A bird on Heron Island
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Not a heron, but there are thousands of these everywhere.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Heron Island week one
On the 22nd, I got a plane from Sydney to Brisbane and then a seven hour train from there to Gladstone. Gladstone is a small industrial town on the east coast of the country, but more importantly for me, the gateway to Heron Island.
Lying 72km off the mainland, Heron Island is 40 acres of coral cay in the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef. I got a job there on the 20th, and would travel there on Monday.
So on the 23rd, I went down to the marina in Gladstone and boarded the daily ferry to the island, with the trip lasting just over two hours. Sailing to Heron is about the equivalent of going to France and back from England at the nearest point.
When I got to Heron, I was immediately struck by its beauty. It's literally like walking into a postcard or travel brochure, with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water. One of the chefs, James, met me at the jetty and took me for a short walk through the main parts of the resort where I would be working, before handing me over to Steve, my roommate. He then showed me all around the island, explaining how everything works. Believe me, it's a lot to take in!
Basically the whole island is split into the resort, a research station and the rest is national park. The staff village is where I live in the middle of the island and accommodation is in twin-share rooms, each with cupboards, verandahs, tables, chairs and fridges. It's not on par with what the guests are used to, but it's certainly more comfortable and relaxed than many hostels. Toilet and shower facilities are shared, but the facilities block - nicknamed Siberia for some reason - is only a short walk away from my room.
I started work on Tuesday and worked every day of last week up to Sunday (the 29th, if you're keeping track). I work in the resort's kitchen as a 'stweard', which basically involves cleaning up, washing dishes and some simple food preparation. It's hard, intense work, but the numbers of guests is declining all the time at this part of the season and it's worth it to live on Heron Island.
The main benefit of living on Heron is that you can enjoy the same lifestyle that guests do, to an extent. All of the activities are available at a hugely reduced price; fishing is $2.50 instead of $65, while a trip in the semi-submersible is $0.40 instead of $30. You can also just relax at the beach, have a swim or go for a walk amongst the coral any time you're not working and beacuse the island is so small, you can get to the beach in about two minutes (walking around the island only takes 20).
All but one of my shifts so far has been 3pm to midnight, thus allowing me to have the entire morning and much of hte afternoon off. I've taken the oppurtunity to fill up this free time with all sorts of activities that we can do for free or a low cost. On Wednesday I went for a free two hour reef walk, which is a guided tour of the inner coral reef. Because coral surrounds the island, you can walk straight off the beach into it and get up really close at low tide. It was a really interesting walk because I've never seen coral up close before and even though it isn't the colourful type that you see in the media, it's fascinating.
On Saturday I went on the semi-submersible, where you sit in the hull of a boat which is lined with windows, so you can look out over the coral and see it like you would if you were diving. They take you out over the outer section of the coral reef, where it's much deeper and more colourful. You can also see all sorts of animals swimming by, from turtles and fish to eagle rays and sharks.
Talking of sharks, Heron Island's beaches and coastal waters are surprisingly safe. There are no box jellyfish - the worst type - and even the less harmful ones are never seen at the beach. There are reef sharks, but they only grow up to about a metre and are more scared of humans than we are of them. Cutting yourself on coral is the only other real danger and that can be easily treated. The best part of the beach apart from the sand is the water temperature though, a warm 25 degrees celcius.
On Sunday I went fishing for three hours before work, which was enjoyable even if I was the only person on the boat not to catch a thing! There's time yet though, especially if it only costs us $2.50 for each trip.
What else is there to say about living and working on Heron Island? Well, it's like living in an aviary sometimes, with about 300,000 birds on the island and only about 300 people at the moment. It's not uncommon to be the 'target' of birds as you walk under trees, so you just walk around a bit quicker than usual! Food on the island is also pretty good too. There's a self-service staff canteen that you can go to at any time during the day where you can help yourself to the three meals served per day along with an ever-present salad bar and (even better) an ice cream freezer.
So I've enjoyed my first week on Heron Island and intend to stay the remaining twelve. It's hard work in the kitchen for sure, but the benefits of living on Heron make it all worth while. It's so relaxed there and such a great experience. Let's hope it stays that way!
Lying 72km off the mainland, Heron Island is 40 acres of coral cay in the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef. I got a job there on the 20th, and would travel there on Monday.
So on the 23rd, I went down to the marina in Gladstone and boarded the daily ferry to the island, with the trip lasting just over two hours. Sailing to Heron is about the equivalent of going to France and back from England at the nearest point.
When I got to Heron, I was immediately struck by its beauty. It's literally like walking into a postcard or travel brochure, with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water. One of the chefs, James, met me at the jetty and took me for a short walk through the main parts of the resort where I would be working, before handing me over to Steve, my roommate. He then showed me all around the island, explaining how everything works. Believe me, it's a lot to take in!
Basically the whole island is split into the resort, a research station and the rest is national park. The staff village is where I live in the middle of the island and accommodation is in twin-share rooms, each with cupboards, verandahs, tables, chairs and fridges. It's not on par with what the guests are used to, but it's certainly more comfortable and relaxed than many hostels. Toilet and shower facilities are shared, but the facilities block - nicknamed Siberia for some reason - is only a short walk away from my room.
I started work on Tuesday and worked every day of last week up to Sunday (the 29th, if you're keeping track). I work in the resort's kitchen as a 'stweard', which basically involves cleaning up, washing dishes and some simple food preparation. It's hard, intense work, but the numbers of guests is declining all the time at this part of the season and it's worth it to live on Heron Island.
The main benefit of living on Heron is that you can enjoy the same lifestyle that guests do, to an extent. All of the activities are available at a hugely reduced price; fishing is $2.50 instead of $65, while a trip in the semi-submersible is $0.40 instead of $30. You can also just relax at the beach, have a swim or go for a walk amongst the coral any time you're not working and beacuse the island is so small, you can get to the beach in about two minutes (walking around the island only takes 20).
All but one of my shifts so far has been 3pm to midnight, thus allowing me to have the entire morning and much of hte afternoon off. I've taken the oppurtunity to fill up this free time with all sorts of activities that we can do for free or a low cost. On Wednesday I went for a free two hour reef walk, which is a guided tour of the inner coral reef. Because coral surrounds the island, you can walk straight off the beach into it and get up really close at low tide. It was a really interesting walk because I've never seen coral up close before and even though it isn't the colourful type that you see in the media, it's fascinating.
On Saturday I went on the semi-submersible, where you sit in the hull of a boat which is lined with windows, so you can look out over the coral and see it like you would if you were diving. They take you out over the outer section of the coral reef, where it's much deeper and more colourful. You can also see all sorts of animals swimming by, from turtles and fish to eagle rays and sharks.
Talking of sharks, Heron Island's beaches and coastal waters are surprisingly safe. There are no box jellyfish - the worst type - and even the less harmful ones are never seen at the beach. There are reef sharks, but they only grow up to about a metre and are more scared of humans than we are of them. Cutting yourself on coral is the only other real danger and that can be easily treated. The best part of the beach apart from the sand is the water temperature though, a warm 25 degrees celcius.
On Sunday I went fishing for three hours before work, which was enjoyable even if I was the only person on the boat not to catch a thing! There's time yet though, especially if it only costs us $2.50 for each trip.
