Hello everyone!!! I am soooooooo excited to be back in the US! The last week in New Zealand was totally crazy with all sorts of activities, shopping and seeing people before I left. I can't tell you how happy I was to not sleep in a dorm room last night! I had such a wonderful time in NZ and made so many friends for life. My plan now is to spend a couple of weeks here in Kona with my grandparents and then head to AZ for about 10 days and finally back home to WA where I'll be hanging out with the family and looking for a "Real" job.
I hope everyone is well and thanks for reading the blog! I'll try and upload the rest of my pictures as soon as I have a chance!
-Lisa
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Pictures of Blenheim and Napier
Pictures of Blenheim:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2305467&l=dcc90&id=10001326
Pictures of Napier:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2305471&l=87cc0&id=10001326
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2305467&l=dcc90&id=10001326
Pictures of Napier:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2305471&l=87cc0&id=10001326
Friday, April 18, 2008
Beautiful Bay of Islands!!!
Okay so after almost the entire day on the bus yesterday, we arrived in Paihia (Bay of Islands) at about 6pm. We're staying in a cute little backpacker's called "The Pickled Parrot" where they actually have a pet parrot hanging around. The weather was supposed to be rainy yesterday and today, but fortunately it's been dry! The town is super cute and the bay is absolutely gorgeous!!!
But since we left Rotorua we've been to both Tauranga (Bay of Plenty) and Coromandel Town on the Coromandel Penninsula. We weren't having the best time in Tauranga (unfriendly people, no sleep in an 8 bed dorm the size of my room at home) so we left after 2 nights. Then we moved on to Coromandel Town (which is super tiny) on the Coromandel Penninsula. It rained almost the entire time we were there!!! But it was cool because we were able to hang out in a mostly empty hostel/holiday park/motel and relax! We were supposed to share our room with another couple of people, but since it was so quiet we had the room to ourselves! The second day we were there it rained so hard it was flooding the streets and I was afraid the power would go out. Luckily it didn't...but only in Coromandel. Apparently the whole North Island and a good portion of the South Island were hit by the storm too. The power went out in Auckland and one man died from lighting strikes while a school group of kids were lost resulting in 6 student and 1 teacher's deaths. Yikes!
Well, we have booked two day tours up here for the next couple of days: A Catamaran ride around the Bay of Islands with swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and other activities tomorrow and then a trip up to Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach on Sunday! Then we're off to Auckland for the last few days before we fly out!
But since we left Rotorua we've been to both Tauranga (Bay of Plenty) and Coromandel Town on the Coromandel Penninsula. We weren't having the best time in Tauranga (unfriendly people, no sleep in an 8 bed dorm the size of my room at home) so we left after 2 nights. Then we moved on to Coromandel Town (which is super tiny) on the Coromandel Penninsula. It rained almost the entire time we were there!!! But it was cool because we were able to hang out in a mostly empty hostel/holiday park/motel and relax! We were supposed to share our room with another couple of people, but since it was so quiet we had the room to ourselves! The second day we were there it rained so hard it was flooding the streets and I was afraid the power would go out. Luckily it didn't...but only in Coromandel. Apparently the whole North Island and a good portion of the South Island were hit by the storm too. The power went out in Auckland and one man died from lighting strikes while a school group of kids were lost resulting in 6 student and 1 teacher's deaths. Yikes!
Well, we have booked two day tours up here for the next couple of days: A Catamaran ride around the Bay of Islands with swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and other activities tomorrow and then a trip up to Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach on Sunday! Then we're off to Auckland for the last few days before we fly out!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
In Rotorua
Okay so I'm going to quickly update what's been going on since we left Napier on Monday. But first, we were able to see Ed and Andrea one more time in Napier before Andrea flew out yesterday and who knows what Ed's doing. We quit work on Friday, after being completely miserable with allergies--my eyes were swollen, my throat sore and I could hardly breath! Yikes! So we left Napier for Lake Taupo on Monday. We just spent 3 nights there at a great backpackers (Rainbow Lodge) with comfortable beds and a dry sauna! Woohoo! The weather turned cold though, it felt very much like autumn. We basically relaxed and walked around Taupo for the 3 days.
This morning we left Taupo and came to Rotorua! The weather has warmed up (thank God!) and the town has a lot of shops, cafes and activities to offer. Today we're walking around checking out the souvenier shops, the lake and maybe the museum. Tomorrow we're headed off for a full day of walking around a couple of thermal/volcanic parks so that should be interesting! There are so many thermal spas and mineral pools around this area that it constantly smells of sulfur! The place we're staying tonight (Central Backpackers) is super nice though.
Okay well just over 2 weeks left in NZ! So I'm off to take pictures for all of you to look at!
-Lisa
This morning we left Taupo and came to Rotorua! The weather has warmed up (thank God!) and the town has a lot of shops, cafes and activities to offer. Today we're walking around checking out the souvenier shops, the lake and maybe the museum. Tomorrow we're headed off for a full day of walking around a couple of thermal/volcanic parks so that should be interesting! There are so many thermal spas and mineral pools around this area that it constantly smells of sulfur! The place we're staying tonight (Central Backpackers) is super nice though.
Okay well just over 2 weeks left in NZ! So I'm off to take pictures for all of you to look at!
