Thursday 17 November 2011
This is it 16/11
The title is fitting, Michael Jackson used it and then his concert and his life were cut short, by a Grenadian... now I'm using it because my trip has been cut short and I'm returning to Grenada- you can see the natty segue there.
Had a night out on the beach yesterday at The Raleigh with my good friend RVE, Mojitos flowed and the time flew, he had just flown from Qatar and came straight from the airport so Nuff respect there.
It's Wednesday, the flight leaves at 4.30pm, I've been up since 7.30am so I can make the day last as long I can. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't want to go to Grenada, it's just that I don't want to go to Grenada, just now.
So we experienced the new Miami rental car centre and monorail, for some reason the monorail only goes halfway after which point you have to take 4 moving walkways and an elevator- a little half assed if you ask me.
And $4 for a luggage cart, I don't want to buy the thing I want to push my luggage a few hundred feet, I know it sounds like penny pinching and I'm sure they need to pay for their half monorail somehow, but where else in the world do you pay for luggage trolleys, I've been to 16 international airports in the last 3 months and not paid a dime for a luggage cart, come on Miami, you'll be charging us to use the freeways next!!
The sphincter army were thankfully on lunch when we checked in and so all our luggage was checked without incident, but oh, oh the TSA- a sea of blue at security, it appears they have a program now where every passenger gets their own individual TSA agent, there are so many of them and they are all like the "misshapes" biscuits you get after Easter, they are either massively tall, unfeasible muscly or mainly vastly overweight, it is a Fluster Cluck of the highest order, a case of too many cooks if there ever was one.
I so wanted to have a Glock and a Berretta concealed on my personage just to see if Sharonesquia would put down her lipstick or Wayne would stop flexing his muscles and relax his "dog butt" mouth facial expression (think about it) for a moment and notice, but no, I'm gunless so instead they pull my bag and identify a dangerous looking padlock and a potentially lethal bottle of Supergreen powder- the world is now thankfully a safer place.
I think for the first time on a Grenadian flight home I know no one, a mix of elderlies and students but no familiar faces.
The round the world loop is almost complete, 32,156 miles if you have been counting- 9 and a half countries, (I have a t- shirt from each one!) 4 more un-visited countries due to monsoons, typhoons and other oon sounding calamities, 3 passport visas, 1 tourism visa, one half country, one autonomous dependancy and one Rugby World Cup. From sea level to 5400 metres, as far South as 45 degrees (Milford Sound, NZ) and as far North as 53 degrees (Manchester, UK!!), across both Tropics, the Equator and the International date line, we've covered mountains, tundra, permafrost, desert, glacial lakes, holy rivers, earthquake zones and geothermal zones, fjords, waterfalls- both above ground and under. We've seen rhinos, tigers, cheetahs, ephliphants, crocodiles, llamas, buffalo, yak, emu, kiwi, glow worms and 40 million sheep ( yep, there are that many in NZ). We've flown in planes both jet and prop, ridden in buses, tuk tuks and tut tuts, (including the Executive ones) 1st class trains, 2nd class trains, sleeper trains and scenic trains, taken sea ferries, paddled canoes, hopped in taxis, jumped on river cabs and river ferries, taken metros, monorails and meter cabs, mobilised with elephants, trekked on horses and horsed around on Treks ( it's a bike). We've even had 26 hours go by but only register 5 on the clock.
And now it appears we are back, but in the best possible Grenadian accent...
I think we've come back, to go out again....
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Tempus does Fugit 10-15/11
He Said...
So we checked out of The Astor and took up residence in the Design District courtesy of good friends Nicole and Julien and their new son to be, Jeraboam.
The hotel tried to sting me with a 'Resort Fee' which meant I could go and stand in their sister properties 4 ft deep pool or take a hotel towel ( think facecloth) and go to the beach, I politely declined and after words with the management said fee was waived.
It must be nice to live in Miami and do this every day, unfortunately I only have a hired Ford Focus and not the Lamborghini, Ferrari or Maybach that is required to afford such a lifestyle.
But for the time being I'm content with my Cheesecake Factory Cobb Salad and Linda's Chocolate chocolate Fudge cake, Jerry's diner Eggs Benedict and a Mojito or three from Espanola Way...the Ballers car will have to wait.
So we covered Bal Harbour, Aventura, Sawgrass, Coconut Grove and Lincoln, we have eaten Thai- both in and out, Tapas, Five Guys, Bistro, Bahamian ( crab claws) and American (Ceasar salad)
Hit the movies again and saw Real Steel with Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly ( sigh)- think Rocky with robots, its worth a watch) and also The Immortals, a film based on Greek Mythology with Micky Rourke, that chick from Slumdog Millionaire and some toffee nosed Brit, its an absolute utter bag of shite, watch it in 3D and you'll be able to touch the bag of shite as it flys from the screen at you.
Got the hair cut finally after 14 weeks and touched up the tattoo, no longer will I be associated with the 90's rave scene.
And now it's time to come home, for a week anyway then I'll be back up here to see a man about a job. So back to reality, oops there goes gravity.
Listening to PitBull (Mr Worldwide) Shake Señora- check it out and tell me which bootie your girlfriend has!
So we checked out of The Astor and took up residence in the Design District courtesy of good friends Nicole and Julien and their new son to be, Jeraboam.
The hotel tried to sting me with a 'Resort Fee' which meant I could go and stand in their sister properties 4 ft deep pool or take a hotel towel ( think facecloth) and go to the beach, I politely declined and after words with the management said fee was waived.
It must be nice to live in Miami and do this every day, unfortunately I only have a hired Ford Focus and not the Lamborghini, Ferrari or Maybach that is required to afford such a lifestyle.
But for the time being I'm content with my Cheesecake Factory Cobb Salad and Linda's Chocolate chocolate Fudge cake, Jerry's diner Eggs Benedict and a Mojito or three from Espanola Way...the Ballers car will have to wait.
So we covered Bal Harbour, Aventura, Sawgrass, Coconut Grove and Lincoln, we have eaten Thai- both in and out, Tapas, Five Guys, Bistro, Bahamian ( crab claws) and American (Ceasar salad)
Hit the movies again and saw Real Steel with Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly ( sigh)- think Rocky with robots, its worth a watch) and also The Immortals, a film based on Greek Mythology with Micky Rourke, that chick from Slumdog Millionaire and some toffee nosed Brit, its an absolute utter bag of shite, watch it in 3D and you'll be able to touch the bag of shite as it flys from the screen at you.
Got the hair cut finally after 14 weeks and touched up the tattoo, no longer will I be associated with the 90's rave scene.
And now it's time to come home, for a week anyway then I'll be back up here to see a man about a job. So back to reality, oops there goes gravity.
Listening to PitBull (Mr Worldwide) Shake Señora- check it out and tell me which bootie your girlfriend has!
Sunday 13 November 2011
I'm in Miami B@*#h and everybody's shufflin' 7/8/9 November
He Said...
What's to say, it's Miami ...shopping, Mojito'in, eatin, people watchin' lyin' in.
The weather is fine, rental car with GPS will travel, it's all to do.
Can't find a decent cruise to hop on and the island flights are ridonculously priced so I think were gonna hang here and drop in on our friends Nicole and Julien for the weekend.
We have a huge list of things to do and find, like Spirulina, nail scissors, Excellerade and Mederma...it's going to be so exciting!
There seems to be a coffuffle about town concerning Friday, it's apparently an auspicious date, a lucky date, so at just before quarter past eleven on Friday if you have a digital watch it will read 11.11.11 11.11.11, so that's good then.
It's real easy to just hang in Miami, shops dont open till 10 at the earliest and stay open till past 10 at night, you can eat any nationality you want, the weather is cool who wouldn't want to be in a town that doesn't start till 10 am, it's my kinda town!
It's also tattooage central so were going to be playing with that too, the drug reference is a litle tired even though I know what it means and others don't need to, it's time to jazz it up a little.
So posts for the next few days maybe a little sporadic, just be content in the knowledge that I'm either:
1. On a beach
2. In a bar drinking Mohitos
3. Seeing exactly what my credit limit is in Bal Harbour
4. Drooling over Carbon Frames
And photos will be limited, you all know what Miami looks like and if not just imagine White sand beaches, turquoise waters, palm trees dipping into the ocean and semi clad women serving Mojitos...it's exactly like that!
What's to say, it's Miami ...shopping, Mojito'in, eatin, people watchin' lyin' in.
The weather is fine, rental car with GPS will travel, it's all to do.
Can't find a decent cruise to hop on and the island flights are ridonculously priced so I think were gonna hang here and drop in on our friends Nicole and Julien for the weekend.
We have a huge list of things to do and find, like Spirulina, nail scissors, Excellerade and Mederma...it's going to be so exciting!
There seems to be a coffuffle about town concerning Friday, it's apparently an auspicious date, a lucky date, so at just before quarter past eleven on Friday if you have a digital watch it will read 11.11.11 11.11.11, so that's good then.
It's real easy to just hang in Miami, shops dont open till 10 at the earliest and stay open till past 10 at night, you can eat any nationality you want, the weather is cool who wouldn't want to be in a town that doesn't start till 10 am, it's my kinda town!
It's also tattooage central so were going to be playing with that too, the drug reference is a litle tired even though I know what it means and others don't need to, it's time to jazz it up a little.
So posts for the next few days maybe a little sporadic, just be content in the knowledge that I'm either:
1. On a beach
2. In a bar drinking Mohitos
3. Seeing exactly what my credit limit is in Bal Harbour
4. Drooling over Carbon Frames
And photos will be limited, you all know what Miami looks like and if not just imagine White sand beaches, turquoise waters, palm trees dipping into the ocean and semi clad women serving Mojitos...it's exactly like that!
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Velophilia 6/11
He Said...
It's all kind of melted into one long weekend of travel we arrived today, drove from Hollywood to SoBe, couldn't check in at 6 am (why?) so went to Jerry's diner on Collins for breakfast.
Ais then conveniently fell asleep in the hotel lobby allowing me to escape and satisfy my velophilia at the US' largest Tri store, I won't bore you non bike folk with the details but for those that are bikey, think Pinarello Dogma, Specialized Shiv, Quintano Roo CD01, the new SL4 Venge and all those in-between.
