Wai-O-Tapu - Thermal Wonderland

The next day after hiking Hail Mountain we decided to do something nice and easy. We were in the Taupo Volcanic Zone and the area is literally covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mid, water and steaming fumaroles (whatever they are).

The scenic reserve has been created because beneath the ground is a system of streams headed by magma left over from eruptions, The water is so hot that it absorbs minerals from rocks and passes them off as steam.

Eventually they get absorbed into the ground making it look like a nuclear meltdown. But the colours are all natural and due to different mineral elements, in the pictures below you will mostly see:

yellow sulphur
white silica
red/brown iron oxide
green colloidal sulphur/ferrous salts

Oh I forgot one important thing: it stinks like rotten eggs. The whole region stinks. It smells like they are having an egg salad sandwich convention.

You do get used to it until you walk by a steaming pool of stinky water and you can barely breathe. Kelley came with us but half-way through the walk we wondered if it was okay for the baby.

It was very nice at first, we all went to Lady Knox Geyser, I suppose like Old Faithful but much smaller. The story is that years ago there were prisoners working nearby and they discovered a hot pool of water and decided that it would be great to wash their clothes in because they wouldn't have to go to the trouble of boiling water. Everything was fine until they added the soap - that's how the geyser reacts. No one had ever seen such a thing before and Lady Knox came to visit to see for herself- from then on it was called Lady Knox Geyser.

Next we went to the boiling mud pools. I had seen them before in pictures and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately you don't get the benefit of sound but it reminded of The Neverending Story when the Nothing was after them and ate Atreyu's Horse. So sad.

There were over 25 areas to view and Jacob wanted me to take pictures of all of it. But I'll spare you and just post a few.

The Artist's Palette which is a bunch of hot and cold pools that are steaming and hissing - oh and stinking. But the variety and vibrance of the colours was amazing.

This was unbearable, the stinky hot rotten sulphur egg smell blowing in your face.

Again a tough picture, the wind kept changing and blowing it into our face instead of behind us. This was a quick one.

The best/worst time of my life.

Let's just call it an adventure.

Kelley and Jacob were kind enough to take me away for the weekend. Friday night we drove four hours to Turangi so that Jacob and I could climb Tongariro Crossing the next morning.

Tongariro Crossing is part of a national park that was given to the government as a reserve by the Maori. Normally it's a 7-8 hour hike and you can see emerald coloured lakes toward the end.
Jacob also wanted to add Ngauruhoe Summit:

The 2500 year old near perfect cone of Mount Ngauruhoe entices many visitors to it's summit. Relatively quiet since 1975, this parasitic cone of Mt. Tongariro is traditionally one of New Zealand's most active volcanos.

This track is not for the faint hearted, a difficult climb or scramble up a sharp scree slope taking around an hour and a half up and 15 minutes down! Some of the best views to be had, but only to be challenged on a clear day.

It sounded tough, but it was a beautiful day and looked well worth it so I wanted to give it a go.

The first hour and a half before getting to the base of the summit was challenging but not too difficult. There were lots of other people from different countries and you had to take breaks every so often so you were able to stop and talk to lots of people. As soon as people saw the flag on my back they initiated conversation since most of them had been to Canada or knew people there. After a while I put on my iPod so that I couldn't hear my heavy breathing and I was having a pretty good time. It was tough but manageable and the views were breathtaking.

So we're about to take on the Summit and I'm feeling pretty good about it. It looks steep and it looks really hard but I think the view will be amazing and I'm up for the task. Here's the summit behind me and I'm looking optimistic.





We start to climb the Summit and it becomes ridiculously difficult. All of the rocks are small and they give way once you step on them. The incline is also more than 45 degrees so if you wobble you could fall backwards. I spent the next 45 minutes crawling on my hands up the mountain.

Jacob is up further ahead talking to some people on their way down the mountain and they tell us that there is an area to the left that is a bit easier. Sure enough there are people climbing to the left and it is much easier.

I know it doesn't look easier but it is.

Jacob was great to hike with and let me go at my own pace, waiting for me at points so we could have a break and to see how I was doing. The view was fantastic.

Even though it was still tough I told Jacob that it was the hardest thing I had ever done and that the worst part was over now that we climbing up a different part.

I was wrong.

Just as we were entering the first crater (there were two) it started to rain. I put on a sweater and raincoat but the rain made it unbelievably slippery and while the top was 20 minutes away there was no view because we were encased in a cloud. As stubborn as I am, I told Jacob I didn't think it was worth it. I was worried about slipping on the rocks and there was no view.

He agreed and we decided to start back down. And then it got even worse.

