Mt. Cook

Mt. Cook, NZ

Hit up Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s tallest peak. The Mt. Cook village is home to maybe 100 people, consisting of a hotel, a motel, and a YHA hostel. There is no food store, bank, or gas station. The closest amenities are about an hour drive south.

I only stayed an evening, arriving around noon and leaving around two o’clock the next day. During my stay, I did a 7 hour hike through Hooker Valley to the glacier at the bottom of Mt. Cook. This was definitely the best hike I did in New Zealand. Set amongst Gondor and the backdrop for Minas Tirith, the scenery was marvelous. The hike involves crossing huge rivers using wire bridges and steep paths carved into the sides of cliffs. Once again, huge mountains tower over either side of the valley as the glacier lake drains through a river towards the bottom.

Once at the base of the glacier, the water is completely still and ice cold. There were small icebergs floating through the ice grey water. Apparently, the water is this icy grey color due to glacier dust. Basically, the glacier moves across rock extremely slowly, grinding and smoothing the rocks out, while producing a fine granular dust that mixes with the water. Thank you Mr. Bus Driver for that tid bit.


Pic: The fields of Gondor

FERGBURGER

Mmmmmmmmmmm....

Serving up the must have burger in all of New Zealand, Ferg does not disappoint. Chill music and amazing food brings all of the locals and tourists. Ferg is open 21 hours a day, loaded with a full menu including breakfast burgers. You can get a Bun Laden, falafel instead of beef, or my personal favorite the Big Al.

Big Al $17.50 (Not that much when you do the exchange rate)

Double serving of Prime New Zealand beef (1/2 lb), lashings of bacon, a whole lotta cheese, 2 eggs, beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, relish & a big wad of aioli.

Because Ferg loves you!

Pictured Below: Big Al himself

Queenstown

Queenstown, NZ

Welcome to Queenstown, adventure capitol of the world! Home of skydiving, jet boating, mountain biking, rafting, skiing and snowboarding, and much more. Nestled lakeside and at the base of mountains, Queenstown is a picturesque adventure paradise. As soon as I arrived, I booked a 15000 ft skydive for 9am the next morning.

The next day, my skydiving was cancelled due to weather conditions. I decided to do a four hour hike up the nearest mountain to pass the time. Sure enough, it started raining again. I know it’s the wet season, but come on… So the next day, skydiving was cancelled again.

As I received that bad news at the front desk, an elderly couple by the name of John and Kathy offered to take me on a little drive to see the countryside. We drove nearly for two hours to Glenorchy, stopping at all the little hiking spots and view points along the way. That evening, I took them to Ferg Burger to enjoy New Zealand’s best burger, more on that next.

Tried to go skydiving again, though it was cancelled again due to high winds. At this point I was so angry because all I wanted to do in Queenstown was skydive. Instead, I got to walk around a park and find an ice rink with some pick up hockey. Despite the lack of skydiving, Queenstown is still amazing. It's like the perfect ski village at the bottom of the mountain, complete with tall trees and a lakefront. 

Punakaiki & Franz Josef

Punakaiki, Pancake Rocks

The Pancake Rocks is a favorite stop for anybody travelling down the west coast through Punakaiki. It consists of some magical geological rock forms, which are layered like all you can eat pancakes. There are also some blowholes from the sea crashing into the rocks below. It only takes about 45 minutes to walk the little path from the highway to the ocean, and stare at the amazing coastal scenery, north and south, as far as the eye can see.

As I travel farther south, the mountain ranges get bigger and bigger, until they become the Southern Alps. Soon enough, I can see snow capped mountains, despite the weather being quite warm at the base.

The two main glaciers to stop and see on the west coast are Franz Joseph and Fox.  Both are protected as National Parks and have many maintained hiking trails, lasting anywhere between 1-10 hours.

