Rocky Mountain Park

Having planned two days in Boulder, I decided to take a little extra time getting up. My only real plan today was to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park and drive the Ridge River Road. An 11-mile dirt road that winds its way up through the mountains and is only open in the summer months.

Other than that, I planned to take it easy. I had found a coffee shop on Pearl Street the night before, and scoped it out to prevent another Scooters incident. Ozo is a chain...but a much smaller and Colorado-specific one. So it passed all the right tests. I started the day with a cup of coffee and a scone looking at this view while mapping out the trip through Estes Park that would take me into the Rockies.

It was about an hour drive to the park so I kept listening to my audio book while watching mountain after mountain slip by the windows. Colorado easily has some of the best landscapes I've seen this entire trip, but I don't think that's much of a surprise.

When I finally made it to the park there was a HUGE line of cars to enter. I knew I wasn't early...but was I really late enough for this? Not having much of a choice, I slowly eeked forward over the next half hour until finally I was at the front. Nothing could stop me getting to Ridge River Road now! Well, except for a new program the Rocky Mountain National Park (and only the Rocky Mountain National Park) had put in place that required advance reservations for park access between the hours of 6am and 5pm. It was noon.

Well I certainly wasn't going to go home empty handed, so I decided to try and find things to do in the nearby town of Estes Park but...you can only eat lunch and drink a beer so many times before you realize you can't do that really more than once if you want to drive up an unpaved mountain road...but as it turns out, there was a particularly famous hotel sitting over the town on a nearby hill that most certainly warranted a visit.

The Stanley Hotel is where Steven King wrote the Shining, and where the TV miniseries was filmed after the hit movie. It has all the makings of the Overlook hotel from the novel, complete with a mini hedge maze out front. Unfortunately they were out of tour tickets for the day but I was able to wander around some of the halls, listen to guests try to get ghost stories out of staff, and pretend to be staying there while drinking a coffee and reading a book on the porch. The hours just slipped past until finally it was time to go back to the park!!

Filled with new energy and purpose I raced back to the park entrance as the clock struck five and was able to enter without incident. The Ridge River Road wasn't far in and in short order I was putting the Mazda through its toughest test of this ride. The views certainly made the ride worth it. I found myself tuning down the music or just turning it off so I could roll my windows down and slowly drive up through the mountains, stopping at various overlooks to witness just how magnificent the park was.

The road joins the main Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Center where I stopped for a few more photos before beginning my descent. Which is ALSO where I caught this awesome photo of a deer!

It was late-ish by the time I got back to Boulder, so I grabbed some food from the hotel restaurant and went for one last wander before bed.

Omaha to Boulder

I awoke Sunday morning in Omaha, stretching my legs in the King-size bed and debated how soon to get on the road. Today was a daunting one...another eight-plus hour stint but without much to see or do along the way.

You see, and I say this with as much love as I can muster, the problem is Nebraska. Nebraska decided to put all it's fun biomes and interesting structures in the northwest of the state, and I'd be traveling along I-80 trucking right along the bottom third. Besides one stop towards the beginning, most of the travel would be uninterrupted.

Eventually I mustered the courage to rise from my soft and inviting nest and set off to find a local Omaha coffee shop to start the day. Unfortunately I didn't try hard enough and popped into the first coffee shop I saw with a name I didn't recognize: Scooters. The inside felt so empty and uninviting, and the signage was clearly designed by a faraway corporate office. I should have turned tale then. But alas, I stayed, and when I received my egg sandwich - my sins were punished. The sausage was served cold.

At that point I was quite ready to say goodbye to Omaha and was soon in my car blasting down the highway and preparing for my one-and-only prepared stop. Platte River State Park. I think it was my USA travel book that recommended it, and seeing as it was the only thing I could find on this half of the state I was more than ready to go. The route to get there even took me on some parts of route 66 which felt right for a cross-country road trip.

When I did get to the park I found out it was mostly for camping and river access EXCEPT! For one. giant. tower. Of which I most certainly had to climb.

The views of the river from the top were breathtaking

I stayed up there a while, even getting a call from my parents asking who else I'd been talking to since there had been no service the last 10 miles except at the top of the tower. We agreed to talk later once I'd finished exploring the park to my satisfaction.

