a;dlkfagnrkba;ndf bajebrjg;adlfkj a;lkdjga
That is what I suspect I would have typed had I been in Christchurch during the earthquake the other day. Thankfully, I wasn't. As most of you know, I was in National Park when the quake hit and I didn't feel a thing.
Now I know that I should really be thankful that I wasn't there and that I wasn't really affected by the quake in anyway, but I really would have liked to be there. When I came to New Zealand it was definitely with the partial hope that I would be able to experience (first hand, in the flesh, up close and personally) some kind of natural phenomenon. Be it an earthquake, volcanic eruption, tsunami... basically any kind of natural distaster-esque thing that Saskatchewan doesn't experience. Long story short, if all I experience here is a freak snow storm, I'm going to be very disappointed.
One thing I know I'm not disappointed about is Wellington. I had a great day yesterday, and I can only anticipate today being better. Yesterday, I wandered about the wharf area, in true aimless wonder. It wasn't quite so sunny but it was still deliciously warm. Eventually I decided that I should do something with my day and made the 10ish minute trek back uphill to my hostel "Worldwide Backpackers" on The Terrace (you are now supplied for google mapping). Once home, I gathered all my pamphlets, tourism guides, and random papers and began the tough decision of what to do. This decision is particularly tough because of 3 things. 1) There are tons of cool things to do in Wellington. 2) They are basically all free. 3) They are all within walking distance. Yes folks, there are roughly 10 free art galleries, and 6 free museums that I know about off hand. None of them is more than a 20 minute walk away. There are also parks, botanical gardens, free tours, and of course just a ton of random shops to pop into. It makes deciding what to do each day both exciting and difficult. Anyway! I decided that I would visit the Wellington City and Sea Museum and then go from there.
The museum was free naturally. It consisted of 3 levels; one dedicated to the history of the city, one about the harbour and trade history, and one about the social and Maori history. It was exceptionally well put together and extremely informative. The curator obviously has a wicked sense of humour too as many of the exhibits write-ups had... hmmmm... well witty and sarcastic elements to them. There were a couple funny cracks against Australia (commonly refered to as Aussie) that made me giggle. I could really feel the rivalry between the countries. It is a lot like the Canadian/American relationship. The best part of the whole museum was a small art section. It was for kids, but art is art and while I would have been able to handle more sophisticated write ups beside each work I did enjoy the kiddy version. This section also had these great little books that you could purchase for $2 that take you through the gallery and make you interact with each work. This is a freaking brilliant idea for kids. There were tasks like write a narrative about the figure in this painting, describe what kind of feeling this painting evokes, design your own Greek style vase, and so on. I was really impressed and had I brought along some money I would have bought one and done it myself. (I actually still may. It was seriously that cool). So ya, I viewed that whole museum and then wandered around outside again for a bit. I'm finding more and more that I can't stay inside for too long. I need sun and wind and nature or I get restless.
During my wanderings, I happened upon an art gallery which I had heard about but had no idea where it was. Turns out it's in a super central location and I've possibly wandered by the side of it a couple times without realizing what was inside. Anyway, that cool little section in the Wellington Museum had put me in the art mood so I left the sun and basked in art instead. See http://citygallery.org.nz/current-exhibitions/ for exhibit images and information.
In true Wellington form, this gallery was predominantly free. There was one exhibit which you had to pay $6 for, but I didn't have cash so free I went. The ground floor was an exhibit of local (generally student) artists and was called Un-Sited. The main concept centered on unidentifiable space. Each work portrayed a specific space but in some way intentionally removed itself from that space. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it's the best I can do. My favourite peice was a long stretch of white paper, roughly 25 feet in length and about 5 feet high. It had a touch of grey shading that reached about 3 feet up the paper in the furthest left and faded down to basically nothing as it ran along the bottom length of the paper. I can't remember what it was titled and there was no write-up next to the work. I always read the show write up after I have looked at all the peices so that my interpretations are purely my own on first viewing. So after I had seen all the peices I read the Un-Sited write up and was informed that that peice was the recreation of one of the walls in the artist studio. It was kind of cool to think about the layers of space and creation that that work played with. Essentially it was a representation of a creative space (the studio) that had been placed in a new creative space (the gallery) and given an entirely different value. I'm not making myself very clear. Haha. Becky, help me out here...
The next exhibit was called "The Vault" by Neil Pardington. It consisted of large scale, high definition photographs of behind the scenes areas of NZ museums and art galleries. There were images of stock rooms filled with mannequin parts, images of preserved critters in jars, images of shelves of film reels, etc. They were quite beautiful and definitely intriguing. In some cases, I almost felt like I was looking into one of those I-Spy books from when you were little. Remember those? You'd have to find 2 buttons, 3 red truck, and 4 dices before you could move onto the next page. The images in those books were busy and maybe a little overwhelming, but when you broke them down it was really just a odd collection of stuff in one space. Well this exhibit's images and entire collection felt a bit like that. The one thing I wasn't too impressed with was that the images were staged. The artist had gone in and shifted things in those museum storage spaces to create the image and feeling he wanted. I felt like this manipulation of space and objects was unnecessary and cheapened the whole thing a bit, but it was still really quite potent. My favourite image from that exhibit was of about 6 stainless steel shelves with one stuffed seagull lying belly up on each. It was comical. I felt like I was looking into a bird morticians freezer compartments. Again, you probably have to be there to understand what I mean, just take my word for it. I literally guffawed when I saw it.
The next exhibit ("Mana Takatapui" by Taera Tane) didn't do anything for me so I shan't discuss it. The one following was interesting but very difficult to explain so I'll leave it alone as well. It was called "Two Walking" by Mari Mahr. And the last was potentially my favourite. It was titled "The Imaginary Life and Times Of" by Graham Percy. It was basically all ink or pencil drawings of kiwi birds (instead of kiwi people) in random cities and historical moments. Some of them were really funny, and all of them displayed a real pride for New Zealand. This one was simply the most fun to view and left me in a great mood.