By the time I was all biked up and had driven back to the hotel, the room was ready and Madam was still asleep.
We are already making plans and finding excuses not to come back, whether we just hang in SoBe for a while, hop over to the islands, or jump on a cruise ship to anywhere...anything to stall the tsunami of reality that is rearing itself up in front of us.
Posts might be a tad scant over the next few days until something happens, be assured I'm just chillin', not necessarily like a villain, but chillin, none the less.
It's all kind of melted into one long weekend of travel we arrived today, drove from Hollywood to SoBe, couldn't check in at 6 am (why?) so went to Jerry's diner on Collins for breakfast.
Ais then conveniently fell asleep in the hotel lobby allowing me to escape and satisfy my velophilia at the US' largest Tri store, I won't bore you non bike folk with the details but for those that are bikey, think Pinarello Dogma, Specialized Shiv, Quintano Roo CD01, the new SL4 Venge and all those in-between.
By the time I was all biked up and had driven back to the hotel, the room was ready and Madam was still asleep.
We are already making plans and finding excuses not to come back, whether we just hang in SoBe for a while, hop over to the islands, or jump on a cruise ship to anywhere...anything to stall the tsunami of reality that is rearing itself up in front of us.
Posts might be a tad scant over the next few days until something happens, be assured I'm just chillin', not necessarily like a villain, but chillin, none the less.
Groundhog 5/11...again!
He Said...
We arrive in Los Angeles 8 hours before we leave Auckland and we then arrive in Miami 5 hours after we leave Auckland, but in the middle of all that we lose 25 hours.
So Air NZ premium economy...it looks like BA business class, smells like BA business class but still tastes of economy. It all looks very stylish, all new white leather cubicles with buttons and lights, a beanbag for your feet and video on demand, nice menu, snacks and drinks orderable off the touchscreen TV, big soft pillow and blanket, a simple but adequate sleep kit and it all seems value for money....until that is you try to sleep.
Now the chairs reline, well they slide forward and the seat part drops...a bit... but because it's a 'pod' your seat doesn't actually go back and your legs can't stretch any further than the foot cubbyhole you have...it just doesn't work and not just because I'm the Jolly White Giant but because form came before function, aesthetics championed comforthetics ( new word alert) because the people that designed it probably never spent a night in it, and don't just take my word for it, read Ais' blog.... Oh wait...riiiiiiiight, never mind.
It's really simple airline people... buy 300 lazy boys with manual recline, bolt them to the floor and give them a seatbelt, anybody can fall asleep in a big fat lazy boy! Forget all the fancy artisan food, we can eat before we get on, keep back some Pringles, a Mountain Dew and a cup of Joe for the morning, make sure the toilets are spacious enough so a bloke can pee without contorting himself in some weird super yoga pose and then clean them, frequently.
And that's pretty much it, stop trying to out design each other, it's not the MOMA it's a flying cinema, an air lounge, a sky sitting room...think of it as so.
Suffice to say we arrived in LAX out of it, like zombies, and had 7 hours to kill before our Jet blue red eye to Florida, which by the time we landed at 4.30 am in Fort Lauderdale I was over flying anywhere anytime soon so I'm gonna hang in the MIA for a while.
If you need me, I'm at the Astor on SoBe.
Peace.
We arrive in Los Angeles 8 hours before we leave Auckland and we then arrive in Miami 5 hours after we leave Auckland, but in the middle of all that we lose 25 hours.
So Air NZ premium economy...it looks like BA business class, smells like BA business class but still tastes of economy. It all looks very stylish, all new white leather cubicles with buttons and lights, a beanbag for your feet and video on demand, nice menu, snacks and drinks orderable off the touchscreen TV, big soft pillow and blanket, a simple but adequate sleep kit and it all seems value for money....until that is you try to sleep.
Now the chairs reline, well they slide forward and the seat part drops...a bit... but because it's a 'pod' your seat doesn't actually go back and your legs can't stretch any further than the foot cubbyhole you have...it just doesn't work and not just because I'm the Jolly White Giant but because form came before function, aesthetics championed comforthetics ( new word alert) because the people that designed it probably never spent a night in it, and don't just take my word for it, read Ais' blog.... Oh wait...riiiiiiiight, never mind.
It's really simple airline people... buy 300 lazy boys with manual recline, bolt them to the floor and give them a seatbelt, anybody can fall asleep in a big fat lazy boy! Forget all the fancy artisan food, we can eat before we get on, keep back some Pringles, a Mountain Dew and a cup of Joe for the morning, make sure the toilets are spacious enough so a bloke can pee without contorting himself in some weird super yoga pose and then clean them, frequently.
And that's pretty much it, stop trying to out design each other, it's not the MOMA it's a flying cinema, an air lounge, a sky sitting room...think of it as so.
Suffice to say we arrived in LAX out of it, like zombies, and had 7 hours to kill before our Jet blue red eye to Florida, which by the time we landed at 4.30 am in Fort Lauderdale I was over flying anywhere anytime soon so I'm gonna hang in the MIA for a while.
If you need me, I'm at the Astor on SoBe.
Peace.
Remember, Remember 5/11
He Said...
Our last day in the Southern Hemisphere, on the Australasian sub-continent, in the Pacific Ocean, in "The land of the long White cloud"... You get the drift.
We packed yesterday, so after a lie in we headed out for lunch. Clint and I headed to the local range first to bang some balls ( that's Golf, people) whilst Gina and Ais went out for a coast walk, we reconvened at a local Bistro for lunch and freshly ground in house coffee ( they do do coffee well, the Kiwis)
Our flight departed at 10.45pm so we had booked a pick up at 7.45, our hosts had a barbecue to attend so we said our goodbyes and thankyou's and took in the last few rays of Southern sun.
Our trip has been cut short by some 2 months, partly because our Southern Asian plans had been somewhat thwarted by the Typhoon and Monsoon rains experienced in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia and partly because I am chasing an opportunity which really needs me to be Atlantic side.
We are booked back on Air NZ Premium Economy, it looks all fancy and such on their website, let's hope it's not all Stetson and no cattle
New Zealand Highlights... It's an amazing country, a geological infant but with such a diversity of features, topography, flaura and fauna.
Lowlights...Why is it so damn expensive...why is a bottle of Marlborough Pinot Noir cheaper in the States than it is in New Zealand, why does an appetiser of locally caught whitebait cost $24.00 a d why do I have to check out of a hotel at 10am?
Wish I had...Done more of the amazing things on offer, hiking, parachuting, rafting...etc
Wish I hadn't...Left actually, it was growing on me, even the Britishesque climate was bearable.
Our last day in the Southern Hemisphere, on the Australasian sub-continent, in the Pacific Ocean, in "The land of the long White cloud"... You get the drift.
We packed yesterday, so after a lie in we headed out for lunch. Clint and I headed to the local range first to bang some balls ( that's Golf, people) whilst Gina and Ais went out for a coast walk, we reconvened at a local Bistro for lunch and freshly ground in house coffee ( they do do coffee well, the Kiwis)
Our flight departed at 10.45pm so we had booked a pick up at 7.45, our hosts had a barbecue to attend so we said our goodbyes and thankyou's and took in the last few rays of Southern sun.
Our trip has been cut short by some 2 months, partly because our Southern Asian plans had been somewhat thwarted by the Typhoon and Monsoon rains experienced in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia and partly because I am chasing an opportunity which really needs me to be Atlantic side.
We are booked back on Air NZ Premium Economy, it looks all fancy and such on their website, let's hope it's not all Stetson and no cattle
New Zealand Highlights... It's an amazing country, a geological infant but with such a diversity of features, topography, flaura and fauna.
Lowlights...Why is it so damn expensive...why is a bottle of Marlborough Pinot Noir cheaper in the States than it is in New Zealand, why does an appetiser of locally caught whitebait cost $24.00 a d why do I have to check out of a hotel at 10am?
Wish I had...Done more of the amazing things on offer, hiking, parachuting, rafting...etc
Wish I hadn't...Left actually, it was growing on me, even the Britishesque climate was bearable.
Poo fishing 3/4 November
He Said...
I guess we could have flown back from Queenstown to Auckland and taken our scheduled flight back to LAX, but I guess we weren't ready to leave just yet and maybe also needed a few days wind down before being faced with the reality of being back Stateside.
We spent the days lazily, dining at seaside cafes, spent a day in Auckland loitering around town, my jeans found a charitable store along with some other donated items, to lighten the load and because they were bought specifically for the trip and will only take up closet space. In there place is a pair of Levis, and not the usual 501's, No Sir, these are 538's and they have a zip thing where the buttons usually go!
We caught a movie with Timberlake, which was mildly entertaining and would certainly have been cheaper waiting till it came on DVD ( $65 for two tickets, water, popcorn and M&M's....come on NZ, really!?)
As we waited for our pick up home (Thankyou Gina....again) at the cross roads of Queen Streetand Kiwi Road ( probably) it is amusing to note that when the lights change to red and pedestrians can cross, they dont do the thing of walking in the pelican crossing from street to street...in NZ they go diagonally, across the centre of the intersection taking the shortest possible route...I've never seen that happen anywhere else, they're so unruly! So much so that I had to dash into the middle of the road, mid red light and sit down in the centre of the busiest intersection in the biggest city in New Zealand...as you do...and besides I would not have any photos for this blog otherwise.
So yeah, lazy few days relaxing with our friends, enjoying the weather, eating, not exercising dreading tomorrow really, not just because of the 26 hour flight marathon but because of the reality that the journey, the trip, the adventure maybe coming to an end. Boooooooooooo ! :(
I guess we could have flown back from Queenstown to Auckland and taken our scheduled flight back to LAX, but I guess we weren't ready to leave just yet and maybe also needed a few days wind down before being faced with the reality of being back Stateside.
We spent the days lazily, dining at seaside cafes, spent a day in Auckland loitering around town, my jeans found a charitable store along with some other donated items, to lighten the load and because they were bought specifically for the trip and will only take up closet space. In there place is a pair of Levis, and not the usual 501's, No Sir, these are 538's and they have a zip thing where the buttons usually go!
We caught a movie with Timberlake, which was mildly entertaining and would certainly have been cheaper waiting till it came on DVD ( $65 for two tickets, water, popcorn and M&M's....come on NZ, really!?)
