This is the Peninsula Spire at the O2 Arena, London
Author: Gill Morris
Nelson to Queenstown
Crossing the Cook Strait on a ferry I left the North Island to continue my journey around South Island, New Zealand.
Myself and another woman, Annette, decided that we wanted to go to Abel Tasman National Park so we stopped at Nelson for one night. Nelson is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated the French and Spanish in 1805 and is located on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay. As we there to visit the National Park we made Nelson our base so we didn’t do much else there.
Abel Tasman National Park is located at the north end of the South Island and is named after Abel Tasman who was the first European explorer to sight New Zealand in 1642. Annette and I planned to go for a hike to do some exploring so we went to Kaiteriteri, which is the gateway to the national park, and about one hour from Nelson. We met the guy who was going to take us on a water taxi to drop us off so we could walk back to the starting point, where he would pick us up again at the end of the trail.
We set off on the boat and on the way we passed a seal colony at Tonga Island and a bunch of sea-birds hanging out on “split apple” rock- so named because it looks like two halves of an apple have been split clean down the middle (Maori legend has it that it was the result of a fight between two brothers).
It was raining that day and the sea was really choppy so when we got dropped off I was promptly sick and didn’t feel so good. But the walk made me feel better. The walk started on a deserted beach where we picked up the coastal trail at the far end, and then made our way through the forest. During that season (July) there was nobody else about, so we had the place all to ourselves, which is kind of special. The trail climbs around headlands and lush forest with so many different species of trees, which are beautiful. It opens onto several gorgeous beaches and estuaries which show the diversity of the place and there are a few waterfalls on the way as well- being the winter season there was a lot of rainfall. It was a splendid way to pass a few hours.
Having only been in New Zealand for two weeks by this point I felt like I had seen and done loads and it wasn’t about to stop and the beauty of the magic bus is that you really can go where you want and see what you want to see.
So after leaving Nelson I arrived in Greymouth for a night but there was not much going on (it was just a pit stop really) so we went on a tour of Monteiths Brewery where we got to taste seven beers and then pour a pint of our favourite one.
We then arrived in Franz Josef where the coolest thing to do is to hike the Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier is 12 km long and located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. We were supposed to be doing the glacier hike the day after we arrived but when we got up it was raining so hard that we decided to put it off for another day on the off chance that it would be a nice day. And we were glad we did because the following day was perfect for hiking- it was amazing- very cold but it was worth it, the views were stunning. We had to wear crampons on our boots as walking in normal boots just would not have worked. We were on the ice for a good 6-7 hours and it was tough going in places- squeezing
through tight ice passages and using our ice picks to haul ourselves a bit further up the glacier but completely worth the effort- in places the brilliant blue colours of the ice were incredible.
Next stop-Queenstown- the party place of the South Island. Don’t get me wrong you can party anywhere you want but Queenstown is renowned for being the liveliest place and the skiing is good in that area, so I was told. It was raining again but that didn’t dampen our spirits when, on the way, we were treated to more seal colonies and pancake rocks where we got off the bus to have a look. Pancake Rocks are located at Dolomite Point, near Punakaiki on the western coast of the South Island. In this area as well the sea explodes out of vertical blowholes at high tide and there is a walk-way where you can see the rocks up close-the rocks are limestone rocks created by pressure on hard and soft layers of marine creatures and plant sediment.
There is so much stuff to do in Queenstown so one of the days I was there I did a day trip to Milford Sound- it was absolutely stunning. It is a fjord in the south west of the South Island and has been judged as the world’s top travel destinations (2008 Travellers Choice Destinations Awards by Trip Advisor) and hailed to be New Zealand’s most famous tourist stop. We had a perfect day- still very cold but the sun was shining although it was very windy on the boat and I nearly got knocked off my feet. The boat leaves the port and makes it’s way through the fjord to the Tasman Sea and back again- it is surrounded by sheer rock faces rising to 1200 metres on both sides. We saw dolphins and seals and there are two permanent waterfalls- Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls.
The last thing I did when I was in Queenstown was to go horse riding in Glenorchy, which is about 45 kilometres away. I love horse riding so when I found out that there were stables nearby I jumped at the chance. We rode out through the Rees Valley amidst a landscape of rocks and glacial fed rivers with beautiful mountains all around. The scenery is just incredible. In fact the mountains were the“misty mountains” from Lord of The Rings and the guide showed us where they had filmed the Isengard scenes. I rode for three hours in the morning, on a horse called Cecil, who was very well behaved. They dropped me off for lunch at the local cafe, and picked me up later to go for another two hour ride. Cecil was a bit friskier in the afternoon and kept bucking his hind legs, which took me completely by surprise and as such nearly had me off a couple of times but I managed to stay in the saddle. Afterwards I did wonder how come I could spend the day walking over a volcano and up a glacier and not ache in the slightest but five hours on a horse and it was a very different story. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful way to spend the day- just you, your horse and nature all around you.
