That was my first thought of the town. As soon as the bus passed the sign saying 'Dunedin city boundary' it started pissing it down. But firstly, Chch...
...was warm and shiny and generally lovely.
Watchmen was good. From what I've heard of the book's ending the movie's version is SO much better. A giant squid? Boring. I tell you what was not good though, Twilight. I went to see it last night, sat through maybe 15 minutes then gave up and snuck into He's Just Not That Into You instead. God that was an awful 15 minutes.
Saturday was very warm and sunny and shiny so I went to the beach and splodged in the sea, specifically in the sPacific, spacifically at Sumner. I actually got sunburn on my legs! I thought my legs were magically impervious to UV.
On Sunday I went on the tram a few times, mostly from Cathedral Square to my hostel because it stopped just outside and I were lazy. Well why waste a two-day ticket and walk? Also went up the gondola. Very awesome views of the plains, the city and Banks peninsula. Had lunch up there then walked down the path that settlers used to use back in the day to get from Christchurch to Lyttleton. Lyttleton was closed though so i didn't stay long. Had a mooch and a milkshake then got the bus back to the city where I rented a kayak and fulfilled my several-months-long dream of kakyaking. It may have been on the world's tamest river, but still! I kayaked! And got beached and failed to touch a duck's butt. Awesome.
And now here I am in Dundin. It's cold and wet and a bit like Bangor. Sniffing ecology textbooks in the Uni bookshop cheered me up though. And I handed over a LARGE amount of dollars to go on a wildlife cruise tomorrow. It's going to be very cold and rainy but I don't care! I'm going to see albatrosses, penguins and seals! Oh my!
Hope it's a lot more awesome than the antarctic centre, or as I call it, the International Disappointment Centre. Exactly.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Toodle oo Tekapo
Farewell shiny Tekapo, I shall miss thee. Especially Sam and Woody (extremely awesome Jack Russells).
I was in Tekapo 7 weeks and only one update here. Pourquoi, one might say if one was pretentious, comme moi. Well that would be because most days I was working more than 12 hours.
My days in shiny Tekapo consisted of waking up, working 5-7 hours cleaning rooms in a hotel that time forgot and retro rejected, food, more sleep, 4-10 hours waitressing in a pizza restaurant then more sleep. On my days off, more sleep. Occasionally I went walkabouts by the lake and up hills and once to Timaru (a lot like Newport) and Mt Cook.
Mt Cook was very shiny even though the clouds were ridiculously low so I couldn't see any of the mountains. They were just lurking there in the mists. Walked up to a lake full of bits of ice and small bergs at the end of a glacier, not that you could tell it was a glacier as it was very mucky. But then it is called the Hooker glacier so there you go.
But now I is in Christchurch, or as we locals say, Chch. Staying in a hostel opposite the museum and Hagley park. It's nice enough, but the showers are a looooong way from the bedrooms. Got there at 10ish last night. Couldn't sleep much but then I have gone from a ridiculously large and comfortable double bed with many pillows to a hard bunk bed with a pathetic sliver of what calls itself a pillow. But I ain't whinging.
Went mooching round the city today. Wandered down to the warehouse to buy some trousers that actually fit and aren't ridiculously falling apart and huge like my old ones. Then more mooching, went to the museum and geeked out in the bird hall and Antarctic room. Wandered round a bit of the park. Lots of very very loud crickets. Think I might hire a canoe from the boat sheds at some point and freak out the ducks. Then I went to the arts centre, which was a load of pretentiousness really. I ain't into art, I is into fish. Big fish. So I went to the aquarium and squeed over ENORMOUS fish, tuataras, a kiwi's bum (that's all I could see of it), seahorses and freakish eels. There's something just not quite right about eels. Those fish were pretty big, but not as big as Ichabod. And none swam upside down.
Tonight I'm hoping to see Watchmen but maybe something else if it's sold out. Tomorrow will be awesome as I'm going to the International Antarctic Centre!!! Very excited. Very, very sad.
I was in Tekapo 7 weeks and only one update here. Pourquoi, one might say if one was pretentious, comme moi. Well that would be because most days I was working more than 12 hours.
My days in shiny Tekapo consisted of waking up, working 5-7 hours cleaning rooms in a hotel that time forgot and retro rejected, food, more sleep, 4-10 hours waitressing in a pizza restaurant then more sleep. On my days off, more sleep. Occasionally I went walkabouts by the lake and up hills and once to Timaru (a lot like Newport) and Mt Cook.
Mt Cook was very shiny even though the clouds were ridiculously low so I couldn't see any of the mountains. They were just lurking there in the mists. Walked up to a lake full of bits of ice and small bergs at the end of a glacier, not that you could tell it was a glacier as it was very mucky. But then it is called the Hooker glacier so there you go.