What else is there to say about living and working on Heron Island? Well, it's like living in an aviary sometimes, with about 300,000 birds on the island and only about 300 people at the moment. It's not uncommon to be the 'target' of birds as you walk under trees, so you just walk around a bit quicker than usual! Food on the island is also pretty good too. There's a self-service staff canteen that you can go to at any time during the day where you can help yourself to the three meals served per day along with an ever-present salad bar and (even better) an ice cream freezer.
So I've enjoyed my first week on Heron Island and intend to stay the remaining twelve. It's hard work in the kitchen for sure, but the benefits of living on Heron make it all worth while. It's so relaxed there and such a great experience. Let's hope it stays that way!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Off to Heron Island
Today all I did was to prepare for going to Heron Island tomorrow. This morning I went down to Work and Travel to check my email and the woman from the resort had sent me a load of information and forms to read through, which I did. You can find out about Heron Island at their website.
So I went and bought a pair of steel-toe-capped work boots, a new pair of jeans (my old ones fell apart in New Zealand) and three shirts. Being an exclusive resort, you've got to dress 'smart casual' a lot of the time when you're not working, so I've replaced a few older T-shirts that are wearing out with these new smarter ones.
So this might be the last time you hear from me for a while. There's no mobile phone coverage on the island and only one computer for 135 staff! I should be able to access the Internet at Gladstone, the mainland town nearest to the island, maybe once every ten days or so.
Tomorrow I catch a flight from Sydney to Brisbane, then get a train from Brisbane to Gladstone in the afternoon, arriving at about 6.30pm. On Monday morning I'll catch the ferry to the island and I think I actually start work on Tuesday.
So I went and bought a pair of steel-toe-capped work boots, a new pair of jeans (my old ones fell apart in New Zealand) and three shirts. Being an exclusive resort, you've got to dress 'smart casual' a lot of the time when you're not working, so I've replaced a few older T-shirts that are wearing out with these new smarter ones.
So this might be the last time you hear from me for a while. There's no mobile phone coverage on the island and only one computer for 135 staff! I should be able to access the Internet at Gladstone, the mainland town nearest to the island, maybe once every ten days or so.
Tomorrow I catch a flight from Sydney to Brisbane, then get a train from Brisbane to Gladstone in the afternoon, arriving at about 6.30pm. On Monday morning I'll catch the ferry to the island and I think I actually start work on Tuesday.
19
Friday was my 19th birthday, my first away from home and probably my most eventful. In the morning I went to the Work and Travel office, read my emails and then arranged to meet up with Ness and Brian, some friends I know from home (Ness is the daughter of our neighbour at home and now lives out in Australia with Brian).
I met Ness down at Circular Quay and we caught a ferry to Manly, one of the suburbs on the northern shore of the harbour. We went for a quick walk round and it seemed like a nice place, although a bit too like an English seaside resort (they actually wanted to rename it Brighton a few decades ago).
After Brian picked us up and drove us back to their house, Ness drove me around the area to show me a few local sights. When we were at a lookout overlooking Manly, I got a phone call from the woman at Heron Island. She offered me the job!
Of course I accepted and much relieved, I returned with Ness to their house for dinner. We had a nice meal accompanied by champagne (and even custard; a favourite of mine that's rarely available outside of the UK in a ready-made form).
I got a phone call from home which was great and it was also nice to be with people I know for my birthday. I knew that Christmas and my birthday wouldn't be normal for these two years, but at least I've been with farmiliar company for both.
I met Ness down at Circular Quay and we caught a ferry to Manly, one of the suburbs on the northern shore of the harbour. We went for a quick walk round and it seemed like a nice place, although a bit too like an English seaside resort (they actually wanted to rename it Brighton a few decades ago).
After Brian picked us up and drove us back to their house, Ness drove me around the area to show me a few local sights. When we were at a lookout overlooking Manly, I got a phone call from the woman at Heron Island. She offered me the job!
Of course I accepted and much relieved, I returned with Ness to their house for dinner. We had a nice meal accompanied by champagne (and even custard; a favourite of mine that's rarely available outside of the UK in a ready-made form).
I got a phone call from home which was great and it was also nice to be with people I know for my birthday. I knew that Christmas and my birthday wouldn't be normal for these two years, but at least I've been with farmiliar company for both.
Bear
Bear
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Forgive me, I don't know exactly what type of bear this is!
Friday, January 20, 2006
A Zoo and an interview
On Thursday morning I went down to the Royal Botanical Gardens because it's one of the quietest places I could find and had my phone interview with a woman at Heron Island. I think it went fairly well even though I was hurried on some questions and couldn't answer fully. They'd also changed my application to be a kitchen steward instead of a room attendant because there were other people more qualified.
After the interview, I went back to the Work and Travel office and then had lunch before going to Taronga Zoo. Located across the harbour on the northern shore, it's fairly expensive compared to something like the aquarium, but probably worth the cost. Like any zoo, there are plenty of tigers, lions and the like, but this one has a more Australasian theme with plenty of kangaroos and other native animals, some of which I haven't seen before.
After a trip to the zoo, I returned to Base Backpackers and then went to the Work and Travel office where they were hosting a 'Northern Territory discovery night'. It was basically a big PR event with lots of tour operators and the tourism board for the NT there, but they were giving away free food and drink as well as prizes. The Northern Territory isn't one of the most popular areas of Australia, but it's definitely worth a visit and it's somewhere I'll no doubt be heading sooner or later.
After the interview, I went back to the Work and Travel office and then had lunch before going to Taronga Zoo. Located across the harbour on the northern shore, it's fairly expensive compared to something like the aquarium, but probably worth the cost. Like any zoo, there are plenty of tigers, lions and the like, but this one has a more Australasian theme with plenty of kangaroos and other native animals, some of which I haven't seen before.
After a trip to the zoo, I returned to Base Backpackers and then went to the Work and Travel office where they were hosting a 'Northern Territory discovery night'. It was basically a big PR event with lots of tour operators and the tourism board for the NT there, but they were giving away free food and drink as well as prizes. The Northern Territory isn't one of the most popular areas of Australia, but it's definitely worth a visit and it's somewhere I'll no doubt be heading sooner or later.
The day I bought an umbrella
In short, Sydney's weather is hardly ideal at the moment. Every day it's raining very lightly, but enough to stop you from going out and doing anything. It's so frustrating to be stuck inside or limited to indoor attractions. So on Tuesday I went and bought my first umbrella, in summer-time Sydney of all places!
After going to Work and Travel in the morning to check on the Internet, I met up with Victoria for lunch. She was travelling off to Melbourne, so I said goodbye shortly after and walked to the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour.
Apparently the Sydney Aquarium is the country's most visited attraction, and I don't know whether to be surprised at that or not. I would have thought that something like Uluru or the Opera House would top it, but not so. When you visit the aquarium though, it's obvious why it's so highly recommended by everyone.
The aquarium is split up into different zones themed by environment, incorporating all sorts of different marine wildlife, from starfish to alligators and sharks. There are even three tanks which you can walk through in glass tunnels, with the fish swimming all around you.
After visiting the aquarium, I went to Work and Travel and then to Base Backpackers to book a few more nights, before going to Hyde Park to have a quiet read. That evening I had a walk around Darling Harbour, which I hadn't seen at night before.
On Wednesday morning I checked out of the Wood Duck Inn and got a taxi back to Base, where I checked in. My new room is actually double the size of the old one with the same number of beds, which is quite unusual for a city hostel.
