Time to wrap this sucker up...
As usual, here are the pics!
Fourth and Final Leg: AucklandFourth and Final Leg: Auckland (cont'd)Made it to the airport in record time (partly thanks to an alternate freeway route and partly thanks to Dallas' aggressive driving :P), and boarded the plane for the longest flight yet in this journey, 12 hours. Resolved to stay awake to acclimatize myself to the time change, but forgot that we got into the airport at 5 am and so would be sleep deprived anyways. The meals were actually pretty tasty even in economy class (a potato-crusted chicken breast stuffed with spinach), although they woke us up at 3 am NZ time to have breakfast (breakfast?? I wasn't even done digesting dinner...). Am flying Air New Zealand all the way while I'm here.
Got into the customs line alright after having my hikers inspected (they're afraid of foreign soils with foreign bacteria), and was so bleary that it took me a second to recognize the guy in line in front of me... Louis from Westlink! I had known that he would be travelling around Aussie/NZ this year, but didn't expect him to be there at the same time! Crazy coincidences.
We figured that it'd be more fun to travel around together, plus he didn't have any plans until his friend arrived in a couple days. Headed into town from the airport to the hostel, which didn't open until 11. Left the bags there and walked around trying to find some breakfast. First mistake: walking around in Parnell, the most expensive "posh" neighbourhood. A bagel with cream cheese for 8 bucks?? Found a cheap sandwich/meat roll shop run by a Vietnamese couple (Vietnamese-Kiwi accent, cool!) that sold sandwiches for a more decent price and ate them in the park while trying to figure out what to do (it was only 9 am). A passing dogwalker was kind enough to explain the local attractions and the not-to-miss spots, as well as letting us know that city rivalries are alive and well everywhere in the world (Edmonton-Calgary, meet Auckland-Wellington).
Figured that we may as well head into town to visit the harbour and see some sights while waiting for our rooms to be ready. It was a bit of an adventure trying to simply walk downtown, as we weren't used to the left-side driving yet and kept looking the wrong way. :P As well, Kiwi street architecture is laid out according to the geography, so lots of winding curvy roads. Passed by the "old" Chinatown, which is now non-existent except for a supermarket and a couple restaurants. Also passed by a couple of English language schools with heaps of students outside (mostly Asian, a few East Indian students scattered in there).
The harbour is half industrial cargo containers, half upscale shops and restaurants. Checking ferry departures to the nearby islands, found one going to Rangitoto, a dead volcano just a half-hour's ferry ride away, where one could hike up to the summit in an hour or so. No other plans, so why not? Had lunch in a nearby cafe where we chatted up the waitress (from China, lived there for 7 years) about life in Kiwiland, the lack of a Chinatown and how she found the culture in general (friendly, less discrimination in the cities than in the country but as long as they got to know you they'd warm up). Chinese-Kiwi accent? Awesome! She had a funny story how she went to a conference once and the Australians thought she was American, the British thought she was Australian and the Americans thought she was British (don't know what the Chinese people thought).
On the ferry ride over, saw lots of sailboats just toodling around in the sea (Auckland is apparently the Kiwi City of Sails). Passed by a bunch of islands (Devonport is cottage country, further off was Waiheke, the beach island), and then pulled up to Rangitoto, which was surprisingly green and lush for a dead volcano (although soil is supposed to be fertile after an eruption). There was the option of riding up in a 4WD, but we decided to do the hike and travelled through hard, sharp rocky paths cut through the surrounding lava fields (not smooth, they looked like heaps of dirt except really hard), and eventually climbed up through the jungle with occasional breaks to admire the view (could see Auckland still).
Gotta say, although I've been walking around the cities for hours on end since I left Winnipeg, I was still out of breath when I reached the top. The crater itself is all overgrown with vegetation, but is still impressive in its depth and breadth, making you wonder how it would have looked during its "active" period. At the actual peak (marked by a geodetic marker), there was a gorgeous view of the surrounding islands and Auckland, as well as the deep blue ocean all around.
