold.
So, I now find myself back in smelly Christchurch (regular readers will know I despise Christchurch). Tomorrow morning I will get up a 4am and go to the aiport, by 6pm NZ time I will be basking in the 27 degree heat of Cairns, Australia. It has been bloody cold here (I think people understimate how cold it gets here....-3 during the day is not unusual), so I'm looking forward to getting the jandals out again.
Despite my excitement about heading to Oz, today has been somewhat tinged with sadness. The Beast, my trusty 1989 Toyota Corolla, the best car I have ever driven, was today taken away to th big scrapheap in the sky. It ran with absolute reliability during my entire voyage (7,500 Km) and during the preceeding 10 months. However, sensing that my time in NZ was coming to and end, the beast 'died' as I rolled into my final NZ hostel in Christchurch. I could tell it had died as the temparature gague actually went above zero (worryingly, the very rarely happened). The nice man gave me $300 and I said goodbye to a faithful friend. RIP Beast, you will always be in my heart.
As a final farewell to NZ, enjoy moutache gate, a great example of why the NZ media is a bit retarded (but regularly hilarious):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTlpH28QTw
See you in Oz!
Love and kisses
Tambo x
Monday 1 June 2009
What the Whakapapa?
Howdy chums
Time for a wee update on my travels. When I last spoke to you all, my loyal blog followers, I was in Gisborne. Progress has been swift since then. Here is a quick summary:
Gisborne - 2 days - lovely in summer, less exciting in winter. A fun visit nonetheless
Napier - 2 days - I love this place. Destroyed in a massive earthquake in the 1930s and entirely reconstructed in an art deco style. The place has an amazing history and a lovely atmosphere. If I was going to live in NZ longer term, this place would be pretty high up the list.
Taupo - 1 day - Nice spot. I actually didn't like it much when I first visited in the Summer. However, I take it all back. It is a wee bit touristy, bit then I am a tourist. This visit gave me one of the biggest highlights of my NZ tour - I did a skydive from 15,000ft. I know it sounds scary (and it was), but if you ever get the chance you have to do it. Amazing!
Taurangi - 1 day - This is the closest settlement of any size to the Tongariro National Park (the national park which includes lots of big scary mountains, including the 2 used for Mt Doom in the LOR films). My plan was to do the Tongariro crossing, an 8 hour trek which is recognised as the best 1 day trek in the world. This seemed like a bit too much effort, so I just drove my 20 year old Toyota up the mountain. I got some amazing photos and played in the snow...I was happy!
Wellington (via Cape Palliser) - The Cape Palliser bit was quite the diversion. I ended up driving for 9 hours that day. Was worth it though. Cape Palliser is NZ biggest seal breeding colony, and I was feeling like a seal burger. Only kidding, I didn't eat any, but I did get some nice photos of the little slippery freaks. Then it was onwards to Wellington. What an awesome city! Wish I had spent a bit more time here during my trip, but it was good to finally have a proper visit. For anyone visiting these shores, don't bother with Auckland. It's okay, but Wellington is where it's at.
So, I have now arrived in Nelson, my first stop in the South Island. I only have 4 weeks left! The ferry crossing took 5 hours yesterday due to adverse weather (usually takes about 3). However, the South Island is definately worth it.
Take care out there chaps
Txx
Time for a wee update on my travels. When I last spoke to you all, my loyal blog followers, I was in Gisborne. Progress has been swift since then. Here is a quick summary:
Gisborne - 2 days - lovely in summer, less exciting in winter. A fun visit nonetheless
Napier - 2 days - I love this place. Destroyed in a massive earthquake in the 1930s and entirely reconstructed in an art deco style. The place has an amazing history and a lovely atmosphere. If I was going to live in NZ longer term, this place would be pretty high up the list.
Taupo - 1 day - Nice spot. I actually didn't like it much when I first visited in the Summer. However, I take it all back. It is a wee bit touristy, bit then I am a tourist. This visit gave me one of the biggest highlights of my NZ tour - I did a skydive from 15,000ft. I know it sounds scary (and it was), but if you ever get the chance you have to do it. Amazing!
Taurangi - 1 day - This is the closest settlement of any size to the Tongariro National Park (the national park which includes lots of big scary mountains, including the 2 used for Mt Doom in the LOR films). My plan was to do the Tongariro crossing, an 8 hour trek which is recognised as the best 1 day trek in the world. This seemed like a bit too much effort, so I just drove my 20 year old Toyota up the mountain. I got some amazing photos and played in the snow...I was happy!
Wellington (via Cape Palliser) - The Cape Palliser bit was quite the diversion. I ended up driving for 9 hours that day. Was worth it though. Cape Palliser is NZ biggest seal breeding colony, and I was feeling like a seal burger. Only kidding, I didn't eat any, but I did get some nice photos of the little slippery freaks. Then it was onwards to Wellington. What an awesome city! Wish I had spent a bit more time here during my trip, but it was good to finally have a proper visit. For anyone visiting these shores, don't bother with Auckland. It's okay, but Wellington is where it's at.
So, I have now arrived in Nelson, my first stop in the South Island. I only have 4 weeks left! The ferry crossing took 5 hours yesterday due to adverse weather (usually takes about 3). However, the South Island is definately worth it.
Take care out there chaps
Txx
Friday 22 May 2009
East is East
Howdy blog fans
The first leg of my grand finale tour of NZ is complete. I have successfully navigated my way around the East Cape. I only have a limited amount of time for this update, so I will summarise my thoughts in bullet point form:
1. East Cape is stunning
2. Nice lighthouse
3. How the hell do people survive out there - it is beyond rural
4. I know how, they grow lots of weed
5. If Carlsberg made hostels, they would be like this - http://www.maraehako.co.nz/
6. Bit chilly out
7. No penguins yet
I have made it to lovely sunny Gisborne and next stop is Napier. Will I get to experience an earthquake before I leave? I'm certainly heading the right way for one!
Hope you are not overwhelmed by the regularity of my blog updates. Chow for now!
Tambo x
The first leg of my grand finale tour of NZ is complete. I have successfully navigated my way around the East Cape. I only have a limited amount of time for this update, so I will summarise my thoughts in bullet point form:
1. East Cape is stunning
2. Nice lighthouse
3. How the hell do people survive out there - it is beyond rural
4. I know how, they grow lots of weed
5. If Carlsberg made hostels, they would be like this - http://www.maraehako.co.nz/
6. Bit chilly out
7. No penguins yet
I have made it to lovely sunny Gisborne and next stop is Napier. Will I get to experience an earthquake before I leave? I'm certainly heading the right way for one!
Hope you are not overwhelmed by the regularity of my blog updates. Chow for now!
Tambo x
Sunday 17 May 2009
Move along..
This will probably be my last update for a while as I'm currently packing up my backpack and preparing to hit the road one last time. I'm leaving Auckland, the city I have called home for the last 8 months, for the last time tomorrow morning. I finally got up the skytower, opting to spend my final night dining in NZ's only rotating restaurant. All very civilised.
From tomorrow, I shall once again be free to explore the random themed towns of NZ (although a repeat visit of 'switch on to Huntly' is unlikely' as I embark on a 6 week road trip. First stop is Opotiki, then on to the East Cape, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Picton, Nelson, Farewell Spit, Hammner Springs Christchurch.....and so on. Look out for the last exciting installment of my NZ adventures in about 6 weeks.
Chow for now
Txx
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