Gong Show!!
Ok, so today Marcey and I hiked the crossing. A bus drove us out to the start and picked us up 8-ish hours later...
I liked the beginning... lots of rocks and rough terrain. It was so exciting!!! then we started to climb UP!!! up up up it was great. I had a huge smile on my face... until I looked back and saw Marcey in the distance. She hollers, "you go on, I'll catch up" So I did. lol. It was great!!! rocks and gravel and ah!!! such adventure! so i get to the top and wait a bit for MArcey, no show... I guess she decided to take pictures along the way. So I kept walking, beside "mordor" the voncano from lord of the rings, and aonther one (tongariro). then through the south crator... with would be the center of a dormant volcano. so that was sweet, becasue it was FLAT!! lol. and then up again!!! not as rocky, and definately NO plant life. one at the very very tippy top, I took some pictuers of the most spectaculare views!!! then down. DOWN GRAVEL!!! no paths, just slippy slidy down a gong show of gravel. it was actually really fun. I had to empty my shoes at the end though.. then there were emerald pools of water... three of them. this is where marcey and I met for lunch (on our red and white chekered blanket!!!) so that was sweet. then we watched the clouds roll in over the peaks. it was amazing!!!! but it cut our visibility down quite a lot. so we didn't really get a good veiw of the blue pool. (oh, the emeralds pools were really cold water, i stuck my feet in). then down again the other side of the volcano. this part had a trail.. we walked through a bit of grass land then into a rain forrest... ah yes, then what?? it starte dto rain!!!!!! rain it did for the last hour and a bit of our walk. lol. but it felt authentic. rain in the rain forrest. but my shoes were really soaked. anywas, it was great. absolute beauty. and you can tell i got two shades browner today from my SOCK TAN!! ah!! oh well. c'est le vie.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
City of Sails
Well, in Wellington Marcey and I tried to maximize our time by visiting the parliment. Pretty sweet buildings. Then on our way back to the hostel for our pick up, there was a bike competition in the park. Lots of jumps and all that fancy jazz.
As the tour continued we camped for only one night. The North Island was mostly driving... and rain. There were two girls called the "Cabin Girls" and for the rest of the trip (ie rainy nights) we slept in their cabin with them. So that was sweet. The North Island is considerably more hilling than the "undulations" on the South. My prarie legs were killing me after the 20 k ride into camp one night. That would also be the night our bus got a flat (I was biking and not on the bus). So we arrived and there was no bus, no stuff to start supper, and no tents to set up. We missed the Maori concert. Then it started POURING!!! we ate supper at 10pm. Then the next day at the Bay of Islands.... well, no sailing for me. So we walking in the rain in and out of the Treaty Houses at the Maori Treaty place.
There was a swing hanging off a huge tree at our camp ground these two nights. I went down there each evening to watch the water and swing. Some good solo time away from the big group is good for a persons soul. :)
We saw some of NZ's largest and oldest trees. I forget what they're called. MArcey will remember. Anyways, 2000 yrs old. HUGE!!! HUGE!!! I can't even explain... they were massive. and the root system is crazy close to the surface so there's wooden paths for us to walk on so we don't kill the trees by damaging their root systems. It was sweet az. nice. OH!! and MArcey and I are addicted to regge now. we have both bought cds. which we can't actually listen to... but they are gold. sweet az.
so now the tour is done and we've been in Auckland the City of Sails for a few days. We're staying wil hilarious people who are so very generous and hospitible. Joan and Max Hook. Today and yesterday MArcey and I have been touring around. Lots of beaches and way too much to do. This weekend is actually the Auckland anniversary weekend. So picture Canada day in Regina and add a million people. It's great. LAst night we went to the sky tour to watch the sun set and then the coty lights. We also went tot eh Auckland Museum and Kelly Taltons. It's like sea world. It was awesome. I'll have to show you pictures for you to beleive how cool it was. AND!!! I got a free stuffed penguin from the gift shop!! All I had to do was flash them a pretty smile!! :) (I'm kidding, I had a coupon). Anyways, tomorrow Max and Joan are taking us to some beach with black sand. Should be a good time.
