Thus far, the South Island is as beautiful as they say. Granted, I've only seen Picton (the quaint, gateway town into the South Island) and Blenheim (wine country, about 30km south of Picton). But, as far as gateway towns go, Picton boasts a picturesque backdrop of cloud-splitting mountains and the seemingly endless Sounds. Quite a jaw-dropping little welcome into the South!
For the past two weeks, I've been WWOOFing at Tombstone Backpackers. Tombstone (located on Gravesend Rd, hehe) is definitely one of the nicest hostels that I've been to in NZ so far. Lynne and Gordon, owners, managers, shuttle drivers, cheesy scone and birthday cake makers, bird and cat lovers, and oven-fired pizza creators, are the sweetest couple you ever did meet! It was so easy for me to settle right into the homely and cozy feel of this superb backpackers. R.I.P. - Resting In Picton :-)
And resting is certainly one of the things that I've been getting good at here! The weather tends to be fairly unpredictable throughout the day, yet Mother Nature most often decides to choose heavy rain and even stronger wind. Thus, after my 2 hours of morning cleaning for the hostel, I spend the rest of my day taking afternoon naps, doing lots of reading, taking long soaks in the hot tub, and practicing my skills at pool. Not too shabby!
However, on sunny days, Picton has some great hikes to offer, such as the Snout Track (profoundly named since it, well, looks like a snout...), that I completed on the first sunny day I got. At the end of the trail, I reached Snout Point and had a wide open spaces view of the Picton Harbour and the Queen Charlotte Sounds. And, as an added bonus, I got to see seals! They were showing off - swimming on their sides with their flippers poking out of the water and waving hello! Gotta love cheap entertainment.
On another sun-shining day, I went for a bike ride to Karaka Point which is also a Maori Pa Site. What is a Pa? Good question...of all the information that I read, I never once found the definition of a Pa. Settlement, maybe? But, as Karaka Point was about 10km out of town and farther up from the Snout Track, I got to see a slightly different view of the Queen Charlotte Sounds and was able gaze back at the Snout Point and Waikawa Bay.
But mostly, I am living in anticipation. Great anticipation of the next leg, erm, “wheel,” of my trip. That's right folks, I'm going biking! Since arriving in NZ and meeting a few cyclists along the way, I've made biking the South Island my number one “NZ Must Do.” So, in Christchurch, I plan to buy a bike and camping gear, significantly downsize my already relatively light load of luggage, and buy me a map! Yep, needless to say, I'm pretty stoked about putting my foot to the pedal in (* fingers crossed *) two short weeks. I can't wait!!
Wednesday, September 22
Sunday, September 5
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
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
Sunday, August 8
A Nerve-wracking and Muscle-wrenching Week
Just this week, I was asked the typical backpacker to another backpacker question - “So, how long have you been in New Zealand for?” And for some reason, I answered a bit differently this time – “Oh, well, I arrived in the middle of February so…(quick month count in my head…) nearly, 6 months. Oh my gosh. 6 MONTHS. Wow…” I actually shocked myself a bit. I was getting so used to just saying, “4 months” or “4 and a half months.” When did it turn into half of a YEAR? Sheesh. It’s true though – time really does fly when you’re having fun.
And, speaking of flying – I just happened to do a bit of that recently. Well, flying, falling…one in the same. *grin*
As it happened, I had woken up pretty early on Monday morning to go whitewater rafting down the Tongariro River, but when I arrived at the rafting headquarters, I was told that the trip had been canceled due to too much rainfall and the river rising to dangerous levels. Shoot! So, back to the hostel I went. But, as it happened to be my day off, I was bound and determined to do something adventurous. So, when my friend Hannah suggested bungy jumping, I was immediately on board! Our other friend Malorie was keen on jumping as well, so it was settled – Taupo Bungy, here we come!
It wasn’t until I walked onto the platform that I started to feel a bit nervous. Peering over the railings, I saw just how high 47 metres was – ummm, yeah. It’s HIGH. Really, really, really high. All us girls were on edge (literally!), and before I knew it, I was sitting on the bench and the bungy masters were strapping my ankles into the bungy holds. Holy Crap! At that point, I started my mini-freakout. “Oh my god that’s high!! Holy man…I can NOT believe I’m actually doing this! Hannah, what the hell are we THINKING!!?!” But, beneath my freakout was a very, very excited woman! I couldn’t wait to dive off the ledge. I even requested to the bungy masters that they give me a full body dunk (a.k.a. Sole Club Jump) into the waters of the Waikato River. After all, the Taupo Bungy is the highest water touch bungy jump in all of New Zealand (and possibly the world?) so I figured, go big or go home. KOWA-BUNGY!! :-D
Finally, it was my turn to jump. Eee!! I shuffled my feet over to the edge of the platform and was really surprised that the bungy cord was so heavy. I turned back and smiled for the camera. Then, I looked straight down over the edge and heard in my left ear, “1, 2, 3 BUNGY!” Woahooo, wait, wait, wait…haha – this is crazy!! Oh my gosh…okay, I can do this…I’ll jump this time. One last glance over the edge. “1, 2, 3…” And off I leaped! As I plummeted toward the blue-green waters, the loudest, most blood-curdling scream just exploded out of my mouth. I didn’t know I had that in me! I rocketed to the water and stretched out my arms, but since I was the first person to use the bungy cord that day, the tension had been done a bit tighter as a safety precaution, and I didn’t end up even touching the water. No worries - as I boinged! back up, I was laughing and still yelping a bit. What a rush!! And, if you can believe it, much scarier then a 15,000 skydive. 47 metres verses 15,000 ft and the smaller number freaks you out more…go figure.
