Kaitaia to Auckland

I said my goodbyes and thanked Rebecca and Mike for the opportunity to stay with them. I managed to catch my bus and whilst waiting i was also able to speak to na na Bette! it was great to hear her, it was he birthday and obviously i wasn't there for the crazy Hathaway get together! Before i knew it i was in Auckland reunited with my friend Sarah after a few months apart, we enjoyed a few fruit ciders and headed out for some live music and dancing. Sarah was kind enough to put me up for the night and dropped me off at the airport headed for Fiji Fun the next morning!

Woofing

So i spent 7 days woofing, it was a great experience which made me think about a lot of things. Tasks involved making bread which was an amazing arm workout and took alot of energy. Next was the muesli which involved lots of seeds; sunflowers and pumpkin, dried fruit; apricots and rasins, honey and oats and anything else you wish. we fried the ingredients for about ten minutes and then mixed everything togethe, really delicious. I also had the chance to shoot a rifle, which was fun. We capturd a few possums in traps around the house and visited the beach which was stunning and a look out point which was origionally inhabited by maori and their animals. From this viewpoint you could realky see how secluded the house was, surrounded by bush and forest. Our sleeping quarters consisted of a small tree house on stilts about 300m from the main house. Ther was no electricity, just candle light and luckily a heater. As we slept we could hear the Morepork owl and the stream flowing. Each morning we fed the chickens and helped out with gardening, weeding and domestic jobs. Rebecca was thankful of the help with 3 children under her wing and her own business it was all GO! I also baked muffins and cakes which the children loved and managed to cook two big meals for the whole family, chicken paprika was a winner with salad picked every night from the garden.  I hope to take some of the ideas i learned about lifestyle back home with me especially the recipes.

Bus to Kerikeri to Kaitaia (Woofing Begins!)

The scenery from Auckland up north was beautiful and always changing. I was about to begin a week of Woofing. Woofing is short for Working On Organic Farms. I had been wanting to have the opportunity to do this at some point and now was perfect. I was greted by Rebecca who owned the house i was going to be staying at. She was very sweet, and welcomed me with open arms. We headed back to the family home where i met the three children Brody 14, Ruby 11 and Hamish 8. I then met Mike, Rebeccas partner. They were a lovly family, very community orientated and a focus on self sufficiency. There was no television in the house, which was actually a nice break and meant the children had to use their imaginations to entertain themselves. I was happy that there was another 'woofer' Lauren who was woofing at the same time which was good. Our first night was spent attending a cultural evening which Rebecca had been invited to. It was a crazy experience. The group was celebrating the winter solstice, Matariki the traditional maori celebration is marked by the arrival of constellations in the southern hemisphere and the changes between the seasons. I found myself taking part in greetings, song, dance, poetry, lighting candles and eating lots of food. There were a few speakers throughout the evening who had been invited to say a few words. I learnt alot about culture and ideas and peoples views and opinions. However the conversation did getbehated when a German man, living in New Zealand was trying to compare his culture and traditions with the Maori! Pete Smith a local Maori man was not happy and explained that there are no similarities and the fact that the native people went through a huge change when the Europeans came, they had no choice and wee forced almost to change their life styles. I found it interesting as it just showed that the European influence still hurts some of the native people. I think it is important for people to speak their minds and have an opinion about the events. The issues are still vey much alive and maori people feel very strongly about what happened and that is why some are trying to educate new generations about the importance of New Zealands history before the Europeans came. I guess it was passion speaking, which im all for. Unfortunately Peter ended up leaving the ceremony and invited people to his marae. It left a wier atmosphere in the circle and every part of me also wanted to leave, but i saw myself as a fly on the wall, an outsider, i considered my own beliefs and thought about the crazyness of different peoples beliefs and opinions and how ot makes the world go round, creates conflicts and helos people with their journey. An intense one!

