So it has been too long since my last post, I know, I know, but we have been doing so much that I haven't had enough time to tie my shoes, let alone go on the internet.
I left you in Taupo as I recall, which were two uneventful days due to weather, but the nights were a different story... but we won't get into that. All I'll say is that the Holy Cow never saw it come'n!
From Taupo we drove to River Valley, which is a little, secluded lodge in the middle of no where. There I played a round of golf at their little pitch and putt that made the Los Feliz course look like Pebble Beach. Megan and Laura rode horses along the river, I was going to, but it had been a while since I cursed the golf gods, I thought it was time to rekindle our old relationship. I came in third, but I came within half a meter of hitting a sheep, which I thought was way more satisfying.
From River Valley we headed to Wellington, the capital city of the Kiwis. We stayed here for two nights, though the first was filled with mixed emotions, half the bus we had become mates with over the past week and a half were leaving the next morning. We stayed out way to late, drank way to much, and parted ways only fitting for the traveling companions. We explored the city the next day... after sleeping in and taking aspirin of course.
Wellington was our last stop in the North Island and the second morning we were on the ferry to start our South Island expedition!
First stop: Nelson...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Auckland to Taupo
I promised a run down of Auckland, and I do not want to disappoint, so:
1) The city is small, but is big enough to know its a city. Megan and I walked it a few times and again with Laura and we still managed to find new areas to explore.
2) The food is good (nothing like the italian place in Hobart, but then again, not to many places can measure up to that). We found a good Ramen place and a cafe that can fry up some pretty mean bananas.
3) The amount of people out on the weekends exceeds anything I have ever seen before! When I got up at 4 am to pick Laura up at the airport there were more people out then there was at 10 pm the night before! It really was quite a site.
So the hop-on-hop-off bus tour we are on is insane! We have the option to do so many things and partake in so many activities its nuts!
From Auckland we headed to Mercury Bay where we got to dig our own thermal hot pools on the beach. The water was so hot that it turned the bum of an English girl on our trip the color of a ripe tomato (though I cant laugh too hard because my calfs an back were about the same color).
We were then shipped to Rotorua where we got to go ZORBING!!!!!!!!!!! So for those of you who did not google it as I asked, basically what zorbing is a smaller beach ball filled with hot water and people inside a bigger beach ball. The smaller ball is held in the middle of the bigger one with strings. To get into it you have to take a running dive head first straight into the middle of the small ball. You are then zipped up and told to run at one side of the ball (which faces down the hill). You proceed to roll down the hill, boucing around the ball, giggling like a little school girl! The three of us were in one... and Laura got the bright idea to try and stand up and run... which simply ended in her landing straight on my gut as I was trying not to swallow water... but it was totally worth it!!! That night we got to do a whole Mauri culture dinner and a show type thing which I do have to say was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. We got to learn about the culture and eat lots and lots of food. I would not trade this day for anything!
From Rotorua we headed to Waitomo where we got to go Black Water Rafting. We repelled 50 meters down into a cave, took a zipline even further in, jumped into freezing water, and climbed up two waterfalls to get out. I have never in my life done something so amazing (I do not want to sound redundent, but I'm still at a lose for words)! That was this morning and I still havent recovered.
We are now in Taupo. We got in around 4 this afternoon so we havent done anything yet, but I think we are staying here for 2 days, so I'm sure there will be something!!!
Hope all is well! Cheers!
(Pictures and USB ports are hard to come by... sorry!!!)
1) The city is small, but is big enough to know its a city. Megan and I walked it a few times and again with Laura and we still managed to find new areas to explore.
2) The food is good (nothing like the italian place in Hobart, but then again, not to many places can measure up to that). We found a good Ramen place and a cafe that can fry up some pretty mean bananas.
3) The amount of people out on the weekends exceeds anything I have ever seen before! When I got up at 4 am to pick Laura up at the airport there were more people out then there was at 10 pm the night before! It really was quite a site.
So the hop-on-hop-off bus tour we are on is insane! We have the option to do so many things and partake in so many activities its nuts!
