On the road again - Queenstown

Okay, so now I'm back on my travels, and I left Wanaka for my first stop in Queenstown. It was a nice bus ride, and the driver, Lisa, was a real hoot. She first split the bus into two teams and gave us a list of 10 things to bring to the front of the bus, with the first group getting a prize. The list included a phone, an iPod and a Loenly planet guide, as well as boxer shorts/ bra. We then had an individual mini quiz, and I won a drink. We arrived at the Kawarau Bridge after a fashion, and I stood and cringed as some of my fellow Magic passengers took a jump. I also saw a couple jumping tandem whilst both nude. Shortly after that, we arrived into Q'town, and to my surprise the first two people I met in the reception were Jason and Shane-o from Wanaka. I made plans to meet them in the bar, and quickly took my stuff up to the room. Before the night out I needed sustenance, so I decided to takle the legendary Fergburger, which was described as "A very big burger. Unless of course you're from America, because then it's normal size". I decided to have a 'Big Al' and I was so stuffed that I didn't manage to finish my chips. Feeling full, I traipsed back to the bar to meet up with Jason and Shane-o. Many fun and exciting pursuits then ensued, aided (of course) by liberal amounts of alcohol. These included the pub quiz (which we didn't win) and the horizontal bungy. I was paired up with Shana, a girl from London. Before our turn, a very drunk Shane-o took his turn, and he decided to do it stark bollock naked! He managed to stagger far enough to eventually grab the drink before returning it to his partner to skull (well, half ended up on the floor). When it came to our turn I decided to do the running and let Shana drink. I ran and just grabbed the drink bfore I was pinged back. I managed to fall most of the way back to my partner, and we set a very reasonable time of 35 seconds which put us in the lead, with one more pair to go. I watched then next pair, praying for them to fail but sadly they managed 32 seconds. This was actually a blessing in disguise though, as the prize turned out to be a free canyon swing (height + rope + falling = not my cup of tea). I partied for a while longer before managing to stagger back to bed. I awoke the next morning feeling reasonably rough but bearable, only to find that my backpack (which happened to contain my passport, eftpos card, tickets etc.). I tore the room apart, becoming very agitated, before deciding to go down to reception to call somebody. I opened the door to find that the guys who were on the Kiwi bus (and had already left) had lleft it sitting in the hallway outside the door. I was furious, but relieved, and headed into town to get the minibus for my next adventure, jet boating in the skipper's canyon. The bus journey took about an hour to the canyon, but the scenery made it so worthwhile. The driver was alsio very knowledgeable about the gold mining history of the area. We arrived in the canyon and took a half hour jet boat ride, with numerous 360 spins as well as photo ops. Back on dry land and feeling considerably less rough, we were taken to the site of the old pipeline bungy (which we had seen from the canyon). I decided to stay on the cenyon's edge whilst the other walked out onto the bridge, and the bungy's hut (which closed in 2004) looked as if the guys had gone home for lunch. There were even signs up advertising prices. We then took the winding gravel road back out of the canyon, to civilization. Once back in Queenstown I decided to head out to the gondola and Luge (just like the one in Sentosa but with better views). It was so much fun and a great way to round off the afternoon. I grabbed a lovely, healthy and filling (not) meal from McDonald's before catching a bus out to the suburb of Frankton, which has a Warehouse (I needed some new jeans). After that I made my way back into town for a quiet night in the TV lounge, before an early night to be up for the bus the next day.

The Wanaka Diaries

By that Thursday, I did have some work lined up. It was only for one day, but I decided that it would do until I could get something more permanent. I was going to spend the next day working in a vineyard. Of course to get the minibus I had to get up quite early. It was a shame that I was to spend that night working for accommodation in the house bar downstairs. I didn’t get to bed until after 2am, and so I was pretty tired the next morning as I dragged myself out of bed reluctantly and headed for a shower to try and wake up a bit. I arrived outside the job agency only to be told that somehow I wasn’t on the list for the minibus. I waited in case someone else didn’t turn up, and luckily there was room for me. It took about 2 hours to get to the orchard, so by the time we got there we were ready to go and so fired up for a day of hard labour. Yeah, right! The job was mind numbing, and the vineyard’s American owner was a right pain in the a**.  (No offence meant to Americans).  He was constantly breathing down all our necks, and we were aching by the time we got to the hut for lunch. By the end of the day I was glad that it was only a one day job, or else I would have considered quitting. 

