I can't believe it's here already. I actually thought I would be spending Christmas in South America as my itinerary had stated, that was until you start traveling and realise you never really have an itinerary!!! So here I am, currently in the very centre of New Zealand's North Island. I spent the few days before Xmas, reuniting with old friends from Taupo (and Darren of course), drinking with old friends from Taupo (and Darren of course) and collapsing unconcious on the hostel floor with old friends from Taupo (oh and Darren of course). There has also been a lot of playing footy in the park (with my new Spurs shirt - recently purchased off a man in the street in Auckland), and resting the very weary bones - it's a hard life.
Christmas Day was a similar affair. Pete (once a chef) cooked us up the most outrageous Xmas breakfast and dinner. We eat and drunk all day as is expected and watched the Christmas films that are shown every year around this time and it doesn't matter what country in the world you are in. It was probably the hottest day I have spent in New Zealand and so I shouldn't have been shocked when I almost collapsed from the heat but mostly from being completely unfit, when a game of 5-a-side football in the park started. Luckily we had the paddling pool out on stand-by.
For many travelers, at least that I spoke to - Christmas was quite a sad time of year this time round and I do see what they mean. Xmas is about family and none of us had that. Many thought about what they would be doing at home, all the food, the people, the traditions - that you just can't quite recreate out on the road. I mean, for example - it was hot and sunny - at Christmas. Thats when you know something's not quite right - when your trying not to get heat stroke in December. Still, we had a blast and it was soon back to normality. For me, I was lucky enough to have a small part of Christmas at home - even if it was via a webcam. It was incredible seeing all the family and friends from home of which I had not seen for ten and a half months. Miss you all.
In the days that followed, we got to watch all the Premiership football, eat a whole heap of left-over's, go out and party, play poker, go to the weekly quiz night and sometimes just watch the sunset's that emerged over Lake Taupo and which are by far the best I have seen since my days in Thailand.
We also prepared ourselves for one big night of partying. We knew it was going to be epic, I mean we were saying goodbye to a year that was never to return again. 2008 was over and we had to say fairwell in style. New Year was upon us - bring on 2009.............
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Merry Christmas
Life In Auckland
So the parties were over for a few weeks and it was back to work. I'm starting to settle down in Auckland now. I work Monday to Friday, play 5-a-side football every Thursday (just like at home) and have a real good time at the weekends. And with it being ridiculously hot in November and December (huh) and some stunning beaches at hand - life is good at the moment.
Weekend's are fun. I generally go out and drink my money away, but while I'm out here I still try and do as much as I can, especially if it's something I can't do at home. Recently I went to see a Mr David Beckham play in a promotional game. He was in town with his L.A. Galaxy team mates from the USA. They were playing against an Oceana all-stars team that had been put together. Well they claimed it to be an Oceana team - and so I was somewhat suprised to see Dutch superstar and ex-Spurs hero Edgar Davids playing. They also had a few other recognisable old-timers who had just come out of retirement but still wanted to travel the world showing their footy skills to willing fans. Actually, in a game that was far more 'kick around in the park' than a competitive game of football, it was nice to see Davids (with shades on of course) going in full studs like a madman possessed and at one point almost getting sent off. Nevertheless - the New Zealanders out there only really came to see one man - and that was Beckham. To be fair - the man was spreading the ball around like Glen Hoddle even if he wasn't prepared to actually make any sort of run throughout the entire game. He also seemed to have full control of the referee who gave him every decision and I'm sure I even saw him blow for half time upon Beck's request!!! A good day out nontheless.
I had actually booked a few weeks off work over the Christmas and New Year period, which was soon upon us. I was to heading back to Taupo for the last time. Darren was still down there working, but was leaving in January and moving on to Queenstown with his girlfriend Jacqui. I would be returning to Auckland (and anywhere else that work was to take me) and we both knew that we would likely not return to Taupo after this final festive occassion. It would be a good send off to the place though, as we had so many friends down there and even more joining us from elsewhere.
Before Jacqui (who is currently working in Auckland) and I departed for Taupo, we decided to climb a volcano. Jacqui wanted to do it before she left as she wasn't returning to Auckland and of course I was up for the challenge. The volcano in question was Rangitoto. It is the youngest volcano in the Auckland Volcanic Field (erupting approximately 600 years ago) and also happens to be the largest in the field by quite some way. This is certainly worrying volcanologists, that subsequent eruptions may be even larger and going off in a city like Auckland can only mean disaster. Still I currently don't have time to worry about such an event so off we went.
The eruption was offshore and the volcano is thus a large island now, covered in parts in lush vegetation. We took the ferry over and spent the day climbing. It's not a large volcano and therfore not a tough climb. You can walk to the summit and clamber around the crater in an hour, where the views of Auckland are pretty amazing. The volcano is actually a bit like a desert island, you can walk around some parts and not see a sole. Black / grey lava dominates large parts of landscape, at least where vegetation has failed to grow and with a simple map - you can easily track down the lava caves. Formed as moltern rock crusts over it's outer surface, cutting deeper into the underlying rocks and digging down to form an underground river. Eventually the lava drains away and you are left with a tube or lava cave. We strolled around in the dark caves, generally falling over and cutting ourselves. With the sun glowing throughout, it was a perfect day to spend on a volcano!!!
Holiday period had crept upon me and it was time to leave Auckland again. Jacqui and I took the 6 hour bus ride south, where we reunited with many old friends. The party in Taupo was to commence once more.....
Friday 5 December 2008
More Chaos In Auckland
So the Taupo party was over but the following weekend, Darren, Pete, Steve and Tom came up to Auckland to continue the festivities. It was an insane weekend. We covered so much ground. We had two very drunken nights out, with even more people out than the previous week.
To recover, we went to Mission Bay. It's a short drive from town and is considered one of the most scenic beach spots in Auckland. It is stunning and we stayed on a grassy spot where we all played football and soaked up the sun. I still can't get over that it's sunny and hot in November but I can't complain about it. Christmas in Summer is definately going to be weird too.
On the Sunday, the Auckland Christmas Parade was on, in which it appeared the whole of NZ was crammed into one street. It was a fun event and we watched for a while before Darren and I headed off to do our 5th bungy jump - together. We had done a tandem bungy for my birthday so we had to do one for his. The jump is off the Auckland Harbour Bridge. They tied us together, we had our party hats on, and because we were both so hungover - we sort of flopped off the edge. The photos and video are hilarious. This time it was Darren's turn to depart as he headed back to Taupo. I would see him again for Christmas and New Year's though.
So my life has continued here in Auckland. I continue to see Harriet, Rob and Kate plus some others who we have all made good friends with. On the way back from Harriet's flat one evening (it's a 30 minute walk to my hostel) I am walking past the edge of a park when I see a man run out - it looked suspicious but thought nothing of it. Then a few seconds later I hear a scream and I think - oh no - why me. A woman runs out crying and a few seconds further on, I'm chasing a criminal down the street. She's had her bag stolen and so I'm trying to ring 999 even though I know that isn't the emergency services here. Eventually I remember and dial 111. We lost the criminal, so I waited around until two Police cars turned up and we gave descriptions.
Apart from that my life in New Zealand has been perfectly normal. I play football with Rob and the old boys on a Thursday morning before work. It's just like home except I can't play with my Father, so Steele and Steele partnership is somewhat lacking. Auckland is a cool city, perhaps not the most exciting but will keep me entertained for now. I may eventually go mad at their traffic lights though, where I joke you not - you have to wait for what seems like an Ice Age before it allows you to cross the road. On one occasion I actually grew a full beard waiting to cross!!!
Nevertheless, life goes on. I'm hoping to get a free ticket to see LA Galaxy and David Beckham play in a football match as they are all here in Auckland for some promotional game. Work continues, and Christmas away from home is around the corner. It's been 10 months so far and counting, and while it now looks like it could be at least that time again before I make it back - I think it's a good a time as any to say - I Love you all and always will........
Taupo - Just For The Weekend
Darren's Birthday was looming and I knew I had to and wanted to take a road trip to Taupo for his birthday weekend. I kept it completely secret that I was going down to see him and I still can't believe (he's a clueless man sometimes) that he thought I wasn't going down to Taupo to celebrate with him. The reason was because he had been given time off work the following weekend and so he was going to come up to Auckland with a few people from the hostel and celebrate with us then. We were always going down though.
Myself, Harriet and Jacqueline (a lovely American girl who lives just north of Auckland and who is now going out with Darren, all departed together on the Friday night. Jacqueline has a car, so drove us all down and we arrived to a very shocked Darren.
The whole weekend was great. There were loads of us out on his birthday night, including everyone from the Go Global Hostel (it was weird being back there and seeing everyone again), a group of Canadians that we dragged along and some people who I had met in Auckland and told them to meet us in the hostel if they happened to be in Taupo that weekend - they were.
I bought Darren a football for his birthday to keep him amused and after a messy two days and nights, we left him back in Taupo and headed on home. However - I would see him in a week - he was still coming to Auckland the following weekend and the party would surely continue there......
Geology Rocks - Living The Life Of A Volcanologist!!!
