Sunday, 14 January, 2007
9:28 PM NZST
Auckland
I am sitting in the crowded internet cafe at the hostel, wearing random clothing while laundry gets done, and nursing a fairly spectacular sunburn. I underestimated the New Zealand sun, I think, and the result is fairly impressive. However, it's the fastest way to a tan, and I've learned my lesson.
We began the day with a cruise of Auckland Harbour. We'd been down to the waterfront yesterday and were eager to get out on the water, so we spent an hour and a half in the salt breeze with fun Kiwi commentary and free coffee. I couldn't tell you exactly which direction we went first, as I haven't quite caught up with which way is up. But we stuck close to the coast, saw some of the suburbs, the Domain, and Auckland's tall ship Soren Larsen in full sail, which was really beautiful. We went out through Waitemata Harbour to Bean Rock Light, which is not your typical lighthouse, but a beacon set up on tall white pilings off a rock that sits near the shipping lane. We turned back at Raingetoto Island, which is a dormant volcano and extremely beautiful and green. The bay is full of islands, all of which were at some point volcanos. Or still are. I discovered that the green buttes I wrote about the other day are in fact all volcanos or pieces of volcanos. They just stick up everywhere, they are really pretty but in fact potentially volatile. We crossed Raingetoto Channel, which is the main shipping lane for all goods that come into Auckland by sea, and then passed North Head, on the other side of which is Devonport, a really beautiful and idyllic seaside settlement. North Head has gunnery on it from the second world war, which apparently was never fired after its initial test, which blew out all the windows in Devonport. Mt. Victoria is another volcano hill that rises up right out of Devonport and purportedly provides some spectacular views of the harbour. Next was the Auckland Naval base, then under the Auckland Harbour bridge. The bridge was originally built in 1951 (?) and was only two lanes, but soon there was too much traffic for it to accomadate. So a Japanese firm was commissioned to build additional lanes (2 on each side) that could be attached to the original bridge. Evidently the name of the firm was completely unpronouncable, and as a result the additional lanes were henceforth known as the "Nippon Clip-ons."
We ended the cruise by sailing past the Chelsea Sugarworks, the only sugar refinery in New Zealand, which is a huge pink (why??!?) building and the reason that the Harbour Bridge is so high off the water-- the ships that bring sugar elements to the refinery have to be able to sail under the bridge. We came back via the Westhaven Marina (largest in the southern hemisphere, with 2,000 boats moored there), which gives Auckland the name City of Sails and houses many of the yachts raced by New Zealand and Norway in the Americas Cup.
In the afternoon the weather got fantastically beautiful, but Provo suggested we go see Devonport rather than take in the views from the SkyTower. I was down with this plan. We paid $9 return for the ferry, a 10-minute ride back to Devonport from Auckland. It's a gorgeous town, with loads of fun shops and open-air dining, hip cafes, palm trees everywhere, and beaches. Beaches!. We ate lunch there, looked in the shops, and then walked the promenade to just under North Head and dipped our feet in the bay and then spread out on the grass to write, nap, and stare out at the view. This afternoon the weather became everything i had hoped for. Over 80 degrees in the sun, clear blue sky with fluffy clouds, and the water an incredible blue green that I've never seen in an ocean before. There were sailboats and yachts and ferries all over Waitemata Harbour, birds chirping, pure paradise.
In so many ways, Devonport seems far removed from Auckland, much smaller and a different feel. Thus it was very strange to be able to see Auckland clearly from over there. As we lay in the sun, I could see the victorian buildings close at hand, and over them the SkyTower. Of course, you can see that from pretty much anywhere; I believe I heard it was 338 meters (convert that to feet!!!) high. The Auckland skyline is beautiful from the water, in addition to really attractive skyrises, it has an apartments/shops/Hilton complex on the waterfront called Princes Wharf, which is built to look like a glass cruise ship.
