Perhaps because it was the holiday season, I was missing home more than usual. Although I've wanted to go to Sydney since a couple friends of mine in college studied there, I couldn't get too excited about it. The first day in town we walked all over George Street, Circular Quay and The Rocks, went to a lovely dinner. But I couldn't get over the fact that Christmas was supposed to be cold, with snow and everyone bundled up going Christmas shopping. That was until Jack took me to the Sydney Opera House!
The Opera House is more than you can imagine. Its gorgeous. Not only is the story of its construction amazing, but the structure itself is phenomenal. I tried to take as many pictures of the curved roofs and slanted walkways as possible. [enter photos here]
Jack, knowing how much I like Christmas carols, bought us tickets to the opera house holiday show. It was fantastic and I was blown away by the acoustics. The singers and musicians don't use microphones, the sound bounces off the wood in such a way that they don't have to. However, because the sounds takes a few seconds to come back to them, they placed plastic rings above the musicians which capture 40% of the sound and directs it back to the players in real time, so that they can hear what they are playing. What an interesting idea. Plus, the music was fun and you all know how I love to sing. Even though they made jokes about the Christmas barbeques and sang a few bizarre carols, it immediately made me get more into the Christmas spirit.
After the show we ran, literally, for the harbor and our ferry to Watson's Bay where we were meeting Jack's family (Jane, his first cousin-once-removed, and her family). Watson's Bay was stunning. On the way over we got to see amazing views of the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House, plus all the boats in the bay. Then once there we took a walk along the water and beach and saw a beautiful little fishing spot taken up by some Asian families which just happened to be alongside a nude beach (really Jane described it to me as a couple of older men who were always fishing naked). Strange combo, but interesting nonetheless. Then we went out to dinner with them to a pizza parlor close to Bondhi Beach. It was such a pleasure spending time with them that we readily agreed to visit again for Christmas.
Christmas Eve we left our Y Hotel (YWCA hostel) to spend a wonderful two nights in the Sheraton on the Park. We decided to celebrate with a warm, comfy bed and a huge shower! Then we went to Chinatown and the Anglican Cathedral. If you don't know, my family has a strange, but lovely, Christmas Eve tradition based on the movie "A Christmas Story" in which a family's Christmas dinner is ruined when neighbors dogs eat it. So, they all go out for an nontraditional meal where they are sung "Deck the Halls" with a fa ra ra instead of fa la la. Funny stuff. Since about 15 years ago, my family has always gone to eat Japanese food in celebration. So, because or token Japanese restaurant ended up being closed, Jack and I went to a Chinese restaurant before going to the Cathedral for service. The service was splendid, complete with a boys gospel choir. Growing up Catholic, I found the service refreshing, void of the more formal sermon and readings. Plus, something about church has always made me really happy and relaxed, the perfect way to celebrate giving and the holiday spirit, whatever your personal beliefs might be.
A few days before we had spent a rainy afternoon in Darling Harbor and gone shopping on George street for stocking stuffers, so we had ample ammo for our Christmas morning surprises. I got Jack the typical goodies: a Toblerone, some games and small toys, a kangaroo boxing pen, bursting jelly babies (starburst flavor), etc., and he got me the most important chocolate items, including mints, and a toothbrush! Without the decorated stockings we improvised with some of Jack's socks, and yes they were clean. We then opened our two gifts: mine a hat/scarf combo made of possum and cashmere; his a pair of binoculars that he wanted, before heading to our family's for Christmas.
Christmas with the Rothschild/Dickson gang was interesting. I have never eaten shrimp with their heads still on before, but I braved it all in the name of an Aussie Christmas, and boldly ate my lobster and prawns. I don't know if Jack or Jane, Nigel and Simon would agree it was that bold, but I thought so. At least they all kept major chuckles to themselves. We had a lovely day, again taking a walk and enjoying their company. Simon just got into Penn, so we hope to see more of him at the family Thanksgivings over the next four years.
Our Sydney adventure ended as Jack and I picked up our enormous camper van on Boxing Day, the 26th! We headed out to start our road trip, traveling like the locals in the summer heat.
Pictures coming!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Melbourne and Melvin
On December 15th Jack and flew from New Zealand, where the temperature was cool and balmy at times, to Melbourne, where the Australian summer hit us like a ton of bricks as we stepped off the plane. We were there for a few reasons but our main one was to see our friends Jackie (nee Melvin) and Josh. I had gone to school with Jackie in Boston and, as she's now married to an Aussie and lives here with him, I rarely see her.
Our plan was to meet them in Melbourne on the 16th and stay for a few days before heading to Sydney for Christmas. Although they live in Townsville, they were headed to Josh's family in Tasmania for the holidays, so Melbourne was the perfect spot to meet. We took a really late flight into Melbourne, got in a cab and headed to the hostel I booked online for the first night when just Jack and I were there. The "plan" which quickly turned into a failed plan!
We got to the hostel around 1 am. Drunken 20-somethings packed the streets on their way out to clubs and bars to find soul mates, or maybe just a mate for the night. Among the crowded street was the hostel, completely postered up and geered for the young, hip crowd. We were just looking foward to sleep. But that was not in the cards. We finally managed our way inside when the night attendant told us that our room had been double-booked and proceeded to give us $10 for a cab to another, far away, hotel. We tiredly walked outside, made our way with our large backpacks and travel ware to the corner, hailed a cab just to be told that it was only a few blocks away and we could walk. Not what you want to do at 1:30 am. But we did it anyway, until I was tooo tired to face the 20 some-odd blocks it turned out to be! So we finally got into a cab and made it to our new hotel. Whew. The rest of the trip was far more enjoyable than our early morning stroll amongst the puke and hussy filled streets.
