OMG so much to post!!!

We’ve been frantically running around the North Island since Wellington, trying to fit stuff in… so apologies for such a long absence! I only have a minute but I’ll throw down here what I can from the past week.

Our stop after Wellington was Lake Taupo… it’s a beautiful area in the middle of the North Island, famous for it’s location amongst bubbling hot springs and geyser-filled terraces. I got a wonderful massage and facial in a spa there and left town relaxed and refreshed. The area is also known for starring as Mordor in the Lord of the Rings. We passed Mt. Doom on the way in. Unfortunately it was dusk, so our photos came out a little dark. The bubbling springs around Taupo were incredible. For those of you who can’t remember those high school earth science classes, they are created from hot magma underneath the earth’s crust that has come close enough to the surface to cause heat vents in the ground. Steam rises out of these vents, giving the landscape an eerie silence.

In Rotorua, another hot springs mecca, we got a true taste of Maori culture, literally, at a show and hangi. The hangi is a way of cooking meat underground for an extended period of time, making it succulent and delicious. It’s kind of like Kalua Pig, but without the banana leaves. They also served us local potatoes, called Kumara. Yummy!

Okay, running out of internet time. boo! Will get back the rest to you later!!!

The Joy of NOT Hitchhiking

– Demon Killa Cola: it’s what New Zealanders crave!

After much deliberation and monetary calculations, we have decided to rent a car for the month. Buses were pricey, hitchhiking wasn’t very practical, and walking was out of the question. So, for 14 bucks a day we got a little Mazda with room for four, and kamikaze’d our way out of Christchurch, driving on the left side of the road. Also, the windshield wiper gadget is on the left and the turn signal handle is on the right, so we keep wiping the windows every time we want to turn. It’s rather disconcerting when you’re trying to see, turn into the opposite lane of the road you’re used to, and have the wipers suddenly start going and smearing bug residue all over the place.

But so far we feel like the rental car was worth the money. We’ve been able to visit numerous places that we never would have seen hitchhiking or busing from city to city.

– In the small french town of Akaroa, at the edge of the harbor

We’d heard about a gorgeous place called Akaroa, where we could see a great penguin colony, that was only 2 hours away from Christchurch. We knew the distance from Christchurch to our next destination was four hours, so we assumed that we’d have two hours to go from Akaroa to there. And so, we took the trek through the Banks Peninsula, a gorgeous piece of land which plays home to three harbors. We drove through lush hilltops capped with fog, stopping for breathtaking views of the unimaginably blue waters. Akaroa itself is an old French Settlement of only one street that is lined with cute little buildings and a gorgeous beach. We popped into the info center to ask about what to do there, and discovered that it would be 4 hours to our next stop! With it already beinbeing 4:00, we knew we needed to get out quick, so we grabbed some coffee and ice cream, shot a few pictures of the water, and drove on to Oamaru, New Zealand’s only Victorian Town.

After arriving in Oamaru we showered up quick and walked about 10 minutes into town. Along the way we stumbled upon what we’ve aptly named the “Obesity Trifecta.” It was a KFC next door to a Dominoe’s Pizza, with a McDonald’s across the street. The best part is that as I was about to take a picture of the scene, an obese woman came down the street. It’s truly sad to see these craphole fast food restaurants in beautiful cities around the world, in which people can find delicious, affordable, fresh local foods that aren’t poisoned with chemicals and pesticides; there is no High Fructose Corn Syrup in anything. Fortunately, there are no Wal-Marts or Mega strip malls that we could see.

WIth two nights to stay, we saw everything the industrial-era town had to offer: We kicked off with a pint of cider at one of the local watering holes, the Criterion Hotel, where we chatted up a couple of local characters while a guitar player serenaded us with some New Zealand folk tunes. The whole place reminded me of the Australian Roadhouses I visited years ago. We had a tattoo-off with a very drunk Kiwi. He was quite a pleasant chap, but we could not understand about 75% of what he was saying due to his thick and slurred accent.

The next day we tooled around the old town and discovered a limestone sculptor, and an old Whisky Distillery where Alan had a tasting and I admired the top-floor art gallery. After that we popped into the Whitestone Creamery where we got some delicious cheese so that Alan could concoct another famous cheese plate. Then we went down to the very cold and windy beach to see the Yellow-Eyed Penguins coming in from the water to feed their young. We saw a few from afar, but actually a baby penquin came right up to the path and posed for some headshots before scuttling back into the brush. We also saw some seals from afar, basking on the stormy beach.

Mince Meat Pie? Yes Please!

It’s been awhile since my last blog so this may be long. I’ll try to split it up and publish the second half tomorrow, okay? Okay!!

Christchurch continued to bring surprises. Our accommodations were awesome; we got a small apartment with a solid kitchen and living room, so we cooked many of our meals, and Alan created a fabulous cheese plate using cheese from a New Zealand creamery.

– Riding on the gondola up to Lyttleton

One of the main attractions in Christchurch is a gondola ride to the top of Mt. Cavendish for spectacular views of the two harbors that surround the city. The water is a pristine blue and though it was very windy, we really enjoyed our time there.

– "The Human Carousel"

The next day, we took a long walk intending to arrive on the beach. Hah. After about half an hour, we stopped into a cafe to find out how much farther it was, then discovered it was actually a lonnnnnng way off still. So we hoofed it back into town and caught another buskers show. The most impressive was “Betty Brawn.” She claims to be the strongest woman alive. She lifted two guys up in the air with her shoulders, tore a paperback novel in half, and bent a copper pipe with her bare hands.

– Lily Pads!

Our trip wrapped up with a guided tour of the Botanical Gardens, where we spotted rare native and exotic plants, most notably the New Zealand Silver Fern. Also, we checked out the Cathedral and walked up to the top of the tower for some great views of the urban center. On that last evening we had a phenomenal dinner at Liquidity, which was highlighted by a duck spring roll with cardamom and ginger in it, with a “ginger slaw.” And, of course, we had wines to go with each course, some fine examples of New Zealand vino.

A few other interesting things we noticed in Christchurch:  The people around the city are super friendly and very laid back. Several locals were happy to give us detailed directions when we were lost, and to tell us which buses to take when we weren’t sure. There are many old buildings that look as if they were transported whole from Britain. There’s the joy of the mince meat pie – New Zealand’s answer to fast food. It’s like a tiny little shepherd’s pie with minced meat in it. Sounds kind of gross but really it’s like a beef stew that’s been chopped up a bit in a food processor. Finally, there are as many coffee shops as there are in Seattle, though the population is only 344,000. What’s weird though is that only 3 in the inner city had free internet service.

Finally… some time to write from New Zealand

Riding the gondola up to Lyttleton

We’ve been in Christchurch for 5 days! The city is definitely a college town, full of art galleries, trendy boutiques and hip young folk. We are fortunate enough to have arrived during the World Busker’s Festival, a 10-day-long  annual shindig which brings street performers from all over the world to share their acts in different venues staged around the city. We’ve seen fire dancers, acrobats, comedians, the world’s strongest woman, and an amazing beat-boxer named DubFX….
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