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
Sunday, 2 August 2009
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
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Rockin' the Pakeha
Despite my best intentions, it would seem that the blog isn’t living up to the (quite frankly unrealistic) demands of my many followers. The following e-mail gives a typical example of the feedback I have been receiving. To conceal the identity of the sender, we shall simply refer to him as Mr A Karr:
I've still been following your blog but there's not very much to follow most days (or weeks, months etc.)!
I truly I feel that I have let you, my loyal readers, down. Needless to say I’m going to buck up act (although previous experience would suggest this is likely to come to fruition). Anyway……
I have been busy enjoying my last chunk of time in the land of the long white cloud. I’m still based in Auckland, but I have managed to squeeze a few cheeky wee adventures here and there. I finally made it out to the Bay of Plenty (BOP), which was all very enjoyable. To be honest though, the true highlight of the trip was a visit to Kiwi 360. Now I do like a kiwi fruit from time to time, but to see the vast investment the BOP have put into this facility was truly jaw dropping. Kiwi 360 is a museum/working farm/unique insight into New Zealand’s great Kiwi Fruit industry. The best bit is the giant Kiwi Fruit that sits outside. You can even climb up inside it! I did…it was very exciting.
New Zealand has a bit of a thing about giving towns a ‘theme’ of sorts. Huntly has a very ugly power station - the theme for Huntly is therefore ‘Switch on to Huntly’. There is a town where all the shops are fashioned out of corrugated steel. This doesn’t sound very interesting, but have a look at the website
http://www.corrugatedcreations.co.nz/
Not content with a giant Kiwi Fruit and novelty steel themed towns, I decided to push the envelope and go to Paeroa. L&P (Lemon and Paeroa) is NZ’s national soft drink. The beverage was created in the lovely town of Paeroa….I say lovely, it is quite the shithole. That said, they do have another giant object worth a visit – the big L&P bottle. It is truly enormous and one of the highlights of my tour so far (sorry the sarcasm checker wasn’t working in Word). Check out my Flikr pics but clicking on the gallery above for more giant soft drink action.
One particular lowlight of the past couple of weeks has been the change in weather. I seem to have lost all perspective on what ‘cold’ really means. It is about 13 degrees in the evening and my teeth are chattering. Yes, winter is coming and so there is only one course of action available….go to the south island for a few weeks to experience even colder weather! I will be leaving Auckland on the 17th of May and heading off on a 6 week road trip taking me round all the bits I haven’t seen yet, and some I have, finishing off in Christchurch ready for my flight to Cairns (where it will be substantially warmer) on the 30th of June. After that….who knows!
Can I say a special thanks to Lorna T and Gillian for coming to visit me this week. It was so good to see you….and watch in great amusement as my Kiwi flatmate tried to decipher what you were saying. I’ve had more visitors here than when I lived in Inverness (totally understandable). Anyways, I’m off the purchase a warm jacket….chow for now xx
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Bit wet out
Howdy chaps. I’m sitting inside on a NZ summers day to update you on all my exciting adventures. That said, this is no ordinary summers day. No, today I’m getting my first experience of a proper tropical storm (warm and wet would be how I’d describe it). So, let us make the most of the down time and find out what has been happening in my world….
All is well in Auckland, where I still am. I haven’t been doing too much travelling around but I have managed to squeeze in a few cheeky voyages. A couple of weeks ago I took a trip up to Paihia and did a bit of exploring in the northland (i.e. the north of the north island). Day 1 was spent in Paihia. We went out to the hole in the rock which is basically a big rock with a hole in it that, if the captain of your chosen sea going vessel is feeling brave, you can go through. We decided the safest method of transportation would be a high powered jet boat. The seas were choppy and I nearly lost my lunch and/or my testicles during various parts of the trip, but I have to admit it was muchos soggy fun. I also saw a penguin, which is always a winner for me. We also squeezed in a quick visit to historic Russell. The treaty of Waitangi, the document which allowed the UK to basically steal all the Maori land, was signed in nearby Waitangi and Russell is historic for all sorts of reasons surrounding that. They have a flag pole which keeps getting cut down…..excellent. The treaty is a political hot potato in NZ, but I have my own views on it which I’ll keep to myself.