Right. After that I wandered around some more, went back to the hostel for late lunch, went grocery shopping, and then met up with the organizer of the volleyball league I just joined and a bunch of the players. I'll be playing Sundays and possibly Wednesdays for as long as I'm in Wellington. I'm pretty super stoked about it. I've been itching to play volleyball since I arrived here and have only been able to once. This league seems awesome too cause it's free (sensing a serious theme here) and the group is really tight knit, almost like a family. They welcomed me with open arms and are already helping me out with things outside of volleyball. I'm really excited to be a part of a team, a sport, and a friend group.
Okey dokey. That's about enough for now. Haha. Oh, I'm thinking I'll join a Zumba class at a local church too. Horray for dancing/working out.
Kisses!
Julia
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wel(come/lingtons/lington)
Ta da! Another blog! I'm on fire.
...
Ok, I'm back from stop, dropping, and rolling. Here we go.
We left National Park the morning of the 23rd. We were delayed by a broken bus and a supremely slow delivery bus driver. Never the less, by roughly 10:30 we were outta there and on our way to the great unknown known as Wellington. We travelled south through stunning scenery and as we sang along to The Proclaimers, Afroman, and Nickelback (eek) I got a bizarre case of deja vu. "I have been here before" I thought to myself. "We will be stopping at Flat Hills for lunch" said my bus driver. "Eureka!", I thought, "I have been here before. This is ridiculously close to Rathmoy, in fact, I was picked up at Flat Hills to go and work at Rathmoy." Wow. I quickly shot a couple of texts off to the guys I worked with there saying "Hi" and that I hoped they were doing well, that I was passing by, and all that lovely stuff. We stopped for lunch. I had a lamb burger with chips (aka fries) and this delicious sauce that I have never experienced anywhere other than New Zealand and still don't know what it is. (When I know, You'll know.) Then it was back on the road. Just as we were passing the turn off for Feilding, which happens to be the turn of to Rathmoy, I recieved a text from Muzzy (one of the guys I worked with). It made my heart light. I will now type it verbatim so that you may share in my light hearted cheer.
"Hey julia. Good to hear from ya! As if i would have forgotten who you were. We were wondering just a couple of days ago how you were going. I tried ringing just now but you must have no service. I hope the world is treating you as you deserve. You're always welcome"
*insert collective "awwwwwwwww" here*
I'm definitely visiting those guys on the way back. I briefly/desperately contemplated hopping off the bus at the next town and getting the boys to come and pick me up so that I could hang out with them before going on to Wellington but alas and alack it was not to be. And while all my "alas and alack"ing might lead you to believe that I am sad I didn't get to stop, I'm not. Sad. I'm really quite happy.
Anyway. We carried on our merry way to a town called Taihape which claims to be the Gumboot Throwing Capital of the World. This claim is based soley on the fact that they like throwing gumboots (aka rubber boots, aka Wellingtons) and that they have a designated gumboot throwing arena. This arena truly is one of a kind, as it is the only known gumboot throwing arena in the universe. Taihape I tip my hat to you. That's fanaticism at it's best. Naturally, we got to throw gumboots. I stunk. However, this is 100% due to the fact that the prize for doing well was a free beer and I (obviously) had no desire to win. I was concerned though that if I put in a half hearted attempt I would still win, so I just stunk it up (on purpose!) to ensure that I wouldn't be the poor sucker would have to drink that beer. I succeeded marvelously.
Right... so then it was back in the bus and on to Wellington. We stopped quickly for a toilet break.
Ok. Pause the narration here. We are going to have a little think. In Canada we say "I'm going to the bathroom/washroom". We hardly ever say "I'm going to the toilet". Now in Kiwi land they Always say they are going to the "toilet". This makes me feel uncomfortable and as if they are being a touch vulgar. Does anyone have any suggestion as to why this may be?
After our washroom break, it was straight to Wellington. We arrived at Base hostel around 4:30, settled in and went for a walk throughout the harbour area. Wellington is artsy, vibrant, beautiful, and windy.
Becky. Come live in Wellington with me. We were made for this city.
During our walk we saw rowers rowing, swimmers swimming, bagpipests piping (actually there was only one but for continuity's sake...), runners running, and artists arting. This city is centered on art, culture, and water. Yes, yes. I am very much at home here. Oh! we also came across a sign for a live circus performance down by the waterfront that evening. I was totally stoked. The girls I was with not so much (girls are just no fun). We walked around a bit more, nothing eventful happened. Then supper, and then off to the circus! for me and Corina (cause she's cool and does stuff. More about her later).
The circus was awesome. It wasn't really a circus persay, it was more of a live busking show that incorporated trapese tricks, contortionism, juggling, clowning, slapstick comedy, and a weak story line. There were 4 performers and a live dj. I'm not really going to be able to explain what the whole thing was about but the general story line is that... Actually. It's not worth it. The boys were strong and sported 6 packs, the girls were graceful and sported extremely flexibity. The humour made me laugh, and stunts were definitely impressive. I may actually go again tonight, and if I do I will get some pictures and then you can share in my experience too.
Upon the conclusion of the circus, Corina and I went back to the hostel bar to met up with everyone else. Everyone else was lame though (they were drinking) so we ditched them and hit the dance floor. Yes folks. I found a sober dance buddy. We were the only people on the dance floor for a solid 45 minutes. And we tore it up. I haven't had fun like that in a long time. By the end of the night, there were 200 people dancing. Ok. No. There were about 50. But! There were only about 80 in the bar. So we won the hearts and bodies of nearly everyone there. There were actually a couple people that came up to us and told us that we started the dance party. It was pretty cool. Then my shoe broke. Which wasn't cool. Cause it's the only pair of non runners I have. And it meant that dancing got harder. But! Those of you who know me and my dancing know that I can't be stopped. And I wasn't. The night continued. We stayed sober, and stayed the center of the party all night. Corina! I salute you in the danciest way possible. You made that night awesome.
Next morning was this morning. I spent today switching over to a new hostel (which reminds me immensly of Clare's house in Rosthern. I feel in love the second I saw it. Nostalgia is a powerful force), wandering down by the harbour again, and chilling at the hostel writing to you. And, literally this second recieving a text from... Tyler. We shall possibly be doing something tonight. Huzza. Friends are fun.
I guess that's about it for now. I'm staying in Wellington for about 2 weeks. I'm at a hostel for one and then am renovating indefinitely after that. Fun times ahead.
You are all wonderful.
Julia
...
Ok, I'm back from stop, dropping, and rolling. Here we go.