After some more light touring and deciding on a playlist for the day, I set off to the tune of Toxic by Britney Spears (thanks Hart for including that in our New Zealand playlist) and called my parents back as I began my long trek through Nebraska.

I spent most of the way switching between music and starting a new audiobook called "We're The Nerds" about the founding of Reddit, a large internet company and the scrappy nature of its founders. The book is incredibly intriguing and just the sort of thing to supplicate mind-numbing hours of this

Finally though, I made it. Colorado came like a breath of fresh air from the first "Masks are required in public" sign I saw by the side of the Highway. I was out of the Midwest.

I treated myself a little in Boulder, paying a little extra for a hotel right in the middle of the Pearl Street Market area and it was a great call. The hotel itself is called "Hotel Boulderado" and is originally from the turn of the 20th century with fixings to match

I also found out the hotel was supposed to be deeply haunted! Although sadly, no ghosts came to visit me during my stay...I checked in, gathered my bearings, and headed back outside to explore. Boulder did not disappoint. I spent much of the night exploring everything from bookshops to candy stores, and got a delicious pork belly rice bowl at a taco place while listening to street performers.

All in all, a perfect end to a long day!

Chicago to Omaha

After a day in the city getting to see Grace and FINALLY taking her advice to walk down to Jackson park on the edge of the lake

It's time to drive again. I think I got on the road around 8:20 with my first planned stop to be Rockford Illinois. Rockford is where my friend Daniel from college grew up, and I also helped design his mom's bakery's initial website! She's moved on from that initial design since then but I was able to score a free cookie when I went to say hi at Quixotic Bakery's booth at the local farmer's market!

After that, the next stop was Davenport Iowa. I have absolutely no connection or reason to visit Davenport EXCEPT! It's right on the Mississippi river and I'd get there around noon to find some lunch. So, I put the waterfront park into my GPS and said goodbye to Illinois.

I should have been more specific with my park directions in Davenport though, because I was initially led to a little skatepark on the wrong side of a chain-link fence from the Mississippi river. I debated climbing it, but after coming all this way I thought I might as well see if the park I could see on the other side was accessible my car. I certainly saw a lot of cars over there, and people seemed to be hitting things into the air. I couldn't quite make out what but I kept seeing balls flying over the roofs of cars.

Turns out there was a volleyball competition going on! I couldn't quite figure out what competition, but it had over 20 nets set up and countless tents around the outside for people to get out of the 94 degree heat in between games. There also happened to be a BBQ food truck nearby that I hit up for lunch and took with me to find a bench along the water.

The Mississippi is massive! It felt more like I was looking at a lake considering how slow the current was but nonetheless a fantastic stop and some good pulled pork! It's unfortunate that my next stop was a restaurant and only 2 hours away.

Welcome to "The Machine Shed" which I definitely thought would be some edgy tech-y robot kind of place. Apparently in this part of the country though the "machines" are tractors. And the shed is a barn. The property surrounding the place was dotted with all these old John Deers and the inside decor included everything from slideshows of tractors to tractor pictures and country music about tractors. It was a lot to take in. Luckily, the food was quite good! And while I wasn't brave enough to order the chicken liver...the fried chicken couldn't have been far behind.

That brings us to right now! Downtown Omaha in one giant room! I needed a minute to sit down before exploring but from what I saw outside, Omaha might surprise me!

Day 1

    I don't think I've used this site in years. In fact, looking back the last entry is from my South Island Trip in New Zealand! I might have to spend a minute reading about my previous adventures after all this is over and I'm safely in an apartment in Santa Barbara but until then let the Cross Country USA posts begin!

    This past week has been a whirlwind of grabbing everything I thought I could possibly need and then some to prepare for my trip out west. A bajillion tshirts, countless electronics, and a full crate of books later and as of Wednesday of this week I think I had everything assembled for a Thursday departure.

   

    I left Thursday morning at around 7 AM with 845 miles to Chicago, a full pack of gum, half a tank a gas, it was kinda dark, and I put on my sunglasses.