But now I is in Christchurch, or as we locals say, Chch. Staying in a hostel opposite the museum and Hagley park. It's nice enough, but the showers are a looooong way from the bedrooms. Got there at 10ish last night. Couldn't sleep much but then I have gone from a ridiculously large and comfortable double bed with many pillows to a hard bunk bed with a pathetic sliver of what calls itself a pillow. But I ain't whinging.
Went mooching round the city today. Wandered down to the warehouse to buy some trousers that actually fit and aren't ridiculously falling apart and huge like my old ones. Then more mooching, went to the museum and geeked out in the bird hall and Antarctic room. Wandered round a bit of the park. Lots of very very loud crickets. Think I might hire a canoe from the boat sheds at some point and freak out the ducks. Then I went to the arts centre, which was a load of pretentiousness really. I ain't into art, I is into fish. Big fish. So I went to the aquarium and squeed over ENORMOUS fish, tuataras, a kiwi's bum (that's all I could see of it), seahorses and freakish eels. There's something just not quite right about eels. Those fish were pretty big, but not as big as Ichabod. And none swam upside down.
Tonight I'm hoping to see Watchmen but maybe something else if it's sold out. Tomorrow will be awesome as I'm going to the International Antarctic Centre!!! Very excited. Very, very sad.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Tekapo!
Is awesome so far, and I've hardly seen any of it yet! The hotel's OK, but enough of work, the main thing is I have my own room with a TV that works and is in colour and has more than 2 channels!
The bus to Queenstown was OK. 6 hours on a minibus, not much more to say than that. Shiny awesome scenery but I'm like 'ah, whatever' now when it's all huge mountains and bright blue lakes out of the window. Gets booooring. But I felt so provincial or summut when I got to Queenstwon. So many people! And shops! And metal boxes on wheels that move! I were quite giddy.
The hostel I stayed with was really, really bad, even though I had a room on my own. If you like to not sleep, slam doors and have fleas on you then do stay at the Bungi Backpackers. If, however, you are a normal person who likes sleep and no bugs in the bed, then don't. Ever.
Mooched about the town for a bit on Monday night then wandered into a cinema and saw Australia.
it was awesome! Really really really really really good and exciting and awesome and even Nicole Kidman wasn't annoying as usual. And also, Hugh Jackman. That's all that needs to be said really.
Got up quite late next morning as I was knackered and got the bus to a shopping centre so I could go the the Warehouse for cheap toiletries. It's like Matalan's and Wilkinson's cheap bastard love child. Was going to go on the gondolas but I didn't really have time so I mooched some more and moseyed around the gardens by the lake. Saw Australasian grebes and got mugged by ducks for my Subway.
Got the bus at 3, took 2.5hours to get here. Very different on this side of the alps to t'other. Very flat and hardly any proper trees. Like Arizona or summut and just as hot.
So far I really like Tekapo. Spent last night outside with some of the other staff, quaffing beverages and whatnot. Work was OK this morning, had fish nuggets and chips for lunch (I don't have to cook!) and now I'm off to mooch about and explore the shiny lake.
The bus to Queenstown was OK. 6 hours on a minibus, not much more to say than that. Shiny awesome scenery but I'm like 'ah, whatever' now when it's all huge mountains and bright blue lakes out of the window. Gets booooring. But I felt so provincial or summut when I got to Queenstwon. So many people! And shops! And metal boxes on wheels that move! I were quite giddy.
The hostel I stayed with was really, really bad, even though I had a room on my own. If you like to not sleep, slam doors and have fleas on you then do stay at the Bungi Backpackers. If, however, you are a normal person who likes sleep and no bugs in the bed, then don't. Ever.
Mooched about the town for a bit on Monday night then wandered into a cinema and saw Australia.
OH
MY
GOD
Got up quite late next morning as I was knackered and got the bus to a shopping centre so I could go the the Warehouse for cheap toiletries. It's like Matalan's and Wilkinson's cheap bastard love child. Was going to go on the gondolas but I didn't really have time so I mooched some more and moseyed around the gardens by the lake. Saw Australasian grebes and got mugged by ducks for my Subway.
Got the bus at 3, took 2.5hours to get here. Very different on this side of the alps to t'other. Very flat and hardly any proper trees. Like Arizona or summut and just as hot.
So far I really like Tekapo. Spent last night outside with some of the other staff, quaffing beverages and whatnot. Work was OK this morning, had fish nuggets and chips for lunch (I don't have to cook!) and now I'm off to mooch about and explore the shiny lake.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
KIA HARI TE TAU HOU!
...which is Maori for Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.
