Right, straight to the point today, as I want to cover at least another 10 days before leaving for Fiji:
Monday 12th March 2007
Another morning of internettery at the library, combined with strolling through the city (I manage to find different routes every time, which makes it more interesting). The weather was mostly overcast, with quite a cool breeze - a complete change from the heat of the day before.
In the afternoon I got the ferry to Paramatta, which is right at the end of the harbour (there is actually a concrete wall/weir-type thing at the end, separating the harbour from the Paramatta River). Nothing much to speak of in the town itself, but the ferry ride was nice. A couple of historical buildings are trumpeted in the literature, but in practice, as usual with "the new world", they didn't amount to much.
On the way back I went to have a look at the Olympic Stadium and surrounding complexes. Very interesting (and covering a huge area), but quite eerie without any people around. I was the only passenger on the bus between the ferry wharf and the Stadium, so I had a nice chat to the friendly driver. It was a little bit "say it again", but he more than made up in enthusiasm what he lacked in English pronunciation. The highlight of the buildings was probably the train station at the site. It reminded me of the Bilbao underground (one of the few Norman Foster designs I like), and was similarly simple, crisp and effective. No other people on the train mind. I wonder if they'll manage to make better use of the London Olympic facilities after the event?
Tuesday 13th March 2007
Last day in Sydney and the weather was cool and showery. I used the inclement weather as an excuse to get myself organised; updating my blog (the last proper one before yesterday!), e-mailing and researching the next leg of my trip.
The weather cleared up late in the afternoon, so I spent most of the evening sat on the roof of the hostel, chatting to my one remaining chum (Dutch Rob) and making the most of the splendid views and flying-fox-fly-by for one last time.
Wednesday 14th March 2007
Rob helped me carry my stuff to the station in the morning (another sad goodbye), from where I caught the train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. The latter part of the two hour train ride (basically as soon as we cleared the suburbs) was really scenic, again revealing how spoilt Sydney is in terms of its location an immediate surroundings.
The first impressions of Katoomba were really good. The town is small and arty (without being too chic or pretentious), and the hostel was great. It is in a converted cabaret club and they have done a great job of retaining the art deco features whilst providing a clean and spacious hostel environment (I should write their marketing blurb!). And as with most of the hostels that manage to win me over, the free-food section was bounteous indeed!
Once I had dumped my stuff and had a bite to eat (I'm sure it involved some of the free food but I can't remember exactly what), I made my way down to Echo Point, which offers a great view over the Blue Mountains in general and the Three Sisters rock formation in particular. It really looked stunning in the late afternoon sunshine (it was back to warm and sunny after the anomaly of the day before) and I had a nice walk around the area before heading back for dinner.
The hostel was quite a contrast to the young and lively crowd in Sydney... perhaps a bit too far towards the mature end of the spectrum for my liking (i.e. really old!). I chatted to George, a retired policeman from Washington (the one near Newcastle, England, not Washington D.C.). He had left his wife at home (she didn't want to travel), and whilst he was nice enough company for an hour or so, I don't imagine we will be friends for life!
Thursday 15th March 2007
I ventured out on a mammoth walk in the morning, which involved a big climb down into the valley below Katoomba (the town basically sits on a plateau, from which a cliff plummets down on one side) and the obvious even bigger climb back up the cliff face further along (steps were provided, luckily - and so was a cable car for the heavy of leg and the heavy of wallet [i.e. Americans]). The forest was nice (interesting sounds - bird song, frogs and crickets), but it was the views from the cliff edge that made the walk truly spectacular. Once again the weather was awesome and the fading blues of the distant ranges a painterly delight.
After all that I needed a lie-down, so lounged in the garden of the hostel after a late lunch. I also managed to locate the local library and abuse its free internet for a while, which made me nearly has happy as finding a whole melon and two mangoes in the free food later that evening. I also had a wander around town, spotting various different parrots and noting the weird set-up of a cliff-top town on the edge of a vast area of wilderness (not something you find hidden down the lanes of Devon every day).
Friday 16th March 2007
I was felling pretty tired after my exploits of the day before (and the weather was a bit duff - cloudy and really windy), so decided against the full day walk I had originally planned. Instead I did a shorter loop in the morning, taking in Leura Falls and Gordon's Lookout, before coming back to the hostel for lunch and having an easy afternoon pottering around the hostel and town.
It was the first day of the Katoomba Folk Festival (mostly traditional folk, roots and blues, rather that the better contemporary stuff that I quite like) so the crusties had started arriving en masse. Not of patch on Sidmouth's throng of crusties, of course, but enough to make me glad to be leaving the following day. I also think I was probably coming down with a cold, which always tends to make me view things through anti-rose-coloured spectacles.
Still, I had a pleasant evening chatting to two Swedes who were staying in my dorm, which unfortunately was followed by the most awful night's sleep ever, as a result of the snorer from hell sleeping in the bunk beneath me and making the whole bed rattle with each eruption of noise (clearly my ear plugs offered no resistance at all to such violent tremors). The incipient cold virus probably didn't help much either.
Saturday 17th March 2007
I got the train back to Sydney in the morning, chatting to the same Swedish lads as the evening before. I then got the bus up the coast to Newcastle. It was a much more scenic drive than I imagined: lush, forested hills, broad estuaries and not too much in the way of development (once we got beyond Sydney's suburbs at least). It was sunny to begin with, but had clouded in by the time I reached Newcastle in the late afternoon. It was really humid... building up to thunderstorms later in the evening.
I was quite surprised to find myself in a 10-share dormitory upon arrival at the hostel - I had booked myself into a 4-share on the internet and paid accordingly. Luckily, when I mentioned it to the guy on reception he gave me back $10, which was more than the difference in room cost. Bonus.
I had a wander around the town (or city as it would be known over here) before it got dark. Despite the black clouds and threat of rain, it seemed a pleasant sort of place to spend a few days: lovely beaches, some nice colonial buildings and an attractive waterfront. I got back just before the rain started, and was greeted by Mica and Jade with a glass of wine (nice one). They are a couple of very friendly Australians (whose respective partners I would meet later, after they finished work - the two blokes are brothers), who are travelling down the coast from their home on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane. They are verging on the hippy (no, make that "they are hippies"), but I can't fault their generosity or kindness. It is always nice to be in a dorm where your feel welcome, rather than being treated like an intruder. I also meet Emile (a Dutch guy) who will re-emerge later down the track...
Sunday 18th March 2007
Woke up feeling really grotty - the cold had arrived! I wonder if the wine the night before had anything to do with it. Hmmm... Still, I managed to drag myself to the Art Gallery, which for a provincial city was rather fine. There was an especially lovely work by an artist whose name I can't remember, which featured pieces of wood, shaped to look like trees, set in a background of cream plaster. I'm not selling this, am I? Well, it was stunning. It really drew me in from across the room and was mesmerising to look at. There was also a lot of good aboriginal art and a great exhibition on how the Australian landscape has influenced art (which would have been a good case study for Roberto's PhD), including an interesting film exploring those kinds of issues.
The area around the Art Gallery is nice... an attractive park in the centre, surrounded by civic buildings both old and new (mostly incongruous, but in a strangely pleasing way).
Having met the two lovely Irish girls (Elisha and Clare) from my dorm earlier in the day (they were out celebrating St. Patrick's Day the night before), we decided to go together to the final of the surfing competition which had been taking place for most of the week. It was a shame that my sore throat made it difficult to talk as they were really easy to talk to and we got on really well from the outset. They drove their car as the action was taking place a few miles down the coast at Merriweather Beach. It was a fun afternoon, but the surfing itself was a bit of an anti-climax, as after a week of perfect waves, the wind had changed direction and the waves were rather blown out. There was also a wine festival on, as part of the proceedings, but given my cold (and the fact that payment was required for tastings) we made do with the free aniseed jellybeans instead.
The hostel was laying on a free pub meal in the evening, so not being one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, I made my way down there with the four Aussies and Elisha and Clare (along with several other hostelees). The fish and chips were pretty rank (and talk about small portions - I had to make myself a sandwich upon return), but when it costs nowt it's hard to complain. I guess they make their money from the drinks they hope to see, but, given my cold, alcohol was the last thing on my mind, and water did nicely, thank you very much.
It was Mothering Sunday on this day, so a big "hip hip hooray" to all the mothers (and mothers-to-be - anyone?) that are reading this. Hip hip...
Monday 19th March 2007
I don't think I can realistically blame the fish and chips, but I had a terrible night: feverish, achey, throat that felt like I was swallowing razor blades. You know the drill... it was full blown man-flu (i.e. a light cold). As a result of this I took to my bed for most of the day, drank lots of tea and honey (often necking the latter straight from the squeezy bottle), and in the moments when I felt strong enough to roll dice I played Yahtzee with the two Irish girls. They both have great senses of humour, so we all enjoyed my predicament (I could hardly speak... and when I did manage to utter a word it was like my voice was breaking all over again*). So, despite being at death's door, it was quite a fun day.
I even managed to drag myself to the pub in the evening, where another free meal awaited my efforts. This time it was chicken and chips (with a side helping of fish and chips, as they had got the orders wrong and brought out too many plates - I was only too happy to oblige and help the waiters avoid getting a beating). Both together they just about added up to a full meal. I was still on the water, so saving money like Norway. There was a pool competition after dinner (a small and cosy affair just featuring people from the hostel and not costing a cent). I paired my coughing and spluttering ineptitude with that of Elisha and we made a great team - losing every game!
Typically the sun was back out with a vengeance during the day, but the last thing I fancied was more sweats after the bed-full of perspiration I had produced during the night. So it was quite nice to have a day just "pottering around the house" for a change.
*or for the first time, if, like me, you think that my voice has yet to resolve itself fully.
Tuesday 20th March 2007
Feeling quite a bit better today, but sounding like Barry White with a bag of gravel in his mouth (not pretty and certainly nothing like a walrus of love).
Went to the library in the morning for assorted internettery (you're meant to pay for e-mail, but I surreptitiously avoided it by typing in Word and only opening gmail for the briefest of moments) and walked back via the water front (and up the very phallic viewing tower, which offers great views over the whole town and river - I must still have been ill, as the climb [100 or so steps] nearly killed me).
After a leisurely lunch and a few games of Yahtzee (the Irish girls and I are becoming addicted... and I keep getting Yahtzees [i.e. all dice with the same value for those not familiar with this particular game of chance], which is quite exciting in my cold-ridden delirious state), I headed out along Nobby's Beach to Nobby's Point. It was quite hazy, but warm enough in the gentle breeze and the beach was lovely.
In the evening, it was our third free meal in a row. I went for vegetable stew and rice, but ended up with both that and sausage and chips, so once again got a full meal for the price of an empty plate. It was also the pub quiz that evening. It was a bit long-winded, but our perseverance as rewarded when we came second (to an even bigger group of nerds), and walked off with a $25 bar tab, which was nice of them as I had put precisely nothing into their coffers over the previous 3 days.
Well, I'm about to leave Newcastle for Port Macquarie in this virtual world and Brisbane for Fiji in the real world, so it seems an appropriate place to stop (that and the library is about to close). I might manage the odd little update as I cross the Pacific, but if not, you can expect the full saga upon my return.
Happy Days...
James xx
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Brisbane Chronicles (Part I)
Don't rub your eyes, pinch yourself or keel over with shock: you are not seeing things. This is an actual update. A bona fide progress report from the other side of the world. Yes, finally (I know, I know, it is long overdue), I am back blogging. In case you've forgotten who I am, please refer to the profile section for details.
I'm now in Brisbane (or Bris Vegas, as it is known locally [for reasons that are yet to become apparent - the best I can come up with is that the words Las and Bris both contain a letter "s"]). The sun is shining outside and yet I am stuck inside the (albeit rather plush and airy) State Library, making the most of the bountiful supply of free-internet terminals. Once again, let's give our collective thanks to the tax-payers of the world and, more specifically, the residents of Queensland (and the politicos and bureaucrats who represent them) who saw fit to spend millions of dollars on this particular edifice. Well done - it's lovely (in a slightly over-the-top postmodern kind-of-way). I should also give a rather smaller nod to the hand-written notes in my diary, without which this would prove a head-scratching exercise (to say the least) and probably end up being a futile attempt to remember the unmemorable*.
Reet, given that it has taken over a month to get to this point, I had better stop procrastinating (I'm sure you've already noted that I am in a particularly waffly mood today), get my head down and start typing.
*That isn't meant to criticise the wonderful sights of Australia, but simply suggest that without a written record it is almost impossible to recall in detail what I did on any particular day. That is definitely one of the pitfalls of being a perennial sightseer (sensory overload!), and rather at odds with my chronological approach to blogging. I probably should have adopted the maxim "if I can't remember it, it's not worth writing about", and just stuck to the particularly exciting bits. Ah well, it's done now. At least it gives a more accurate picture of the ins-and-outs of travelling and, at any rate, is as much a record for me as anyone else.
So, here goes:
Friday 2nd March 2007
It was a return visit to Botanical Gardens in the morning. They really are lovely, with great views over the harbour to supplement the beautiful plants and abundant wildlife (as cliched as it is, I'll never tire of looking across the harbour to the city centre, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge floating out into the water beside). The Moreton Bay Figs with their gigantic buttress roots and huge shady canopies are simply stunning. There are also thousands of flying foxes hanging in the trees (beware the poo - the smell is fruity to say the least), ibis and cockatoos everywhere you look and butterflies, spiders, cicadas and other creepy crawlies galore. Yes, it is time for the usual trite observation about an wonderful oasis of verdant bliss in the middle of the city. With knobs on.
In the afternoon, for a change of pace (well, more a change of character than pace - both were pretty quiet as it turned out), I went up to the urb (as the otherwise tautologically-named "inner-city suburb" shall henceforth be known) of Paddington. It is a really nice area with beautiful Victorian terraces (all wrought iron balconies and shady avenues of trees and million dollar price-tags) and (most importantly of all for the budget conscious travel [aka tight git!]) a library with free internet access. But I think I've already said this about the previous day, haven't I? It's so long ago now that I can't for the life of me remember what I wrote (and can't be bothered to refer back to my earlier entry). Anyway, after meandering my way through the urb, I went to the library and then to the cinema. Old Joy was certainly an interesting film. It was very minimalist (i.e nothing happened) and luckily (for me) quite short too. My sort of film, given that I don't like busy and I don't like long. The Yo La Tengo (one of my favourite bands for those not in the know) score was great and their question and answer session proved quite entertaining (more due to the geeky questions from the audience than the band's responses, mind). It made for an interesting evening and certainly make a change from the other stuff that I had been doing up until that point (mostly involving the great outdoors).
I can't remember what I did in the evening once I got back from the film and I didn't see fit to write it down, so it probably involved food and bed and not much else. Although, having said that, my friendships with Lisette, Rob and Roberto were progressing apace and I'm sure that chatting with them would also have fitted in the equation somewhere.
Saturday 3rd March 2007
Must try and be more concise today, as an antidote to the overwrought entry of Friday 2nd.
I did a full tour of central Sydney on foot (in glorious sunshine). I walked around the Opera House, under the bridge (yet to walk across it though), through the Botanical Gardens (visit number 3 - still really lovely). In fact, it is beautiful all around the waterfront - especially under the bridge and around The Rocks (one of the oldest bits and the heart of colonial Sydney). And it is such a nice city just to wander around - thus justifying my general plan to spend quite a bit of time just going on random walks around different parts of the city.
I had the room to myself in the evening, which made a nice change. Everyone else was attending the Mardi Gras Parade. Of course, it was a shame to miss The Dykes on Bikes and other assorted displays of over-the-top gayness, but I wanted to save my energy for tomorrow's festival and also avoid the crowds that had already started to build as I made my way back to the hostel.
It was fascinating to watch the thousands of bats (flying foxes) from the window of my dorm. They leave their perches in the Botanical Gardens at dusk and fly off (directly past my window) to do whatever bats do during the night (eating I guess). They seemed particularly abundant this evening, so perhaps they too were joining the crowds at Mardi Gras.
Sunday 4th March 2007
Seems a bit strange writing all this so long after the event. Quite interesting though - I had forgotten bits of it already.
