'Allo loves,
I will be sans internet for a few days, up to a week, as I am off to my first camping adventure. So exicted! Initially I was not impressed with Sydney. It was just another big city. But it definitely won me over with its beautiful harbor, green space, interesting architecture, and friendly people. I will happily spend a day or two upon my return before flying back to the States. Must sees: The Blue Mountains and some kind of a performance at the Opera House. I'll have to see how funds are looking next spring-neither of those activities are shoestring friendly!
Tomorrow I leave for Kaitaia, which is the starting point for my trek to Cape Reigna. The Cape is sacred to the Maori, as a jumping point for their souls to the afterlife. It should be remote and amazing. I plan on taking a shuttle up to the Cape, spending 3 or 4 days camping and trekking (there are several treks available), and then head back to Kaitaia. From there...I'm not sure yet! I'll make a decision before the day is through though, just so I have some plan in mind upon my return from camping. I'll stay on the Northern Island-I think a National Park trek might be in order next.
In case you are interested in more specifics, here is a link so your inner nerd can shine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Reinga
I will post the rest of Sydney pictures and hopefully some amazing NZ photos as soon as I can. Thanks to everyone for the support!
Until we meet again,
Kirsten
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A quick recap of one amazing adventure, or how to appreciate the little things.
I met a few nice people at the hostel I was staying at. One was a lovely Canadian named Devray. She and I traversed the city together on Friday and had a grand time. She was super-fun and easy to talk to, and we loved every part of walking around Sydney. We both were excited about seeing the Opera House, and geeked out a little over the cool government house tour that we took (for free!). The next day I had a new strolling companion, a Brit named Rob who was working in Sydney. His feelings on Sydney: BORED.
So, our outing was an attempt to appreciate little things in life. Of course, this fella has literally traveled the globe-from road tripping the States to climbing Macchu Picchu to caring for pandas in China. Pretty amazing, right? I suppose when that is what you have left behind, the little things seem smaller than normal. But we did find a few things he could appreciate, listed below in no particular order, comprising our amazing adventure.
An Audi ran over a bird, and the bird lived (and flew away with some seriously ruffled feathers);
We walked by a dead bat, face up, looking terrified (what can scare a bat to death is a fascinating question);
Catching the tail that was as big as my left forearm (in sight only) of a possum-like critter ;
Seing a little lizard climbing on a wall;
Realizing some Americans want to learn about cricket because honestly, what the hell do they do for FIVE DAYS??? (I have sort of learned-it's strategy!)
Seeing parts of Sydney never seen before;
Finding a public swimming pool.
The moral here, of course, is that sometimes we have to recognize what is spectacular about small things so that we don't miss out on what matters with the big things. Or perhaps it's that we have to appreicate the small things because not everything can be big and spectacular all the time. Well, something like that...:)
So, our outing was an attempt to appreciate little things in life. Of course, this fella has literally traveled the globe-from road tripping the States to climbing Macchu Picchu to caring for pandas in China. Pretty amazing, right? I suppose when that is what you have left behind, the little things seem smaller than normal. But we did find a few things he could appreciate, listed below in no particular order, comprising our amazing adventure.
An Audi ran over a bird, and the bird lived (and flew away with some seriously ruffled feathers);
We walked by a dead bat, face up, looking terrified (what can scare a bat to death is a fascinating question);
Catching the tail that was as big as my left forearm (in sight only) of a possum-like critter ;
Seing a little lizard climbing on a wall;
Realizing some Americans want to learn about cricket because honestly, what the hell do they do for FIVE DAYS??? (I have sort of learned-it's strategy!)
Seeing parts of Sydney never seen before;
Finding a public swimming pool.
The moral here, of course, is that sometimes we have to recognize what is spectacular about small things so that we don't miss out on what matters with the big things. Or perhaps it's that we have to appreicate the small things because not everything can be big and spectacular all the time. Well, something like that...:)
Sydney in Pictures, Part 2
From the comfort of Esquire's Coffee House in Auckland, NZ, and without further adieu, I present Sydney in Pictures: Part Two.
Kirtie, look!!! It's a pirate ship!!! And in prime position for looting, me thinks. YAR!
The Harbour Bridge (ginormous).
There it is! The lovely Sydney Opera House, as seen from the Harbour Bridge.
