Photos from my New Zealand trip, click here
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Loud and proud
17 JunNo this is not a gay pride post, this a kiwi pride post. But this is relevant to all.
It’s not until you go overseas and travel and see the rest of the world that you can truly appreciate home. Growing up surrounded by natural beauty, a caring family, a first class education and health system and friendly people, you just take it for granted. Well, not so much take it for granted, but as a kid/teenager it is all you know, it is life.
Going overseas, you see the poverty; you see the concrete jungles of overcrowded countries, modern day slavery, pollution, corruption and even the simple things like having to buy bottled water as you can not drink the tap water.
So coming home I realised how fortunate I have been and saw all my surroundings in a new light.
It wasn’t just all the above that made me appreciate New Zealand, it was the people also. Being back home reminded me how down to earth and relaxed people are. Here are a few classic kiwi moments I found quite amusing.
I was at the Puhoi country pub, an iconic kiwi pub located in a small North Island town. There was your stereotypical weathered kiwi bushman drinking from a crate bottle (tall boy, long neck) in front of the open fire. He looked like an alcoholic Father Christmas that had just won a Salvation Army make-over. Over the radio came the news headline, “13 year old boy skulls bottle of spirits in 20 minutes and is admitted to hospital”. The old kiwi bushman in his gruff voice looks at me and says “sounds to me as though he needs to toughen up”.
We were on our flight from Auckland to Nelson, there were no security checks, lining up or checking ID, we just walked out of the gate over the tarmac and onto the plane. The funny part was that the plane was nearly empty; it only had 11 people on it. But instead of the air hostess standing at the front of the plane and going through the robotic movements explaining the in-flight procedures, she walks down the aisle with a welcoming smile, picks up the on board safety card, and says “you won’t be needing this, you can use it as a fan if you want”.
The Kiwi Experience
16 JunWell it was a whirl wind trip back home to Nelson. One week of hanging out with the family and giving Mandy her dose of kiwiana (general term used to include all things typical of New Zealnd). It’s all been go, an action packed kiwi experience and it didn’t involve a green bus full of drunken rooting tourists (don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a bus load of drunken rooting tourists).
Mandy, myself and sister Jarnia did an overnight tramp (trek) into Lake Rotoiti, which was awesome, Jarnia and I relived our childhood and Mandy got to experience New Zealand’s native bush. The rain didn’t hinder our spirits but rather added to the Lord of the Rings middle earth feel with the mist hanging around the mountains. The battering rain on the tin roof of the hut made us appreciate the wood smoked heat being pumped out by the huts fire.
We finished the tramp by jumping in the lake, and oh my god it was cold, I’m still peeing ice cubes! I suppose we should have expected it to be cold considering there was a sprinkling of snow on the surrounding mountains.
After coming back from Lake Rotoiti we were off for an old fashioned family road trip. Mum and dad up front and the kids in the back seat, only difference being, we didn’t have to stop for me to spew and we weren’t complaining about the driving, but rather savouring the beautiful green landscape unfolding before our eyes.
Golden bay was the stage for Mandy’s kiwi experience road trip. The main actors in the kiwi experience play were: sheep, a venison pie, a good ‘ol kiwi farm bach (holiday house), seals, hokey pokey ice cream, an All Blacks rugby game, greenstone and paua shell jewery, and numerous local beers and wine etc. The Golden Bay landscape of rolling green farm land falling away into rugged coast line being consumed by the crashing waves was the perfect setting.
Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head back up to Auckland for our flight to Argentina.
Hitting the ground running
9 JunAfter a 19 hour overnight train ride, then 10 hours in Bangkok, then an overnight 10 hour flight to Melbourne, then 12 more hours at Melbourne airport due to a delay, and yet another night on a plane, we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand at 4am to a welcomed chill in the air. We finally lay our weary heads on a real pillow at my Aunty’s Auckland house at 5am.
The crowing of roosters in Thailand were replaced with the New Zealand sun shining through the window, which woke us at 1pm. There was no time for jet lag, we had to get some winter clothes before going out that night, as boardies and barefeet weren’t going to cut it in New Zealand winter.
Mandy and I attended the well known kiwi band ‘Fly my pretties’ that night with good friends Barney and Lindsay. Wow, what an introduction back into NZ with some good quality kiwi beats. Then it was out for a night on the town in Auckland.
The following day was Barneys birthday and he had taken the day off work, so the four of us went for a birthday lunch over to Waiheke Island, and what a day. It was great to get out and see some beautiful NZ scenery.
On the Saturday I had some family time with my sister and aunty. We did ventured out on a road trip down to the cool little surfy town Raglan for lunch and to view the rugged west coast. Then it was back for a triple wammy birthday party for Barney, Griffs and Lynsy. The party was like we were back in Korea, with an underground Korean dinner followed by a Korean styled singing room; let’s just say that soju (Koreas answer to saki) was the winner on the day.
Waking up on Sunday morning feeling like a swine flu victim, I medicated myself with a glass of champagne at the champagne breakfast my Aunty had organised. Then it was off to meet my Irish mate Teddy Rabbit who I had lived with in my Spanish chapter, he now lives with his beautiful kiwi wife in Auckland.
Today being Monday was spent with Aunty Jill on yet another road trip to show Mandy the rolling country side on a drive up to Walkworth for lunch. Now I’m at the airport waiting to fly back home to Nelson to stay with mum and dad for a week. And I’m sure there is more of the same waiting for us there, hiking and road trips, I can’t wait.
Anyway, it’s been great being back in NZ so far; trading in the bare feet for shoes ($20 Thailand rip-offs – gold), wearing my jacket instead of having my bustling muscular chest glistening in the sun, having hot showers instead of cold, continuous electricity, eating actual food instead of refugee camp rice – ummm red meat- and having people understand me. Although I do miss the Thailand bum guns, I have found myself sitting on the toilet and reaching for the bum gun to give my bottom a cleansing squirt after attending to business, but having a sinking feeling when my outreached hand bumps into the toilet roll, but hey you can’t have it all.
Colombia Backpacking and New Zealand Accident Photos
25 MarHowdy,
I have finally got around to putting up my Colombia photos from last year, where Mandy and I spent 6 weeks backpacking around that beautiful country. So if you beleive what you see on that brain draining box known as a TV that Colombia is full of Cocaine crazed mafia thugs and rebels, please have a gander and see the real side of Colombia.
Also I have included photos from the weekend of my accident. Some may find these photos pretty weird, theres no blood or bones, but it definitely catches the moment, and is quite chilling. I asked Jerm to take the photos as I remember when we were kids and I cut my knee open, that I wish we could of taken a photo of it. But they act as a reminder to me of how lucky both Jarnia and I were.
Also you can click on the link on the right-hand side to see photos from my past 5 years of travel aswell. I plan to get some photos up of OZ in the coming couple of months as well.
I’m still moving in!
13 DecWelcome,
At present I am still moving into my new blog, so please bare with me as I finish off the previous chapters of my journey and upload photos. I plan for ‘hap working the world’ to be up and blogging by mid January 2008.
Thank you please come again (said in Apu accent).
Nuthin but love hap
ps Its taking way longer than what I thought, its driving me crazy! (check out my Movember Mo)
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