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 :-)

Ready, Set, SCRUM!

Besides a sweet skydive this past week (in which I thought I should dedicate a full blog post too, haha), I have done a few other things which are definitely worth mentioning! A week of firsts it seems :-)

On Monday, I got my first NZ haircut! I figured going over 5 months without getting this mop cut was quite long enough. The lady who cut my hair was super friendly, chatty, and quite interested in my travels to NZ. Her catch phrase? “Good on you!” I swear, she must have said this nearly 50 times by the time my shampoo and cut was finally complete. She told me that for a backpacker, my hair was in surprisingly good condition. And, I told her that I was quite surprised by that considering I haven’t brushed my hair more than 4 times since I left NZ. In fact, I hadn’t even packed a brush! But, hey, apparently that’s the secret to beautiful locks. Works for me!

And, I am working on substituting my American term “bangs” (why in the world do we call them bangs anyway??) for “fringe,” the Kiwi way. I was looking for a bit of a change with my currant hairstyle, so I decided to try out a fringe again. Fingers tightly crossed that I wouldn’t sorely regret it. But, turns out I like it! So, phew! Fringe is in ;-)

I had the next day off (from BOTH jobs – yay!) so I decided to hike to Huka Falls. I had already been to Huka Falls several weeks ago, but had mountain biked there instead. Thought I’d take a different route :-)

Wednesday was of course the epic skydive day. Wahoo! (See *60 Seconds* for the full story!) :-D

And, I finally left Taupo for the first time in 6 weeks to go to Rotorua to watch my first professional rugby game!! Nz Maoris vs Ireland – I had bought my ticket last week and was super excited to watch the game at the Rotorua stadium!! Gavin, an Ireland native, had come through Taupo and stayed at Blackcurrant for a couple days last week and had told me about the game. Thought it would be pretty sweet to watch the game with someone who has a bit of their heart invested in the opposing team. Although, as it turned out, I cheered for both teams for the first ¾ of the game. Eventually decided to cheer for the Irish with 7 minutes of the game remaining. They were losing 31-28, so I was hoping to give them an extra boost of cheer! ;-)

The game was such fun!! They had a few live performances with NZ singers and even a beatboxer as pre-game entertainment. Good stuff! And, it was so nice having Gavin right beside me for the game because I was able to ask him loads of questions about the plays and such. I think I pretty much understand the basics of rugby now and thoroughly enjoyed watching the game! Quite unlike going to my highschool football games where I spent most of my time with my back to the field, chatting with my friends on the bleachers instead ;-)

Unfortunately, Ireland ended up losing…bummer. And, I was super cold by the time the game ended. My pinky on my right hand had gone numb! So, we went back to the hostel, drank a couple beers, grabbed a bite to eat, and hung out next to the fireplace in the lounge. Ahhh…nice :-) Then, once were were nice and toasty, we went out for a night on the town to celebrate the Maori win at the jam-packed Irish pub. What a fun mini roadtrip out of Taupo. I’d say it was a breath of fresh air, but this is Rotorua we’re talking about…a.k.a “Sulfur City.” Not so fresh but a lovely mix up to the weekend :-)

60 Seconds

*a.k.a – Anna’s Skydive: With 15,000 ft of Perspective

**a.k.a – That time I jumped out of a plane!!!

What. An. AWESOME. Day.

So much smiling!! Yes, definitely a day of grinning overdose.

I woke up at 8:45am and remember first pleading with my alarm clock in my head, “just a little longer…?” And then all of a sudden, it dawned on me that today was the day. ToDAY was the day that I was going skydiving!! Ever since arriving in New Zealand, I wanted to do a skydive. With every freefall video that I watched in the Blackcurrant DVD lounge, with every backpacker that had come through Taupo with the sole goal of jumping out of a plane, the anticipation had heighten – a LOT. And today, was the day. HOLY MAN was I excited!! And, with that thought alone, I was wide awake.

