The tunnel to town.
Local field for rugby and other sports.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Te Papa + Harbor
Now that I have a new residence, I thought it would be nice to hang out for a couple of days and then start looking for work. I worked two jobs when I was home so all my rent is covered until the end of October. I only have to work to cover food, extra travel, day tours and events and socializing. Two days to hang out and my first thought is to check out the Wellington Museum. When I got there I understood why people were referring to the Museum as Te Papa, well that's because it's called Te Papa. I really have to stop being such an idiot. Te Papa is another impressive museum, but you weren't alllowed to take pictures as freely as you could at the Auckland Museum. Though the upside about Te Papa is that it has free entry. So I only did half of the museum and will leave the rest of the museum to explore for rainy day. Wellington has alot of rainy days.
This is the most popular part of the Harbor. People are always here. Whether they are running up the docks, enjoying a cup of coffee or just enjoying the scenery, people are always chillin at the harbor.
This is the most popular part of the Harbor. People are always here. Whether they are running up the docks, enjoying a cup of coffee or just enjoying the scenery, people are always chillin at the harbor.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Brooklyn + Mount Victoria
Karori was a fun time, hike up a bunch of hills and then a bus ride home. This time I thought I would be smart and take a bike. Again I was totally foolish. Brooklyn was closer than Karori but it seemed like the hills were steeper. So to get to Brooklyn it took about an hour and I think I pushed my bike up the hills more then I actually rode it. Took some pictures at a cool look out and then made my way to the street where the house was on.
It must have been either me being sick or just a complete idiot but when I got the the street I rumaged through my bag to find the exact address. All I found in my backpack was a water bottle, my purse, and my action figure of Jean Luc Picard...no lined paper that I wrote the address on. I figured I had made it this far I might as well go door to door and hopefully luck out. The only lead I had was that the house was a number in the 20's. Good thing I'm polite and not ugly...six houses later and the last lady I talk to said "oh yeah the guys in the back." Even with the address I think I still would of been really confused.
I checkout the place, and it was a cute place with enough space to feel comfortable in a big bedroom. Nice backyard and three other gents to share it with. I wasn't going to make any decisions until I saw the place in Mount Victoria. The the one thing that I thought about was walking up those hills after work or having to walk up them in a stumbling manner all drunk...and of course still too out of the way from downtown.
It must have been either me being sick or just a complete idiot but when I got the the street I rumaged through my bag to find the exact address. All I found in my backpack was a water bottle, my purse, and my action figure of Jean Luc Picard...no lined paper that I wrote the address on. I figured I had made it this far I might as well go door to door and hopefully luck out. The only lead I had was that the house was a number in the 20's. Good thing I'm polite and not ugly...six houses later and the last lady I talk to said "oh yeah the guys in the back." Even with the address I think I still would of been really confused.
I checkout the place, and it was a cute place with enough space to feel comfortable in a big bedroom. Nice backyard and three other gents to share it with. I wasn't going to make any decisions until I saw the place in Mount Victoria. The the one thing that I thought about was walking up those hills after work or having to walk up them in a stumbling manner all drunk...and of course still too out of the way from downtown.
I jumped back on my bike and decided to rome around Brooklyn. It was a beautiful bike ride but I ended up riding my bike down a big hill. Thus making my trip up hill both ways.
At the top of one mini hill a random cat crossed the street and made it's way over to me. I stopped and he/she started being all cute and cuddley and rubbed it's face and self on my legs. What an adorable and random cat. It tried following me home, but really I think it could smell the half eaten sandwich in my bag.
So another trip done and done. Took some nice pictures of the area and made my way back to the hostel.
Two houses down and one left to check out. Due to the fact that I wasn't toally satisfied with the last two potential places and more then confident about the third place I decided to fork out $10 for a taxi. It was pouring rain and I didn't want to take the bus. I got to the intersection and quickly scoped out the area. It seem perfect. I was in contact via text messaging with the guy whose room I would be moving into. I guess out of safety he decided to send me the wrong address of the house and then send me the real address when I got there. Well because I had a new phone and hadn't charged it, after I went to the wrong address I wanted to call the dude and get everything sorted out, but to my dismay my phone was dead. So I didn't recieve the txt informing me of the correct address. Because I had used the money for the taxi I was one dollar short for a bus ticket. Soaking wet and totally disheartened, I reached out to a guy who was leaving his grilfriend's house. I asked him if he knew anyone that had a room for rent, he didn't but was a very nice man from Ireland and generously paid my missing bus fare. There are tons of helpful people. I've been lucky to meet alot of nice and helpful people on my trip.
The next day, I called the dude, who's name was Matt and we sorted out the mix up. I went back to check out the place and the day after the place was mine. I just couldn't let go of this place, it was perfect...and it's turned out for the best. Great roomates, close to town, only 5 busstops from downtown and $150/week. Perfect :)
-Even though I'm on the other side of the world, it's a small world. Matt who's room I'm taking is from Richmond Hill an dhim and his friend went to high school with my bf. Craziness.
