April 10 – 12, 2010
We had passed through Dubai three times on trips to and from Perth. It never interested me to stop and visit. I had seen and heard all I wanted to see and hear…. I’ll leave it at that….
But moving back from Perth I figured it might be my last time for a while to pass through Dubai, so I thought we should stop for a couple of days. I have to admit, I was worried about what we would do in Dubai for 2 days.
Well, I’m really glad we stopped and visited. But, I have to say - I still am not sure what I think of Dubai. In a nutshell, I would describe it as “Vegas on Steroids!!!” And really, even that doesn’t totally describe the “magnitude”.
Dubai is about 2 million people. About 25% of the population is nationals; the other 75% consist of ex-pats and migrant workers. It is a desert city, full of beautiful green vegetation; hence the city has the largest consumption of water per capita in the world. Pretty much everything is new There was a mix of culture – people wearing Arab clothes, and the majority wearing western clothing. There was the peeling sounds of the mosques calling people to worship. There are beautiful beaches and crystal clear blue water. One of the beaches reserves one day a week for use by women and children. There is very little crime and it is one of the safest cities in the world. (I paid attention to the tour guide….)
There are double-decker buses, “The Big Bus Tour”, where you can “hop on, hop off”. There are two routes, the inner city historical bus route where all the “souks” (markets) are, and then the other bus route that takes you down the creek to the new developments that we have all seen pictures of. If you ever go to Dubai, you MUST do BOTH of them.
Our first day we did the inner city cultural/historical tour. There is a museum that is underground and easy to overlook – but it is not to be missed. It outlines the history and all the changes that have happened over such a short period of time.
The souks (markets) are fascinating. We went to the textile souk, spice souk and gold souk. The spice souk is full of bags and containers of every spice imaginable. The merchants would quiz us to see if we knew what was in the different containers. We did not score high marks. As we walked by they would all ask where we were from. I was surprised when they would all ask me if I was German. Crikey!
Now, to describe the gold souks. Ohmygawd! Just to make sure you understand this I’ll say it again with emphasis – OHMYGAWD!!! I have never seen so much gold in my entire life! And that would have been in just ONE store. And there were tons and tons and tons of stores all beside each other. I cannot even imagine how much gold and jewels there are in the entire market. No armed guards. AMAZING!
Our first day went by so fast.
The next day we hopped on the city tour that took over three hours of driving to cover all the things we have heard and seen about Dubai. All I can say is that it looked just like the pictures and everything we have seen and heard. It is mind blowing. All the huge buildings, hotels, apartments buildings, shopping malls, construction, development, office towers, ski slopes… Everything new and huge. It all became exhausting – and we never even got off the bus!
Late afternoon we went on a Desert Tour, camel ride and boudhain dinner. Our driver picked us up in a Toyota Landcruiser. We drove the highway and then pulled over and he let air out of the tires. We then went off the highway and into the desert. The sand is a combination of layers of red and beige – and the wind blows over it making it look like ripples in the water.
Ohmygawd! It was sooooooooooooo much fun dune busting. We bounced and spun and flew through the air. I’m surprised I didn’t get a sore throat from screaming and squealing and hooting and hollering and laughing so hard. I sounded like a maniac. Which of course only encouraged the driver more - much to my delight. Wahooooooooooo! It was a blast! Highly recommended!
And so ended our second day.
I am really glad we stopped and spent the time in Dubai. It was an interesting experience to see firsthand. The time flew really quickly. I could actually have used one more day – to just maybe browse through some of the malls…… not buy anything…. but just look…… honest…
Having said that, I am proud to say I am probably the only woman that has been to Dubai and not shopped and not bought one single item! Honest!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Peaceful Bali
April 1st – April 8th 2010
Bali is a vacation hotspot for Sand Gropers (people from Perth.) The four hour flight makes it one of the closest locations and definitely the cheapest destination to Perth. (BTW: Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world! Going ANYWHERE is a long trek.)
We went to Bali to just relax, experience a different culture, surf and enjoy the beaches. (Okay, I don’t surf and really have no desire to surf, but just thought I’d throw that in there to catch your attention.) It’s amazing how quickly one week can fly by when you aren’t really doing anything.
Bali is an interesting island. The culture and people appear to be so peaceful. On the other hand, the traffic and scooters are hectic and take getting used to. Walking can be dangerous with sidewalks that just end and are pitted with crater holes. But everyone seems to know the rules and we never saw any mishaps. I think the secret is to have patience and not go too fast.