Lars and Bea (my two work mates at the hostel) got me so psyched up for the jump telling me how awesome it would be and how much I’d love it! I literally couldn’t stop smiling. Haha. I actually felt pretty silly – I mean, I hadn’t even jumped yet, and I was grinning from ear to ear!! My tummy felt like I had butterflies doing gymnastics in there! A mini gymnasium for all their somersaults, cartwheels, and tumbling routines. I was completely giddy.

I planned to do the jump with Leslie and Sophie, both who work at the Funky Green Hostel in Rotorua. The jump was scheduled for 2:00pm so I just hung out around the hostel with my boss Beth and the Taupo Tandem Skydive (TTS) marketing manager Bex who had set up the jump for me! Lars decided to come along too, and we both had our fingers crossed that he could do his solo jump from my plane. How cool would that be?!

Bex gave Lars and I a ride to TTS in her little TTS Cruiser. It was pretty cool to be chauffered to TTS with the main marketing lady! Even better than the van pickup!

Now, I think I forgot to mention that since I am working now at both Blackcurrant and Cybershed, and since we do bookings for Taupo adventure activites (such as skydiving), and because Bex and Beth are amazingly, fantastical women, I was offered this opportunity to skydive for free. No joke! I figured, in that case, that I would be given the actual skydive for free and then I could pay for my freefall video and photos on top of that. But, when we got to the Drop Zone at TTS, Bex informed me that I would be receiving the “Gold Package” – a.k.a. the whole works! Freefall video, Handycam video, Freefall photos, and Exit/ground photos. I couldn’t believe it! What a superb perk of working hospitality in Taupo!

I was still beaming from ear to ear, even as I signed my life away on the “Please don’t sue us if you die” contract. I met my tandem instructor, Andy, who has done so many jumps that he’s stopped keeping track! Andy, a born and bred Kiwi, has the typical “I’m a badass skydiver” look with a scruffy ‘tashe and beard, wind-whipped hair, and heavy, carved earrings. Andy helped me into my jumpsuit (under which I was completely layered up – thermal top and bottom, t-shirt, fleece and jeans – it gets chilly 15,000 ft above the ground!!) and secured my harness. The harness makes you waddle when you walk, but I was way too excited to care about my funny gait. I’m jumping out of a plane!!

Just minutes before we boarded, the solo-jumpers on-call were announce over the intercom and Lars was one of them! So, we were going to be jumping out of the plane together afterall! Super cool beans!!

The little, bright yellow TTS plane can fit 16 passengers. As it was a nearly full plane, I got real up close and cozy with everyone there. With Andy behind me and Mikey, my video guy, in front, I felt like we were three peas in a pod :-)

I was doing everything I could to take in the whole skydiving experience. Even the 20 minute plane ride up gave us a splendid view of Taupo and the surrounding areas. We could see Mt. Taranaki which is all the way over in New Plymouth – nearly 300 km away (about 185 miles!). I learned that skydiving on a clear, winter day offers way better views of the landscape than on a clear, sunny day in the summer. I guess the heat makes everything slightly fuzzy. So, basically, we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. And, although it was -8 degree C (so, about 17 degree F), I didn’t even feel the chill! I think the excitement of everything was an extra layer of warmth on top of my already layered up self.

The plane leveled out at 12,000 ft for a few of the solo jumpers and students to jump out. So, that meant a quick “see ya-BYE!” grin and wave from Lars and then he just disappeared! Simply tipped himself out of the plane and whoosh, POOF! Gone. I don’t think my brain was really able to register the fact that my friend just jumped out of a plane right before my eyes. My brain certainly wasn’t registering that I was about to pitch mySELF out of a plane flying 15,000 ft over Lake Taupo. Yet, I still had a silly grin plastered to my face – that smile wasn’t going anywhere.

Along with enjoying the view on the way up, Andy had secured the two of us together – tight! I had harness digging into my ribs, but that feeling alone helped to reassure me that I wasn’t going anywhere without him.

