Convoy!

Thursday through Saturday we convoyed our way back to Auckland. I had a blast. and enjoyed every second of scenery.

3 Canucks, 2 trucks, 1 kiwi. Lots of fun.  Lots of driving...

So Thursday, we got to take our sweet time in Queenstown and hit the road in the afternoon to head up to Christchurch.

First leg of the journey was through beautiful, amazing South Island.



Sorry, I don't even remember the name of this lake. Breathtaking tho.

Great company and amazing views made for a cool road trip. We stopped for some awesome wood baked pizza (pepperoni and jalapenos, my favorite!) for dinner and rolled into Christchurch a lot later then planned. So I didn't see much of Christchurch. I could see that a great deal of it was still under construction from the earthquake.

Same gorgeous anonymous lake, which will be named at a later date... I promise

We watched Bad Teacher over some beers and passed out thinking we had a few hours in the morning before getting back on the road.
Nope.
At 7am they got the word to be in Picton and on the ferry by 2pm. So off we convoyed.

The beautiful snow covered mountains gave way to green rolling hills.

 The countryside reminded me a lot of Sonoma county. These hills led us to a bright blue ocean and wild coast.



Part 1 of the convoy (meat locker and decompression chamber) as we hit the South Island East Coast



Wicked, wild, beautiful coast line

We left Christchurch at 8am and were on the ferry by 1:30pm.

The ferry ride was sunny and clear. Not always warm but incredibly scenic. Probably some of the best conditions one could have on the ferry between the South and North islands.  It took a little over 3 hours.



On the ferry, its mountains, not clouds, that are the white in the background

On the ferry ride sailing into the Cook Strait

I sipped on the best mocha of my life as we pulled into the Wellington harbor.

We drove into Taupo around 11:30 pm. We were lucky and saw a sick fireworks show on our trip. I also subjected the Kiwi diver to my country music. Country music is not popular here. Lol. It's met with poo face everywhere I go haha.

Lake Taupo is HUGE. It is also incredibly pretty.

Part 2 of the convoy (truck and Zodiak) at Lake Taupo

Saturday morning we had a bomby breakfast and walked through an art show in the park before we left the Kiwi with his girlfriend in Taupo and the 4 of us finished the drive back to Auckland.

Awesome sunset on the way to Taupo, camera really didnt do it justice. Thats right, Im still scapegoating my camera

I was looking forward to hanging out in Taupo for a few hours, but after 10 days on the move, my new friends were ready to have the trip be over. Can't blame them. As it is, we didn't make it into Devonport until almost 3pm.
It was a great trip with lots of driving, I felt like I have seen so much of NZ already. And all of it has been amazing.





Gi-normosity

Go big or ....shit, that's the only option here.
So I happily drove away from the winery Tuesday morning and got my car fixed in Kerikeri.

That night I went back to the Roadrunner Tavern to grab a few more shifts but the only ones available were for the following week. I'd had enough of the beautiful Bay of Islands and needed a change of scenery. So I declined the shifts, even tho I need the money, and bought a plane ticket to Queenstown. Wednesday I was up bright and early, at the ungodly hour of 5:30am and drove to Auckland to hop on the plane.

The clouds cleared up over the South Island and I got to see some gorgeous scenery on my flight.

On my way to queenstown

Queenstown is unbelievably awesome! It's hands down the coolest town I've ever been to. It's beautiful and jam packed with fun things to do.

My new friend Robert picked me up at the tiny little airport and we headed out with another diver, Homey, to downhill mountain bike down Queenstown mountain.

We put on our badass gear and got our sweet as bikes then took the gondola up the mountain.
At the top of the mountain there is go carts and people hang gliding and tons of neat stuff to do. So cool!

Gorgeous South Island mountains

So my first run down the mountain, I totally went  sissy la-la and my hand was aching from squeezing the brakes so hard.

Sad to say, I was holding up the fun train.

On the next gondola trip to the top I was given a beer for some liquid courage and a few pointers. These tips were great in theory but scary in practice. Here's what I got drilled with:
1. Speed is key.
   me: Ok. Sounds good. I'm riding down the face of a mountain. I'm not having trouble maintaining speed.
2. Ride high through the burms.
   me: K. I'll try to take the corners at the top of the turn. It's just a little scary when the burm has a 50 ft drop on the other side. Not a lot of  wriggle room there...
3. Stand the hell up woman! (This one was repeatedly yelled as we rode down the mountain)
   me: fuck! When things got hairy, my first instinct was to sit down on my seat. No bueno. Sitting down really decreases the control you have over the bike and makes you more prone to going over the handlebars. Plus, I had a hard time sitting the next few days. Really. Sore.

