New Zealand - Part 2

Auckland

I arrived into Auckland and headed up to the International YHA. It wasn't a very warm welcome and I was just pointed towards the stairs leading to the dorm. It was a clean place but after wondering around I realised that there was no atmosphere and it really wasn't friendly. It was also very expensive!

The next day (and my only day in the city) I met a German girl called Iris with whom I spent the day with. After breakfast we went up the sky tower, it was nice but a bit similar to the tower in Sydney. You could also watch people jumping off it which was good!

We planned our day by looking at the city from the sky, then headed off shopping. I bought a lovely brand spanking new Camcorder (yay!) which is great, (but blew all my budget, donations welcome) then we went to a market and sat in the sun.

The highlight of my time in Auckland was the evening trip to the Globe Bar. We met 2 Canadians called Matt and Sara and lots of other cool people. Plus free beer courtesy of AJ Hackett bungy company wasn't bad either! The 3 of us decided to meet in the Bay of Islands in a few days time.

Bay of Islands

I boarded the dreaded Kiwi Experience bus at 7.15am for the trip up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. This bus has a terrible reputation here (I won't tell you the nickname for it!) so I wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't bad though, the coach driver was friendly and we stopped on the way and had things pointed out of interest. Plus they can book trips and accommodation for you at a discount price. It was a much younger age range but everyone was friendly.

Arriving was fantastic. The sun was shining and the sea calm. Paihia is right on the sea and you can see lots of the islands from there. My hostel was fantastic (the Pepper Tree Lodge) really friendly and homely, they even learnt all the guests names! Plus they could book cheap tours for you too.

I went on a dolphin trip with Awesome Adventures. They had the smallest boat for dolphin trips and that was a big advantage. We floated around looking for any signs of marine animals, and the driver spotted a whales plume! It was a brief glimpse but the whale popped up a few times. Then we headed over to find dolphins, or should I say they found us! I was sitting right at the front of the boat when they came along, and they swam right along with the boat! We lay on our bellies with our faces over the water and the dolphins swam right under our noses, even spraying and splashing us! It was incredible! I could have stayed there for hours! It was unbelievable seeing them swimming with the boat and diving in and out of the waves. I also got the chance to spend a few hours on one of the islands, me and another chap had the beach to ourselves!

Another amazing day was the one I spent on an old sailing ship called the 'R. Tucker Thompson'. We set off into the bay and got to help pull up the sails like one of the crew. You could go onto the bowsprit, (the front of the ship) and lay in the rigging with the water under your feet, or even straddle the mast and pretend to be Kate Winslet! That was out of this world! You could look at all the islands around and imagine how the explorers felt when they first came. We were given a mid morning snack of scones and cream, and pulled into a sheltered bay for lunch. After a swim (and a swing off the side of the boat into the water! Awesome!) and BBQ lunch we set off again. The wind had picked up and we went at quite a rate! The tacks were great fun (turning the ship) and it lent right over. We were also fed watermelon. The other people on the ship were so nice and we chatted lots (one lot even tried to set me up with their son back in Brisbane!). I have to say that it was one of the best trips I have ever done. Go to NZ and do it!!

The trip up to Cape Reinga was cool. I got the Awesome Adventures bus up, the driver was very funny and cracking jokes all the way. We stopped to see Kauri trees (massive trees that are 1000's of years old), went to the point where the Tasman and Pacific meet. The two oceans crash together it's a sight to see. Then off for a swim in the sea and sand boarding. The boarding was ace, but the walk up the 100m dune wasn't so fun! 90 mile beach used to be the main highway, so we drove back along it instead of the road (not recommended for cars though, you could see bits sticking out of the sand where cars had sunk!), and of course the 'fush n chups' at the end. Bliss!

The guys I met in Auckland came up too, (now known as 'Team Canada' plus Conny, an Austrian girl) which was a lot of fun. They didn't make it on any of my trips though. We spent the evenings at the Saltwater Bar playing shuffleboard, a great game on a long table a bit like curling. There was a pub quiz and a little Karaoke too but we won't go there! The guys left to go on another trip north a few days later and spread the word of 'Team Canada'.

