Kiwi Experience Comes to an End

Queenstown Traffic Jam


en route to Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

02.10.10: All day trip to Milford Sound. Weather wasn't great but I can still see why it's named as one of the 10 most beautiful places in the world. Got back in time for dinner with my friends at Fergburger - awesome burgers! had last night out with the crew around Queenstown.

02.11.10: Queenstown-Christchurch - glorious 7 hours on the bus (remember no iPod/iPhone either = awesome) but I met a nice group of people from Canada and England so I had some entertainment to get me through the ride. Happy to do some laundry and get stuff together while in Christchurch. Had a few drinks with people from the bus in the hostel bar for the night.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Last night together... not happy

Lake Pukaki


02.12.10: Christchurch to Kaikoura - marine life capital of NZ. lots of people did swimming with dolphins or whale watching, but I was happy enough with my wild penguin sightings on the drive in (no pics but was so excited to see them on the beach!!) so just chilled out for the day, napped and what not and hung out with people from the bus at the hostel for an early, low key night.

02.13.10: Christchurch to Picton for ferry to Wellington - played cards and such on the ferry over to Wellington, and met up with my friend Lindsay whom I met in Hanoi, Vietnam. We met up for apps and drinks at a cute place on the water and caught up about the end of our travels. Then she had me and a bunch of people from the bus over to her flat where she had a bunch of her kiwi friends over for wine. Headed out and enjoyed the Saturday night Wellington night life. Enjoyed it a bit too much as my 7:45 bus the next day was not fun!

Lake Pukaki

Kaikoura

meeting up with Lindsay in Wellington!


02.14.10: Taupo - lake Taupo was very pretty, I didn't partake in any activities as they all cost about $100 each, I was bummed not to do anything but just walked around the town a bit and enjoyed the beach and the sunshine. Watched Sweet Home Alabama and had some cheap wine with friends from the bus and in bed early!

02.15.10: Auckland - drove through Rototura (which has the most thermal activitity in NZ and top 3 sites in the world, but didn't get to experience the hot bubbling mud, but saw the steam from it from the bus :) ) arrived into Auckland in time to bop around and check out the city a bit. No one has good things to say about the city so a friend and I decided to hit up the only IMAX theater in NZ and see Avatar before it's out of theaters. I really enjoyed it and am enjoying a relaxing evening for my last night in NZ. Off to Fiji tomorrow and still undecided as to whether I'll hit the islands on my own or follow through with the Fiji Experience I had previously booked. Looking forward to sunshine and relaxation though (has as if I have a stressful life warranting a need for relaxation... still looking forward to it though!)

highest point in the North Island

Lake Taupo

More NZ pics

we did it!!


me doing a backflip at 109m

trying for a group pic in queenstown

queenstown

puzzleworld

More NZ Fun

More pics from drive from Wanaka to Queenstown, bungy jumps and more Kiwi Experience fun!! Sweet as!

hanging out in Wanaka

New Zealand is Awesome!

so beautiful


forget the name of this lake, but will update it later if anyone cares



our kiwi exp skydive group!

horrible angle, but me and Suda when the chute is open

looking at my toes from the sky

Fox Glacier from the sky

Our swanky private lodge with hot tub! (only $2 more a night)

Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef Glacier

getting ready for the jump!

Hot Pools - 40 degrees C!

Franz Josef Glacier

2.07.10: 9 hour hike on Franz Josef Glacier - really awesome! Difficult hikes, really hot and really, really cold at times, but fun to hike around a glacier for the day! Natural hot pools immediately after, and then a low key night of cards, in preparation for my jump tomorrow!

2.08.10: wake up for a 6 am sunrise sky dive over franz josef glacier! 12,000 feet, and voted #2 best scenic sky dive by Us Skydive Association. Lots of fun, and beautiful scenery! I really enjoyed the jump. then on the bus stopping at various beautiful view points on the way to wanaka. once to wanaka we jump in the water, lay on the beach, and enjoy a nice day out.