As we waited for our pick up home (Thankyou Gina....again) at the cross roads of Queen Streetand Kiwi Road ( probably) it is amusing to note that when the lights change to red and pedestrians can cross, they dont do the thing of walking in the pelican crossing from street to street...in NZ they go diagonally, across the centre of the intersection taking the shortest possible route...I've never seen that happen anywhere else, they're so unruly! So much so that I had to dash into the middle of the road, mid red light and sit down in the centre of the busiest intersection in the biggest city in New Zealand...as you do...and besides I would not have any photos for this blog otherwise.
So yeah, lazy few days relaxing with our friends, enjoying the weather, eating, not exercising dreading tomorrow really, not just because of the 26 hour flight marathon but because of the reality that the journey, the trip, the adventure maybe coming to an end. Boooooooooooo ! :(
Thursday 3 November 2011
Meke Azzz Bro 02/11
He Said...
Yesterday we managed to catch one of the 15 sunny days a year in the Milford Sound, so it was only right today that the heavens opened, thankfully all we had to do was go from hotel to car to airport to plane to car to Gina.
We left our car with a historic mile post to cross ( see photo below) and caught our 9.35 to Auckland, a quick 90 minute hop.
We had a brand new plane all decked out in the All Black World Champions 2011 livery, so black everything basically.
Gina met us at the airport and we headed home by way of a huge brunch in Ponsenby and then the supermarket for some dinner shopping.
I found some Manuka Honey which comes from the Milford Sound area, it is unique to New Zealand and is one of the rarest and healthiest honeys you can buy ($12.00 a pop) it has antibacterial and Antimicrobial properties, so that's good then.
We bought lottery tickets to see if we could snag the $ 5.5million jackpot and tucked into steak and salad for dinner.
Tomorrow we head into the city with Gina to have a mosey, my long serving Replay jeans are on their last legs and need replacing which is a good an excuse as any for some retail therapy.
Still no word as to our next move, are due to fly to LAX on Saturday and are contemplating a trans American road or rail trip- but we will have to wait and see.
The title, that's a good thing apparently, like "sweet" or "cool" or as Danny would say "dope..."
Yesterday we managed to catch one of the 15 sunny days a year in the Milford Sound, so it was only right today that the heavens opened, thankfully all we had to do was go from hotel to car to airport to plane to car to Gina.
We left our car with a historic mile post to cross ( see photo below) and caught our 9.35 to Auckland, a quick 90 minute hop.
We had a brand new plane all decked out in the All Black World Champions 2011 livery, so black everything basically.
Gina met us at the airport and we headed home by way of a huge brunch in Ponsenby and then the supermarket for some dinner shopping.
I found some Manuka Honey which comes from the Milford Sound area, it is unique to New Zealand and is one of the rarest and healthiest honeys you can buy ($12.00 a pop) it has antibacterial and Antimicrobial properties, so that's good then.
We bought lottery tickets to see if we could snag the $ 5.5million jackpot and tucked into steak and salad for dinner.
Tomorrow we head into the city with Gina to have a mosey, my long serving Replay jeans are on their last legs and need replacing which is a good an excuse as any for some retail therapy.
Still no word as to our next move, are due to fly to LAX on Saturday and are contemplating a trans American road or rail trip- but we will have to wait and see.
The title, that's a good thing apparently, like "sweet" or "cool" or as Danny would say "dope..."
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Stupid coffee cups 1/11
He Said...
Pinch and a punch.
Another early start, another 7-11 breakfast and hotel sachet coffee. We chose the VIP bus, it has WiFi, bigger glass windows and a glass roof, so I wont be throwing stones then.
We have a 5 hour bus journey to Milford Sound, but it's not a Sound it's A Fjord as it was created by ice flow, but then Milford Fjord is a bit of a mouthful, it was discovered by a Norweigan family and named after the mother, an attractive an buxom woman, lore has it.
There is very little West of Queenstown, we passed the 45 degree South, line of latitude and cruised through Te Anau, the last outpost before you reach the National Park, named after the American Actor Te Anau Reeves, who also played Superman.
Milford Sound was created in the 1980's when James Cameron, Steven Speilberg and Peter Jackson all got together to discuss a location for their up and coming movies (Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings and Avatar) it is in fact the Worlds biggest film set, if a Teradactyl swooped down from one of the cliffs it wouldn't be out of place.
Blue glacial lakes and rivers give way to shear 1000m cliff faces where waterfalls cascade off and never land as the wind whips them up into the air, they pour off in every direction like white lines of icing on a granite cake (how metaphoric)
The Sound itself is an inlet out to the Tasman Sea, once a glacier that looked at Fox and Granz Joseph and laughed as its ice fields were over 2 km thick in places, ( that's like 6 miles) Now the Fjord is 800 metres deep and the cliffs either side rise 1200m up from the waters.
We join a cruise boat and skirt the Fjord, as we return we make a pass through a 120 metre waterfall and its spray, as it slams into the water, Ais shouts to join her at the stern, before disappearing behind a wall of White water, I stayed Starboard, I stayed dry.
And then we berthed for our return trip on the glass bus, 10 hours on a bus for 90 minutes in a Fjord, worth it you ask?
Well you will never experience anything so raw, so primordial and so pure and unspoilt - so get there before the motorways, the Milford jet ski tours and the Milford Starbucks do.
Back to Auckland tomorrow, Gina please put the kettle on!
Oh, as for the title, which slim fingered Italian invented the cappuccino cups with those stupid handles on than no one can pick up, unless of course they are 3, and how many three years old order cappuccinos, they are of no use to man nor beast. Either take the handle off, a la Fat Dogs, or put on a proper handle with which the cup can be picked up....I don't ask alot.
Pinch and a punch.
Another early start, another 7-11 breakfast and hotel sachet coffee. We chose the VIP bus, it has WiFi, bigger glass windows and a glass roof, so I wont be throwing stones then.
We have a 5 hour bus journey to Milford Sound, but it's not a Sound it's A Fjord as it was created by ice flow, but then Milford Fjord is a bit of a mouthful, it was discovered by a Norweigan family and named after the mother, an attractive an buxom woman, lore has it.
There is very little West of Queenstown, we passed the 45 degree South, line of latitude and cruised through Te Anau, the last outpost before you reach the National Park, named after the American Actor Te Anau Reeves, who also played Superman.
Milford Sound was created in the 1980's when James Cameron, Steven Speilberg and Peter Jackson all got together to discuss a location for their up and coming movies (Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings and Avatar) it is in fact the Worlds biggest film set, if a Teradactyl swooped down from one of the cliffs it wouldn't be out of place.
Blue glacial lakes and rivers give way to shear 1000m cliff faces where waterfalls cascade off and never land as the wind whips them up into the air, they pour off in every direction like white lines of icing on a granite cake (how metaphoric)
The Sound itself is an inlet out to the Tasman Sea, once a glacier that looked at Fox and Granz Joseph and laughed as its ice fields were over 2 km thick in places, ( that's like 6 miles) Now the Fjord is 800 metres deep and the cliffs either side rise 1200m up from the waters.
We join a cruise boat and skirt the Fjord, as we return we make a pass through a 120 metre waterfall and its spray, as it slams into the water, Ais shouts to join her at the stern, before disappearing behind a wall of White water, I stayed Starboard, I stayed dry.
And then we berthed for our return trip on the glass bus, 10 hours on a bus for 90 minutes in a Fjord, worth it you ask?
Well you will never experience anything so raw, so primordial and so pure and unspoilt - so get there before the motorways, the Milford jet ski tours and the Milford Starbucks do.
Back to Auckland tomorrow, Gina please put the kettle on!
Oh, as for the title, which slim fingered Italian invented the cappuccino cups with those stupid handles on than no one can pick up, unless of course they are 3, and how many three years old order cappuccinos, they are of no use to man nor beast. Either take the handle off, a la Fat Dogs, or put on a proper handle with which the cup can be picked up....I don't ask alot.
Dont Spit wearing a full face helmet 31/10
He Said...
God was again on hand to ensure that no helicopter would leave the ground which put pay to my activity, however there was the option of taking the cable car up the mountain and joining the 8km downhill track.
Ais was off roaming in the gloaming, on horseback, the hanging on for dear life while hurtling down a mountain side on single track road somehow didn't appeal to her?
But all this was in the afternoon, which left plenty of time for sleep and another phenomenal breakfast at Vudu Cafe.
Ais' ride was out in the Boondoggles so she had to take a coach, I had a cable car to take, my steed was Giant DH bike with 8" on the front forks. The view from the top was incredible, they also have the bungee and swing of the mountain edge, I padded up, helmet and gloves, checked the route and held the hell on.
The tracks are divided into Green, Blue and Black, all pretty much single track and all very much downhill, my first two rides were green and got me used to the terrain and more confident on the bike, my next was blue, then a mix of both blue and green and then a black. I didn't go back to the black, my bowels wouldn't allow it.
There is some skill involved in DH biking, much more balls and ultimately the grip of a Thai masseuse, after 3 hours of gripping my hands were done and locked around the handlebars, my thighs were toast and close behind and my helmet was full ( note title)
I had tried to have a coffee but my grip wouldn't allow it so I went to the bathroom, and it fit just right... I soaked up the view for a while and watched people throw themselves off the bungy ledge screaming like someone throwing themselves from a 200 ft ledge with elastic on their ankles.
I met up with Ais downtown, found a cute Bistro and knocked off the last three on the list, Venison, Rack of Lamb and the Pinot Noir. Now it's not warm here at night, it's well into the single digits so my bike shorts and sweat soaked top were not much insulation, but then a young local kiwi would pass in the short shorts, wife beater vest and barefoot, why you ask? The same reason English people wear t- shirts in the winter, the same reason Grenadians wear wool hats in the summer.
Tomorrow we booked a tour to Milford Sound, I could drive but it's 10 hour round trip. It's supposed to be the most majestic, tranquil place on earth and is in fact the cleanest, purest place on earth, it also rains 350 days of the year- so like England then, without the majestic, tranquil, clean and pure.
God was again on hand to ensure that no helicopter would leave the ground which put pay to my activity, however there was the option of taking the cable car up the mountain and joining the 8km downhill track.
