Franz Josef - Rotorua - Nelson and back to Auckland

I don't really have time to tell my travels over the last few days, so I will just say that the pictures start from the bottom in Franz Josef at the Glacier that I could not go on because the heavy rains had washed away the track! I put a pic on of our road that had a big land slide of trees and debris on it at a place called Haast and we had to wait 4 hours before we could move on from there! And man when I got to Franz Josef and it was raining I was so sad coz I really wanted to walk on that glacier, that would have been cool!

From there I popped in on a place called Nelson near Picton in the north of the south island, I just put a pic in of the Cathedral and of the harbour for the one. Then I put a pic in of my ferrie passing another ferrie on the way from Picton back to Wellington.

Then to Rotorua where I went to see what some of the volcanic activity in this country has caused, loads of gysers and mud pools and gorges. Really cool. Will write more next time. Also in Rotorua I went for a spa in the lovely hot volcanic spa pools, it was a Polynesian spa, lovely, outdoors. And then I went for a Hangi and to watch a Maouri concert which was ace.

Now I am back in Auckland, just met up with my friend Kathleen. Will pick up the rest of my luggage and in about 12 hours I head for South Africa!

Later
Sylv x

PS!
Ok for those who would like a bit more information in Rotorua I went to 'Wai-O-Tapu' (Sacred Waters) which is New Zealand's most colourful and diverse volcanic area. In some of the pools, lakes, craters, steam vents, mineral terraces and tracks you find lots of tints and hue. I have a picture of the Lady Knox Geyser on here and she erupts daily and reaches heights up to 20 metres (lovely tourist pull!). As well as this sight there are numerous other pools and even boiling mud pools all brought about from a volcanic eruption.

I also went on the Waimangu Volcanic Valley tour, The waimangu was brought about by -
1886 Tarawera volcano erupts, Lake Rotomahana explodes to 20 times its original size and Pink and White terraces are destroyed. All plant and bird life is extinguished.
1900 The Waimangu Geyser erupts, the largest ever recorded geyser blasts black scalding water, rocks, sand and steam 400 metres into the sky. The eruptions continue for 4 years until November 1904. Four visitors and killed in 1903 when disregarding a guides warning they wandered too close to the geyser. In 1917 huge blasts from Frying Pan Lake, the largest hot water spring in the word. These basts race up the crater walls, destroying a nearby accomodation house. The owner's wife and child die from the injuries. After this, conditions are perfect for plant and bird life to begin. (My own personal words - the place is gorgeous especially the blue blue pool, so blue its like a sea of sky)

My last experience in NZ was to go to a proper Maori concert and Hangi. I went to the 'Tamaki Maori Village' where we were welcomed on to the Marae which is a sacred building for the Maori. There is a lot of warrior like movements and chantings and tongue sticking out and then we are welcomed in to the concert. Please note - the rain was torrential that night! The concert was very emotional, they really sang from their hearts, I was blown away by their passion and patriotism. It was so sweet. And I got a shot at one of the dances they do with the white pom poms on the string, should have got a photo of that sorry!

The hangi is an age old traditional cooking method of the Maori. The food is under the earth on hot rocks for 3 to 4 hours, the rocks are heated toa white hot state with some of the native timber. The baskets of meat are put directly on the hot stones, then the vegetable baskets and then the pudding basket on top of that. A wet cloth is placed over the food followed by wet hessian. Earth is then piled quickly over everything to keep the heat inside the earth oven. The food, is delicious, its like a lovely roast!

Queenstown & Milford Sound

I must admit I have been absolutely blown away by the beauty around the east coast of the south land of New Zealand. Especially around this area, and I can see why this part of the world was chosen to film 'Lord of the Rings'. It is 'awesome' in the real sense of the word! I am blown away by the height and majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the rivers, it is just beautiful.

