I've had a great week hanging out in the Waikato region of the North Island! And tomorrow, I am off to Raglan to check out the surfing conditions and get myself up and out on a board! I'm totally pumped dude!! ;-)
I hitch hiked with a guy that I met (Nicholas from France!) for nearly all of the 7 and a half hour trip from Paihia down to Hamilton. The hitching went without a hitch – we got super lucky to be picked up in Whangarei (about 2 hours south of Paihia) by a guy who was driving right to Hamilton! He was a super sweetheart and even dropped me off right at my friend Paul's doorstep – which was a HUGE relief considering the downpour that Hamilton was getting at 8:30pm Wednesday evening... Hamilton, is a nice, fairly large inland city but it has a difficult time keeping up with the “ooos and ahhhs” of the coastal and mountainous parts of the country. It boasts an excellent nightlife, is famous for it's hot air balloons, and is home to the University of Waikato. All of which I got to experience in person!!
I had met a guy, Paul (originally from Ohio but lived in Idaho completing his undergraduate degree) when I was in Paihia. He had mentioned that he had a flat in Hamilton, so when I decided to leave Paihia and head south to Rotorua, I discovered that I would go straight through Hamilton. Needless to say, I sent out an unofficial couchsurfing message to Paul and decided to make a stop in Hamilton before heading farther south. In retrospect, it was an excellent decision :-)
Paul was a fabulous tour guide, showing me all the hotspots of Hamilton. One of my favorites being a cafe where we proceeded to attempt to order NZ's version of the “All American Breakfast.” Our order consisted of French Toast and bacon (Meal #1), Big Breakfast (sausage, bacon, 2 eggs, toast,tomato) (Meal #2), and The Spinach Omelette (Meal #3). Oh, and two chai latte's please! How obvious do you think we made it that we were Americans??
We also walked around the Uni of Waikato campus. It was fun to see all the students milling about with their backpacks and books and espressos. Makes me start to miss the university life...but only a little ;-) Not nearly ready to go back quite yet!
I got a chance to meet some of Paul's friends when we went out for appetizers and drinks on Friday night. He had met Dan through couchsurfing and via Dan met Ra, and Glenn as well. Since Paul was flying out the next morning, this was the farewell party. To make it even more special, there was a parade in his honour! Well, the fact that it was the weekend of the Waikatoo Hot Air Balloon festival might have had something to do with it... But it was still cool to see all the kids with balloon animals and watch gas ignited flames shooting out the top of the hot air balloon baskets floats. It was quite the celebration! The rest of the night was loads of fun – we went to bar where they had several pool tables AND a sweet live band WITH a dance floor! Add a foosball table and I would have been completely and utterly in my nightlife element :-)
Saturday was the big Waikato Hot Air Balloon festival! I found out that Hamilton has really good weather conditions for flying HABs so the city kind of made it their “thing.” Which is awesome, because the festival only happens once a year, and I just happened to be in Hamilton at exactly the right time! I met up with Dan and Marea who I had met the night before. We met up with a larger group at the festival grounds and had just an awesome evening. A delicious picnic, a HAB light show, and, at the very end, fireworks!! It felt just like the Fourth of July at Carson Park – plus a couple thousand persons. I loved it!
After Paul left, I was invited to stay at Ra's house, one of the women I had met on Friday. She lives about 30 minutes south of Hamilton near a town called Te Awamutu. Yesterday, I decided to make it my mission to find my way to Hamilton and bike all the way back to Te Awamutu (oh yeah, Paul had bought a bike and ended up giving it to me – but, it had been left at his place in Hamilton, so decided it would be a fun adventure to go pick it up!) I ended up hitch hiking to Hamilton with this really awesome Austria traveler, Chris. He even went out of his way to bring me right to Paul's flat. Man the people here are awesome.
The bike ride back to Te Awamutu was highly successful. But not for lack of a sore bum...35 km on a not-so-cushy bike seat made for an interesting ride. But, I never once got lost, which was awesome considering my iffy directions...