From Auckland we headed to Mercury Bay where we got to dig our own thermal hot pools on the beach. The water was so hot that it turned the bum of an English girl on our trip the color of a ripe tomato (though I cant laugh too hard because my calfs an back were about the same color).
We were then shipped to Rotorua where we got to go ZORBING!!!!!!!!!!! So for those of you who did not google it as I asked, basically what zorbing is a smaller beach ball filled with hot water and people inside a bigger beach ball. The smaller ball is held in the middle of the bigger one with strings. To get into it you have to take a running dive head first straight into the middle of the small ball. You are then zipped up and told to run at one side of the ball (which faces down the hill). You proceed to roll down the hill, boucing around the ball, giggling like a little school girl! The three of us were in one... and Laura got the bright idea to try and stand up and run... which simply ended in her landing straight on my gut as I was trying not to swallow water... but it was totally worth it!!! That night we got to do a whole Mauri culture dinner and a show type thing which I do have to say was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. We got to learn about the culture and eat lots and lots of food. I would not trade this day for anything!
From Rotorua we headed to Waitomo where we got to go Black Water Rafting. We repelled 50 meters down into a cave, took a zipline even further in, jumped into freezing water, and climbed up two waterfalls to get out. I have never in my life done something so amazing (I do not want to sound redundent, but I'm still at a lose for words)! That was this morning and I still havent recovered.
We are now in Taupo. We got in around 4 this afternoon so we havent done anything yet, but I think we are staying here for 2 days, so I'm sure there will be something!!!
Hope all is well! Cheers!
(Pictures and USB ports are hard to come by... sorry!!!)
Monday, June 18, 2007
Kiwi Itinerary
This will again, sorry to say, be a short post. The bus that will take us south picks us up in 6 minutes, but I wanted to let you all know some of the activities we have planned (and by planned I mean picked up pamphlets and said, "Oh, that looks fun!"):
1) Black Water Rafting
2) Zorbing (Google it!)
3) Glowworm Caves
4) Tongariro Crossing [17 KM hike (oneway) to the top of Mount Doom]
5) Skydiving (?)
6) Jet Boating
7) Canyon Swinging
8) Peddling for change on the streets
Hopefully the next hostel has internet access so we can add some Auckland pictures and I can discribe the city a little more. Until then...
1) Black Water Rafting
2) Zorbing (Google it!)
3) Glowworm Caves
4) Tongariro Crossing [17 KM hike (oneway) to the top of Mount Doom]
5) Skydiving (?)
6) Jet Boating
7) Canyon Swinging
8) Peddling for change on the streets
Hopefully the next hostel has internet access so we can add some Auckland pictures and I can discribe the city a little more. Until then...
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
New Zealand!!!
We made it to New Zealand!!! We are currently in Auckland and plan to head up to the north to play around for a little while... well until Laura arrives and we get to start our move to the south. We have alot of exploring to do and will report back as soon as we find something interesting to report on. We just wanted to let ya'll know that we made it here safe and sound! Over and out...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Great Ocean Road
Ok, well since Uncle Skip doesn't appriciate the brilliance that is my writting... I will simply list the places Megan and I saw on our Great Ocean Road adventures:
Our Car:
Flagstaff Hill
Cheeseworld!!!
Bay of Islands
Bay of Martyrs
The Grotto
London Bridge
The Arch
Blowhole
Thunder Cave
Lock Ard Gorge
Twelve Apostles
Otway Tree Top Walk (but it was closed when we got there)
Castle Cove
Port Arlington
Well... we have to get up in 7 hours (3am here) to make it to the airport on time to catch our plane to Auckland, so the next time I post it will be from another country!!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
And she speaks....
Well we are nearing the end of our jounrey here in Australia (we leave for the land of Kiwis on Wednesday), so I thought I would jott down a few of my thoughts on each of the cities that we have been to. I figured you all have only been privy to Ben's point of view, so changing it up a bit would be nice. Anyways Im too lazy to post pictures, and you already get the gist of it from Ben...well here we go in 3...2...1...
