Best Park Ever!
If you ever find yourself in Wanganui New Zealand take a drive on SH 4 just north of the city and you will come across this park that has turned all of your childhood fables into swings and slides.
ZOMG Pictures!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Mount Taranaki Climb
The West Cape of New Zealand is known as a route off the beaten path for tourists. It encompasses a string of small surf towns around the coast anchored by the city of New Plymouth. Dominating the view from every point of the coastal drive is the snow capped peak of Mount Taranaki, the youngest of a string of volcanoes that goes out into the sea. The instant I saw it towering over the town I knew that I had to climb it.
Walter very quickly decided that he had better things to do (reading his book on the beach) than climbing a mountain. When I inquired about the trail conditions on the summit climb the park warden warned me that the Summit was unobtainable without Crampons and an Ice Pick. Despite her warning myself and a few Germans, Brits, and Aussie students decided to attempt the summit and just turn back if it was impassable.
The walk begins with a steep gravel fire road to a mountain cabin, this part of the trail is aptly named "The Puffer." From there the trail turned into a steep scree slope of volcanic scoria. I consider myself an experienced hiker and I can safely say that I have never encountered a more difficult section of trail than this. One of my Aussie climbing companions described it quite accurately as a Vertical Beach. After about 90 minutes of rock scrambling we reached the snowfields by the summit. We were lucky and the snow was soft enough that we could summit without tools, screw you Park Ranger. From the top you can see the perfect radial borders of Egmont National Park. The summit was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time as one wrong step could leave you sliding uncontrollably down one of the numerous snowy slopes.
On the way down the work we put into climbing the scree slope was well worth it. By jumping from foot to foot you could essentially skate down the side of the mountain (picture a giant sand dune.) When I finally reached the bottom I collapsed into the car awaiting our campsite for the night.
Pictures!
Walter very quickly decided that he had better things to do (reading his book on the beach) than climbing a mountain. When I inquired about the trail conditions on the summit climb the park warden warned me that the Summit was unobtainable without Crampons and an Ice Pick. Despite her warning myself and a few Germans, Brits, and Aussie students decided to attempt the summit and just turn back if it was impassable.
The walk begins with a steep gravel fire road to a mountain cabin, this part of the trail is aptly named "The Puffer." From there the trail turned into a steep scree slope of volcanic scoria. I consider myself an experienced hiker and I can safely say that I have never encountered a more difficult section of trail than this. One of my Aussie climbing companions described it quite accurately as a Vertical Beach. After about 90 minutes of rock scrambling we reached the snowfields by the summit. We were lucky and the snow was soft enough that we could summit without tools, screw you Park Ranger. From the top you can see the perfect radial borders of Egmont National Park. The summit was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time as one wrong step could leave you sliding uncontrollably down one of the numerous snowy slopes.
On the way down the work we put into climbing the scree slope was well worth it. By jumping from foot to foot you could essentially skate down the side of the mountain (picture a giant sand dune.) When I finally reached the bottom I collapsed into the car awaiting our campsite for the night.
Pictures!
Lighthouses and Crayfish
I am writing this from my cabin on the shores of Lake Taupo. Tomorrow is going to be one of the splurges of my trip, a 15,000 foot skydive. The tent has a night off because Walter and I have compromised on paying for accommodation with a hot shower every 3 to 4 days.
We have spent the last few days traveling down the entire west coast of the country all the way from the Northern-most point at Cape Reinga. At the advice of everyone we met we decided to take a guided tour to the top of the country since it is the only way you can experience driving on 90 Mile beach without risking your rental car joining the other rusted hulks along the way (the beach is considered a legal road!) While I thought I had found the most annoying driver in New Zealand on the shuttle from the Port to Lyttleton on the Cruise (he had just discovered his microphone and spent the whole trip either breathing into it or enthralling us with every mundane detail of his life) however the driver on our tour was batting for the fences. For 8 hours Walter and I had to endure his cackling over the bus speakers at every half assed attempt at a joke he uttered. I pray that one day he will discover that he is the only one laughing. Despite some minor cochlear bleeding we made it to Cape Reinga. There one of the passengers on our bus, Luke from Ohio had his last cigarette before he began his walk down to Bluff at the southern tip of the southern island. He looked like a man being marched off to the chair to me.