So, for my second run, I pulled on my big girl pants. I even got some decent air off a jump. So much fun. I also almost hit the side of the mountain and a tree. And I almost ate dirt on a few turns. Lol. I laughed the whole way down.
The guys let me take a pic from the top of the mountain. What a view!

You can't tell here but they were all smiles on the downhill portion of the day
They look so serious, I think my photography was cutting into their riding haha

By the last run I was doing pretty good (for my first time). I even hit part of an intermediate track and I was able to properly fishtail/slide around a few of the corners. So much fun!
That night it was dinner at Fergburger. Which has the biggest and best burgers in the world! No bullshit. No hyperbole.
Titanic Deliciousness.
I'm ashamed to say I couldn't finish mine.

The view of Queenstown from the gondola 

Then Robert and I walked around to a few bars and checked out downtown Queenstown.
We finished the night at a bar called Cowboys. They sold giant beers for $10!
These beers were probably about 30oz. Since the rest of New Zealand sells pints for $9, I was completely smitten. I practiced my 2 stepping and watched the other tourists ride the mechanical bull.
The next day we got to hang out in Queenstown till early afternoon. I'm proud to say I returned to Fergburger...and TOTALLY REDEEMED MYSELF!
By packing my whole breakfast burger into my belly. It hurt. But my pride was worth it. I could now leave town with my head held high.
Then I got to check out more of Queenstown and sat down with a coffee in the park till it was time to leave.

The view from the hotel 

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. I took in the sapphire blue lake, and giant, awe inspiring mountains surrounding me. All the while watching people hang glide and parachute around the sky.
I'll definitely be heading back to Queenstown. I would love to spend more time there. I loved it.
I immensely enjoyed my day of giant mountains, giant beers, and giant burgers!

Everywhere you go....

....there you are.
Or, another way to phrase it,
No matter where you travel, you always pack yourself.

Serious face? Nope
Just trying hard to be smarter then my camera. It always has me stumped.

I've had the most amazing month in New Zealand.
I'm literally counting down the time I have here....only 48 weeks left!
It's been an enlightening experience. First of all because it's my first time living abroad but also because I'm travelling by myself.

I came here with no plans. I knew where I was staying the first 2 nights... that's about it. Partly, because it's a little intimidating to try and plan a year of your life, in a place you've never been and have zero expectations about. So I left everything up in the air.

Cracking up kayaking while trying to take a pic.

I have to say that travelling solo is amazing. It can be hard at times. There are very few places I explore or see that I don't think of a friend, and how much fun they would have being here with me. Or how much I would like to have some conversation with them. Especially when the radio is nothing but static and I'm singing, badly!, to keep myself company.

Thank god I crack me up.

Getting silly at Cape Reinga

Because no one is goofier and dorkier than me. And dammit, I dig it.
Me and I have been on a few trips together, which is good. You definitely have to like hanging out with you, in order to travel alone. I'm not my tip top choice, but we pass the time just fine.

Solo in Yosemite.
I've mastered the goofy self portrait. 

I am completely out of my element here. Everywhere I go, I am lost and in unfamiliar territory. And everyone, everywhere, is a stranger. It's a feeling that constantly keeps you on your toes, and can be very disconcerting at first.
When I first arrived in Auckland I really disliked it. But after a few days I knew my way around and had made some friends. And look at that. I had a bit of swagger back in my step. Looks like I just needed some adjusting. A new outlook to the unkown.
My expereriences here don't necesserially fall within my comfort zone. I truly hope they don't for my entire trip.
Instead of the comfort that comes with routine and familiarity..I've traded it in for new friends, surprising encounters, days of being tired and thrilled, a fleeting amount of loneliness, amazing adventures and breathtaking views.
There have definitely been some bad moments, like when my wheel bearing went out the first day I drove out of Auckland. Nights that I froze in my car. Times where everyone, EVERYWHERE, spoke german. Don't ask.

This beach had dolphins. 

I don't know if it's just New Zealand. I don't know if I've just been lucky. I have no idea if it's because I'm travelling and ending up in places where like-minded, friendly people are apt to be...
But it's impossible to have a bad day here.
Am I tired? Here's a picture-perfect beach to sit on.

Me and myself. Party on the beach

 Done with driving? Gorgeous waterfall.
Running low on money? Chat up the bartender and grab a shift.
The overwhelming majority of people have been friendly and more than accomodating. Here it's so easy to be outgoing and put yourself out there because...you're never disappointed.
I'm so glad I went on this adventure with myself. Hi five, me! Ungh!

How's it going travel buddy?

Thumbs up? Alright!

Migrant labor

So not much has happened in the past week. I've been staying in Russell working at the Parou Bay winery.
The couple I work for is very nice and the works been easier after I got over my initial soreness.