Another view of the Opera House.
The Harbour Bridge, alternate view.
Gosh, can you guess??? :)
Hello Kitty! Taken from the Harbour Bridge, enjoying the sites. She's much more glamourous than I. I WISH there was a bow for my hair, too. :(
The Sydney skyline, Harbour Bridge style.
I know, I know, more bridge. But isn't it so beautiful?
Gathering spot near the water (but not near Darling Harbour).
Last one for now, I promise. You'd think it was famous or something!
There is some sort of fun carnival looking place on the left of the Bridge. Check out the clown faces (unfortunately I didn't see any clown shoes).
Last one of the bridge, too-but if you look at the very top, in front of the flag, you can see people up there. They did what's called the Bridge Climb. Harness? Check. Chutzpah? Check. Vomit inducing vertigo? Check. It has everything! If I have the funds I'll do it when I come back to Sydney in May. :)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
New Zealand!
Hi shoestringers!
I have arrived safely in Auckland, New Zealand, after my first REAL travel snafu! There wasn't a weather problem-there was a LAN Chile problem. Anyone that has had my job must think I'm an absolute wanker for booking through them in the first place. The good news? It wasn't Aerolineas Argentinas, who was the holder of my first ticket I refunded. Essentially, our dear friends at LAN didn't have a crew (apparently this happens at least 3 times a week in Sydney), so they had to find airlines to take every passenger on our sold-out flight. $45 in food vouchers (how hungry can one person be?) and 12 hours later, I was en-route to Auckland.
Some might be grumpy about such a delay, but not I. Here are the main reasons, numbered in no particular order, for your reading pleasure:
1. I worked in travel, and those ranting customers have demonstrated EXACTLY how I don't want to act. Ever;
2. There was an angry artist from Philly on my flight to Auckland that would have acted exactly that way (his words), and I enjoyed the feeling of moral superiority that washed over me as I held my Hello Kitty backpack clip-on;
3. I met a Maori woman who had tattoos on her lip and chin!!! Her lips were blue and her chin had traditional artwork, which is one thing I am going to try to avoid (see sublist below, "things I will try to avoid," taken from an earlier post at this blog**). But...it was strangely beautiful, and she was older (her teenage grandson was in tow) and started calling me "Lovey."
4. Said Maori woman's family was there, too. Her daughter and 4 kids drove 1.5 hours to get them to the airport, and they spent the same amazing 12 hours waiting to make sure she got out ok. I shared $30 of my $45 in vouchers with them, and we became Standing In Line Friends, to which I will affix the moniker "SILF." SILFs are those bonded together by proximity and shared experience of wondering "how the f!@# are we going to get out of this airport?"
5. Meeting and chatting with The Artist in Residence at a large Australian University (also known as the Angry Philadelphian);
6. Funny Scotsman in the shuttle (can you ever go wrong with the Scots?);
7. The World's Greatest Airplane Safety Video, courtesy of Air New Zealand, starring members of the All-Blacks Rugby Team.
So there you have it. I have lost a day here, so I'm off to figure out all the essential things for camping. You know, like where the campground is and how to get to it. :) I am using a public computer, so I can't post pictures at the moment. Hopefully I'll find an inexpensive cafe that has wi-fi so I can post some pics. In the meantime, I stayed on budget in Sydney, so this blog can still be called kirstenonashoestring, versus kirstenwithablownbudgetbecauseofbeer.
**Things I will avoid:
Getting boxed by a kanga;
Getting my face tattooed in NZ.
I have arrived safely in Auckland, New Zealand, after my first REAL travel snafu! There wasn't a weather problem-there was a LAN Chile problem. Anyone that has had my job must think I'm an absolute wanker for booking through them in the first place. The good news? It wasn't Aerolineas Argentinas, who was the holder of my first ticket I refunded. Essentially, our dear friends at LAN didn't have a crew (apparently this happens at least 3 times a week in Sydney), so they had to find airlines to take every passenger on our sold-out flight. $45 in food vouchers (how hungry can one person be?) and 12 hours later, I was en-route to Auckland.
