Land Down Under

Me at the top of the Skytower in Auckland.
As you can tell, I was a little worse for
wear.

Hello Bleeders!

Firstly I know that the title is in reference to Australia, but there really isn't many songs about New Zealand that I could have used as the title for this post. I am still technically 'down under' so to speak.

So, how have you all been? I has been a while since I graced the world wide web with another blog. Let me explain what I have been up to.

I managed to escaped Auckland on the Intercity coach. It was pretty good actually. Nice coach and a really cool driver. I headed to Rotorua.

This was 'proper' New Zealand. It is so pretty here, its kinda like Wales with the hills and the rolling greenery all about, but its like Wales on Acid. The hills are mountains, everything is just greener and bigger than Wales. The comparison doesn't stop there, everyone over here is just so friendly. In fact the only people that have kinda spoilt New Zealand so far are the fellow backpackers. Specifically the French, British and South Koreans. The French are totally arrogant, the British have lived up to their god-given right to drink lots and be obnoxious and the South Koreans snore, LOUDLY! I hate stereotyping but almost everyone I have met from those respective nations have been that way.

The lake at Rotorua, like Ben Thornton, it too smells!

Anyway, I arrived in Rotorua and the first day that I was there I went for a walk along the lake. This was cool. Rotorua was built near sulphur pits and as a consequence the whole place stinks. It can vary from smelling like rotten eggs to smelling like used fireworks and anything in-between. The walk was cool and I got to see some natural hot springs. I didnt go for a 'dip' as the water was like acid, would have put a downer on my day.

The following day I went 'luging'. Basically you sit on a tea-tray with three wheels and go down a pretty steep hill. There were 3 different tracks; Scenic, Intermediate and Advanced. I brought some extra rides and went down all three twice. I had been working my way up and so on my first go on the advanced track I was feeling pretty confident about my skills. I was flying down the hill (this track was definatley advanced) and I came across a slower driver. Being the considerate chap that I am I cut her up in a move that Mr Schumacher would have been proud of - she shouldn't have been going so slow really! In the evening I decided to hit the bars of Rotorua and stumbled across this Belgian bar. It was really cool, the barmaid was from Whitchurch in Bristol and got chatting to this guy all about music and things. At 21:00 the bar had a jam session to celebrate the start of a blues music festival in Rotorua and so I spent the evening in good company, drinking Fullers ESB, listening to some chilled out tunes. Bliss.

The view from the luging track. Rotorua in all its glory.

I then went on to Taupo. It was a small town, not much really going on there. I only had one day here so spent it walking around another lake - lots of lakes in New Zealand. This was where I met the South Korean  snoring monster. All night long. I didnt get a wink of sleep, so I planned to wake up at 08:00 (I had a coach to catch to Wellington) and wake him up early, that would show him. 07:00 came around and he woke up first. My plan was not too be. As long as he got a good nights sleep eh!

Off to Wellington I trotted (via a 6 hour coach journey, but after the states, thats just a shrt hop for me now). I was met at the station by my cousin who has been a resident here for 10 odd years. (that is not 10 odd yeas but 10 years-ish. Oh, you know what I mean!) We went back to her house, which has some awesome views of the bay from the deck and the lounge. However, in order to get to the house you have to hike up a shed load of stairs. I will count them later in the week and report just how many there are. In the evening we went out for a rather nice steak meal with two of her friends. My cousin has just recently seen the light and converted from Vegitarinism to normality and so is discovering the delights of good steak! After the steaks more friends joined us for cocktails (dry, vodka martini. Not dirty for me!) and then we went dancing. I failed to impress with my dancing skills but was a cool night. Sunday was your typical lazy Sunday - coffee with bacon butties followed by a drive up the coast to visit a few of her freinds for lunch. In the evening we just chilled out and watched 'men who stare at goats'. It was pretty funny.

Caerphilly mountain? Thats not a mountain,
THIS is a mountain. Lake Taupo in the foreground.

So yea, thats Wellington so far. We are hopefully going to watch Prometheus at some point in the cinema where the world premier for LOTR was and I have been recommended by a few people that the museum on the water front is worth a pop.

Thanks once again for reading.




T