From there Walter and I worked our way down the west coast. A rainy day spent in the lovely home of my friends from the cruise Dan and Sarah was a welcome respite from the tent. Their dog Chopper is blessed / cursed with a very prominent pair. While this makes him very popular with the ladies he is very susceptible to testicular sunburn. Therefore on sunny days Sarah is tasked with making sure that Chopper has sunscreen where needed. Not every owner would do that for their dog.
After Hamilton Walter and I headed to the west coast. We split up so he could relax while I climbed Mt. Taranaki. Afterwards we stepped into a cafe to fill up our water and I inquired about a campsite. We were directed by an eager patron to a boating club a few kilometers down the road. This was far and away the best campsite yet in New Zealand. It is essentially the lawn of a yachting club that a wonderful local couple decides to live on during the summer months. The following morning we were treated by Jeff and Diane to an enormous english breakfast and then an invitation onto a local fishing boat. We weren't going to say no to a free day at sea and afterwards we were rewarded for our efforts with a 1.5 kilo Crayfish (the lobster of New Zealand,) one of many that our hosts had caught. We were the envy of our campsite that night since a crayfish of that size sells for over $100 in the store.
I have a few more days with Walter and then I am on my own for real. I still haven't found a job but I intent to try my prospects down south.
We have spent the last few days traveling down the entire west coast of the country all the way from the Northern-most point at Cape Reinga. At the advice of everyone we met we decided to take a guided tour to the top of the country since it is the only way you can experience driving on 90 Mile beach without risking your rental car joining the other rusted hulks along the way (the beach is considered a legal road!) While I thought I had found the most annoying driver in New Zealand on the shuttle from the Port to Lyttleton on the Cruise (he had just discovered his microphone and spent the whole trip either breathing into it or enthralling us with every mundane detail of his life) however the driver on our tour was batting for the fences. For 8 hours Walter and I had to endure his cackling over the bus speakers at every half assed attempt at a joke he uttered. I pray that one day he will discover that he is the only one laughing. Despite some minor cochlear bleeding we made it to Cape Reinga. There one of the passengers on our bus, Luke from Ohio had his last cigarette before he began his walk down to Bluff at the southern tip of the southern island. He looked like a man being marched off to the chair to me.
From there Walter and I worked our way down the west coast. A rainy day spent in the lovely home of my friends from the cruise Dan and Sarah was a welcome respite from the tent. Their dog Chopper is blessed / cursed with a very prominent pair. While this makes him very popular with the ladies he is very susceptible to testicular sunburn. Therefore on sunny days Sarah is tasked with making sure that Chopper has sunscreen where needed. Not every owner would do that for their dog.
After Hamilton Walter and I headed to the west coast. We split up so he could relax while I climbed Mt. Taranaki. Afterwards we stepped into a cafe to fill up our water and I inquired about a campsite. We were directed by an eager patron to a boating club a few kilometers down the road. This was far and away the best campsite yet in New Zealand. It is essentially the lawn of a yachting club that a wonderful local couple decides to live on during the summer months. The following morning we were treated by Jeff and Diane to an enormous english breakfast and then an invitation onto a local fishing boat. We weren't going to say no to a free day at sea and afterwards we were rewarded for our efforts with a 1.5 kilo Crayfish (the lobster of New Zealand,) one of many that our hosts had caught. We were the envy of our campsite that night since a crayfish of that size sells for over $100 in the store.
I have a few more days with Walter and then I am on my own for real. I still haven't found a job but I intent to try my prospects down south.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
My First Time
After driving around the North Island for two weeks and meeting a whole host of kiwis it was bound to happen. I didn't make any plans to do it when I was thinking of coming down here but I knew that there is a ton of it here so there was a possibility. I was a little nervous at first since I wasn't quite sure how it worked but I turned out to be pretty good. I don't regret doing it and I am actually looking forward to doing it again.