Ais was off roaming in the gloaming, on horseback, the hanging on for dear life while hurtling down a mountain side on single track road somehow didn't appeal to her?
But all this was in the afternoon, which left plenty of time for sleep and another phenomenal breakfast at Vudu Cafe.
Ais' ride was out in the Boondoggles so she had to take a coach, I had a cable car to take, my steed was Giant DH bike with 8" on the front forks. The view from the top was incredible, they also have the bungee and swing of the mountain edge, I padded up, helmet and gloves, checked the route and held the hell on.
The tracks are divided into Green, Blue and Black, all pretty much single track and all very much downhill, my first two rides were green and got me used to the terrain and more confident on the bike, my next was blue, then a mix of both blue and green and then a black. I didn't go back to the black, my bowels wouldn't allow it.
There is some skill involved in DH biking, much more balls and ultimately the grip of a Thai masseuse, after 3 hours of gripping my hands were done and locked around the handlebars, my thighs were toast and close behind and my helmet was full ( note title)
I had tried to have a coffee but my grip wouldn't allow it so I went to the bathroom, and it fit just right... I soaked up the view for a while and watched people throw themselves off the bungy ledge screaming like someone throwing themselves from a 200 ft ledge with elastic on their ankles.
I met up with Ais downtown, found a cute Bistro and knocked off the last three on the list, Venison, Rack of Lamb and the Pinot Noir. Now it's not warm here at night, it's well into the single digits so my bike shorts and sweat soaked top were not much insulation, but then a young local kiwi would pass in the short shorts, wife beater vest and barefoot, why you ask? The same reason English people wear t- shirts in the winter, the same reason Grenadians wear wool hats in the summer.
Tomorrow we booked a tour to Milford Sound, I could drive but it's 10 hour round trip. It's supposed to be the most majestic, tranquil place on earth and is in fact the cleanest, purest place on earth, it also rains 350 days of the year- so like England then, without the majestic, tranquil, clean and pure.
Square boxes 30/10
He Said...
This was another layday, especially after 4 days of travelling and me driving some 800 odd kilometres ( that's about 1100 miles) It is also a chance to visit and absorb Queenstown and organise the following days shenanigans.
Vudu cafe certainly lived upto it's travel guide reviews, serving an over portioned but all eaten breakfast ( brunch) of French toast, breakfast quesadilla and eggs benedict with a large latte and pot of tea. I just had fruit and a yoghurt.
It's a beautiful town in a spectacular setting, the aptly named 'Remarkables' mountain range flank the one side, the harbour area still has a steamship and the town is laid out in an old Western gridiron.
The afternoon we visited ArrowTown, an old gold mining town and straight out of the Wild West, but in the South East, very quaint, it even had a Chinese settlement dating back to the early 19th century when they had the gold tunnel from Beijing to Queenstown, probably.
We dined on Thai, they have a number of Asian restaurants in-between the pubs, we had the usual Pad Thai and Green Curry and then back to the hotel amidst all the halloweeners, apparently in NZ a wig constitutes a costume, piss poor I say.
Oh, we did a movie yesterday, a mildly entertaining thing with Timberlake called Time Out.
And the Smarties here don't come in tubes they come in rectangles, I don't know who did the Market study for that and why Kiwis are confused by tubes but boxes they are in- and Cadbury's have a Smartie but they call them Pebbles but it's not the same chocolate down here....Am I rambling?
Activity day tomorrow, we are both riding, however I fear the risks maybe greater on my steed than that of Ais' and I couldn't find it on my 'activities we cover' list, on the insurance docs. Should be fun then!
This was another layday, especially after 4 days of travelling and me driving some 800 odd kilometres ( that's about 1100 miles) It is also a chance to visit and absorb Queenstown and organise the following days shenanigans.
Vudu cafe certainly lived upto it's travel guide reviews, serving an over portioned but all eaten breakfast ( brunch) of French toast, breakfast quesadilla and eggs benedict with a large latte and pot of tea. I just had fruit and a yoghurt.
It's a beautiful town in a spectacular setting, the aptly named 'Remarkables' mountain range flank the one side, the harbour area still has a steamship and the town is laid out in an old Western gridiron.
The afternoon we visited ArrowTown, an old gold mining town and straight out of the Wild West, but in the South East, very quaint, it even had a Chinese settlement dating back to the early 19th century when they had the gold tunnel from Beijing to Queenstown, probably.
We dined on Thai, they have a number of Asian restaurants in-between the pubs, we had the usual Pad Thai and Green Curry and then back to the hotel amidst all the halloweeners, apparently in NZ a wig constitutes a costume, piss poor I say.
Oh, we did a movie yesterday, a mildly entertaining thing with Timberlake called Time Out.
And the Smarties here don't come in tubes they come in rectangles, I don't know who did the Market study for that and why Kiwis are confused by tubes but boxes they are in- and Cadbury's have a Smartie but they call them Pebbles but it's not the same chocolate down here....Am I rambling?
Activity day tomorrow, we are both riding, however I fear the risks maybe greater on my steed than that of Ais' and I couldn't find it on my 'activities we cover' list, on the insurance docs. Should be fun then!
Fush And Chups 29/10
He Said...
Today's activity is all about the Glacier, I've never done one and neither has Ais. Our choices include a half day or full day trek from the terminus of the glacier up a few hundred metres, then again there is a perfectly functional helicopter that can do all the walking for us for a few dollars more, so...
Our flight is a respectable 10am and so we should be done and on our way to Queenstown by Noon-ish.
After waiting for the pilots latte we meet our helicopter and head off up into the glacier, it's very difficult to comprehend the sheer size of the ice mass until the pilot points out that you could lose the Eiffel Tower in one of the crevasses that look insignificant from the air, even though we hovering just above the ice, apparently it reaches 800m deep in places.
We ascend up past the blue ice and bright blue water pools to over 2500 metres in altitude to where the snow is thick and the glacier begins its life, here we land for some photo opportunities and a chance to take in the view back down the valley.
Our flight back is a quick 5 minutes and we are on our way South to Queenstown, and another 320 odd kilometres, by noon.
The road down follows the coast then cuts inside and skirts Lake Wanaka, we stop off at a number of photo spots and a couple of waterfalls, as we approach Queenstown there are two roads to take, one is 60km longer than the other and the other cuts through the mountains and is marked on the map as 'unpaved', now we are only driving an old Nissan Sunny...but them Japanese make tough cars!
The road less travelled in this case is the better option and if the Sunny can make it you will too, it climbs up to a beautiful vantage point of the glacial lakes and mountains and then winds its way down into the Queenstown valley through a series of hairpin turns, reminiscent of a Tour de France stage.
As we round the last valley a 737 crosses our path and heads right through a pass, flying in between two mountains and below their summits before landing in the valley, a spectacular arrival to Queenstown and one which will hopefully be as spectacular when we depart in a few days.
We bagged a cheap room at The Copthorne just outside of town, so we unload and head in.
Queenstown is alot smaller than imagined, it's like a Colorado ski town and still has an air of nostalgia about the place from when it was a gold mining town, only 150 years ago.
There us a cable car and a myriad of insane activities with which to nullify your insurance policy including, paragliding, white water rafting, bungee jumping, bungee swinging, helibiking, river luge, jet boating, canyoning and macrame.
We find a fish restaurant serving White bait and local green lipped mussels, so two down, three to go.They speak funny down here, that explains the title or "Tuttle" as they would probably say.
Organise day tomorrow, Suss the place out, book activities, update the Last Will and Testimony.
Today's activity is all about the Glacier, I've never done one and neither has Ais. Our choices include a half day or full day trek from the terminus of the glacier up a few hundred metres, then again there is a perfectly functional helicopter that can do all the walking for us for a few dollars more, so...
Our flight is a respectable 10am and so we should be done and on our way to Queenstown by Noon-ish.
After waiting for the pilots latte we meet our helicopter and head off up into the glacier, it's very difficult to comprehend the sheer size of the ice mass until the pilot points out that you could lose the Eiffel Tower in one of the crevasses that look insignificant from the air, even though we hovering just above the ice, apparently it reaches 800m deep in places.
We ascend up past the blue ice and bright blue water pools to over 2500 metres in altitude to where the snow is thick and the glacier begins its life, here we land for some photo opportunities and a chance to take in the view back down the valley.
Our flight back is a quick 5 minutes and we are on our way South to Queenstown, and another 320 odd kilometres, by noon.
The road down follows the coast then cuts inside and skirts Lake Wanaka, we stop off at a number of photo spots and a couple of waterfalls, as we approach Queenstown there are two roads to take, one is 60km longer than the other and the other cuts through the mountains and is marked on the map as 'unpaved', now we are only driving an old Nissan Sunny...but them Japanese make tough cars!
The road less travelled in this case is the better option and if the Sunny can make it you will too, it climbs up to a beautiful vantage point of the glacial lakes and mountains and then winds its way down into the Queenstown valley through a series of hairpin turns, reminiscent of a Tour de France stage.
As we round the last valley a 737 crosses our path and heads right through a pass, flying in between two mountains and below their summits before landing in the valley, a spectacular arrival to Queenstown and one which will hopefully be as spectacular when we depart in a few days.
We bagged a cheap room at The Copthorne just outside of town, so we unload and head in.
Queenstown is alot smaller than imagined, it's like a Colorado ski town and still has an air of nostalgia about the place from when it was a gold mining town, only 150 years ago.
There us a cable car and a myriad of insane activities with which to nullify your insurance policy including, paragliding, white water rafting, bungee jumping, bungee swinging, helibiking, river luge, jet boating, canyoning and macrame.
We find a fish restaurant serving White bait and local green lipped mussels, so two down, three to go.They speak funny down here, that explains the title or "Tuttle" as they would probably say.
Organise day tomorrow, Suss the place out, book activities, update the Last Will and Testimony.
Monday 31 October 2011
Nissan Sunny 28/10
He Said...
We took a shuttle to the airport for our car pick up. Again to save cash we took an economy car, erm, it had a cassette player...only, and the door opened with a key!
By the time the woman had finished doing a check of the car for scratches and dents it looked as though she had sneezed biro on the page. Nevertheless it ran and we set off due West over Arthurs pass and through the Southern Alps to the Fox Glacier.
