Crikey!!!

I have arrive back in the beautiful country they call OZ. I didn’t realize how much I fell in love with Australia until I got back. New Zealand was amazing. I am really glad I went. I was able to do things that I have never done (and may never again) mostly outdoor activities. The best activity for me was the wine tasting…obvi. It is a beautiful wine region and they have some great Sauv Blancs. My tour consisted of 2 couples, a Kiwi older couple and a younger British couple. We went to 5 wineries and had a brilliant lunch at one of the vineyards. It was a really nice way to see the wine region and taste what they have to offer.

I do have to say that 5 weeks was a bit too long for me. I got a little tired of all the nature (I know that is horrible to say) it was just too much for me. I was very excited to get to Auckland and be in a city again. Before I got to Auckland I did a very fast tour of the North Island. I took the ferry between islands and it was like no other ferry I have ever been on. The ride takes three and a half hours and there are tons of people on it. The boat has eight different levels that have a food court, bar, outdoor decks, gift shops (2), kids play area, and two movie theatres. I went and saw Monsters vs. Aliens, very cute, the other option was Slumdog Millionaire which I saw in Queenstown (go see it if you haven’t it is fantastic!) Once I arrived in Wellington I went to their Te Papa museum for the morning. It was a great museum that was a combination of natural and New Zealand history. It was one of the better museums I have been to on this side of the world. It was a raining and it was ANZAC day (their version of Memorial Day) so everything was closed. I did a quick tour around the city and then headed to my hostel.

The next day I got back in the car and made my way up to the middle of the North Island to Turangi, the self proclaimed trout fishing capital of the world! I decided to stop off at Turangi so I could attempt to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 17 km hike up and over one of the volcanic mountains. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Turangi it was raining and it was planning to rain for the next 3 days. I am not really a hiker and I am especially not a hiker when it is raining. So instead I took a trip up to the Lake Taupo and saw some of the geothermal activity that is going on up there. It was sort of cool mostly it smelled like rotten eggs. This wasn’t the best stop on my NZ itinerary. Next stop the Waitomo Caves!

At my hostel in Turangi I made friends with Ingmar, German, and Noa, Israeli, both of who wanted to do the crossing but couldn’t due to weather. As a group we decided to head off to the Waitomo Caves to do Backwater rafting. The idea behind Blackwater rafting is that you go down into one of the caves and float through it on an inner tube. It took us about 2 hours to make our way through the caves to the spot where we could float. We were able to see glow worms and some pretty cool cave sights. Def worth it!

After blackwater rafting I was in desperate need of a city. I made my way to Auckland a very underrated city. I spent the next 2 days walking around seeing what Auckland had to offer. I spoiled myself and rented an actual hotel room. I was in a mood and didn’t want to have to share a room with up to 7 other people. I needed my own space. It was worth it. I didn’t do too much exciting stuff in Auckland I just enjoyed being in a city.

My flight back to Australia was at 7 am on May 1st because I had to be at the airport super early I decided that I was going to save some money and sleep there. I had to check out of the hotel at 10 am and had until 11 pm when I needed to return my rental car to find something to do with my day. I talked to Annie for over an hour, checked my email, and drove around to some of the different beaches. Unfortunately, it wasn’t warm enough to sit on any of them…bummer. I went to the Auckland Aquarium and then headed towards the airport. There is no better way of killing time when you are alone then going to the movies. I took in a double feature, The International and Notorious, before heading to the airport. I wasn’t the only one sleeping in the airport and this wasn’t the first airport I have slept in. It is commonplace to sleep in airports in Europe. Here is a picture of my airport bed (this is for you Annie):

That brings us to Sydney. Delightfully for me the weather here has been very sunny and warm. I have spent the days walking around seeing everything that I didn’t get to see the last time I was here. I spent Saturday on the beach and Saturday night at the Opera House seeing a ballet. Tomorrow is my last day in Australia and I hope to spend it like I have spent so many other days here soaking in the sun on the beach.

I am filled with mixed emotions about coming home. I am very excited to see everyone, to be settled in one place again, for a wardrobe the consists of more than what is in my backpack, to be able to give the backpack back to Peter and never see it again, and for not having to try and figure out what time it is in the states – we never really figured out what the time difference was especially C’Nuts. I am sad that my much anticipated trip is over and that Australia is very far away from the States. I fell in love with this country more than I thought I would. This has been an amazing experience for me. I can’t thank Bernardo enough for asking me to come until I said I would. My trip has been everything I needed and wanted it to be.

Missing and loving everyone!

See you soon

Kate

My travel luck didn't turn around as fast as I would have liked. Right after I finished blogging about the rain in Franz Joseph I was informed that the rain was getting worse and it was not supposed to be stopping for at least a few days. This wasn't a huge issue because there wasn't anywhere to go. The rain was so bad that it washed out the road to the north. When I was told this information I assumed it meant that there was a landslide over the road and that they needed to clear away the debris. I didn't find out until 2 days later that the road itself had washed away. The entire northbound lane of traffic was completely gone. Apparently this hasn't happened since '95...lucky me. Thankfully the rain did stop and after 2 days of sitting around and watching Harry Potter 12 times on TV I was able to hike on to the glacier on Saturday.