Some might be grumpy about such a delay, but not I. Here are the main reasons, numbered in no particular order, for your reading pleasure:
1. I worked in travel, and those ranting customers have demonstrated EXACTLY how I don't want to act. Ever;
2. There was an angry artist from Philly on my flight to Auckland that would have acted exactly that way (his words), and I enjoyed the feeling of moral superiority that washed over me as I held my Hello Kitty backpack clip-on;
3. I met a Maori woman who had tattoos on her lip and chin!!! Her lips were blue and her chin had traditional artwork, which is one thing I am going to try to avoid (see sublist below, "things I will try to avoid," taken from an earlier post at this blog**). But...it was strangely beautiful, and she was older (her teenage grandson was in tow) and started calling me "Lovey."
4. Said Maori woman's family was there, too. Her daughter and 4 kids drove 1.5 hours to get them to the airport, and they spent the same amazing 12 hours waiting to make sure she got out ok. I shared $30 of my $45 in vouchers with them, and we became Standing In Line Friends, to which I will affix the moniker "SILF." SILFs are those bonded together by proximity and shared experience of wondering "how the f!@# are we going to get out of this airport?"
5. Meeting and chatting with The Artist in Residence at a large Australian University (also known as the Angry Philadelphian);
6. Funny Scotsman in the shuttle (can you ever go wrong with the Scots?);
7. The World's Greatest Airplane Safety Video, courtesy of Air New Zealand, starring members of the All-Blacks Rugby Team.
So there you have it. I have lost a day here, so I'm off to figure out all the essential things for camping. You know, like where the campground is and how to get to it. :) I am using a public computer, so I can't post pictures at the moment. Hopefully I'll find an inexpensive cafe that has wi-fi so I can post some pics. In the meantime, I stayed on budget in Sydney, so this blog can still be called kirstenonashoestring, versus kirstenwithablownbudgetbecauseofbeer.
**Things I will avoid:
Getting boxed by a kanga;
Getting my face tattooed in NZ.
Does anyone else find it strange that I think cockroaches add charm to a place?
My hostel totally had cockroaches running around. I assited in a kill. Here's how it happened (brace yourselves):
I was washing glasses, preparing to spend my last night in Sydney drinking goon (the very cheap boxed wine available across the street at Liquorland Express, no joke). My drinking companion said to me, "hey, check this out." I turned around, confused, and he was pointing at the ground. There was a cockroach, and I am telling you it was totally staring at me. I said "eek," or something that sounded more like my inner Baggatta, and I moved to the table to put the glasses down. When I moved, the bloody cockroach turned its creepy antennae to follow me! Luckily, my drinking companion suddenly smashed it with a chair. Neither of us wanted to have it crawling into the goon. Sadly, it didn't die right away. Another chair smash, no death. Last chair smash, and I took what was left of it and put it into a plastic bag. I don't think it was dead! It was (relatively) safe in the rubbish, but then its friend started trying to escape from the bathroom. Girls squealed and I felt considerably less pansy-ish, as our killing of the 'roach felt like something straight out of old-school Sicilian mafia. That might have been the goon talking.
That, friends, is how I spent the beginning of my last evening in Sydney. :)
I was washing glasses, preparing to spend my last night in Sydney drinking goon (the very cheap boxed wine available across the street at Liquorland Express, no joke). My drinking companion said to me, "hey, check this out." I turned around, confused, and he was pointing at the ground. There was a cockroach, and I am telling you it was totally staring at me. I said "eek," or something that sounded more like my inner Baggatta, and I moved to the table to put the glasses down. When I moved, the bloody cockroach turned its creepy antennae to follow me! Luckily, my drinking companion suddenly smashed it with a chair. Neither of us wanted to have it crawling into the goon. Sadly, it didn't die right away. Another chair smash, no death. Last chair smash, and I took what was left of it and put it into a plastic bag. I don't think it was dead! It was (relatively) safe in the rubbish, but then its friend started trying to escape from the bathroom. Girls squealed and I felt considerably less pansy-ish, as our killing of the 'roach felt like something straight out of old-school Sicilian mafia. That might have been the goon talking.
That, friends, is how I spent the beginning of my last evening in Sydney. :)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sydney!