Keep in mind this is the middle of summer. We were out exposed on a mountain and all of a sudden hail began to attack us. Hail. It was pelting down in a blizzard and it hurt. I had to crouch down because it was assaulting us from every direction basically paralyzing me. I was terrified that the rocks were slippery and I didn't know how we were going to crawl down this mountain.

Jacob was incredible because I was freaking out and he was very calm. He called over to me to come to a rock that we could hide behind. At that point I told him I didn't know if I was crying or if it was rain on my face. This trip was no longer fun. Fortunately it began to die down and Jacob reminded me that this would make a great story and we should take a picture. This is the first time I had smiled in 20 minutes.

But it was good to smile because I was miserable and it cheered me up. Now only 2 hours to go to climb our way pack to the start. My mood changed and as the mud and sand invaded my socks and sneakers I told Jacob that sand was nature's exfoliant. There's always a bright side.

We persevered and Kelley, our dutiful photographer/driver/servant picked us up and brought warm dry clothes to change into.

Auckland is a Cafe City

Auckland has a million cafes and they always are crowded. It's been difficult finding food that is authentically Kiwi and like Canada they don't really have their own cuisine. However, they do wonderful fresh cafe food with gourmet organic ingredients. It's difficult to choose fast food when you can find a cafe next to it with fresh sandwiches, quiches and salads.

I've gotten into the habit of photographing my meal before I eat it. Today an elderly couple stopped me at lunch and asked if I was writing for a magazine - which is peculiar because I doubt a magazine would write about a food court lunch. However, when I explained I was travelling they told me they did the same thing when they were in France.

They also take their coffee seriously and think that Starbucks is terrible, cheap coffee. Imagine that. I'll try to get a picture of the next flat white I get, which I believe is a frothed regular coffee. But everyone has an espresso machine, even McDonalds and I don't think they would dare just pour the coffee straight from a jug like we do in Canada.

One of my first lunches with Kelley near her office, smoked turkey with pesto and brie.

Jacob and I tried the local artisan beer while in Rotorua and it was pretty good.

We went to the waterfront and I had mixed grilled seafood that came out on this hot stone and continued to grill.

Vegetarian lasagna that I was photographing today when the couple stopped me.

This is the most interesting thing I've eaten so far, raw fish marinated in coconut milk with fresh vegetables. Jacob brought it from his cafeteria and I've also had it elsewhere. I've been trying to find the recipe but everyone just calls it raw fish.

Believe it or not I'm walking on air...

Remember on America's Next Top Model when one of the challenges was to take a beautiful picture while in mid-air? Keep that in mind when you take a look at these pictures.

Again, New Zealand is just one bizarre activity after another and this was Freefall Xtreme Bodyflying in Rotorua. They take you through a very brief explanation of how to move your body up and down and then throw you on top of a massive fan.

Just in case you don't remember, here is the winner of ANTM and her pose, they kind of look the same don't they?

Zorb

Zorb is yet another activity invented in New Zealand to keep the Kiwis amused. Basically they put you in a opaque PVC ball that is inside another ball. They throw a bunch of water on you and roll you down a hill.

I saw it on Lonely Planet and it looked like a good time but I was surprised at how much fun I had. You get sloshed around, much like a washing machine and you're laughing hysterically - atleast I was - the entire way down the track.

Here are some pics of Jacob and I. Again, no pregnant women allowed so Kelley was the designated photographer.

Aloha New Zealand

The last night in Fiji, after meeting Barbara I called the airport and they found my luggage and it would be there the next day to pick up for New Zealand as I had hoped. So I felt good and went to dinner at the resort.

I chose a table outside and was ready to have some nice curry when I saw a cockroach from far away. Well I thought it was a cockroach but then it flew. I'm no stranger to them, there were tons of them in the Philippines, even in my apartment. Warm countries have them and you have to live with that, but that doesn't mean they aren't disgusting.

So when I saw it fly I couldn't figure out if it was part of the june bug family or if I remembered Kelley telling me she saw flying ones in Taiwan and yes they did exist. Well I soon found out because it flew onto my table. At this point I was freaking a bit. Not because it was on my table but because it could fly and I didn't want it to fly into my face. I decided I wasn't that hungry and just left.

The next morning I went to the airport and indeed they had my backpack and the box of stuff I packed for Kelley and had taped to death because I didn't want it to rip open. They ripped it open and the box was mangled and taped back together. Oh well at least it was there.

Everyone in Fiji told me how wonderful New Zealand was and how it was so beautiful and I can't disagree. It reminds me a lot of Vancouver, everyone is very active out biking or walking. The actual landscape looks a lot like Canada at times, except for the palm trees of course.