I was extremal excited! I had heard so many amazing stories and had seen many very impressive pictures of the glacier but nothing prepared me for what I was about to see. The Franz Joseph Glacier is located only a few miles off the coast and is nestled in the middle of the west coast rain forest...not a place you would except a glacier. We hiked about 1/3 of the way up and it was only there that you can really feel how large it is. Most of the hike was just walking up to get to a few cool spots with caves and neat ice formations. It is hard to express how cool (ha ha) the glacier really was. When you stand back and look at it it looks as if it is one big ski slope but once you are on it you realize you are standing on pure beautiful blue ice.

Sunday I set sail from Franz Joseph and worked my way up the coast to Nelson. On the way I stopped in Punakaiki, the home of the Pancake Rocks (rocks that look like pancakes stacked up.) 4 of the 8 hours of my journey north was right on the coast. I keep being amazing at how humble New Zealand is about the beauty of their country. I'd like to say that after the last 6 months I have become a professional beach critic...my life's ambition. Australia had hands down the nicest beaches I have ever seen and they will say the same. They claim that the road between Melbourne and Adelaide is the "Great Ocean Road"...I beg to differ. Their beaches are superior to NZ's but the drive up the west coast is way more impressive than the GOR in my professional opinion.

The rest of the drive was beautiful through the middle part of the south island. I arrived late to Nelson and got up early to drive out to see the Abel Tasman National Park. It has been really nice and cost effective having a car. I drove out to the national park stopping at a few of the fantastic (I am running out of adjectives for the beauty) spots along the Able Tasman. Unfortunately for me there was a cold spell in town and I wasn't able to sunbathe but I did get to see where I could sunbathe. The towns up there were small and really cute and once again the scenery was breathtaking. It is bad to say but I am getting sort of numb to the beauty of this country. Everywhere you look there is incredible scenery. I am very lucky to be here to see it all.

Today I got up early again and headed to Picton. Picton is the where I will catch my ferry to the North Island, hike the Marlborough Sound and go wine tasting!!! Today I got settled in my adorable hostel and set up my plans for the next few days. Tomorrow I am off on a full day of wine tasting. If anyone doesn't know what the Marlborough region is famous for and why I am so excited doesn't know me very well. This region is famous for their Sauvignon blanc...my favorite! So tomorrow's tour takes me to 6-7 different wineries...this might be the highlight of New Zealand for me. The day after I am off to do a day long hike on the Marlborough Sound and then on Thursday I head to the north Island for a week before heading back to Oz.

I am sorry that I haven't posted any picture recently. The computers I have been using haven't been very helpful when it comes to uploading documents. I will see if I can get some posted soon.

Two weeks from today I will be sleeping in my own bed. It is about time. Traveling has been amazing but I am beginning to miss the comforts of living in a house rather than a hostel. I have also picked up a strange habit of talking to myself which means I have been spending too much time alone. I enjoy am really enjoying the alone time but I can't wait for friends and family! So soon

Miss and Loves!
K

So i am finally on the road again. After spending 2 weeks in Queenstown...partly because i wanted to and partly because i lost my credit cards, i am on the road again. I don't think I can go abroad without having something hapen to my credit cards. This time it was way less traumatic than France.

Queenstown was amazing. After I last posted I was a huge loser and did a Lord of the Rings horseback riding trip. It took me thorough the areas where they filmed a lot of the film. The area we rode through was used for Isengard, Amon Hen, Misty Mountians, the last fight sceen of the 1st movie and Lochlorien (where Cate Balnchet lives.) The scenery was amazing and you can see why Peter Jackson picked these areas to film a lot of the moive in. I also did an afternoon ride where I was the only participant. This took us through the Shotover River and around the floodplains. Since I was the only rider my guide taught me how to trot and canter. We actually got to ride fast and that was really incredible. It was a fantastic day.

The rest of my time in Queenstown was spent hiking and hanging out with people at my hostel. I was tempted to stay but there is a lot more of NZ to see!

I rented a car and headed north yesterday to Franz Joseph. Unfortunately today was very rainy and my full day glacier hike was canceled. Good thing my hostel has a TV in the room...there is nothing to do in FJ other than hiking on the ice. I hope that tomorrow the weather is going to be better so I can make it out and onto the ice. I would really hate to miss the Glacier because it is raining but I have to keep going.

After Franz Joseph I am driving North to Able Tasman National Park and Nelson. I hope to do some more hiking and get a taste some wines. Nelson is in the well know Marlborough region that is known for its Sauvignon blancs (monkey bay anyone?)....I am going to be in heaven. Hopefully the rest of my trip goes smoothly.

I am now officially in my last 3 weeks of my trip. Can't believe that I will be home so soon. Sad and very excited at the same time.

Hope to have glacier pics to post soon.

Miss and Love!

