Back in Auckland, I am devastated at the thought of leaving what has to be the most beautiful country I have ever visited. New Zealand is truly captivating, with the most divine blue lakes, best tramping trails, vast and ever-changing landscapes, cascading waterfalls, whose early-morning dew sets the stage for gorgeous, sun-kissed rainbows, habitats to exotic, vibrantly-colored birds, raging rivers that flow from glaciers on top of the country's highest mountain peaks, fiords that home thousands of seals, penguins and dolphins, and beaches that make you weak in the knees. To name a few...
Last I wrote I had not completed my much-awaited sky dive, due to the weather in Taupo. But now I can happily write: SKY DIVING IS AWESOME. While most sky dives take you straight up to jump, this company offered, for the same price, a twenty-minute scenic flight over the Franz Josef glacier, the snow-capped mountains and a view of the foothills that creep out to the blue sea. After twenty minutes in awe, CJ, my tandem instructor, suddenly opened the door, pushing my legs out of the plane, not giving me a second to think about the "what ifs". Head back, I smiled for the camera and suddenly went spiraling down, down, down, thinking the free fall would never end, wind whipping my face, high on life yet again. For nearly 45 seconds I fell, arms out like a bird, gazing down at the earth below. BEST. FEELING. EVER. Then (thanks for your prayers!) the chute opened and I sat up in my harness, taking in the scenery below me, floating carelessly down to the green pasture. Once back on stable ground, our bus driver Drew greeted me with open arms, laughing that of all the people he has watched sky dive over the years, he could never hear one scream while exiting the plane quite as clearly as he could hear me. Go figure. Worth every single penny and every single second. I can't wait for my next jump.
Later that night, as we sat around a campfire where I taught my international group of friends the single best American tradition, S'Mores, I watched the moon rise over the same mountains I had just seen from the air, marveling at the giant orb's orange and eerie glow as it ascended into the twinkling, starry sky. The smell of salt water and the warm breeze of the hot summer day lulled me to sleep in my tent and I found myself thinking that it was perhaps one of my best days ever.
Waking up content with life, we headed on to the Bushman's Camp, learning about the venison industry from Possum Pete, a man whose humor enabled him to make a short documentary film entitled, "When Bambi was a Terrorist". I was fascinated at the industry that once had men jumping out of helicopters to man-handle "Bambi" into a net and found myself thinking yet again, "Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore". A scrumptious venison pie later, we were back on the road and headed to Punakaiki, where a long hike and a lovely country pub awaited us.
Our final stop was in Abel Tasman, the smallest national park in New Zealand, yet one of the most beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the Whitsunday Islands in Australia with its clear blue waters. A small group of us chose to do a 25 kilometer walk, where we stumbled upon Cleopatra's Pools, with a natural water slide and a sparkling-water beach for our lunch. After lunch, we ran down the hill to Anchorage, sprinting into the ocean, no other swimmers around, and splashing about as we gazed up at the stunning and hilly landscape.
A sad goodbye the following day, I left the crew in Nelson, where I spent a day relaxing in lush green vineyards on a wine and micro-brewery tour with my dear friend Iain. At a summer festival that night, we watched a carnival in the city square and ate good food, reminiscing about our fantastic trip.
While that pretty much sums up the end of the trip, I feel there are really no words to describe the experience I have had here. Rather than checking this country off my list, I have only added more things to do the next time I am here. I am sure I will return to this beautiful place. Until then, I will live for the memory.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
What It Feels Like to Be Alive
The parachute did not open....because I did not sky dive. YET. Weather prevented us from doing so in Taupo, but it is definitely on the agenda for Franz Josef, where I intend to jump over a glacier!!!!
I have done so much else in the past few weeks that I find it nearly impossible to put it all down in words. Other than biking all over New Zealand, making friends from all parts of the world and sleeping in bush camps that overlook lakes that are so beautiful they should be illegal, I have done hundreds more crazy and exhilarating activities.
