Ta Ta For Now

I'm going home tomorrow! What?!? I did New Zealand for five months, and in 24 hours I'll be quitting cold turkey. No more driving on the wrong side of the road, no more adorable Kiwi accents, and no more Tim Tams. If I ask myself how I feel about the States after being away for so long, the answers sort of come to me in lists...

• Top ten things I missed about America:

1. Diners
2. American slang
3. Summer in July
4. Paper towels (Kiwis don't really do paper towels)
5. Separation of church and state (in New Zealand you can't buy alcohol on Easter, Good Friday, or Christmas. Why??)
6. Jews
7. Decent prices (gas, food, clothes, manicures, books...you name it, it's cheaper in the States)
8. Real cities
9. Reasonably sized roads
10. People whose entire perception of New Jersey does not come from Jersey Shore

• Top ten things I like about New Zealand:

1. The drinking age
2. Getting paid time-and-a-half for working on a public holiday
3. The natives (Maoris) haven't been reduced to alcoholism and the gambling business
4. White people do manual labor
5. Men are allowed to wear short shorts
6. There's like 3 roads in the whole country, therefore it's nearly impossible to get lost
7. All the travellers
8. Coffee shops that aren't Starbucks
9. It's not hated by the rest of the world
10. Sweet accents


An important (and slightly disturbing) part of my trip was talking to non-Americans about how they view the US.

• Ten most common perceptions of America:

1. Fat/lazy
2. Loud/rude
3. Ignorant about anything that takes place outside US borders
4. Uneducated in the history of other countries
5. Lots of fast food
6. Gullible
7. Big fat political bullies
8. Everyone owns a gun
9. Ridiculous oil consumption
10. War-causing

I don't want to blog about how I feel about all these accusations, but I think they're important for us to think about. What I will say is that Australia has recently become fatter than the US, which is either good for us or really really bad for them.

(I did, however, meet a very experienced psychologist who loved Americans. He explained that because of the liberal parenting philosophy, American kids end up being more creative and free-thinking. Basically, he believes that kids 'round the world should have the freedom to talk back to their parents the way us Americans do.)



I've made one more list, a list of my favorite New Zealand memories.

• Top ten best (bloggable) NZ experiences:

1. Making amazing friends
2. Learning from and about all those amazing friends
3. Going out in Queenstown
5. Driving the spectacular road in the Coromandel
6. Sunbathing on Onetangi Beach, Waiheke Island
7. Eating Cinema Paradiso's freshly baked cookies in Wanaka (seriously, they were that good)
8. Bungy jumping off Karawau Bridge
9. Zorbing in Rotorua
10. Staying at the Global Village in Greymouth

I think the most important part of this trip was the growing up. I genuinely believe I came to New Zealand a teenager and am leaving an adult. I made my own money, did my own laundry, cooked my own food, made my own plans. Despite the independence, I was never really alone. The New Zealand backpacker community truly thrives nationwide. Not one story I have begins with "I," because there was always someone to join forces with, whether for a few days or just an hour or two. Coming here was without a doubt the best decision I've ever made. I hope one day I'll return to this beautiful country and see everything I didn't have time for on this trip.

Ferry Spontaneous

Sitting in the Nelson ferry terminal waiting to leave for Wellington, I struck up a conversation with a guy sitting at the next table. Tim, a Kiwi engineering student, was traveling home after a week of visiting friends in Nelson. We spent the ferry ride talking, and, despite his claim that he hates the American accent, he invited me to stay at his apartment in Petone, a Wellington suburb. So I did. I became very good friends with both Tim and Dave the Futon, happy to spend time with a real live Kiwi...and don't worry, Dad, I kept my can of pepper spray easily accessible in case of any stranger danger vibes.

At one point we watched Bridesmaids (freaking fantastic movie), and Tim said my accent became stronger after listening to Americans for two hours. And my mother told me over Skype that I sound less New Jersey. Apparently my accent has changed :O

Originally I planned to take a bus up to Auckland through Taupo, a total of like a zillion hours on a big smelly bus. On a whim yesterday I checked flight prices, discovered that flying from Wellington to Auckland is real cheap, and booked a ticket for the following morning.