We met up with Jackie and Josh the next afternoon and headed out in search of a belt for Jack and a dress for me. Obviously with so little packing room we had not planned for a nice night out with friends. That night we were going to a fancy dinner on a train that toured the city, called "Meals on Wheels." Our attire of fast drying clothes and Keen sandals would not have done. So we went to Target! I couldn't believe they had Targets here, but thanks to globalization, they did. After a successful shopping trip, we headed to the Melbourne Gaol (that's Jail in the USA).
The gaol was fascinating. I learned about Ned Kelley and all the unfortunate people who had to spend time there, any amount of time. Unfortunately none of the four of us remembered to bring a camera; so as they treated us all like convicts, making us form lines and putting us in the holding cells that they used until the 1990s, we have no proof of it. In the beginning however, the police officer looked at us all and picked a person to role play who looked like he/she would never be in a jail. That person was me. I just look that innocent. (Don't laugh.) We each got a card with our crime on it, mine was larson with the intent to kill, Jack's was indecent exposure! It was all in good fun.
That night we got all dressed up and headed to dinner. And although my shoes garnered a "nice 'fancy' shoes Joyce" from Jackie, they had to do. It was great to spend time with Jackie and Josh, getting to know him better especially as the night wore on. We went to the casino afterwards, just to drink and watch the ridiculous Christmas show. It was a good night.
We got up fairly early the next morning. Thanks to Josh and Jackie, who went to pick up the rental car, we got to sleep in later. Then we all headed to the Great Ocean Road. We saw beautiful passages, like Route 1 in California, and the 12 Apostles, but most importantly we saw koalas in the eucalyptus trees. They were adorable. And its completely true that you want to hug them on site, but the ones that don't grow up in petting zoos really aren't friendly.
The next two days were spent visiting all the Melbourne sites: the skytower, the museum, the aquarium, an Anglican cathedral and walked all over. It was a lot of fun. On the 19th we said our goodbyes and were off to Sydney.
In retrospect, I think I liked Melbourne most out of our Aussie city adventures. It certainly was nice, with milder temps than the rest. Even though the Great Ocean Road was a fly haven (flies literally swarmed us as we got out of the car to see the sites) the city was quaint. I think Jackie and Josh's decision to move from the tropics down that way is a great one! Hopefully you'll get lots of visitors in a couple of years, Jacks.
Our plan was to meet them in Melbourne on the 16th and stay for a few days before heading to Sydney for Christmas. Although they live in Townsville, they were headed to Josh's family in Tasmania for the holidays, so Melbourne was the perfect spot to meet. We took a really late flight into Melbourne, got in a cab and headed to the hostel I booked online for the first night when just Jack and I were there. The "plan" which quickly turned into a failed plan!
We got to the hostel around 1 am. Drunken 20-somethings packed the streets on their way out to clubs and bars to find soul mates, or maybe just a mate for the night. Among the crowded street was the hostel, completely postered up and geered for the young, hip crowd. We were just looking foward to sleep. But that was not in the cards. We finally managed our way inside when the night attendant told us that our room had been double-booked and proceeded to give us $10 for a cab to another, far away, hotel. We tiredly walked outside, made our way with our large backpacks and travel ware to the corner, hailed a cab just to be told that it was only a few blocks away and we could walk. Not what you want to do at 1:30 am. But we did it anyway, until I was tooo tired to face the 20 some-odd blocks it turned out to be! So we finally got into a cab and made it to our new hotel. Whew. The rest of the trip was far more enjoyable than our early morning stroll amongst the puke and hussy filled streets.
We met up with Jackie and Josh the next afternoon and headed out in search of a belt for Jack and a dress for me. Obviously with so little packing room we had not planned for a nice night out with friends. That night we were going to a fancy dinner on a train that toured the city, called "Meals on Wheels." Our attire of fast drying clothes and Keen sandals would not have done. So we went to Target! I couldn't believe they had Targets here, but thanks to globalization, they did. After a successful shopping trip, we headed to the Melbourne Gaol (that's Jail in the USA).
The gaol was fascinating. I learned about Ned Kelley and all the unfortunate people who had to spend time there, any amount of time. Unfortunately none of the four of us remembered to bring a camera; so as they treated us all like convicts, making us form lines and putting us in the holding cells that they used until the 1990s, we have no proof of it. In the beginning however, the police officer looked at us all and picked a person to role play who looked like he/she would never be in a jail. That person was me. I just look that innocent. (Don't laugh.) We each got a card with our crime on it, mine was larson with the intent to kill, Jack's was indecent exposure! It was all in good fun.
That night we got all dressed up and headed to dinner. And although my shoes garnered a "nice 'fancy' shoes Joyce" from Jackie, they had to do. It was great to spend time with Jackie and Josh, getting to know him better especially as the night wore on. We went to the casino afterwards, just to drink and watch the ridiculous Christmas show. It was a good night.
We got up fairly early the next morning. Thanks to Josh and Jackie, who went to pick up the rental car, we got to sleep in later. Then we all headed to the Great Ocean Road. We saw beautiful passages, like Route 1 in California, and the 12 Apostles, but most importantly we saw koalas in the eucalyptus trees. They were adorable. And its completely true that you want to hug them on site, but the ones that don't grow up in petting zoos really aren't friendly.
