Te Urewera National Park

After we had finished playing around Tolaga, we hit the road bound for the next stint of our trip - Te Urewera National Park.  I'm just going to come right out and say it - Te Urewera translates as "burnt penis" or "hot penis".  Why would the Maori give the region a name like that you ask? The story goes that a chief was sleeping in the area next to a campfire and rolled over in his sleep right onto the fire.  I think you can guess what happened from there.  Poor guy.  3 hours after leaving Tolaga and one loooong dirt road later we rolled into the park.  The centerpiece of the park is Lake Waikeremoana, which is surrounded by one of the largest stands of virgin forest left on the island.  The park also has an interesting history, as it served as the last refuge for the Maori tribes during the Waikato Wars in the mid to late 1800's against the authority of the British crown.

Before reaching camp for the night, we passed a trail called Lou's Lookout and I just had to stop for a lookie Lou :p.  On the way up the steep 15 minute trail, I noticed that the forest in the area was quite different from the normal New Zealand bush we're used to at this point.  The forest looked more enchanted, with more mosses and gnarled and twisting trees and vines.  It was like the kind of forest you'd expect to see some Hobbit's frolicking around in.  I'm not sure whether that is a feature of the virgin forest or just a different climate but it was a welcome change.  Anywho, when we got to the lookout point it was pretty amazing.  The Panekire bluff towers over the lake on one side, and the primeval forest stretches as far as the eye can see on the other.  As we watched, clouds quickly rolled in to cover the crown of the bluff.  The last thing we did before making camp was check out a group of waterfalls near the visitor center.  The falls themselves weren't particularly large or impressive by New Zealand standards, but it did add an extra layer of ambience to the already mystifying forest.  

Lou's Lookout  

 Lake Waikeremoana may be the biggest lake in Te Urewera, but it isn't the only one, or the most interesting or beautiful for that matter.  That is a title that belongs to the much smaller Lake Waikareiti which sits 292 meters higher in the mountains than Waikeremoana and boasts the most islands of any lake in New Zealand.  Not only that, but one of those islands, Rahui Island, has its own small lake.  It was our plan to throw ourselves straight into that lake and pretend to be in an M.C. Escher drawing, but things didn't exactly work out as planned.  Turns out that all islands on the lake were barred to the public while they undergo a massive pest control operation.  Nobody had told us this until after we had already reserved our dingy of course, so we decided to head out onto the lake anyway.  After the hourlong uphill hike to the lake we sorted out our paddles at the day shelter and graciously accepted some help from people passing by to get the heavy boat into the water.  We were totally unprepared for what came next.

As soon as we crested the hill on the trail, we knew that the warm sunny swim we were looking for wasn't in the cards.  The wind was howling.  When we finally got the little rowboat onto the water we had one hell of a time trying to battle the wind out of the cove.  With absolutely no rowing experience outside of kayaking, we had a hard enough time rowing in sync with each other without the blusterous winds making steering practically impossible.  It took several laborious attempts to even get off shore, providing those at the day shelter with plenty of entertainment I'm sure.  Once offshore the battle wasn't over, as now breaking the free of the cove took even more energy than ever.  We just couldn't make it out, being blown back onto the same rock over and over.  After what must have been half an hour and a temper tantrum I'm not very proud of, we finally broke out of the cove and onto open water.  We couldn't relax even then, as the wind would have had us crashed against the shore in no time.  We laughed that we had even expected to be able to paddle to the island in the first place before making back for shore, defeated.  Looking back on it now it was both humbling and hilarious, but that night we retired back to our campsite with heavy hearts. 

