My year of freedom

The adventures in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur – Melaka)

2012-01-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

I arrived safe and sound at the Kuala Lumpur Airport after a 5 ½ hours flight from Perth. I think I was never so unprepared during my whole journey. I thought to myself I will wing it somehow, didn’t buy a lonely planet or any other guides. Since I keep changing my plans anyway I thought what’s the point.

I think I will never do that again, at least not without a map or something to have some kind of orientation in a foreign country.

I was able to find the Shuttle Bus from the Airport to the city (8-9RM depending on the operator). As soon as I stepped out of the airport I realised it was actually a little bit cooler compared to Perth and not as humid as in Darwin, but the smell and the people instantly let me know I was back in Asia, home sweet home. While sitting on the bus the girl next to me offered me a delicious pineapple tart, what a nice welcome.

I arrived at the KL Central Bus Terminal and took the Monorail (opposite the bus terminal) to the station where my hotel for the night would be. Since I haven’t had a map I didn’t really know which way to walk so I just tried it with some luck. I learned the hard way never to ask men for direction, they always know it even if they don’t. Anyway, after an hour walk around the area with my backpack I found someone that called the hotel and gave me the right direction, it was a 5 minute walk from the train stop. That was my exercise for the day.

The hotel I booked was one of the pricier ones since I decided I totally deserved a bed and bathroom to myself after sleeping in hostels with loads of other travellers. The room was pretty small, but the standard was ok.

I quickly had a shower and got ready to meet my friend Vern at the Jalan Alor where we would eat at the famous Wong Ah Wah restaurant. The food was fabulous, especially the sting ray.

We decided to go for a walk around the city and Vern explained the buildings and surroundings we passed.

We arrived at the Petronas Twin Towers and it looked stunning at night, the lights and the atmosphere was delightful. That alone is worth a visit to Kuala Lumpur, however the city has much more to offer.

We went to the Tokyo Street in the shopping centre nearby and I had some banana chocolate tart, yummy. If you looked at it this way, each country is all about the food. I love Asian food and can’t have enough of it plus it is so ultra-cheap to eat here. I guess that will bring back the 10 kg I lost during my motel work ….

Since I haven’t planned anything for my stay here Vern and I discussed what my options are and when I could do them. I decided to go to Melaka the next day and do some more city exploring and other attractions on the weekend.

After we checked the bus times I headed to my bed for some needed sleep. In the morning I got up around 8:30, a bit later than I had planned. I first bought a sim card (umobile/8RM) for Malaysia, which in the end I was not able to activate since I haven’t had my passport with me. However the next day it was working just fine.

I then headed to the Bandar Tasik Selatan Station to catch my bus to Melaka. There are plenty of bus operators with different prices. The cheapest I could find was the Metrobus Ekspres for 9RM. The ride was just a 2 hour trip and I arrived at the Melaka Central Bus Terminal. The city itself is approximately 7 km away and a taxi was needed. I met some backpackers on the bus and we decided to share a taxi, in total we paid 20RM.

There are many attractions in Melaka and you better put your walking shoes on if you want to see everything, but one day is certainly enough to see the main points.

While walking along the streets I saw the Menara Taming Sari Tower and decided that I want to see Melaka from above, but with 20RM it was not really worth it in my opinion (See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBy3gouNhsI)

This was followed by a quick River Cruise. It is nice to be lazy and see the city from the river; however the walk along the riverside looked pretty good as well. I guess if I wouldn’t have been alone I might have walked instead.

The historical walk is a good one and offers a lot of insights into the History of Melaka, if you have the time don’t miss it.

In between I sat down for some lunch, ohhh how I missed the food.

I came to the point were I was kind of exhausted from the heat and the long walk, so I headed back to the Jonker Walk and had a few snacks before walking further on the search for a taxi back to KL. At first it seemed like I was at the wrong area (don’t ask me where the hell I was) because no taxi were passing me, no empty ones anyway. So I asked a police officer if he knew a place where I could get hold of a taxi. Instead of pointing me into a direction he stopped the next passing taxi and luckily even though he had already a customer they were willing to bring me back to the Central Bus Terminal for 10 RM.

I have no idea what it is with me and all those friendly people in the last couple of weeks, but I have not met anyone yet that was aggressive, angry or unfriendly. I really like it, totally makes me happy.

The bus back was 9.20RM. I still can’t believe how cheap everything is after spending a year in Australia. For just one day I paid less than 20 Pounds and got so much to see.

Upon my return I joined Vern and his friends for drinks and a later dinner.

The next day was started with a breakfast, well more lunch since we got up pretty late.

This was followed by a visit to the Batu Caves, amazing temples and views. I found the monkeys especially attractive. I even managed to climb all the steps to the top, that certainly was my exercise for the day.

I returned to the city where I caught up with Vern and had some lovely dinner.

Later on he invited me to come with him to one of his friend’s house for a round of poker on New Chinese Year. I can’t say anything else but that it was lovely and so welcoming. Additional to that I even was lucky that night and won a little bit during the game.

So far I am having a great time in KL and look forward to my city explorer day. I will probably update you again once I am in Cambodia.

Until then and happy travels :)

Good bye Australia (Perth)

2012-01-26T00:26:00.000-08:00

It is now 4 am in the morning and I am sitting at the international airport Perth waiting for my flight to Kuala Lumpur.

We spend the remaining day yesterday with a quick dip into the pool and watching the sunset from the balcony of the apartment and went for some dinner in Leederville. It was pretty busy since it is today the Australia Day and everyone has a holiday.

After a quick good bye drink in one of the Irish Pubs close by I finished packing and tried to sleep for a few hours before the cap picked me up.

I totally forgot to mention in my last entry that the other good thing that happened to me was totally amazing. On the way back from Freo I lost my phone on the train. Walking back to the train station in hope I might have lost it on the way somewhere I arrived at the station with no success. I just started walking back when a guy screamed after me if I had lost my phone. Luckily another guy from the train coming back from Perth found it and left the train, missing his connection for me just to give me back my phone. I am sure not everyone would do that for a stranger. I was really lucky even though I only needed the sim card for another 2 days.

The year in Australia is now officially over and I still remember my arrival like it was yesterday. The time just flew by and I have taken so many memories with me.

Now it is time to officially say good bye to the land down under. It will be missed for sure. Thank you for having me.

See you in Malaysia :)

The nicest city in Australia (Perth)

2012-01-25T01:44:00.000-08:00

After just 3 hours and 20 minutes I arrived at the Perth Airport. I had the option of taking the city bus 37 to the city or the connect airport shuttle bus. The first option was the cheapest one, but because I arrived quiet late there was no public bus running so I waited for the shuttle bus.

The driver asked me where I want to get dropped off, after explaining to him that I would be staying in Leederville, outside the city, I asked him to drop me off wherever a cab would be in the city. Instead he was so nice and actually dropped me off directly in front of the apartment I would stay at during my time in Perth. He was actually not allowed to do this but since there was only one other passenger he had the time to do it anyway, for no extra cost. So you can guess that my first impression of Perth was amazing.

This time around I decided to go with couchsurfing since all the hostel prices were horrendous. Mark offered me to stay at his place while visiting Perth and I was happy to accept the offer. I was totally amazed when he told me that he would be away but I could stay anyway and all that without even knowing me. Seems like there are still people in this world that believe in good people and I was happy about that. You will not find that very often. The neighbour greeted me with the keys and I entered the apartment, a small cosy place with everything that you need. The house even had a swimming pool, which unfortunately I haven’t had time to use. Reading through the notes he left me I thought it is so nice that he even bought a snack for me since all the shops around the area are closed. That was the second impression I had. The nicest things ever happened to me from strangers in an unknown city. He even left me his Smartrider card for the Busses and trains and a detailed explanation on how to get around. If he ever visits Europe, I will make sure there is a place for him to stay. THANK YOU MARK

Since it was quiet late I went to bed pretty soon. The next morning was an early one for me. Two girls that I met in Darwin came to Perth and after re confirming with Mark, they were allowed to stay as well. So actually he’s done 3 little travellers a huge favour and let us stay, this means a lot to us. I picked them up from the bus stop and we made our way back to Leederville. After a bit of shopping we enjoyed together a beautiful lunch cooked by our mama Keira.