The boat came over to release me from my bungy straps and bring me to land so I could watch Hannah and Malorie take the plunge. My heart was still racing and the adrenaline was a-pumping! Fun, fun, FUN!! :-D
But, the fun didn’t stop there. The next day, I was up dark and early - I say this because I reluctantly left the warmth of my duvet at 5:15am, and it was still plenty dark out! And why, you ask, was I up at such an ungodly hour? To hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing! Again. And yes, in the middle of the New Zealand winter. When the mountains are covered by snow. And ice. Once again, another crazy, yet awesome expedition!
The shuttle picked me up from Blackcurrant at 6:00am and drove myself and 22 other bleary-eyed and eager hikers to the start of the 19.4 km hike we were about to embark upon. On the bus, our two guides, Sarah and Danny, fixed us up with essential winter hiking gear – rain-proof jacket, fleece pants, hiking boots, cramp-ons, and even an ice axe! We were geared up and ready to rock!(climb). :-)
The mountains looked magnificent in front of a morning backdrop of blue. But, when we looked to our left, far off in the distance, we could see the yellow, thick clouds rolling towards us. Twenty-four (our guides included) sets of fingers were crossed in the hopes that we’d make it to the summit before Mother Nature came knocking at our door.
The first 2 hours of the hike were really pleasant. Good weather and plenty warm. And dry! But, as we climbed the Devil’s Staircase to reach the base of Mt. Ngauruhoe (a.k.a. Mt. Dome from LOTR), the clouds found us. Mt. Ngauruhoe was right in front of us, yet disappeared completely. We had reached the snow and ice on the mountain as well, so it was time to secure our cramp-ons to our boots to keep from slipping and sliding over the mountain.
We crossed the South Crater and you would have thought we were tramping across Antarctica! Nothing but white all around us. But, instead of snowfall, we were getting drizzle. Soon, our gloves, hats, and clothes were soaked through. Our breaks didn’t last long since most of us became quite chilled when we stopped walking for too long. But, we kept on! Up and over the steepest part. It was pretty bizarre to know what views I should be seeing from the top, but not being able to see anything but cloudy fog. Not exactly the ideal Alpine hike I was hoping for, but our group was great and, after convening for a group meeting at the top, we all voted to continue ahead with the hike to the other carpark instead of turning back the same way we came up. Go team! :-)
After our initial decent from the summit, we came to another iced over crater. As we made our way across, someone’s foot went through the ice into the frigid, 7 inch deep water below. Then another foot. And another. Soon, all of us were breaking through the ice, again and again, trying not to lose our balance and fall in completely! All we could do was shriek, curse, and laugh uncontrollably. Unfortunately for us, this meant another 3 and half hours of tramping with cold and extremely wet feet! Brrrrr…
A quick stop at the Hut for a PB&J lunch break, and I was up and off to complete the rest of the hike – the last 90 minutes! We were allowed to hike this last part on our own. So, I cruised down the path, through the National Park, with the carpark and warm shuttle in mind as the final prize!
I made it back to the carpark around 3:00pm – which meant I completed the Crossing in just under 7 hours! I peeled off my sopping wet jacket, fleece pants, hat, mittens, and hiking boots and dumped them in a pile outside the bus. Tired and majorly damp from a combination of sweat and constant light rain, I plopped down into the bus seat, waited for the rest of the group to arrive, and thought to myself, “Tongariro Crossing, you’ve been crossed. Sahweeeeet!!!”
And, as one of the other girls on my bus said, “Yeah, we’re definitely hardcore.”
We certainly are. :-D
*Video Link*
--> My Bungy Jump! <--
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=myuploads#!/video/video.php?v=618713737401
*Photo Links*
A 47 Metre Leap of Faith
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157604&id=185002768&l=48a15e13f9
Conquering the Tongariro Alpine Crossing!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157608&id=185002768&l=abb402722d
And, speaking of flying – I just happened to do a bit of that recently. Well, flying, falling…one in the same. *grin*
As it happened, I had woken up pretty early on Monday morning to go whitewater rafting down the Tongariro River, but when I arrived at the rafting headquarters, I was told that the trip had been canceled due to too much rainfall and the river rising to dangerous levels. Shoot! So, back to the hostel I went. But, as it happened to be my day off, I was bound and determined to do something adventurous. So, when my friend Hannah suggested bungy jumping, I was immediately on board! Our other friend Malorie was keen on jumping as well, so it was settled – Taupo Bungy, here we come!