The next two days were spent visiting all the Melbourne sites: the skytower, the museum, the aquarium, an Anglican cathedral and walked all over. It was a lot of fun. On the 19th we said our goodbyes and were off to Sydney.
In retrospect, I think I liked Melbourne most out of our Aussie city adventures. It certainly was nice, with milder temps than the rest. Even though the Great Ocean Road was a fly haven (flies literally swarmed us as we got out of the car to see the sites) the city was quaint. I think Jackie and Josh's decision to move from the tropics down that way is a great one! Hopefully you'll get lots of visitors in a couple of years, Jacks.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
New Zealand and the Lord of the Rings - Part II
So after our time in Wellington, we took a ferry ride across Cook Strait to the South Island. The boat ride, although rough at times, was rather pleasant. Plus, once we got into the Marlborough Sounds, the ride calmed. The Sounds are inlets dotted with little bungalows and summer homes, only accessable via boat. The Sounds are made up of finger like streches of land reaching out into the ocean where three major bodies of water join. It looks like what parts of Maine must have looked like 50 or more years ago. If the day had seen clearer skies, I may have convinced Jack to hang out and try kayaking, but as it was a huge storm was brewing and we needed to head south.
We got to Kaikoura later in the evening, with enough time to check into a motel and run the grocery to cook dinner. It was a lovely evening of relaxing while snacking on fresh fruit and a good wine. The next morning we headed out to swim with dolphins. I'm not talking about swimming with a dolfin or two in captivity, where they perform a few tricks and you hang on their dorsal fin. These dolphins were wild. We went with a company called Dolphin Encounter, where they took us out into the ocean and had us join a pod of about 350 dolphins. They swam around us, circling us occassionally, checking us out while we dove down and made all sorts of funny noises in the name of entertaining them, despterately trying to keep their attention. It was the most amazing experience. At first I was hesitant, I mean, I was in a full body suit in freezing temperatures, getting ready to plunge into an ocean with wild animals. But after the first group of 5 or even 10 came swimming right at me, and I got to play with them a bit, I was hooked. I had taken the head piece off (I found it too restricting) and as the rush hit, I could barely feel the cold.
After the exhilerating start to the day, we decided to take another ride and on a whim booked a helicopter tour. We had heard from one of the boaters that two blue whales had been spotted in the vacinity. Jack and I both couldn't miss that. Our half hour helicopter ride turned into the best spot decision we have made on this trip. We got to see a female and her calf and hovered over them for about 10 minutes. They are so big, almost unreal. I was amazed at their size, and felt truly lucky to see them in the wild. Then, as they dove, our pilot took us to see a sperm whale that had surfaced. Again, a crazy site. This time the whale was located by a whale watching vessel, so we could compare the sizes. They are enormous mammals. Absolutely astonishing. I now have a better insight into the gravity of whaling. Maybe the next step is to join Greenpeace and go on anti-whaling trips. They just had a huge victory as the Japanese decided to hold off on humpback whaling, so maybe now is the time to step up! Hmmm. Or maybe I'll just whole heartedly support the cause for now.
After Kaikoura, we headed to Christchurch to stay with family friends. This time we stayed with Alex McKinnon and his lovely girlfriend, Rhianon. They were kind enough to host us for two nights and show us around a bit. We had some wonderful Thai food the first night, a warm welcome from the more traditional English fare in New Zealand, and were introduced to the pasty the next day at a farmer's market. The pasty is extremely popular all over England and apparently New Zealand as well. Although I tend to be against meat pies of any kind, the pasty was surprisingly good, even cold. Jack did eat most of it though.
Christchurch is famous for its gardens, so we did some walking around the city to take them in a bit, as well as to explore the Cathedral with its windy bell tower, Christ College, and the new modern art museum. I'm not really a fan of modern art, but the building's architecture was great. Plus, its always nice to check out local artists. Then we went to see Into the Wild, a movie by Sean Penn about a young man who donates all of his inheritance to OXFAM to live a life in the wild. Without giving the moving away, what I'll say is that Jack read the book and has always been intregued by the idea of trying to live off the land, without worldly possessions. Now that we're married, it puts a wrinkle in any attempt to shed all attachment to society and live in the wild, but I understand the basic idea. Some people may say that we're coming pretty close to it now, living for 9 and 1/2 months out of a backpack, but really we have it pretty good. We don't have many clothes, or extra shoes or jewelry or little stuff, but we don't miss it too much. What we miss most is having a permanent place to put everything. Moving every few days gets exhausting. Anyway, in the movie, the main character comes to some sort of revelation that happiness is only happiness when shared. Honestly, it started out well but in the end I just kept thinking, "what an idiot."
On our way from Christchurch we did something I've never done before, we picked up hitchhikers. Americans wouldn't really dream of doing that now-a-days, but the movie inspired us to do it. Plus, we were in New Zealand, where they mention one car crash, or one rape, etc. on the national news. Suffice it to say that we were safe. They two kids were college age and headed south for Christmas break. It was a nice change in conversation for a bit and made us feel good for aboout two seconds before the conversation ended. Mom, how did you do this so much in the 70s?
We went to Lake Tekapo for the night before heading to Mount Cook (New Zealand's largest mountain) and Tasman glacier. The area is gorgeous and well worth a visit. We hiked a bit up to the glaciers - what a fantastic site. We actually saw melting glaciers and the formed glacier lake. If I had been more able, we would have gone kayaking in it, or atleast hiked for longer. But we ended up just heading south again the next day, towards the Otago Penninsula.
