Archive | March, 2010

First Quarter Report for 2010

March 30, 2010 by Jessica 3 Comments

New Zealand flagWe’ll take a break from New Zealand posts to quickly post a report on the first quarter (good time for a break, we’re leaving Christchurch and the South Island and headed to Rotorua and North Island). 

Like last year, I’m posting quarterly reports on my goals for 2010.  Here’s the first report:

#1  Write a Best-Seller:  Um…no progress thus far.

#16 Get in the Guiness World Book of Records:  I haven’t donated any blood yet but I planning on participating in the World Skinny-Dip Record in July.

#30 Stay in the Best Suite in a Five-Star Hotel:  Still planning on celebrating our First Year Anniversary in June in the Grand Suite at the Fearrington Inn in Pittsboro.  I probably need to tell Alex this.

#36 Visit Every Country:  Obviously just did New Zealand (Yay!)  And the Bahamas are coming up at the end of April (I’m celebrating my 30th birthday in the Bahamas so I MAY not remember much about that trip…)

#37 Make a Fire Without Matches:  Um…no progress

#52 Read the Greatest Books Ever Written:  I guess I’m taking a little break from THE list of books, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped reading.  Of the official books, I read Possession by A.S. Byatt.  I’ve also read other books not on the list: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Other Boleyn Girl byPhilippa Gregory, My Antonia by Willa Cather, and Sookie Books 5, 6, 7 & 8.  Not bad; that’s more than a book a week (even if the Sookie books take like a day to read).

#86 Run a Marathon:  I plan to start training in May with the Galloway program.  I’ve never been a runner and this program uses a walk-run program that actually prepares you for a marathon by running only 3 days a week.  You run 30-45 minutes 2 days during the week on your own and then in a group once a week, run an increase of long runs.  I like that I’ll have a group to run with for support. 

#93.5 Get Your Name in the Ring of Honor at Flying Saucer: So far I’m up to 15 this year, 69 total

#99 Confess:  No progress yet but thinking I may try to slip in this Good Friday.

Not part of my original goals for the year but also saw the Golden Gate Bridge (#67), visited California (#11), saw Penguins, Dolphins, and Seals in the wild (#38), Skinny Dip at Midnight in New Zealand (#83) and swam with sharks (#2).

Achievement, Entertainment, Excitement, Life Management, Recklessness, Relationships, Sport and Activity, Travel
, , , , , , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit…Christchurch

March 28, 2010 by Jessica 2 Comments

Tranz AlpineTranz Alpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch, New ZealandArthurs Pass, New ZealandAfter two nights in Fox Glacier, we drove north to Greymouth to catch the TranzAlpine train to Christchurch.  Of the 2.5 hour drive, an hour and a half was curvy mountain road.  I drove that portion of the trip and switched with Alex in Haast (after I almost pulled out in front of someone in a roundabout) 

We arrived in Greymouth on time but, of course, the train was late.  The TranzAlpine is supposed to be one of the premiere train rides in the world.  There are 19 tunnels, and 4 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres. Although the scenery WAS nice, again, I had just become desensitized to the Southern Alps.  If it had been the winter, I think it would have been more impressive with white, snow-capped mountains, but I guess I had seen my fill of mountains. 

By the time we arrived in Christchurch, it was almost dark.  The place we stayed was very cute and I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of the city.  Known as the “Garden City,” there were flowers everywhere and the buildings were picturesque.  As the largest city of the South Island, I COULD tell that it was certainly more cosmopolitan than any other place we had visited to this point.

No firsts for this leg of the trip, however, I didn’t mention in my very first post that this is my first time to New Zealand!  and to the continent of Australiasia, so now I’ve got 3 of 7 continents!  Yay!

Travel
, , , , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit…Fox Glacier

March 25, 2010 by Jessica 9 Comments

Lake Wanaka, New ZealandWest Coast of the South Island, New ZealandFrom Queenstown, Fox Glacier was to be a 5.5 hour drive, driving non-stop and probably if you were a competent driver familiar with the area.  Even with our stop offs for food and photos, it still only took seven hours.  Using our GPS, we got on the road toward Fox Glacier using the Crown Ridge Pass because the GPS was set to “quickest route.”  We discovered later that Crown Ridge was the tougher way to go and meant only to be driven by experience drivers (the road had a very large sign at the beginning announcing that it was currently open…meaning its often closed due to rock falls or in inclement weather).  After the toughest part of this route, we switched and I drove for the first time on the left side of the road and drove most of the way to Fox Glacier.  Roads in New Zealand are dictated by the landscape, so there were many very narrow, curvy parts of the trip going up, down, and around mountains.  They also are big fans of one-lane bridges.  We stopped at several beach overlooks, seeing the West Coast (the rougher side of the island) and its volcanic sand. 