We stayed in and made soup for dinner and watched a movie, our legs being very sore from hiking around so much. And walking up so many hills! i kind of wanted to take in the view from Mt. Victoria, but after walking so much in Auckland (everywhere it's a hill) and up the domain, I didn't really feel like putting my legs through that. It's great though, it's getting us in shape for tramping, as it's called down here. Most people i've talked to are surprised that we're only down here for 2 1/2 weeks. Most people come for at least a month, usually two or three. Oh well, at least we got to come at all.
We head off surfing tomorrow morning, we're going to be heading up the northland peninsula and will probably be staying at Shipwreck Bay, if you're interested in finding it on a map.
Ingenious Kiwi invention: all the cafes and restaurants and coffeeshops have sections of wall or huge banks of windows that open up to give the indoors an open-air feel. Pubs just slide their walls back, and places with glass windows open them sideways or slide them up into the ceiling, and so even if it's raining, patrons get the warm fresh outside air.
I have enjoyed being in Auckland, but I'm not fussed about leaving it: i want to see the country and more of the coast, and we'll be back in Auckland twice more before we leave for the states!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
First Day Report
Saturday, 13th January, 2007
Auckland, New Zealand
9:38 PM NZST
It just got dark. At 9 PM. It was light at 6 AM when we left the airport. If my calculations are correct, that means Auckland got 15 hours of daylight today.
Here's the rest of today's story, starting as we went to kill the four hours until we would be able to check into the hostel:
We discovered that Auckland doesn't properly wake up until about 10:30 in the morning. We walked down to Auckland Harbor and all along the wharf early this morning, and the only people we saw were a few runners, and the crews of a tall ship and a Greenpeace boat working on their vessels. As we came back up Queen Street, which is the main shopping thoroughfare of central Auckland and the street on which our hostel stands, we had to wait for stores to open at 10. The business day is short here- usually 10 till 5, sometimes 4. Then all the restaurants get going for dinner around 8 or 9 PM.
Auckland is a beautiful city. It's a really neat combination of San Francisco (hills and climate), England (architecture and landscape), South Pacific (decor) and generally American cities (Starbucks, Burger King, and many other all-too-familiar stores). The attitude here is beautiful too- everyone is extremely friendly, I think i've had an actual coversation with every vendor/employee I've interacted with today. Also, everyone here is gorgeous. I have seen one obese person today. Every person in this city is fit, well-dressed, friendly, tan, and generally beautiful. Must say, I'm happy to be surrounded by loads of handsome guys my age, all with fantastic accents. They're everywhere, and they talk to me voluntarily! Hurrah for the legendary Kiwi hospitality.
I haven't actually noticed many other Americans here. i'm sure they're around, but the other people in our dorm that I've met are from the UK and New Zealand. Something of note: New Zealanders travel New Zealand just like everyone else does. They put on backpacks, go to a different city, stay in a hostel, and do all the things that outside tourists do. I don't know if this is because it so incredibly far to go anywhere besides their home country, because they realize that New Zealand is beautiful and that every corner of it needs to be explored, or a combination of all three. Americans don't do this-- we dont' have the hostel thing going on in every single town, and no adequate cheap fast transportation between all towns. It takes much more effort to travel in the U.S., I think.
Provo and I checked into the hostel (Auckland Central Backpackers, if you're interested in looking it up) at 11 and promptly crashed for a 3-hour nap. After some sleep, a shower, and fresh clothes, we were much refreshed and commenced furthering our knowledge of the city. We explored Albert Park, which is fantastically beautiful, ate sushi near the waterfront, and walked through the University of Auckland campus, which is an amazing combination of different types of buildings and vegetation, like the rest of the city. Then we hiked up to the Auckland Domain, which is a MASSIVE park at the "top" of Auckland. It was quite a trek, but well worth it. We went in via a little trail that went through a tropical jungle with a canopy so thick it blocked out most daylight. The palms, ferns, hibiscus, and birds of paradise all make it feel like a prehistoric environment. At the very top of the Domain sits the Museum of Auckland, which is a huge imposing romanesque building, looking out over the city and the harbour. The museum was closed this afternoon, but we knew it ahead of time and had planned on just sitting up there to journal and write some postcards, but we were struck by rain and winds, so we decided to head for more sheltered climes. However, we plan to head back up tomorrow to check out the Wintergarden, Tropical House, and Fernery. Alas, on the way back we (meaning me) miscalculated where we were on the map and we ended up putting in an hour of walking to get back to Queen Street. We were soaked but luckily it's been about 70 degrees or more (Farenheit) all day, so that wasn't too much of an issue. I stand by my belief that getting lost in a new city is the best way to get to know it.