Weekly Photo Challenge- Community
Kia’Ora from New Zealand
This post was originally done as a guest post for www.processingthelife.com but I thought I would share it on my own blog as well.. Hope you like it!
Having spent the last seven months in my beloved Thailand, I flew to Auckland, New Zealand where I would spend the next seven weeks. This was all part of my travelling plan but when I first got there I hated it! I had left behind some good friends and my gosh it was so cold. I hadn’t worn any winter clothes, let alone proper shoes, since leaving the UK in the January. I knew I would feel better in a few days but for the first few days I couldn’t muster even the smallest smile and I mooched about in a state of self-pity! I was missing the friends, that I had made in Thailand, the weather, the culture, everything about it- I just felt a little lost and lonely.
However, that feeling changed when I booked myself onto a “Magic Bus” tour. This bus takes you round the whole country, you can get on and off where and when you want, and get picked up again from where you are to continue your trip, and you see loads of cool stuff. There are different tours you can go on, but I chose the one that took me round the whole of the north and south islands. And depending on what you want to do and where you want to go, you can either stick with the same bus or, if you want to spend more than one night in a place, you get picked up by the next bus on the same journey.
And it is a great way to meet like-minded people. You naturally start talking to people and I made friends with a few good people and we had a lot of fun together.
So my little tour began-
The first destination was Rotorua, which is about 230 km southeast from Auckland and it is a major tourist destination, due to its geothermal activity- including Lady Knox Geyser, and several hot mud pools that bubble away amidst a very steamy atmosphere. And because of the hydrogen sulphide emissions Rotorua is also called “Sulphur City”- it smells of rotten eggs everywhere you go.
Along the way the bus stops off at various places and, on the way to Rotorua, I watched someone do a bungee jump. Kirsty, one of the girls I met, tried it- she got all the way to the edge of the platform and couldn’t do it. It does look amazing, especially when you get dunked in the water below, but throwing yourself off a platform, with an 80 foot drop below is not my idea of fun.
I went to visit Tamaki Maori Village where I was treated to a Maori culture show, a traditional Hangi feast and a walk around the village to learn about Maori art forms, traditions and ways of life. The men also did the “Haka”, which is an ancient war dance, something that the All Blacks rugby team begin a match with.
The next stop was Lake Taupo and here I visited the fast, powerful and beautifully coloured Huka Falls. Later we took our bus driver, Terry, for a few beers at the local pub. I don’t know why I chose this night to have a few beers and not get to bed until 1.30am, when I had to be up at 5.30am the next day to hike across an active volcano.
So 5.30am the next day, feeling a little hung-over, I started on the hike across Mount Tongariro- Mount Tongariro is in Tongariro National Park (New Zealand’s first national park and one of the earliest in the world). It is a beautiful volcano located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of the north island. I had five layers of clothing on-it was that cold-and it took about eight hours to cross from Tongariro to Ngauruhoe.
The scenery is dramatic and in parts covered in snow, especially higher up, but parts, lower down the mountain, had running mountain springs and plants that were growing up out of the melted snow.
I climbed up the side of
Mount Doom which, for Lord of the Rings fans, is very, very cool! At the summit I had lunch and literally felt that I was on top of the world- it was such a sense of achievement having reached the summit- it was not an easy climb up- and the views would have been awesome but the clouds were covering the peaks of the mountains. (Literally a feeling of being on top of the world)
The way down was rather amusing as the slope was steep and the easiest way was to inch your way down, much like when you’re on skis, but on that particular slope the ground was covered in hot rocks, rather than snow and they were really slippy- the only way down was to slide down on my backside! Anyway, I slid, fell on my arse, ended up in a heap with five other people and none of us could move because we would have all slid down the mountain. We eventually made it to the bottom, not without some hysterical laughter on the way down.
I went to Wellington- the capital of New Zealand- where I had a great night with my new friends, making it one of the best places so far. I had turned into a proper backpacker- sleeping in YHA dorms, buying my own food and staying in! We went out to supermarket and we (we being- myself, James, Sheena, Nicholas and Annette- a few friends I had made on the
way) made a lovely spaghetti bolognaise and happily chatted about our travels so far. I had been living like a princess in Thailand, staying in hotels, eating out every night but no longer could I afford such luxury-nor did I want to because some of the best times you have are the most simple ones.