Architecture is interesting and the temples, seemingly on every corner, are novelties. The people are polite and friendly. Because the island is small it is easy to get around. We hired a driver for two days and saw a good portion of the island. It is volcanic and the mountains are covered with rice paddies. The terraces are green and look like they are covered in soft velvet. There are a lot of artisans and craftspeople, with different areas specializing in wood carvings, or silver jewelry, or stone carvings, or batik, or….
I looked at Bali from two perspectives – one as a Canadian coming from Calgary, and the other one, as Sand Groper coming from Perth. (Okay, so I’m weird, but read on….)
As a Calgarian, the heat and humidity are an extreme difference – and I LOVE it. The vegetation is thick and exotic – tropical trees and flowers that command a premium price in the florist shops back home. And the sandy beaches and blue ocean are sooooooooooooo amazing. And of course, the culture and architecture are compelling. WOW!
Coming from Perth, where there is beautiful exotic vegetation and flowers and gorgeous beaches with crystal clear blue water and fine white sand – well – Bali’s flowers and beaches didn’t WOW me. And actually, in my opinion, Perth’s beaches are nicer than the beaches in Bali. But the interesting culture and way of life are always compelling.
The best part….. I spent 4 ½ hours in the spa, came out a new woman, and it cost me less than US$100! What more could a woman ask for?
Would I go to Bali again? Of course! My motto is “Have passport – Will travel!” (I also say “If you have a passport and credit cards you can travel naked!”)
I’ll leave you with that vision….
Bali is a vacation hotspot for Sand Gropers (people from Perth.) The four hour flight makes it one of the closest locations and definitely the cheapest destination to Perth. (BTW: Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world! Going ANYWHERE is a long trek.)
We went to Bali to just relax, experience a different culture, surf and enjoy the beaches. (Okay, I don’t surf and really have no desire to surf, but just thought I’d throw that in there to catch your attention.) It’s amazing how quickly one week can fly by when you aren’t really doing anything.
Bali is an interesting island. The culture and people appear to be so peaceful. On the other hand, the traffic and scooters are hectic and take getting used to. Walking can be dangerous with sidewalks that just end and are pitted with crater holes. But everyone seems to know the rules and we never saw any mishaps. I think the secret is to have patience and not go too fast.
Architecture is interesting and the temples, seemingly on every corner, are novelties. The people are polite and friendly. Because the island is small it is easy to get around. We hired a driver for two days and saw a good portion of the island. It is volcanic and the mountains are covered with rice paddies. The terraces are green and look like they are covered in soft velvet. There are a lot of artisans and craftspeople, with different areas specializing in wood carvings, or silver jewelry, or stone carvings, or batik, or….
I looked at Bali from two perspectives – one as a Canadian coming from Calgary, and the other one, as Sand Groper coming from Perth. (Okay, so I’m weird, but read on….)
As a Calgarian, the heat and humidity are an extreme difference – and I LOVE it. The vegetation is thick and exotic – tropical trees and flowers that command a premium price in the florist shops back home. And the sandy beaches and blue ocean are sooooooooooooo amazing. And of course, the culture and architecture are compelling. WOW!
Coming from Perth, where there is beautiful exotic vegetation and flowers and gorgeous beaches with crystal clear blue water and fine white sand – well – Bali’s flowers and beaches didn’t WOW me. And actually, in my opinion, Perth’s beaches are nicer than the beaches in Bali. But the interesting culture and way of life are always compelling.
The best part….. I spent 4 ½ hours in the spa, came out a new woman, and it cost me less than US$100! What more could a woman ask for?
Would I go to Bali again? Of course! My motto is “Have passport – Will travel!” (I also say “If you have a passport and credit cards you can travel naked!”)
I’ll leave you with that vision….
Monday, April 5, 2010
“No Choice Dawson” - the World Traveler
Dawson has many admirable traits, and one of them is his ability to roll with the punches. When we hauled out his jumbo size kennel in January to acclimatize him for his journey from Australia back to North America he just trusted our judgment, went inside and never complained. But then again – he had no choice.... Hence his nickname “No Choice Dawson.”
