After a big birthday bash in Christchurch, we all struggled to wake up the next morning for our early departure. We stumbled to the train station and boarded the TransAlpine--which many travel magazines call one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. Crossing the South Island from east to west, the trip lived up to its billing as all of us declared we wish we could stay on the train even after four and a half hours. Once we arrived in Greymouth, we picked up another rental car and a delicious bite to eat before catching Highway 6 down the west coast. Little did I know I would be driving this scenic route again in just a few short hours. With the towering Southern Alps, the clear Tasman Sea and a glacier ahead of us, we wound our way to the the town of Franz Josef. It was only when we unloaded all of our bags, that Megan realized she had left her purse back in Greymouth, our lunch spot three hours away. I offered to drive back to enjoy both the scenery and alone time. The journey there proved uneventful--just me and the Greymouth Saturday Night Party Hits radio station. I grabbed the purse and was back on the return trip in under three hours. In between jams, I looked down to notice that my gas tank was just over a quarter of a tank full and I should probably start looking for a fill up soon. I drove through Ross, town of 200ish, where the gas station had already closed up for the night. Forty kilometers down the road, I hit Hari Hari but the same outcome--gas station closed. All of a sudden, the panic sunk in as I imagined myself having to hitchhike my way back to the hotel after running out of gas. The gas light came on outside of Whataroa, an even smaller town, but could only cross my fingers as I entered city limits. I reached C&J's Gas at 9:00 pm and it too was closed. Still thirty kilometers away from Franz Josef, I needed to find a solution. As I looked down the main drag, the only lights were from the pub a few doors down. I walked in and only two people were bellied up to the bar.
"You look like you need a beer!" the bartender keenly observed.
"Yes, but I need gasoline more." I replied.
"Well, you're in luck mate. Craig is here!"
"Great. Who's Craig?"
"The owner of the gas station. I just poured him a cold one, but if you're nice to him he may open it up for you."
The expression on my face quickly changed from disheartened to optimistic. I grabbed the bar stool next to Craig and started talking, in an effort to strike a friendship. Within minutes, we walked down the main drag of Whataroa towards C&J's. He worried that minimal gas remained in only one of the pumps, but fortunately it would be enough to get me to Franz Josef. After filling me up, Craig offered me a brew back at the pub, but I was anxious to get back, for the bathtub was calling my name. I made a wise decision, as just moments later flashing police lights came into sight. With four cars stopped ahead of me, the police were performing random breathalyzers on all passing cars, including me! I passed the test, thankful that I had graciously declined Craig's offer. When I returned to the hotel, Megan and Tim were waiting with a glass of bubbly and a piece of birthday cake, which I devoured as I shared this hilarious story. Never a dull moment on this trip :)
The following morning we awoke to absolutely perfect weather, not a cloud in the sky and warm enough for tshirts, splendid (but not normal) weather for climbing the Franz Josef Glacier. We arrived and once again got decked out for an activity--a good looking fanny pack with accompanying crampons and heavy duty raincoats. After a peaceful walk through the valley, we reached the terminal face of the glacier. Only crampon climbers could continue, as the glacier conditions can change within minutes. We climbed between enormous ice crevasses, hopped over glacial water pools and studied the tremendous blue of the ice. During our descent, our guide mentioned to keep our eyes down for an occasional diamond glimmers among the schlitz rocks. There were many times that required us to stop, as our guide picked up his ice pick to create a walkable path. That wasn't a photo I would pass up on :) We finished our long walk, just in time for a big lunch and a long afternoon nap. Another great stop on our New Zealand journey!
I woke up the next morning with my tummy feeling ready to hit the waters again in search of sperm whales. However, this time the weather did not cooperate. Although our whale tour was cancelled, we would not miss the opportunity at a hot spring pool complex. With natural sulfur springs, aqua therapy, water slides and more, it was just what the doctor ordered. We continued the winding journey through quaint little New Zealand towns until we reached Christchurch, the largest city on the south island. Unfortunately, Christchurch would be home for only one short day, but we made sure to make the most of every moment. Staying right in Cathedral Square, a short walk from hotel would find you right in the middle of the World Busker’s Festival. Now being a Chicago girl, I was in the dark on the whole “busking” concept, but quickly realized that it is your typical big city street performer. With every corner turned, another street performer displaying their talents—quite the entertainment.
