Shaking in my Booties

Spring is in the air here in New Zealand! I’ve felt the last of the winter chill, for two reasons mainly. One - well, winter is nearly over. And two - I’ve left Taupo’s snow-capped peaks for the southern breezes (a.ka. massive gales of wind!) in Wellington - the North Island’s windy city!

Nevertheless, I kept quite busy for the last month of the winter season in Taupo. On August 12th, I finished my final shift at Cybershed – the internet café that I will forever hold near and dear to my backpack traveling heart. But, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Taupo quite yet. I had another week as manager at Blackcurrant Backpackers, and I even though I had been in Taupo for nearly 4 months, I still had activities on my “Taupo Must-Do” list. So, I figured a bit more time staying in my home away from home would be a grand idea.

Unfortunately, it rained for much of my final days in Taupo, so checking off “Hike Mt. Tauhara” and “See Craters of the Moon” was delayed. But, I was able to have a mini-holiday away from Taupo when my friend Marcus and I decided to hitch up to Mt. Maunganui! Here, we checked out the Hot Saltwater Pools at the base of the Mount and then hiked to the summit of the Mount the next morning. This is the second time I hiked Mt. Maunganui and the views were just as stunning as before. The white beach and coastal towns of Tauranga and Mt. Maunganui are breathtaking. And, lucky for us, we had a picture perfect morning – meaning, we took LOOOADS of pictures!

From Mt. Maunganui, we rented a car and drove up the Coromandel Peninsula to Tairua, a bustling beach town in the summer, but you’d never guess it if you visited during the winter months. Besides Marcus and me, there was just one other guest at our hostel – a lovely French girl, Irene, who joined us for our adventure to Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove.

Hot Water Beach is a popular hot spot (literally…) for anyone that travels to the Coromandel. This beach is super unique in that, when it’s low tide, people come out to dig their own personal hot spa pools with spades and buckets. The geothermal activity beneath the beach heats up the water and, at some parts, it’s scalding hot! But, once your pool’s been dug, it’s a relaxing place to soak and enjoy the beautiful ocean views.

Cathedral Cove is another popular place to visit and isn’t far from Hot Water Beach. So, that’s where we went to next! The cove is fairly remote and only accessible through a hike in the bush or by boat. We ate lunch and explore bits of the cove, finding a super tall waterfall and an outhouse with a view! And, on the way back to the car park, we were greeted by the cutest lambs you ever did see. My goodness, they were adorable.

When we got back to Tairua, Marcus and I hiked up to the summit of Mt. Paku for a view of Tairua and its neighboring town, Pauanui. When we got back to the hostel, we went for a kayak around the bay before the sun went down. What a fun-filled day visiting more incredible parts of North Island.

On my last day as an official Blackcurrant staff member, we had an awesome sausage sizzling goodbye party on the Blackcurrant deck. It was great to have all the people that I’ve come to know in Taupo there for me to say goodbye to! The next day, I was headed up to Auckland, then down to Hamilton, and back through Rotorua before coming back to Taupo…again. I tell ya, they call it the Taupo trap for a reason!

I finally got lucky and for my last two days in Taupo, there was hardly any rain! So, I finally got the chance to hike up Mt. Tauhara and walk through Craters of the Moon and officially check them off my “Taupo Must-Do” list. Nothing like leaving things to the last minute!

My first stop on my way to the South Island was windy Welly – New Zealand’s capital city! I’ve been here for 5 days now and can see why so many New Zealanders prefer Wellington to any of the other “big cities” in NZ. It’s artsy, packed to the brim with cozy cafes, and boasts views of Mt. Victoria and the harbor.

I’ve enjoyed several of Wellington’s bookshops and have met up with several friends who I’ve met in other parts of NZ. My Texan friend Michelle, has generously let me crash on her comfy couch while I’ve been staying here. And, in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday the 4th, this couch was precisely where I was snoozing when I was rudely shaken awake by none other then…my first earthquake.

By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked Christchurch that morning. It was amazing to have felt it being nearly 190 miles away! Thankfully, Michelle came out to check on me after the earth finished doing its thing. Apparently, Michelle has felt about 8 earthquakes since moving to Wellington, but most come from off shore and since Thorndon (where she lives) is located on a fault line, she tends to feel the quakes more than most parts of Wellington. We both went back to sleep and didn’t actually realize the extent of the damage done by the quake until we turned on the television the next morning. The quake has been a major news topic and conversation piece for many New Zealanders this weekend. As for me, it’s pretty bizarre to wake up with the entire apartment rocking back and forth. Put this one down in the Baby Book: “Anna’s First Natural Disaster.”

Even without the earth moving I’ve had an exciting time in Wellington! I went to my first Roller Derby bout where nearly 2,500 people attended. Ever seen “Whip It?” Well, it’s a bit like that but with fewer of the ladies getting their faces smashed in. But, there is still a lot of pushing, shoving, and plenty of falling. It’s pretty intense and the crowd really gets into it! The costumes are a major part of the bout as well. Both the players and the fans dress in some crazy attire! In this game, the saying “It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye” seems appropriate. Although, if you said, “It’s all fun and games, EVEN if somebody loses an eye” that would probably be fitting as well.

Well, this Wednesday, I’ll be off to the South Island for good! North Island - it’s been grand! South Island - ready or not! :-D