The following day I didn’t do much until that night, when I was back toiling in the bar again. Don’t get any glamorous ideas of me being behind the bar pouring drinks though, as I was a glassie. That means it was my job to run around all night collecting glasses and putting them in the dishwasher, ensuring there were enough glasses behind the bar and cleaning up broken glasses and any other mess (yes, that does include sick!). I also had to do some security work, which involved standing at the door to the deck and stopping people taking their drinks outside. This was as easy as trying to explain the rules of chess to a dog. It just didn’t work. It was amazing how many people can’t understand a simple request just because they’ve had a few drinks.

 By the middle of the following week I had an interview for a job at New World, the local (and only) Supermarket. Not that the interview process was overly gruelling. The only question I was asked was “when can you start?” I was to go in on that Friday to get my uniform sorted out as well as my pay details and to put my fingerprint in the clock-in system. I was working late on Thursday night (again) in the bar, and I sort of slept in because my phone (and alarm clock) ran out of batteries in the night. Luckily Adrienne was pretty understanding when, although I’d said morning I turned up at 1pm looking like I’d just got out of bed (I had). We got all my details sorted out, and I was told to turn up ready for work at 9am the following morning. I made sure my phone was fully charged that night before I went to bed. The next morning I turned up on time and met the rest of the team. There was the manager Merv, his wife Bev, Trevor, Brent and Phillip, who was another new guy.  The job was simple enough. Pretty much I had to ensure that the fruit and veg bins were kept looking full and that the stock was rotated. It was even simpler than that, as each day I would only have to work on one side of the shop each day, either fruit or veg. By about midday the side was pretty full, and it was simply a task of keeping everything topped up and trying to look busy.  

By the middle of the third week, however, I really needed a break. Not from the supermarket, but from the bar. I was fed up of being down there, and I didn’t really like the manager, Amy, at all. She treated the WFA staff like shit, and she would say one thing and then do something completely different. I decided to talk to the housekeeping manager, Cecile, about possibly doing housekeeping for accommodation. The problem was that Amy was reluctant to give me up, because not only she would need to have the security staff work more rather than using me and saving money. Not that my job was ever meant to include security work. It wasn’t until the middle of the following week that Amy called me down to the bar to tell me that she had decided to move me to housekeeping, starting the following week. She said it as if it was her Idea in the first place. I decided just to hold my tongue and be thankful that I was getting out of there.

On my last night in the bar, I was working with the other security guard, Jason, and it was dead. We spent most of the night chatting and Jason told me that he might be able to get me some occasional security work at Shooters, one of the other bars in town. I said that would be great, and he told me he needed someone for the following Friday and Saturday. I said I would do it, and decided to talk to Cecile in at the morning about sorting the housekeeping roster out. The rest of that night was quite a doss and at the end Tom, the assistant manager, gave me a couple of shots, both of which were quite strong, especially the Chartreuse and Sambuca.

The work set for me in housekeeping seemed simple enough. Because I was working during the day every day except Thursday and Friday, and I was due to be working at night that Saturday and Sunday, I was to clean the kitchen from Monday to Friday, and make up rooms on Thursday and Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off. I started on the Saturday of the week before. I had worked 10 hours in the supermarket that day, after which I went up to the home of Cindy, one the assistant  Housekeeping Manager, who had invited all  of us up  to her house for a party, just for  the fun of it. Cindy was Malaysian, and she was lovely. She always had a smile, and could cheer you up no matter what. I had to leave early, of course, because I had to go and close up that kitchen and clean up. I got back late, about 11pm, and had to start straightaway as the kitchen was supposed to close at 10pm. I collected supplies and a list of things to do from the housekeeping room. I got into the kitchen and the first thing I noticed was a huge mound of unwashed dishes, and no-one there to clean them but me. About an hour later, when I had finished cleaning them, I was about ready for bed, but I still had the rest of the kitchen to clean. At 2.30am, when I had finished, I was exhausted, and by the following Tuesday I had decided to move out and find a flat or house-share.

