The main street of Queenstown is mostly filled with various shops advertising and selling extreme and wacky adventure sports - bungy, skydiving, rafting, river surfing, para gliding....you name it, they do it in queenstown.
yesterday we started off our adreneline rushed few days with a gentle luge down the 'scenic' (as opposed to fast and furious) part of a mountain after a quiet gondola ride to the top....queenstown really is beautiful...nestled beside the lake it is really only a small town but caters to a young, thrill seeking crowd....so there are countless backpacker hostels, bars, cheap burger joints....
after a scenic overview from the mountain top we got down into the thick of it and had lunch in a busy little cafe before going our separate ways - mum and dad went shopping in the little boutiques scattered around the town....matt and i went to the famous Shotover Jet....
500 horsepowered little red bullets...these jet boats have so much power it's unbelievable....they can skim across as little as 10cm water and turn on a dime. our driver must be crazy.....so many times i seriously thought we would crash into one of the sharp boulders at the side of the shotover canyon....or get bogged in the shallow water....and, yes, at one stage, during a fast 360 degree turn i very nearly went flying out of the boat!!!! but it was great fun and a must do if you ever find yourself in queenstown.
we ended the day with hot mexican and cold cocktails as we froze our little fingers off in the 'minus 5' bar....queenstown's equivalent of london's 'ice bar'
so, we've got the adreneline pumping....and now it's time for the big one. in an hour or so i will be heading to an airfield somewhere in the centre of New Zealand to meet the hopefully incredibly experienced and brave jump instructor who will teach me the moves and be strapped to my back as I step out of a plane at 12 000 feet before freefalling for 45seconds. I could barely sleep last night with the butterflies having a party in my stomach!! i'm crazy - if there was ever any doubt..!
stay tuned....xx
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
the kingdom of mordor....
Queenstown....just the name brings images to mind of crazy, adrenaline pumping, extreme, adventure sports....and here i sit, on the banks of Lake Waktipu, in a luxurious apartment, drinking a cold beer and tossing up the pros and cons of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane...here is what i've come up with so far:
Pros:
- I pride myself on being a 'try anything once, no matter what' kinda person
- I've always said i'd do it
- It would be awesome fun
- I could use it for boasting material/dinner party stories/drunkenly exaggerated tales for the rest of my life
- there'll be someone behind me who (hopefully) has done it before and will therefore pull the right cords thereby making it much more appealing than bungy
- the view would be spectacular (if my eyes aren't squeezed too tightly shut)
Cons:
- It could be slightly unsafe (ie. i could die!!!!!)
yep...i think i'll do it!!!
So tomorrow we'll go and arrange that little activity to take place for sometime over the couple of days while we are here in the adventure sports capital of the world...now that i've told you i'm thinking of it i cant back out!
today we enjoyed something a bit less extreme....a chilled out boat cruise on Milford Sound. Driving there i half expected to see Frodo Baggins, Legolass and Aragon come flying through the forest chased closely by the dark knights.......this is lord of the rings country.....spectacular, breathtaking wilderness....craggy mountains, rivers, fjords....everything you imagine when you think of new zealand....it was a rainy day (as it is 2 days out of 3 in the fjordlands apparently....almost as bad as england!) but the mist only served to make the sound more mysterious and beautiful....as we cruised along we saw more wildlife - fur seals and a little penguin who amused us by hop skip and jumping down the rocks to the water....we putted right up to a waterfall 3 times higher than niagara falls....so close that i could feel the heavy drops on my face and was soaked to the bone...but worth it to feel the power....
I find it really hard to describe to you the immense beauty of what we're seeing here.. soon i will post some photos but even they wont do it justice. I'm really falling in love with new zealand....perhaps one day we might consider it our 4th home...?
I'll keep you posted on adventure activities here in queenstown...should be an exciting few days.
stay tuned. xx
Pros:
- I pride myself on being a 'try anything once, no matter what' kinda person
- I've always said i'd do it
- It would be awesome fun
- I could use it for boasting material/dinner party stories/drunkenly exaggerated tales for the rest of my life
- there'll be someone behind me who (hopefully) has done it before and will therefore pull the right cords thereby making it much more appealing than bungy
- the view would be spectacular (if my eyes aren't squeezed too tightly shut)
Cons:
- It could be slightly unsafe (ie. i could die!!!!!)
yep...i think i'll do it!!!
So tomorrow we'll go and arrange that little activity to take place for sometime over the couple of days while we are here in the adventure sports capital of the world...now that i've told you i'm thinking of it i cant back out!
today we enjoyed something a bit less extreme....a chilled out boat cruise on Milford Sound. Driving there i half expected to see Frodo Baggins, Legolass and Aragon come flying through the forest chased closely by the dark knights.......this is lord of the rings country.....spectacular, breathtaking wilderness....craggy mountains, rivers, fjords....everything you imagine when you think of new zealand....it was a rainy day (as it is 2 days out of 3 in the fjordlands apparently....almost as bad as england!) but the mist only served to make the sound more mysterious and beautiful....as we cruised along we saw more wildlife - fur seals and a little penguin who amused us by hop skip and jumping down the rocks to the water....we putted right up to a waterfall 3 times higher than niagara falls....so close that i could feel the heavy drops on my face and was soaked to the bone...but worth it to feel the power....
I find it really hard to describe to you the immense beauty of what we're seeing here.. soon i will post some photos but even they wont do it justice. I'm really falling in love with new zealand....perhaps one day we might consider it our 4th home...?