Crossing over to the South Island, we biked to a hilltop lodge where we woke up the next morning to go for a special sunrise white-water rafting tour. Having been told that sitting in the front of the boat is by far the scariest, when Chunk, our guide for the day, asked if there were volunteers for the job, I shot my hand up and screamed, "me!" Sitting in the front, I paddled away, braving three stage five rapids and jumping off a cliff into the raging river below. After our ride, we hopped on the bus and drove to our campsite for the night, where we set up our dinner of fresh salmon on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. There, we spotted two wild hectare dolphins and decided on a whim to strip our clothes off, racing down to the freezing waters and jumping in with the dolphins, riding the waves with them as they literally whizzed beneath our feet, happily playing with their newfound gang of friends. When we left later that evening to watch wild penguins return home from their day at sea to feed their chicks, I did not think it could get any better. But watching 118 penguins waddle out of the water and fluff their feathers to cool off left me in complete awe yet again.
Another night in an amazing bush camp overlooking the most pristine, blue lake I have ever seen and a hike up the amazing Mt. Cook to a glacier lake with floating icebergs followed the next day. Amazed at the sights, we stopped in town to stock up for our three-day trek. Complete with packs, sleeping bags and food, we set off on the Routeburn track, hiking through enchanted forests, past stunning waterfalls and up to our first hut, nestled into a mountain valley and beside a cool, blue lake. The second day we ascended more to the summit, hanging off cliffs and reaching the top of Conical Hill with the single most stunning view I have ever seen. Getting to our hut around five that day, we relaxed on the stony river bed and marvelled at our 30-some kilometer achievement.
Coming off the Routeburn, I felt so alive. I was sure the high couldn't get any better....and then I decided to jump off a 134 meter gondola suspended over a canyon. Once determined to never bungy, I gave in to Queenstown's enticing label of "Adventure Capital of the World". And after I finally decided I HAD to do it, I figured, "why go for the little guy when you can go all the way?" So instead of opting for the standard height of 40 meters, I chose the third highest bungy in the world. We were taken out on a cable car to a teetering glass-bottom gondola and I looked down, thinking, "I am seriously mental". After sitting me down in a dentist chair and wiring me up, I made my way out onto a tiny, narrow platform and before I knew it, the man behind me was counting, "3...2...", and suddenly I spread my wings like Superman, diving, plummeting down to earth. The first few seconds were shock, horror, thinking "this is SO wrong!" but the wonderful thing about this extra high bungy is that it gives you the extra time to reach the point at which you are no longer scared, just giving in to the thrill, the feeling of euphoria and peace that suddenly comes over you as the adrenalin courses through your veins and you feel more alive than you ever felt before. In short, I LOVED IT. And now I am an addict. I want to go again...but for now, I'll have to stick to planning my sky dive. After all, it is NOT a cheap sport!
Today we head out of Queenstown after a rager last night! I am SO excited for the next adventure! For those of you who were praying for my chute to open, thanks...but I think it's a waste of breath really. Because I plan to do it again and again and again. Life is beautiful.
I have done so much else in the past few weeks that I find it nearly impossible to put it all down in words. Other than biking all over New Zealand, making friends from all parts of the world and sleeping in bush camps that overlook lakes that are so beautiful they should be illegal, I have done hundreds more crazy and exhilarating activities.
Crossing over to the South Island, we biked to a hilltop lodge where we woke up the next morning to go for a special sunrise white-water rafting tour. Having been told that sitting in the front of the boat is by far the scariest, when Chunk, our guide for the day, asked if there were volunteers for the job, I shot my hand up and screamed, "me!" Sitting in the front, I paddled away, braving three stage five rapids and jumping off a cliff into the raging river below. After our ride, we hopped on the bus and drove to our campsite for the night, where we set up our dinner of fresh salmon on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. There, we spotted two wild hectare dolphins and decided on a whim to strip our clothes off, racing down to the freezing waters and jumping in with the dolphins, riding the waves with them as they literally whizzed beneath our feet, happily playing with their newfound gang of friends. When we left later that evening to watch wild penguins return home from their day at sea to feed their chicks, I did not think it could get any better. But watching 118 penguins waddle out of the water and fluff their feathers to cool off left me in complete awe yet again.