Here are a couple of shots from the plane.

Kelley told me they were very strict about bringing food into the country. If you do not claim it they will fine you. A few weeks ago Gwenyth Paltrow had an apple and they fined her $200.

I had a list of everything in the box and when I picked up the box to go through customs I noticed it was a bit wet. There were two jars of bubble wrapped pickles and I was certain one of them was broken in flight. Fortunately, it had just started leaking so when I took everything out of the box to claim for customs they gave me a bag to put it in so it wouldn't leak all over everything else - no one likes pickle scented deodorant.

Well if Barbara went bungee jumping...

There isn't much to say about the city of Nadi. I stayed at Nadi Bay Resort, which isn't at all impressive. A dorm bed costs you $20 a night and there's a pool. Nothing much more to say about that, it certainly wasn't like the Octopus.

However, I was the only woman in the dorm of 12 bed except a 77-year old woman, Barbara, from Scotland.

I should first start off by saying that New Zealand is a country that loves a thrill. Bungee jumping was invented here and you can do pretty much any crazy thing you can imagine and all for a reasonable cost.

Barbara was on the FeeJee Experience Tour. I came to find out that this tour is just a big party tour for 25-35 year olds from the UK.

Barbara fit right in with this group, which was staying at the resort and had made many friends. She had already been bungee jumping, sky diving and jet skiing, rode a horse, went on a 4-hour trek and a bunch of other things I cannot remember.

She has 19 grandchildren, a bunch of great-grandchildren and is turning 78 in September.

She left Scotland in November after she sold one of her 2 farms and decided to visit a friend in New Zealand. After a few weeks decided she wanted to visit Fiji and I met her on her last night before heading back to New Zealand. She had planned to go back to Scotland in April, but decided her kids can wait because now she wants to go to Australia and maybe back to Fiji again.
So maybe I won't be such a pansy when I'm out on the bungee platform because Barbara's done it once and already wants to do it again!

Hello Fiji

I arrived in Fiji and it had a very familiar feel, very similar to the Philippines. At first I couldn't figure out what it was, especially since I've been to other humid countries. Later on I realized it was the humidity mixed with burning garbage. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't smell like garbage, just like something burning.

So they lost my luggage but I didn't really care. About 30 people lost their luggage and they were all on the LA flight, I figured they forgot to put on a container. I had planned to store my luggage at the airport while in Fiji but it turns out they were about to save me 16 bucks.

I waited for my ride to the Octopus Resort and did panic when he did not arrive at 8:30-9am like they said he would. I was reminded that we were on Fiji time and he would not forget me. So I stopped to get a bite to eat. My experience travelling is to never get American food but always get the local food. There are a lot of Indians in Fiji after the British brought their ancestors here years ago to work in the sugar cane fields. So I figured samosas were a safe bet. They were filled with lamb and vegetables and really good. Also really cheap for $2 when an omelet would cost you $10.

Thirty minutes later he did come to take me to the marina, we had a 45 minute wait for the boat so I took a few pictures of local flowers.

I also ate at the restaurant and here is what you get when you order a ham and cheese roll. Remember when I said not to order American food. This is why, it's never what you expected and always has some weird thing in it. This ham and cheese roll was a sandwich with bright yellow cheese, weird ham and chili sauce in it.

Fiji was great and very humid. Octopus Resort was really nice with lots of people my age and very seasoned travellers. Also, I met a couple from Halifax - see we're everywhere. Below are a few pictures how they greet you when you come off the boat, the island and the dorm I stayed in for $20 a night.

Although the relaxing was great I have to say the best part was walking to the village. They had a welcoming ceremony with Cava which is a drink that is not alcoholic but apparently is a narcotic, basically it just makes your mouth numb. Then they had a performance which was really interesting. All the people are so friendly and you spend so much of the day saying Bula (hello) and Tanaka (thank you) because they are such nice people.

The village was pretty rustic as you can imagine, except for the satellite TV to watch rugby and the solar panels that the government installed.

The village was very nice, the next day I headed to the city...

I cannot believe I made it to LA

I finally arrived in LA and even though I wanted to sleep on the last flight I struggled through it and was feeling pretty good. The airport was huge and humid and hot. I couldn't find a place to buy calling cards and the only alternative was to pay $15 bucks for the first minute and $2 per minute afterwards to put the call on my credit card. No thanks.

The Pacific Air flight was fantastic. It was enormous with 2 levels and there was tons of room. I slept during most of it, much to the chagrin of the Irish man behind me who liked to kick my seat when I put it back.

Going through customs in Fiji was pretty quick and by 6am I was all settled.

That is, except that the airline lost all my checked-in luggage.