Merry Christmas from Franz Josef! We happily spent most of yesterday and today bundled up inside a little cabin, safe from the rain, wind, and thunder storm outside. We are feeling so thankful and blessed because the only day that there hasn't been a storm here this week was the 23rd, the same day we had booked our glacier climb.
We arrived the 22nd and checked in to our campsite (we opted for a cabin because the glacier is at the base of a very temperamental rain forest). We dropped off our bags and went for a short hike to the base of the glacier. Part of the trail was closed off due to flooding and rockslides, and we found ourselves hiking through another downpour. We returned to our cabin to find that a down tree had caused a power outage for several hours. We made a list of the groceries for our holiday meals and headed to the store. We gave ourselves a $10 stocking allowance and split up to find a little something to put under the tree.
To get into the holiday spirit, we used a butter knife to cut down our "tree." our tree is a 7 inch little branch from q shrub outside, and a decorated it with some shiny ribbon and a few gift tags, and stuck it into a red mug full of dirt. Our little gifts don't actually fit underneath but it does look cute.
On The morning of the 23rd, we thanked our lucky stars because the storm had paused. Glacier tours were operating again! We dressed in several layers and headed to meet our guide. In town, we went over safety guidelines, signed our lives away, and received our waterproof pants, coat, wool socks, hardcore boots, and a red fanny pack with crampons inside. Then we hopped on a bus to the base of the hike.
Our guide, Tay, was great. She was a little blonde girl from England, she was tough and very knowledgable. She provided lots of facts about the area and tips for safety to avoid what she called "splat moments." Our climbing group was also wonderful, a man from Florida, couple from Hong Kong, couple from California, and a really nice family who live in the Phillipines working for the US embassy (in keeping with the generous traveling spirit, they offered Mike and I their home for our layover in Manila).
We spent an hour getting to the ice, two hours on it, and an hour getting back to the bus. I was a little nervous having never worn crampons before, but quickly caught on and really enjoyed it (who knows, maybe someday we will tackle Mt. Rainier). The route was intense, the guides carve it out each morning and carve in stairs and add ropes where needed. We actually got to climb inside the huge crevasses and all over the giant ice walls. The glacier was bright clear blue just as I had pictured (Mike mentioned the true resemblance to Glacier Blue gatorade). There were crystal clear pools and waterfalls in every direction. The hike was challenging and contained some pretty steep climbs, and we all worked up a sweat (Britta and Jeremy - picture Angel's Landing on ice...)
By the end of the day, nothing sounded better then what waited at the end: the Glacier Hot Pools! The pools were clear blue, peaceful, and surrounded by a lush green rainforest. We stayed until our fingers turned to raisins and then returned home to make spaghetti and salad and promptly fall asleep.
This morning we woke up and made a breakfast scramble, had a traditional Christmas morning mandarin orange, and a mug of Via, and opened our gifts. Mike got me a chocolate Santa, sketch pad, and drawing pencils which I can't wait to use. I got him a travel note pad, a NZ deck of cards, and a locally brewed red ale. We are spending the day watching Christmas movies, and talking to our wonderful families who we miss very much (even got video chat to work with Aunt Chris and Uncle Steve in Seattle and Mike's cousin Annie in Spain, very fun!) and cooking a feast for two. We are making marinated grilled chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli, and salad. We have some New Zealand wine and our homemade fudge, and the Polar Express on tv. Life is great and I hope that everyone at home is surrounded by loved ones, enjoying laughs, food, and in the holiday spirit, we miss you. We have so much to be thankful for. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Heading to the South Island, NZ
Wellington
Wellington is the most southern city on the North Island, it is also the capital of NZ, and the namesake of wellington rainboots ("wellys"). I have never seen a big city with so much character. There is a long walk along the waterfront full of sculptures and "writer's walk," a collection of quotes people have written about the town. It was like an Easter egg hunt walking around finding the next line. We spent a couple hours at a museum called Te Papa (Mauri for Our Place). The museum was six floors full of history of the island, information about the plants, animals, and people. Some highlights included a mock earthquake house, a preserved colossal squid, Brian Blake photography exhibit, and an underwater 3D movie.