Out on the lake - you can't see my frown :p

The last day in the park was spent more leisurely exploring some caves that were formed from the same massive earthquake that dammed up the lake.  Kayleigh, not being a fan of caving, mostly walked along the trail and waited outside the mouth of each cave as I explored.  She may have made the right decision, because I did happen across a bunch of exceptionally large cave wetas in one hole that were so close overhead that I might have easily reached out and grabbed one…but no thanks.  I just took pictures instead.  Have a look see…

Kayleigh's worst nightmare

The East Cape

Now that we had trodden much of the mainstream tourist route through the North Island, for our drive back down to Wellington we decided to slow down the pace and do something different.   From Auckland we made our way east along the Bay of Plenty coastline, making some beach stops when it suited us.  We were headed for the East coast of the North isle, which is far from the ever constant frenzy of tourism flowing through the world famous this and thats.  It's a place where you can craft your own adventure - like in the New Zealand of yore.  Shielded from the rain by the central mountains, the climate is dryer and sunnier than the rest of the isle, and the whole area seems to exude a sense of carefree freedom…or maybe that was just me.  Anyhow, enough with the rah rah, now on with our story!

Our first stop in the area was the dynamic duo known as the Rere Falls and Rere Rockslide.  One is pure beauty, the other pure fun.  After a particularly long drive to the middle of nowhere along a dirt road (as begin many a New Zealand adventure), we came to the falls.  Rere Falls is wider than it is tall and it drapes itself from the lip like a theatre curtain waiting to be pulled.  It is quite the sight, despite visiting at low water levels on a grey day.  After we'd satisfied ourselves gawking we backtracked a bit to the Rere Rockslide that we missed the first time.  I'm so glad that we were able to find this place, as it has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  It's just what it sounds like, a wide, pitched rock water slide on the stream.  When we showed up there were already a few locals there riding boogie boards and inner tubes down the moss covered slope.  We watched them do a few runs before giving it a go.  And go you do - the boogie boards hit a good clip before you're sent skipping across the surface of the pool below like a stone.  We have a few good videos of our runs, but you'll have to wait a little while to see them :p.  Once we'd had enough of a rush on the slide we retired back to our camp for the night.

Watch first, try later.

The next day we drove through the cool little east coast town of Gisborne.  It is the embodiment of the free spirited nature of the East Coast.  The people are friendly, chatty, and mostly shoeless.  The sky is sunny, the hills golden, the ocean a hypnotic blue hue, and the town is full of country charm.  Throw all formality and stuffiness right out the window.  This is how I'd imagine California might have been about five or six decades ago.  Once passed the town we drove up the south-eastern coast of the East Cape, an area still largely under the control and influence of the original Maori tribes.  Our destination was Anaura Bay, which is a poster child for a 100% NZ Pure advert by tourism New Zealand.  It is without a doubt a gorgeous bay, one that you get to look down upon before descending onto the beach itself.  We sunned for about an hour or two and intended on staying at the nearby DOC camp until we learned that the camp has no toilet and therefore does not allow campers without a chemical toilet.  To be completely honest, I'm glad that we ended up leaving or we would have never found out about what was to be our next destination.  That is the even more beautiful and much more interesting Tolaga Bay.

Anaura Bay from above

Tolaga Bay is known for it's 600 meter wharf, and although the wharf is great for jumping off into the water, the real highlight of the bay is the bleach white sandstone cliffs towering over the blue-green glow of the bay.  We ended up staying the night across the street from the beach just so we'd have the opportunity to explore the area more in the morning.  When we woke up we quickly got our things together to take a short hike to Cook's Cove, where Captain James Cook landed his ship so many years ago.  Once at the cove we caught a glimpse of a few islands just offshore and had the chance to more closely explore the white cliffs through a hole in the rock that lead out to the shore.  Not only has Tolaga has moved its way onto my list of the top five North Island beaches, but the East Cape/Gisborne area may have also edged out the Bay of Plenty as my favorite region.  Good times.

The wharf 

The beach 

The cliffs

The cove

The Rules of the Road

Since we've been on the road for almost two months now, I figured I'd post a list of some rules we've painstakingly crafted for anyone considering a life on the road.  I hope you find them both helpful and amusing.  

1. ALWAYS MAKE CAMP AND DINNER BEFORE NIGHTFALL - Frustration and arguments follow those made in the dark.

2. NEVER, EVER TAKE A SHOWER FOR GRANTED - Don't skip it just because it's freezing, or you may find yourself unwelcome in cafes, public squares, or your lover's arms.