Before I knew it, the plane had reached 15,000 ft. Since Mikey, Andy, and I were at the front of the plane, we were the first to go. I had zero qualms whatsoever. Andy and I scooted forward and next thing I knew my legs were over the edge of the plane – Mikey was actually outside the plane at this point and the three of us posed for quick exit photo.



This part was surreal. My mind wasn’t processing everything that was happening so things are a bit blurry. If Andy had counted to three and said “JUMP!” I didn’t hear him. For the next 60 seconds, I heard nothing. Did we do flips? Spins? I haven’t a clue. For 60 seconds of freefall, my mind, body, and spirit were in system overload. Each one of my senses were being pummelled with pure, WOW. The one thing I do recall somewhat is seeing Mikey freefalling backwards, just below Andy and I. And I remember thinking, “I so want to try that!!”



The 60 seconds felt like 10. Andy pulled the parashute (and yay, it opened!!), and we were sailing through the sky. At this point, my brainwaves finally got up to speed, and the thrill of what I had just done had a ripple-effect throughout my entire being. I was laughing, catching my breath, and feeling a bit of shock at what I had just experienced. Pretty sure I let a 'Holy Shit' leak out, but turns out they edited that from the final video so I can’t be sure. Haha. But seriously, a 'Holy Shit' doesn’t even give a skydive justice. Holy Shit times 20.

The view as we parasailed was just awesome. I was in complete awe of how far and how much I could see! There still wasn’t a cloud in sight and the lake just sparkled. Andy even let me take control of the parashute handles and take the both of us for a ride! I cranked down on left handle, and we went into a full 380 degree spin. Then straightened out and took us the other direction – got a bit dizzy with all the spinning, but it was fun steering this massive green shute!

Andy brought us in for a smooth landing at the Drop Zone. Knees up, legs out, and we slid in on our bums. The parashute landed gently in a heap in front of us and Andy quickly unhooked my harness from his. What a ride!! I gave Andy a high-five and a huge thank you for an awesome dive. So much fun! And yep – I was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat :-D

Like I said. Quite an awesome day *grin*

Becoming Kiwi

The other day I found myself saying, “Oh yeah, it’s easy as!” Now, if this doesn’t sound odd to you, it should. “Easy as PIE” – now that’s more of the norm to the American ear, but easy as??? That’s a total Kiwi term. Easy as, sweet as, cold as… I stood there kinda shocked after I heard those two little words pop out of my mouth. It just…happened. Apparently after living in New Zealand for nearly 4 months, the Kiwi phraseology has worn off on me a bit. Funny how that happens. My sister Cate seems to think that my accent sounds different too, but I’m not convinced. I can only imagine what another 8 months will do…!

I had my very last day of cleaning at Blackcurrant Backpackers yesterday morning. Yes!! After two and a half hours of cleaning every morning for the past 5 weeks, I am an expert in:

1.) Cleaning shower drains.
2.) Stripping beds in the “special way” to check for those nasty bedbugs.
(Nothing found yet! Knock on wood…)
3.) Disinfecting sinks and toilets.
4.) Not spraying myself while cleaning IN the shower.

And, lastly…

5.) Bed making. (Big shout out to Mom and Great-Grandma Pierzina for passing down the skills of hospital-corner tucks for top sheets! Beth from Blackcurrant would like me to give you a BIG hug :-) *HUG!*)

So, on Monday, I begin my position as Assistant Manager and, as Beth my boss says, I mostly just have to talk to the newcomers and hangout around the hostel when I’m on duty. Basically, getting paid to do what I do anyways around Blackcurrant! And, like I mentioned in my last post, I get my own room (which has an electric blanket!!) so I am pretty darn happy about that :-D