On the Otago Peninsula we stayed in a new hostel, Old Bones, sortof out of the way, but extremely nice. It is great to finally find a place where there aren't spiders on your pillow (the night before in Lake Takapo I had a huge black spider crawling right by my head on the pillow as I woke up) and clean and safe enough to do laundry. While there we went to see yellow eyed and blue penquins! The blue penguins were really interesting. We found out that they spend most of their time at sea and only come ashore to mate and molt. The couple needs both the male and female to raise an offspring, so if one dies at sea, then all is lost. They are also the smallest of the penguins and currently in danger.
We also went to a beautiful little restaurant, called Fleur's Place in a nearby town of Moeraki. It's completely made up of wood that used to be in other buildings. For instance, the stairs came from an old house, the floorboards came from another building, etc. I thought it was such a cool idea. And the food was fantastic.
We then went to Dunedin, where we visited the Cadbury chocolate factory (Amazing!) and the only Castle in New Zealand before catching a flight back to Auckland and on to Australia.
Pictures coming!
We got to Kaikoura later in the evening, with enough time to check into a motel and run the grocery to cook dinner. It was a lovely evening of relaxing while snacking on fresh fruit and a good wine. The next morning we headed out to swim with dolphins. I'm not talking about swimming with a dolfin or two in captivity, where they perform a few tricks and you hang on their dorsal fin. These dolphins were wild. We went with a company called Dolphin Encounter, where they took us out into the ocean and had us join a pod of about 350 dolphins. They swam around us, circling us occassionally, checking us out while we dove down and made all sorts of funny noises in the name of entertaining them, despterately trying to keep their attention. It was the most amazing experience. At first I was hesitant, I mean, I was in a full body suit in freezing temperatures, getting ready to plunge into an ocean with wild animals. But after the first group of 5 or even 10 came swimming right at me, and I got to play with them a bit, I was hooked. I had taken the head piece off (I found it too restricting) and as the rush hit, I could barely feel the cold.
After the exhilerating start to the day, we decided to take another ride and on a whim booked a helicopter tour. We had heard from one of the boaters that two blue whales had been spotted in the vacinity. Jack and I both couldn't miss that. Our half hour helicopter ride turned into the best spot decision we have made on this trip. We got to see a female and her calf and hovered over them for about 10 minutes. They are so big, almost unreal. I was amazed at their size, and felt truly lucky to see them in the wild. Then, as they dove, our pilot took us to see a sperm whale that had surfaced. Again, a crazy site. This time the whale was located by a whale watching vessel, so we could compare the sizes. They are enormous mammals. Absolutely astonishing. I now have a better insight into the gravity of whaling. Maybe the next step is to join Greenpeace and go on anti-whaling trips. They just had a huge victory as the Japanese decided to hold off on humpback whaling, so maybe now is the time to step up! Hmmm. Or maybe I'll just whole heartedly support the cause for now.
After Kaikoura, we headed to Christchurch to stay with family friends. This time we stayed with Alex McKinnon and his lovely girlfriend, Rhianon. They were kind enough to host us for two nights and show us around a bit. We had some wonderful Thai food the first night, a warm welcome from the more traditional English fare in New Zealand, and were introduced to the pasty the next day at a farmer's market. The pasty is extremely popular all over England and apparently New Zealand as well. Although I tend to be against meat pies of any kind, the pasty was surprisingly good, even cold. Jack did eat most of it though.
Christchurch is famous for its gardens, so we did some walking around the city to take them in a bit, as well as to explore the Cathedral with its windy bell tower, Christ College, and the new modern art museum. I'm not really a fan of modern art, but the building's architecture was great. Plus, its always nice to check out local artists. Then we went to see Into the Wild, a movie by Sean Penn about a young man who donates all of his inheritance to OXFAM to live a life in the wild. Without giving the moving away, what I'll say is that Jack read the book and has always been intregued by the idea of trying to live off the land, without worldly possessions. Now that we're married, it puts a wrinkle in any attempt to shed all attachment to society and live in the wild, but I understand the basic idea. Some people may say that we're coming pretty close to it now, living for 9 and 1/2 months out of a backpack, but really we have it pretty good. We don't have many clothes, or extra shoes or jewelry or little stuff, but we don't miss it too much. What we miss most is having a permanent place to put everything. Moving every few days gets exhausting. Anyway, in the movie, the main character comes to some sort of revelation that happiness is only happiness when shared. Honestly, it started out well but in the end I just kept thinking, "what an idiot."
On our way from Christchurch we did something I've never done before, we picked up hitchhikers. Americans wouldn't really dream of doing that now-a-days, but the movie inspired us to do it. Plus, we were in New Zealand, where they mention one car crash, or one rape, etc. on the national news. Suffice it to say that we were safe. They two kids were college age and headed south for Christmas break. It was a nice change in conversation for a bit and made us feel good for aboout two seconds before the conversation ended. Mom, how did you do this so much in the 70s?
We went to Lake Tekapo for the night before heading to Mount Cook (New Zealand's largest mountain) and Tasman glacier. The area is gorgeous and well worth a visit. We hiked a bit up to the glaciers - what a fantastic site. We actually saw melting glaciers and the formed glacier lake. If I had been more able, we would have gone kayaking in it, or atleast hiked for longer. But we ended up just heading south again the next day, towards the Otago Penninsula.