A lake on the west coast of northland. Wee bit stormy that day. 

 I've been getting eaten alive by the fleas in the field tho. Nasty little buggers! Tiny too, but oh they pack a punch.

Another winery pic. It's gorgeous here

Today is Saturday. We were supposed to work but its pouring rain here, so we have the day off. My car sprung a leak. POS. But I have it parked under an overhang so hopefully it will stay dry.

View from the barn at sunset

So it's another day hanging in the barn with the 2 girls I'm working with. Just thought I'd throw some random stuff up on the old blog.

My winery bosses' baby bunny. He lasted about 2 days before going to the carrot patch in the sky

I'm learning a little German and Spanish from my co-workers. Important stuff. Like how to say "gimme all your money, or I'll kill you" (Spanish). And "I love you" (German). Now I'm all set for more worldly travels.

Found this in our barn. I can dig it. 

I drank with the girls last night and we passed around Sophia's epilady and did our legs. Lol. That is some painful business!

My hip. Surfing wound

So awesome! I'm definitely buying one.
Aw yeah. Just took my cold, outdoor shower for the day. Living the life of luxury.

View from The hill top estate where my shower is located

Just a few more days left here. Then I have tentative plans to fly to Queenstown. Looking forward to ending my lucrative career in migrant labor.

Weekend of the trunk monkey

Sorry. But I have no pics for this post. Next time, pictures. It's a promise.
So I had the weekend off from the winery and decided to drive down to Devonport to hang out with the Canadian divers I met a week ago.
Since, I was heading down there, I offered to give the girls I'm working with a ride too. Devonport is just a short ferry ride from Auckland for them. Plus, we've all been working our butts off, literally. After work, we're hanging in a barn in the evening, bathing in an outdoor shower, and freezing to death each night.
We were all ready for a piece of civilization.

I had a great weekend and it was completely worth the 6 hour round trip drive.
Partly, because I became an honorary trunk monkey.
Here's a hilarious YouTube video/commercial about a trunk monkey.
http://m.youtube.com/results?q=trunk%20monkey
Trunk monkey por vida!

The first night in Devonport I went to a pub called the Patriot and hung out with the guys over some beers and a pop rock cover band. Devonport is a really small, boutique town in the north harbor of greater Auckland. So the night scene is a bit low key but it felt like a rave compared to the barn.

The next day I walked with one of the Canucks  all over Devonport. We went to the top of north head, checked out the old fort and cannons. Then moseyed down to a beautiful beach. It was low tide and we walked into the ocean about 50 yards and the water was still not up to my knees.
On our way back to Devonport center we stopped at a pub and played some pool and had a few pints. The pool tables and balls are tiny here. I'm no good at pool normally, but with the targets being miniature I sucked even more than usual.The bet was, he had to sink all of his balls before I could get a single one in. It had to be a complete shutout. It was close. I didn't win by much, but I did win, and my opponent had to drink his next pint while sitting under a table. Yeah, I trolled him..... He was a really good sport about it!
That night we joined up with the others for dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Mexico. How did they come up with the name?!? Haha
The food was really good, not quite good ol' Cali style. This place was a little fancy. We sipped some very expensive tequila. Totally new concept to me...aren't you supposed to just shoot it? And I macked on an incredibly good pumpkin taco. Wait did I say pumpkin taco? Yup. I gambled and won on that one.
Good times were had.
Sunday morning we returned to the Stone Oven for breakfast and more amazing coffee, just like the morning before. Then we headed west to Muriwai beach to do some surfing.
I was definitely over confident in my surfing abilities. By a million percent.
This beach was nothing like the little baby beach I had long boarded at in Maui.
This beach had Big Boy Waves. And a ripping current. I couldn't even paddle out past the first break. Not even with a navy diver trying to manually tow me in. The divers did great. One is an avid surfer and he was shredding some of the curls. The beginner was catching wave after wave....I was very impressed.
That's alright, me and my bruised ego caught a few rollers and I even stood up a few times and rode them the whole way in. I also got smacked around by my board, wrapped up in my leash, and slammed into the sandy bottom floor.
Good times!
After surfing we had just enough time to drive back to Devonport and grab some dinner before I had to meet the girls at the ferry and start our drive back north to Parou Bay winery.
It was definitely hard to leave the good life of fun, beer and all things civilized to return to a job where I do a thousand squats by 2 pm and couldn't even get all the dirt outta my fingers after my
weekend off. But I'm having an amazing time with everything I do. From pumpkin tacos to migrant
labor....life is good.

But... I'm on vacation...