It wasn’t until I walked onto the platform that I started to feel a bit nervous. Peering over the railings, I saw just how high 47 metres was – ummm, yeah. It’s HIGH. Really, really, really high. All us girls were on edge (literally!), and before I knew it, I was sitting on the bench and the bungy masters were strapping my ankles into the bungy holds. Holy Crap! At that point, I started my mini-freakout. “Oh my god that’s high!! Holy man…I can NOT believe I’m actually doing this! Hannah, what the hell are we THINKING!!?!” But, beneath my freakout was a very, very excited woman! I couldn’t wait to dive off the ledge. I even requested to the bungy masters that they give me a full body dunk (a.k.a. Sole Club Jump) into the waters of the Waikato River. After all, the Taupo Bungy is the highest water touch bungy jump in all of New Zealand (and possibly the world?) so I figured, go big or go home. KOWA-BUNGY!! :-D
Finally, it was my turn to jump. Eee!! I shuffled my feet over to the edge of the platform and was really surprised that the bungy cord was so heavy. I turned back and smiled for the camera. Then, I looked straight down over the edge and heard in my left ear, “1, 2, 3 BUNGY!” Woahooo, wait, wait, wait…haha – this is crazy!! Oh my gosh…okay, I can do this…I’ll jump this time. One last glance over the edge. “1, 2, 3…” And off I leaped! As I plummeted toward the blue-green waters, the loudest, most blood-curdling scream just exploded out of my mouth. I didn’t know I had that in me! I rocketed to the water and stretched out my arms, but since I was the first person to use the bungy cord that day, the tension had been done a bit tighter as a safety precaution, and I didn’t end up even touching the water. No worries - as I boinged! back up, I was laughing and still yelping a bit. What a rush!! And, if you can believe it, much scarier then a 15,000 skydive. 47 metres verses 15,000 ft and the smaller number freaks you out more…go figure.
The boat came over to release me from my bungy straps and bring me to land so I could watch Hannah and Malorie take the plunge. My heart was still racing and the adrenaline was a-pumping! Fun, fun, FUN!! :-D
But, the fun didn’t stop there. The next day, I was up dark and early - I say this because I reluctantly left the warmth of my duvet at 5:15am, and it was still plenty dark out! And why, you ask, was I up at such an ungodly hour? To hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing! Again. And yes, in the middle of the New Zealand winter. When the mountains are covered by snow. And ice. Once again, another crazy, yet awesome expedition!
The shuttle picked me up from Blackcurrant at 6:00am and drove myself and 22 other bleary-eyed and eager hikers to the start of the 19.4 km hike we were about to embark upon. On the bus, our two guides, Sarah and Danny, fixed us up with essential winter hiking gear – rain-proof jacket, fleece pants, hiking boots, cramp-ons, and even an ice axe! We were geared up and ready to rock!(climb). :-)
The mountains looked magnificent in front of a morning backdrop of blue. But, when we looked to our left, far off in the distance, we could see the yellow, thick clouds rolling towards us. Twenty-four (our guides included) sets of fingers were crossed in the hopes that we’d make it to the summit before Mother Nature came knocking at our door.
The first 2 hours of the hike were really pleasant. Good weather and plenty warm. And dry! But, as we climbed the Devil’s Staircase to reach the base of Mt. Ngauruhoe (a.k.a. Mt. Dome from LOTR), the clouds found us. Mt. Ngauruhoe was right in front of us, yet disappeared completely. We had reached the snow and ice on the mountain as well, so it was time to secure our cramp-ons to our boots to keep from slipping and sliding over the mountain.
We crossed the South Crater and you would have thought we were tramping across Antarctica! Nothing but white all around us. But, instead of snowfall, we were getting drizzle. Soon, our gloves, hats, and clothes were soaked through. Our breaks didn’t last long since most of us became quite chilled when we stopped walking for too long. But, we kept on! Up and over the steepest part. It was pretty bizarre to know what views I should be seeing from the top, but not being able to see anything but cloudy fog. Not exactly the ideal Alpine hike I was hoping for, but our group was great and, after convening for a group meeting at the top, we all voted to continue ahead with the hike to the other carpark instead of turning back the same way we came up. Go team! :-)
After our initial decent from the summit, we came to another iced over crater. As we made our way across, someone’s foot went through the ice into the frigid, 7 inch deep water below. Then another foot. And another. Soon, all of us were breaking through the ice, again and again, trying not to lose our balance and fall in completely! All we could do was shriek, curse, and laugh uncontrollably. Unfortunately for us, this meant another 3 and half hours of tramping with cold and extremely wet feet! Brrrrr…
A quick stop at the Hut for a PB&J lunch break, and I was up and off to complete the rest of the hike – the last 90 minutes! We were allowed to hike this last part on our own. So, I cruised down the path, through the National Park, with the carpark and warm shuttle in mind as the final prize!
I made it back to the carpark around 3:00pm – which meant I completed the Crossing in just under 7 hours! I peeled off my sopping wet jacket, fleece pants, hat, mittens, and hiking boots and dumped them in a pile outside the bus. Tired and majorly damp from a combination of sweat and constant light rain, I plopped down into the bus seat, waited for the rest of the group to arrive, and thought to myself, “Tongariro Crossing, you’ve been crossed. Sahweeeeet!!!”
