Under Appreciated No More Part 4

Possibly the last instalment in this series, although I'm sure there are things at home I've completely forgotten about that will rapidly get a big ole hug once I'm there.

#16 Local Knowledge: Although learning is part of the fun of travelling, having some specific knowledge is always handy. Knowing what areas of a town to avoid as a solo female is number one on that list. Luckily for me I had friends with me 99.9% of the time. I do like some alone time every now and then though, and even walking down the street after dinner could potentially be sketchy. Some of the supermarket practices in Bocas would have been nice to know right away (unplugged freezers overnight, raw meat, +40 C heat, you do the math). Knowing that tipping isn't expected in Australia was also a nice tid bit of information to learn, especially when food prices are ridiculous in the first place.

#17 Home Grown Feminine Products: Sorrys boys, I know how squeamish this subject makes most of you. As I was going to be gone for 5 months, it did not make sense to pack that much supply, it would take up too much space. I figured I'd just buy as I go. Now I don't know about other women, but I have a brand and style I like, in an emergency I'll use whatever, but if given the choice I'd use what I know. It's hard to explain without going into great detail. There were a few times in Bocas I had a tough time even locating them in the supermarket, I wasn't sure they'd even work, and Australia is just on a whole different level of products. It's weird I know but I think there are some women out there who would agree with me.

#18 Domestic Travel in Australia: Easy, headache free, awesome, and comfortable. My main source of transit in Australia was Greyhound and Qantas and I was fairly pleased with both services. My Greyhound pass was stupid easy. I bought a one-way pass from Cairns to Sydney that lasted 90 days, had as many stops as I wished, and the only rule was no backtracking. Great plus most hostels had a free shuttle pickup and dropoff which made carrying my bags super simple. I only had to share a seat once for half an hour. The coaches had leather seats, reclining seat backs, and if you were lucky free wifi (which worked better than some of the hostels I stayed at). Flying was also extremely simple. No need to show a passport and zero restrictions on your carryon luggage. Well not zero but I could take as much food, water, and liquids on board as I wanted. After flying internationally that made packing so painless.

#19 Movie Night In/Out: I have had a couple movie nights while abroad but not nearly as many as I would at home. For the most part you can't pick which movie you want to watch, and sometimes the DVD you really want to watch is so scratched up the player can't read it. Summer is the time for the big Hollywood blockbusters and I haven't seen a single one. If anyone has/wants to go see How to Train Your Dragon 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or any other movie that was great this summer, please let me know as I will have tons of time on my hands once I'm home!

#20 Travelling Within Canada: I talked to so many Australians that had never travelled within their own country. People don't explore their own country, they go abroad first and then stick to their own towns or cities. I thought this was incredibly sad as I know so many people back home who have been all over our nation. I can't imagine not having been to the mountains, lakes, and cities with friends and family, it just seems like a no brainer. I know I still have many places in this big world to explore but sometimes finding new spots in your own backyard is the best.

 

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Stairway of Hell... to Heaven!

New Zealand, WOW! I've only really been here a short time and I've seen and done so many things. Everyday is a new and awesome adventure. My time in New Zealand will be quite different than in Australia as I'm being chauffeured around by Haka Tours. If you want a stress free vacation in New Zealand book on with these guys. You have a 'set' itinerary and can do any number of activities based on where you are in the country. It's phenominal as they arrange all of your transportation, accomodation, organize and book your activities, and recommend great places to eat. Groups are small, ours started at 6, will be the biggest at 11, and ends at 3. So much flexibility with what can be done in a day with groups this size.

Oh the things I've seen! Our first day of tour was raining, so we went to the craziest wine (more like liquor) tasting I will probably ever have. It was at the Purangi Winery and if you ever get the chance to go, DO IT! As this is an adventure tour I started off my thrill seeking by going blackwater rafting. It was more like floating through caves with a few jumps off waterfalls, but the whole purpose of the trip was to see the glow worms! Looked like stars in the sky, really neat to see.

New Zealand wouldn't have been a trip for me if I didnt go to a couple of The Lord of the Rings sites. First up, Hobbiton! Was exactly as you would expect it, tiny houses built into the side of the hill. It was interesting to see how they used props and differing house sizes to manipulate size and how much work it was to make everything seem true to life. The magic of movies is crazy. Finishing of the tour with a beer at the Green Dragon was a nice touch, no dancing on tables however.

So far my favourite and most hated adventure was the Tongariro Crossing. It was the hardest 21km I've ever hiked in my life. 2 of the 7 hours were terrible, the other 5 were definitely worth the pain. Two things made this hike very difficult. Because of the volatile weather that can come in at any moment in the mountains, each person had to be properly equipped for the hike. This included carrying food, water, hiking boots (I had to use theirs, they were a size and a half to big), crampons, ice axe, and extra clothing. The last 2 km my feet and knees were in so much pain from the big shoes and carrying all that extra weight, I couldn't wait to get back to the car park. Thank God they had beer waiting for us at the bottom! The true test was at the Devil's Staircase however. Stairs and upslopes for 1 hour to the summit. There was much cursing during this time but in the end it was completely worth it as a close up view of Mount Doom was waiting for us at the top of the stairs. The weather was absolutely perfect, barely a cloud in the sky, and the view from the mountain top was absolutely stunning.

The crazy thing is that was all in 4 days of my 24 day tour and it only gets better from here!

Bag End!

Mount Doom!

Just one of the many beautiful views on the crossing

 

 

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Wandering Feet

'The afternoon has surprises the morning never expected.'

I've alluded to this before with my city/ town walks but I never really explained why I like doing them so much. For one thing it's half decent exercise but the best part about my wanderings are all the awesome things I find. The quote above I got on one such wanderings while I was eating lunch at the Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens. It came from an elderly gentleman who I chatted with and it seemed perfectly fitting for my entire time in Australia. I never knew where my feet were going to take me!

There always is a destination in mind, I get a general idea of where I'm going and then just walk. I get asked if I want a map, and I always say no. I did get lost a few times, but the ocean can make a great landmark. I knew if I ever got really good and lost I could always just go back to the water and find my way from there. It's amazing what you can find if you have the time to duck into any interesting looking shops, markets, and buildings. My favourite places were the stumble upon events and places I didn't know existed. The most notable things I've stumbled across are the Ukulele Festival, numerous street artists, farmers markets, and countless amounts of beautiful scenery. My spontaneous hang gliding with Tori was a result of one of these wanderings. A case of being in the right place at the right time. Going on tours is awesome, you get to see so many things and places that would have been difficult by yourself. That being said the free days I've had have been some of my best days in Australia.

Walks also served as a great energy release and time to think. After sitting on buses and planes for hours on end, a walk would do wonders for my mood and attention span. There's something infinitely calming about going for a walk by yourself. It's amazing how many topics can filter in and out of your head while doing this. You have time to think about things you should have done, should do, could do, and will do. I won't share most of these thoughts because then my wanderings will become a burden. These are my purest, uninfluenced thoughts and ideas, any form of criticism would ruin any form of epiphany I had. I also don't write most of them down so I forget about half of them anyways :P.

 

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