At the top of one mini hill a random cat crossed the street and made it's way over to me. I stopped and he/she started being all cute and cuddley and rubbed it's face and self on my legs. What an adorable and random cat. It tried following me home, but really I think it could smell the half eaten sandwich in my bag.
So another trip done and done. Took some nice pictures of the area and made my way back to the hostel.
Two houses down and one left to check out. Due to the fact that I wasn't toally satisfied with the last two potential places and more then confident about the third place I decided to fork out $10 for a taxi. It was pouring rain and I didn't want to take the bus. I got to the intersection and quickly scoped out the area. It seem perfect. I was in contact via text messaging with the guy whose room I would be moving into. I guess out of safety he decided to send me the wrong address of the house and then send me the real address when I got there. Well because I had a new phone and hadn't charged it, after I went to the wrong address I wanted to call the dude and get everything sorted out, but to my dismay my phone was dead. So I didn't recieve the txt informing me of the correct address. Because I had used the money for the taxi I was one dollar short for a bus ticket. Soaking wet and totally disheartened, I reached out to a guy who was leaving his grilfriend's house. I asked him if he knew anyone that had a room for rent, he didn't but was a very nice man from Ireland and generously paid my missing bus fare. There are tons of helpful people. I've been lucky to meet alot of nice and helpful people on my trip.
The next day, I called the dude, who's name was Matt and we sorted out the mix up. I went back to check out the place and the day after the place was mine. I just couldn't let go of this place, it was perfect...and it's turned out for the best. Great roomates, close to town, only 5 busstops from downtown and $150/week. Perfect :)
-Even though I'm on the other side of the world, it's a small world. Matt who's room I'm taking is from Richmond Hill an dhim and his friend went to high school with my bf. Craziness.
Searching for Karori
As you can see it's hills, hills and more hills once you leave down town Wellington. I did not understand this concept until I decided to walk to Karori. Looking at the map of Wellington I was foolish to think that it would be an easy hike. Well I was horribly wrong. On the map all the streets look innocent and flat. When you trek out from the city some streets go up while others go down. The hills can be very long and steep. Hiking up the huge hills I was happy to explore the land by foot and see new towns and suburbs. But my hike seem to go on forever. When I left the city it was sunny and bright and 1 hour out of the downtown area it started to rain. Determined to get there by foot I continued on my journey. 2 hours and 15 minutes later I reached the street in which the potential house was on. I looked at the numbers on the house closest to me, 38 was the house number. The house I needed to get to was 1024. I looked up the hill and it seemed to grow before my eyes. I called the lady and told her I had found a place. It was too far from downtown and I didn't want to spend another second hiking up another hill. So it was off to the closest bus stop and fork out the $3 for a busride home.
Looking for Apartments
The day after I got to Wellington I was eager to find a place of my own. But before I did that I needed a phone, a bank account, and more internet time. There is wi-fi everywhere but you usually have to spend $3/hour anywhere you go. Only in Auckland did I find a place where you could buy a drink you get internet for an hour for free. I have yet to find another place like that here.
So by mid-day I had a new cellphone with Vodaphone, a bank account with Kiwi Bank, no lies, and an internet card for the next 24 hrs.
While grabbing my cellphone, the man that was selling me the phone told me about trademe.co.nz, which is like a better craig's list-like website better then the one I was using, which was gumtree.co.nz. Eager to find a warm place of my own I checked out trademe.co.nz and found a couple potential places I could see myself living in. With a map in my hand and three okays to check out some flats I mapped out my routes. I would see one place in one suburb outside of downtown Wellington named Karori, the second in Brooklyn, and the third in Mount Victoria. When I looked at the map I figured I could walk everywhere and save some money. So later that day I made an appointment to check out the place in Karori. Then the other two the next day.
So by mid-day I had a new cellphone with Vodaphone, a bank account with Kiwi Bank, no lies, and an internet card for the next 24 hrs.
While grabbing my cellphone, the man that was selling me the phone told me about trademe.co.nz, which is like a better craig's list-like website better then the one I was using, which was gumtree.co.nz. Eager to find a warm place of my own I checked out trademe.co.nz and found a couple potential places I could see myself living in. With a map in my hand and three okays to check out some flats I mapped out my routes. I would see one place in one suburb outside of downtown Wellington named Karori, the second in Brooklyn, and the third in Mount Victoria. When I looked at the map I figured I could walk everywhere and save some money. So later that day I made an appointment to check out the place in Karori. Then the other two the next day.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Base Room
The view from my room. When I woke up the next morning to my dismay I was disgustingly sick. I think I got sick because one of the cons about hostels is that there is no central heating. Plus the Base hostel I was in used tt be an old mail distributing building. So alot of the windows are broken and are left open cause they do not close all the way. After you have a nice hot shower you are then immersed into cold everything. The sick here is a different strain of sick, a mutated sick. For me it started as a sore throat, then it became a head cold and then moved to my chest. And I was sick for almost two weeks.