Today was the day of the Laneway Festival. I had booked it about a month previously and was excited about seeing some live music for the first time in ages. The line up was a relatively obscure mix of local and international indie bands, which is just the way I like it. The location was great, with the main stage in a small square in the heart of the city (more gorgeous Moreton Figs to provide some welcome shade), another couple of stages in small lanes off said square (the skyscrapers rising dramatically on each side created amazing narrow spaces... unlike any concert venue I have been to before.) and one stage in a basement club (which I didn't go to because they wouldn't let you take in your own water - miserable gits). All told, I had a really good time. There were lots of bands that I wanted to see - and apart from the Sleepy Jackson (who tried "rocking-out" to a ridiculous and unflattering degree) not one of them was a disappointment. Camera Obscura, Yo La Tengo and the Walkmen were particular highlights, but it was high-quality all round and between acts it was fun to watch the Sydney Fashionistas strutting their stuff in their comedy garb, which included a preponderance of charity shop crinoline, large leather boots (in 30 degree heat!) and over-sized sunglasses. I myself revelled in the fashion faux-pas of a faded t-shirt, walking shorts, rucksack and comfy trainers. Give it 10 years and they'll all be wearing it.
I was really lucky with the weather - it was fine all day, but there were massive thunderstorms during the later part of the evening/night (it started raining just after I got back to the hostel). It was fun to watch the storms from the dorm window. There are great views across the Domain (an area of open space next to to the Botanical Gardens) from the window and we (Rob, Rob, Lisette and I) desperately tried to take good photos of the lightning as it forked over the city, lighting up the night sky and appearing to strike the skyscrapers of the CBD one by one.
Monday 5th March 2007
Only 3 entries in (plus a load of over-edited pretentious preamble) and nearly a day spent doing it. It seems that travelling has failed to dull my procrastination skills. That and the (over-)excitement of returning to the internet age after weeks in the wilderness adds up to heaps of surfing and not much output. I suppose it has been interspersed with other necessary internet stuff, the search for a replacement tent pole and a visit to the Art Gallery, but even so, I need to quicken the pace if I am to be up-to-date by tomorrow evening.
So, Monday 5th:
I went to the art gallery in the morning (very big but tending towards quantity rather than quality - still, the complimentary newspaper was a nice touch) and then walked around the city centre (in between showers) in the afternoon. In fact, I got soaked on my way back from the library in the evening - but I didn't mind so much as it wasn't at all cold.
In the evening I cooked curry for the troops (the aforementioned gang of three) and we partook in the Hostel quiz. Good fun, but what can I say: we wuz robbed. Partly as a result of Roberto mishearing one of the questions (and with me in the kitchen, I was unable to countermand) and partly as a result of ineptitude on the part of the quiz master. Well, it isn't a proper quiz unless it ends in an argument about the veracity of one (or more) of the answers.
Tuesday 6th March 2007
The sun was back out after the low cloud and rain of the day before (still really warm - nice and tropical).
The morning involved more library/internet antics and a visit to Centennial Park (a mad dash to the toilet - the cinema next to the library was closed!) to suss out the location of the outdoor cinema where Dutch Rob and I were going to see a film in the evening. Just as well I went to look as it was much more of a trek than I had imagined. I walked back via Elizabeth Bay (plush residences) and Wooloomooloo, both of which enjoy lovely harbour-side settings
In the afternoon I went to the state library (where my flip-flop broke - I had to walk back in bare feet like a hobo/person from New Zealand) and generally pottered around.
In the evening I went back to the open-air cinema in Centennial Park (by bus, this time, as Rob was making risotto [yum] to take with us, which, as aways, took much longer than anticipated. The film was a documentary about Frank Gehry, who, it turns out, is a bit of a character. I enjoyed the film, even tough it started raining as soon as we got off the bus. It then proceeded to rain on and off throughout the screening, although Rob had an umbrella and I had my waterproof, so we managed to avoid getting completely soaked. It's just a shame the bottom half of the screen was periodically covered by the umbrellas of the people in front of me and the sound was interrupted by the noise of rustling cagoules and plastic sheeting (some people had come really well prepared and made themselves feel right at home - i.e. it obviously didn't occur to them that there might be people around them who they were disturbing]). At least the rain helps to keep Sydney lush and tropical looking.
There was quite a lot about the Bilbao Guggenheim in the film, which reminded me of the trip I made there with Mum, and the rain added to the memories! Still, it was interesting to be outside and watch the flying-foxes soaring overhead during the film. Perhaps they are going to Centennial Park when we watch them flying past our window of an evening. I like things like that, which offer a touch of the exotic. Generally the wildlife in Australia is really interesting (there are also loads of different birds about the place and the odd lizard - no snakes yet though). All of which (added to the warmth) means that I think I prefer it to New Zealand.
Wednesay 7th March 2007
Lisette moved out of the dorm and into a shared house in the morning (between Central Station and Redfern), so I helped her with some of ther bags. I had just bought a weekly travel pass so was only too happy to make use of it, see a different area of the city and offer a helping hand, all at the same time. She showed me around the University on the way back and let me check my e-mail on the Uni's lovely Macs. Fun times!
I went to Manly in the afternoon (which involves a very pleasant ferry journey across the harbour). Manly has seafronts on both the harbour and ocean sides, which are just a few minutes walk apart. It's a lovely place and I spent a couple of hours lounging on the beach. It wasn't that hot (low 20s) and the sea was really rough, so I didn't venture in for a swim. There were also loads of bluebottles (tiny blue Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish), which didn't exactly make swimming an inviting prospect. I managed a paddle though and the sea didn't feel too bad (low 20s, I think).
There was free wine (well, "goon" as it's called here - the cheapest cask wine you can get) and cheese on the roof of the hostel in the evening (more great views across the city). And, in case I haven't said so already there are free pancakes for breakfast every morning at the hostel - not exactly my fav foodstuff, but when it's free it's hard to say no. So the hostel is proving a really enjoyable place to stay (and all for a bargainous $19 a night). Of course, the good company helps, and although our little posse is down from four to three, it is going to be a hard place to leave...
Thursday 8th March 2007
The morning involved a tour of three different libraries (my new pastime it would seem - and a good way of exploring the city), in a search for faster free internet. Kings Cross was the most modern set-up (in a lovely new building), but unfortunately only allowed internet for research purposes, which funnily enough excluded e-mail and blogging. Sigh.
I walked from Bondi to Coogee in the afternoon, stopping at Bronte beach for a swim (no jellyfish there and lovely clean water - still a big swell though). There was an amazing thunderstorm just out to sea. Incredibly black sky and vivid lightning. Luckily it just circled round and apart from a few heavy drops on the way into Coogee (resulting in a mad dash to some shelter - whereupon it stopped immediately) there wasn't actually any rain/thunder where I was. It was a lovely walk, proving that Sydney has a great coastline and fabulous beaches, in addition to its world-reknowned harbour, beautiful open spaces and pockets of interesting architecture.
Again, I have nothing noted for the evening's activities (my handwritten notes are getting scantier by the day), although it could well be the evening that Roberto made lasagna, which was delicious (even more so coming from a genuinely humble and open-minded Italian), and washed down, in time-honoured tradition, with copious amounts of red wine.
Friday 9th March 2007
The library beckoned again in the morning. Yes, it would seem that I am as boring as the blog entries that I write... However, in my defence, there are guidebooks galore in addition to free internet (and wending my way through the streets of Paddington is always a pleasure), so I wasn't just being cyber-nerd.
In the afternoon, I was a little more active and got the ferry to the other side of the harbour (more beautiful views - I am becoming rather blase about seeing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, although will never tire of their splendour). I got off at the Zoo (choosing not to go in and thus avoid another hefty entrance fee). Instead I walked in the opposite direction around Bradley Head and through Sydney Harbour National Park. I walked quite a long way - probably 10 miles or so. It was really nice - through patches of native bush andpast some lovely looking harbour-side properties. They have built a sort-of amphitheatre at Bradley Head (very "landscape architecture"), which offers some of the best views across the harbour and is actually pretty hard to fault (good materials, sensitively designed, well-maintained, unbeatable location). And as seems usual with slightly out-of-the way places, there was hardly a soul about. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and as tempting as it was I didn't have a swim. The wind was quite cold and in the only area with a shark net the water was a bit murky looking. Still, I was able to paddle and the views across to the city (Opera House/Bridge etc.) were uniformly amazing.
Lisette had invited us around to her new place for dinner in the evening, which again made a nice change from the backpacker norm. There was a Mexican feast waiting for us (washed down with a nice chilled rose [add your own acute accent to change it from a flower into a wine]) and whilst the house is a bit rough around the edges (cockroaches - which it would seem are more-or-less everywhere in Sydney - and peeling paint), it had character by the bucket load (including a lovey courtyard garden with large trees growing in the narrowest of spaces).
Saturday 10th March 2007
In the morning I went around a few different parts of the city (Darling Harbour, Potts Point and Glebe) to look at some landscape architecture projects with Roberto. It was all very interesting (and in great company) and there were some more lovely developments next to the harbour (along with a good helping of tat - but even that is generally blessed with a gorgeous setting. I can't remember whether or not I wrote previously that he is a doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture... well, it sounds a bit of a mammoth task... looking at how both the Australian landscape has influenced art and how modern landscape architecture is responding to the challenges of the Australian environment. Interesting though... and perhaps even enough to make me think that one day I might feel refreshed enough to enter back into the world of Landscape Architecture (no fears of an imminent return, mind).
In the afternoon I went to Coogee beach with Dutch Rob - the site of my second swim on the East coast of Australia. It was great fun frolicking in the waves, which can be viewed as either body-surfing or getting totally pummelled by tons of water, depending on your perspective. The weather was great once again (the morning had been really hot although it was
slightly cooler on the cast) and the combination of sun, sea, sand and walking miles had left me with that pleasant glow of contented exhaustion.
Being Saturday evening I decided to make a hearty soup for myself and the two Robs. Made loads so offered some to a skinny German called Alex (shy and awkward, but friendly enough and the sort of person who make you a bit sorry for them in a "they need mothering" kind of way).
Sunday 11th March 2007
Well, I think this is going to be the last entry for today. At least I will be able to say that I am now less than a month behind schedule, in the world of blog updates. Which sounds somewhat better than 6 weeks (as it stood this morning), it has to be said. I'm not sure I'll manage an entire month's-worth of updates tomorrow, but I'll give it my best shot. Until then, here is one final day of ramblings:
In the morning I helped Roberto carry his stuff to the station (he's off to Canberra to look at more Landscape Architecture projects). I was sorry to see him go, as he isreally nice (and for an Italian he's exceptionally open-minded and not at all dogmatic - he'll even eat curry!). Upon returning to the hostel I discovered that I'm now in a room with 7 Dutch people! I'll need to buy a pair of clogs (klompen) at this rate. Still, the fresh tulips are nice.
I went to Manly Beach (again with Dutch Rob - also really nice) in the afternoon. Swim number 3! Sea was gorgeous and so was the ferry ride through theharbour.
Again there is a lack of written evidence regarding the events of the evening, but I seem to recall cooking together with Rob and then sitting on the roof of the hostel, enjoying the balmy evening air and the glorious view of the city skyline.
If you got to the end in one sitting I can but commend your tenacity and wish you luck with the next instalment (likely to be even longer, I'm afraid)
Best wishes,
James xx
I'm now in Brisbane (or Bris Vegas, as it is known locally [for reasons that are yet to become apparent - the best I can come up with is that the words Las and Bris both contain a letter "s"]). The sun is shining outside and yet I am stuck inside the (albeit rather plush and airy) State Library, making the most of the bountiful supply of free-internet terminals. Once again, let's give our collective thanks to the tax-payers of the world and, more specifically, the residents of Queensland (and the politicos and bureaucrats who represent them) who saw fit to spend millions of dollars on this particular edifice. Well done - it's lovely (in a slightly over-the-top postmodern kind-of-way). I should also give a rather smaller nod to the hand-written notes in my diary, without which this would prove a head-scratching exercise (to say the least) and probably end up being a futile attempt to remember the unmemorable*.
Reet, given that it has taken over a month to get to this point, I had better stop procrastinating (I'm sure you've already noted that I am in a particularly waffly mood today), get my head down and start typing.
*That isn't meant to criticise the wonderful sights of Australia, but simply suggest that without a written record it is almost impossible to recall in detail what I did on any particular day. That is definitely one of the pitfalls of being a perennial sightseer (sensory overload!), and rather at odds with my chronological approach to blogging. I probably should have adopted the maxim "if I can't remember it, it's not worth writing about", and just stuck to the particularly exciting bits. Ah well, it's done now. At least it gives a more accurate picture of the ins-and-outs of travelling and, at any rate, is as much a record for me as anyone else.
So, here goes:
Friday 2nd March 2007
It was a return visit to Botanical Gardens in the morning. They really are lovely, with great views over the harbour to supplement the beautiful plants and abundant wildlife (as cliched as it is, I'll never tire of looking across the harbour to the city centre, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge floating out into the water beside). The Moreton Bay Figs with their gigantic buttress roots and huge shady canopies are simply stunning. There are also thousands of flying foxes hanging in the trees (beware the poo - the smell is fruity to say the least), ibis and cockatoos everywhere you look and butterflies, spiders, cicadas and other creepy crawlies galore. Yes, it is time for the usual trite observation about an wonderful oasis of verdant bliss in the middle of the city. With knobs on.
In the afternoon, for a change of pace (well, more a change of character than pace - both were pretty quiet as it turned out), I went up to the urb (as the otherwise tautologically-named "inner-city suburb" shall henceforth be known) of Paddington. It is a really nice area with beautiful Victorian terraces (all wrought iron balconies and shady avenues of trees and million dollar price-tags) and (most importantly of all for the budget conscious travel [aka tight git!]) a library with free internet access. But I think I've already said this about the previous day, haven't I? It's so long ago now that I can't for the life of me remember what I wrote (and can't be bothered to refer back to my earlier entry). Anyway, after meandering my way through the urb, I went to the library and then to the cinema. Old Joy was certainly an interesting film. It was very minimalist (i.e nothing happened) and luckily (for me) quite short too. My sort of film, given that I don't like busy and I don't like long. The Yo La Tengo (one of my favourite bands for those not in the know) score was great and their question and answer session proved quite entertaining (more due to the geeky questions from the audience than the band's responses, mind). It made for an interesting evening and certainly make a change from the other stuff that I had been doing up until that point (mostly involving the great outdoors).
I can't remember what I did in the evening once I got back from the film and I didn't see fit to write it down, so it probably involved food and bed and not much else. Although, having said that, my friendships with Lisette, Rob and Roberto were progressing apace and I'm sure that chatting with them would also have fitted in the equation somewhere.
Saturday 3rd March 2007
Must try and be more concise today, as an antidote to the overwrought entry of Friday 2nd.
I did a full tour of central Sydney on foot (in glorious sunshine). I walked around the Opera House, under the bridge (yet to walk across it though), through the Botanical Gardens (visit number 3 - still really lovely). In fact, it is beautiful all around the waterfront - especially under the bridge and around The Rocks (one of the oldest bits and the heart of colonial Sydney). And it is such a nice city just to wander around - thus justifying my general plan to spend quite a bit of time just going on random walks around different parts of the city.
I had the room to myself in the evening, which made a nice change. Everyone else was attending the Mardi Gras Parade. Of course, it was a shame to miss The Dykes on Bikes and other assorted displays of over-the-top gayness, but I wanted to save my energy for tomorrow's festival and also avoid the crowds that had already started to build as I made my way back to the hostel.
It was fascinating to watch the thousands of bats (flying foxes) from the window of my dorm. They leave their perches in the Botanical Gardens at dusk and fly off (directly past my window) to do whatever bats do during the night (eating I guess). They seemed particularly abundant this evening, so perhaps they too were joining the crowds at Mardi Gras.
Sunday 4th March 2007
Seems a bit strange writing all this so long after the event. Quite interesting though - I had forgotten bits of it already.
Today was the day of the Laneway Festival. I had booked it about a month previously and was excited about seeing some live music for the first time in ages. The line up was a relatively obscure mix of local and international indie bands, which is just the way I like it. The location was great, with the main stage in a small square in the heart of the city (more gorgeous Moreton Figs to provide some welcome shade), another couple of stages in small lanes off said square (the skyscrapers rising dramatically on each side created amazing narrow spaces... unlike any concert venue I have been to before.) and one stage in a basement club (which I didn't go to because they wouldn't let you take in your own water - miserable gits). All told, I had a really good time. There were lots of bands that I wanted to see - and apart from the Sleepy Jackson (who tried "rocking-out" to a ridiculous and unflattering degree) not one of them was a disappointment. Camera Obscura, Yo La Tengo and the Walkmen were particular highlights, but it was high-quality all round and between acts it was fun to watch the Sydney Fashionistas strutting their stuff in their comedy garb, which included a preponderance of charity shop crinoline, large leather boots (in 30 degree heat!) and over-sized sunglasses. I myself revelled in the fashion faux-pas of a faded t-shirt, walking shorts, rucksack and comfy trainers. Give it 10 years and they'll all be wearing it.
