Just chilling!
Trip Start
Feb 17, 2005
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19
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Trip End
Feb 27, 2006
Mount Maunganui,
New Zealand
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Since I last updated, I've continued to meet a wide range of people, most of whom only stayed at the hostel for a couple of nights. It was quite a busy weekend with it being Easter, and I experienced yet another chance encounter with people who I've met before! This time it was the 3 girls from Nottingham who asked me for directions in Auckland...they were staying in the same dorm as me! Quite lively girls they are, and so it was inevitable that we would go out that night
1. Thumbs up
. The Japanese posse also joined us, as well as Toby, a Swiss guy who I became good friends with until he left on Wednesday morning.The following day was a relaxing one around the hostel, playing table tennis with another Swiss guy called Marco. I beat him this time, but I think he was a bit of a hustler as he went on to beat me 7-6 and 12-6 in the next couple of days! My record had been smashed to pieces! We also played a lot of pool and hung out at the beach, and although I only knew him for 2 or 3 days, he was a good friend and a really likeable character. I definitely want to go to Switzerland when I get back to Europe as it sounds really beautiful. I've got both Toby and Marco's email addresses and so hopefully we will meet again one day!
Monday was a really hot one, and so Toby, Marco, Tomo and me took advantage and went for a walk up The Mount. I'd already done it once but I wanted the exercise and it was too nice to be stuck indoors. We called at the ice cream place before the ascent and I got a strawberry milkshake...a bit of a mistake as I had to carry the thing around with me for the next 90 minutes as there were no bins! Still, it was a good, if tiring, walk to the top and once there, we collapsed for about half an hour and chatted about all kinds of things
2. Toby, Marco and Tomo
.As it was Marco's last night, we were going to do a barbecue at the hostel then go out to town. As it happened, a bus load of people arrived that afternoon and it turned out to be a good night! There is a really great atmosphere at this hostel, and everyone there is really friendly. I had 4 Canadians staying in my room and so they came out too...one of them, Fraser, went way OTT with the Tui though and he was to pay for it in the middle of the night!! Luckily, the owner of the hostel is a nice guy (strict but fair) and provided him with a bucket to clear up the mess that had somehow missed the bin! So it was an eventful evening, as we sank beers on the patio before heading to Mount Mellicks for a few more. I particularly enjoyed listening to Audrey and Justin's flatmate Gordon...he is a really interesting character from Ireland, Scotland, Africa and New Zealand! He was difficult to understand at times, but his jokes were funny regardless!
So the following morning involved a tearful fairwell to Marco (just kidding) as he was heading to Auckland to meet his girlfriend. We had some good chats about women and it seems we have had some similar experiences in that department! The rest of the day was spent on the beach with Toby. He had hired a surfboard but the waves were really small so we just sunbathed and chatted, went for a beer on the way back home, and then enjoyed a quiet evening watching Fight Club with the Canadian guys...I even had a game of scrabble with them, which I lost
3. Marco, Tomo, Toby and me
!The day after, and the Canadians and Toby had gone and the hostel seemed like a really quiet place again! It was a bit of a boring day as I spent it washing my clothes (I was annoyed that my red t-shirt came out really bitty!!) and going to the supermarket. More movies followed at night with a German/Irish guy and a few others, this time The Recruit and Woman On Top! So it's not the high life every night, but it's cool just relaxing with a couple of beers and saving some money.
Today I got up bright and early and spent a few hours alone at the beach listening to Buddy Holly - I want to make the most of this fine weather we are having as winter is around the corner! In the afternoon, I got a lift to Tauranga with Heather (the joint owner of the hostel - very friendly) as I wanted to do the walk around the Waikareao Estuary. It was a pleasant 2 hour stroll, although the views weren't anywhere near as grand as the ones in Taupo and on the Tongariro Crossing.
It seems that my job isn't going to start until April 11th now, and so next week I plan to go on a mini-excursion for a few days to Rotorua and Whakatane. The main objective is to visit the White Island which is about 50km off the coast of Whakatane. You can check out the details by going to www.whiteisland.co.nz. I want to visit these places sooner rather than later, as once I start work I won't have the chance to go there. And once I've finished work I want to go to the South Island as soon as possible and enjoy the spectacular scenery it has to offer!