Auckland is unlike any city I've known. The stores are familiar to me because they are mostly those in America and Britain, but the attitude of the city is something I haven't really seen before- everyone is happy, friendly, and loud, not at all reserved but totally outgoing. And it is great to see how New Zealand, though it was a European colony at one time, has embraced the Maori culture and made it a deeply integral part of the country as a whole. Nearly everything has two names, one in English and one in Maori. It is interesting for me to see such a mixed population, of Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent), Maori (to be honest, I had never before actually seen a Maori person besides in pictures. They are all gorgeous, in a really unexpected and striking way) and a large Asian population. You see the influences of each everywhere- like a fish and chips shop beside a sushi joint beside a shell jewelry store.
It is hard to believe I've only been here a day. It feels like ages, since we've already got the lay of the land and met a number of new friends. With so much daylight, a nap in the middle of the day, a massive time change, and the surreality that is a trans-oceanic flight, I can't quite comprehend that it was only this morning that Provo and I touched down in Auckland. We have another full day here before heading off surfing, so tomorrow our possible endeavours include taking a boat tour of Auckland Harbour, going up the SkyTower (tallest building in the southern hemisphere) if it's clear out, and revisiting the Domain (hopefully without getting so spectacularly lost and wet this time).
Auckland, New Zealand
9:38 PM NZST
It just got dark. At 9 PM. It was light at 6 AM when we left the airport. If my calculations are correct, that means Auckland got 15 hours of daylight today.
Here's the rest of today's story, starting as we went to kill the four hours until we would be able to check into the hostel:
We discovered that Auckland doesn't properly wake up until about 10:30 in the morning. We walked down to Auckland Harbor and all along the wharf early this morning, and the only people we saw were a few runners, and the crews of a tall ship and a Greenpeace boat working on their vessels. As we came back up Queen Street, which is the main shopping thoroughfare of central Auckland and the street on which our hostel stands, we had to wait for stores to open at 10. The business day is short here- usually 10 till 5, sometimes 4. Then all the restaurants get going for dinner around 8 or 9 PM.
Auckland is a beautiful city. It's a really neat combination of San Francisco (hills and climate), England (architecture and landscape), South Pacific (decor) and generally American cities (Starbucks, Burger King, and many other all-too-familiar stores). The attitude here is beautiful too- everyone is extremely friendly, I think i've had an actual coversation with every vendor/employee I've interacted with today. Also, everyone here is gorgeous. I have seen one obese person today. Every person in this city is fit, well-dressed, friendly, tan, and generally beautiful. Must say, I'm happy to be surrounded by loads of handsome guys my age, all with fantastic accents. They're everywhere, and they talk to me voluntarily! Hurrah for the legendary Kiwi hospitality.
I haven't actually noticed many other Americans here. i'm sure they're around, but the other people in our dorm that I've met are from the UK and New Zealand. Something of note: New Zealanders travel New Zealand just like everyone else does. They put on backpacks, go to a different city, stay in a hostel, and do all the things that outside tourists do. I don't know if this is because it so incredibly far to go anywhere besides their home country, because they realize that New Zealand is beautiful and that every corner of it needs to be explored, or a combination of all three. Americans don't do this-- we dont' have the hostel thing going on in every single town, and no adequate cheap fast transportation between all towns. It takes much more effort to travel in the U.S., I think.