This was followed by an exploring tour through the city. And here is another funny story. The girl I met in Darwin is the sister of a girl I met in Alice Springs and now both of them were in the city. We met her during our city tour and all four of us enjoyed a relaxed stroll through the city. Perth is not huge, so we pretty much seen the main Landmarks within a few hours.

I met a few other friends in Fremantle later that day and had a little walk through this part of Perth. The girls joined us later for dinner at a restaurant called ‘the little creatures’, a little brewery opposite the Esplanade in Freo. Nice cider and great food, what else could you possibly want.

After the dinner me and Keira decided to take a round in the big wheel to see the sunset, amazing view and it was totally fun.

We ended the evening with a drink in a pub. Totally tired we headed home for some sleep.

The next day was planned with a visit to the zoo, a short Ferry ride over to the other side of the river and we were there. Originally we had planned to visit Rottnest Island, however the cheapest tickets we could find were 60 $ Return which none of us was willing to pay for a 20 minute ferry ride. There is no public Ferry over to that Island and there are actually locals here wondering why not many tourists come over to that Island for a day, with that price I would definitely not wonder.

The zoo was amazing and had a lot to offer and was way bigger that it looked from the outside, totally value for money.

After we spend a few hours in the zoo we headed back to the apartment and prepared a picnic. We headed to Kings Park. Of course we didn’t know the exact way and just walked into the direction we knew the park would be. As soon as we saw the stairs we thought that must be the way up, little did we know that we would interrupt a competition on the 242 steps stairs. Totally exhausted and out of breath we managed to get up there and a short walk later we arrived at the look out and watched the sunset, amazing view and so romantic up there. I wouldn’t mind a date with some bubble up there…..

After we finished our picnic we headed towards home. After all the walking all of us were really exhausted, of course the ice cream we had on the way back made things even better.

After breakfast the next day we decided to have a nice beachday, so we got our stuff together and took the train to the Cottesloe beach. At first we wanted to go for some surfing lessons, however after ringing pretty much all surf schools in the Perth Beach areas we knew that we should have booked in advance. Nevertheless we enjoyed our time at the beach.

A few hours and a lunch later, the two girls headed to the city while I was going back to the apartment to get ready for the next day.

Now let me tell you why I think Perth is the nicest city out of all the ones I visited, not because of the awesome people I met, but because I felt welcome as backpacker/foreigner, everyone was friendly and helpful wherever we went, everyone had a smile to offer and I didn’t feel for one minute in the wrong place. Of course everyone is looking for something different, everyone IS different with their expectations, this is just my own personal opinion.

My Australian adventure is now officially over and I am leaving Australia tomorrow on Australia day, very early in the morning. I am not looking forward to get up at 2 am in the morning to catch my flight to Kuala Lumpur.

I had an amazing time in Australia and maybe I come back one day to visit all the nice people I met during my travels. I have to thank so many people for the things they have done for me, their generosity and hospitality. I will never forget it and everyone is more than welcome to visit me wherever I am next :)

There are so many more things I could say and tell, so many little funny stories that made my day over and over again. I do wish I would have done more and see more places, but since Australia is sooooooo huge I just haven’t had the time neither the money. But as I found out recently, if it is meant to be it will happen, no matter what. So many coincidences we had within the last couple of days I truly believe that everything that happens to me happens for a reason.

Again, a BIG THANK YOU to my new and old friends, to my family, to my hosts, to the hostel workers, to the stewardesses from Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin, to Greyhound, to the many online communities I used while traveling, without those people it wouldn’t have been the same. Thank you everyone that read my blog and didn’t fall asleep and supported me in my low times and always believed in me.

I will now travel a little bit more in Asia before heading finally back to Europe. I made some more plans for the future, my travels are long not over and I will continue to update this blog, even though it was originally only planned for my year in Australia. I decided that it will be worth it to write about my travels around the Globe and maybe here and there some private stories to share with the world, maybe I even manage to motivate some people out there to get up and out, to get to know the world, to open their eyes for the beauty of the countries, to always think positive and make the best out of the life they have.

Until then and happy travels :)

Amazing times in Darwin (Darwin-Litchfield)

2012-01-22T04:41:00.000-08:00

After a little sleep in I got in touch with some of the girls and we headed out for some breakfast. Sitting in the park and munching away on our sandwich we got a surprise shower by the sprinklers that suddenly went off. Not nice but good for a laugh.

We didn’t really felt like doing a lot so I decided I work on some of my to-do’s before I have to leave Australia.

At first I visited my Bank (Westpac) to close my bank account. After transferring my remaining money back to the UK I exchanged some Australian Dollar for US Dollar (exchange rate is a joke with 1:1), to ensure I have some money already for Cambodia. The process was quick and easy.

We ended up in a book shop where I finally convinced myself that it is actually not a bad idea to get a Lonely Planet for Indochina since I have only booked my flights and nothing else. With 40$ it defiantly was not a cheap option.

One of the girls was leaving in the night, so we headed to the pool for some relaxation and swim. I was so proud I did not get sunburned, but I didn’t really get tanned either….

In the late afternoon we went to the Doctor’s Gully for some Fish Feeding. It defiantly was fun, but with 11$ a bit pricy in my opinion.

After a quick shower we got ready for the nightlife again. A fellow traveller recommended a Fish & Chips shop across the road; apparently they have the best fish in town (and shark). As soon as we started eating, we agreed that this is certainly not the best fish in town. What a disappointment…

Next we went to the Bar The Deck (the bar yesterday was Wisdom if you are interested), a place where the locals hang out for after work drinks. As soon as we entered I knew that we totally didn’t fit in, all of us differently dressed and certainly not in Business dresses. After we enjoined a drink we moved on to the Monsoon, a place mainly visited by backpackers, army and navy people. Good prices and good music (that of course depends on your taste).

Since I booked a tour for the next day I set my curfew at midnight and managed to leave the bar at the dot.

Getting up early in the morning after a night out is never easy, but I managed. While I was waiting for the bus to Litchfield I met a few other people in front of the reception and we all booked the same tour.

I really enjoyed the trip and had loads of fun with the people. Luckily the bus was not full since it is wet season in the Northern Territory and the locals find the place too hot to visit.

We started with the Crocodile Jumping Cruise and again I was able to hold a snake, they are seriously so cute and friendly.

The crocodiles in the Alice Spring River are wild and I don’t deny that I was scared of them, they were huge. It is amazing to see such animals outside a zoo (which reminds me to check on my Africa Trip).

We continued to the actual Litchfield Park with a quick stop at a Butterfly Farm, unfortunately most of the Butterflies were in cocoons, so I only saw one. The place itself was a really relaxing oasis.

The next stop was at the Termite fields. We received a lesson in survival in the Bush and received a free meal in form of termites that tasted like pepper and ants that produced lime juice, yummy.

This was followed by the first waterfall for the day and some lunch. Since I didn’t eat anything in the morning I was so hungry that I made myself more than I could eat, but my fellow tour participants were glad to help me out.

We had two swims during this trip and I can’t say it often enough, swimming under a waterfall is just amazing. Shame though that the places are very popular with the locals hence the place was full (ish) of people, I rather prefer it remote. The tour guide took me further up the creek (I admit I found him a bit creepy, but I guess he just wanted to be nice) where the water is still deep but full of fallen trees and other things I don’t even want to know. After approximately 500 meters up the creek I just turned around, it was getting too dark and too far into the forest for me. Upon return I climbed up the little cliff and jumped into one of the waterholes, which was fun. But it is dangerous to do that though and it certainly was not covered in my insurance (whoops).