One of the main reasons that I am back up here in the big city was because I was starting more volcano work, this time with the University of Auckland. I'm working on a newly launched project called DEVORA (DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland) which is partly run by the University and partly by the company I was working for before - GNS. DEVORA is a 7 year project aimed at understanding better the Auckland Volcanic Field for future risk situations should another volcano pop up somewhere in the city. You wouldn't think it if you had never been here but Auckland has about 50 volcanoes. Most small bumps within the relatively flat land here are volcanic center's. How it works is that every now and again a small blob of magma rises to the surface and creates a new volcano, then it becomes extinct. The problem is - the next volcano won't be where it has been before - it will just pop up - most likely in someone's backyard. Although the volcanoes are geologically small - when you have a populated city like Auckland - damage and death are still likely to be high. Thats why DEVORA was set up.
In my first week, I did very little. DEVORA was being launched so I got to go to fancy presentations, drink champagne and eat nibbles. The big event was held in the Auckland Museum where they have a volcano exhibition and even a volcano simulator which everyone had a go on of course. Then I started. My main project is to collect borehole data from all sorts of different sources and then use this information to create wonderful 3D maps of essentially - what is beneath our feet, under the city. It hasn't been done before and is like one big detective investigation which will keep me happy for quite a while.
Actually my job has somewhat taken a huge twist. Initially I was just going to work on this project for a month and then that was it - volcano work over. But after spending a day out in the field with a volcanologist from GNS called Graham Leonard and also through talking to my boss of the DEVORA project - Jan Lindsay, I have now been offered permanent on-going work with a contract up to September 2009. I've excepted the job partly because of the money (I currently don't have any) but mostly because this is the exact reason I wanted to come to NZ. I can't refuse it - I'm now a volacnologist!!! The job is ideal. Most of the time I will be working on the DEVORA project but every now and again - Graham will call me and say that this job needs doing here. Essentially I am a volcano handy-man. There are already plans for me to work in the lab down in Wellington, and then they are going to fly me off to Dunedin in the South Island to do some sampling work for a few weeks. Then when thats all done - they will fly me back to Auckland to continue on DEVORA. It's perfect because I get many fingers into many pies and it all looks good for the CV.
I have already done one job for Graham. For two weeks I was out collecting cores from an extinct volcano - the Pukaki Crater. I got my own vehicle (a big off-road beast) which I had to drive (hadn't driven for 9 months) through Auckland to the site. It was so much fun driving again. When we got to the site - the drillers were out. We had basically hired drillers to core down into the crater and bring up whatever was down there. I was the boss on-site and had to make sure the sediment cores came out OK, especially as the drillers were getting paid 30,000 NZ dollars a day to do it. It was great fun, very muddy and I learnt a lot. I did however get the worst hay-fever ever, sun burnt to a cinder (NZ sun is strong - no Ozone) and on my first day I got electrocuted. The crater was once a farm and a cow fence runs around it - but it's not a farm anymore so I assumed resting my arm on the fence wouldn't be such an issue - wrong. It felt like someone had shot me in the foot as I could physically feel the jolt go through my body and then down my left leg to my foot and onwards to the Earth. I didn't do that again. When the drilling was done - I was back in the lab to help cut and prepare the cores that came out. The cores were fantastic. We drilled to about 75m which brought up sediment dated to about 140,000 years. There were some great volcanic ash layers in the cores too. Job well done.
So I'm now back on DEVORA and my career has finally taken off. I'm going to learn a lot this year. It's just a shame it's so far away from home. My life for now - is in Auckland, although - when the occasion calls - there's always time for a road trip. Oh, is that Darren's Birthday I hear calling.......
Auckland - Back In The Big City!!!
So it's been a while since I updated - far too long in fact, so I apologise for that but my events during that time won't disappoint! So let me begin.....
I arrived back in Auckland about 6 weeks ago and have been here pretty much all of that duration. Yet while I have settled (for now), my life continues to race past me. In brief, life is far from normal. For example - in the past month and a bit I have nearly been killed in a quad bike incident, I've chased a criminal down the road, I've been to a World Cup Final and oh yeah - I got electrocuted. Coupled with some nights out that can only be summed up with the word "chaos" and throw in a 5th bungy jump to all that - and thats where I'm up to these days.
My first night in Auckland was the start of all the mayhem that has preceded recently. The day I arrived - I took a trip to Waiheke Island. It's a stunning place, full of quiet beaches and vineyards. I met up with two friends who I had met and gone out with in what became a crazy night in Taupo. By the time I had arrived Rob, Harriet and Harriet's cousin Kate (all from England originally) were already a little merry and had picked up three Kiwi guys who were also relatively merry. One of them had a house out on the Island so we all went back. Well, I say a house - what it turned out to be was a secluded 70's style mansion, set up in the hillside and looking over a particularly nice stretch of sand known as Palm Beach. Aparently his neighbour was the richest man in New Zealand - I believed it. We Spent the night drinking, playing cards and getting lost trying to get to the beach.
From that moment on, I had found my new best friends in Auckland. With Darren left back in Taupo, Harriet, Rob and Kate became my new best pals. We would meet during the weekday's after work and at weekends and chill out. Harriet and Kate have an Aunt and Uncle living north of Auckland (they own a farm) and we have all been up to visit. On one occasion - they were throwing a BBQ party and so we all headed over. Harriet, in no fit state to drive decided that she would take me on her Aunt's quad bike and show me the farm. It was pitch dark but she knew the farm and there would be no cars out there - so off we went. With blurred vision, Harriet lost control on the side of a hill and the quad began to roll. Luckily for me I was thrown off one side to safety but as I stand up I see the quad completely roll over, perhaps three times and Harriet is somewhere under it. Now this is what you think during a situation like this - I have no idea where I am, it's pitch dark with no idea how to get back, I can't call anyone because I have no reception and I have a dead girl lying under a quad bike. Fortunately for me I hear a scream as the quad has only landed (somehow) only on Harriet's foot - and the word's "Alex, get this quad bike off me". I then had to lift this vehicle off her and get it back the right way. In the end we all survived but Harriet's foot (over a month later) is still in agony and she is now going for an MRI scan to finally figure out what the hell she has done to it.
In other recent events - we all went to a World Cup Final. The first ever U17's Womens World Cup was being held in New Zealand and the final was being played in Auckland - so we all got tickets and went to see USA take on Korea. It was held in a small but impressive stadium and 16,000 people turned up to see the game. I can't say that the football on display was of the highest quality but it was a friendly atmosphere and a good day out. The great Franz Beckenbauer was there too, to hand the trophy out to Korea who deservedly won.
Many more events have accumulated during my time in Auckland, but first - I had a job to start.......
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Saying Goodbye To Taupo
Ok, so I finally left Taupo. It had been 6 weeks and it was now the end for me here. Still I went out with a bang of course. On my last week I thought I would do all the things that I hadn't had a chance to do up until this point and thought that I should before I left.
On the first day of sun - Darren and myself headed out onto the Barbary. Built in 1926, the Barbary is a 15m ocean-going racing yacht. It was once owned by actor Erol Flynn but these days is sailed around Lake Taupo by 'Barbary Bill'!!! It's a two and a half hour trip around the vast lake. Somehow Darren and myself steered the vessel for most of the time (no one else wanted the responsibility) as Bill ran around the ship pulling various pieces of rope which had some affect on the sail above us. We headed over to the Maori carvings. The carvings are on private land but can be reached by boat. They reminded me of the rock carvings I had seen at one of the temples in Angkor (Cambodia) except these were of Maori design and were not ancient in any sense. They were apparently carved about 30 years ago but are still impressive and continue to attract the crowds. On the trip around the lake, you also get great views of the Tongariro National Park and of Mt Tauhara which looms over the town of Taupo. From this distance you can see why the mountain is called 'the pregnant lady' (take a look at the photos) and accompanies a story told in Maori legend.
On my last week, I also made it down to take a ride on the Huka Falls Jet. They have these jet boat rides all over New Zealand, the difference with this one was that I knew someone who worked there. Mike, who also works at Go Global Backpackers (where i'm staying) is training to be a driver at the Huka Falls Jet. So when I went down to see him - he kindly got me a free ride and accompanying photos of my escapade. He wasn't driving of course - I would never get in a boat with him steering even when he's fully trained (you would know what I mean if you knew him) - but I was grateful of the gesture. The ride is about 30 minutes, along the Waikato River. It first takes you down to the Aratiatia Dam and then up to the Huka Falls. Now and again, the driver does a 360 degree turn and you get soaked. They take you pretty close to the falls - further than you could get to them any other way which is pretty cool. The driver constantly rides close to the banks and near trees that pop out of the river (just to scare the kids) before turning at the last minute. The jets are fast and you feel as though the whole thing is floating above the water. It's definately worth a ride - well especially if it's a free ride.