cheers
As the tour continued we camped for only one night. The North Island was mostly driving... and rain. There were two girls called the "Cabin Girls" and for the rest of the trip (ie rainy nights) we slept in their cabin with them. So that was sweet. The North Island is considerably more hilling than the "undulations" on the South. My prarie legs were killing me after the 20 k ride into camp one night. That would also be the night our bus got a flat (I was biking and not on the bus). So we arrived and there was no bus, no stuff to start supper, and no tents to set up. We missed the Maori concert. Then it started POURING!!! we ate supper at 10pm. Then the next day at the Bay of Islands.... well, no sailing for me. So we walking in the rain in and out of the Treaty Houses at the Maori Treaty place.
There was a swing hanging off a huge tree at our camp ground these two nights. I went down there each evening to watch the water and swing. Some good solo time away from the big group is good for a persons soul. :)
We saw some of NZ's largest and oldest trees. I forget what they're called. MArcey will remember. Anyways, 2000 yrs old. HUGE!!! HUGE!!! I can't even explain... they were massive. and the root system is crazy close to the surface so there's wooden paths for us to walk on so we don't kill the trees by damaging their root systems. It was sweet az. nice. OH!! and MArcey and I are addicted to regge now. we have both bought cds. which we can't actually listen to... but they are gold. sweet az.
so now the tour is done and we've been in Auckland the City of Sails for a few days. We're staying wil hilarious people who are so very generous and hospitible. Joan and Max Hook. Today and yesterday MArcey and I have been touring around. Lots of beaches and way too much to do. This weekend is actually the Auckland anniversary weekend. So picture Canada day in Regina and add a million people. It's great. LAst night we went to the sky tour to watch the sun set and then the coty lights. We also went tot eh Auckland Museum and Kelly Taltons. It's like sea world. It was awesome. I'll have to show you pictures for you to beleive how cool it was. AND!!! I got a free stuffed penguin from the gift shop!! All I had to do was flash them a pretty smile!! :) (I'm kidding, I had a coupon). Anyways, tomorrow Max and Joan are taking us to some beach with black sand. Should be a good time.
cheers
Friday, January 20, 2006
Sea Sick
Well, I have discovered that I get sea sick. Yesterday I went sea kayaing at Abel Tasman (national park down here). I felt SO sick and gross and I really wanted to just get off. But, I was in the middle of the sea, so I couldn't do anything about it. It was a double kayak. I was with Kips from London. We made a good team. Pretty strong together. We stopped when the wind picked up and there were white caps all over. It was so windy we didn't get to kayak back. Everyone felt ripped off. I was actually kinda glad cause I felt so sick. ANd we were about an hour into the trail, so I just walked to opposite direction back. I ended up walking for 7 hours. It was SO beautiful. breathtaking actually. and the water there was SO salty to go swimming in. Actually. At the end of my little hike, I ran down a hill and jumped right into the water. no one else was swimming any where around, just this crazy girl (me) running into the water, diving down, and coming up spitting beacuse I wasn't expecting it to be so salkty. I put my shorts back on (no towel), but quickly took them off because they got all wet and were rubbing, and you know how that feels. So I walked pretty much 3 hours in my bathing suit bottoms! HA! the guys on the trail sure liked that one. hehe. Oh, and the farm we were staying at was called Old MacDonalds farm. So funny. the sign also said that dress was optional. apparetly it used to be a nudest camp. not anymore. I wore clothes. and yes, our stuff finally is all dry as of this morning.
I ate fresh cerries today, had the best cup of coffee ever (in Nelson) and the best icream ever made with real cream. SO good!!!!! and then we went on a ferry ride over to Wellington and we saw a whale in the ocean!!! So sweat! only thing was, I felt sea sick. Just really nausiated.. never threw up.
I'm excited for the North islad, I heard there's less sand flies. YAY!!!!!
One of the guys on the tour is actually living in Auckland now and he found out Marcey and I were wanting to go to Roterua, so he volunteered to come with us because he has a car. So that is pretty sweet. I'm excited. Tonight we're ina hostel.
well, see you later.