Brisbane, Queensland:
Hostel:The first hostel we stayed in, Valley Veranda would have been very nice had it not been for a room mix up, and a sewagey shower. The next hostel, Palace Backpackers was amazing! It was right in the center of town and had a great staff.
The City: The city itself was nice, although it took time to grow on me.
Highlight: the Australian Zoo, they actually let me touch the animals.
Surfer's Paradise:
Hostel: The Islander, nice and we had our own bathroom and shower which is a big plus, great location.
The City: The city is one big tourist resort, very young and very hip. The beach was beautiful, with alot of beautiful people on it, the water on the this side of the Pacific is nicer.
Highlight: Leaving Surfer's for the Hinterlands. Tree top walking is fun, plus rainforests kick ass ( i know my vocab is off the highest quality).
Hobart, Tasmania:
Hostel: Hobart Hostel, great hostel, very small, felt like we were staying at a friend's place.
The City: I absolutely fell in love with the city, it was green and beautiful and never rained during the day, only at night. The only problem was that the city shut down once the sun fell, which was around 4:30...seriously...no one in the streets after 4:30...I think they have a problem with vampires.
Highlight: Our tour to Port Arthur which took us through parts of Tasmania that we otherwise would not have been able to see. Plus there were ruins...i like ruins...therefore i like Port Arthur. And our tour guide was amazing, very personable.
Adelaide, South Australia:
Hostel: Backpack Oz, I thought that Hobart Hostel was great, this one was even better. Everyone would come down to the commons room, which was like one big living room and watch TV or movies together. It had a very homely atmosphere, with alot of young interesting people from all over the world.
The City: The city was perfect, not too small yet not too big, and green! I like green. It rained on us alot, but it wasn't too bad. Adelaide Univeristy is beautiful, and so are the botanical gardens.
Highlight: Making friends and the hostel, and the Barossa Valley Winery Tour. Mom, Dad i got you a bottle of wine....all I have to do is not drink it...
Kangaroo Island, South Australia:
Hostel: Old Farm house converted into bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. Greatest thing ever!
The Island: The Island is absolutely beautiful, so much wild life and beautiful scenery. We got to see some amazing coastlines, crazy rock formations, the Australian Sea Lion, the New Zealand Fur Seal, the Little Penguin, wallabies, kangaroos, and tons of very pretty birds. We also got to go on hikes, explore caves, and just have an all-around good time.
The Highlighht: The whole trip was just one big highlight, but I think the best part was the people we got to experience this with. Our tour guide was so much fun, more like a friend, same with other people on our tour. Since we got to spend three days with them, they became more like friends rather then just people yet another tour. Oh yeah and the food was amazing.
The Great Ocean Road Trip:
Yes, we rented a car, we had some trouble getting out of the city, but once Ben started driving all was better. I never quite got the hang of driving on the other side of the road, and I continually turned on the windshield wipers rather the the turn signal.
Hostel: Nope for three days and two nights there was no hostel, just our car.
The City: We passed through lots of cities, Flagstaff Hill which was a recreation of an 1800s maritime village, tons of crazy rock formations, and beach side towns. Too many to list.
The Highlight: Actually making it to Melbourne in one piece, it was an adventure and quite a fun one too.
Melbourne, Victoria:
Hostel: Urban Central, its big, and new which is nice, but just mostly big.
The City: The city is crazy, it reminds me alot of New York. I'd like to catch a rugby or football match so we will see. We kind of just want to take the next couple of days to just relax since the next leg of our trip is going to be a busy one.
Well, that is it for now, sorry if it was a reiteration of what Ben has already said. We are happy and healthy and excited for the next country. Ok im running out of time...byes!
Brisbane, Queensland:
Hostel:The first hostel we stayed in, Valley Veranda would have been very nice had it not been for a room mix up, and a sewagey shower. The next hostel, Palace Backpackers was amazing! It was right in the center of town and had a great staff.