Today, I biked into Te Awamutu and spent the afternoon at the Rose Garden – taking lots of close-up flower photos and breathing in the magnificent smell of rose petals. The weather has been perfect since Friday...not too hot and always sunny. It was a lovely day :-)
Tuesday, March 30
Tuesday, March 23
It's time for a change of scenery - leaving Paihia!
Well, tomorrow I leave Paihia! I've been here for over a month now! Hard to believe...time sure flies when you're having fun :-)
I still have been spending much of my time meeting new people around the hostel and spending time on the beach during the day and playing pool in the bars at night. I have a fun little family to hangout with at the hostel and around the town. It's great!!
Last week, I decided it was time for me to kayak to Russell! So, I hopped in Little Red Ruby and away I went! Dan (the Coastal Kayaker guy) let me use a dry sack for my camera and stuff which was definitely needed.
The kayak there went great! I was worried my back would start to hurt, but I did fine. Davina and I had talked earlier about swimming to Russell, but after kayaking through the middle of the bay, it was definitely something that I think would have been a poor decision on both our parts. Kayaking was most definitely the way to go.
I pulled the kayak up on the Russell beach and decided to do some exploring of the town. I wandered around the streets – it's really quite a quaint little town. Cute, but extremely small with lots of older people walking about. Russell was actually the first capital of NZ. Interesting, eh?
I hike up the hill to the lookout point called Flagstaff. It was a beautiful view of the bay and the city of Russell. There was this really cool sundial at the top with a mosaic of all the islands and towns in the Bay of Islands. Really neat! I took lots of pictures :-)
Another big happening during the last couple weeks...I had a job trial/interview on board “The Rock” overnight cruise boat. It sounded like a really incredible opportunity – working on a boat, leading night kayaking, snorkeling, and fishing for a 22 hours cruise. Sounds ideal, right? Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. I ended up working for 22 hours in a 27 hour period (the five hours I didn't work, I was sleeping on the boat...) Not that I mind doing hard work, but it really wasn't that much fun...the staff was overworked and anxious all the time and the owner was really demeaning and not very welcoming. It was a definite deal breaker when I found out that I would only get paid $50 per cruise (which comes out to about $2/hr!) Hmmm, I am all about not making a lot of money when the experience is awesome, fun, and laidback – but a combo of hardly any money and a no-fun atmosphere? Eh, not so into that...so, I said, adious after my trial and got the heck off that boat!
There were a few good aspects about the cruise though. Like, I got to see about 6 dolphins swimming and playing next to the boat. That was really cool! And, we got to hike up to a beautiful lookout on this picturesque beach and see a stunning view of the Bay of Islands. Thank goodness for those moments...it saved the experience from being totally bad ;-)
And, of course, it was St. Patty's Day last week as well!! The whole hostel was in a festive mood. We had a BBQ and dressed in our best green outfits. Hugo and Paula took the cake with the best outfits of the night! We all had a great time dancing and taking a crazy number of pictures. It was a very happy St. Patty's day indeed! :-D
This past weekend I went to a local rugby match of some kiwi guys that I had met in Paihia! I had just about zero clue as to what was going on in the game...just lots of scrums and pulling down of shorts and lifting up guys by their shorts...it's quite an intense, but also kind of silly, game. I had about as much interest in rugby as I do in American Football...which, is not much. But, Davina, Megan, and I enjoyed our time checking out the cute rugby players socializing throughout the game :-) Pretty much the same thing I would do at a game back in the states!
I ALMOST went skydiving yesterday!! I made my appointment and walked all the way down there with my friend Matt, but when we got there, they said it was too windy to jump. What a bummer! I had totally gotten myself all psyched up and everything. Ah well, just knowing that I'm here for another 11 months makes it alright – I've got loads of time to do all that fun stuff :-)
Alright now everyone...it's time for me to hear some updates from you! I love hearing about what you are all up to. Send a note to guavanna@gmail.com. Hear from you soon!
