Australia!!!! Days 17 & 18

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

It's an early start. I make my way to Starbucks for some caffeine and my hotel manager drives me to the airport. I'm a ball of emotion, but excited to see what lies ahead. 

My plane is bound for Brisbane via a connection in Auckland. We take off and land without any issues. When I get to Auckland, I must figure out how to get from the domestic airport to the international one. I follow the "yellow brick road", which in this case is a green stripe and about a 15 min walk. 

I have a three hour layover and then I'm notified that my plane is delayed. I love the signs in the New Zealand airport.... basically, RELAX!

While waiting, I start chatting with a lovely character from Scotland who now lives in Thailand on the border of Cambodia. He's charming as hell and funt to talk to. His flight to Bangkok is called and say goodbye, but are now friends on Facebook so if I'm ever in Thailand, we're having lunch!

We finally board my plane to Brisbane. It's 3 hrs 45 min, so I watch a movie and a Christmas Special. I really love Air New Zealand. 

I'm meeting a friend of mine who has flown in from Brooklyn. He's joining me for the Australia led of this journey. 

We rent a car, and I make Dave drive since they drive on the "wrong side of the road", and I've never done that. 

I'm staying with my cousins in Sunshine Coast about 1.5 hrs north of Brisbane. The Sunshine Coast is basically the Florida of Australia. 

Diana and Grame are fabulous, and I love their energy. They greet us with a traditional "Sausage Sizzle" on the barbie. 

We have arrived! Australia, you're looking good!

Day 18: Thursday, December 19, 2013

Unfortunately, when I take planes, it seems to set off my crazy headaches, and I wake up my first day in Australia with a pounding one.... The four of us decide to check out the local beach, Maloolaba. It's beautiful. The coast here is magnificent. After a quick lunch, Graeme is kind enough to take us on a tour of the Sunshine Coast going north. We stop at Caloom beach also:

We finally make it to the resort like town of Noosa. It's magnificent. I spot a coffee truck and order a really strong latte... sometimes it cures the headache..... here's hoping. 

Within 20 min, I'm finally back in the land of the living, which is great because I really like this town. 

It has beautiful beaches, restaurants, and shops. 

We make our way back to Buddina, which takes a little while. We decide to go out for dinner at a "Club." Australia has these places all over with different names. You can go in as a traveller and eat a great meal at a fair price. One thing that is going to throw me here is that you do not tip. It's up to you if you want to, but waiters, coffee barristers, etc, all make a living wage, and therefore do not need to make up the other part with tips. This policy also make everything in Australia much more expensive than I'm used to. The exchange rate is good, but the prices are insane. 

We're off to Steve Irwin's Australia zoo early in the AM, so I'm calling it a night. 

Final days in Queenstown

Monday, December 16, 2013

Originally, I had planned to only spend 5 nights in Queenstown and then move on to an area called Wanaka about an hour north. However, when I fell madly in love with Queenstown, I decided to just stay put and make a day trip out of Wanaka. 

Wanaka is a beautiful town located around Lake Wanaka. It's like Queenstown used to be before the adventurers showed up. It's also gives off a more sophisticated feel

I caught a bus from the iSite location and make my way around curvy mountain roads. 

I'''m dropped off at the Log Cabin right on Lake Wanaka, which is their beach front. They've pre diced at 70% chance of rain and that it will be cold, but there's not a cloud in the sky and it gets up to 75. I'm boiling with my boots and jacket, but it is a gorgeous town. 

Lake Wanaka:

I grab breakfast at a great buffet and decide to check out Puzzleworld, which is in all the guidebooks and has been recommended to me a few times. It's a 25 min hike out of town, so I make my way.

It's a great interactive museum for kids and adults. It has two parts. One side is an outdoor maze. which take about 2 hours to complete. I skip this part because I've just hiked for a half hour. The other side is all based on optical illusion. It blows your mind away. It's hard to describe, because it's such a sensory overload. Everything, every room is illusions. One room messes with your senses so much that you can't walk. There are outdoor sculptures, holographs..... I wish I could bring my 9 year old nephew what a treat! (Check out their website - link above)

I make my way back to town. It's hot now, and I'm exhausted and of course, my feet hurt! I want to check out a movie theatre that I've heard about though called Cinema Paradiso. I don't have the time to watch a movie there, but I stop by to see if they will let me peek in.  