The tour overall was great, relaxed, personal and chilling. We agreed at the end of the tour that we would head together to a restaurant to eat crocodile. Tims restaurant is located directly next to the Chinese Temple and has a nice ambient. The crocodile tasted like a mix of chicken and fish, pretty good.

For the night I was invited to a friends birthday party. We met in Brisbane and had a happy reunion which ended up in a pub later.

Since I didn’t make it home until the early hour, it kind of was hard for me to get up and pack my stuff. I had to check out at 10 am, my flight wasn’t until late in the afternoon, so I joined some of the girls and we went together to the Sunday Market in Nightcliff; a cute little market with loads of handmade art and plenty choice of food.

I headed back to the hostel to pick up my bag and got myself to the airport to fly to the last destination in Australia, Perth. I actually nearly ended up in Melbourne since I entered the wrong Aircraft by mistake. I was one of the last passengers and for some weird reason they took away the lines and I looked at two planes and just took one of them. I wasn’t the only one…..

I had an amazing time in Darwin and managed to do more than I actually expected. I hope Perth is going to be fun as well, ahhhh what am I saying, it will be because I am going to make it fun :D

That’s it again for now and I hope all of you stay tuned for the next update.

Happy travels.

The explorer (Darwin)

2012-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Cheerio folks. I am reporting from the land down under with some great news. I am having a fantastic time, but is it because of the country or because of the people? Of course because of the people.

After I left Alice Spring with the bus I arrived at the local airport, waiting for my flight to departure. After several flights with Jetstar, I was so confused about the service on board. I received free drinks and food. At first I was thinking I made a mistake with the time difference and the flight was actually 4 hours instead of 2, but nope, no change of timezone. I actually got food and drinks during a 2 hour flight. Hip hip hurray to Qantas and their sales offers.

I arrived in Darwin and the first thing I noticed was the difference in humidity. My hands were totally wet as soon as I left the plane. Coming from such a dry area, it was like being in a new country.

The Airport Shuttle brought me into town and the hostel was just across the street. I met my room mates (which checked out the next day) and started to look for something to eat for dinner. Just around the corner I found a Thai restaurant which served a lovely Thai Chicken Noodle soup. Overall I have to say that Darwin reminds me a lot of Asia, with the smell and humidity. After that I decided to head back for a good night sleep.

I woke up pretty early this morning and prepared for an explorer day since I haven’t had anything else planned, well at least nothing in particular.

I started out with a visit to the Lameroo Beach, a total waste land. Nothing you could really see from there and it looked abandoned as well. The Bicentannial Park was actually pretty nice, but just a 10 minute walk.

This was followed by a visit to the aquarium; however it was closed, so I might do that tomorrow instead.

I continued to walk down the streets and came across the St. Mary Cathedral, a really nice building.

I then decided it was time for breakfast. After buying the postcards for family and friends, I enjoyed a coffee and toast while writing the cards. I really hope all of them arrive…

This was followed by a visit to the Chinese Temple. I met the lovely owner and had a quick chat with him while he was preparing a few paper rolls for the upcoming Chinese New Year. He even invited me to a celebration on Saturday, but since I booked a tour on that day I had to decline. I was pretty sad about that, but nothing I could have changed.

I wanted to visit the Chinese Museum afterwards, but it is closed over the summer period, again, what a shame.This was followed by a visit to the Darwin Waterfront where I met some people from the hostel. We decided to continue together.

We wanted to visit the underground Oil tunnels, but again, it was closed. Seems like I am here at the wrong time of the year.

After we have seen a few other attractions we decided to hang out on the pool and just enjoy the evening.

Later on I had some absolutely great dinner at a great Vietnamese restaurant next door.

We spend the evening in a pub listening to live music. I decided around midnight that it was bed time and headed back to my room.

No idea what I am going to do tomorrow, but I am sure it will be fun, because I make it that way J

Read you again soon :)

Hot hot hot (Alice Springs – Uluru)

2012-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

After 5 hours sleep (self-inflicted) I got up and ready for my day trip to Uluru, to see the Ayers Rock in the middle of Central Australia. I have heard many stories about it and different opinions, so I was curious what I would think at the end of the day.

The bus came and luckily it wasn’t full, so the trip was quiet relaxed. We stopped a few times for a break and it took us around 5 hours to get to the first attraction, Mt Connor, the big toothbrush, as it was called by the guide.

We stopped at another rock, please don’t ask me for the name, I switched off listening to the tour guide after he bubbled continuously for 2 hours about random facts and stuff. I will look it up eventually (it was the olga or something like that)

We stopped at the cultural centre for some insight information about the aboriginal culture and their believes. No pictures were allowed to be taken inside.

We finally arrived at the Ayers Rock and had a quick walk around the base while the guide explained a few stories and history about this.

One thing I constantly was aware of was the heat. It was over 40 degrees celcius and luckily we had a working aircon on the bus. But while being outside I melted away. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to wear black….

We enjoyed a barbeque during the sunset. You are supposed to see the changing colours of the rock while the sun is going down, but we were a bit unlucky since it was cloudy and the clouds covered the sun.

After finishing off the plate we cleaned up and jumped back on the bus for our trip back to Alice Springs. Such a long drive, we arrived around 1 am at our accommodation, a quick shower later I was asleep within seconds.

The next morning I got up and ready for a explorer day of Alice Springs before I got picked up for my flight to Darwin.

I visited the Anzac Hill, which had an amazing view from the top and the Reptile Center, which was totally worth their money.

In between I took some Passport pictures for my visas in Asia and started packing up my stuff, a quick wash of my clothes and I was ready to continue my trip.

Overall I enjoyed my time in Alice Springs and Uluru, would I recommend the trip to others? Not sure since I didn’t feel the magic of the Rock nor did I enjoy the town of Alice in particular. I am happy I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again if it is not on the way. I guess everyone has different interest. At least I can say now: Been there, done that.

That’s it again for now and I keep you posted once I arrive in Darwin. Thanks to all the people I met here and who made this time a funny one, hope to see you soon again around the globe.

Until then :D

Hit the road Jack (Cloncurry - Alice Springs)

2012-01-16T04:57:00.000-08:00

Finally the last day of my working period in Cloncurry arrived and I danced back to our house to start packing. Me and my co-worker planned for the night to celebrate my leaving and prepared a fantastic meal with a few drinks. It was a fun night, but the next morning was not so much fun. I received a call and got asked to work again for a few hours.

Grumpy I got up, made myself a coffee and got it done and over with. Upon return I finished my packing. The remaining time was spend on the internet until my manager picked me up and dropped me off at the busstop in Cloncurry. I could not stop smiling to leave the city.

As soon as my bag was stuffed into the bus I took my seat and let out a sign of relieve. The bus driver had a quick chat with me and told me his name was Jack, well I guess you can imagine my response.

It was time to reflect on the past few days. A friend of mine died while I was in Cloncurry, it came as a shock to me and I realised I am not only missing out on weddings or newborns, but death as well. Not having the chance to say good bye and have a last word puts your priorities in a different perspective. I will miss him deeply and my thoughts are with him.

The bus trip was more or less ok for me since I did it already once before. I arrived early in the morning in Alice Spring. Originally I planned to walk from the busstop, but surprisingly a car from the hostel was waiting for us. The welcome was really nice and the stuff absolute friendly. Clean and cheap, that’s what you want from your accommodation. Oh and of course the free internet connection. Alice Lodge Backpackers is really to recommend.

Since we arrived early in morning we still had 2 hours till check in. I decided to quickly explore the town center to see what I can do on my last day after my Uluru tour.

I knew already beforehand that Alice Spring is a very remote area and the culture is quite different to other places in Australia, but I am pretty sure that even those people know what a shower is; I wish they would use them. You seriously can smell them from 30 meters away. The town is pretty small and not much to do, but I am sure It will keep me occupied until my flight to Darwin in the afternoon.