I still have been spending much of my time meeting new people around the hostel and spending time on the beach during the day and playing pool in the bars at night. I have a fun little family to hangout with at the hostel and around the town. It's great!!
Last week, I decided it was time for me to kayak to Russell! So, I hopped in Little Red Ruby and away I went! Dan (the Coastal Kayaker guy) let me use a dry sack for my camera and stuff which was definitely needed.
The kayak there went great! I was worried my back would start to hurt, but I did fine. Davina and I had talked earlier about swimming to Russell, but after kayaking through the middle of the bay, it was definitely something that I think would have been a poor decision on both our parts. Kayaking was most definitely the way to go.
I pulled the kayak up on the Russell beach and decided to do some exploring of the town. I wandered around the streets – it's really quite a quaint little town. Cute, but extremely small with lots of older people walking about. Russell was actually the first capital of NZ. Interesting, eh?
I hike up the hill to the lookout point called Flagstaff. It was a beautiful view of the bay and the city of Russell. There was this really cool sundial at the top with a mosaic of all the islands and towns in the Bay of Islands. Really neat! I took lots of pictures :-)
Another big happening during the last couple weeks...I had a job trial/interview on board “The Rock” overnight cruise boat. It sounded like a really incredible opportunity – working on a boat, leading night kayaking, snorkeling, and fishing for a 22 hours cruise. Sounds ideal, right? Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. I ended up working for 22 hours in a 27 hour period (the five hours I didn't work, I was sleeping on the boat...) Not that I mind doing hard work, but it really wasn't that much fun...the staff was overworked and anxious all the time and the owner was really demeaning and not very welcoming. It was a definite deal breaker when I found out that I would only get paid $50 per cruise (which comes out to about $2/hr!) Hmmm, I am all about not making a lot of money when the experience is awesome, fun, and laidback – but a combo of hardly any money and a no-fun atmosphere? Eh, not so into that...so, I said, adious after my trial and got the heck off that boat!
There were a few good aspects about the cruise though. Like, I got to see about 6 dolphins swimming and playing next to the boat. That was really cool! And, we got to hike up to a beautiful lookout on this picturesque beach and see a stunning view of the Bay of Islands. Thank goodness for those moments...it saved the experience from being totally bad ;-)
And, of course, it was St. Patty's Day last week as well!! The whole hostel was in a festive mood. We had a BBQ and dressed in our best green outfits. Hugo and Paula took the cake with the best outfits of the night! We all had a great time dancing and taking a crazy number of pictures. It was a very happy St. Patty's day indeed! :-D
This past weekend I went to a local rugby match of some kiwi guys that I had met in Paihia! I had just about zero clue as to what was going on in the game...just lots of scrums and pulling down of shorts and lifting up guys by their shorts...it's quite an intense, but also kind of silly, game. I had about as much interest in rugby as I do in American Football...which, is not much. But, Davina, Megan, and I enjoyed our time checking out the cute rugby players socializing throughout the game :-) Pretty much the same thing I would do at a game back in the states!
I ALMOST went skydiving yesterday!! I made my appointment and walked all the way down there with my friend Matt, but when we got there, they said it was too windy to jump. What a bummer! I had totally gotten myself all psyched up and everything. Ah well, just knowing that I'm here for another 11 months makes it alright – I've got loads of time to do all that fun stuff :-)
Alright now everyone...it's time for me to hear some updates from you! I love hearing about what you are all up to. Send a note to guavanna@gmail.com. Hear from you soon!
Wednesday, March 10
Another photo album!
I've posted more photos of New Zealand!
Check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144588&id=185002768&l=c778998441
Enjoy!
Anna x
Check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144588&id=185002768&l=c778998441
Enjoy!