We left National Park the morning of the 23rd. We were delayed by a broken bus and a supremely slow delivery bus driver. Never the less, by roughly 10:30 we were outta there and on our way to the great unknown known as Wellington. We travelled south through stunning scenery and as we sang along to The Proclaimers, Afroman, and Nickelback (eek) I got a bizarre case of deja vu. "I have been here before" I thought to myself. "We will be stopping at Flat Hills for lunch" said my bus driver. "Eureka!", I thought, "I have been here before. This is ridiculously close to Rathmoy, in fact, I was picked up at Flat Hills to go and work at Rathmoy." Wow. I quickly shot a couple of texts off to the guys I worked with there saying "Hi" and that I hoped they were doing well, that I was passing by, and all that lovely stuff. We stopped for lunch. I had a lamb burger with chips (aka fries) and this delicious sauce that I have never experienced anywhere other than New Zealand and still don't know what it is. (When I know, You'll know.) Then it was back on the road. Just as we were passing the turn off for Feilding, which happens to be the turn of to Rathmoy, I recieved a text from Muzzy (one of the guys I worked with). It made my heart light. I will now type it verbatim so that you may share in my light hearted cheer.
"Hey julia. Good to hear from ya! As if i would have forgotten who you were. We were wondering just a couple of days ago how you were going. I tried ringing just now but you must have no service. I hope the world is treating you as you deserve. You're always welcome"
*insert collective "awwwwwwwww" here*
I'm definitely visiting those guys on the way back. I briefly/desperately contemplated hopping off the bus at the next town and getting the boys to come and pick me up so that I could hang out with them before going on to Wellington but alas and alack it was not to be. And while all my "alas and alack"ing might lead you to believe that I am sad I didn't get to stop, I'm not. Sad. I'm really quite happy.
Anyway. We carried on our merry way to a town called Taihape which claims to be the Gumboot Throwing Capital of the World. This claim is based soley on the fact that they like throwing gumboots (aka rubber boots, aka Wellingtons) and that they have a designated gumboot throwing arena. This arena truly is one of a kind, as it is the only known gumboot throwing arena in the universe. Taihape I tip my hat to you. That's fanaticism at it's best. Naturally, we got to throw gumboots. I stunk. However, this is 100% due to the fact that the prize for doing well was a free beer and I (obviously) had no desire to win. I was concerned though that if I put in a half hearted attempt I would still win, so I just stunk it up (on purpose!) to ensure that I wouldn't be the poor sucker would have to drink that beer. I succeeded marvelously.
Right... so then it was back in the bus and on to Wellington. We stopped quickly for a toilet break.
Ok. Pause the narration here. We are going to have a little think. In Canada we say "I'm going to the bathroom/washroom". We hardly ever say "I'm going to the toilet". Now in Kiwi land they Always say they are going to the "toilet". This makes me feel uncomfortable and as if they are being a touch vulgar. Does anyone have any suggestion as to why this may be?
After our washroom break, it was straight to Wellington. We arrived at Base hostel around 4:30, settled in and went for a walk throughout the harbour area. Wellington is artsy, vibrant, beautiful, and windy.
Becky. Come live in Wellington with me. We were made for this city.
During our walk we saw rowers rowing, swimmers swimming, bagpipests piping (actually there was only one but for continuity's sake...), runners running, and artists arting. This city is centered on art, culture, and water. Yes, yes. I am very much at home here. Oh! we also came across a sign for a live circus performance down by the waterfront that evening. I was totally stoked. The girls I was with not so much (girls are just no fun). We walked around a bit more, nothing eventful happened. Then supper, and then off to the circus! for me and Corina (cause she's cool and does stuff. More about her later).
The circus was awesome. It wasn't really a circus persay, it was more of a live busking show that incorporated trapese tricks, contortionism, juggling, clowning, slapstick comedy, and a weak story line. There were 4 performers and a live dj. I'm not really going to be able to explain what the whole thing was about but the general story line is that... Actually. It's not worth it. The boys were strong and sported 6 packs, the girls were graceful and sported extremely flexibity. The humour made me laugh, and stunts were definitely impressive. I may actually go again tonight, and if I do I will get some pictures and then you can share in my experience too.
Upon the conclusion of the circus, Corina and I went back to the hostel bar to met up with everyone else. Everyone else was lame though (they were drinking) so we ditched them and hit the dance floor. Yes folks. I found a sober dance buddy. We were the only people on the dance floor for a solid 45 minutes. And we tore it up. I haven't had fun like that in a long time. By the end of the night, there were 200 people dancing. Ok. No. There were about 50. But! There were only about 80 in the bar. So we won the hearts and bodies of nearly everyone there. There were actually a couple people that came up to us and told us that we started the dance party. It was pretty cool. Then my shoe broke. Which wasn't cool. Cause it's the only pair of non runners I have. And it meant that dancing got harder. But! Those of you who know me and my dancing know that I can't be stopped. And I wasn't. The night continued. We stayed sober, and stayed the center of the party all night. Corina! I salute you in the danciest way possible. You made that night awesome.
Next morning was this morning. I spent today switching over to a new hostel (which reminds me immensly of Clare's house in Rosthern. I feel in love the second I saw it. Nostalgia is a powerful force), wandering down by the harbour again, and chilling at the hostel writing to you. And, literally this second recieving a text from... Tyler. We shall possibly be doing something tonight. Huzza. Friends are fun.
I guess that's about it for now. I'm staying in Wellington for about 2 weeks. I'm at a hostel for one and then am renovating indefinitely after that. Fun times ahead.
You are all wonderful.
Julia
Sunday, February 20, 2011
ROAR!
Hey guys
So my time with Precision Helicopters has come to a bitter sweet close. I'm excited to be moving on, but missing the family and the pilots. I had a great time there and am planning on visiting them on the way back up to Auckland in about 6 months. Hopefully, they will still remember me fondly and will once again welcome me into their lovely home and business.
They dropped me off back at Blue Duck on Feb 19, exactly one month after I left. We went for a couple spins in the helicopter, had breakfast, and then exchanged morose hugs whilst promising to stay in touch. Great people, great fun, great views (see pics), great experiences.