I'll keep you posted on adventure activities here in queenstown...should be an exciting few days.
stay tuned. xx
Friday, November 28, 2008
"I wish i was a glow worm..."
"I wish i was a glow worm
A glow worm's never glum
Cause how can you be gloomy
When the sun shines out your bum?!"
The grotto is pitch black.....so dark that you couldn't see your hand if you held it to your face. You hear a waterfall in the distance but no one makes a sound for fear of scaring the creatures and causing their bright lights to dim....tiny pricks of light scattered over the ceiling and walls of the caves....lying in wait for their prey, sticky poisonous beads of death draping down from the hammock where the glow worm lies languidly, ready to catch unsuspecting bugs and moths as they happen past, fatally attracted to the light...
To get to the glow worm caves at Te Anau we are ferried across beautiful Te Anau lake....I feel as though, for the past month or so, all I have done is gaze at beautiful scenery....from the Canadian Rockies to the South Island of New Zealand I have lost count of the number of breathtaking lakes, snow capped mountains, rolling green hills and pretty little babbling brooks. But I am in no way complaining. How fortunate am I to be able to say I have seen and experienced some of the most beautiful places in the world!?
The name Te Anau is translated from the Maori to mean 'cave of swirling water' and it is the second largest lake in NZ. The water is deep and pure - so pure you can drink it straight out of the lake....the tiny township of Te Anau itself stands on its shores but in the main it is surrounded only by farms and wilderness....it feels untouched by time and civilization....
Today i took some time to be alone and drink it all in....I find that sometimes, when travelling this far and wide it is important to just stop and think about where I am, what i'm seeing, what i've seen...where i'm going....wandering to the lake I sat with hot sunshine beating down on my back and stared at the lake, the trees, the mountains, watching a cheeky dog chasing sticks thrown into the shallow water by her daddy just below me...I could not have been more relaxed....
tomorrow an (other!) early start takes us to milford sound where, I believe, awaits even more spectacular, breathtaking, indescribable scenery!
stay tuned! xx
A glow worm's never glum
Cause how can you be gloomy
When the sun shines out your bum?!"
The grotto is pitch black.....so dark that you couldn't see your hand if you held it to your face. You hear a waterfall in the distance but no one makes a sound for fear of scaring the creatures and causing their bright lights to dim....tiny pricks of light scattered over the ceiling and walls of the caves....lying in wait for their prey, sticky poisonous beads of death draping down from the hammock where the glow worm lies languidly, ready to catch unsuspecting bugs and moths as they happen past, fatally attracted to the light...
To get to the glow worm caves at Te Anau we are ferried across beautiful Te Anau lake....I feel as though, for the past month or so, all I have done is gaze at beautiful scenery....from the Canadian Rockies to the South Island of New Zealand I have lost count of the number of breathtaking lakes, snow capped mountains, rolling green hills and pretty little babbling brooks. But I am in no way complaining. How fortunate am I to be able to say I have seen and experienced some of the most beautiful places in the world!?
The name Te Anau is translated from the Maori to mean 'cave of swirling water' and it is the second largest lake in NZ. The water is deep and pure - so pure you can drink it straight out of the lake....the tiny township of Te Anau itself stands on its shores but in the main it is surrounded only by farms and wilderness....it feels untouched by time and civilization....
Today i took some time to be alone and drink it all in....I find that sometimes, when travelling this far and wide it is important to just stop and think about where I am, what i'm seeing, what i've seen...where i'm going....wandering to the lake I sat with hot sunshine beating down on my back and stared at the lake, the trees, the mountains, watching a cheeky dog chasing sticks thrown into the shallow water by her daddy just below me...I could not have been more relaxed....
tomorrow an (other!) early start takes us to milford sound where, I believe, awaits even more spectacular, breathtaking, indescribable scenery!
stay tuned! xx
Thursday, November 27, 2008
the tale of polly the penguin and other wild creatures
They sit proudly in their little breeding huts, guarding their babies while their mate marches off busily in search of food....as we peer out of the camouflaged viewing huts we quietly watch as the little one pops its head up and nestles into the soft down of his mummy's tummy. The yellow eyed penguin is incredibly rare and endangered and this area of new zealand, near dunedin, is one of only a few areas that they nest, coming back to their territory year after year. They are quite unusual penguins in that they like to be alone...just them and their mates, no friends, no bill and betty round for dinner....they do things their way and they do them alone....
Dunedin is known as the 'wildlife capital of new zealand'. and we continue on after watching the penguins to watch the albatross...a slightly bigger bird (3m wingspan!) which also breeds in the area...learning about the albatross is fascinating....after being bought up by mum and dad (the albatross mates for life...) the young albatross is fed and kept safe but is never taught to fly....when along comes a windy day the mum and dad say 'bugger off' and the poor little thing runs down the hill and flies for the first time....and does not come back for 5 years. the scientists aren't sure where they go....but they do know it travels the world at least as far as south america....then back they come, do a little song and dance to find a mate, and settle down to raise a family....it all reminds me of the life cycle of many an aussie i know....!
below the albatross a colony of stewart island shags nest on the waterfront watching a frolicking seal....
So our road trip is cruising along just fine. we're covering a lot of ground but it's beautiful ground, and we're doing it with style and finesse. we do have our 'blonde' moments....mum: generally doors open when you push or pull them, rather than just stare at them hoping to use kinetic energy! dad: in new zealand we drive on the LEFT hand side of the road...this generally reduces the risk of crashing into oncoming traffic.... Matt: it may surprise you but Ireland in January has been WINTER rather than summer for, i dunno, forever....?