Anna x
Haruru Falls and Snow Mountain
Well, the weather has been back and forth here in Paihia. Some days it rains and other days (like today!!) it's absolutely gorgeous, sunny, and blue skies outside. I am sitting outside the library right this very minute, stretched out on my beach towel under the shade of the tree. It's pretty darn great.
I've been working every morning this week. We finish up around noon and then make lunch and hang out around the pool, read, visit with new guests or hit the beach!
Last week, I went for a loooong hike to Haruru Falls. I took one of the bikes and went to the trail head by the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and locked up my bike there. I was all excited because there were signs stating that this park was a “Kiwi Reserve Habitat” so I was really hoping to see a kiwi! But, I soon learned that kiwis are nocturnal creatures and quite shy, so it was unlikely that I would see one. Nuts! I kept my eye peeled though...although I didn't really have much of an idea of what to look for or listen for...
The trail was really cool. It started out like a jungle and then turned into this muddy, rooty, mudcrab infested mangrove area, back to jungle-like. I smelled all sorts of interesting stuff – soil and nature, manure, hamster cage...hah, lots of crazy smells. It was a well paved path too, so that made it easy to navigate. I was glad to actually be wearing my tennis shoes!! :-)
The falls was pretty but not super spectacular. I took a couple photos and then, I started my hike back to my bike :-) Got a bit rained on, but didn't get to terribly wet. All in all I hiked 10 kilometers (about 6.4 miles, I think) and I was definitely tuckered out at the end!
I also made a wonderful discovery last week – the Farmers Market of Paihia! The market was cute and quaint. A good variety of fruits and veggies, crepes, meats, jams and jellys, hummus, spreads, honey, cheeses, and sweet treats. I bought a Korean cucumber, tapenade spead (amazing!!!), and some fresh garlic cheese to make cheesy pasta with for dinner!! Mmmmm.
Speaking of food...I've vowed to to give up Nutella (it's the hazelnut, chocolately spread that's just downright delicious...) for 3 days. After a week of consistently dipping my spoon in to the Nutela jar, I realized that I had a real problem...lol. I'm on day two right now. Yesterday was rough tho...I could tell I was going through withdrawal when I couldn't hold my hands steady...*wink.
Yesterday I was sitting in the hostel lounge watching a movie and this girl comes in. Here is the convo that followed:
“Are you Anna?”
“Yep!”
“Nice! So, are you the one that's from Wisconsin?”
“Yeah! Where are you from?”
“Yeah, I'm actually from Wisconsin too! I live in Green Bay but I grew up in EAU CLAIRE.”
“No way...really? That's where I'm from!”
It was so crazy – seriously small, itty bitty, minuscule world we live in! It was so weird to be talking about the high schools of EC, the roads, and Water Street with someone who actually knew what I was talking about! Haha. I think she's sticking around Paihia for a while too, so it will be cool to have a fellow Wisconsinite as a neighbor!
Yesterday, I went on a really nice bike ride with my friend Hugo. We rode this street that I hadn't been on before and it had a stunning, scenic view of the Bay of Islands. He pointed out this rock that was in the way distance and said, “See how it's so white?” “We call it 'Bird Shit Island'.” But apparently when they take the tourists out on a island cruise, they tell them that it's called “Snow Mountain” because it only ever snows on that particular island during the summer...haha. It must be a magical place... :-)
I've been working every morning this week. We finish up around noon and then make lunch and hang out around the pool, read, visit with new guests or hit the beach!
Last week, I went for a loooong hike to Haruru Falls. I took one of the bikes and went to the trail head by the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and locked up my bike there. I was all excited because there were signs stating that this park was a “Kiwi Reserve Habitat” so I was really hoping to see a kiwi! But, I soon learned that kiwis are nocturnal creatures and quite shy, so it was unlikely that I would see one. Nuts! I kept my eye peeled though...although I didn't really have much of an idea of what to look for or listen for...