-Lisa
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Apples and Wine
Alright so we've been in Napier, which is on the North Island in Hawkes Bay, for the last week. Hawke's Bay is another well-known wine region of New Zealand. We started picking apples last week, but were only able to work for a day and a half. I know, picking apples? Well, we just need a bit more money to finish travelling the North Island. Of course the first day was just as crazy as the first day of work on the vineyard. My first day on the vineyard was ridiculous. I starved because Beate and I got split up and she had the backpack with all our food and water! I was also forced to sing my national anthem at 8 in the morning while I was snipping grapes off the vine. The first day of apple picking was just as crazy. I was up on the ladder picking red fujis when the guy on the tractor ran over my ladder!!! I fell off and screamed at the same time. Ha, luckily I was only a few feet of the ground so I didn't get hurt. Then the van that took us to work dropped us off at a different place in Napier and our rides almost forgot us! I had no clue where we were, so thankfully I had the number of the guy in charge.
We ended up not working much last week since the apples weren't red enough, so we had a few days off to enjoy the beach. Yesterday Beate and I went on a fantastic wine tour to 4 wineries in Hawke's bay: Moana Park (very small, vegetarian wines), Sileni (larger, we had a gourmet food platter and bought chocolates), Ngatarawa (tasted a ton of wines and ended up with a merlot/cab blend), and Mission Estate (which was the first winery established in NZ). We had a wonderful guide that was super knowledgeable about Hawke's Bay and he gave me a list of Syrah's (my fav. wine) from the area that I need to try.
We are staying here in Napier for another week and a half before finishing our travels on the North Island. I am loving this town even though our backpackers is super tiny.
These are the rest of the pictures I took in Christchurch:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2297175&l=2f059&id=10001326
Here are the pictures from Kaikoura:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2297170&l=48c7f&id=10001326
We ended up not working much last week since the apples weren't red enough, so we had a few days off to enjoy the beach. Yesterday Beate and I went on a fantastic wine tour to 4 wineries in Hawke's bay: Moana Park (very small, vegetarian wines), Sileni (larger, we had a gourmet food platter and bought chocolates), Ngatarawa (tasted a ton of wines and ended up with a merlot/cab blend), and Mission Estate (which was the first winery established in NZ). We had a wonderful guide that was super knowledgeable about Hawke's Bay and he gave me a list of Syrah's (my fav. wine) from the area that I need to try.
We are staying here in Napier for another week and a half before finishing our travels on the North Island. I am loving this town even though our backpackers is super tiny.
These are the rest of the pictures I took in Christchurch:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2297175&l=2f059&id=10001326
Here are the pictures from Kaikoura:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2297170&l=48c7f&id=10001326
Monday, March 17, 2008
4 and 1/2 days left in Blenheim!
Alright so I've got a quick update for everyone still reading. The grape harvest should start tomorrow so Beate and I will be picking grapes the rest of the week! Then we're heading up North again. We leave on Saturday and spend the night in Picton again because Wellington is completely booked out...there's a rock concert! Then we head up to Napier which is in Hawke's Bay on Sunday. We're going to stay there for another couple of weeks and work picking some more fruit. From there we'll have a few days at Lake Taupo, one in Rotorua, one or two in Tauranga (Bay of Plenty), then a few in Coromandel, and finally up to Paihia/Bay of Islands before we end in Auckland! Less than six weeks until I'm off to Hawaii!!!
Everthing's been fine here in Blenheim, although we haven't had as much work as we wanted. We've met some cool people and read quite a few books. The weather has been sunny, although not as warm as we would like. We're excited to get moving Saturday though!
Happy St. Patricks Day to eveyone and an early Happy Easter too!
-Lisa
Everthing's been fine here in Blenheim, although we haven't had as much work as we wanted. We've met some cool people and read quite a few books. The weather has been sunny, although not as warm as we would like. We're excited to get moving Saturday though!
Happy St. Patricks Day to eveyone and an early Happy Easter too!
-Lisa
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I'm exhausted!
Okay so this has to be quick...the internet is still a far away concept in Blenheim. They only have dial up at the backpackers! It took me half an hour the other day to read a couple of e-mails and reply to one! What did we used to do when we only had dial up?
Anyway, we're staying at the Lemon Tree Backpackers in Blenheim and working on vineyards. The work is easy enough, but makes us sore and tired at the end of the day. I'm extra tired because my allergies are really kicking in next to all these plants. Everyone in the hostel is working for some contracting company that sends people to different vineyards, so that's cool. We have to catch a bus at 6:40am and then we work up until 3 or 4pm right now. We'll start picking next week which will then be 10 hour days! Woohoo! Beate and I have decided that we can only take 3 weeks of this and then we'll head up to Hawkes Bay to do 2 more weeks (just in a different place for some variety) and then finish travelling the North Island before leaving April 26th.
I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update the blog over the next couple of months, so don't worry if I haven't written in a week or two...I'm probably working and the internet isn't!
Hope all is well in the U.S. I am looking forward to getting back!
-Lisa
Anyway, we're staying at the Lemon Tree Backpackers in Blenheim and working on vineyards. The work is easy enough, but makes us sore and tired at the end of the day. I'm extra tired because my allergies are really kicking in next to all these plants. Everyone in the hostel is working for some contracting company that sends people to different vineyards, so that's cool. We have to catch a bus at 6:40am and then we work up until 3 or 4pm right now. We'll start picking next week which will then be 10 hour days! Woohoo! Beate and I have decided that we can only take 3 weeks of this and then we'll head up to Hawkes Bay to do 2 more weeks (just in a different place for some variety) and then finish travelling the North Island before leaving April 26th.
I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update the blog over the next couple of months, so don't worry if I haven't written in a week or two...I'm probably working and the internet isn't!
Hope all is well in the U.S. I am looking forward to getting back!
-Lisa
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