Wellington back to Auckland

Most of the bus continued their journey south, as i had startd on the south i decided to head back to the north of the north! This time a much quieter bus consisting of only about 6 people. It is amazing how groups of people can change so dramatically some buses are loud and eveyone gets on, others are a bit more groupy and some much quieter, it has been cool as i have had about 8 different drivers and therefore 8 different groups, so i would say i got a chance to experience it all. From Wellington we made our way back up north through what felt like the four sesons. As we travelled the sky was blue and the sun shone, white fluffy clouds floated overhead, we stopped at National park again for lunch and as we ate the snow started to fall. We had to leave early as it had started to settle and we had a 6 hour journey ahead of us. Then we experienced a hail storm, into a light rain and eventually the skies cleared. I arrived in Auckland and checked in at Base hostel. I havn't really been that impressed with the base hostels, and this time i had the pleasure of spending the night with two Irish builders and a Scottish plumber. They had been staying at the hostel for 4 and a half months, I couldnt believe it! It definately smelt like they had been there for 4 and a half months, and there was no window in the room. Luckily i was headed straight up to Kaitaia early the next morning so i had a quick escape!

National Park to Wellington

Unfortunately the crossing had been canceled for those wanting to do it as winds were high and rain was expected. We made our way south to the capital city Wellington. Recentlynnamed by lonely planet as "the coolest little capital in the world". The city has a 'buzz' about it, lots of out doors activities, including hikes, kayaking, mountain biking and theen there are many bars, theatres and art galleries. The Te Papa museum is a MUST SEE, and i have to say it is the best museum i have ever been to. There was a large colossol squid on show and various natural history artifacts. The museum highlights maori culture and history, the influx of Europeans and effects of war, changes through time and the movement of people into the country from all over the world. A really fabulous place and well worth a visit ove a couple of days when in the city. We ended up having a draw off in the arts gallery section and making 'poems' with the magnetic words on the writers wall. We stayed at Nomads where we wee treated to a fre mini meal of chili and spent the night playing beer pong and dancing in Electric Avenue! The night ended with a Bailys (i think).

Back to National Park - Tongariro

The group had decided that we loved our Stray driver, 'Motors' was full of beans, and managed to get us from A-B describing important features and parts of history along the way in her own funny way. My favourite part was when we stopped in the small town of Ohakune to look at a giant carrot, This had been designed as it was the best area in New Zealand for growing the carrot. There are many big scultures scatteed in various places around the islands, including a large salmon and fruit. The bus consisted of about 21, mainly girls and 4 boys! We stopped from place to place testing various flavours of New Zealand pie, my fave, the steak and cheese :-).  We arrived at National park where the probibility of some of the group wanting to do the crossing was looking bleak. I felt licky that i had managed to do it a week ago in perfect conditions. We spent the night playing cards, watching movies and finally having a few wines in the two hot tubs which were available to guests outside. It was cool sitting in the hot steamy water with the heavy rain pouring onto our heads, - very refrshing.

Taupo to Blue Duck Lodge

Most people were hungover today as we had travelled from the Marae to stay at Lake Taupo. What was suppose to be a quiet quiz night ended up as crazy karaoke! So many An out90's classics were screamed out, back street boys, spice girls, oa There if focus on educating visitors about sis and Greese of course! Whilst travelling to Taupo, we went through Rotorua. It was her that in the rain we were able to see the geothermal hot pools which was pretty cool, and even more cooler if you are a geography teacher! as it rained the muddy pools exploded and popped, crackled and tossed bits of mud into the air. The area has been nicknamed 'sulphur city' because evrywher you go here smells of rotten eggs! Delicious!

We travelled for about 3.5 hours until we reached Blue Duck Lodge. This was an incredibly beautiful place a huge farm which was comitted to sustainable development of the area and the surrounding forests and the protection and conservation of the beautiful blue duck. This duck is endemic to New Zealand and there are just 1400 pairs left, 10 of which can be found on the grounds of the lodge. The area offers a range of activities from hunting to horse trecking. A group of us opted for a nice hike to a waterfall while others got involved in the chasing of goats or te riding of horses. We all stayed in fabulous wooden chalets and there was a great fire in teh communal area. The owners put on a movie night but we opted to listen to music (by Passenger), drink wine and have a good old chat! The owners are extremely passionate about what they are trying to achieve which is fantastic. There is a focus on educating visitors about the importance of preserving the local flora and fauna. The horse treckers had returned fairly wet and dirty as it had been a pretty miserable day weather wise, and unfortunately one of the huntes, i wont name her! (Miss B) had returned from a pretty grusome hunting experience where i think more blood was coming out of her forehead than the animal she had attempted to shoot! we luckily were able to laugh it off and enjoyed the turkey and old goat which had been captured that day! Our walk had consistedof beautiful birds, fantails and parakeets and a beautiful kingfisher. The evening consisted of a camp fire , beverages and for me an earlyish night! A very chilled place, an outdoor enthusiasts playground. If you get the chance then GO!