I, of course, have not said or done anything remotely 'blonde'...!!
tomorrow we move on to Te Anau...stay tuned. xx
Dunedin is known as the 'wildlife capital of new zealand'. and we continue on after watching the penguins to watch the albatross...a slightly bigger bird (3m wingspan!) which also breeds in the area...learning about the albatross is fascinating....after being bought up by mum and dad (the albatross mates for life...) the young albatross is fed and kept safe but is never taught to fly....when along comes a windy day the mum and dad say 'bugger off' and the poor little thing runs down the hill and flies for the first time....and does not come back for 5 years. the scientists aren't sure where they go....but they do know it travels the world at least as far as south america....then back they come, do a little song and dance to find a mate, and settle down to raise a family....it all reminds me of the life cycle of many an aussie i know....!
below the albatross a colony of stewart island shags nest on the waterfront watching a frolicking seal....
So our road trip is cruising along just fine. we're covering a lot of ground but it's beautiful ground, and we're doing it with style and finesse. we do have our 'blonde' moments....mum: generally doors open when you push or pull them, rather than just stare at them hoping to use kinetic energy! dad: in new zealand we drive on the LEFT hand side of the road...this generally reduces the risk of crashing into oncoming traffic.... Matt: it may surprise you but Ireland in January has been WINTER rather than summer for, i dunno, forever....?
I, of course, have not said or done anything remotely 'blonde'...!!
tomorrow we move on to Te Anau...stay tuned. xx
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
of rivers and oceans and hills and mountain peaks
It can be difficult, sometimes, when participating in activities of a purely english nature to remember that we are actually in New Zealand... Punting down the Avon river yesterday alongside ducklings and goslings - with a plummy accented english boy in straw boat hat and waist-coat we could well have been in oxford....the only thing that flagged this trip as kiwi was the 'extreme adventure' nature of the originally quiet punt as we became stuck on a rock (perhaps if i hadn't had the pizza for lunch it wouldnt have been as much of a problem!) and our poor punter earned his wage by jumping into the freezing stream in bare feet to dislodge us...
continuing our road trip in the afternoon we made our way down to dunedin via world famous custard slices...i'm afraid i must now wax lyrical as, to describe the countryside we drove through with anything less than excessively flowery adjectives would not be doing it justice. Imagine the lushest, richest green, rollling hills you have ever seen...filled to the brim with chubby calves and skittish lambs...an ocean on one side, snow capped mountains on the other...Dunedin itself is a sprawling metropolis filled with scottish heritage and a hip and happening university city vibe which we hope to experience tonight.
today we visit penguins and albatross and a scottish castle....remind me which continent we are in??
stay tuned.. xxx
continuing our road trip in the afternoon we made our way down to dunedin via world famous custard slices...i'm afraid i must now wax lyrical as, to describe the countryside we drove through with anything less than excessively flowery adjectives would not be doing it justice. Imagine the lushest, richest green, rollling hills you have ever seen...filled to the brim with chubby calves and skittish lambs...an ocean on one side, snow capped mountains on the other...Dunedin itself is a sprawling metropolis filled with scottish heritage and a hip and happening university city vibe which we hope to experience tonight.
today we visit penguins and albatross and a scottish castle....remind me which continent we are in??
stay tuned.. xxx
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
la ville par la mer
the last thing you might expect whilst traveling around a overtly english country like New Zealand, is to stumble across a little village with a distinctive gallic flavour.....yet little Akaroa, on the banks of a beautiful harbour, with street names like Rue Jolie and Rue Lavaud made the francophile in me jump for joy...settled by the french in 1838 the town is full of picturesque cottages, restaurants with names like l'hotel and french flags flying proudly next to kiwi over teeny tiny boutiques....
lunch (pizza - hmmm italian rather than french, oh well...) and an ice cream by the sea later we mozied back into christchurch and matt and i headed out to enjoy the last of the evening's sunshine and the famous christchurch river....with a river named 'Avon' lined with old willows and a neo-gothic cathedral you could be forgiven for mistaking christchurch for a forgotten corner of old england. old fashioned trams are juxtaposed with post-modern sculptures....the city has a calming feel about it - i would have liked to spend more time here - but i'm finding i feel that way about any and all of the places we've visited here...guess that means i'm coming back!!
tomorrow we move on to dunedin.
stay tuned. xx
lunch (pizza - hmmm italian rather than french, oh well...) and an ice cream by the sea later we mozied back into christchurch and matt and i headed out to enjoy the last of the evening's sunshine and the famous christchurch river....with a river named 'Avon' lined with old willows and a neo-gothic cathedral you could be forgiven for mistaking christchurch for a forgotten corner of old england. old fashioned trams are juxtaposed with post-modern sculptures....the city has a calming feel about it - i would have liked to spend more time here - but i'm finding i feel that way about any and all of the places we've visited here...guess that means i'm coming back!!
tomorrow we move on to dunedin.
stay tuned. xx
Monday, November 24, 2008
see ya
everyone knows that goodbyes can truly suck...unfortunately, when traveling, they tend to become a part of life....you meet people you like, you hang out, one or other of you moves on, goodbyes are said, promises are made to keep in touch....