While we were in New Zealand he spent 3 weeks on a farm in Denmark – 5 ½ hours SE of Perth. Apparently he reveled in the many joys of living on the farm – including helping himself to cow poo and 'roo poo. (Why do dogs have to do gross things?) He also helped himself to vineyard grapes – whatever variety fell his way. And he dug up the marrin shells (marrin are Aussie lobsters.) Hence his nickname “Hoover” was rebranded to “Dyson” (a brand of vacuum cleaners in Australia.)
He had a grueling 50 plus hours for his journey back to the northern hemisphere. When his limo came to pick him up to take him to the Perth airport he just got into his crate, wagged his tail, then lay down.
He then took a 4 hour Red Eye flight to Sydney Once there he had 9 hours for meetings with AQIS (Australia Quarantine Inspection Services) and an official vet to give him the once over. Knowing Dawson he probably took in some sights and squeezed in a massage or two.
He then had a flight to LA followed by meetings with US officials and another massage disguised as a check-up. He had about 14 hours to kill in LA and who knows what the little guy got up to. Knowing him he probably charmed someone into fussing with him and scammed some tasty morsels.
Then he had another Red Eye from LA to Houston. Once there his limo took him to the Hotel Lyon, located in The Park at Memorial Heights.
After all his pampering and canoodling I am sure he'll have second thoughts about coming home to John and I again......
But, “No Choice Dawson” will have no choice.
While we were in New Zealand he spent 3 weeks on a farm in Denmark – 5 ½ hours SE of Perth. Apparently he reveled in the many joys of living on the farm – including helping himself to cow poo and 'roo poo. (Why do dogs have to do gross things?) He also helped himself to vineyard grapes – whatever variety fell his way. And he dug up the marrin shells (marrin are Aussie lobsters.) Hence his nickname “Hoover” was rebranded to “Dyson” (a brand of vacuum cleaners in Australia.)
He had a grueling 50 plus hours for his journey back to the northern hemisphere. When his limo came to pick him up to take him to the Perth airport he just got into his crate, wagged his tail, then lay down.
He then took a 4 hour Red Eye flight to Sydney Once there he had 9 hours for meetings with AQIS (Australia Quarantine Inspection Services) and an official vet to give him the once over. Knowing Dawson he probably took in some sights and squeezed in a massage or two.
He then had a flight to LA followed by meetings with US officials and another massage disguised as a check-up. He had about 14 hours to kill in LA and who knows what the little guy got up to. Knowing him he probably charmed someone into fussing with him and scammed some tasty morsels.
Then he had another Red Eye from LA to Houston. Once there his limo took him to the Hotel Lyon, located in The Park at Memorial Heights.
After all his pampering and canoodling I am sure he'll have second thoughts about coming home to John and I again......
But, “No Choice Dawson” will have no choice.
New Zealand South Island– mountains, glaciers, fjords, lakes– and rain
The South Island has incredible landscape – mountains, glaciers, fjords, and lakes. I never ventured into the water, but it is crystal clear and icy blue – apparently matching the icy temperature. Because of recent rain and cool temperatures we had a dusting of snow on the mountain tops. - very pretty.
We never made it to Milford Sound or the Milford track - the road was closed due to a land slide caused by the rain. Instead we went to Doubtful Sound, just south of its more famous cousin. The fjords were lush and very green – rainfall 2 out of 3 days year round tend to do that. The forests are full of moss, that have tons of useful purposes – packing materials, in potted plants and absorbency in diapers to name a few.... just a piece of useful or useless information that you can pull out of your hat some day.
The fjords are also home to an incredible engineering feat – an underground hydro electric plant! It harnesses nature's renewable resources (read as: rain) by using a dam to take water from the high level lake to sea level at the Tasman Sea. For more technical details please consult John – he's the technical brains in the family (which makes him good for more than just carrying the luggage and opening jars.)
Three Highlights:
#1: Mountain biking about 25 km (@ 15 miles) down a mountain.
The weather was not great and we were on Plan D (Plans A through C had all been abandoned due to ominous looking clouds that we seemed to have a knack for driving into.) We had bikes and decided we would still use them. As we drove up the mountain to the saddle the rain turned to snow. I will admit, I was thinking we were nuts to get out of the bus in the cold and snow to start a bike ride. BUT, it was a lot of fun as we went down the road through snow, that turned to rain that then turned to sun. Lesson learned: It is TONS easier to sit on the bike going down hill and just cross our cold and frozen fingers hoping that the brakes don't give out, than it is hiking up a mountain ridge.