    As you can see, the ride was somewhat...lengthy. But don't worry! I had a couple stops planned and a self-help book to keep me company! The first stop was for Balsam Bagels in Rochester where I was meeting Rachel for brunch, and the ride out was absolutely spectacular. If I wasn't driving, I certainly would have taken pictures with the way an early morning rain had left the green mountains covered in just enough fog to remain mysterious. Otherwise, the ride was relatively uneventful. I was too afraid to start the audiobook I was looking forward to for this trip (Sandman, by Neil Gaiman) or the book I was supposed to read for work (for different reasons) so I stuck with music in the first leg.

    Seeing Rachel was great! She's been in Rochester for a year or so now, most recently working with the Susan B. Anthony museum that's finally been allowed to re-open! The bagel place was right in her neighborhood so we were able to grab a bite and have a look around before I needed to get back on the road. After our goodbyes I put my second destination in the GPS, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
Cuyahoga Valley is actually the newest National Park having just been inaugurated in 2019. It's also the only National Park in Ohio! I don't actually know how I found out it existed, might have been my Lonely Planet guide...but I certainly wasn't going to miss an opportunity to stretch my legs at what would be around the 8 hour mark! There were some bumps in getting there (just putting in the park and not a destination into the GPS, hair-bend turns taking a little too quickly for a car full of one's life possessions) but in the end - I was able to see Brandywine Falls and the diversion was worth it.

    Apparently there used to be a little village here using the power of the river for a Saw Mill in 1814...but the construction of I-271 wiped most of it out.

    After that, it was time for the final stretch to Chicago! This was by far the longest bit at 5 hours and 43 minutes - but I was able to squeeze in a dinner and a couple snacks at the various rest stops (also all of Ohio rest stops look EXACTLY the same. Had to do a double-take at one) and got 90% through Inspired which was definitely an interesting way to spend my time. Luckily that means I'll have it all done well before getting on to Santa Barbara and I still have Sandman to look forward to!

    I got into Chicago around 9:15, having completely forgotten the clock change, and quickly turned in for the night. Time to rest up before the second big push tomorrow!

South Island Adventure

     It’s only been a week since the South Island adventure but going through the photos finding which ones would be best to post already jogged some memories I had forgotten about. Boy I’m glad I can’t stop taking photos...anyway I think I’ll start from the top and work my way around.

     We left on Saturday March 31 at roughly 8 AM for a 10:45 flight. In the United States I would consider this completely normal for domestic travel: 30 minutes to get there, and 2 hours for security and bag checking. Seems about fair. Phillip agreed with me based on his past experiences, but the other half of our group didn’t think we needed that much time. Turns out they were right. New Zealand domestic security is probably the most laid back TSA equivalent I’ve ever seen and took us no more than 10 minutes. What followed was about two hours of intense Kindle-reading and then we were finally airborne.

     After picking up our goliath of a car, an 8-seat van, and doing an initial chaotic grocery run in Christchurch we began the 3 hour drive to Lake Tekapo, near Mt. Cook where we planned to hike the following day. The lake was magnificent, an incredible blue that seemed to stretch for miles and give no indication of depth or activity. It also came with a fair amount of wind that eventually sent us scurrying back to the marshmallow of a car while we finished our drive to the hostel for the evening.

     We stayed on a pretty large farm that night owned by a very talkative man named Tony. Tony had been farming basically all his life and was eager to tell us all about the political situations in Christchurch and how awful life was for farmers in New Zealand.

     “New Zealand is actually in a technical recession,” I remember him saying while explaining there is not even a computer on the property. He also had large amounts of his personal and the farm’s finances available for viewing in an effort to explain just how little he is able to make with the property outside of turning his home into a hostel. It was definitely an interesting first night that gave us all a lot to think about...eventually. At first I know I personally brushed off a lot about what he was saying about the situation in Christchurch but after seeing the city first hand...well, I’ll get there. We made chili that night in an epic fashion of too small pots and so much meat and it was delicious.

 

Phillip walking along a suspension bridge to Hooker Lake 

     We got a relatively early start for Mt. Cook the next day, considering we still had to make the drive to Queenstown that night. The best trek option seemed to be a 3 hour loop to Hooker lake that gave us fantastic views of the massive mountain throughout the journey. It had all kinds of suspension bridges and beautiful views of not only Cook but also the smaller hills and tundra-esque landscape that seems to dominate parts of the eastern side of the South Island, nothing like the Temperate Rainforests we got used to in Milford Sound and Abel Tasman. After that we ate lunch in the car using a technique we developed the day before of a moderately-efficient assembly line turning out ham sandwiches quite rapidly. Since we had a little time left before we really needed to head towards Queenstown we decided to go and find the clay cliffs.