I arrived at Franz Joseph just before sundown and was leaving early the next day. This meant I had to leave immediately to start my hike. As it turns out, it was raining (It rains something like 300+ days a year here). So I grabbed my umbrella and the front desk gave me a head torch, telling me not to get lost, (despite the glacier and snowy mountains, Franz Josef is considered a rain forest) It was a about an hour hike just to get to the start of the trails from the hostel in town. Luckily, it stopped raining after the first twenty minutes. It was almost dark by the time I started, mainly due to the low clouds perched over head. As soon as I entered the woods, it got real dark. Luckily I was given a head torch.

Completed the hour hike in about 40 minutes. The view I had once I reached the finish point was eerie cool. Even at night, in a valley surrounded by soaring mountains with a ceiling of clouds, it was something to see. My pictures could have been better if I had known how to adjust the exposure and other settings, but hey, I’m new to the whole camera thing.


Franz Josef Glacier

A note from the editor...

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
(Temples built in the 1300s, more on them later)

I know it's been almost a month since my last post. I have been extremely busy travelling through Indochina and haven't had much free time to write, let alone the internet to post it. I shall try hard to catch up and let everyone know what I've been doing.

I have seen so much in regards to culture, history, and millions of people driving on scooters with no traffic laws. I have so much to share, hopefully soon.

Cheers!

Inter-Islander Ferry

Cook Strait, NZ

I caught the 8am ferry from Wellington to Picton. This is the only way to get between the North and South Islands without flying. The ferry ride is three hours door to door. There are ten decks in all, including three for cars and trucks, and the rest are for passengers. The 8am ferry meant I got to watch the sunrise over Wellington from the top deck (which is outside). I decided to stay on the top deck for the remainder of the trip. I only get to do it once, right?

The ride is absolutely spectacular. Sometimes you can see whales and dolphins (not today), but the scenery is stunning. It is extremely windy on the top deck while crossing the Cook Strait, but well worth it. As with all my travels, I met some people and we spoke the whole way.

The ferry drops you off in Picton, the Gateway to the South. That’s about all its got going for itself. From metropolis to small coastal mountain town in three hours. It is home to a merchant ship from the late 1400’s, the 9^th oldest ship in the world, still in existence. Other than that, it’s time to start my journey of the South Island. 

Wellington

Wellington, NZ

Wellington is my favorite city so far…

Wellington is the capitol of New Zealand. Therefore, it is home to Parliament, National Museums, and other typical capitol things. Located at the bottom of the North Island, it's like the midpoint for the country. It also happened to be ANZAC Day, which is the equivalent of Remembrance/ Memorial Day. That meant that everything was closed until mid afternoon, and there were parades and ceremonies all day that I attended.

Side note: Wellington has free wifi in the city, thus all the posts at once and another reason why it’s amazing.

I hit up the Te Papa National Museum and learned about the native Maori people of New Zealand. It is pretty much the same native story as any other country England conquered/colonized. Nonetheless, it was still interesting to hear. I also learned about the geographical particulars that make New Zealand unique (and prone to earthquakes).

From what I have discussed with locals and other travelers, Wellington is the “it” city for the moment. It reminded me of a smaller Toronto, great food, good people, and plenty of things to do.

By the way, it is also extremely windy.

Rotorua

Rotorua, NZ

Rotorua is the geothermal capitol of NZ. It sits on a crater lake from a volcano that exploded thousands of years ago. There are natural hot springs all over, which give the city a steady smell of sulfur. And since it’s at the bottom of a crater, the city is surrounded by large hills that give it a picturesque backdrop. (That’s also why this is one of the two main places for skydiving).

It also boasts Great Mountain biking in the redwood forest as well as some legendary white water rafting on the Kaituna River. The rapids here are used in the off season by international teams training for the Olympics and World Championships. I ended up doing the white water rafting, mainly because it has the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, Okere Falls, at roughly seven meters. The whole river had sort of an Amazon feel to it, with bush and trees rising to the sky on either side. It was hard to imagine a rainforest after driving through rolling green hills. It was a little shorter than I expected, but I still had a great time. They do offer a longer, more intense trip that’s only offered every other Sunday that I would love to do when I come back. (It’s only offered every other Sunday because the city opens the dam at those times to drain the lake)

I'm not pictured below, and the picture doesn't give justice to the size of the falls...