Surviving the Antarctic storm
Christchurch prides itself in being the “Aerial Gateway to the Antarctic” as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Italy maintain air force bases and numerous hangers full of planes ready to depart for Antarctica when necessary. As a result, Christchurch has the largest Antarctic Center in the world—ready to expose visitors to life on Antarctica with blizzard storm simulation rooms, the 4D Ice Voyage experience theater, and more. Of course, this would be a stop for our group. Within minutes of arriving, we were aboard the Hagglund, the Antarctic all purpose vehicle. My knuckles whitened as we took on 45 degree angle hills, drove over a 2 level house sized hill and floated through a large river in the car, with the option to climb out the top. Once inside, we geared up for the Antarctic Storm room, getting to temperatures of -30° with blistering wind chills and heavy snow fall. After going down the ice slide for the second time and holding Sam up over and over to face the wind chill machine, my sanity kicked in a bit. Having avoided cold temperatures and snow for 6 months of this journey, what the hell was I doing? I took off the parka and overboots, determined to thoroughly enjoy the educational exhibits for the rest of the day. A trip to Antarctica wouldn’t be complete with penguins—and the blue penguin center confirmed my love for these tuxedo waddlers. After the 4D Ice Voyage movie, a Planet Earth documentary on the frozen continent, and loads of exhibits, we hopped on the Penguin Express bus and headed back to the hotel. Little did we know that the party hadn’t even started yet!
Birthday dinner!
Our crew loaded in the people mover (taxi for 6!) and headed to an undisclosed location, ready to celebrate Tim’s birthday. The wait staff greeted us at Pescatore with a tray full of shot glasses. Tim thought vodka shooters, but in fact they were delicious bright pink raspberry fruit compote pallet cleansers. Yum and yum. We enjoyed a wonderful multi course dinner, celebrating Tim, opening presents and all taking a Tim Trivia Quiz (which I rocked!). The entire restaurant joined in for a rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday as the massive birthday cake emerged from the kitchen! Off to bed for an early morning train departure to the west coast of New Zealand :)
After our last breakfast amongst the Marlborough vines, we hopped in the mini-van towards Kaikoura. Immediately I knew Kaikoura would be my kind of town, as “kai” means food and “koura” means crayfish. Kaikoura is a famous coastal town known for its dusky dolphins, sperm whales and New Zealand fur seals. We knew we were close as Tess spotted a seal colony along the beautiful coastal highway. By the squeals and screams by five passengers, Tim could tell we were anxious to stop for a closer look. These deliciously adorable creatures were sprawled out on the rocks enjoying the cool temperature and the waves crashing in. The dangerously close highway forced us back into the car prematurely, but we were delighted once we arrived at our lodge we would be staying for the next two nights. While at the Hapuku Lodge, we stayed in handmade tree houses with a view of the aqua Pacific Ocean on one side and the towering mountains on the other. Not to mention a Jacuzzi bath and complimentary New Zealand brewed Mac’s beer.
Dolphins everywhere!