 

 View of the Clay Cliffs 

     Nobody warned us this would basically take our van off road as the access was completely unpaved and bumpy as hell but, oh well. Definitely worth the experience to scrabble around rock formations with the presence of gothic pillars. It took us 30 minutes after the first sign post to actually reach the cliffs feeling every jostle in the hefty car. Finally, we had a very scenic drive into Queenstown where we stayed in this incredible place called the Adventure Hostel complete with a fully stocked kitchen and a movie room. Some much needed relaxing occurred with a little pasta, American Made, and finishing it off the Predator into the AM.

     Beginning our full day in Queenstown we decided to head towards the harbor and just have a look around. This proved to be an incredible idea as I don’t think I’ve ever been more stunned by a lake in my life.

 

Lake Wakatipu 

     We took our time exploring the town jutting to the right and eventually circled back to walk through the park just out of shot on the left. It turned out to be this entire peninsula of walking tracks, frisbee golf, tennis courts, and just a really nice place to spend some time looking out at the lake.

    

From left to right: Hart, Phillip, Kat, Camille 

     In the afternoon we took the Gondola up Bob’s Peak to do some Luge and got some fantastic views of the town below. The Luge was basically go karting where gravity gave you the momentum and it was an absolute blast. We were able to get some camera footage of the action but I’m unsure how to put that in a blog right now so we’ll have to see if that’s something I can work out later...anyway over five runs only one of us crashed! And it wasn’t me! Luge was also one of the cheapest activities to do in the area so we were also pretty thrilled about that.

 

View from Bob’s Peak 

     The next day we had a very leisurely start...9 AM!! Shortly after we saw ourselves out of Queenstown and after a quick stop at the airport to fix a front light we headed to Te Anau where we would meet Peter fresh off of his two great walks and get an early start the next day for Milford Sound. We spent some time chilling on the beach before finding the Hostel and cooking dinner. Since we had to wake up at 5 the next day to make our 8 o’clock Kayak rental in Milford we had a pretty early night.

 

View along the road from Queenstown to Te Anau 

     At the rousing time of 5, we woke up and made breakfast hoping to be on the road for 6. Luckily, I didn’t have to drive and was able to just hole up in the back but as we got closer I couldn’t stay asleep. The environment around Milford sound is generally described as a Temperate Rainforest. All the things you love about a rainforest but none of the tropical weather. No one lives near the sound either, it’s all so remote and wild. The weather stayed true to what you’d expect in a rainforest too and by the time we got there it was pouring and wind was turning the rain sideways. The kayak guides decided the weather didn’t look too good to bring us out so instead they flipped the plan of events and we had a cruise in the sound that morning with the hopes the weather would let up in afternoon enough for us to get out there and kayak. We were also informed that almost 90% of the waterfalls visible in the sound are only present when it rains so we should be considered lucky!

 

 Gusts of wind

      The cruise was pretty amazing and the captain did a good job keeping the material engaging and interesting while we all battled the elements on the top deck. The rain did die down enough to be tolerable and water was only a problem when the boat went under some of the waterfalls. Sadly though the weather was still too hectic for kayaking so we headed back to Te Anau slightly earlier than we had originally planned.

     The rest of the day we spent on a porch playing cards, throwing a frisbee, and drinking beer. Not too bad a way to spend some time.

View from within the Sound 

     The next day we headed to Wanaka where we would tackle our first big hike: Roy’s Peak. But that was tomorrow, today we needed more groceries and I took charge. That’s right, none of these guys knew my cooking history (or lack thereof) to question it so after deciding on Omelettes and Tacos we grabbed the necessary supplies and hit the road. This road took us back through Queenstown which was a stroke of luck I would have never seen coming if I hadn’t looked at a map. We were able to stop for food and have another crack at Fergburger which is this amazing burger joint last experienced at 3 in the morning on our second night in Queenstown. I was definitely jonesing for a second taste and this certainly delivered.

     We stopped by a small town just for fun before making it to Wanaka. Arrowtown, an old Chinese mining settlement that had a pretty cool mainstreet and a lot of information on the Gold Rush in New Zealand. More importantly, it was a place I got Peter to stick his head into a sign.

