Tongariro crossing
Lord of rings - is a must know for this entry.
Da da da i felt like froto from lord of the rings as I crossed creaks and valleys and mountains. My goal was to finish the 19 kilometer walk and also add mt doom to drop off an evil ring ; ) mt doom ( mt ngauruhoe summit) climbing mt doom was not the greatest time of my life. If you were to ask me to do it again I would say NO! It was a volcano with rocks that with every step I took up I slid down a half of step and it wasn't so fun. It was worth it when I got to the top. I was able to look down In the volcano and see everything around me. At the top, it was way to windy for me to enjoy it so I went down after spending only 20 min at the top. The way down was just as scary but way fun. I took it easy going the rock way down at first. Then slid over to the more gravel way down were I slid on my feet down. Result --- burnt hole in sock bruised butt and ankles and 2 shoes full of rock and volcano sand. The rest of the crossing i came across green and blue pools of water, and hot springs. The best part of the crossing was half way up mt doom a German boy with his accent was huffing and puffing like he wasn't going to make it. He stops and sighs and goes froto better be at the top. Haha made me laugh so hard- I think you had to be there but it was perfect timing for him to say that.
I hope to have pics coming soon hopefully but no promises
- Auckland for new years then off to Asia
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Kia Ora
Guest entry miss Megan bates
So for anyone that has been white water rafting you know that it's not the easiest thing in the world. Different from black water rafting (which is basically tubing) and more intense, especially the place where me and Jess went yesterday which had the tallest water fall that you can go White water rafting on. 7 and some m tall which is roughly about 24 ft, a grade 5 rapid and the hardest you can do is a 6. So ya we went down this water fall and almost every raft tipped including ours. A guy on our raft actually dislocated his arm because we think he held on too tight when the raft flipped. The pictures taken of it there was one point were you couldn't see our raft cause we went so far under water. Ya, pretty intense but sweet as bro. (haha thats a phrase people here say all the time) but it also didn't help that we had someone that had NO IDEA what they were doing.. Jess was getting so frustrated hahaha you all know how she gets. At one point he lost his paddle and our guide was like what are you doing so this guy just dove in after it. Our guide I think was mad cause it was super unsafe and at this point we didn't know that around the corner from were we stopped was a waterfall where 15 people had died. Not good. But it was so fun :) what a thrill.
After that we signed up to get the cultural experience of the Mauri people (the natives of New Zealand) first we had to pick "chiefs" from our big group and they would come put an select a head chief from us while performing their dances and singing their songs. We were told multiple times not to laugh cause what they do is pretty comical. Jess will put up pics of that I'm sure. But they would stick their tongues out and make their eyes as wide as they could all keeping a straight face. Obviously a big deal to them. We then were shown different games and how the tattoos that are all over their body including their face were done. (they literally carved into the skin and bone) but they didn't have an oral or written language so these symbols and tattoos were their way of communicating. Of course now they have both. We were taught the common saying of Kia Ora which means good health and if someone said it to you, you should say it back out of respect. Then they performed other dances and taught us about their weapons because these people were fighting people and had battles all the time. Pretty intense. Then we enjoyed an amazing dinner that they cooked underground on super hot rocks. Lamb, chicken, carrots, different potatoes, bread, and different seafoods. Soo good. Then desert had like a breAd and a custard( Jess didn't like that cause she always eats her food plain) haha but I loved it. So good and so glad we did it.
Now off to Taupo on a different Kiwi bus with new people. Hopefully its good weather for the tangaru crossing! Kia Ora!
So for anyone that has been white water rafting you know that it's not the easiest thing in the world. Different from black water rafting (which is basically tubing) and more intense, especially the place where me and Jess went yesterday which had the tallest water fall that you can go White water rafting on. 7 and some m tall which is roughly about 24 ft, a grade 5 rapid and the hardest you can do is a 6. So ya we went down this water fall and almost every raft tipped including ours. A guy on our raft actually dislocated his arm because we think he held on too tight when the raft flipped. The pictures taken of it there was one point were you couldn't see our raft cause we went so far under water. Ya, pretty intense but sweet as bro. (haha thats a phrase people here say all the time) but it also didn't help that we had someone that had NO IDEA what they were doing.. Jess was getting so frustrated hahaha you all know how she gets. At one point he lost his paddle and our guide was like what are you doing so this guy just dove in after it. Our guide I think was mad cause it was super unsafe and at this point we didn't know that around the corner from were we stopped was a waterfall where 15 people had died. Not good. But it was so fun :) what a thrill.