I spent much of the day at the Work and Travel office, waiting for a phone call from the people at the resort, but they didn't call so I asked the job advisors to follow up the application. The woman who had handled my application arranged a telephone interview for the following morning, which I was really pleased about because I could at least prepare for a certain time and not spend whole days worrying about phone signal strength.
After going to Work and Travel in the morning to check on the Internet, I met up with Victoria for lunch. She was travelling off to Melbourne, so I said goodbye shortly after and walked to the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour.
Apparently the Sydney Aquarium is the country's most visited attraction, and I don't know whether to be surprised at that or not. I would have thought that something like Uluru or the Opera House would top it, but not so. When you visit the aquarium though, it's obvious why it's so highly recommended by everyone.
The aquarium is split up into different zones themed by environment, incorporating all sorts of different marine wildlife, from starfish to alligators and sharks. There are even three tanks which you can walk through in glass tunnels, with the fish swimming all around you.
After visiting the aquarium, I went to Work and Travel and then to Base Backpackers to book a few more nights, before going to Hyde Park to have a quiet read. That evening I had a walk around Darling Harbour, which I hadn't seen at night before.
On Wednesday morning I checked out of the Wood Duck Inn and got a taxi back to Base, where I checked in. My new room is actually double the size of the old one with the same number of beds, which is quite unusual for a city hostel.
I spent much of the day at the Work and Travel office, waiting for a phone call from the people at the resort, but they didn't call so I asked the job advisors to follow up the application. The woman who had handled my application arranged a telephone interview for the following morning, which I was really pleased about because I could at least prepare for a certain time and not spend whole days worrying about phone signal strength.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery of NSW
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
An exhibition in the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The Endeavour
The Endeavour
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
A replica of Captain Cook's Endeavour at the National Maritime Museum.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Work
Going around New Zealand for three months without working puts a dent in your budget to say the least, so I've been looking for work since I've been in Sydney. On Friday, I went to an orientation talk at the Work and Travel Company office, which lasted for four hours and went through a series of topics, from the facilities available to us and working in Australia to tax and beach safety. After that, we all went out for lunch down the road and then I spent much of the afternoon going through various bits of paperwork that needed to be filled in for me to start looking for a job.
On Saturday, I went down to the Work and Travel office early and gave in all my forms to one of the employment advisors. She said that if I wanted retail work of any sort, I would have to go door to door, because shops don't really come to them to look for workers because we're bound by a limit of three months to work for one company. So I spent most of the afternoon going to various shops and enquiring about vacancies. I left my CV with a dozen of them, but the general vibe I got was that no one was really looking to hire because of the time of year.
That evening I went to The Spirit of New Orleans: Jazz in the Domain, a free concert in one of the city's central parks. About 70,000 turned up to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Terrance Simien. There was a great atmosphere and although you couldn't see a lot from where I was, the music was great.
On Sunday I had a day off from worrying about finding a job and went first to the New South Wales Art Gallery. It's got a fairly diverse range of galleries, with European and Australian art, old and new. There's also a exhibition on Pissaro on at the moment, the 'first impressionist', which was interesting although very busy. I had lunch in the cafe there and then continued down to Mrs Macquaries' Point, a great viewpoint over the harbour only sploilt by the overcast sky. I then headed back to the city centre via the Royal Botanical Gardens, which are surprisingly good and full of all sorts of plants and animals you'd never see at home, but I guess that's kind of obvious.
When I got back to the city centre, I got on the monorail for the first time. It's a small circuit, looping to Darling Harbour and back every four minutes or so. It seems more of a novelty than anything, but I guess you've got to do it once. So I got off at Darling Harbour, just to the west of the city centre, where I went to the National Maritime Museum. Like a lot of the museums in Australasia, this one is both excellent and free. One thing I did pay for though, was entry to a replica of the Endeavour, the ship that Captain Cook sailed to New Zealand and Australia (amongst other places) in. It's exactly the same as the original, except this one has a 400bhp engine, something I'm sure Cook would have found useful!
That evening, I went to another free Sydney Festival event, this time in Darling Harbour. The Concert of Fire wasn't as big as the Jazz in the Domain, but it was definitely more spectacular. It was basically a series of percussion pieces interjected with fireworks, a strange but suitable mixture. I also met a girl there called Victoria there, who was also an English backpacker. Like me, she'd been to several of the Sydney Festival events, particularly the free outdoor ones.
On Monday, I got up early and checked out of Base Backpackers and went to the Work and Travel office. There I applied for a resort job that I'd spotted on Saturday. It involves living on an island on the Great Barrier Reef for three months, working as a room attendant for 35-40 hours a week. It would be fantastic if I got it and at the time of writing, I'm waiting for them to call me.
I then got a taxi to the Wood Duck Inn, another hostel I'd read about in the Rough Guide. It was still fairly central, but not as expensive. In fact, I got a two bed dorm for only $20, which is almost unheard of. After dumping my stuff there, I met up with Victoria for lunch and then we went to the Museum of Sydney, which had a special exhibition on Bondi Beach on as well as its permanent ones.
Admittedly, I spent a lot of the day glancing down at my phone to check if I still had signal, just in case the resort company would phone me! I hate having to wait like that, knowing that what you're doing in the next three months is dependant on whether you get a job or not, and that decision is in someone else's hands. Anyway, wish me luck!
On Saturday, I went down to the Work and Travel office early and gave in all my forms to one of the employment advisors. She said that if I wanted retail work of any sort, I would have to go door to door, because shops don't really come to them to look for workers because we're bound by a limit of three months to work for one company. So I spent most of the afternoon going to various shops and enquiring about vacancies. I left my CV with a dozen of them, but the general vibe I got was that no one was really looking to hire because of the time of year.
That evening I went to The Spirit of New Orleans: Jazz in the Domain, a free concert in one of the city's central parks. About 70,000 turned up to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Terrance Simien. There was a great atmosphere and although you couldn't see a lot from where I was, the music was great.
On Sunday I had a day off from worrying about finding a job and went first to the New South Wales Art Gallery. It's got a fairly diverse range of galleries, with European and Australian art, old and new. There's also a exhibition on Pissaro on at the moment, the 'first impressionist', which was interesting although very busy. I had lunch in the cafe there and then continued down to Mrs Macquaries' Point, a great viewpoint over the harbour only sploilt by the overcast sky. I then headed back to the city centre via the Royal Botanical Gardens, which are surprisingly good and full of all sorts of plants and animals you'd never see at home, but I guess that's kind of obvious.
When I got back to the city centre, I got on the monorail for the first time. It's a small circuit, looping to Darling Harbour and back every four minutes or so. It seems more of a novelty than anything, but I guess you've got to do it once. So I got off at Darling Harbour, just to the west of the city centre, where I went to the National Maritime Museum. Like a lot of the museums in Australasia, this one is both excellent and free. One thing I did pay for though, was entry to a replica of the Endeavour, the ship that Captain Cook sailed to New Zealand and Australia (amongst other places) in. It's exactly the same as the original, except this one has a 400bhp engine, something I'm sure Cook would have found useful!
That evening, I went to another free Sydney Festival event, this time in Darling Harbour. The Concert of Fire wasn't as big as the Jazz in the Domain, but it was definitely more spectacular. It was basically a series of percussion pieces interjected with fireworks, a strange but suitable mixture. I also met a girl there called Victoria there, who was also an English backpacker. Like me, she'd been to several of the Sydney Festival events, particularly the free outdoor ones.