Provo and I checked into the hostel (Auckland Central Backpackers, if you're interested in looking it up) at 11 and promptly crashed for a 3-hour nap. After some sleep, a shower, and fresh clothes, we were much refreshed and commenced furthering our knowledge of the city. We explored Albert Park, which is fantastically beautiful, ate sushi near the waterfront, and walked through the University of Auckland campus, which is an amazing combination of different types of buildings and vegetation, like the rest of the city. Then we hiked up to the Auckland Domain, which is a MASSIVE park at the "top" of Auckland. It was quite a trek, but well worth it. We went in via a little trail that went through a tropical jungle with a canopy so thick it blocked out most daylight. The palms, ferns, hibiscus, and birds of paradise all make it feel like a prehistoric environment. At the very top of the Domain sits the Museum of Auckland, which is a huge imposing romanesque building, looking out over the city and the harbour. The museum was closed this afternoon, but we knew it ahead of time and had planned on just sitting up there to journal and write some postcards, but we were struck by rain and winds, so we decided to head for more sheltered climes. However, we plan to head back up tomorrow to check out the Wintergarden, Tropical House, and Fernery. Alas, on the way back we (meaning me) miscalculated where we were on the map and we ended up putting in an hour of walking to get back to Queen Street. We were soaked but luckily it's been about 70 degrees or more (Farenheit) all day, so that wasn't too much of an issue. I stand by my belief that getting lost in a new city is the best way to get to know it.
Auckland is unlike any city I've known. The stores are familiar to me because they are mostly those in America and Britain, but the attitude of the city is something I haven't really seen before- everyone is happy, friendly, and loud, not at all reserved but totally outgoing. And it is great to see how New Zealand, though it was a European colony at one time, has embraced the Maori culture and made it a deeply integral part of the country as a whole. Nearly everything has two names, one in English and one in Maori. It is interesting for me to see such a mixed population, of Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent), Maori (to be honest, I had never before actually seen a Maori person besides in pictures. They are all gorgeous, in a really unexpected and striking way) and a large Asian population. You see the influences of each everywhere- like a fish and chips shop beside a sushi joint beside a shell jewelry store.
It is hard to believe I've only been here a day. It feels like ages, since we've already got the lay of the land and met a number of new friends. With so much daylight, a nap in the middle of the day, a massive time change, and the surreality that is a trans-oceanic flight, I can't quite comprehend that it was only this morning that Provo and I touched down in Auckland. We have another full day here before heading off surfing, so tomorrow our possible endeavours include taking a boat tour of Auckland Harbour, going up the SkyTower (tallest building in the southern hemisphere) if it's clear out, and revisiting the Domain (hopefully without getting so spectacularly lost and wet this time).
Friday, January 12, 2007
Kia Ora from Auckland
Saturday (formerly known as Friday), 13th January, 2007
7:06 AM NZST
We made it! The whole flight seems surreal now that we're here in Auckland at a backpackers hostel on the middle of a very steep hill. The flight was long (13 hours) but Air New Zealand is as posh as airlines get: we had on-demand music, tv, video games, and 50 movies to choose from. Provo and i had booked our tickets separately and so had seats apart from eachother before we checked in. We requested to sit together, and the seats we got were right smack in the middle of the second to last row. Advantage: you get dinner before anyone else on the plane. Disadvantage: you're the last to get off. It was night for the entire flight so I didn't miss sitting by a window too much, but on one of my strolls around the plane to keep my muscles away from atrophy, I looked out the rear window and saw stars and the moon shining on the tops of the clouds.
We slept a bit, got to know our fellow passengers, and finally got into Auckland at 5:00 this morning after crossing the whole of the pacific ocean, the international date line, and the equator. The time here is actually only about 3 hours earlier than Pacific Time, but we're a day later. Weird, that. We cleared customs just fine (they had to wash off my hiking boots to I didn't carry any foreign soils into the country) and caught a bus into the city just as day was breaking.
My first impression of New Zealand: It's WARM. Huzzah! Summer! It's incredibly humid, a bit rainy right now, and I felt sticky as soon as I stepped into the jetway. It's lush and green and the lay of the land is very dramatic-from what I've seen in my 2 hours here this morning, Auckland is full of hills, with lovely green house-free buttes rising up from between the buildings. Our hostel is about 2 blocks from the famous Sky Tower (the space needle of the southern hemisphere from what I gather). The trees here are amazing- they have the most interesting shapes, and look prehistoric, like they should have dinosaurs feeding on them.
