Hello, dragons and dormice.
On this day, a year ago, I started my trip to New Zealand. And it was an amazing three weeks. So much stuff happened that I couldn’t put it to words for months, but now, a year later, enough details have faded that I think I can manage it in a few blog posts. I did keep a travel diary at the time, so these are some snippets out of that diary. I hope you enjoy it.
On this day, a year ago, I started my trip to New Zealand. And it was an amazing three weeks. So much stuff happened that I couldn’t put it to words for months, but now, a year later, enough details have faded that I think I can manage it in a few blog posts. I did keep a travel diary at the time, so these are some snippets out of that diary. I hope you enjoy it.
Netherlands,
November 23, 2014
I’m going on an adventure…
I’m going on an adventure.
Alone!
Everything is packed and ready, but my flight doesn’t leave until 10 pm. Mum and dad are driving me to the airport in Schiphol. It’s the finale of Klara top 100 on the radio (of classic music), so we’re going to see how far the radio station will last once we’re over the border. The show is something I usually make a point of not missing. The top three will probably be Beethoven and Bach though, as usual.
eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek NERVESSS
Dubai, November 24, 2014
Just arrived in Dubai after a 6-hour flight from Schiphol, where we left around ten pm. Needless to say that I barely got a wink of sleep- first because I was so excited to go on my great adventure, and then because apparently I can’t sleep when I’m on a plane. It’s 10 past 8 now, which means it’s about 10 past five in the morning at home.
I am so tired.
The service on the plane was really good though- a screen in the back of every seat, a large menu of food, and a hot towel at departure and arrival. The screen allowed you to watch movies or series, listen to music, play games and track the flight. Are all planes like this and have I just been on really crappy planes, or is Emirates just really luxurious?
I watched Guardians of the Galaxy again. I don’t think it’s out on DVD yet. The food made my intestines curl and twist for the duration of the flight- fun- but it was to be expected; crappy plane food and nerves don’t mix well. Oh, and only one ear of my headphones worked…
And to think I’m not even halfway yet.
I wish I had a window seat next, so I could lean against the side and sleep some, but the lady at the desk said it’d be a corridor seat again.
I’m going on an adventure…
I’m going on an adventure.
Alone!
Everything is packed and ready, but my flight doesn’t leave until 10 pm. Mum and dad are driving me to the airport in Schiphol. It’s the finale of Klara top 100 on the radio (of classic music), so we’re going to see how far the radio station will last once we’re over the border. The show is something I usually make a point of not missing. The top three will probably be Beethoven and Bach though, as usual.
eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek NERVESSS
Dubai, November 24, 2014
Just arrived in Dubai after a 6-hour flight from Schiphol, where we left around ten pm. Needless to say that I barely got a wink of sleep- first because I was so excited to go on my great adventure, and then because apparently I can’t sleep when I’m on a plane. It’s 10 past 8 now, which means it’s about 10 past five in the morning at home.
I am so tired.
The service on the plane was really good though- a screen in the back of every seat, a large menu of food, and a hot towel at departure and arrival. The screen allowed you to watch movies or series, listen to music, play games and track the flight. Are all planes like this and have I just been on really crappy planes, or is Emirates just really luxurious?
I watched Guardians of the Galaxy again. I don’t think it’s out on DVD yet. The food made my intestines curl and twist for the duration of the flight- fun- but it was to be expected; crappy plane food and nerves don’t mix well. Oh, and only one ear of my headphones worked…
And to think I’m not even halfway yet.
I wish I had a window seat next, so I could lean against the side and sleep some, but the lady at the desk said it’d be a corridor seat again.
Melbourne, November 25, 2014
I’m in Melbourne, Australia, waiting for boarding. I had to ask someone where we are because I’m dizzy with sleep deprivation.
Just had a 12-hour flight, so, plus one hour delay and the two hours I had to wait in Dubai we’re about 23 hours further than when I left 2 days ago in Schiphol. Today is the 25th, 8:15 in the morning, and so far I’ve had about twenty minutes of sleep.
You know what happens when you haven’t had enough sleep? You make mistakes.
So I was sitting at the wrong gate in Dubai, apparently. In the plane from Schiphol they’d announced the connecting flights, but apparently the flight on my ticket was a different plane to New Zealand than the one they’d announced, and a different gate. I had to take a subway to the right gate- that’s how big Dubai airport is. I was so happy I still made it to the right gate on time.
This flight I was sitting next to a really nice elderly man from Australia. We played “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” together on his screen. I also saw How to Train Your Dragon, Muppets Most Wanted and a few Community and Big Bang Theory episodes.
Plane food is less disagreeable but still gross. (At least I stopped farting. Good thing those plane engines are so loud…)
So tired.
