I was back in Auckland and back at work - but actually, it wasn't for very long. I only spent a week back in the big city. Graham - my boss from GNS had planned for me to go down to Wellington to work in a lab preparing samples for a couple of weeks. I had always wanted to go back to Wellington after only spending a few days in the countries capital. I always remember having fond memories of Windy Welly and now I'd get the chance to see it again. On top of that I would be doing some volcanology work that was completely new to me and he was paying for my flight there and back.....so to say the least - I was happy about the whole situation.
A week of work in Auckland flew by. I actually stayed at Harriet, Rob and Kate's house that week - they kindly let me lay my head on the couch to save me from going back in a hostel - and I was grateful for that.
When Harriet and I were in Taupo we discussed doing some trips away at the weekend. There are so many amazing places around the North Island, many of them not too far from Auckland itself and although I am now working - I still feel I need to see more of this stunning country - I mean thats pretty much the reason I wanted to travel the world. We hoped Rob and Kate would join us and I think they will on future adventures but they decided to sit this one out. My flight to Wellington was booked for the following Tuesday so the weekend was free. We picked up a map - pointed to a place on it - and off we went.
Rob has a car and he kindly insured myself and Harriet on it so we could drive. The place we chose was Waitomo - it's a good three and a half hour drive, south of Auckland on the Western side of the North Island. Waitomo is a region of New Zealand covered by fields and farmland - similar to many other places around NZ, but amongst the beautiful scenery Waitomo is famous for having some spectacular caves.
The waitomo Caves are huge, there's a fair few of them too and each one is slightly different. Just one of the reasons that these caves bring so many tourists in is because they are filled with Glow-worms. Within the pitch black caves, these small creatures excrete a blue'ish glow-in-the-dark faeces that literally lights your way. It's pretty amazing to see.
Actually we didn't just go in the caves for a look. This is New Zealand, the country which puts extreme into everything. The caves was no exception. We were on the Black Labryinth adventure. They gear you up in wetsuits and then you start off by going to a nearby river. You grab an inflatable tube (inside of a tyre type thing), just like back in Vang Vieng (Laos) and you practise jumping backwards off a ledge into the river - aiming to land in your tube. We then headed off to the cave.
The caves are water filled. At some parts your crawling under rock ledges, through narrow openings and along darkened tunnels. The water level varies, from up to your ankles - to up to your kneck.... thats where the tube comes in. You have a torch on your hard-hat but it's best to let the Glow-worms guide your path. The instructors had us leaping off of waterfalls that have formed within the caves or linking all our tubes together to create one big chain of floating bodies. The 'Black Water Rafting' as it's known - was a lot of fun and the caves were just incredible. This is why you travel around the planet - not to jump of of waterfalls within caves, or to see Glow-worms....it's to see it all - to experience things you probably never could or would back at home. It's why I'm here.
The weekend was great fun. As always when myself and Harriet get together - strange and chaotic things generally happen, and I'm sure that these things definately wouldn't of occurred if we were doing them with other people....I'm sure it's some sort of curse. So naturally, along our trip: we killed a bird. It flew at the windscreen and bounced over the top of the car......we like to think it's still OK; we saved a hedgehog. At first we naturally almost ran it over but then realising just swerved out the way, got out and carefully put it on the side of the road. I hope I didn't put it back on the wrong side or he'd have to start his crossing all over again - woops; and we also got pulled over by the Police. Yes, Harriet was doing more than the allowed speed and a Police car swooped up behind us flashing it's lights. Aparently the Police are hot on catching speeders and if caught always give out a fine - so we are told. Somehow we got away with it though - just a telling off from the male Police Officer. This was totally unheard of. All I'm saying is, if that was me driving - a fine would certainly have been issued - I'm sure she gave him a cheeky smile to escape the punishement!!!
Apart from all that - the whole trip was a great success and it will definately be followed up by a another, to some new destination with I'm sure all the craziness that this trip produced. But that adventure would have to wait for now. A few days after Waitomo, I caught my flight - and in one hour - I was back in Windy Welly!!!..........
Monday, 19 January 2009
Waitomo (And The Amazing Caves)
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Welcome To 2009
The big night was here. I never thought about this at the time, but later I realised (quite obviously) that I would not only be seeing the New Year - 13 hours before my friends and family back home in London but I would in fact be one of the first people (and I will say for dramatic effect - the very first person - you never know) to see 2009 arrive!!!
We had our party group ready. Myself, Darren and Jacqui were there along with Pete, Steve and Tom. Harriet also joined us for the night and we later met up with others (Scott and Tania). The night started off with facepaint. I wanted to go full-moon party style. So, just like I had done in the Island of Koh Pangan in Thailand on April 20th of 2008 - I once again got the paint out and covered everyone around me. We spent the first half of the night on the deck of Go Global were we all enjoyed a few drinks. Taupo was packed - far more than I had ever seen it before but I suppose that was to be expected on this night.
After a few drinks and even more drunken photos, we headed out to some bars. This is where the memory becomes a little blurred. I remember us all heading outside for fireworks. It was at this point that Tom (in a drunken stupor) accidently bumped into me - sending my camera flying, before crashing with an unhealthy thud. In less than a year of traveling I have now lost two camera's either to theft or damage. I am currently in search of my third. May I suggest to anyone thinking of traveling - to purchase a camera that is essentially indestructible and then look after the damn thing!!!
Anyway - as the night continued, my memory didn't. I vaguely remember everyone down by the lake at some point but after that - it's game over. It was a great night to see in 2009 and one I will not forget or remember anytime soon.
The days that followed New Year's Eve were filled with lying around in the sun by day and going out at night. The final day of Taupo was a time of mixed emotion. Nyree, who is the manager of Go Global (and who looked after Darren and myself on so many occasions) held a BBQ at her amazing house in Arcacia Bay about 10 minutes outside of Taupo. It's built into the surrounding hillside where you get the most immense view of Lake Taupo and Tauhara (the Volcano shaped into a pregnant lady). It was to say fairwell to us both and in return we bought her a gift to say thank you for the amazing time we had had there. The BBQ was fun, and later we continued it through another messy night on the town.
The next day, I was up early. Nyree drove Darren, Jacqui and Myself to the airport where Darren was catching his flight to Queenstown and where he was starting his new life. It would be a while before I would see him again.
Later that day I left myself. Harriet and I and Jacqui returned to Auckland. We said goodbye to all our friends there. Some of which we were sure we would see again, others we probably wouldn't. The key thing for me was - Taupo was now officially over. It was a chapter now finished and I am sure I wouldn't return there on this traveling journey. Jacqui returned to Auckland with us for one night before catching a plane to Queenstown herself, to meet Darren - and for me it was back to work. There were some trips around New Zealand I was already planning and even some trips outside of New Zealand I was planning - but essentially as the adventure takes another twist and progresses on another path - I knew ultimately, it would probably continue without a plan!!! I will see what happens, as I have done so throughout the past 11 months. It hasn't failed me yet and it's often best not knowing what tomorrow will bring...................
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Merry Christmas
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.............
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.......