It is truly a spectacular drive, I don't know anywhere else on earth where you can look out of the drivers window and see rolling surf and white sandy beaches and then through the passenger window and see temperate rainforest and jungle then pine forests giving way to 10,000ft snowcapped mountains.
We had 380 odd kilometres to cover and it was flying by as the roads were quiet and the weather clear, it was all going well, we even stopped in a lay-by to take in the view only to be accosted by the Worlds only Alpine parrot- the Kea which means 'big ass nosey bird.'
But then as we pulled out of the lay-by, behind us a big blue articulated truck was using it's engine brakes to slow down on the steep incline, as we bottomed out of the ravine the truck caught up, then it did more than catch up, it actually got so close I could read not just the number plate but count the bugs on the grill, now you have to bear in mind that these are windy back country roads with no passing places so we have gone from quiet country drive to being Denis Hopper in the film classic - 'The Duel' ( rent it)
The speed limit is 100kph and I'm at 120 and this chap is still on my ass, even up hill he's never out of my mirror, now if I pull over he's going to gut us both with a paring knife, but then if I keep going he's going to nudge us over a cliff, but maybe if I brake hard and cause him to jack knife, I can pull on the hand brake with full right lock on, rotating 180 degrees as the trialer comes at me side on across the road and slide underneath him as he passes me in the road and falls off the cliff and into oblivion. So I decide to pull into a gas station and let him pass- not so scary then.
We arrive at Franz Josef and 20 minutes later Fox Glacier, we are surrounded by the Southern Alps and the snow capped twin peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Mt Cook the tallest peak in New Zealand, at 3400 and something meters, is still lower than our Tibet hotel.
Now if you look at your digital camera, if it has a 'scene' setting there will be one called 'landscape' with a classic picture of an obscure mountain range reflected in a mirror-like lake, surrounded by pine trees, well here it be, Lake Matheson and the Southern Alps.
Motel for the night, Salmon and steak for dinner. Just Whitebait, Mussels, Rack of Lamb and Venison to check off the 'eat' list now, oh and a local Pinot Noir.
We took a shuttle to the airport for our car pick up. Again to save cash we took an economy car, erm, it had a cassette player...only, and the door opened with a key!
By the time the woman had finished doing a check of the car for scratches and dents it looked as though she had sneezed biro on the page. Nevertheless it ran and we set off due West over Arthurs pass and through the Southern Alps to the Fox Glacier.
It is truly a spectacular drive, I don't know anywhere else on earth where you can look out of the drivers window and see rolling surf and white sandy beaches and then through the passenger window and see temperate rainforest and jungle then pine forests giving way to 10,000ft snowcapped mountains.
We had 380 odd kilometres to cover and it was flying by as the roads were quiet and the weather clear, it was all going well, we even stopped in a lay-by to take in the view only to be accosted by the Worlds only Alpine parrot- the Kea which means 'big ass nosey bird.'
But then as we pulled out of the lay-by, behind us a big blue articulated truck was using it's engine brakes to slow down on the steep incline, as we bottomed out of the ravine the truck caught up, then it did more than catch up, it actually got so close I could read not just the number plate but count the bugs on the grill, now you have to bear in mind that these are windy back country roads with no passing places so we have gone from quiet country drive to being Denis Hopper in the film classic - 'The Duel' ( rent it)
The speed limit is 100kph and I'm at 120 and this chap is still on my ass, even up hill he's never out of my mirror, now if I pull over he's going to gut us both with a paring knife, but then if I keep going he's going to nudge us over a cliff, but maybe if I brake hard and cause him to jack knife, I can pull on the hand brake with full right lock on, rotating 180 degrees as the trialer comes at me side on across the road and slide underneath him as he passes me in the road and falls off the cliff and into oblivion. So I decide to pull into a gas station and let him pass- not so scary then.
We arrive at Franz Josef and 20 minutes later Fox Glacier, we are surrounded by the Southern Alps and the snow capped twin peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Mt Cook the tallest peak in New Zealand, at 3400 and something meters, is still lower than our Tibet hotel.
Now if you look at your digital camera, if it has a 'scene' setting there will be one called 'landscape' with a classic picture of an obscure mountain range reflected in a mirror-like lake, surrounded by pine trees, well here it be, Lake Matheson and the Southern Alps.
Motel for the night, Salmon and steak for dinner. Just Whitebait, Mussels, Rack of Lamb and Venison to check off the 'eat' list now, oh and a local Pinot Noir.
Ferry, Train and Automobile 27/10
He Said...
Another early start to catch the 8 am ferry to Picton, the journey across the Cook Strait (named after Gary Rhodes, probably, or Gordon Ramsey even) takes 4 hours, the ferry, it appears, from all the French nomenclature, to be an ex English channel ferry, so second hand then.
It's not getting any warmer so the jeans and Joseph fleece are back out.
Everyone in New Zealand is English, or at lease everyone I speak to, I can't imagine there are any gap year students left in Blighty, everyone else is Japanse ( I think there is a direct train route)
We grabbed a bite to eat in Picton before boarding the Pacific Coastal train for our 5 hour journey down the East Coast of the South Island to Christchurch, we set off through wine country, apparently this right hand corner receives twice as much sunlight as anywhere in New Zealand, so at least an hour a week then.
For all you trainophobes this journey is 347km, with 21 tunnels and 175 bridges, the train is a damn site faster than the last one so it's all a bit of a blur....and I fell asleep, so just imagine the rest...wine....whales...seals...sunshine.
In February of this year Christchurch was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, already rocked by a larger quake in November last year, already weak buildings were felled and 181 people lost their lives.
I wasn't really sure what to expect as we pulled into the station, it all seemed normal...
But then, when you look closer, as we drove in the taxi, you can follow cracks down the pavement, then they turn right up a wall, exploding it, or left up a building, splitting it in two.
The severity of it all didn't become apparent until we walked to the town centre - because we couldn't, it was all closed down...condemned. An 8 ft high fence sounded the entire central business district, you could see shattered glass, masonry and an upheaval in the road. When we walked around the fence line, buildings outside the zone had been uprooted from there foundations leaving a 4 " gap all around, restaurants were locked and empty, tables still set, a layer of dust on the tables, chairs knocked over as people had rushed out. Each building had it's own special marking designating its status: red for condemned, orange for under review and green for habitable. It was the silent eeriness of the place, no pedestrians no noise...difficult to describe. After walking an hour we managed to find one restaurant serving food, it must have been the only one open, as it was packed.
As a part of our budget accommodation drive we were staying at the YMCA, however our room was just a room with a shared bathroom, which apparently wouldn't do. In England if you want to use the bathroom it costs 20 pence, in Christchurch at the YMCA, it costs another $40. It maybe fun to stay at the YMCA, but it's not cheap to poop...I didn't see that in the lyrics
We pick up our car here tomorrow for the next 700 miles.
Another early start to catch the 8 am ferry to Picton, the journey across the Cook Strait (named after Gary Rhodes, probably, or Gordon Ramsey even) takes 4 hours, the ferry, it appears, from all the French nomenclature, to be an ex English channel ferry, so second hand then.
It's not getting any warmer so the jeans and Joseph fleece are back out.
Everyone in New Zealand is English, or at lease everyone I speak to, I can't imagine there are any gap year students left in Blighty, everyone else is Japanse ( I think there is a direct train route)
We grabbed a bite to eat in Picton before boarding the Pacific Coastal train for our 5 hour journey down the East Coast of the South Island to Christchurch, we set off through wine country, apparently this right hand corner receives twice as much sunlight as anywhere in New Zealand, so at least an hour a week then.
For all you trainophobes this journey is 347km, with 21 tunnels and 175 bridges, the train is a damn site faster than the last one so it's all a bit of a blur....and I fell asleep, so just imagine the rest...wine....whales...seals...sunshine.
In February of this year Christchurch was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, already rocked by a larger quake in November last year, already weak buildings were felled and 181 people lost their lives.
I wasn't really sure what to expect as we pulled into the station, it all seemed normal...
But then, when you look closer, as we drove in the taxi, you can follow cracks down the pavement, then they turn right up a wall, exploding it, or left up a building, splitting it in two.
The severity of it all didn't become apparent until we walked to the town centre - because we couldn't, it was all closed down...condemned. An 8 ft high fence sounded the entire central business district, you could see shattered glass, masonry and an upheaval in the road. When we walked around the fence line, buildings outside the zone had been uprooted from there foundations leaving a 4 " gap all around, restaurants were locked and empty, tables still set, a layer of dust on the tables, chairs knocked over as people had rushed out. Each building had it's own special marking designating its status: red for condemned, orange for under review and green for habitable. It was the silent eeriness of the place, no pedestrians no noise...difficult to describe. After walking an hour we managed to find one restaurant serving food, it must have been the only one open, as it was packed.
As a part of our budget accommodation drive we were staying at the YMCA, however our room was just a room with a shared bathroom, which apparently wouldn't do. In England if you want to use the bathroom it costs 20 pence, in Christchurch at the YMCA, it costs another $40. It maybe fun to stay at the YMCA, but it's not cheap to poop...I didn't see that in the lyrics
We pick up our car here tomorrow for the next 700 miles.
More train 26/10
He Said...
So here we are at the 'BritoMart Train Complex' at 6.30am, our train departs at 7.25am so we stock up on a few goodies and check in with the Train Manager on Platform number 3. Our bags are taken into the luggage car and we are shown to our seats, there are only 2 carriages and a dining car, the windows are huge and the rear of the train has an observation deck with a glass back, you can also wonder outside onto a small viewing platform behind the engine car.
It's the kind of train that Steven Seagal had in that movie where he was a n ex Special Forces Chef, except we don't have an upper deck or terrorists with a stolen seismic satellite laser or Katherine Heigel....pause...reflect...continue.
The train bisects the North island climbing to the volcanic plateau of 'National Park' and through its ski areas, passing around the base of three dormant volcanoes, covering 681 km, through 14 tunnels and crossing 352 bridges, I counted them all.
It's the best train journey so far with spacious seats, a stocked canteen and no smoking, (I so nearly said no Chinese, but then changed my mind) at several points we can see the railway below us as we chug through switchbacks, horseshoes and a full corkscrew as we climb over 1200 metres in less than 2 km distance, but 7 km of track.