25 hours of perfect travel and I am in lovely Sydney, Australia. My flight path started off looking a little scary, with potential delays causing misconnects that would have caused me to get a here a day late. The travel gods were on my side though; not only did I get here as scheduled, I didn’t have a single delay. Not even by a minute! The last crew of flight attendants had solid humor and I watched a string of films. I even managed a few hours of sleep! Despite the length of travel, it was a painless and delightful day. Heartwarming highlight of the flight: hearing a string of curses (f!@#ing booze is expensive; that bloke is a f#@!ing moron) in Aussie accents mingled with cutesy phrases in a fourteen-year oldish voice (look baby-the Opera House; oh, baby, you are going to kiss me on the bridge tomorrow). Young love, I thought with a sigh. Isn’t it sweet? They were sitting behind me so I couldn’t see them. So, getting ready to deplane I HAD to see them. I was expecting a great big pile of pink teenage hearts, so you can imagine my surprise when I instead saw a couple that was pushing 50 with both feet.
Is it wrong that I was startled? Don’t get me wrong-I enjoy a well-placed F-Bomb as much as the next person (otherwise known as “channeling my inner Baggatta-sorry again former co-workers and boss) as well as terms of endearment, but honestly. I was watching “Letters to Juliet” and kept getting my heart-tugging romance interrupted. Harumph!
Despite the random flurry of f-bombs, the Aussies are warm, friendly, and helpful. Knowing a few Aussies, I expected nothing less! All the same, it’s a nice feeling to get somewhere and have a cute little old lady offer directional assistance (on the train) and have a lovely girl walk me to my hostel. It’s true! I asked a simple question: “which way to George St?” Her response? “I’m going that way so I’ll walk you.” I have had this luck before (filed under Istanbul travels somewhere) but this was totally non-creepy. Solid!
So! The plan for the day is to shower (I can’t check in for a few hours and this, friends who mock my hostel-staying, is the advantage: public showers) and check out Darling Harbor. It is only a 10 minute walk away, so if I can get the internet to work here (it worked long enough to leave a message for mom & dad and talk to Amy for one minute-poo), there just might be photos of the opera house by the end of the day. Of course, the end of my day will be the beginning of your day, potentially. Sydney is 15 hours ahead of CST.
Is it wrong that I was startled? Don’t get me wrong-I enjoy a well-placed F-Bomb as much as the next person (otherwise known as “channeling my inner Baggatta-sorry again former co-workers and boss) as well as terms of endearment, but honestly. I was watching “Letters to Juliet” and kept getting my heart-tugging romance interrupted. Harumph!
Despite the random flurry of f-bombs, the Aussies are warm, friendly, and helpful. Knowing a few Aussies, I expected nothing less! All the same, it’s a nice feeling to get somewhere and have a cute little old lady offer directional assistance (on the train) and have a lovely girl walk me to my hostel. It’s true! I asked a simple question: “which way to George St?” Her response? “I’m going that way so I’ll walk you.” I have had this luck before (filed under Istanbul travels somewhere) but this was totally non-creepy. Solid!
So! The plan for the day is to shower (I can’t check in for a few hours and this, friends who mock my hostel-staying, is the advantage: public showers) and check out Darling Harbor. It is only a 10 minute walk away, so if I can get the internet to work here (it worked long enough to leave a message for mom & dad and talk to Amy for one minute-poo), there just might be photos of the opera house by the end of the day. Of course, the end of my day will be the beginning of your day, potentially. Sydney is 15 hours ahead of CST.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sydney in Pictures, Part 1
The lovely airport.
A list of famous things to come...
A peek of the Chinese Garden.
The park outside the Chinese Garden.
This critter was wondering around like a pigeon looking for snacks. Quite a bit larger and potentially more disturbing...
The front of the Chinese Garden.
Pretty fountains, on the walk to Darling Harbour.
I didn't ask this man if I could take his photo, but he was affecting such an impressive and impromptu James Dean pose I couldn't help myself.
Ummm...no thanks!
Darling Harbour.
More Darling Harbour.
Fun architecture...
And more fun architecture!
The cursing Aussie from the airplane advised this was a restaurant and observatory. I have not yet confirmed.
In case you can't read the sign, it says "The Hungry Mile." I don't have the answer, but I WAS nervous. Sort of. I actually was hungry, come to think of it.
Our (I say "our" as we are taking this journey together) first peek of the Harbour Bridge.The view from luxury apartments. You can see the Harbour Bridge peeking over the top right.Funny and random...
