I am back, from the Land of the Long White Cloud! That was the name which the original Maoris gave to New Zealand. According to legend, New Zealand was formed because two Maori brothers (or was it father and son?) went fishing and caught a big fish. They split up the fish but the fish got away and their boat capsized. So the part of the fish that got away became the North Island and the capsized boat became the South Island.
New Zealand is a land steeped in natural beauty. The South Island is bigger and less populated than the North Island. About a quarter of New Zealand's population lives in Auckland - the commercial hub and the "City of Sails", with Wellington being the second most densely populated city. New Zealand was founded by Captain James Cook, then when the British found it a nice place to stay in, they formed the New Zealand Company and started mass advertising on their new-found colony.
New Zealand is really a place for fantasy movies. In fact, the scenes from Lord of the Rings and Narnia describe the scenery and sights of New Zealand perfectly! The South Island, in particular, is full of mountains after mountains, with many snow-capped mountains. No matter where we drive, we will get a view of the mountains and valleys, lakes and streams.
There are a number of "Scenic Lookouts" on mountainous roads for people to stop and look down - the landscape is just perfect! Lakes and meandering rivers flanked by rows of trees, with a smattering of cottages dotted here and there, against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Just like a perfect piece of jigsaw puzzle! How in the world does Mother Nature create such natural beauty in one place alone?
I will remember New Zealand not just because of the natural beauty and scenic routes, but because of my experiences. It was the first time I stayed in a youth hostel and have to share bathrooms and kitchens. Imagine one bathroom for the whole level, and everyone was waiting in line to use the bathroom. Imagine one kitchen for everyone, and people had to wait in order to cook a simple dish of soup. Not to mention sharing cutlery and utensils!
It was the first time I was caught in a hailstorm, first time I stepped on such fine sand, first time I got almost blown away. Imagine going down a hilly slope stepping on nothing but fine sand. The wind was blowing very strongly and the pull of gravity caused you to step down quickly. Then when you have made it down the cliff, all you can see is a picturesque scene of fine sand, soft beach, clear blue water and the onset of rushing waves beating against the cavity of cliffs, being worn down by erosion of the waves. The place is a natural haven for geography experts!
Then on the way back, you feel the breeze getting stronger, and you feel rain, only it is not rain but icicles. The icicles beat down on you, hurting your hands and face, making your fingers frostbitten and numb. The wind was cutting against your face, and you felt as if there were several knives brushing against you. What made things worse was due to the strong wind, the sands started flying in all directions, and you got your hair, body, limbs and eyes filled with sand and icicles.
Yet you still have to make your way up the sandy hilly slope again. This time, with the wind blowing you down, and the force of gravity pulling you down, you feel your legs giving way sooner than expected and could barely make your way back up the hill! You were worried that if you really fell, you would go crashing into the person behind you, and both would start tumbling and rolling down the sandy hilly slope and possibly right into the water!
So you gritted your teeth and went on. You pushed your way against the wind, hail and sand and when you finally made it, all you could do was to plonk into the seat of the vehicle, shivering with cold and your teeth chattering! And when you took off your shoes, you filled half a waste basket with sand!
As if that was not enough, when you were making your way into the woods, your car ran out of fuel. You had to make an emergency stop to call for petrol, but you needed to use the washroom very badly. Because you were right in the middle of the woods and were calling for help, there was no restroom at all. So you did the only thing possible - what people would do in the wilderness without any facilities. It was either that or wet your clothes.
However, the emergency petrol could not come until a couple of hours, so you managed to use the reserves in your car to make it all the way to your destination. Imagine if the car had stalled halfway, then it would be another experience indeed if you needed to hitchhike from someone! After you made the destination, you scrambled around looking for petrol, but for some reason there was no petrol around. So you had to call someone to come down and fill up your tank, and luckily that person came after a couple of hours, and you could enjoy your sightseeing in peace.
Imagine you were going up a mountain road, and the car suddenly swerved onto a soft gravel path. You could not drive the car out as the tyres were stuck firmly onto the gravel. So you had to go out and push the car out of the gravel, resulting in smoke emissions from the exhaust fumes, and smoke and gravel flying all over and around you when the car was finally unstuck!
It was also the first time I saw snow-capped mountains and experienced snow! Imagine you were sleeping in bed but you were freezing. The next morning, the mountains and lake which you could see from your window were covered in snow, as it had snowed the night before. What a beautiful scenery that is!
Imagine going out while it was still snowing, with the snow flakes and icicles dropping down on your clothes, and snow flakes dropping on your nose. Imagine the chilly wind cutting into your face, freezing your fingers and making them so numb that you could hardly move! Imagine having to walk around the city centre with a temperature of less then ten degrees, and each time you felt as if your fingers were about to fall off!
This trip made me realise some of my quirks :
1. I have to sit at the window seat on a plane - to take photos of cloud formations and the geographical outline of the land below me.