It's really unbelievable that I'm here. I know I am, but in my current sleep-deprived and sweat-ridden state, it seems bizarre. Part of it is that most of the road signs here look just like those in the U.S. The place looks less like an English city than I expected, but you can feel the European influence everywhere- especially in the half a roasted tomato served with breakfast on the flight over...
We can't check into the hostel till 11, so Provo and I are going to take advantage of our extra hours to go exploring and find some breakfast. And coffee. More updates later as we begin to rack up some adventures!
7:06 AM NZST
We made it! The whole flight seems surreal now that we're here in Auckland at a backpackers hostel on the middle of a very steep hill. The flight was long (13 hours) but Air New Zealand is as posh as airlines get: we had on-demand music, tv, video games, and 50 movies to choose from. Provo and i had booked our tickets separately and so had seats apart from eachother before we checked in. We requested to sit together, and the seats we got were right smack in the middle of the second to last row. Advantage: you get dinner before anyone else on the plane. Disadvantage: you're the last to get off. It was night for the entire flight so I didn't miss sitting by a window too much, but on one of my strolls around the plane to keep my muscles away from atrophy, I looked out the rear window and saw stars and the moon shining on the tops of the clouds.
We slept a bit, got to know our fellow passengers, and finally got into Auckland at 5:00 this morning after crossing the whole of the pacific ocean, the international date line, and the equator. The time here is actually only about 3 hours earlier than Pacific Time, but we're a day later. Weird, that. We cleared customs just fine (they had to wash off my hiking boots to I didn't carry any foreign soils into the country) and caught a bus into the city just as day was breaking.
My first impression of New Zealand: It's WARM. Huzzah! Summer! It's incredibly humid, a bit rainy right now, and I felt sticky as soon as I stepped into the jetway. It's lush and green and the lay of the land is very dramatic-from what I've seen in my 2 hours here this morning, Auckland is full of hills, with lovely green house-free buttes rising up from between the buildings. Our hostel is about 2 blocks from the famous Sky Tower (the space needle of the southern hemisphere from what I gather). The trees here are amazing- they have the most interesting shapes, and look prehistoric, like they should have dinosaurs feeding on them.
It's really unbelievable that I'm here. I know I am, but in my current sleep-deprived and sweat-ridden state, it seems bizarre. Part of it is that most of the road signs here look just like those in the U.S. The place looks less like an English city than I expected, but you can feel the European influence everywhere- especially in the half a roasted tomato served with breakfast on the flight over...
We can't check into the hostel till 11, so Provo and I are going to take advantage of our extra hours to go exploring and find some breakfast. And coffee. More updates later as we begin to rack up some adventures!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Last dispatch from Portland
Wednesday, 10th January, 2007
7:50 PM Pacific Time
Portland, Oregon
At some point in the last hour, it has occurred to me that I AM GOING TO NEW ZEALAND TOMORROW. I don't know if it is the fact that my wallet now has a passport and New Zealand currency in it, or that the heap of clothing and camping gear that has been on my living room floor for two days has finally migrated into my pack, or the zaniness of running around all day for the last two days doing all those last-minute errands, but at any rate, I think it has finally sunk in.
Provo and I spent most of today together preparing for the trip (and folding newsletters at her work), and plan to meet up tomorrow on the platform at the Hollywood Max station to take the train to the airport. It's Portland to San Fran, then San Francisco straight through to Auckland, losing a day in the process. It's been 2 years since I've flown across an ocean, and this time it's a different one, flying in almost the exact opposite direction. I can't believe I'm finally hitting the international road again.
I had a re-revelation today regarding traveling: no matter how much you research where you're going, how much you read up, or how many people you talk to about it, you will never be prepared for the truth of a new land and a new people. You will never be truly prepared for what you are about to face, and you will never really know what to expect. And, as I have discovered, no matter where you go a foreign country and its occupants will exceed your expectations in nearly every way.
So here's to the first adventure of the new year, a safe journey, and lots of jolly good fun.