There was also some last nights out on the town, which involved going out with the main Go Global team - who I had got to know over the last month and a half and any random people who wanted to join in. On my last few nights - there were many randoms, much alcohol and some funny and bizarre nights out. I even met my tandem sky-dive master who had jumped out of the plane with me just a few weeks before. By pure coincidence he was also Darren's sky-dive tandem master. He got a lot of drinks that night. There were also goodbye BBQ's, and present swapping. For some strange and unmentionable gifts - I, in return, bought them all a tin of mushy peas. I found them where Darren works. The owners are English and they import all sorts of very British foods. No one had ever tried them before so I thought I'd see what they thought. No one has yet dared to open them. As another kind gesture I have also taught them the ways of speaking North London - those mild subtleties that make it unique. Next time you visit Taupo, don't be surprised if everyone is now saying 'Awight Geezer' and 'Nice One Bruva".
I left Taupo (which has now made it into a list of top 10 places to live in the world by the way) with some fond memories and some good friends (notably - Pete, Mike, Emory, Steve, Karen and Kylie). They are all crazy characters in their own way and some of them have stories that people are not meant to have (especially Emory)!!! I have left Darren there to keep them all amused. I'll miss the Go Global hostel too - it has the most amazing views from the balcony. As well as seeing Lake Taupo, and even Mount Doom from there, you can also see into the bathrooms of the Base Backpackers across the street. The story goes - that when the building was being constructed, the builders put all the tainted windows in the wrong way. So to those in the bathroom - it looks like a mirror but to everyone outside - you can see straight through. There were some very dodgy things seen in those windows- or so i'v heard - i'v never looked myself of course and I would be disgusted with any of you who thought otherwise!!!
I'd like to think I will return to Taupo one day soon, just to see all the guys again but who knows. For me, for now - it was back to the big city, well at least as big as cities get in New Zealand. Due to a call of more work in volcanoes, I was heading back to where I first began in this country...........Auckland!!!
Saturday 11 October 2008
Living The High Life In Taupo
So I'v been living in Taupo for a month now. It's nearly time for me to leave. I have almost finished my work with GNS studying volcanoes and I'm soon off to Auckland to work with the University there, to continue my ambition in volcanology. It will be a shame to leave Taupo, it feels like home to me now. We are such good friends with the people in our hostel, and most of the locals too because there is a real, small-town atmosphere here. I'll be leaving Darren here too when I leave - he is staying on but we have already decided to meet up after I have finished in Auckland. Where we will go - who knows but I'v been living like that for such a long time now (not knowing what the hell is going on from one day to the next or where I will end up tomorrow) that it's just part of my life these days. I will also miss this beautiful part of the country - with the largest lake in the Southern Hemisphere sitting in my backyard, and views of three volcanic peaks from my hostel balcony - why would I want to leave. Those views are heightened when I take my one and a half hour walk to work. At first it was a bit of a pain - treking that far to work each day and these days I often get a lift in, but I will those miss those walks - especially on my return leg when your perched up high on a hill looking down as the sun sets over Taupo and the Tongariro Mountain peaks.
However - enough of all that. As it's soon time for me to depart Taupo - there was still one main thing here that I had not done - and that was Skydiving. Taupo is considered the Skydiving capital of the world as well as one of the cheapest places to launch yourself out of a plane. It is also one of those things that I have wanted to do since I was a kid. In fact my good friend Darren and another friend Alexander Shaverin had planned on doing one back in England when we were in our teens - but it never quite happened for reasons I can never quite remember. Unfortunately Alexander isn't with us anymore but with Darren joining me on the other side of the globe, we thought we would do it as a tribute to our old friend.
In a twist of irony - Darren and I did our skydive jumps seperately. He works during the weekend and I only have those two days off. On the one day we tried to book it together - it got cancelled down to bad weather. Darren had completed his jump two days ago and had loved every minute. So I decided, with weather on my side this time - that it was my turn. Today I booked myself in for a 15,000ft skydive - the highest comercial jump you can do. Let me tell you how incredible it is. By a long way it's one of the most unbelievable things I have ever done. Putting bungy jumping to a mere walk in the park - leaping out a plane and freefalling for 4.6km (2.8 miles) is like nothing else.
First your harnessed up - then I met my tandem master - his name was John - he was Brazillian and he had done over 6,000 jumps before - I was happy about that. We had 4 others crammed into the small aircraft and before you realise whats going on - the plane is taking off. It takes about 25 minutes to climb the 15,000 feet. With me was also my camera-man. I had the full photo and dvd option - so not only was a camera attached to John's arm (handycam) but I also had a seperate camera-man jumping just to get photos and a dvd of me (smiling hopefully). It was a scenic flight up as I chatted to John about his skydiving life (a new ambition now formulated in my head). The lake (even for it's immense size) now appeared a mere pond as we climbed above the clouds. I was the first jumper. The doors open, the camera-man hangs out the side of the plane - you move to the end - your legs hanging over the side and you take that first look down and realise what your doing is completely insane. You turn briefely for your exit photo and then the tandem master rolls you out.
The first few seconds are the best. I mean the whole experience is just fantastic - but just with the bungy jumps - it's those first moments that you savour. You spin and roll before stabilising. The thought that your falling 200km per hour didn't really cross my mind at the time. It's just an amazing feeling. All you feel is wind, but what you see is everything. From this height you can actually see the South Island of New Zealand - and if I squinted I was sure I could see Mars. I played around in freefall with my camera-man and John, having fun and smiling to the camera. You realise how quickly things on the ground start to increase in size as you continue to fly back to Earth. The whole freefall at this height lasts 60 seconds. Thats 1 minute of pure adrenaline, before the tandem master pulls that very important cord, letting the parachute deploy. You feel a slight tug and suddenly you slow to a gentle decent.
This part of the expereince is just as amazing. You now get to take a good look over the incredible scenery laid out before you. Lake Taupo dominates below, and the snow capped Ngauruhoe and Tongariro loom in the distance. It's a gentle fall and I was allowed to take control of the parachute, steering us both - he obviously doesn't know me or he probably wouldn't have let me take control. We eventually make it to safe ground - on our arse's.
While waiting for the photos and dvd's to be processed I got chatting to two of the workers at Taupo Tandem Skydiving (TTS) and got offered two jobs. I'm leaving Taupo soon - but I said if I ever return that I would give them a call. Don't worry mum - the job doesn't involve jumping out of a plane, one was working at TTS and the other in a hostel. I'll keep both in mind.
It was a life dream to skydive and now i'v done it - it didn't disappoint at any stage. I would make it a hobby if I had money to. Although me and Darren didn't do it together we both (in our own ways) dedicated our jumps to Alexander Shaverin who is still sorely missed by us both.
If your ever thinking about doing a skydive - then stop thinking and just go - you won't regret it. It is the biggest adrenaline rush of your life and although I am safely back down on the ground now I still feel like i'm walking on clouds..............
Saturday 4 October 2008
Life With The Maori's
So I have been in New Zealand for about two months so far. I'm still living and working in Taupo although am soon departing for more work up in Auckland. Life here is great. We have been in our hostel long enough now that we are friends with all the workers and everyone else who pops in now and again to stay. Work is still exciting, although the scenic hour and a half walk there and then back again is now on hold since I have damaged my foot and am now on 14 painkiller tablets a day. I'm getting lifts in now.
Yet, in all the time I have spent travelling around NZ I still haven't experienced the real Maori culture. I mean, you see the Maori's everwhere, especially around Taupo (actually pronounced toe-paw) which is a bit of a cultural Maori heartland along with Rotorua up north. So Darren and I decided to go on a Maori village visit. The Wairakei Terraces are actually just north of where I am working. It's an actual Maori village and they do weekly trips for visitors to see some of the culture.
You get a guided walk around the village where you have to greet the Maori's in traditional style (the hongi) in which you touch noses and foreheads with each of your hosts. You learn about when and how they came over to NZ from French Polynesia and how they have lived their life since that time. You learn about their beliefs, why they tatoo their faces and learn their games. You also get to see the geothermal pools (like we had seen up in Rotorua) and the silica terraces which form as silica crystallises out of the rich underground waters.
Later you have a traditional hangi meal, in which all food is cooked under a clay pot buried in the ground and heated by the Earth's geothermal power. Essentailly we had a fantastic roast but it was cooked underground instead of in an oven - it was deliceous though. Finally we got to see a Maori performance. There were a couple of special dances and songs before they performed the Maori war dance - The Haka, which was made famous by New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team and which scared the hell out of Darren.
Then of course they get people up on stage to learn it too. Why I am suprised that they picked me I don't know. To the amusement of the audience and mostly Darren, I end up looking like a complete idiot attempting to look scary while actually looking as though I should be in Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' music video.
It was great to get a bit of a Maori cultural injection so now I have an idea of the incredible native people who I walk past ever day. I also now know how to perform The Haka with expert precision - so I will be scarying the pants off you all when I return.
The Tongariro Crossing
There are many top walking tracks in New Zealand. The country is perfectly designed for them. Some can take up to 9 days to complete, some stretch you across lakes and rivers, up high onto snow fields or down low into vast valley's. Some tracks tramp you across flat fields of alpine scrub whilst others lead you up to the loftiest barren peaks of some pretty challenging mountains. One has all this and to top it all off - has a couple of volcanoes thrown into the mix as well. It only takes 8 hours and is considered the best one-day walk in NZ. It is The Tongariro Crossing and I just had to give it a go.