I guess it is appropriate that my introduction to the confusing game of Cricket didn't involve 5 days of standing around wearing white but a hybrid (drinking) version of the game. The rules were incredibly complex but mostly revolved around cans of beer strewn about the field. I did manage to bowl a few wickets which was appreciated by everyone but the batter who had to hammer his beer.
This game came to be at a campsite off of Highway 1 about 3 hours north of Auckland in the Northern Part of the country. The night quickly devolved from there and ended with us doing donuts on the beach in a pickup truck.
I really do enjoy the special kind of stupidity that Kiwis have. It is that "Hey Ya'll watch this" part of the Southern US states that we all love without the confederate flag parts that make us uncomfortable.
I joined my new kiwi friends for some snorkeling this afternoon. Of course what seemed like a good idea to them ended with us getting smashed against the rocks as we tried to climb out of the water at the end. My legs look like I was attached by a rabid house cat.
Walter and I decided to take a night off from the camping to stay in a Hostel and take care of some basics such as Laundry, Hot Showers, and Dishes. Tomorrow we are off again into the north for a few more days of camping. The entries will continue to be posted bunches at a time because internet is so few and far between in the backcountry.
I guess it is appropriate that my introduction to the confusing game of Cricket didn't involve 5 days of standing around wearing white but a hybrid (drinking) version of the game. The rules were incredibly complex but mostly revolved around cans of beer strewn about the field. I did manage to bowl a few wickets which was appreciated by everyone but the batter who had to hammer his beer.
This game came to be at a campsite off of Highway 1 about 3 hours north of Auckland in the Northern Part of the country. The night quickly devolved from there and ended with us doing donuts on the beach in a pickup truck.
I really do enjoy the special kind of stupidity that Kiwis have. It is that "Hey Ya'll watch this" part of the Southern US states that we all love without the confederate flag parts that make us uncomfortable.
I joined my new kiwi friends for some snorkeling this afternoon. Of course what seemed like a good idea to them ended with us getting smashed against the rocks as we tried to climb out of the water at the end. My legs look like I was attached by a rabid house cat.
Walter and I decided to take a night off from the camping to stay in a Hostel and take care of some basics such as Laundry, Hot Showers, and Dishes. Tomorrow we are off again into the north for a few more days of camping. The entries will continue to be posted bunches at a time because internet is so few and far between in the backcountry.
Adventures in the East
With Carey safe in his flat Walter and I set off for our adventure. I had originally planned to ride with him until I got a job but that has been a harder prospect than I originally expected. I am still looking but have relaxed the search a bit since I am enjoying driving around and Walter will be here until the 20th of December so I may as well take advantage of the car and someone to split traveling costs with.
On our first night away from Wellington we decided to stay in the town of Napier. The town prides itself on being an Art Deco capital of the world and has the kitschy postcards to try and prove it. As a fan of Art Deco architecture I was excited and supremely disappointed. Walter and I just looked at each other with the same thought: Thats it??!?!
If I didn't see the whole Manhattan skyline on my commute every day I might have appreciated it more. Luckily the town did have a redeeming feature; the Napier Prison Backpackers Hostel. A few years ago a dilapidated prison that had closed in 1992 was turned into a Hostel. For the price of $30 NZ a head Walter and I checked ourselves into our very own prison cell. All of the rooms had door chains since of course the locks were on the outside. The facility was run by a couple that was just a little "off." It may be that they chose to live year round in a prison but I was a little bit uncomfortable when I met eyes with them. Also staying in the Hostel were a group of International University students from a school about 2 hours south of the town. After the long walk back from the supermarket with 24 packs of beer on our shoulders the international drinking games commenced. I don't know exactly how it went down but my guess is that the owner of the Hostel went in their room in the morning and saw the mattresses on the floor and beer bottles all over the place and promptly threw them out of the place right there (they were planning on staying another night.) All I know is that they weren't there when we woke up and the owner asked us if we were bothered by the noise the night before. We told him we didn't hear a thing and quietly gathered our things and moved on.