Our primary activity while in Kaikoura turned out to be one of my favorite memories of the trip so far—swimming with the playful dusky dolphins. We arrived at Dolphin Encounters crossing our fingers for an operating tour, as the weather looked spot on to us but the waters were a bit choppy. Although given the message of SEA SICKNESS WARNING by every staff member, our good luck continued, as our group was called back to begin the gearing up process. With a 5 mm wet suit, a 5 mm jacket, a hood, flippers and a snorkel, we not only looked good but were going to be well prepared for the frigid water temperatures. After a quick safety video, we headed aboard a catamaran for a beautiful boat ride to the dolphin’s favorite spot. With the sound of the horn and the water splashing, we knew we had found it. The crew gave us helpful hints on how to attract the dolphins to you—continual loud squealing noises, swimming in circles and playful dives into the water. With large sets of lungs and impressive snorkeling skills, Tess and I were the perfect dolphin play buddies. We sat down on the edge of the boat only to be directed that it was GO TIME. We slid in to the ocean, as gracefully as Tess and I possibly could (hard task!), and within seconds we were surrounded by four or five dolphins. Not a surprise seeing that I had been practicing my dolphin squeal for weeks! These intelligent creatures came within inches of us, making eye contact with us and somersaulting right in front of us. One “couple” even enjoyed the water right beneath me for a good mating session. Once a pod of dolphins had moved on, we crawled back on the boat ready for our next dive. After 5 of these energy draining yet mesmerizing dolphin dives, it took every ounce of energy left in me to climb aboard. Once I emerged from the water, the sea sickness hit me like a brick wall! I graciously accepted a bucket from the crew and made good use of it..over and over. The boat pulled over for a dolphin photo session where we learned about their promiscuous behaviors—a female dolphin mates up to 5 times and with 3 different males in just 3 minutes. Wow. After a few ginger cookies and fresh air, I felt like a million bucks and enjoyed every dolphin flip and somersault on the journey home. We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon raiding the lodge’s DVD selection, including my introduction to the classic Finding Nemo. Searching for sperm whales tomorrow :)
Through spectacular scenery, a beautiful stop at the gushing Huka Falls and a coastal beach walk, we arrived in the capitol of New Zealand--Wellington. The third largest city and southernmost point on the North Island, Wellington prides itself in being the home of Peter Jackson and filming place of many Lord of the Rings scenes. Only fitting then that within minutes, we were told by many locals that the LOTR tour was an absolute must. Although tempting, I somehow found it in me to refrain. We arrived at our destination for the next few nights, the Museum Hotel. Immediately, we dropped our bags and headed to the main drag for a delicious meal at Matterhorn. Even miles away from the Maori village, Tim continued to get recognized for his wonderful “chief” leadership skills by members of our tribe.
Sea kayaking at Abel Tasman--notice baby seal team!
We awoke the next morning with beautiful weather, ready to take on Wellington and the famed “red rattler” cable cars. Somehow, we seemed to miss the station for the cable cars and opted to walk up the large hill instead. It turned out to be a good mistake, as I appreciated both the beautiful views and exercise. Our route took us directly through the Botanical Gardens, with a plethora of rose gardens, endangered plants and old cemeteries.
Momàthe moment in my life may have arrived….I like gardens. Yep, I said it.
While in Wellington, we were fortunate enough to experience two top notch museums. For arrived at our first stop, the Carter Observatory, ready to take in the Southern Skies. With educational exhibits, a star show on the Southern constellations and a killer playground outside the facilities, it was a winner of a day. Our walk down provided stunning views of Wellington and its harbor, as well as a stroll along Lambton Quay, the main shopping drag of Wellington. On day two, we took a whole fifty steps from our hotel to the six story Te Papa Museum. Beginning with a wonderful overview tour from our very friendly guide, Basil, we stayed for five hours enjoying the exhibits on the tectonic plates of New Zealand, the colossal squid, Maori customs, the controversial Treaty of Waitangi and more. Due to fantastic behavior from my three young cousins, Basil offered us free passes on the 4D interactive simulator ride. The kids got quite the kick out of my constant screaming and death grip on my arm rests, but another beautiful way to take in the extraordinary sights of New Zealand.
Five story high sand dunes
With the silver bullet mini-van returned, we turned to the ferry for our next form of transport. We hopped aboard the InterIslander ferry, for a three hour journey from Wellington to Picton, a small town on the south island. Crossing over the Cook Strait, we took in the stellar views and completed a solid school session all before noon. After loading our new rental full of luggage, we were only a minutes’ drive to the vines and one of the most important destinations in New Zealand—the Marlborough Region. Famous for their world class sauvignon blancs, the region also produces a mean glass of pinot noir. With hours of research, Tim knew just the spots and the rest of us followed, as we knew he would not lead us astray on this matter. Our first stop at the Herzog Winery proved this point. With stunning gardens, delicious food and multiple glasses of red midday, I was one happy girl. Over the course of the next few days, we stopped at many wineries, although all around this may have been my favorite.