goodbyes are even worse if the people you are saying goodbye to are your own flesh and blood and the city you are leaving holds special memories of a week spent with them...as i've said before though, family is family, and when that is the case, goodbyes always have a way of becoming just 'see yas'...
our last day in auckland was spent first having lunch with Gina, a gorgeous aucklander we met and loved in canada....to celebrate her 21st birthday we dallied over chardonnay at spectacular city restaurant 'Mecca', soaking up the warm auckland sunshine and reliving memories of a week spent drudging through ice and snow in the rockies....it seemed a world away and a lifetime ago!
having sent gina on her way for further birthday celebrations we rejoined the family for our last supper....the last for now as, remember, this is only 'see ya'....laughs and wine and hugs and family photos later we left the city of sails with very fond memories and the most well meant promises to come back as soon as possible.
and so the road trip began....the 4 of us, mum, dad, matt and i, have travelled far across these little islands over the past 2 days....first all the way down to wellington where we walked through a pumping windy city and had dinner in a busy little italian with great food and a fun atmosphere....we continued the next morning on the 'inter islander', a 3.5 hour ferry journey across the seas to the south island after which these intrepid adventurers needed a drink....or how about a whole vineyard's worth? Mum, the brilliant little tour guide that she is, had found out about a beautiful restaurant called the 'twelve trees', nestled into one of the wineries of the malborough region we let the tiredness from an early start and all the driving drift over the grape vines and ate and ate and drank and drank....followed by, of course, more drinking, as we sampled sav blancs and rieslings from various wineries across the region.
and now we have arrived in christchurch....by way of a colony of NZ fur seals (oh so cute and furry!) randomly sunning themselves by the side of the coastal road, we are safely ensconced in a stunning apartment smack bang in the city centre...and, suddenly, after months of travelling as simple backpackers, i'm starting to get used to this life of luxury...! oh dear.
stay tuned.. xxx
goodbyes are even worse if the people you are saying goodbye to are your own flesh and blood and the city you are leaving holds special memories of a week spent with them...as i've said before though, family is family, and when that is the case, goodbyes always have a way of becoming just 'see yas'...
our last day in auckland was spent first having lunch with Gina, a gorgeous aucklander we met and loved in canada....to celebrate her 21st birthday we dallied over chardonnay at spectacular city restaurant 'Mecca', soaking up the warm auckland sunshine and reliving memories of a week spent drudging through ice and snow in the rockies....it seemed a world away and a lifetime ago!
having sent gina on her way for further birthday celebrations we rejoined the family for our last supper....the last for now as, remember, this is only 'see ya'....laughs and wine and hugs and family photos later we left the city of sails with very fond memories and the most well meant promises to come back as soon as possible.
and so the road trip began....the 4 of us, mum, dad, matt and i, have travelled far across these little islands over the past 2 days....first all the way down to wellington where we walked through a pumping windy city and had dinner in a busy little italian with great food and a fun atmosphere....we continued the next morning on the 'inter islander', a 3.5 hour ferry journey across the seas to the south island after which these intrepid adventurers needed a drink....or how about a whole vineyard's worth? Mum, the brilliant little tour guide that she is, had found out about a beautiful restaurant called the 'twelve trees', nestled into one of the wineries of the malborough region we let the tiredness from an early start and all the driving drift over the grape vines and ate and ate and drank and drank....followed by, of course, more drinking, as we sampled sav blancs and rieslings from various wineries across the region.
and now we have arrived in christchurch....by way of a colony of NZ fur seals (oh so cute and furry!) randomly sunning themselves by the side of the coastal road, we are safely ensconced in a stunning apartment smack bang in the city centre...and, suddenly, after months of travelling as simple backpackers, i'm starting to get used to this life of luxury...! oh dear.
stay tuned.. xxx
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
the world in her hands
tattoos can have all sorts of connotations...and I fully understand and accept that some people hate them....others, like my cousin Trevor, love them...and when he tattooed me on Wednesday we made a mark which has significant meaning to me and will always remind me of this time in my life when i'm young and free, exploring the world and indulging my passion for seeing and exploring new and amazing places....
the fairy is kneeling at the back of my right hip...with her head of luscious dark hair thrown back she is dreaming of flying far far away...somewhere exotic and interesting. her wings are ready to take her there...she can fly, she is free....she holds the world in her hand...
trevor is a very talented artist. originally a jewellery designer his passion was always tattoos and tattooing and eventually he fell into the profession himself...I was excited to have my cousin tattoo me and thrilled to see a design i had been thinking about for over a year finally on paper....it adds an extra special dimension to my tattoo that Trev was the one to do it....but by the end of 2.5 hours I could have killed my masochistic cousin for putting me through the pain!! the pain is soon forgotten though - and i love my fairy. photos will be up soon.
...and yesterday another event I had been looking forward to for over a year came about....my parents joined us in auckland. picking them up from the airport I could not have been more excited to see them....the breathless suspense of waiting at the airport gate, the rush of excitement as they walked through the door....we have two lush weeks to spend time with mum and dad as the 4 of us travel round the south island together. tomorrow we hit the road again...but for today there are final meals and fun to be had with my lovely family.
stay tuned....xx
the fairy is kneeling at the back of my right hip...with her head of luscious dark hair thrown back she is dreaming of flying far far away...somewhere exotic and interesting. her wings are ready to take her there...she can fly, she is free....she holds the world in her hand...
trevor is a very talented artist. originally a jewellery designer his passion was always tattoos and tattooing and eventually he fell into the profession himself...I was excited to have my cousin tattoo me and thrilled to see a design i had been thinking about for over a year finally on paper....it adds an extra special dimension to my tattoo that Trev was the one to do it....but by the end of 2.5 hours I could have killed my masochistic cousin for putting me through the pain!! the pain is soon forgotten though - and i love my fairy. photos will be up soon.
