Part 2: Paihia (Bay of Islands), Cape Reinga & 90 mile beach
I took the flight back to New Zealand from Australia on December 4 and arrived to Auckland on the evening of Dec 4th (2011. I got picked up from the airport by a german couple (Gyde and Richard)that I met at Bounce hostel in Sydney. On Dec 5th (next day) we decided to take a small roadtrip to the West coast of Auckland (Piha & another beach I cannot recall the name of.. AMAZING!). I love that place, it's really, really beautiful, and considering it's 40-60 minutes drive from Auckland's Central Business Disctrict it sure doesn't feel as if it's close to such a big city.
Anyhow, we spend a few hours walking around on the beach taking photographs, and finally back at my place we cooked us some awesome food - rice cooked in coconutmilk with beans + chicken for me and Richard. We put on a movie (Thor - which were totally crap by the way) and they stayed over for the night.
The next day (Dec 6)I was going to jump on the Kiwi Experience bus and start my real New Zealand adventures. I was super excited but had unfortunately picked up a nasty cold. With an early pickup time (7am) outside of Base hostel on Queenstreet (Auckland CBD), I had to get up extra early to jump on the bus & ferry from North Shore in to the city. I felt quite miserable to be honest as I jumped on the bus that would take us up to Paihia (Bay of Islands) on the East coast, approx 3-4 hours further up North from Auckland. Luckily there weren't many people on the bus so and I didn't need to be super social as everyone seemed to be quite tired (backpackers don't fancy jumping on buses at 7am in the morning, might have something to do with the frequent partylife).
Anyhow, I was a bit surprised about the bus and its seats that kept falling off continuously if you decided to whipp your ass forward a bit too much. I definitely didn't think it met up to the standards of bus quality I had in mind, but as my travels proceeded it didn't take me long untill I understood the whole concept of traveling with these buses. There're so many of them, so basicly the nicest ones are the ones going down South from Auckland.
3-4 hours later (can't recall how long it actually took) we arrived to Paihia, checked in to the hostel (Pipi Patch?) (who had a hot tub!!) and socialized for a while before heading out to check out the super tiny city (really, the city center were stretched out over one small street). I met Jan here, the first german guy I became friend with during my Kiwi Experience adventures. Need I say I soon realised there were lots and lots of germans traveling around New Zealand. It was inevitable to not at least meet 5 germans either on the buses or at the hostels.
Bay of Islands is a lovely place, if you have a boat. Me and Jan decided to go out for what we thought would be a rather short hike, but later turned out to take ages - only to realise we had totally gone the wrong way (it was apparentally better to return the same way you came) as we headed back towards the hostel. I didn't enjoy the surroundings at all as we walked inland towards a waterfall (I guess I had become a bit spoiled by New Zealands beauty already). Turns out the waterfall wasn't anything spectacular at all, rather a small one located just by a fast-laned road. We then ended up walking over 5 km back in flip flops - or jandals as they call them in New Zealand - (on the big road) back to Paihia. We tried to hitch-hike but with no success, and as we approached our hostel I had already managed to kick my big toe on an annoying bump in the asfalt - resulting in a relatively heavy bleeding, but luckily with no pain. To sum it up: the hike was pretty miserable, maybe even more so due to my continuously dripping nose. I don't normally complain about these things but I want to keep it as truthfull as possible on here ;)
The next day I had booked in a boat safari along some of the beautiful islands outside Paihia. Stupidly enough I had taken some pills that helps to keep your nostrils clear (yeah, SMART Alex :P) so my nose went totally crazy and didn't seem to have the decency to stop bothering me. Not to forget that I had lost my new sunglasses in Sydney and was too stubborn to buy me new ones (thought of saving money..). So there I sat, on the boat, with a dripping nose and squinting eyes due to the strong sun, trying to look as comfortable as possible. I didn't want to portray myself as some virus infected human being that you regret sitting next to, but polite enough (or stupid) to move away from (change to another seat), so I tried my hardest to look as normal as possible :) Anyhow, the possibility came up to jump in to the sea (18,5*C) and swim with dolphins, which was something I really wanted to do! but considering the cirqumstances I decided not too, as I wanted to get healthy as soon as possible! so no dolphin swimming for me, but I got some great shots on the people who did it (hehe, weeeh00). Overall, the tour was really nice and I would've really enjoyed it if I didnt feel so miserable! I sure learned my lesson not to insert any more of those pills into my fragile system :p
In Paihia I also met Martin Kendrick (UK guy who travelled by himself) and Brooke & Hayden (NZ peeps who travelled together). I met a lot of other people up in Paihia but Brooke, Hayden and Martin would turn out to be fellow travellers down the North Island (from Auckland down South).