Now I'm in Auckland after the quickest flight of my life, with a week to visit all my Auckland/Waiheke friends before flying home.


Just some food for thought...

Nelson and Abel Tasman

Nelson gets an A in my book for being a great town. It's full of coffee shops, food carts, and gardens. The sun shines on pedestrians in t-shirts and sunglasses. I joined forces with Erik the Swede and Lucas the German to explore the Nelson area.

Our first mission was to reach the hill that proclaims to be the geographical center of New Zealand. After strolling through the Queen's Gardens, a little uphill path carried us to that central point.

They're really protective of their sheep up there...

The next day Lucas and I went paragliding. It's about as soft core as adventure sports get; you basically just sit in a harness and float over the gorgeous landscape as the guy does all the work behind you.

I must admit I had a slight case of motion sickness, but it was a great experience nonetheless.

The next day we hiked in Abel Tasman National Park. We chose one day of the 4 day trek and were lucky enough to have absolutely stunning weather. The easy walk meanders along the coast of a spectacular beach, and I sort of felt like I was walking in a 3D postcard.

We finished the day off with a Tim Tam Slam marathon. For all you Americans, Tim Tams are these amazing cookies that we should definitely get in the States. Four of us went through two and a half packs, definitely consuming more calories than we burned on the walk.

I only have one more day in Nelson, and then I'm off to the north island. The daily countdown has started...12 days left!

West Coast Round 2

Simon and I decided to go our separate ways after Wanaka. I traveled with my new fabulous friend, Ramona, back to Queenstown. We managed to get ourselves a private room in a nice hostel for a week and a half at a dorm room price. Queenstown hadn't lost it magic. The town was exploding with Winterfestival festivities and new friends to be made. The Winterfestival kicked off with a concert and fireworks, free hot chocolate, and more twenty-somethings than I've ever seen in one place in my life. I played lots of pool,

went skiing with the 23rd best pool player in England,

slack lined (unsuccessfully) on the lakefront,

met up with a girl I waitressed with in Waiheke,

and learned how to baton twirl with fire.

A highlight of the Winterfestival is when Queenstowners cross-dress and compete in the annual Drag Race (ha, get it?). Next is the Undie 500, in which nearly naked men swim and run in front of the whole town.

Queenstown was the only place since Waiheke that I've felt at home. I couldn't walk down the street without running into a friend, and I knew my way around. What's better was that I had the best roommate in the world (despite the fact that her stuff covered every square inch of the floor). Ramona and I stayed up until 7am some nights laughing and talking.

We even made sushi one day that turned out surprisingly delicious.

We went out every night and found something nice to do every day...you really can't get sick of Queenstown.

I finally caught a bus to Christchurch, because I knew if I didn't leave soon I'd never leave. The drive is absolutely stunning, way better than Christchurch itself.

Along the way...

Christchurch, still struggling to rebuild after a series of devastating earthquakes...

I got out of there as soon as possible, hopping on a train across the south island to Greymouth.

If you remember, Greymouth was as far as I had gotten on my last attempt to travel the west coast before turning around. The hostel was still fabulous, the town still crappy. I made friends with some awesome backpackers, and in honor of Saturday Night, we tried out the Greymouth nightlife. Most people who know the town would laugh at the words "Greymouth" and "nightlife" being placed next to each other...and for good reason. There exists one pub and one club in the entire place, both filled with horny men and sleazy drunken teenage girls. Both DJs seemed generationally confused, switching from "These Boots are Made for Walking" to "Low" to "Country Road." I was definitely happy I hadn't changed out of my comfy pants for the night out.

I managed to convince one of that group, Erik from Sweden, to drive with me to Nelson. We arrived last night in the dark, but I had a good feeling about this place from the beginning. I've booked the hostel for a week and we made lots of plans for the upcoming days. Unlike in Queenstown, I feel like a tourist here and I'm excited to get to know a new town.

On My Own

Ben and Fabian left me, I had to return the White Stallion, and I was left with a backpack and six weeks to do whatever I like. I spent the first few days bumming around Queenstown. I wish I could say I made a great new discovery or accomplished some soul searching, but I mostly slept and went out and slept some more. I did hike Queenstown Hill, granting gorgeous views of the Remarkables.