We arrived in Fox Glacier, a tiny town with not much going on outside the nearby glacier.  We purchased groceries (eating out and New Zealand in general was a bit more expensive than we had planned and felt we needed to save a little cash – average cost of a meal was about $18 USD) and took it easy on Sunday.  We did attempt the nearby Glow Worm Dell once it got dark, but we didn’t bring flashlights, so we turned back and decided to come back the next night with the right equipment.  

Monday morning we boarded a helicopter to fly up to the top of Fox Glacier.  As a bonus, because of a booking mishap, we actually got put on a trip to see the nearby Franz Joseph Glacier as well.  Franz Joseph was actually the more impressive of the two, but we were allowed to land on Fox Glacier on the neve (the snowy top of the glacier).  We flew over the deep canyons of ice and the top was soft and powdery, although many of the photos simply look like we’re in a snowy landscape, not necessarily on a glacier.  Due to recent dust storms in Australia, the snow looked dirty because the dust had floated over the 700km-wide Tasman Sea.  We were only allowed out on the neve for about 10 minutes, took a bunch of photos, threw some snowballs, and then reboarded the helicopter, taking a ride down the length of the 16 km long glacier.  It was our first time flying in a helicopter and we decided we very much enjoyed the floating sensation. 

Franz Joseph Glacier, New Zealand

Ice Canyons of Franz Joseph Glacier, New ZealandOn the Neve of Fox Glacier, New ZealandAfter returning to land, we decided to hike to the terminal face of the glacier (you couldn’t get very close as the glacier frequently collapses and rocks and chunks of ice fall).  We also hiked up another trail to see the length of the glacier, but the hike was tough and the view was not any better than a view that was available by car further down the path.  In the late afternoon, we went to nearby Lake Matheson to see views of Mt. Tasman and Mt. Cook.  We waited 15 minutes at the “Reflection Island” which is the spot across the lake that gives views of the mountains reflected in the water.  When we first arrived, a strong breeze had just disturbed the surface of the lake, so we tried to wait for it to become smooth again.  We got pretty good photographs, and the views were still impressive, although it never became glassy smooth. 

Terminal Face of Fox Glacier, New ZealandFox Glacier and Mt. Tasman, New ZealandLake Matheson reflects the image of Mt. Tasman and Mt. Cook, New Zealand

That night we made our way to the Glow Worm Dell again.  Total, the walk could be 20 minutes but we only went a little ways in and began seeing hundreds of the bluish-green glow worms in the tree trunks, along stream banks, everywhere.  And looking up, we saw more stars than we had ever seen.  I grew up in the country, away from light pollution, or so I thought – I had never seen so many stars, stars in bunches that looked like photos of galaxies that I had seen from Hubble. 

Firsts for this leg of the trip: 

  • First time driving on the left side of the road
  • First ride in a helicopter
  • First time on a glacier
  • First time seeing a glow worm
Excitement, Nature, Sport and Activity, Travel
, , , , , , , , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit…Queenstown

March 24, 2010 by Jessica 3 Comments

Queenstown, New Zealand A free day mostly.  We decided to take the Gondola to the top of a nearby mountain to see the view of the city, eat in the skytop restaurant, and do luge rides.  Views were excellent, although already I think I was getting desensitized toward the scenery and our surroundings. 

While views from the restaurant were wonderful, the buffet was only ok, rather overpriced for the quality (I guess you pay for the views).  And then we did the luge, which was a lot of fun.  Not dangerous, since children were doing it as well, but you could get going fast, even getting a little air when topping the hills.  Just good fun. 

I was dying for a pedicure, having meant to get one before I left but with all the travel plans, never made time.  (Pedicures are really the only luxury I afford myself).  So after we came back down the mountain, I found a local spa and got my toes did while Alex went back to the room for a nap.  On the way back to the room, I was walking along a wooded foot path.  I saw a small animal in the wooded area and I couldn’t figure out what it was (and of course I didn’t have my camera).  The best that I can figure is that it was a Possum.   You see, possums are not native to New Zealand but were brought there for the purpose of…their fur.  That’s right.  Possum fur.  And its no joke!  Everywhere we went, there were gloves, scarves, hats, sweaters, etc made from “Merino Mink,” which is a combination of Merino wool and “luxurious possum fur.”  There are 70 million possums in New Zealand and each night they eat 20,000 tons of vegetation.  It does look slightly different than our opossum here, but its still pretty rat-like.

Possum trapping sign in New Zealand

Unfortunately, Alex remained asleep and I had to go to dinner by myself.  Ate at a restaurant called Flame and had the best full dinner of the trip – Chicken schnitzel – and then got dark chocolate gelato with macadamia nuts at Patagonia.  Yummy!  Good eating in a cool city.

