A Whole Different Level

New Zealand is really on a whole different level. For starters, it's an outdoorsmans dream country, with virtually unlimited hiking and tramping, fishing, rafting, boating and almost anything else you would want to do! It's quiet, the air is clean, and the views are outstanding. I could just sit from any of my hostel decks and just stare out into the wilderness all day long, that's how beautiful it is! One huge difference is the temperature - it's freezing! Luckily I sent Sean home to Oz with a fleece and my puffer vest so I didn't have to carry it all the way thru Asia and Oz. I did send him my Rough Guide, yoga pants, long sleeve, jeans and another fleece when I was in Thailand for the same reason, but it never arrived in Oz so I'm a bit low on warm clothing. I have enough for 2 days and its going to get a bit warmer the further north I go so I should be fine. If I was going on extended 3-4 day tramps then I'd be screwed, but if things get really bad, I can always duck into a Salvation Army and pick up something cheap (the tourist shops with all the outdoor gear are ridiculously expensive!). Also since I'm without my Rough Guide I've been winging it a bit, but the tourist centers have so much info in them that I haven't had to buy another one!

Anyhoo, I met up with a fellow traveller in my hostel, Becky from Norway, and we ran around Queenstown for 4 days together. We were both a bit older, over the young party scene, LOTR geeks, so we got along famously. On our first day, we took the gondola to the top of a mountain overlooking Q-town, rode the luge ride (I did it twice cuz it was so fun), took a million pics, tried to catch some people bungy jumpy so we could see if anyone threw up on the way down, and then stopped at a pitch and watched some rugby courtesy of the Wakipitu Rugby Club! A perfect afternoon! Those pics are on the previous post.

No, Joey, I am not going to bungy jump. I've thought a lot about it and while some activities require a bit of fear and adrenaline to make it more fun, this would be too terrifying. It would cease to be fun for me as soon as I got on the platform and I suspect there would be tears involved. Maybe in the future, afterall, I have to save some things for my bucket list! There is a reason Q-town is called the 'Adventure Capital of the World' - it has all those things I mentioned above plus, canyon swings, jet boating, rock climbing, etc. It also means that many companies are ready and willing to part you with your money so if you aren't careful, you could drop a ton on activities. Jet boating for an hour was $160 alone! Since I was told you could do most of these activities elsewhere in NZ, I held off until I could decide what I really wanted to do. My VISA is already feeling a bit strained as it is!

The next day I went for a hike for about 3 hours up into the hills on a well marked track. The views were just incredible! I was in awe everytime I turned the corner. It was fairly hilly and I'm not sure if my body was prepared as I was a bit sore the next day! After a hard day's work/play, Becky and I would combine forces and cook some dinner and then curl up in the common room with some tea and watch a movie with some others and just relax and then turn in for some well earned sleep. The hostels in NZ are far superior to the ones in Oz. For starters, you get less of the 'party people' and more outdoors people who aren't getting blind every night and they all tend to be a bit older (25+) so there is a bit more courtesy and maturity. In other words, you can sleep at night :) Also, they places I've stayed have an alpine lodge feel to them, with nice clean kitchens and common rooms with TVs and movies to pop in to pass the time or games and puzzles. It's perfect for nighttime if you aren't into the bar scene. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of places to go for a drink and Becky and I tried a few out, but I'm not here to spend all my money on booze so we showed some restraint. We also felt really old in some places! A bouncer checked my ID and when Becky was fishing around for hers, he just said, "go ahead in, this one was born in 1976 so I'm sure you are fine too." Jerk! Forgot to mention - you don't have to tip bar staff in Oz or NZ! They work for regular wages so that's cool, but there is one considerable drawback: since they aren't working for tips, many don't seem to hustle like they do in the US, so most take their time doing anything, so if it's even remotely crowded, it will be awhile for you get your drink. Bummer.

Viva la New Zealand!