The trail was really cool. It started out like a jungle and then turned into this muddy, rooty, mudcrab infested mangrove area, back to jungle-like. I smelled all sorts of interesting stuff – soil and nature, manure, hamster cage...hah, lots of crazy smells. It was a well paved path too, so that made it easy to navigate. I was glad to actually be wearing my tennis shoes!! :-)
The falls was pretty but not super spectacular. I took a couple photos and then, I started my hike back to my bike :-) Got a bit rained on, but didn't get to terribly wet. All in all I hiked 10 kilometers (about 6.4 miles, I think) and I was definitely tuckered out at the end!
I also made a wonderful discovery last week – the Farmers Market of Paihia! The market was cute and quaint. A good variety of fruits and veggies, crepes, meats, jams and jellys, hummus, spreads, honey, cheeses, and sweet treats. I bought a Korean cucumber, tapenade spead (amazing!!!), and some fresh garlic cheese to make cheesy pasta with for dinner!! Mmmmm.
Speaking of food...I've vowed to to give up Nutella (it's the hazelnut, chocolately spread that's just downright delicious...) for 3 days. After a week of consistently dipping my spoon in to the Nutela jar, I realized that I had a real problem...lol. I'm on day two right now. Yesterday was rough tho...I could tell I was going through withdrawal when I couldn't hold my hands steady...*wink.
Yesterday I was sitting in the hostel lounge watching a movie and this girl comes in. Here is the convo that followed:
“Are you Anna?”
“Yep!”
“Nice! So, are you the one that's from Wisconsin?”
“Yeah! Where are you from?”
“Yeah, I'm actually from Wisconsin too! I live in Green Bay but I grew up in EAU CLAIRE.”
“No way...really? That's where I'm from!”
It was so crazy – seriously small, itty bitty, minuscule world we live in! It was so weird to be talking about the high schools of EC, the roads, and Water Street with someone who actually knew what I was talking about! Haha. I think she's sticking around Paihia for a while too, so it will be cool to have a fellow Wisconsinite as a neighbor!
Yesterday, I went on a really nice bike ride with my friend Hugo. We rode this street that I hadn't been on before and it had a stunning, scenic view of the Bay of Islands. He pointed out this rock that was in the way distance and said, “See how it's so white?” “We call it 'Bird Shit Island'.” But apparently when they take the tourists out on a island cruise, they tell them that it's called “Snow Mountain” because it only ever snows on that particular island during the summer...haha. It must be a magical place... :-)
Thursday, March 4
New Zealand Photos
First album up for pics from New Zealand!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144162&id=185002768&l=54e0d8e5cb
Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144162&id=185002768&l=54e0d8e5cb
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 2
Are they Kiwi's? Or Greek Gods?
The Weekend and beyond...
* Here are the updates from the last week or so! Internet has been scarce and I've just been out and about too much to take the time to post – so, just bare with me :-9 I suggest scrolling down to the bottom and reading up...there's quite a bit, so if you're keen to read a travel novel, have at it! Enjoy :-) *
Well, it's my first weekend in Paihia! Since I starting work in the hostel and have gotten to know the city a bit better, I have gotten a bit of a routine going day to day. So, the whirlwind adventures of my first few days in New Zealand are winding down just a bit. It's actually quite nice to wake up, work for a couple hours, then spend the rest of the day either at the pool or down by the beach – or just hanging out in the courtyard with the other hostel staff and travelers. There's always new faces at the hostel which keeps things interesting and fun!
I made my first trip to the BIG supermarket in town. I took out one of the bikes and cycled my way there since it is a bit of a trek by foot – especially carrying everything back. I got ingredients to make Thai Curry noodles (I have been craving it ever since I saw some other girls making it in the kitchen!) so I am pretty stoked about that meal :-)
I went to a nearby pub to hang out with some friends and watch the Canada verses Slovakia Olympic hockey game. Canada won, but it was a bit of a heart-beater towards the end there!! I wonder which game Brent and Danielle went to... But either way I'm a bit jealous! *wink
At the bar, there were about 30 or so people dressed in Togas!! Hahaha, it was so funny. I found out that they were on a pub crawl from Whangarei and had been going since 1:00pm that afternoon! Lol, it looked like they were having a fantastic time :-9
On Sunday, I went on a hike to the top of the nearby hill to get a wonderful view of the bay, the boats and the water. It's been raining a bit more here so the green stuff is starting to perk up!