On Monday, I got up early and checked out of Base Backpackers and went to the Work and Travel office. There I applied for a resort job that I'd spotted on Saturday. It involves living on an island on the Great Barrier Reef for three months, working as a room attendant for 35-40 hours a week. It would be fantastic if I got it and at the time of writing, I'm waiting for them to call me.
I then got a taxi to the Wood Duck Inn, another hostel I'd read about in the Rough Guide. It was still fairly central, but not as expensive. In fact, I got a two bed dorm for only $20, which is almost unheard of. After dumping my stuff there, I met up with Victoria for lunch and then we went to the Museum of Sydney, which had a special exhibition on Bondi Beach on as well as its permanent ones.
Admittedly, I spent a lot of the day glancing down at my phone to check if I still had signal, just in case the resort company would phone me! I hate having to wait like that, knowing that what you're doing in the next three months is dependant on whether you get a job or not, and that decision is in someone else's hands. Anyway, wish me luck!
Monday, January 16, 2006
Sydney
On Thursday, I spent my first full day in Sydney walking around and getting my bearings. From Base Backpackers, I walked 1km north to Circular Quay, the city's transport hub at the harbourside, before continuing round to the Opera House. Australia's iconic building is as beautiful as you might think, and more imposing than in any pictures of it. You can't walk inside unless you're on a tour or going to a performance, but the exterior is probably enough for most people. It's a great landmark for Sydney and without it, I don't think it would have anything like its unique identity.
From the Opera House, I walked back around through Circular Quay to The Rocks, Sydney's historical quarter. It's here that the city grew from and it contains Sydney's oldest (still standing) private house. From The Rocks, I ventured up on to the Harbour Bridge and along to one of the pylon lookouts, which look like little castles at each end of the bridge. For only $8, you can get a similar viewpoint to that of the full bridge climb ($160) and you can your camera up to get the photos you want, not just one included in a package.
After returning to Circular Quay, I went to The Domain, a central park, and then on to the State Library which was interesting if a little stale. I then went back to the Work and Travel Company office to get my membership card, which gave me access to all their services, like free Internet. Just to recap, Work and Travel are a company who provide a job finding service, as well as combining things like accommodation, visa applications, tax file numbers, etc. in several of their packages. Basically, they make a lot of things a little bit easier.
In the evening, I went to Olympic Park where free films are being put on as part of the Sydney Festival. They've got a big screen in a large grassy area in front of the main stadium, and all you have to pay for is the transport to get there. I met an English girl there called Tracey, who was doing exactly the same as me, checking out all of hte free events being put on as part of hte Sydney Festival. We watched Triplets of Belleville, a French and English animated film which I knew nothing about before I saw it, but turned out to be excellent.
From the Opera House, I walked back around through Circular Quay to The Rocks, Sydney's historical quarter. It's here that the city grew from and it contains Sydney's oldest (still standing) private house. From The Rocks, I ventured up on to the Harbour Bridge and along to one of the pylon lookouts, which look like little castles at each end of the bridge. For only $8, you can get a similar viewpoint to that of the full bridge climb ($160) and you can your camera up to get the photos you want, not just one included in a package.
After returning to Circular Quay, I went to The Domain, a central park, and then on to the State Library which was interesting if a little stale. I then went back to the Work and Travel Company office to get my membership card, which gave me access to all their services, like free Internet. Just to recap, Work and Travel are a company who provide a job finding service, as well as combining things like accommodation, visa applications, tax file numbers, etc. in several of their packages. Basically, they make a lot of things a little bit easier.
In the evening, I went to Olympic Park where free films are being put on as part of the Sydney Festival. They've got a big screen in a large grassy area in front of the main stadium, and all you have to pay for is the transport to get there. I met an English girl there called Tracey, who was doing exactly the same as me, checking out all of hte free events being put on as part of hte Sydney Festival. We watched Triplets of Belleville, a French and English animated film which I knew nothing about before I saw it, but turned out to be excellent.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Goodbye New Zealand, Hello Australia!
On Monday, I went into Napier town centre to re-confirm my flight to Australia, then got on an Inter City coach to Auckland, which left at 11:30 and didn't arrive until 18:30. I checked into Auckland Central Backpackers again, this time for a couple of nights, before going for a short walk around the city centre. The next day I went to the IEP office in the morning and updated this, since I was about a month behind! In the evening, I went out to an IEP pubmeet, which was at the Empire Hotel where they were again holding a quiz night.
On Wednesday, I checked out of ACB, went to IEP and used up my New Zealand phone card by calling home, Rebekka and my grandmother for an hour (in total, not each!). At about 11, I got on the AirBus coach to the airport, which took about an hour to get there. Learning from previous experience, I allowed more than enough time to check in, have lunch, pay my departure tax and go through security. I got to the gate early enough that a guy from the Department of Tourism (or similar) asked me to contribute to a survey and go through a ton of questions with me. They basically wanted to know where I had been, for how long and what I'd done; which took about 30 minutes in all. Once I was finished with that, it was time to board and on I got, leaving a country I'd been in for the last 91 days.
So, final impressions of New Zealand... Well, I couldn't recommended it enough as a place to visit. Its landscape is its strong point and within it there's so much variety, not just what you see in the likes of The Lord Of The Rings. The South Island in particular, has golden sandy beachs, tropical rainforest next to glaciers, spectacular fjords and towering mountains, breathtaking coastal scenery, shimmering lakes and wildlife to match any number of countries. Better yet, this is all so close together and accessible, while remaining largely unspoilt. Beaches, roads and the like never seem to get busy. New Zealand is geared up for tourism and reliant on it, but it's not overwhelmed by it either.
The flight itself was fairly routine, a three hour hop across the Tasman Sea to Sydney Kingsford. When I got there, I didn't have any problems with immigration, even though I put down that I'd recently been in a rural area, a question that's red-flagged. A representative from the Work and Travel Company met a girl who had flown in from Hawaii and I in the arrivals lounge and drove us to our hostel in town, going via a few sights like Bondi Beach. We were checked in and given a few pieces of information about the area, before being left to unpack and get to know our roommates.
After being in New Zealand for three months, there are a lot of things here that are fairly similar, but the weather certainly isn't. When I walked out into the car park at hte airport, it was like hitting a wall of heat. It was just so hot and humid, even though it was lightly raining. Whatever the weather, whatever time of day it is, you never need to wear more than one layer of clothing. The climate certainly takes a bit of getting used to!
On Wednesday, I checked out of ACB, went to IEP and used up my New Zealand phone card by calling home, Rebekka and my grandmother for an hour (in total, not each!). At about 11, I got on the AirBus coach to the airport, which took about an hour to get there. Learning from previous experience, I allowed more than enough time to check in, have lunch, pay my departure tax and go through security. I got to the gate early enough that a guy from the Department of Tourism (or similar) asked me to contribute to a survey and go through a ton of questions with me. They basically wanted to know where I had been, for how long and what I'd done; which took about 30 minutes in all. Once I was finished with that, it was time to board and on I got, leaving a country I'd been in for the last 91 days.
