Now there's an eye opener, and no mistake

A firm favourite among tourists who come to Queenstown is to experience the might and majesty of Milford Sound. It's a good four hour drive from Queenstown, but being pretty much the nearest major town to it, except for Te Anau; a fleet of coaches leaves every morning to take tourists to see Milford Sound. The reason this place attracts so many people is the sheer beauty of the place all year round, rain or shine, snow or sun, this place is magnificent. Carved out over thousands of years and then flooded by the sea and the end of the last ice age, the flooded valley boasts some of the most magnificent sheer rock faces some 4,000ft high, and mountains closing on 5,000ft. Two huge waterfalls are present all year round, and hundreds of temporary waterfalls cascade down the mountain sides when it rains here. To hear about is enough to make you want to see it for yourself. So I booked a Coach-Cruise-Coach package in Queenstown for $155. To drive there and back in my car would have cost me a heap in petrol and as no else I knew wanted to go when I needed to it was the better choice to just book a package. 

I turned up at the meeting point just before 8 and the usual crowd consisting of mainly Asian people with massive cameras, and a scattering of French and German backpackers was also waiting for the coach. The coach wasn't too full so I got two seats to myself for the first main leg of the journey. From Queenstown we drove to Te Anau which took two hours. The weather was very overcast and it began to rain very early on in the trip and really didn't stop. The road we travelled was spectacular leading right past the Remarkables range and onward to the south land, where valleys were replaced with great plains back dropped by ice covered peaks. Just as I have mentioned before, taking to the roads of New Zealand is better than any driving I've ever done anywhere else. Around every corner is a new vista just aching with beauty, and the South Land really takes the prize in being the most magnificent. We stopped on a few occasions on our way to Te Anau. One stop was on a huge plain leading up to a range of hills, the clouds creating a great sense of atmosphere, we weren't even in the range close to Milford and I was already enjoying the view. 

Once in Te Anau we stopped for half an hour to grab a bite to eat and go to the toilet. Our next stop was to pick up folks who had been walking the Routeburn track, one of the most popular hiking tracks in New Zealand. It takes 3-4 days to do the 32km walk, with some people just camping with their own gear or staying in specially made huts which need to be booked in advance. We carried on from there past what they call the Divide and on to Milford Road which by a long shot is one of the most immense roads I have ever been on. Sheer rock faces all the way to the Milford Sound tunnel continue high into the sky on either side with the clouds covering most of the peaks of these majestic monsters. The rain creates thin but incredibly long waterfalls pouring down the mountains. We stop to take them in, it pours with rain and not many people brave the elements, but sod it you only live once, I went out to try and take it all in. Your peripheral vision is totally ensconced with mountain sides. I thought New York was bad for my neck as I kept looking up, I think I might have repetitive strain injury from looking up and going wow so many times on this drive. 

So we drove on through the Milford tunnel which was dug right through a mountain, it had been dug out in the 1930's with a single lane just big enough for a coach to get through, it was a seriously long and scary tunnel, leading out to start of another huge valley leading to the edge of the sound. Once we got closer to sea level we stopped off at our last scenic stop to have a look at a rain forest that housed a rip roaring waterfall. A waterfall that flowed so fast it had over the years bore holes in rocks surrounding it. From there we got to Milford Sound and were herded onto the cruise boats. 

A much needed complimentary tea or coffee awaited us on the boat after such a long coach ride. The rain had eased off a little at this stage, so I darted up to the open viewing deck and tried to take in the size of the place. It was easy to believe it as smaller than you imagined, but then you looked out to where the other boats on the water were and how they paled in comparison to the size of the sheers faces next to them. The cruise was great taking you round both sides of the valley and getting you close to the rock faces to bask in the beauty of it all. 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip out to Milford Sound, it had been high my list of things to do out here ever since cousin Sam told me about it. It's a worthwhile experience for anyone coming out here to see this place. A true wonder of the world. 