I started my search the following day during my first break, by looking in the messenger, which was full of classifieds. I circled a few that seemed interesting, and arranged to go and see a couple that evening. The first place I went to was nice enough, but it was up the hill and so a bit out of the way I decided to leave it as a maybe. The next one was next door to Cindy’s house, but it was poky, there was neither phone nor internet, and I would have been there on my own most of the time. Plus it was still a bit out of the way.  The final place I saw that night was right next to the base of Mount Iron, but it was an annexe to a family home, and it was just a room, using the family kitchen in the main house. I decided that this would be a definite no, so I went home and contrived to look at more the next day.

The next day I got up early to do housekeeping. I had to make beds, and it was easy. I was paired up with Elianna, who was an Israeli American, and we took shortcuts as much as we could, like only changing the undersheets if they looked like they had been slept on, or were dirty. I also had to hoover, and I did that as quickly as possible to get it over with. After we finished, I headed straight out to look at the New World noticeboard, and I called a number and found myself talking to Kelly, the Beer and Wine manager. She said that she had a room, and I told her that I was going to look at some others that day and I’d get in touch with her if I hadn’t found something and wanted to have a look at her place. I walked up to another place on the hill, which was about a half hour’s walk, and met Stan, who was wanting someone to share his house with. He had two lovely dogs and a young daughter who came to visit every other week. The house was nice, but there was no internet or phone, and it was out of the way. I put it on the shortlist and headed back towards town, wondering. I walked back into town and decided to go and get myself a beer.  I headed for HQ, so I could check whether I would be working that week. Fish was on, and we got talking. She told me that she was going to be moving out of her room at a house-share just up the road, and they were looking for someone to move in. She gave me the number of her housemate, Torsten, and said that I could go and have a look later that day.  It took me a while to find the place, as I was still quite unsure of the geography of Wanaka, but I eventually got there. I met Max, the other housemate, and had a look at the place. The room was large, with a double bed, but the kitchen and bathroom were a little dated and possibly in need of a ‘spring clean’.  On the good side, tough, there was internet and a phone, with cheap international rates. There was also a TV, but it wasn’t connected as there had been Sky but Fish was taking it with her, but there was a DVD player and loads of DVDs. Headed back to the hostel, with a difficult choice to make, as it had boiled down to the last two places I had seen. I had to make a choice between the convenience of the house in town, and the desirability of the house on the hill, with the two cute dogs. I decided to consult with my Aunts, so I called them, and later that evening I called my parents as well. The following morning I had come to a decision, and called Torsten to tell him that I would take the flat. My decision had been influenced by the location, as I didn’t want to go too far to work each day, and also the internet access, as using the internet café in the hostel was costing me a fortune.  Torsten and I agreed that I would move in on Monday, and that he would bring his car down to help me with my stuff.

 That night, I was relaxing in the TV room after my second day off, and waiting for 10pm so that I could clean the kitchen, when my phone went off. It was Jason, wondering where I was, because I was meant to be at work at the bar. I got changed quickly and grabbed the housekeeping keys on my way out. I arrived at the bar about two minutes later and explained to Jason that I had got the days mixed up, and I had thought I was working on Saturday and Sunday. The work was pretty easy, anyhow. All I had to do was stand out the front and check IDs, and I spent most of the time chatting to the locals who were out there smoking. It was 2.30am by the time we got finished and cleaned up, so by the time I’d cleaned up the kitchen that night it was after 4am, and I had to get up at 8 for work. It took me several coffees and cans of energy drink to get through that day, and the following evening when I was back at the bar I was trying my hardest not to fall asleep where I stood. I was glad that I wasn’t cleaning the kitchen that night, because I wouldn’t have managed it. I got to bed as soon as I got finished at the bar, but I was still pretty tired the next morning. I got myself through Sunday with the help of an unhealthy amount of caffeine, and on Sunday evening I got most of my stuff packed up and ready to go, and I got hold of the keys to the housekeeping room under the pretext of changing the bedding and getting stuff ready for the next day, but I also used it as an opportunity to acquire some bedding for my new place. I also got some towels and some soaps, as well as a really handy washing bag. I hid this all at the bottom of a bin bag I had also acquired for the move, and I got my stuff all ready to go for the next day. The following evening I got moved into my new room and got my stuff arranged into a pile in the corner of the room, and my food packed away in the fridge and my food cupboard.