To start off your picked up at 6.20am. To me however it was 5.20am because the clocks had gone forward an hour for daylight saving the night before. The Tongariro National Park (NZ's first national park) lies south of Lake Taupo and incorporates a number of walking options and three volcanoes - Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. There were actually a lot of factors that almost stopped me doing this walk. First, a recent dispute over guiding permits meant that officially there was no-one to take anyone on the walk. It's because some of the track crosses private land and at the time 'officially' guided walks were off. You could still go up on your own - but in winter - they recommend you have mountain experience - especially as the tracks are covered in snow, you need specialist equipment and the weather can change very quickly on the mountains making a potentially hazardous experience. However I did manage to find a guided group going and booked myself on.
The second factor which almost stopped me walking was the weather. When we arrived at the start of the track a wall of cloud had ascended over the peak between the volcanoes of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. If that cloud was there when we arrived then we would have to turn back and only complete half of the track. With a bit of help from above - every time we got closer to the cloud it seemed to move further away. It was like chasing a rainbow but never reaching it. By the time we got to 'the decision point' the cloud had departed and we had perfect skies for the rest of the walk.
The final problem I had was that about an hour in, I wonder off track place my crampons (they are the big spikes you put onto your boots for walking in snow) onto a volcanic rock and take my pictures. Then I walk off without my crampons. Twenty minutes down the track I realise and run back, but the problem with these volcanic rocks is they all look the same - because they are all the same. I couldn't find them anywhere and I thought that was it - I would have to turn back. Luckily my guide said conditions were not too bad and she let me carry on. So after all that I could complete the Tongariro Crossing and it was all worth it.
The track starts off flat as you head towards Soda Springs from your starting point at the west of the national park. As you trek on through the Mangatepopo valley, you have the continual view of Mount Ngauruhoe looming over you on your right hand side. Ngauruhoe is the youngest volcano in the park and stands at 2287m. It's estimated to have formed in the last 2500 years and provides a perfect symmetrical single vent volcano. It is perhaps better known as Mount Doom in the 'Lord Of The Ring's' trillogy. It can be climbed in summer but it's snowy peaks are only ttempted by experienced mountaineers in the winter. As you cross the valley you can clearly see the lava flows that cascaded down the slopes of Ngauruhoe when it last erupted in 1975.
At the end of the valley section and just pass Soda Springs you reach the Devils Staircase which takes you up to the saddle between Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro (1967m). It is here that you start the climb, the crampons come out (well I borrowed the guide's pair) for the second half of the climb and you trek upwards along a snow covered track and over volcanic terrain. When you reach the top your at a height of approximately 1650m and are essentially sandwhich'ed between two volcano's. As you reach the top, known as the South Crater, you get a full view of the valley over the other side. From here you can actually see the coasts on both sides of the country. One way your looking over the Tongariro National Park to the east where the Pacific can be seen on the horizon, whilst on the other side, looking west, is the Tasman Sea.
After more photo's we continue upwards to the highest point on the track. First you have to navigate yourself around some pretty narrow ledges at worryingly high positions and then clamber up for about 20 minutes in what is the most exhausting part of the day before reaching the peak. We had lunch up here. It's an area known as the Red Crater, a volcanic remnant from a very old eruption, now a circular hole of red rock units. You would think that the top (1900m) would be pretty cold and I think it normally is, but we were kept warm by the ground on which we sat. The Red Crater point sits above a still very active region and fumeroles vent out hot steam. I could only sit down for about 20 minutes before my rear end started to actually burn.
To get down to the other side of the peak where sits the Emerald Lakes, we used a method no-one on our group was expecting. Our guide walks us laterally across the steep snow-covered slope, then tells us to get on our bums and slide down. Everyone thought she was joking but she wasn't. It was the best part of the walk and we wern't even walking. You fly down the slope and a fast pace, as snow is flung up into your face. You reach the base in record time, if completely soaked. The Emerald Lakes had pretty much frozen over but there were some sulphur-yellow coloured lakes and streams still visible.
As you continue, you end up traversing around the very steep northern slopes of Mount Tongariro, where I was suprised we didn't lose anyone down the slope on the way. As you move around the mountain - the second great view comes into sight. You look north and can see the whole of Lake Taupo in the background. I could see where I have been living and working for the last two weeks, and you realise how large that lake actually is. Eventually you make it down off the slope and zig-zag to Ketetahi Hutt. From here it was a final rest before the last two hours, seeing you continue down the mountain, through tussock plains and then into native forest before reaching the end.
After completing The Tongariro Crossing and feeling chuffed with myself, I head back to Taupo, collapse, sleep and then wake up in agony (around my foot area). I later end up going to hospital to find that I have stretched a ligament in the arch of my foot. But for the incredible views, the challenging walk, the snow slides and the fact that I was surrounded by a number of active volcanoes (one of which was LOTR's Mount Doom) - I would do it all again tomorrow - if I could still walk that is.
Saturday 20 September 2008
Making It To A Quater Of A Century (25 Years Old)
So on the 18th September 2008, I reached 25 years old. I mean I know many have done it in the past - but I consider it a complete achievement to reach this impressive figure. I feel over those years, I have matured into a well rounded and proficient member of society. I mean, just look at this bungy photo of me and Darren jumping off a 47m high ledge, into a river, with party hats on. My hat actually completely disappeared during this jump although I did have the string attached to my ear. You can see the hat falling off in the DVD and it also makes it into one of the other photos, as it falls off my head. The whole thing was completely ridiculous.
In fact my whole birthday week has been following that sort of nature. On the 17th September, Darren, myself and three girls we had met (Kat, Becka and Ellen) went out for more than a few drinks - which ended up with shots of sambuca that were (of course) set on fire before consumption. Then on my birthday, after getting presents from all the wonderful family back home (thank you all), a present from Darren and a birthday cake, candles and card left by the three girls (so kind), we returned to the bars where we met some Kiwi's for a few drinks and also a guy called John who I had met in Noosa, Brisbane and Byron Bay during my time in Australia, which was cool. It's now the weekend - and officially it's my birthday night out tonight - my only aim is to remain alive and the rest will be as it is.
So I suppose the accomplishment of hitting 25 means nothing really. While I have reached a quater of a century in bodily years, my mental state is probably somewhere around the quater of a decade level - which is where it has been since I was a quater of a decade old. Still I wouldn't have it any other way, we all live for fun and thats exactly what I have been having............long may it continue.
Taupo
The town of Taupo lies on the northeastern corner of NZ's largest lake - Lake Taupo. At 606 square kilometers Taupo is the site of one of the world's great volcanic centres. Like that of Indonesia's Lake Toba in Sumatra, which I had visited about 4 months ago, Taupo is a super volcano. Hidden under the water is a source of tremendous quantities of magma - which one day wil be ready to shoot to the surface, blowing the volcanoes fuse again. In it's past Taupo has had two major eruptions. About 26,500 years ago - the really big one occurred which created a hole (caldera) now filled by the lake. It produced an estimated 800 Cu Km of ash and pumice. For comparison the 1883 eruption of Krakatua (which I was also lucky enough to see 4 months ago) produced just 8 Cu Km and Mt. St Helens only puffed out 3 Cu Km when she blew in 1980. The eruption devastated the entire North Island, coating the land in ash up to 100m thick. More recently in AD 181 there was accounts of darkened skies, and spectacular sunsets as far away as China - from an eruption that would have produced an ash column some 50Km's high. Luckily for everyone concerned - there was no-one (and so little concern was provided). NZ was uninhabited at the time and so what could have been a natural disaster of immense proportions was simply a natural phenomena of immense proportions. Today there are over 250,000 people living in Taupo and millions surrounding the area. If Taupo were to blow on a huge scale like those of the past - it would be an evacuation like no-one has ever seen before - the entire North Island of NZ would have to pack up - and thats if an eruption could be forecast, for if it couldn't - then it would be goodbye for 250,000+ people who would at least enjoy their last moments with front-row seats at the best fireworks show in town. Taupo was my sort of place - I think I was going to like it here.
Darren and myself arrived after a long 6 hour trip from Wellington. It was good to be off a bus for a while, as we were both staying here in the relatively small town of Taupo for the next month. Darren was going to look for a job for the next few weeks to keep him entertained and provide some well needed cash, and I was starting work in three days at Wairakei - a short trip up north of Taupo where I would work in the volcanology section at Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS), who do all the research and monitoring of volcanoes in New Zealand.
I have currently been in Taupo for just over a week. I have completed my first week at GNS, which was both interesting and enjoyable. I arranged this job before I left travelling, 7 months ago with Gill Jolly, originally from Yorkshire, England and volcanologist who is coordinating the work I am undertaking here. I have been put on the GIS Hazrad Response Mapping section, which is essentially compiling hazard maps for many of the volcanic centres in the country. I am compiling the information so that if one of the volcanoes is showing signs that she is ready to pop - all the map data is there on hand, with all the hazrad areas marked on, which places will need to be evacuated etc. I have also been told that I will be going out in the field (hopefully) when some of the monitoring teams head out - but monitoring is all weather dependant, one thing I or other volcanologists can't control - as much as we would like too. It's also interesting - speaking to the experts in the field, seeing how a volcano (and other geological) research centres operate, and having access to all the data, including real-time seismic signals as they come in. Actually on the 17th September, while I was walking to work we had an earthquake reach 4.4M and pretty much everyone felt it except me. I don't know how - I was awake, but later I found out that the only other person who didn't feel it - was Darren - he slept straight through it.