I returned to the hostels with a few shoppings and got myself quickly check in and ready for an afternoon by the pool, well deserved. Even though I used the sunscreen every ten minutes I slightly got burned. Oh and the best thing of all the street the hostel is in has my name on it hihi

After a while I decided I was relaxed enough and got ready for my dinner. Since I am on holiday again I wanted to treat myself to some delicious food. I found a Chinese restaurant very quickly, because it was the only one that existed in this town and sat down in a total empty restaurant. Service was quick and efficient. The food was 50/50, since my entrée tasted like it was warmed up in a microwave.

I found out today that apparently a monkey is the perfect partner choice for me. Anyone got a monkey for me?

Full and happy I returned to my hostel and sat down on a table to start my blog. Somehow I ended up having several conversations with other backpackers and didn’t finish writing until late. But it so great to talk to people again and exchange stories, especially since my year here is nearly finished.

I have to get up early in the morning, so I get now ready for bed and will update you soon again.

To my family and friends, you are very much missed and I am happy to see all of you soon again.

Happy travels peeps :)

Happy New Year from Australia (Cloncurry)

2011-12-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe it has been nearly a year again since I was last home in Germany. I remember the beginning of this year so clearly like it was yesterday. I was so excited to see again more of the world but at the same time scared because I didn't know what would expect me during the year ahead.

It has been a great year with fantastic memories I will never forget. A lot of adventures and a lot of people I met during my travels in Asia, New Zealand and Australia. And I wouldn’t want to miss one second of it, even the sad and lonely times are a happy memory for me.

I am still in Cloncurry at the moment and started my last two weeks of work here before I continue my travels again. Even though it was a great time, I am glad I booked my flight back to London to see my friends and family again and I am also glad that 2012 will be another great year in my life with a lot to expect.

I have found a few possibilities of activities that I could do within my last two weeks here in the middle of nowhere which means I am defiantly going to give you another update before I am on the road again.

I spend my Christmas at the pool with a barbeque and drinks while soaking up the sun. I never had a warm Christmas in my life, so this was a totally new experience for me and I must admit I really enjoyed it, even though I missed my family and friends pretty bad at that time.

Otherwise nothing much happened as expected, just a few shots here and there and I hope you enjoy them. In between of course I have done some more preparation for my travels ahead :)

I hope all my friends and family are save and enjoy the celebration into the New Year better than I do. I am going to work YAY. I wish everyone the best and may the next year be another good year in our lives.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Until then and all the best wishes to everyone.

BLOG-O-TIME (Cloncurry)

2011-11-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

It has been now 27 days since I arrived in Cloncurry, and I can’t wait to get out of here. I got used to the work and don’t even think of it anymore as exhausting, it just became a routine day in and day out. I don’t even have anything to tell you since I am really doing NOTHING here, just work. Sounds pretty boring? YES it is and I am counting every day that is over and every penny I am able to save up.

I was able to book already all my remaining trips in Australia. Next I am looking forward to book my Asia trips and my flight back to Europe. I guess it is about time….

The other thing I wanted to mention is that McDonalds is valued a absolute treasure here since it is so far away. A co-worker of mine actually did such a drive and brought back a cheeseburger for us. I admit I don’t miss it a bit. I rather would like to cook myself a good meal, but the kitchen is too dirty for that and I am absolutely not willing to clean up that mess that someone else brought on and most likely will bring back again once I actually clean.

I got used to heat and the thousand animals around me, sometimes it is actually quiet fascinating to just observe the nature.

Besides that there is nothing else to tell, I wish I had a car and could do some more exploring because apparently there are some areas that are worth seeing around here. But I am not willing to walk 15 km around the area in the middle of day just to see something more interesting. Ah well, such is life. Even though I might not come across very happy in this blog entry, believe me, I don’t regret a second the decision I made to come here :)

Soon is Christmas and New Year and I might update you again on my doings here, maybe just a one liner might do it as well.

I miss my family and friends and hope everyone is well and I am very excited to see most of them again in a few months. Until then :)

The disconnected life (Cloncurry)

2011-11-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

After a few days in Cloncurry I thought I put my emotions and thoughts again into my blog.

The work is really exhausting and I think I have never worked that hard in my life. I usually work in the morning 4 to 5 hours for Housekeeping and again as Kitchen Hand in the evening for 4 to 5 hours. My feets are aching and the heat doesn’t help at all to stay awake and work fast. I will work 7 days a week until January and I am looking forward to the end of the time, even tho it just started. So far I had no complains about my work and everyone seems happy with my doing. The work is so tiering that I sleep in between shifts. The positive aspect is of course the money but as well as that I start losing already weight :D

The other day I bought a new SIM card from Telstra so that I have at least a phone again in case I need to call someone since I am pretty much alone here and the good news is that I kept my old number. Everyone is going their own way after work which is totally understandable since they must be as tired as I am.

My housemate was so kind and let me use her internet for a while so I had at least a chance to update everyone that I am safe. That way I know as well there is mobile internet available. I tried first to use my new SIM card in my old dongle, but it wasn’t working which means I have to buy a new one if I really want to check emails and messages from time to time. I am not sure yet if I should invest the money or not, but knowing me I probably do it as soon as I have some money again on my account.

So far I have been only sleeping, reading and writing my blog, sometimes as well listening to music while sitting outside and watching the thunder, frogs and HUGE spiders passing me. I find the life here in the outback still amazing, everything is so different compared to the cities I have been to so far. The red ground seems very very dry, but as soon as I was walking over it I realised it was like walking in mud, very wet underneath.

I like to add at this point that I was a little bit disappointed in the support of my employer. The house I live in now isn’t really fitted with a lot of stuff, we have no washing machine and only one pan which is very sticky and only scrambled eggs can be made in it. The chef of the kitchen is living here as well and is a little pig, I try not to clean after him….at least the bathroom is only shared with another female. The supermarket is approximately a 15 minute walk away, but let me tell you that it is no fun to go shopping for water and other stuff since the heat and the aching feets are killing me each way. My employer is not willing to give us a bit of help since none of us has a car, at least that way we could buy a huge amount of water. I know that they don’t have to do it, but it would have been nice anyway.

So far so good, I am not regretting my decision to have gone in the outback, but I am sure I will be pretty sad when Christmas and New Year approaches. Thinking positive I know I will make it and enjoy my next holiday even more.

I guess that is enough for today and I should get to bed. Good night everyone out there, I hope some of you think about me from time to time :)

The Australian outback life (Cloncurry)

2011-11-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

After a very exhausting 17 hours bus drive from Cairns via Townsville I arrived in Cloncurry. The drive was amazing and I finally got to see the outback from its best site. I really enjoyed the trip even tho I did sleep as well for a bit. I found it funny that most people from Townsville onwards where Australians and not backpackers. I would like to add at this point that Cairns was overrun with Germans, they were everywhere. Throughout my travels I met the odd one here and there, but the amount of Germans in Cairns really took me by surprise.

I got picked up from the local petrol station by my new employer and I was really nervous because I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The details we discussed before I jumped on the bus weren't enough to give me a clear picture.

I was put for the night into one of the motel rooms but will move into the house share tomorrow to the other girls that work here. They invited me for dinner and I was hoping that I get some more details before I start my work tomorrow, but nothing was said. My work will start at 8 am on the dot with room cleaning and will be followed by a shift in the kitchen. I hope I am going to do well otherwise the whole trip is kind of pointless if they fire me too soon. Fingers cross I do well.

Now I am just sitting in my room with no internet and watch TV. With no phone reception as well I am cut off from the world; not getting any information if something happens at home and can’t even let everyone know that I arrived well or how my little adventure will work out. I hope that I get to explore the town a little bit more soon and maybe find somewhere to go for internet. Otherwise I will invest into a dongle this time, even tho I am not sure about Hotspots around here nor if I can get one out here.

I had never been in this kind of position and it feels really awkward since I am the only foreigner with heavy accent working here, everyone is native English speaker (UK etc.). I just hope for the best and I am dedicated to make this work. So far everyone seems really nice and I hope I can connect this time with a few people since I have to stay for at least 3 months.