I’ve been getting some good use out of my gym membership this week too. Went to the group fitness class “BodyCOMBAT” with this crazy, hyper-intense instructor. Holy cow! I was jumping and kicking and punching and sweating. It was awesome! A killer workout. My favorite part of the class was at the end when we were stretching out to “Du Hasst* Mich” (a song from Rammstein, a German band, that means “You Hate Me”), which just happened to be quite fitting as the whole group of women stretched and glared at the instructor for wringing every last ounce of water out of our poor, wretched bodies. I’ll definitely be back :-)

I went to my first cinema in NZ this past week as well! My new friends, Gavin the Irishman and Frake the “Flying” Dutchman asked if I was interested in seeing the movie, “Boy” - a story about an 11 year old Maori boy who has to take on a lot of responsibility for his younger brother and cousins when his Grandmother (who they all live with) goes to attend a funeral for a week and leaves them all at home. The movie is both side-stitchingly funny and also heartrending. Overall, I really enjoyed it! And, the pre-scooped ice cream cones from the concessions were just icing on the cake :-D

I’ve really enjoyed watching New Zealand made films since I’ve arrive here. I’m not sure how many of them are actually available in the states, but there hasn’t been one that I haven’t enjoyed. If you are looking for a good movie, check one of these out:

Sione’s Wedding
Meet best friends Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa; the ladies' man, the good boy, the weird one and the party boy. They're staring down the barrel of their thirtieth birthdays, but still act as if they're sixteen; they get drunk, they chase the wrong women and they have a remarkable record of misbehaving and causing chaos at every wedding they attend. But now Michael's younger brother Sione is getting married, and everything is about to change. Sione is their boy, the kid they used to look after, who grew up while they were still partying. And to ensure his big day isn't spoiled by his boys and their idiot antics, Sione has issued an ultimatum; the guys all have to bring dates to the wedding. And not just any dates; real girlfriends, someone they've made a commitment to. They have one month. So just how hard can it be to get a date for your best boy's wedding?

Once Were Warriors
Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family.

*Very graphic movie, but extremely powerful! Highly recommended but only for mature audiences.*

Eagle vs. Shark
Lily, a lonely oddball and fast-food waitress, and her crush, Jarrod, another lonely oddball and video game clerk who has spent the last decade plotting ultimate vengeance on a bully from his high school past, connect at a "dress as your favorite animal" party. She comes as an anemic Shark and he's a fluffy-headed Eagle. It's a match that seems made in outcast heaven, but when Lily decides to risk everything for love, her hopes are nearly dashed.

After a brief fling, Jarrod dumps Lily because he's too busy "training" for his all-important payback mission. But neither of them can anticipate just what kind of grit the steadfastly optimistic Lily will show in her heartbreak. As Jarrod's day of reckoning arrives, and everything hits the fan, Jarrod and Lily will find something that goes beyond romantic fantasies and revenge -- faith in who they are.

Whale Rider
On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

And, of course, the infamous Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Watch. All. Three.

Dear Gabi,
Thanks for the correction on "hast" and "hasst" - my German is definitely rusty!

Chillin' in Chilly Taupo

Well, the winter has definitely arrived. I sleep in layers:

Layer 1.) long pants and a longsleeved t-shirt
Layer 2.) feather blanket
Layer 3.) duvet #1
Layer 4.) duvet #2

And, to top off my ice cream sundae of coverings, the cherry! A red, hot water bottle that I first use to warm up my toes and once that has been done, I hug it close like a four year old clings to their teddy bear. Only after all of this do I sleep comfortably, cozy and warm. Crazy kiwi’s and their lack of insulation or indoor heating… As I made my oatmeal this morning, I could see my breath in the kitchen! Yep, so go ahead and tell me how you’re having that 80/90 degree weather and the sun is shining bright, but don’t expect me not to get a wee bit jealous! *wink*

Living in Taupo and working, both at the hostel cleaning and at Cybershed, have allowed me to create a bit of a routine. I work just over 40 hours per week at the two places combined, so I keep quite busy. It’s easy to stick around the hostel during the down time, usually during the afternoon between cleaning and work at Cybershed. And, there’s been a bit of a rainy spell here in Taupo for the last week so it’s quite nice to just cozy up under the fuzzy blanket in the DVD lounge and read a book or watch a movie.