Weekly Photo Challenge- Grand
Four Weeks in ‘Nam
After a fun packed five or so months in Thailand I left to spend four weeks in Vietnam. I had booked another trip through Real Gap and this time I would be learning about the Vietnamese culture, including cooking and language lessons, a week trekking, and a week on a beach.
I would recommend Real Gap, especially if you have never been to a country before, because you are with like-minded people and everything is organised for you- arrival, accommodation, food- and you have a choice of which program to do-volunteer teaching or working in orphanages, trekking, and sports. I used them three times in one year- Muay Thai boxing in Thailand, being a Jillaroo (cowgirl) in Australia, and trekking in Vietnam. There are also several destinations that you can choose from and it is an excellent introduction to your country of choice.
The first week is always “introduction” week, in which you meet your travelling buddies, get settled into your accommodation, cooking and language lessons, and getting to know the area where you are staying- this involves the guide showing you round a bit so you get your bearings and know where essentials are like laundry, internet and bars! We went to temples, a water puppetry show, took a boat across Thac Ba Lake and spent the night with a Vietnamese family. We then travelled from Hanoi to Yen Bai, which is located in Tay Bac, in the northern part of northern-central Vietnam.
For the first cooking lesson we had to go to the market and buy vegetables and meat. As we had already had a language lesson we could put our Vietnamese language skills to the test when we bought the food- such a good way to learn the language
although we got a few blank stares from the locals but I think they appreciated us trying. Shopping done we managed to make delicious spring rolls which we had for lunch.
What was nice about this particular trip was that there were only eight of us (including me). They were all younger than me but so lovely, we all got on really well and we have remained friends to this day.
We were the only westerners in Yen Bai and the locals were totally bemused by this group of eight who had come to stay in their town and we got a lot of stares. But after a few days they got used to us and they started to wave and say Xin Chao/Hello. In fact one of the lads, George, had his guitar with him everywhere he went and he used to go off on random nights with the locals. It was very amusing the next day when he told us all about it.
The second week was a cultural week and we had to spend two nights in a Buddhist temple. For one that is not religious in any way this was seriously hardcore for me. We had to get up at 3am and meditate for 45 minutes, the nuns and monks living there do it for an hour and half, twice a day. Not being used to sitting in that position-cross legged and silent is very difficult- I
couldn’t concentrate and got very agitated and as such lasted about twenty minutes. I saw the boys leave so us girls followed suit. There was a monk with a stick and if someone was not sitting straight enough they got a (not so) gentle tap on the back. He didn’t do it to us though, although he did pull my chin up because my head was lolling because I was half asleep! The first morning we were late (not being used to
being awoken in the middle of the night), one of the nuns blamed it on us for the disruption.
Meal times were also strange. We had to walk, silently, in single file, monks first followed by the nuns and, after chanting and prayers, you eat in silence. In our culture meal times are sociable affairs and it just wasn’t natural not to talk, and the food was so awful us girls got a fit of the giggles and really had to concentrate on stopping. We were not being disrespectful, it was just that one of the nuns was pointing at my food and gesturing me to eat it or so I thought (bearing in mind I couldn’t understand anything she said because it was Vietnamese and my language skills were not that good), turns out she wasn’t making me eat it, she was telling me that anything that isn’t eaten goes to the dogs and cats living at the temple, I just looked at the others and that was it- uncontrollable laughter and tears streaming down our faces. We eventually stopped and I don’t think they were offended, in fact some of the other nuns were laughing with us. But I wasn’t sure whether I was laughing or crying at that point!
As we had been told that we only had to get up once to go to meditation to show willing (after all the temple had been kind enough to let us into their lives for two days), the second morning I didn’t get up and one of the nuns came into our room and I pretended to be asleep, and when I thought she had gone, I looked up and all I could see was her shaved head silhouetted in the moon light. You had to be there but I felt like I was in a horror movie- all it needed was some scary music. I couldn’t sleep after that and was so glad when the others came back. To add to that we had to sleep on wooden boxes, which we thought resembled coffins (we were going to hide in them so the nuns couldn’t find us, but thought better of it).
On the last day, out of respect, we made a thank you speech and one of the guys, Nick, had his hair shaved off, something that the monks and nuns actually found hilarious. I found out that people enter the temple for very different reasons, one monk told us he went to decorate the temple years ago and never left; a nun had been there for 35 years since she was a child; yet another entered because a member of their family had died; people go there for quiet time during difficult 
phases of their lives. I completely respect the people who live there and I am truly thankful that we were allowed into the temple to share their lives for a couple of days but I was so glad when we left- the life of a nun is most definitely not for me.