From then on we stayed at campsites every night. We made our way all the way to the easternmost point of New Zealand and were some of the very first people in the world to see the Sun on December 4th.
I have had the privilege of camping on the beach most of these nights. I simply love the sound of the waves as I go to sleep and a swim in the ocean first thing. We stayed at Hot Water Beach (despite posted signs) and took advantage of the boiling hot springs to spend the next morning lounging in our own natural hot tub just a few dozen feet from the waves.
From the East Cape we headed up the Coromandel Peninsula to spend a couple of nights. We are next going to head up above Auckland before we swing back south for our Skydiving adventure in Taupo.
On our first night away from Wellington we decided to stay in the town of Napier. The town prides itself on being an Art Deco capital of the world and has the kitschy postcards to try and prove it. As a fan of Art Deco architecture I was excited and supremely disappointed. Walter and I just looked at each other with the same thought: Thats it??!?!
If I didn't see the whole Manhattan skyline on my commute every day I might have appreciated it more. Luckily the town did have a redeeming feature; the Napier Prison Backpackers Hostel. A few years ago a dilapidated prison that had closed in 1992 was turned into a Hostel. For the price of $30 NZ a head Walter and I checked ourselves into our very own prison cell. All of the rooms had door chains since of course the locks were on the outside. The facility was run by a couple that was just a little "off." It may be that they chose to live year round in a prison but I was a little bit uncomfortable when I met eyes with them. Also staying in the Hostel were a group of International University students from a school about 2 hours south of the town. After the long walk back from the supermarket with 24 packs of beer on our shoulders the international drinking games commenced. I don't know exactly how it went down but my guess is that the owner of the Hostel went in their room in the morning and saw the mattresses on the floor and beer bottles all over the place and promptly threw them out of the place right there (they were planning on staying another night.) All I know is that they weren't there when we woke up and the owner asked us if we were bothered by the noise the night before. We told him we didn't hear a thing and quietly gathered our things and moved on.
From then on we stayed at campsites every night. We made our way all the way to the easternmost point of New Zealand and were some of the very first people in the world to see the Sun on December 4th.
I have had the privilege of camping on the beach most of these nights. I simply love the sound of the waves as I go to sleep and a swim in the ocean first thing. We stayed at Hot Water Beach (despite posted signs) and took advantage of the boiling hot springs to spend the next morning lounging in our own natural hot tub just a few dozen feet from the waves.
From the East Cape we headed up the Coromandel Peninsula to spend a couple of nights. We are next going to head up above Auckland before we swing back south for our Skydiving adventure in Taupo.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Down to Wellington
All it takes is Michael Scott to score Carey and me a ride down to Wellington. We were hanging out in our Hostel in Auckland and started a conversation with a nice guy named Walter from Holland. It turns out that we liked the same shows and a firewire cable was quickly brought out to update our respective tv show stashes. A few episodes of The Office later and we split up.
The next day as Carey and I were at the the travel counter to purchase our bus tickets to Wellington Walter chimed up that he had a rental car and no plans. Our time with our Daihatsu Sirion was just beginning.
When the rental agency tells you that there is no way that three people and luggage will fit into a miniscule Japanese subcompact they are just trying to upsell you. Here is what we learned about the Daihatsu Sirion:
Pros: Great offroad. Interestingly enough New Zealand rental agencies do not prohibit non sealed roads like the do in Australia. They just prohibit you driving on 4 specific roads in the whole country.
Cons: Not big enough for Carey to sleep in before an 18K hike. O well...
It was a relaxing two day drive down to Wellington with our stopover to do the hike that I mentioned in the previous post. It also gave us a good chance to see New Zealand. To my utter delight this is one of those countries that likes giant things on the side of the road. Slideshow on the right banner hint hint... I don't know what makes people decide that what their town really needs is a giant shoe, dog, duck, etc... but it certainly keeps the postcard industry healthy.