A couple weeks ago, I went with one of the other cleaners, Malorie, to Action World! This was literally a world of huge inflatables! The two of us had so much fun and practically had the entire place to ourselves. We swung around on the monkey bars, jumped into the balloon landings, and jump-posed in the air for silly action shots. It was one of the few sunny afternoons we’ve had lately, so it was great to spend it outside jumping around and acting like 8 years olds :-)

Action World is right next to the airport which is where all three of the Taupo Skydiving companies are located. So, I walked over and hung around to watch my friend Lars jump out of a plane! It was so cool to see the divers jump. After a while, I just laid on the ground and watched the plane fly overhead. All of a sudden, you could see a little white dot falling from the plane. Then, POOF! The shoot would open and before you knew it, there were 8-10 colorful parashutes falling from the sky! And the weather was perfect for diving – blue, blue sky and a warm sun. Such a calm and relaxing thing to watch.

It was also fun listening to the jumpers after they landed. The excitement in their voices made it clear that there was still a crapload of adrenaline coarsing through their veins. Just hearing them talk about how amazing the last 7 minutes or so of their life just was makes me that much more pumped to try it out!

Speaking of skydiving, it’s funny how much it’s talked about around the hostel and in Taupo in general. Coming from Raglan where the conversation nearly always turned to surfing, it’s interesting to find that each city has it’s “thing.” I also love learning more about the sport. There are a couple people at my hostel who have either taken the course (Kevin has done nearly 70 jumps already!) or are currently working towards their certificate. They are constantly using terminology that goes straight over my head, so I am consistently asking them questions. It’s fun learning more about the art and technique of skydiving, especially from people who are so enthusiastic about it! I can’t wait to go!!

Last Sunday, Kevin, one of the Blackcurrant long-termers, had the idea to make a Sunday Roast. A great evening of food, laughter, warmth, and wonderful smells. Roasted potatoes, pumpkin, kumara, gravy, mint sauce, yorkshire pudding…wow!! And even a berry pie with ice cream dessert AND dark chocolate mouse made by Malorie. So so so delicious!! It really felt like a family coming together for a big Sunday meal. Ahh, warm fuzzies :-)

And, as of last week, I feel a bit more like an official Taupo community member because…I bought a gym membership! At the local Taupo Events Center fitness suite. It’s about a 20 minute walk from my hostel which isn’t so bad and a perfect thing to do during the cold, rainy winter days in Taupo. The events center is actually a pretty cool place, complete with a huge indoor climbing wall! Just yesterday, it was pissing down rain, so a few of us drove down and, as I worked out in the fitness room, I got to watch my friends climb the rock climbing wall at the same time! I even played on a local volleyball team last Sunday – very impromptu, but it was so much fun getting a chance to play volleyball again! I’m hoping to make it an every Sunday evening thing.

One of the perks of working at Cybershed (and also just living in the close-knit town of Taupo where everybody knows everyone) is getting free stuff! When I had first started at Cybershed, I met Dave, one of the managers at my favorite pub in town, Mulligans, and he offered me a free cruise on the sailboat that he is the skipper for. This past Monday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day – sun and blue sky, one of the few nice days we’ve had in a while - and, because I had the day off, I walked down to the harbor and found Dave to see if he was sailing that afternoon. Turns out there were no other customers, but Dave said he wouldn’t mind going for a sail on the lake anyway. We sailed around Lake Taupo for nearly 2 hours. The mountains were in the backdrop and Mt. Ruapehu had just gotten a fresh covering of snow the night before. It was beautiful! We watched a few sky divers parashute down from the plane – what a perfect day for a skydive. What a perfect day for almost anything outdoors! It was my first time out on the lake as well, and although it wasn’t really that windy, we were still able to put up the sails for a little while. We even had time for hot chocolate and biscuits :-) It was a lovely afternoon on the Lake Taupo. Cheers Dave!