On day 2 we took a bus tour up to Cape Reinga (the most northerly point on the NZ mainland) which was amazing. We then drove down 90 mile beach. Yes, drove. You see, 90 mile beach is, as the name would suggest, a bloody big beach (although not 90 miles, more like 100k). However, it also doubles as a state highway. So, you can take you car a drive down it at the allocated speed limit of 100 km/h. There is plenty of evidence around to suggest why this isn’t a good idea. As you drive down you see plenty of car roofs poking out the sand, abandoned by their owners after a poorly timed attempt to drive the route. We also went to a Kauri forest where there were many big trees. I like the big trees.
Probably the biggest news is that my NZ adventure now has a definite end point. I will be in Auckland until mid-May, at which point I will embark on 6 week road trip round the country. I’m going to spend a good amount of time in the south of the South Island, one of the few areas I haven’t been to yet. I will be flying out of this fine nation on 30th June. My next destination is Cairns where it will be nice and sunny (it will be far from nice and sunny at that point in NZ). My plans of Ozzy are pretty fluid at the moment, but as ever I’ll see where the wind takes me….
On a final closing note, have you ever wondered what happened to Coronation Street favourite, pop pinup and Tory candidate Adam Rickett? Wonder no more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UKKmVV9pPk
Chow dudes
Tambo x
All is well in Auckland, where I still am. I haven’t been doing too much travelling around but I have managed to squeeze in a few cheeky voyages. A couple of weeks ago I took a trip up to Paihia and did a bit of exploring in the northland (i.e. the north of the north island). Day 1 was spent in Paihia. We went out to the hole in the rock which is basically a big rock with a hole in it that, if the captain of your chosen sea going vessel is feeling brave, you can go through. We decided the safest method of transportation would be a high powered jet boat. The seas were choppy and I nearly lost my lunch and/or my testicles during various parts of the trip, but I have to admit it was muchos soggy fun. I also saw a penguin, which is always a winner for me. We also squeezed in a quick visit to historic Russell. The treaty of Waitangi, the document which allowed the UK to basically steal all the Maori land, was signed in nearby Waitangi and Russell is historic for all sorts of reasons surrounding that. They have a flag pole which keeps getting cut down…..excellent. The treaty is a political hot potato in NZ, but I have my own views on it which I’ll keep to myself.
On day 2 we took a bus tour up to Cape Reinga (the most northerly point on the NZ mainland) which was amazing. We then drove down 90 mile beach. Yes, drove. You see, 90 mile beach is, as the name would suggest, a bloody big beach (although not 90 miles, more like 100k). However, it also doubles as a state highway. So, you can take you car a drive down it at the allocated speed limit of 100 km/h. There is plenty of evidence around to suggest why this isn’t a good idea. As you drive down you see plenty of car roofs poking out the sand, abandoned by their owners after a poorly timed attempt to drive the route. We also went to a Kauri forest where there were many big trees. I like the big trees.
Probably the biggest news is that my NZ adventure now has a definite end point. I will be in Auckland until mid-May, at which point I will embark on 6 week road trip round the country. I’m going to spend a good amount of time in the south of the South Island, one of the few areas I haven’t been to yet. I will be flying out of this fine nation on 30th June. My next destination is Cairns where it will be nice and sunny (it will be far from nice and sunny at that point in NZ). My plans of Ozzy are pretty fluid at the moment, but as ever I’ll see where the wind takes me….
On a final closing note, have you ever wondered what happened to Coronation Street favourite, pop pinup and Tory candidate Adam Rickett? Wonder no more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UKKmVV9pPk
Chow dudes
Tambo x
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