I ate fresh cerries today, had the best cup of coffee ever (in Nelson) and the best icream ever made with real cream. SO good!!!!! and then we went on a ferry ride over to Wellington and we saw a whale in the ocean!!! So sweat! only thing was, I felt sea sick. Just really nausiated.. never threw up.
I'm excited for the North islad, I heard there's less sand flies. YAY!!!!!
One of the guys on the tour is actually living in Auckland now and he found out Marcey and I were wanting to go to Roterua, so he volunteered to come with us because he has a car. So that is pretty sweet. I'm excited. Tonight we're ina hostel.
well, see you later.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Windy!!
And I thought Saskatchewan had wind! Nothing like the west coast of the south island. The trees grow slanted from the wind!! It's crazy. The sea here always looks angry. The waves are insane and nobody swims in the ocean.
I have been putting sun block on now, so no more burns for me.
Our first morning with the tour was pretty crazy. Our bus driver has dreads and there's a flower lay on the rear veiw mirrow. the guy plays hippie music... the tour is veryt laid back and to me, seems unorganized... but it is just really laid back. Our first breakfast was interesting. everyone was laughing at "the canadian girls from canadia" (not canada). the foods and cereals, and well, everything has different names, so we don't know what anything is, so we ask before we eat anything. apparently it's shocking that we don't know. our second night camping there was probably the worst storm i've ever tried to sleep through. it was rainning in torrents and was quite windy. I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do, so I thought we'd tough it out until it stopped. 5 hours later it hadn't stopped and the wind started picking up. When the tent poles were blowing down to much that I was getting hit lying down, I decided to make a run for it. I gathered all my stuff (wet and dry) and headed for the cook shelter. i layed out everything wet (my sleeping bag was dry, good purchase, it repelled the water) and then marcey reported that other people were sleeping on the floor in aother shack. so we ran over there., and seriously just running to the next place, a person was completely drentched. It was CRAZY!! And there were deep puddles that a girl doesn't see with arms full of stuff and a little lead lamp to guide her way. so then i was able to sleep for an hour until breakfast. crazy times i tell you. and that same day was our glacier hike. so i was sad that I wasn't going to be very well rested for a nice hike on a large ice cube. but that is what I was really looking forward to, so I had an amazing time anyways. we hiked up the steep mountani beside it until we got to a safe place to start our hike on the ice. we strapped crampons onto our big huge leather boot we had to wear, but were actually great because you could walk through the streams from the waterfalls and not get your feet we). our guide chipped away staris for us to climb. we looked at "mulons" in the ice which is where the water spirals down to the bottom of the glacier. we walked through crevases and found glacier mud... which is debris from the crushed rocks and such and it's basically minerals. so it was a good time. but no caves. and!! we saw parrots! i liked that too.
so now we're in some small random town (there isn't very many towns on the south island at all), there's a green stone factory here. i was pretty excited about this, and it's interesting, but not that big. I was expecting a bit more. and it's bad luck to buy yourself green stoen, so maybe marcey will by me some. I like the $10 pendants... marcey liked the $60 necklaces... so I don't think I'll be buying her any.... lol. but yeah, there's an icecream shop across the street so I think I'm off.
have fun in canada all!
I have been putting sun block on now, so no more burns for me.
Our first morning with the tour was pretty crazy. Our bus driver has dreads and there's a flower lay on the rear veiw mirrow. the guy plays hippie music... the tour is veryt laid back and to me, seems unorganized... but it is just really laid back. Our first breakfast was interesting. everyone was laughing at "the canadian girls from canadia" (not canada). the foods and cereals, and well, everything has different names, so we don't know what anything is, so we ask before we eat anything. apparently it's shocking that we don't know. our second night camping there was probably the worst storm i've ever tried to sleep through. it was rainning in torrents and was quite windy. I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do, so I thought we'd tough it out until it stopped. 5 hours later it hadn't stopped and the wind started picking up. When the tent poles were blowing down to much that I was getting hit lying down, I decided to make a run for it. I gathered all my stuff (wet and dry) and headed for the cook shelter. i layed out everything wet (my sleeping bag was dry, good purchase, it repelled the water) and then marcey reported that other people were sleeping on the floor in aother shack. so we ran over there., and seriously just running to the next place, a person was completely drentched. It was CRAZY!! And there were deep puddles that a girl doesn't see with arms full of stuff and a little lead lamp to guide her way. so then i was able to sleep for an hour until breakfast. crazy times i tell you. and that same day was our glacier hike. so i was sad that I wasn't going to be very well rested for a nice hike on a large ice cube. but that is what I was really looking forward to, so I had an amazing time anyways. we hiked up the steep mountani beside it until we got to a safe place to start our hike on the ice. we strapped crampons onto our big huge leather boot we had to wear, but were actually great because you could walk through the streams from the waterfalls and not get your feet we). our guide chipped away staris for us to climb. we looked at "mulons" in the ice which is where the water spirals down to the bottom of the glacier. we walked through crevases and found glacier mud... which is debris from the crushed rocks and such and it's basically minerals. so it was a good time. but no caves. and!! we saw parrots! i liked that too.