Let’s go to bed and see what the next day will bring :)

The Aussie adventure continues (Cairns)

2011-10-31T00:41:00.000-07:00

After some nice and relaxing days in Auckland I headed to the Airport ready to get back to Australia. I am still amazed of my adventures in New Zealand….

I arrived safe at the Cairns Airport where I took a shuttle to the city for just $12. When I arrived at my hostel around 10pm (Reef Backpackers) the reception was closed, luckily a girl just came around the corner and informed the manager, so I was able to check in quickly. I paid for a full week hoping to land a job during that time. Driving to the hostel made me realise that this is defiantly the stereotypical aussie city, everyone walking around in shorts and flip flops, long hair and some even had a surf board under their arms (not so sure where they would surf tho). This is the most party city I have been to by far.

When I got into my dorm room all beds were messy and it didn’t look like one was available. I went back and the reception couldn’t figure out which bed was free. So he put me in an empty 6 bed room instead for the night. And I had free internet as well, so I just relaxed and was eager to start my job hunt.

The next morning I woke up fairly early and went first to a print shop to get my resume printed. This was followed by a quick tour through the small city and handing in my resumes in various cafes and restaurants. I was hoping I would get a call back quickly.

There was nothing else to do for me since I couldn’t do any activities until I have a job to pay for it. So I went back to the hostel and enjoyed some more free time. In between I changed room, no longer alone. Since it was Sunday I haven’t received and calls or emails regarding my application. I asked as well next door to work as a reception and they would give me a trial on Wednesday and start would be in 2 weeks, so far it sounds promising, even tho I don’t have 2 weeks to find a job.

Today was the day of changes. First I went to one of those placement agencies, desperate to get a job soon, I was even willing to pay the member ship fee of $90. They called me an hour later stating that they found a placement for me just 2h from Cairns. While I was walking back to the office I received another call from a recruitment agency that my previous interview was successful and they found a job in Cloncurry for me. The description sounded awesome and I knew I would be able to save up load of dollar to continue my travels, however, I had to commit for 3 months. After a quick call with the Motel manager they confirmed my job and I started planning trip to Cloncurry to the outback of Australia.

The journey will take me 17 hours by bus and was quiet expensive, but the investment should be worth it.

I am a bit sad that I couldn’t see more of Cairns before leaving tonight, but I will make sure that I get to see the Great Barrier Reef before I leave. I am not sure if I have internet there yet, but be sure if I do I update you.

Let the adventure begin :)

Funky Chicken on Tour day 18 (Christchurch)

2011-10-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

It is my last day on the tour since I decided to fly back to Auckland. I’ve thrown out some stuff from my backpack to make sure my luggage is not overweight and left the remaining food in the hostel kitchen for other travellers.

We started our tour towards Christchurch and picked up a few people on the way. A total of 8 hours later and one switch to another bus I arrived at the airport. It is such a shame that no one is allowed into the red zone (City Centre) where the earthquake done the most damage. I promised a friend to put some flowers down for the victims of the quake; unfortunately I could not do it. Instead I donated some money at the airport and hope that it will do something good.

Now there is nothing else to do, just waiting for my plane and updating my blog.

Cost for Kiwi Experience Trip (all values are in NZD – excluding my time in Auckland)

I thought I put up some numbers for everyone, to make sure that no one will be disappointed in the future.

Accommodation $427 (pre-booked accommodation is generally cheaper compared to bookings through the Kiwi Driver)

Food $370

Activities $1.357

Ferry $55 (one way)

Costume $10 (Poo Pub)

Others (postcards, stamps, drinks, Internet etc.) $ 450

TOTAL $2.269

I spent a bit more than that because I had some other things that I bought that not necessarily everyone would buy during that trip e.g. my new camera.

Conclusion:

NEW ZEALAND IS AMAZING and defiantly one of my favourite countries in terms of culture and scenery. Would I come back? Sure if the money and time allows it. A thank you goes to the driver Jamie (Big Rig) that was there all the way to Christchurch and I am certainly happy to have met so many lovely people during the trip. It was an awesome time. PS: If you want more details, don’t hesitate to send me a text or comment! I hope all people I met have a save trip wherever it might take them. I would recommend Kiwi Experience since it has something for everyone, just make sure if you prefer a quiet night that you might book the accommodation yourself.

I will have a few more relaxed days before heading back to Australia – Cairns and going on a job hunt again (YAY not). Will read you soon again from Australia.

Loads of kisses to my family and friends out there xxx

Funky Chicken on Tour day 17 (Queenstown - Milford Sound)

2011-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

We waited in front of our accommodation for the pick-up to Milford Sound. Shame the sun decided today to hide again behind clouds and a few rain drops said good morning. At this point a BIG THANK YOU to my sister, brother in law and niece, without whom the trip would have never taken place.

The bus drive through the fantastic scenery took a few hours before we arrived at the cruise terminal in Milford Sound. Apparently Milford Sound is much more mystic when it is raining since it builds temporary waterfalls. We stopped a few times for a walk around the area and photo opportunities.

As soon as we got on board of the cruise we started to eat our buffet, which could have fed an army, massive and yummy. It filled me up for the rest of the day.

A stunning, mysteries and beautiful cruise trip through the water made me smile…

We stopped at the Discovery Centre Platform, which in my opinion wasn’t worth the money. We didn’t get to see much underwater but luckily it was included in my trip anyway.

We headed back to Pier and our driver was waiting to get us back. On the way back we came across some heavy winds and had to drive very slowly to make sure the bus didn’t get tipped over, interesting experience……

Ah and the water in the pictures below is the lake not the ocean.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 16 (Queenstown)

2011-10-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

I had a very nice and long sleep in since I had nothing planned for the day. Of course I could have done some of the activities that Queenstown offers; you seriously can do everything here from Kayaking, swing, sky dive, bungy, hang gliding, parasailing, jet boat and much much more, but I didn’t.

Instead I wandered around the park and absorbed some of the sun with the hope to get at least some kind of a tan (which of course I didn’t). I have to admit that Queenstown didn’t strike me as a very usual Kiwi city as there are not many locals around and mostly it seems like a holiday/party city.

Just as I was about to walk back a Kiwi bus arrived for the mandatory group picture. Some of the faces I recognised and after a few hugs and hellos I waited and took the picture for them, so they didn’t had to pay for it.

This was followed by an absolute amazing night when we watched the France vs. New Zealand Rugby Final. You could cut through the atmosphere so thick and tense it was. Most people continued to celebrate through the night; I went to bed since I had to get up early for my tour to Milford Sound the next day.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 15 (Queenstown)

2011-10-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

I had to get up early in the morning for my long awaited bungy jump. We met at the AJ Hackett office where a bus would drive us up to the Nevis Bungy Jump point.

Most of us were really excited as we were all first offenders. As soon as we arrived we got fitted into the gear and took a gondola up to the platform. The height was really frightening….

I was second in that group and my heart started to race as soon as I was standing on the platform looking down. The guy counted to three but I couldn’t let go of his hand for at least another 5 seconds….but watch for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZjn2Ejww8

The Bungy jump was defiantly fun and I would do it again but compared to the skydive; I would prefer falling down for 60 seconds instead of just 8. Skydive was and is still my personal favourite, but I guess everyone has their own preference.

After my return I went to the Jazz festival near the pier with my roommate and had a wander around the lake. This was followed by a quick afternoon nap and a quiet evening with some more movies to watch since another guy had over 400 movies on his hard drive and was so kind to share some with me. I am so happy now that I have the 2 TB as storage, very handy.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 14 (Wanaka - Queenstown)

2011-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

After a very quiet night full of sleep we got up and started into the direction of the Puzzling World. Queenstown is only 100 km away so we had plenty of time to get confused in the maze and figure out how the games work within the café as well as some picture opportunities. I have to admit that I took the emergency exit out of the maze, otherwise I probably would have spent hours in there.

We continued towards Queenstown with a few picture stops in between again before we stopped for some fresh fruits at Ms Johnson fruit stall. Apparently the real fruit ice cream is absolute fantastic (I haven’t tried it tho).