Check out the rest of my photos here

Ride now! Ride for ruin and the world's ending

One of the big draws of Queenstown are the fantastic hills, and the fact that within these glorious tree lined hills are miles of purpose built mountain bike trails and downhill tracks. After nearly two months of living here I haven't so much as touched a bike, and having decided to leave Queenstown a bit prematurely I finally went out and just rented one, rather than pining my hopes on finding one to buy.

At once feeling pleased I couldn't help but feel that for the price I paid I might as well have just rented a bike every weekend since I arrived here. I went riding with friends Erin and Craig who are both members of the Queenstown Moutain Bike Club and got me a 15% discount on rental. To rent an all round XC ride was $45 for five hours or $65 for the full day. To pay that every weekend to ride is a far better deal than buying a bloody bike. The shop I went to Select_Bikes hired out specialized rides. I got given a Pitch comp which was more than enough for some good old fashioned XC. The shop also catered for downhill bikers with packages around $110 for a full day on the gondola with a Big Hit and a full face helmet.

So I got the bike with Craig, slung it in the back of the Chariot and headed out to Seven Mile trails just outside of Queenstown. The sun was blazing, we couldn't have asked for better conditions, the start of the trails presented you with an incredible view of the hills with the car park being in a bay right on the shore of the lake. We geared up and made the up in little over half an hour. The network of trails here are easy to access with just one big push up leading to a junction of trails that start and finish in one or two locations. The push was an absolute sod for me as I was terribly unfit, it had been a good few months since I last rode a bike in Rotorua and the Queenstown lifestyle has not done my fitness any good so far. I had eaten before I headed out and felt sick to my stomach at one point when I had to sit for ten minutes to pull myself together.

So the next couple of hours saw us picking and choosing trails to follow. Nearly every trail around here seemed pretty doable for me, although some had hard sections which I didn't tackle. Trails catered to different riding disciplines with some more technical than others and others requiring a more do or die approach. Cornering changed frequently with some routes offering shallow berms or no berms at all, and others with long swooping berms or really sharp narrow ones. The weather had been very dry lately so the ground was just pure dust, it was easy to loose grip, however dreaded tree roots posed no problems as they were so dry, and gave some room for serious speed. However another threat presented itself in the form of pine cones. Hundreds of the little buggers covered several corners which at times felt like cornering on marbles. The park isn't the highest of places so the blistering downs were followed by ups on pretty much every route, which was sort of a blessing in disguise, as there's nothing worse than doing a massive up and killing your legs before you hit the down, here you got a good mix. There really is nothing like riding in New Zealand though, especially here as many of the scenes for Lord Of The Rings were filmed around Queenstown so all the forests remind you of the look and feel of the films. Even without that knowledge it is still such a beautiful place to ride.

Having followed a number of trails we came to another junction where several routes converge on a small skills park with log runs laid out for riders to perfect riding narrow lines. We checked out the other routes we could follow and rested up for a bit. I was initially rather ropey with riding, especially down hill as I got used to the bike and re-adjusted having not done it for a while. Erin was having doubts about the down too, but she came prepared. Strapping on her knee pads, we tackled a route full of tight steep berms and she was very glad she wore them. Erin flew off her bike and landed knees first on the ground, she was fine . . . good call lass. I managed not to fall off, however I had some seriously sketchy moments. The hire bike was brilliant at tackling the terrain, much better than my ride at home however not quite as good as the Lapierre I rode in Rotorua. I was so glad to get out and ride. So much so that when we finished both Craig and I met up after an hour of rest and lunch to hit a trail out near my house.

The trail started just round the corner from where I lived, we saw downhill riders flying past as we crossed the track to climb the hill to the XC route up Fernhill. I truly bit off more than I could chew, we did a good portion of the up and we were getting close to the time I had to take the bike back. I struggled all the way and after a while my knees started to lock up and that was it, I was finished. I left Craig to finish the trail and I headed down. It was an awesome down but I had bugger all energy a very sore legs, so I just had to hang on for dear life and try not to do anything stupid. I hit the downhill trail as is was the fastest way down. I could see this being awesome on the right rig and proper frame of mind. The boys back home would love it here.

So a bloody good day was had, I was thoroughly knackered by the end of it all. Thank you to Craig Hughes and Erin Dodds for showing me a great days ride in Queenstown. If you'd like to see more photos check either my photostream at the top right of this blog or click here for the album.