     When we finally did make it to Wanaka Phillip and I manned the grills making Omelettes. Something neither of us had successfully made before...the rest of the group caught on quick but that just meant while some people did end up with omelettes, others had a more egg-centric mash of different ingredients on a pile. I’d still call that a win.

     This was the day we did Roy’s Peak. From the bottom, it didn’t look too bad...in fact you could almost see the entire trail from the base. Sadly, as we quickly learned, switchbacks and aggressive altitude gains turned out to be a pain in the ass and took an incredible amount of energy to get up. We did manage to have a lot of fun along the way with Phillip blasting 80s rock from his backpack and some fantastic photoshoots. As we got closer to the top the weather did begin to turn though and it was bitter cold and rainy when we enjoyed a summit refreshment. The descent is best described as a mad dash for the finish line where we kept up incredible speeds just to stay out of the rain and hopefully salvage whatever we had on before it was completely soaked through. Sadly, everything was soaked through.

An inquisitive Peter 

A view close to the summit of the region below 

     Our next destination up the West Coast was Fox Glacier, home of...Fox Glacier. This turned into an incredibly long drive through some relatively adverse conditions but we did get there in the end. Before the drive really started though we manag off of lake Wanaka in this absolutely gorgeous vineyard. My takeaway was simply that Sauvignon Blanc is nasty, and I stand by that. We also had lunch down by the lake where we all took turns trying to skip stones with moderate success. And terrorize ducks. Once we finally got in we did make a point of walking to a nearby forest where we were told we could see some glow worms. I think overall we saw about seven but it was pretty cool walking through what felt like a jungle in the pitch black with a couple of headlamps.

     The day after we got in to Fox Glacier we saw the titular frozen landscape and...well, it was relatively small and dirty. It was also a miserable wet slog of a hike to get there. This is my first glacier sighting so I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect...but I think it was more than what was there. According to nearby signage it did used to be a lot bigger but of course global temperatures rising and massive blocks of ice tend to not get along together. That afternoon we drove to Franz Josef to enjoy some much needed relaxation in hot pools where we did kill the better part of three hours before coming back and making Spaghetti Carbonara and trying out our hostel’s own hot tub.

Fox Glacier 

     The next day we began what would be a few days of intense driving with a few detours on our way up to Marahau where we would begin the Abel Tasman great walk. Today was the drive to Punakaiki and the weather again brought everything it had against us. Phillip mostly drove but at some point the plastic cover on one of the wipers flew off meaning the wipers had a sort of scratchy sound whenever they brushed against the window and sometimes the car seemed to be slowly pushed off of the road. We did make it though! Hart booked this place, we basically had a small little house to hang out in for the night while we eventually got around to making some sausages and ...broccoli? Might have been. It was cool because we also ended up in some pretty interesting discussions about European politics and of course, Donald Trump. Ewwww. Anyway there wasn’t much to do in our isolated location so after the traditional night time activity of cards and beer we all went to bed

View from a Gas Station 

Hokitika Gorge 

     Only our final leg of the journey before Abel Tasman we drove up from Punakaiki to Marahau in what almost felt like a hurricane. We did get out to look at the Pancake rocks but that was more of a mad dash than thoughtful sightseeing. The hostel in Marahau was incredibly basic and had just enough that we could call it a roof and beds. Although I shouldn’t complain too much, Camille and Kat didn’t even have heating in their hut...we did all the prep work for the hike the night before so we could just get up and go the next day. Making sandwiches, prepping food, and seeing how much those of us with small backpacks could stuff in our bags and how much Hart and Peter could fit in their much larger packs. Before long it was past midnight and we really needed to get some sleep if we planned to be out and hiking by eight the next day

     Due to late planning and a desire to do the walk in three days, our huts weren’t in ideal positions. The first day, we estimated to hike eight hours right along the coast before reaching the hut. The second day if everything went as planned would be a minimum of ten hours hiking while the third day consisted of only two for us to reach the parking lot. We packed decently, but could probably have done more to carry less cans and a smaller stove. All things considered though, we did pretty well for ourselves. We did get the early start we wanted on Wednesday and spent the day seeing spectacular beaches that weren’t far away from what you’d expect in the Carribean or other tropical islands. The deep blue water lapping against small islands just out of reach and white sand beaches were the subjects of many photo stops along the way. While I only carried a cell phone, both Camille and Kat brought fantastic cameras that have lead to even more breathtaking images. It was a long day, but a happy one. We passed the time telling jokes and riddles but also just taking time to appreciate where we were. We also came across our first tidal crossing and had to walk through a barren sand field in what almost could be mistaken with a desert to make it across. There was a small beach nearby where we stopped for some sandwiches and frisbee.