Two weeks later, I really felt at home in Wanaka, and I had worked out how much money I needed to earn, and that I wouldn’t be leaving Wanaka until sometime in April, and I decided to get my return travel organised.   This time I decided to be more organized, and actually budget for activities as well as food and accommodation. I also had to book my return flights, and I changed my plans slightly to allow for a repeat stop in Sydney. It took me a week to book all of the hostels, and to get the flights organised with BA, because there was a disagreement between offices. The UK office told me that there would be a difference in taxes, but no change fee, whilst the NZ office thought I would have to pay to change the flight. I also had to call Magic and get my buses changed.

For the following few weeks I worked hard at New World, and I decided to try and lose some of the weight I had gained on my travels. I increased the amount of Fruit and Veg I was eating until it made up about half of my weekly shop, and barely ate any meat as I couldn’t really afford it. I also tried to cut out some of the snacks I was eating and made sure I packed a nice healthy lunch (see, I’m quite good at diet tips too, maybe I should write a book called ‘The Flying Scotsman Diet’). The only problem I had was that between the produce department and the break room, there was a chiller cabinet filled with reduced to clear cakes and other treats, and it was really hard to resist them, especially the carrot cake. I also had trouble steering clear of the biscuit aisle. Saying that, it did work, and I lost a stone in about 4 weeks (no, I don’t do metric).  The only thing which wasn’t working out too well was the swimming, as it was getting a bit too cold in the evenings, and the days were getting shorter. It was quite strange, because during the day it would be really nice and sunny, almost sunbathing weather, and then at night it would get so cold you would be shivering. I had to put an extra blanket on my bed as well. I also joined the library and got through about 3 books a week. (I know this all seems a bit pedestrian, but I was here for three months).

The view from the end of my street!

Suzanne, Chiquie and Jackie

One of the things I did do was visit puzzling world with a few of the guys from the hostel. It was quite interesting, with a hall full of holograms, a room which was angled so that if you stood at one end you would seem very tall, and at the other very short. Of course I am so tall that I just looked normal at the short end, and a very difficult maze in which you had to get to each of the coloured towers in order. We made it a race, and I finished second. It was such a hot day that we were all exhausted after that, and we headed back into town. I also went disc golfing, which was quite unusual because it was in a forest and the targets were marked on trees. I loved little Wanaka, especially the view every morning on the way to work, with the mountains and the lake which looked (only the tiniest bit) clichéd. I also liked all the people I met, especially Cindy, who always cheered me up, and Nathan and Jason who were typical kiwi blokes and always up for a beer. I remember the morning (more like afternoon) after one particularly unmemorable bender, I met up with Jason down at HQ, and we had a bit of a session drinking beers on the terrace. I also remember one night getting quite drunk and partaking of some karaoke. I seemed to get better as the night wore on, and on the way home I swear that I met a guy with a live possum on his head. Some of the girls on the checkout were also a good laugh, including Jackie and Elise. During my last Week in Wanaka, I took a hike up Mount Iron and the views were amazing. I could see all of Wanaka, and right across to Arrowtown. It took me about 3 hours round trip, but it was worth it. I know that this isn’t a blow by blow account  of Wanaka, but why would you want that? It would be boring! So I think I’ll wrap this up for now and maybe touch it up if some more comes to me. 

Me and Cindy

Day 19 - Wanaka - Job Hunting and Cinema

On day 19 I dragged myself out of bed early to canvass the neighborhood looking for a job. By lunchtime I had  Work For Accommodation (WFA) at Mint bar. I had also joined the job agency and been around town applying to other jobs. As well as this I applied for jobs online. Because I got WFA I decided to spend at least 2 weeks in Wanaka to earn enough money to get home. That night I went to the cinema as a last treat and to celebrate getting work for accommodation. Cinema Paradiso is not what you would expect from a cinema, with airline seats, lazy boy recliners, sofas, beanbags and even an old Morris Minor provided as seating for the movie. I got comfy in one of the few rows of old cinema seats, and watched Avatar. It's a really good movie, and it's a shame that I didn't get the chance to see it in 3D. I highly recommend it. Now that I'm staying here for a while, I'm dispensing with the day-by-day account, and I'm gonna blog the first week, followed by highlights. Believe me, it's better that way.

