Right, so I'm up again for the wind-down. Alex will fill you in on Qtown as soon as he's over the jetlag and likely leg cramp we're gonna get from walking a stupid amount around Hollywood today.
A few 'personal' notes on the big Q first though, as me and Alex were sadly separated for some unspeakable moments. First was night-time skiing. Which was absolutely sweet. Me and Shinoba Dragon Ninja (aka Shobi) climbed to the peak of the ranges and watched the sunset before hitting the darkened slopes. The snow was crunchened up perfectly in the colder conditions, the slopes were emptier and the mountain open to be explored. Absolutely quality.
Second moment of separation: Milford Sound day trip. Also a massive highlight from the whole journey. The drive there through the Fiordlands was the most scenic and stunning yet; the unlimited buffet lunch truly satisfying; the boat trip around the Fiords was probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen (sorry for sounding really really gay, but its only the truth); even our bus driver was a legend. His name was Mangee (referring to the male G-string he always wears) and he had me laughing the whole way there and back.
Note 3: Fergburgers were overrated. Too much onion and not enough sauce.
Right, to the wind-down. Leaving Queenstown was as expected: saddening. Christchurch seemed pleasant enough during the one night we spent there before popping up to Kaikoura for some awesome views and a secret little seal colony that out driver only took us to after we wrote a poem pleading and begging him to.
The final legs of our trip were back through the spots we'd already visited on the North Island. Wellington was pretty nice second time round. It has the coolest little shopping street on Cuba Mall, some nice gardens leading down from the iconic cable car, and a pretty excited night scene (of which I remember little). Alex put the pressure on then got whipped by Sean. Enough said.
Lauren (the extra-excited and happy version of Pam) took us to Taupo again and I couldnt suppress my innate love for all things aeronautical. McDonalds were cool enough to have a massive plane they had converted into a kids playing area. We werent aloud in so I just climbed onto the wing the hard way and had a moment.
Rotorua and yet again our group was diminishing. Following an emotional goodbye to Georgia and Rachel (our friends right from day 1 in Auckland), we got some cheap thrills on the Luging track. Two words: intermediate left. Alex got cramp and I nearly crashed trying to take pictures of him getting cramp.
Q (the most unbothered driver yet) drove our final journey on the Kiwi bus to Auckland. We had made it in time to enjoy 3 nights at Kate's flat before flying out to LA. However, on calling said Kate (Alexs work friend) to find out where she lived we were curtly informed that she was moving out the next day and couldnt put us up at all. Sweet. Anyway we met up and drank a little then had a pillow fight. Unfortunately, following a particularly heavy blow from Alex upon my arm, my camera was flung to the floor. The lens was broken for good. I was very depressed.
So we spent the next few days buying a new camera, watching bruno, meeting Charles Marchant (yes, that one who's at the Crown sometimes!), climbing trees and failing to play football, spying on rich peoples boats and finally, on our last night in the Southern Hemisphere... Well, I wish I could remember what happened that night. Alex wishes he could too, given how he found himself knocking on apartment doors and asking to sleep on strangers sofas at 4am about an hours walk from our hostel. No one knew how or why he was there, and no one ever will. Oh, and there were some nice views of the city from Mt.Eden.
That was it, we said our goodbyes, smuggled into the hostel we never checked-out from, and left. NZ may just have been better than Oz, and leaving did cause a small clang in my heart. I sure hope I can get back there someday.
Anyway, emotion over, peace out all xx
Friday, 24 July 2009
Land of the Long White Cloud
Hey all, and welcome to another long-awaited blog update. This one comes a full month after Alex's (slightly over-abusive) biopic from Auckland, and from Auckland we have been very very busy...
Following a day walking around the city and wandering around the museum we were truly ready to get on the bus and escape to the country. And the North Island didn't disappoint. From awesome coastal scenery in Mercury Bay, we headed to smelly Rotorua and its funky geothermal activity resulting in loads of steam and eggyness all round. That night we decided to exercise our cultural curiosity and headed out to some Maori experience. The highlight was definitely the all-you-can-eat buffet meal - featuring 4 types of meat, 3 salads, pavlova and custard OR cream. Wow. Best meal of the whole trip yet. Otherwise there was the Haka, and we were made to run round some Maori agility course for about 20 minutes. The chief seemed to enjoy it.