After that we signed up to get the cultural experience of the Mauri people (the natives of New Zealand) first we had to pick "chiefs" from our big group and they would come put an select a head chief from us while performing their dances and singing their songs. We were told multiple times not to laugh cause what they do is pretty comical. Jess will put up pics of that I'm sure. But they would stick their tongues out and make their eyes as wide as they could all keeping a straight face. Obviously a big deal to them. We then were shown different games and how the tattoos that are all over their body including their face were done. (they literally carved into the skin and bone) but they didn't have an oral or written language so these symbols and tattoos were their way of communicating. Of course now they have both. We were taught the common saying of Kia Ora which means good health and if someone said it to you, you should say it back out of respect. Then they performed other dances and taught us about their weapons because these people were fighting people and had battles all the time. Pretty intense. Then we enjoyed an amazing dinner that they cooked underground on super hot rocks. Lamb, chicken, carrots, different potatoes, bread, and different seafoods. Soo good. Then desert had like a breAd and a custard( Jess didn't like that cause she always eats her food plain) haha but I loved it. So good and so glad we did it.
Now off to Taupo on a different Kiwi bus with new people. Hopefully its good weather for the tangaru crossing! Kia Ora!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas
I had a wonderful Christmas day where I spent the day with Megan bates in a sulfur smelling town. It smells like eggs due to all the plates under ground and it being so close to volcano. In NZ and Australia they have BBQ for there meals. They open up a cracker. That I guess I am very dumb to everyone on my bus for not knowing what it is. A cracker is a small gift that you open with someone by pulling on each end and the middle peace cracks open with a joke and a small toy. A kind boy on the bus gave everyone Tim tams for a Christmas cookie. It was nice to skype home and see all my family anticipating my call! I couldn't of asked for a better Christmas. God bless
Very thankful : )
Black water caves
Megan and I got to experience a black water cave where we had to belay down into the cave and then zip line threw it with it looking like stars due to glow worms. After we Zip lined down to the river we then went up and down the river learning about glow worms. The worm is actually not what glows and it is not even a worn it is a maggot. What glows is there poop. I have never scene poop look so pretty. To get out of the cave we climbed up 2 water falls and finally saw light after 5 hours of being in a huge cave. Wile we were in the cave we got hot coco an flap jacks. ( a flap jack is something everyone should have. It is rolled oats in honey and syrup ha so gooooood - again everyone in the cave thought I was dumb for not knowing what it was.) my bus is all most all England.
Very thankful : )
Black water caves
Megan and I got to experience a black water cave where we had to belay down into the cave and then zip line threw it with it looking like stars due to glow worms. After we Zip lined down to the river we then went up and down the river learning about glow worms. The worm is actually not what glows and it is not even a worn it is a maggot. What glows is there poop. I have never scene poop look so pretty. To get out of the cave we climbed up 2 water falls and finally saw light after 5 hours of being in a huge cave. Wile we were in the cave we got hot coco an flap jacks. ( a flap jack is something everyone should have. It is rolled oats in honey and syrup ha so gooooood - again everyone in the cave thought I was dumb for not knowing what it was.) my bus is all most all England.
Mt cook national park
Mt cook national park
My last stop in he south island of new Zealand and a stop I have been looking forward too. Mt cook is the tallest peak in NZ standing 3754 meters. I was told vertical limits was filmed in the national park. It holds the highest peaks in NZ. I had planned a 2 day hike where I will stay over night at around 1800 meters and then carry on to around 2000 (6560 feet about ) and then turn back. - if your now saying why don't you do mt cook- I wish but I'm not crazy, it is for experts and you have to have a partner to hook on to. You also have to climb climb parts of it and there is snow that can fall at anytime and kill you. They say There are 5 deaths every year and about 1500 bodies not found. For the next 3 days I will be living off of peanut butter sandwiches and some dried fruit and nuts and couple apples and bananas. Thankfully I am kinda cheating and the hut I am staying at has water : ) so I can re fill my bottles. the list for things they say to bring is far to big - I will just say that. don't want you to worry ha but its a check list of 15 and I have 4.5 : ) it will be all gooooooood! I packed my bag and was excited to get to bed to wake up and go. : ( when I woke I couldn't even see the mt it was all clouds and rain and wind and booooooooooooo! I had to hold off one day and do well um....... I am in a national park the only thing to do here is outdoor activities. The closest town is 50 min away, so that means the one restaurant and bar is double the price. They don't have a store so only my hostel has 4x the price of anything. It does have a cozy fire place and DVD and 1 dollar for 15 min Internet. So I watched some movies wrote in my journal and paid for some net time, and studied Khmer (Cambodian language).