We get one leg stretch stop and the long journey passes quite quickly without event. As we descend into the clouds shrouding Wellington it becomes apparent that the city was named after the boots you have to wear to live here, a short taxi ride takes us to the Shepherds Arms, our lodgings for the evening, which are happily spacious, clean and accommodating. The attached bar and restaurant provided typical pub fayre so we chowed down on Lamb Shank and Pie and Chips with local microbrewery ale.
I am yet to sample the staple West coast food of Whitebait ( small lightly battered fish) primarily because I can't find it anywhere, yet. In the South island, Lonely Planet says, we should eat Venison and Steak so that shouldnt be a problem washed down with a Marlborough region vino.
Our weight loss plan has basically gone to shit, but not literally as we had hoped may be the case, even the sporadic exercise I have squeezed in hasn't much helped, maybe the adrenalin pumping activities of Queenstown will change that- nevertheless we have declared the South Island a Carb free zone, so we'll see how long that lasts then.
So here we are at the 'BritoMart Train Complex' at 6.30am, our train departs at 7.25am so we stock up on a few goodies and check in with the Train Manager on Platform number 3. Our bags are taken into the luggage car and we are shown to our seats, there are only 2 carriages and a dining car, the windows are huge and the rear of the train has an observation deck with a glass back, you can also wonder outside onto a small viewing platform behind the engine car.
It's the kind of train that Steven Seagal had in that movie where he was a n ex Special Forces Chef, except we don't have an upper deck or terrorists with a stolen seismic satellite laser or Katherine Heigel....pause...reflect...continue.
The train bisects the North island climbing to the volcanic plateau of 'National Park' and through its ski areas, passing around the base of three dormant volcanoes, covering 681 km, through 14 tunnels and crossing 352 bridges, I counted them all.
It's the best train journey so far with spacious seats, a stocked canteen and no smoking, (I so nearly said no Chinese, but then changed my mind) at several points we can see the railway below us as we chug through switchbacks, horseshoes and a full corkscrew as we climb over 1200 metres in less than 2 km distance, but 7 km of track.
We get one leg stretch stop and the long journey passes quite quickly without event. As we descend into the clouds shrouding Wellington it becomes apparent that the city was named after the boots you have to wear to live here, a short taxi ride takes us to the Shepherds Arms, our lodgings for the evening, which are happily spacious, clean and accommodating. The attached bar and restaurant provided typical pub fayre so we chowed down on Lamb Shank and Pie and Chips with local microbrewery ale.
I am yet to sample the staple West coast food of Whitebait ( small lightly battered fish) primarily because I can't find it anywhere, yet. In the South island, Lonely Planet says, we should eat Venison and Steak so that shouldnt be a problem washed down with a Marlborough region vino.
Our weight loss plan has basically gone to shit, but not literally as we had hoped may be the case, even the sporadic exercise I have squeezed in hasn't much helped, maybe the adrenalin pumping activities of Queenstown will change that- nevertheless we have declared the South Island a Carb free zone, so we'll see how long that lasts then.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Layday 25/10
He Said...
We were actually up at 10 this morning, so that's good then. We believe Ais is cured of all ailments so we set off for an invigorating beach walk/run, only this time when the beach ended...we carried on, another 4 kilometres or so, following the cliff line, boulder and rock pool hopping, passing rivers that just flowed right off the cliff face and trees, horizontal from the cliff, seemingly hanging on for dear life.
Thankfully as we passed through the nudist beach ( think pink fat blokes in cowboy hats) the trees were the only wood we saw, and when I say we, I don't mean me 'cos I wasn't looking.
Our beach jaunt ended at an estuary so we cut in and followed the trail back over the top of the cliffs, I, in my wisdom, decided to run back thinking it would be a nice flat trail....no siree Bob, it was not, but thankfully I had a good 15 minutes of hyperventilating and wheezing like a Chinaman at the Potala ( you gotta read it!) before Ais arrived back, whereupon I sprang up and faked a few toe touches. It's the air I think, it's thicker, south of the Equator.
We walked back to the house not realising that our little escapade had taken nearly 5 hours. Ais had promised a winner, winner chicken curry dinner so we hopped in Clint's Ute, mate ( it's the law) and went a shoppin'.
After I had expertly prepared the chicken, I handed over to Ais to cook. We dined on chicken curry, a veggie curry - prepared using the skills mastered at Orchha. ( you need to follow this to know), cucumber salad and lime pickle. Suffice to say the entire meal was mullered and we sat, fat and content while introducing another couple to the addictive qualities of Angry Birds.
We have a 5.30am alarm call tomorrow as we board 'The Overlander' train which takes us 12 hours through the heart of the North Island to the capital city of Wellington on the Southern tip, where we will overnight before catching the morning ferry across the Cook Straight and into Picton on the South Island, at which point we will board The Coastal Pacific train to.....anyway you get the picture.
More tomorrow, g'nite.
We were actually up at 10 this morning, so that's good then. We believe Ais is cured of all ailments so we set off for an invigorating beach walk/run, only this time when the beach ended...we carried on, another 4 kilometres or so, following the cliff line, boulder and rock pool hopping, passing rivers that just flowed right off the cliff face and trees, horizontal from the cliff, seemingly hanging on for dear life.
Thankfully as we passed through the nudist beach ( think pink fat blokes in cowboy hats) the trees were the only wood we saw, and when I say we, I don't mean me 'cos I wasn't looking.
Our beach jaunt ended at an estuary so we cut in and followed the trail back over the top of the cliffs, I, in my wisdom, decided to run back thinking it would be a nice flat trail....no siree Bob, it was not, but thankfully I had a good 15 minutes of hyperventilating and wheezing like a Chinaman at the Potala ( you gotta read it!) before Ais arrived back, whereupon I sprang up and faked a few toe touches. It's the air I think, it's thicker, south of the Equator.
We walked back to the house not realising that our little escapade had taken nearly 5 hours. Ais had promised a winner, winner chicken curry dinner so we hopped in Clint's Ute, mate ( it's the law) and went a shoppin'.
After I had expertly prepared the chicken, I handed over to Ais to cook. We dined on chicken curry, a veggie curry - prepared using the skills mastered at Orchha. ( you need to follow this to know), cucumber salad and lime pickle. Suffice to say the entire meal was mullered and we sat, fat and content while introducing another couple to the addictive qualities of Angry Birds.
We have a 5.30am alarm call tomorrow as we board 'The Overlander' train which takes us 12 hours through the heart of the North Island to the capital city of Wellington on the Southern tip, where we will overnight before catching the morning ferry across the Cook Straight and into Picton on the South Island, at which point we will board The Coastal Pacific train to.....anyway you get the picture.
More tomorrow, g'nite.
Home Alone 24/10
He Said...
After last nights festivities and microbrewery ale (7.8%) we were up in the morning ( 11am is still morning ) with just enough time to return the hire car and steal a newspaper, it was lying in the road!! Well a drive way...of a house, but it was in a bag and had no address... so I rescued it...ok?
Gina and Clint were headed to a barbie, mate ( you have to proceed barbie with "mate", it's the law over here) and I sent Ais to join them so I could get my head down for some searus trip horganizin.
We have just over a week to cover the South Island so my plan is as follows- and please feel free to comment and forward suggestions- quickly mind cos I'm writing this on the 25th!
Train from Auckland to Wellington and overnight
Ferry across Cook Strait
Train from Picton to Christchurch and overnight
Hire car in Christchurch and drive Arthurs pass
Drive down to the Franz Joseph glacier and overnight
Drive to Queenstown, stay for 3-4 days
Skydive, Helibike, bungi, rope-swing, jet boat
Drive to Milford Sound/Haven
Fly back to Auckland
I think it works, and I get to do train things again. Our accommodations will have to be somewhat meagre as everything else is expensive but apparently "...it's fun to stay in the YMCA..."
This will conclude the NZ section of the trip, the choices then are Oz, Fiji or possibly the US depending on some "things" that are brewing- we shall see.
Miss Gina knocked up a fabulous Italian dinner, it was just like the Jersey Shore, only in New Zealand, without any of the cast, and not on MTV. So same same, but different ( that will only make sense if you're a 'follower'.
Our trip starts Wednesday so tomorrow is a 'layday'.
Asta Mañana
After last nights festivities and microbrewery ale (7.8%) we were up in the morning ( 11am is still morning ) with just enough time to return the hire car and steal a newspaper, it was lying in the road!! Well a drive way...of a house, but it was in a bag and had no address... so I rescued it...ok?
Gina and Clint were headed to a barbie, mate ( you have to proceed barbie with "mate", it's the law over here) and I sent Ais to join them so I could get my head down for some searus trip horganizin.
We have just over a week to cover the South Island so my plan is as follows- and please feel free to comment and forward suggestions- quickly mind cos I'm writing this on the 25th!
Train from Auckland to Wellington and overnight
Ferry across Cook Strait
Train from Picton to Christchurch and overnight
Hire car in Christchurch and drive Arthurs pass
Drive down to the Franz Joseph glacier and overnight
Drive to Queenstown, stay for 3-4 days
Skydive, Helibike, bungi, rope-swing, jet boat
Drive to Milford Sound/Haven
Fly back to Auckland
I think it works, and I get to do train things again. Our accommodations will have to be somewhat meagre as everything else is expensive but apparently "...it's fun to stay in the YMCA..."
This will conclude the NZ section of the trip, the choices then are Oz, Fiji or possibly the US depending on some "things" that are brewing- we shall see.
Miss Gina knocked up a fabulous Italian dinner, it was just like the Jersey Shore, only in New Zealand, without any of the cast, and not on MTV. So same same, but different ( that will only make sense if you're a 'follower'.
Our trip starts Wednesday so tomorrow is a 'layday'.
Asta Mañana
Monday 24 October 2011
Supermarkets pants 23/10
He Said...
On the wayback from the Pig and Whistle we stopped off at a supermarket for some water, some $60 and a bunch of random purchases later we left. Stupidly I had not brought any hundergarments when I packed to leave, so I was left to perform the shamely task of buying supermarket undies to tide me over, as I had worn the current ones inside out already.