...and yesterday another event I had been looking forward to for over a year came about....my parents joined us in auckland. picking them up from the airport I could not have been more excited to see them....the breathless suspense of waiting at the airport gate, the rush of excitement as they walked through the door....we have two lush weeks to spend time with mum and dad as the 4 of us travel round the south island together. tomorrow we hit the road again...but for today there are final meals and fun to be had with my lovely family.
stay tuned....xx
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
the boy
i refer to them as 'my boys' (or when in england 'the aussie boys') ....they are some of our dearest friends....i adore them....
I remember the first time i met Dane and Ashman like it was yesterday....though i doubt very much that they remember the moment quite as clearly...! we were in a dark, sleazy bar in the red-light district of amsterdam 4 years ago....i saw them from across the bar and decided that they looked quite interesting. So i went over and introduced myself. the conversation went something like this:
me: hi. where are you from?
ashman: newcastle
me: (very excited) Oh WOW that's so cool......do you know daniel johns?? (for the ignorant Dan is frontman of my fave band Silverchair and comes from newcastle, australia...)
dane: (not so excited) um. no.
me: oh ok....see ya!
and off i flounced to get another vodka before spending the next 15 days traveling round europe with these boys from 'newie' and discovering that they're pretty damn awesome.
since then the conversations have improved somewhat (thank goodness) and over the years we have snatched as much time together as we can considering we live on opposite sides of the world....luckily, we all travel far and wide and therefore tend to find ourselves meeting up in many an exotic location....london (where they and 3 of their mates lived with us for a month...that's a whole other story...!!), munich, sydney, stuttgart, dublin....and, now, auckland.
At any particular moment in time, it seems, Ashman could be anywhere in the world.... So it was a lovely surprise when we worked out he would be in NZ at the same time as us....and i could not have been more excited! It has been over a year since i last saw the boy...WAY too long for my liking!
Ash has traveled the world extensively...from asia to europe to the usa to south america....and an airline has never lost his bag...fly 40 minutes from new plymouth to auckland, however, and the thing disappears into thin air. not ones to let such a thing spoil a fun day we had a yummy lunch, watched penguins and stingrays at the aquarium and picked up where we left off last year in New South Wales with a few kiwi beers...
meeting my cousins Joe and Trev for dinner we were the rowdy table in the restaurant before coming home to trevs for a chilled out evening....spending the day with close friends and family...what could be better? thanks for coming to see us Ash....luv ya.
stay tuned...xx
I remember the first time i met Dane and Ashman like it was yesterday....though i doubt very much that they remember the moment quite as clearly...! we were in a dark, sleazy bar in the red-light district of amsterdam 4 years ago....i saw them from across the bar and decided that they looked quite interesting. So i went over and introduced myself. the conversation went something like this:
me: hi. where are you from?
ashman: newcastle
me: (very excited) Oh WOW that's so cool......do you know daniel johns?? (for the ignorant Dan is frontman of my fave band Silverchair and comes from newcastle, australia...)
dane: (not so excited) um. no.
me: oh ok....see ya!
and off i flounced to get another vodka before spending the next 15 days traveling round europe with these boys from 'newie' and discovering that they're pretty damn awesome.
since then the conversations have improved somewhat (thank goodness) and over the years we have snatched as much time together as we can considering we live on opposite sides of the world....luckily, we all travel far and wide and therefore tend to find ourselves meeting up in many an exotic location....london (where they and 3 of their mates lived with us for a month...that's a whole other story...!!), munich, sydney, stuttgart, dublin....and, now, auckland.
At any particular moment in time, it seems, Ashman could be anywhere in the world.... So it was a lovely surprise when we worked out he would be in NZ at the same time as us....and i could not have been more excited! It has been over a year since i last saw the boy...WAY too long for my liking!
Ash has traveled the world extensively...from asia to europe to the usa to south america....and an airline has never lost his bag...fly 40 minutes from new plymouth to auckland, however, and the thing disappears into thin air. not ones to let such a thing spoil a fun day we had a yummy lunch, watched penguins and stingrays at the aquarium and picked up where we left off last year in New South Wales with a few kiwi beers...
meeting my cousins Joe and Trev for dinner we were the rowdy table in the restaurant before coming home to trevs for a chilled out evening....spending the day with close friends and family...what could be better? thanks for coming to see us Ash....luv ya.
stay tuned...xx
Sunday, November 16, 2008
land of the long white cloud
have we really only been in new zealand for 2 nights? we have fit so much in that it feels like we've been hanging out in this awesome city forever....and that we only saw my family a week ago rather than 12 years....
with the sun threatening to hide over the land of the long white cloud, my aunt and uncle took us on a road trip yesterday to the beautiful Bay of Plenty...rolling green paddocks and surprisingly very few sheep later we were checking out some kiwi surfing beaches and having lunch overlooking the waves...
heading back to the city full of ice cream and fresh sea air we went to meet my little baby cousin, Joe....only to find that he's grown up a bit since last we saw him! Its quite obvious that joe and i are cut from the same cloth....he's full of life and fun and laughs and we immediately fell into the kind of fun and easy banter usually only born through familiarity. taking us to a south african 'braai' thrown by some of his friends we spent the night enjoying a good steak and a few beers...and exchanging teasing aussie/kiwi jabs with some very fun people.