A night on the Marae

Many Maori people are active in trying to keep their culture and traditions alive. We were given the chance to spend a night with a family in their communal meeting house, the Marae. We learnt a lot about Maori life and they described that their heritage is very important, they define themselves through their ancestors, by their iwi (their tribe), maunga (mountain) and awa (river).  We learnt about the symbols behind the carvings, th shapes used, the colours, the relevance of the paua shell and the shape of the meeting house. I loved the fact that their was so much representation of previous family members, tribes and beliefs of an after life. I was also really interested in the art of tattooing within the culture. Each tattoo represents that persons story, where they have been, where they are headed. Different parts of the body symbolise different ideas, the shapes and locations help to tell of an event or a memory. I had carved a beautiful piece of green stone into a tail fluke and the man of the marae told me the whale represents strength and speed and protection in the modern world when traveling. I could've listened to him all night! The building was covered in beautiful patterns and colour, red to represent blood and family, black to represent the 'god', the universe and white to represent purity and light, i guess the sun and the importance of nature and the elements.

After our discussions one of the family asked if i was a teacher, i said yup! he said he could tell because of the way i was asking questions and the types of questions i was asking. I then explained that i felt i hadn't asked enough questions when i was younger, i just assumed things or thought i knew it all, or embarrassed, i have learnt to never assume as it could make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Keep asking questions, even the experts ask questions, no one knows everything!

we learnt some Maori dances and the boys entertained us with a Hakka performance, pecks out, tongues out and eyeballs almost popping out! we all slept in the main sleeping area after listening to beautiful song and guitar. A fabulous experience.

Headed to Hamilton, Raglan and Karioi Lodge :-)

A rainy day, but i love the sound of rain! i think rain can be energising and very refreshing!  I headed out of my Nomads hostel and waved goodbye to my hostel room mates and met the stray bus on the corner just down the road. We made our way through Hamilton New Zealands largest inland city, on a couple of occasions we travelled accross New Zealands longest river the Waikato. We then made our way to Raglan, a cute little surf village/town. Very hippy, lots of little book shops, galleries and second hand clothes shops. We stopped and watched the surfers before making our way to Karioi Lodge, a small wooden hostel retreat surrounded by incredible forest. There was no phone reception or Wifi, and it was nice to know that electronic devices were sll put away for the eve and we enjoyed fish and chips, a few beers and a pool tornament. There were no keys given out for the rooms either, as the area was very safe because of it's remote location. We also enjoyed the free sauna which was theeee smallest sauna i have ever been in! approximately 2m by 2m!A tight squeeze and very cosey! I highly recommend staying here!

Auckland

From the Bay of Islands i then made my way to Auckland. Here i was able to visit the sky tower. The views were amazing, I have realised that i love the feeling of being high up whether it is a mountain top, a plane or an observation area, it is a great feling to be at the level of the birds and get a feel for their perspective on the world.Auckland is known as the 'city of sails' as most of the 1,397,300 of it's population own a boat! The day was beautiful and i contemplated a whale watch tour, they were good and offered a discount as i had worked for Dolphin  Encounter, but i left it as i have seen some incredible sites and i didn't want to push my luck!

Fabulous Fiji :-)

Well what can i say Fiji was not at all what i expected, i stuck to the islands and i imagined paradise but not a perfect paradise! I went through STA travel and chose to do the Fiji Fling. This included 4 islands and all activities.


Day 1 - I spent the night at Smugglers Cove, this was a pretty cool hostel/resort with delicious and wicked entertainment, not to mention an incredible sunset. It just happened that one of my old PRIMARY school friends just happened to be in the area, so he popped over for a few rum and cokes! It was wicked to catch up and have a good giggle! Jamie is probably now voyaging across the Pacific on his way to Tonga! Jealous much!