See you on the flip side.
7:50 PM Pacific Time
Portland, Oregon
At some point in the last hour, it has occurred to me that I AM GOING TO NEW ZEALAND TOMORROW. I don't know if it is the fact that my wallet now has a passport and New Zealand currency in it, or that the heap of clothing and camping gear that has been on my living room floor for two days has finally migrated into my pack, or the zaniness of running around all day for the last two days doing all those last-minute errands, but at any rate, I think it has finally sunk in.
Provo and I spent most of today together preparing for the trip (and folding newsletters at her work), and plan to meet up tomorrow on the platform at the Hollywood Max station to take the train to the airport. It's Portland to San Fran, then San Francisco straight through to Auckland, losing a day in the process. It's been 2 years since I've flown across an ocean, and this time it's a different one, flying in almost the exact opposite direction. I can't believe I'm finally hitting the international road again.
I had a re-revelation today regarding traveling: no matter how much you research where you're going, how much you read up, or how many people you talk to about it, you will never be prepared for the truth of a new land and a new people. You will never be truly prepared for what you are about to face, and you will never really know what to expect. And, as I have discovered, no matter where you go a foreign country and its occupants will exceed your expectations in nearly every way.
So here's to the first adventure of the new year, a safe journey, and lots of jolly good fun.
See you on the flip side.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Legend of the Hiking Skirt
I just realized that I leave for New Zealand in less than 4 days. I'll probably pack on Wednesday night. I have been keeping myself on a tight budget for this trip, but I felt it prudent today to indulge in one useful and practical treat in preparation for some mid-winter summer:
A Hiking Skirt.
A hiking skirt, you ask? What, pray tell, is that? Well you may ask. A hiking skirt is, in fact, a skirt to hike in. Mine is orange. It is fast-drying, has a rugged-outdoorsy-chick look, and cinches up at the sides to allow maximum stride while on the trail. You may see a picture of me in it at some point (it becomes ultra-sexy when you wear it over long underwear with hiking boots, just for reference). Thanks, Carol, for introducing me to this ingenious item.
A Hiking Skirt.
A hiking skirt, you ask? What, pray tell, is that? Well you may ask. A hiking skirt is, in fact, a skirt to hike in. Mine is orange. It is fast-drying, has a rugged-outdoorsy-chick look, and cinches up at the sides to allow maximum stride while on the trail. You may see a picture of me in it at some point (it becomes ultra-sexy when you wear it over long underwear with hiking boots, just for reference). Thanks, Carol, for introducing me to this ingenious item.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Welcome/Wilkommen/Bienvenidos/Bienvenue/Hi.
Unable to resurrect my old London blog, I have decided to renew my habit of writing about my international travels in a format which all have access to. So here it is. Yeah, it's pretty exciting.
What's the big deal, you ask? This is the big deal:
I'M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!!!
A lucky combination of forces, an awesome friend and the ability to take time off work are all sending me to the southern hemisphere on January 11, back on the 29th. Provo and I will be surfing in Northland, tramping in Fiordland, getting tans, and logging a lot of hours on trans-Pacific flights. No, I can't afford it, but a friend recently told me "if you wait until you can afford to do something, it'll never get done." This is now my new motto. Money sucks, but even if you don't have any, you can make things happen.
So next Thursday it's don the backpack, board the plane, and put my passport to use for the first time in over 2 years. Glad you could come along for the ride.
Let the good times roll.
What's the big deal, you ask? This is the big deal:
I'M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!!!
A lucky combination of forces, an awesome friend and the ability to take time off work are all sending me to the southern hemisphere on January 11, back on the 29th. Provo and I will be surfing in Northland, tramping in Fiordland, getting tans, and logging a lot of hours on trans-Pacific flights. No, I can't afford it, but a friend recently told me "if you wait until you can afford to do something, it'll never get done." This is now my new motto. Money sucks, but even if you don't have any, you can make things happen.
So next Thursday it's don the backpack, board the plane, and put my passport to use for the first time in over 2 years. Glad you could come along for the ride.
Let the good times roll.
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