Wharariki Beach
In between wine tastings, we managed to squeeze in a day at the Abel Tasman National Park. We started our morning with a sea kayak to Split Apple Rock. Of course, Tess and I were together and appropriately named our team the Baby Seals, followed by family kayak teams of the Elephants and Kanawha (Maori spirit). Between the intense gear, easily maneuverable kayak and a fierce partner like Tess, the three hour kayak trip breezed by. We grabbed a quick bite and within no time were taking in the air atop a large catamaran. We were dropped off at a secluded entrance of Abel Tasman National Park and hiked a hilly six kilometers through rainforest, beaches and valleys. Truly beautiful!
Julie Andrews moment!
The views could only be beat by our following day journey to Wharariki Beach and the Farewell Spit, the northernmost point of the South Island. The magnificent drive began with a stop at Pupu Springs, the largest clearwater springs in the Southern Hemisphere. After a delicious bowl of mussel chowder at the Mussel Inn, we arrived at the carpark for the beach. I was quite perplexed as there wasn’t a beach in sight, only sheep paddocks in front of us. We took the signs for their word and climbed through the sheep paddock hills for twenty minutes. I truly felt like Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music”, not only with the scenery but my stunning voice J The path led us down one final hill and into five story sand dunes towering beside us. Finally, we were along the beach dotted with magnificent rock formations—a result of the powerful wind and wave action. With a seal colony in the distance, we walked further and further down the beach, ensuring we turned around to take in the breathtaking 360 degree views. It truly felt like I was at the end of the world!
Wharariki Beach
Wineries took up the remaining days in the Marlborough Region. Megan found “heaven in a bottle”, I began to appreciate white wine a little more and we all ate and drank like gods!
We continued our journey through the North Island with our next stop in Rotoura.The rich sulfur air hit us before we reached city limits, yet we continued the journey into the mist; for Rotorua is the epicenter of New Zealand’s geothermal activity, the heartland of Maori culture and just the right place to be for adrenaline lovers.Little did I know that today would be my first (and hopefully not last) Shweeb experience.Mind out of the gutters people—the Shweeb is the world’s first human powered monorail track.You lie back in a recumbent position and experience the thrills of racing as you pedal effortlessly in your own personal Shweeb.Earning a $1 million grant from Google in September 2010, the Shweeb will be piloted in an international city coming soon J I’ve decided that I would love to Shweeb to work every day, primarily because I want to use Shweeb as much in conversation as possible.“Just got off the Shweeb”.“Meet you at the Shweeb”.“I just Shweebed and I’m wiped!” No one can tell me that doesn’t sound awesome.Being smack dap in the middle of the adrenaline amusement park, we couldn’t just settle with a stop at the Shweeb, but had takers for the Free Fall (simulates a free fall sky dive) and the Zorb (large plastic ball you roll down a hill in) rides as well.After a Texas style BBQ restaurant for dinner, we checked into the lovely Ahaku House, a bed and breakfast owned by a Maori family.As I walked onto the balcony, I felt like I was back in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”—Lake Rotorua was a beautiful blue lake surrounded by luscious green pines and every water sport readily available.The only difference being that Rotorua adds a special touch of being surrounded by active and dormant volcanoes.After a late night sea kayak on the lake, I climbed into my bed so happy and LOVING Rotorua.