Another night in an amazing bush camp overlooking the most pristine, blue lake I have ever seen and a hike up the amazing Mt. Cook to a glacier lake with floating icebergs followed the next day. Amazed at the sights, we stopped in town to stock up for our three-day trek. Complete with packs, sleeping bags and food, we set off on the Routeburn track, hiking through enchanted forests, past stunning waterfalls and up to our first hut, nestled into a mountain valley and beside a cool, blue lake. The second day we ascended more to the summit, hanging off cliffs and reaching the top of Conical Hill with the single most stunning view I have ever seen. Getting to our hut around five that day, we relaxed on the stony river bed and marvelled at our 30-some kilometer achievement.
Coming off the Routeburn, I felt so alive. I was sure the high couldn't get any better....and then I decided to jump off a 134 meter gondola suspended over a canyon. Once determined to never bungy, I gave in to Queenstown's enticing label of "Adventure Capital of the World". And after I finally decided I HAD to do it, I figured, "why go for the little guy when you can go all the way?" So instead of opting for the standard height of 40 meters, I chose the third highest bungy in the world. We were taken out on a cable car to a teetering glass-bottom gondola and I looked down, thinking, "I am seriously mental". After sitting me down in a dentist chair and wiring me up, I made my way out onto a tiny, narrow platform and before I knew it, the man behind me was counting, "3...2...", and suddenly I spread my wings like Superman, diving, plummeting down to earth. The first few seconds were shock, horror, thinking "this is SO wrong!" but the wonderful thing about this extra high bungy is that it gives you the extra time to reach the point at which you are no longer scared, just giving in to the thrill, the feeling of euphoria and peace that suddenly comes over you as the adrenalin courses through your veins and you feel more alive than you ever felt before. In short, I LOVED IT. And now I am an addict. I want to go again...but for now, I'll have to stick to planning my sky dive. After all, it is NOT a cheap sport!
Today we head out of Queenstown after a rager last night! I am SO excited for the next adventure! For those of you who were praying for my chute to open, thanks...but I think it's a waste of breath really. Because I plan to do it again and again and again. Life is beautiful.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
God's Country
I am living in a dreamworld...
I arrived in Auckland on the 11th of February, where I completed a 23 km walk from one coast of the isthmus to the other, walking past historical sites, up mountains overlooking the beautiful city and through villages where the indigenous Maori people first settled. At night, I met up with one of my friends from high school, Erin. After marrying in the States, her and her husband Eric returned to New Zealand, where they'd been living the last couple years, for their honeymoon. It just so happened that my two days in Auckland overlapped with their two days in the city. After not seeing eachother in nearly six years, it was pure coincidence that we were able to see eachother halfway across the world and it felt like we hadn't missed a beat, reminiscing and laughing over pizza and some great New Zealand beers.
Leaving Erin and Eric, I hopped on a bus back to my hostel, only to get lost, get off at the wrong stop, and wind up on a street that didn't necessarily look like a neighborhood I should be wandering alone in at night. Confused, wandering aimlessly, and clearly looking lost, two city officials dealing with a towed car asked if I needed help. When I explained to them where I needed to go, they said they were headed in that direction and they could give me a lift. Hesitant to get in a car with strangers, I verified that they were indeed public officials, and they not only got me back to the area I needed to be in, but dropped me directly in front of my hostel without any hesitation. This was the first of many lovely and kind "Kiwis" I have encountered here in New Zealand and I am convinced it accurately portrays the type of truly decent people that seem to live here.
From Auckland, I headed off on my adventure tour with Flying Kiwi, a company that provides a full camping tour, complete with mountain biking every day and several other adventure activities along the way. Day one and our guide announces it's time for our first ride, dropping us off at the bottom of a beautiful national forest, throwing us a helmet and vest and telling us "turn right, then right again, go down, then up, and into Paihia". A little nervous about these directions, the thirteen of us biking that day departed on the gravel road, finding ourselves in a lush tropical forest, winding up and down the mountainside, past country farm houses and finally arriving in the beautiful seaside town that is Paihia. 45 kilometers later, we were beat...but Drew challenged us to continue riding to the campsite. So butts sore, we headed off into the fields overlooking the stunning Bay of Islands. As the sun set, we wound through pastures of grazing cows, the colors pink and purple appearing on the horizon as we descended into a valley where a mother horse played with her foal and we could hear the nearby rush of the Haruru Falls. Pulling into the campsite, we were greeted with a large plot directly overlooking a beautiful river and our own private viewing area of the single most spectacular star cluster that I have ever seen in my life.
