TravelStream™ news feed for member itsgotime on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/itsgotime en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:19:11 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1229098440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1229098440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1229098440/tpod.html Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:19:11 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Auckland, South Island, New Zealand

Well, I can say that 21 days just scratched the surface of NZ and I will surely be back for another visit.  But with the limited sights and places visited, I'll give a shot at a wrap-up entry.  Same catagories as the last trip.Topgraphy - NZ has the coolest, most diverse landscape I've seen yet.  Snow capped mountains dropping straight down to sandy beaches, rainforests, lush valleys and dry high desert.  What really is strange is it all exists in such a small geographic area.  Bus rides here are a pleasure with the constant changing scenery.Safety - Is NZ the safest place in the world?  I think it may be.  For example, it's so safe, they don't x-ray, or search baggage on domestic flights.    I'm sure somewhere in the country there's a bad neighborhood, but I never got a hint of it.  People don't lock their bikes outside of the city.   Queenstown locals said they often don't lock their doors and when I left my backpack sitting on a stool in a restaurant, it was untouched half an hour later when I realized it was missing.  Food - There are some strange things eaten here, sheep testicals for example (which I didn't come accross so wasn't obligated to try...phew!).  But really, the food is the same as what can be found at home in California.  There's more deer & lamb on the menu, but the English heritage keeps the more bizarre things (bugs) out of the daily diet.  I'm sure there are some Maori specialties which would be intersting and I'll try them on my next visit.Drinking/Nightlife - Some bars are open all night, the drinking age is 18 and kids can be served if their parents are present and order for them so yes, there is ample nightlife for anyone.  There is an ongoing advertisement campaign to curtail binge drinking, but then the specials in bars are along the lines of "four Jager shots for $20" so the bars don't seem to be buying in to the campaign too much.  I read an article in the paper about how the police were overwhelmed in Christchurch while I was in Rotarua breaking up fights between women.  Huh?  There were so many fights, they didn't have time to make arrests, just enough time to break up one brawl and move on to the next.  Kiwis definitely like their drink.Culture - There is the Maori heritage which is strongly felt on the North island.  It's nice to see a former English colony where the original heritage is preserved and encouraged.  Of course there's theatre and all the Western type cultural events too.  Cleanliness - It's not quite "Singapore clean", but the cities are clean, people recycle everything and the highway roadsides are litter free.  A neat-freak with OCD would be comfortable here.  Manners - Super friendly and polite.  Urban Design - I think at one point, there may have been a disconnect in reviewing infill projects, but those days seem to be over.  Cities are a nice mix of colonial and modern, with just the occasional reminder of the 70's government building style of architecture.  City parks are beautiful with plenty of places to hang out and relax.  Fashion Shopping -  This was really more Laura's topic, but I can say they have everything available and with the current exchange rate, it was cheaper.  I think normally though, this wouldn't be a shopping destination.  It was nice knowing if I forgot anything, they'd have it available and in my size.  They do have nice Jade products and they Merino-possum fur blended products are really cool.   For those who are horrified by the use of fur, these critters are not farmed and there's no reason to break out your paint cans to start tagging sweaters.    They were introduced to the islands in the 1800's for the fur trade and since NZ doesn't have predators, they are now totally out of control.  They are an ecological disaster and if it were possible they would be removed from the islands completely.  The ongoing effort is to erradicate them, so at least when they're caught, some good comes of it.Here's a link to an explanation about these furry pests. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.backpack-newzealand.com/birds/pests/possum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.backpack-newzealand.com/articles/topic69.php&usg=___ZVbnkyuz-cbbR4qERxN-IbHeK4=&h=262&w=400&sz=20&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=-hyTENvcoTkS6M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnew%2Bzealand%2Bpossum%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228084620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228084620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228084620/tpod.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:51:30 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand

    Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of NZ's "great walks".  A coastal trail through the Abel Tasman National Park with endless perfect beaches and views.   The track is equipped with sleeping huts and dozens of campgrounds along the beaches.  Water taxis offer the less adventurous with easy access to the beaches and kayaking is also a transportation option.  I noticed many people took the option of having their packs dropped by water taxi at their campgrounds.  At first I thought this was lazy, but considering the number of beaches and inlets you can explore, losing your big pack for the day would definitely have its advantages.  So if you're coming here and you can afford the extra expense of having your gear moved, I say go for it.I set out from Marahau and started my way North the first night's hut at Anchorage.  Here is a visual chronology of my day.      The track has four sleeping huts in which bunks can be reserved.  "Bunks" vary from a platform with seven pads to bunk bed style individual bunks.  I opted for the sleeping huts since I didn't bring a tent.  In bad weather I can see their merit, but in general I would say camping is a much better option than the sleeping hut.  Downsides to sleeping huts are zero privacy, trying to sleep in the same room with 13 other people and their various bodily noises and the late night versus early morning crowd.    As luck would have it, almost everyone I encountered along they way was German.  Apparently, NZ is a big destination for German tourists.  Having been to a few places, I can safely say that American tourists don't always have the best reputation with the classic "ugly American" sterotype floating around the world.   I've seen this "ugly American" behavior at times and it is embarassing.  Well I'm happy to say that when it comes to self-absorbed, rude behavior or overly opinionated statements, German tourists can sure make us look good!  My German hut-mates really didn't get the whole communal living scene.  They just did whatever they wanted to do as if they were the only people staying in the hut.  By day, they never observed trail right of way rules and by night they'd carry on full volume conversations in the sleeping rooms while other people were trying to sleep.  I even had to listen to one woman monologue about how the people of NZ need to learn from the Germans about how to preserve their green spaces.  Of course, it's unfair to generalize even though this experience was consistent with every other encounter with German tourists on our year-long trip.  So I will say "thank you" to the German tourists in the Anchorage and Bark Bay huts for making us Americans look so  polite and considerate!Day two started very early to make the morning tide crossing of Torrent Bay.    Three sections of the trail must be crossed within a few hours of low tide or they become impassible.  Here is  the photo log of day 2.     Apparently, there is active pest eradication ongoing as this trap and various cyanide bait traps were posted.       Dramatic tides leave navigable inlets barren and offer forced relaxation for boaters.   Once the water recedes the tidpool life emerges.Tidepools give a different angle view to the scenery. The track is absolutely amazing. I had planned to spend four days on the track, but after two nights and some conversations with locals, I hopped a water taxi back to Marahau and bussed back to Nelson.  The locals unanimously agreed that while beautiful, the scenery would change much in the next two days of walking.  An extra two days should be useful for seeing more South!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228272900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228272900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228272900/tpod.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:30:07 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand

In addition to being a seafood paradise, Kaikoura also offers the rare opportunity to go whale watching and spot Sperm Whales.  Normally, these aren't easily found as they roam open waters and hunt by diving thousands of feet to prey on giant squid among other things.  Kaikoura is unique in that just off the shore is a deep trench which gives the whales a good hunting ground year round so they can take up residence. Some fun facts about Sperm Whales.  They are the largest toothed whale, have the largest brain of any animal, and are the deepest divers of any animal in the world (3,000 feet!) as they have a collapsible rib cage. We set out on our boat a 42 foot catamaran motor yacht and received a presentation by the staff on the way out detailing the reason the whales were here and exactly how we'd find them.  The boat's gps tracked our boats as well as the other boats in the area so if anyone spotted a whale, the other boats would know where to go.  Also they had helicopter trips who would also act as spotters for the boats. Lastly, we had a type of sonar with which they could track the whales and determine when they would be surfacing.   Apparently, the whales make a clicking noise when diving, but stop clicking when they're returning to the surface.  Finding Sperm Whales is all about knowing when they'll surface as they don't hang out above water for too long.  Once they've caught their breath and digested for a time, they dive again for up to an hour before resurfacing.  Our first whale was easy as he'd already been surfaced for a few minutes and previously spotted. We motored up along side him and watched him float around for a few minutes before he took one big breath and dove for the next hunting trip. Our second whale spotting took a little longer for the crew to track him down.  They knew he'd been submerged for half and hour and knew approximately where he was from the sonar tracking.  It was really just a cat & mouse game to try to be close when he resurfaced.  We received our warning that the clicking had stopped and the whale was returning to the surface.  The deck of the boat was slient except for the sound of dozens of lense caps coming off  and digital cameras powering up.  Of course, since he could have been 3.000 feet down a few minutes went by and no whale appeared.  Hoping for some spectacular breach on my side of the boat, I continued to keep the camera ready.  Finally, someone shouted out "he's up!"  If there was a spectacular breach, I missed it as he chose the other side of the boat to surface! The size of the whale is pretty humbling when you consider the boats are 42 feet long and the whale would actually be a bit bigger if you could see all of it at once.  We watched a while before he decided to dive again, giving us one last glimpse of his tail as he left.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228965540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228965540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228965540/tpod.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:07:12 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Last stop, Christchuch!  I've been told that Christchuch is the most "English" city in NZ.  A quick ride on the city tram confirms this with numerous examples of 1800's architecture mixed in with the modern landscape.  There are no high rise buildings in the city which is due to Christchurch also sitting atop of a 300M deep gravel bed which while limiting construction does act as a water filter.  Christchurch tap water tastes better than any bottled water I've had.   As any connoisseur knows, good water makes good beer and on that note, I'll mention that in addition to being the most English, Christchurch is home to several breweries including the small Dux Lux brewery.  The Dux Lux brewery is part of  a complex of Dux Lux businesses which includes two bars and a quasi-vegetarian restaurant which served a great seafood (hence the quasi) yellow curry.  They also have a vegan section of their menu.  I tried four of their beers and the Norwest Ale , Hereford Lager and the Stout were excellent while the Duck Amber was just o.k.  The city once ran on trolleys all of which have been removed except one.  The trolley track runs by some historic sights, parks, the botanic gardens, the city's new art gallery and the city square so it was a good place to start.  It was a hop on/hop off ticket so I incorporated visits to the city's gardens as well as the square, brewery and any building which looked interesting.  Just down the street from the above art gallery was a nice English tudor building  which housed  the "Gothic Punk" art exhibition.  I had to pay this a visit.  There were some interesting paintings and some talented artists, but it also came accross like a deranged high school art class display.  This is what happens when you give a plastic baby doll to a goth-punk artist!   Christchurch's pedestrian mall area is bigger than most American cities offer so after my cultural excursion I spent most of my time cafe hopping and buying the requisite gift or two for people who stayed home.  I've mentioned that there are four sheep for every person in NZ, but in addition to this, the Kiwis have developed a more creative solution for dealing with some of their pest problems.  NZ has Possums, which don't look like the North American Possum, but are equally invasive.  They Possum fur turns out to be a great, lightweight insullator when weaved in with the merino wool.  I'm not certain, but I'll bet this is the only place you can get a merino/possum sweater.In all, if you're coming here I would say Christchurch is a good place to end your trip as the retail areas have all the NZ products and crafts you'll see throughout the North & South Islands.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228873680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228873680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228873680/tpod.html Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:19:29 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

This is so much MORE FUN than rafting!  Much like rafting, Mad Dog River Boarding www.riverboarding.co.nz outfits you with a wetsuit, flippers, body-board, helmet and some training and then as a group you jump in and surf  the rapids.  This was harder than I expected and you definitely get a work out on drop of the adrenaline rush.  The river had risen quite a bit due to the rain so our rapids were slightly blown out, but still this is a rockin' time!  After the rapids, we had the option of being dragged around by a jet ski, some rock jumps and utimately a slide on which we rode the boards down the slide and skimmed accross the river. If I'm ever back in Queenstown, I'm definitely doing this again!  I wish I had pics to share but again, no waterproof camera. I planned the rest of the day to get a massage and finally take a cruise on the vintage TSS Earnslaw, but arrived to find out the evening trips had been cancelled.  So I happily spent the rest of the day wandering the Queenstown gardens and  wharf. I do need to mention that Queenstown is the home of Ferg Burger, which is without question, the BEST burger I've ever had.  Up to this point, a burger joint in Buenos Aires had this honor, but there is no contest here.  Ferg Burger has burgers that would fill a dinnerplate made from any choice of beef, lamb, deer, fish or whatever else you can think of having.  Monstrous, bakery fresh rolls cover the meat of your choice with condiment options that would inspire the best chefs.  If Thomas Keller had a Ferg Burger, he would add it to the French Laundry's menu. Also, another worthy experience is to visit Central Otago Wine Experience, which is the coolest wine tasting operation I've ever seen.  Leave it to the Kiwis to make wine tasting multiple regions as simple as the press of a button!  The concept is simple.  Get a tasting card to track your bill, stick in a tasting machine and press the button of the wine you wish to try and the size of the taste!  In a mere two hours I was able to sample excellent wines from all the regions.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228690860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228690860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228690860/tpod.html Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:20:06 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