Last Friday marked my one month anniversary of being in Taupo! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s been that long already…it’s gone by so fast! I think especially working at both Cybershed and Blackcurrant for the past 3 weeks have kept things quite busy. And, speaking of working at Blackcurrant, I have accepted an offer from Beth (one of the owners and managers of the hostel) to be a part-time assistant manager for the winter season at the hostel. So, instead of cleaning every morning, I will be working about 3 overnights per week for accommodation (which will be my very own room!) and 4-5 evening shifts. So, I’ll start that job on June 14th and continue until I leave Taupo, I suppose! This also means that I’ll be getting one FULL day off per week between the two jobs so I’m hoping to go skiing a couple times over the winter. Bring on the white fluffy stuff :-9

The art of traveling...on a budget.

I have been so fortunate to have traveled as much of the world as I have in my 23 years. And, because I've been to several countries, exploring three different continents (yep, still 4 more to go!!), I get asked lots of questions! But the question that I am indubitably asked the most is:

"How in the world do you afford to go so many places!?"

Well, just like we all wish there were a magic pill to weight loss, we all wish we had that one special tree growing in our very own backyard - you know, the one that money grows on?

*moment to daydream...*

Unfortunately, scientists have yet to graft the $$$ tree $$$, which means that we must resort to other means. Each time I travel, I learn new ways of saving as much money as I can! Which most often just means finding ways not to spend it... Because, in my mind, the more I save of the money I already have, the less time and energy I have to use up making more money!

Now, many of my "money saving" tactics might not sit well with you and your ideals of "proper travel." But, I am far from a proper traveler! Some of you might think, "That's brilliant! I am totally doing that the next time I go somewhere!!" Either way, this blog post is dedicated to things I've done during my travels in New Zealand to avoid making a massive dent (or gaping black hole...) in my bank account.

1.) Being lucky.

So much of my money saving has been because of luck. Luck with the people I meet, the places I visit, and just life in general. But, luck can only get you so far, so we won't dwell here...

2.) Being friendly to EVERYONE. (even if you're hungover or in grumpy mood, okay?)

It's just like the saying goes, "A little smile goes a long way."

3.) Hitchhiking.

I have yet to pay for any mode of transportation since I left Auckland. Safe hitchhiking comes with the territory though. NZ is known for being pretty safe for hitchhikers. Traveling to other countries? Hitchhiking might not be such a grand idea...

4.) Couchsurfing.

What an AWESOME way to meet locals and get a free place to sleep and shower! And, if you're lucky, you might get to do your laundry for free! And your host might even cook for ya - a huge and delicious bonus :-9

Go to www.couchsurfing.org to sign up!
Host, surf, or just meet for coffee :-)

5.) Working for accommodation.

This has got to be one of the coolest, money saving things I've been able to do in New Zealand! Depending on availability, you can clean at a hostel for just a couple hours a day and stay there for free! (Each hostel varies, but some let their workers use the laundry facilities for free (inexpensive ways to clean clothes to follow...) or use the internet for free (free internet ideas to follow too!).

6.) Free laundry ideas!

In NZ, it costs around $8 NZD to wash and dry one load of laundry. Crazy right? For my first month in NZ, I refused to pay for laundry. So, I washed my clothes by hand in the industrial sized sink and dried them on the washline outside. (A bit of elbow grease never hurt anyone, right?) Otherwise, like I said before, you might get lucky and get a couchsurfing host who will let you use their machine. As luck would have it (tactic #1!), the hostel that I am working at now gives their workers free laundry usage. Whoop whoop!! :-)

7.) Finding free internet.

Crazy thing about Kiwis - they charge exorbent amounts for their internet usage! Typically $6-8 NZD for one hour. It's highway robbery I tell ya... But, to get out of this, most libraries in NZ have free internet/wireless and even some McDonald's (although I have yet to find one that does...). Or, if you're like me, just land a winter job at an internet cafe and you get free internet access whenever you like! (Again, tactic #1...)