Day 2 - i arrived at South Sea Island, the smallest of all the resorts, you could walk around the whole island in just 3 minutes! We were welcomed by the sound of guitar, clapping, singing and smiley faces, this was to be the norm throughout my stay. The local people were extremely friendly and entertained us throughout the afternoon. There was also the free snorkeling available and kayaking. I managed to spot a small sting ray and tons of fish every colour of the rainbow, i could have stayed down their all day!  The lunch was delicious and we enjoyed an incredible dinner on the beach, under the stars and by candle light. I pinched myself. Good people, Good Food, Good drink and fabulous scenery!

Day 3 - An amazing day trip to Sea Spray, and the Castaway island. I had no idea what to expect and found myself aboard a beautiful sailing boat with a glass of champagne in my hand and fresh fruit in the other. I just happened to seat myself next to the fridge full of free alcohol which was useful! We spent the afternoon visiting a small village drinking Cava and snorkeling, i spent time with some wicked people who made the experience even better than i had expected, Thanks to Kat, Danielle and Matt! You stars!

Day 4 - We were waved off with fabulous music, clapping and singing! It actually felt really sad to leave this beautiful island! It was literally heaven! We boarded the big yellow boat and made our way to Mantaray island which was our next stop. Based in the Yasawas this island resort was much bigger, more families, but also a lot of travelers and backpackers making the most of the chilled out vibe and the numerous hammocks which were dotted around the beach front. We were told about the island and I couldn't help but stare at the incredible images of underwater life pinned to the walls of the main lounge area, where people were chilling. Images of Manta rays and beautiful tropical fish and colourful corals covered the walls. The manager told us that when we hear the drumming from the beach, that is a sign the Manta rays were traveling through the area, so we were to grab our masks and snorkels and hop on board the boats ready for a swim....All we wanted to do was get into the ocean, so that's what we did. The current was pretty strong though and snorkeling was a bit of a struggle, they had had strong winds battering the island for the last couple of days. So I decided to chill on the beach instead, but sand was being blown at us and it wasn't so comfortable. Sand blasting can be pretty painful so I moved to the hammocks and slept :-) Dinner was nice, it was a little bit like a restaurant, there was a choice, a menu, unlike other resorts I had stayed at where everyone ate the same. Sleeping was nice too, a huge dorm, sleeping about 50 people, but high up and airy with our own mosquito nets which was nice.

Day 5 - Breakfast was nice, continental, fresh fruit and yogurt etc, I had met some lovely people and we decided to head to the beach on the other side of the island. A quick 2 minute walk and worth every second. I would say it was one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever been on, and it was just us 3! It was July the 4th so we celebrated with our American friend Matt and his bottle of Gin, perfect! Then came the sound of the drums, so we headed to the other side of the beach where people were frantically boarding the boats hoping to catch a glimpse of the Manta rays as they passed by.
The experience was pretty special. Not what I had expected at all. The guides would point out the Manta rays at the surface and tell us when to jump in. "go, go go!" he shouted and we all dived, jumped or fell into the water. The visibility wasn't the best, as we had had strong winds, but my eyes were able to adjust and there it was this huge creature floating through the water below me, an underwater space ship, or sub-marine angel! We were lucky enough to see two species, the larger species, M.birostris, reaches 7 m (23 ft) in width while the smaller, M.alfredi, reaches 5.5 m (18 ft).

                                     

(pictures taken from the internet as I did not have an underwater camera)

Both species are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Threats  include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting for their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. I would recommend to anyone who is visiting Fiji to definitely do so during May-October when it is Manta ray season, you will not regret it!