today was auckland sightseeing day...the clouds were nowhere to be seen as we ventured downtown - the sky tower with spectacular views over the city and it's beautiful harbour, the museum....being led around by my 7yr old 2nd cousin, Natasha, we couldnt help but catch her enthusiasm on seeing 'Sue' the T-rex...! 10 pin bowling (i need practice!), racing car comps and a very lovely pub dinner ended the day. there is no doubt that my family is awesome and i'm loving spending the time with them in the 'city of sails'.
stay tuned. xx
with the sun threatening to hide over the land of the long white cloud, my aunt and uncle took us on a road trip yesterday to the beautiful Bay of Plenty...rolling green paddocks and surprisingly very few sheep later we were checking out some kiwi surfing beaches and having lunch overlooking the waves...
heading back to the city full of ice cream and fresh sea air we went to meet my little baby cousin, Joe....only to find that he's grown up a bit since last we saw him! Its quite obvious that joe and i are cut from the same cloth....he's full of life and fun and laughs and we immediately fell into the kind of fun and easy banter usually only born through familiarity. taking us to a south african 'braai' thrown by some of his friends we spent the night enjoying a good steak and a few beers...and exchanging teasing aussie/kiwi jabs with some very fun people.
today was auckland sightseeing day...the clouds were nowhere to be seen as we ventured downtown - the sky tower with spectacular views over the city and it's beautiful harbour, the museum....being led around by my 7yr old 2nd cousin, Natasha, we couldnt help but catch her enthusiasm on seeing 'Sue' the T-rex...! 10 pin bowling (i need practice!), racing car comps and a very lovely pub dinner ended the day. there is no doubt that my family is awesome and i'm loving spending the time with them in the 'city of sails'.
stay tuned. xx
Friday, November 14, 2008
family ties
Family is family... and, in the mind of my whole family- both immediate and extended...it really is as simple as that.
My dad's brother Steve, and his family, have lived in Auckland as long as I can remember...although there was a stint in Sydney when I was a very little girl. growing up in 2 different countries meant, of course, that we didn't spend as much time together as any of us would have liked. My childhood memories of my aunt, uncle and cousins though are even more vivid and special as a result....my cousin Trev as a teenager hanging out at our grandad's house....(as an 8yr old i thought he was just so cool....and i still do....)! The whole family hanging out together at Movieworld on the Gold Coast.....Trev on my wedding day laughing with me as we wired up my bouquet of colourful gerberas....
as we walked through the arrival gates at Auckland airport this morning, to be met by Uncle Steve and Auntie Maria, I knew we would be met with hugely welcoming arms even though we had not seen eachother for 11 years....We could not have asked for a more warm reception back to our home hemisphere....and as we stepped into the warm southern hemisphere sunshine - it felt like we'd never left...
coffee...lunch...eagle eye views of auckland....an all encompassing tour of big boy's toys....indian for dinner....and lots of fun laughs and chats with very special, loving family...
more tomorrow - stay tuned.... xx
My dad's brother Steve, and his family, have lived in Auckland as long as I can remember...although there was a stint in Sydney when I was a very little girl. growing up in 2 different countries meant, of course, that we didn't spend as much time together as any of us would have liked. My childhood memories of my aunt, uncle and cousins though are even more vivid and special as a result....my cousin Trev as a teenager hanging out at our grandad's house....(as an 8yr old i thought he was just so cool....and i still do....)! The whole family hanging out together at Movieworld on the Gold Coast.....Trev on my wedding day laughing with me as we wired up my bouquet of colourful gerberas....
as we walked through the arrival gates at Auckland airport this morning, to be met by Uncle Steve and Auntie Maria, I knew we would be met with hugely welcoming arms even though we had not seen eachother for 11 years....We could not have asked for a more warm reception back to our home hemisphere....and as we stepped into the warm southern hemisphere sunshine - it felt like we'd never left...
coffee...lunch...eagle eye views of auckland....an all encompassing tour of big boy's toys....indian for dinner....and lots of fun laughs and chats with very special, loving family...
more tomorrow - stay tuned.... xx
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
of icy canyons and ice cold beer
i know i've been having an awesome time when i forget to update this rambling diary and my loyal readers start to bay for blood....or at least a few bits of gossip about what we've been up to....!
we are back in vancouver....exausted after spending the last week partying every night before getting up early to hop on the lurve bus and cruise around the canadian rockies - peering out at more and more spectacular scenery....and enjoying good times with some very fun and cool people.
some highlights:
- our night in a timber cottage, drinking vodka and playing cards before taking our booze and jumping into the outdoor hot tub....staying there till we were all wrinkly....chatting away till all hours with great new friends.
- lake louise....everything i imagine when i think of a canadian lake....spectacular
- the feeling of relief having not fallen over and broken leg, hip or head whilst scrambling up and down an icy pathway on the way to Johnson canyon....
- snowfights and snowmen. if there was snow, there were fights....quite often the bus bore the brunt of the attacks...and so would have i if jeremie, our fearless tour guide, hadn't been quite as quick at closing the door when a barrage of balls came towards me - a sitting duck in the front seat!!