The City: The city itself was nice, although it took time to grow on me.
Highlight: the Australian Zoo, they actually let me touch the animals.
Surfer's Paradise:
Hostel: The Islander, nice and we had our own bathroom and shower which is a big plus, great location.
The City: The city is one big tourist resort, very young and very hip. The beach was beautiful, with alot of beautiful people on it, the water on the this side of the Pacific is nicer.
Highlight: Leaving Surfer's for the Hinterlands. Tree top walking is fun, plus rainforests kick ass ( i know my vocab is off the highest quality).
Hobart, Tasmania:
Hostel: Hobart Hostel, great hostel, very small, felt like we were staying at a friend's place.
The City: I absolutely fell in love with the city, it was green and beautiful and never rained during the day, only at night. The only problem was that the city shut down once the sun fell, which was around 4:30...seriously...no one in the streets after 4:30...I think they have a problem with vampires.
Highlight: Our tour to Port Arthur which took us through parts of Tasmania that we otherwise would not have been able to see. Plus there were ruins...i like ruins...therefore i like Port Arthur. And our tour guide was amazing, very personable.
Adelaide, South Australia:
Hostel: Backpack Oz, I thought that Hobart Hostel was great, this one was even better. Everyone would come down to the commons room, which was like one big living room and watch TV or movies together. It had a very homely atmosphere, with alot of young interesting people from all over the world.
The City: The city was perfect, not too small yet not too big, and green! I like green. It rained on us alot, but it wasn't too bad. Adelaide Univeristy is beautiful, and so are the botanical gardens.
Highlight: Making friends and the hostel, and the Barossa Valley Winery Tour. Mom, Dad i got you a bottle of wine....all I have to do is not drink it...
Kangaroo Island, South Australia:
Hostel: Old Farm house converted into bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. Greatest thing ever!
The Island: The Island is absolutely beautiful, so much wild life and beautiful scenery. We got to see some amazing coastlines, crazy rock formations, the Australian Sea Lion, the New Zealand Fur Seal, the Little Penguin, wallabies, kangaroos, and tons of very pretty birds. We also got to go on hikes, explore caves, and just have an all-around good time.
The Highlighht: The whole trip was just one big highlight, but I think the best part was the people we got to experience this with. Our tour guide was so much fun, more like a friend, same with other people on our tour. Since we got to spend three days with them, they became more like friends rather then just people yet another tour. Oh yeah and the food was amazing.
The Great Ocean Road Trip:
Yes, we rented a car, we had some trouble getting out of the city, but once Ben started driving all was better. I never quite got the hang of driving on the other side of the road, and I continually turned on the windshield wipers rather the the turn signal.
Hostel: Nope for three days and two nights there was no hostel, just our car.
The City: We passed through lots of cities, Flagstaff Hill which was a recreation of an 1800s maritime village, tons of crazy rock formations, and beach side towns. Too many to list.
The Highlight: Actually making it to Melbourne in one piece, it was an adventure and quite a fun one too.
Melbourne, Victoria:
Hostel: Urban Central, its big, and new which is nice, but just mostly big.
The City: The city is crazy, it reminds me alot of New York. I'd like to catch a rugby or football match so we will see. We kind of just want to take the next couple of days to just relax since the next leg of our trip is going to be a busy one.
Well, that is it for now, sorry if it was a reiteration of what Ben has already said. We are happy and healthy and excited for the next country. Ok im running out of time...byes!
South Australia Pictures!
This is the University of Adelaide... I want to take some classes there!
Here are some Barossa Valley and wine tasting pictures...
Here are some pictures of the Botanical Gardens we got stuck in:
This was a weird "fountain-type" thing that warrented a picture... with my feet...
Here are some Barossa Valley and wine tasting pictures...
Vinecrest was the best winery we went too!
And in the Barossa Valley is the biggest rocking horse in the world:
And a picture of the valley itself:
And now... Kangaroo Island... the highlight of the trip so far:
On our way to the boat...
On the boat...
