Moleskine Search and Adventure Prep

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  Auckland, New Zealand
Friday, July 6, 2007

Okay, I have jobs, which will set me up, over the next couple of months, for my trip around New Zealand, which I will do in approximately five weeks at the end of my stay here.  It sounds a long way away, but after looking at all the exciting, death defying things that I would like to do whilst in the world's adventure capital, it is really a necessity to work for quite a length of time.  so I have spent one of my last work free days doing a little planning, and searching for a new notebook.  This sounds like an easy task I am sure, but I am very particular about the type of book that I use.  In short it must be the preferred book of travellers, and world famous travellers in particular.  It is a Moleskine. They do not have many in Auckland, and they are sold at an inflated price from that of the UK but it is a Moleskine and as such is worth paying the price for, as there is something very special about holding this little pocket notebook and feeling the history of myriad travels, and travellers, that have gone before you and which you, by virtue of being on the road, and using these little books, are becoming a part of.

I would love to tell you that my search for my Moleskine was difficult and treacherous and had me wandering through every stationer in Auckland, much like Bruce Chatwin did in 1986 when the books were almost impossible to find (though I don't think he went to Auckland) but in fact I went to only two retailers before finding my beloved little black book and happily paid the price for it.  I would not be without my Moleskine.

However, I don't write this journal to discuss my idiosyncrasies and foolish fondness for a particular book, and I have deliberated long and hard (well, until I got bored anyway) about whether to include my trip planning in this journal, but it is an essential part of the trip, and is what will keep me going throughout the next couple of months while I work my way toward my budget for thrills, rides, cultural experiences and Lord of the Rings tours (an essential part of any trip to New Zealand now!)

I have made a preliminary desicision on a Stray hop-on/hop-off service around New Zealand. It is, technically speaking a tour (of which I am not a fan) but is the best way for me to get around on my limited budget and will also take me to some walk drop-offs, and collect me at the other end, which will take some of the stress out of my trip, so I will take a tour, and the one which is pretty much held up as a trip rather than a tour.  My desired excursions are, as ever, expensive, but who wouldn't want to spend a day ice climbing if they got the opportunity?  I have an expensive list collected just from the brochures available in my hostel, and they do not tell me about atttractions that are only advertised locally, but it is a good way to begin... I think.

So, here is the boring part - my trip excursions and the hole-burning quality that they have...

Canyoning the Sleeping God Canyon outside Thames on the Coromandel
Doing some guided climbing in Central North Island
Skydiving in Abel Tasman
The Shotover Canyon Swing
Waitomo Lost World Caving Trip (apparently Tom Cruise has done this four times)
LOTR Tour from Wellington*
LOTR day ride from Queenstown
Diving on Poor Knights Islands (Near Bay of Islands)
Sailing or Sea Kayaking on Bay of Islands*
Shotover Jet*
Milford Sound cruise or kayak
Franz Josef Glacier day of ice climbing (why just walk?)
 
*Only if my budget allows it - there will, undoubtedly be things I didn't know about, so I thought it best to set up a back up system of the musts and the maybes.

The damage if I do all of this?  around NZ$4000 (approx 1500 stirling I think!)

It is likely that I won't do anything that I haven't set my heart on, as there is a rather exciting trail that I want to follow in Fiji, and it may cost unexplained amounts of money (these things seem to) but I have a loose Itinery and that will do for now.  I have settled on about 35 days to do all of this, which gives me time away from the bus and the tour atmosphere, and there may be some trips that I can take whilst I am in Auckland, which would free up more playtime when I go south, but for the moment I have no firm plans - I don't know how the bar work is going to scheduled and I can't really plan until I know that much.

I will of course be having some extended discussion with Brian  as this section of my trip will have to be executed fairly well - I still have my wanderlust, as per Australia, but I do not have the time to fully flex it here - and Brian has said he will help me with things that may not be listed anywhere, but that I will not want to miss.  It will be good to have some local  input, and it gives me something to do while I am in Auckland, something, which, for once, will cost very little money!

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