I suppose the only down-side to the job is getting there. I can't afford to get a car and as yet haven't sorted out a bike. There is no public transport and to walk from Taupo to GNS takes one hour and 15 minutes each way - so you can understand how, by the end of the week, I had slipped into a small coma. Actually I was kind enough to get some lifts here and there but not all the time as many of them ride bikes or don't live in Taupo. But apart from the fact that I feel like i'v just climbed Mount Vesuvius before i'v even started my days work, the rest is exactly what I wanted.
On the days that I have had when I haven't been working, I have taken a good look around Taupo and further afield. The Lake is a great spot to walk by - many just relax by this colossal pool of water. I have also walked along the Huka Track to the Huka Falls, which is NZ's most famous falling water feature - as water plunges through a narrow cleft in the rock and travels at spectacular pace and energy. The Huka Falls is actually on my walk to work so I get to see it quite regularly (as well as the other stunning scenery along the way) - so at least there are some advantages to my trek. Next to GNS is also a Volcanic Activity Centre which is full of useful information about volcanoes (especially those in NZ) and some earthquake facts too. If your into your volcanoes then a trip here is a must, just for the load of interesting information and the earthquake simulator. Customers have to pay a 10 dollar admission fee but I got in free because I work for GNS - perks of the job!!!
Darren also now has a job working in an internet cafe (the one I am writing this blog from) and we have found a cheap twin room in a backpackers. We have essentially stopped travelling and are now living.
We also said goodbye to our good friends Marie and Alice who left us in Taupo and headed onwards. We meet many travellers in our hostel - usually for a few days before they move to their next destination but some are here long enough to become real friends, which is nice.
The main thing I have to do in Taupo before I leave is skydive. This is considered by many as the skydiving capital of the world and one will definately be done in the next few weeks. However, while Darren attempts to get the funds before we do it - we did have time to do other extreme activities which were not so expensive. In fact we have done another two of them. In the last month Darren and I now both tally 4 bungy jumps each. The one in Taupo is over the largest river in New Zealand - Waikato River. On our first bungy, we both jumped the 47m fall and got dunked into the river, up to our legs. It was great fun and certainly cooling on a hot day. Our second jump which was done a week later, was done tandem. They tie a bungy rope to you, then tie one to your friend (Darren in this case) and finally they tie your ropes together. Then, on the count of three - you both jump off holding each other around the waist. To make it more daring we were told to do the reverse escalator. The jump is done backwards and instead of going down head first as normal you both jump off like your taking a step back. You fall feet first and then get swung all over the place as the rope flicks you back out. It was insane.
The only other thing to tell you was that we did this last bungy jump with party hats on, the reason for this was because on the 18th September 2008 I reached a quarter of a century years old..........
Sunday 14 September 2008
Back In Wellington
So we finally left the incredible South Island of New Zealand and returned to it's northern shores. We were back in the country's capital city and it was no bad thing. We only spent a couple of days in Wellington as we had seen the city (in parts) on our first visit here.
In honest the only worthy thing of note during our time in Wellington this time around was a trip up to Mt. Victoria which lies just east of the city centre. We took the bus up to the top (lazy - I know) and from there you get 360 degree views over the whole region. You can observe the whole of the city from up here, the harbour front and across to mountains in the distance. On the way down we walked down the wooded slopes of the mountain / hill - an area known as the townbelt. It was in this area where they filmed the famous "Get off the road" scene from Peter Jackson's - The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring film. We went on the lookout for the spot but there's no sign saying - 'by the way the LOTR's place your looking for is here' - which would have been handy. After much searching through wet and muddy ground though - I think we found the spot and snapped some photos.
We spent our evenings here entertained by a British couple - Adam and Ellie who were perfectly normal 28 year olds when sober but after a few drinks involuntarilly became 6 year old kids - the transformation was incredible. Wellington also turned out to be one big reunion for both Darren and I - although it was not planned that way. We bumped into two English girls that we had met in Dunedin, Daniella who was our roomie in Christchurch, and two Bolton girls who we had become good friends with while we were staying in Queenstown. We met them all in different locations across Wellington - that happens when you travel.
After all our hello's and then goodbyes (again) we departed for Taupo. It was Darren and myself's final stop for a while. All in all, of 7 months of travelling I have never stayed in one place at one time for longer than a week - anywhere. After a 6 hour bus ride north, we arrived in Taupo - a place that I would call home for at least a month, where I would spend my birthday and where I would finally (to the relief of my parents) get work and it (to the relief of myself) would be studying volcanoes.........
Wednesday 10 September 2008
Kaikora
Kaikora was only 2 and a half hours up the coast from Christchurch. It's a small (basically one road) town, set along the coast. It's a quiet but scenically enchanting place and a popular location for tourists due to the large number of accessible sealife (specifically whales and dolphins) which everyone comes to watch or even swim with here. Over the 7 months traveling, I have seen and swam with a huge variety of wild creatures and many of them were water based, but of all the things to do - swiming with dolphins was one of the top things for my friend Darren (he loves his animals) and so I decided that I would come along for the swimming ride.
Unfortunately, we only had one full day to swim with the dolphins and on that day our trip was cancelled. Aparently this happens a lot. If you don't have the right weather conditions or the dolphins are not up for messing around in the waters that day then the trips get postponed. We had been speaking to many people who had stayed in Kaikora for days for the chance to swim with these watery mammals but kept having their trip postponed. One thing you learn when you travel and seeing many wild creatures - is that you just can't rely on them. Equally you can't rely on mother nature either and so when you have the two to rely on - your chances are low - especially if you only have one day to do it. I promised Darren that he would get his swim with a dolphin before he leaves NZ - there are plenty more places to do it - and hopefully it would be in summer, when the waters would be warmer.
Instead, on our (now) free day, we took a long walk up to the Seal colony. It was a great (and long) walk but the seals were all there waiting for us. Most growled at Darren for attempting to get too close - he really does love his animals.
After a couple of relaxed days, we departed Kaikora (Kai = food and kora = crayfish in Maori - they eat lots of crayfish here) and finally left the South Island. It has been a great experience. Certainly the scenery on this half of the country is far more appealing and there are so many things to see and do down here. The variety of locations is just phenomenal. However it was time to head back to the smoking, volcano rich North Island. Life was good - when your heading to Taupo - and you want to be a volcanologist.........
Christchurch And The Tranz Alpine Railway
Our bus winded it's way up the east coast and after five hours we reched the largest city on the South Island - Christchurch. It is described as the most English of NZ's cities and although it's center sits along the Avon River and a grand Anglican cathedral rises above the cities central square, we didn't really feel as though we were back home. I can't describe exactly what it was about the place but it never felt like England to us. However, Christchurch, in it's own way is a pleasant place to spend a few days. We covered some ground while we were here - through the cities center and out towards the botanical gardens to the east of town.
Christchurch is also the gateway to one of the world's great railway journey's. The Tranz Alpine traverses the country, taking you from Christchurch on the east - to Greymouth, which sits on the western shore by the Tasman Sea. It's described as one of the most scenic travel experiences you can take - so we thought we had to book ourselves on. The plan was to take a one-way trip to Greymouth and then get a bus from there back over to the east coast for our next destination - Kaikora. Unfortunately there is no bus that goes from Greymouth to Kaikora so in the end we were booked on a return journey - all in one day. This was the first and probably the last time that I would be taking any form of transport not to actually go anywhere. We were soley taking this train ride - just for the train ride.
The Tranz Alpine Railway was worth the day out. It starts off cutting the flat alluvial Canterbury plains to the foothills of the Southern Alps. It then enters a labyrinth of gorges and hills known as the Staircase before emerging into the broad Waimakariri and Bealey Valleys. You reach the half way mark, crossing beech forests and snowcapped mountains, before stopping at Arthur's Pass within the Arthur's Pass National Park. You then take a series of tunnels under the mountains to the west coast. On the western side, you pass further rivers, forest valley's and the trout-filled Lake Brunner before arriving in Greymouth. Most passengers then disembark and continue on their way. For us however we did the whole stunning journey in reverse back to Christchurch. It was a great trip even if I am now completely all train'ed out for a good while.
We left Christchurch, continuing north along the South Island's east coast. It was our final stop on this half of the country.....we had arrived in Kaikora.
Tuesday 9 September 2008
Dunedin And The Otago Peninsula
We missed our bus from Queenstown to Dunedin - well almost. The night before we had little sleep because an Irish couple were keeping us up having a domestic (fight) at 2am. When we awoke, we reached the pick-up point with a few minutes to spare but the bus had already gone. We quickly rushed to the office so they could phone the bus driver. We then had to catch a taxi to chase the bus. Eventually we caught up with it and we were on our way. Five hours later we reached Dunedin on the South Island's east coast.