Day 18 - Franz Josef to Wanaka - Money Troubles

On day 18 I was as stiff as I had been after I crossed the Tongariro, and it didn't help that there were 2 Magic buses, and a lot of confusion as to where each person's luggage would go. Noirin, Annette and I decided that we should get on the second bus, because the driver was completely filling up the first bus before sending people back, and we would probably get more space on the second bus. I was right, but the seats were really uncomfortable bench seats. I managed to finally position myself so I wasn't in too much pain, and we were off. We passed through Fox Glacier early in the day and stopped to pick up some folks at the YHA. The first proper stop was Lake Matheson, also known as 'mirror lake', and it was the place of a thousand postcards, since everywhere you go in New Zealand there will be a postcard with this lake on it. When I got to the lookout, it was easy to see why. It was truly breathtaking, with the mountains being reflected perfectly in the still lake surface. You should see the photos I took. We then continued on our way and we went for a while until we reached a small cafe. Obviously it wasn't expecting such a large group, and the queues for food were ridiculous. I was starving, and thankfully I noticed a small shop next door, so I got a snack lunch of crackers and fruit chutney. It was really nice, too. After everyone had been fed and herded back onto the buses we were on the way again, and the next port of call was a lookout over the sea. It was a really nice view, and we had time to take some pictures and visit the ubiquitous long drop toilets before heading on our way, next stop Wanaka. It was at this stage in the trip that the activity sheet came round for Queenstown, and I decided to check my bank balance by text before signing up for anything. Shortly afterward I discovered just how bad things were in the land of bank. I had a grand total of just over $300 in my bank. Not good. I had to decide between going straight to Queenstown or trying to find a job in Wanaka. I decided that my money would probably go further in Wanaka, and I decided to stop here. I checked into the YHA, and went out to look for work, not that there was much that present day. I had a very cheap (and bad tasting) meal of tuna and rice, and went to bed feeling very worried and miserable. 

Day 17 - Franz Josef - One Big Ice Cube

Day 17 dawned bright and early, and the weather couldn't have been more different to the previous day. It was a fresh, crisp morning and the sun was getting ready to shine. I met up with Noirin and Anette and we walked down to the Glacier guides hut to get kitted up for our glacier hike. Yet again I was a bit worried about their boot sizes, but I was amazed when they told me they had up to size 25! (And i'm only a measly size 14!). We were provided with a waterproof jacket and trousers, hat and gloves, boots, crampons and socks. We even got a bum-bag to keep the crampons in. After we were all ready to ge we climbed aboard the bus and were shipped out to the glacier. We got off at the start of the public trail to the glacier, and we were told that we had a bit of a walk before we even saw the glacier. We walked for a while before we were split into groups. I was in group 4 with Annette and Noirin and a bunch of people, most of whom were with the Magic bus. This meant we were in the medium fitness group. We walked further until we reached the barrier which said 'no admittance past this point without a guide'. Our guide held the barrier down whist we hopped over it. We were now right at the terminal face of the glacier, an it was time to put our crampons on. We were also told that once we started to move closer, we weren't to stop until we reached the way up onto the glacier, a roughly hewn set of ice-stairs, with a guide rope. These were quite a challenge, especially as the steps were near vertical and we were only just getting used to the crampons. We then regrouped and our guide, Tay, told us where we were going. It looked so far off from where we were. we were also told that we would follow a pre-cut path for the first part up until lunch, and then it was down to the guide to cut it for us. We took a long time to get to the ice-axe bin, and there everyone was given a pick-axe. The first thing she told us as soon as we got them was, 'these are walking sticks and supports, this isn't touching the void'. Suddenly my ideas of scrambling up cliffs using the axe for support were dashed,. It was still a really great experience, though, as there we were on a giant slab of ice full of cracks, fissures and caves. There was one crevasse which we had to fit through, and I was worried because I thought i'd get stuck, and I nearly did. It's really amazing that the formations of ice actually looked so much like waves. Sadly I decided not to take a camera because I didn't want to risk getting water in it, but Noirin and Annette did, so there are pictures. After the hike and out return to the bus, I felt so stiff, but I didn't worry because we agreed to go to the hot pools up the road. It was heaven. We were in there until it closed, and then we headed back to our relevant hostels for bed before the next days travels towards Wanaka.