 

View from the trail 

Peter on the beach 

     When we did finally make it to our hut it was almost dusk, and Peter surprised us all by pulling six cans of beer from his pack we could enjoy at a nearby beach. We did our best but the sand was so cold we retreated soon after finishing the well-earned beverages. That night we made a wonderful heap of rice and beans, going to bed stuffed and prepping for what would be our longest day.

     From start to finish day two took us 13 hours on the trail. This isn’t too far off what we had expected when you account for a lunch break and a short stop at an i site while we waited out some of the rain. The sights weren’t as pretty as the first day, with a lot of our time spent deeper in the rainforest than perhaps we would have liked and occasional beach walks that made me realise just how annoying walking on sand is. There was also the time Peter, Hart, and I attempted to cross a massive beach barefoot over clam shells in an effort to “save time.” In retrospect, it was kind of stupid. I think my feet are still getting back at me for that. Everyone else was a little too smart for that and I’m very glad we stopped for lunch shortly after.

     The only thing that really stunk was due to a recent storm, slips at made some of the Abel Tasman track unwalkable and we had to take detours generally over large hills. One time in particular, we had to forgo a scenic final few hours to our journey with a hike up “Gibbs Hill,” a hill I will forever remember as a massive incline and a dark descent as the sun set on our way up. The rest of the trek was done by headlamp and occasionally stopping to try and spot a kiwi in the rustling brush. When we did make it down to the cabin most people were already turning in for the night and there was no light fixtures. So we hung a headlamp from the ceiling and set about making pasta and playing cards.

Exit to the great walk 

     The hike out was incredibly simple in comparison and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see a van in my life. Particularly because ours was full of potato chips. Nothing celebrates a great walk like potato chips, and we spent a good amount of time in that parking lot celebrating all the snacks we had access to again. After that was the long drive to Hamner Springs, a good halfway point to Christchurch where we would soon be getting on a plane for Auckland. Again we were treated to an awesome little house we made full use of and Hart made some delicious butter chicken. Peter brought new meaning to “one with bed” and we overall had a nice, exhausted night playing...you guessed it...cards.

One with bed 

     We had a decision to make the next day: more time in Christchurch, or the hot springs of Hamner Springs. Eventually, we decided springs and they were amazing. A big improvement from the Franz Josef pools, Hamner Springs really sold the springs. It was like a water park for adults with multiple different pools of every temperature and an awesome lazy river for when we felt like racing on kickboards. Spending a good three hours there was a morning we all deserved and thoroughly enjoyed going between the various mineral waters and running our heads under the massaging waterfalls. Eventually we did have to leave though and finished the drive to our hostel right next to Christchurch Airport.

     In relatively short order after arriving, we rushed into the city and...were amazed. The Earthquake struck eight years ago and yet it looked as if the quake could have been last week. All sorts of temporary construction fences walled off various buildings and vacant lots with rubble in Cathedral square that still hasn’t been cleared away. It was positively eery to think that all this devastation had happened close to a decade prior...and the whole city felt empty. Maybe we had come at a bad time but it was 6 pm on a Saturday, when else should it be full of life? I’m not sure Christchurch ever recovered after the quake and maybe there’s just nothing that can be done for now but the whole place just had a sort of quietness to it I wouldn’t associate to any other city I’ve been to. Nevertheless, we stopped by an Irish pub for a drink and ended up watching a match of super rugby before heading back to the hostel and making some soft shell tacos.