At night, we found another free Christmas celebration (either we are lucky or this country has a lot of free holiday events). This one was an elaborate production called "carols by candlelight." It was put on by a local radio station and involved hundreds of people, dancing reindeer and a donkey, a tree lighting, and Santa arriving on a helicopter.
We also got lucky in finding a cute resteraunt featuring $5 gourmet pizzas. It was delicious, And we learned that this city has more resteraunts per capita than NYC. In cities, we have found it easier to stay in hostels then campgrounds because of the transportation cost. Here, we heard the loudest snoring I have ever heard. It sounded like a steamroller a foot from my head. Neither of us slept much, and spent the following day in a daze waiting to catch the ferry south.
Ferry to the South Island
The ferry between the N and S island looked more like a cruise ship than the ferries at home. It was four levels and contained a resteraunt, bar, playground, and movie theater. We were on the boat for three hours and quickly became thankful for the size of the ship, as it was becoming very stormy. We had a nice relaxing time sitting in the lounge staring out at crashing waves and steep cliffs. Mike had a local beer and a bag of minted lamb potato chips and played Angry Birds while I had chocolate and wine while listening to Eddie Vedder and Fleet Foxes. Once we landed in Picton, it was dark and we found a campground and went straight to bed.
Nelson
Nelson reminded me so much of home, which was good because we were beginning to feel a bit stressed and homesick for a day or two. We stayed in a wonderful little hostel called Paradiso. It was full of backpackers playing guitar, skyping their families, and throwing darts. They even offered everyone a complimentary pouch of top ramen when you checked in. We spent some much needed time enjoying some comforts of home by calling our parents, watching an episode of Friends, and indulging in some McDonalds French fries (a nice break from our diet of PBJs, canned tuna, and apples).
We woke up feeling back to normal, and took off for the Saturday morning market. The market was exactly what I pictured it to be, full of local artists carving jade and bones, tons of fresh produce, merino sweaters, sheepskin rugs, and so foodcarts with friendly people offering mouthwatering local specialties. We had eaten oatmeal for breakfast every day, and decided our first purchase would be a breakfast crepe full of bacon, eggs, cheese and pepper. It was also gluten free, and not the more expensive, bland tasting kind, the recipe they used just didn't contain wheat. We found a picnic table, a knife, and two plastic forks, and enjoyed it so much that our neighbors probably thought we hadn't eaten in weeks. I bought a small fish hook bone carving and made a necklace, and we also bought fresh peaches, blueberries, and venison jerky (good, but Tanner yours is better).
After the market we went on a hike up to the center of NZ. It was steep and we quickly burned off the mornings' crepe. The trail was went through the woods, and appeared pretty standard until we ran into an older lady creating a mythical fantasy scene full of unicorns and fairy dolls hanging from trees. A few feet from her was a stuffed toy rabbit tied to a tree with a sign saying HELP! Funny what you find in the middle of the woods. The view from the top was beautiful, it overlooked the clear sea of Abel Tasman National park and the city of Nelson.
Westport
On our way to the next spot, we stopped at a trail with a hike to a seal colony viewing platform. Giant waves crashed on cliffs everywhere except a small cove that hundred of fur seals call home. We got to the viewpoint and watched as the babies explored and swam and the mothers barked and lounged in the sun. After awhile we decided to hike back to our car and walk around the beach for a bit. The sand was black and warm with loud crashing waves. Mike went exploring in some rocks while I walked in ankle deep water looking for Hectors dolphins. I was having a nice stroll thinking about how much I had enjoyed watching the seals and secretly wishing I could have gotten just a little closer to them. As I was thinking this, I saw some movement that looked like a seal waving. I told myself it was just my imagination and kept going, when a large wave carried the object closer. I looked again and sure enough, I was now five feet away from a 300 pound fur seal, and he was coming closer. I took a few steps back, called for Mike and grabbed my camera. The seal was very curious and watched us for several minutes. He crawled around the beach a bit then barked at me and jumped back in the water. It was an exciting encounter and I no longer wish to get any closer to them :)
We continued our drive down the windy roads to Westport. I'm sure Westport is a lovely place, but it rained so hard for days that we couldn't see anything around us. We had high hopes for sun, and booked a campsite. We now know never to book another campsite in the rain. We still enjoy our car overall, but that night I hated it. Our blankets were wet, it sounded like we were inside a giant steel drum, and mosquitos swarmed in and dive-bombed our ears all night. We slept a couple hours tops.