Dunedin is a fairly large town (for New Zealand) and the place had a feel to it which reminded me of Nelson. Victorian public buildings are dotted between modern structures, while wooden villas scatter the surrounding hillside suburbs. The town is very university orientated and students are often the only group of people you see out here. We only spent a couple of days here, checking out the town, it's oldish style buildings and recovering from our days in Queenstown.
Dunedin is a popular spot because it sits by the Otago Peninsula, an important ecological location because it is home to some rare and incredible wildlife, all of which is easily accessible. Darren and I took a day trip out on the Peninsula to see some of these creatures. On our trip we saw Fur Seals, Sealions and the rarest (of the 18 species of) penguin in the world - the Yellow Eyed Penguin which I believe can only be found in NZ. We also tryed to spot the Royal Albatross but they were just not coming out to play that day - aparently it wasn't windy enough for them. It was however rainy enough - we got completely soaked , including my camera which decided to stop working for three days after. The trip was well worth it though, just to see some animals which I will probably never see again.
After two days we left Dunedin and headed back up north, to the South Island's largest city - Christchurch......
Queenstown
The trip from the icy Franz Josef, down the west coast towards Queenstown is a long but stunning bus ride. Along the way you pass Franz Josef's glacial neighbour - the Fox Glacier, then south along New Zealand's snow peaked Southern Alps, into the Mount Aspiring National Park, past rivers and gorges before cutting inland to find yourself surrounded by the most georgeous mountain lakes, notably the almighty Lake Wanaka. The town of Wanaka on which the lake resides would definately be a place to stop on the backpacker route and for many it is. Unfortunately we were short on time and so we only got to spend half a day staring at this marvel of a location. I can't describe how mind-blowing the scenery is here in the South Island. This country really is Middle Earth. Wanaka is certainly a place for a future return but on this occasion we continued our trip 100km south to the incredibly beautiful, but outrageously monney-sapping Queenstown.
Queenstown sits on the northern shore of serpentine Lake Wakatipu, a place which should in theory be a small, quite relaxing location but in reality is teeming with life day and night. Every traveller will tell you that Queenstown is the place to be and they all correct - in every respect. The town does have a laid back feel to it. Small sidestreets are littered with funky shops, bars and cafe's. The location though is Queenstown's quality. The mountain peaks of the Remarkables which loom over the town are used for serious skiing and snowboarding. There are other nearby slopes too for those who love to shoot down the snowy slopes. The lakes and rivers that surround the town are utilised in a number of ways including jetboat rides, white-water rafting and river surfing. There are great mountain walkways for the intrepid enthusiast and tours to nearby wineries, lake cruises and Lord of The Rings locations. For the adrenaline junkey - there are three bungy jump sites, skydiving, canyon swings and quadbiking. Basically Queenstown is New Zealand's or perhaps the World's activity center and I wasn't going to miss out.
After checking out the town (which can be done in 15 minutes - it's a small place) Darren and I headed straight into AJ Hackett's office and booked ourselves in. If you don't know the man, let me explain. In the beginning there were some tribal blokes on the small island of Vanuatu who using just vines would hurl themselves off of high places and somehow reach the ground alive. Watching videos of this a team in Oxford thought they would take this idea to the next level, practicing and perfecting the art but using better ropey equipment than just vines. However the idea didn't really take off untill one man - Mr AJ Hackett took it to the final level. In 1987 he lept off the Eiffel Tower before setting up in 1988 - the first commercial bungy jump site in the world - The Kawarau Bridge Jump (over the Kawarau River) which is located just outside Queenstown. This wasn't the bungy jump Darren and I had come to do. We decided that one bungy jump is probably enough for any man and if your going to do one - then you might as well do it properly. On the 28th August 2008 (my dad's birthday by the way) we prepared ourselves for The Nevis Highwire.
The Nevis Highwire Bungy is an engineering marvel and takes the title as the world's first gondola jump. What that means is this. Above the Nevis River, a series of wires stretch from one side of the canyon to the other. In the middle sits the gondola jump pod from which scared victims hurl themselves to the ground 134m below. It's 8.5 seconds of freefall and is the highest jump in Australasia (highest in Australia and New Zealand basically). To get to the pod is no quick process. First of all you have to take a 35 minute, 4x4 drive up a rugged dirt track, along a steep path towards the base site. As you curve the ridge to get there, you suddenly see the pod looming ominously over the Nevis River. At this point most faces in the jeep turn white (including Darren's and myself's) and suddenly we all wished we had brought extra underwear.
At the base site, they weigh you again (your weight is very important when it comes to bungy jumping), and you put on your harness. Your then taken to a small secondary pod (holding about 5 people at a time) which acts like a shuttle - taking you along the highwire to the stationary pod in the center of the canyon. We had 18 people jumping in our group so it takes a while to get everyone over. The whole design of the Nevis is deliberately designed to maximise exposure and increase your fear factor. The pod itself is glass bottomed so you can see everyone leaping before you - like you needed to be any more scared!!! The jumps are done by weight - so the heaviest go first. You watch the nervous faces before you and then the jubilation and excitment when they return - alive.
Pretty quickly it comes to my turn. Actually I wasn't that nervous for some unknown reason - at least not as nervous as I should be - especially thinking back on what I actually did. Your sat in what can only be described (and what we described it) as - the dentist chair. You get your photo taken - trying to look happy - and they harness you up. Your given your instructions and then your ready to go. I slowly hobble over to the small platform - a quick look down and you realise how high you are. The Nevis River below looks tiny and suddenly the nerves begin to appear. The instructor puts you in position tells you to hold your arms out straight and look at the mountain straight ahead. Then he says he will count to three and you just leap out as far as you can. I don't actually remember him counting me down - I think I jumped on three subconciously but I did it - no hesitation - I was off and there was no turning back.
After about a second you body has arched down and you are plummeting to the ground head first. The moment can only be described as breathtaking - a complete ground-rush. I think I did actually hold my breath - there is nothing else to do. Your totally free, falling 134m (440ft) in 8.5 seconds - the most thrilling experience I'v ever been through. The rest becomes a bit of a blur - only those first freefalling seconds really stick in my mind. At some point the bungy tightens and your sprung back upwards. This bungy is so high that you actually spring up about 50m so that when you fall on your second bounce - you are actually falling further than the two other bungy jump sites here in Queenstown (which are themselves only 43m (Kawarau Bridge) and 47m (The Ledge Jump)) - essentially your getting two bungy jumps in one. At the top of the bounce, for that split second you feel weightless, then you hurtle back down to the ground.
At the top of the second bounce there is a cord attached to your leg. You have to pull it. At first mine wouldn't pull and it actually took me both hands to get that cord moving. Once it clicks, the cord automatically detaches from your feet, you swing round and your suddenly set in a sitting position from the cord attached to your stomach (this clever invention now has 30 international patents). From here, after you have stopped bouncing around, you can enjoy the view as a mechanism comes down to meet you, clips in and winches you back up to the pod. From there I was in a state of buzzing which continued for the rest of the day - plus I also still had the joy of watching my slightly lighter friend Darren have his turn.
Once Darren had jumped we returned via the shuttle pod back to solid ground. On the way back we watched a girl do her bungy jump - she was the only person however not to pull her leg cord (we never found out why) and so she was winched up to the top, upside-down which aparently is a good reason for everyone to take the mickey out of her plus she must have had the worst headache. When everyone had returned we all watched our DVD's and photos (of course purchased) and collected our hat and AJ Hackett t-shirt, followed by a well deserved cup of tea. The whole experience was immense and I would recommend anyone in the Queenstown area to fight your fear and take the Nevis leap of faith!!! Thank you AJ.
On our third day in Queenstown, Darren and I were booked on a day trip to Cadrona Ski Field where we had two lessons learning how to snowboard. The whole day was so much fun and seriously hard work. I never quite realised how tiring or difficult sliding down some snow on a board would be but it was. On our two two-hour lessons we essentially learnt the basics, which involved getting on our borads, attempting to stay up on them and then heading down some slopes. Actually you can pick it up pretty quickly especially if you are prepared to push yourself and the two of us were cruising by the end and even managing to stop at the bottom. Admittedly I did end up also on my bottom most of the time but with our instructor (seriously named Henry Mountain) we were destined to succeed - and I think we did. Apart from the odd collision, the bruises and sore muscles, it was a fun and enjoyable day and I would definately like to get back on the slopes in the near future. I think i'll attempt the half-pipe next!!!
On day 4, we headed up the famous Queenstown skyline gondola. It takes you 400m above the town and provides unbelievable views over the surrounding area. At the top there are restaurants and cafe's - oh and there is also lugeing. Basically you take another rail-car even higher up the mountain and then on cafefully crafted tracks you race back down in what is like a go-kart except they have no motors - they run purely on gravity. They are so easy to control and require no training whatsoever. There are two tracks - scenic and fast and both are great fun. People of all ages were attempting a hand at this and we were not going to miss out. Darren and myself went up and down 6 times in all - and it was serious driving fun.