Black Water Rafting

Waitomo, New Zealand

(This whole area is about an hour from where they filmed The Shire in LOTR)

Caught the 730 am bus to Waitomo. The ride was pleasant as it crossed rolling hills of green. The driver was pointing things out via intercom, which I didn’t expect, but welcomed anyways. Once off the bus, I had a 2k hike to my hostel.  This one turned out to be a cabin on the side of a hill with about ten rooms.

Waitomo is famous for its elaborate cave system and Gloworms. There are multiple tours you can take; from a simple boat tour, black water rafting, or to intense 5-7 hour abseiling adventures. Since money does sadly play a factor on my trip, I settled for the black water rafting.

I booked my trip with The Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. After suiting up in wetsuits, then a short drive and a shorter hike, you enter the Ruakuri Cave system. What starts as a tiny creek above ground, becomes a decent river underground. There were amazing cave features and huge cathedrals at times (Also a few tight squeezes). On the ceiling throughout the cave, are the Gloworms. Gloworms are little bio-luminescent larvae that hang little strings from the ceiling. It was like something straight off of Planet Earth. When everyone turns off their head torch, you float down a river 65 meters underground in complete darkness with what looks like stars above you. Took about 3 hours for the whole trip. Absolutely amazing experience, anyone who comes to NZ must do this. Sadly you are not allowed to take pictures.

You come out near a nature trail at the end, and there was a family walking by at that moment with a little kid. I shouted “Oh my god you found us! What day is it?” and he looked shocked and started taking pictures.

Welcome to New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is a major city located at the top of the North Island. I stayed at the YHA International, just off of Queen Street. There must have been a couple hundred people there, so it was easy to meet people and find things to do. Everyone is more or less the same age, and there are bar tours posted on all the walls; so all you have to do is grab a group and go. It had a huge kitchen and modern facilities, so overall, great stay.

Auckland is a neat city to visit. It has a little 60 story Sky Tower, with scenic views overlooking the city and harbor (which is the tallest structure in NZ). The downtown area was packed one night I was there because the NZ All Blacks were playing on TV. Then, there is One Tree Hill and some other hills that were old volcanoes in the city. They look oddly out of place because you have city, then random green hills with steep slopes.

There’s plenty to do north of the city if you have time; the Black Sand Beaches, Sand Boarding, Hole in the Rock boat tours, and even further up is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean (apparently you can see a line in the water). I however, was tediously planning my excursion across the country with an agent.

Famous Bondi

Bondi Beach, NSW

The famous Bondi Beach. I’ll admit, it’s a little too touristy, but you have to go anyways.

Great beach just off the Eastern Suburbs from Sydney, it has its own show on TV called Bondi Rescue. The show basically follows the lifeguards’ day to day routine. It’s hilarious because the whole time it shows how tourists can’t swim or read signs. And by tourists, I generally mean people from mainland China. There’s no nice way to put it, they have just no clue.

Not my favorite beach so far, but you have to go at least once. Decent surf conditions, and tons of beautiful girls, overall, can’t complain.

NRL

Shark Park, Cronulla (The Shire)

In other sports news, I also went to my first NRL game. The Cronulla Sharks were hosting the Dragons, in an important match at Shark Park. Shark Park is located in the Shire which, besides the obvious Lord of the Rings reference, is a pretty nice place. Before the match, we stopped at Paul’s Burgers, home to the best burger in Australia. As I deem myself worthy to rate such a burger, I would have to agree, so far… However, Umami Burger still reigns supreme (Los Angeles, CA).