On the Otago Peninsula we stayed in a new hostel, Old Bones, sortof out of the way, but extremely nice. It is great to finally find a place where there aren't spiders on your pillow (the night before in Lake Takapo I had a huge black spider crawling right by my head on the pillow as I woke up) and clean and safe enough to do laundry. While there we went to see yellow eyed and blue penquins! The blue penguins were really interesting. We found out that they spend most of their time at sea and only come ashore to mate and molt. The couple needs both the male and female to raise an offspring, so if one dies at sea, then all is lost. They are also the smallest of the penguins and currently in danger.
We also went to a beautiful little restaurant, called Fleur's Place in a nearby town of Moeraki. It's completely made up of wood that used to be in other buildings. For instance, the stairs came from an old house, the floorboards came from another building, etc. I thought it was such a cool idea. And the food was fantastic.
We then went to Dunedin, where we visited the Cadbury chocolate factory (Amazing!) and the only Castle in New Zealand before catching a flight back to Auckland and on to Australia.
Pictures coming!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
New Zealand and the Lord of the Rings - Part I
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. We flew into New Zealand, Auckland to be precise, from Fiji. I had just had the accident and was trying to walk, so our adventures were fairly minimal. We spent a few days there, stayed in a really creepy hostel and visited the hospital, where they confirmed my cuts were healing nicely with no infections, before heading out to see the landscape. We did have some amazing experiences while there though, we not only visited the best ice cream shop I've ever been too (Bill Clinton even stopped here on a visit in 1999), by the name of The Chocolate Boutique, but we went to the top of the Sky tower as well.
By far, in our few days in the city, Jack's driving was the scariest thing we did. We rented a car (the public transportation in New Zealand would have taken way too long, plus I was in no condition to sit on a bus for hours on end). He did an excellent job too! We did have a few instances where he drove on the wrong side of the road (over here its on the Left), but luckily no cars were coming. We then headed north to Sheep World where we saw a shy sheep shorn (say that 10 times) and learned about the natural environment before English settlers cleared the land for sheep grazing. We also learned how good possum fur is for the environment, they are a pest here and not native to the land. Possum fur is the only fur that is deemed good by the World Wildlife Fund (if you're going to buy fur, buy possum fur - its really soft too). Jack bought a pair of slippers and I'm a bit jealous.
Something you may want to consider if you visit New Zealand is that outside of major cities you will not find many hostels, hotels or B&Bs open late. We discovered this at a very inopportune time, as we were headed down the major two lane highway at 9 pm. Everywhere we stopped was closed for the night. We almost had to sleep in the car, but were saved by a very nice old woman who opened her B&B for a ridiculous rate to save us from driving off the road due to sleep deprivation. We learned our lesson!
We then headed to the Coromandel Peninsula to Thames for a night. We stayed a B&B run by a really interesting couple. They grew all of their own fruit and vegetables organically and the husband also had a wood shop (something I also dream of doing one day). Jack and I have discussed ways in which we could grow our own food as well, so it was such a great experience to see it in practice.
After our day in the car, driving around the peninsula, we found our way to Rotorua, a town with a high volume of volcanic activity. We went on a fabulous breakfast boat ride in the morning, after a night at a very good and sparse youth hostel, where we were the only passengers. Usually, they assured us, there were about 100 guests, but we were happy and lucky enough to have our own private tour. The crew gave us great pointers on where to go on the cheep, so instead of paying a bunch of money to see the boilers (like in Yellowstone) we just walked around the city to see the boiling water and mud. It was great! We also visited the Buried Village, the site of a - well you guessed it - buried village from a volcanic explosion over a 100 years ago. Although nothing like Pompeii, it was quite a site to see.
Our days drive from Coromandel Peninsula took us past Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage area. It may be most well known of late as the home of "Mount Doom" in the Lord of the Rings. "Mount Doom" is really Ngauruhoe mountain and is in the middle of two other magnificent mountains. All I can say is that the landscape is one film makers dream of. It was remarkable.
Our next stop was Waitomo, a place known for its caving and glow worms. We again stayed at a really fascinating B&B, this time it was an ostrich farm! The B&B was average, but the owners were hilarious. They were convinced by their entrepreneur son to go in on a scheme to raise ostriches years ago, so they moved to Waitomo and started the farm. We got the tour after breakfast. The eggs alone can feed 18 people! They way a ton, well really about two kilos - or about 5 pounds. You can also use their skin, feathers, and meat. Talk about a useful bird. I may not attempt eating an ostrich, but it sure makes it hard to argue not to. Jack tried an egg, he liked it well enough. I just stuck to my yogurt. We also learned that they could gut you in one kick of their leg - ouch. They really look and act a lot like dinosaurs up close (I assume of course).
After our visit at the Big Bird Inn, and our night hike to see the glow worms, we traveled south to the capital, Wellington. The drive, like all of New Zealand, was simply breathtaking.
Wellington was extremely nice, mostly due to the fact that we stayed with Peters' family friends, the McKinnon's. Although Jack and I love to backpack, and really enjoy our adventures, it was was relaxing and refreshing to stay with friends. It was a treat to have a room for more than two nights and a place where we didn't have to lock up our stuff when we left for the day. It was the perfect time too, as I was starting to miss the comforts of home.
While in Wellington, we visited Parliament at John's suggestion and witnessed a heated debate, as can only happen in the Westminster system. Not unlike the House of Commons. We also just walked around the city, took in the botanic gardens, rode the tramcar, visited the Treaty of Waitomo (the treaty signed by the British settlers and the Maori chiefs), saw an exhibition about Whales at the Wellington museum, and enjoyed home cooked meals by Avenal. It was extremely nice.
Pictures and more to come.