That evening I ended up with a bounch of people at a secluded place further down the beach, playing drinking games (with a very stupid "one up - one down" game from Martin)and just enjoying the stars. It was really optional to sit and do drinking games at the main beach as it's illegal to drink at the beach in Paihia, you can get heavy fines for it. Anyhow, overall a nice evening with nice people :)
The next day I jumped on the bus again that would take me up for a day trip to Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach. The busdriver was a bit hard to understand as he had a strong Maori accent and the microphone was cracking up all the time. We did a mid-stop before Cape Reinga at a forest with massive trees (don't remember what they're called and too lazy to look up!) which was quite cool. Then we headed up to Cape Reinga, which was AMAZING! It was so nice, and my cold wasn't bad either :)
After Cape Reinga we did another "mid-stop" at a pretty sweet beach not far away from Cape R. We layed in the sun for a bit and jumped back on the bus to head to 90 mile beach and the sand dunes up its top. The sand dunes were amazing, almost like a desert just by the beach. From the top of the dunes we boogie boarded down (or body-boarded), it went pretty fast and was loads of fun :)
Drenched in sand we jumped back on to the bus and drove along the 90 mile beach, it's such a massive beach that they've made it a highway. Although you'll need to watch out as it's easy to get stuck in the sand if you're not sure how to drive there!
We returned back to Paihia later that evening and returned back to Auckland the next day (Dec 9). This trip also provided party, barbeques and hot-tubbing! Overall a good start on my New Zealand travels:)
Postad den 2012-02-11 @ 20:25:31 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (2)
As we were walking along the narrow neighbourhood streets, we discussed the importance of our future lives. Unaware of what was to come and what was to become expected of us, we discussed the urge of breaking free from what we at the time considered to be a rut. We pictured how to break free and travel as if we'd never travelled before...
It was early May and the night was young. I thought to myself as we walked along the street: I will get out of here, I really will.. I can't wait any longer. I want to go now! Why can't I just go now? It didn't make it better when I was told that I would probably be stuck in Sweden for eternity. A scenario that I at the time considered to be "the end of the world".
Five years later with a rather declined urge to travel I found myself sitting on a train that would eventually take me to an airport, that in turn would take me to an airplane, and finally I would end up somewhere on the other side of the world. So there I was, sitting on the train waving goodbye to my family, but most of all I was waving goodbye to my grandmother. Not knowing if she would be there when I came back. You see, it wasn't just a vacation trip I was getting myself into. It was a four year long degree on the other side of the world (literally), and I couldn't help but feel sad as the shapes of my family dissapeared in the distance.. Thinking I wouldn't see them for a very long time, and with my grandmothers heart disease I couldn't help but feel helpless and confused over my decision to leave at this point in time.
With two very big suitcases, one backpack, my big camera bag and a laptop bag (yeah, I must've looked pretty hilarious), I managed to reach my final destination: Auckland, New Zealand. Unshaved, unwashed and with my winter cloths still on, I arrived to New Zealand summer, relatively unaware of how this year would turn out to be the best year of my life (so far).
The year of 2011 was the start of a new life. A life with experiences, self-belief and new friendships from all over the world. My two semesters at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) went better than expected and I managed to organize a university transfer to Lund University in Sweden for my future studies. My transfer to Lund University (LU) would turn out to be a great decision. I now had the money to spend on travels in New Zealand and Australia for a total of 1,5 months! and I would assure myself to be there if something happened to my grandmother.
Happy as I was after my final exams I jumped on the flight to Australia to spend two weeks in Melbourne and Sydney. The weather was relatively crap, but as I always say: every experience is a good experience! Either way, I found myself eager to return back to New Zealand to start my travels that would take me up all the way to Cape Reinga (top of North Island) and down to Stewart Island (the Island just under the South Island). Little did I know that I would make friendships that would open up posibilities for a Eurotrip this summer (2012)!
So to sum it up, this was how my trip was outlined:
Postad den 2012-02-11 @ 18:51:22 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (0)
I bloody LOVE New Zealand! I'm having the best time of my life, it's insane! luuuv it. I will post a diary as soon as I got the time that will cover my travels from start to finish. I just don't have the time to update right now.. I have so much stuff going on!