I was really lucky with the weather - it was fine all day, but there were massive thunderstorms during the later part of the evening/night (it started raining just after I got back to the hostel). It was fun to watch the storms from the dorm window. There are great views across the Domain (an area of open space next to to the Botanical Gardens) from the window and we (Rob, Rob, Lisette and I) desperately tried to take good photos of the lightning as it forked over the city, lighting up the night sky and appearing to strike the skyscrapers of the CBD one by one.
Monday 5th March 2007
Only 3 entries in (plus a load of over-edited pretentious preamble) and nearly a day spent doing it. It seems that travelling has failed to dull my procrastination skills. That and the (over-)excitement of returning to the internet age after weeks in the wilderness adds up to heaps of surfing and not much output. I suppose it has been interspersed with other necessary internet stuff, the search for a replacement tent pole and a visit to the Art Gallery, but even so, I need to quicken the pace if I am to be up-to-date by tomorrow evening.
So, Monday 5th:
I went to the art gallery in the morning (very big but tending towards quantity rather than quality - still, the complimentary newspaper was a nice touch) and then walked around the city centre (in between showers) in the afternoon. In fact, I got soaked on my way back from the library in the evening - but I didn't mind so much as it wasn't at all cold.
In the evening I cooked curry for the troops (the aforementioned gang of three) and we partook in the Hostel quiz. Good fun, but what can I say: we wuz robbed. Partly as a result of Roberto mishearing one of the questions (and with me in the kitchen, I was unable to countermand) and partly as a result of ineptitude on the part of the quiz master. Well, it isn't a proper quiz unless it ends in an argument about the veracity of one (or more) of the answers.
Tuesday 6th March 2007
The sun was back out after the low cloud and rain of the day before (still really warm - nice and tropical).
The morning involved more library/internet antics and a visit to Centennial Park (a mad dash to the toilet - the cinema next to the library was closed!) to suss out the location of the outdoor cinema where Dutch Rob and I were going to see a film in the evening. Just as well I went to look as it was much more of a trek than I had imagined. I walked back via Elizabeth Bay (plush residences) and Wooloomooloo, both of which enjoy lovely harbour-side settings
In the afternoon I went to the state library (where my flip-flop broke - I had to walk back in bare feet like a hobo/person from New Zealand) and generally pottered around.
In the evening I went back to the open-air cinema in Centennial Park (by bus, this time, as Rob was making risotto [yum] to take with us, which, as aways, took much longer than anticipated. The film was a documentary about Frank Gehry, who, it turns out, is a bit of a character. I enjoyed the film, even tough it started raining as soon as we got off the bus. It then proceeded to rain on and off throughout the screening, although Rob had an umbrella and I had my waterproof, so we managed to avoid getting completely soaked. It's just a shame the bottom half of the screen was periodically covered by the umbrellas of the people in front of me and the sound was interrupted by the noise of rustling cagoules and plastic sheeting (some people had come really well prepared and made themselves feel right at home - i.e. it obviously didn't occur to them that there might be people around them who they were disturbing]). At least the rain helps to keep Sydney lush and tropical looking.
There was quite a lot about the Bilbao Guggenheim in the film, which reminded me of the trip I made there with Mum, and the rain added to the memories! Still, it was interesting to be outside and watch the flying-foxes soaring overhead during the film. Perhaps they are going to Centennial Park when we watch them flying past our window of an evening. I like things like that, which offer a touch of the exotic. Generally the wildlife in Australia is really interesting (there are also loads of different birds about the place and the odd lizard - no snakes yet though). All of which (added to the warmth) means that I think I prefer it to New Zealand.
Wednesay 7th March 2007
Lisette moved out of the dorm and into a shared house in the morning (between Central Station and Redfern), so I helped her with some of ther bags. I had just bought a weekly travel pass so was only too happy to make use of it, see a different area of the city and offer a helping hand, all at the same time. She showed me around the University on the way back and let me check my e-mail on the Uni's lovely Macs. Fun times!
I went to Manly in the afternoon (which involves a very pleasant ferry journey across the harbour). Manly has seafronts on both the harbour and ocean sides, which are just a few minutes walk apart. It's a lovely place and I spent a couple of hours lounging on the beach. It wasn't that hot (low 20s) and the sea was really rough, so I didn't venture in for a swim. There were also loads of bluebottles (tiny blue Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish), which didn't exactly make swimming an inviting prospect. I managed a paddle though and the sea didn't feel too bad (low 20s, I think).
There was free wine (well, "goon" as it's called here - the cheapest cask wine you can get) and cheese on the roof of the hostel in the evening (more great views across the city). And, in case I haven't said so already there are free pancakes for breakfast every morning at the hostel - not exactly my fav foodstuff, but when it's free it's hard to say no. So the hostel is proving a really enjoyable place to stay (and all for a bargainous $19 a night). Of course, the good company helps, and although our little posse is down from four to three, it is going to be a hard place to leave...
Thursday 8th March 2007
The morning involved a tour of three different libraries (my new pastime it would seem - and a good way of exploring the city), in a search for faster free internet. Kings Cross was the most modern set-up (in a lovely new building), but unfortunately only allowed internet for research purposes, which funnily enough excluded e-mail and blogging. Sigh.
I walked from Bondi to Coogee in the afternoon, stopping at Bronte beach for a swim (no jellyfish there and lovely clean water - still a big swell though). There was an amazing thunderstorm just out to sea. Incredibly black sky and vivid lightning. Luckily it just circled round and apart from a few heavy drops on the way into Coogee (resulting in a mad dash to some shelter - whereupon it stopped immediately) there wasn't actually any rain/thunder where I was. It was a lovely walk, proving that Sydney has a great coastline and fabulous beaches, in addition to its world-reknowned harbour, beautiful open spaces and pockets of interesting architecture.
Again, I have nothing noted for the evening's activities (my handwritten notes are getting scantier by the day), although it could well be the evening that Roberto made lasagna, which was delicious (even more so coming from a genuinely humble and open-minded Italian), and washed down, in time-honoured tradition, with copious amounts of red wine.
Friday 9th March 2007
The library beckoned again in the morning. Yes, it would seem that I am as boring as the blog entries that I write... However, in my defence, there are guidebooks galore in addition to free internet (and wending my way through the streets of Paddington is always a pleasure), so I wasn't just being cyber-nerd.
In the afternoon, I was a little more active and got the ferry to the other side of the harbour (more beautiful views - I am becoming rather blase about seeing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, although will never tire of their splendour). I got off at the Zoo (choosing not to go in and thus avoid another hefty entrance fee). Instead I walked in the opposite direction around Bradley Head and through Sydney Harbour National Park. I walked quite a long way - probably 10 miles or so. It was really nice - through patches of native bush andpast some lovely looking harbour-side properties. They have built a sort-of amphitheatre at Bradley Head (very "landscape architecture"), which offers some of the best views across the harbour and is actually pretty hard to fault (good materials, sensitively designed, well-maintained, unbeatable location). And as seems usual with slightly out-of-the way places, there was hardly a soul about. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and as tempting as it was I didn't have a swim. The wind was quite cold and in the only area with a shark net the water was a bit murky looking. Still, I was able to paddle and the views across to the city (Opera House/Bridge etc.) were uniformly amazing.
Lisette had invited us around to her new place for dinner in the evening, which again made a nice change from the backpacker norm. There was a Mexican feast waiting for us (washed down with a nice chilled rose [add your own acute accent to change it from a flower into a wine]) and whilst the house is a bit rough around the edges (cockroaches - which it would seem are more-or-less everywhere in Sydney - and peeling paint), it had character by the bucket load (including a lovey courtyard garden with large trees growing in the narrowest of spaces).
Saturday 10th March 2007
In the morning I went around a few different parts of the city (Darling Harbour, Potts Point and Glebe) to look at some landscape architecture projects with Roberto. It was all very interesting (and in great company) and there were some more lovely developments next to the harbour (along with a good helping of tat - but even that is generally blessed with a gorgeous setting. I can't remember whether or not I wrote previously that he is a doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture... well, it sounds a bit of a mammoth task... looking at how both the Australian landscape has influenced art and how modern landscape architecture is responding to the challenges of the Australian environment. Interesting though... and perhaps even enough to make me think that one day I might feel refreshed enough to enter back into the world of Landscape Architecture (no fears of an imminent return, mind).
In the afternoon I went to Coogee beach with Dutch Rob - the site of my second swim on the East coast of Australia. It was great fun frolicking in the waves, which can be viewed as either body-surfing or getting totally pummelled by tons of water, depending on your perspective. The weather was great once again (the morning had been really hot although it was
slightly cooler on the cast) and the combination of sun, sea, sand and walking miles had left me with that pleasant glow of contented exhaustion.
Being Saturday evening I decided to make a hearty soup for myself and the two Robs. Made loads so offered some to a skinny German called Alex (shy and awkward, but friendly enough and the sort of person who make you a bit sorry for them in a "they need mothering" kind of way).
Sunday 11th March 2007
Well, I think this is going to be the last entry for today. At least I will be able to say that I am now less than a month behind schedule, in the world of blog updates. Which sounds somewhat better than 6 weeks (as it stood this morning), it has to be said. I'm not sure I'll manage an entire month's-worth of updates tomorrow, but I'll give it my best shot. Until then, here is one final day of ramblings:
In the morning I helped Roberto carry his stuff to the station (he's off to Canberra to look at more Landscape Architecture projects). I was sorry to see him go, as he isreally nice (and for an Italian he's exceptionally open-minded and not at all dogmatic - he'll even eat curry!). Upon returning to the hostel I discovered that I'm now in a room with 7 Dutch people! I'll need to buy a pair of clogs (klompen) at this rate. Still, the fresh tulips are nice.
I went to Manly Beach (again with Dutch Rob - also really nice) in the afternoon. Swim number 3! Sea was gorgeous and so was the ferry ride through theharbour.
Again there is a lack of written evidence regarding the events of the evening, but I seem to recall cooking together with Rob and then sitting on the roof of the hostel, enjoying the balmy evening air and the glorious view of the city skyline.
If you got to the end in one sitting I can but commend your tenacity and wish you luck with the next instalment (likely to be even longer, I'm afraid)
Best wishes,
James xx
Friday, March 16, 2007
Quicky from Katoomba
Hello there,
I'm now in the Blue Mountains and have discovered more free internet access (courtesy of my friends at the local library). Haven't got much time so this will just be a short one for now:
Wednesday 28th February Continued
The flight to Sydney was delayed for 30 minutes because they had catered the wrong aeroplane. Whoops. Otherwise it was an uneventful flight (I sat next to two miserable middle-aged people who didn't speak a single word to me for the whole flight) with okay food (a pretty good traditional Kiwi pie*) but less good wine than on the flight from Perth to Auckland (an ordinary Australian Shiraz/Cabernet [not a good mix] as opposed to a good NZ Pinot Noir).
On arrival there was a huge delay with the luggage (I thought that maybe they had loaded that onto the wrong plane too), but luckily it turned up eventually. I went through the Red Channel, as I had some herbs and spices that I wasn't sure if I could bring into the country or not. (Un)fortunately the customs officers were so busy with the huge queue at the green channel that I was able to walk straight through, unaccosted. I did feel a bit guilty (what if my dried oregano was harbouring some nasty disease?), but was too tired to go back and rejoin the mammoth queue.
I phoned the hostel for my free pick-up and was a bit miffed to hear that they had no record of my booking. Grrr. Luckily they phoned across to their sister hostel (just down the road) and there was space for me there. Breath collective deep sigh of relief.
They told me to get a shuttle bus, which they would then refund me for on arrival (which was nice). It would have helped if the shuttle bus driver had spoken English (I thought people from the Indian subcontinent all learnt English at school) and knew more than one street in Sydney. He had one of the passengers reading a map, while he struggled with a shot gearbox and the Sydney traffic.
It was certainly a memorable journey. The poor elderly Dutch chap on board was less than comfortable with proceedings. He didn't have a clue where he was going (other than the address), so was completely in the dark (in the dark), in a sardine-like taxi, surrounded by people speaking a language he didn't understand. Still, after much driving around the city and finally grabbing the map to find out exactly where we were/where I wanted to be, at least I ended up in approximately the right place (leaving the poor Dutch chap to fend for himself - and feeling a bit guilty in the process). Well, I say I ended up in the right place... It would have been the right place if the first hostel had honoured my booking. Grrr again. Luckily, the guy on reception was very friendly and pointed me in the right direction of hostel number deux. I was just around the corner. At approximately 9pm I had arrived.
The hostel seemed quite nice (if a bit larger than I had imagined) and the other people in my dorm were really friendly. These included 2 Dutch architecture students and a Landscape Architect from Italy. More of them later... I was zonked and so it was an early night for me.
*That's a pie made in a New Zealand style, not one made from an endangered flightless bird.
Thursday 1st March 2007
Well, it turns out that said Italian architect (Roberto) is from Trapani in Sicily (been there!) and went to university in Reggio di Calabria (been there too!). He's in the process of doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture, so is on a rather cushy "field-trip", jetting around the continent. So, we've got quite a lot in common, and hence lots to talk about. The two Dutch Arcitecture students (Rob and Lissete) are on a semester-long exchange and are also really nice, interesting people. I think I've been really lucky, as the rest of the hostel seems rather more of a party-crowd (with all the wit, intelligence and intrigue that that suggests).
It was my first full day in Sydney so I spent most of it getting my bearings (on foot). In the morning I went to the Botanical Gardens, via Wooloomooloo Harbour (great name!) and then continued around to Circular Quay and The Rocks. I went into the Museum of Contemporary Art, where there was a really interesting exhibition by Paddy Bedford (a contemporary aboriginal painter), and some rather-less-interesting modern guff. The whole area is lovely, from the botanical gardens, around the quay (shitty modern architecture aside) to the rocks (interesting fragments of colonial architecture and nice higgledy-piggledy character, squat beneath the harbour bridge).
In the afternoon, I walked in the other direction, towards the suburb of Paddington. It's a lovely area of old Victorian terraces. All wrought iron verandahs and balconies. I bought tickets for a screening at the Chauvel Cinema the following evening. An art house flick called Old Joy, soundtracked by Yo La Tengo, with the band themselves doing a question and answer session afterwards. I thought it would make a nice change from the usual backpacker-type stuff. All in all, a nice afternoon's walk, around a lovely area of the city.
Well, my time is up. The library bell has just been rung (like being in an English pub)! I guess I should learn not to waffle so much, as I have only managed to do two days and am still over 2 weeks behind. Teacher's report: must try harder.
Best wishes for now,
James xx
I'm now in the Blue Mountains and have discovered more free internet access (courtesy of my friends at the local library). Haven't got much time so this will just be a short one for now:
Wednesday 28th February Continued
The flight to Sydney was delayed for 30 minutes because they had catered the wrong aeroplane. Whoops. Otherwise it was an uneventful flight (I sat next to two miserable middle-aged people who didn't speak a single word to me for the whole flight) with okay food (a pretty good traditional Kiwi pie*) but less good wine than on the flight from Perth to Auckland (an ordinary Australian Shiraz/Cabernet [not a good mix] as opposed to a good NZ Pinot Noir).
On arrival there was a huge delay with the luggage (I thought that maybe they had loaded that onto the wrong plane too), but luckily it turned up eventually. I went through the Red Channel, as I had some herbs and spices that I wasn't sure if I could bring into the country or not. (Un)fortunately the customs officers were so busy with the huge queue at the green channel that I was able to walk straight through, unaccosted. I did feel a bit guilty (what if my dried oregano was harbouring some nasty disease?), but was too tired to go back and rejoin the mammoth queue.
I phoned the hostel for my free pick-up and was a bit miffed to hear that they had no record of my booking. Grrr. Luckily they phoned across to their sister hostel (just down the road) and there was space for me there. Breath collective deep sigh of relief.
They told me to get a shuttle bus, which they would then refund me for on arrival (which was nice). It would have helped if the shuttle bus driver had spoken English (I thought people from the Indian subcontinent all learnt English at school) and knew more than one street in Sydney. He had one of the passengers reading a map, while he struggled with a shot gearbox and the Sydney traffic.
It was certainly a memorable journey. The poor elderly Dutch chap on board was less than comfortable with proceedings. He didn't have a clue where he was going (other than the address), so was completely in the dark (in the dark), in a sardine-like taxi, surrounded by people speaking a language he didn't understand. Still, after much driving around the city and finally grabbing the map to find out exactly where we were/where I wanted to be, at least I ended up in approximately the right place (leaving the poor Dutch chap to fend for himself - and feeling a bit guilty in the process). Well, I say I ended up in the right place... It would have been the right place if the first hostel had honoured my booking. Grrr again. Luckily, the guy on reception was very friendly and pointed me in the right direction of hostel number deux. I was just around the corner. At approximately 9pm I had arrived.