#2: Boat ride into the fjords of Doubtful Sound and the underground hydro electric dam
When you see the title “rain forests” remember that there is a reason they are called this – experts have determined that the area gets TONS of rain. Upside is that the forests are lush with an array of amazing vegetation in tons of shades of green. Very pretty – and I am sure gorgeous when the sun shines, not that I would know through personal experience
Fjords are steep cliffs that have been carved by retreating glaciers – another technical detail that you can get tons more information about from sources other than myself. But very peaceful on the boat and home to dolphins, which we saw. Also two types of penguins – which we did not see.
Despite the fact the technical details of the dam are not retained by me, it was very interesting. And the best part was a photograph of the official plunge by dignitaries to detonate the final dynamite blast to complete the mine tunnel (huh? Just read it again slowly and it will make sense...) - anyway, too much dynamite was loaded – and the picture captures the moment when all the dignitaries' hardhats flew off their heads and their hair stands straight up! Hilarious. I can hear it now “She be right mate!”.... “No worries”.... Crickey!!!
#3. Amazing skies with cool cloud formations and brilliant rainbows
The skies are so open and I have seen some pretty cloud formations and beautiful rainbows in so many locations. The only problem with rainbows, is that generally they come with rain. But they do bring the promise of sunshine.
New Zealand is a very beautiful country with such a variety of topography and vegetation, ranging from volcanoes to mountains, to plains, to farm lands, to vineyards, to pretty beaches to tropical rain forests. There is also a huge variety of weather. Bring your camera, sunglasses, umbrella, sunscreen, fleece, bathing suit and skis – it should cover it all - “You'll be right mate!”
We never made it to Milford Sound or the Milford track - the road was closed due to a land slide caused by the rain. Instead we went to Doubtful Sound, just south of its more famous cousin. The fjords were lush and very green – rainfall 2 out of 3 days year round tend to do that. The forests are full of moss, that have tons of useful purposes – packing materials, in potted plants and absorbency in diapers to name a few.... just a piece of useful or useless information that you can pull out of your hat some day.
The fjords are also home to an incredible engineering feat – an underground hydro electric plant! It harnesses nature's renewable resources (read as: rain) by using a dam to take water from the high level lake to sea level at the Tasman Sea. For more technical details please consult John – he's the technical brains in the family (which makes him good for more than just carrying the luggage and opening jars.)
Three Highlights:
#1: Mountain biking about 25 km (@ 15 miles) down a mountain.
The weather was not great and we were on Plan D (Plans A through C had all been abandoned due to ominous looking clouds that we seemed to have a knack for driving into.) We had bikes and decided we would still use them. As we drove up the mountain to the saddle the rain turned to snow. I will admit, I was thinking we were nuts to get out of the bus in the cold and snow to start a bike ride. BUT, it was a lot of fun as we went down the road through snow, that turned to rain that then turned to sun. Lesson learned: It is TONS easier to sit on the bike going down hill and just cross our cold and frozen fingers hoping that the brakes don't give out, than it is hiking up a mountain ridge.
#2: Boat ride into the fjords of Doubtful Sound and the underground hydro electric dam
When you see the title “rain forests” remember that there is a reason they are called this – experts have determined that the area gets TONS of rain. Upside is that the forests are lush with an array of amazing vegetation in tons of shades of green. Very pretty – and I am sure gorgeous when the sun shines, not that I would know through personal experience
Fjords are steep cliffs that have been carved by retreating glaciers – another technical detail that you can get tons more information about from sources other than myself. But very peaceful on the boat and home to dolphins, which we saw. Also two types of penguins – which we did not see.
Despite the fact the technical details of the dam are not retained by me, it was very interesting. And the best part was a photograph of the official plunge by dignitaries to detonate the final dynamite blast to complete the mine tunnel (huh? Just read it again slowly and it will make sense...) - anyway, too much dynamite was loaded – and the picture captures the moment when all the dignitaries' hardhats flew off their heads and their hair stands straight up! Hilarious. I can hear it now “She be right mate!”.... “No worries”.... Crickey!!!
#3. Amazing skies with cool cloud formations and brilliant rainbows
The skies are so open and I have seen some pretty cloud formations and beautiful rainbows in so many locations. The only problem with rainbows, is that generally they come with rain. But they do bring the promise of sunshine.