3. ALWAYS REFILL YOUR GAS WHEN IT NEARS THE HALF TANK MARK - Long stretches with no gas and no warning are common, and the hills and windy roads will suck it up faster than you think.

4. BREAK UP THE DRIVING - Those windy roads always take longer than you expect to drive, and they feel even longer still. 

5. TAKE ANY MOMENT, NO MATTER HOW BRIEF, TO CHARGE YOUR ELECTRONICS - 5 minutes of charge could be the difference between reaching your destination and busting out the maps. Which, now that I think about it, might not be such a bad thing after all because...

6.. GOOGLE MAPS ARE NOT INFALLIBLE - Since the Google scientists have yet to discover the U-turn yet, they can make your 10 minute drive into an hour.  Hell, sometimes it just doesn't know where you are.  

7. REPLENISH COOLER ICE DAILY - Nobody wants to wake up to the smell of bad dairy, and that spoiled milk could have been part of a vital breakfast!

8. ALWAYS KEEP BEER HANDY - It is THE international currency, and the perfect gift to show other tribes that you come in peace.

9. STAY ORGANIZED! - You'd be surprised how much you can lose in a small car.

10. KEEP THE TP STOCKED - You can never rely on any bathroom to have it in stock.  Going to the bathroom in a disgusting port-o-potty is one thing, but going in a disgusting port-o-potty with no TP is completely different ball game.

11. MAKE THE MOST OF THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE WHEN SOLVING PROBLEMS -The smallest and most insignificant thing can be just what you need when the moment strikes.  Think outside the box and go McGiver on that shit.

12. BE PREPARED FOR BAD WEATHER - Rain and wind aren't so bad until you can't make food or change your clothes without going into it.  I empathize with early man.  

13. WHEN YOU FIND A GOOD WIFI SIGNAL, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP AND USE IT -  You'll never realize how much you rely on the internet until you don't have it for a week.  

14. LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND WHEN YOU'LL BE BACK - Or you just might find yourself the basis of the sequel to 127 Hours.

Coromandel Part II

Its crazy how the time flies when you're having fun.  We were already coming up fast on our last few days with Megan, but we wouldn't be letting her go without sharing a few more amazing experiences.  First of those was a day at New Chums Beach - rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world by The Observer in 2006.  What makes New Chums unique that it is one of the few undeveloped beaches left on the Coromandel Peninsula, making it one of the few places actually deserving of the 100% New Zealand Pure moniker.  A brief 30 minute hike from the car park at Whangapoua Beach brings you along a rocky headland and up and over a low saddle before finally delivering you to this bush backed slice of heaven.  Walking through the forest just before we emerged onto the beach was giving me flash backs of Costa Rica where jungle meets sand.  Whereas Cathedral Cove was great for some old fashioned fun in the sun, New Chums is all romance.  It is a beach for languid strolls and quiet contemplation.  One such stroll along the beach revealed a few shallow sun heated lagoons perfect for soaking after a dip in the cool ocean, and if the sun became too intense you could always retire to the shade of the pohutukawas lining the beach.

After a refreshing day at an empty beach it would be back to the mainstream tourism track with a trip to the ever crowded but uniquely spectacular Hot Water Beach.  Here's the deal - at low tide a small portion of this beach exudes hot water form beneath the sand! We rented a spade and took to the beach to carve out our perfect little hot pool just as it started to rain.  It turned out to be far more difficult than anyone had originally imagined, as each time you started to make some progress a rogue wave would come up and steam roll all of your hard work.  After a few tries more people started to show up at the beach attempting to dig their hot pools in front of ours. To their bane and our boon, each time a rogue wave hit their pools would break it up just enough that our sand walls would hold.  Eventually we had ourselves a pool perfectly sized for three people to lay flat in.  