Paparoa State Park
The next stop was a national park known for a huge blowhole, stacks of flat rocks called the pancake rocks, and a cliff opening called the chimney pot because it appears to steam when waves hit it. It was exhilarating to see such powerful waves, but we were sleep deprived and the storm had gotten worse. We hiked to the lookout, but got soaking wet and cold from 50 mph gusts of wind (we are getting better at converting km to miles...) We didn't last long before finding a warm cabin at a campsite with a hot tub to hibernate in. After getting some sleep, we took advantage of the campground's other attraction, the jumping pillow! It's like an inflatable bouncy house for adults. So fun.
Next up is a brewery tour and sunset beach walk in search of penguins. Hopefully everyone is doing well at home, the closer we get to Christmas, the more we miss you! Love, Megan and Mike
Wellington is the most southern city on the North Island, it is also the capital of NZ, and the namesake of wellington rainboots ("wellys"). I have never seen a big city with so much character. There is a long walk along the waterfront full of sculptures and "writer's walk," a collection of quotes people have written about the town. It was like an Easter egg hunt walking around finding the next line. We spent a couple hours at a museum called Te Papa (Mauri for Our Place). The museum was six floors full of history of the island, information about the plants, animals, and people. Some highlights included a mock earthquake house, a preserved colossal squid, Brian Blake photography exhibit, and an underwater 3D movie.
At night, we found another free Christmas celebration (either we are lucky or this country has a lot of free holiday events). This one was an elaborate production called "carols by candlelight." It was put on by a local radio station and involved hundreds of people, dancing reindeer and a donkey, a tree lighting, and Santa arriving on a helicopter.
We also got lucky in finding a cute resteraunt featuring $5 gourmet pizzas. It was delicious, And we learned that this city has more resteraunts per capita than NYC. In cities, we have found it easier to stay in hostels then campgrounds because of the transportation cost. Here, we heard the loudest snoring I have ever heard. It sounded like a steamroller a foot from my head. Neither of us slept much, and spent the following day in a daze waiting to catch the ferry south.
Ferry to the South Island
The ferry between the N and S island looked more like a cruise ship than the ferries at home. It was four levels and contained a resteraunt, bar, playground, and movie theater. We were on the boat for three hours and quickly became thankful for the size of the ship, as it was becoming very stormy. We had a nice relaxing time sitting in the lounge staring out at crashing waves and steep cliffs. Mike had a local beer and a bag of minted lamb potato chips and played Angry Birds while I had chocolate and wine while listening to Eddie Vedder and Fleet Foxes. Once we landed in Picton, it was dark and we found a campground and went straight to bed.
Nelson
Nelson reminded me so much of home, which was good because we were beginning to feel a bit stressed and homesick for a day or two. We stayed in a wonderful little hostel called Paradiso. It was full of backpackers playing guitar, skyping their families, and throwing darts. They even offered everyone a complimentary pouch of top ramen when you checked in. We spent some much needed time enjoying some comforts of home by calling our parents, watching an episode of Friends, and indulging in some McDonalds French fries (a nice break from our diet of PBJs, canned tuna, and apples).
We woke up feeling back to normal, and took off for the Saturday morning market. The market was exactly what I pictured it to be, full of local artists carving jade and bones, tons of fresh produce, merino sweaters, sheepskin rugs, and so foodcarts with friendly people offering mouthwatering local specialties. We had eaten oatmeal for breakfast every day, and decided our first purchase would be a breakfast crepe full of bacon, eggs, cheese and pepper. It was also gluten free, and not the more expensive, bland tasting kind, the recipe they used just didn't contain wheat. We found a picnic table, a knife, and two plastic forks, and enjoyed it so much that our neighbors probably thought we hadn't eaten in weeks. I bought a small fish hook bone carving and made a necklace, and we also bought fresh peaches, blueberries, and venison jerky (good, but Tanner yours is better).