So now I'm in National Park again (I spent one night at Blue Duck and then caught the shuttle back) and I'll be heading to Wellington in two days (Feb 23). I'm hoping to hit up HomeGrown, a completely Kiwi music festival, but it's sold out. Do not fear though. I shall find a way in. It will happen.
I met some people from Wellington while working for Precision and they have graciously offered me a house renovating job (are we seeing a theme here?...) in exchange for room and board. So I'll be hitting that up for a bit and then GOING SOUTH! Ba-zinga.
On an unrelated note. No one. I repeat No One has given me a worm. I am one destressed fish right now. Believe me, if you are lion and you decide to go swimming in the ocean, me and my tuna posse are coming for you. Please see The Other Guys for an outline of your fate.
The End.
Julia
ps. I still love you.
So my time with Precision Helicopters has come to a bitter sweet close. I'm excited to be moving on, but missing the family and the pilots. I had a great time there and am planning on visiting them on the way back up to Auckland in about 6 months. Hopefully, they will still remember me fondly and will once again welcome me into their lovely home and business.
They dropped me off back at Blue Duck on Feb 19, exactly one month after I left. We went for a couple spins in the helicopter, had breakfast, and then exchanged morose hugs whilst promising to stay in touch. Great people, great fun, great views (see pics), great experiences.
So now I'm in National Park again (I spent one night at Blue Duck and then caught the shuttle back) and I'll be heading to Wellington in two days (Feb 23). I'm hoping to hit up HomeGrown, a completely Kiwi music festival, but it's sold out. Do not fear though. I shall find a way in. It will happen.
I met some people from Wellington while working for Precision and they have graciously offered me a house renovating job (are we seeing a theme here?...) in exchange for room and board. So I'll be hitting that up for a bit and then GOING SOUTH! Ba-zinga.
On an unrelated note. No one. I repeat No One has given me a worm. I am one destressed fish right now. Believe me, if you are lion and you decide to go swimming in the ocean, me and my tuna posse are coming for you. Please see The Other Guys for an outline of your fate.
The End.
Julia
ps. I still love you.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
I would like to take this opening sentence to point out to you that this blog is following on the tails of the last blog much quicker than has previously happened. This makes me an early bird. I want my worm.
I'm boring right now. I'm sitting around my house. All alone. Not working. And eating cheese (yum). I went to a party last night. But it wasn't overly fun. And other than that, all I've done is reclaimed two small gardens down the side of our house. Oh, and managed to get a wicked sunburn while trying to get rid of some tan lines. So there really isn't much to say. In fact, I think it's all been said.
Therefore, instead of rambling about nothing like I usually do, I'm going to ask all of you faithful (and not so faithful) readers to ramble about nothing my way. I'd love to hear what you are up to. Or even to hear how jealous you are of my trip and why. Haha.
Everyone -- please be my worm. Give me an update about your life, via Facebook, Blog post, Email, Pretty picture which you draw, colour, scan and post on Facebook (don't forget to tag me in it). Whatever your beautiful selves desire.
Fluttering in Anticipation
Julia
I'm boring right now. I'm sitting around my house. All alone. Not working. And eating cheese (yum). I went to a party last night. But it wasn't overly fun. And other than that, all I've done is reclaimed two small gardens down the side of our house. Oh, and managed to get a wicked sunburn while trying to get rid of some tan lines. So there really isn't much to say. In fact, I think it's all been said.
Therefore, instead of rambling about nothing like I usually do, I'm going to ask all of you faithful (and not so faithful) readers to ramble about nothing my way. I'd love to hear what you are up to. Or even to hear how jealous you are of my trip and why. Haha.
Everyone -- please be my worm. Give me an update about your life, via Facebook, Blog post, Email, Pretty picture which you draw, colour, scan and post on Facebook (don't forget to tag me in it). Whatever your beautiful selves desire.
Fluttering in Anticipation
Julia
Monday, February 7, 2011
To David Guenther
Dearest of my dearest,
I would say that I have missed talking to you via this poorly kept blog that would only be half true. I have missed the opportunity to have you share in my experiences but I have not missed writing this epic accounts of epicness. Ok. I have. And as I sit here writing this blog, listening to Mumford and Sons (in honor of David Guenther to whom I dedicate this blog), I am happy to be here. I'm reveling in the opportunity to regale you with stories of my shenanigans and am tickled pink to think that you care enough to read about them. Much love to all of you. XOXO.
So we left off with a rather hurried account of my Stray adventures which were quite adventurous. Climbing volcanoes at the Tongarario Crossing and surfing in Raglan were definitely the highlights of that Stray period. So, since I'm to lazy to read my own blogs and find out where I left off I'm going to start with the Tongarario and my trip to Blue Duck Lodge (possibly the best place in NZ thus far). Then I will run through the goings ons at the Helicopter Hut and that should be about it. Ready.... Set.... Go!
The Tongarario Crossing took us about 7 hours in totally. We walked about 30 minutes to get to the base of the volcano stopping briefly to drink from a waterfall which poured forth the most delicious and cold water I have ever tasted in my life. Now some may say that the occurance of this tastebud festival was due to the fact that it was a blistering hot day and I was definitely not well hydrated. However, I can assure that the consensus amoungst my group of about 25 people was unanimous for "delicious and cold". So you can sleep easy tonight knowing that you are missing out on the best tasting water in the world. Sweet dreams. Haha. We then continued up Devils Stair Case. This portion of the track is not aptly named. While there were about 300 stairs, there were never more than 20 in a row and there were a ton of flatish bits where you could just cruise and catch you breath. Also, I didn't see The Devil, A Devil, or even a rouge New Jersey Devil. The rest of the trail was unnamed and of about equal difficulty. At one point I even went for a jog with a lovely little lady from the UK. Yes, I have too much energy. Yes, I'm ok with that. The only part I struggled was on a scrambly bit that was more up than forward when my guide who I was chatting with decided to go all mountain goat style and blitzed ahead. When we got to the top we stopped and chilled on the ridge looking into Red Canyon (aptly named, pics soon hopefully) and down onto the sulfer lakes and Blue Lake (also aptly named). After lunch, which for me consisted of a One Square Meal granola bar, we headed up to the summit. Now NZ doesn't have many bugs, but on the summit of that volcano I encounter the most freakiest bug I've even seen/heard in my entire life. This is no joking matter ladies and gents. This bug freaked me out. It landed ever so delicately on my arm. Truly I barely noticed it. When I did, I managed not to flip out and gave it a nice little wacked off my arm. Now this bug crashed into a rock about 3 feet away from me where I could clearly see that it was about a thumb length long and about two thumbs in width. It was an shiny green black. And it was screaming. Literally. It sounded like it was screaming to the devil to come a smite me. It was also puking up red paste. Not blood. Paste. And screaming. Screaming. I cannot truly tell you how freaky as this thing was. Just let your imagination run wild and times it by 3.57. Ok. Enough about icky bug. We then slid down the volcano on these whatever they are called slides. I think I knew what they were called when I wrote the last blog. You'll have to check there. Basically they there gravel slopes. The gravel is extremely loose and about half a foot deep so you sink and slide with every step. The best way to go down these things is at a light run/jog on the heels of your feet. Stopping, slowing down, and digging in your toes are not recommended. It took us about 2 hours to get down. Talk about a work out. I only fell a couple of times and was only bleeding from my hands by the time we got down. I considered it a win.