I am not going to say much right now as I am tired and up early tomorrow to go to Franz Josef. I just feel it is important to say what is happening as it is happening as time is going so quickly now, especially as I am only a day or two in each place. I really like Queenstown as it is so beautiful, I know most people come here as it is the 'extreme sports capital of the world' there is bunjee jumping, para gliding, surfing, body surfing, swinging from a tree you name it its here!!! ha ha. However, my money is short and even though I would love to do a sky dive I think I will have to leave it for another time. I am too skint! I still have Africa to go afterall! And so here I have spent 2 full days, one of those I got up early and got the sun rise outside of my hostel as I waited for the 'bbq bus' to pick us up and take us to 'Milford Sounds', which has been one of my most fav places on my trip. It is so beautiful. It was especially dramatic and overwhelmingly gorgeous as it was raining and water was trickling, streaming and gushing down rocks all around the Sounds. It is so beautiful I totally recommend it. I loved it! Although it has the name of one of the Sounds as there are a few round here, I hear that sounds are more flat scenery, rivers with some nice scenery around whereas this is more like a fjord/fiord as there is mountains all around it and it is so dramatic. Yup I would like to come back here some time!

Today I wanted a rest so I went for a walk up Queenstown Hill, which is a bit of a walk up and a bit steep at times but beautiful scenery once again, especially of Queenstown itself and all the mountains around it. Gorgeous. So enjoy the pics.

I must also mention as it is quite strange, when I was up the mountain and I was walking down I saw a guy sitting at one spot looking at the view, I waved to him as I walked past (you know how it is fellow hiker and all that! ha ha) and he waved back. When I was walking down I saw this cat with a collar so I thought someone must have lost it and this guy came walking past me so I mentioned it to him and as he lived in the area if he hears anything about a lost cat he knows where they can find it! We chatted a bit and then he went on as his legs were longer than mine! And then today I met this really nice girl in the hostel and we chatted for a while so when I was coming out to use the internet (happy hour - half price!) she came out with me to go to the pub. So I showed her around the streets and tried to find a pub for her that would play the Liverpool game which will be on at 4am here! And when we were walking round she met a friend she met in NZ 3 years ago so she is laughing and hugging him and I am just laughing with his friends like they are my long lost friends. And then the guy turns round and says...you were up on the hill today weren't you...you mentioned the cat!!!! How strange is that. One of the guys says he met an ex girlfriend he hadn't seen for years on that same street, that is so strange! And so they invited me out to the pub but I had to leave them to it as I have to serve my public and get my stories on here and my pics...too gorgeous for words! So there you are, said more than I thought I would. Time for me to go, I have a bus to catch tomorrow at 8am. Before I go, gotta tell you...I am travelling on a pass that gives you so many hours travel time, so I bought 35 hours and each time I take a trip they tell me how many hours I have left. Well...I found out I could get picked up at my youth hostel so I phoned and asked if they could do that and the guy said yes and then told me I had 11 and a half hours left on my pass. Whereas the other day I had 12 hours left and so I had to ask...why is that? He says the journey time on his computer says it is 30 minutes of the journey going from my youth hostel to the centre....well! To help you to have a picture of where my youth hostel is, tonight it took me 10 minutes to walk from my hostel to the centre! It seems because the driver has to stop especially for me and then has to wait in Queenstown I will have to give my precious time on my bus ticket for the privilege!!! Well...! And so I said incredulously 'you are kidding!' He said in a very professional tone if you would like me to change it back...and I said, 'I am not blaming you, you don't need to put your business voice on for me I am just amazed that that is the case!' He laughed and then I said, just put me back is being picked up in town...I will walk...with my heavy bag!!! Man I should be skinny all this exercise!

Anyway, I am tired, gotta run.

Hugs.
Sylv x

Dunedin - little Scotland!

Well I must admit I am a bit pushed for time these days, however, I convinced myself that it was an absolute must to go to 'Dunedin' as it has so many connections with little old Scotland. So I got there in the evening and woke up the next morning at 6am to catch the sunrise and to go and see as much as I possible could before I left on the 2pm bus to Queenstown! And so I walked around town and took some beautiful photos of the harbour and of the town including the 'railway station' a statue of 'Rabbie Burns' and also the longest street in the world...which yes, I did in fact walk up. I also went to the beach for my last hour as it was only 15 mins away (St Kilda and St Clair beach) and watched some of the kids windsurfing and also enjoyed the view of the rocks and the sea. Gorgeous. It was funny, I had met a woman up in the bay of islands a few weeks ago and she was once again sharing a room with me, she is really funny and a bit outrageous without meaning to be! She met a guy in China she couldn't speak to but had a connection with him and agreed to meet him the next day and she could not find him and she continues to be saddened by this unlucky event as she doesn't seem to meet many men she likes. She had her own hairdressers at home and so the woman talks a LOT, but she is lovely.