Day 6 - From Mantaray island i made my way to Korovou, This resort is beautiful. Golden sandy beaches as far as the eye could see and hammocks under every tree what more could you need. We settled in and were welcomed with a delicious lunch, this time everyone ate the same lunch and there was no choices, however i couldn't complain especially about the tasty watermelon. We were told to check out the beach on the other side of the island (similar to Mantaray) Honeymoon beach is situated a short 10 minute walk through a small local village and up and down a winding path through forest. I highly recommend doing this in flip flops at least as the ground is pretty rugged and i made the mistake of going barefoot! OUCH ALL THE WAY. We found some fabulous spiders along the way, they were pretty big with a yellow body and we were all shocked by their huge webs. Eventually we arrived at what i can only describe as one of the most beautiful isolated i have seen, with no buildings or sign of civilization in sight, just beautiful palms and golden sand, it was perfect. Here we swam in the clear blue sea and then passed out under the heat of the afternoon sun.

Day 7 - At the crack of dawn we headed out for our final manta ray swim. I was pretty excited as the last swim had been fabulous so i smiled to myself as our little jet boat made it's way through the sea. As the sun was rising for the day the beautiful islands created an amazing silhouette in the foreground and i couldn't believe how lucky i was. The next thing i know we are jumping into the ocean, the water fairly warm and bearable on the skin i put in my snorkel and peered beneath the surface. I love this moment where you leave the noise of the guides shouting, the engines running and below the surface you enter in to such a calm space. This morning the water visibility was much better, everything seemed more settled. It was majestic, so tranquil and peaceful like a dream. After a few moments i spotted this huge dark shadow in the distance, the shadow glided below me, their were two of them. I took a deep breath and went further down into the deep. I watched as this magical creature continued to feed along the corals.  
(Image below is from the internet)

We continued to spend time with these creatures, diving deep enough to make out their huge size. I was lucky enough to get above one about half a meter and i spread my arms out which allowed me to understand the size of this unbelievable creature. It truly was like and angel below the surface, its movements definitely suited the silence that surrounded it. As we continued the Manta ray decided to surface as it took a breath it decided to change direction and came towards us with its huge mouth wide open. I froze and had to back myself away, they are harmless to humans but this moment still put me in my place, after all i was in their world. We then followed the Manta ray through the ocean watching as it moved so gracefully through the water. Then after a few minutes it began to disappear into the depths and we waved goodbye. We surfaced and couldn't believe how close we had come. It was an amazing image, which unfortunately i don't have a photograph of, but sometimes it's better juts to store these moments forever in your memory, and to be fair any photo wouldn't do the experience any justice.
The photo below is of myself, luckily for me another person swimming had a waterproof camera and managed to get this shot! I love it.

We made our way back to the resort and spent the rest of the day around the pool and playing volleyball with the locals and the staff. I also attended a Fijian cooking lesson, to be honest there was not much use of a cooker, we mixed together finely chopped peppers, onions, chili, lime and freshly squeezed coconut milk and made a delicious salad that you could have a BBQ, keep it simple that's the way! The coconuts had been collected by the 'Gecko man' who was a member of the staff team who crawled up the tree, knocked down a few coconuts and then came back down the tree HEAD first! CRAZY BUT WONDERFUL.

Day 7 Continued - Unfortunately i had to say goodbye to the island and we boarded the yellow boat and made our way to Coral View. Again as we arrived we were greeted by the sound of a guitar, singing and clapping. This was a much bigger resort, a bit more spread out. The beach was not the greatest but was still lovely. There was a fabulous hike, taking about 30 minutes to the highest point. We timed our walk just as the sun was disappearing for the day. I stood and looked, i circled around and i have to say it was one of the most beautiful panoramic views i have ever seen consisting of ocean and islands as far as the eye could see enhanced by the pink of the disappearing light.

We spent the evening placing bets on hermit crabs! say no more :-)

Day 8 - Well what a crazy day. The morning was pretty busy with a fairly hairy journey across to the Sawa-i-Lau caves which feature in the movie 'Blue Lagoon'. The ride took a while and i swapped mid way on to about 3 different boats due to passenger loads and boat maintenance. Once we arrived the journey was well worth it. The limestone caves were simply stunning. Whomever discovered these caves for the first time must have been in awe of their enormity. We had the opportunity to go through the next cave, this involved holding our breath for a few seconds and going through to another under water corridor to the next cavern. It was pitch black as we surfaced but our eyes soon adjusted tot he light and it was awesome. Every so often you could make out streams of light glinting through in beams from the outside world. It was beautiful and a truly unforgettable landscape.