Bay of Islands was my base for 6 nights in total, and I loved every minute. Definitely a place I will come and work in when I come out with my working visa (which I am so going to do!). Sad to leave but I'd spent enough time there, and of course there was the wedding to go to.

Rotorua (again!)

Leaving Bay of Islands was a shame, and a nightmare. I went and missed my 8am bus. Stupid! (but it was a good time out the night before!) Brief moment of panic when I was told there was no way I could get down to Rotorua on that day (images of me missing the wedding) but the wonderful owners of the Pepper Tree Lodge helped me out and I managed to get on another bus that afternoon (which was also delayed but hey it got me there!)

So after that manic travel day, it was the day of the wedding! The reason for heading around the world in the first place. A few of us shared a cabin nearby to where the ceremony was and we got ready there.

There were drinks and nibbles at Michelle's mums house. Andy seemed to be taking everything in his step, where as Ian the best man was getting more and more wound up! (not looking forward to the speech) At 3 we headed over to the edge of the lake and waited for the bride. Michelle looked stunning. And the both of them looked so happy to be there. It all went well, the ceremony was beautiful. It did rain a little but that didn't stop anyone from enjoying themselves.

Afterwards it was off to the reception. A tasty meal and lots of drinks, plus great speeches (Ian needn't have worried!) Meeting Andy's family was lovely, and passing on travel tips to his sister was nice. Plus the dancing was fun, the DJ thought we were mad though! So in all a fantastic day enjoyed by everyone and hopefully a long and happy marriage for Andy and Michelle.

Wellington

So yet another coach trip (no delays this time!) down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It was a nice city, not too big and spread out over lots of hills and valleys. I spent a day wondering around the shops, and visited Te Papa, the main museum there. It was huge, and took us hours to see it. Exhausting! but interesting. Most things to visit in the city were free which is nice for broke backpackers. Plus everything in Wellington is about Lord of the Rings. All the shops sell something to do with the films. Overkill!

In the evening we went up the old cable car (built in 1902) and walked back to the city through the botanical gardens. It was all very pretty and a nice stroll. (Downhill too which was nice). After that it was a trip to the Embassy cinema to see Return of the King. Ok so it was my 3rd time, but wow what an experience! Its the only film they show there, and the place where the trilogy had its premiers. The seats were huge, and even had plaques on the arms telling you who sat in them for the premier! The sound was amazing too, my seat literally moved from the bass. It was a beautiful old building, on the outside there was a Nazgul (spelt right?!) on its winged creature looming over the street. Very impressive.

The next day I went on a Rover Pass day tour. Highly recommended! only $35, and the guide Jason picks you up from the hostel and drives around a set route dropping you off where you want and picking you up again later. He showed us lots of places. We went up Mount Victoria for a spectacular view of the city and bay. Then I got off at the zoo which was really nice, only $8 and it was a nice size, not too big. Plus it was where that scene in Brain Dead was filmed when the mum gets bitten by the monkey! After that we drove on, Jason showed us where the scene in the Fellowship of the Ring of the hobbits hiding in the roots was filmed, and saw some lovely beaches. you could even see the mountains on the south island from there. Then we were dropped off for another walk, a beautiful coastal walk way and then on through the quiet suburb of Seatoun. I could so live there! Plus we saw where the set of Brie was built (now a housing estate!) and Peter Jackson's house. Lunch was had in the Chocolate Fish cafe. Fantastic food and a beach setting. The cafe was on one side of the road, and the seating on the other! They even had special road signs saying 'waiters crossing'! Then we were picked up again and shown more sights of wellington (including a quick detour over to the film studios to watch a polystyrene tree being taken into a warehouse!) I thoroughly enjoyed that day.

There were somethings I didn't get to do in Wellington I have to save for next time. The Wellington museum of city and sea is meant to be very good. But Benny and Matt were flying into Christchurch the next day so I had to catch the interislander ferry over and meet them. (lovely ferry crossing, beautiful views!) Plus no sign of the awful weather that caused flooding just a few days prior, it was sunny and lovely when I went. Yay