So I finally got some work here. Which is awesome. With my car problems and vacation expenses and the price of...well everything, I need the money.
So last night I had a 4 hour shift at the Roadrunner bar in Paihia. The owner Mike was extremely nice! Showed me the ropes and how to pour a decent beer and  make a double rum and coke.
I know what your thinking, cus I thought the same thing.
Surely, with my all my years of imbibing I would know these things already. That's what I thought too.
And don't call me Shirley.
Haha.
But there's a way to pour a beer at home and its definitely different from how you pour it from a tap. I had a great time. Thank god it was slow. With mostly locals, who were kind and patient and let me off the hook for the first few pours that were a bit foamy.
The locals even have their own handles (mugs). So they walk in say "32 Lion Red" and I grab their frosty mug, pour them a beer and try to understand their kiwi accent.
I kept thinking of England, and their laws against pouring a beer with too much head.

It was so slow, I got off my shift an hour early and took the car ferry over to Russel where I'm working for a week or two at a winery.

Vineyard at sunset

Not in the fun, pour some glasses of wine way. I'm pruning, weeding, thinning, taping and rubbing the vines. It's not super hard. But it's very repetitive and I'm REALLY sore. My back and legs are killing me. I crab/duck walk to a vine, then weed around it, then strip all but one vine. Get up off your ass and duck/crab walk to the next vine. I'm probably averaging about 2.5 plants a minute. Yeah, I'm killing it. Ungh! The three of us are doing 1,000 plants (give or take a hundred) each day.

The little house and the barn 

Plus it's almost summer and its good for the bikini bod.  I basically power squat or lunge a couple times a minute for 8 hours a day. When I need a break I scoot on my butt to the next plant.
I'm working for an Indian couple. They're very nice and I'm staying on the property while I work here.
There are 2 other ladies working with me. They're also really nice and we hang out in the barn after work. It's Sophia from Chile and Miriam from Germany.

The vineyard is beautiful and has a private beach a short drive from the main house.
For now I'm just making some money and doing work. I need the money...but...it would be really sweet to be back in Auckland for Halloween.
Plus, I'm on vacation...
So I may only be here a week, instead of the 2 I planned.
Tomorrow I'll have photos of this beautiful winery and and the great people I'm working with.
Cheers!

Night rider and the far north

So, I left Matouri bay and once again started towards Cape Reinga. I was tired from only sleeping a few hours the night before. So by the time I got to 90 mile beach I was ready for a nap. I pulled into an almost empty holiday park and snoozed away in my car while it continued to rain for most of the afternoon.

90 mile beach the following day. Still freezing, but no rain. 

When I woke up it was still too cold and windy to go to the beach so I hung out made some dinner and ended up meeting another nice stranger, Steve Hale, in the park's tv room.
While we watched tv, I chatted with Steve, a local writer who was traveling with his dad for an article. In exchange for some of my whiskey, actually, most of it (very Hemingway of him) he promised to send me a copy of one of his books. I picked his book titled Kiwi Man Caves. So stoked. It should be in the mail any day now...
The next day the niners were playing. So into Kaitaia I drove, to hole up for a few hours, watch my boys in red and gold and eat kiwi nachos. Go Niners!
*shake fist at what kiwis call nachos*
Then all the way north. Cape Reinga or bust!

Looking west from Cape Reinga

I got there in time for sunset and it was gorgeous! Cold. But gorgeous all the same.

Cape Reinga is the most northernly point of New Zealand (that is accessible). It's also where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman sea meet. There are some wicked waves out there.

Local fisherman with a giant snapper at Cape Reinga light house

The light house at Cape Reinga

Then I drove back south through the night to find somewhere to sleep.
This was my first time driving in the dark.
Driving at night makes you an animal killer.
All sorts of animals run through the street and before you have time to see them....it's all over.
I was told to aim for possums. I swear! Because they kill so much of the native flora and fauna. But it's still pretty disgusting when it happens.
After my second hit and run (they were about 15 minutes apart)...
I became a stone cold possum slayer.
Night Rider!
On to more pleasant things. I got tired and crashed at another holiday park then the next day made my way down the west coast of northland and stopped for a few photo ops and small walks.

A coastal walk near Opinono. The island in the background is just one giant sand dune. How I want to roll down you giant sand dune! "As...... You..... Wish....!"

Pretty walk on the coast of Opinono, no giant sand dunes tho...

Then onto yet another holiday park. THIS ONE IS AWESOME!
It has a zip line and trampolines and a rope swing over the river! So much fun! Kauri Holiday Park. Ungh!

Zip lining it at sunset

River at the holiday park

Tomorrow I head back north up the coast to hike in the Kauri forest before heading back to Russel to work at the vineyard.