We arrived in Wellington to the maddening sight of our cruise ship pulling out of the harbor. Carey's and my stomachs were clamoring for the obscene quantities of mediocre food that a week before we had been enjoying on that very boat. Had we arrived into town an hour earlier we could've tried to board with our ship's cards that we still had. That would have been much more entertaining once we realized that we had overlooked certain details such as where to sleep since we no longer had a cabin and that we would be stuck on the boat for two days ending in Christchurch while all of our stuff was still in Wellington with Walter. Along the lines of arriving in town too late we also missed the chance to go a Thanksgiving dinner that we had been invited to. We celebrated the pilgrims with bowls of noodles in a Malaysian restaurant.
The next day we went to Jewish services and met a young kiwi named Adrian. We met up with him the next day for drinks which led into a night that convinced us that Wellington is the best party city in New Zealand. This is a great town on a Saturday night that certainly knows how to do a house party.
Walter and I are going to get back in the car tomorrow and explore the north island some more while Carey stays in Wellington to begin work. I have a very interesting work offer that will involve me living on a beach cottage for a couple of months. Internet is going to be spotty for a few days. If the job is real I will be hopping off near Auckland to go pursue that, otherwise it is a few more weeks of driving around.
The next day as Carey and I were at the the travel counter to purchase our bus tickets to Wellington Walter chimed up that he had a rental car and no plans. Our time with our Daihatsu Sirion was just beginning.
When the rental agency tells you that there is no way that three people and luggage will fit into a miniscule Japanese subcompact they are just trying to upsell you. Here is what we learned about the Daihatsu Sirion:
Pros: Great offroad. Interestingly enough New Zealand rental agencies do not prohibit non sealed roads like the do in Australia. They just prohibit you driving on 4 specific roads in the whole country.
Cons: Not big enough for Carey to sleep in before an 18K hike. O well...
It was a relaxing two day drive down to Wellington with our stopover to do the hike that I mentioned in the previous post. It also gave us a good chance to see New Zealand. To my utter delight this is one of those countries that likes giant things on the side of the road. Slideshow on the right banner hint hint... I don't know what makes people decide that what their town really needs is a giant shoe, dog, duck, etc... but it certainly keeps the postcard industry healthy.
We arrived in Wellington to the maddening sight of our cruise ship pulling out of the harbor. Carey's and my stomachs were clamoring for the obscene quantities of mediocre food that a week before we had been enjoying on that very boat. Had we arrived into town an hour earlier we could've tried to board with our ship's cards that we still had. That would have been much more entertaining once we realized that we had overlooked certain details such as where to sleep since we no longer had a cabin and that we would be stuck on the boat for two days ending in Christchurch while all of our stuff was still in Wellington with Walter. Along the lines of arriving in town too late we also missed the chance to go a Thanksgiving dinner that we had been invited to. We celebrated the pilgrims with bowls of noodles in a Malaysian restaurant.
The next day we went to Jewish services and met a young kiwi named Adrian. We met up with him the next day for drinks which led into a night that convinced us that Wellington is the best party city in New Zealand. This is a great town on a Saturday night that certainly knows how to do a house party.
Walter and I are going to get back in the car tomorrow and explore the north island some more while Carey stays in Wellington to begin work. I have a very interesting work offer that will involve me living on a beach cottage for a couple of months. Internet is going to be spotty for a few days. If the job is real I will be hopping off near Auckland to go pursue that, otherwise it is a few more weeks of driving around.
Tongariro Crossing
Lets Go New Zealand calls the Tongariro Crossing the most spectacular day hike in New Zealand, it is a highlight reel of a trail. The combination of glacial valleys with Volcanos upthrust through them makes a stunning sight. I will let the slideshow do the rest.
Monday, November 24, 2008
About Train Stations
As Some of you may know I am a bit of a train Buff along with the other vehicles that I obsess over. Every time I come into NYC on the train it is such a pain to have to experience Penn Station. The only saving grace is that the Rangers play above it.
You can see what it used to look like in the first pictures. Take a look at it now. Westchester may have Mad Men, but it also has Grand Central. I mean, what a way to make an entrance.