New Zealand is a very beautiful country with such a variety of topography and vegetation, ranging from volcanoes to mountains, to plains, to farm lands, to vineyards, to pretty beaches to tropical rain forests. There is also a huge variety of weather. Bring your camera, sunglasses, umbrella, sunscreen, fleece, bathing suit and skis – it should cover it all - “You'll be right mate!”
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Who's Guarding the Country?
There are so many Canadians down here I have to ask the question - “who is guarding the country?”
New Zealand – South Island – Rimu Tour
We are once again connected to the internet, have TV channels and are “plugged in.” YIKES – that sounds like the real world.....
We met up with our group in Christhcurch – turns out to be 5 of us with 2 guides – SWEET!!!! Except, John and I are by far the oldest – YIKES again. Nothing worse than having kids half your age run up mountains and return down them before we are even anywhere near the top. Crickey?!?!?!?!? What happened to the days when I was always the youngest and the head of the pack!?!?!?!?
We are doing the south island counterclockwise from Christchurch and headed up north, then west towards the west/wet coast and then circling east to the centre.
This is wine country so we had to stop at a vineyard to sample the wares on our second day. It must have been to give us courage to launch into our 3 day backpacking trip into Nelson National Park. This is when it all becomes a blur – exhaustion and pain have that effect.....
For such a small country there is a lot of variety in topography and geography, The west coast is nicknamed “the wet coast”. Things like that always worry me when on vacation. Same as “rain forests”. I generally try to avoid them. However, the vegetation is very lush and tropical As we headed inland, east, we crossed mountains ranges and the topography and vegetation changes to much drier where you can see the rocky mountains . They are very reminiscent of our Canadian Rockies on the Alberta side. Beautiful lakes that are crisp blue – and apparently cold.
Currently we are in Queenstown – “the adventure capital of the world” (reminiscent of Banff, but even more commercialized) In Queenstown we are at 45 degrees south, so we are fairly far south They say in the winter temperatures can go as low as minus 15 C and up to minus 5C. So it can get pretty cold (although, our winters in Alberta can get FAR worse.)
Queenstown is very commercial – but cute. And any type of adventure activity you would like is available. This is the home of bungee jumping, paragliding, parachuting, aerial stunt plane rides – you name it – you can do it here.
Currently the weather is not cooperating. We had planned a heli ride to hike the Franz Josef Glacier, but that was canceled due to low clouds and winds. Today we planned a jet boat in Queenstown, that was canceled due to the rain. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Milford Sound– which is very famous. However, the roads are blocked with a land slide – so our guides have made alternate plans for us.
Highlights so far of the South Island:
Highlight #1: Three days backpacking in Nelson National Park – Angelus Circuit:
I have come to the conclusion Kiwis are a hardy lot. Crickey – have they never heard of stopping to smell the roses or enjoying the scenery when mountain climbing? Do they never need to catch their breath and rest? I can not even count the number of times I cursed John, for whatever reasons..... Crickey. We arrived at our alpine hut in time to have dinner – and then fall asleep at the table –it felt like too much effort to get up and go to our mattress
After breakfast we headed out across a ridge and then down grueling boulders beside a waterfall. I can't remember if it was harder going up or down – I just remember that my knees became wobbly and I seriously worried if they were going to bend backwards. My legs have never been so tired. Nine hours later we arrived at our next alpine hut – and a cold well deserved beer! (apparently that hike usually takes 11 hours! I wish someone had asked me if I was interested in breaking a record – if they had – my answer would have been “NO!!!!!!!!”) My legs have never been so sore. Those excercises that I did 20 years ago did not help me now!!!
Next morning we had a leisurely 3 hour hike out and back to the bus– hahahahaha. It hurt to stand up and sit down. It hurt to go down a stair. It hurt just thinking abut my legs. Now that it is over I am glad I did it.
Highlight #2: Kayaking in Okarita Lagoon
The reason this is a highlight is because John and I shared a two seater kayak – called the Divorce Kayak for 4 hours. Remarkably, neither one of us was ready to kill the other. (It really is not so amazing that John didn't' kill me – but more amazing that I never killed him!)
Highlight #3: Hearing the “youngsters” on the trip complain about sore legs!