Christchurch 

     We didn’t get to bed until probably around 3 AM...this proved to be a bad move considering we had to wake up at six to finish packing and get to the airport for 7:30. No one was really at their best and many simply passed out in the airport and on the plane. Just like that our adventure was over and university reared its ugly head with such activities like “studying” and “homework.” All in all it was a fantastic two weeks with fantastic people

Return to the Bay of Islands

      This weekend we managed to pull off our first overnight trip. There is a certainly molasses-y feel to planning with nine people, and if it wasn't for a mad hostel search the Monday before it might have taken us even longer to reach a verdict of where to stay and for what price. In the end, it all worked out. Extremely cheaply too for that matter, averaging $23 per night per person in Paihia.
     Eager to get our start out into the Bay of Islands, we picked up our two rental cars around six-ish Friday night and hoped to get in around 10 to the Peppertree Hostel. I was in a car with Harrison, Antonia, and Alexander with Peter behind the wheel the whole way. It was a long trip that did require a rest stop for dinner, and a McDonald's shortly after for...second dinner...but we did get there in good time. We were all pretty wiped so after flipping a coin to figure out how we were splitting 5 and 4 in the two bunk rooms, we said goodnight and that was the end of it. the 4 people in one room piled in with the already-sleeping roommates, but us 5 had an entire 8 person room to ourselves for the whole trip. Certainly can't complain.
     When we woke up Saturday, the weather seemed like it would be a bit of a problem: gray skies prevailed and every few minutes it seemed to rain just enough to keep us on our toes and raincoat hoods pulled over our heads. The majority of people were ready to do a boat tour of the islands and after a quick breakfast of muesli and toast we all headed off to the visitor's center. I originally didn't plan to go with them and maybe spend the day in Russell seeing something I hadn't seen before, but when I found out the boat ride everyone else was eying clocked in around 6 hours and not the 4 of my previous cruise, I felt like I might have more fun with everyone else. Luckily that turned out to be a great decision. Considering the weather, we were going to be the only 9 people on this boat. We had a private trip! I kept expecting one of the big river boats you might have dinner on or like the one I took with my family a couple weeks ago out to see the hole in the rock, but somehow we had booked a sailboat tour. (This was less of a surprise to the other people who had paid attention when the visitor center was laying out tour options and not idly standing around) With the weather still somewhat drab, sails turned out to be fantastic in the bay with wind whipping us all around. The boat also came stocked with massive warm ponchos and bean bag chairs on the "deck" (it was like a tight net) to enjoy the ride out to Moturua island in what turned into a heavy downpour.
     I can't speak much about the ride out into the bay, most of it was spent huddled like a blueberry speaking seldom and graciously accepting the hot chocolate when one of the ship's two crew came around offering refreshment and cookies. When we got closer, the rain lightened up enough to peek out from the ponchos and start to get excited about what was described as "two hours snorkeling, paddle boarding, and hiking around the small island" by our tour guide. Again, my expectations were completely blown away when I found out all this came included in the boat and wouldn't be the hour walk about from the last cruise I had done. We were even given a briefing on what fish we might see below the water!
     When we did finally get to Moturua, the first thing we did was Snorkel. I think this is the first time I've done it outside a swimming pool and it was amazing. The water wasn't too cold, and fish were darting in and out of the underwater rocks constantly. I can't remember the specific types...but I definitely saw five or six of the ones described to us on the boat. I think my favorite parts were when I just floated above a rock structure and let the fish get used to the floating mass above them and just swim in and out of the rock, darting this way and that. After that, a couple of us went paddle boarding which was  a little difficult in the wind but proved to still give you a spectacular perspective of the island.

 Pictured is Peter and Harrison riding around the cove with the sailboat on the far left. This was Peter's first time on a paddle board and he did have a couple spectacular falls. Not pictured is Camille, who also tried out a board for the first time and some 2 minutes after launching, the winds and current brought her back to shore completely on their own accord. 

     Eventually we did had to head back, which was far nicer than the way there, and had a really awesome ride with music from a portable speaker and some "sunshine in a bottle" provided by the crew. It really was a great time and left us all content, but incredibly tired. This did not stop someone from suggesting a small hike though, so shortly after returning we ended up taking a hike in the forest behind Paihia that let out on a lovely little view point.

The evening was spent mostly lazing around and cooking dinner at the hostel while watching Lord of the Rings that someone had thrown on the communal TV. Later on, the guys were finally convinced that we did indeed have access to these movies back in Auckland and we should go out and have a beer at a local bar.
     On Sunday, we got a bit of an early start, to make sure we could get to the Waipu caves and back to Auckland in time for our car rentals, but did manage to see Paihia falls before we left the area. It was indeed a waterfall, but of course now that I'm in New Zealand my standards are a little higher...and I'm glad we didn't end up doing the hour long hike to get there. Instead, we drove and met some really intense chickens in the parking lot.