So, final impressions of New Zealand... Well, I couldn't recommended it enough as a place to visit. Its landscape is its strong point and within it there's so much variety, not just what you see in the likes of The Lord Of The Rings. The South Island in particular, has golden sandy beachs, tropical rainforest next to glaciers, spectacular fjords and towering mountains, breathtaking coastal scenery, shimmering lakes and wildlife to match any number of countries. Better yet, this is all so close together and accessible, while remaining largely unspoilt. Beaches, roads and the like never seem to get busy. New Zealand is geared up for tourism and reliant on it, but it's not overwhelmed by it either.
The flight itself was fairly routine, a three hour hop across the Tasman Sea to Sydney Kingsford. When I got there, I didn't have any problems with immigration, even though I put down that I'd recently been in a rural area, a question that's red-flagged. A representative from the Work and Travel Company met a girl who had flown in from Hawaii and I in the arrivals lounge and drove us to our hostel in town, going via a few sights like Bondi Beach. We were checked in and given a few pieces of information about the area, before being left to unpack and get to know our roommates.
After being in New Zealand for three months, there are a lot of things here that are fairly similar, but the weather certainly isn't. When I walked out into the car park at hte airport, it was like hitting a wall of heat. It was just so hot and humid, even though it was lightly raining. Whatever the weather, whatever time of day it is, you never need to wear more than one layer of clothing. The climate certainly takes a bit of getting used to!
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Napier
On Saturday, I returned the rental car and caught a bus from Gisborne to Napier. With a population of about 50,000, it's the largest town on the east coast of the North Island and is the focal point of the Hawke's Bay region.
Apart from the surrounding wine country, it's primarily famous for its wealth of Art Deco architecture. On February 3, 1931, the town was all but demolished by New Zealand's largest recorded earthquake, weighing in at 7.9 on the Richter scale. Most of the buildings were red brick and offered completely inadequete protection to their occupiers, 20% of which died from the falling masonry and susequent fires that engulfed the town. The ground in many surrounding areas rose by 2 metres, giving the then isolated semi-island settlement vast swathes of new land with which to expand into. When they rebuilt the town, Art Deco was all the rage and as a result, many of the central streets feature homogenous rows of upper-floor frontages.
After I checked into Stables Lodge backpackers, not far from the town centre, I went on a two hour guided walk of the Art Deco buildings, including a few interiors which you can't normally access. Having an Art Deco building or two isn't that special, but Napier has over 90 in its three main streets, one of the highest concentrations of this type of architecture in the world. Impressive it certainly is.
That evening the hostel arranged a BBQ and by agreeing to help out with the cooking, I got a free meal, which I thought was a reasonable deal! After dinner, I went for a walk along the beachfront and into town, before heading back to the hostel, where I got chatting to a few other backpackers in the lounge as we watched a film on TV.
On Sunday, the sun was shining relentlessly again and after a late start, I walked into town. I bought a book (Johnathon Strange and Mr. Norrell) and then went to get some lunch. I walked into a girl who I met the previous night in the hostel and we went up Napier's Bluff Hill, where you can see the town and surrounding area. When we got back down into town, she had to go off to the next stop on her trip, so I went to Opossum World, a free and mildly amusing exhibition on New Zealand's greatest pest. From there I continued on to the Hawke's Bay museum, which had a fairly good display on the earthquake, but of course couldn't match up to the likes of Te Papa (Wellington) or the Auckland Museum.
I returned to the hostel to find two new German girls in our room, who said that they were going to a cricket match and asked me if I'd like to join them. Not having seen a live professional match yet, I went with them to the stadium down the road. When we asked if we could get a discount for not seeing the first five hours, the woman said no, but after we began to walk away, she said that she'd let us in at the concession price. It turned out that it was an international match, the Blackcaps (NZ) vs. Sri Lanka, not bad for $6! So we sat in the evening sun and watched the last two hours of the match, seeing the Blackcaps lose by 20 runs in the end. Cricket isn't exactly the most exciting thing to watch at times, but at least it had a good atmosphere.
Apart from the surrounding wine country, it's primarily famous for its wealth of Art Deco architecture. On February 3, 1931, the town was all but demolished by New Zealand's largest recorded earthquake, weighing in at 7.9 on the Richter scale. Most of the buildings were red brick and offered completely inadequete protection to their occupiers, 20% of which died from the falling masonry and susequent fires that engulfed the town. The ground in many surrounding areas rose by 2 metres, giving the then isolated semi-island settlement vast swathes of new land with which to expand into. When they rebuilt the town, Art Deco was all the rage and as a result, many of the central streets feature homogenous rows of upper-floor frontages.
After I checked into Stables Lodge backpackers, not far from the town centre, I went on a two hour guided walk of the Art Deco buildings, including a few interiors which you can't normally access. Having an Art Deco building or two isn't that special, but Napier has over 90 in its three main streets, one of the highest concentrations of this type of architecture in the world. Impressive it certainly is.
That evening the hostel arranged a BBQ and by agreeing to help out with the cooking, I got a free meal, which I thought was a reasonable deal! After dinner, I went for a walk along the beachfront and into town, before heading back to the hostel, where I got chatting to a few other backpackers in the lounge as we watched a film on TV.
On Sunday, the sun was shining relentlessly again and after a late start, I walked into town. I bought a book (Johnathon Strange and Mr. Norrell) and then went to get some lunch. I walked into a girl who I met the previous night in the hostel and we went up Napier's Bluff Hill, where you can see the town and surrounding area. When we got back down into town, she had to go off to the next stop on her trip, so I went to Opossum World, a free and mildly amusing exhibition on New Zealand's greatest pest. From there I continued on to the Hawke's Bay museum, which had a fairly good display on the earthquake, but of course couldn't match up to the likes of Te Papa (Wellington) or the Auckland Museum.
I returned to the hostel to find two new German girls in our room, who said that they were going to a cricket match and asked me if I'd like to join them. Not having seen a live professional match yet, I went with them to the stadium down the road. When we asked if we could get a discount for not seeing the first five hours, the woman said no, but after we began to walk away, she said that she'd let us in at the concession price. It turned out that it was an international match, the Blackcaps (NZ) vs. Sri Lanka, not bad for $6! So we sat in the evening sun and watched the last two hours of the match, seeing the Blackcaps lose by 20 runs in the end. Cricket isn't exactly the most exciting thing to watch at times, but at least it had a good atmosphere.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
A typical view along East Cape
A typical view along East Cape
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Not sure which bay this is, maybe Whangapaparoa.
East Cape
On Thursday, I said goodbye to Rivka and Richard, and set off on a two day trip around the East Cape. Jutting out into the Pacific, the eastern-most area of the country is also the least visited, populated and accessible. From Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty to Gisborne, there are two roads, SH2 which meanders inland through Waioeka Gorge and SH35 which hugs the coast all the way round the Cape. I split my journey up, travelling from Gisborne through the Gorge to Opotiki and then east along part of SH35 on the first day, and then completing the circle by continuing along the coast back to Gisborne on the second.
The car that I hired was a 1992 Toyota Corolla, but it was an automatic, which I've never driven before. It was very strange at first; not using your left foot and having something else change gear for you. I eventually got used to it, but it still felt odd; either I couldn't trust the car shifting for me or I just prefer to be able to be in full control. Nevertheless, it was easy to drive, especially around the East Cape where the traffic is minimal to say the least. The limit was 100kph, but most people including me were happy to cruise around at 70 or 80 most of the time.
I first headed inland to Opotiki, through Waioeka Gorge. With the road winding below steep slopes covered with rainforest, it makes for an excellent drive and hosts a number of good walks, one of which I did on the way through.