And, as one of the other girls on my bus said, “Yeah, we’re definitely hardcore.”
We certainly are. :-D
*Video Link*
--> My Bungy Jump! <--
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=myuploads#!/video/video.php?v=618713737401
*Photo Links*
A 47 Metre Leap of Faith
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157604&id=185002768&l=48a15e13f9
Conquering the Tongariro Alpine Crossing!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157608&id=185002768&l=abb402722d
Sunday, July 25
Boat-loads of fun on Taupo waters
Once upon a time, I was feeling adventurous :-) Haha, who am I kidding, I’m nearly always feeling adventurous!! But, on this particular day, I had a jet boat ride booked with Rapids Jet, a company located about 12 miles out of the centre of Taupo. So, I borrowed my friends bike and pedaled through the beautiful, foggy, farm-filled hills of Taupo till I reached the stomping grounds of Rapids Jet.
The jetboat ride quite fun! This time, I was smart and wore my cozy wool hat, so I was much warmer. It was an overcast day, so it was bit chillier than usual. Our driver was fun and easygoing and brought the whole lot of us to the Aratiatia Rapids. At the start of the 35 minute ride, the rapids were mostly just rocks with a bit of water spouting through. But, at the end, after the dam had been opened wide, there was LOADS of water gushing over the rapids. You couldn’t even see the rocks anymore! That was pretty cool.
The jet boat did lots of spins and bumped us up and down the pristine Waikato River. It was fun bouncing along the rapids and gripping on to the heated hand rails! After that wicked ride, it was time for me to jump back on my bike and cruise (well, more like huff and puff – I had to go up a MASSIVE hill!!) my way back to Blackcurrant Backpackers.
The next day, my friend Hannah and I took a lovely walk from town to 5 Mile Beach (which was, actually, five miles out of town!) and back. This walk, also known as the “Great Lake Walk” was on my Must Do in Taupo list. Great Lake Walk – check!
Then, on a beautifully blue Sunday morning, my friend Marcus and I went for a sail on the Barbary – my third time on the boat! It was such a lovely day, but with hardly any wind. But there were others on the boat this time as well, so we motored/sailed out to the Maori Carvings which I had been wanting to see for ages!
The Maori Rock Carvings were done as a gift from the Maori people and have become one of Taupo’s many cultural attractions. The carvings are only accessible by boat, so it was very neat to be aboard the Barbary with views of the magnificant mountains over Lake Taupo and the Mine Bay cliff carvings. What a lovely and peaceful way to spend a Sunday morning!
*Photo Links*
A Wickedly Rapid Ride
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156255&id=185002768&l=1ab13f0d1e
A Sail to the Maori Carvings
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157551&id=185002768&l=0355f317dc
Trekking in Taupo
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157597&id=185002768&l=8e74666f39
The jetboat ride quite fun! This time, I was smart and wore my cozy wool hat, so I was much warmer. It was an overcast day, so it was bit chillier than usual. Our driver was fun and easygoing and brought the whole lot of us to the Aratiatia Rapids. At the start of the 35 minute ride, the rapids were mostly just rocks with a bit of water spouting through. But, at the end, after the dam had been opened wide, there was LOADS of water gushing over the rapids. You couldn’t even see the rocks anymore! That was pretty cool.
The jet boat did lots of spins and bumped us up and down the pristine Waikato River. It was fun bouncing along the rapids and gripping on to the heated hand rails! After that wicked ride, it was time for me to jump back on my bike and cruise (well, more like huff and puff – I had to go up a MASSIVE hill!!) my way back to Blackcurrant Backpackers.
The next day, my friend Hannah and I took a lovely walk from town to 5 Mile Beach (which was, actually, five miles out of town!) and back. This walk, also known as the “Great Lake Walk” was on my Must Do in Taupo list. Great Lake Walk – check!
Then, on a beautifully blue Sunday morning, my friend Marcus and I went for a sail on the Barbary – my third time on the boat! It was such a lovely day, but with hardly any wind. But there were others on the boat this time as well, so we motored/sailed out to the Maori Carvings which I had been wanting to see for ages!
The Maori Rock Carvings were done as a gift from the Maori people and have become one of Taupo’s many cultural attractions. The carvings are only accessible by boat, so it was very neat to be aboard the Barbary with views of the magnificant mountains over Lake Taupo and the Mine Bay cliff carvings. What a lovely and peaceful way to spend a Sunday morning!
*Photo Links*
A Wickedly Rapid Ride
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156255&id=185002768&l=1ab13f0d1e
A Sail to the Maori Carvings
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157551&id=185002768&l=0355f317dc
Trekking in Taupo
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157597&id=185002768&l=8e74666f39
Sunday, July 18
A Close Encounter with the Kiwi Whisperer
First off, congrats to Spain for the World Cup win! We had some die hard and dedicated fans at Blackcurrant Backpackers who woke up at 6:30 in the morning to watch the football (erm, soccer…) game. I was happy to sleep in and catch the last 5 minutes when Spain scored the winning, and only, goal! Congrats :-) Holland – there’s always next time… ;-)
For my brief time off this week, I decided to head to Rotorua with my new Swiss friend, Marcus, (yep, third time to Rotorua! I just can’t stay away apparently!) where we visited a Maori Village called Matai and enjoyed a very touristy, albeit relatively authentic Maori cultural evening!