The next stop was the Kawarau Bridge, where the original commercial bungy site was built and we could watch a few people jump of the bridge (including our driver). I only booked the Nevis 134 meter bungy jump for the next day and started already to get nervous….

We stopped for a quick group picture in Q’town which anyone could buy for $10 afterwards. After I checked into my accommodation I started to explore the city a little bit and went on to have one of the famous Fergburger. I met a few girls from the bus there and joined for a while. I have to admit the burger was fantastic and defiantly worth a visit and for just $10 Dollar for the original Burger an absolute bargain.

Later on in the evening we all met in the Base Bar Altitude to watch the Welsh vs. Australia Rugby match. This was followed by a few dance moves and we continued into the Worldbar up the road. At some point I called it a night and went to bed.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 13 (Wanaka)

2011-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

After another horror night without sleep we got up pretty early. My roommates couldn’t decide during the night whether they wanted to stay in the room or not. I was really close to freak out because I didn’t get any sleep. I guess sometimes you get lucky with your roomies and sometimes not….

Anyway, on the way to Wanaka we stopped at the Lake Matheson for a nice view of the Mount Cook which was reflected in the Lake. After a quick breakfast we continued with a few stops for pictures in between.

After checking into the Hostel in Wanaka we started to explore the little town. Very quickly I decided to jump into the lake to get a freezing cold refreshment.

I didn’t do any other activities here and just watched some movies and tried to sort out the music I copied from a fellow traveller the other day, in total 50 GB, this should keep me busy :)

Funky Chicken on Tour day 12 (Franz Josef)

2011-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

The night was a nightmare because of the people that partied all night and got up very early singing and screaming in the hallway. We had to get up around 8 for our walking tour to the Franz Josef Glacier where we would do some ice climbing.

First we were fitted with some gear and then headed to the low point of the glacier where we would start our tour.

We booked a full day tour however due to the wind we only could go up half way and had to return. Luckily the Glacier Tour Operator gave us some refund.

This was followed by a visit to the hot pools which were included in the tour package, a very nice relaxing oasis.

We were very lucky with the weather today and I am going to enjoy it while I can. Later on I will go to the pub and enjoy some Fish and Chips (or Pizza) because I think after doing so great on my diet I deserve it :)

We will continue tomorrow to Wanaka very early in the morning. Have a great day/night and loads of kisses to my friends and family.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 11 (Franz Josef)

2011-10-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

I apologies at this point to my roommates from last night; I couldn’t find my mobile when the alarm went off this morning and I woke everyone up (whoops).

I had enough time for a quick stop at the lake before throwing my backpack into the bus.

We stopped for a quick Museum tour and some breakfast at the Bushman centre and watched a DVD about the hunting traditions in New Zealand. In my opinion not worth the money, but it was only 4$ which probably supports the centre.

This was followed by a long drive down to Mt Franz Josef where we would spend two nights. Because I didn’t ride a horse since I was very young I decided to try it again. After the ride I remembered why I don’t like it and would not take it up as a hobby. It was a bit painful when the horse hit a tree, and as a beginner I wasn’t able to stop him immediately. My legs were in pain after the ride. It was fun, but I know I will never do it again.

Tomorrow I am going on a hiking tour through Mt Franz Josef and hope it will be fun and not too cold.

Now it is time for some dinner and then bed :)

Funky Chicken on Tour Day 10 (Lake Mahinapua)

2011-10-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

We left Westport with a few people hungover from last night NZ winning party and continued our way down to Cape Foulwind where we took an hour walk around to the seal colony and enjoyed the stunning view.

The next stop was the Truman walk down to the beach. We enjoyed a few minutes here before we continued to the Puna Kaiki Pancake rocks and blow holes. We had the chance to sit down at one of the lookout points and enjoy our lunch.

Today so far a lot of walking; it was really refreshing and a good exercise.

Next we were off to Lake Mahinapua where we would spend the night and have a fancy dress up party in the evening in the famous Poo Pub. Now you might wonder where to get a cheap costume on short notice that does not involve any clothes. We stopped in Greymouth for some shopping and going on a hunt for our costumes. Some people really put a lot of effort and money into their costumes. I went for the cheap option and just bought some tape and aluminium foils and made a dress with that. There were some prices up for grabs for the most creative costume such as a Canyon Swing and vouchers for pictures from a bungee jump. Of course I would have loved to have one of them; however the winners well deserved them and respect to their creativeness.

Our driver and the host cooked our dinner for that night, a massive steak and some veggies. Everyone was filled up and happy and claimed they haven’t had such a great meal in ages….(did I mention I miss the farm a little bit?)

A great day and night and I am now off to bed for some serious sleep before getting ready again tomorrow morning.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 9 (Westport)

2011-10-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

Some of the group had Kayaking for the morning in Kaiteriteri booked; the rest of us had the chance to take a walk through the Able Tasman Park and beach around the area. As soon as everyone got back we continued our drive to Westport where we would spend the night.

We arrived in Westport and a few of us decided to go for the jet boating activity. I first went shopping for some food. The hostel we stayed that night was really nice and the staffs were very friendly, I would absolute recommend this one.

The evening was spent in a pub to watch the NZ vs. Australia game. Luckily NZ won and everyone was in a good mood.

Nothing else happened here. It is actually a shame that I can’t do all the activities the Kiwi Experience offers, it is just too pricy. I have a few things I am still going to do but until then I am just taking it relaxed and enjoy the scenery while the bus is driving to our next destination.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 8 (South Island - Kaiteriteri)

2011-10-18T03:25:00.000-07:00

We had to get up early this morning to catch the Ferry over to the South Island – Picton. One of the reasons I decided to fly back is the cost for the Ferry, which is not included in my bus pass and would cost me an extra 55$.

The crossover was very quick and the scenery as usual very stunning. I enjoyed a little breakfast on the ferry.

We arrived in Kaiteriteri at our accommodation. Because the Lodge was holding a midget convention we had to sleep in a Christian camp. For the price of 30$ a night I was a bit disappointed of the standard, but it was only for one night.

While others did go to the pub to watch a rugby game (our driver was so kind to drive the whole lot) I walked down to the beach, unfortunately the sunset took place on the other site so I wasn’t able to get some nice pictures of that. Instead I played around in the sand and sit down to let life pass by.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 7 (Wellington)

2011-10-18T01:56:00.000-07:00

After our driver announced that the water rafting doesn’t take place and that we would leave River Valley earlier, my planned walk didn’t take place either. We enjoyed our stay there and some of the group so much they took up a job and stayed. If you are flexible it is great that you can hop on and off as you wish from the bus. Shame I have a timeline to keep.

We continued our tour towards Wellington and stopped for a quick morning break in Bulls where everything is named –bulls. We had some lunch and after a few hours we arrived in Wellington. I had only one night here, so not much I could do except running through the rain in the city.

I had the remaining pancakes for dinner and joined the others for some games and a relaxing evening. Most of us will stay in Wellington and we said good bye. I hope that I see some of them again during my travels.

That was a day full of driving and I just enjoying the passing scenery.

Funky Chicken on Tour day 6 (River Valley)

2011-10-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

We started this morning around 9:30 am towards the Tawhai Falls which is in the middle of Hobbit Land :) We basically had the chance to see the area in which Lord of the Rings was set.

We passed as well the Taranaki Falls.

We continued towards River Valley, a place in the middle of nowhere. The next ‘city’ is approximately a 45 minute drive away. We stayed at the River Valley Lodge in a 32 bed dorm; a very interesting experience. Overall a very nice place with a fantastic scenery and very cheap. Some people had a roast dinner but me and some others decided to have some great pancakes.

The rest of the evening was spent in a very relaxing atmosphere with some playing guitar, a fire burning and some conversations. What else could you ask for?

The main reason we are here is the water rafting activity (which I wouldn’t do again anyway) but it looks like that is not taking place because of the rain. I will just spend the day tomorrow with some more walking around the area and just relax.