Anyway, today I did the bungy canyon swing and it was really nice. I won a bungy voucher by the way, I dressed up as a psycho during a costume party and won the price for best costume. I guess it was original enough.. The theme was "P" so most of the guys dressed up as prostitues.. Hilarious, we had four danish guys on the bus and they all dressed up as females.. Says alot eh? haha nah, they are really nice. Just putting it out there! :)
Well, got to go get ready for tonight. Party in Queenstown! woop :)
Life's good. Love life!\
cheers, alex
Postad den 2011-12-26 @ 08:08:59 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (1)
Hello, I just got back from a trip up north to Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga. It was awesome. However, you really do need to have a boat to enjoy bay of islands to the fullest..
In Bay of Islands I went on a day trip with a boat around the islands and to check out the famous hole in the rock. I was supposed to swim with dolphins but I had an insanely irritating cold which made me reconsider such enjoyment.. I ended up taking photographs of the lucky people who got to do it :E so there I was, sitting in my little corner on the outside deck with loads of toiletpaper and a continous dripping nose. I felt quite miserable that trip actually.
BUT, the next day I felt quite good :) so I decided to take the bus up to Cape Reinga (top of North Island). The busride there was quite uneventfull and pretty boring. However it was beautiful when we finally got there! After walking around taking photographs as the tourists we are, we travelled to one of the nearby beaches. After chillin' on the beach for a while we travelled west to 90 mile beach where we got to bodyboard down the massive sanddunes. It was awesome! It was just like a desert (the sanddunes) but with water channels around it and a view of the massive 90 miles beach.. AMAZING! I luuvd it, if you ever travel to New Zealand's North Island, then don't miss out on the great Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach (sanddunes). Anyway.. after we'd sandsurfed down the "sandmountains" a few times we jumped back into the bus to drive along the 90 mile beach. It is so long and wide that it is a public highway for vehicles. Pretty crazy ;)
When we got back we went to the beach with our ciders and beers previously bought and found a discrete spot to hang out in. We were a bounch of people and went through a few drinking games under the starts before we headed back to the hostel to have a good sleep after a long day.
So here I am, sitting in my "old" room in Devonport writing this blog entry with a cider in by my side. Tomorrow it's time to head down south, starting in Coromandel & hot water beach to later head down to Waitomo Caves, rotorua, Taupu, etc.. And ofcourse South Island adventures:)
I love New Zealand, I really do :)
Have it sweeet as bro!
Postad den 2011-12-09 @ 09:44:00 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (0)
This tiny waterfall is right by the beach of Cathedreal Cove in Coromandel. It's just like a shower =) Very exotic! Here's a short video-clip I filmed:
Postad den 2011-09-05 @ 22:51:44 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (0)
I went on a road trip yesterday with Alex (yeah, his name is Alexander too). We took his car to Coromandel. It was awesome! I had my first dip of the season woop. It's basicly the first month of spring.. In Sweden it would be freezing, but here it's pretty warm;)
I've booked my accommodation in Melbourne and booked the flights as well. Everything is set (except for accomo in Sydney, but it's chill. I'll deal with that later).
Here are some photos from Coromandel :) The newest Narnia was filmed somewhere near here.
There's a place at one of the beaches where you can digg your own "hot water pool" due to warm pools underneath. It's pretty cool, we kind of failed as the tide was high.. So we couldn't bothered waiting till tide was low, so no hot water pool swim for us :p
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Postad den 2011-09-05 @ 09:14:12 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (0)
Hey, yesterday I went out on a roadtrip with Sarah & dick. We decided to rent a car since that was the cheapest way of getting around. Sarah, with her canadian driving license, had her first drive in leftside traffic. That was funny, bit scary tho :E But it went well & we all came back unharmed :)
After we had picked up the car we went straight to Waitomo Caves. The adventure tour there was awesome, we went with innertubes into the caves of Waitomo to do some "rafting" and checking out the glowworms. Even tho I felt for peeing the whole tour (if you peed in the wetsuit it would stink like fuck, so that wasnt on the agenda) it was really awesome!
After Waitomo Caves we went to Raglan, which is a famous surfer place here on the North Island. The beach is called Ngarunui Beach and it was I N S A N E. I loved it. It was for sure the most beautiful beach I've ever seen in my life (so far).
After that we went to the Bridal Veil Falls which was almost in the same area as the surfer beach. So, this was actually the first time ever I had seen a huge waterfall. Nice stuff!
After that we ended the day with a sandwich at subway and drove home.
Here's some photos:
Next week (if I have the time & if the weather allows it) we'll drive back to Ngarunui Beach for some surfing & to catch the sunset! AWESOME!
Have it great;) /alex
Postad den 2011-02-26 @ 21:46:30 Postad i Roadtrips, NZ | Kommentarer (0)
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