Tired from the ride, we cooked up some spaghetti and woke the next morning to find an endless array of possibilities before us. A couple of us hopped on the bikes, ascending cliffs and mountains, legs on fire, to reach the Bay of Islands, where Dom, Mariel and I rented kayaks and found our way into breathtaking mangrove forests.
It has been a few more days that we have spent on tour now and every second has been a complete treat. Yesterday, at the thermal beach, as I sat watching a small boy build a hole that would fill with water and then heat from the volcanic lava flowing underneath, I felt a tap on my shoulder, only to turn around and be greeted by my friend Kate who I had met while traveling in Australia. Small world!! Tom and Kate decided to join us at the same campsite, where I ventured away with them on an afternoon hike with some of the most captivating views they have witnessed in their month in New Zealand! We watched the sunset and I prepared myself for today's adventure, throwing myself down a hill in a giant plastic ball filled with water!!! This sport, called "zorbing", was invented here in New Zealand, and while it doesn't last very long, it is a totally surreal experience, as you dive into the ball and they push you down a large hill, spinning and splashing as you go.
Tomorrow, if weather allows, I have officially signed my name on the paper marked "Skydive: 15,000 Feet". I am terrified, but I know this is something I HAVE to do while I'm here, as it's one of the only places in the world where you are allowed to do a jump at this height, with a free fall of over one full minute!!!
I am convinced that when God sat down at his desk to dream up the world, the first place he envisioned was New Zealand. It is pure and total heaven with stunning landscapes, beautiful people and endless outdoor adventure. And while I can't wait to see what else God dreamt up in his office that day, let's first hope my parachute opens so I'm able to....
I arrived in Auckland on the 11th of February, where I completed a 23 km walk from one coast of the isthmus to the other, walking past historical sites, up mountains overlooking the beautiful city and through villages where the indigenous Maori people first settled. At night, I met up with one of my friends from high school, Erin. After marrying in the States, her and her husband Eric returned to New Zealand, where they'd been living the last couple years, for their honeymoon. It just so happened that my two days in Auckland overlapped with their two days in the city. After not seeing eachother in nearly six years, it was pure coincidence that we were able to see eachother halfway across the world and it felt like we hadn't missed a beat, reminiscing and laughing over pizza and some great New Zealand beers.
Leaving Erin and Eric, I hopped on a bus back to my hostel, only to get lost, get off at the wrong stop, and wind up on a street that didn't necessarily look like a neighborhood I should be wandering alone in at night. Confused, wandering aimlessly, and clearly looking lost, two city officials dealing with a towed car asked if I needed help. When I explained to them where I needed to go, they said they were headed in that direction and they could give me a lift. Hesitant to get in a car with strangers, I verified that they were indeed public officials, and they not only got me back to the area I needed to be in, but dropped me directly in front of my hostel without any hesitation. This was the first of many lovely and kind "Kiwis" I have encountered here in New Zealand and I am convinced it accurately portrays the type of truly decent people that seem to live here.
From Auckland, I headed off on my adventure tour with Flying Kiwi, a company that provides a full camping tour, complete with mountain biking every day and several other adventure activities along the way. Day one and our guide announces it's time for our first ride, dropping us off at the bottom of a beautiful national forest, throwing us a helmet and vest and telling us "turn right, then right again, go down, then up, and into Paihia". A little nervous about these directions, the thirteen of us biking that day departed on the gravel road, finding ourselves in a lush tropical forest, winding up and down the mountainside, past country farm houses and finally arriving in the beautiful seaside town that is Paihia. 45 kilometers later, we were beat...but Drew challenged us to continue riding to the campsite. So butts sore, we headed off into the fields overlooking the stunning Bay of Islands. As the sun set, we wound through pastures of grazing cows, the colors pink and purple appearing on the horizon as we descended into a valley where a mother horse played with her foal and we could hear the nearby rush of the Haruru Falls. Pulling into the campsite, we were greeted with a large plot directly overlooking a beautiful river and our own private viewing area of the single most spectacular star cluster that I have ever seen in my life.