- karaoke night in banff....4 key ingredients - an awesome hostel bar swarming with travelers, lots of vodka, some pumping tunes, and some great friends. and, no, i didn't sing...though i won't say i wasn't tempted!
and much much more....all in all it was a trip to be remembered....
and, tomorrow, we leave canada and head to nz. in a way i am sad.......we've had some great times in canada....and, having been in north america for 6 weeks now it feels strange to leave...but leave we must and, with my family waiting at the other end i am so excited to be getting closer and closer to home.
my next post, therefore, will be from the southern hemisphere....in the meantime these pics should give you a taste of the good times we've had this week.
canadian rockies 1
rockies 2
rockies 3
stay tuned...
xx
we are back in vancouver....exausted after spending the last week partying every night before getting up early to hop on the lurve bus and cruise around the canadian rockies - peering out at more and more spectacular scenery....and enjoying good times with some very fun and cool people.
some highlights:
- our night in a timber cottage, drinking vodka and playing cards before taking our booze and jumping into the outdoor hot tub....staying there till we were all wrinkly....chatting away till all hours with great new friends.
- lake louise....everything i imagine when i think of a canadian lake....spectacular
- the feeling of relief having not fallen over and broken leg, hip or head whilst scrambling up and down an icy pathway on the way to Johnson canyon....
- snowfights and snowmen. if there was snow, there were fights....quite often the bus bore the brunt of the attacks...and so would have i if jeremie, our fearless tour guide, hadn't been quite as quick at closing the door when a barrage of balls came towards me - a sitting duck in the front seat!!
- karaoke night in banff....4 key ingredients - an awesome hostel bar swarming with travelers, lots of vodka, some pumping tunes, and some great friends. and, no, i didn't sing...though i won't say i wasn't tempted!
and much much more....all in all it was a trip to be remembered....
and, tomorrow, we leave canada and head to nz. in a way i am sad.......we've had some great times in canada....and, having been in north america for 6 weeks now it feels strange to leave...but leave we must and, with my family waiting at the other end i am so excited to be getting closer and closer to home.
my next post, therefore, will be from the southern hemisphere....in the meantime these pics should give you a taste of the good times we've had this week.
canadian rockies 1
rockies 2
rockies 3
stay tuned...
xx
Friday, November 7, 2008
moosing about
sometimes, when you're traveling, it's fun to let someone else do all the hard work, relax and just go along for the ride. So, when it came to exploring the canadian rockies we turned to a moose....
we are traveling with 'moose tours' for a week....led by a crazy, fun quebecois and surrounded by 23 aussies, kiwis, brits and irish - all travelers, all on their way somewhere interesting, having been somewhere interesting...all with a story to tell...
together we have spent the past 3 days driving through spectacular, picture postcard scenery.....craggy mountain peaks, deep blue lakes, waterfalls, canyons, rustic litttle ski villages.....fresh mountain air and gently falling snow...by the time we arrive back at our hostel we are ready to party....and last night Banff showed us how it's done. The place is swarming with aussies as they start to pile into town for the ski season....the hostel pub was pumping and, as we drank shots off skis we got to know our travel buddies the best way possible....with a drink (or three) in a hand....
there are 4 more days to go in the rockies....more parties, more mountains, more snow....more fun.
stay tuned. xx
we are traveling with 'moose tours' for a week....led by a crazy, fun quebecois and surrounded by 23 aussies, kiwis, brits and irish - all travelers, all on their way somewhere interesting, having been somewhere interesting...all with a story to tell...
together we have spent the past 3 days driving through spectacular, picture postcard scenery.....craggy mountain peaks, deep blue lakes, waterfalls, canyons, rustic litttle ski villages.....fresh mountain air and gently falling snow...by the time we arrive back at our hostel we are ready to party....and last night Banff showed us how it's done. The place is swarming with aussies as they start to pile into town for the ski season....the hostel pub was pumping and, as we drank shots off skis we got to know our travel buddies the best way possible....with a drink (or three) in a hand....
there are 4 more days to go in the rockies....more parties, more mountains, more snow....more fun.
stay tuned. xx
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
passions
Vancouverites are passionate about food....the city is drowning in plush and interesting, little restaurants....none more so than in the gastown district which is a hop, step and jump from our hotel....so when we met our old school friend, Layne, for dinner on Saturday night we only had to wander down a couple of streets to find a modern irish gastro pub serving the kind of food we've been craving....bangers and mash...fish and chips....pies with lashings of gravy....There's something special about meeting up with childhood friends - sometimes it can seem as if you only met up yesterday, and as we reminisced with Layne about the old school days and mutual friends we felt so lucky to have dear old friends dotted around the globe...
it's refreshing, when you're visiting a new city to have the opportunity to hang out with locals who are passionate about their country and their city and are keen to show how beautiful, how wonderful, the place is...somehow they manage to infuse you with the same passion and, by the end of the day, you love their city too.
John, Jorden and Marty took to their roles as our vancouverite tour guides like ducks to water on Sunday....taking us first to the famous Granville island, we visited a microbrewery and downed a beer that tasted like chocolate (seriously) before heading to the 'sandbar', a waterfront seafood restaurant where Christine works...delicious, succulent, fresh crabs are their specialty and i enjoyed mine on a 'benny' (benedict)....mmmm....
piling back into the tour bus (!) we headed next to Stanley park...a large and lush parkland filled with autumnal trees, picnic areas, beaches (1st beach, 2nd beach and 3rd beach...these vancouverites prove themselves very creative beach namers!!), an aquarium, a golf course and spectacular views....the park is so huge we felt as if we were driving around it for hours...