While I was resting up there, I heard a faint tinny "Hello? Hello??" coming from my bag... seems that my cell phone got lonely and started calling my sister on its own! :P Couldn't talk to her for very long, but saying you were speaking from the top of a mountain in New Zealand was pretty neat...
On the way down, did a slight detour to the lava caves, which are not quite subterranean formations created by an overhang of lava. It's pitch black in there once you get further in, so we used our cameras to light the way (Louis used his flash, I used the little light that goes on before you snap the actual pic). At one point narrowly avoided a headbanging experience... but an interesting "walk" (more like gingerly groping your way though the cave).
Lots of new and weird looking plants, especially gigantic ferns that when curled up, looked like a hairy beast's tongue ready to snap out and impale you. :) Also saw brilliantly colored flowers that also grew in Auckland, and unfamiliar trees that possessed pine needles but none of the other characteristics of pines at home.
Sat out by the old prisoner's dock (there used to be a jail on the island) while waiting for the ferry back, enjoying the breeze. Louis apparently got painted by a local watercolor artist. :) Upon inspection, the bottom of Louis' shoes were all worn down and even had a hole, while mine were... pretty much the same craptacular soles that I've been walking around with. Note to self, wear hiking shoes next time (could feel every rock by the end of the hike). Overall, a great way to start off New Zealand; it had only been 10 hours since landing.
Since it was only 3 pm when we landed back in the harbour, went to explore some of the surrounding buildings. There was this one with what seemed to be a glass enclosure at the very top (the St. Laurent building), so we decided to try to get up there and see what was inside. Turns out that even if the elevator was locked, you could get up through the stairs (great security ^_^). A tad disappointing though, it was just full of ductwork and AC equipment, but a neat view through the slightly foggy glass. Slightly nervous at the sound of voices, we snuck back down quickly with a couple pics to prove we were there.
Getting a bit peckish, so stopped off at a bar for some ribs. Since it was martini night, Louis ordered one of the specials and I got a beer. When the waitress came back with the drinks, she reversed our orders (gender stereotyping, owell). :P The bar was called Degree, and it got pretty hot in the sun until they rolled down the patio shade; they even had jugs of sunscreen for those of fairer complexion.
Decided to call it an early night because of jetlag and the early ferry ride the next day to the neighbouring Waiheke Island, with beautiful white sandy beaches, vineyards and local Kiwi flavor. The next morning, packed just enough for one night's stay and headed off to the harbour. I can't get enough of these ferry rides, they're relatively cheap and offer a great view of the surrounding islands.
Upon landing, we had to decide between renting bikes, scooters, or a car to get around. After looking at all the prices, and a bit of persuasion on Louis' part :P, we ended up going with the scooters. Donning a white bubble-helmet, we putted around the parking lot a bit to get used to the left-side driving rules and then headed up the main road to the nearest town, Oneroa, to find a place to stay for the night. Zipping up the hill alongside traffic, I was a little nervous, but scootering was so fun that excitement soon outweighed trepidation. Plus I was only driving 50-60 km/h.
Once we got to the tourist info post, we found that all the hostels in the area were booked up for the weekend (forgot that it was Easter long weekend), and were contemplating camping out on the beach when the info lady mentioned that "she knew someone" with a boat... Turns out that the guy ran a backpacker boat which had bunks available on board. Did we want to give it a try? Did we ever!! :)
After grabbing some directions and tips for sightseeing, decided to check out a beach before the check-in time. The nearest beach was Palm Beach, and what a beach it was! Secluded, uncrowded, silky sand and relatively calm waters. Didn't have too much time so wandered around taking some pics before hopping back on the scooters and going directly south to the boat. The address given led us to an empty house with a friendly dog in the yard, and after a bit of exploring we happened across some twisting stairs cut into the brush that led down to a dock, where the boat was moored. It was a single hull fishing trawler, not too big but not small either. As we came down the stairs, we could hear a pulsing bass line coming from inside, and had to yell a few times to get the attention of the people inside. :)
We met Red, who owned and ran the boat, and Grant, who came around to help him out with various things, both middling-aged healthy blokes who had obviously worked in the outdoors for most of their lives. About a year ago Red decided that he had had enough of the working life, and bought and converted the boat to host backpackers, parties, and random expeditions to the other islands like the Great Barrier Island. They were quite laidback yet no-nonsense, and told us tales of wild trips up the coast where people would dive off the top into the water, climb back on the front and repeat for hours. They still had a couple of flash-freezers which were now put to use for beer not fish, and the bunks had the bare minimum of bedding but were not uncomfortable. The shower was located in the same room as the toilet, which reminded me of the Yangtze cruise conditions (except it was a "porcelain throne" not a squatty-potty), and had a gas-powered heater for a really good hot shower.