So I hung out back at National Park for a couple more days and then snagged a ride up to Blue Duck Lodge on the Whakahora reserve (Yes David, another classic Maori name). The lodge area was stunnng (pics to follow). It's situated on a hill above the Wanganui River and is surrounded by pasture, sheep, and trees. It's in the middle of no where and I never felt more at home. I wanted to do some woofing for them there, but there were full when I showed up so I just hung out for a week. I went horse back riding, jet boating, kayaking, hiking, tanning, mustering, running, quading, hunting, swimming, and relaxing. It may have been the best week of my trip so far. The people that work there are incredible. Superbly friendly, caring, and outgoing. If you are ever in NZ, you absolutely MUST go to this place. If you don't, you haven't seen NZ.
It was also there that I met the crew from Precision Helicopters who I am currently wwoofing for. Mat, Tammy, some of the kids, and Hayden all showed up one night in the chopper. They joined us at the fire. Hayden (the pilot) and I chatted, and by the end of the night I was promised a ride in the chopper the next day. The next day rolled around and after roughly 45 minutes of free flight time (estimated retail price +$1,000) I was offered a job with them. I stayed 4ish more days at Blue Duck while Hayden and Mat (the owner of the company) found a house for all of us (Me, Hayden and another pilot Rob) to live in and then I was off. But a bit of a rewind before I type about that. Flying in a helicopter is incredible. My first ride was about a minute long and consisted of take off, going straight, a 180 turn, and landing. I have never felt such a rush in my life. That turn literally took my breath away. The second flight which was considerably longer stunned me again through the agiility and power of the machine. It's manouverability was phenomenonal. And the scenery was something I had never experienced before. Flying that low, but still that high, gives you a completely different take on the world. I could see for miles and I could also see the goats running through the brush below me. It was truly striking. Right, enough gushing. It was sweet. I signed up for a job and 4ish days later met up with Hayden to come to the region of Taranaki and the town of Urenui. Delta peeps asked David for the translation of the town name.
I've been here about 3 weeks now and am loving it. I get to go for trips in the chopper at least 4 times a week. I've been camping, swimming in the ocean (the ocean is about a 30 minute jog from my house on the top of the hill), to a couple of parties, and renovating the house I'm surrnently living in. It's a beautiful house even though it's definitely seen better days. The view is spectacular. And the guys treat me like a working princess. Definitely a killer set up. So far I've cleaned the entire inside of the house, washed all the windows, and also washed the entire outside of the house. Cleaned all the eavestroughs and raked up about 2 bales work of lawn grass. I've set up a kitchen and am constantly maintaining the cleanliness of the bathroom. I have stripped wall paper out of a peptobismal pink room. I have sanded another wall and painted it. I have done the boys laundry. And currently I am sanding all the window sills and frames so that they can be revarnished (likely by me). I couldn't be happier.
So what's you plan for the future I hear you ask as you mentally pray that this blog will wrap up soon. Well Mr and Mrs Curious, I am not too sure. I'll be here for a while longer and then I'll be off to Wellington and the South. I'm flying by the seat of my pants. It's how I roll.
Much love!
Julia
I would say that I have missed talking to you via this poorly kept blog that would only be half true. I have missed the opportunity to have you share in my experiences but I have not missed writing this epic accounts of epicness. Ok. I have. And as I sit here writing this blog, listening to Mumford and Sons (in honor of David Guenther to whom I dedicate this blog), I am happy to be here. I'm reveling in the opportunity to regale you with stories of my shenanigans and am tickled pink to think that you care enough to read about them. Much love to all of you. XOXO.
So we left off with a rather hurried account of my Stray adventures which were quite adventurous. Climbing volcanoes at the Tongarario Crossing and surfing in Raglan were definitely the highlights of that Stray period. So, since I'm to lazy to read my own blogs and find out where I left off I'm going to start with the Tongarario and my trip to Blue Duck Lodge (possibly the best place in NZ thus far). Then I will run through the goings ons at the Helicopter Hut and that should be about it. Ready.... Set.... Go!