Back at the hotel, everything smells of sulphur, apparently we need to bathe in toothpaste or bleach or something.
After a restless night, for some on the porcelain throne, we had to cancel the MTBing, God then made sure that the skydiving wasn't going to happen, so we took a stroll through the government gardens where they have more geothermal things, another world rated 'Polynesian Spa' and cool trees. On the way to brunch we passed a bike shop, or three.... before settling at Fat Dogs cafe ( named after his wife) ( I'm kidding!!) however I know why dog is fat- my French toast was an entire loaf with 3 bananas and a flagon of maple syrup, my Flat White was served in a cup with no handle, what normal folk refer to as a soup bowl. Ais (still on toast) had two doorsteps of cremated bread and a litre of tea.Thankfully they provided wheelchairs back to our car and off we set back to the city.
I drove, Ais slept, we arrived back after a brief fight with the SatNav just after 4 - plenty of time to organise the night festivities and a RWC venue.
All 4 million kiwis were headed to Auckland's party central to drink, paint themselves black and make merry so us all been foreign decided to find a local watering whole with big ass TV's.
Anyway, a tense 80 minutes concluded with the All Blacks holding onto a slim 8-7 victory over the French, their first World Cup win ever it would seem, and for a evening nothing else in NZ mattered to 4 million odd folk ( except those that don't follow rugby, and those too young to understand, those to old to care, those in bed, and the unfortunate French/Kiwis or Freewi's as I just called them- so maybe 3,425,000 odd)
Tomorrow is a day of planning, we haven't planned well enough in the past so need to spend a day organising the next expedition... to the South Island...
On the wayback from the Pig and Whistle we stopped off at a supermarket for some water, some $60 and a bunch of random purchases later we left. Stupidly I had not brought any hundergarments when I packed to leave, so I was left to perform the shamely task of buying supermarket undies to tide me over, as I had worn the current ones inside out already.
Back at the hotel, everything smells of sulphur, apparently we need to bathe in toothpaste or bleach or something.
After a restless night, for some on the porcelain throne, we had to cancel the MTBing, God then made sure that the skydiving wasn't going to happen, so we took a stroll through the government gardens where they have more geothermal things, another world rated 'Polynesian Spa' and cool trees. On the way to brunch we passed a bike shop, or three.... before settling at Fat Dogs cafe ( named after his wife) ( I'm kidding!!) however I know why dog is fat- my French toast was an entire loaf with 3 bananas and a flagon of maple syrup, my Flat White was served in a cup with no handle, what normal folk refer to as a soup bowl. Ais (still on toast) had two doorsteps of cremated bread and a litre of tea.Thankfully they provided wheelchairs back to our car and off we set back to the city.
I drove, Ais slept, we arrived back after a brief fight with the SatNav just after 4 - plenty of time to organise the night festivities and a RWC venue.
All 4 million kiwis were headed to Auckland's party central to drink, paint themselves black and make merry so us all been foreign decided to find a local watering whole with big ass TV's.
Anyway, a tense 80 minutes concluded with the All Blacks holding onto a slim 8-7 victory over the French, their first World Cup win ever it would seem, and for a evening nothing else in NZ mattered to 4 million odd folk ( except those that don't follow rugby, and those too young to understand, those to old to care, those in bed, and the unfortunate French/Kiwis or Freewi's as I just called them- so maybe 3,425,000 odd)
Tomorrow is a day of planning, we haven't planned well enough in the past so need to spend a day organising the next expedition... to the South Island...
Middle Earth 22/10
He Said...
Our room rate included breakfast, so I ate a large Eggs B. Ais has Kiwibelly or the upsies and downsies as they are locally known so she is only allowed toast.
The former town of Te Wairoa was buried back in 1886 by the explosion of the three volcanoes of Mt Tarawera, hurling pyroclastic mud and ash over 9 miles from the crater. It is an amazingly well documented tragedy from all the journals, eye witness accounts and many artefacts that have been recovered, it is more internationally known as the explosion that also destroyed the Pink and White silica terraces, locally referred as the 8th Wonder if the World.
They also had the coolest little river which flowed from the Green Lake, it meandered it's way through the forest and.... ( just take that it was cool) Anyway, it culminated in a 30 metre waterfall which we were able to walk around, also cool.
On the way back we passed through the Redwood forest, one of the largest and most comprehensive mountain bike areas in NZ, as well as the neighbouring blue and green lakes, so named, because they are.
After a brief car park spat on my driving abilities we headed to 'Hells Gate' geothermal area and spa.
Now even though Grenada has it's sulphur springs I've never visited one before, it's akin to a moonscape, sulphur smelling and hot steam rising from the boiling waters and mud, some reaching 145 degrees.
Hells gate boasts the Southern hemispheres largest mud volcano as well as the largest hot waterfall, the smell was foul- but a dose of pedialite should sort her out.
After a 60 minute walk around the stink and sulphur and steam we opted for a mud bath followed by a hot sulphurous soak afterwards, apparently the Maori's have being doing this for ages, apparently though they didn't wear gold jewellery which corrodes due to the acidic nature of the water...
So wet and smelling of bad eggs we returned to our hotel ( a new 5* one in town) and straight out for dinner at the Pig and Whistle, a pub used to serving 400lb people judging by the portion sizes.
The hotel grading systems in NZ work like this, whatever the star rating, deduct 2 but maintain the exorbitant rate, remove some of the service and half clean the room, then charge a months salary for Internet.
Tomorrow we have planned a tear through the Whakarewarewe (say it three times fast) forest on MTB's and if the weather cooperates a tandem plane jump from 25,000 feet with 80 second free fall, and then maybe some lunch, before we drive back to Auckland for the RWC final.
Another dull day dar nunda then!
Our room rate included breakfast, so I ate a large Eggs B. Ais has Kiwibelly or the upsies and downsies as they are locally known so she is only allowed toast.
The former town of Te Wairoa was buried back in 1886 by the explosion of the three volcanoes of Mt Tarawera, hurling pyroclastic mud and ash over 9 miles from the crater. It is an amazingly well documented tragedy from all the journals, eye witness accounts and many artefacts that have been recovered, it is more internationally known as the explosion that also destroyed the Pink and White silica terraces, locally referred as the 8th Wonder if the World.
They also had the coolest little river which flowed from the Green Lake, it meandered it's way through the forest and.... ( just take that it was cool) Anyway, it culminated in a 30 metre waterfall which we were able to walk around, also cool.
On the way back we passed through the Redwood forest, one of the largest and most comprehensive mountain bike areas in NZ, as well as the neighbouring blue and green lakes, so named, because they are.
After a brief car park spat on my driving abilities we headed to 'Hells Gate' geothermal area and spa.
Now even though Grenada has it's sulphur springs I've never visited one before, it's akin to a moonscape, sulphur smelling and hot steam rising from the boiling waters and mud, some reaching 145 degrees.
Hells gate boasts the Southern hemispheres largest mud volcano as well as the largest hot waterfall, the smell was foul- but a dose of pedialite should sort her out.
After a 60 minute walk around the stink and sulphur and steam we opted for a mud bath followed by a hot sulphurous soak afterwards, apparently the Maori's have being doing this for ages, apparently though they didn't wear gold jewellery which corrodes due to the acidic nature of the water...
So wet and smelling of bad eggs we returned to our hotel ( a new 5* one in town) and straight out for dinner at the Pig and Whistle, a pub used to serving 400lb people judging by the portion sizes.
The hotel grading systems in NZ work like this, whatever the star rating, deduct 2 but maintain the exorbitant rate, remove some of the service and half clean the room, then charge a months salary for Internet.
Tomorrow we have planned a tear through the Whakarewarewe (say it three times fast) forest on MTB's and if the weather cooperates a tandem plane jump from 25,000 feet with 80 second free fall, and then maybe some lunch, before we drive back to Auckland for the RWC final.
Another dull day dar nunda then!
Sunday 23 October 2011
McKiwi 21/10
He Said....
We hired a manual Toyota Corolla with SatNav and set off the 240 odd miles to Rotorua, now NZ is an island the size of the UK but with a 15th of the population so whilst the roads are not 4 lane motorways, they are sparsely populated so you can drive freely.
As a part of my continued research into international McDonalds menues ( let's re-cap)
Nepal - McYak
India - McPaneer (Cottage cheese)
China - McDog
Tibet - McLama
We now have the McKiwi burger, a phenomenal 100% Angus beef burger, with bacon, chutney, beetroot, onion and a fried egg- it's the winner to date.
We really are driving through Middle Earth, the landscape is wild and untamed and just to confirm our suspicions we pass through the town of 'Hobbiton', the actual place where Lord of the Rings was filmed, can I get a whoop whoop!
Roturua sits on the South Eastern coast of it's names sake lake, it's endearing quality is the omnipresent stench of rotten eggs, such is the life in a geothermal town ( factoid- the earths crust is extremely thin here in some parts molten magma is only a mile from the surface)
Our hotel is apparently one of the top spas in the woooooooorld so we will try and confirm or deny that rumour later, for now we are headed to a traditional Maori village to learn a little about their culture and customs and more importantly tuck into a proper Maori Hangi ( think pepper pot or clambake with food buried over hot rocks and covered with wet cloth for 4 hours)
We were with about 100 others, our "tribe" consisted of 15 nationalities, we first inspected the food then visited the village where a peace offering to the Chief and tribe would be made. We were privy to village life, their songs, games, weapons and if course the Haka ( each tribe had it's own)
To do your own Haka, put on your wife's fox stole, as a skirt and duck tape some bush to your head, then take mascara pen close your eyes and draw four birds on your face ( owl, bat, kiwi and goose( ok I forgot the fourth bird))
Now eat a whole lemon followed by a pint of vinegar, this should produce the scary Haka 'warrier' face, stick out your tongue, open your legs ( easy now) and bend your knees, now slap all your exposed body parts chanting the below:
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora' Ka ora'.
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora Ka ora "
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru
Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā
A Upane! Ka Upane!
Upane Kaupane"
Whiti te rā,!
Hī!
Try it next time a stranger comes to your door to sell you something you don't want.
The post Haka food was delicious, slow cooked chicken and lamb, veggies and salad and apparently traditional desserts of pavlova, chocolate log and trifle...who knew? We both over ate and waddled through the evening tour of a natural spring river with Maori war canoe and it's resident glow worms.