From Opotiki it was on to SH35 and along the coast of the East Cape. The road sticks close to the sea and you begin to see the difference between here and the rest of the North Island. Settlements are few and far between, strung out along several kilometres with few other buildings to focus around. There are a number of schools, the odd small store and a few churches, but little else. The only thing that appears with any consistancy are Marae (meeting houses), reflecting the overwhelming Maori bias in the population on the East Cape. This is where the first canoes landed around 1000 years ago and it's since been a place central to the Maori population.
So I drove on through small hamlets like Te Kaha, stopping to take the odd photo or two. I got to the hostel I had reserved a bed at, Maraehako Bay Retreat, earlier than I thought at 3.30, but it was a really cool place so I didn't mind. Instead of being built like, well, a normal building, it's been constructed like a giant tree house, with four or five levels connected through various stairs and ramps. Like something out of Peter Pan, it had a heavily nautical theme, with rope lining surfaces, a private beach and even free kayak hire.
On Friday I continued on eastwards, first to the Ruakokore, somewhat famous for its picture perfect white clapboard Anglican church. After taking the obligatory photo, I drove through the likes of Waihau Bay and Hick's Bay before coming to Te Araroa, a small village on the tip of the Cape. With more shops than most settlements on SH35, it's also home to the world's largest Pohutukawa (New Zealand's Christmas Tree) and the road to the East Cape lighthouse.
The partly sealed road to the lighthouse is a lengthy 20km, wrapping around several cliffs on its way to the very edge of the Cape. When you get to the car park at the end of the road, it's not that obvious where the path is, but after a bit of backtracking and a 15 minute climb, you stand beside the world's most easterly lighthouse and thus the first to see the light of a new day.
After filling up with petrol at Te Araroa, a novelty in itself with someone else doing the work for you, I headed off eastwards. Within a few minutes, I ran into a traffic jam, although one of a very different kind to that of which I'm used to. Instead of cars blocking up the road ahead, it was a couple of hundred cows, and large ones at that. They don't get out the way as you'd expect either; the bulls stand in front of your car and moo at you until they realise that you're not going anywhere.
After that somewhat comical incident, I stopped in Tikitiki to look at the church. It's here that you find arguably the finest example of a mixture of Christian and Maori artwork in an interior covered in symbols from either culture.
Ruatoria was the next settlement on SH35 and it was there that I stopped for lunch. It's the largest village on the East Cape and I must have been the only non-Maori there, not that anyone seemed to notice or mind.
I then heaeded south via Tokomaru Bay and Anaura Bay to Tolaga Bay. By this time the sunshine had been replaced by ever-darkening clouds, but it didn't put me off going on the Cook's Cove Walkway, a two hour track to the Cove of the same name. It rained lightly on and off, but the views and the scenery was fairly spectacular and made up for the poor weather. Just as I finished the walk, the rain started to get really heavy, and with little else to see I drove from there directly to Gisborne, where I stayed the night at the Flying Nun backpackers.
The car that I hired was a 1992 Toyota Corolla, but it was an automatic, which I've never driven before. It was very strange at first; not using your left foot and having something else change gear for you. I eventually got used to it, but it still felt odd; either I couldn't trust the car shifting for me or I just prefer to be able to be in full control. Nevertheless, it was easy to drive, especially around the East Cape where the traffic is minimal to say the least. The limit was 100kph, but most people including me were happy to cruise around at 70 or 80 most of the time.
I first headed inland to Opotiki, through Waioeka Gorge. With the road winding below steep slopes covered with rainforest, it makes for an excellent drive and hosts a number of good walks, one of which I did on the way through.
From Opotiki it was on to SH35 and along the coast of the East Cape. The road sticks close to the sea and you begin to see the difference between here and the rest of the North Island. Settlements are few and far between, strung out along several kilometres with few other buildings to focus around. There are a number of schools, the odd small store and a few churches, but little else. The only thing that appears with any consistancy are Marae (meeting houses), reflecting the overwhelming Maori bias in the population on the East Cape. This is where the first canoes landed around 1000 years ago and it's since been a place central to the Maori population.
So I drove on through small hamlets like Te Kaha, stopping to take the odd photo or two. I got to the hostel I had reserved a bed at, Maraehako Bay Retreat, earlier than I thought at 3.30, but it was a really cool place so I didn't mind. Instead of being built like, well, a normal building, it's been constructed like a giant tree house, with four or five levels connected through various stairs and ramps. Like something out of Peter Pan, it had a heavily nautical theme, with rope lining surfaces, a private beach and even free kayak hire.
On Friday I continued on eastwards, first to the Ruakokore, somewhat famous for its picture perfect white clapboard Anglican church. After taking the obligatory photo, I drove through the likes of Waihau Bay and Hick's Bay before coming to Te Araroa, a small village on the tip of the Cape. With more shops than most settlements on SH35, it's also home to the world's largest Pohutukawa (New Zealand's Christmas Tree) and the road to the East Cape lighthouse.
The partly sealed road to the lighthouse is a lengthy 20km, wrapping around several cliffs on its way to the very edge of the Cape. When you get to the car park at the end of the road, it's not that obvious where the path is, but after a bit of backtracking and a 15 minute climb, you stand beside the world's most easterly lighthouse and thus the first to see the light of a new day.
After filling up with petrol at Te Araroa, a novelty in itself with someone else doing the work for you, I headed off eastwards. Within a few minutes, I ran into a traffic jam, although one of a very different kind to that of which I'm used to. Instead of cars blocking up the road ahead, it was a couple of hundred cows, and large ones at that. They don't get out the way as you'd expect either; the bulls stand in front of your car and moo at you until they realise that you're not going anywhere.
After that somewhat comical incident, I stopped in Tikitiki to look at the church. It's here that you find arguably the finest example of a mixture of Christian and Maori artwork in an interior covered in symbols from either culture.
Ruatoria was the next settlement on SH35 and it was there that I stopped for lunch. It's the largest village on the East Cape and I must have been the only non-Maori there, not that anyone seemed to notice or mind.
I then heaeded south via Tokomaru Bay and Anaura Bay to Tolaga Bay. By this time the sunshine had been replaced by ever-darkening clouds, but it didn't put me off going on the Cook's Cove Walkway, a two hour track to the Cove of the same name. It rained lightly on and off, but the views and the scenery was fairly spectacular and made up for the poor weather. Just as I finished the walk, the rain started to get really heavy, and with little else to see I drove from there directly to Gisborne, where I stayed the night at the Flying Nun backpackers.
The farm in Gisborne
The farm in Gisborne
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Rivka and Richard's farm, 17km south of Gisborne.
Gisborne
On the 29th, I said goodbye to Alex and his family, and got on a coach to Gisborne. Well, that is after a bit of drama. I got to the coach stop for check in and put my bags on the bus, then the driver said that we would be delayed an hour and we should be back at 12, to leave between 12:15 and 12:30. So I came back at 12 exactly, walked across the road to the bus and when I was within only 5 metres of it, it drove off!
A frantic phone call to Alex later, and we were in the car driving to where the bus would stop next. I phoned Inter City and they told their driver that I'd been left behind. We eventually caught up with it at Te Puke, which wasn't too far away and I finally got on the coach bound for the world's eastern-most city.