The Tongarario Crossing took us about 7 hours in totally. We walked about 30 minutes to get to the base of the volcano stopping briefly to drink from a waterfall which poured forth the most delicious and cold water I have ever tasted in my life. Now some may say that the occurance of this tastebud festival was due to the fact that it was a blistering hot day and I was definitely not well hydrated. However, I can assure that the consensus amoungst my group of about 25 people was unanimous for "delicious and cold". So you can sleep easy tonight knowing that you are missing out on the best tasting water in the world. Sweet dreams. Haha. We then continued up Devils Stair Case. This portion of the track is not aptly named. While there were about 300 stairs, there were never more than 20 in a row and there were a ton of flatish bits where you could just cruise and catch you breath. Also, I didn't see The Devil, A Devil, or even a rouge New Jersey Devil. The rest of the trail was unnamed and of about equal difficulty. At one point I even went for a jog with a lovely little lady from the UK. Yes, I have too much energy. Yes, I'm ok with that. The only part I struggled was on a scrambly bit that was more up than forward when my guide who I was chatting with decided to go all mountain goat style and blitzed ahead. When we got to the top we stopped and chilled on the ridge looking into Red Canyon (aptly named, pics soon hopefully) and down onto the sulfer lakes and Blue Lake (also aptly named). After lunch, which for me consisted of a One Square Meal granola bar, we headed up to the summit. Now NZ doesn't have many bugs, but on the summit of that volcano I encounter the most freakiest bug I've even seen/heard in my entire life. This is no joking matter ladies and gents. This bug freaked me out. It landed ever so delicately on my arm. Truly I barely noticed it. When I did, I managed not to flip out and gave it a nice little wacked off my arm. Now this bug crashed into a rock about 3 feet away from me where I could clearly see that it was about a thumb length long and about two thumbs in width. It was an shiny green black. And it was screaming. Literally. It sounded like it was screaming to the devil to come a smite me. It was also puking up red paste. Not blood. Paste. And screaming. Screaming. I cannot truly tell you how freaky as this thing was. Just let your imagination run wild and times it by 3.57. Ok. Enough about icky bug. We then slid down the volcano on these whatever they are called slides. I think I knew what they were called when I wrote the last blog. You'll have to check there. Basically they there gravel slopes. The gravel is extremely loose and about half a foot deep so you sink and slide with every step. The best way to go down these things is at a light run/jog on the heels of your feet. Stopping, slowing down, and digging in your toes are not recommended. It took us about 2 hours to get down. Talk about a work out. I only fell a couple of times and was only bleeding from my hands by the time we got down. I considered it a win.
So I hung out back at National Park for a couple more days and then snagged a ride up to Blue Duck Lodge on the Whakahora reserve (Yes David, another classic Maori name). The lodge area was stunnng (pics to follow). It's situated on a hill above the Wanganui River and is surrounded by pasture, sheep, and trees. It's in the middle of no where and I never felt more at home. I wanted to do some woofing for them there, but there were full when I showed up so I just hung out for a week. I went horse back riding, jet boating, kayaking, hiking, tanning, mustering, running, quading, hunting, swimming, and relaxing. It may have been the best week of my trip so far. The people that work there are incredible. Superbly friendly, caring, and outgoing. If you are ever in NZ, you absolutely MUST go to this place. If you don't, you haven't seen NZ.
It was also there that I met the crew from Precision Helicopters who I am currently wwoofing for. Mat, Tammy, some of the kids, and Hayden all showed up one night in the chopper. They joined us at the fire. Hayden (the pilot) and I chatted, and by the end of the night I was promised a ride in the chopper the next day. The next day rolled around and after roughly 45 minutes of free flight time (estimated retail price +$1,000) I was offered a job with them. I stayed 4ish more days at Blue Duck while Hayden and Mat (the owner of the company) found a house for all of us (Me, Hayden and another pilot Rob) to live in and then I was off. But a bit of a rewind before I type about that. Flying in a helicopter is incredible. My first ride was about a minute long and consisted of take off, going straight, a 180 turn, and landing. I have never felt such a rush in my life. That turn literally took my breath away. The second flight which was considerably longer stunned me again through the agiility and power of the machine. It's manouverability was phenomenonal. And the scenery was something I had never experienced before. Flying that low, but still that high, gives you a completely different take on the world. I could see for miles and I could also see the goats running through the brush below me. It was truly striking. Right, enough gushing. It was sweet. I signed up for a job and 4ish days later met up with Hayden to come to the region of Taranaki and the town of Urenui. Delta peeps asked David for the translation of the town name.
I've been here about 3 weeks now and am loving it. I get to go for trips in the chopper at least 4 times a week. I've been camping, swimming in the ocean (the ocean is about a 30 minute jog from my house on the top of the hill), to a couple of parties, and renovating the house I'm surrnently living in. It's a beautiful house even though it's definitely seen better days. The view is spectacular. And the guys treat me like a working princess. Definitely a killer set up. So far I've cleaned the entire inside of the house, washed all the windows, and also washed the entire outside of the house. Cleaned all the eavestroughs and raked up about 2 bales work of lawn grass. I've set up a kitchen and am constantly maintaining the cleanliness of the bathroom. I have stripped wall paper out of a peptobismal pink room. I have sanded another wall and painted it. I have done the boys laundry. And currently I am sanding all the window sills and frames so that they can be revarnished (likely by me). I couldn't be happier.
So what's you plan for the future I hear you ask as you mentally pray that this blog will wrap up soon. Well Mr and Mrs Curious, I am not too sure. I'll be here for a while longer and then I'll be off to Wellington and the South. I'm flying by the seat of my pants. It's how I roll.
Much love!
Julia
Monday, January 10, 2011
We are all Strays
Hey Teamo Supremeo
I have been up to shenagingans lately. I've joined up with Stray Bus and have actually started to see things around NZ! Booya! I'm on a roll! So far I've seen... Mount Eden, Hot Water Springs, Haihei, Catherdral Cove, Raglan, A sweet surfing beach that I can't remember the name of, Waitomo, Uncle Boy's, Rotorua and Some white water rapids and a couple waterfalls, National Park, Mount Doom, and Mount Tongarario. Yes, I have been busy.
Mount Eden = Overrated, but good to see
Hot Water Springs = 81 degree water = Too Freaking Hot! But lots of fun
Haihei = Tiny town with a cute campsite
Catherdral Cove = Kayaking and Cliff jumping and Beautiful Scenery and Body Surfing
Raglan = Awesome hostel, Beautiful star gazing, Hippies everywhere, Surfers everywhere
Some Sweet Beach = 2 Days of surfing, Bruises, Sore arms and legs, Stellar tan, Painful water rash, Extreme fitness, Starfish, Cute boys
Waitomo = Caves (That I didn't go in), Cute Cafe, Tiny playground, Tons of sun, Bus Crash, New driver
Uncle Boy's = Authentic Maori culture, Learning the Poi (a dance is a ball on a string), Seeing the boys learn the Haka (Maori War Dance), Sleeping in a room with 36 other people, Eating a lot
Rotorua = Sulpher smell EVERYWHERE, White water rafting down rapids (natually) and 3 waterfalls 1m, 3m, and 7m, Beach volleyball,Leaving the sulpher smell behind to go to...