As we soaked we partook in the other joy of Hot Water Beach - people watching.  Some people were having a tough time getting the pools warm enough for soaking, and others with keeping them cool.  Despite the hard work that goes into making them, a number of pools went abandoned.  The pool just in front of ours was so hot that steam was rising from the top, and we giggled amongst ourselves as newcomers would timidly creep up and tryout this freebie.  They would stick a foot in, and a look of shock and pain would sweep across their face as they recoiled from the heat.  Eventually we decided it was time to relinquish our goldilocks pool to some other group and took our leave.  We drove back to our campsite and enjoyed one last drink with Megan before we dropped her off at the Auckland airport the following day.  We had tons-o-fun while she was here and she kept us laughing the whole way.  See you in Australia!

Don't you do that!

Shapeshifter

Since the epic first notes of Dutchies when I heard Shapeshifter for the first time, I've been curious what kind of live show this band could put on.  We missed the first show they put on at the Powerstation in Auckland because we wanted to catch them at a New Years festival, but what with CoroGold being off for a year and Shapeshifter signing on to headline Rhythm and Vines whose lineup wasn't fantastic and whose ticket prices were astronomical, I had sadly resigned myself to having missed the opportunity.  But then they announced a string of shows clustered around the holidays and I jumped at the chance.  We actually had to rearrange all of our holiday time plans to accommodate it, but in the end I'm glad we did.

Before then I'd never been to a concert that wasn't for a hard rock/metal band and had my doubts as to whether or not anything else could put up the energy that makes a live show interesting to me.  Now I know - Shapeshifter has what it takes.  When we first arrived at the venue we seemed out of place, as the crowd was composed primarily of young 18 year olds fresh out of high school all binge drinking like there's no tomorrow.  But once the music started the atmosphere changed, the energy exchange amongst the crowd and the band was electric.  I've never really felt anything like it, honestly.  There was not one person who was not right there right then, completely in it.  It was truly special.  

They opened quite appropriately with Dutchies, and continued to roll out many of my favorite tunes.  Megan bailed out of the center of the crowd for some more space while Kayleigh and I pushed our way to the front.  We made it to about the third row back from the railing and stayed there most of the night.  Kayleigh waited and waited for them to play her song, In Colour, but it never came.  They walked off stage and we waited for the encore, Kayleigh still hoping they would play it.  They came back out and started another song, but it wasn't the one and Kayleigh had given up all hope when finally the first notes rang out for their last song of the night. All the colors ignited that night.   

Coromandel Part I: Cathedral Cove

The Coromandel Peninsula is the number one spot I've looked forward to on the North Island for as long as I can remember.  Back when I was working for Webster Ortho I had desktop wallpapers from this area on my work computer for months at a time.  It is an area revered by both tourists and kiwis alike for its spectacular mountain scenery and stunning beaches.  Even the detractors of the mainstream tourist sites in NZ can't help but fall in love with the amazing natural exhibits on display here, and the first above them all is the one and only Cathedral Cove. 

It was to be our first stop on the Coromandel peninsula, and I had the sense that I had just stepped through my computer screen to my first steps onto the sand.  As I stared at the archway it was surreal to finally be there, seeing it right in front of me after all the planning and dreaming that had gone into getting here.  I'd liken it to the sensation of biting into the first fruit of a tree you'd planted years ago.  Spectacular.  Even the hordes of tourists crowding the beach didn't detract from it.  There are two sides to the beach, one of each side of the archway.  The far side is the more iconic and arguably more beautiful side, but the near side is by far the more interesting and feature filled.  Boasting two sea caves near to the shore just waiting to be explored, a flat rock slightly offshore perfect for jumping off, and a natural freshwater shower trickling from the white sandstone cliffs above, I need not say that it is easily one of the best beaches in all of the country.  We wiled away the whole day there.

A freshwater waterfall shower!