My room for a week and a half, throughout that time I had loads of different roomates. My first set of roomates where a brother and sister duo. The sister was originally from Canada but moved to NZ, he brother now visitng her. They were cool and I had a couple drinks with them in the basement bar...actually called "the basement" (Party with the world < their slogon). They stayed two days and then I had a group of Brits on O.E (overseas experience) just on vaca until they had to go back to uni. They were fun stuff. Pretty much always getting ready to party, then partying all night. The second batch of party goers were a younger crowd and as well partied. They were fun, brought all their friends into the room. They then left and returned at 6am. Then one of the girl's threw up in the garbage can...noobs.
My Last roomate was the coolest. She was from Scotland and had been travelling for the past year. Travelling for a year is pretty epic. But it's cool meeting people in the hostel, they're all doing the same thing that I am...just craving a new wolrd, new experiences, and partying with people from all over the globe. Travel bug sickness.
Auckland to Wellington
8:30am August 7th, I leave from Auckland and make my way down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The bus ride cost me $35 and took 11 hours in total. The landscape was beautiful and when we got closer to Wellington I was finally able to see some L.O.T.R looking mountains...oh and tons of sheep.
When I was at the Auckland Museum, which is much more spectacular then my pictures could ever reveal, I talked to a man who referred to Wellington as "Windy Wellington." I didn't understand what he ment until I arrived in Wellington. The minute I got off the bus after 8pm I felt a cold breeze blow right through my clothes and made my bones shiver. Becasue Wellington is a Harbour city it makes sense that it is super windy, recieving the distant winds from the Pacific Ocean. The good thing about "Windy Wellington" is that you never have to worry about having perfect hair. The style trend here is always dishevelled chic.
So where the bus dropped me off was luckily only a block away from my new temporary home, Base Hostel in Wellington. Again Base Hostels are pretty rad. They have a bar in the basement and tons of helpful people working at the front desk, as well as alot of the people who work there live there. You can actually work for your accomodation.
I arrived into a empty six bed room. The room was cold and I could hear the wind blowing furociously outside my window. After such a long bus ride and only few stops to eat I decided to explore the main street.
The sky was dark but the streets were bright and loud. There were people everywhere, chillin on patios, walking the streets, stumbling around, and just having a good Windy Wellington night. Nothing was open, except takeaway restaurants. Due to the travelling and change of everything, my stomach was not so keen on deep-fried anything. NZ has alot of healthy choices you just have to look through all the rubbish. To my luck 10 minutes before closing I found "kapai" which is an organic cafe. So I grabbed a fruit smoothie and made my way back to my room. When I got back to the Hostel I grabbed an internet card. So back to my room, finished my smoothie, and started to hunt for apartments. I ended up falling asleep but only two hours later did I wake up shivering and curled up in a ball. It was f%#&*! cold. I stole the blankets off the other beds and wrapped myself up and went back to sleep.
When I was at the Auckland Museum, which is much more spectacular then my pictures could ever reveal, I talked to a man who referred to Wellington as "Windy Wellington." I didn't understand what he ment until I arrived in Wellington. The minute I got off the bus after 8pm I felt a cold breeze blow right through my clothes and made my bones shiver. Becasue Wellington is a Harbour city it makes sense that it is super windy, recieving the distant winds from the Pacific Ocean. The good thing about "Windy Wellington" is that you never have to worry about having perfect hair. The style trend here is always dishevelled chic.
So where the bus dropped me off was luckily only a block away from my new temporary home, Base Hostel in Wellington. Again Base Hostels are pretty rad. They have a bar in the basement and tons of helpful people working at the front desk, as well as alot of the people who work there live there. You can actually work for your accomodation.
I arrived into a empty six bed room. The room was cold and I could hear the wind blowing furociously outside my window. After such a long bus ride and only few stops to eat I decided to explore the main street.
The sky was dark but the streets were bright and loud. There were people everywhere, chillin on patios, walking the streets, stumbling around, and just having a good Windy Wellington night. Nothing was open, except takeaway restaurants. Due to the travelling and change of everything, my stomach was not so keen on deep-fried anything. NZ has alot of healthy choices you just have to look through all the rubbish. To my luck 10 minutes before closing I found "kapai" which is an organic cafe. So I grabbed a fruit smoothie and made my way back to my room. When I got back to the Hostel I grabbed an internet card. So back to my room, finished my smoothie, and started to hunt for apartments. I ended up falling asleep but only two hours later did I wake up shivering and curled up in a ball. It was f%#&*! cold. I stole the blankets off the other beds and wrapped myself up and went back to sleep.
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