Kate

So Queenstown might be the most beautiful place in the southern hemisphere! It is located right on Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by a few different mountain ranges of the Southern Alps. It is basically a large ski town that has plenty of outdoor and adventure activities to participate in. QT’s claim to fame is their bungee jumping, 3rd highest in the world, and their canyon swing. Unfortunately or fortunately I don’t think I will be participating in any of the jumping sports while I am here. I don’t quite have the stomach for it. I am doing my best to make sure that I do some outdoor activity and something athletic every day. I mean while I am here I might as well…right? Each day I have hiked one of the many hiking trails that are start in Queenstown and head up the mountains. They have been long and steep hikes but they all have fantastic views from the top. Yesterday I did try my hand at a few adventure sports…whitewater rafting and jet boating. Both were amazing! The rafting was on the calmer side but the jet boating was thrilling. So far Queenstown has been an amazing stop on my journey.

I am staying in an adorable hostel that is located right on the water. Every morning when I get up quite early I have a stunning view of the lake.

The hostel is very nice and has a lot of really great people staying in it. I have made friends with 3 girls, 1 American, 1 Canadian, 1 Kiwi, and 2 guys, 1 British and 1 Canadian. We have had a low key time while I have been in QT. It’s nice when someone has a laptop and you can watch movies in your hostel room for free. The girls are trying to convince me to stay and do my working visa in NZ now…its tempting but I think it’s time for me to head home.

Tomorrow I am headed off to Milford Sound. Apparently it is absolutely gorgeous. I mean I can only imagine, everywhere in NZ looks like a postcard. Then on Wednesday I am heading farther north to the Franz Joseph Glacier and am going to hike the glacier. That should be really cool.
Everything is going really well in NZ. I miss the girls I have been traveling with but it is really nice to travel alone and only have to worry about what I want to do. I will be back in the real world soon enough.
Check out my pics on Picasa again…there are some good ones from my hikes and water sports.

Love and miss you all!
Kate

I have bid my farewells to the girls in Australia and I am now on my own for the next 5 weeks. Port Douglas was amazing but its time to get on the warm weather clothing (Uggs and North Face) and get down to loving the outdoors.

I arrived In Christchurch late Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised with how lovely my hostel was. Clean, sort of quiet and right downtown. Good start Christchurch! Got in too late to enjoy the nightlife so headed to bed for a big Sunday of sightseeing. I was expecting very cold weather because when I landed it was a chilly 50 degrees but when I headed out Sunday morning it was a delightful day with a cloudless sky. I headed over to the Arts Center for their weekend market. It was one of the cutest markets ever. It had about 25-30 vendors, live music, food stalls and was all set with in the old University of Canterbury buildings. It was gorgeous. I took a stroll through the vendors, got myself some Indian food and then settled down to watch a retired mens band play classic and pop songs in the Art Center’s courtyard. After I headed over to the Botanical gardens and wandered around for 4 or 5 hours stopping to read ever now and then. The gardens were some of the nicest I have seen in a city. Christchurch isn’t called the Garden City for nothing.

Monday was another big day of sightseeing. Well let me rephrase that…Christchurch is beautiful but it is small so I needed to get everything in within 2 days because that’s all the time I had here. So Monday I headed back towards the Botanical Gardens to make sure I got a chance to go into the Canterbury Museum and I needed to take a trip around the Avon River. I stared my day with a cup of coffee at a very adorable café located in the Botanical Gardens right on the Avon River. After caffeinated myself up I decided that I needed to see the river via kayak. I rented a kayak and traveled down the very, very calm Avon river. It was another perfect day in Christchurch so the view of the gardens from the river was stunning. After kayaking I headed to the Canterbury Museum. This is the home of a very random assortment of information. Anything from Maori, Asian history to dinosaurs and New Zealand’s famous movies. It was free and a good way to spend 2 hours. I wandered around town seeing the rest of the outdoor sights but felt confident that in the 2 days I spent in Christchurch I saw what needed to be seen. I had an early morning on Tuesday.

Up at 5:45 am and out the door at 6:20 I was on my way to take the Transcostal train from Christchurch to Greymouth and back. This is supposed to be one of the worlds top 6 train journeys. I was interested in seeing what it had to offer. When we departed Christchurch it was overcast and rainy…a great way to spend 9 hours on a train. As we crossed the Southern Alps heading west we were delightfully surprised that the weather was completely different...blue skies and beautiful! The views from the train were breathtaking. Beautiful mountains, fields, lots of sheep and brilliant colors. We had about an hour to spend in Greymouth, not the most exciting town in NZ but very cute, before we headed back.

I didn’t have time to add photos to this site but here is the link to my Picasa album of my time in Christchurch and the Transcostal…enjoy! Hopefully it works

http://picasaweb.google.com/katelockard/ChristchurchAndTranscostal#

Tomorrow morning I am heading farther down the east coast to Dunedin. This is a town that is right on the Otago Peninsula. There are a lot of hiking and biking trials. We will see how I go and how long I stay. My goal in New Zealand is to try learn how to enjoy the outdoors and broaden my horizons. I have been told for years I need a hobby so maybe I will find one here

Miss you all! AFTA folks I hope AAD went well!

See you all in a few short weeks!!!
Kate