After the market we went on a hike up to the center of NZ. It was steep and we quickly burned off the mornings' crepe. The trail was went through the woods, and appeared pretty standard until we ran into an older lady creating a mythical fantasy scene full of unicorns and fairy dolls hanging from trees. A few feet from her was a stuffed toy rabbit tied to a tree with a sign saying HELP! Funny what you find in the middle of the woods. The view from the top was beautiful, it overlooked the clear sea of Abel Tasman National park and the city of Nelson.
Westport
On our way to the next spot, we stopped at a trail with a hike to a seal colony viewing platform. Giant waves crashed on cliffs everywhere except a small cove that hundred of fur seals call home. We got to the viewpoint and watched as the babies explored and swam and the mothers barked and lounged in the sun. After awhile we decided to hike back to our car and walk around the beach for a bit. The sand was black and warm with loud crashing waves. Mike went exploring in some rocks while I walked in ankle deep water looking for Hectors dolphins. I was having a nice stroll thinking about how much I had enjoyed watching the seals and secretly wishing I could have gotten just a little closer to them. As I was thinking this, I saw some movement that looked like a seal waving. I told myself it was just my imagination and kept going, when a large wave carried the object closer. I looked again and sure enough, I was now five feet away from a 300 pound fur seal, and he was coming closer. I took a few steps back, called for Mike and grabbed my camera. The seal was very curious and watched us for several minutes. He crawled around the beach a bit then barked at me and jumped back in the water. It was an exciting encounter and I no longer wish to get any closer to them :)
We continued our drive down the windy roads to Westport. I'm sure Westport is a lovely place, but it rained so hard for days that we couldn't see anything around us. We had high hopes for sun, and booked a campsite. We now know never to book another campsite in the rain. We still enjoy our car overall, but that night I hated it. Our blankets were wet, it sounded like we were inside a giant steel drum, and mosquitos swarmed in and dive-bombed our ears all night. We slept a couple hours tops.
Paparoa State Park
The next stop was a national park known for a huge blowhole, stacks of flat rocks called the pancake rocks, and a cliff opening called the chimney pot because it appears to steam when waves hit it. It was exhilarating to see such powerful waves, but we were sleep deprived and the storm had gotten worse. We hiked to the lookout, but got soaking wet and cold from 50 mph gusts of wind (we are getting better at converting km to miles...) We didn't last long before finding a warm cabin at a campsite with a hot tub to hibernate in. After getting some sleep, we took advantage of the campground's other attraction, the jumping pillow! It's like an inflatable bouncy house for adults. So fun.
Next up is a brewery tour and sunset beach walk in search of penguins. Hopefully everyone is doing well at home, the closer we get to Christmas, the more we miss you! Love, Megan and Mike
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Glowworms, Gondolas, Gandolf, and Geysers
Adventures continue through the central North Island of NZ:
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo looks like a standard NZ village, with 41 residents, you would never guess that there was another world underground. We hiked down to a dark cave entrance with our guide Norm and ten other travellers. Norm was a fantastic guide with a passion for caving. He knew every nook and cranny of the pitch black caves. We went around and introduced ourselves, put on our safety helmets and headlamps, and climbed aboard our black water raft. Once inside the caves, Norm had us turn out our lights and it was so dark you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. After drifting for a couple minutes, we began to see tiny strands of lights hanging above us. Soon there were millions of glowworms lighting up the inside of the caves. It looked just like a dark night with more stars than I have ever seen. The cave we were in was the exact location that Discovery Channel's Cave episode was shot for Planet Earth.
After about 30 minutes in the cave, we got out off the rafts and went on a hike through another cave. The highlight of this one was a 20,000 year old skeleton of a moa (an extinct large flightless bird similar to an ostrich).