Queenstown was rather touristy – no actual Kiwis live there and most of the storefronts are travel offices, but by the end of the trip, we had to say that Queenstown was our favorite destination.  Gorgeous area surrounded by mountains, the lake nearby, plenty of restaurants and bars within easy walking distance.  Awesome little town.

Entertainment, Excitement, Nature, Travel
, , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit…Milford Sound

March 22, 2010 by Jessica 5 Comments

So I’m an idiot.  I brought my laptop to write my experiences down, but didn’t check to make sure the computer plug was compatible with the power converter I bought.  So I went halfway around the world with a very heavy, flat paperweight.  Oh well.  I used to prefer writing by hand anyway; I even chose to do my graduate school comprehensive exams by hand rather than type.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

The first full day we were in New Zealand, we were to visit Milford Sound, which is really a fiord.  It was going to be a long day – taking a bus starting at 6:45am and traveling for hours, only to return at 8pm.  There’s a long story of how I tried to reset the hotel room’s clock but suffice to say I got it wrong and when we thought it was 5:30am, it was actually 6:30am.  Once we realized this, we threw on clothes quickly and literally ran to the meeting spot.  Arriving breathless at 6:50am, we thought we had missed the bus, but were in plenty of time, not setting out until after 7am. 

Along the way down to Te Anau, we got to see beautiful countryside, rolling hills and green pasture land, leading to rock faced mountains that jut into the sky.  Fields and fields of sheep and cattle and deer – seeing fields of deer, domesticated with tall fences, growing like livestock for venison was a shock to this Southern girl’s heart!

Milford Sound is actually not far away from Queenstown “as the crow flies” (about 16 km).  Unfortunately, there isn’t a road that leads there directly and it took five hours to get there (with stops for bathroom breaks, photo opportunities, and breakfast in Te Anau, which were our first meat pies and at $5 ended up being one of the cheapest – and tastiest – meals we had while in New Zealand).  After an hour on the road, it began to rain, which as one of the wettest parts of the world, I had been prepared for.  However, because of the clouds and the mist, the views were altered and obstructed.  When we stopped on the way at the Mirror Lakes (which are so called because they reflect the views nearby and I had looked forward to seeing), the rain disturbed the surface and no reflection was to be seen.  I was rather disappointed.

Fortunately by the time we actually got to Milford Sound, the rain had stopped, the clouds were rolling away with blue sky and sun behind.  We may have missed the views on the way there, but now we could see the most important view of all.  I’m not a poet, so I won’t attempt to describe the beauty of the area.  Photos will have to suffice.

A couple of stories from the trip: 

First, Fiordland Crested Penguins are native to New Zealand and come to that area to nest/lay eggs.  Unfortunately, this wasn’t the season for them, so I didn’t expect to see them.  We had just passed some seals sunning on the rocks and saw something swimming in the water so we assumed they were also seals.  Imagine our surprise when we noticed the distinctive plumed heads – four penguins floating along.  They were pretty far from the boat and small, so the photo I took doesn’t show them very well, but I was ecstatic (plus, that’s one of the animals on my list to see in the wild).

As we came back into the Milford Sound from the Tasman Sea, a pod of dolphins came to greet the boat.  Unfortunately, Alex had just left to get a beer and missed them.  I took several photos as we approached, but, in perfect timing, my camera’s batteries died and the extras were with Alex.  The dolphins swam beside the boat for a long while, and I was in a great position to look down over the side boat at the dolphins breaching the water over and over again.  I hated so much that Alex missed them (and that he had my extra batteries!)

We made our way back to Queenstown and went out on the town.  The nightlife in Queenstown is pretty lively, with many bars staying open until 5am.  We visited the Minus 5 Bar, but we were disappointed.  It was much smaller than the Vegas one with fewer ice sculptures and only one bench for sitting.  We also happened to go in with a large group of people, making it feel that much smaller.

Minus 5 Ice Bar Queenstown, New Zealand

Milford Sound was a success and the weather was absolutely perfect again.

Firsts for this leg of the trip:

  • First time seeing dolphins, seals, and penguins in the wild
  • First time seeing a fiord
  • First time seeing the Tasman Sea
Excitement, Nature, Travel
, , , , , , , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit New Zealand – The Journey Begins…

March 19, 2010 by Jessica 7 Comments

To get to New Zealand, we were to leave out of Charlotte for a flight to Los Angeles, and then a flight to Auckland.  Once arriving in Auckland, we were to take one more flight down to Queenstown before we had arrived at our “final destination” (or at least the place we were going to stay for a few days). 