The hostel seemed quite nice (if a bit larger than I had imagined) and the other people in my dorm were really friendly. These included 2 Dutch architecture students and a Landscape Architect from Italy. More of them later... I was zonked and so it was an early night for me.
*That's a pie made in a New Zealand style, not one made from an endangered flightless bird.
Thursday 1st March 2007
Well, it turns out that said Italian architect (Roberto) is from Trapani in Sicily (been there!) and went to university in Reggio di Calabria (been there too!). He's in the process of doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture, so is on a rather cushy "field-trip", jetting around the continent. So, we've got quite a lot in common, and hence lots to talk about. The two Dutch Arcitecture students (Rob and Lissete) are on a semester-long exchange and are also really nice, interesting people. I think I've been really lucky, as the rest of the hostel seems rather more of a party-crowd (with all the wit, intelligence and intrigue that that suggests).
It was my first full day in Sydney so I spent most of it getting my bearings (on foot). In the morning I went to the Botanical Gardens, via Wooloomooloo Harbour (great name!) and then continued around to Circular Quay and The Rocks. I went into the Museum of Contemporary Art, where there was a really interesting exhibition by Paddy Bedford (a contemporary aboriginal painter), and some rather-less-interesting modern guff. The whole area is lovely, from the botanical gardens, around the quay (shitty modern architecture aside) to the rocks (interesting fragments of colonial architecture and nice higgledy-piggledy character, squat beneath the harbour bridge).
In the afternoon, I walked in the other direction, towards the suburb of Paddington. It's a lovely area of old Victorian terraces. All wrought iron verandahs and balconies. I bought tickets for a screening at the Chauvel Cinema the following evening. An art house flick called Old Joy, soundtracked by Yo La Tengo, with the band themselves doing a question and answer session afterwards. I thought it would make a nice change from the usual backpacker-type stuff. All in all, a nice afternoon's walk, around a lovely area of the city.
Well, my time is up. The library bell has just been rung (like being in an English pub)! I guess I should learn not to waffle so much, as I have only managed to do two days and am still over 2 weeks behind. Teacher's report: must try harder.
Best wishes for now,
James xx
Quicky from Katoomba
Hello there,
I'm now in the Blue Mountains and have discovered more free internet access (courtesy of my friends at the local library). Haven't got much time so this will just be a short one for now:
Wednesday 28th February Continued
The flight to Sydney was delayed for 30 minutes because they had catered the wrong aeroplane. Whoops. Otherwise it was an uneventful flight (I sat next to two miserable middle-aged people who didn't speak a single word to me for the whole flight) with okay food (a pretty good traditional Kiwi pie*) but less good wine than on the flight from Perth to Auckland (an ordinary Australian Shiraz/Cabernet [not a good mix] as opposed to a good NZ Pinot Noir).
On arrival there was a huge delay with the luggage (I thought that maybe they had loaded that onto the wrong plane too), but luckily it turned up eventually. I went through the Red Channel, as I had some herbs and spices that I wasn't sure if I could bring into the country or not. (Un)fortunately the customs officers were so busy with the huge queue at the green channel that I was able to walk straight through, unaccosted. I did feel a bit guilty (what if my dried oregano was harbouring some nasty disease?), but was too tired to go back and rejoin the mammoth queue.
I phoned the hostel for my free pick-up and was a bit miffed to hear that they had no record of my booking. Grrr. Luckily they phoned across to their sister hostel (just down the road) and there was space for me there. Breath collective deep sigh of relief.
They told me to get a shuttle bus, which they would then refund me for on arrival (which was nice). It would have helped if the shuttle bus driver had spoken English (I thought people from the Indian subcontinent all learnt English at school) and knew more than one street in Sydney. He had one of the passengers reading a map, while he struggled with a shot gearbox and the Sydney traffic.
It was certainly a memorable journey. The poor elderly Dutch chap on board was less than comfortable with proceedings. He didn't have a clue where he was going (other than the address), so was completely in the dark (in the dark), in a sardine-like taxi, surrounded by people speaking a language he didn't understand. Still, after much driving around the city and finally grabbing the map to find out exactly where we were/where I wanted to be, at least I ended up in approximately the right place (leaving the poor Dutch chap to fend for himself - and feeling a bit guilty in the process). Well, I say I ended up in the right place... It would have been the right place if the first hostel had honoured my booking. Grrr again. Luckily, the guy on reception was very friendly and pointed me in the right direction of hostel number deux. I was just around the corner. At approximately 9pm I had arrived.
The hostel seemed quite nice (if a bit larger than I had imagined) and the other people in my dorm were really friendly. These included 2 Dutch architecture students and a Landscape Architect from Italy. More of them later... I was zonked and so it was an early night for me.
*That's a pie made in a New Zealand style, not one made from an endangered flightless bird.
Thursday 1st March 2007
Well, it turns out that said Italian architect (Roberto) is from Trapani in Sicily (been there!) and went to university in Reggio di Calabria (been there too!). He's in the process of doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture, so is on a rather cushy "field-trip", jetting around the continent. So, we've got quite a lot in common, and hence lots to talk about. The two Dutch Arcitecture students (Rob and Lissete) are on a semester-long exchange and are also really nice, interesting people. I think I've been really lucky, as the rest of the hostel seems rather more of a party-crowd (with all the wit, intelligence and intrigue that that suggests).
It was my first full day in Sydney so I spent most of it getting my bearings (on foot). In the morning I went to the Botanical Gardens, via Wooloomooloo Harbour (great name!) and then continued around to Circular Quay and The Rocks. I went into the Museum of Contemporary Art, where there was a really interesting exhibition by Paddy Bedford (a contemporary aboriginal painter), and some rather-less-interesting modern guff. The whole area is lovely, from the botanical gardens, around the quay (shitty modern architecture aside) to the rocks (interesting fragments of colonial architecture and nice higgledy-piggledy character, squat beneath the harbour bridge).
In the afternoon, I walked in the other direction, towards the suburb of Paddington. It's a lovely area of old Victorian terraces. All wrought iron verandahs and balconies. I bought tickets for a screening at the Chauvel Cinema the following evening. An art house flick called Old Joy, soundtracked by Yo La Tengo, with the band themselves doing a question and answer session afterwards. I thought it would make a nice change from the usual backpacker-type stuff. All in all, a nice afternoon's walk, around a lovely area of the city.
Well, my time is up. The library bell has just been rung (like being in an English pub)! I guess I should learn not to waffle so much, as I have only managed to do two days and am still over 2 weeks behind. Teacher's report: must try harder.
Best wishes for now,
James xx
I'm now in the Blue Mountains and have discovered more free internet access (courtesy of my friends at the local library). Haven't got much time so this will just be a short one for now:
Wednesday 28th February Continued
The flight to Sydney was delayed for 30 minutes because they had catered the wrong aeroplane. Whoops. Otherwise it was an uneventful flight (I sat next to two miserable middle-aged people who didn't speak a single word to me for the whole flight) with okay food (a pretty good traditional Kiwi pie*) but less good wine than on the flight from Perth to Auckland (an ordinary Australian Shiraz/Cabernet [not a good mix] as opposed to a good NZ Pinot Noir).
On arrival there was a huge delay with the luggage (I thought that maybe they had loaded that onto the wrong plane too), but luckily it turned up eventually. I went through the Red Channel, as I had some herbs and spices that I wasn't sure if I could bring into the country or not. (Un)fortunately the customs officers were so busy with the huge queue at the green channel that I was able to walk straight through, unaccosted. I did feel a bit guilty (what if my dried oregano was harbouring some nasty disease?), but was too tired to go back and rejoin the mammoth queue.
I phoned the hostel for my free pick-up and was a bit miffed to hear that they had no record of my booking. Grrr. Luckily they phoned across to their sister hostel (just down the road) and there was space for me there. Breath collective deep sigh of relief.
They told me to get a shuttle bus, which they would then refund me for on arrival (which was nice). It would have helped if the shuttle bus driver had spoken English (I thought people from the Indian subcontinent all learnt English at school) and knew more than one street in Sydney. He had one of the passengers reading a map, while he struggled with a shot gearbox and the Sydney traffic.
It was certainly a memorable journey. The poor elderly Dutch chap on board was less than comfortable with proceedings. He didn't have a clue where he was going (other than the address), so was completely in the dark (in the dark), in a sardine-like taxi, surrounded by people speaking a language he didn't understand. Still, after much driving around the city and finally grabbing the map to find out exactly where we were/where I wanted to be, at least I ended up in approximately the right place (leaving the poor Dutch chap to fend for himself - and feeling a bit guilty in the process). Well, I say I ended up in the right place... It would have been the right place if the first hostel had honoured my booking. Grrr again. Luckily, the guy on reception was very friendly and pointed me in the right direction of hostel number deux. I was just around the corner. At approximately 9pm I had arrived.
The hostel seemed quite nice (if a bit larger than I had imagined) and the other people in my dorm were really friendly. These included 2 Dutch architecture students and a Landscape Architect from Italy. More of them later... I was zonked and so it was an early night for me.
*That's a pie made in a New Zealand style, not one made from an endangered flightless bird.
Thursday 1st March 2007
Well, it turns out that said Italian architect (Roberto) is from Trapani in Sicily (been there!) and went to university in Reggio di Calabria (been there too!). He's in the process of doing a PhD about Australian Landscape Architecture, so is on a rather cushy "field-trip", jetting around the continent. So, we've got quite a lot in common, and hence lots to talk about. The two Dutch Arcitecture students (Rob and Lissete) are on a semester-long exchange and are also really nice, interesting people. I think I've been really lucky, as the rest of the hostel seems rather more of a party-crowd (with all the wit, intelligence and intrigue that that suggests).
It was my first full day in Sydney so I spent most of it getting my bearings (on foot). In the morning I went to the Botanical Gardens, via Wooloomooloo Harbour (great name!) and then continued around to Circular Quay and The Rocks. I went into the Museum of Contemporary Art, where there was a really interesting exhibition by Paddy Bedford (a contemporary aboriginal painter), and some rather-less-interesting modern guff. The whole area is lovely, from the botanical gardens, around the quay (shitty modern architecture aside) to the rocks (interesting fragments of colonial architecture and nice higgledy-piggledy character, squat beneath the harbour bridge).
In the afternoon, I walked in the other direction, towards the suburb of Paddington. It's a lovely area of old Victorian terraces. All wrought iron verandahs and balconies. I bought tickets for a screening at the Chauvel Cinema the following evening. An art house flick called Old Joy, soundtracked by Yo La Tengo, with the band themselves doing a question and answer session afterwards. I thought it would make a nice change from the usual backpacker-type stuff. All in all, a nice afternoon's walk, around a lovely area of the city.
Well, my time is up. The library bell has just been rung (like being in an English pub)! I guess I should learn not to waffle so much, as I have only managed to do two days and am still over 2 weeks behind. Teacher's report: must try harder.
Best wishes for now,
James xx
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
It rains, even in Australia (which fittingly brings to a close my entries for New Zealand)
Well, we finally have a rainy day here in Sydney (my last full day, natch) and I'm back on the computer to try and update my blog. Only now do I discover that the main state library (5 mins walk from my hostel) had free e-mail all along (blogging is classified as e-mail, it would seem - and is therefore blocked on certain computers). It was right under my nose. And to think I had been walking for half-an-hour each time I wanted to use a computer for e-mail/blogging. D'oh.
It is also really quite cold too (for Sydney at least - that means low 20s) so it's quite nice to be inside for a change. He goes...
Friday 23rd February 2007
It was a quiet morning in Napier (I'm not sure the town does any other sort of morning). I walked to the beach and around the town... still enjoying the sunny (and warm!) weather, popping into the library to avoid the midday sun and catch up on the news (courtesy of every available regional newspaper in New Zealand - they don't really do nationals here, like they do at home). I also started researching my trip to Sydney and even managed to book a hostel at the first attempt.
After lunch I went back to the beach to lounge around in the sun. It's just a shame that the currents off the beach make swimming dangerous, as it was so hot that a dip in the brine wouldn't have been out of the question. Alas, I had to make do with paddling and getting covered in salt spray from the huge breakers pounding the shore.
I had an interesting evening chatting to a trainee wine-maker from France. He was a really nice chap who spends his time following the seasons (and the sun) around the world. So far he has worked at wineries in France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. And I think he's heading to South America next winter... Nice work if you can get it, although by all accounts very poorly paid and really difficult to find without a huge chunk of experience behind you.
Saturday 24th February 2007
It had rained overnight and although it had stopped by the time I woke up, it was still overcast. It was therefore a morning of internet and laundry (that classic backpacker combination - I'm surprised no-one has come up with an internet launderette [interneterette? launderinternet?]).
In the afternoon I was hoping to have taken one of the hostel bikes (of the cycling variety) to go and visit some of the vineyards in the Hawke's Bay area. Unfortunately all the bikes were already in use, so I had to content myself with a walk along the coastal promenade instead. The weather was a bit duff (as was some of the heavy industry along the shoreline). All in all, a rather dull walk (apart from being menaced briefly by a fierce-looking dog), but still, nice to be out in the fresh air.
I was rather pooped come evening, so it was a quiet night. Shower, food, bed (well, the latter should read "roll-mat-in-tent" - which I am rather afraid has developed a slow puncture, judging by the apparent hardness of the ground come morning).
Sunday 25th February 2007
My final day in Napier was one of pootling. I read the Sunday papers at the library in the morning, had a leisurely lunch and then went to the beach in the afternoon. The weather was once again warm and sunny, so it was nice to enjoy it and take it easy.
The only excitement of the day came in the evening, when upon entering my tent I caught my head (ever so slightly - I'm sure it was no more than a gentle bushing) on the door frame, which somehow resulted in one of the tent poles snapping in two. Ooops. I was just debating what to do (luckily it was dry and no rain was forecast - so I'd have been quite happy using my tent as an over-sized bivvy-bag), when an oldish English couple (who had been around the hostel whole time, but who I'd so far largely managed to avoid) came to my rescue. They mustered some parcel tape and a section of aluminium piping from somewhere, which they used to brace the broken pole ("he's an engineer you know"). They were very kind, albeit in a weirdly-nervy, slightly-patronising and very-odd-looking kind of way. He looked like a cross between Mr. Law and Lord Lucan (read: most odd), with a 'tache (massive) that was bigger than his shorts (minute). Very short shorts really should be outlawed by all governments (there's an election winner if ever there was one). If they take objection to a dirty tent at customs, then surely they could easily confiscate a pair of indecently short shorts.
Monday 26th February 2007
I spent the morning packing up my stuff (discovering in the process that my tent repair kit contained a section of aluminium tubing specifically for the repair of snapped tent poles. D'oh). It was once again hot and sunny... bolstering Napier's claims of being the sunniest place in the country (and most of the populations' claims that February is the best month for settled weather).
The afternoon's bus journey was rather boring (it didn't really look much different in reverse) and it got progressively cloudier as I approached Wellington. The bus driver kindly dropped us off at the hostel, however, which saved a 20 minute walk laden with bags.
It was quite late when I arrived in Wellington, and my empty-belly-situation was compounded by the fact that upon entering my dormitory I was talked at for about 45 minutes by an Indian student with an impossibly strong accent ("say it again"). I finally made it down to the kitchen just before 9pm and was rewarded for my patience with a fantastic haul of free food. Yay.
Tuesday 27th February 2007
More free food this morning (departure points are always good for reaping what other people have cast asunder prior to leaving) This included a barely-started bottle of $20 Pinot Noir and assorted other goodies. Yay again, with knobs on.
I went to Te Papa in the morning (New Zealand's National Museum), where I was only really impressed by the art-gallery section (including an especially beautiful work made from disassembled fruit crates - and no, I'm not being sarcastic). The building itself is a monstrous postmodernist mish-mash (talk about over-egging the pudding). If they were aiming for the Guggenheim-effect, then they must be sorely disappointed. Still, I suppose it could be seen as an interesting commentary on contemporary New Zealand (although even through my overly-critical eyes I wouldn't go quite so far as to call New Zealand a "monstrous post-modern [post-colonial] mish-mash").
After that amount of culture (yawn) it was time for a boozy lunch, courtesy of a couple of glasses of the free Pinot. Yum.
I spent the afternoon reading on the beach/waterfront (more sun - hooray) before meeting up with Victoria in the evening for a goodbye drink in a couple of Wellington's nice bars.