Leaving that sulphurous stench behind we skipped across to Waitomo, famous for its underground caving world. We couldn't help but give in the the Abyss black water rafting experience. So, basically we got down to some...abseiling, zipwiring, floating around in inner tubes, climbing underground waterfalls and devouring hot chocolate and flapjacks. It was pretty damn awesome. Alex stunk at it though, and didnt we know it. That wetsuit can never be used agaain..
Sweet, so next stop was Taupo for some natural hot springs, lack of sky-diving and a night that Alex doesnt remember too well. Not sure how, given the force with which he was thrown to the floor by the bouncer at the local club. Oh, another thing: no one liked out Kiwi bus driver. Her name was Pam and she was pregnant, temperamental and not exactly easy-going most of the time. I didnt exactly have much of a problem, though the group had decreed we skip forward to the bus ahead. And everyone followed, except for one German girl who would later get Sam banned from all YHAs in New Zealand.
Next up, River Valley. Alex played poker while I enjoyed mud volleyball in the rain. Not sure who was being more manly there. Oh, and I got to do some white water rafting on the hardest river in NZ. The waters were so rough we had to get out the rafts and walk round, but that just added to the excitement, especially with our guides telling us how many lives each rapid had claimed just after we'd conquered them.
Nancy drove us down to Wellington for a night that included scary glasses-stealing stalker girl, emergency visits to the supermarket for Kettle Chips and rooftop rumours. The museum the next day was absolutely sweet. I probably spent about 6 hours there. I know, that's cool right. A word of advice - don't go watch the new Transformers film. Under any circumstances.
Onto the Interislander we went, and goodbye to the North Island we wished. The south was supposedly where it was at, and our driver was apparently an ex-rockstar whose wife had left him for their band's frontman. Pretty hardcore eh. Turns out that was all a lie though. Rich was a pretty cool dude, but really he was from a small farming town in the south and had been involved in no such scandal. The next part of our trip (heading down the West coast to Queenstown) would be the most definitive. Beautiful landscape, adrenaline-pumping activities and copious alcohol intake. Sweet.
Right, so first off was Nelson. Alex and I ran up some huge hill to the centre of New Zealand, then played football into the sunset before hitting a tipsy happiness back at El Paradiso. Westport was a bit too wet for us, but preparations were at hand for the famous Pu Party to come the next night. The theme was the definition of liberal, so anything would have been allowed. A few visits to charity shops in Greymouth and we had our outfits: I would flaunt a beautiful full-length flowery dress with matching apron and pass as Delia Smith. Alex found a toy gun, ripped up a brown shirt and donned his cowboy hat to become an admirable Woody from Toy Story.
Besides the anal Tre Cool lookalike who followed us to our room and stole our goon, the night turned out well. I cant say I remember much of the details, but I've been told it was a thumbs-up. Oh, and some guy dressed up as a KKK member...and got away with it! No hard feelings were felt. Also present were Hulk, Tiger Woods, Wolverine and Catwoman. There was another cross-dresser, but I did try to avoid him most of the night because he did look scarily like a lady. Alex also couldnt look me in the eye. Apparently I was too good a woman.
From the Pu Rich cruised us over to the Franz Joseph glacier. We climbed that monster and its treacherous tunnels and narrow passes. Tom took his trousers down too, though couldnt get his hands up in fear of excessive exposure. A quick stop off in Wanaka for a stunning sunset, sexy bangers&mash and gruesome movies and we were on the road to Queenstown. But first, a random stop-off at Puzzle World for crazy tricks of the mind and the unconquerable maze that we definitely conquered without cheating. Now to Queenstown.
And Queenstown was such a monumental climax to the trip that I cant possibly be selfish enough to take it away from Alex. So basically he's gonna come along and do an entire blog on it. I know, highly unorthodox and something we've never tried before here at the blogspot. But it really was that good. I'll be back after for the wind-down after we left that amazing place...
Take it to 'em bud
Love M xx
Following a day walking around the city and wandering around the museum we were truly ready to get on the bus and escape to the country. And the North Island didn't disappoint. From awesome coastal scenery in Mercury Bay, we headed to smelly Rotorua and its funky geothermal activity resulting in loads of steam and eggyness all round. That night we decided to exercise our cultural curiosity and headed out to some Maori experience. The highlight was definitely the all-you-can-eat buffet meal - featuring 4 types of meat, 3 salads, pavlova and custard OR cream. Wow. Best meal of the whole trip yet. Otherwise there was the Haka, and we were made to run round some Maori agility course for about 20 minutes. The chief seemed to enjoy it.
