Last time I wrote I was still in Christchurch which feels like months ago now! As you can perhaps see from the map I have covered alot of ground in the last week! The bus ride to Kaikoura all went very smoothly with some very scenic views over the bays until we arrived at the hostel and the bus driver realised that he had left the keys to the hatch (where the bags are stored) a few hours back at a little cafe! This would not have been such a problem but some of us were booked on a 12.30 dolphin tour and this happened at 12.20! It resulted in a rather stressed bus driver removing the door to the bus and leaving it at the side of the road and us running to catch the dolphin boat! That is the first time I have felt stressed this entire trip!
The dolphin tour itself was fantastic and half the group got kitted up in wetsuits and snorkels ready to jump in and play with the dolphins. As we circled the bay we saw a group of killer whales, which are really rare in Kaikoura. There were even some calves with their parents. It was such an unexpected treat to be able to see these killer whales and I've got some video footage of them which is just amazing! Unfortunately, the presence of these predators really scared the dolphins and the guides decided it would be too disruptive to swim with them. Nevertheless it was a truly memorable trip.
I only stayed one night in Kaikoura then headed to Nelson, the so-called sunshine capital of New Zealand. It rained, of course! I stayed in a cosy little backpackers where you got free chocolate pudding every night! It was hard to leave! On the last night there I went out partying with some German girls from my room and we had a fun night in the city.
From Nelson, I took yet another bus to Marahau which is a very small town at the entrance to the Abel Tasman National Park in the north-west corner of the South Island. It is said to be one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand and I got to fully appreciate that when I did a full day kayaking along the coastline of the park. In our guided group of 8, we picniced on deserted golden beaches and I went swimming in crystal-clear waters. It was exactly like something out of a holiday catalogue!
As there was not much else to do in little Marahau, I spent two nights then spent the day getting to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. This involved LONG bus rides and a superb ferry through Marlborough Sounds (fjords) and across the Cook Strait to the North Island. It was a bit like Milford Sounds; very green and completely isolated.
My arrival in Wellington caught me a bit off-guard as I hadn't really thought about how to get to my hostel so I decided to attempt using Wellington public transport system. Not the smartest idea I soon realised... So there I was in the middle of a large bustling city with a massive rucksack, hand luggage, a large bag of groceries and my walking shoes slung over my shoulder trying depserately to decipher the bus timetables. This got me nowhere so I clambered on the first bus I saw and hoped for the best! I didn't see a single backpacker on the bus so obviously it is not the normal method of getting around but I eventually managed to find my hostel with the help of a Domino's pizza man. Whew.
I stayed in a rather posh hotel called the Cambridge hotel where they had little dorms for those of us only willing to spend 20 dollars a night. I later met up with some people I'd met earlier in Wanaka to do a pub quiz in anm= Irish pub in the city centre which was a laugh! We actually did pretty well between the group; a combination of English, Irish and Dutch! The next day I walked around Wellington with a Dutch friend seeing the gardens, riding in a cable car to get a view over the city and visiting the huge Te Papa national museum which was quite interesting. That evening I found myself in another Irish pub with live music chatting to some friends. There are alot of Irish pubs here as you can perhaps guess! Getting back to the hotel at 2am I stayed up late talking to the security guard on the night shift before catching a couple of hours sleep!
Napier, in Hawkes Bay, was my next stop for one night. It experienced a huge earthquake in the 1930's and the town had to be completely rebuilt. Due to the fashion of the time, the entire town was rebuilt in Art Deco style which makes it a popular and original tourist destination on the East Coast. I took a walk around admiring the colourful buildings and bought some books and food! In the evening I walked over to the spa where you payed $6 (about 2.50) to use the outdoor pools, jacuzzi and sauna which was a bargain! So I spent the evening relaxing there, looking at the stars and having a much-needed bath! Heaven:)
I left Napier this morning at the ungodly hour 7.45am and arrived in Taupo around 10am. It's a bustling town with lots of shops, bars and restaurants along the lakefront. Lake Taupo is the size of Singapore so theres some great views here of the lake with volcanoes in the far background. Very beautiful. Just after midday I jumped out of a plane at 12,000 ft above Taupo. The skydive was absolutely awesome!! I was the first one to jump out of the plane so I was a bit nervous but the 45 second, 200kmph freefall was unbelievable! And then when the parachute comes out you can see the entire lake Taupo and the volcanoes and mountains. I can't begin to explain what a great buzz you get from that. I have DVD footage of me falling which you can all laugh at when I get home!
Tomorrow it is due to rain, so I won't be doing the Tongariro Crossing which is supposedly the best one-day trek in New Zealand through the volcanic region of Tongariro. Instead I am considering going to Hukafalls on a jetboat. I'm not exactly sure what Huka falls is yet but I'll soon find out! Tomorrow it is also the Ironman here in Taupo. From what I have gathered it is a big race with swimming in the lake, long distance cycling and running. There are many many athletes here from around the world so it is a big event and I hope to get up early to see the opening festival where there is due to be a parade and a Waka (Maori boat).
After Taupo I head to Rotorua where I will hopefully get some pictures up for this entry!
So, as you can see, I've been very busy!! Am having a fantastic time, every day is so exciting seeing new places and meeting new people. I am starting to look forward to Thailand too which is only 10days away!!
With love Karina x x
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Kaikoura Hotels
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