Wednesday 28th February 2007
I went back to Te Papa in the morning (only really because they offered free luggage storage there, whereas the hostel would have charged $3). And free newspapers too - bonus. I had a closer look at a few of the exhibits and wasn't really all that impressed by very much. Bah humbug!
I then got the bus to the airport and completed the final leg of my journey through New Zealand. Goodbye Kiwiland, Australia here I come...
Well, that seems an appropriate place to leave it for now. Just two weeks in Sydney to update (which have flown by - and have been filled with all manner of good things) and I'll be there. I might even make some further headway later this arvo, but want to head out and get some fresh air right now (since it appears to have stopped raining - unless it is waiting for me to poke my head out of the door before emptying down, that is).
Cheerio for now,
James xx
It is also really quite cold too (for Sydney at least - that means low 20s) so it's quite nice to be inside for a change. He goes...
Friday 23rd February 2007
It was a quiet morning in Napier (I'm not sure the town does any other sort of morning). I walked to the beach and around the town... still enjoying the sunny (and warm!) weather, popping into the library to avoid the midday sun and catch up on the news (courtesy of every available regional newspaper in New Zealand - they don't really do nationals here, like they do at home). I also started researching my trip to Sydney and even managed to book a hostel at the first attempt.
After lunch I went back to the beach to lounge around in the sun. It's just a shame that the currents off the beach make swimming dangerous, as it was so hot that a dip in the brine wouldn't have been out of the question. Alas, I had to make do with paddling and getting covered in salt spray from the huge breakers pounding the shore.
I had an interesting evening chatting to a trainee wine-maker from France. He was a really nice chap who spends his time following the seasons (and the sun) around the world. So far he has worked at wineries in France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. And I think he's heading to South America next winter... Nice work if you can get it, although by all accounts very poorly paid and really difficult to find without a huge chunk of experience behind you.
Saturday 24th February 2007
It had rained overnight and although it had stopped by the time I woke up, it was still overcast. It was therefore a morning of internet and laundry (that classic backpacker combination - I'm surprised no-one has come up with an internet launderette [interneterette? launderinternet?]).
In the afternoon I was hoping to have taken one of the hostel bikes (of the cycling variety) to go and visit some of the vineyards in the Hawke's Bay area. Unfortunately all the bikes were already in use, so I had to content myself with a walk along the coastal promenade instead. The weather was a bit duff (as was some of the heavy industry along the shoreline). All in all, a rather dull walk (apart from being menaced briefly by a fierce-looking dog), but still, nice to be out in the fresh air.
I was rather pooped come evening, so it was a quiet night. Shower, food, bed (well, the latter should read "roll-mat-in-tent" - which I am rather afraid has developed a slow puncture, judging by the apparent hardness of the ground come morning).
Sunday 25th February 2007
My final day in Napier was one of pootling. I read the Sunday papers at the library in the morning, had a leisurely lunch and then went to the beach in the afternoon. The weather was once again warm and sunny, so it was nice to enjoy it and take it easy.
The only excitement of the day came in the evening, when upon entering my tent I caught my head (ever so slightly - I'm sure it was no more than a gentle bushing) on the door frame, which somehow resulted in one of the tent poles snapping in two. Ooops. I was just debating what to do (luckily it was dry and no rain was forecast - so I'd have been quite happy using my tent as an over-sized bivvy-bag), when an oldish English couple (who had been around the hostel whole time, but who I'd so far largely managed to avoid) came to my rescue. They mustered some parcel tape and a section of aluminium piping from somewhere, which they used to brace the broken pole ("he's an engineer you know"). They were very kind, albeit in a weirdly-nervy, slightly-patronising and very-odd-looking kind of way. He looked like a cross between Mr. Law and Lord Lucan (read: most odd), with a 'tache (massive) that was bigger than his shorts (minute). Very short shorts really should be outlawed by all governments (there's an election winner if ever there was one). If they take objection to a dirty tent at customs, then surely they could easily confiscate a pair of indecently short shorts.
Monday 26th February 2007
I spent the morning packing up my stuff (discovering in the process that my tent repair kit contained a section of aluminium tubing specifically for the repair of snapped tent poles. D'oh). It was once again hot and sunny... bolstering Napier's claims of being the sunniest place in the country (and most of the populations' claims that February is the best month for settled weather).
The afternoon's bus journey was rather boring (it didn't really look much different in reverse) and it got progressively cloudier as I approached Wellington. The bus driver kindly dropped us off at the hostel, however, which saved a 20 minute walk laden with bags.
It was quite late when I arrived in Wellington, and my empty-belly-situation was compounded by the fact that upon entering my dormitory I was talked at for about 45 minutes by an Indian student with an impossibly strong accent ("say it again"). I finally made it down to the kitchen just before 9pm and was rewarded for my patience with a fantastic haul of free food. Yay.
Tuesday 27th February 2007
More free food this morning (departure points are always good for reaping what other people have cast asunder prior to leaving) This included a barely-started bottle of $20 Pinot Noir and assorted other goodies. Yay again, with knobs on.
I went to Te Papa in the morning (New Zealand's National Museum), where I was only really impressed by the art-gallery section (including an especially beautiful work made from disassembled fruit crates - and no, I'm not being sarcastic). The building itself is a monstrous postmodernist mish-mash (talk about over-egging the pudding). If they were aiming for the Guggenheim-effect, then they must be sorely disappointed. Still, I suppose it could be seen as an interesting commentary on contemporary New Zealand (although even through my overly-critical eyes I wouldn't go quite so far as to call New Zealand a "monstrous post-modern [post-colonial] mish-mash").
After that amount of culture (yawn) it was time for a boozy lunch, courtesy of a couple of glasses of the free Pinot. Yum.
I spent the afternoon reading on the beach/waterfront (more sun - hooray) before meeting up with Victoria in the evening for a goodbye drink in a couple of Wellington's nice bars.
Wednesday 28th February 2007
I went back to Te Papa in the morning (only really because they offered free luggage storage there, whereas the hostel would have charged $3). And free newspapers too - bonus. I had a closer look at a few of the exhibits and wasn't really all that impressed by very much. Bah humbug!
I then got the bus to the airport and completed the final leg of my journey through New Zealand. Goodbye Kiwiland, Australia here I come...
Well, that seems an appropriate place to leave it for now. Just two weeks in Sydney to update (which have flown by - and have been filled with all manner of good things) and I'll be there. I might even make some further headway later this arvo, but want to head out and get some fresh air right now (since it appears to have stopped raining - unless it is waiting for me to poke my head out of the door before emptying down, that is).
Cheerio for now,
James xx
Friday, March 02, 2007
Sydney
Well, so much for keeping on top of the blog. It's been a couple of weeks, so this may well come in stages. But internet is free at the library here in Paddington, Sydney, so I shall keep coming back until I'm bang up to date...
Friday 16th February 2007 Continued
After leaving The Bug, I got the bus over to Picton, which is, in the words of a travel-brochure writer, nestled at the base of the Malborough sounds. The weather clouded in as we drove into the Sounds, but before then it had been a glorious day (typically spent for the most part on the internet or in a bus).
I was staying (in my tent) in a place called The Jugglers Rest. I was a bit apprehensive about the atmosphere of such a place, thinking that it would be like a small Sidmouth Folk Festival, full of fire-breathing vagrant-types and juggling crusties. I couldn't have been more wrong, however. It was great.
In the evening when I arrived some Japanese were making tempura for everyone at the hostel. I guess it was rather lighter than your average fish and chips ("fush and chups" in the local dialect), but it isn't far off and there was so much of it that by the end I definitely had deep-fried belly.
Still, it was a very pleasant evening and there were certainly some interesting characters at the hostel. These included a precocious American daddy's girl (educated in a posh Boston private school, but now looking to make it on her own as a photographer/writer in Texas), a middle-aged pschotherapist from England (think Shirley Valentine/Anna Ferris' Mum on a voyage of self-discovery), and an odd couple from the Isle of Wight. Both of the latter were in their fifties, although she looked old enough to be his mother (and kept making comments about how she couldn't understand why people thought that was the case). They have been cycling round the world for the last few years and either brought psychicatric issues with them, or developed them as a result. Fascinating stuff.
Saturday 17th February 2007
Set off early on a long walk (making sure I got away ahead of the Isle of Wighters, who were planning the same route). My outing took in a great look-out on the hill behind Picton and then I followed the track out to The Snout (a promontory sticking out into the Malborough Sounds). It was a clear, sunny day and the views were wonderful.
It was quite and eventful day. I stubbed my toe on an eroded wooden step (bending back the nail, and spitting it so much that it bled - nice - but luckily not enough to require a plaster) and had a picnic sitting on rocks at the very end of The Snout. There were so many Cicadas flying about that two got trapped behind my glasses and several more flew into my ears, nose, neck, hair, etc. It was enough to cause a mild outbreak of maddness (waving arms, shouting randomly into the air, walking along bent double with my arms over my face and my hands over my ears...). So that rather took away from the pleasure of walking through the bush. But still, with hindsight, you tend to forget about the little things and concentrate on the good aspects (sunshine, views, the smell of the tea-tree bushes, wild-flowers).
Back at the hostel I compared notes with the mad English couple (she had also stubbed a toe and had trouble with the beasties - they were surprised they hadn't seen me!) and then made a spinach curry and accompanying dahl. This was washed down with a nice Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of a friendly (and for once, not too opinionated) Israeli.
Sunday 18th Feburary 2007
I had a nice relaxing morning at the Juggler's Rest, packing up my tent, picking pears from the tree and enjoying the sunshine (again - summer's finally here it would seem). Finished the curry for lunch (and felt pretty stuffed - I really should learn how to cook for one).
The Ferry ride over to Wellington was beautiful. Gorgeous views of the Sounds, and then right down the coast (to the Kaikoura Mountain Range behind). I managed to scrape my shin on one of the raised thresholds on the boat (nice sharp metal edge - I should sue). More blood, but not on a scale comparable to Mum's two horseshoe slices. There must be something in the genes!
The approach into Wellington was also most scenic. Another nestled settlement (aren't they great?), which gives it a compactness you don't often get in New Zealand.
Victoria (friend from Scotland, via Western Australia) was there to meet me at the ferry terminal and we walked back to her house. Or, rather, the place where she is staying. It is a student house, shared with umpteen others, but I was lucky enough to have a room (and bed) to myself, which was a rare luxury on this trip (having a room to myself, that is - I have been lucky enough [or not!] to have a bed to myself throughout my travels).
We then went out for a drink and something to eat. It was lucky that I wasn't so hungry (thanks, curry!), as I ordered a gormet hotdog and got the smallest sausage in the world on the thinest single slice of sliced white bread I have ever seen. It was quite comic, but not wholly satisfying. Luckily Victoria's selection (Portobello mushrooms and salad) was huge, so I was able to share some of that too.
Wellington seems lovely (quite quiet on a Sunday night, but with a friendly, slightly bohemian atmostphere and hills rising up all around).
Monday 19th February 2007
Still sunny. Amazing weather, in fact. Something feels amiss! Everyone kept telling me that Wellington is nice, but the weather is always rubbish. Well, not on this occasion.
In the morning, I walked up to the Mt Victoria lookout with Clay (great 360 degree views) and then back down, to the beach, for a swim. I didn't really expect to be swimming in Wellington, so it was a pleasant surprise. The man-made beach was a bit like crushed builders' rubble, but the water was clean and there were plenty of fish and starfish, so it can't be too polluted.
In the afternoon, I bought stuff for a picnic and wandered up to the Botanical Gardens. It's a beautiful spot and the contours (very up and down) make it seem even bigger than it is. Nice plants too. The golden evening light was amazing (lots of photos) and I walked miles, weaving a circuitous route back through the city.
I collapsed into bed soon after I got back, before Clay and Victoria had finished work (they've both got bar/restaurant jobs, so work odd hours).
Tuesday 20th February 2007
Even warmer today. Not even sunnier, but only because that would have been impossible. Wellington looks lovely with a backdrop of clear blue skies. Who'd have thought it?
I spent most of the day in the garden and on the beach. It was Victoria's day off, so it was nice to have some company for a change. And nice to be swimming in the sea again (only a hand-full of times during my whole 3 months in NZ).
In the evening I went with Victoria and one of her housemates (a dreadlocked fire-stick waver - he should've been staying at The Juggler's Rest!), to a little bar called Havana. It was a sweet little place - right up Carolyn's street, with a Latin American theme throughout.
Wednesday 21st February 2007
Up early to get the bus to Napier. Rather a boring journey (although the first bit along the Kapiti coast is quite scenic, and there is a section through a little gorge about half way). It is also cloudy for most of the journey (that's more like it).
Luckily the sun was back out by the time I reached the Hawke's Bay area (the sunniest part of the country, apparently, although about 3 other regions make the same claim).
Spent the afternoon wandering around Napier and getting my bearings. The Art Deco architecture isn't quite as unified/coherent as I might have imagined, although there are some nice buildings dotted around and the town generally has a pleasant atmosphere. It also has a massively long grey pebble beach (backed by rows of Norfolk Pines), although the many warnings about the undertow rather disuade me from taking a dip.
I found half a ready roasted chicken for $2.99, a huge pumpkin for $1.20 and assorted other bargains (including a nice bottle of Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir for under $10). I love Pak & Save.
Thursday 22nd February 2007
I walked to the beach in the morning and made further forays into the town, in an attempt to spot Art Deco details. Still lovely and sunny. The tall palm trees in some of the parks (along with the sun and occasional bit of Spanish Mission architecture) remind me of San Diego. It's almost enough to make you believe the hype.
After lunch back at the hostel I went on a mammoth walk up to the Botanical Gardens (there is a huge derelict hospital next to it - occupying a prime site on the top of the hill, with views all around - surely a major development opportunity), over to the harbour and up to Bluff lookout. All quite interesting, but the centre of Napier is by far the nicest part for wandering around. The rest tends towards "boring suburb" and the port area is heavy-industrial, rather than marina-chic.
The hostel isn't the friendliest I've been in (lots of long-termers working in the vineyards and orchards of Hawke's Bay), but it only costs $11 a night (in my tent) and has everything I might need (which is basically a well-equipped kitchen and reasonably clean bathroom).
Well, I had better leave it there for now, as my time on the computer is almost up (and blogger has been causing me no end of troubles on this computer - I'm not even going to attempt to spell check). I'll try and make further updates later in the week, although there is so much to see and do in Sydney that I am finding it difficult to curtail my wanderings and stay indoors on the computer. I clearly need to find somewhere more boring to stay!
Friday 16th February 2007 Continued
After leaving The Bug, I got the bus over to Picton, which is, in the words of a travel-brochure writer, nestled at the base of the Malborough sounds. The weather clouded in as we drove into the Sounds, but before then it had been a glorious day (typically spent for the most part on the internet or in a bus).
I was staying (in my tent) in a place called The Jugglers Rest. I was a bit apprehensive about the atmosphere of such a place, thinking that it would be like a small Sidmouth Folk Festival, full of fire-breathing vagrant-types and juggling crusties. I couldn't have been more wrong, however. It was great.
In the evening when I arrived some Japanese were making tempura for everyone at the hostel. I guess it was rather lighter than your average fish and chips ("fush and chups" in the local dialect), but it isn't far off and there was so much of it that by the end I definitely had deep-fried belly.
Still, it was a very pleasant evening and there were certainly some interesting characters at the hostel. These included a precocious American daddy's girl (educated in a posh Boston private school, but now looking to make it on her own as a photographer/writer in Texas), a middle-aged pschotherapist from England (think Shirley Valentine/Anna Ferris' Mum on a voyage of self-discovery), and an odd couple from the Isle of Wight. Both of the latter were in their fifties, although she looked old enough to be his mother (and kept making comments about how she couldn't understand why people thought that was the case). They have been cycling round the world for the last few years and either brought psychicatric issues with them, or developed them as a result. Fascinating stuff.
Saturday 17th February 2007
Set off early on a long walk (making sure I got away ahead of the Isle of Wighters, who were planning the same route). My outing took in a great look-out on the hill behind Picton and then I followed the track out to The Snout (a promontory sticking out into the Malborough Sounds). It was a clear, sunny day and the views were wonderful.
It was quite and eventful day. I stubbed my toe on an eroded wooden step (bending back the nail, and spitting it so much that it bled - nice - but luckily not enough to require a plaster) and had a picnic sitting on rocks at the very end of The Snout. There were so many Cicadas flying about that two got trapped behind my glasses and several more flew into my ears, nose, neck, hair, etc. It was enough to cause a mild outbreak of maddness (waving arms, shouting randomly into the air, walking along bent double with my arms over my face and my hands over my ears...). So that rather took away from the pleasure of walking through the bush. But still, with hindsight, you tend to forget about the little things and concentrate on the good aspects (sunshine, views, the smell of the tea-tree bushes, wild-flowers).
