A few things I've learned about New Zealand.
1) It is overwhelming. There is so much to do here & the time difference doesn't help matters. Once I make a decision, I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on something! Sorry again for being so MIA.
2) It always rains. A day most likely will be sunny for at least three-quarters of the day, but never entirely, blisteringly sunny. Spontaneous showers are the only constant.
3) Good espresso is usually only minutes away. The cafes have such witty names and thoughtful, unique meals...even in the smallest towns.
4) Kiwi is a fruit, a bird, and a person. Try not to get them confused!
Rewind to last week:
Wednesday September 30: I finally was able to attend the orientation to NZ at the IEP office. I got tons of useful information and met a bunch of people doing the same thing I am. Interestingly, I met quite a few American girls, probably the most Americans I've seen since I've been here. I especially got along with a girl from Elon and we were able to finish our errands together before COB that day. Funny how you meet people from you part of the US when you are halfway around the world.
Earlier in the summer I was put in touch, by a mutual friend, with a recent graduate from UVA named Mareill. She has been in NZ since July and had planned on leaving towards the end of this month. We agreed to do some travelling together and at last, after months of Facebook friendship, met over beers Wednesday night. We realized we couldn't decide on where to go or what to see (wayyy too many choices), so we simply planned to leave the next morning in the general direction of Tairua.
Thursday October 1: We hopped into "Lucy" our Jucy rental Nissan and braved the left-hand driving highways for Tairua. The weather was fantastic (READ: only a few clouds and sun, mild temp). We got some direction from the iSite reception desk (iSite is a super helpful office in practically every town that has tourist info), the guy ironically went to NCSU for some engineering seminar and has toured Wrightsville beach, and headed out to some bays flanking Sailor's Grave. The beaches were spectacular, white sands and clear blue water, great waves. We kept pinching ourselves. I lack the vocabulary to describe this place so I'll let the pictures do the talking. The farm view is from the road side, the high shot was of Tairua from Paku Hill, and the beach shot is from Sailor's grave.
Friday: After staying in Whitianga for the night, we left for Hahei and Cathedral Cove. I was sad we had to bypass Hot Water Beach, but other backpackers told us that the waves from the tsunami earlier in the week were ruining the experience. Hot Water Beach is where you dig into the sad to reach the geothermal pools underneath. We opted to go to the walks along Cathedral Cove, which is a classic NZ landmark. There are lots of large rocks covered in dark mussels and moss with huge petrified sand dunes. Ferns and kauri trees (think giant redwood) are everywhere.
After taking tons of pics, we braced ourselves for the "unsealed" 309 road en route to Coromandel Township. Unsealed means unpaved around these parts. For the most part it was gravel and many twists and turns. The roads up here are not for those with weak stomachs. We finished the day with a crucial nap and some beers at a bar with a 90s cover band. Definitely made me miss the fall semester functions at NC State.
Saturday: Having wrapped up the peninsula with a night out in Coromandel Town, we headed way down South for a surprise visit to New Plymouth to see some of Mareills friends from her ski program. Along the way we found a butterfly garden, where we immersed ourselves in a room full of them! Thames was another pit stop, which was having a town-wide street market. We also stumbled upon a classic car show in Paeroa. I had one of my first "culture shock" experience here when I ordered a burger. New Zealanders love beetroot which is a red, sweet sauce. I am still trying to figure out what it is exactly, so my explanation is probably lacking. It seems to be commonly served on a burger, in addition to mayo. All of this was surprising... I still have much to learn!
This was our longest travel day so I can't possibly cram in all the details of what we experienced. We were able to got to a Kiwi House and aviary (Kiwi birds are SO cute!), got lost a few times, made friends with some farm animales (see pics) while trying to find our way, and finally made it to New Plymouth to see the Scottish bros and their Kiwi roomie. The boys took us out around town and I basically fell in love with the town. It has a great cultural/artsy scene with a fitness and health focus. I definitely will be keeping an eye out for jobs in this area.
Sunday: The guys showed us the modern art museum and the Taranaki museum for some local history. The weather was so awful, chilly with wind and rain to boot. The clouds were thick thus preventing us from viewing Mt. Taranaki, which is the iconic marker of the region. Mareill and I checked out the Rhododendrin garden, Pukeiti, before driving onwards. We ended up crashing around Te Kuiti (by we I mean, Mareill, who is the driving pro). The only hostel in this tiny town happened to be on a dairy farm, which was a little unnerving, but ended up being the most peaceful sleep we'd had all week!
Monday, Tuesday: These last two days have kind of run together. We drove the rest of the way to Waitomo and went caving, despite more horrific wind, rain, and super low temps. I wish I had pics from this adventure, because it was not for the faint of heart. We weren't allowed to bring our camera and I didn't want to purchase the entire CD of photos. I did end up with a few scratches, but had a blast. We had to descend into the cave a few hundred feet by rope and harness, only to land in a chilly underground river. After many river crossings, mind you the current is rather rough due to the rain, we made it into the cave where we got to see glow worms, rock formations, and lots of mud. We even got to go tubing down the underground river (black water rafting i think it's called)! By the time the final rock climb to the top was finished, I was ready to be warm and dry again. Our group was a lot of fun so it made the cold and wet worth it.
Yesterday we drove up past Auckland to Whangerei, which was such a trek that we only had energy to see the Falls before crashing. We did manage to have an awesome seafood dinner of mussels and oysters (finally!!!) at the Killer Prawn Restaurant before bedtime.
Overall, this was a fantastic trip, though I feel I haven't done it justice with my one-liner descriptions. I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner/chauffeur than Mareill; it's a bumer she is on her way out. On the plus side, I should have more time to sit on my laptop! I'm trying my best to catch up with emails and postcards. I hope this post tides you all over until then!
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