On the island we saw a sea lion colonies, roos and wallabies, and some Remarkable Rocks:
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Adelaide and Kangaroo Island
Ok Folks, for those who havn't given up on us yet, here is a brand new stink'n post!
Right now we are in a hostel in Adelaide, trying to figure out how to make it back to Melbourne... we might rent a camper!!! So what has happened since the last post... let me try and remember:
So from Tassie we flew to Melbourne and arrived at 7:10AM... before anything was open. We grabed as many flyers as we could and tried to figure out where to go. We knew that we wanted to end up in Adelaide, but had no idea how to get there. We walked over to the international terminal and talked to the information booth there, got some numbers, and called a few train companies to get an idea on how much and how long. We were told that we had missed the last train/coach for the day and would have to wait till the next morning. We went online to try and see if we could be reserve a seat f0r the morning train and saw that there was one train leaving in half an hour which the lady on the telephone decided not to tell us about... so we ran! We ran to the airport shuttle... waited for what seemed like the longest 20 minutes of my life on the shuttle... then ran up to the train platform to see our train steaming off... Long story short we ended up taking an overnight Greyhound to Adelaide (worst idea ever!).
I would like to say that our little adventure ended there... but oh no, that would be to easy. We got into Adelaide at 5:00 am the next morning... with no place to stay... and nothing open... Again, we grabed as many flyers as we could and started figuring out where to stay. We called about 4 hostels until one picked up. They had a room! And picked us up! Not only that, they didnt charge us for that night and let us check in and sleep right away! So it was a crazy 36 hours... but it was a happy ending.
We love Adelaide! Its so green... yet its also a city... its fun to explore. We spent two days just walking around and finding interesting places. The Botanical Gardens were pretty cool, though we had to see it in stages, hiding under big trees as the heavens opened and closed. We did a day tour of the Barossa Valley and got to taste wines at four different wineries... though three before lunch had Megan "very happy". And I do not know if you are checking this Brenda, but the Shirazes are amazing! The best Shiraz we tasted was from a small winery, Vinecrest, and I bought a bottle. They also had a Soft and Sweet Shiraz which was very good, Megan got a bottle of that. And for lunch I had kangaroo! I thought it was really good, but Megan didnt like it. She didnt like the sauce either, so if I order it again it might be different.
The past three days we have been at Kangaroo Island camping in a farm...there was no cell service and obviousle no internet access. The island was so cool and the guide was very knowledable and entertaining. We got to see alot of wild life... most of which ran across the street in front of the 4WD. We saw seals and penguins... I got close to one, but people were watching so I couldn't take it with me... maybe in NZ.
So now I have to get back to trying to figure out how to get back to Melbourne... wish us luck!!!
P.S. This hostel doesnt have USB ports for pictures, so the will be added in Melbourne... once we get there...
Right now we are in a hostel in Adelaide, trying to figure out how to make it back to Melbourne... we might rent a camper!!! So what has happened since the last post... let me try and remember:
So from Tassie we flew to Melbourne and arrived at 7:10AM... before anything was open. We grabed as many flyers as we could and tried to figure out where to go. We knew that we wanted to end up in Adelaide, but had no idea how to get there. We walked over to the international terminal and talked to the information booth there, got some numbers, and called a few train companies to get an idea on how much and how long. We were told that we had missed the last train/coach for the day and would have to wait till the next morning. We went online to try and see if we could be reserve a seat f0r the morning train and saw that there was one train leaving in half an hour which the lady on the telephone decided not to tell us about... so we ran! We ran to the airport shuttle... waited for what seemed like the longest 20 minutes of my life on the shuttle... then ran up to the train platform to see our train steaming off... Long story short we ended up taking an overnight Greyhound to Adelaide (worst idea ever!).
I would like to say that our little adventure ended there... but oh no, that would be to easy. We got into Adelaide at 5:00 am the next morning... with no place to stay... and nothing open... Again, we grabed as many flyers as we could and started figuring out where to stay. We called about 4 hostels until one picked up. They had a room! And picked us up! Not only that, they didnt charge us for that night and let us check in and sleep right away! So it was a crazy 36 hours... but it was a happy ending.