I am at a point now though that I have to miss things out that I would like to do, because of time or lack of cash. I would have liked to see to Otago penninsula and I hear there is some gorgeous wildlife around there but time has just not been on my side as I had to get moving. Maybe next time! When I come with my family!

S

Wellington - Ferrie to Picton - Kaikoura - Christchurch

Ok so here is some photos from the last couple of days. It is going really fast now as I am doing only a day here and a day there in different places. I spent 2 days in Wellington, one night! I then took the Ferrie to Picton, I nearly missed the ferrie! I took a photo of the view from the ferrie, so that is my evening shot! By the way you will have to look at my photos bottom to top as that is how I put them on so that is how I am thinking sorry, I should do it the other way round. The top pic is actually my most recent one. So anyway, I took the ferrie to Picton and that was 'smashin' as it felt like I was really 'travelling' again, felt like going to another country travelling to the south island of New Zealand. I got to Picton in the evening, gabbed with 'jonny' the woman who runs the hostel and asked her if I should stay another night and have a look around, on hearing I only had 2 weeks she said 'get moving girl!' and so the next morning I got the bus to 'Kaikoura'after taking only one picture in Picton (after the ferrie shot and before the window shot!). I had to take a pic from my room window there it is absolutely gorgeous (I have mostly been staying in YHA's as opposed to general backpackers). And so the YHA in Kaikoura has a wonderful view of sea and mountains, some of them snow capped, how beautiful. I went for a walk my first night there and met an Indian guy going the same way so we chatted and ended up doing the peninsula walk together which took about 2.5 hours, but beautiful. Took a pic of a seal on the way, just hangin out and restin on the rocks. Also on the way saw some boys cycling off the pier, had to take a pic of that...the youth worker in me! They were asking for 50cents which is about ten pence for one of their friends to cycle of the pier, they sold themselves too cheap, I gave them a dollar! I took a couple of pics, if you look close you will see him just jumping in the air, mad boy! I shouldn't have encouraged him I know! It was a lovely walk, a lovely evening, and lovely company. I also met a really nice person on ferrie on 3 hour journey over, Jess from Canada, she works for Greenpeace. We had a good old gab and became fast friends from only a few moments of chattin to each other. Thats what I like about travelling! I left Kaikoura the next day, but had to spend the morning first of all out whale sighting! It was a fun journey although I have been feeling a bit nauseaus recently, motion sickness I think. Moving on buses, ferries, boats, etc, its all getting to me! But anyway, the whales were gorgeous and I got a pic of 3 of their tales and thats not easy job so enjoy the pics. Yeah I know I am a great photographer, you don't have to tell me! ha ha. And so I got to Christchurch yesterday and it is very 'English' my photo after the last 'whale tail' will show you that. I have more pics to take tomorrow but today I spent mostly hiking up in the Cavendish Mountain, I took a 'gondala' up, a cable car in the air, it was beautiful. I love walking in the mountains, I think I need to do more of that at home. I also got a bit darking walking round some rocks, but scared myself to death as the drop was enormous and it wasn't the normal path I should have taken, but the rocks were so 'pretty' - it was a temptation too great for me, but hopefully I will learn my lesson for next time coz I don't think I am insured for that!!!

Anyways, all is good here. The weather on the east coast of NZ is pretty warm at the moment and so thats good but the further I travel especially over to the west its going to get darn cold. They have the glaciers over there. Its all good! Oh yeah and I must say I have came to a lovely hostel by the botanic gardens in Christchurch and met up with a couple I met in Auckland, they are lovely and great to have a chat with. I especially know Laurel from our 'gabs' and she is a wealth of knowledge, her husband is dutch and she is Canadian and they are just the friendliest couple. I am going to meet up with them again tonight for a chat. Again, thats the great thing about travelling, meeting up with the friends you have made.

Love to all.

Sylvia