Auckland, November
25, 2014
New Zealand! Finally! I swear my bottom lip was trembling; might have had to do with the gigantic poster of Peter Jackson wishing me welcome (from the Air New Zealand clip) - or because of the lack of sleep. Speaking of sleep- I could barely stay conscious on the last flight. My right eye is a bit bloodshot. It was quite a security check to get out of the airport: first VISA and filling out papers, then luggage. Both queues took a very long time, with several dogs patrolling. I was glad I got through- first, apparently. I’m sitting in a corner while our guide is collecting his ‘lost sheep’.
(it’s about 4 pm?)
…
I met my roommate, who is 23 and the only other person under 40 in our group. They’re all very nice though. About 3 people from Flanders, including me. From the airport we went to Auckland: our hotel room is tiny, but it’ll do just fine. I took a quick shower, and then we all went to a pub for dinner so we could get to know each other a bit better. And then I found out everything is super expensive- holy moly! I do hope I won’t be broke before the end.
I had a lovely conversation with a few ladies in our group- I’m not the only Lord of the Rings fanatic, although still the most fanatical.
Did I mention I’m in New Zealand?
New Zealand! Finally! I swear my bottom lip was trembling; might have had to do with the gigantic poster of Peter Jackson wishing me welcome (from the Air New Zealand clip) - or because of the lack of sleep. Speaking of sleep- I could barely stay conscious on the last flight. My right eye is a bit bloodshot. It was quite a security check to get out of the airport: first VISA and filling out papers, then luggage. Both queues took a very long time, with several dogs patrolling. I was glad I got through- first, apparently. I’m sitting in a corner while our guide is collecting his ‘lost sheep’.
(it’s about 4 pm?)
…
I met my roommate, who is 23 and the only other person under 40 in our group. They’re all very nice though. About 3 people from Flanders, including me. From the airport we went to Auckland: our hotel room is tiny, but it’ll do just fine. I took a quick shower, and then we all went to a pub for dinner so we could get to know each other a bit better. And then I found out everything is super expensive- holy moly! I do hope I won’t be broke before the end.
I had a lovely conversation with a few ladies in our group- I’m not the only Lord of the Rings fanatic, although still the most fanatical.
Did I mention I’m in New Zealand?
Auckland, November 26, 2014
I slept like a brick for 8 hours.
Heaven.
We visited the Sky Tower today, which is basically the same as the Space Needle in Seattle. It gave us a nice vista of the city- and I saw my first volcano! Granted, it was just a black hill in the ocean, but it’s the thought that counts. Then we took the bus to an aquarium, which was fun, but not very impressive (well, I just happen to have been in a lot of zoos so far, I suppose.) the bus back was partly shark-shaped, that was funny. Then I walked around a bit, first with L. the roommate and then by myself, bought some souvenirs and a book (Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss) and then had some soup in what turned out to be a Belgian pub, of all places. In the evening I joined up with most of the group to take the ferry to one of the islands in the bay, called Devonport. We walked to the top and then had Thai food after. I hadn’t realised that Asia being so close to New Zealand was going to have such a good effect on the Asian cuisine…
Bay of Islands,
November 27, 2014
Today we packed up and went to Bay of Islands. I usually don’t look forward to these long bus rides, but our bus is more like a van than one of those big-ass tourist busses, and we made several stops; first to visit an 800-year-old tree in a jungle-like forest, then at a waterfall where we had lunch (I wet my feet in the water and scrambled around on the rocks a bit, but my bus neighbour of the day actually swam in it), and lastly we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. A treaty was made there between the British and the Maori. One of the most interesting pieces in the museum was a giant canoe, but it also had some lovely forests where apparently some kiwi’s roamed, but I didn’t see any. After the treaty grounds we did a 6 km walk through woods and a mangrove. It was beautiful, and it had an impressive waterfall at the end.
Then we unpacked at our motel, which isn’t just one building but several little houses in a U-shape, two storeys high, and every storey being an apartment. Our apartment is also 4 times bigger than our *Hotel*- figures. After we’d settled in I went out to dinner with L. and two other ladies from our group, and I had some superb seafood chowder- took a selfie with it and everything, it tasted super delicious.
Of course, then I got serious stomach cramps at night and realised I forgot my first aid kit in the hotel. FML.
Today we packed up and went to Bay of Islands. I usually don’t look forward to these long bus rides, but our bus is more like a van than one of those big-ass tourist busses, and we made several stops; first to visit an 800-year-old tree in a jungle-like forest, then at a waterfall where we had lunch (I wet my feet in the water and scrambled around on the rocks a bit, but my bus neighbour of the day actually swam in it), and lastly we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. A treaty was made there between the British and the Maori. One of the most interesting pieces in the museum was a giant canoe, but it also had some lovely forests where apparently some kiwi’s roamed, but I didn’t see any. After the treaty grounds we did a 6 km walk through woods and a mangrove. It was beautiful, and it had an impressive waterfall at the end.
