A lump in my throat...
Trip Start
Feb 17, 2005
1
105
123
Trip End
Feb 27, 2006
Auckland,
New Zealand
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
I woke up early and felt as fresh as a daisy, and was soon playing table tennis with Dan. It was his last full day at The Mount so we wanted to squeeze in a few more games. Despite the fact that he owns a table tennis table back in England, he never once beat me...a proud record!
Whilst eating breakfast, Steff walked in and we wished eachother a Happy New Year, though at this point I was still a bit annoyed at her disappearing act the night before. It soon became clear that it was an alcohol fuelled misunderstanding, so there were no hard feelings. In fact, we ended up going to the beach in the afternoon for a few hours, having a paddle in the sea and collecting shells. It was really windy down there, but it was relaxing nonetheless, and the sun was shining.
By chance, we returned to the hostel just as Kazu was leaving, and I was relieved because I might not see him again. Shinya was there too to wave his good friend off, and I asked him to take a photo of Kazu and me stood outside Pacific Coast Lodge. We shook hands, and before I knew it he was roaring off in his 4x4...a really nice guy.
I spent the evening in the kitchen, playing Connect 4 with Steff. I don't take any prisoners when I'm playing games, particularly Connect 4 (as Jeli will attest), and I triumphed 6-0 before Steff got bored! We went upstairs and watched a movie (I forget which one...probably Shallow Hal!) before I retired to bed in the early hours.
The next morning, I found myself playing scrabble in the TV lounge with a couple of older ladies who were constantly locked in battle. Often I'd observe, but this time I got my opportunity in what turned out to be a scrappy encounter. I finished second, but I enjoyed pitting my wits against the more experienced campaigners.
I was watching the tennis when Steff walked in and asked if I wanted to walk to the top of The Mount with her, and of course the answer was yes - I had to do it one last time as it was my final day. Who knows when I'll return again...
We got absolutely battered by the wind as we walked along the beach, and the forecasters had warned us about them. Still, it was a must do and it was a clear day, so the views from the top would make it all worthwhile.
We passed a few star fish on our way, and thousands of really nice shells, a couple of which Steff decided to wear as rings on her fingers. If anything though, the wind became stronger as we hiked up the track that led to The Mount's summit. We had plenty of stops to get some shelter though, and we were there about 30 minutes later. I must have done the walk 7 or 8 times now, but the view is still impressive, and Steff loved it which was the main thing.
In the distance, the rain clouds were gathering in preparation for a storm, so we set off back in the hope that we'd make it back in time. It was drizzly when we arrived back to base, but it was nothing major and I'd enjoyed the fresh air...I just desperately needed a shower to wash the sand out of my ears!
I was ready for a beer, and promptly sank a few in the kitchen with Yusuke, Erika, Steff and Chris. We played that old game where you flick a coin (or bottle top in this case) across the table in the hope of it landing at the other side, with enough overhang to flick it up. The Japanese guys were bewildered by its apparent entertainment value, but Chris and me loved it.
Shinya had promised to come round for a final beer with me, and true to his word, he arrived at 9pm and immediately challenged me to a game of table tennis...for old time's sake! He stayed at Pacific Coast Lodge for a further 2 months after I left in June, and I could tell he'd been practising as we had some great rallies. But in Shinya's words, I am "too strong player!"
After Shinya had gone, I had a rematch with Steff at Connect 4, but she lost interest after losing the first 2 games. So we just chatted some more, and we discussed our feelings towards going home in the near future. We were both looking forward to it, as a year is a long time to be away from your family. However, I think she was more excited about telling everyone that she'd done a skydive...she'd somehow managed to keep it a secret!
I stayed up until 2am watching TV with Chris and Yusuke, reluctant to go to bed for the last time. Thankfully I didn't have to wake up early the next morning as my bus didn't leave until the afternoon...a first for me when embarking on a bus journey! Part of the reason for this was because the bus in question was an unofficial one, run by a couple as a one-off in the hope of making it a more regular occurence. I'd spotted their poster on the notice board, offering a ride to Auckland on the exact day I wanted to go, at the dirt cheap price of $20. I couldn't turn that down...
My final morning at The Mount was a bit hectic as I had to pack my things, play some final games of table tennis, and say lots of goodbyes. The driver of the bus sent me a text message (a new one on me!) telling me that they were due to arrive at midday, an hour and a half early. Cue a mad rush to sort everything out, and I ended up keeping them waiting for 20 minutes while I had my photograph taken with everybody and anybody, exchanged email addresses, and said final farewells to Murray, Heather and Keiko. They have been so good to me over the months that I've stayed with them, and I had a real lump in my throat as I gave each of them a hug. I'm sure I'll be back one day, but it was sad pulling away for the last time...
Thankfully I was going to be seeing another familiar face that evening, as I'd arranged to meet up with Ali...the girl I'd got soaking wet with at the Abel Tasman! She'd met a guy at the end of her trip in New Zealand, returned home for a few months, and was now back working as a physio in Auckland. I was looking forward to hearing the full details of all these goings on, as she'd never really explained it in much detail in her texts and emails.
I met her at the bottom of Queen Street shortly before 6pm, and we gave eachother a hug...it was like we'd never been apart. She explained how she'd just broke up with her boyfriend, and was moving out of their flat the following day. It had certainly been an eventful few months for her!
Anyway, she drove me to Mt Eden to get some great views of the city, and even though I'd been there previously, it was nice to go back on a calmer day. We then proceeded to Ponsonby as she knew of a great burger bar, and sure enough the burgers were gorgeous, and I left feeling full...much better value for money than at McDonald's or Burger King. We'd hoped to go for a few games of pool afterwards as there was a poolhall next door, but it was closed as it was a Public Holiday in New Zealand.
It wasn't a problem, as we drove to Mission Bay instead and walked along the beach, before queueing up for a smoothie at a posh ice-cream place. We sat outside and watched the world go by, and then drove back to the city centre at 9pm as Ali had to be up early for work the next day. It had been a pleasant evening, and we'll be meeting up again on the 20th January for the Big Day Out, which I'm really looking forward to.
The next day was a 'mooching around town' day. I'd hoped to go to Rangitoto Island and do a walk to the top of the volcano, but the weather wasn't suitable so I decided to save it for another time. Instead, I took advantage of the cheap internet and typed up my journal for a couple of hours. I went into the Qantas office to try and change my flight date from Sydney to Singapore (to coincide with another Oasis concert), but I was told to try again in a few days time as they had to wait for a reply from a Travel Agent or something.
Finally, I booked my bus to Kaitaia for the next day, as I was heading north to do a farmstay for a week or two. I'd bought a FHINZ (Farm Helpers In New Zealand) booklet while I was still in England, but I'd never got round to using it (mainly because when I'm working, I like to earn money so that I can save enough to do some travelling afterwards). The deal here is that you work for a few hours a day, and in return you get free food and accommodation. This is ideal for the end of my trip, as it prevents you from getting into more debt before you return home, as well as providing an alternative experience that gets you mixing with the locals.
I'd chosen to stay on an avocado nursery, partly because it had received a good rating, and partly because it was in an area that I'd not yet explored. I was looking forward to getting my hands dirty, and experiencing a quieter way of life...