Though it has been Newydd Dda for a few hours longer here. Not that I did anything about it! Tis inconceivable (that word does mean what I think it means)! I have a cold at New Year's. Again. Millionth year in a row. Twas pissing it down harder than I've ever seen it in Franz last night so I probably wouldn't have gone out if I didn't have a cold! Watched Runaway Bride and went to Bedfordshire. Hard core!
Today was much shinier though. No rain, so far. Went walkabouts up Canavan's knob (don't laugh) again but took the camera this time. Cue the obligatry show-off pictures of the very warm and shiny new year's day:
I think this is a New Zealand Robin. Took lots of pictures of this dude. Maybe he thought I was a papparazzo. Work it.
The shiny, shiny Tasman sea. Source of the excessive amount of rain.
Bridge Over the River Waiho.
The source of everyone's dosh.
I still feel really manky so I'll bugger off and watch Pretty Woman and have awesome ice cream. It's not Ben and Jerry's but it'll do.
E noho ra chuck (toodle oo).
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
So this is Christmas...
...and what have you done? Scrubbed loos mostly.
And got sunburn YES sunburn! on Christmas eve! Mostly from yesterday though. I went walkabouts somewhere incredibly shiny and forgot my camera. I didn't think I'd go wanders that far but I did. Numpty. I walked up Canavan's Knob. Don't laugh. Ooooo shiny it were. I could see the sea from the top! And actual proper seagulls! And keas! Have I mentioned how awesome the birds are here? Probably but I'll say it again. They're awesome. In the UK if you come a-moseying through the wood and happen upon a small passerine, it flies off shrieking and yelling and generally having an avian freak-out. Here, they come and have a closer look. I'd just stopped to admire the view and get my breath back when I saw a tomtit, don't laugh, on a branch a few metres away. It then proceeded to get closer and closer to me by flying from branch to branch, just in case I was a really big insect it could eat.
I don't care that there's Christmas movies on TV every day, or music in all the shops or tinsel on everything that sits still long enough, even tuis. It is not Christmas! One does not go round whinging about the excessive heat on Christmas eve. Or wear flip flops, unless one wants to lose one's toes to frost bite.
And just to rub it in further, this is what this afternoon by the river looked like:
And got sunburn YES sunburn! on Christmas eve! Mostly from yesterday though. I went walkabouts somewhere incredibly shiny and forgot my camera. I didn't think I'd go wanders that far but I did. Numpty. I walked up Canavan's Knob. Don't laugh. Ooooo shiny it were. I could see the sea from the top! And actual proper seagulls! And keas! Have I mentioned how awesome the birds are here? Probably but I'll say it again. They're awesome. In the UK if you come a-moseying through the wood and happen upon a small passerine, it flies off shrieking and yelling and generally having an avian freak-out. Here, they come and have a closer look. I'd just stopped to admire the view and get my breath back when I saw a tomtit, don't laugh, on a branch a few metres away. It then proceeded to get closer and closer to me by flying from branch to branch, just in case I was a really big insect it could eat.
I don't care that there's Christmas movies on TV every day, or music in all the shops or tinsel on everything that sits still long enough, even tuis. It is not Christmas! One does not go round whinging about the excessive heat on Christmas eve. Or wear flip flops, unless one wants to lose one's toes to frost bite.
And just to rub it in further, this is what this afternoon by the river looked like:
Hopefully the bus that rides the information superhighway will be open tomorrow so I can post more show-off pictures of the heat and flip flops.
If not:
A Merry 25th of December to all!
Thursday, 27 November 2008
I always wanted to work with kiwis....
....and now I am, sort of. Cuddly ones, ones on keyrings, tea towels, t shirts and whatnot. Just finished my first day at the souvenir shop. Took two weeks but I finally have another job! Just as it starts to get sunny and isn't raining horizontally all day. Yargh.
Been in Franz two weeks now. The place is really nice, the house is ok and the work is duff.
Been walkabouts a few times, when it wasn't raining excessively. If someone from Wales thinks it's raining excessively, then it really is. They measure rainfall in metres here. But aye, went walkabouts in an actual rainforest. Not a tropical one but it was still awesome with enormous ferns and moss hanging off everything. Been to see the glacier too. It's quite grubby but still amezzin. Apart from that I've not been up to much really. Reading a lot because I couldn't go out in the afternoon. But it's getting nicer so when I'm not walking I can go walkabouts.
The birds are amazing here too. New Zealand can't just have ridiculously huge mountains, lakes and ferns, it has to have monstrous pigeons! They're like the size of a buzzard, almost! Definitely the size of our chickens, but able to fly. Not very gracefully though as many times I've nearly been brained by one whooshing out of a tree. Lots of tuis around as well, and I saw a New Zealand Pipit, which was ornithologically awesome.