Take a look at these two train stations, the larger one in Dunedin and the other in Arthur's Pass. Don't they just make you feel like you have accomplished something in getting there? I will give NY credit though, there are debates in Auckland right now about electrifying the trains. At least we have that...
You can see what it used to look like in the first pictures. Take a look at it now. Westchester may have Mad Men, but it also has Grand Central. I mean, what a way to make an entrance. Take a look at these two train stations, the larger one in Dunedin and the other in Arthur's Pass. Don't they just make you feel like you have accomplished something in getting there? I will give NY credit though, there are debates in Auckland right now about electrifying the trains. At least we have that...
Finally on Land
During the whole cruise I had this nagging feeling about what would happen once I got off the boat. I was right and I was hungry. It is quite a shock to the system to go from having everything you need inside one vehicle to having to deal with worldly concerns such as a bed and dinner. The advantage of having a currency where prices are roughly similar to the US but an exchange rate of 1.8 USD to 1 NZD and climbing means that Carey and I price everything out as if we were back in the states. Therefore we have lived like giant cheapskates so far. As you may know we have a great deal on our place in the city but even so it is still cheaper for us to be away on vacation.
Now that I have spent a couple of days in Auckland it seems like just another city. It may be that it has rained since we arrived but it just seems boring. All my time has been spent in the CBD, my mind might change after I see more but just comparing it to other places around the world there is nothing about this area that is uniquely New Zealand. I am happy that Carey chose Wellington, that city just felt so much more liveable.
I had planned Auckland as a respite after the cruise since I got basically no sleep on it and that is what it has been. It is a bed, dinner, and an internet café.
I feel like I emailed most of New Zealand today in my job search. My plan right now is to spend December, January, and some of February working then do my crazy motorcycle adventure after the peak season dies down. The more time I spend here the more apprehensive I get about being entertained for the entire 6 months. If I find myself on a plane to Australia at the beginning of April I won’t be surprised. On that note, if anybody wants to attempt to drive to Cape York with me in April or early May please get in touch. Do yourself a favor and look up what is involved before you seriously consider it.
I will be in Auckland for a couple more days then down with Carey to Wellington to hopefully find some Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving with.
Now that I have spent a couple of days in Auckland it seems like just another city. It may be that it has rained since we arrived but it just seems boring. All my time has been spent in the CBD, my mind might change after I see more but just comparing it to other places around the world there is nothing about this area that is uniquely New Zealand. I am happy that Carey chose Wellington, that city just felt so much more liveable.
I had planned Auckland as a respite after the cruise since I got basically no sleep on it and that is what it has been. It is a bed, dinner, and an internet café.
I feel like I emailed most of New Zealand today in my job search. My plan right now is to spend December, January, and some of February working then do my crazy motorcycle adventure after the peak season dies down. The more time I spend here the more apprehensive I get about being entertained for the entire 6 months. If I find myself on a plane to Australia at the beginning of April I won’t be surprised. On that note, if anybody wants to attempt to drive to Cape York with me in April or early May please get in touch. Do yourself a favor and look up what is involved before you seriously consider it.
I will be in Auckland for a couple more days then down with Carey to Wellington to hopefully find some Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving with.
The Cruise…
The thing about Cruises is that it takes about a day for your body to get accustomed to the rigors of life at sea. The food for example… There are a few different methods for this. 1. The American: Order 1 of everything on the menu at dinner.
2. The Economist: Try to make the Cruise Ship lose money on you. Maximize the expensive items and avoid filler foods such as Rice and Pasta (see Midtown Lunch’s Buffet strategy) This method also involves purchasing no alcohol.
3. The Puritan: Manages to eat 3 square meals a day. Also wears square shoes.
4. The Regretful Eater: This is very similar to strategy 1 until your pants no longer fit. Then it becomes strategy 3.
5. The Catchup: The opposite of 4. After a few days of watching the Americans devour whole cows while you eat your salad you realize that you paid just as much as them to be on this boat and you better make it worth your while.
6. My Mother: Be allergic to everything. My mother is in the rare group of people who need to pack canned goods in order to go on a Cruise. She goes on a few cruises a year and I am surprised that a Waiter hasn’t murdered her out of frustration yet. Lets just say that food got sent back a lot at our table.