National Park = Beautiful everything, Sacred everything, Hot tubbing, Super chill station
Tongarario Crossing = Not chill, 8 hours of walking, 18km walked (mostly up a volcano), Seeing Blue Lake and the sulpher lakes, Sliding down the side of Mount Tongarario (totally sweet!), Taking way too many pictures, Super sore legs, Extreme Extreme Fitness!!!!!!!!!!!! (love it!)
So that's the run down. I've made a bunch of friends on my different busses and had some really fun times just on the bus. I played The Last Saskatchewan Pirate song and made everyone sing and dance along. Every bus instantly nicknames me Canada... not sure why yet... I think it's because people hear about me from others before they meet me (it appears my reputation precedes me quite extensively...) and because everyone sucks at remembering names so all they can call me is my country. Suits me just fine. I love Canada. Anyway.
Plans for the nearer future. I'm going to Blue Duck Lodge for 4 days. Mark (my old boss) highly recommended it. I'll be accomanied by an old German doctor who has been travelling on my bus. He's sweet. I'm hoping to go hunting, kayaking, hiking, and horseback riding up there. Then it's on to Wellington and THE SOUTH ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!! (to get a job... cause I'm getting broke...).
Right. There you go my lovelies.
Julia
I have been up to shenagingans lately. I've joined up with Stray Bus and have actually started to see things around NZ! Booya! I'm on a roll! So far I've seen... Mount Eden, Hot Water Springs, Haihei, Catherdral Cove, Raglan, A sweet surfing beach that I can't remember the name of, Waitomo, Uncle Boy's, Rotorua and Some white water rapids and a couple waterfalls, National Park, Mount Doom, and Mount Tongarario. Yes, I have been busy.
Mount Eden = Overrated, but good to see
Hot Water Springs = 81 degree water = Too Freaking Hot! But lots of fun
Haihei = Tiny town with a cute campsite
Catherdral Cove = Kayaking and Cliff jumping and Beautiful Scenery and Body Surfing
Raglan = Awesome hostel, Beautiful star gazing, Hippies everywhere, Surfers everywhere
Some Sweet Beach = 2 Days of surfing, Bruises, Sore arms and legs, Stellar tan, Painful water rash, Extreme fitness, Starfish, Cute boys
Waitomo = Caves (That I didn't go in), Cute Cafe, Tiny playground, Tons of sun, Bus Crash, New driver
Uncle Boy's = Authentic Maori culture, Learning the Poi (a dance is a ball on a string), Seeing the boys learn the Haka (Maori War Dance), Sleeping in a room with 36 other people, Eating a lot
Rotorua = Sulpher smell EVERYWHERE, White water rafting down rapids (natually) and 3 waterfalls 1m, 3m, and 7m, Beach volleyball,Leaving the sulpher smell behind to go to...
National Park = Beautiful everything, Sacred everything, Hot tubbing, Super chill station
Tongarario Crossing = Not chill, 8 hours of walking, 18km walked (mostly up a volcano), Seeing Blue Lake and the sulpher lakes, Sliding down the side of Mount Tongarario (totally sweet!), Taking way too many pictures, Super sore legs, Extreme Extreme Fitness!!!!!!!!!!!! (love it!)
So that's the run down. I've made a bunch of friends on my different busses and had some really fun times just on the bus. I played The Last Saskatchewan Pirate song and made everyone sing and dance along. Every bus instantly nicknames me Canada... not sure why yet... I think it's because people hear about me from others before they meet me (it appears my reputation precedes me quite extensively...) and because everyone sucks at remembering names so all they can call me is my country. Suits me just fine. I love Canada. Anyway.
Plans for the nearer future. I'm going to Blue Duck Lodge for 4 days. Mark (my old boss) highly recommended it. I'll be accomanied by an old German doctor who has been travelling on my bus. He's sweet. I'm hoping to go hunting, kayaking, hiking, and horseback riding up there. Then it's on to Wellington and THE SOUTH ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!! (to get a job... cause I'm getting broke...).
Right. There you go my lovelies.
Julia
Monday, January 3, 2011
Stop. Tour Time.
So this could be my last blog for a while. I'm joining Stray Bus as aforementioned in my Moby Dick blog. I'm not sure how available internet shall be and how willing I will be to pay crazy money for it. We shall see.
But! Right now I'm have free internet so I'll tell you about my Cape Reinga trip. I took a day trip through AwesomeNZ.com to Cape Reinga on New Year's day after spending New Years Eve on the beach (as expected) with a bunch of Romanians and a Russian (not so expected). It was a fun and chill night. Watch fireworks and chatted. Anywayz. Got up bright and early for the tour and in true NZ style was picked up late. Haha. We had a full itinerary and the entire day took us 12 hours. First, we went to a Kauri forest. Kauri trees, as my super talkative and informative guide told us, used to cover 90% of New Zealand. Now, only 16% of those trees are left. "Why?" I hear you ask quisically, "Because Kauri trees provide the finest timber in the world and are therefore in high demand" I answer. There was a little boardwalk that took us in and around the base of the largest tree found in that area of the forest. Obviously, we treked like good little tourists around the boardwalk and then were off. Our next stop was a little cafe for brunch. Uneventful. We then carried on to Cape Reinga itself. It was absolutely stunning. Both visually and intellectually I might add. Cape Reinga is the northern most point of NZ which was created by the ocean pushing around volcanic rocks, turning those rocks into sand, and dumping it continually on the tip of NZ. It is also the place where the Pacific Ocean and the Abel Tasman Sea meet. It's visually stunning and luckily we had superb sunny weather in which to enjoy its beauty. We did a brief trek around the point and then we were on to my favourite part of the trip.
The next leg was all about the ocean. Good gracious I love the ocean. We went swimming in both the Abel Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean within the span of a couple hours. The waves on the Pacific side were decent size, about 2 or 3 feet I would guess-timate. I got tossed around a bit and it was awesome. I totally did not know how to navigate or anticipate the waves. I saw a big one coming and was like "yay! I'll ride this one!". Um. No. I'll get picked up and dunked and spun around and spat out by this one. It's a heck of a fun ride. So I did it again.