I completed my day with a Fijian back massage which was shear bliss and very relaxing.
 
(this image is taken from the internet)

Day 9 -  Today we checked out of Coral View and headed back down south towards the mainland. The boat trip home was about 5 hours and we were fairly lucky with the weather until the end when the heavens opened, which was actually quite refreshing. The journey was cool as it was a chance to catch up with friends who had traveled to different islands. We were lucky enough to also catch a sight of a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins which was a real treat as they are not always seen. When we arrived back to the mainland we all said our goodbyes and headed in our different directions, some people back to New Zealand, some staying on the mainland for a while, i boarded the bus headed for the airport along with 3 wicked guys i had met along the way and luckily we were all on the same flight to LAX. unfortunately i had not completed an Esta form, which everyone need to complete when entering the USA. I panicked as the lady told me it could take 72 hours! and i hadn't budgeted staying in Fiji fro 2 more nights. Luckily the guys helped me out and i was able to find the internet and complete the relevant forms.

Waitomo Caves

Today we made our way to Waitomo caves, it was so much fun, but very cold and very wet. I found myself hoisting up a rather tight fitting wetsuit and placing a helmet on my head and beautiful white gum boots on my feet. I felt like an action hero! we had a few practices with the rope safety etc, and away we went into the limestone caves. I found myself absailing down a 30m rock face into the depths of another world. The caves were full of water and there were tons of hidden waterfalls and pools which acted as our obstacles. We got cold and drenched but it was so worth it. The glow worms wre beautiful and the lime stone formations were a natural art form. A fabulous 3 hours spent in a magical underground world. It made me think about how many caves are yet to be discovered...

Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga and sandboarding on 90 mile beach :-)

I made my way to the north of the north island, which was well worth the visit. I ended up on a dolphin and island cruise, which was fabulous and then a visit to what i have to say is one of the most beautiful places iv been, Cape Reinga. Sandboarding was hilarious and obviously i got sand everywhere, but it was well worth it!

I also had the opportunity to visit the Waitangi treaty grounds. This was a signifucant part of New Zealands history and din 1840 the treaty was signed between the Maori and the Europeans to help disputes over land rights. The treaty grounds are mainly an area where you can go and learn about the history of New Zealand and enjoy the incredible carvings which represent different tribal groups of the country.

Tongariro Crossing

Today myself and my friend Shannon decided to sign up for the Tongariro crossing. This alpine crossing is one of New Zealands most spectacular tramping tracks. The crossing is approximately 19km from one end to the other. The walk was unbelievable, and i felt like i was on the moon. The walk takes you through some crazy volcanic terrain. We saw old lava flows, active craters and thermal steam vents. The lakes were the best part of the crossing, emerald in colour i couln't quite believe where i was. The last part of the walk takes you through beautiful native forest. When we reached the other end of the crossing after about 8.5 hours walking, we were greeted with a cold beer which was incredible. Here are a few snaps....which don't really do the place any justice...you kind of have to experience it for yourself.

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the south island of New Zealand. Between 2010 and 2012 the city has experienced some huge earthquakes. The quake which struck on the 22nd  february 2011, struck just 5km below the surface at a magnitude of 6.3. The quake struck around lunch time, and sadly 185 people lost their lives that day. Central Christchurch is currently under reconstruction and as we walked we could still see where people had been sitting eating in cafes as the event happened, their food and drink left where they had been relaxing and having lunch that day. I can't begin to imagone what that day must have been like...all around the city was evidence of the destriction caused, but there was also evidence of regeneration, hope and progress. From colourful graffitti with messages of inspiration and wishes, to the development of a re-start mall, where a new area for shopping has been established, this is a vibrant colourful place, where visitors can enjoy the sound of buskers from flute players to pianists (a 7 year old boy!) to circus and street performances from travelling artists. The shops have all been put into shipping containers which make the area very quirky. There are lots of cafes and boutique shops and also a cute little street market. I stayed in the yha hostel which was a 15 minute walk from the main shopping area. Christchurch is definately worth a visit, it is a city of contrasts and hopefully a positive future.