Funky Chicken on Tour Day 5 (Taupo)

2011-10-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

We had a free day in Taupo which most of the group needed after the last night out. I took today very relaxed and chilled.

After a massive sleep in we went to McDonalds for breakfast and I continued on a shopping spree for a new camera. I just can’t deal with the poor quality of the Casio camera. I didn’t have to search for long and found a great replacement.

I kept wandering around in the city and checked out the Great Lake in Taupo.

We decided to go for a swim in the Spa Park nearby. We shared a cab drive to the hot springs. It was raining and a bit chilly, but a good way to spend some time in Taupo. The hot springs mixes with the lake which was freezing cold.

On my walk back I met some ducks that were sitting very quietly in the grass until I approached them, suddenly they jumped up and run towards me: DUCK ATTACK

I even saw a rainbow today :D

Tonight was a quiet night for me and we just chilled in one of the rooms with music; a great evening. I am now in bed and hope that the next stop will be as great as the journey has been so far.

A few notes on the site:

1. The accommodation we have for the stopovers are cheaper when I book them online myself, which I have done now for Queenstown since I am staying there 4 nights (not for all tho, just check with the driver).

2. I changed my plan and fly back to Auckland from Christchurch instead of taking the bus again.

3. Money can be spent very very easily on such trips…..yeah that means I will only do the bungee jump and take the cheap walking options.

4. My infection is nearly gone and I don’t need to see a doctor :)

5. I broke my sunglasses and lost my camera case while wandering around in the city

6. NEW ZEALAND IS AWESOME

Funky Chicken on Tour Day 4 (Taupo)

2011-10-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

After sleeping like a stone we continued our day around 9am towards Taupo. Before leaving some of the group had an activity going on while we spend some time wandering around. We made a quick stop at a Honey Shop for tasting and shopping. It tasted great but I didn’t do any shopping.

This was followed by a stop at the Haka Falls, a river that goes across the north of New Zealand, a stunning scenery (and thanks to my camera the pictures do not reflect that).

We finally arrived in Taupo where we first checked in. We then started with a group to the sky diving ‘Freefall’ in Taupo. One thing I always wanted to do and finally get a chance to do so. We first had an instruction and a view of some jumps. I went for the 15.000 feet offer including DVD. My group was the first one to get on the plane and luckily I was the first one in the group to jump off. I would have been scared to death if I would have seen the others jump first.

While we were in the air everything was still normal. I kept thinking when does the guy that jumped with me would tie me up and of course I hoped he would do it secure. When the door opened I burst of excitement and looked down. The cameraman jumped first off and I finally jumped out of the plane. The first few seconds where totally normal and I wasn’t scared but as soon as we flipped and I could see the plane it clicked and I started to scream realising that I just jumped out of a plane. It can’t describe it differently, the freefall was awesome and still makes my heart pump when I think about it. As soon as I can decode the DVD I will upload it to youtube :D

The rest of the evening was spend in the pub with the group and a bit of dancing.

All in all a very great day I will never forget.

Funky Chicken Tour day 3 (Rotorua)

2011-10-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

We started a little bit later today around 9am towards the Waitomo walk first. The breakfast was a bit unpleasant since other people stole my milk out of the fridge but some others were so nice and sheared theirs with me. And my infection is still there, but I will wait until tomorrow to see if I really want to go to the doctor.

The Waitomo path was a nice speedy walk to get our blood pumping for the day.

After that we headed towards Rotorua our next stop for a sleep over. We had again the choice of several activities. They offered as well a Mauri Cultural Show in the evening, I passed on this one. Instead I went in the afternoon to the Skyline Attraction which offers Gondolas up the hill and lubeing down. The lubing was such fun however the fun was ruined when my camera and phone dropped out of my pocket and got run over. My baby got run over several times before I was able to pick it up. The camera was broken…..of course the phone didn’t had a scratch. I still have my old camera with me and can take pictures; however, they look so crappy compared to my Lumix. I will buy a new one as soon as I have a job again (or maybe earlier if I am really get annoyed with the quality).

I decided as well to change my travel plans a bit since the stop in Christchurch is canceled. I will book a flight back to Auckland.

The hostel I am staying tonight offers as well a hot spring pool, but my mood is so down, I just want chocolate and sleep. And yes, the diet is making me grumpy as well. Ahhhh well, let’s hope not much more bad things happen.

Oh, besides all the bad news, I received as well very good news from my family. I hope they are good and I can see the latest addition to the family very soon :) Miss you loads.

Funky Chicken Tour day 2 (Waitomo)

2011-10-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Day 2 started very early (feels like getting up for a job) around 7:30 am and we drove into the direction Waitomo for our next stop. In between we stopped at the Karangahake Gorge Historic Park for a quick walk through the old Gold Mines.

During the day I started to feel a weird knob under my chin and it kept swelling. Not nice and I have no idea what it could be. We have a doctor on board who said that it might be an infection and said I should see a doctor to get some antibiotics. Not really happy about that….

When we finally arrived in Waitomo I had to wait for approx. 2 hours before my activity for the day started. I booked the Black Abyss Tour through the Waitomo caves including Flying Foxes, Tubing and Abseiling. In between we had some hot chocolate and buscuits.

Even tho the tour was quiet pricy it was defiantly worth it. We had to first get into the some wet swimsuits (I felt like a pressed sausage) and learned how to abseil at a dry place.

After we went down to the caves we walked a little bit through it until we arrived at a place where we would take off for the flying foxes.

Throughout the walk you could see Glowworm on the seilling, looked like thousand stars above you, fantastic view. What a shame we were not allowed to take our camera with us. However we bought the DVD for 20$ after the tour and I copied the files onto a USB Stick for everyone to share, so in the end everyone only paid 2.50 for all the pictures. That is a tour I would always do again.

The rest of the evening was spend in the Pub watching the rugby game. Again I left early for some sleep and updating my blog. I still haven’t bonded really with anyone from the now 44 people. To be honest, I am happy about it this time. Not sure why, but I rather just stand back and enjoy my time and relax, no worries and other dramas. Just a relaxed time :)

Tomorrow will be a relaxed and lazy day since I am not doing any activities (maybe take a long walk).

I will now close my eyes and get some sleep.

Funky Chicken on Tour Day 1 (Coromandel)

2011-10-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

The day of my tour finally arrived and Drew was so kind to drop me off in the city where the Kiwi Experience (KE) bus picked us up. It is quite a large group of 34 people compared to my first tour, everyone around my age, even though I have the feeling that most people are younger than me. Some just finished university and decided to travel for a few months before looking for a job or start university next year. Most of them are from the UK and Ireland, some from Denmark/Sweden and just one other German who doesn’t talk to me for some weird reason.

When I took place in the bus (a bit nerdy sitting in the front) another girl took the seat next to me. We talked a bit until we stopped at the KE Office for some paperwork, suddenly when we went for our first stop she was sitting in the back of the bus. Do I stink, am I not nice? Do I care? Nope.

Our first stop of the day was Mount Eden and I was happy that I went the other day already because it had started to rain again and the view was not very nice.

This was followed by a quick instruction how the KE operates and what we need to do over the coming days. I booked only the transport (very cheap) around the Island, no activities included which means I have to pay for it whenever I decide to do something.

We finally started to head off to the Hot water beaches where we would spend the night. We did a quick stop at a supermarket to buy our breakfast/lunch/dinner. I have to admit that after months of living in food luxury it will be hard again to go back to the backpacker diet of noodles and rice.

As soon as we arrived we checked into the Hot Water Beaches Holiday Park, a very pleasant bungalow park, clean and nice staff, however with $30 a night a bit expensive.

This was followed by a visit to the Cathedral Cove. It was just a 40 minute walk down to the beach and I was brave enough to change into my swimming suit and jump into the cold and freezing sea. I was thinking I will get a heart attack. I did swim to a little stone close to the beach and jumped off from there. After seeing the pictures of me I had an even greater shock…..but later more to that.