Although we typically do not get much snow in North Carolina, this winter has been any thing but typical for much of the Eastern United States.  Forecasters had called for snow on Tuesday evening, but as we were leaving at 11am, I wasn’t worried.  Imagine my surprise when 15 minutes before we were to board, it began snowing…heavily.  By the time we had waited for our turn to approach the runway, we had to be redirected to de-ice.  I know this is common practice, but not for me, and not for North Carolina airports. 

 Of course, I began irrationally worrying that we would be delayed.  Not that it would have mattered since we had a 7-hour layover in LA.  We weren’t delayed and arrived only 15 minutes late in LA.  Originally I had toyed with the idea of going out and visiting the LA area during out layover but since neither Alex or myself had ever been to LA and certainly didn’t want something to happen to cause us to miss our flight to Auckland, we elected to stay at LAX.

We took off for Auckland on time and began the longest flight Alex or myself had ever been on – 12 hours and 20 minutes (the longest flight for me before this was Italy at 10 hours and Alex’s was to Hawaii at 5 hours).  I watched some in-flight entertainment (Up in the Air which was very good and The Lovely Bones which was only ok – I didn’t really like the book either) and managed to sleep about 6 hours.  We were awoken at 4:30am on Thursday, March 4th to eat breakfast and get ready to arrive in Auckland. 

In Auckland we had a 3-hour layover till we got on our plane for Queenstown.  On the way down to Queenstown, the pilot pointed out all of the places of interest, including the Southern Alps and Australiasia’s tallest point, Mt. Cook.  I didn’t have my camera ready (it was stowed above) but the sight was truly breath taking, full of craggy mountains and snow-covered peaks. 

In Queenstown we picked up our rental car and began the harrowing exercise of trying to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road.  Alex grabbed the reins first and it only took ½ mile from the airport to almost turn the wrong way into traffic.  The most confusing part is that there are only roundabouts, which are confusing enough in the States, but WAY worse when you’re driving opposite.  After that primary scare, we found our lodging at Garden Court Apartments .  Unfortunately, we arrived at 1pm and couldn’t check in until 2pm.  As you can imagine, after 24+ hours of traveling, we were in desperate need of a shower, but we got back in the car and headed back out to grab some lunch.  

The downtown area was only ¼ mile down the road, so we really didn’t need to drive, but Alex found a parking spot and we went in to the first place we found, Speights.  Had a good lunch, sitting outside with gorgeous weather, the sun shining but no humidity and a cool breeze – absolutely perfect weather that you relish the few times a year when it comes your way.  After lunch we still had time to burn, so we wondered around the Downtown area.  Queenstown IS rather touristy – most of the storefronts are for attractions and tours. 

At 2pm we headed back, where Alex again almost pulled out into traffic, but we made it back safely and got into our room.  The room was very cute and GREAT views.  I grabbed a shower first, where I realized for the first time that both of my ankles were swollen to be as large as my calves.  After showers, we took naps, where I tried to keep my ankles raised, but it didn’t do much good.

Alex was really out and I finally woke him up around 8pm because I was hungry.  We walked downtown and grabbed some pizza at Winnies and walked around just enough to find Steamers Wharf, which was where we were to depart the next morning for our cruise to Milford Sound.  After finding the pick up spot, we made our way back to the room, where Alex quickly went back to sleep.  Since we needed to get up at 5:30am the next morning for our tour, I should have too, but I was just too excited/keyed up to sleep.

Firsts for this day:

  • First time seeing the Pacific
  • First time crossing the International Date Line
  • First time visiting the Southern Hemisphere
Excitement, Travel
, , , , , ,

Thing to Do #36: Visit New Zealand-Zero Hour

March 1, 2010 by Jessica 1 Comment

I’M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND!

Ok, that’s out of my system.  My bags are packed!   I have my travel pillow, power adapters, and passport/travel itinerary/travel vouchers/proof of travel insurance.  We’ve packed every medication you can get over the counter, umbrellas and ponchos, sunscreen and hats, winter AND summer clothing.  I’m bringing my laptop to record my adventures daily (or almost daily) because at the end of 2 weeks, I’m going to forget what we did at the beginning.  I’m bringing seven books with me-I hope its enough.

I’m nervous/excited/anxious.  I haven’t been able to concentrate on much of anything for the past week.  I’m not even there yet and I’m already dissapointed that its going to end.  I hope I have energy to keep going the whole time-I love sleep too much but I don’t want to sleep away my time there.  I hope Alex has a good time and isn’t too anxious while we are there.  I want him to have a good time and enjoy doing some of the more adventurous stuff we have scheduled.

I have such high hopes for this trip and have been talking about it and looking forward to it for so long that I’m convinced there is no way it can live up to expectations.  AND I’m still trying to kick this cold!

But its going to be awesome.  I know it.  It HAS to be!

Try not to miss me too badly while I’m gone.  I promise I’ll have lots of photos and stories when I return.

Travel
, , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 110 other followers