Tired from the ride, we cooked up some spaghetti and woke the next morning to find an endless array of possibilities before us. A couple of us hopped on the bikes, ascending cliffs and mountains, legs on fire, to reach the Bay of Islands, where Dom, Mariel and I rented kayaks and found our way into breathtaking mangrove forests.
It has been a few more days that we have spent on tour now and every second has been a complete treat. Yesterday, at the thermal beach, as I sat watching a small boy build a hole that would fill with water and then heat from the volcanic lava flowing underneath, I felt a tap on my shoulder, only to turn around and be greeted by my friend Kate who I had met while traveling in Australia. Small world!! Tom and Kate decided to join us at the same campsite, where I ventured away with them on an afternoon hike with some of the most captivating views they have witnessed in their month in New Zealand! We watched the sunset and I prepared myself for today's adventure, throwing myself down a hill in a giant plastic ball filled with water!!! This sport, called "zorbing", was invented here in New Zealand, and while it doesn't last very long, it is a totally surreal experience, as you dive into the ball and they push you down a large hill, spinning and splashing as you go.
Tomorrow, if weather allows, I have officially signed my name on the paper marked "Skydive: 15,000 Feet". I am terrified, but I know this is something I HAVE to do while I'm here, as it's one of the only places in the world where you are allowed to do a jump at this height, with a free fall of over one full minute!!!
I am convinced that when God sat down at his desk to dream up the world, the first place he envisioned was New Zealand. It is pure and total heaven with stunning landscapes, beautiful people and endless outdoor adventure. And while I can't wait to see what else God dreamt up in his office that day, let's first hope my parachute opens so I'm able to....
Sunday, January 10, 2010
HELLO AGAIN, DEAR FRIENDS!!!
I’m SO SO SO sorry to neglect this blog; the issue is that I haven’t had any real adventures lately so I guess I just figured, “no one really wants to read about my boring life…do they?” Basically, the last few months have consisted of me returning to Sydney, looking desperately for a job to replenish the funds in the bank account, finding one at a darling little café in the bustling work district of North Sydney, working my butt off from 8-4 waitressing (yes, waitressing…you read that right), and planning my trips to New Zealand and Fiji! On weekends, I have spent much of my time doing the rest of the tourist things in Sydney…including trips to all the markets, big and small, more hikes with my cherished friends Tom and Denis (including snake spotting number three, a poisonous death adder!), a big night out on the town with my co-workers at the best Chinese restaurant and poshest bowling alley on the planet, dog-sitting in the most exclusive neighborhood in all of Sydney, home to Nicole Kidman and the richest of the rich, hikes alone through the Australian bush in the pouring rain, visits to the contemporary art museum, Sydney’s world famous New Year’s spectacular, and the recent Sydney Festival, complete with performances by the legendary Al Green and exotic dancers from all over the world!
It was exciting…and even the waitressing gig, which I promised I’d never do, was actually not as bad as I thought. Sure, I had to touch people’s dirty plates and deal with anxious customers or complaints about the food being too hot or too cold or too big or too small (for the most part, though, they were pretty good cuz our food is awesome!). But I put on that winning grin and did my best, earning me enough for a trip to New Zealand.
And tomorrow I set off to Auckland on a late flight, where I’ll explore the city, meet up with an old high school friend, and then later in the week begin on a 28-day-tour of New Zealand, both North and South Islands. As most of you know, I’m not your traditional “tour girl”, but this tour is everything I could ever want—the option to hike or cycle EVERY day, including a three-day trek on one of the world’s greatest routes, white-water rafting, zorbing, cruises through fiords, penguin-spotting, and camping under the stars every night. SO my type of tour. Not your “hop on the bus, let’s drive from point A to point B” kind of gig. This is the real deal, experiencing the natural wonders of New Zealand from an active point of view. And I’m thrilled. I could not be more excited to start this leg of my journey.
Due to limited internet access, I don’t know how often I’ll blog, but I’ll try as often as I can. Thanks to those who continue to check up on me, even if I’m not always good about writing. The adventure is beginning again, so thanks for coming along for the ride!
And to those of you in the States…I’m home March 1st!!! Come celebrate with me in Chicago!!! All my love.
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