Decided to head up to Onetangi Beach, which was 2 km of pure white sands and clear blue ocean water. Was a bit overcast so the water was cold at first, but you could find these underwater warm currents that were nice to sit in. Stayed for about an hour, swimming, sunbathing, and shell-scavenging. First use of my bathing suit on this trip!
Had to find some dinner, so decided to hit up a winery for some local cuisine. We tried to visit the Mudbrick winery first, but found it deserted and closed for the weekend (the Kiwis take their holidays seriously). Explored around the property a bit, including going up to the top of their vineyards for an awesome view, before heading down to the nearby Cable Bay winery. Where Mudbrick was set up in a classic Italian courtyard kind of atmosphere, Cable Bay was purely modern, with weird funky metal sculptures in the "park" and sleek minimalist architectural lines. The highlight was full ceiling-to-floor windows that faced somewhat westward for a great sunset view, without having the light shine directly into your eyes. Another big impact was the prices: $30 for a fist-sized piece of lamb, or a palm-sized piece of fish (all tasty though). Ouch! At least on a backpacking budget. Some pre-dinner entertainment came from a bird who had flown into the place and was twittering out of reach near the ceiling; the wait staff kept trying to tempt it down with little success until just before our meal was served.
Bought a few bottles of wine to take to Aussieland with me, then headed back to the boat. By this time it was super dark, so had to drive pretty carefully. Made it back in relatively one piece, and stayed up chatting with Grant about his colorful past (hijinx as a youth illegally working in Europe, some interesting tales of his buddies as well). He used to operate a tour bus on the island some years ago, and his spiel if not entirely accurate was entertaining ("there are 3098 sheep on the island" "bull!" "okay, let's go count them... one... two..."). The next day, rode out to Kennedy point to see the view, and then headed back to the ferry and back to Auckland. Saw the naval destroyer on the way back, patrolling the sunny waters full of pleasure seacraft...
Decided to take it easy and hang out in the sun at the hostel, as I would most certainly return to New Zealand in the future and there was no point killing myself being a tourist. Louis left for the airport to pick up his friend Nik, and we went out to the harbour for dinner and some sights. They had rented a car, so got to experience firsthand the craziness of "backwards driving". Nik accidentally turned into the righthand lane on a left turn once, and the oncoming drivers' faces were priceless... :P Hit up Degree again, the owner of which Grant had a few interesting stories about when they were young and in Europe... Uncle Tossy and some German leather... haha enough said. He is now successful enough to not have to be at the bar, and was probably sailing around Waiheke on a yacht. Wandered around the high-priced restaurants before happening on a Sushi Train restaurant, and despite the stigma associated with that name back home, the food was pretty decent! They also had blowtorching of some sushi, which is always a good thing. Got a large takeout order, then went to sit by the harbour and ate it in front of all those fancy restaurants. :P
Wandered around a bit while the lights were glowing, and visited the marina to see some of the yachts (one was 5 times as tall as a regular sailboat, and looked like it could hold a regular sized condo!). Decided to drive around Auckland a bit, and visited some of the more posh houses on the hills (interesting architecture, not unlike that you see in California).