8.) Befriend people who know important people who know key people who can give you free stuff.

Eh, pretty self-explainatory. Refer to tactic #2 for help. :-)

So, yeah. That's about the jist of it!

Any questions? Comments? More money saving ideas??
Email - guavanna@gmail.com or comment below!

Happy cheap travels!
Anna xx

The Joys of Sledging and Impromptu Photoshoots!

After doing the infamous Tongariro Crossing nearly three weeks ago, I had an awesome couchsurfing stay in Rotorua (aka “RotoVegas” or “Sulfur City”) and, despite the rather rainy weather, was able to do lots of cool stuff in that stinky, eggy city!

First off, I was fed fresh trout 3 times in the first 24 hours of my stay with my two superb couchsurfing hosts, Daniel and Bheema. Daniel is originally from Germany and Bheema hails from South Africa. The two have been friends for over 10 years and are the creators behind the musical sounds of 'Skelm.' Daniel plays the guitar, harmonica, and ankle bells and Bheema plucks out the jams on his double bass. So, on my first night there, I received a personal concert from the talented duo! Very awesome.

Besides the fresh trout, I got to eat all the feijoas my heart desired! Feijoas are a NZ fruit, green on the outside and you eat them like you would a kiwifruit – sliced down the middle and scoop out the insides. Delish!

The Kaituna River in Rotorua is famous for it's whitewater rafting and sledging adventures! I had never heard of sledging before, so I figured I would give it a go! Basically, you have control of your own 'sledge' which is this partial raft thingy that you rest your chest on and grip the handlebars. You steer with your flippered feet and by turning your sledge with your upper body and hips. My group (in which I was the SOLE female...) maneuvered through rapids, rested in the eddies, and glided along the river. It was really fun but I was surprised by how much effort it took to propel and steer the sledge! We also got to “surf” the rapids with the sledge which rad as! Our photographer was close by at all times to take some good action shots of all the, well, action!



The time in the water went by quickly. I definitely could have played around in the water a bit longer, but I know I would have gotten tuckered out pretty quick! All in all though, a thrilling and super fun river ride!

On one of the non-rainy days, I decided to go on a tramp up and around Ruato Bay which is where I was staying at Daniel and Bheema's (about 25 km out of Rotorua). The first part of the tramp goes straight uphill, so it was a good workout. Most of it goes through the bush and is really lush, green, and beautiful. So quiet and remote in the bush as well. All I could hear was the tink, tink, slosh of my Sigg water bottle in my backpack.

The hike took me nearly 2 hours, and I ended up in this massive crater! So so cool. The trees just towered up on all sides and the whole inside of the crater was mostly long grass and small trees. What a good tramp with a really sweet finale!

Daniel and Bheema had a gig at the Rotorua Night Market so I got to tag along as their groupie! It was a beautiful night, and I was excited to see them perform, doing what they do best :-)

I was just standing there, enjoying the music, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. This guy, with a camera in hand, goes, “Hi! Are you busy at all by chance? I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing us a favor and being in a photo shoot?” I'm like, absolutely!!! Turns out, these guys, Dean and Mikel, are taking photographs for a BNZ (an NZ bank) advert! They had found a guy, Clay, to be their male model but he needed a “girl friend” to walk around the market and be couple-y with! So, I got to be the girl! It was so much fun!! Clay and I had to pretend to be a couple and the guys kept joking that they were really a match making company posing as photographers. Haha, nice ;-)

It was so interesting to be involved in the photoshoot! Every shot took a good amount of time to set up and then when they did snap the picture, we had to do everything veeerry slowly. But it was so much fun! The guys forked over money for Clay to buy me a bouquet of flowers and then later for us to get some baked goods from the market. I got a lemon cake and Clay got a raspberry cheesecake! MhmMM! Sooooo good! Awesome bonus for being the shoot's “talent.” :-D

We got to spend a good amount of time standing in front of Daniel and Bheema while they played music, so that was great. Listening to some awesome live music and being in a photoshoot! How completely random! Rotorua very much exceeded my expectations. In the most positive way!! But, it does smell...something I don't think I would ever really get used to if I lived there.