As part of the Maori cultural event, we were ushered into an outdoor theater to watch a Maori show. There were women and men clad in traditional Maori dress – which, during the winter, doesn’t cover much… And, they were all barefoot! Crazy… But, the show itself was really interesting. We learn several Maori words and phrases, they explained some of the rituals of the Maori culture, the weapons used, instruments, and games played. The women did an incredible rhythmic dance with the Pui and the men danced a Huka which is a dance done to intimidate an enemy before a fight. Both are SO COOL!! Definitely, my favorite part of Maori culture. I could watch it for hours. But, the dances, especially the Huka, are filled with so much energy, passion, and sweat that the performers are completely exhausted afterwards. They really put everything they have into the dance – slapping their chests and thighs, their eyes bulging and their tongues plastered to their chin and coming to a sharpened point. It is certainly an intimidating dance! In New Zealand Rugby, the NZ team (such as the “All Blacks”) perform the Huka before the start of the game. I honestly think it might give them a bit of an edge over their competitor because of the wild and threatening manner in which they perform the dance. I wouldn’t want to fight one of them after seeing that! Plus, most of the Maori men are BIG. And I mean BIG in every sense of the word. Really, really big…
Another highlight of the evening was visiting the after-dark Kiwi Sanctuary at Rainbow Springs. This was the first time I had ever seen a real live Kiwi bird! They are much bigger then I thought they would be! Like, the size (and kinda the shape) of a rugby ball. And, they are so cute! Long, thin beaks and fat, fluffy, brown bodies. And big feet, like a chicken! I tried taking a few photos, but since it was so dark, they didn’t turn out much at all.
Most of our group had left the Kiwi Sanctuary and have moved on for the rest of the tour, but Marcus, me, and this other dude had stayed back to watch this one particular Kiwi a bit longer. It was so close I could have touched it! Then, one of the Kiwi Keepers came in to the sanctuary and said he’d try to encourage the Kiwi into the light so we could take a better picture. Amazingly, the Kiwi responded to this Keeper so easily! He literally followed him to the other side of the pen when the Keeper called his name. When the man came back into the sanctuary, I looked at him in awe and asked, “How did you do that!? That was incredible!” At this point, the Kiwi was actually nuzzling the Keeper’s hand, and he was petting the Kiwi back. Now, this might not sound too remarkable, but the Keeper went on to tell us that this particular Kiwi had chosen him as his Keeper and was the only Kiwi bird that they knew of who would allow human contact. And the Keeper was the only person the Kiwi would be pet by! A pretty big honor for the Keeper, that’s for sure. I dubbed the Keeper “The Kiwi Whisperer” because of his unique talent. So, besides just glimpsing the Kiwi’s we got to witness something pretty remarkable! So cool!!
On the route back to Taupo from Rotorua, Marcus and I visited Wai-O-Taou Thermal Wonderland, a national park of New Zealand. There are several steaming pools and incredibly vibrant colors that the different organic minerals produce. The variation amongst the sulphur pools, rocks, and water is really impressive! And, of course, there is so much to photograph! So, Marcus and I (two lovers of photography) had a grand time snapping photos around every corner. :-)
For my brief time off this week, I decided to head to Rotorua with my new Swiss friend, Marcus, (yep, third time to Rotorua! I just can’t stay away apparently!) where we visited a Maori Village called Matai and enjoyed a very touristy, albeit relatively authentic Maori cultural evening!
As part of the Maori cultural event, we were ushered into an outdoor theater to watch a Maori show. There were women and men clad in traditional Maori dress – which, during the winter, doesn’t cover much… And, they were all barefoot! Crazy… But, the show itself was really interesting. We learn several Maori words and phrases, they explained some of the rituals of the Maori culture, the weapons used, instruments, and games played. The women did an incredible rhythmic dance with the Pui and the men danced a Huka which is a dance done to intimidate an enemy before a fight. Both are SO COOL!! Definitely, my favorite part of Maori culture. I could watch it for hours. But, the dances, especially the Huka, are filled with so much energy, passion, and sweat that the performers are completely exhausted afterwards. They really put everything they have into the dance – slapping their chests and thighs, their eyes bulging and their tongues plastered to their chin and coming to a sharpened point. It is certainly an intimidating dance! In New Zealand Rugby, the NZ team (such as the “All Blacks”) perform the Huka before the start of the game. I honestly think it might give them a bit of an edge over their competitor because of the wild and threatening manner in which they perform the dance. I wouldn’t want to fight one of them after seeing that! Plus, most of the Maori men are BIG. And I mean BIG in every sense of the word. Really, really big…
Another highlight of the evening was visiting the after-dark Kiwi Sanctuary at Rainbow Springs. This was the first time I had ever seen a real live Kiwi bird! They are much bigger then I thought they would be! Like, the size (and kinda the shape) of a rugby ball. And, they are so cute! Long, thin beaks and fat, fluffy, brown bodies. And big feet, like a chicken! I tried taking a few photos, but since it was so dark, they didn’t turn out much at all.