We love Adelaide! Its so green... yet its also a city... its fun to explore. We spent two days just walking around and finding interesting places. The Botanical Gardens were pretty cool, though we had to see it in stages, hiding under big trees as the heavens opened and closed. We did a day tour of the Barossa Valley and got to taste wines at four different wineries... though three before lunch had Megan "very happy". And I do not know if you are checking this Brenda, but the Shirazes are amazing! The best Shiraz we tasted was from a small winery, Vinecrest, and I bought a bottle. They also had a Soft and Sweet Shiraz which was very good, Megan got a bottle of that. And for lunch I had kangaroo! I thought it was really good, but Megan didnt like it. She didnt like the sauce either, so if I order it again it might be different.
The past three days we have been at Kangaroo Island camping in a farm...there was no cell service and obviousle no internet access. The island was so cool and the guide was very knowledable and entertaining. We got to see alot of wild life... most of which ran across the street in front of the 4WD. We saw seals and penguins... I got close to one, but people were watching so I couldn't take it with me... maybe in NZ.
So now I have to get back to trying to figure out how to get back to Melbourne... wish us luck!!!
P.S. This hostel doesnt have USB ports for pictures, so the will be added in Melbourne... once we get there...
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tassie and Pictures!!!
Ok, so Megan and I have come to the conclusion that Tasmania is one of the sweetest places in the world! Today is our last day here, so we're pretty bummed, but we've done a lot!
The first day here we went to another brewery (the picture on the left), the Cascade Brewery. It was real interesting to hear their take on beer and how they make it. They have a real good amber ale and a great stout. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a stout man, I love the darker, roasted beers.
Yesterday we took a tour to Port Arthur and Richmond. Both places were interesting. Richmond is one of the oldest towns in Australia and looks like an old English village (They have a good bakery!). They have the oldest bridge in Oz also, built in about 1823.
Our tour guide, Mark. was the best I've ever had in my life! He knew more then a person should! We found out this is because when his kid was a baby he had nothing to do at night, so he's read the Lonely Planet books from cover to cover. thats a picture of him down next to the bridge.
Port Arthur was amazing too! This is one of the oldest penitentiaries in Australia and was where the worst of the worst were sent. It was hard to believe that it was such a bad place to be... its beautiful there now!
Ok, well here are some pictures that I promised people. I took some pictures of metal sculptures for you Skip:
And for you Megan, a surfer on the Gold Coast at Surfer's Paradise:
We have to be ready at 4:45am tomorrow and head to the airport... so I shall talk to y'all later!!!
The first day here we went to another brewery (the picture on the left), the Cascade Brewery. It was real interesting to hear their take on beer and how they make it. They have a real good amber ale and a great stout. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a stout man, I love the darker, roasted beers.
Yesterday we took a tour to Port Arthur and Richmond. Both places were interesting. Richmond is one of the oldest towns in Australia and looks like an old English village (They have a good bakery!). They have the oldest bridge in Oz also, built in about 1823.
Our tour guide, Mark. was the best I've ever had in my life! He knew more then a person should! We found out this is because when his kid was a baby he had nothing to do at night, so he's read the Lonely Planet books from cover to cover. thats a picture of him down next to the bridge.
Port Arthur was amazing too! This is one of the oldest penitentiaries in Australia and was where the worst of the worst were sent. It was hard to believe that it was such a bad place to be... its beautiful there now!
Ok, well here are some pictures that I promised people. I took some pictures of metal sculptures for you Skip:
And for you Megan, a surfer on the Gold Coast at Surfer's Paradise:
We have to be ready at 4:45am tomorrow and head to the airport... so I shall talk to y'all later!!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Ok... Sorry...
Ok... so this Internet Cafe is expenisve... and isn't letting me add pictures... so give me till tomorrow... and I'll try to get some up! Sorry!
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