Ok, so I said that I was going to do one bungy jump. Well I was, that is until - on the way down the lugeing, right next to the top of the gondola is AJ Hackett's 'The Ledge' bungy jump. It's only 47m high (nothing on the Nevis) but set at 400m over Queenstown above tree's and dangerously spikey rocks it just had to be done. We went in to enquire - and when we came out we were booked on to do the jump at 6pm that evening. We returned for our second bungy jump. It's the only bungy in the area that you can do at night but we wanted to do it at 6pm because thats when the sun sets over the incredible view below you. The whole event was over so quickly but it still didn't distract from the incredible freefall fun. There was no waiting - I was harnessed up, but this time by only the stomach. This means your legs are free and you can take a run and jump for this one. Thats what I did. It wasn't as thrilling as The Nevis but running and leaping off gave a totally different feel to the whole experience. Darren jumped after and again we buzzed for the rest of the day. The pics on this jump too are pretty special - purely for the scenery below me.
After a few days resting up, we had one more thing on our to-do list before leaving Queenstown. We took a day trip to Milford Sound. It's about a four hour drive to get to Milford (this was a long day trip) but it was well worth it. One of New Zealand's top tourist spots, Milford Sound is not actually a Sound (an area formed by flooded water) but is instead a fiord (an area carved out by glaciers which have now melted). On reaching Milford Sound we passed some great scenic locations, most of which were avalanche hazard zones. We passed the famous Mirror Lakes, and continued along the Milford Track , eventually reaching our destination.
At Milford Sound we took a two hour Catamaran boat trip on the Sound, passing U-shaped (glacier carved) valleys, and large meltwater waterfalls. We headed out as far as the Tasman Sea before u-turning back. We passed a colony of seals resting on a rock outcrop and before heading back, stopped off at a floating underwater observatory. Wildlife under Milford Sound is quite unique. Because sediment filled meltwater gushes down into the sea here, a layer of murky freshwater sits above the oceans saltwater. This layer blocks out sunlight, tricking deepwater fish into thinking that they are deeper underwater than they actually are. They head up, close to the surface and from the underwater observatory - we can easily view them all. It's a great way to see some amazing fish. Afterwards we returned to shore for our long drive back to Queenstown.
We had had a fantastic time here. Among our day adventures, the night-life is awesome here too. We did two organised pub crawls, made a heap of new friends - most of which I still remember their names and even happily filled our bellies on Fergburger's - arguably the best burgers in the world. We loved the place so much that we even postponed our bus to spend an extra day here. The reason for this was because Darren and I had talked ourselves into doing the third and final bungy jump - the first commercial bungy jump site in the world - The Kawarau Bridge Jump. We had become hooked on leaping off things with just a rope attached and we were all planned to do the jump until the night before when we both checked our bank accounts and realised we both had no money left. In the end I tossed a coin on whether to do the jump but fate followed my bank balance and in the end we just spent the day chilling. We had had enough extreme sports for now, we had to move on and so we left the beloved Queenstown after a week and headed to the east coast - and the town of Dunedin.............
Saturday 30 August 2008
Franz Josef
It was a long bus ride from Nelson down to Franz Josef but we did stop at some great stops on the way. We are booked onto inter-city buses which as well as taking you from A to B, they also try to give a bit an explanation of the areas your traveling through, the history and the things to do in each place. They also stop at the sights where tourists want to get their camera's out. We stopped at the famous Pancake Rocks situated in Punakaiki and then continued south, passing Greymouth and then Hokitika, through gorges and mountain peaks and travelled vast lakes.
Eventually we reach Franz Josef. The village of Franz Josef (like it's southern neighbour Fox village) are small, quiet locations encompassing just a few interconnected roads. There is about three or four bars, a few places to eat and the rest - accommodation. It's a stunning place just to come and visit, with extreme mountains looming in the distance and great walking tracks surrounding the village. The main reason that travellers come here however is because the town is the gateway - to the Franz Josef Glacier. First explored in 1865, Franz Josef Glacier had advanced 2km between 1985 and 1996 after a long period of retreat (well glaciers don't really retreat - it's just that the ice melts faster than the body can advance). Since 1996 however the glacier has returned to a state of 'retreat'.
Darren and I booked ourselves on a day's climb over the glacier. Your set in groups, geared up in arctic clothing and then you make the short trip out to the glacier. You first have to trek over the rocky meltwater river-bed which was mostly dry due to the winter temperatures. You then put your ice-pic shoes on and with your guide - start heading up the glacier. Our guide (Kevin from Malaysia) would lead the way, decide on our routes and keep us from wondering off or falling into a crevass!!! Kevin obtained the almighty pic axe which he used to cut our route. We treked for about 7 miles altogether although it was slow and relaxing. Some parts were steep and slippery but generally the ice boots kept you on your feet.
Along the trip we crawled through ice tunnels and holes, past narrow ice walls and across ledges. The whole thing was great fun despite it being relatively tiring. Although it didn't look it at the time we did manage to get quite far up the glacier, passing the dirty (rock embeded) toe of the glacier and continued up, further in where the ice becomes blue and clear. By the end of the day we were both knackered.
While we were in Franz Josef, we also managed to do one of the walking tracks. It was only a 30 minute return walk and the main reason we did it was because the track is home to glow-worms. We obviously went at night - finding our way using the light on Darren's phone but they were there, clambered to the sides of trees and attached to mossy patches - hundreds of brightly blue coloured glow-worms. It gave a very magical feel to the place and it's definately the longest i'v ever spent looking at a worm - I can tell you that. It was well worth it though.
We left the icy Franz Josef and continued on our way down south. We were heading to New Zealand's extreme sports capital. We were off to Queenstown.
Nelson
Darren and myself departed Wellington and the North Island of New Zealand and headed via a 3 hour boat trip over to the scenic South Island. We had been pre-warned that the ferry trip across would probably be fairly rough even on clear days but actually it was a smooth ride. The boat departure was delayed by an hour of course and we had a bus picking us up from Picton (the drop off point) and taking us on. Our bus was due to depart an hour after we were supposed to get in, so with our delay it became a mad rush off the boat to get on our onward transportation. It's not easy running for a bus with a bag straped across your back that basically weighs about as much as a small African elephant. We did made the bus though.
It was then a two our ride across the scenic views of the Marlborough region (New Zealand's wine capital) and over to Nelson. From there we checked into The Palace Backpackers, owned by a distant cousin (Lili and Cliff's son) who kindly put Darren and myself up for a couple of nights. The hostel is an old English style mansion with heaps of character - at least almost as much as David himself. I would like to thank him for his hospitality, the bar crawl night out and his many interesting stories.
On the one full day Darren and I had in Nelson - we spent it checking the town out. Nelson is a bustling town and a gateway to the South Island's northwestern coastal region to which we were not actually heading to. We did manage to catch the saturday market - buy great fudge and then consume most of it while walking around the town.
The park-land around Nelson is particularly scenic and a short walk east and you can reach the botanic gardens. The gardens provide some steep walking tracks for great views over the Maitai Valley and then continue to the top of a hill for views over the city. From the top of this hill a statue and plaque are emplaced claiming that this very spot is the very center of New Zealand. How they have calculated this, with the fact that NZ is split into two - i'm not quite sure, but if thats what the sign says then who am I to argue.
We left Nelson (and David) the following day. We were heading down the southwestern arm of the South Island and our first stop.... was Franz Josef.
Wednesday 27 August 2008
Wellington
We left the geothermal city of Rotorua on an overnight bus. It was ridiculously crowded, very uncomfortable and we even broke down at one point - it felt just like SE Asia again!!! We were skipping some great North Island locations on our way to New Zealands capital but we knew we would be coming back to experience them all later on in our travels.
Darren and I arrived into Wellington early in the morning and after some serious hostel hunting, we finally found a spot, some way up a steep hill. After a small asthmatic fit, we went to check out town. Wellington is totally different to the urban sprawl of Auckland. It is the cultural heartland of the country, with a thriving cafe and entertainment scene and a great university town feel to it. It's far smaller than Auckland, set aginst a harbour and surrounding rugged mountain terrain. Wellington is set on the very southern tip of the North Island and provides the gateway to crossing over to the South Island. Because it is situated on the strait between the two halves of the country it can get very windy here - and as such has been termed 'Windy Nelly', although it was actually quite warm despit it's strong breeze. Darren and myself wanted to hit the South Island of New Zealand as quickly as possible so we only spent one day here. We would see this relaxed capital city again when we returned but for now we resided to spending our day walking the streets, along the harbour and up to the outer park for a bit of a scenic overview of the area. I did manage to persuade Darren to also head into the Te Papa museum - specifically because it currently had a huge section on volcanoes of New Zealand.
I have also just found out that my work studying volcanoes in Taupo is set up but the office is 8km out of town and no public transport runs to the small area of Wairakei. It looks like I now have to purchase a bike - a contraption which I have not used since I was about 8 years old - it should be fine though - they say it's as easy as, well, riding a bike!!!
The night life in Wellington seemed positively lively (to the suprise of Darren and I) and is centered on a long strip known as Courtney Place. We noted this down for our return. The following day we finally headed over to the South Island - which they say really is like stepping into Middle Earth - yes, my skills as an elf would finally be utilised..........