Most of our group had left the Kiwi Sanctuary and have moved on for the rest of the tour, but Marcus, me, and this other dude had stayed back to watch this one particular Kiwi a bit longer. It was so close I could have touched it! Then, one of the Kiwi Keepers came in to the sanctuary and said he’d try to encourage the Kiwi into the light so we could take a better picture. Amazingly, the Kiwi responded to this Keeper so easily! He literally followed him to the other side of the pen when the Keeper called his name. When the man came back into the sanctuary, I looked at him in awe and asked, “How did you do that!? That was incredible!” At this point, the Kiwi was actually nuzzling the Keeper’s hand, and he was petting the Kiwi back. Now, this might not sound too remarkable, but the Keeper went on to tell us that this particular Kiwi had chosen him as his Keeper and was the only Kiwi bird that they knew of who would allow human contact. And the Keeper was the only person the Kiwi would be pet by! A pretty big honor for the Keeper, that’s for sure. I dubbed the Keeper “The Kiwi Whisperer” because of his unique talent. So, besides just glimpsing the Kiwi’s we got to witness something pretty remarkable! So cool!!
On the route back to Taupo from Rotorua, Marcus and I visited Wai-O-Taou Thermal Wonderland, a national park of New Zealand. There are several steaming pools and incredibly vibrant colors that the different organic minerals produce. The variation amongst the sulphur pools, rocks, and water is really impressive! And, of course, there is so much to photograph! So, Marcus and I (two lovers of photography) had a grand time snapping photos around every corner. :-)
Saturday, July 10
Getting High in the Sky
It’s hard to come by days that are as awesome as today. To start, the weather was beautiful – blue skies speckled with clouds and lots of sunshine. My friend Marcus from Switzerland has been staying at Blackcurrant for the past couple days and had picked today to do his skydive! Lucky for him, the weather very much cooperated, and I was so excited that he was going to jump! As I wasn’t working, I decided to tag along to the Drop Zone with him, and our friend and fellow Blackcurrant cleaner, Hannah, decided to come as well to watch with me.
When we arrived at the Taupo Tandem Skydiving, I was immediately asked by my friend Brad (who works as a manager and tandem master at TTS) if I was skydiving. Correction, I wasn’t so much ASKED if I was going to do a skydive, I was more so TOLD that I was doing a skydive. I had actually considered it earlier in the day because it really was ideal weather for a skydive. I joked with Brad asking him if it would cost more to get him as my tandem master for the jump and he replied with a big grin and said, “You can get the skydive for free, but it costs $100 to jump with me!” Turned out, Brad wasn’t kidding… It didn’t take much to convince me past that point! I looked over at Marcus and was like, “Oh my gosh, I’m going again!!!!” Immediately, I had butterflies in my tummy and all the excitement and nervousness of my first dive came flooding back – I couldn’t believe I was going again!
And, that’s the story of how I came to do my second skydive from 15,000 ft and be strapped to the front of my #1 Favorite Tandem Master, Brad Rock :-D Not surprisingly, I was much more present during the second skydive. But, I was just as excited and smiley as I was the first time!! In the plane, Brad pointed out that we could see both the east and west coasts of New Zealand, Lake Rotorua, and the Coromandel Penisula. It was really cool to see the clouds in the sky as well! It really creates a different, more textured view of Taupo and the surrounding areas. Beautiful.
Brad and I were the last tandem to jump out of the plane. As we sat, perched at the edge of the plane with our legs dangling 15,000 ft above the ground, Brad goes, “You ready!?!” YES!!!! I felt a slight tip out of the plane and next thing I knew he pulled back a bit and goes, “No, I can’t! I’m too nervous!!” *!!!* I was like, Brad you bugger!! Seriously, if I could have reached around and popped him one, I would have but those darn harnesses just don’t make it easy! Just sitting there, about ready to jump out of the plane is a thrill in and of itself!! It's one of my favorite parts!! Before I knew it, my head was tilted back and out we went!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW. The freefall was so awesome!!! And, I actually remember it!! Brad and I did lots of spins, and I played around with my arms trying to maneuver them against the full force of the rushing air. It makes such a difference when your brain actually keeps up to speed with your body. ;-) About 5 seconds before Brad pulled the shoot, he pointed to a cloud and I glimpsed a circle rainbow! Apparently, our shadow made that! Where’s my camera when you need it???
The glide down was so nice as well. The views are just so spectacular from way up there! The shoot gets pulled at 5,000 ft so we still had quite a ways to sail. Brad goes, “Welcome to my office.” Definitely a job to envy.