Surprisingly I used strategy 3 as I did not want to be a giant fat ass. I want to thank all of the Southeast Asians on the cruise for one thing… Breakfast Curry. The ships cater their menus to the passengers and it was almost bearable to be up at 7AM when I knew there was a plate of curry lentils and Purri bread waiting for me.
I like to pretend that I am the Mayor of a small town on Cruise ships and attempt to meet everyone on board. Normally on the Carribean cruises that means meeting most of New Jersey. Luckily on this boat the majority of the passengers were Aussies. On my last Australia adventure I realized that I spent most of the time talking to Crystal and Robin therefore I never really got to experience Aussie culture. My observation was that it seemed to revolve mostly around booze and cigarettes. It got to the point that I really felt bad for some of them because the ships currency was USD and after the conversion I don’t think some of them will be able to go away for a long while. I finally got my exposure to that down under brand of English. Of all the words that I learned I think my favorite is “feral”. It was typically used to describe the quality of the boys in a backwater Queensland town. I am crossing my fingers that that one makes it back to the US. The Mayor method in addition to an Apartment on Central Park has the benefit of yielding places to stay around the world. Considering the amount of planning that I have done for this trip they are welcome invitations.
I find that when I am on a cruise I barely sleep. I normally get about 6-8 hours when I am at home but on the ships it is usually about 4 hours. I feel that I am paying for every second on board so I may as well make the most of it. Auckland is going to a welcome nap break.
I have been on 3 cruises now and one thing has been consistent. The Cruise Director is always a popped collar doucebag. You know the guy who worked in the Applebees type restaurant in “Office Space?” The one with all the pieces of flair? That is every cruise director that I have met, James on this boat was no different. Every time I heard his voice I just wanted to smash his face with a rake.
The shore excursions were all interesting but the days at seas were the best. Shore days feel almost like work since you have to get up so early and do so much. There are few days like Cruise sea days where every little thing that you could need is provided for and even if you wanted to be productive you cannot because you are stuck on a boat in the middle of the Tasman sea. It is just such a wonderful mix of opulence and sloth. As the customs agent put it when he inspected my tent and boots: “We don’t get a lot of backpackers on the Cruises.” I will chalk this boat ride down to probably the nicest ferry ride that I will ever take. If only it went to Staten Island…
2. The Economist: Try to make the Cruise Ship lose money on you. Maximize the expensive items and avoid filler foods such as Rice and Pasta (see Midtown Lunch’s Buffet strategy) This method also involves purchasing no alcohol.
3. The Puritan: Manages to eat 3 square meals a day. Also wears square shoes.
4. The Regretful Eater: This is very similar to strategy 1 until your pants no longer fit. Then it becomes strategy 3.
5. The Catchup: The opposite of 4. After a few days of watching the Americans devour whole cows while you eat your salad you realize that you paid just as much as them to be on this boat and you better make it worth your while.
6. My Mother: Be allergic to everything. My mother is in the rare group of people who need to pack canned goods in order to go on a Cruise. She goes on a few cruises a year and I am surprised that a Waiter hasn’t murdered her out of frustration yet. Lets just say that food got sent back a lot at our table.
Surprisingly I used strategy 3 as I did not want to be a giant fat ass. I want to thank all of the Southeast Asians on the cruise for one thing… Breakfast Curry. The ships cater their menus to the passengers and it was almost bearable to be up at 7AM when I knew there was a plate of curry lentils and Purri bread waiting for me.
I like to pretend that I am the Mayor of a small town on Cruise ships and attempt to meet everyone on board. Normally on the Carribean cruises that means meeting most of New Jersey. Luckily on this boat the majority of the passengers were Aussies. On my last Australia adventure I realized that I spent most of the time talking to Crystal and Robin therefore I never really got to experience Aussie culture. My observation was that it seemed to revolve mostly around booze and cigarettes. It got to the point that I really felt bad for some of them because the ships currency was USD and after the conversion I don’t think some of them will be able to go away for a long while. I finally got my exposure to that down under brand of English. Of all the words that I learned I think my favorite is “feral”. It was typically used to describe the quality of the boys in a backwater Queensland town. I am crossing my fingers that that one makes it back to the US. The Mayor method in addition to an Apartment on Central Park has the benefit of yielding places to stay around the world. Considering the amount of planning that I have done for this trip they are welcome invitations.