Back at the hostel I compared notes with the mad English couple (she had also stubbed a toe and had trouble with the beasties - they were surprised they hadn't seen me!) and then made a spinach curry and accompanying dahl. This was washed down with a nice Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of a friendly (and for once, not too opinionated) Israeli.
Sunday 18th Feburary 2007
I had a nice relaxing morning at the Juggler's Rest, packing up my tent, picking pears from the tree and enjoying the sunshine (again - summer's finally here it would seem). Finished the curry for lunch (and felt pretty stuffed - I really should learn how to cook for one).
The Ferry ride over to Wellington was beautiful. Gorgeous views of the Sounds, and then right down the coast (to the Kaikoura Mountain Range behind). I managed to scrape my shin on one of the raised thresholds on the boat (nice sharp metal edge - I should sue). More blood, but not on a scale comparable to Mum's two horseshoe slices. There must be something in the genes!
The approach into Wellington was also most scenic. Another nestled settlement (aren't they great?), which gives it a compactness you don't often get in New Zealand.
Victoria (friend from Scotland, via Western Australia) was there to meet me at the ferry terminal and we walked back to her house. Or, rather, the place where she is staying. It is a student house, shared with umpteen others, but I was lucky enough to have a room (and bed) to myself, which was a rare luxury on this trip (having a room to myself, that is - I have been lucky enough [or not!] to have a bed to myself throughout my travels).
We then went out for a drink and something to eat. It was lucky that I wasn't so hungry (thanks, curry!), as I ordered a gormet hotdog and got the smallest sausage in the world on the thinest single slice of sliced white bread I have ever seen. It was quite comic, but not wholly satisfying. Luckily Victoria's selection (Portobello mushrooms and salad) was huge, so I was able to share some of that too.
Wellington seems lovely (quite quiet on a Sunday night, but with a friendly, slightly bohemian atmostphere and hills rising up all around).
Monday 19th February 2007
Still sunny. Amazing weather, in fact. Something feels amiss! Everyone kept telling me that Wellington is nice, but the weather is always rubbish. Well, not on this occasion.
In the morning, I walked up to the Mt Victoria lookout with Clay (great 360 degree views) and then back down, to the beach, for a swim. I didn't really expect to be swimming in Wellington, so it was a pleasant surprise. The man-made beach was a bit like crushed builders' rubble, but the water was clean and there were plenty of fish and starfish, so it can't be too polluted.
In the afternoon, I bought stuff for a picnic and wandered up to the Botanical Gardens. It's a beautiful spot and the contours (very up and down) make it seem even bigger than it is. Nice plants too. The golden evening light was amazing (lots of photos) and I walked miles, weaving a circuitous route back through the city.
I collapsed into bed soon after I got back, before Clay and Victoria had finished work (they've both got bar/restaurant jobs, so work odd hours).
Tuesday 20th February 2007
Even warmer today. Not even sunnier, but only because that would have been impossible. Wellington looks lovely with a backdrop of clear blue skies. Who'd have thought it?
I spent most of the day in the garden and on the beach. It was Victoria's day off, so it was nice to have some company for a change. And nice to be swimming in the sea again (only a hand-full of times during my whole 3 months in NZ).
In the evening I went with Victoria and one of her housemates (a dreadlocked fire-stick waver - he should've been staying at The Juggler's Rest!), to a little bar called Havana. It was a sweet little place - right up Carolyn's street, with a Latin American theme throughout.
Wednesday 21st February 2007
Up early to get the bus to Napier. Rather a boring journey (although the first bit along the Kapiti coast is quite scenic, and there is a section through a little gorge about half way). It is also cloudy for most of the journey (that's more like it).
Luckily the sun was back out by the time I reached the Hawke's Bay area (the sunniest part of the country, apparently, although about 3 other regions make the same claim).
Spent the afternoon wandering around Napier and getting my bearings. The Art Deco architecture isn't quite as unified/coherent as I might have imagined, although there are some nice buildings dotted around and the town generally has a pleasant atmosphere. It also has a massively long grey pebble beach (backed by rows of Norfolk Pines), although the many warnings about the undertow rather disuade me from taking a dip.
I found half a ready roasted chicken for $2.99, a huge pumpkin for $1.20 and assorted other bargains (including a nice bottle of Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir for under $10). I love Pak & Save.
Thursday 22nd February 2007
I walked to the beach in the morning and made further forays into the town, in an attempt to spot Art Deco details. Still lovely and sunny. The tall palm trees in some of the parks (along with the sun and occasional bit of Spanish Mission architecture) remind me of San Diego. It's almost enough to make you believe the hype.
After lunch back at the hostel I went on a mammoth walk up to the Botanical Gardens (there is a huge derelict hospital next to it - occupying a prime site on the top of the hill, with views all around - surely a major development opportunity), over to the harbour and up to Bluff lookout. All quite interesting, but the centre of Napier is by far the nicest part for wandering around. The rest tends towards "boring suburb" and the port area is heavy-industrial, rather than marina-chic.
The hostel isn't the friendliest I've been in (lots of long-termers working in the vineyards and orchards of Hawke's Bay), but it only costs $11 a night (in my tent) and has everything I might need (which is basically a well-equipped kitchen and reasonably clean bathroom).
Well, I had better leave it there for now, as my time on the computer is almost up (and blogger has been causing me no end of troubles on this computer - I'm not even going to attempt to spell check). I'll try and make further updates later in the week, although there is so much to see and do in Sydney that I am finding it difficult to curtail my wanderings and stay indoors on the computer. I clearly need to find somewhere more boring to stay!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Last post from The Bug
Back again (again). This will have to be the last post for today, as I've got to go and get my bus in just over an hour. Fingers crossed I don't get a queue of people forming behind me this time (the two computers have been really busy this morning).
Tuesday 13th February 2007
Got a lift over to The Bug in the morning with Eric, a (very) typical Frenchman. We're talking polo-necks and Gauloises here (okay he smoked ordinary cigarettes, but I'm sure that's only because he couldn't get hold of proper Gauloises here). And he was having problems "wiz zee wimin" in his life. I didn't see a beret, but I bet he had one tucked in his rucksack. And there were lots of onions in the hostel (it was said that someone worked on an onion farm, but I bet it was just that Eric's onion necklace had broken).
Anyway, we arrived at The Bug and it was a great little place. Really clean, single beds, free (fast) internet, extremely helpful owner (from Oadby, Leics - thinks he might have gone to school with you, Lydia*) and generally lovely, friendly atmosphere. I decided to make full use of the internet and ended up spending most of the day uploading my photos. It wasn't quite as fast as I had initially thought. Still, I got it done and it was a very liberating feeling to have a clear memory card once again. It was just as shame that I had missed a sunny afternoon in the process, but, oh well, it was nice to look at the blue sky out of the window.
I dashed into town afterwards for a quick shop-up and then proceeded to make a nice hearty soup, thus reminding me of Saturdays at home (I'm trying to whittle down my food bags and have discovered a surplus of pulses, which obviously need to be used up - I can't just give them away!!!).
*ASWM, courtesy of Small World Moments Inc.
Wednesday 14th February 2007 (Valentine's Day)
Happy St. Valentine's Day, lovers. I decided that in the absence of a paramour, I would continue a love affair of a different kind and visit some more wineries...
But before that (and before lunch) I had a mooch around Nelson city centre. I really quite like it here. It doesn't have much in the way of sights, but the tree-lined streets are nice and it has a friendly buzz about it.
After lunch I borrowed one of the hostel's free bikes and headed south to the Nelson wineries, most of which are located to the south and west of the suburb of Richmond. I followed the old railway cycle track for much of the way, which was pleasant in a suburban-sprawl kind of way. Once I got beyond Richmond (20km), it was rather more interesting, as I had got out into the countryside, with kiwi and appley orchards, fields of pumpkins and the occasional vineyard.
Wine-growing is done on a much smaller scale here than in Marlborough, but there was still a good range of wines (the best ones are usually white - it just doesn't seem to be warm enough for reds other than Pinot Noir, and this summer is heading towards being a complete disaster). The usual free-tastings were on offer and most places seemed really happy to have a potential punter and someone who is genuinely interested in wine (the school holidays are over and there wasn't a soul about).
The bull**** must have been working nicely because one chap asked me if I worked in the wine trade! He was really generous with his measures (they all were), so once again I was drunk-(well, almost)-in-charge-of-a-bicycle. I didn't cycle under the influence for long though, because I got about 5km and promptly discovered a rusty nail had gone right through my rear tyre. Bummer. I had a long 15km push ahead of me...
I had been pushing for over an hour (still nearly 10km to go), when a friendly Kiwi family stopped to ask if I needed any help (they wondered why I was pushing my bike along the flat). Luckily they had a puncture repair kit and proceeded to help me fix the tyre (well, truth be told, the chap did everything for me while I chatted to his wife). I was very grateful, as otherwise it would have been a rather late return and a very late dinner (I had bought everything I needed for a curry and wasn't relishing the prospect of cooking/eating at midnight). It also allowed me to get back in time for the hostel's Sangria and Snacks evening (in celebration of Valentine's Day), which was most welcome after the exertions of the day. And then it was time for bed, as I had a 6am get-up the next day for a trip out into the Abel Tasman National Park.
Thursday 15th February 2007
It wasn't even light when I got up (the mornings are getting dark as autumn approaches), but it was warm enough in spite of the clouds. The owner of the hostel had kindly offered to drop me off at the bus stop and I was able to get the bus over to Abel Tasman without a hitch. Well, the bus broke down half-way, but the driver managed to get it going again and we arrived in Marahau to a scene of organised chaos. Well, I'm assuming it was organised. After several minutes of standing around like a lemon, I found out where I needed to go and got the water taxi I was supposed to be on (no-one was quite sure if it would get them to their anticipated destination, but it was worth a try).
The clouds had melted away by this point (9am) and it was shaping up to be a scorcher. Yippee.
It was a great little boat ride up along the coast (a small boat with a massive outboard - Dad, you'd have loved it). We even saw a little blue penguin swimming on the surface, only a few feet from the boat, which was great as I'd only seen yellow-eyed ones up until that point.
I got off at Bark's Bay and was all set to walk the 20km back to Marahau. There was a sweet old English couple on the boat, who were worried about making it back to the bus in time. I tried to reassure them that it would be absolutely fine (the estimated times they give are usually wildly over-estimated), but they were right Mary-Annes and decided that they'd like to spend the whole day worrying about it anyway (and I thought I was a worrier!!!)*.
The walk was absolutely beautiful. The sea was looking a gorgeous shade of greeny-blue under the bluest of blue skies and there were loads of golden beaches, inlets, tidal channels, etc. to add to the scenic splendour of the place. I was able to stop a couple of times to swim and it didn't feel all that cold (it might even have been approaching 20 degrees). The water was quite clean (not quite Mediterranean clear, but pretty good) and it was great to be able to dry off in an instant after getting out. Proper summer-holiday-type-stuff at last.
I was exhausted when I got back. The 20km, plus side-tracks and swims, all under the heat of the sun, had really taken it out of me. My 2L of water had been woefully inadequate, so I was dehydrated too. Still, it had been well worth it, as finally I have found somewhere in New Zealand that I would like to come back to!
*they actually made it back in time for the second-to-last bus (the one I was booked on to), as they had been so busy worrying I don't think they stopped once during the entire walk.
Friday 16th February 2007
Had a lovely long chat to Mum and Dad (the BBH phone card works out so cheap), and then spent the rest of the morning benefiting from the free internet here at The Bug. It will be a shame to leave this place as it has been easily the best hostel of my trip so far.
I'm just about to get a lift (again from the kindest hostel-owner in the business) to the bus stop, from where I'll be getting the intercity to Picton. From there I'll get the ferry to Wellington on Sunday and after a bit of time there and in Hawke's Bay, my New Zealand Odyssey will have come to an end. Hopefully I'll get the chance to update this thing again before then, but in the meantime, best wishes from Kiwiland and goodbye for now.
James xx
Tuesday 13th February 2007
Got a lift over to The Bug in the morning with Eric, a (very) typical Frenchman. We're talking polo-necks and Gauloises here (okay he smoked ordinary cigarettes, but I'm sure that's only because he couldn't get hold of proper Gauloises here). And he was having problems "wiz zee wimin" in his life. I didn't see a beret, but I bet he had one tucked in his rucksack. And there were lots of onions in the hostel (it was said that someone worked on an onion farm, but I bet it was just that Eric's onion necklace had broken).
Anyway, we arrived at The Bug and it was a great little place. Really clean, single beds, free (fast) internet, extremely helpful owner (from Oadby, Leics - thinks he might have gone to school with you, Lydia*) and generally lovely, friendly atmosphere. I decided to make full use of the internet and ended up spending most of the day uploading my photos. It wasn't quite as fast as I had initially thought. Still, I got it done and it was a very liberating feeling to have a clear memory card once again. It was just as shame that I had missed a sunny afternoon in the process, but, oh well, it was nice to look at the blue sky out of the window.
I dashed into town afterwards for a quick shop-up and then proceeded to make a nice hearty soup, thus reminding me of Saturdays at home (I'm trying to whittle down my food bags and have discovered a surplus of pulses, which obviously need to be used up - I can't just give them away!!!).
*ASWM, courtesy of Small World Moments Inc.
Wednesday 14th February 2007 (Valentine's Day)
Happy St. Valentine's Day, lovers. I decided that in the absence of a paramour, I would continue a love affair of a different kind and visit some more wineries...
But before that (and before lunch) I had a mooch around Nelson city centre. I really quite like it here. It doesn't have much in the way of sights, but the tree-lined streets are nice and it has a friendly buzz about it.
After lunch I borrowed one of the hostel's free bikes and headed south to the Nelson wineries, most of which are located to the south and west of the suburb of Richmond. I followed the old railway cycle track for much of the way, which was pleasant in a suburban-sprawl kind of way. Once I got beyond Richmond (20km), it was rather more interesting, as I had got out into the countryside, with kiwi and appley orchards, fields of pumpkins and the occasional vineyard.
Wine-growing is done on a much smaller scale here than in Marlborough, but there was still a good range of wines (the best ones are usually white - it just doesn't seem to be warm enough for reds other than Pinot Noir, and this summer is heading towards being a complete disaster). The usual free-tastings were on offer and most places seemed really happy to have a potential punter and someone who is genuinely interested in wine (the school holidays are over and there wasn't a soul about).
The bull**** must have been working nicely because one chap asked me if I worked in the wine trade! He was really generous with his measures (they all were), so once again I was drunk-(well, almost)-in-charge-of-a-bicycle. I didn't cycle under the influence for long though, because I got about 5km and promptly discovered a rusty nail had gone right through my rear tyre. Bummer. I had a long 15km push ahead of me...
I had been pushing for over an hour (still nearly 10km to go), when a friendly Kiwi family stopped to ask if I needed any help (they wondered why I was pushing my bike along the flat). Luckily they had a puncture repair kit and proceeded to help me fix the tyre (well, truth be told, the chap did everything for me while I chatted to his wife). I was very grateful, as otherwise it would have been a rather late return and a very late dinner (I had bought everything I needed for a curry and wasn't relishing the prospect of cooking/eating at midnight). It also allowed me to get back in time for the hostel's Sangria and Snacks evening (in celebration of Valentine's Day), which was most welcome after the exertions of the day. And then it was time for bed, as I had a 6am get-up the next day for a trip out into the Abel Tasman National Park.
Thursday 15th February 2007
It wasn't even light when I got up (the mornings are getting dark as autumn approaches), but it was warm enough in spite of the clouds. The owner of the hostel had kindly offered to drop me off at the bus stop and I was able to get the bus over to Abel Tasman without a hitch. Well, the bus broke down half-way, but the driver managed to get it going again and we arrived in Marahau to a scene of organised chaos. Well, I'm assuming it was organised. After several minutes of standing around like a lemon, I found out where I needed to go and got the water taxi I was supposed to be on (no-one was quite sure if it would get them to their anticipated destination, but it was worth a try).
The clouds had melted away by this point (9am) and it was shaping up to be a scorcher. Yippee.
It was a great little boat ride up along the coast (a small boat with a massive outboard - Dad, you'd have loved it). We even saw a little blue penguin swimming on the surface, only a few feet from the boat, which was great as I'd only seen yellow-eyed ones up until that point.