We took to the waters back at the hotel with a steam and sauna to boot, tomorrow we have a geothermal spa booked. As well as a tour of the New Zealand Pompeii.
Kei ēnā tikanga hoki!
We hired a manual Toyota Corolla with SatNav and set off the 240 odd miles to Rotorua, now NZ is an island the size of the UK but with a 15th of the population so whilst the roads are not 4 lane motorways, they are sparsely populated so you can drive freely.
As a part of my continued research into international McDonalds menues ( let's re-cap)
Nepal - McYak
India - McPaneer (Cottage cheese)
China - McDog
Tibet - McLama
We now have the McKiwi burger, a phenomenal 100% Angus beef burger, with bacon, chutney, beetroot, onion and a fried egg- it's the winner to date.
We really are driving through Middle Earth, the landscape is wild and untamed and just to confirm our suspicions we pass through the town of 'Hobbiton', the actual place where Lord of the Rings was filmed, can I get a whoop whoop!
Roturua sits on the South Eastern coast of it's names sake lake, it's endearing quality is the omnipresent stench of rotten eggs, such is the life in a geothermal town ( factoid- the earths crust is extremely thin here in some parts molten magma is only a mile from the surface)
Our hotel is apparently one of the top spas in the woooooooorld so we will try and confirm or deny that rumour later, for now we are headed to a traditional Maori village to learn a little about their culture and customs and more importantly tuck into a proper Maori Hangi ( think pepper pot or clambake with food buried over hot rocks and covered with wet cloth for 4 hours)
We were with about 100 others, our "tribe" consisted of 15 nationalities, we first inspected the food then visited the village where a peace offering to the Chief and tribe would be made. We were privy to village life, their songs, games, weapons and if course the Haka ( each tribe had it's own)
To do your own Haka, put on your wife's fox stole, as a skirt and duck tape some bush to your head, then take mascara pen close your eyes and draw four birds on your face ( owl, bat, kiwi and goose( ok I forgot the fourth bird))
Now eat a whole lemon followed by a pint of vinegar, this should produce the scary Haka 'warrier' face, stick out your tongue, open your legs ( easy now) and bend your knees, now slap all your exposed body parts chanting the below:
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora' Ka ora'.
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora Ka ora "
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru
Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā
A Upane! Ka Upane!
Upane Kaupane"
Whiti te rā,!
Hī!
Try it next time a stranger comes to your door to sell you something you don't want.
The post Haka food was delicious, slow cooked chicken and lamb, veggies and salad and apparently traditional desserts of pavlova, chocolate log and trifle...who knew? We both over ate and waddled through the evening tour of a natural spring river with Maori war canoe and it's resident glow worms.
We took to the waters back at the hotel with a steam and sauna to boot, tomorrow we have a geothermal spa booked. As well as a tour of the New Zealand Pompeii.
Kei ēnā tikanga hoki!
Saturday 22 October 2011
20/10 Harold Faltermeyer
He Said...
Although I intended to run at 8am, due to the time difference I wasn't up till 9, nevertheless run I was going to. Clint was working so Ais and Gina joined me for a walk and we would meet up afterwards.
I braved shorts but doubled up on top, it was another brisk day with a strong wind blowing which propelled me down the beach road and all the way up the beach, running back into the wind was quite a different matter, I do make an effective wind break, but the cold air chilled and contracted my lungs as I ran. By the time I met up with the girls I had a good glow on and was weezing like a lardy asthmatic.
We walked back up the beach and then joined a National Forestry path up onto the cliffs, it's amazing how green the place is, as far as the eye can see, rolling green hills with a copse of fir trees and the seemingly out of place palm tree groves.
When you stop and listen there is a veritable avine orchestra, the sounds are incredible it's like Harold Faltermeyer having a seizure on his synthesiser, the main culprit I later discovered is the Tui bird which like the Myna has the ability to mimic sounds, our one must have been watching a road runner cartoon, the noises it was making were wild.
Our plan for the afternoon was to take the ferry from Devonport to Auckland and visit the Food and Wine Festival ( special guest Chef Gary Rhodes no less) as well as Party Central, which is a purpose built area of bars and restaurants specifically to cater for the World Cup. The girls had decided on fish for dinner so we would also pop into the Fish Market by the harbour.
The Food and Wine festival was just poor excuse to drink wine and beer and snack, which we did most well, the harbour was alive with All Blacks ( the team) Americas Cup boats, and Kiwis.
Now the thing about New Zealanders, that I noticed, right or wrong, is that they all seem to be attending an 80's Halloween party, the clothes are tres retro in that respect- snow washed jeans with ankle zips, boxer shorts over leggings, basketball boots with jeans tucked in and of course the Magnum P.I. manly moustache.
Then you get big ass rugby playing kiwis in XXXL rugby shirts, big work boots, huge socks either pulled up or rolled down ( al la Flashdance) and then in a coup de grace they pull out the 70's soccer shorts ( think Daisy Dukes) they call them stumpies, tough to get used to.
So anyhow, we took the ferry back which was delayed as it had collided with the other ferry, Pacific not big enough?
Tomorrow is the start of a long weekend in NZ, it is obviously also RWC weekend. We are headed to Rotorua, which is the volcanic capital of NZ as well as the Maori centre of the North island- Kia Ora!
Although I intended to run at 8am, due to the time difference I wasn't up till 9, nevertheless run I was going to. Clint was working so Ais and Gina joined me for a walk and we would meet up afterwards.
I braved shorts but doubled up on top, it was another brisk day with a strong wind blowing which propelled me down the beach road and all the way up the beach, running back into the wind was quite a different matter, I do make an effective wind break, but the cold air chilled and contracted my lungs as I ran. By the time I met up with the girls I had a good glow on and was weezing like a lardy asthmatic.
We walked back up the beach and then joined a National Forestry path up onto the cliffs, it's amazing how green the place is, as far as the eye can see, rolling green hills with a copse of fir trees and the seemingly out of place palm tree groves.
When you stop and listen there is a veritable avine orchestra, the sounds are incredible it's like Harold Faltermeyer having a seizure on his synthesiser, the main culprit I later discovered is the Tui bird which like the Myna has the ability to mimic sounds, our one must have been watching a road runner cartoon, the noises it was making were wild.
Our plan for the afternoon was to take the ferry from Devonport to Auckland and visit the Food and Wine Festival ( special guest Chef Gary Rhodes no less) as well as Party Central, which is a purpose built area of bars and restaurants specifically to cater for the World Cup. The girls had decided on fish for dinner so we would also pop into the Fish Market by the harbour.
The Food and Wine festival was just poor excuse to drink wine and beer and snack, which we did most well, the harbour was alive with All Blacks ( the team) Americas Cup boats, and Kiwis.
Now the thing about New Zealanders, that I noticed, right or wrong, is that they all seem to be attending an 80's Halloween party, the clothes are tres retro in that respect- snow washed jeans with ankle zips, boxer shorts over leggings, basketball boots with jeans tucked in and of course the Magnum P.I. manly moustache.
Then you get big ass rugby playing kiwis in XXXL rugby shirts, big work boots, huge socks either pulled up or rolled down ( al la Flashdance) and then in a coup de grace they pull out the 70's soccer shorts ( think Daisy Dukes) they call them stumpies, tough to get used to.
So anyhow, we took the ferry back which was delayed as it had collided with the other ferry, Pacific not big enough?
Tomorrow is the start of a long weekend in NZ, it is obviously also RWC weekend. We are headed to Rotorua, which is the volcanic capital of NZ as well as the Maori centre of the North island- Kia Ora!
Dar Nunda 18-19/10
He Said...
We arrived early afternoon on the Tuesday and spent the day settling in and catching up with old friends, so I've combined the two days into one...
So T.I.N.Z!
36 degrees South of the Equator ( I haven't flushed the toilet yet!) somewhere between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.The Ozone down here has deteriorated, so even on a cloudy day ( of which this is) the sun is fierce.
We soon realised even our Tibetan gear was not sufficient to cope with the ever fluctuating weather so a shopping trip was needed at the local mall, we are staying in Torbay which is on an island just off of Auckland, accessed by a bridge or Ferry so we headed downtown.
Now they say N.Z. is expensive and at US $170.00 for a pair of Levis - I can agree, I declined the purchase however Ais did much better with jeans and two sweaters for only $70.
We had dined out Italian last night after a chilled afternoon acclimatising, today we brunched at a seaside cafe as we watched the rain come down hard, it rained so long we had to stay for gelato :)
It would be sacrilege to be in NZ and not eat lamb so we bought all the ingredients for a good roast as well as a good bottle of local vino and had a lamb foursome care of Gina and Clint.
I will run tomorrow, there is beautiful bay at the bottom of the street with a long flat beach about a mile long, I figure if I don enough clothes I'll make it.
We have for the first time I can remember, a heater in my room, it does drop into the single digits at night!
We arrived early afternoon on the Tuesday and spent the day settling in and catching up with old friends, so I've combined the two days into one...
So T.I.N.Z!
36 degrees South of the Equator ( I haven't flushed the toilet yet!) somewhere between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.The Ozone down here has deteriorated, so even on a cloudy day ( of which this is) the sun is fierce.
We soon realised even our Tibetan gear was not sufficient to cope with the ever fluctuating weather so a shopping trip was needed at the local mall, we are staying in Torbay which is on an island just off of Auckland, accessed by a bridge or Ferry so we headed downtown.
Now they say N.Z. is expensive and at US $170.00 for a pair of Levis - I can agree, I declined the purchase however Ais did much better with jeans and two sweaters for only $70.
We had dined out Italian last night after a chilled afternoon acclimatising, today we brunched at a seaside cafe as we watched the rain come down hard, it rained so long we had to stay for gelato :)
It would be sacrilege to be in NZ and not eat lamb so we bought all the ingredients for a good roast as well as a good bottle of local vino and had a lamb foursome care of Gina and Clint.
I will run tomorrow, there is beautiful bay at the bottom of the street with a long flat beach about a mile long, I figure if I don enough clothes I'll make it.
We have for the first time I can remember, a heater in my room, it does drop into the single digits at night!
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