Gisborne is home to about 30,000 and sits on the Pacific coast in Poverty Bay. It's here that Captain Cook first set foot on New Zealand soil. I had arranged to stay on a farm just outside of the city through the FHiNZ (Farm Helpers in New Zealand) scheme, working for my food and accommodation.
Rivka and Richard were my hosts, and picked me up at the coach stop. For the next week, I worked for five hours a day on their small 1ha farm, with the afternoons and evenings free to do whatever I pleased. The work wasn't especially hard, but the unrelenting sun that appeared on cue every day was fairly draining. As well as a dozen sheep, they had about 20 chickens and a couple of cats. Richard also manages a neighbouring orange and corn orchard for a company based in Napier. The Hawke's Bay area has some the best soil and one of the sunniest climates in New Zealand and is therefore particularly good for agriculture.
We didn't do much for New Year's Eve, but on the 1st, we went to a beach a few miles north of Gisborne for the day, meeting up with a few of Rivka and Richard's friends. Like a lot of beaches in New Zealand, it was by no means busy, was clean and had crisp golden sand. Kiwis are so lucky to have that sort of scenery within such easy reach.
On the 2nd, I went into Gisborne in the morning to check out the town properly, stating at the harbourside, where there are statues of Captain Cook and Young Nick. Nick Young, as he was otherwise known, was the sailor who first spotted New Zealand and Cook named a headland on one end of Poverty Bay after him. From there I went around to Captain Cook's landing site, commemorated by a large statue in an otherwise industrial area. I then climbed Kaiti Hill to its summit, overlooking the entire bay, before heading back down to Tairawhiti Museum in the city centre. Museums tend to be excellent in New Zealand and this one is no exception, with a great art gallery and interesting displays on the Cook landing amongst others.
My working farm stay in Gisborne was a great new experience and while I wouldn't want a life of outdoor labour, it gave me an insight into life on a farm. Rivka and Richard were very welcoming and helpful, which made it even easier. They even managed to set me up with car rental for a trip around East Cape, which I would never have normally gotten, being under 21. Details of that to follow...
A frantic phone call to Alex later, and we were in the car driving to where the bus would stop next. I phoned Inter City and they told their driver that I'd been left behind. We eventually caught up with it at Te Puke, which wasn't too far away and I finally got on the coach bound for the world's eastern-most city.
Gisborne is home to about 30,000 and sits on the Pacific coast in Poverty Bay. It's here that Captain Cook first set foot on New Zealand soil. I had arranged to stay on a farm just outside of the city through the FHiNZ (Farm Helpers in New Zealand) scheme, working for my food and accommodation.
Rivka and Richard were my hosts, and picked me up at the coach stop. For the next week, I worked for five hours a day on their small 1ha farm, with the afternoons and evenings free to do whatever I pleased. The work wasn't especially hard, but the unrelenting sun that appeared on cue every day was fairly draining. As well as a dozen sheep, they had about 20 chickens and a couple of cats. Richard also manages a neighbouring orange and corn orchard for a company based in Napier. The Hawke's Bay area has some the best soil and one of the sunniest climates in New Zealand and is therefore particularly good for agriculture.
We didn't do much for New Year's Eve, but on the 1st, we went to a beach a few miles north of Gisborne for the day, meeting up with a few of Rivka and Richard's friends. Like a lot of beaches in New Zealand, it was by no means busy, was clean and had crisp golden sand. Kiwis are so lucky to have that sort of scenery within such easy reach.
On the 2nd, I went into Gisborne in the morning to check out the town properly, stating at the harbourside, where there are statues of Captain Cook and Young Nick. Nick Young, as he was otherwise known, was the sailor who first spotted New Zealand and Cook named a headland on one end of Poverty Bay after him. From there I went around to Captain Cook's landing site, commemorated by a large statue in an otherwise industrial area. I then climbed Kaiti Hill to its summit, overlooking the entire bay, before heading back down to Tairawhiti Museum in the city centre. Museums tend to be excellent in New Zealand and this one is no exception, with a great art gallery and interesting displays on the Cook landing amongst others.
My working farm stay in Gisborne was a great new experience and while I wouldn't want a life of outdoor labour, it gave me an insight into life on a farm. Rivka and Richard were very welcoming and helpful, which made it even easier. They even managed to set me up with car rental for a trip around East Cape, which I would never have normally gotten, being under 21. Details of that to follow...
Monday, January 09, 2006
White Island
On the 28th, Alex and I drove down to Whakatane for the day to visit White Island. It's one of only two active volcanoes in the country - the other being in Tongariro National Park - and is probably one of the most accessible in the world.
After an hour or so drive, we took the 12:45 tour out to the island, which lasts six hours. With the volcano being 28 miles out to sea, further than the narrowest point of the English Channel, four hours is spent on the boat while the other two are for a guided walk around the island.
Remarkably, the sea was as flat as a river that day, so we got across to White Island in good time and saw a huge pod of about 200 dolphins on the way out. Apart from the island crossing and two trips out on Alex's boat in Tauranga, I've seen dolphins on every boat trip I've been on in New Zealand; in the Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura and here. Not bad, eh?
So we got to the island and it reminded me of the one in King Kong, which I saw in Tauranga. The volcano looks like another world with steam gushing out and an abandoned sulphur factory eerily quiet close to the shore. The only tour operator to run boats out to the island (you can also get a helicopter) transfers you in an inflatable boat to a small ladder, which you make your way across before clambering over a few boulders to the beach.
They then split up up into two groups of about 20 each, briefing us on the history of White Island and the potential dangers. Three things could happen, we were told. If there's a landslide or lahar (a mixture of ash and water into a mudslide), we should find high ground. If there was a flash flood, we should do the same. If there's an eruption, we should find cover, make ourselves as small as possible and "wait it out". Don't worry, "most eruptions only last 15 minutes anyway"!
They gave us each a helmet and a small gasmask which was for use whenever we thought it necessary, then we were off. First we walked up to a huge sulphur deposit which was coloured like a yellow fluorescent marker pen and spewed out big clouds of gas, then on to the crater lake. Of course, the entire tour takes place in the crater of the volcano, most of which is hidden under the sea, but this was the crater within the crater, if you get what I mean. So anyway, this was the furthest point away from the boat on the tour and the closest we would get to the centre of all the action. I've seen a lot of lakes, but none like this one. It was a strange turquoise colour, which changes a lot apparently, even to blood red, and it had a constant layer of steam rising from it. Very spooky, I assure you.
We then continued to a part of the crater which used to be the main attraction, but is now empty of liquid, and then back towards the shore. We climbed up to the higest point on the tour to get a view of the entire island, but even here you're dwarfed by the sheer size of the crater you're in. Add in all the weird colours and you've got a area that looks like very few others on Earth.
From there we went down to a river, albeit one with milky white water with brightly coloured rocks either side. We then finished the tour with a walk around the old sulphur factory which was abandoned in the '30s after the company quarrying went bankrupt; not the first one to do so. Interestingly, White Island is actually a privately owned island, and is only accessable because of an agreement with the family who owns it. Usually these sorts of natural landscapes are National Parks or public scenic reserves.
We got back on the boat, had lunch and headed back towards Whakatane. It was a great trip because it's unique that these sorts of places are so accessible. I don't know whether it's a shame or not that White Island isn't on the main tourist trail around New Zealand.
After an hour or so drive, we took the 12:45 tour out to the island, which lasts six hours. With the volcano being 28 miles out to sea, further than the narrowest point of the English Channel, four hours is spent on the boat while the other two are for a guided walk around the island.