Hobbiton Movie Set
Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of Rings movie flew all over NZ searching for the perfect rolling hills to create Hobbiton. He found the perfect farm outside a small town called Matamata, and now the public can visit the movie set. We got to stand right outside Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole, and relax under the party tree. They are in the process of reconstructing the set for the upcoming filming of The Hobbit. Our glowworm guide Norm ran outside waving in his boxers while filming helicopters circled the area, he thinks he might get to be an extra hobbit now ;) Unfortunately, that is about all I am legally able to write, we both signed strict confidentiality contracts and can't post pictures of the set until the movie is in theaters.
Sheep Farm
We saw a demonstration of a sheep being sheared, which is equal parts occupation and sport. The current NZ (and world) record is an average of 30 seconds a sheep for a hours straight. Our sheerer took about a minute, which still seemed very fast. After that was another highlight, we got to bottlefeed milk to baby lambs! They were just darling, and I am on an official break from eating lamb (Mike is not, he had lamb stew two hours after the show...)
Skyline Gondola Ride and Mountain Luge Course
New Zealand residents have an incredible ability to take their beautiful scenery and turn it into an extreme adventure playground. For this one, we rode up a mountain on a gondola to beautiful views of the city and Lake Rotorua. At the top, you put on a helmet and choose your course to drive a small cart down a cement loge course. It was a blast, tons of hills, twists and turns through the forest until you reach the end, then head back up for another round.
Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland
We hiked through a huge volcanic area full of craters, geysers and bubbling mud pools. There were signs everywhere warning you to stay on the trail because inches away was mud and pools over 200 degrees F. The whole park felt a bit like landing on mars, and smelled strongly of sulfur. The scent changed throughout the hike, at parts we smelled rotten eggs, curry, and maple syrup. Our favorite sections were:
Artists palette: a pool full of all different colors of mud pools.
Champagne pool: a large bubbling pool with orange and teal edges and five feet of steam.
Birds nest crater: a small mudpool at the bottom of a crater, 3 species of birds use the crater walls to nest, because the temperature is ideal for incubating their eggs.
Devils bath: a large crater filled with thick liquid the color of a green highlighter. It was Sounder's green, so bright it was hard to look at without sunglasses.
Huka falls and Lake Taupo
We stood on a footpath over a raging river, which picks up speed and crashes into a pool below. Lake Taupo is a crater left from a volcano that was 100 times the size of St. Helens. It erupted before NZ was established, and ash from the explosion was found in China and Italy.
There is more to do here than we could do in a lifetime. We are so happy we will be here for long enough to begin exploring. Good news - after emailing back and forth with the farm that our Wwoof co-workers recommended, we officially have our job secured in January. It is in a perfect location and we know what to expect (no surprise toilet scrubbing). Month one of our travels will be tough to beat, but we are looking forward to the next adventure!
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo looks like a standard NZ village, with 41 residents, you would never guess that there was another world underground. We hiked down to a dark cave entrance with our guide Norm and ten other travellers. Norm was a fantastic guide with a passion for caving. He knew every nook and cranny of the pitch black caves. We went around and introduced ourselves, put on our safety helmets and headlamps, and climbed aboard our black water raft. Once inside the caves, Norm had us turn out our lights and it was so dark you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. After drifting for a couple minutes, we began to see tiny strands of lights hanging above us. Soon there were millions of glowworms lighting up the inside of the caves. It looked just like a dark night with more stars than I have ever seen. The cave we were in was the exact location that Discovery Channel's Cave episode was shot for Planet Earth.
After about 30 minutes in the cave, we got out off the rafts and went on a hike through another cave. The highlight of this one was a 20,000 year old skeleton of a moa (an extinct large flightless bird similar to an ostrich).