I tried to go to the library on Sunday to use their WIFI, but apparently they turn off their internet when the library is closed! Dang! Which also means that when I arrived on Monday, I still couldn't check my email because, once again, closed... That's not so convenient :-(
Last night, I watched my first moon rise. It was absolutely stunning. The moon was HUGE and the color of macaroni and cheese. I watched it rise up over the mountains behind the little town of Russel which sits across the bay from Paihia. I was out for an evening run and just had to stop to watch the moon appear in all it's glory. Pretty incredible.
My Scottish friend Paula and I went to Salty's bar down the way for Kareoke night! And, I typically don't do Karaoke, but I did!! Haha, I sang “Get this party started” by Pink, for all of you who know what song that is... :-) It was super fun! Then played a couple games of foosball, and thanks to all practice I had with Allison and the crew before I left, I totally represented Wisco! Lol. I think they were all quite impressed.
* Here are the updates from the last week or so! Internet has been scarce and I've just been out and about too much to take the time to post – so, just bare with me :-9 I suggest scrolling down to the bottom and reading up...there's quite a bit, so if you're keen to read a travel novel, have at it! Enjoy :-) *
Well, it's my first weekend in Paihia! Since I starting work in the hostel and have gotten to know the city a bit better, I have gotten a bit of a routine going day to day. So, the whirlwind adventures of my first few days in New Zealand are winding down just a bit. It's actually quite nice to wake up, work for a couple hours, then spend the rest of the day either at the pool or down by the beach – or just hanging out in the courtyard with the other hostel staff and travelers. There's always new faces at the hostel which keeps things interesting and fun!
I made my first trip to the BIG supermarket in town. I took out one of the bikes and cycled my way there since it is a bit of a trek by foot – especially carrying everything back. I got ingredients to make Thai Curry noodles (I have been craving it ever since I saw some other girls making it in the kitchen!) so I am pretty stoked about that meal :-)
I went to a nearby pub to hang out with some friends and watch the Canada verses Slovakia Olympic hockey game. Canada won, but it was a bit of a heart-beater towards the end there!! I wonder which game Brent and Danielle went to... But either way I'm a bit jealous! *wink
At the bar, there were about 30 or so people dressed in Togas!! Hahaha, it was so funny. I found out that they were on a pub crawl from Whangarei and had been going since 1:00pm that afternoon! Lol, it looked like they were having a fantastic time :-9
On Sunday, I went on a hike to the top of the nearby hill to get a wonderful view of the bay, the boats and the water. It's been raining a bit more here so the green stuff is starting to perk up!
I tried to go to the library on Sunday to use their WIFI, but apparently they turn off their internet when the library is closed! Dang! Which also means that when I arrived on Monday, I still couldn't check my email because, once again, closed... That's not so convenient :-(
Last night, I watched my first moon rise. It was absolutely stunning. The moon was HUGE and the color of macaroni and cheese. I watched it rise up over the mountains behind the little town of Russel which sits across the bay from Paihia. I was out for an evening run and just had to stop to watch the moon appear in all it's glory. Pretty incredible.
My Scottish friend Paula and I went to Salty's bar down the way for Kareoke night! And, I typically don't do Karaoke, but I did!! Haha, I sang “Get this party started” by Pink, for all of you who know what song that is... :-) It was super fun! Then played a couple games of foosball, and thanks to all practice I had with Allison and the crew before I left, I totally represented Wisco! Lol. I think they were all quite impressed.
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