John, like many canadians it seems, is a passionate ice hockey player and we were were excited to end the afternoon by watching him and his team chasing a 'little black thing' around the ice...eventually winning in a nail biting finish...
now and then, in life, one is lucky enough to stumble across kindred spirits...people who share the same passions, and often, similar goals in life. In our case, it seems we share with john and jorden a passion for food and a passion for travel....preferably both at the same time....and so we decided to indulge ourselves by ending our perfect day at their favourite restaurant, Guu...modern japanese cuisine served with a bite of humour and a ladle-full of loud and eclectic atmosphere, we enjoyed strange and wonderful 'japanese tapas' ...a little bit of this and a little bit of that....and by the end we were full as guu and rather happy on some sort of bubble-gum flavoured, vodka laced beverage.
What a perfect day in Vancouver...thank you so much to our vancouverite tour guides....we love your city.
xx
it's refreshing, when you're visiting a new city to have the opportunity to hang out with locals who are passionate about their country and their city and are keen to show how beautiful, how wonderful, the place is...somehow they manage to infuse you with the same passion and, by the end of the day, you love their city too.
John, Jorden and Marty took to their roles as our vancouverite tour guides like ducks to water on Sunday....taking us first to the famous Granville island, we visited a microbrewery and downed a beer that tasted like chocolate (seriously) before heading to the 'sandbar', a waterfront seafood restaurant where Christine works...delicious, succulent, fresh crabs are their specialty and i enjoyed mine on a 'benny' (benedict)....mmmm....
piling back into the tour bus (!) we headed next to Stanley park...a large and lush parkland filled with autumnal trees, picnic areas, beaches (1st beach, 2nd beach and 3rd beach...these vancouverites prove themselves very creative beach namers!!), an aquarium, a golf course and spectacular views....the park is so huge we felt as if we were driving around it for hours...
John, like many canadians it seems, is a passionate ice hockey player and we were were excited to end the afternoon by watching him and his team chasing a 'little black thing' around the ice...eventually winning in a nail biting finish...
now and then, in life, one is lucky enough to stumble across kindred spirits...people who share the same passions, and often, similar goals in life. In our case, it seems we share with john and jorden a passion for food and a passion for travel....preferably both at the same time....and so we decided to indulge ourselves by ending our perfect day at their favourite restaurant, Guu...modern japanese cuisine served with a bite of humour and a ladle-full of loud and eclectic atmosphere, we enjoyed strange and wonderful 'japanese tapas' ...a little bit of this and a little bit of that....and by the end we were full as guu and rather happy on some sort of bubble-gum flavoured, vodka laced beverage.
What a perfect day in Vancouver...thank you so much to our vancouverite tour guides....we love your city.
xx
Sunday, November 2, 2008
remembering ouzo
less than six months ago we were relaxing and partying on the beaches of some of the most beautiful grecian islands...mykonos, santorini, ios and paros...surrounded by some of the most fun, interesting and crazy people you could ever hope to meet....(most of them read this blog so that was for you guys....!! hehe). they came from all over the world, had traveled far and wide and together we had an awesome nine days soaking up sun and ouzo....
...ouzo has it's own special place alongside the islands in the fond memories of that group of people and when that liquid gold came out of hiding last night we knew we were in for a good time. John, Jorden, Marty and Christine are Vancouverites we met in greece and for a long time we have all been looking forward to getting together to party on halloween in vancouver...and the night did not disappoint. starting with ouzo and ending with 'frites' - the perfect late night, greasy, gravy covered snack - we partied late into the night at the Roxy - THE club of choice in the downtown area...dancing to live music and drinking the night away alongside a bevy of strangely costumed canadians. by the end of the night my head was spinning with skeletons, ghosts, many jack sparrows, various action figures and a very brave Borat...(who, incedently, i saw on the news the next morning...certain parts of his anatomy discreetly blurred....)
Vancouver is a friendly, fun place and we're so lucky to know some incredibly friendly and fun people here.....
more socialising to follow...though hopefully accompanied by less ouzo....stay tuned.
xx
editor's note: (!!) for historical accuracy i must point out that the delicious late night snack we enjoyed was actually 'poutine' not 'frites'....'Frites' was the shop we went to to get the 'poutine'....obviously the ouzo had affected me greatly by this point.
...ouzo has it's own special place alongside the islands in the fond memories of that group of people and when that liquid gold came out of hiding last night we knew we were in for a good time. John, Jorden, Marty and Christine are Vancouverites we met in greece and for a long time we have all been looking forward to getting together to party on halloween in vancouver...and the night did not disappoint. starting with ouzo and ending with 'frites' - the perfect late night, greasy, gravy covered snack - we partied late into the night at the Roxy - THE club of choice in the downtown area...dancing to live music and drinking the night away alongside a bevy of strangely costumed canadians. by the end of the night my head was spinning with skeletons, ghosts, many jack sparrows, various action figures and a very brave Borat...(who, incedently, i saw on the news the next morning...certain parts of his anatomy discreetly blurred....)
Vancouver is a friendly, fun place and we're so lucky to know some incredibly friendly and fun people here.....
more socialising to follow...though hopefully accompanied by less ouzo....stay tuned.
xx
editor's note: (!!) for historical accuracy i must point out that the delicious late night snack we enjoyed was actually 'poutine' not 'frites'....'Frites' was the shop we went to to get the 'poutine'....obviously the ouzo had affected me greatly by this point.
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