2. I have to sleep on the top bunk of a double-decker bed.
3. I have to sleep by the window in any room.
4. I have to sit at the side of the car and not the middle, so as to take photos of passing scenery around.
5. I like taking scenery photos and photos of old buildings more than actual people.
This trip also made me realise that I need to bring gloves in the event I go away again to a place that is so temperate. And hand cream! As well as stock up on night cream! The weather was still Spring, so there was still snow and the wind was still rather chilly. I did not bring gloves and hand cream, and my hands really suffered due to the dryness and cold. I always thought the Southern hemisphere is warmer than the Northern hemisphere, but I guess when the country is that low, the climate is rather cool as well.
By the way, New Zealanders are rather friendly people. There was a time when we were fiddling around with the map in the car, wondering where to go next, when someone asked if we were lost and needed help. We answered in the affirmative and he directed us the way and even showed us where the shortest route was! New Zealanders also greet and smile at anyone that passes by. We should learn some of their manners! They are also generally non-racist, as the mayor of a town running for election can be from Asia!
One thing though, the prices are pretty costly, because the Goods and Services Tax (or Value-Added Tax) is a whopping twelve and a half percent! Imagine everything costing twelve and a half per cent more, things will be quite pricey in the end. Dining out is more expensive than dining in, as there are hardly any food courts, and each meal at a cafe or restaurant cost about thirty just for the main course!
Which is why my mum prefers to go grocery shopping and just cook, as a family meal of meat and vegetables with bread will cost just fifty or so. There are about three supermarkets in New Zealand - New World, Pak N Pay, Woolworths and Four Squares, but so far we have only been to New World, Four Squares and Pak N Pay as every town has at least one of them!
New Zealand is also a very clean place. There are hardly any trash bins around, yet there is no litter on the streets. Even on the mountain roads, there is hardly any litter! The only rubbish we see were falling leaves and wiltered grass! Even the public toilets are in pristine condition, no matter which location! We pride ourselves as being a "Garden City", but one has never seen a garden city until we see New Zealand, particularly Christchurch, the real "Garden City"!
Thus, it had been an experience - to experience snow, sand storm, hails, chilly winds, car running out of petrol, pushing the car out of a gravel, getting frostbite, yet communing with nature all at the same time! No where else I have gone can ever beat that! The photos will be up soon, this time round, due to the beautiful scenery, I took a whopping number of two thousand eight hundred and fifty-five photos in all, more on South Island (what else!)! I will be splitting up my North and South Island adventures, so stay tuned!
This is a place I am definitely going to go again, just to see whatever I missed out this time and do whatever I did not do this time! Next time I will definitely be more prepared if I intend to go at this season again, in terms of clothing and moisturisers. I have to get my dose of the "Lord of the Rings" tours to the fullest!
New Zealand is a land steeped in natural beauty. The South Island is bigger and less populated than the North Island. About a quarter of New Zealand's population lives in Auckland - the commercial hub and the "City of Sails", with Wellington being the second most densely populated city. New Zealand was founded by Captain James Cook, then when the British found it a nice place to stay in, they formed the New Zealand Company and started mass advertising on their new-found colony.
New Zealand is really a place for fantasy movies. In fact, the scenes from Lord of the Rings and Narnia describe the scenery and sights of New Zealand perfectly! The South Island, in particular, is full of mountains after mountains, with many snow-capped mountains. No matter where we drive, we will get a view of the mountains and valleys, lakes and streams.
There are a number of "Scenic Lookouts" on mountainous roads for people to stop and look down - the landscape is just perfect! Lakes and meandering rivers flanked by rows of trees, with a smattering of cottages dotted here and there, against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Just like a perfect piece of jigsaw puzzle! How in the world does Mother Nature create such natural beauty in one place alone?
I will remember New Zealand not just because of the natural beauty and scenic routes, but because of my experiences. It was the first time I stayed in a youth hostel and have to share bathrooms and kitchens. Imagine one bathroom for the whole level, and everyone was waiting in line to use the bathroom. Imagine one kitchen for everyone, and people had to wait in order to cook a simple dish of soup. Not to mention sharing cutlery and utensils!
It was the first time I was caught in a hailstorm, first time I stepped on such fine sand, first time I got almost blown away. Imagine going down a hilly slope stepping on nothing but fine sand. The wind was blowing very strongly and the pull of gravity caused you to step down quickly. Then when you have made it down the cliff, all you can see is a picturesque scene of fine sand, soft beach, clear blue water and the onset of rushing waves beating against the cavity of cliffs, being worn down by erosion of the waves. The place is a natural haven for geography experts!
Then on the way back, you feel the breeze getting stronger, and you feel rain, only it is not rain but icicles. The icicles beat down on you, hurting your hands and face, making your fingers frostbitten and numb. The wind was cutting against your face, and you felt as if there were several knives brushing against you. What made things worse was due to the strong wind, the sands started flying in all directions, and you got your hair, body, limbs and eyes filled with sand and icicles.