Remarkably, the sea was as flat as a river that day, so we got across to White Island in good time and saw a huge pod of about 200 dolphins on the way out. Apart from the island crossing and two trips out on Alex's boat in Tauranga, I've seen dolphins on every boat trip I've been on in New Zealand; in the Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura and here. Not bad, eh?
So we got to the island and it reminded me of the one in King Kong, which I saw in Tauranga. The volcano looks like another world with steam gushing out and an abandoned sulphur factory eerily quiet close to the shore. The only tour operator to run boats out to the island (you can also get a helicopter) transfers you in an inflatable boat to a small ladder, which you make your way across before clambering over a few boulders to the beach.
They then split up up into two groups of about 20 each, briefing us on the history of White Island and the potential dangers. Three things could happen, we were told. If there's a landslide or lahar (a mixture of ash and water into a mudslide), we should find high ground. If there was a flash flood, we should do the same. If there's an eruption, we should find cover, make ourselves as small as possible and "wait it out". Don't worry, "most eruptions only last 15 minutes anyway"!
They gave us each a helmet and a small gasmask which was for use whenever we thought it necessary, then we were off. First we walked up to a huge sulphur deposit which was coloured like a yellow fluorescent marker pen and spewed out big clouds of gas, then on to the crater lake. Of course, the entire tour takes place in the crater of the volcano, most of which is hidden under the sea, but this was the crater within the crater, if you get what I mean. So anyway, this was the furthest point away from the boat on the tour and the closest we would get to the centre of all the action. I've seen a lot of lakes, but none like this one. It was a strange turquoise colour, which changes a lot apparently, even to blood red, and it had a constant layer of steam rising from it. Very spooky, I assure you.
We then continued to a part of the crater which used to be the main attraction, but is now empty of liquid, and then back towards the shore. We climbed up to the higest point on the tour to get a view of the entire island, but even here you're dwarfed by the sheer size of the crater you're in. Add in all the weird colours and you've got a area that looks like very few others on Earth.
From there we went down to a river, albeit one with milky white water with brightly coloured rocks either side. We then finished the tour with a walk around the old sulphur factory which was abandoned in the '30s after the company quarrying went bankrupt; not the first one to do so. Interestingly, White Island is actually a privately owned island, and is only accessable because of an agreement with the family who owns it. Usually these sorts of natural landscapes are National Parks or public scenic reserves.
We got back on the boat, had lunch and headed back towards Whakatane. It was a great trip because it's unique that these sorts of places are so accessible. I don't know whether it's a shame or not that White Island isn't on the main tourist trail around New Zealand.
Tauranga
On the 10th, I left Auckland and got a coach to Tauranga, on the east coast of the North Island. Alex - a friend of mine from school who moved over here a couple of years ago with his family - met me off the bus and I stayed at his house for the next 18 days. Tauranga is one of the fastest growing towns in the country, home to about 100,000 people.
Alex and his brother Jeff go to university in Wellington (NZ) and Southampton (UK) respectively, so they spend most of the time away from their parents' large house which overlooks Tauranga and neighbouring Mount Maunganui. Kai, Kane and Pennie, their relatives, also came to stay at the house a couple of times.
As well as a nice house, Alex's family have got a Sunseeker boat which we went out on a couple of times to fish in. The first time, we had four rods going for five hours, and didn't catch a thing! The second time we were a bit luckier and caught a couple of fish, but there was a mild panic when Jeff jumped in the water after Alex's glasses and promptly got swept a quarter of a mile away by the current. Thankfully, he got them and returned unharmed, but it just shows how powerful the water can be.
We also went Blokarting twice in Tauranga, which basically involves you piloting a three-wheeled buggy which has a 3m sail on top. You steer with one hand and control the tension in the sail with the other. What's really cool about it is that it takes a while to get the hang of sailing and it throws your preconceptions of driving around a track straight out of the window. Instead of going for the best line into a corner as you would in a car, you have to look at the wind direction and position yourself so that you can catch it best. It's one of the most enjoyable things I've done recently, especially the second time we went, when the wind really picked up and we were almost flying round.
On the 19th, we went to Rotorua and met up with their relatives, making 14 of us in all. We went up to the gondola, with takes you up the side of the crater overlooking Rotorua Lake. As well as a buffet restaurant which we had lunch at, there's a luge there. You ride down one of three different concrete tracks on a small plastic cart which you can steer and control the brakes of. I don't know how many times we broke the "no group racing" rule, but it was a lot of fun.
For Christmas, I spent the morning of the 25th at Alex's, and then the rest of Christmas and Boxing Day at their relatives in Taupo, the same that I met in Rotorua. They've got a fairly large farm, so there was plenty of space for us all and we spent the two days stuffing ourselves full of festive food and enjoying the sunshine. It was strange not having family around me at Christmas, but the hot weather made it even weirder. In a way, it just didn't feel like Christmas. That said, I had a great time and it was good to spend Christmas with people I know.
On the 27th, I planned what I would be doing next, then Alex and I went off to take advantage of the good weather. We drive to McLaren Falls Park, where we went for a walk and took a few photos of the surrounding rainforest.
Alex and his brother Jeff go to university in Wellington (NZ) and Southampton (UK) respectively, so they spend most of the time away from their parents' large house which overlooks Tauranga and neighbouring Mount Maunganui. Kai, Kane and Pennie, their relatives, also came to stay at the house a couple of times.
As well as a nice house, Alex's family have got a Sunseeker boat which we went out on a couple of times to fish in. The first time, we had four rods going for five hours, and didn't catch a thing! The second time we were a bit luckier and caught a couple of fish, but there was a mild panic when Jeff jumped in the water after Alex's glasses and promptly got swept a quarter of a mile away by the current. Thankfully, he got them and returned unharmed, but it just shows how powerful the water can be.
We also went Blokarting twice in Tauranga, which basically involves you piloting a three-wheeled buggy which has a 3m sail on top. You steer with one hand and control the tension in the sail with the other. What's really cool about it is that it takes a while to get the hang of sailing and it throws your preconceptions of driving around a track straight out of the window. Instead of going for the best line into a corner as you would in a car, you have to look at the wind direction and position yourself so that you can catch it best. It's one of the most enjoyable things I've done recently, especially the second time we went, when the wind really picked up and we were almost flying round.
On the 19th, we went to Rotorua and met up with their relatives, making 14 of us in all. We went up to the gondola, with takes you up the side of the crater overlooking Rotorua Lake. As well as a buffet restaurant which we had lunch at, there's a luge there. You ride down one of three different concrete tracks on a small plastic cart which you can steer and control the brakes of. I don't know how many times we broke the "no group racing" rule, but it was a lot of fun.
For Christmas, I spent the morning of the 25th at Alex's, and then the rest of Christmas and Boxing Day at their relatives in Taupo, the same that I met in Rotorua. They've got a fairly large farm, so there was plenty of space for us all and we spent the two days stuffing ourselves full of festive food and enjoying the sunshine. It was strange not having family around me at Christmas, but the hot weather made it even weirder. In a way, it just didn't feel like Christmas. That said, I had a great time and it was good to spend Christmas with people I know.
On the 27th, I planned what I would be doing next, then Alex and I went off to take advantage of the good weather. We drive to McLaren Falls Park, where we went for a walk and took a few photos of the surrounding rainforest.
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