For my last day in Rotorua, Daniel and Bheema took me for a walk through the Redwoods. It was so nice! And then we all went to the local hot(cold) spot of Hot and Cold. It was so cool! It was a place where two river's merged - one is hot and the other is cold! Crazy cool! So, you could pick your temperature and move closer to one river or the other depending on your preference. So relaxing too :-)

Then, I was off to Taupo, the adventure capital of the North Island! I had gotten a cleaning job working for accommodation at a hostel in town, Blackcurrant Backpackers, so the plan was to stay and work for two weeks and then keep heading south.

Well, this past Friday, the 14th marked my two weeks, and I'm still here in Taupo! And this is because.....

* Drum Roll!! *

I got a job!! Wahoo! I was in Taupo for less then a week when I got hired as Store Supervisor for the internet cafe in town called “Cybershed.” It's really the perfect time for me to find work and settle down in one place for a while. I've traveled NZ for nearly 3 months so far and since the winter is coming, (and, yes, there is no denying that the winter is coming! It has gotten so cold at night!! The sun goes down and poof! brrrr!!! Time for hats and mittens...) I was hoping to work for a few months, make some money, and then continue my travels. So, the timing is excellent!

Cybershed is a really cool place to work too. The other staff are so friendly and easy to get on with, and I get to meet and greet loads of backpackers and locals coming in to use the internet, burn DVDs, make copies, etc. It's a pretty sweet job. And the free internet for myself is a nice perk as well! So, I am excited to have gotten the position and looking forward to bundling up for the winter season in Taupo, NZ!

Lake Taupo (this MASSIVE lake formed when a volcano exploded however many years ago…) is a big part of what makes Taupo so beautiful – with Mt. Tongariro as the backdrop, it's just a gorgeous site! Taupo is also home to the Huka Falls attraction, so on my first weekend here, I mountain biked to the falls with three of my staff mates! The trail was a bit tricky to navigate at times, mostly when it was super steep or going downhill with sandy and loose gravel. There were lots of times where I had to stop and walk my bike up the hills because they were so steep! But it was an awesome work out!

The falls were cool to see too. Loads of water! The jet boats go right up to the falls too, which was kinda cool to watch. We decided to take the road back to Taupo, but not before I fell for the second time that day onto my knee. Apparently, I don't have much respect for my left knee...haha, all scratched up and badly bruised from falling over two too many times! Ah well, as my friend says, “It gives character.” :-)

The other cool thing that has been going on in Taupo for the last 2 weeks has been the “Erupt Festival.” This is a 10 day festival focusing on local, national, and international talent in the arts – dance, music, theater, etc. I was hoping to see at least one show, but the tickets were kind of on the steep side – no good for a backpackers budget. But, working at the Blackcurrant Hostel really has it's perks! I received free tickets to 5 different events! Within the course of a 4 day weekend, I saw a theater production, a juggling/comedy act, a Maori dance performance, an outdoor concert featuring local musicians, and another comedy act! My very favorite one was the Maori dance performance. It is so cool to be able to see another culture's dance and musical chants. I was completely enraptured the entire time! It was very tribal and raw with lots of Maori speak and was definitely a powerful and wholly energetic performance. All thumbs way up!

It will be interesting to stay put in one place for a while. But, I feel really comfortable in Taupo. It's beautiful and has a nice, casual but steady pace to the lifestyle. Lots of fun restaurants and cafes for me to check out too! Big library, lots of walking tracks, and loads of adventure sports (like, skydiving!!) for me to pass the winter days with :-) So, bring on the winter! (I've already got my hot water bottle all ready to go ;-)