I find that when I am on a cruise I barely sleep. I normally get about 6-8 hours when I am at home but on the ships it is usually about 4 hours. I feel that I am paying for every second on board so I may as well make the most of it. Auckland is going to a welcome nap break.
I have been on 3 cruises now and one thing has been consistent. The Cruise Director is always a popped collar doucebag. You know the guy who worked in the Applebees type restaurant in “Office Space?” The one with all the pieces of flair? That is every cruise director that I have met, James on this boat was no different. Every time I heard his voice I just wanted to smash his face with a rake.
The shore excursions were all interesting but the days at seas were the best. Shore days feel almost like work since you have to get up so early and do so much. There are few days like Cruise sea days where every little thing that you could need is provided for and even if you wanted to be productive you cannot because you are stuck on a boat in the middle of the Tasman sea. It is just such a wonderful mix of opulence and sloth. As the customs agent put it when he inspected my tent and boots: “We don’t get a lot of backpackers on the Cruises.” I will chalk this boat ride down to probably the nicest ferry ride that I will ever take. If only it went to Staten Island…
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sorry for the lack of posts
I just got into Auckland after no internet. More posts will come quickly...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I've Been Kidnapped!
Some people may be wondering who I am. I am Curious George, I belong to Mike McCormick who is Jeff's arch Frenemy. I apparently have been kidnapped for the purpose of an elaborate game of spite.
Packing
Never in my life have I had to pack so little for such a long time. College was easy. You took the car, opened the windows and shoved stuff in until it was up to the windows. Then you closed them and loaded everything else in through the Driver's door. I recall driving back one time that there was so much crap in the car that it would fall all over every time I turned right.
This time I have 2 packs, a big one and a little one. Sunday afternoon I looked at my big pack lying on the floor empty and was amazed at how much space it had. Then I started to put stuff in it. Lets just say that it is bursting at the seams and I think that I packed light. Luckily I have my devoted parents who will gladly drag everything that I decide I don't need back from the cruise.
Speaking of, here is a basic itinerary for now: We are flying to Sydney today and will get there on Thursday. Friday we hop aboard our cruise ship for a ten day tour of New Zealand. On the 23rd I will be in Auckland where I will say goodbye to my parents (and some stuff.) From there I have not a clue what will happen, but I have a hunch that there will be many packages of Arnott's Mint Slices.
Riding my bike today to accomplish a few last errands I had a bit of an accident with my shoe. Basically my foot slipped off the pedal and managed to wedge itself in my front spokes. Since the wheel was turning the inevitable quickly happened and I soon found myself airborne and soon afterwards laying on 8th Avenue outside Madison Square Garden with a Bike firmly stuck on my foot. Lets just say that if I didn't have a helmet on I would be probably be in a hospital right now, I got a pretty solid whack to the head. Also, thank you to my parents for giving me incredibly strong toe bone density. It was my big toe that jammed the wheel that caused the bike to flip, I figured it would have snapped off but it is fine (so far.) The bike on the otherhand has a gruesomely bent front spoke and I think the frame bent as well. I want to thank the good samaritan biker who helped me free my foot and for his classic quote: "Dude are you ok? That was wicked! You went like 5 feet in the air!"
I ripped my favorite jacket too sliding across the pavement, but hey, at least my pack is now lighter.
Introduction
Welcome to my blog. I figure since my sister did this during her six month down under adventure I should as well.
I am going to apologize in advance. My Sister and Step-Brother are both Professional writers. I am not...
You may be wondering about the monkey in the picture... That is curious George, he is a favorite toy of one of my friends. I stole him and he is going to be joining us on this adventure. He may write some entries of his own as well.
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