Hobbiton Movie Set
Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of Rings movie flew all over NZ searching for the perfect rolling hills to create Hobbiton. He found the perfect farm outside a small town called Matamata, and now the public can visit the movie set. We got to stand right outside Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole, and relax under the party tree. They are in the process of reconstructing the set for the upcoming filming of The Hobbit. Our glowworm guide Norm ran outside waving in his boxers while filming helicopters circled the area, he thinks he might get to be an extra hobbit now ;) Unfortunately, that is about all I am legally able to write, we both signed strict confidentiality contracts and can't post pictures of the set until the movie is in theaters.
Sheep Farm
We saw a demonstration of a sheep being sheared, which is equal parts occupation and sport. The current NZ (and world) record is an average of 30 seconds a sheep for a hours straight. Our sheerer took about a minute, which still seemed very fast. After that was another highlight, we got to bottlefeed milk to baby lambs! They were just darling, and I am on an official break from eating lamb (Mike is not, he had lamb stew two hours after the show...)
Skyline Gondola Ride and Mountain Luge Course
New Zealand residents have an incredible ability to take their beautiful scenery and turn it into an extreme adventure playground. For this one, we rode up a mountain on a gondola to beautiful views of the city and Lake Rotorua. At the top, you put on a helmet and choose your course to drive a small cart down a cement loge course. It was a blast, tons of hills, twists and turns through the forest until you reach the end, then head back up for another round.
Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland
We hiked through a huge volcanic area full of craters, geysers and bubbling mud pools. There were signs everywhere warning you to stay on the trail because inches away was mud and pools over 200 degrees F. The whole park felt a bit like landing on mars, and smelled strongly of sulfur. The scent changed throughout the hike, at parts we smelled rotten eggs, curry, and maple syrup. Our favorite sections were:
Artists palette: a pool full of all different colors of mud pools.
Champagne pool: a large bubbling pool with orange and teal edges and five feet of steam.
Birds nest crater: a small mudpool at the bottom of a crater, 3 species of birds use the crater walls to nest, because the temperature is ideal for incubating their eggs.
Devils bath: a large crater filled with thick liquid the color of a green highlighter. It was Sounder's green, so bright it was hard to look at without sunglasses.
Huka falls and Lake Taupo
We stood on a footpath over a raging river, which picks up speed and crashes into a pool below. Lake Taupo is a crater left from a volcano that was 100 times the size of St. Helens. It erupted before NZ was established, and ash from the explosion was found in China and Italy.
There is more to do here than we could do in a lifetime. We are so happy we will be here for long enough to begin exploring. Good news - after emailing back and forth with the farm that our Wwoof co-workers recommended, we officially have our job secured in January. It is in a perfect location and we know what to expect (no surprise toilet scrubbing). Month one of our travels will be tough to beat, but we are looking forward to the next adventure!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
NorthLand, NZ
Several updates from the road of Northern New Zealand...
Our Job (you win some, you lose some)
We were really looking forward to getting our hands dirty, learning a thing or two about farming, and sleeping, eating and experiencing life with a real NZ family. Unfortunatly, our first job was not at all what we had expected. After driving 5 hours to our destination farm to prepare for the next days farmer's market, we were surprised to find that there was not a farm in sight. Not even a small garden. There was a small lodge, and three large junkyards. Rather than harvesting, we were given very unusual tasks including:
The silver lining is that we met another wwoofer couple (Shawn and Anna) who had been doing different jobs for several months. They confirmed that this experience was far from ordinary, and they felt they were scammed too. They reffered us to a farm they loved, and we are currently setting up the best time to start work. All's well that ends well!
NZ Camping
Never in a million years did I think I would be living out of a car and camping my way around the country. For us, it's the way to go. We're able to be very independent and save a lot of money on lodging and transportation between cities. We've named our car HOW-E (house on wheels - explorer) Our little car included everything we needed: all cooking supplies, lights, electric hook-ups, bedding, a shower, attachable tent, mosquito nets... it's incredible!
The campsites here also have everything you need and are cheaper than the hostels. Campers are from all over the world, and a standard site includes: full kitchens, free showers, tv rooms, ping-pong, pool tables, pools and hot-tubs, tour booking desks, playgrounds, trampolines, wifi, book exchanges, and our last one even had a free little herb garden. We are able to grocery shop just like we were at home.