Rugby League is a unique sport as well. As it seems to be with all Australian sports, no pads are required. You get six downs, or tackles as they’re called, to get the ball to the other side for a Try (Score).Of course, being a variation of rugby, there is no forward passing. I watched some great plays by the Sharks as they blew out the Dragon 12 to nil, which now makes the Sharks 4^th in the League. One thing I have noticed, and been agreed with by locals, is that the scrum in NRL is completely pointless. Many, including myself, wonder why it has not been taken out of the rules.

After a wonderful victory, I got to watch all the Dragon fans walk the gauntlet of hardcore Sharks supporters. As we all sang Cronulla’s song, the Dragon fans got pelted with trash and covered in beer. Sounds like most sporting events around the world. However, despite being a home game for Cronulla, the announcers are very keen on supporting both teams, including giving the away team a chance to cheer. I guess it’s a nice gesture or something, but doesn’t it kind of ruin the home field advantage? 

Australian Rules Footbal

Olympic Park, NSW

Went to my first AFL game couple weeks ago. The Sydney Swans were hosting there other half, the Sydney Giants at ANZ stadium, right in Olympic Park. AFL is played on huge ovals with three vertical goals on each end. Could almost be a Quidditch pitch.

It’s a wonderful sport to watch in person. It’s hard to describe what its like compared to other sports. You have to dribble once every 3 yards while running, and if you kick as a pass at least 10-15 yards (not sure) the receiver gets a free pass/shot, called a Mark. And you kick it through the goals for points. I hope I haven’t butchered this description, for it is truly an amazing game. It is very fast paced and very physical. Some of the hits are just insane, and they’re not wearing any pads.

At the end of it all, the Swans demolished the Giants and I was quite impressed with the sport. I wouldn’t mind going to another match before I leave.

Sydney Royal Easter Show!

Olympic Park, NSW


The Sydney Royal Easter Show is one of the biggest events in Australia that Sydney hosts every year. The show is a chance for suburban city folk to appreciate the country lifestyle that many Australians live. Farm animals from all over Australia are brought here to be judged and showed to the public for two weeks over Easter. It's more or less the equivalent of a county fair, but on a grander scale. Over the two solid weeks I worked there, there were more than a million visitors.

I was working for a local cafe that has a contract to operate a huge milk-bar for the Dairy Farmer's of Australia. We served thousands of fresh milkshakes, bottled milk, and of course, the best coffee in the entire show.  The staff I worked with was absolutely amazing and made working there a true pleasure. Despite the long hours everyday, the two weeks seemed to fly by.

On my lunch hours, or after my shift, I would walk around to see what the show had to offer. Rides of every shape and color were brought in from everywhere. Typical bungee, drop zones and even roller coasters were there for adults. While the kids had there own fair/carnival rides in a separate section of the park. There were cattle, sheep, alpacas, goats and horses; all with their own pavilion to stay for the duration of the show. Of course the animal petting was a staple for the little kids and their families. There was even a live working dairy, right behind us making milk. Overall, a wonderful experience.

(There's still so much I have to post from even before the Easter Show, but I've been real busy. As I write this on my first day in New Zealand)

Cable Park

Penrith, NSW


Ever been to a cable park? I hadn't before this. I've watched wake boarding competitions before, but all the boarders were pulled by proper tow boats. Instead, this has a tension cable system that forms a track around a man made lake, complete with kickers and other features.

First time up, the guy asks me if I've boarded before. I answered with a solid yup. I went wake boarding once at a camp roughly 8 years ago. I managed to get up my first time, but as soon as I left the wake, I ate it. I can water ski and slalom ski decently well. Add in the years of snowboarding and I felt confident enough.

I started on a rental board that is basically a step in, rather than a boot/binding. Green light, cable taught,  and I was up. I was a little surprised that I got up my first time. Once up though, it felt pretty natural. I was able to do nice big S turns as I traveled around the lake. When you take a turn around the predetermined corner, some slack develops in the cable. The amount of slack depends on the angle of the turn. Needless to say, the last turn was a whole 90 degrees. Wasn't ready for that one. But I did make it 80% around on my first try. (When you fall off, you have to swim to the side and walk all the way back. Luckily I never fell on the far side of the lake.)