We did what we set out to do

A thought has been festering the back of my mind since Christmas . . . it has plagued me for a while and I can't seem to shake the feeling . . . I miss home. Three words I knew I'd come across during my time here, but not a feeling that I thought would grow so much that I would consider cutting my time here right in half. I came out with so much pomp and enthusiasm to spend an entire year out here, working, travelling and having a good time. I was casting aside the things that annoyed me about home, but not understanding fully how I would do away from a place I have invested so much of my life in. The thing is I already made one pretty fatal error, I came out on my own, it's a pretty isolated experience travelling an entire country mostly on your own, on just your own ideas, not having someone to talk about home with. Sometimes it worked out pretty well once I started living out of hostels rather than my car, but with no one to share the load, I did feel at times a Frodo who needed a Sam. I got around most of country before I settled in Queenstown, the place I believed I could spend pretty much all of my time in. A new start in the adventure capitol of the world.

It's been a rocky road to where I am now, and I'm still not content with my lot. My job took forever to actually get started, and the house I decided to live in was to be a temporary fix until something better came along. My job has been offering up pretty weak hours, although every effort is being made to give me as many extra shifts as possible and I've taken every opportunity. I enjoy working at Dick Smith and it's not a hard job, which is where lies the problem, it's too much like working at HMV or any random retail job for that matter. But then you look for other work around here and the pickings are now very slim, and everything is geared towards experienced hospitality workers. My room mate JB moves out on the 20th which was to leave me with option to either move to a much smaller three share room in the house or find a new place. I have decided to move out, I am sick of this house, I don't dislike anyone here, there are just too many people in the house and some peoples sense of adventure is rather stunted. Not only that I suffer from dust mite allergies and this house particularly our room, has a bit of a problem with them, I wake every morning with blood shot eyes and a runny nose.

My plan is to drive to Dunedin and spend some time there, a lot of folk have said it's a much better place to be for someone who loves live music, plus it's bigger than Qtown. Coming half way across the world and settling in a smaller town than Carlisle I've realised I need bigger. I have a friend to stay with for a bit and hopefully I can find some temporary work. I'll rent a place there for a while or try wwoofing in a hostel and try selling my car. Fingers crossed I can sell the car for more than the price of a ticket home and then I'll book my flight. The plan would be to fly to Wellington after I'm done with Dunedin, and work my way up the north island re-visiting all my cousins up there, and finally fly out of Auckland. Not sure when I'll fly out but I'll investigate when the cheapest time to fly is, but more than likely once the summer dies I will be heading back to blighty.

It's hard to explain to anyone back at home why I want to leave this amazing place in exchange for the weather and woes of home. But I think to appreciate what you have at home, you have to leave it behind for a while. Sure I'll get home and nothing will have changed, but that's why I want to go home. My family and friends are still there and the places are the same, my bike is waiting for me in the garage, my guitars are gathering dust on the wall, but I'm coming back with a whole new perspective on what I want. I did something I thought many years ago I would never do, and it's reinforced in me that if you want to do something you just have to go and bloody well do it and quit procrastinating. I love this country, and I can completely see why people want to spend eternity out here, but after four months out here I have no qualms about going back home in a couple of months. I did what I set out to do here and that was to have the time of my life and go home with new experiences and a new sense of purpose.

I can hear the sighs now, don't come home, the weather, the economy . . . blah blah blah. I can't fight the thoughts of home, it makes me sick to my stomach some days, others I don't feel it, but it's always there. You've no idea how good we have it in Britain, we complain about some stupid shit, every place has it's pros and cons, New Zealand on the surface has the better deal, but it's just another country after all.

You can drink your fancy ales, you can drink 'em by the flagon!