John and I thought we were the only ones ready to die and in absolute agony, but it gave me great pleasure to hear them also complain about sore legs – not that I'm mean or anything. But life would just not have been fair if they had not also felt the pain.
And the beat goes on........
We met up with our group in Christhcurch – turns out to be 5 of us with 2 guides – SWEET!!!! Except, John and I are by far the oldest – YIKES again. Nothing worse than having kids half your age run up mountains and return down them before we are even anywhere near the top. Crickey?!?!?!?!? What happened to the days when I was always the youngest and the head of the pack!?!?!?!?
We are doing the south island counterclockwise from Christchurch and headed up north, then west towards the west/wet coast and then circling east to the centre.
This is wine country so we had to stop at a vineyard to sample the wares on our second day. It must have been to give us courage to launch into our 3 day backpacking trip into Nelson National Park. This is when it all becomes a blur – exhaustion and pain have that effect.....
For such a small country there is a lot of variety in topography and geography, The west coast is nicknamed “the wet coast”. Things like that always worry me when on vacation. Same as “rain forests”. I generally try to avoid them. However, the vegetation is very lush and tropical As we headed inland, east, we crossed mountains ranges and the topography and vegetation changes to much drier where you can see the rocky mountains . They are very reminiscent of our Canadian Rockies on the Alberta side. Beautiful lakes that are crisp blue – and apparently cold.
Currently we are in Queenstown – “the adventure capital of the world” (reminiscent of Banff, but even more commercialized) In Queenstown we are at 45 degrees south, so we are fairly far south They say in the winter temperatures can go as low as minus 15 C and up to minus 5C. So it can get pretty cold (although, our winters in Alberta can get FAR worse.)
Queenstown is very commercial – but cute. And any type of adventure activity you would like is available. This is the home of bungee jumping, paragliding, parachuting, aerial stunt plane rides – you name it – you can do it here.
Currently the weather is not cooperating. We had planned a heli ride to hike the Franz Josef Glacier, but that was canceled due to low clouds and winds. Today we planned a jet boat in Queenstown, that was canceled due to the rain. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Milford Sound– which is very famous. However, the roads are blocked with a land slide – so our guides have made alternate plans for us.
Highlights so far of the South Island:
Highlight #1: Three days backpacking in Nelson National Park – Angelus Circuit:
I have come to the conclusion Kiwis are a hardy lot. Crickey – have they never heard of stopping to smell the roses or enjoying the scenery when mountain climbing? Do they never need to catch their breath and rest? I can not even count the number of times I cursed John, for whatever reasons..... Crickey. We arrived at our alpine hut in time to have dinner – and then fall asleep at the table –it felt like too much effort to get up and go to our mattress
After breakfast we headed out across a ridge and then down grueling boulders beside a waterfall. I can't remember if it was harder going up or down – I just remember that my knees became wobbly and I seriously worried if they were going to bend backwards. My legs have never been so tired. Nine hours later we arrived at our next alpine hut – and a cold well deserved beer! (apparently that hike usually takes 11 hours! I wish someone had asked me if I was interested in breaking a record – if they had – my answer would have been “NO!!!!!!!!”) My legs have never been so sore. Those excercises that I did 20 years ago did not help me now!!!
Next morning we had a leisurely 3 hour hike out and back to the bus– hahahahaha. It hurt to stand up and sit down. It hurt to go down a stair. It hurt just thinking abut my legs. Now that it is over I am glad I did it.
Highlight #2: Kayaking in Okarita Lagoon
The reason this is a highlight is because John and I shared a two seater kayak – called the Divorce Kayak for 4 hours. Remarkably, neither one of us was ready to kill the other. (It really is not so amazing that John didn't' kill me – but more amazing that I never killed him!)
Highlight #3: Hearing the “youngsters” on the trip complain about sore legs!
John and I thought we were the only ones ready to die and in absolute agony, but it gave me great pleasure to hear them also complain about sore legs – not that I'm mean or anything. But life would just not have been fair if they had not also felt the pain.
And the beat goes on........
Sunday, March 14, 2010
New Zealand: North Island
New Zealand basically consists of two islands – the North Island and the South Island. The Tasman Sea, a 2 hour time change and approximately 1,500km separates it from Australia – and both countries love to give each other jovial jabs. There are approximately 4 million people and 40 million sheep in New Zealand. Don't even go there! Just do the math!