The iconic photo

Kayleigh and Megan in the sea cave

The near side of the cove

To round out what may have been one of the most memorable days of the trip, I convinced the girls to climb the town hill in the town we were staying at.  Puka Hill is the reason I chose to stay in Tairua, another wallpaper I'd treasured while toiling
away in the Bay.  It was another surreal moment that was just as good as I'd imagined.  Now I have wallpapers I've taken myself.  Check em out…

Just before sunset from the hill

Sunset at Puka Hill

One of those peaks is the Pinnacles

Welcome to 2014

With the sights and thrills of Rotorua in our rearview mirror, we headed now up to the base of the Coromandel Peninsula to meet up with some friends from Auckland for New Years Eve.  On a piece of land across the street from a white sand beach and equipped with only a kitchen and a bathroom, our group BBQ'ed and partied it up for a few glorious days, greeting the New Year with glow sticks and a pumping sound system (Thanks to Keith, Maya and Simon). 2014 is looking like it's going to be one of the best years of our lives.  

Rotorua Part II: Adrenaline Junkies

What better way to follow up a full day of sightseeing than with an equally full day of adrenaline? We awoke the next day later still recovering from a powerful food coma, but we didn't have much time to shake it off before we found ourselves soaked and tumbling down a grassy hill in what looks like a giant rat ball.  Of all the things in the North Island I looked forward to before arriving, Zorbing was arguably at the top of the list.  Only we didn't end up going "Zorbing".  When we showed up to check it out, we ended up going with the company called OGO instead of Zorb because they had longer routes (See below for the interesting history between these two companies).*  Man, it did not disappoint.  

The first run was a wet run (meaning they put a little water in the inner ball so that you can slide around it as it rolls down the hill) down the straight hill, with all three of us in one ball.  The best way I can describe it is sort of like a waterslide, only you're always bouncing off one another.  Once we had a taste we needed more! Since the zig zag course can only support two people per ball, I decided to go it alone.  As the operator was filling the ball with water he mentioned that if I could run down the whole course without falling I could have a free t-shirt and ride.  Feeling challenged, I enthusiastically jumped in to give it a shot.  I made it as far as the first zig before I fell flat on my back, laughing hysterically.  The rest of the course was just me trying my damnedest to stand up again, each time failing, and laughing the whole way.  

Just before the run

In the car on the way up the hill!

After the zig zag, Megan had had enough, but Kayleigh and I hadn't yet whetted our appetite.  So the final course was the dry ball, where they strap you in like an astronaut in training and roll you down the hill while you tumble end over end.  Kayleigh went first, and her report was that it was hardly the barf fest you'd expect it to be.  So when it came my turn, I strapped myself in and began to roll.  It wasn't as fast as the other rides, and it ended far too soon (the course is shorter because you might go "too fast" otherwise according to the operator) If you could only pick one ride, make it the zig zag, you won't regret it.  

After a brief lunch, we were picked up by the shuttle for our next experience - white water rafting down the class 5 Kaituna River rapids.  Megan had been apprehensive about the rafting all morning, toying with the idea of sitting this one out.  We just couldn't let that happen, so we left out some of the details of the trip.  Once she boarded the shuttle with us, we knew there would be no backing down, so maybe this might be a good time to mention that we'll be going over the highest commercially rafted falls in the world? A healthy 7 meter fall never hurt anyone,  at least I as far as I know :) As we geared up, the guides went through the shpeal about what to expect, safety precautions and what to do if the raft flips.  As adventure guides often do, they exaggerated the risks and made ominous names for various parts of the river to psyche you up for the trip, and I watched amused as Megan ate up every word.  

Once we were out on the river our guide did a great job, and he kept fanning the flames of apprehension that sat thick within the group over the big drop.  All total we were going to go over three falls with the third fall, Tutea Falls, being the big 7 meter drop.  I'll never forget the look on Megan's face when we were approaching the first fall - her eyes rolled up and closed while her body slumped like she was going to faint! (Sorry Megan, but it was just too funny :p).  We went over the first and second falls like champions, then the guide mentioned that the third fall would be over twice as big as the first two put together.  Now that we were all sober again, we made the push for the last fall.  Stopping on the side of the river just before the falls, we made one last hurrah before paddling hard over the lip.  We went over and under just fine, but as the raft began to rise from beneath the water it flipped and all 7 of us were ejected from the boat.  We were the only boat on that trip to flip.