I also trekked up Tam Dao mountain which is about 85km northwest of Hanoi located in a protected area zone of North Vietnam. It was by far the best day out, although I know one of my friends might not agree. It was so hot and humid and the way up was really tough going- very slippy in places and leeches attaching themselves to our legs and drawing blood. In some parts it was almost vertical and we literally had to grab onto tree vines and pull ourselves up- it was almost like rock climbing with no harnesses! We eventually made it to the top and my gosh it was such a sense of achievement- we were all delirious with excitement at having made it.
It was a shame that it wasn’t a clear day because the views would have been fantastic but as it was we were surrounded by the low lying clouds. The way down was just as hard because it was so steep in places, the easiest way of doing it was literally run down and grab the bamboo to stop yourself falling down the mountain. I nearly went over the edge and at one point and landed in a heap head first looking over a steep slope. But we made it to the bottom of the mountain with a few grazes and completely filthy but it was a lot of fun so we celebrated with a few beers which went down very well that night.
Vietnam is so cheap, cheaper than Thailand- it was about 3 GBP for a beer and on one of the days we ventured out and bought lunch- using our new language skills- and the bill came to 8 GBP including beer for the eight of us. In Hanoi, in “Bia Hoi” corner (Bia Hoi is a local beer), there are bars which are just shop fronts with a few tables and chairs outside- we sat there one night and drank about ten beers (which just get refilled from the beer keg) for about £1.46 GBP. I might add they were small glasses!
During the third week half the group were volunteering, teaching at one of the local schools and the other half of us chose to go trekking in Sa pa, which is located at 1500 m above sea level in the remote northwest mountains of Vietnam. It is a beautifully picturesque town, near the Chinese border, the scenery is stunning- rice terraces and lush vegetation and it is also home of Fansipan (the highest peak in Vietnam).
The trekking itself was good but I would have liked it a bit more intense-only really two days trekking and only two or three hours a day. Myself and one of the other guys, Nick, were leading the rest most of the time. It was harder on the second day as it had been raining and was really slippy, so was more of a challenge. We trekked to a home-stay where we spent one of the nights and some of the guys went swimming in the river to cool off -I collapsed on the bank. The family we stayed with were lovely- we had a traditional Vietnamese meal and they gave us rice wine, which is popular in SE Asia although very lethal, and we managed to get drunk in the middle of nowhere!
During our trek the local hill tribe women accompanied us en route from Sa Pa to our home stay- literally all the way and back again to Sa Pa. This is what they do every day with tourists, and all the way they ask you if “you wanna buy” the things they have to sell- hand made ethnic-style clothes, blankets, wall coverings, and jewellery. Conversation naturally occurs and we had such a laugh with these women along the way. One of them had a wall-covering that I liked, and she cottoned on quickly that I liked it, but I didn’t have any money until I arrived back in Sa Pa. So after trying to explain this in my pigeon Vietnamese, we agreed a price (around £6 GBP) and agreed that I would buy it once I got back to Sa Pa (I actually liked it and did want to buy it). So I obviously thought that I wasn’t going to see the lady again but when we did arrive back in Sa Pa, we were playing chess in a bar and low and behold this same lady spotted me and shouted “Hey, you buy from me now, you say when back in Sa Pa”. Well I couldn’t go back on our agreement and I was actually impressed that she remembered the exact same one that I had wanted.
The last week was “beach week” and we travelled from Sa Pa to Halong Bay on the train. When we arrived in Halong Bay we boarded a “junk” boat, which is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel and it took us to Cat Ba Island where we spent the next few days.
The weather wasn’t great but there are a host of things you can do there- I tried rock climbing for the first time. It was awesome but the first time I climbed I was shaking all over and when I was half way up I started hyperventilating and the guide, Onslow, made me let go of the rock and hang in mid-air to prove that I was safely harnessed and wasn’t going to fall to my death. At the top Onslow told me to take in the surroundings and what a view it was from up there. When I got back onto terra firma my legs literally gave way beneath me and I collapsed onto the sand and then I started crying at the sheer joy of having done it.
On the way back in the boat Onslow asked us if we wanted to do deep water soloing. This is a form of rock climbing but done on sea cliffs. You have no harness but rely on the water to save you from injury (or worse). Basically the boat gets as near to the rock face as possible, you climb onto the rock and go as high as you can and then when you can’t get any higher you drop in the water. It was fantastic although I was a little disappointed in myself because I couldn’t climb any higher than where the boat dropped me-I ran out of energy and gave up and dropped into the water. I don’t like giving up! What an experience though and I recommend that to anyone.