Day 16 - Greymouth to Franz Josef - Rain, Pounamu and a Horror Movie

The trip from Greymouth to Franz Josef was pretty uneventful, really. Apart from the weather, which was awful. The rain never stopped. We had a stop on the way at the Greenstone (also known locally as Pounamu, and is actually nephrite jade) factory at Hokitika, which also had the last big supermarket before Greymouth. We decided to go shopping first, and buy stuff for a shared meal. We got a bit damp on the way, but we got back in time to have a look around the factory shop. I bought myself a Greenstone pendant, and I got an (almost) matching one for my girlfriend, Alannah (nearly  months on, and I still haven't sent her it). The rain got even heavier as we got closer to Frans Josef, and we were told that the half day hikes for that day were cancelled. I didn't worry, because I was taking the full day hike the following day. The roads on the way were actually partly flooded, and we got concerned for our luggage in the compartment below us. We arrived in Franz Josef with our luggage completely dry, an I got settled into my backpackers, which was across the road from Noirin and Annette. We had some spag bol together at my hostel before setting out to have a look at the i-site, which also had an informational video about the glacier. it was quite informative. We then headed back to my hostel were a few of us sat round and watched 'The Darkness', which was an incredibly unrewarding horror movie. It didn't even have a good ending. After that, we decided to call it a night and get ourselves rested for the glacier hike the next day.

Day 15 - Nelson to Greymouth - Meals, Seals and a Piss-up in a Brewery

Greymouth was one of the places on my journey I was least looking forward to. I had been there previously a few years back, and thankfully I was only there for a few hours, because the only way I can describe it is Grey. On the bus that morning I met Noirin and Anette, two primary school teacher from Ireland (don't ask me which part). We got chatting and decided to stroll around the Nelson market (our fist stop) together. I bought nothing more than some licorice (it was good stuff, too). Back on the bus and we chilled out and chatted on the way to Westport, where we stopped at the seal colony. I was a nice spot, with some long drop toilets (I was used to them by that stage) and seals weren't the only wildlife. I also manged to get some shot of wekas, which resemble almost a brown hen, but thy have a funny shaped beak. After some long distance shots of seals, we moved on and stopped at another place further down, with a walk through forest to a hidden cove. He walked down and enjoyed the view before we noticed a lone seal on the beach. It was quite cute, but we didn't get too close. The next stop on the trip was Punakaikai, home to the pancake rocks. These strange geological features made for some nice photos. I also got an ice-cream. A short while after, and with the ice-cream long gone, we arrived at our destination, Greymouth. It was still as grey as I remembered, and the weather, which had been good most of the day, changed. We had all booked the Montieth's brewery tour, and I got dropped off at my hostel and got changed before the bus arrived. The tour also included dinner. We arrived at the brewery and were given ample time to enjoy the delights of the gift shop before the rest of the group arrived. We the took a short tour, where most of us learned very little, and went on to the brewery bar for the tasting (you didn't honestly think we actually wanted to know how beer's made, did you?). We sampled about 8 or 9 beers and a cider before being allowed to pour a pint of our choosing. After that,we were all a bit tipsy (we hadn't eaten yet), and my camera has a few candid shots of our antics with a mounted moose's head. After that, the minibus that took us to the brewery returned and shipped us off to the Railway inn, for a lovely barbecue style dinner. The steak was to die for. We also had some quite cheap jugs of beer, which stayed quite cheap until 12pm, when the bar obviously decided to try and slow us down. We weren't having any of it, because we'd been told before that they were cheap all night, and eventually we decided not to put up with the manageress' bad attitude, and we left en masse. It was raining when we left, of course, but we made it home safely, with me and Anette trying in vain to have a conversation in German, for some strange reason. After arriving at the YHA, I headed straight for bed.