Saturday morning started much like Friday night ended, with a long kayak trip around the lake followed with tubing and wave riding.Just before 10 am and an active morning already JThe festivities continued as we headed to the Skyline Gondola ride that takes you atop a towering hill for spectacular views of the city created by a volcano.The stunning views wouldn’t suffice for the crazed New Zealanders, as the Sky Swing across the valley and swerving luge tracks kept the adrenaline high for our group.We spent the night at a Maori village; learning about Maori customs, eating delicious food, watching the famous haka dance (made famous by the New Zealand All Blacks) and cheering on Tim, who was chosen as The Chief of our group of 100 people.Through diligent practice, Tess and I mastered the hongi (the traditional Maori greeting of pressing noses together) and with our sweet haka skills were consistently confused for local Maori people.After a delicious roasted feast, we took a night walk to meet the illusive “kiwi bird”, the large flightless bird and endangered national symbol of New Zealand.
Another delicious breakfast and stunning view at our B&B on Lake Rotorua could only be followed up with a morning at the Te Pao Maori Cultural Village.With a carving studio, weaving studio and Maori reading material to last for days, it was an educational and exciting morning.The Cultural Village sits on an active geothermal area that Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, calls home.Erupting over twenty meters into the air and lasting over ten minutes, it truly was a geological wonder that I could not take my eyes off of.Next to the geysers stood bubbling mud pools, steam rising from the rocks and the science teacher in me loved every moment of it. Our afternoon was capped off with a swim in the massive and appropriately named Blue Lake, followed by one last sea kayak on the peaceful Lake Rotorua.We were sad to say goodbye to our gracious hosts and wonderful accommodation, as we are finding at every stop here in New Zealand.
On the second of January, we headed to the airport a few hours early for our first international flight in seven weeks from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand. As we began our descent into Auckland, the views of the landscape could only remind me of the stunning scenery of the Lord of the Rings saga. Never much of a fantasy fan, I sat through the (never ending) movies marveling at the beauty of the land in New Zealand. Once you see the combination of crystal clear water, multitude of uninhabited green islands, towering volcanoes and immense craters you see why the Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai, King Kong, The Hobbit and more were all filmed here. New Zealand claims to the be the youngest country in the world, as it was the last major landmass to be discovered only 1000 years ago by the Maori people. Our first stop on our five week journey of this spectacular country would be Auckland, a harbor city on the North Island. New Zealand immediately lived up to its billing as home of the adrenaline junkies, as we emerged from our hotel at 9 am to see people dressed in orange jumpsuits bungee jumping off the Sky Tower in the middle of the central business district. I decided to start my morning with an adrenaline fix at Starbucks instead. Auckland boasts having more sailboats per person than anywhere in the world, so it seemed only right for our first activity to be aboard a sailboat in the harbor. Auckland is home of the NZL41, a semi finalist boat in the America's Cup, the world's oldest and prestigious yacht race. For two hours, we were given the unique experience of joining the crew, exerting full energy on the grinders, taking the wheel and learning the basic principles of sailing. Not only did we make it back alive, we took in beautiful views of the city and felt the thrill of high speeds on the water. With absolutely perfect weather, I couldn't resist a nice walk along the harbor and the rest of the afternoon at the rooftop pool at our hotel. The thrills continued as Maria Sharapova (tennis player) joined us for breakfast the following morning! Although I was almost entirely blinded by the massive rock on her finger, I did notice that Maria and I share our passion for granola cereal and coffee in the morning. A small but important step towards friendship!