Good morning! I got up at the wee wonky hours of the morning to use the internet before the rest of the hostel. It seems that when 25 people try to use the internet at the same time it gets slow. I know. It's a revelation. ;)
That's NOT the funny thing. The morning news is on here (it's 5:22am) and there was a clip for "The XFactor" Finals with the teaser:
hear the artists perform songs that changed their lives.
Followed by:
Justin Bieber.
Are there words? I'm going to post pictures.
That's NOT the funny thing. The morning news is on here (it's 5:22am) and there was a clip for "The XFactor" Finals with the teaser:
hear the artists perform songs that changed their lives.
Followed by:
Justin Bieber.
Are there words? I'm going to post pictures.
Sydney!
25 hours of perfect travel and I am in lovely Sydney, Australia. My flight path started off looking a little scary, with potential delays causing misconnects that would have caused me to get a here a day late. The travel gods were on my side though; not only did I get here as scheduled, I didn’t have a single delay. Not even by a minute! The last crew of flight attendants had solid humor and I watched a string of films. I even managed a few hours of sleep! Despite the length of travel, it was a painless and delightful day. Heartwarming highlight of the flight: hearing a string of curses (f!@#ing booze is expensive; that bloke is a f#@!ing moron) in Aussie accents mingled with cutesy phrases in a fourteen-year oldish voice (look baby-the Opera House; oh, baby, you are going to kiss me on the bridge tomorrow). Young love, I thought with a sigh. Isn’t it sweet? They were sitting behind me so I couldn’t see them. So, getting ready to deplane I HAD to see them. I was expecting a great big pile of pink teenage hearts, so you can imagine my surprise when I instead saw a couple that was pushing 50 with both feet.
Is it wrong that I was startled? Don’t get me wrong-I enjoy a well-placed F-Bomb as much as the next person (otherwise known as “channeling my inner Baggatta-sorry again former co-workers and boss) as well as terms of endearment, but honestly. I was watching “Letters to Juliet” and kept getting my heart-tugging romance interrupted. Harumph!
Despite the random flurry of f-bombs, the Aussies are warm, friendly, and helpful. Knowing a few Aussies, I expected nothing less! All the same, it’s a nice feeling to get somewhere and have a cute little old lady offer directional assistance (on the train) and have a lovely girl walk me to my hostel. It’s true! I asked a simple question: “which way to George St?” Her response? “I’m going that way so I’ll walk you.” I have had this luck before (filed under Istanbul travels somewhere) but this was totally non-creepy. Solid!
So! The plan for the day is to shower (I can’t check in for a few hours and this, friends who mock my hostel-staying, is the advantage: public showers) and check out Darling Harbor. It is only a 10 minute walk away, so if I can get the internet to work here (it worked long enough to leave a message for mom & dad and talk to Amy for one minute-poo), there just might be photos of the opera house by the end of the day. Of course, the end of my day will be the beginning of your day, potentially. Sydney is 15 hours ahead of CST. :)
Is it wrong that I was startled? Don’t get me wrong-I enjoy a well-placed F-Bomb as much as the next person (otherwise known as “channeling my inner Baggatta-sorry again former co-workers and boss) as well as terms of endearment, but honestly. I was watching “Letters to Juliet” and kept getting my heart-tugging romance interrupted. Harumph!
Despite the random flurry of f-bombs, the Aussies are warm, friendly, and helpful. Knowing a few Aussies, I expected nothing less! All the same, it’s a nice feeling to get somewhere and have a cute little old lady offer directional assistance (on the train) and have a lovely girl walk me to my hostel. It’s true! I asked a simple question: “which way to George St?” Her response? “I’m going that way so I’ll walk you.” I have had this luck before (filed under Istanbul travels somewhere) but this was totally non-creepy. Solid!
So! The plan for the day is to shower (I can’t check in for a few hours and this, friends who mock my hostel-staying, is the advantage: public showers) and check out Darling Harbor. It is only a 10 minute walk away, so if I can get the internet to work here (it worked long enough to leave a message for mom & dad and talk to Amy for one minute-poo), there just might be photos of the opera house by the end of the day. Of course, the end of my day will be the beginning of your day, potentially. Sydney is 15 hours ahead of CST. :)
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