After completing a handful of laps, I decided to trade up to the park board. Strapped in, I took off and went right for the first jump. My jump was semi decent, but the landing sucked. I landed to a loud crack in my left leg. Hurt really bad. Just kinda floated there for bit, then slowly made my way back to the shore. I think I hyper extended a ligament in my knee. Walking from then on was extremely painful, but I just payed a bunch of money to go wake boarding. So after 20 minutes, I decided to get back on the board. Boarding with my leg locked in a binding didn't hurt at all, mainly because that leg is forward and does not really have any wait on it as you tend to lean back. I was done with the jumps though.

Overall, great experience. This being a couple days ago, my knee still hurts, and I'm probably going to go see a doctor this week.

Better Pics of the Opera House

Pics taken from the ferry on a cloudy day...

Exploring

Sydney, NSW

Decided to check out Sydney on one of my days off. Caught the ferry from Olympic Park to Circular Quay, the main hub in the harbor. I believe that the best way to learn a new city is by randomly exploring. I spent nearly 4 hours looking for signs and following crowds of business men to lunch. I managed to see just about everything this way.

I started off in the Harbor, then headed for the Opera House. Just a two second walk from the ferry. On the opposite side of the harbor there was a Rolling Stones cover band playing from a rooftop, loud enough to hear as I walked to to the Opera House. The Opera House was extremely unique. The white overlapping sails were pretty cool. It was so big that I couldn't get it one nice big picture of the whole thing, at least from where I was standing. I plan on returning to take a tour concert halls inside.

From there I walked into the Royal Botanical Gardens and into the city. Once in the city, I started to follow the crowds, looking for the busy streets. This lead me past Parliament and the Sydney Library. Continued on through George Street to Town Hall, passing multiple clubs and bars. Checked out the huge Westfield Shopping Center, home of the Sydney Tower Eye. Looks like the Stratosphere hotel in Vegas protruding from the top of the mall. I ended my day in Darling Harbor, next to the Hard Rock Cafe Sydney. Picked up some fish n chips, and got back on the ferry home.

Love Australia's Labor Laws

Newington, NSW


During my second day in country, I lucked out and found a job working in the kitchen at a cafe/restaurant called Fusion on Europe. Food was mediocre and the owners were crazy. I was offered $15 an hour, under the table. Fine by me, despite thinking I should get about around $20/hour, but some money is better than no money at all. Though minimum wage is $15.51, before tax (which I get back at the end of my trip), I would take home a little less. Personally, I wanted to be paid on the books, but he wouldn't have it. He also said I would not be paid for my first "training" shift, as we discussed wages on the 2nd night. I only worked for 4 days before I quit, due to the poor managing and sketchy feel. When I went to collect the cash that was owed to me, he was changing agreements and making things up. All I wanted was my $412.50 and I would never see them again.

After a wonderful call to Fair Work Australia, I was enlightened about all his faults about my employment. It turns out that there are different minimum wages for every job around, these are called awards. My award called for $20.22 an hour and higher wages on weekends. : ) So now after launching a formal investigation, they will be forced to pay me more, on top of getting heavy fines for wrongfully employing me. Something close to $500-$600 before tax and $1000 fines. Works for me.

Start of a Journey

Hollywood, CA


Here we go! I am about to fly half way around the world for an experience that will change my life forever.


I have a rough idea, some general plan that I would like to follow. This being a work-holiday trip, it does involve me working. Whether it's one job followed by my travels, or multiple jobs between trips, remains to be seen. Regardless, the first thing I have to do upon arrival is get on my feet. There's more to do then you think when it comes to moving to a new country: new phone, bank accounts, certifications, living arrangements and of course, finding a job. 


All that said, I feel prepared. A little nervous, but prepared. 


Just a 14.5 hour flight and then I'll be living down under.