Veteran bush walkers
Hot Water Beach
Me in the black :)
Cathedral Cove
It had been far too long since we all felt the love together in the mini van, so it was time for us to get on the road to the Coromandel Peninsula. Our first full day was spent with the famous Kiwi Dundee, a name strategically chosen to stick it to their Aussie neighbors. We started with a morning bush walk--filled with glow worm caves, old gold mines, the famous ponga silver fern and a tree fern that hasn't changed for the last 300 million years. As we entered the dark cave and turned our torches off, I marveled at the clever glow worm creatures who omit a light to attract their prey. However, once I found out they were a maggot, they lost a little of their allure. After a well deserved lunch, we spent the afternoon beach hopping--but these were no ordinary beaches! Our first stop, Hot Water Beach, lived up to its name in a way that I could never imagine. Within an hour of low tide, the crowds come pouring in with shovels and spades in hand, to dig their own hot water pools for rest and relaxation. An underground river of hot water flows from the earth's mantle to this beach, releasing springs of water up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. As I walked along the beach, there were certain points in which I had to hop over boiling water emerging from the sand and quickly high step as my feet scorched. This was a spectacle I had never seen! With much more to see, we waddled away from Hot Water Beach with sore feet to head to Cathedral Cove, sight of one of the most photographed places in all of New Zealand. After a stunning hour walk through rainforest along the coast, we descended upon a coastline of hard rocks, intricate caves and underwater arches, including the famous Cathedral Cove. With the stunning scenery surrounding the water, I hopped in for a casual swim and was somehow persuaded to jump off large rock formations instead :) In addition to the beautiful natural sights of the Coromandel Peninsula, it will also be remembered as the first time I have seen an animated Disney movie in the theater. In addition to the multitude of knowledge I am learning about myself, countries and countries on this trip, my cousins are educating me on this large gap in my education--Disney movies. I must say, I enjoyed every minute of the soon to be Disney classic, Tangled! Although hard to say goodbye to the sights and our wonderful lodge, we were on to Rotorua!
For the first twenty five New Years Eve celebrations in my life, I marveled at the tremendous fireworks and party Sydney put on to ring in the New Year. I could have only dreamed that one day I would be there to witness the festivities first hand and be able to celebrate 2011 sixteen hours before my friends and family in the Central time zone. With so many New Years options throughout the city, Megan planned an event filled evening for us to experience this special night. We arrived at Doyle's on Watson's Bay, a Sydney icon, which allowed us to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge, six of the other barges which would release fireworks and stunning sunset views of the skyline. Our seafood dinner was superb, but the conversation and company even better. With so much to be thankful for in 2010 and so much to look forward to in 2011, we all shared something we had learned about ourselves in the past year and something we hope to work on in the upcoming one. Conversation ceased once the 9 pm family fireworks show illuminated the sky. We marveled at the length and enormity of the show, only to be told by the locals that it couldn't even compare to the midnight viewing. The restaurant continued to entertain us as magicians arrived, wine continued to be poured and the clock ticked closer to that special hour! With ten minutes to spare, we headed down to the beach to claim a front row seat. At exactly midnight, the music blared and the sky lit on fire! $6 million worth of fireworks emerged from six barges and missile like fireworks shot off from the Harbour Bridge, igniting the sky for over ten minutes. Over 1.5 million people stood on the beaches and streets of Sydney to take in this spectacular show and for those ten minutes stood arm in arm without a word! With a New Years celebration like this, I can hardly wait to see what 2011 has to offer :) There was only one way for me to spend my first day of the new year--Manly Beach. Apparently I wasn't the only genius with the bright idea, as thousands flocked to the sand to claim their towel space and open up the brew. As I waited for the ferry to bring me back to the mainland, I hopped into the movie theater for a showing of The King's Speech, which was FANTASTIC! I collapsed in bed, wiped out looking like a lobster face and saddened to think it would be our last night in Sydney.
The following morning we awoke to absolutely perfect weather, not a cloud in the sky and warm enough for tshirts, splendid (but not normal) weather for climbing the Franz Josef Glacier. We arrived and once again got decked out for an activity--a good looking fanny pack with accompanying crampons and heavy duty raincoats. After a peaceful walk through the valley, we reached the terminal face of the glacier. Only crampon climbers could continue, as the glacier conditions can change within minutes. We climbed between enormous ice crevasses, hopped over glacial water pools and studied the tremendous blue of the ice. During our descent, our guide mentioned to keep our eyes down for an occasional diamond glimmers among the schlitz rocks. There were many times that required us to stop, as our guide picked up his ice pick to create a walkable path. That wasn't a photo I would pass up on :) We finished our long walk, just in time for a big lunch and a long afternoon nap. Another great stop on our New Zealand journey! 