I switched accomodation from my original hotel to the 61 Lofts in the downtown area.  Apartment or loft accomodation is the way to go in Queenstown and being near the wharf puts everything at your doorstep.  For the price of a modest hotel, you can get apartments with kitchen & laundry facilities.  Enough about housing, on to the rafting.The Shotover is the more aggressive of the river rafting options in Queenstown.  Advertised as up to class 4/5, it seemed like a good idea.  Queenstown rafting set me up with a full wetsuit, helmet & jacket for the excursion.  Most of the time for the day is spent getting to & from the river.  The route to the river is definitely the most dangerous part and I don't recommend it for anyone who is afraid of heights.  A winding, single lane unpaved road snakes through the hills with a 500+ foot drop off to either the right or left.  One curve even requires the front wheel of the bus go over the edge for a moment.  We encountered oncoming traffic and our driver relied on international road rules, we were bigger so they backed up!  Sometimes this isn't as easy as it sounds.  One particular driver stated "I don't have to back up" to which our driver replied, "well, you're an ass".  Out sized and outnumbered, he did finally move.  A random cow passed us as it ran up the hill on it's way out of the canyon.  Cows jogging along cliffs is a little strange don't you think?  Most of the road is an old gold mining access point so dilapidated shacks from the gold rush days dotted the canyon. We split into teams, had our safety and instructional briefing and headed down river.  In contrast to my experience on the Zambezi, Queenstown Rafting definitely doesn't want you falling out of the boat. Mainly because the since the river was once a big mining destination, old mining equipment litter the sides and likely lies submerges also so and encounter with the jagged, rusty metal could be problematic.  The river is gorgeous, cold and clean and the scenery alone is worth the trip.  The rapids don't quite live up to the class 4/5 advertisement and compared to the Zambezi, this is "rafting light".  My biggest danger came from my boat crew and their paddle handling!  Still though, a day on the river is a good day.  Unfortunately, my camera isn't waterproof so no pics.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228370820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228370820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228370820/tpod.html Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:47:42 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Queenstown is the adventure sport capital of NZ.  With skydiving, bungee jumping, parasailing, rafting, canyoning, river boarding, etc. available you can spend days here testng your nerve and living on adrenaline.  It also has great nightlife, wine tasting, day trips to Milford Sound and access to fishing & hunting so it will be my base for the next week.  FYI, if you're REALLY into the Lord of the Rings, Queenstown is also home to the "One tour to rule them all" which hits many of the filming locations.  Just to start, here are some pictures from the top of the gondola overlooking the town.   I started by booking my trip to Milford Sound and a rafting trip.  I'm contemplating hang gliding  also.  We'll see...I had always planned to incorporate some fly fishing on this trip, but the cost for a half-day trip out of Queenstown is $400NZD with a two person minimum.  For me alone, it's about $600 NZD, which with two actual hours of fishing, works out to be about $150USD per hour to fish.  This is more than the daily price for full service float trips in the US.  These prices don't always include equipment either.  Are they crazy? C'mon guys, how much work is it to drive the tourist to the river?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228602180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228602180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228602180/tpod.html Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:34:56 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand

Milford sound, sometimes called the "eighth wonder of the world".  This is another entry where it really is about the pictures and views.  My trip left at 6:30 a.m. and in NZ tradition, we had commentary from our driver for the first hour educating us on the Queenstown area and its history.  The trips to Milford from Queenstown are an all day event.  There is a stop on the way out in Te Anau for morning & afternoon tea and picture stops along the way before  you arrive in Milford for a two hour cruise of the Sound.  I chose Mitre Peak tours because of their smaller boat groups and more comfortable buses, although I think the buses are about the same for the other companies. Our first picture stop was just outside of Te Anau to spend a few minutes in one of NZ's pristine valleys.  In hind sight I think I would have opted for an overnight stay in Te Anau to spend some more time in the surrounding valleys.  The fishing looked pretty good also.  Second stop was for a quick walk along the mirror pools.  We stopped once more at Monkey creek just before heading into the tunnel through the mountain to get to the Sound. We finally arrived at the Sound for our two hour cruise.  What can I possible say to describe this place that would be better than these. Milford Sound ranks with places the Grand Canyon and the Galapagos islands as a destination.  If you're planning on making a trip here, book the Milford Track (a few months in advance) so you can end your hike in this amazing place.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228189980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228189980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1228189980/tpod.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:27:40 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand

Day 1.Kaikoura lies on the Eastern coastline of the South island, a quick 2.5 hour bus ride from Nelson. In the thousands of miles I've travelled by bus over the years, the ride from Nelson to Kaikoura is without a doubt the most scenic I've had.  A unique aspect of NZ bus trips is the commentary which is provided by the bus driver along the way.  My trip was split into two rides, with a switch in Blenheim, a wine tasting town, to a second bus.  I had the same driver as my return trip from Abel Tasman and if this guy ever gets tired of being a bus driver, he's a turnkey opportunity for guided trips.  Every town, bridge or mountain was explained along the way.We passed through the Rai Forest, which seems to be a new growth forrest of trees planted after logging.  Our bus climbed the passes through the trees with spectacular valley views.  From the pass, we descended into Rai valley, which is primarily dairy farms mixed with alpaca & sheep ranches.  We crossed the Pelorus river, which is more of a aqua-blue color than any other river I've seen, and dropped through Havelock, which is the mussel capitol of the world.Our second leg travelled through the Queen Charlotte scenic route for more spectacular mountain views which eventually dropped to sea level where the terrain went instantly to lush green to rugged costal mountain.  It was about this time I finally pulled the camera out to take some pics from the window of the bus.  The ocean views from the bus were unbelievable.  Light blue surf dotted with seals, surfers and dolphins accompanied the remaining ride into Kaikoura.  Kaikoura translated means "a meal of crayfish".  To me, crayfish are the little mush-bugs you get boiled if you attend a refined, cultured event such as the "Crawdad Festival" in Isleton, CA.  I wasn't too excited about this culinary prospect.  I was happy to learn that in NZ, a crayfish is what we would call a lobster.  Kaikoura is all about seafood.  The town has accomodations for tourists, whale watching excursions and restaurants all conveniently lined up oceanside.  There are two beachside options where you can get crayfish, scallops, mussels and whatever fresh fish is around for about half of what you'd pay in a restaurant.  This is ideal so long as you don't mind eating under and umbrella without a waiter.I gave the van seafood vendor a go with a scallops sandwich and it was excellent.  NZ scallops are totally different than the scallops we get in the U.S.  There's an addition part which is more squishy and sort of the consistency of foie gras.  It tastes the same, but if textures freak you out (they feak me out), it's best not to think about it too much.  I over thought this thing and while I got through the first half without problem, I ended up picking this appendage off of my last three scallops and donating it to the seagulls who watched me eat.This is my lunchtime view from my roadside seafood vendor. ... and this is me afterwards.Tomorrow starts with a whale watching trip.  I'm told there's a 90% chance we'll encounter some of the resident spermwhales on our outing. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1227762900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1227762900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/itsgotime/2/1227762900/tpod.html Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:23:05 -0500 New Zealand - 2008

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Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

I'm in Nelson to begin 5 days on the Abel Tasman track along the NZ coastline.  Nelson is a beautiful little city about which I'll write more after the hike.  Just a pin for now.  Here's a link to some info. about the trackhttp://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/nelson-marlborough/golden-bay/abel-tasman-coast-track/
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