I got off at Bark's Bay and was all set to walk the 20km back to Marahau. There was a sweet old English couple on the boat, who were worried about making it back to the bus in time. I tried to reassure them that it would be absolutely fine (the estimated times they give are usually wildly over-estimated), but they were right Mary-Annes and decided that they'd like to spend the whole day worrying about it anyway (and I thought I was a worrier!!!)*.
The walk was absolutely beautiful. The sea was looking a gorgeous shade of greeny-blue under the bluest of blue skies and there were loads of golden beaches, inlets, tidal channels, etc. to add to the scenic splendour of the place. I was able to stop a couple of times to swim and it didn't feel all that cold (it might even have been approaching 20 degrees). The water was quite clean (not quite Mediterranean clear, but pretty good) and it was great to be able to dry off in an instant after getting out. Proper summer-holiday-type-stuff at last.
I was exhausted when I got back. The 20km, plus side-tracks and swims, all under the heat of the sun, had really taken it out of me. My 2L of water had been woefully inadequate, so I was dehydrated too. Still, it had been well worth it, as finally I have found somewhere in New Zealand that I would like to come back to!
*they actually made it back in time for the second-to-last bus (the one I was booked on to), as they had been so busy worrying I don't think they stopped once during the entire walk.
Friday 16th February 2007
Had a lovely long chat to Mum and Dad (the BBH phone card works out so cheap), and then spent the rest of the morning benefiting from the free internet here at The Bug. It will be a shame to leave this place as it has been easily the best hostel of my trip so far.
I'm just about to get a lift (again from the kindest hostel-owner in the business) to the bus stop, from where I'll be getting the intercity to Picton. From there I'll get the ferry to Wellington on Sunday and after a bit of time there and in Hawke's Bay, my New Zealand Odyssey will have come to an end. Hopefully I'll get the chance to update this thing again before then, but in the meantime, best wishes from Kiwiland and goodbye for now.
James xx
Marlborough and Nelson = Wine
Back again after just a short wait (phew). Let's hope I can get it finished this time...
Saturday 10th February 2007
The day of the Wine Marlborough Festival had arrived and in typically perverse manner, I had decided not to go. I didn't much fancy jostling with 10,000 in a field, listening to rubbish music (the line-up sounded awful) and having to pay $3 each time you wanted to taste a wine (on top of the $35 ticket price). What a rip-off.
Instead I decided to visit a couple of wineries which were (just about) accessible on foot from Blenheim. Someone had said they might not be open if they were represented at the festival, but I thought it was worth a shot (and it would be nice to have a bit of a walk anyway).
The first (just before lunch) was a horrible experience. The woman was a right sour-faced cow. Downright hostile in fact. I felt really uncomfortable AND I had to pay $2 for the "privilege" of tasting 3 unexceptional wines. What an awful place (I noticed she was all sweetness and light with punters in the poncy-looking restaurant attached - two-faced so-and-so!).
After going back to the hostel for lunch I had almost talked myself out of going to the 2nd winery of the day. It was further out of town and I was worried that I would get a similar reception there. I'm glad I persevered as it couldn't have been more different from the morning's experience. The lady at the Cellar Door was lovely. Very welcoming and happy for me to taste all of their wines for free. And what tasting measures. It was more like half a glass of each, and I was actually (quite unlike me, I know) forced to tip some of the remainder of each into the spittoon. I had had a huge lunch as was feeling a bit bloated. Still, the wines were rather nice
I decided to walk the long way back into town and visit another winery en route. I wish I hadn't bothered as it was much further than it appeared on the map and turned out to be closed when I got there (boo). It was also getting quite cold in the wind (a Southerly blast after yesterday's Fohn) and I felt really tired. In fact, I was totally overcome when I got back. I had to lie down in my tent and actually felt sick for a while (not the wine, surely? Maybe I had overdone the lunch or got a chill in the wind). Still, I read for a bit and had an early night, in the hope that I would be fit for the wine Odyssey which was to come...
Sunday 11th February 2007
Luckily I felt fine when I woke up. Perhaps I was just overtired... Anyway, I was glad I felt better as I had booked myself a ticket on the "Wine Down" bus tour, a new venture for this year's Wine Festival. Basically, there were a series of shuttle buses offering a hop-on hop-off services around most of the wineries for the day.
I caught the bus at 11am (no-one seemed to know quite what was going on but I found myself on a bus heading out to the vineyards at least). I had a plan of missing the first couple so that I would be ahead of the crowd. This worked a treat as in most places I was by myself and got the full attention of the people at the Cellar Door.
It was a lovely sunny day and some of the wineries had lovely settings. Most people were really friendly (my first [miserable] Marlborough tasking experience must have been a one-off). I was chatting to one of the owners who had been on a cycle tour around Devon last year and was particularly taken with Beer (even if she thought the cycle back out was a bit much!). It's another small world moment...
I visited 9 (nine!) wineries in total and didn't have to pay for a single tasting (bonus). There were some really nice wines. Cloudy Bay was a particular highlight although that might have been because I was already a little bit tipsy by that point! There were also more reds on offer than I thought there would have been. I think some of the wine-makers are getting a bit fed up with Sauvignon Blanc, so are experimenting with other varieties in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. I can't say I was overly impressed with anything other than the standard whites (SB, Reisling and Gewurtz) or the odd Pinot Noir, but it was very interesting nonetheless.
Luckily, I managed to get the last bus back to Blenheim and was back in plenty of time to get the bus over to Nelson. I even slept on the bus (a first for me) and woke up with a bit of a headache. I wonder why! First impressions of the hostel weren't all that promising (there were a lot of long-termers working on the nearby orchards and my dorm was an absolute mess), but I was only there for two nights so was sure I'd be able to put up with it for that long. I had intended to spend a couple of days relaxing on the beach (it was 100m from the hostel) before moving into the city of Nelson itself for a further three days.
I got chatting to two older Australian women (I've now got a place to stay up the coast from Sydney, if I want it) and a nice chap from America (who works for Scripps* in San Diego!), so it was a nice end to what felt like a mammoth day!
*as a captain of an oceanography vessel, so I guess Claire won't know him.
Monday 12th February 2007
It was a miserable looking day (drizzly and grey) so the American chap I had been speaking to the night before asked if I wanted to join him on a drive out to Farewell Spit and Golden Bay (he had a hire car and would be glad of the company, he said). Given that I was planning a day on the beach (the forecast had been good... but as usual they got it wrong) I jumped at the chance.
On the way out we stopped at a couple of viewpoints to look at the clouds (he is a keen Paraglider - probably friends with Craig! - and was even more disappointed about the weather than I was) and then had lunch at Mussel Inn on Golden Bay. The Mussel Chowder was good, washed down with a delicious black beer that is made on site.
As we headed west along Golden Bay it began to brighten up. The beaches on the bay were more grey than golden, but the setting was lovely with the mountains rising up on 3 sides. We then proceeded to Whararaki Beach (a lovely spot), Cape Farewell and Farewell Spit. The latter looks more impressive curling round on the map than in real life, but it is difficult so see the full extent of it from the land. Still, there were some nice spots on the way and it had a real end-of-the-road kind of feel to it.
We got back quite late (it was a long old drive from Nelson) and ate some of the nice nibbles that the kind Australian ladies had left behind (olives, caviar [!], feta, various other cheeses), with a bottle of wine. Got into a bit of a debate about the war in Iraq and war in general, which was a bit much after such a long day. He was rather forceful with his opinions, which became grating after a while. Oh well, it is interesting to hear (and dismiss!) viewpoints other than your own...
More people waiting to use the computer. I'm writing too much! Back later...
Saturday 10th February 2007
The day of the Wine Marlborough Festival had arrived and in typically perverse manner, I had decided not to go. I didn't much fancy jostling with 10,000 in a field, listening to rubbish music (the line-up sounded awful) and having to pay $3 each time you wanted to taste a wine (on top of the $35 ticket price). What a rip-off.
Instead I decided to visit a couple of wineries which were (just about) accessible on foot from Blenheim. Someone had said they might not be open if they were represented at the festival, but I thought it was worth a shot (and it would be nice to have a bit of a walk anyway).
The first (just before lunch) was a horrible experience. The woman was a right sour-faced cow. Downright hostile in fact. I felt really uncomfortable AND I had to pay $2 for the "privilege" of tasting 3 unexceptional wines. What an awful place (I noticed she was all sweetness and light with punters in the poncy-looking restaurant attached - two-faced so-and-so!).
After going back to the hostel for lunch I had almost talked myself out of going to the 2nd winery of the day. It was further out of town and I was worried that I would get a similar reception there. I'm glad I persevered as it couldn't have been more different from the morning's experience. The lady at the Cellar Door was lovely. Very welcoming and happy for me to taste all of their wines for free. And what tasting measures. It was more like half a glass of each, and I was actually (quite unlike me, I know) forced to tip some of the remainder of each into the spittoon. I had had a huge lunch as was feeling a bit bloated. Still, the wines were rather nice
I decided to walk the long way back into town and visit another winery en route. I wish I hadn't bothered as it was much further than it appeared on the map and turned out to be closed when I got there (boo). It was also getting quite cold in the wind (a Southerly blast after yesterday's Fohn) and I felt really tired. In fact, I was totally overcome when I got back. I had to lie down in my tent and actually felt sick for a while (not the wine, surely? Maybe I had overdone the lunch or got a chill in the wind). Still, I read for a bit and had an early night, in the hope that I would be fit for the wine Odyssey which was to come...
Sunday 11th February 2007
Luckily I felt fine when I woke up. Perhaps I was just overtired... Anyway, I was glad I felt better as I had booked myself a ticket on the "Wine Down" bus tour, a new venture for this year's Wine Festival. Basically, there were a series of shuttle buses offering a hop-on hop-off services around most of the wineries for the day.
I caught the bus at 11am (no-one seemed to know quite what was going on but I found myself on a bus heading out to the vineyards at least). I had a plan of missing the first couple so that I would be ahead of the crowd. This worked a treat as in most places I was by myself and got the full attention of the people at the Cellar Door.
It was a lovely sunny day and some of the wineries had lovely settings. Most people were really friendly (my first [miserable] Marlborough tasking experience must have been a one-off). I was chatting to one of the owners who had been on a cycle tour around Devon last year and was particularly taken with Beer (even if she thought the cycle back out was a bit much!). It's another small world moment...
I visited 9 (nine!) wineries in total and didn't have to pay for a single tasting (bonus). There were some really nice wines. Cloudy Bay was a particular highlight although that might have been because I was already a little bit tipsy by that point! There were also more reds on offer than I thought there would have been. I think some of the wine-makers are getting a bit fed up with Sauvignon Blanc, so are experimenting with other varieties in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. I can't say I was overly impressed with anything other than the standard whites (SB, Reisling and Gewurtz) or the odd Pinot Noir, but it was very interesting nonetheless.
Luckily, I managed to get the last bus back to Blenheim and was back in plenty of time to get the bus over to Nelson. I even slept on the bus (a first for me) and woke up with a bit of a headache. I wonder why! First impressions of the hostel weren't all that promising (there were a lot of long-termers working on the nearby orchards and my dorm was an absolute mess), but I was only there for two nights so was sure I'd be able to put up with it for that long. I had intended to spend a couple of days relaxing on the beach (it was 100m from the hostel) before moving into the city of Nelson itself for a further three days.
I got chatting to two older Australian women (I've now got a place to stay up the coast from Sydney, if I want it) and a nice chap from America (who works for Scripps* in San Diego!), so it was a nice end to what felt like a mammoth day!
*as a captain of an oceanography vessel, so I guess Claire won't know him.
Monday 12th February 2007
It was a miserable looking day (drizzly and grey) so the American chap I had been speaking to the night before asked if I wanted to join him on a drive out to Farewell Spit and Golden Bay (he had a hire car and would be glad of the company, he said). Given that I was planning a day on the beach (the forecast had been good... but as usual they got it wrong) I jumped at the chance.
On the way out we stopped at a couple of viewpoints to look at the clouds (he is a keen Paraglider - probably friends with Craig! - and was even more disappointed about the weather than I was) and then had lunch at Mussel Inn on Golden Bay. The Mussel Chowder was good, washed down with a delicious black beer that is made on site.
As we headed west along Golden Bay it began to brighten up. The beaches on the bay were more grey than golden, but the setting was lovely with the mountains rising up on 3 sides. We then proceeded to Whararaki Beach (a lovely spot), Cape Farewell and Farewell Spit. The latter looks more impressive curling round on the map than in real life, but it is difficult so see the full extent of it from the land. Still, there were some nice spots on the way and it had a real end-of-the-road kind of feel to it.
We got back quite late (it was a long old drive from Nelson) and ate some of the nice nibbles that the kind Australian ladies had left behind (olives, caviar [!], feta, various other cheeses), with a bottle of wine. Got into a bit of a debate about the war in Iraq and war in general, which was a bit much after such a long day. He was rather forceful with his opinions, which became grating after a while. Oh well, it is interesting to hear (and dismiss!) viewpoints other than your own...
More people waiting to use the computer. I'm writing too much! Back later...
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Fast free internet in a great little hostel in Nelson
Hi there,
I'm back again, this time with an update from The Bug, a wonderful little hostel in Nelson (R.I.P.), with fast free internet and some time spent sheltering from the rain in which to write this nonsense (actually it stopped raining as soon as I had finished writing this sentence, and it is now a couple of days later, but I will leave it in there for the sake of completeness).
I have also uploaded all my photos, so, for a gander at those, go to www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth5, www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth6 and www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth7. And now here goes with the blog part...
Tuesday 6th February 2006
We moved up the road to a different hostel, as there were various irritating things about the previous one (such as pushy-down taps which soaked your crotch every time you washed your hands or cleaned your teeth, and a severe lack of good pans/knives in the kitchen). And the new one had a swimming pool, which was a major plus.
In light of the swimming pool (heated!) and good weather, we spent most of the day lounging around it and swimming in it, which made a nice change after the unseasonable weather and prevalence of cold water around these islands. It's lovely to be able to swim for more than 10 minutes without losing all feeling in your extremities.
A good deal of the day was also spent cooking. My goodness how we've eaten/cooked whilst we've been travelling together. I think I have put on at least half a stone. They really like their meat and cheese, those Swedes! And potatoes. I'll mention no names, but this brought to mind a certain individual not too far from home. Although, to give them their dues, they were adventurous (desperate/hungry) enough to consume anything I offered up.
Mathias finds it hard to go for more than a day without meat of some description (even eggs and dairy aren't good enough substitutes for him!) so if my cooking failed to deliver on that front, it was ham for breakfast instead. I think I'll go back to a meat-free diet for while after I say goodbye to them... Still, it has been nice to profit from the good quality (and cheap) meat that New Zealand has to offer.
It had become progressively more humid during the day and by evening there were some torrential thundery downpours.
Wednesday 7th February 2007
In the morning we set off early to walk around the Kaikoura Peninsula. It was a misty murky start and had clearly rained more overnight. There was that nice post-thunderstorm freshness in the air (without being cold, though, which made a nice change). And luckily the cloud began to burn off as soon as we started walking. It just left some beautiful strands of vapour hanging around the mountainsides. Which meant that the views were gorgeous.
And the walk continued in that vein. It was absolutely beautiful. The white limestone reminded me of the Greek Islands, but there were loads of seals on the rocks and sheep in the fields (not very Greek, that). I especially liked the southern side of the peninsula and the little village/harbour over there. All with the Kaikoura Range as a backdrop. Lovely stuff.
We walked quite briskly (the Swedes and I have that in common) and so were able to get back in time for lunch. This was followed by an afternoon around the pool (more swimming in the warm water - looking forward to more of that in Oz). The weather was again kind as it stayed sunny until about 5pm, and then it clouded over and there were more thundery showers.
Thursday 8th February 2007
Last day with the Swedes today, so enjoyed their company before heading off on my lonesome...
We spent the day in a fairly relaxed manner, wandering around town, cooking lunch (stuffed jacket potatoes - a minor triumph, against the odds) and messing around in the pool. It was a funny day weatherwise, starting off wet, clearing up around lunchtime (hot and humid) and then raining again from late afternoon onwards. Still we have been quite lucky of late and have been glad of a heated pool that you can use in all weathers (I quite nice swimming in the rain)
I ended the day with a sauna, although it was a bit too hot, even for me (the thermometer said 80 degrees - can that be right?). Too long in there and I would have come out a spit-roast.
Friday 9th February 2007
Said goodbye to the Swedes (hopefully I'll be able to go and visit them in Sweden, or they can come and experience the delights of Sidmouth, parents willing[?!]) and got the bus up to Blenheim. The weather had cleared up again and was really warm. It was a beautiful bus ride, with the road sandwiched for the most part between the ocean and the mountains. Saw plenty of seals frolicking in the sea (there were hundreds of the blighters), various surfers enjoying the large swell (but probably not enjoying the freezing cold water) and vast fields of kelp swishing in the waves.