Like everyone in New Zealand, the gal behind the counter is as sweet as can be. I order a beer and sit in the cafe. The theatre sells beer and wine. Also, you can order all types of food there and bring it into the theatre. Every movie, even though they're first run movies, has an intermission, where you can run the the loo, or grab another drink. The seats are old couches, the back of a car, etc... During the intermission, she lets me sneak in and take this:

I finish my beer and decide to walk around town a bit more spending waaaaaay too much money. :) I decide to get a coffee at Ritual Coffee and Espresso and I finally meet the only asshole in New Zealand. I guess there always has to be one. I said my please and thank yous to the idiot, but he was just a terror. Not exactly the way I wanted to end my day. 

I check out some of the stores on the waterfront. It's a beautiful quaint town, and I wish I had more time to visit it; however I don't regret staying in Queenstown. Wanaka is a great place for couples, newlyweds, perhaps older people. Perhaps one day, when I'm a "we", I can visit it again. 

I get on the bus and find out that I'm the only one headed back to Queenstown. My bus driver, John, is another Scotsman. He's separated from his wife, and as he put it, banished to Queenstown. He's been in New Zealand for 12 years. We end up chatting about politics and how he ended up on the other side of the world. He wants a smoke so he stops the bus at a great spot and suggests that I go take a photo:

We finish the journey and say goodbyes like we're old friends. The people I have met on this journey!

I'm tired and hungry, and it's dinnertime so I make my way back to the sushi bar from the other night. Keita remembers me and treats me like gold. I need to sleep so I say goodnight to another wonderful day. 

Day 16, Tuesday, December 17, 2013

It's my last day in Queenstown. I wake up very emotional, which stays with me for the entire day. I don't want to leave this place. But the next leg of my journey is about to begin. 

I spend the day quietly...reflecting on everything I've done se far. I meet Sunny for lunch. She's leaving for the North Island today. What a great gal!

Afterwards, I make my way back to Brazz for a drink and to write postcards. It's my nephew's b'day so I call him at $2/min to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX!!! even though I'm a day ahead.

I finish up, and putter around a last few shops and have dinner back at my favorite place, the Sushi restaurant. Keita greets me and asks if I'm a local. hahah!!! I have assimilated. My last few hours are spent listening to live music at Pub on Wharf

What an adventure New Zealand has been. It has touched my soul and I KNOW I will come back. 

xoxo

Two Weeks in: Day 14: Queenstown

Sunday, December 15, 2013

I wake up with no plans, but I know exactly what I want to do. I'm going to paraglide... AGAIN! What an amazing feeling. I simply must do this. There is no choice in the matter. I'm also going to investigate this Canyon Swing I've heard so much about.

I go back to the iSite Tourist info center and book paragliding for right now. As soon as I can get up the hill, the sooner a can jump off the mountain. I hike back up to the base of the Gondola. The view, as I stated before is spectacular.

I meet my tandem buddy, Brady. Another gorgeous guy, but he's born and raised in Queenstown, and has been paragliding for 17 years. We're going to jump from a different location this time. Bob's Peak. So now we have to hike 10 min up the mountain, which is a bit of a struggle. I'd like to blame it on my legs, but I'm out of shape. I will be doing lots of cardio when I get home! Haha

Brady is patient, but a little snarky. He's hilarious and you can get away with a lot of stuff when you look the way he does!! I need to marry one of these New Zealand boys!

We finally make it to the top, and I'm greeted with this:

This time we're going to sale over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. I'm giggling. We run off the mountain until our feet don't touch anymore and within moments, we're sailing high above Queenstown. Brady tells me I'm a natural, and suddenly I'm thing about moving to Queenstown to become a paraglide instructor!!

Enjoy!! I sure did!

We land in a school yard, and a hug later, I find myself skipping back to the town center. 