Revisiting the dreaded falls

We all made it back aboard ok, and continued rafting to the end of the run.  I don't know what was more fun, the rafting itself or watching Megan's continually changing expressions of horror as we moved from section to section.  She considers herself lucky to have survived.  

*As it turns out the guy who runs OGO is the co-founder of the company Zorb and inventor of the ball who was bought out of the company when it started getting a bad reputation due supposedly to the prerogatives of some big shot investors from Auckland.  The land OGO now occupies is the original land used to test the balls in their nascency, and when the land came up for use he decided to have another go, this time alone.  He is now locked in what will likely be a long legal battle over whether or not Zorb Inc has exclusive right to the patented ball or whether, like a sport, anyone can do it. 

Rotorua Part I: Geothermal Wonderland

With all of the holiday havoc behind us, we packed it up and headed north again, back to Rotorua, only this time we'd have the time to do it properly.  Rotorua is the North Island's biggest and oldest tourist hub.  Going all the way back to the 1880's, tourists from across the world have been drawn to Rotorua for its many geothermal wonders.  Along with the likes of Yellowstone National Park and Iceland, it is one of the most active and rambunctious  geothermal regions on earth.  Blessed with a plethora of hot springs, pure water springs, vibrant colored pools and over 10 lakes, you might just call it paradise if it wasn't for the overwhelming smell of sulphur that occupies the city like a spectre (but hey, even Mother Earth passes gas every once in a while! I just call it Roto-Poo-Uh).  On top of the amazing natural attractions, those crafty kiwis have added a touch of what New Zealand is most known for - adrenaline filled heart stopping adventures, and for the icing on the top, Rotorua is the center for tourist based Maori cultural attractions.

On the route to Rotorua from Taupo, our first stops in the Rotorua region were arguable two of the best geothermal parks that the region has on offer.  The first and most famous was Wai-o-Tapu.  We arrived a little late to watch the geyser erupt, but the hour loop track around the park was good enough that we didn't feel we had missed much.  The park is full of bubbling mud pools, steaming ponds and lakes of whatever color neon you can imagine, all with some catchy name to go along with it.  The only drawback seeing such amazing sights was that you had to wade through the crowd of others eager to witness the same spectacles.  It was surely an amazing visual spectacle, and that being so, I'll shut up and just show you some photos!

The Champagne Pools

Mud Pit!

The second park explored is the newest of all geothermal areas in the region, created when Mt Tarawera exploded in the 1880's, completely changing the lay of the land in the area.  It turned out to be, much to my surprise, a much cooler and more scenic walk than that in Wai-o-Tapu! The walk is a one way walk through the newly formed river valley that is covered in native forest.  Along the way you're treated to a variety of different landscapes, as well as another array of strange, alien like lakes.  As we walked the rain began to fall, and combined with the steam rising from the lakes and the river it created an amazing sense of primeval atmosphere.  It was such that it seemed like any moment we'd run into a pack of dinosaurs and meet a gruesome demise.  With a landscape like that the imagination could just run wild, and it was clear to me then why Peter Jackson should have chosen New Zealand as the location to film a series like Lord of the Rings.

Frying Pan Lake

To finish the evening off strong, we drove into Rotorua for the final event of the evening - the Hangi.  A Hangi is essentially the Maori version of the Hawaiian Luau, a cultural performance combined with a feast of food cooked for many hours underground.  The evening began with round of drinks after we found our table (thanks to one generous Megan Fry), and once everyone was settled the host gave a brief introduction of what was in store for us, all the while demonstrating a surprising knowledge of foreign language greetings.  No language was too obscure! Croatian? Sure.  Hungarian? Why not?.  Impressive.  

After that we were all whisked away to see the food as it was coming up from the ground before taking a short walk along the grounds to a pure water spring feeding the river on the property.  I've never seen one of these before, and boy was it ever impressive.  The clearest water I've ever seen - until a leaf fell from a tree onto the surface of the water I'd thought that the surface was several feet lower than it turned out to be due to the blue colored sands on the bottom of the pool.  After that marvel we watched as actors paddled a traditional style Maori war canoe on the river before the cultural performance began.  The whole experience was a bit cheesy, but still the most insightful look into historic Maori living I've had so far on this whole trip.  Oh yeah, and the food provided a welcome respite from the camping meals we'd been easting in the previous month.  