NorthLand Activities
We've done several hikes, seen amazing waterfalls, historical villages, and lots and lots of sheep. My highlight of the NorthLand has been Bay of Islands. We went on an eco-encounter boat, with a captain and Ben, a dolphin expert. The boat works with the NZ Dept. of Conservation, and we were able to see 3 seperate pods of bottlenose dolphins, and learned a ton. The guide explained that they are much like people, and sometimes are playful but sometimes wanted to be alone. If we found a group of adult dolphins that was not feeding, we could enter the water with them if we chose.
The first pod was in an avoidant mood, so they would come check out the boat, then take a very deep dive. They did this three times, so Ben said it seemed they wanted to be left alone. The second pod had a new-born baby, only a couple hours old. It was so fascinating to see the mother interact with the tiny baby, she held it up to get air and all of the dolphin aunts swam behind her to keep her safe. This pod was feeling playful and was swimming right up next to the boat, leaping all the way out of the air, and doing flips. Since they had a baby present, we could not get in the water.
Luck was on our side when we found a third pod (after 3 hours of searching). The 3rd pod was all adults and they wanted to play. Ben told us to swim as fast as we could to them, and act silly and sing songs through our snorkel. 6 of us (including Mike and I) jumped in the ocean and tried to entertain the pod. It was really deep, cold, and the currant was moving faster than any of us could swim. It was actually a lot scarier than we imagined, the dolphins are big and you're in the middle of the ocean. We spent our time swimming as fast as we could, and had a blast chasing them. They seem like they are the happiest animals on earth. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we'll never forget.
I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit at home, we miss you everyday! Love, Megan and Mike
Our Job (you win some, you lose some)
We were really looking forward to getting our hands dirty, learning a thing or two about farming, and sleeping, eating and experiencing life with a real NZ family. Unfortunatly, our first job was not at all what we had expected. After driving 5 hours to our destination farm to prepare for the next days farmer's market, we were surprised to find that there was not a farm in sight. Not even a small garden. There was a small lodge, and three large junkyards. Rather than harvesting, we were given very unusual tasks including:
- Cleaning old torn up pieces of bubble wrap to wrap linens in
- Taking laces out of old childrens shoes
- Testing hot-water pots
- Moving boxes of garbage from one storage shed to another storage shed 5 feet away
- Babysitting at all times (until we literally got in our beds)
- Maintaining the lodge, including scrubbing toilets, all linen and towel laundry (6+ hours a day), vacuum and mopping the lodge, killing spiders and removing bird poop
- Preparing for the market (where the owners sold used childrens clothing)
The silver lining is that we met another wwoofer couple (Shawn and Anna) who had been doing different jobs for several months. They confirmed that this experience was far from ordinary, and they felt they were scammed too. They reffered us to a farm they loved, and we are currently setting up the best time to start work. All's well that ends well!
NZ Camping
Never in a million years did I think I would be living out of a car and camping my way around the country. For us, it's the way to go. We're able to be very independent and save a lot of money on lodging and transportation between cities. We've named our car HOW-E (house on wheels - explorer) Our little car included everything we needed: all cooking supplies, lights, electric hook-ups, bedding, a shower, attachable tent, mosquito nets... it's incredible!
The campsites here also have everything you need and are cheaper than the hostels. Campers are from all over the world, and a standard site includes: full kitchens, free showers, tv rooms, ping-pong, pool tables, pools and hot-tubs, tour booking desks, playgrounds, trampolines, wifi, book exchanges, and our last one even had a free little herb garden. We are able to grocery shop just like we were at home.
NorthLand Activities
We've done several hikes, seen amazing waterfalls, historical villages, and lots and lots of sheep. My highlight of the NorthLand has been Bay of Islands. We went on an eco-encounter boat, with a captain and Ben, a dolphin expert. The boat works with the NZ Dept. of Conservation, and we were able to see 3 seperate pods of bottlenose dolphins, and learned a ton. The guide explained that they are much like people, and sometimes are playful but sometimes wanted to be alone. If we found a group of adult dolphins that was not feeding, we could enter the water with them if we chose.