Leaving that sulphurous stench behind we skipped across to Waitomo, famous for its underground caving world. We couldn't help but give in the the Abyss black water rafting experience. So, basically we got down to some...abseiling, zipwiring, floating around in inner tubes, climbing underground waterfalls and devouring hot chocolate and flapjacks. It was pretty damn awesome. Alex stunk at it though, and didnt we know it. That wetsuit can never be used agaain..
Sweet, so next stop was Taupo for some natural hot springs, lack of sky-diving and a night that Alex doesnt remember too well. Not sure how, given the force with which he was thrown to the floor by the bouncer at the local club. Oh, another thing: no one liked out Kiwi bus driver. Her name was Pam and she was pregnant, temperamental and not exactly easy-going most of the time. I didnt exactly have much of a problem, though the group had decreed we skip forward to the bus ahead. And everyone followed, except for one German girl who would later get Sam banned from all YHAs in New Zealand.
Next up, River Valley. Alex played poker while I enjoyed mud volleyball in the rain. Not sure who was being more manly there. Oh, and I got to do some white water rafting on the hardest river in NZ. The waters were so rough we had to get out the rafts and walk round, but that just added to the excitement, especially with our guides telling us how many lives each rapid had claimed just after we'd conquered them.
Nancy drove us down to Wellington for a night that included scary glasses-stealing stalker girl, emergency visits to the supermarket for Kettle Chips and rooftop rumours. The museum the next day was absolutely sweet. I probably spent about 6 hours there. I know, that's cool right. A word of advice - don't go watch the new Transformers film. Under any circumstances.
Onto the Interislander we went, and goodbye to the North Island we wished. The south was supposedly where it was at, and our driver was apparently an ex-rockstar whose wife had left him for their band's frontman. Pretty hardcore eh. Turns out that was all a lie though. Rich was a pretty cool dude, but really he was from a small farming town in the south and had been involved in no such scandal. The next part of our trip (heading down the West coast to Queenstown) would be the most definitive. Beautiful landscape, adrenaline-pumping activities and copious alcohol intake. Sweet.
Right, so first off was Nelson. Alex and I ran up some huge hill to the centre of New Zealand, then played football into the sunset before hitting a tipsy happiness back at El Paradiso. Westport was a bit too wet for us, but preparations were at hand for the famous Pu Party to come the next night. The theme was the definition of liberal, so anything would have been allowed. A few visits to charity shops in Greymouth and we had our outfits: I would flaunt a beautiful full-length flowery dress with matching apron and pass as Delia Smith. Alex found a toy gun, ripped up a brown shirt and donned his cowboy hat to become an admirable Woody from Toy Story.
Besides the anal Tre Cool lookalike who followed us to our room and stole our goon, the night turned out well. I cant say I remember much of the details, but I've been told it was a thumbs-up. Oh, and some guy dressed up as a KKK member...and got away with it! No hard feelings were felt. Also present were Hulk, Tiger Woods, Wolverine and Catwoman. There was another cross-dresser, but I did try to avoid him most of the night because he did look scarily like a lady. Alex also couldnt look me in the eye. Apparently I was too good a woman.
From the Pu Rich cruised us over to the Franz Joseph glacier. We climbed that monster and its treacherous tunnels and narrow passes. Tom took his trousers down too, though couldnt get his hands up in fear of excessive exposure. A quick stop off in Wanaka for a stunning sunset, sexy bangers&mash and gruesome movies and we were on the road to Queenstown. But first, a random stop-off at Puzzle World for crazy tricks of the mind and the unconquerable maze that we definitely conquered without cheating. Now to Queenstown.
And Queenstown was such a monumental climax to the trip that I cant possibly be selfish enough to take it away from Alex. So basically he's gonna come along and do an entire blog on it. I know, highly unorthodox and something we've never tried before here at the blogspot. But it really was that good. I'll be back after for the wind-down after we left that amazing place...
Take it to 'em bud
Love M xx
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