A Merry Christmas in the Sun

Christmas Eve was a blustering, grey and rainy day, and the forecast was for Christmas to be even worse.  With some disappointment, we took refuge in the movie theater, keen to see The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.  Now I don't know what the other movie theaters in Wellington are like, but this theater was posh as.  From the street the theater is humble and unassuming, but once we walk through the doors it opens into a grand entryway with marble staircases leading to the first floor and houses two classy ultra-modern bars (yes, you can drink beer while you watch your movie in NZ).  It's no wonder (or perhaps coincidence) that the theater hosts the world premiers of the LOTR and Hobbit films.  Even the bathrooms were overflowing with class (which is the only thing you ever want overflowing in bathrooms)! I enjoyed the movie, despite its length.  

All class

This bar looks like it good be in a 007 film!

Once the movie finally ended, we went to the grocery store to grab the ingredients for our meals the following day, since even the large cities in New Zealand shut down for Christmas.  After my suggestion of peanut butter and jelly for Christmas dinner was contemptuously vetoed (frugal to the end!), we decided we were going to make an attempt at Jumbalaya.  Once back at the hostel we stashed the food and went back out to meet up with one of Kayleigh's friends from work, Sarah, who had recently moved to Wellington.  We met with her at about 8pm at an Irish bar on Cuba Street and she had brought her entire hostel with her.  That started the beginning of a what was to be a long and unexpected night on the town.  

We ended up meeting up with Elien and Jonas who were staying at the same hostel we were, (the Belgian couple mentioned in previous posts) and heading to a Tequileria on the nightlife street of Courtenay.  We exchanged round after round and before you know it, it was midnight at the bar was shutting down since it was now Christmas Day.  Luckily on the walk back to our hostel we passed a place called Afrika with music blaring from inside it's glass walls.  After briefly dancing in front of the glass door , they decided to let us in, provided we just danced and didn't buy anymore alcohol.  Of course, Jonas went straight to the bar and ordered two more rounds.  Unfortunately, we were all quite drunk so nobody thought to take any photos.  It was a fantastic Christmas Eve.

On Christmas everything faded into view.  Our eyes bleary, our minds dreary, but the weather outside was anything but.  Brilliant sunshine filled the city.  Kayleigh was convinced it was a Christmas miracle.  As you can imagine, we had a bit of a slow start to the morning, but after sharing some coffee and seafood omelets with Elien and Jonas we were ready to get out to the beach.  Together we all walked down to Oriental Bay, Wellington's city beach.  In terms of beaches it isn't particularly impressive, but the water is blue and warm enough on a sunny day.  We relaxed and chatted and snacked for a few hours.  At one point Jonas and I decided to try and swim to a barge just offshore.  It looked close enough, but I may have overestimated my swimming abilities or power of the choppy waters.  After my feet could no longer touch the ground, I made it about a half of the distance between there and the dingy when I started to lose steam.  I turned back and my head was bobbing under the water with each wave by the time I made it back to where I could stand.  Scared me well enough.  Jonas ended up making it, but when he swam back he told us the dingy had been his lifeboat, and the other two guys he shared the spot with were considering calling for help to get back after having almost drowned getting there.  And here I thought I was just a wimp.

A natural Christmas tree! Complete with a star!

Whoa there Sasquatch, must have been a crazy night for you to end up out there!

Kayleigh, Megan, Elien, and Jonas

We retired to the hostel to relax.  The Jumbalaya turned out amazing and was a wonderful end to a wonderful Christmas day.  

*Some of you may remember that Kayleigh and I had originally planned on living in Wellington instead of Auckland, and after exploring the city and its surround I've convinced that we made the right choice in Auckland.  While the social scene is much better in Wellington, and it is no doubt a much more beautiful city, it's just damned cold and it is difficult to find a place to park a camper van.  Not to mention all the amazing beaches and the Waitakeres in Auckland. 