Then we went sand dune sliding. I must take an Oscar moment here and thank my Canadian heritage, genetics, and zeal for adventure for making it possible for me to enjoy sand dune sliding as much as I did. I would also like to thank the years Canadian winters and more specifically the years of freezing cold snow being whipped into my face by the wind as I plummeted down snow covered slopes on a crazy carpet, a tobogan, or even a peice of cardboard. You truly made me capable of pulling up the front of my boogyboard, tucking my elbows in, and lifting my feet so that I could hurtle down the side of a massive sand dune at speeds around 50km/h. Without all of you I would not have been able to shame everyone in my tour group by sliding a solid 100m further than any of them. *cue music* Oh oh oh. I would also like to thank... *speech slides into silence as I'm dragged from the mike and shoved off stage*.
I tackled the Abel Tasman Sea next. It was much more vicious than the Pacific Ocean so I did more of a wading thing. Still, it was cool. Not many people can say they swam in two oceans in one day. Well, actually I bet a lot can, but still. Super cool. After our very short dip we scooted down 90 Mile Beach, and by scooted I mean we drove for about an hour on State Highway 1A aka 90 Mile Beach. Yes folks. The beach is legally the highway. This country is awesome. We saw beached penguins and sharks and pushed two lovely little lady's car out of the sand.
Then we drove off the beach, down a paved highway to a Kauri wood store. There were a ton of carved things and furniture, all at ridiculous prices. I didn't buy anything. Cause I'm cheap. But I did walk up the free staircase. Which was pretty cool because the staircase was carved into the inside of a huge tree trunk. Peter Pan style yo. Please see Facebook for pics.
Our last stop was a fish and chips shop that has its own fishing boat that goes out each morning to catch the fish used for the supper hour. Can you say Yummy? Not very well when you've stuffed your face with delicious fish and chips.
Then I was home. 12 hours later. Totally pooped. Had a nap. Hung out with the Romanians and Russian.
The next day was all beach and cricket and swimming. Well it was all those things til I snagged a bus back to Auckland in preparation for catching Stray Bus tomorrow (4th).
That's All Folks.
Julia
ps. I am now back to blonde hair (thank you New Zealand sun) and my tan has never been darker (thank you New Zealand sun).
pps. I'm currently watching Washington vs Pittsburgh. I love hockey.
But! Right now I'm have free internet so I'll tell you about my Cape Reinga trip. I took a day trip through AwesomeNZ.com to Cape Reinga on New Year's day after spending New Years Eve on the beach (as expected) with a bunch of Romanians and a Russian (not so expected). It was a fun and chill night. Watch fireworks and chatted. Anywayz. Got up bright and early for the tour and in true NZ style was picked up late. Haha. We had a full itinerary and the entire day took us 12 hours. First, we went to a Kauri forest. Kauri trees, as my super talkative and informative guide told us, used to cover 90% of New Zealand. Now, only 16% of those trees are left. "Why?" I hear you ask quisically, "Because Kauri trees provide the finest timber in the world and are therefore in high demand" I answer. There was a little boardwalk that took us in and around the base of the largest tree found in that area of the forest. Obviously, we treked like good little tourists around the boardwalk and then were off. Our next stop was a little cafe for brunch. Uneventful. We then carried on to Cape Reinga itself. It was absolutely stunning. Both visually and intellectually I might add. Cape Reinga is the northern most point of NZ which was created by the ocean pushing around volcanic rocks, turning those rocks into sand, and dumping it continually on the tip of NZ. It is also the place where the Pacific Ocean and the Abel Tasman Sea meet. It's visually stunning and luckily we had superb sunny weather in which to enjoy its beauty. We did a brief trek around the point and then we were on to my favourite part of the trip.
The next leg was all about the ocean. Good gracious I love the ocean. We went swimming in both the Abel Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean within the span of a couple hours. The waves on the Pacific side were decent size, about 2 or 3 feet I would guess-timate. I got tossed around a bit and it was awesome. I totally did not know how to navigate or anticipate the waves. I saw a big one coming and was like "yay! I'll ride this one!". Um. No. I'll get picked up and dunked and spun around and spat out by this one. It's a heck of a fun ride. So I did it again.
Then we went sand dune sliding. I must take an Oscar moment here and thank my Canadian heritage, genetics, and zeal for adventure for making it possible for me to enjoy sand dune sliding as much as I did. I would also like to thank the years Canadian winters and more specifically the years of freezing cold snow being whipped into my face by the wind as I plummeted down snow covered slopes on a crazy carpet, a tobogan, or even a peice of cardboard. You truly made me capable of pulling up the front of my boogyboard, tucking my elbows in, and lifting my feet so that I could hurtle down the side of a massive sand dune at speeds around 50km/h. Without all of you I would not have been able to shame everyone in my tour group by sliding a solid 100m further than any of them. *cue music* Oh oh oh. I would also like to thank... *speech slides into silence as I'm dragged from the mike and shoved off stage*.
I tackled the Abel Tasman Sea next. It was much more vicious than the Pacific Ocean so I did more of a wading thing. Still, it was cool. Not many people can say they swam in two oceans in one day. Well, actually I bet a lot can, but still. Super cool. After our very short dip we scooted down 90 Mile Beach, and by scooted I mean we drove for about an hour on State Highway 1A aka 90 Mile Beach. Yes folks. The beach is legally the highway. This country is awesome. We saw beached penguins and sharks and pushed two lovely little lady's car out of the sand.
Then we drove off the beach, down a paved highway to a Kauri wood store. There were a ton of carved things and furniture, all at ridiculous prices. I didn't buy anything. Cause I'm cheap. But I did walk up the free staircase. Which was pretty cool because the staircase was carved into the inside of a huge tree trunk. Peter Pan style yo. Please see Facebook for pics.
Our last stop was a fish and chips shop that has its own fishing boat that goes out each morning to catch the fish used for the supper hour. Can you say Yummy? Not very well when you've stuffed your face with delicious fish and chips.
Then I was home. 12 hours later. Totally pooped. Had a nap. Hung out with the Romanians and Russian.
The next day was all beach and cricket and swimming. Well it was all those things til I snagged a bus back to Auckland in preparation for catching Stray Bus tomorrow (4th).
That's All Folks.
Julia
ps. I am now back to blonde hair (thank you New Zealand sun) and my tan has never been darker (thank you New Zealand sun).
pps. I'm currently watching Washington vs Pittsburgh. I love hockey.
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