New Zealand...where to begin?
One friend (Sanford) and I made the trip to New Zealand. Our plane flew into Christchurch on the South Island and we began by renting a car to drive the ENTIRE country. We made our way down from Christchurch to Queenstown and saw Lake Tekapo which was a clear blue lake surrounded by snow peaked mountains where we stumbled upon men skinny dipping. The drive also included a trip through Twizel-"the town of trees." In addition also drove through Mount Cook National Park which had endless forests and the dazzling central location of Mount Cook (the mountain). After arriving in Queenstown we checked into our hostel called Aspen Backpackers where we met our 6 German roommates. We went out on the town as a group and witnessed some rather ridiculous and 'scandalous' bars and met some interesting people. We made a day trip to Milford Sound (4 1/2 hours there and 4 1/2 hours back) and went on a 5 hour kayaking trip! It was stunning! Our gear for such a trip was...let's say ridiculous...we had life jackets, striped leggings and t-shirts, rain jackets, and wore a "skirt" that connected to the kayaks to keep out water. All in all we looked "absurd." We kayaked through waterfalls, next to cliffs, through overwhelming mountains, and next to seals. However, Sanford and I fell SLIGHTLY behind everyone else throughout the trip BUT the kayaks were two person kayaks and we were not only the youngest but the only kayak with two girls in it...excuses? It was an experience in itself, enjoyable and of course tiring. Famous quote of the trip: "He's beating us and he's not even paddling."But to sum up Milford Sound--it was simply majestic. We made it back to Queenstown that night for a quick rest in our hostel and then started early for a day of canyoning. This was by far my favorite part of the entire trip. We were decked out in legit gear: wet suits, boots, helmets, rock climbing equipment, ect... We went on a 6 hour canyoning trip with a group where we rock climbed, hiked, slid down waterfalls, swam through rapids, cliff jumped, ziplined across canyons, and abseiled. In addition we all had nicknames on our helmets which we were referred to the entirety of the trip. I was "spider pig" and Sanford was "E. T." The trip was absolutely amazing and at times intense where I was nervous. After one of the waterfalls I hit the current wrong and got stuck in the current where I was unable to swim out and had to be rescued by one of the guides...I was slightly freaked out...BUT all in all I survived. After canyoning I snuck back into the hostel for a quick shower and we hit the open road again to make our way up the west coast. Our first stop was in the small town of Wanaka where we stopped for dinner at unique "barbecue" restaurant-the only one in all of New Zealand. It had fabulous food and homemade ice cream and cookies-one of my favorite meals of the trip. That night we camped in our car in the small town (if you could call it that) of Haast, which mind you our car was a small, baby car AND it was freezing that night! No blankets or pillows--oops. No shower day 1. The next morning we made our way up the west coast and hiked the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. These glaciers formed millions of years ago and have recede inches across the landscape yearly as they travel up into the mountains. These glaciers are the fastest moving glaciers in the world. They were huge with a white and blue tint. TO ADD: We ran into a German, middle-aged traveler while traveling to Haast late in the night. After parting ways the day before ran into him after our hike around the glaciers. Coincidence? After our visit of the Fox glacier it began to rain so our hike of the Franz Josef glacier was a 2 hour, pouring, chilly hike across the vast landscape and through forests. By the time we reached our car we were soaked from head to foot--perfect for two backpackers with limited clothing. We then made our way further up the coast and came across a swing bridge. We walked across the full bridge over the canyon which had beautiful blue/green water of the Buller River rushing through it. This bridge is the longest swing bridge in the world. We then made our way further up the coast and to the northern part of the north Island to Nelson, Bleinheim, and Picton. We then proceeded to sleep in a car again while waiting for our 6:00 a.m. ferry to the North Island. No shower day 2. After arriving in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, at 9:30 a.m. and unable to check into our hostel until 2:00 we embarked on a mission to find a shower which we found at the public gym/pool for a mere $2.00. After a refreshing shower and countless naked women later we finally were allowed to check into our hostel called Nomads. That day we walked around Wellington, checking out the bars, restaurants, shopping centers, and walk along the water. That night we had a fabulous dinner at La Casa Pasta. There we had far too much fun people watching: we witnessed two different tables consisting of two boys each act rather odd...one table was more feminine and embraced their meal together by candle light without worries while the other two boys when seated immediately blew out there candle, stressing in regards to the relaxing and "romantic" environment of the Italian restaurant--we both found it hilarious and entertaining. Our stay in Wellington consisted of a trip to the famous "La Papa" museum which houses the only giant squid in the world, various art galleries, and the Parliament Building. The Parliament Building was huge and magnificent. We explored the ground and went inside for a public tour where we were able to sit in the debating chamber and watch the Green party, National party, Labor party, and Maoria discuss and rectify amendments of the government. It was interesting and informative. Later that day we hiked up the mountain to the Wellington Cable car which took you to the top of the mountain overlooking the city where you were then able to hike down through the Wellington Botanical Gardens. We then made our way to Mount Victoria, just outside the city, where we had a stunning view of the city and surrounding mountain sides. Finally, our daylight ended with a trip to the Weta Cave. For those of you who are unaware, like myself before this experience, Weta Cave is the corporation that created the animation and costumes for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Narnia. We were able to see a behind the scences production, props, and replicas from previous projects. It was intriguing and reminded me of my cousin who is fantastic in the realm of film and production. That night, homeless yet again, we changed in the car for a night out on the city. We went bar hopping on Cuba Street and in Courtney Place where we remained until 1:30 a.m. where we then made our way to the ferry docks to catch our 3:00 a.m. ferry back to the South Island. No shower day 3. We arrived back on the South Island around 6:00 a.m. where we then drove a long 6 hours back to Christchurch to catch our 4:30 plane back to Australia.
The trip was amazing, beautiful, exhilerating, fast-paced, and tiring at the same time. The south island was a remote, natural paradise, untouched by the industrialed world and a must see with it's impossbily large mountains, stretching hilldsides, grazing goats, glaciers, and beaches. The north island is a similar place to Australia and the United States with its cities and traffic flow while still maintaing a tranquility and beauty unobtainable to a great majority of the world.
My trip here in Australia has been everything I hoped for and more. I left Austin wanting my time studying abroad to create new experiences and challenges while revealing new and different perspectives. Along the way I found myself again and my way back to who I once was and who I want to be. Australia healed my past pains. I've made some amazing friends and created unforgettable memories. This is my last and final blog before I leave in the morning for my flight back to the good old United States.
Goodbye Australia and HELLO home sweet TEXAS. First thing in Texas will be a mexican food dinner with the family, a reunion with friends, a trip to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, a visit to Austin, and then Christmas will be on it's way before I know it.
Love to all.