Brad let me take control of the parachute for a while as well! So we did some super fast turns and some pause drifting in the air. That is a bizarre feeling to almost come to a stop in mid air! I didn’t expect to stop moving like we did, and the first time it happened, Brad goes, “Uh oh.” Uh oh is not a phrase I want to hear 3,000 feet in the air!! Sheesh ;-)
We did a standing landing verses a slid-in which was cool! I gave Brad a BIG hug for such an awesome and very entertaining dive! What an fantastic second jump!! There’s no denying it…I’m hooked. Brad, you have such a badass job!! Thanks a million!!! :-D
When we arrived at the Taupo Tandem Skydiving, I was immediately asked by my friend Brad (who works as a manager and tandem master at TTS) if I was skydiving. Correction, I wasn’t so much ASKED if I was going to do a skydive, I was more so TOLD that I was doing a skydive. I had actually considered it earlier in the day because it really was ideal weather for a skydive. I joked with Brad asking him if it would cost more to get him as my tandem master for the jump and he replied with a big grin and said, “You can get the skydive for free, but it costs $100 to jump with me!” Turned out, Brad wasn’t kidding… It didn’t take much to convince me past that point! I looked over at Marcus and was like, “Oh my gosh, I’m going again!!!!” Immediately, I had butterflies in my tummy and all the excitement and nervousness of my first dive came flooding back – I couldn’t believe I was going again!
And, that’s the story of how I came to do my second skydive from 15,000 ft and be strapped to the front of my #1 Favorite Tandem Master, Brad Rock :-D Not surprisingly, I was much more present during the second skydive. But, I was just as excited and smiley as I was the first time!! In the plane, Brad pointed out that we could see both the east and west coasts of New Zealand, Lake Rotorua, and the Coromandel Penisula. It was really cool to see the clouds in the sky as well! It really creates a different, more textured view of Taupo and the surrounding areas. Beautiful.
Brad and I were the last tandem to jump out of the plane. As we sat, perched at the edge of the plane with our legs dangling 15,000 ft above the ground, Brad goes, “You ready!?!” YES!!!! I felt a slight tip out of the plane and next thing I knew he pulled back a bit and goes, “No, I can’t! I’m too nervous!!” *!!!* I was like, Brad you bugger!! Seriously, if I could have reached around and popped him one, I would have but those darn harnesses just don’t make it easy! Just sitting there, about ready to jump out of the plane is a thrill in and of itself!! It's one of my favorite parts!! Before I knew it, my head was tilted back and out we went!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW. The freefall was so awesome!!! And, I actually remember it!! Brad and I did lots of spins, and I played around with my arms trying to maneuver them against the full force of the rushing air. It makes such a difference when your brain actually keeps up to speed with your body. ;-) About 5 seconds before Brad pulled the shoot, he pointed to a cloud and I glimpsed a circle rainbow! Apparently, our shadow made that! Where’s my camera when you need it???
The glide down was so nice as well. The views are just so spectacular from way up there! The shoot gets pulled at 5,000 ft so we still had quite a ways to sail. Brad goes, “Welcome to my office.” Definitely a job to envy.
Brad let me take control of the parachute for a while as well! So we did some super fast turns and some pause drifting in the air. That is a bizarre feeling to almost come to a stop in mid air! I didn’t expect to stop moving like we did, and the first time it happened, Brad goes, “Uh oh.” Uh oh is not a phrase I want to hear 3,000 feet in the air!! Sheesh ;-)
We did a standing landing verses a slid-in which was cool! I gave Brad a BIG hug for such an awesome and very entertaining dive! What an fantastic second jump!! There’s no denying it…I’m hooked. Brad, you have such a badass job!! Thanks a million!!! :-D
Wednesday, July 7
A Tipsy Tour of Hawkes Bay
Despite the chilling temperatures in Taupo, I’ve been feeling more and more comfortable in this tourist trap town as the weeks of my work-stay here continue to add up. This winter, I am getting a pleasant mix of the local and backpacker feel to the area, the people, and Taupo’s many attractions!
Three weeks ago, I was offered a thrilling ride on the Huka Falls Jet Boat! The 30 minute speed-boat ride brings you all the way to the Aratiatia Dam and then back up river to a stunning, close up view of Huka Falls. Lots of spins and quick maneuvers to avoid hitting trees sticking up out of the water. I was pretty soaked by the end of it and my head had turned into an icebox. Luckily, my hands were just fine because the handrails on the jetboat are heated! Brilliant :-)
A major highlight of the last few weeks was a photoshoot that I did with my friend and Blackcurrant neighbor, Jana. We went to the back alley-way behind Cybershed and found some quirky, unusual, and trashy spots to shoot at. Jana has great vision with regards to photography and really has a good eye for picking out unlikely photo shoot settings. I had a blast posing and jumping and working on my “come hither” eyes ;-) And, with great creative direction from Jana, we were able to create some really stunning photos!
Later in the week, I was able to go on another sailboat ride with my good friend, Barbary Dave! I seem to time my visits to the Barbary Sailboat just right, as I have gotten to do two charters with Dave without any other customers aboard. And, on this particular day, we actually had some wind to sail with – strong wind! So, once the sails were up, we really got cruising. The boat would tilt sideways to where the edge of the boat was only about a foot or so away from the water. Dave would warn me ahead of time when a stronger gust of wind was coming, but it still got my heart pounding when the boat tilted so much. He even taught me how to predict the big winds – the water from a distance would be different colors and the darker color meant stronger winds. Kinda cool! I also got to meet two of the Barbary’s frequent sailors – ducks! They both landed right on the boat too. Dave gave me some cookies to feed them and one of them even took the cookie bits right out of my hand. They were so cute :-)
I’ve recently gotten into a bit of a creative streak these last few weeks as well. It started out by making a “Thank You” card with magazine cutouts. I had wanted to thank Taupo Tandem Skydiving for such an incredible skydive experience and, thus, made them a card to show them my sky-high appreciation! And, besides feeling artsy, I have started singing a bit at the Sunday Jam Sessions at Mulligan’s Pub! A fun group of locals get together and jam out with guitars and harmonicas and serenade the pub with some good classic pub tunes. It was fun getting a chance to sing with the other jammers!