Eventually I felt like a lazy piece of poo, and not knowing what else to do, I booked a bus to Franz Josef glacier. Franz Josef is the first major stop moving up the west coast from Queenstown, a must-see for tourists. About two hours after I booked the bus, I met Jens, a German guy planning to drive north with his friend who has a car. It was too late to unbook the bus, but we arranged to meet in Franz Josef two days later. I was very relieved to have finally found travel buddies, and both boys turned out to be sweethearts.

We drove from Franz to Greymouth, probably the most useless town ever. It's big for a New Zealand town but literally has nothing to do. The hostel there, however, is immaculate. Everything is clean, with a warm fire burning every night and big, cozy rooms. We drove out of town to the beach to search for jade, pretty much the only activity in Greymouth. Maori culture revolves around jade, and many Kiwis make a living out of jade  carving. The beach is spectacular and has a view of Captain Cook.We didn't find any jade, though :(.

The hostel was so cozy I didn't want to leave, so when Jens and Johannes moved north, I decided to stay put. I befriended the German guy who had been working for accommodation at the hostel, Simon, and we spent three days in Greymouth bike riding, hiking, and baking all kinds of cookies and brownies and such. We tried to watch nice sunsets, but clouds kept getting in the way. Finally we caught a gorgeous one our last night.

I switched directions to travel with Simon, a decision I made at midnight the night before we left. A few hours later we were in Franz Josef. We hiked Fox Glacier, which was pretty sweet. Everything kind of happens without much thought; we're totally living on a whim.

The next town south is Haast, which we decided to stay in last minute. The one hostel in town is total crap, and Haast is actually more useless than Greymouth. We got out of there as fast as we could, hopping on a bus to Wanaka. Now we're in Wanaka in crappy weather. I haven't even left the hostel today, we just made pumpkin soup and drank tea. I'm not too sure where our travels will take us next, but Stewart Island might be in the cards. We'll have to wait and see!

I'm Dreaming of a White...Memorial Day?

It's snowing! And it's May. This is some crazy shiznat. My pool back home will be opening in a week, and I'm trudging through white powder with icicles formerly known as toes. I have Christmas carols stuck in my head and half expect to see tubby men dressed like Santa walking down the street. "April showers bring May flowers" definitely isn't applicable in this hemisphere. At least someone made a snowman with bunny ears...that distracted me from my lack of ability to feel my feet for a second or two.

So for the rest of the day I'll be drinking tea in my fuzzy socks, sitting next to the radiator and craving s'mores. No May flowers, no Memorial Day beach trip, and no "school's out" smell in the air. My internal weather clock is terribly confused. Maybe I'll try to get these toilets to flush in the right direction...then the seasons may realize how backwards they're being.

Queenstown and Captain Cook

Queenstown is great. It's contagiously energetic and full of random stuff to do. Our first morning while Fabian slept in, Ben and I took a cruise that toured the entire Queenstown area.

We frisbee golfed, which was hilarious because we had to give me a handicap of halving my score just to be competitive. It shattered all my hopes and dreams of playing frisbee in college. The course is beautiful, though, right on the water in the Queenstown Botanical Gardens.

We took a gondola up to a luging course, which was surprisingly enjoyable despite the ridiculous pricing.

We mini golfed twice and had a day of wine, cheese, and chocolate tastings. All this was topped off by awesome nights out with fabulous fellow backpackers, dancing and drinking and making new friends. I even ran into two people from Waiheke (what?!?).

After a few days we packed up and headed out to Mt. Cook National Park, or Captain Cook, as Ben named it. Mount Cook Village is basically a ghost town, with a few expensive hostels, lots of Asian tourists, and a complete lack of grocery stores. The one restaurant in town opens for approximately two hours each day, so we had to leave after one night because we literally ran out of food. Our one day there we hiked (more like strolled) the Hooker Valley track, most of it heading straight for the beautiful, snowy Mt. Cook.

We escaped the creepy village, taking refuge in the much more inhabited Wanaka. This town is beautiful and even has a supermarket. Life is good.