By far, in our few days in the city, Jack's driving was the scariest thing we did. We rented a car (the public transportation in New Zealand would have taken way too long, plus I was in no condition to sit on a bus for hours on end). He did an excellent job too! We did have a few instances where he drove on the wrong side of the road (over here its on the Left), but luckily no cars were coming. We then headed north to Sheep World where we saw a shy sheep shorn (say that 10 times) and learned about the natural environment before English settlers cleared the land for sheep grazing. We also learned how good possum fur is for the environment, they are a pest here and not native to the land. Possum fur is the only fur that is deemed good by the World Wildlife Fund (if you're going to buy fur, buy possum fur - its really soft too). Jack bought a pair of slippers and I'm a bit jealous.
Something you may want to consider if you visit New Zealand is that outside of major cities you will not find many hostels, hotels or B&Bs open late. We discovered this at a very inopportune time, as we were headed down the major two lane highway at 9 pm. Everywhere we stopped was closed for the night. We almost had to sleep in the car, but were saved by a very nice old woman who opened her B&B for a ridiculous rate to save us from driving off the road due to sleep deprivation. We learned our lesson!
We then headed to the Coromandel Peninsula to Thames for a night. We stayed a B&B run by a really interesting couple. They grew all of their own fruit and vegetables organically and the husband also had a wood shop (something I also dream of doing one day). Jack and I have discussed ways in which we could grow our own food as well, so it was such a great experience to see it in practice.
After our day in the car, driving around the peninsula, we found our way to Rotorua, a town with a high volume of volcanic activity. We went on a fabulous breakfast boat ride in the morning, after a night at a very good and sparse youth hostel, where we were the only passengers. Usually, they assured us, there were about 100 guests, but we were happy and lucky enough to have our own private tour. The crew gave us great pointers on where to go on the cheep, so instead of paying a bunch of money to see the boilers (like in Yellowstone) we just walked around the city to see the boiling water and mud. It was great! We also visited the Buried Village, the site of a - well you guessed it - buried village from a volcanic explosion over a 100 years ago. Although nothing like Pompeii, it was quite a site to see.
Our days drive from Coromandel Peninsula took us past Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage area. It may be most well known of late as the home of "Mount Doom" in the Lord of the Rings. "Mount Doom" is really Ngauruhoe mountain and is in the middle of two other magnificent mountains. All I can say is that the landscape is one film makers dream of. It was remarkable.
Our next stop was Waitomo, a place known for its caving and glow worms. We again stayed at a really fascinating B&B, this time it was an ostrich farm! The B&B was average, but the owners were hilarious. They were convinced by their entrepreneur son to go in on a scheme to raise ostriches years ago, so they moved to Waitomo and started the farm. We got the tour after breakfast. The eggs alone can feed 18 people! They way a ton, well really about two kilos - or about 5 pounds. You can also use their skin, feathers, and meat. Talk about a useful bird. I may not attempt eating an ostrich, but it sure makes it hard to argue not to. Jack tried an egg, he liked it well enough. I just stuck to my yogurt. We also learned that they could gut you in one kick of their leg - ouch. They really look and act a lot like dinosaurs up close (I assume of course).
After our visit at the Big Bird Inn, and our night hike to see the glow worms, we traveled south to the capital, Wellington. The drive, like all of New Zealand, was simply breathtaking.
Wellington was extremely nice, mostly due to the fact that we stayed with Peters' family friends, the McKinnon's. Although Jack and I love to backpack, and really enjoy our adventures, it was was relaxing and refreshing to stay with friends. It was a treat to have a room for more than two nights and a place where we didn't have to lock up our stuff when we left for the day. It was the perfect time too, as I was starting to miss the comforts of home.
While in Wellington, we visited Parliament at John's suggestion and witnessed a heated debate, as can only happen in the Westminster system. Not unlike the House of Commons. We also just walked around the city, took in the botanic gardens, rode the tramcar, visited the Treaty of Waitomo (the treaty signed by the British settlers and the Maori chiefs), saw an exhibition about Whales at the Wellington museum, and enjoyed home cooked meals by Avenal. It was extremely nice.
Pictures and more to come.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Dare Devil Joyce
So the day before Thanksgiving, Jack and I were in Tuvalu. We decided to head out after breakfast and explore the extremely small island of Funafuti. Well, we had hear the best way to do this was to rent a motor scooter. We rented one at the front desk, but when it arrived we realized it was an actual motorcycle.
Jack tried to ride first, but stalled. I then hopped on. I started the bike without problem, and started to go... but couldn't stop. I went too fast, uncontrollably, and hit a car. A government car. It was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.
I didn't scream, but it felt like it. I was stuck between the car and the ground for a moment or two - it seemed like forever - until Jack, the mechanic and a few other men came rushing over.
They helped me up; and hobbling, I went to sit down. I had some rather nasty cuts on my knee, a huge lump on my leg, some other cuts and scraps and some swollen fingers. The worst part was right after the accident, when it all went a bit fuzzy and slightly black for a few seconds.
I ended up going to the Tuvalu hospital, which was an adventure. The hotel van took me there, after the cop asked for ID. It was all rather nonchalant. The hospital was hot and full of ants, but the desk attendant was nice and sent us to the Pediatric Exam room. Weird. I went in after a few minutes and had the doctor look at me. He seemed rather unconcerned, but impressed with our first aid kit, which Jack brought. It doesn't bode well for the rest of the third world countries we're visiting.
I was sent back to the hotel.
The next day, Thanksgiving, I didn't leave the room. My leg had swollen to the size of a softball and I could barely move. That didn't stop me from getting extremely sick - I couldn't hold down food. But, I've survived and am doing much better.