I'm starving and it's cold and ranging, so I decide to try a restaurant called, Cow. I thought it would be a steakhouse, but it's actually a pasta and pizza place. Perfect setting. Rustic feel, roaring wood fireplace. I warm myself by the fire, reflect on my amazing journey, and dine on wonderful food. 

Back to the hotel room and then to the Canyon Swing pick-up point. I meet a fellow adventurer, Paul, who is straight from Scotland. There are 5 of us in all. (Father and son, Paul, a young gal named, Ginger, and me.) Julien is our guide, and he's a bastard - a hilarious bastard, but still a bastard. haha. We loved him. He drives us up to the canyon site about 20 minutes outside of town, all the while telling us tales that are meant to scare us. 

Basically the Shotover Canyon Swing is a swing 190 meters above the Shotover Canyon floor. You are suspended over it and then they release you for a 60 meter free fall, and then swinging across the canyon. There are 70 different ways to be launched into the canyon - each one has a "dirty underpants" rating. (1-5) Their slogan is, "Even my sh*t was scared!" What the hell have I gotten myself into?

I need to redeem my reputation from Auckland's chickening out fiasco, so I choose the baby, 1 dirty underpants rated, "The Cutaway". Because I've chosen the "easy" one, I'm taunted for what seems like forever.... Just watch:

It was amazing.... and terrifying, and I'm high on life when it's done. The rest of my group follow me, all choosing terrifying launches.... After we've all jumped, we can jump again for $35. Of course we all do it!

I choose a slightly scarier launch at a "3-dirty underpants" rating.... I now feel as if I've really redeemed my reputation. 

I give you, "The Slide"

I am over the moon. Soooo glad that I've done this. We're all giggling on our way back to town. I go back to the hotel room, shower and change. I'm off to the bar where survivors of the Canyon Swing can drink cheaply. I bump into Paul, who is gorgeous, and not just because he has an accent. Are there any ugly men here? (Of course I didn't get a photo of him... sigh...) Then the lovely Sunny walks in - from zip lining the day before. Love her!!!

After a couple of drinks, and mooching off the free wi-fi, I make my way to Pier 19 to treat myself to a fabulous, although way too expensive dinner. My waiter is from Venice. He also showed up in Queenstown 2 years before and just never left. I'm not the only one to instantly fall in love with this place. 

I start chatting with an older couple sitting next to me from of all places, Austin, TX. I accidentally drop my napkin, lean down to pick it up, and I notice that HE, not SHE has on Red Glitter toe nail polish!! HAHAHA Fabulous. I don't care, but it did catch me off guard and I'm trying to compose myself talking to them. God Bless! :)

I don't think that a day can get any better than this, so I take myself home and get ready for my day at Lake Wanaka. 

Friday the 13th in Queenstown: Day 12 & 13

Friday, December 13, 2013

I'm up early and out the door. I'm doing something I've always wanted to try. I have to get up to the top of Bob's peak, which is accessed by a gondola. What a lovely way to start the day. Just look at these views:

Ziptrek Ecotours offers a 6 line, 3-hour excursion down the mountain. I'm beaming.

I check in and start to talk to the people who will be going with me. There are 9 of us. Anne and her husband from Melbourne, a mother, her two sons, and their grandmother! awesome. We also have Sunny from South Korea, and Dora from Wales. Everyone is excited. We joke with each other while being fitted with our harnesses. 

We also meet our guides: Jocke (far right), Brook (middle), and Geoff (Off in the distance). They fill us in on the basics and safety and then help us get hooked up at each stop. The first three lines are short and sweet, just enough to let us get used to it. High above the forest floor, the views are beautiful. There are a few nerves, but they subside quickly. Dora, Sunny and I bond, switch cameras, and take videos of each other. I have met so many lovely people on this journey! They even get us to go upside down!

  The lovely Dora!

Our amazing group!

The fifth line is the most spectacular. It's' 3 times the length of anything we've done. It's high above the forest, but suddenly opens up to give a breathtaking view of Lake Wakatipu. 

We have to walk down the mountain between the 5th and the 6th line. It's pretty steep and without the help of everyone, especially Anne and Dora, I wouldn't have made it. A big, heartfelt thank you to them! We finish up with a photo taken at the very end of the last line.