So so so so amazing i write this as I sit in a hut on top of a mountain hoping my feet will warm up. I dont no were to start to explain what I did today! I saw some of the best views of new Zealand and its all beautiful but this was above and beyond what I had imagined it would've been like. I actually kinda got scared on this climb that was classified as a tramping but it was hard core. There was a hard part where if I made a mistake or the rock that I choose to step on or reach for moved I would of most likely died! ( seriously this is not me bs ing this time) I am bad with words so I hope to just post pictures soon even though the pictures don't give it justice. I was able to watch the sun set. I was in and out of clouds. Watched glaciers fall to the ground and sound like an explosion. Saw how high I was but yet so many peaks that were way higher. Where I am staying has snow and most of what surrounds me does as well. I found myself as I went up to highest part saying Jess be careful in my head and I was like talking to myself ha this makes me sounds dumb, but I was like test that rock. Don't look down ha carful I never say these things but I did this time. By the way when you travel it makes you want to travel more. Climbing mt is same way once you do one your hooked and you want more and more so even though I got scared for little bit. I like want that agin, no I'm not an adrenaline junky I can't describe it I just ......
My last stop in he south island of new Zealand and a stop I have been looking forward too. Mt cook is the tallest peak in NZ standing 3754 meters. I was told vertical limits was filmed in the national park. It holds the highest peaks in NZ. I had planned a 2 day hike where I will stay over night at around 1800 meters and then carry on to around 2000 (6560 feet about ) and then turn back. - if your now saying why don't you do mt cook- I wish but I'm not crazy, it is for experts and you have to have a partner to hook on to. You also have to climb climb parts of it and there is snow that can fall at anytime and kill you. They say There are 5 deaths every year and about 1500 bodies not found. For the next 3 days I will be living off of peanut butter sandwiches and some dried fruit and nuts and couple apples and bananas. Thankfully I am kinda cheating and the hut I am staying at has water : ) so I can re fill my bottles. the list for things they say to bring is far to big - I will just say that. don't want you to worry ha but its a check list of 15 and I have 4.5 : ) it will be all gooooooood! I packed my bag and was excited to get to bed to wake up and go. : ( when I woke I couldn't even see the mt it was all clouds and rain and wind and booooooooooooo! I had to hold off one day and do well um....... I am in a national park the only thing to do here is outdoor activities. The closest town is 50 min away, so that means the one restaurant and bar is double the price. They don't have a store so only my hostel has 4x the price of anything. It does have a cozy fire place and DVD and 1 dollar for 15 min Internet. So I watched some movies wrote in my journal and paid for some net time, and studied Khmer (Cambodian language).
So so so so amazing i write this as I sit in a hut on top of a mountain hoping my feet will warm up. I dont no were to start to explain what I did today! I saw some of the best views of new Zealand and its all beautiful but this was above and beyond what I had imagined it would've been like. I actually kinda got scared on this climb that was classified as a tramping but it was hard core. There was a hard part where if I made a mistake or the rock that I choose to step on or reach for moved I would of most likely died! ( seriously this is not me bs ing this time) I am bad with words so I hope to just post pictures soon even though the pictures don't give it justice. I was able to watch the sun set. I was in and out of clouds. Watched glaciers fall to the ground and sound like an explosion. Saw how high I was but yet so many peaks that were way higher. Where I am staying has snow and most of what surrounds me does as well. I found myself as I went up to highest part saying Jess be careful in my head and I was like talking to myself ha this makes me sounds dumb, but I was like test that rock. Don't look down ha carful I never say these things but I did this time. By the way when you travel it makes you want to travel more. Climbing mt is same way once you do one your hooked and you want more and more so even though I got scared for little bit. I like want that agin, no I'm not an adrenaline junky I can't describe it I just ......
Monday, December 12, 2011
Life!
Queenstown
Capital of adventure
I did a 134meter bungy jump, worlds biggest swing, and climbed a 1748 meter high mountain! they all had different feelings if I had to only choose one I would choose the moutain. I truly felt like I was on top of the world and it was a challenge and will go down as one of the best days of my life! It took all day but once you reach the top it is totally worth it. The bungy was ahhahahaawoww : )
Milford sound
One of the most beautiful places in the world! See pics - coming soon) it is also a place where it rains 80 percent of the time so about 12 days ago I was in a place where it is suppose to always be sunny and it rained. Well it was opposite this time it didn't rain when I was at Milford sound
The more I travel the more I learn! There is never a day were i don't learn something about others or my self. Traveling alone sometimes test me. There is no one there to hold you accountable for your actions or question your choices. Some people fall into a trap. They end up not really being them selfs. They get into the wrong group- it goes both ways thou you sometimes run into someone or a group that is amazing and they bring out the best in you.
sometimes I feel my accent is Becoming awful. I find my self saying things that only Irish, Aussies, kiwi, and British people say. It's all becoming a blend.