I am now in New Zealand, and despite an infection scare, am fine. The hospital here was awesome and I was reassured that everything was healing well.
I have to say, although I don't gush about my husband often, he's the best man in the world. He's been amazing, even renting this ridiculous bike to get around Tuvalu faster so he could get back to taking care of me as fast as he could.
I think that's the last of my motorcycle days.
Jack tried to ride first, but stalled. I then hopped on. I started the bike without problem, and started to go... but couldn't stop. I went too fast, uncontrollably, and hit a car. A government car. It was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.
I didn't scream, but it felt like it. I was stuck between the car and the ground for a moment or two - it seemed like forever - until Jack, the mechanic and a few other men came rushing over.
They helped me up; and hobbling, I went to sit down. I had some rather nasty cuts on my knee, a huge lump on my leg, some other cuts and scraps and some swollen fingers. The worst part was right after the accident, when it all went a bit fuzzy and slightly black for a few seconds.
I ended up going to the Tuvalu hospital, which was an adventure. The hotel van took me there, after the cop asked for ID. It was all rather nonchalant. The hospital was hot and full of ants, but the desk attendant was nice and sent us to the Pediatric Exam room. Weird. I went in after a few minutes and had the doctor look at me. He seemed rather unconcerned, but impressed with our first aid kit, which Jack brought. It doesn't bode well for the rest of the third world countries we're visiting.
I was sent back to the hotel.
The next day, Thanksgiving, I didn't leave the room. My leg had swollen to the size of a softball and I could barely move. That didn't stop me from getting extremely sick - I couldn't hold down food. But, I've survived and am doing much better.
I am now in New Zealand, and despite an infection scare, am fine. The hospital here was awesome and I was reassured that everything was healing well.
I have to say, although I don't gush about my husband often, he's the best man in the world. He's been amazing, even renting this ridiculous bike to get around Tuvalu faster so he could get back to taking care of me as fast as he could.
I think that's the last of my motorcycle days.
Coastal Defenses in Tonga and Tuvalu
One of the main reasons I wanted to visit the Kingdom of Tonga was because of climate change. For the past few years I've been studying security in general and the way in which environmental change could lead to conflict, known as environmental security. Although a small field, it interests me because it allows me to look at both the environment and security studies. It also allows me to delve into climate change and its affects worldwide.
That primarily is what brought us to Tonga and later Tuvalu. As a large small island state, Tonga has a rather influential position within the region. It is also one of the bigger countries involved in the UN group representing small island countries. As a group they are largely concerned with rising sea levels and the affect this could have on their countries, especially if the polar ice caps melt as predicted. Tonga also has one of the more advanced countries, in terms of protective measures taken to guard against destruction due to sea rise. I wanted to see for myself what that entailed.
Tongan lagoon -
When we arrived in Tonga, both my husband and I were surprised at the laid back attitude of the islanders. This went way beyond a laissez-faire approach to work. Instead it meant that when we asked directions, for instance, we often got blank stares and quizzical looks. Everyone wanted to help, but seemed not to know the answers. Even when asking location questions, no one seemed to know directions. When asked about this, one local explained that it was most likely because Tongans generally do not know much about the world outside of their country. But we persisted and attempted to ask a few people about climate change. Locals seemed unaware of the topic, until we mentioned coastal erosion. Then they were happy to discuss their concerns.
On our island tour we were shown the defenses, which consist of about a meter high coral wall around only about a third of the main island Tongatapu.
From what I could gather, the best defenses were on the island of 'Eua, which rises about 20 meters from the ocean.
This gave me concern for the rest of the region. If Tonga only had a coral wall, what were the rest of the countries likely to have?
Nothing. Probably.
This is exactly what I found in Tuvalu. Although a personal accident kept me from visiting the lagoon at a closer range, I was able to see that there are no defenses. No disaster planning or preparation either, which leaves the country in a dire state if seas were to rise. At least Tonga has a contingency plan to move its people to Australia. I don't know if there is such a plan on Tuvalu. We attempted to speak to government officials while there; but as parliament was in session all members were meeting in the tent outside the airport. We did get a peak inside the Ministry of the Environment, which was strewn with pamphlets from the UN regarding climate change.
Although beautiful, there is no protection for Funafuti, Tuvalu:
In contrast to Tonga, Tuvalu is an extremely small nation, with only about 8,000 citizens. With so few people, and a small government, its no wonder they have nothing to protect their land.
As far as our trip went, I was able to take back with me a concern for the region and a better understanding of general malaise surrounding the issue. Hopefully I'll be able to do something in a future career regarding disaster planning. Perhaps create something better than a meter high sea wall.
That primarily is what brought us to Tonga and later Tuvalu. As a large small island state, Tonga has a rather influential position within the region. It is also one of the bigger countries involved in the UN group representing small island countries. As a group they are largely concerned with rising sea levels and the affect this could have on their countries, especially if the polar ice caps melt as predicted. Tonga also has one of the more advanced countries, in terms of protective measures taken to guard against destruction due to sea rise. I wanted to see for myself what that entailed.
Tongan lagoon -
When we arrived in Tonga, both my husband and I were surprised at the laid back attitude of the islanders. This went way beyond a laissez-faire approach to work. Instead it meant that when we asked directions, for instance, we often got blank stares and quizzical looks. Everyone wanted to help, but seemed not to know the answers. Even when asking location questions, no one seemed to know directions. When asked about this, one local explained that it was most likely because Tongans generally do not know much about the world outside of their country. But we persisted and attempted to ask a few people about climate change. Locals seemed unaware of the topic, until we mentioned coastal erosion. Then they were happy to discuss their concerns.