What an amazing experience! It wasn't an adrenaline rush, but it was absolutely wonderful made even better by my outstanding group. 

Afterwards, Dora and I agree to meet for lunch at Fergberger (you need to click on their website - it's just fun), which some people say is the single greatest burger that they have EVER had. Everyone is telling me about it. Now, perhaps I'm more of a sushi gal.... OK, there's no "perhaps" about it... BUT, I just don't understand what all the fuss is about. But to be fair, I rarely eat burgers, so who am I to judge.... They are huge.... ) NOT the greatest picture of me.... 

I bid adieu to the lovely Dora, who is off to Te Anau for Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound. I'm off to jet boat trough Skipper's Canyon!

I'm picked up at 3:30 PM and our driver, Dion, makes his way to Skipper's Canyon about 1.25 hours outside of town. As usual, the scenery is breathtaking:

We have to drive on the side of a mountain on a two-way road that only has room for one car. The drive is quite scary. When you look out the windows it's straight down the mountain. DOH!

There are 5 of us: 2 gals from Australia, a newly wed couple from India, who have no interest in socializing, and me. Up the mountain road we go making a sharp turn on what is called "Bus-scratch" corner because you can quite literally see all the paint from the buses that have to hug the wall tightly so they don't fall down the mountain. What have I gotten myself into?!

Dion points to two pieces of rock jutting out of the canyon:

Look familiar? Are you sure? If you super impose the rocks on top of each other, add a lot of special effects, and the genius of Peter Jackson, you get Mordor the layer of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings. 

We finally get to the canyon:

where we see a jet boat flying towards the pier with what looks like a dog on the front... Meet Rusty, the Fearless:

We meet Kevin our Jet Boat driver who tries his best to scare the hell out of us. 

Hugging the canyon walls at high speeds, doing 360 turns, we have a ball.

We get back to the dock, load back in and prepare for the treacherous ride back to town. We stop along the way for a bathroom break and I get to take these:

We finally make it back to Queenstown and part ways. 

I'm hungry, but I'm not in the mood for anything heavy. Across from my hotel I stumble across Yakitori Daruma Japanese Sake Bar. How did I miss this? The place is packed with a big Christmas party going on. Everyone is screaming, "Sake Bomb, Sake Bomb, Bomb!" They slam their beer on the table, which makes their sake shot fall in and they down the drink. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! :) 

The food is great. Exactly what I wanted. And I say it again.... Another Great day. 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

My day of zip lining and jet boating has caught up with me. I wake up with chills and a fever (and it wasn't the sake bombs!!) I hope that getting dressed and forcing myself up will help me feel better. I finally make it out the door for lunch at a place called Brazz. It's a nice enough upscale pub. Downside was sitting next to a table of young guys discussing their conquests from the night before.... 

I decide to see The Hobbit - the Desolation of Smaug at 4:30 PM because if you get a chance to see one of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movies in New Zealand, you take it! (and I'm a nerd) I have time, so I go back to the hotel and sleep for the next 3 hours. 

Surprisingly refreshed, I get to the theater by 3:45 PM to get in line. There are already people line, but I should get a good seat. 2.5 hours later, I am thrilled. This movie is so much better than the first Hobbit. 

I'm not sure what to do, but it's drizzling and a bit cold, so walking around is not an option if I want to avoid pneumonia. Across the way I see an old English Restaurant called The H.M.S. Britannia. It's upstairs and seems to have quite a bit of character. It's perfect. Meal was great, the owner was a flirt, and my dessert was AWESOME:

I am very happy, which is a feeling I've had the entire time in New Zealand. 

After dinner, I decide to go to ICE BAR. I've heard of these bars, and even heard about an Ice Hotel. It's insane. You check in. They give you a coat and then let you in. The bar is made entirely out of ice. The glasses, the lights, the chairs, everything. It's between -5 and -7 degrees Celsius. (between 19 - 23 degrees Fahrenheit) It's great!.

   

Say it with me... It's been another phenomenal day in Queenstown! :) I need to move here.