2.09.10: start the day on the bus, stop at puzzle world, and finally make it to queenstown (adventure or extreme sport capital of the world). stop in at the original bungy site, first in the world by aj hackett, walk through museum and watch fun video on the making of bungy jumping. watch people jump from the bridge, my friend wants to bungy and asks me if I will.. think about it for a second and say "ok" - 10 minutes later I'm jumping off the bridge with her! I got a discount too since I had jumped at another AJ hackett site in Acapulco, but the jump was awesome! great pics and videos to follow. make it to queenstown and get ready for my 109m high, 60m free fall canyon bungy/swing. I did it with my friend Andy (although I got to do it for free from the contest I won) and it was awesome!! First I tried doing backflips off the platform (have really great pics but can't upload now, great video too) then went for another go (for only $39, one jump is $190 usually) and this time did what they call Gimp Boy goes to Hollywood (they have a different name for each way to go off the platform, lots of variations, very creative) where I was dangling with feet in air head to the ground and they pulled the plug and let me go. It was lots of fun and I can't wait to show you all the pics and video. Then back into Queenstown to see what all the hype is about this place and their night life! :)

Kiwi Experience!

Lewis Pass


NZ Coast

2.04.10-2.06.10 - Been on the "kiwi experience" for only 2 nights now but it seems like I've been with these guys and on the bus for a week at least! It's been nice having someone figure out accommodation and transportation and such although it is kind of a drag traveling with 50 other people. everyone is really nice though and we've been enjoying all of our activities so far. Most of it included riding in the bus and going on walks along the coast looking at the scenery. NZ is BEAUTIFUL! It's really gorgeous and I wish I woulda scored better pictures along the bus ride. Drive from Christchurch to Westport, had a fun night at the local pub getting to know everyone, very small town! Then more driving and scenic walks, made our way to Lake Mahinapua where we stayed at this place run by a guy who they say is 126 years old! he is hilarious and has been hosting these crazy theme parties at this pub for over 16 years so he's got it down pat.

So we had 30 minutes at the salvation army to find something to create an outfit for the "fancy dress" party. we had to dress up as a famous person or animal, fact or fictional. I made my Scar (from Lion King, or could have been Lion from Wizard of Oz) costume out of 2 sweatshirts and a bunch of safety pins! I was voted best dressed too by everyone on the bus, and got a free canyon swing (kind of like bungy, 106m high, 60 m freefall) in Queenstown, worth $200!! :) Had a lot of fun that night at the Poo Pub, and then on the bus the next morning for more drives, scenery and stopped at the Bushman Center for lunch and some people went to the museum. Everything they had on display was pretty cool though without having to pay $4 to get in.

Now taking care of business in Franz Josef - staying in a really nice rainforest lodge thing, and going sky diving in 2 hours! Can't wait! It's only from 12,000 feet but it was voted #2 best sky dive in the world by the us skydive association, so I'm expecting it to be good! Looking forward to it! Then a full day hike up and down the Franz Josef Glacier and then dipping in the hot springs after! Once we arrive in Queenstown I'll get to use my free canyon bungee/swing. Our guide said its the most fun thing to do and he does it a lot so I'm happy I won! :)


NZ Coast + Me

Pancake Rocks

"fancy dress" party at the Poo Pub

the whole gang at Poo Pub

Bushman Center - had museum about how they used to catch wild deer for deer farms... quite an interesting and funny place! They sure love their meat!

New Zealand

Botanical Gardens


Rose Garden



Bridge of Remembrance





Cashel Street - shopping, eating, and drinking!

2.02.10 - 2.04.10: Arrived in Christchurch safe and sound. Hostel is great, right in the Cathedral Square area in the center of the city. It's the second largest city in NZ, but still pretty quaint, pretty, and quiet. Found out that I couldn't start the Kiwi Experience tour on the 3rd, the day I had planned (although I booked my trip Dec. 13th, grr), which now sets me back a day and I'll now have to miss one day of events in NZ to make up for that loss. Frustrating since I did it so far ahead of time, and I would have preferred to use this free day in another location, but what can ya do? (damned if you do, damned if you don't, you really just can't win'em all I suppose) So, just going with the flow with my extra day - walking around the city, laundry, catching up on sleep and planning the rest of my travels. :)







Victoria Square with statue of Captn. James Cook

Cathedral Square

Christchurch Cathedral

Starting the hop on hop off 20+ day bus trip around both islands of NZ and Fiji tomorrow, called the Kiwi Experience. From what I hear the best way to see the most of the country and it's nice to have travel and accommodation arranged for you as well as tours and an easy way to meet people, so soon I will see!