I ended up with two days off from both Cybershed and Blackcurrant two weeks ago and made an impromptu trip to Napier which is located on the east coast of the North Island, about a 2 hour drive from Taupo. It was such a lovely escape! My highlight of this mini vaca was the wine/chocolate/cider/beer tour that I did around Hawkes Bay via bicycle! I started out around 9:30 in the morning and 8 tastings of wine from the Mission Estate Winery, 1 nibble of dark chocolate from the Chocolate Shop, 3 glasses of cider & 2 glasses of beer from the Filter Room, and 30 kms later, I had thoroughly enjoyed my day! It’s easy to see why Hawkes Bay is known for their wine. There are vineyards everywhere and the wine stuff doesn’t taste half bad either ;-) A wine tour is definitely a must-do for visitors to Napier – add on the chocolate, beer, and cider tastings as well, and you’ve got the good stuff covered!
And, before I forget, a belated Happy 4th of July!! It was definitely odd not watching fireworks to celebrate the 4th. But, as it was Canada Day 3 days prior, myself and a few of the backpackers at Blackcurrant sang our countries respective national anthems and saluted our countries with a glass of vino :-)
Three weeks ago, I was offered a thrilling ride on the Huka Falls Jet Boat! The 30 minute speed-boat ride brings you all the way to the Aratiatia Dam and then back up river to a stunning, close up view of Huka Falls. Lots of spins and quick maneuvers to avoid hitting trees sticking up out of the water. I was pretty soaked by the end of it and my head had turned into an icebox. Luckily, my hands were just fine because the handrails on the jetboat are heated! Brilliant :-)
A major highlight of the last few weeks was a photoshoot that I did with my friend and Blackcurrant neighbor, Jana. We went to the back alley-way behind Cybershed and found some quirky, unusual, and trashy spots to shoot at. Jana has great vision with regards to photography and really has a good eye for picking out unlikely photo shoot settings. I had a blast posing and jumping and working on my “come hither” eyes ;-) And, with great creative direction from Jana, we were able to create some really stunning photos!
Later in the week, I was able to go on another sailboat ride with my good friend, Barbary Dave! I seem to time my visits to the Barbary Sailboat just right, as I have gotten to do two charters with Dave without any other customers aboard. And, on this particular day, we actually had some wind to sail with – strong wind! So, once the sails were up, we really got cruising. The boat would tilt sideways to where the edge of the boat was only about a foot or so away from the water. Dave would warn me ahead of time when a stronger gust of wind was coming, but it still got my heart pounding when the boat tilted so much. He even taught me how to predict the big winds – the water from a distance would be different colors and the darker color meant stronger winds. Kinda cool! I also got to meet two of the Barbary’s frequent sailors – ducks! They both landed right on the boat too. Dave gave me some cookies to feed them and one of them even took the cookie bits right out of my hand. They were so cute :-)
I’ve recently gotten into a bit of a creative streak these last few weeks as well. It started out by making a “Thank You” card with magazine cutouts. I had wanted to thank Taupo Tandem Skydiving for such an incredible skydive experience and, thus, made them a card to show them my sky-high appreciation! And, besides feeling artsy, I have started singing a bit at the Sunday Jam Sessions at Mulligan’s Pub! A fun group of locals get together and jam out with guitars and harmonicas and serenade the pub with some good classic pub tunes. It was fun getting a chance to sing with the other jammers!
I ended up with two days off from both Cybershed and Blackcurrant two weeks ago and made an impromptu trip to Napier which is located on the east coast of the North Island, about a 2 hour drive from Taupo. It was such a lovely escape! My highlight of this mini vaca was the wine/chocolate/cider/beer tour that I did around Hawkes Bay via bicycle! I started out around 9:30 in the morning and 8 tastings of wine from the Mission Estate Winery, 1 nibble of dark chocolate from the Chocolate Shop, 3 glasses of cider & 2 glasses of beer from the Filter Room, and 30 kms later, I had thoroughly enjoyed my day! It’s easy to see why Hawkes Bay is known for their wine. There are vineyards everywhere and the wine stuff doesn’t taste half bad either ;-) A wine tour is definitely a must-do for visitors to Napier – add on the chocolate, beer, and cider tastings as well, and you’ve got the good stuff covered!
And, before I forget, a belated Happy 4th of July!! It was definitely odd not watching fireworks to celebrate the 4th. But, as it was Canada Day 3 days prior, myself and a few of the backpackers at Blackcurrant sang our countries respective national anthems and saluted our countries with a glass of vino :-)
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