      We also managed to make a stop for a piece of art by the apparently incredibly famous Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the Austrian-born New Zealand artist who was known well by some of the Europeans in the group. Perhaps the most "useful" piece of art I've seen in quite some time, it was, in fact, a toilet.


     The caves were just as spectacular a second time, and now I had really come prepared. Decked out in bathing trunks and a headlamp I was ready to go as far in as the Waipu caves would let me. This turned out to be...not much farther than I had gone last time. We scurried through a few thinner passages but they lacked glow worms and were somewhat drab. The one really cool new thing though was Peter, Katharina, and I discovered a passage off to the right in the atrium of the cave that seemed to just be a cave filled with water. After Peter reminded me I was indeed wearing swim trunks we both got into the murky water up to our chests and swam into what turned into another cave exit around the corner. It was really cool, I just wish I had remembered to take a picture of the separate exit! Oh well, maybe that will be when I return for the third time!

Closer to Home

     It's been a fantastic weekend. Starting Thursday afternoon with the University's Annual "Party in the Park" we were able to see a ton of local talent like Melodownz and Baynk before Chase and Status lit up the stage that night.


     I definitely wasn't a big fan of the EDM beats and constant hype man on stage during the Chase and Status's act, but the crowd definitely seemed to enjoy the uh, music. We got in right when the gates opened at 4 so the first part of the afternoon was spent mostly in bean bag chairs enjoying the afternoon and free food provided by Nandos. Next year though I'll definitely go a bit later. You know, when the bands actually arrive. After that a group of us went back to 55 Symonds and hung out a while before finally calling it a night.

     The next day, I experienced my first Rugby game. Auckland Blues versus Waikato Chiefs. Together with Hardeep, a local from Waikato, we set off to Eden park just 30 minutes walk from campus. Luckily, it was enough time for those of us from Denmark, the United States, and Indonesia  to quickly absorb the basic rules of Rugby. We stopped briefly at a small Sichuan noodle place Hart recommended for dinner bringing the total for dinner and a night at a major sporting event to just over $30 nzd. That still boggles my mind. General admission tickets to the game were around $25 and were great seats!

    
     While the Chiefs did eventually win, I think I'll have to be a Blues supporter. Since I'm primarily in Auckland I think the allegiance makes the most sense. Also, unfortunately not pictured, whenever the Blues scored at Eden Park massive flame jets would burst from the sideline in spectacular pyrotechnic glory. It was a fantastic game and I'm hoping to join Harrison for the next Blues home game towards the end of March.
    
      The craziest thing about this Rugby league (Super Rugby) is how each conference is a different country. There's the Australian Conference, South African Conference, and the New Zealand Conference. A league that spans continents and draws support the world over. I'm wondering if my enthusiasm will remain once I'm back state side but right now I'm seriously considering buying a Blues jersey...

     On Saturday we did a lot of walking around the  Lantern Festival in the Domain, a beautiful park that houses the War museum, after grabbing coffee near where Harrison lived last semester. We also started to plan a trip to the bay of Islands so stay tuned for that one, might even stay in the same hotel I was in with my parents! With a sunset time of around 7:58, after spending a few hours touring the Festival and viewing some awesome Wing Chun demonstrations, we decided we had enough time to try and watch the sunset from Mt. Eden, a dormant Volcano located just a short walk away and one of the highest points in the city. Unfortunately it was a little cloudy, but the views were no less incredible and we stayed up there until well after the sun went down.

     
     Sunday, we rested. I took the time to get some homework started so I'd have more time next weekend for whatever trip we decide upon and watched a little TV. A group of us had plans to catch the fireworks at the Lantern Festival and all agreed the lanterns might look even cooler at night. We grabbed dinner at some of the food tents and hung out for a couple hours waiting for the fireworks to start and walked around some of the most beautiful displays I've ever seen.


     I took pictures of trees filled with lantern - vegetables, lantern - birds, and other displays of dragons or the zodiac. There was Karaoke, desserts, toys, it was incredible!