On our island tour we were shown the defenses, which consist of about a meter high coral wall around only about a third of the main island Tongatapu.
From what I could gather, the best defenses were on the island of 'Eua, which rises about 20 meters from the ocean.
This gave me concern for the rest of the region. If Tonga only had a coral wall, what were the rest of the countries likely to have?
Nothing. Probably.
This is exactly what I found in Tuvalu. Although a personal accident kept me from visiting the lagoon at a closer range, I was able to see that there are no defenses. No disaster planning or preparation either, which leaves the country in a dire state if seas were to rise. At least Tonga has a contingency plan to move its people to Australia. I don't know if there is such a plan on Tuvalu. We attempted to speak to government officials while there; but as parliament was in session all members were meeting in the tent outside the airport. We did get a peak inside the Ministry of the Environment, which was strewn with pamphlets from the UN regarding climate change.
Although beautiful, there is no protection for Funafuti, Tuvalu:
In contrast to Tonga, Tuvalu is an extremely small nation, with only about 8,000 citizens. With so few people, and a small government, its no wonder they have nothing to protect their land.
As far as our trip went, I was able to take back with me a concern for the region and a better understanding of general malaise surrounding the issue. Hopefully I'll be able to do something in a future career regarding disaster planning. Perhaps create something better than a meter high sea wall.
Chilly Chile
Jack and I got to Santiago on Halloween. Although marked by children in costumes and the passing out of candy in the USA, in Chile we found little evidence of this. Maybe it was the fact that we were in the city, or the fact that we spent the evening drinking margaritas in a Mexican restaurant, but it did not have the same festive feel. I fear that this will be our experience with most holidays oversees.
Despite the lack of celebration, our Chilean holiday was not without entertainment. On our third day we rented a car and drove to Valparaiso. Its a city located on the coast, among the hills of the Andes. It also was once home to Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. We visited his house, bizarre, beautiful and amazing all at once. It has fabulous view of the harbor, with interesting touches everywhere. He used old portholes as windows in the stairwell and doors from old buildings all over. It gave me some ideas for decorating, as well as recycling efforts when building a home.
Our second destination was a small town in Rancagua where a well-know spa is located called Termas de Cauquenes. Although once probably a grand spa resort, the building looked like it hadn't been renovated since the 1930s. The hotel is most known for its restaurant, which we thought was five-star. However on our first night, we were one of three customers. The food was spectacular though. Even though the trip was less than expected, it was an experience. I feel as though Hollywood has missed a great opportunity here to film in a relic.
We then headed further south to the wine region around Santa Cruz. This area was gorgeous and boasts some of the best wine in the world. We visited Vina Santa Cruz on our second day. We would have stayed longer, but we had to get back to Santiago to head to the south pacific.
I found Chile pleasant and welcoming. Besides the fact that the highway was not well marked, making it an interesting place to drive, it was very developed, a step ahead of the rest of the South America we explored. Its very diverse, so we felt as though we could have stayed much longer and been amazed the whole time. Every aspect of it was beautiful, from the coast to the mountains. On our drive back to Santiago I took in such a fantastic site: the mountains looked as though they were floating in the sky. A blue patch separated the foothills from the high peaks, giving it a sense of suspension in the air - breathtaking!
Because Chile has a large number of biomes and ecosystems, from the desert in the north to Patagonia in the south, this is a place I want to come back to.
Here we are on a "date" to a nice dinner in Santa Cruz. This is one of the only days I've been able to dry my hair with a blow dryer. Exciting stuff!
Despite the lack of celebration, our Chilean holiday was not without entertainment. On our third day we rented a car and drove to Valparaiso. Its a city located on the coast, among the hills of the Andes. It also was once home to Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. We visited his house, bizarre, beautiful and amazing all at once. It has fabulous view of the harbor, with interesting touches everywhere. He used old portholes as windows in the stairwell and doors from old buildings all over. It gave me some ideas for decorating, as well as recycling efforts when building a home.
Our second destination was a small town in Rancagua where a well-know spa is located called Termas de Cauquenes. Although once probably a grand spa resort, the building looked like it hadn't been renovated since the 1930s. The hotel is most known for its restaurant, which we thought was five-star. However on our first night, we were one of three customers. The food was spectacular though. Even though the trip was less than expected, it was an experience. I feel as though Hollywood has missed a great opportunity here to film in a relic.
We then headed further south to the wine region around Santa Cruz. This area was gorgeous and boasts some of the best wine in the world. We visited Vina Santa Cruz on our second day. We would have stayed longer, but we had to get back to Santiago to head to the south pacific.
I found Chile pleasant and welcoming. Besides the fact that the highway was not well marked, making it an interesting place to drive, it was very developed, a step ahead of the rest of the South America we explored. Its very diverse, so we felt as though we could have stayed much longer and been amazed the whole time. Every aspect of it was beautiful, from the coast to the mountains. On our drive back to Santiago I took in such a fantastic site: the mountains looked as though they were floating in the sky. A blue patch separated the foothills from the high peaks, giving it a sense of suspension in the air - breathtaking!
Because Chile has a large number of biomes and ecosystems, from the desert in the north to Patagonia in the south, this is a place I want to come back to.
Here we are on a "date" to a nice dinner in Santa Cruz. This is one of the only days I've been able to dry my hair with a blow dryer. Exciting stuff!
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