Here it is, 2012, a year that's been shrouded in all sorts of mysticism and resulted in some ridiculous philosophies and bad movies. Around the world 2011 has been just a little tumultuous and definitely a year to move on from rather than look back on with fond memories. New Zealand has had a rough time, countered by some immeasurable triumphs. With the All Blacks taking the Rugby World Cup, spirits definitely got a lift, but as another set of quakes rocked Christchurch just over a week ago, there's a definite sense of hope that 2012 will be a more fortunate year for the South Island dwellers. But I've had a wicked 2011, exactly a year ago I decided I would head out to New Zealand, my sister was home from her grand adventure around the world, and now here I sit in Queenstown having lived here for well over a month.

With New Zealand being 11 hours behind the UK, we are one of the earlier countries to see in the new year, and with me being in Queenstown I was in a prime position to celebrate in style. The weather could not have been more perfect with the sun blazing all day, the town was full to the brim, teenagers and adults a-like camped out on the rugby field or slept in campervans, every hostel and hotel was fully booked. People drive for miles just to see in the new year here, and I can see why. The lake shore was packed with people putting on BBQs, or just laying in the sun drinking beer as I drove to work. The heat merely dipped as the sun went down, with a multitude of bars and clubs to choose from, as well as free outside entertainment being laid on in the form of DJ's and cover bands, it's easy to see why people flock here. The streets around the stages were lined with food vans, it felt very much like a festival. As midnight approached I was still outside in a t-shirt, dancing to the noise, and when the clock struck midnight the sky lit up with fireworks. It was an impressive display, with huge rockets that rattled your ribcage as they went off. With work summoning me again the next day I called it an early one, but I still had a lot of fun, even though I wished my friends and family from home could have been there to witness it with me. 

I am getting accustomed to celebrating these events with just a t-shirt and shorts on, it's a strange but uplifting experience as I hear the weather is doing its usual back in Britain. Christmas Day had to be the strangest by far. To wake up and not be wrapping up to Jesus it up with my family or setting down at lunch time in the dining room with a turkey dinner, or using the rest of the day to just sit in front of the box and watch the films on the BBC. Christmas Day is a much more energetic state of affairs over here. No sooner were we out of bed, we had a great big breakfast out on the garden bench, granted this was already midday as we had a late night on Christmas Eve. The neighbours came out with a huge roll of plastic and made a slip n slide and that was us for the next few hours. Flying down a hill in swimming shorts trying our best to go flying through the fence at the bottom of the garden. After some serious energy spending we showered, napped, then set about having a huge evening meal. We all chipped in $10 which fetched us plenty of food, in fact it lasted another day or two. Our Asian house mate made some awesome fried rice and our Dutch house mate cooked up some chicken and beef, and we all pitched in to make salads, cook vegetables and make puddings. As the night continued we drank beer and the guitar eventually came out and we sang songs well into the morning. 

So a cool yule was definitely had, although it was a tough week. It made me miss family and friends so much, however the internet helps a lot with keeping in touch. Being here is amazing, but I'm still yet to fully settle in, my job isn't giving me enough hours, so I'm starting to look for a new one. I think I'm close to getting a mountain bike, I'm desperate to get one so I can get some much needed decent exercise. The house is great for the moment, but I'm still keeping my eye on anything more central, but I need to sort the work situation before I do anything about that.  

you've had a whole half already

So I wanted to share some great stuff exclusive to New Zealand with folks back home. I have shared these before on Facebook but these particular adverts that have been on TV are to be shared with all. I knew New Zealand had a thing for imagination in their adverts but these are two of my favourite ads.

The first had me howling with laughter, even though at the time I had no knowledge of the ice cream that is Hokey Pokey (it is amazing by the way, especially with peaches). Hiluxs are everywhere here, they are the definitive truck of choice for any Kiwi worth their salt by the looks of things.



Another one that has everyone repeating nearly the whole advert in general conversation is a current drink driving ad. Just like back home drunk driving is tackled in some rather interesting ways over here. This one is an absolute gem and really beefs it up with the strong Kiwi accent . . . . . leeegend.



Not only are the adverts weird, the NZ TV takes some liberties with swearing and generally has a rather laid back approach when it comes to censorship. Live TV can be consistently hilarious as people regular swear by accident and no one really raises issue with it, or they can be what the UK TV would consider non pc. In finding the Toyota Hilux ad I discovered an older one that will tickle a few folks back home. . . . enjoy :)