We met up with our 9 tour mates and 2 guides in Auckland and circled clockwise through the North Island We covered Rockaway Beach, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Lakes Okatina, Lake Tarawera, Whakarewarewa Forest, Huka Falls, Turangi, Lake Taupo (the world's biggest volcano lake), Tongariro National Park , Waitomo Caves and back to Auckland in 5 days. The names are Maori and roll off the tongues of New Zealanders – personally, I have difficulty with all of them.
The north island is the location to many scenes in the Lord of the Rings movie. It sits on volcanoes and there is tons of geothermal activity going on under the earth's surface (YIKES!!!) In some places it looks almost surreal with hot spots of steam, bubbling pools of water and rolling mud coming out of the earth (YIKES!) It is a bit unnerving at times – but home to many spas and beauty care products so it must be safe. In other places it looks like a lunar landscape - the after effects of erupting volcanoes. (YIKES again!) But mostly it is very green and lush, with fertile farms, cows, TALL trees, rolling hills, mountains with snow tops and home to many kiwi fruit orchards (they look like grape vines). Oh yah, and there are TONS of sheep.
We were on an Active New Zealand tour and Grant (pronounced in New Zealand as Grauuuunt – to rhyme with Auuuunt) certainly kept us moving and active. Our hike on the second day was 21km (13 miles) at Lake Okataina. The Brits and Americans on our trip expected it to be “undulating” - obviously underestimating the stamina of New Zealanders.
Three highlights of our trip around the North Island:
FIRST: Tongariro National Park is New Zealand's oldest park and is the 4th oldest national park in the world! It was a gift from the Maori people to the country – a very clever way to ensure the land remains natural forever. There are three massive volcanoes in the Park – one of which was Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings.
We “tramped” (New Zealand Speak for “hiked”) the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The trail is 19 km (11 miles) and over the first 9 km (4 miles) we had an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. For those of you not into hiking, suffice it to say, that is a very steep climb. The mid plateau was like a windswept lunar landscape with flat black lava plains. When we crested the top peak we looked down on 3 small turquoise alpine lakes – perfect for lunch.
Seven hours later we were back at our bus, to be greeted by Grauunt with a cold adult beverage by a lake. This was followed by a welcome soak in the bubbling thermal waters in Turangi.
SECOND: We mountain biked Whakarewarewa Forest (I am not making these names up, honest!) It is home to huge trees, including transplanted California red woods, and “undulating” hills.
I tackled the Level 2 trails but John was in his glory and took off with another guide that took 3 more adventurous souls on Level 5 trails (or so they say. Note: that there are not many pictures of their adventure....) Apparently John had a silly grin on his face the whole time. I was quite happy on my trails, especially because I did not have any close encounters with the nature around me.
THIRD: I had never heard of “black water rafting”. The pictures and brochures showed people having a ton of fun. So I figured it must be a good time.
Ha!!! Let me define “highlight” - it does not mean I enjoyed it, it just means it was “memorable”. It also means I can “tick off the box” - not that I ever had the “black water rafting” box on my bucket list before!
“Black water rafting” means putting on a cold and wet 5mm wet suit, booties under rubber boots, strapping on helmets with flashlights, sitting on rubber tubes, descending into caves and jumping over water falls into pools of water at 14C (about 55F) in the dark. YIKES! I do not like being cold, the dark, cold water and am mildly claustrophobic – so this was pretty much my worst nightmare all in one package!
Now that I have completed it and am out of both the cave and wet suit – you know, it was kind of fun. (YIKES!) When we turned off our headlamps it was total darkness except for the glow worms on the ceiling. (Why any creature would choose to live their life in those conditions is beyond me, but why our guides would choose to do this 3 or 4 times a day is ALSO beyond me!) We floated with the lights out and looked up at the glow worms and it was like a beautiful starry night. Later we turned the headlamps on and maneuvered through the tunnels and it reminded me of a moonlit night through a canyon with stars over head. Now that I am out I can say it really was very pretty. Although, it would have been much nicer had we gone through caves with thermal water instead of frigid water!
Both John and I were sad to leave our tour of the North Island after 5 days. We saw beautiful countryside, had interesting adventures and had a lot of fun with our Kiwi guide Graaaauuuunt, who loved to laugh and joke and tease us Canadians, fellow members of the Commonwealth, and former residents of Australia.
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