So until something else comes up, I'm in Franz Josef till February-ish.
Been in Franz two weeks now. The place is really nice, the house is ok and the work is duff.
Been walkabouts a few times, when it wasn't raining excessively. If someone from Wales thinks it's raining excessively, then it really is. They measure rainfall in metres here. But aye, went walkabouts in an actual rainforest. Not a tropical one but it was still awesome with enormous ferns and moss hanging off everything. Been to see the glacier too. It's quite grubby but still amezzin. Apart from that I've not been up to much really. Reading a lot because I couldn't go out in the afternoon. But it's getting nicer so when I'm not walking I can go walkabouts.
The birds are amazing here too. New Zealand can't just have ridiculously huge mountains, lakes and ferns, it has to have monstrous pigeons! They're like the size of a buzzard, almost! Definitely the size of our chickens, but able to fly. Not very gracefully though as many times I've nearly been brained by one whooshing out of a tree. Lots of tuis around as well, and I saw a New Zealand Pipit, which was ornithologically awesome.
So until something else comes up, I'm in Franz Josef till February-ish.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Franz Josef!
...is, like just about everywhere in NZ, awesome. I'm getting a bit sick of saying awesome, fantastic, amazing all the time. Because everywhere is all those things! Sickeningly shiny the whole way. Except Hamilton. Ew.
Flew to Queenstown from Auckland. Didn't have a window seat but managed to nick other people's when they were in the loo. Awe-inspiring views of the Southern Alps and the plains. If it wasn't for the cloud I could have seen all of the south island from the pacific to the Tasman sea! Astonishing.
Queenstown's nice but don't think I could live there. Everyone's a bit too 'woohoo!' there, if you see. Bit like living in Penbryn. The hostel was nice but on the top of a fecking MASSIVE hill. Superlative views of the lake and the mountains though. Will definitely have to go back when I've got more dosh.
I thought an 8hr bus ride would be hellish, but then I only had UK bus rides as a frame of reference. On a NZ coach trip you hardly sit down for two hours! Set of at 8, stopped at 10 for a short while in Wanaka by the lake, then a cafe for half an hour, then by Thunder Creek falls, then a cliff over the tasman where we could see fur seals then a salmon farm cafe where I fed some huge fish. I came prepared with three magazines and two books but I didn't read a thing and hardly slept because I was too busy staring out the window going' wow!' and 'holy crap that's awesome!' at the magnificent views of mountains, ice-blue rivers, forests and whatnot. Sometimes outloud lol. And the whole way the driver did a commentary on things we were passing, local history, how the mountains were formed and whatnot. Formidable.
Got here at 4ish. The motel's nice, the house is...not so much. It's ok though, it'll do. And I met a cat! I travelled all the way to t'other side o't'planet to fuss a cat and watch Neighbours.
Going to mooch about the town now, both streets of it! I start at 09.30 tomorrow and I'm going to look for some work in the afternoon or evenings. And as soon as I can I'm going to mosey over to the glacier. Exalting.
Enough with the thesaurus. It's all awesome.
Flew to Queenstown from Auckland. Didn't have a window seat but managed to nick other people's when they were in the loo. Awe-inspiring views of the Southern Alps and the plains. If it wasn't for the cloud I could have seen all of the south island from the pacific to the Tasman sea! Astonishing.
Queenstown's nice but don't think I could live there. Everyone's a bit too 'woohoo!' there, if you see. Bit like living in Penbryn. The hostel was nice but on the top of a fecking MASSIVE hill. Superlative views of the lake and the mountains though. Will definitely have to go back when I've got more dosh.
I thought an 8hr bus ride would be hellish, but then I only had UK bus rides as a frame of reference. On a NZ coach trip you hardly sit down for two hours! Set of at 8, stopped at 10 for a short while in Wanaka by the lake, then a cafe for half an hour, then by Thunder Creek falls, then a cliff over the tasman where we could see fur seals then a salmon farm cafe where I fed some huge fish. I came prepared with three magazines and two books but I didn't read a thing and hardly slept because I was too busy staring out the window going' wow!' and 'holy crap that's awesome!' at the magnificent views of mountains, ice-blue rivers, forests and whatnot. Sometimes outloud lol. And the whole way the driver did a commentary on things we were passing, local history, how the mountains were formed and whatnot. Formidable.
Got here at 4ish. The motel's nice, the house is...not so much. It's ok though, it'll do. And I met a cat! I travelled all the way to t'other side o't'planet to fuss a cat and watch Neighbours.
Going to mooch about the town now, both streets of it! I start at 09.30 tomorrow and I'm going to look for some work in the afternoon or evenings. And as soon as I can I'm going to mosey over to the glacier. Exalting.
Enough with the thesaurus. It's all awesome.
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