The mountains softened towards Blenheim, with vineyards starting to appear on the plains and the dried grass giving the unusual pointy hills a golden glow. There were also some bright pink salt lakes, which I was annoyed not to be able to get a photo of, as they looked stunning set against the gold grass and bright blue sky.
It was really warm on arrival in Blenheim (a Fohn wind, I reckon - excuse the lack of umlauts) and quite a sweaty trek to the hostel. "The Grapvine" seemed quite nice (I had a good spot for my tent in the garden). There was hardly anyone around so I was able to make lunch and do my washing in peace. I was very impressed with the presence of a grape vine, from which I was able to help myself to some lovely grapes (Gewurztraminer? They were almost spicy!), and lemon trees. More highlights of the free-food variety.
The hostel was beside the river and there was a nice walk alongside it from there into the town. It was market day (and the build-up to the Wine Marlborough Festival) so there was a nice bustle and generally pleasant atmosphere in the warm afternoon/evening sunshine.
Spent the evening chatting to various people from the hostel (most of whom are working on the vineyards), so was able to re-assure myself that even after spending a month travelling with the same people, it is always easy to meet new people in hostels...
Damn, someone else is waiting to use the computer, so I will have to leave it there for now. Hopefully I can come back later and finish this off before I need to get the bus over to Picton this afternoon. Otherwise, it may be a few days before I get back up-to-date.
I'm back again, this time with an update from The Bug, a wonderful little hostel in Nelson (R.I.P.), with fast free internet and some time spent sheltering from the rain in which to write this nonsense (actually it stopped raining as soon as I had finished writing this sentence, and it is now a couple of days later, but I will leave it in there for the sake of completeness).
I have also uploaded all my photos, so, for a gander at those, go to www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth5, www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth6 and www.picasaweb.google.com/sidmouth7. And now here goes with the blog part...
Tuesday 6th February 2006
We moved up the road to a different hostel, as there were various irritating things about the previous one (such as pushy-down taps which soaked your crotch every time you washed your hands or cleaned your teeth, and a severe lack of good pans/knives in the kitchen). And the new one had a swimming pool, which was a major plus.
In light of the swimming pool (heated!) and good weather, we spent most of the day lounging around it and swimming in it, which made a nice change after the unseasonable weather and prevalence of cold water around these islands. It's lovely to be able to swim for more than 10 minutes without losing all feeling in your extremities.
A good deal of the day was also spent cooking. My goodness how we've eaten/cooked whilst we've been travelling together. I think I have put on at least half a stone. They really like their meat and cheese, those Swedes! And potatoes. I'll mention no names, but this brought to mind a certain individual not too far from home. Although, to give them their dues, they were adventurous (desperate/hungry) enough to consume anything I offered up.
Mathias finds it hard to go for more than a day without meat of some description (even eggs and dairy aren't good enough substitutes for him!) so if my cooking failed to deliver on that front, it was ham for breakfast instead. I think I'll go back to a meat-free diet for while after I say goodbye to them... Still, it has been nice to profit from the good quality (and cheap) meat that New Zealand has to offer.
It had become progressively more humid during the day and by evening there were some torrential thundery downpours.
Wednesday 7th February 2007
In the morning we set off early to walk around the Kaikoura Peninsula. It was a misty murky start and had clearly rained more overnight. There was that nice post-thunderstorm freshness in the air (without being cold, though, which made a nice change). And luckily the cloud began to burn off as soon as we started walking. It just left some beautiful strands of vapour hanging around the mountainsides. Which meant that the views were gorgeous.
And the walk continued in that vein. It was absolutely beautiful. The white limestone reminded me of the Greek Islands, but there were loads of seals on the rocks and sheep in the fields (not very Greek, that). I especially liked the southern side of the peninsula and the little village/harbour over there. All with the Kaikoura Range as a backdrop. Lovely stuff.
We walked quite briskly (the Swedes and I have that in common) and so were able to get back in time for lunch. This was followed by an afternoon around the pool (more swimming in the warm water - looking forward to more of that in Oz). The weather was again kind as it stayed sunny until about 5pm, and then it clouded over and there were more thundery showers.
Thursday 8th February 2007
Last day with the Swedes today, so enjoyed their company before heading off on my lonesome...
We spent the day in a fairly relaxed manner, wandering around town, cooking lunch (stuffed jacket potatoes - a minor triumph, against the odds) and messing around in the pool. It was a funny day weatherwise, starting off wet, clearing up around lunchtime (hot and humid) and then raining again from late afternoon onwards. Still we have been quite lucky of late and have been glad of a heated pool that you can use in all weathers (I quite nice swimming in the rain)
I ended the day with a sauna, although it was a bit too hot, even for me (the thermometer said 80 degrees - can that be right?). Too long in there and I would have come out a spit-roast.
Friday 9th February 2007
Said goodbye to the Swedes (hopefully I'll be able to go and visit them in Sweden, or they can come and experience the delights of Sidmouth, parents willing[?!]) and got the bus up to Blenheim. The weather had cleared up again and was really warm. It was a beautiful bus ride, with the road sandwiched for the most part between the ocean and the mountains. Saw plenty of seals frolicking in the sea (there were hundreds of the blighters), various surfers enjoying the large swell (but probably not enjoying the freezing cold water) and vast fields of kelp swishing in the waves.
The mountains softened towards Blenheim, with vineyards starting to appear on the plains and the dried grass giving the unusual pointy hills a golden glow. There were also some bright pink salt lakes, which I was annoyed not to be able to get a photo of, as they looked stunning set against the gold grass and bright blue sky.
It was really warm on arrival in Blenheim (a Fohn wind, I reckon - excuse the lack of umlauts) and quite a sweaty trek to the hostel. "The Grapvine" seemed quite nice (I had a good spot for my tent in the garden). There was hardly anyone around so I was able to make lunch and do my washing in peace. I was very impressed with the presence of a grape vine, from which I was able to help myself to some lovely grapes (Gewurztraminer? They were almost spicy!), and lemon trees. More highlights of the free-food variety.
The hostel was beside the river and there was a nice walk alongside it from there into the town. It was market day (and the build-up to the Wine Marlborough Festival) so there was a nice bustle and generally pleasant atmosphere in the warm afternoon/evening sunshine.
Spent the evening chatting to various people from the hostel (most of whom are working on the vineyards), so was able to re-assure myself that even after spending a month travelling with the same people, it is always easy to meet new people in hostels...
Damn, someone else is waiting to use the computer, so I will have to leave it there for now. Hopefully I can come back later and finish this off before I need to get the bus over to Picton this afternoon. Otherwise, it may be a few days before I get back up-to-date.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Christchurch and Kaikoura
Tuesday 30th January 2007 (continued)
Well, after updating my blog and eating lunch, we left Oamaru on the bus to Christchurch. The journey was uneventful and rather dull compared to most of the other journeys so far. You could see mountains in the distance, and we crossed the odd braided river (one of which must have been about 1km wide) but otherwise it was a flat, boring ride across The Canterbury Plains.
First impressions of Christchurch were good, however. The river and gardens looked very English (nice English, that is - we're not talking Bradford here - especially in the evening sunshine) and it generally had a nice feel to it. There is also a free bus which does a loop around the centre, so it meant our walk to the hostel wasn't as far as it would otherwise have been.
The hostel also seemed promising. Located in a nice quiet part of town, close to the park and with a nice garden and terrace for sitting outside. The room had single beds (as opposed to bunks) and the kitchen was well equipped. And who should we bump into (again), but Penny and Dave! It was their last full day, so they were able to relieve themselves of their remaining food and make 3 people very happy indeed. Oh, and the "free food boxes" were also stuffed full of goodies. Bonus. Our food bags were bulging. I got the impression I was going to like it here.
It was a warm evening so we were able to sit outside to eat dinner - a first for New Zealand?
Wednesday 31st January 2007
Another sunny day. What's going on? Does the approach of February herald the start of summer? Usually by August at home it is already feeling autumnal. We were even able to eat breakfast outside in shorts and t-shirts... and that hasn't happened many times so far in New Zealand. Nice.
We spent the morning exploring the centre of town. I then booked a few future bus tickets at the i-site, as I wanted to sort out the remainder of my time in New Zealand. Tomorrow is the start of my last month and I wanted to make sure I had time to see everything I wanted to see. I was also thus able to get some extreme saver tickets, which allow you to go anywhere on the intercity network for $10. More bargains = happy James.
After returning to the hostel for lunch (and the now obligatory free-food-check or FFC), we went to the Art Gallery. It was nice to have a cultural afternoon for a change. We got free tickets for the Giacometti exhibition, so it was big feet and skinny bodies ahoy. There were some nice pieces but it was rather a small selection and I would have felt a bit cheated if I'd paid the usual $14 entry. The rest of the gallery also seemed a bit second rate compared to the building itself. I guess New Zealand's general lack of culture also extends to their galleries. Still, they are able to write "art criticism" (aka bull****) with the best of them. Some of the modern conceptual stuff had the most unbelievably poncy commentaries. Complete tosh, mostly.
Another al fresco dinner completed a good day... and I've been sleeping really well lately (I finally seem to be getting used to staying in shared rooms... although, of course, it helps not having someone tossing and turning in a bed 2 feet above your head).
Thursday 1st February 2007
So, I'm now into the fifth calendar month of my travels. At some point during early Feb I'll reach the halfway point of my travels and then it'll be homeward bound... (sort of - albeit in a hopping-back-to-Australia-first kind-of-way).
It's hotter than ever today. My first sweaty breakfast since Australia and a languid morning stroll into town to use the internet, book tickets for an excursion to Akaroa tomorrow, buy a Frisbee ($2 in the "It's a $2" shop for an afternoon in the park) and do some food shopping at Pak 'n' Save. It's the biggest Pak 'n' Save of the trip so far (much excitement) and much the best selection of wines I've seen since my last visit to Waitrose. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. There wasn't anything much from outside of Australia or New Zealand, but at least Oz wines were represented by more than just Hardys, Banrock Station and Jacobs Creek. It sure beat most of the provincial supermarkets. I got a nice looking bottle of Australian Shiraz and a couple of Pinot Noirs for around the $10 mark, one of which was from Central Otago (these usually command a $20/$30+ price tag). Christchurch is proving to be bargain city. Maybe that's why I like it so much (that and the weather!).
Lunch on the hostel's fine terrace (we were actually forced into the shade) was followed by an afternoon excursion to the park. On the way out we bumped into the hostel's gardener. She was lamenting how no-one picked any of the veg she'd been growing in the garden, so we got chatting and said how we'd been looking at the rhubarb the day before and wondering if we could get away with pinching a bit under the cover of darkness (we had assumed that it was the owners private patch). She said we were welcome to take anything we fancied, so our eyes lit up at the prospect of fresh broccoli, runner beans, cabbage, lettuce and rhubarb. Great stuff.
It was lovely to lounge in the park for the afternoon, playing a bit of Frisbee and generally enjoying the warm sunshine. It reminded me of the occasional hot days we get in England. You know it is fleeting so you really make the most of it (and the parkland surroundings were so English it was like being transported back home).
Made a nice rhubarb crumble in the evening (it was huge!) and got several compliments about my kitchen skills (thanks Mum!). One girl asked if I was a professional chef as she always saw me cooking nice stuff. I guess most people just don't make the effort when they are travelling (I couldn't believe it when the gardener said we were the first people to take an interest in the veg patch for over a year). It was a really balmy evening - perfect for sitting outside - and it made the wine taste even better than usual.
Friday 2nd February 2007
It was an early start to catch the bus for our day-trip to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. Typically, it was fine when we work up (06:45), but had clouded in by the time we got on the bus. It was also freezing cold - such a huge contrast from the night before (I later read that it is quite common to have a cold southerly blast immediately after a hot northwester).
The drive over to Akaroa was nice, although the dull weather (and mist hanging around the hills) meant that the views weren't as good as they should have been. The Banks Peninsula is an amazing place - the way it juts up from (and contrasts to) the Canterbury Plains means that it seems more remote and otherworldly than it actually is.
Akaroa prides itself on it's French heritage. Although in practice this means little more than French Street Names, touristy shops (with French names) and smelly toilets (I hope this isn't bringing back bad memories for anyone, Mum). Still, it is a nice little place and if you block out the American tourists, it makes for a pleasant day trip.
We went for a ramble behind the town in the morning and discovered an apple tree for scrumping - much to my delight. We also found a plum tree, but the fact that it was in someone's garden (and we could hear voices) meant that our plunderings were limited.
It was nice countryside and there were occasional views across the inlet. It was also freezing cold and when we sat down for our picnic lunch it began to rain (an icy rain, that I could swear had sleety bits in it*). We scoffed as much as we could and then beat a hasty retreat to a cafe to warm ourselves up. It was just as we went in that the sun came out, so we were able to transfer ourselves to the sunny terrace and hang ourselves out to dry.
From then on it was a lovely afternoon. Akaroa looked beautiful in the sunshine - the water was blue (rather than the grey of the morning) and we even spotted dolphins playing offshore. We were lucky to have the sun we did because it was raining by the time we got back into Christchurch and, judging by the puddles the following morning, continued to do so for much of the night.
*this is probably an exaggeration, brought on by the first stages of hypothermia, but it was damn cold and if we had stayed there much longer I wouldn't have been able to feel my legs below the knee.
Saturday 3rd February 2007
It was a cool start (breakfast indoors today), accompanied (as so often in New Zealand) by Solid Gold FM (a radio station which only plays music from the 60s and 70s - it's nostalgia galore here [inventing a past they don't really have]). It strikes me, whilst listening to Suspicious Minds, how much Elvis and Cher sound alike. Odd.
After this fascinating discovery I decided to have a wander around the botanic gardens. Emelie and Mathias wanted to go clothes shopping, so it was nice to have a bit of time to myself. The gardens were lovely (again, very English - herbaceous borders, rose gardens, a hot house, cactus display, etc.) and it began to warm up as lunchtime approached.
After meeting up for lunch back at the hostel, we decided to head back to the park for another afternoon of Frisbee and lounging in the sun. It wasn't as hot as before (cool breeze) but it was just right for running around like an idiot after the Frisbee.
Sunday 4th February 2007
I had another look around the botanical gardens in the morning (this time with E and M), taking in the bits that I hadn't seen on Saturday. Similar weather (fluffy white clouds in a mainly blue sky with a cool breeze)... giving me the impression that Christchurch is a nice sunny city, with lovely gardens and a generally pleasant atmosphere. It will be a shame to leave (especially the free food bins and the hostel's veggie patch), but leave we had to.
The bus left in the afternoon (after a leisurely lunch and a final harvest to take with us!). It was a scenic ride up to Kaikoura, especially the last 20 minutes or so, where the road hugs the coast. After the plains around Christchurch, the mountains rose up impressively and the sky had cleared to set them off nicely in the evening sunshine.
On arrival (still in the evening sunshine) Kaikoura seemed like a nice little town, although the hostel wasn't particularly great (this was probably in contrast to Dorset House in Christchurch, which was particularly good, but we decided to move to another one for our last 3 days anyway - one which even boasts a swimming pool, so we're hoping that the sunny weather continues).
Monday 5th February 2007
Sunny again and the hostel seemed better this morning (must have been overtired yesterday!). Spent most of the morning sitting/lying on the pebbly beach (could have been Branscombe, but for the black stones and the lack of a stricken cargo vessel offshore). Nice to be by the sea again. Had a paddle (still freezing) and threw stones into the water (my arm still aches from Frisbee!). Kaikoura is certainly a nice place to be when the sun is shining.
Had a long lunch (enjoying the uncrowded kitchen - there were so many people the night before) and then came here to upload my photos (absolutely useless - so slow) and update my blog (more success with that one, although Gmail won't allow me to be logged into different picasa and blogger accounts simultaneously). There's actually free internet at the hostel (the reason we decided to stay there), but you can't use USB and it is so slow it would almost be quicker to use Royal Mail.
So there we go, I'm now back at the hostel to use the snail internet to upload this (I hope it works okay). Just had a nice beef stew (sat outside in the sun, which was nice - well, until it went down and got a bit too chilly) and will shortly be going to bed (it's been sunny today and I've got that tired "fresh air" glow which should hopefully lead to a good night's sleep.
Hooray - I'm back up-to-date again (and only a short delay this time). Maybe I can keep on top of it now that I am getting back closer to civilisation. Or maybe not. We shall see...
Best wishes,
James xx
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