Oh, and sorry for unsynchronized gap between the blogs but they take some time to write and upload, I'm doing what I can.  

Wellington

Ah, Wellington, New Zealand's answer to San Francisco.  From the bohemian vibe to the mixed Victorian and Modern style houses to the cable car, it seems Wellington sprouted from the same seed as its older and more famous cousin.  The similarities don't end there however, as even the landscape surrounding the city had me confused as to whether or not we had accidentally driven across the Pacific.  After we were clear of the mountains of Tongariro National Park, the landscape became softer and more undulating.  After crossing through a large, flat rural valley, views of soft grassy hills covered in shrubbery came into view.  A little further and we had reached the northern extent of the Wellington metro area, with the house covered hills turning into rugged rocky headlands as they reached into the sea.  The trees, Monterey Pines imported from California and planted for decoration and lumber supply, dominated the green belt of the city.  All this covered in a thin veil of fog rolling in off of a rough and tumble sea.

Toto, I don't think we're in New Zealand anymore

Wellington is located near the southern tip of the North Island on a large harbor and is the jumping off point to the South Island.  It is the political capital of New Zealand, but is also known as the cultural and nightlife capital due to the cities bohemian vibe and compact walkability. Squeezed in between the tall forested hills and the blue harbor, it's hardly an ugly city either.  Wellington is just shy of owning a monopoly on New Zealand's music scene, with the vast majority of NZ bands and artists hailing from it's bustling nightclubs and bars.  It is also the home to the NZ movie industry, with big name directors such as Peter Jackson utilizing the cities studios for the production of LOTR the The Hobbit.  If this is all sounding too good to be true, let me drop a reality bomb on you - Wellington is also nicknamed "Windy Welly" due to the intense gusts squeezing through the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands.  Besides the wind, there is also often cold and rainy weather, even in the summer.  I've heard many say that spending time in Wellington on a good day makes you want to pick up and move there, then the following day makes you want to leave.

 When we arrived in the city it just wasn't one of those good days.  The first day wasn't too exciting, as we had arrived a bit too early to pick up Megan, who had a horrendous flight delay from SF and wasn't due to arrive in the city until late afternoon.  After fumbling a lot in the small but horribly marked Wellington airport, we finally had her and we all went out to dinner and a drink before going to bed.  The following day was shaping up to be another bad weather day, but it burned off midday to become a beautiful and calm summers day.  The blue water in the harbor shone, and the city sparkled.  As we walked through the city center, it became remarkably clear just how small the city itself is, clearing the center in about 15 minutes.  Along the way we explored Cuba Street, which is a walkway between city blocks chalked full of great cafes, bars and replete with street performers and plenty of dreadlocks.  Before heading to the waterfront to walk back the way we came we passed through the gardens of governmental buildings.  Funny you could walk right up to the front doors with no security or hassling. 

San Francisco or Wellington? Would you be able to tell? 

The Excutive Wing of the Parliamentary Buildings aka "The Beehive"

Along the waterfront we wandered through the underground market so that Megan could do some souvenir shopping.  They happened to have a wine booth down there selling Ports from a small boutique winery outside the city, and Kayleigh and I bought a bottle.  After that we went to the

renowned Te Papa museum at the end of the waterfront and explored the exhibits for a few hours.  The last activity before sunset was to make a short hike to the top of Mt Victoria, which provides an excellent 360 degree view of the city and the harbor.

The Alien, ahem, Squid of Te Papa.

Wellington from Mt Victoria

After Kayleigh and I bought our bottle of wine we got it into our heads to go wine tasting, and low and behold there is a wine region just over the hills about an hour northeast of Wellington (yet another similarity to San Francisco).  So the next day we busied ourselves doing just that.  We tasted wines from three different wineries before we had to stop and have a platter to make sure we could drive back across the mountains to town.  The weather was again great, making an unusual two day spree of great Wellington weather.  Things were looking promising for a Southern Hemisphere sunny and warm Christmas at the beach.