We walked back uphill to the car park and I wished I could go back again and cool off. All in all a very pleasant walk and a nice scenery.

We drove back to our accommodation and prepared dinner, well the others did. After such an exhausting walk and swim I told myself I deserve some chips. I shouldn’t have done it and promised myself after seeing the pictures of me in a swimming suit my eating behaviour need to change ASAP. I am officially on a diet (urgh).

I took a little nap and got ready around 11 pm to check out the hot water beach, which is only accessible during low tide and this was that only in the evening. When we arrived a few people digged already a hole and were sitting in the hot water mixed with cold sea water. The water was really hot and you could burn yourself if you are not careful. I decided not to swim in the little holes and went after a while back to the accommodation, such a shame that this wasn’t possible during day time.

First day finished 19 to follow.

Piha and more relaxing days (Auckland)

2011-10-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

My holidays turn out to be very relaxing and I really enjoy my free time. Most of the time is spend in bed and with lazy walks. In my last remaining days I haven’t done much, but it was great anyway.

On Wednesday I spend the day with a friend and we went to the Stardome (near one tree hill) observatory building and had a look around the information, we visited later that day a show ‘The northern stars’. When the show started I was full of excitement and couldn’t wait. After a while I just thought what a waste of time and the voice of the man that explained the star signs was kind of annoying, good thing I was in great company :)

We had some lunch in between, which was very yummy and I had a Hokey Pokey Ice Cream afterwards (I can recommend it).

Yesterday we had a small trip to Piha for some out time, a little get away from the city. The area and scenery is very beautiful and stunning. I wouldn’t mind such a holiday house in the future.

Other than that I haven’t done much and just enjoyed a yummy barbeque with Drew and Glen on my last evening in Auckland.

Tomorrow I will start my big 20 day tour and guess I will not be online very often. But no worries, I will try and keep you updated on my doings on the trip, especially on my bungee jump and sky dive YAY

Have a good time everyone and if anything happens, send me a quick message (my phone is working here in NZ).

Will miss you all :D

The Explorer day (Auckland)

2011-10-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

The early bird catches the worm hence I got up earlier (and yes I had to use the alarm to wake me up).

Glen was so kind and drove me a round today to a few further places that are difficult to reach with public transport (not impossible though). First stop was the ‘One Tree Hill’ with a fantastic view over Auckland. We checked out as well the Acacia Cottage, where the founder of Auckland lived. His grave is on top of the hill. The animals around as walked free, no fence or anything else, anyone could go up to them, not that I would recommend it.

We continued to Mount Eden, another awesome view.

From Mount Eden we went to the Wairangi Wharf, a small beach along the sea side; a serious posh area with beautiful houses directly at the beach.

We saw as well the Auckland Harbor Bridge.

This was followed by a tour through the Marina Westhaven. Thousands of boats, apparently Auckland has the most boats per person in the world.

Glen let me out near the Auckland Skytower and I continued from there alone. Thanks to the coupons in the tour guide I only paid $25 entry. The view from the Skydeck was amazing and you could walk over glass and have a good look down. I enjoyed a special offer in the cafe and the view at the same time :)

The Lift had as well a glass floor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHPNEY3TmTQ

I am pretty sure, most girls would be happy about a welcome like that:

I want one of those when I come home :D

It is always nice to have some great talented musicians on the street; I really hope these guys will make it far. The group is called Andamula.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2LuAqEehqk

Next I went to the Ferry Terminal and bought a ticket for the Ferry to Devonport. I quickly grabbed a bottle of water and just a few minutes later I realised I left my camera there, panic came up and I run back, luckily my camera was still there.

I first went to the Devonport Chocolate Shop to get Drew and Glen a little Thank you present, which they well deserved after looking so good after me.

I started to walk up to Mount Victoria but returned after a few meters, it was just too hot and steep and I guess I had enough of a high view for the day.

Devonport had some nice and small beaches which you can use anytime, I rather would wait for better weather.

READ YOU SOON AGAIN

Kia Ora (Auckland)

2011-10-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

After now 2 days in the wonderful city Auckland I start to see the beauty of New Zealand and I bet it will be even better once I am on the road.

Even though the weather is not really nice since I came, it has been raining the whole time, I enjoyed my time. As planned I started out really really lazy and met up with some friends yesterday.

We went for some lunch, which was followed by a visit to the cinema. Inbetween we explored a little bit a city and had a coffee on the way. I really enjoyed the company and wish I could spend some more time in Auckland.

Today I slept in, and this time I mean really slept in, l only got up around 11 am, but hey, I am on holiday, I deserve it hehe. I might have missed a part of the day, but it was raining the whole time anyway, so most of the things I had planned for today were not possible. But good news, tomorrow they forecasted some sun :D

I walked this time from my friends place to the city to check out a few sightseeing places, but as I said because of the rain not everything was possible. I went first to the sky city and got from there to the Museum and War memorial. During my visit there I enjoyed as well a Maori Cultural Performance. Unfortunately I have to admit that the show wasn’t worth the money ($25) and I couldn’t recommend it. I uploaded a vid anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlTSzwxxspo

On the way back I enjoyed a coffee with a friend before I reunited with Drew to head home for a relaxed evening.

Before I finish this entry I need to mention that I lost my Ipod somewhere. I guess I forgot it on the plane :( But well, I guess there are more important things to care about….

I will update soon again and hope to become a proper tourist and not being as lazy as I was so far.

Greetings to my family and friends, and yes, the postcards are written at this very moment.

Kia Ora.

Good bye Australia (for now) and Hello New Zealand

2011-10-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks were not very exciting and I spend the remaining time on the farm finishing off a few jobs and done some research for New Zealand. Of course the cooking continued and I enjoyed it as much as possible as I know I won’t have the same in New Zealand, and who knows I might even lose the odd pound with the travel diet again.

The times passed by quickly and the day of my departure arrived. Cici and I went down together to Sydney where I would spend the last two remaining days in Australia.

I stayed with a friend in the city and just relaxed, watched movies and cooked. My holidays finally started again. It seems like my last holiday was ages ago and I haven’t had proper free time since.

During my stay in Sydney I had a slight change and my friend cooked for me instead the other way around, very fancy and yummy, way over my standard of cooking :) Compliments to the chef. Even tho I still wonder how during the day the chewing gum ended up in my hair; but I think the new haircut defiantly suits my style…..

Yesterday we enjoyed a long lunch above the northern beaches, the amazing view, great service and marvellous food made it a wonderful day.

I enjoyed some free internet again while waiting to board the plane. In less than 2 hours I will arrive in Auckland – New Zealand. The first week I am going to spend in the city and this is followed by a 20 day road trip through the North and South Islands. I will make sure I keep my blog as updated as possible. Luckily I am citizen of one of the waiver cities and only need to fill out an on arrival card for my holidays. At first I had a little shock while checking in as the nice lady at the counter asked for the return ticket. Because I usually do not print my tickets I completely forgot that I actually had this one printed as requested during the booking process. A minute later I remember and the angry face of the lady changed to a nice smile….phew

A few hours later…..

I arrived in Auckland with no complications and went through customs, thanks to the rugby world cup it was very very busy and it took me over 30 minutes to go through it. Arrived on the other site and with a new stamp in my password I went and picked up my backpack from the belt. Then I got stopped by a cute dog, apparently he smelt something and I was asked to follow the officer to a little bench where they searched my bag, OF COURSE there was nothing there. But friend Drew was waiting already eagerly outside.

We drove to Auckland where we were sitting down for a cup of coffee before heading to New North Road in Kingsland to a bar called Neighbourhood to watch the England vs, Scotland rugby game and similar to Brisbane, the real game took place in the Stadium in Eden Park, just around the corner. Awesome.

The first night was wonderful with a very comfy bed and now I am getting ready to hit the city and explore the area, let’s get the holidays started.

Thank you everyone who made my stay in Australia so far a fantastic experience, it wouldn’t be the same without you.

Read you soon my dear friends and family.