Kiwi kiwi kiwi
On the kiwi experience you never know what kind of bus your going to get on. It could be boring, normal, alcoholics, couples, strange, all Germans, or my bus is called the naked bus. The boys for some reason think it is hilarious to get naked and sit on the bus , it is quite funny the first few times after that its well um naked boys sitting there hanging out. (dad I am sure you are loving this blog entry)
We had an abc ( anything but cloths) party that was way fun and I had a great costume I went as nature women um eve um I don't know what to call it, but I was told by many that it was the best and I was the only girl that actually stood to the rules. Side note- tape hurts a lot and leaves marks and causes some purple and red skin)
As I travel threw out new Zealand I wish I had a... Photographer to follow me around bc I go on amazing hikes/ runs and when i get to the top or to a water fall or the river or a tunnel or rainforest with sweet green rocks leading up to the tip of the mountain, or a beach or a cliff or see dolphins at the top of cliff that looks over the sea or seals or ..... It goes on and on but I always say I wish I had a camera right now or someone to take the photo of me trying to do something silly like climb the rocks to get the perfect picture.
Franz Josef glacier
Heli hike
!!! :) :) :) : )
Took a 20 min helicopter up and around the moutains and then stopped half way up the glacier and then did a 2 hour hike on it! Spectacular! Wow! Holy camoly! I had an awsome guide who encouraged us to be active so I army crawled threw ice holes and caves and went threw cracks and managed to get very muddy bc of sluge under one of the ice things that I went into ... I was ony one who did this! Managed to get my boots completely soaked and loved every second of it!
I am thinking in my head right now and I decied I am one of those people were the tour guide either absoutly loves me or hates me- and this guide loved me. The hate bc- I sometimes adventure were i shouldn't or I'm not very good at reading signs that have a big x Threw them i honestly dont see them then i do what the x said not to do and get out and they say really did you not see this um...??? No. Love bc don't need to go there! I tried to encourage the other 6 to crawl threw spaces or do things they will never get the chance to do again!
As I go farther south the mountain tops become covered in snow. I have a new addiction/hobby and it is hiking up to the top of mountains. I am addicted I sit on the bus and see a reasonable mountain that is possible for me get to the top of and all I can think of is going to the top. I have currently done 3 now and have 3 to go before I leave new Zealand. I hope to do a real one in a few days were I will have to do it in two days so I will tent 1/2 way up it. : ) I did a tiny one today where I ran it and its like time freezes when I do it. I don't no how long it takes me I don't no how long i sit at the top in that feeling were I can't describe I just smile and look and look and get dizzy bc I am doing circles trying to take it all in, and I have no idea how long it takes me to get down, and I don't have a care in the world how long any of it takes me. It's strange usually I say o I went for a run for 30 min or a distance or I did this kind of circuit yada yada this is completely different!
As I travel threw out new Zealand I wish I had a... Photographer to follow me around bc I go on amazing hikes/ runs and when i get to the top or to a water fall or the river or a tunnel or rainforest with sweet green rocks leading up to the tip of the mountain, or a beach or a cliff or see dolphins at the top of cliff that looks over the sea or seals or ..... It goes on and on but I always say I wish I had a camera right now or someone to take the photo of me trying to do something silly like climb the rocks to get the perfect picture.
Franz Josef glacier
Heli hike
!!! :) :) :) : )
Took a 20 min helicopter up and around the moutains and then stopped half way up the glacier and then did a 2 hour hike on it! Spectacular! Wow! Holy camoly! I had an awsome guide who encouraged us to be active so I army crawled threw ice holes and caves and went threw cracks and managed to get very muddy bc of sluge under one of the ice things that I went into ... I was ony one who did this! Managed to get my boots completely soaked and loved every second of it!
I am thinking in my head right now and I decied I am one of those people were the tour guide either absoutly loves me or hates me- and this guide loved me. The hate bc- I sometimes adventure were i shouldn't or I'm not very good at reading signs that have a big x Threw them i honestly dont see them then i do what the x said not to do and get out and they say really did you not see this um...??? No. Love bc don't need to go there! I tried to encourage the other 6 to crawl threw spaces or do things they will never get the chance to do again!
As I go farther south the mountain tops become covered in snow. I have a new addiction/hobby and it is hiking up to the top of mountains. I am addicted I sit on the bus and see a reasonable mountain that is possible for me get to the top of and all I can think of is going to the top. I have currently done 3 now and have 3 to go before I leave new Zealand. I hope to do a real one in a few days were I will have to do it in two days so I will tent 1/2 way up it. : ) I did a tiny one today where I ran it and its like time freezes when I do it. I don't no how long it takes me I don't no how long i sit at the top in that feeling were I can't describe I just smile and look and look and get dizzy bc I am doing circles trying to take it all in, and I have no idea how long it takes me to get down, and I don't have a care in the world how long any of it takes me. It's strange usually I say o I went for a run for 30 min or a distance or I did this kind of circuit yada yada this is completely different!
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