so now we're in some small random town (there isn't very many towns on the south island at all), there's a green stone factory here. i was pretty excited about this, and it's interesting, but not that big. I was expecting a bit more. and it's bad luck to buy yourself green stoen, so maybe marcey will by me some. I like the $10 pendants... marcey liked the $60 necklaces... so I don't think I'll be buying her any.... lol. but yeah, there's an icecream shop across the street so I think I'm off.
have fun in canada all!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Free steak dinner!
Ok, so I ate kangaroo p[izza last night. and enjoyed a glass of Aussie wine just for you Ed. (thanks for the beer money). Tried to catch our flight to Queenstown via Auckland. PLane broke before we took off. sat in the plane for two hours before they decided to get us off and onto a new flight. so i was hungry and tired and had to wait in many long lines for new tickets and a meal voucher... but it all worked out. and here's why: free breakfast, lunch on our flight from sydney to Auckland, we missed our connecting flight... but a free hotel for the night!! a supper voucher, ride to our hotel (complete with pool), and we get into Queenstown tomorrow just before noon, plenty of time to get to our tour in enough time.
OH!! and our tent, had to be searched in NZ customs. but it passed, so we have that too!!! I was nervouse about that.
And the water in the toilets don't drain the other way... it sorta just goes down... so that's sad. but i think the water in the sinks go the other way... but I can't remember which way it goes down in canada.
so I'm a bit burnt on my shoulders... but a bit tan from my time in the hotel pool between 6 and 7-ish tonight... so that means I'll be wearing sunscrean here... nuts. I've never had to be bothered with that before.
cheers! miss you all lots.
OH!! and our tent, had to be searched in NZ customs. but it passed, so we have that too!!! I was nervouse about that.
And the water in the toilets don't drain the other way... it sorta just goes down... so that's sad. but i think the water in the sinks go the other way... but I can't remember which way it goes down in canada.
so I'm a bit burnt on my shoulders... but a bit tan from my time in the hotel pool between 6 and 7-ish tonight... so that means I'll be wearing sunscrean here... nuts. I've never had to be bothered with that before.
cheers! miss you all lots.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
We made it
Well, we're in Sydney. It's hot. I want to go to the beach. We got here at 7:30 am and it's almost 12:30 here. We spent half the day getting organized and all our stuff stored and all that jazz. I wish I was swimming in the ocean. I miss my mom and dad.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Most Exciting
And now for the most exciting news of the day... are you ready??? Well, I will have a cell phone during my adventures and that means you all can call me when you need some Anne time. I know leaving you guys will be hard on you... so here is how you can reach me while I'm up-side-down from you. To call out of the country dial 011. To call my Aussie number dial 614. And my cell number is 3192-4039 (yes 8 digits instead of our 7). so all together now: 011 614 3192 4039. And that is how you can reach me. Yeah, I know you're all excited... so have a wonderful evening!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
to pack or not to pack...
That is the question. So backpacking for the first month... so I don't want to take lots at all. But living in Albury, Australia for the next 5 months... So I'll want more than what I would take on strictly a backpacking trip. So really, what do I take? How prepared shoudl I be? And if I'm taking extra stuff and leave it in Sydney for the month I'm in NZ, then what is stopping me from taking a bigger bag of stuff to lock up for the month? AH! So confusing!
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