The first pod was in an avoidant mood, so they would come check out the boat, then take a very deep dive. They did this three times, so Ben said it seemed they wanted to be left alone. The second pod had a new-born baby, only a couple hours old. It was so fascinating to see the mother interact with the tiny baby, she held it up to get air and all of the dolphin aunts swam behind her to keep her safe. This pod was feeling playful and was swimming right up next to the boat, leaping all the way out of the air, and doing flips. Since they had a baby present, we could not get in the water.
Luck was on our side when we found a third pod (after 3 hours of searching). The 3rd pod was all adults and they wanted to play. Ben told us to swim as fast as we could to them, and act silly and sing songs through our snorkel. 6 of us (including Mike and I) jumped in the ocean and tried to entertain the pod. It was really deep, cold, and the currant was moving faster than any of us could swim. It was actually a lot scarier than we imagined, the dolphins are big and you're in the middle of the ocean. We spent our time swimming as fast as we could, and had a blast chasing them. They seem like they are the happiest animals on earth. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we'll never forget.
I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit at home, we miss you everyday! Love, Megan and Mike
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Auckland, New Zealand
We've arrived safely in Auckland, New Zealand, and feel like we could easily spend a year exploring this country. As soon as we left the airplane we found magazines and brochures full of beautiful scenery and extreme adventures. We started our trip with 4 days in Auckland, which reminds us a lot of Seattle and Vancouver BC. We're staying on Queen St. which is the middle of downtown, and within walking distance of many great attractions. It's also nice because the city is all decked out for Christmas.
We walked down to the waterfront and saw the teal blue water full of whale watching ships. The streets are full of cafes and shops, and beautiful old buildings. Auckland has so many options of exhibits and parks that are free of charge, and we've taken full advantage. This week we've seen:
We also start our first job through WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) tomorrow. The winery job did not work out, because grape season has ended, but this job sounds wonderful. We'll be working on a small lodge on the beach in Northland. We'll help with the garden, prepare for the Saturday Farmer's Market, playing with the hosts' 7 year old twin girls, and whatever other projects are needed. In exchange, we'll receive dinner and accomodation in a great location to see northern New Zealand. Really looking forward to the experience!
We walked down to the waterfront and saw the teal blue water full of whale watching ships. The streets are full of cafes and shops, and beautiful old buildings. Auckland has so many options of exhibits and parks that are free of charge, and we've taken full advantage. This week we've seen:
- Outdoor Photography Exhibit: In Auckland's town square called "Little Big City," they have huge art exhibits complete with audio that are lit up for the public 24 hours a day. We spend over an hour and could have stayed a lot longer. The photos were taken all over the world from an airplane, and included facts about each place. If you have time, it's worth checking out at: http://www.biglittlecity.co.nz/Events/Earth_from_Above
- Mt. Eden: We hiked through the city up Mt. Eden, which is an inactive volcano. There are several viewpoints from the top that overlook the city and bay.
- Auckland Domain and Museum: We walked through the campus of the University of Auckland, and through town to a huge park full of opportunities. We took a walk down "Lovers' Path" a forest trail next to a creek. We saw a beautiful sculpture park, 2 botanical gardens, a duck pond, and a fernery. We ran out of time before we could tackle the museum, but hope to see it when we return to Auckland.
- Christmas Concert: Tonight, we're going to the Auckland hall (a giant beautiful old building), for a Christmas concert by the Auckland Symphony and the Pacific Island Church choir. We're really looking forward to getting into the holiday spirit (it doesn't feel like Christmas without the cold weather, tree, and family).
We also start our first job through WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) tomorrow. The winery job did not work out, because grape season has ended, but this job sounds wonderful. We'll be working on a small lodge on the beach in Northland. We'll help with the garden, prepare for the Saturday Farmer's Market, playing with the hosts' 7 year old twin girls, and whatever other projects are needed. In exchange, we'll receive dinner and accomodation in a great location to see northern New Zealand. Really looking forward to the experience!
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