Wednesday 20 August 2008
Rotorua
Before you can head to the South Island you really have to stop off at Wellington which is on the very southern tip of the North Island. We wanted to see Wellington anyway so that wasn't a problem, the problem was it was 9 and a half hours from Auckland to get there, so we got round this by stopping off along the way. The place we decided to stop at was Rotorua. It's a popular tourist spot for a number of good reasons. We spent about three good days in Rotorua and we covered almost all those good reasons.
The town is termed sulphur city because of the high volcanic or - geothermal activity taking place here. It's an area where magma comes up close to the Earth's surface and heat's underground reservoirs of water producing gases which rise through cracks and cravasses towards the surface. As such all across the town, in very random locations you will see vents of steam pouring out of the ground and giving the whole place a bizarre, unreal feel to it. The gas that is vented out is strong in hydrogen sulphide and the sulphur expelled has a strong rotten egg smell to it. The place reminded me of my time at the volcanoes in Indonesia and also many years ago when I visited Iceland which both produced exactally the same smelly odours.
Rotorua is a small town, situated along the edge of the huge Lake Rotorua, the largest of 16 lakes in the area. The lake was once the sight of a large volcanic eruption but the watery mass is all that remains of it. I believe the volcano is not extinct however, but merely resting. We arrived into Rotorua at night when the whole place appeared to be one big ghost town. There was nobody anywhere which was eerily disconcerting, but we were soon relieved the next day when people sprouted out almost, it felt, like they had emerged out of the ground along with the geothermal gases. Rotorua is cold. I haven't checked exactly what temperature it is but it feels freezing. Auckland had been relatively chilly but this was getting silly. We had only traveled a little further south too - I couldn't wait to see how cold the South Island was going to turn out - or at least I could wait. It is winter here though - so I suppose I can't really complain.
We experienced much of the geothermal activity during our time here in Rotorua, as this was particularly interesting to me. We visited a number of locations including; Te Whakaewarewa - a thermal reserve of fumaroles, mudpools and Pohutu - a large geyser; Hell's Gate which is someway east of town and is named so because of it's firey and Hell-like look about it. It has similar geothermal pools, bubbling mud, a small mud volcano and the largest hot thermal waterfall in the southern hemisphere. We also experienced geothermal activity in Kuirau Park - situated in the center of town (and you don't have to pay to see it) and went for a swim in the Polynesian Spa - where they heat outdoor pools using geothermal waters. Some reached the uncomfortable temperatures of 43 degrees celcius which was more like burning to death than having a hot bath but others were relaxingly cooler. It reminded me of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland where I had had a similar experience.
Because of my love of volcanoes I also headed out (without Darren) to the buried village, the site of a village (Te Wairoa) which was totally buried and thus devastated by a huge volcanic eruption in 1886. There is a museum and then you can step out into the ruined town (now excavated) for an explanation of how this small village was completely destroyed by the eruption of Tarawera. It was literally covered and buried in ash, mud and other volcanic debris - very interesting if a little sad. We also passed some great lakes along the way for spectacular views - notably Blue and Green Lakes (not very original names), Lake Okareka and Lake Tarawera itself.
Apart from all the volcanic's here, we also indulged in some Maori culture. We walked to the Ohinemutu Maori Village which is situated on Lake Rotorua. You can see their buildings and tribal sculptures from here. From Te Whakarewarewa, there is also an exhibit explaining about Maori culture and history, and at Hell's Gate we met a tatooed Maori for a long chat and he explained to us the Maori hongi - or greeting which I am now an expert at.
Besides these wonderous things we indulged in another of New Zealand's crazy inventions of the extreme-ish variety - zorbing. It simply involves climbing into a big inflatable ball and then rolling down a large hill. It's completely ridiculous but heaps of fun. You can either do it dry and they tie you in, or you can experience the wet version. Darren and I wanted to go in the ball together so you have to do it wet. They take you to the top of a large straight hill, they fill the inside of the ball with a small amount of hot water, you both jump in, they seal it - and then they push you down the hill. It lasts about 10-15 seconds and your thrown all over the place inside the ball as you slip and slid downhill. When you reach the bottom your completely soaked and you return to the real world a giggling mess. I definately recommend it if your totally insane.
After all this chaos of being a hamster for the day, making friends with Maori's and breathing in too much sulphur from the geothermal activity, we left Rotorua for NZ's capital city.......Wellington.
Auckland (New Zealand)
The day I left Australia was my 6 month anniversary away from home. I actually completely forgot that fact on the day as you tend to forget anything time related. I'v come to realise that time doesn't travel in straightforward lines but merely wiggles about through space to compliacte and confuse people - thats if it even travels at all. When you travel, you generally have no idea what day of the week it is, what date or even when your supposed to stop to eat lunch. Actually the reason that I had no idea it was on my 6 month's of traveling was because I was too worried about my plane flight. Never before have I been scared of a routine trip towards the stratosphere, but my airliner (Quantas) had been having some severe problems in the past week. Within 8 days, all their planes decided to stop working, including an emergancy landing in Manilla after a hole was blown in the fuselage, one plane had to turn back when the wheel shutters wouldn't close and two other planes were seen as unfit to take off. Three hours later I landed safely in New Zealand's largest city - Auckland.
For the first four days I spent my time along the suburbs of the city. I had some distant relatives (third cousins as I believe I have worked out correctly) - Lili and Cliff who I was going to meet and spend some time with. They live about a 45 minute drive away from the city centre in a small town called Howick. The few days I spent there provided a perfect introduction to New Zealand. We spent our time admiring the suburban beaches of Mission Bay, St Heliers and beyond. The countryside is just how you imagine the North Island countryside to look like - generally flat land, punctured by small rounded hills (most of them extinct volcanoes - this is the Auckland Volcanic Field) filled with grazing sheep. They say that there are more sheep than people in New Zealand. It's not a difficult fact to believe - this isn't a very populated country. All in all there are approximately 4.5 million people in NZ. In London alone we reach over 12 million inhabitants. I was interested to see during my time here whether in some places I would actually see people at all!!!
Liliy and Cliff certainly looked after me during my stay with them. They took me up the top of One Tree Hill (an extinct volcano of course) which should actually be called None Tree Hill as the tree had to be chopped down some years ago due to old age. I hear they are planting a new one. At the top you get great views over Auckland's city centre and beyond. We also headed out to areas even further away from town where I could sample life in the real New Zealand countryside, and I met other relatives of mine - who I have no idea in what way and if it's even physically possible to work out - but who were all very welcoming none-the-less. I thank them both for taking me in, showing me the sights and keeping me well fed. I am also very interested to see some of the adverts that Lili (an accomplished actress) has stared in and are showing at this very moment - although only in the south island. Eyes are peeled.
After those few days I finally made it into Auckland city centre where I spent another short while. A good friend from home - Darren had emailed me about a month and a half ago and said that he was bored with his job in London and was thinking about coming out to see me. I told him he should - so thats what he did. Darren arrived in Auckland and we would be spending at least the next month traveling the country together. The plan is actually to spend most of our travels in the South Island, simply because on September 15th I have a job starting in Taupo (North Island) studying volcanoes with a company called GNS (Geological and Nuclear Sciences). I then have another month working in Auckland in the same field. As such I would see the sights of the North Island later on and Darren would decide if he was to join me in finding work or heading home. Ultimately it meant that we didn't spend much time in Auckland - we wanted to move on as quickly as we could. Before we left we did have a look around - along the harbour, through the streets which Darren said reminded him of New York - I told him many cities in Australia looked likewise.
We did also have time for one activity. New Zealand is the home of extreme sports. If you can leap off something tall in a ridiculous way then the kiwi's will have done it first. We headed over to the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere - the Auckland Sky Tower. From there they have whats called a base wire jump. It's not like a bungy or a sky dive - I suppose it's somewhere inbetween. Attached to your back is a rope / wire, you head over to the platform, situated at 192m (630ft) above the ground and then leap off the tower to a target below. The decend is controlled. So what happens is you jump, fall for just 10 meters and then they hold you there, dangling, 182m from the city street - so you can have your photo taken. You have to attempt to look happy at this point - 'cheese' was not on my mind. Then when the pics are all done - you plumet to the ground in what is the highest jump in the southern hemisphere (besides sky diving). Actually you don't fall that fast and as you reach the bottom the rope tightens for a smooth landing. The views over the city are incredible though. I would say the only really scary part about the whole thing is when your at the top and you look down - your so far up that you can barely see the red target or any people whatsoever, which didn't fare well as i'v decided 100% to do New Zealand's scariest bungy jump (the Nevis) in a few weeks. Darren and I both took the plunge and then naturally bought the DVD. Afterwards we headed back up the tower so we could get some photo's of Auckland when your not falling to the ground at high speed.
Of all the bad things people say about Auckland, I found my time here most enjoyable. I would definately be back here in a few months for work and will get to explore New Zealand's largest city further then. First though we were heading south - and the first stop on our route was sulphur city, also known as - Rotorua.........