I had to get up around 5:30am the next day and Nik was pretty jetlagged, so we hit the sack around 10 pm. Caught a cab to the airport with a nice German couple from Hamburg, who were now living in Coffs Harbour, a town halfway between Brisbane and Sydney on the coast (much better than those German winters).
At the tail-end of my trip, was finally dinged for being overweight (the luggage), due to those extra bottles of wine. Owell! They also had a departure fee separate from the ticket, and you had to buy a plastic carry-on bag from the bookstore... *gouge gouge gouge* Going towards security, was all of the sudden surrounded by Japanese high school students in uniform, probably on a school trip or something. Decided to wait until they were all through security before lining up, and headed over to the Subway for breakfast... They had roast lamb subs!! Tasty. Cheapest way to experience Kiwi lamb I guess.
A mainland Chinese tourist group from Anhui also boarded the same flight, and I sat next to a couple of older gentlemen who barely spoke any English. Ended up doing a bit of impromptu translation for the stewards when they came around with our meals/drinks, to the best of my crappy Mandarin knowledge ("Shui? Cha?"). We managed to tell each other where we were coming from (me pointing at my passport, my neighbour pointing at his cap logo), but beyond that, basically just smiled and nodded. :)
After about 2 hours, landed in the Brisbane airport really tired, but excited to be finally touching down in my final destination (for a long while at least). Reuniting with Yi was excellent, and we took a cab back which went along the scenic route (when Yi first got there, he took the train and bus route which is through an unkempt fenced off section). It was pretty hot and humid, which has continued pretty well every day. Since we're heading into winter, it's a bit colder at night, but so far haven't needed a serious jacket or sweater at all. Woohoo!
It takes some getting used to the road rules and the lingo, as well as the humor (they like to "take the piss out of you", so to speak). Have been camping on Fraser Island (4WD driving on beautiful beaches, with sand dunes and ocean views), visited Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and am basically getting used to the way of life here (oh yeah, looking for a job). Taking the local transit is a great way to get to know the city, especially riding on the City Cats (catamarans that travel the river, and one of my favorite methods of getting around). Brisbane is quite hilly, so it's sometimes grueling to walk around...
Real estate and thus apartment rentals are super expensive, and are calculated by week (we're currently moving to a 2-bedroom apartment near the University of Queensland, which will cost $350/week not including utilities or a fridge or washer). They are currently in a 10-year drought, so we are encouraged to take short showers and conserve wherever we can.
There is a noticeable difference in available foodstock (lots of "exotic" fresh fruits and veggies at the market, but they haven't heard of graham crackers in the supermarkets). Food is also way more expensive, and as a result restaurant portions are smaller than expected (a $10 dish in an Asian restaurant doesn't feed 3-4 like in Canada, it barely feeds 1). Atlantic Salmon is $35/kg! There's a lot more South East Asian influence present, so will probably pick up more curries and spices in my cooking. We usually buy our veggies and fruit at the West End Market, a sort of hippie farmer's market with a mix of farmer stalls from the surrounding regions (organic and non-organic), raw meat/fish stalls, finished products (cheeses, bread, sausages and honey), food stalls (meat pies, vegetarian fare and lots more), and various hippie fashion and decorations. It's a great way to spend Saturday morning (or midday in our case), browsing amongst all the hustle and bustle and taking a break with some tasty treat on the grassy hillside.
Brisbane, and some Fraser Island picsYi's Fraser Island pics part 1Yi's Fraser Island pics part 2Yi's Fraser Island pics part 3(we went with 15 people, and they all have a photo album of Fraser Island :P)
Australia Zoo part 1Australia Zoo part 2Lone Pine Koala SanctuaryOne thing I've noticed is that Down Under, even the cities have tremendous jungle-like vegetation, and the indigenous wildlife is very different. Ibises and bush turkeys are the local scavengers along with the pigeons and magpies, possums are the equivalent of squirrels, and you are surrounded by bird calls that make you think you're in the middle of the jungle somewhere. Interesting living. :)
That's it for this "epic journey", it's been fun!
cheers, Ange