I also did a little tour with a guy that takes you around the island on a motorbike where you learn how the island was a strategic look-out point during the Vietnam War. I visited the Hospital Cave and he showed me the look-out points where the reminders have been covered over by concrete walls (there is just enough room for you to squeeze in to look at the massive artillery guns hidden behind).
Cat Ba island is beautiful as is the northern part of Vietnam and the four weeks I spent there were unforgettable. I have yet to visit the rest of the country but I, for one, will be venturing back there at some point to learn more of what this wonderful place has to offer.
Tattoo….you?
Weekly Photo Challenge- Let there be Light
Weekly Photo Challenge- Unexpected
Farewells and an Aquatic Accomplishment
When we got back to Thailand, after Laos, and after a quick trip back to Singburi to meet our friends again we found ourselves in Bangkok once more. After a trip to the airport, an hour spent buying a new IPod and a visit to a tattoo parlour I met Tri and her friends in a bar, near to the Khao San Road. After a few drinks Tri told me that she was really going to miss me and that we had become good friends. I totally agreed with her, we had travelled all over Thailand together, been to Laos, and spent a great deal of time with each other over the previous two months. I was really going to miss her and I know she was sad because she was leaving Thailand but she was going off to Australia and New Zealand so, for her, a new start to her journey was about to begin.
When you go travelling you meet so many people but there is just a handful that you know you will keep in touch with and Tri is one of those people. We are still good friends to this day, although we haven’t seen each other for a few years- the last time I saw her was in New Zealand in 2008- but we still keep in touch and regularly remind ourselves of the wonderful times we had in the Land of Smiles. And I am sure we will meet again sometime in the future. The thing that I love is that, when we do meet, it will be just like I saw her yesterday. I have that feeling with all of my friends at home and I truly love them for that.
As Tri was setting off for Australia and New Zealand, so I decided that a new chapter in my travel experience should begin, so I had planned to go back to Koh Tao to do my PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). After a tearful goodbye, with promises of meeting in New Zealand a few months later, I got on the bus and left Bangkok at 9.15pm. I arrived at Chumphon at 5am and had to wait until 7am for the first catamaran to take me over to the island.
Finally on Koh Tao again I checked into Ban’s Dive Resort which was really lovely- the room price being included in the dive package (at the time around 10,000baht). I was so tired I went straight to bed, and at 3pm made my way to watch a dive video at the office, which was all part of the course. Afterwards, I had dinner in a nearby bar, watched a movie, and decided to return to my room to do some homework for the diving course, which started properly the next day.
I did the PADI, not to be an instructor, although there are further courses you can do if you wish to go down that route, but to obtain an “Open Water Diver” qualification so I can dive anywhere in the world. The next day I had a session in the classroom watching videos, which was necessary but not very exciting. The first “in water” session was more exciting- I learned how to assemble the equipment, got my wet suit on, and with equipment and flippers into the water I went. It was a very strange sensation. It felt like I wasn’t getting enough air into my lungs, and after feeling all panicky, I got used to it after a few minutes and the panic subsided. I also learned how to fill the mask up with water and empty it underwater, take the weight belt off and on again, take the Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) off and on again, how to help your buddy diver use your air supply, controlled ascent and free flow breathing. I managed to complete everything successfully but it was absolutely shattering- never felt so tired- and this was only in the swimming pool!
The next day I had two dives out at sea, for which I was rather nervous but decided I was going to give it my all. It was quite choppy but managed to get my equipment ready and wet suit on. I jumped into the water and started my descent but, because of the pressure underwater, my ears really hurt (and it is really painful!) I didn’t think I was going to be able to descend to the bottom but I managed to do it in order to navigate my way back to the instructor using a compass, and do everything I had been taught in the pool.
Diving is not as easy as it looks and, since the time of writing this, I have done a few dives and I always have trouble with my ears so am quite nervous about it (and have had a nose bleed because of the pressure, which put me off the next couple of dives) but once I get down there (if I can go at my own pace I am normally ok) I enjoy the experience of hanging out with all the fish- it’s the initial feeling of anticipating the pain, that I know will come before the nice feeling, that I don’t like.
I managed to do all the skills I had been taught in the pool which were obviously a little more difficult because of the swell of the open water. After a morning out at sea I was back in the classroom in the afternoon, followed by two more dives, to 18 meters, the next day. My ears hurt again but managed to do everything that was required which meant I passed the course so I am qualified to dive to 18 meters in open water. It is such a wonderful experience, (forget the painful ears) we saw loads of beautiful fish, including barracuda and batfish and, most importantly, it opens up a whole new and fascinating world to you.
(picture courtesy of Vincent Lewis)
(picture courtesy of Vincent Lewis)
(picture courtesy of Vincent Lewis)