Then we unpacked at our motel, which isn’t just one building but several little houses in a U-shape, two storeys high, and every storey being an apartment. Our apartment is also 4 times bigger than our *Hotel*- figures. After we’d settled in I went out to dinner with L. and two other ladies from our group, and I had some superb seafood chowder- took a selfie with it and everything, it tasted super delicious.
Of course, then I got serious stomach cramps at night and realised I forgot my first aid kit in the hotel. FML.
Bay of Islands, 28
November 2014
Woke up and felt slightly better. It was drizzling. Me and a large part of our group went canoeing with two Maori’s, and they led us to a traditional Maori house. It was surprisingly interesting. The guy explained why the houses are built the way they are, what their tattoos mean (they aren’t tattoos and there was a different word for it but I can’t remember), and why their canoes are so important to them.
When a stranger enters a Maori village, they are first challenged, which involves a lot of aggressive gestures and eye-rolling and tongue-action, and usually some weapon you don’t want to see up close. Towards the end of this ceremony, the challenger puts a branch, or a leaf, on the ground, and it’s very important that the visitor picks it up whilst keeping eye-contact with the challenger to show his respect. This was all explained by the guide before we went in the village, and we got the challenge- only, he pointed at the eldest of our group to pick the twig off the ground and he was a bit hard of hearing and hadn’t heard the explanation. I gasped quite loudly when he picked the branch up without keeping eye-contact- but no one got hurt.
Woke up and felt slightly better. It was drizzling. Me and a large part of our group went canoeing with two Maori’s, and they led us to a traditional Maori house. It was surprisingly interesting. The guy explained why the houses are built the way they are, what their tattoos mean (they aren’t tattoos and there was a different word for it but I can’t remember), and why their canoes are so important to them.
When a stranger enters a Maori village, they are first challenged, which involves a lot of aggressive gestures and eye-rolling and tongue-action, and usually some weapon you don’t want to see up close. Towards the end of this ceremony, the challenger puts a branch, or a leaf, on the ground, and it’s very important that the visitor picks it up whilst keeping eye-contact with the challenger to show his respect. This was all explained by the guide before we went in the village, and we got the challenge- only, he pointed at the eldest of our group to pick the twig off the ground and he was a bit hard of hearing and hadn’t heard the explanation. I gasped quite loudly when he picked the branch up without keeping eye-contact- but no one got hurt.
In the afternoon I bought some toiletries since I forgot them all in Auckland,
and did a boat trip in a speedboat to visit the cliffs and caves in the bay
(called Paihia- and if you have a NZ accent you’ll pronounce that as ‘pie
here’). It was cool to see the volcanic rocks and the Gannets. We visited a
cave which was pink with coral- it looked a bit like flesh- and I stood on top
of James Cook’s lookout. Let me tell you, when you’re almost all alone on an
island, with nothing but the wind in your ears and a wide vista of bright blue
ocean and tropical islands around you, and you realise you’re quite literally
on the other side of the world- that was special. (Also, speedboats are
awesome!)
There’s a bird here that first makes an R2D2 bleeping noise and then two R2D2 screams. It’s annoying as fuck. I thought it was an alarm at first.
PS: I think “toki-hi” is Maori for “row, you bastards”.
PPS: None of my bank cards are working, and it’s freaking me out. I contacted mum over Facebook and urged her to go to the bank asap.
There’s a bird here that first makes an R2D2 bleeping noise and then two R2D2 screams. It’s annoying as fuck. I thought it was an alarm at first.
PS: I think “toki-hi” is Maori for “row, you bastards”.
PPS: None of my bank cards are working, and it’s freaking me out. I contacted mum over Facebook and urged her to go to the bank asap.
Rotorua, 29
November 2014
Today we travelled to Rotorua. No significant stops, except for one: an Austrian artist called Hundertwasser made a public lavatory in Art nouveau Gaudi style, and had decorated parts of the main street of the town we passed.
Rotorua is a volcanic city (apparently the earth’s crust is very thin here- isn’t that cool?), so everything smells like sulphur, or in other words, rotten eggs. It has parks with hot, steaming pools and spas. We even have our own private thermal hot tub on a terrace behind our apartment- definitely going to use that soon.
Today we travelled to Rotorua. No significant stops, except for one: an Austrian artist called Hundertwasser made a public lavatory in Art nouveau Gaudi style, and had decorated parts of the main street of the town we passed.
Rotorua is a volcanic city (apparently the earth’s crust is very thin here- isn’t that cool?), so everything smells like sulphur, or in other words, rotten eggs. It has parks with hot, steaming pools and spas. We even have our own private thermal hot tub on a terrace behind our apartment- definitely going to use that soon.
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