Yet you still have to make your way up the sandy hilly slope again. This time, with the wind blowing you down, and the force of gravity pulling you down, you feel your legs giving way sooner than expected and could barely make your way back up the hill! You were worried that if you really fell, you would go crashing into the person behind you, and both would start tumbling and rolling down the sandy hilly slope and possibly right into the water!
So you gritted your teeth and went on. You pushed your way against the wind, hail and sand and when you finally made it, all you could do was to plonk into the seat of the vehicle, shivering with cold and your teeth chattering! And when you took off your shoes, you filled half a waste basket with sand!
As if that was not enough, when you were making your way into the woods, your car ran out of fuel. You had to make an emergency stop to call for petrol, but you needed to use the washroom very badly. Because you were right in the middle of the woods and were calling for help, there was no restroom at all. So you did the only thing possible - what people would do in the wilderness without any facilities. It was either that or wet your clothes.
However, the emergency petrol could not come until a couple of hours, so you managed to use the reserves in your car to make it all the way to your destination. Imagine if the car had stalled halfway, then it would be another experience indeed if you needed to hitchhike from someone! After you made the destination, you scrambled around looking for petrol, but for some reason there was no petrol around. So you had to call someone to come down and fill up your tank, and luckily that person came after a couple of hours, and you could enjoy your sightseeing in peace.
Imagine you were going up a mountain road, and the car suddenly swerved onto a soft gravel path. You could not drive the car out as the tyres were stuck firmly onto the gravel. So you had to go out and push the car out of the gravel, resulting in smoke emissions from the exhaust fumes, and smoke and gravel flying all over and around you when the car was finally unstuck!
It was also the first time I saw snow-capped mountains and experienced snow! Imagine you were sleeping in bed but you were freezing. The next morning, the mountains and lake which you could see from your window were covered in snow, as it had snowed the night before. What a beautiful scenery that is!
Imagine going out while it was still snowing, with the snow flakes and icicles dropping down on your clothes, and snow flakes dropping on your nose. Imagine the chilly wind cutting into your face, freezing your fingers and making them so numb that you could hardly move! Imagine having to walk around the city centre with a temperature of less then ten degrees, and each time you felt as if your fingers were about to fall off!
This trip made me realise some of my quirks :
1. I have to sit at the window seat on a plane - to take photos of cloud formations and the geographical outline of the land below me.
2. I have to sleep on the top bunk of a double-decker bed.
3. I have to sleep by the window in any room.
4. I have to sit at the side of the car and not the middle, so as to take photos of passing scenery around.
5. I like taking scenery photos and photos of old buildings more than actual people.
This trip also made me realise that I need to bring gloves in the event I go away again to a place that is so temperate. And hand cream! As well as stock up on night cream! The weather was still Spring, so there was still snow and the wind was still rather chilly. I did not bring gloves and hand cream, and my hands really suffered due to the dryness and cold. I always thought the Southern hemisphere is warmer than the Northern hemisphere, but I guess when the country is that low, the climate is rather cool as well.
By the way, New Zealanders are rather friendly people. There was a time when we were fiddling around with the map in the car, wondering where to go next, when someone asked if we were lost and needed help. We answered in the affirmative and he directed us the way and even showed us where the shortest route was! New Zealanders also greet and smile at anyone that passes by. We should learn some of their manners! They are also generally non-racist, as the mayor of a town running for election can be from Asia!
One thing though, the prices are pretty costly, because the Goods and Services Tax (or Value-Added Tax) is a whopping twelve and a half percent! Imagine everything costing twelve and a half per cent more, things will be quite pricey in the end. Dining out is more expensive than dining in, as there are hardly any food courts, and each meal at a cafe or restaurant cost about thirty just for the main course!
Which is why my mum prefers to go grocery shopping and just cook, as a family meal of meat and vegetables with bread will cost just fifty or so. There are about three supermarkets in New Zealand - New World, Pak N Pay, Woolworths and Four Squares, but so far we have only been to New World, Four Squares and Pak N Pay as every town has at least one of them!
New Zealand is also a very clean place. There are hardly any trash bins around, yet there is no litter on the streets. Even on the mountain roads, there is hardly any litter! The only rubbish we see were falling leaves and wiltered grass! Even the public toilets are in pristine condition, no matter which location! We pride ourselves as being a "Garden City", but one has never seen a garden city until we see New Zealand, particularly Christchurch, the real "Garden City"!
Thus, it had been an experience - to experience snow, sand storm, hails, chilly winds, car running out of petrol, pushing the car out of a gravel, getting frostbite, yet communing with nature all at the same time! No where else I have gone can ever beat that! The photos will be up soon, this time round, due to the beautiful scenery, I took a whopping number of two thousand eight hundred and fifty-five photos in all, more on South Island (what else!)! I will be splitting up my North and South Island adventures, so stay tuned!
This is a place I am definitely going to go again, just to see whatever I missed out this time and do whatever I did not do this time! Next time I will definitely be more prepared if I intend to go at this season again, in terms of clothing and moisturisers. I have to get my dose of the "Lord of the Rings" tours to the fullest!
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