my empty room in kerikeri, shared with a Macedonian guy, weird people
my hostel, it is really nice, because it is in a jungle, a stream beside the whole compound, therefore the temperature is much colder than out there.
On a free day, I walked around the small town and have a look. Once I was there, there were a lot of people gathering there, and a Maori performance was shown. I was so curios what was going on, and it was actually a culture day of Kerikeri, something like celebrating this small town has been such peaceful, and everyone enjoyed the cultural performance because this town has a long long history, is one of the place in NZ where European landed on the earliest.
Maori performance and almost all the people in this town were there, what a great gathering
Then, the first tourism hot spot is this STONE STORE, it is a store built in stone about 200 years ago by Europeans, and still be kept perfectly even now. It is just like a normal store, selling all those necessities, such as snacks, farming tools, construction stuffs. It was even selling all these stuffs even now, and the shop keepers wore like those country ladies 0f 18th century, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture with them. ehehe... They are just so nice, explaining to me everything about the store, and NZ early history, I love that.... It looked so nice from far here, right? And some pictures of the inside
This is the first villa in NZ, villa is one type of NZ architecture style, the idea was from Europe obviously. Everything in there is still remaining the same like 200 years ago...
This is the view from a far distance, the stone store, Victoria Villa, and the church(first church in NZ). Nice eh? And blue sky today, weather is just so nice...
This is one of the house I went to do weeding, with a canadian girl. That house was owned by an old man who was a pilot. Front there is a big garden, in fact, weeds are actually much more than those plants =.= Back there, surprisingly facing a bay, he told us he could even see dolphins swim up here in certain season.
I also did weeding in another house which was owned by an old couple, they treated me so so good, you cant even believe it, gave me high paid, paid me even lunch hour, made me some lunch and baked a cake, talked to me about everything, I just loved them so much and still contact with them with email now...They always say, they are not old, but just more experience than others, and they are still travelling around, unfortunately forgot to take picture with them....
Simply take a nice sunset, realize that sunset here is just so nice. At night, you can see uncountable stars hanging on the sky, really uncountable!!! You wont believe it if I say like this.
Soon, it was one week before Christmas, but they just started celebrating it, maybe they've got nothing to do I think... hehee... So a Christmas Parade was there and so many people on the main street of Kerikeri, looking at those cars and some people passing by, some performances as well. Actually it was nothing much, I mean the celebration is 'peaceful'. But it was so warm, and a few people even went over me and talked to me about the traditional celebration in Kerikeri, maybe I look obviously a tourist I think... So nice, this prooves that Small town people are much nicer than city people, but of course, Kiwis in city are also AWESOME....
This is the zuchhini farm where I worked, got low paid, heavy labour, but just for experince. Because you know? These vegetables grow on the ground, and we need to bend down our body to cut it off and put it in our buckets. I always did almost 8 hours a day, you just cant imagine how pain my back was. A rabbit always appeared here and we called him Peter. oh yea!! This is one of my friend in the farm, Yoko of japan...
After this three working weeks, I finally got some money and ready to travel around North part of NZ. This is the first place called Cape Reinga, with my Japanese friend, Makiko. Cape Reinga, the most northern part of NZ, at this point, there is nothing here, only a light house which still be used and a sign board whoch showed some other cities. On that day, that was heavy mog there and everything was just unclear. However, it brought another mysterious side of of Cape Reinga, just like in heaven. At this point, when you stand the most northen part of NZ, close your eyes, feel the cold, listen to birds singing and waves. Once you open your eyes, just like you are at the end of the world, just hard to describe here, limited Enlish ability... hahaha
Then, we went to a very high sand mountain, to have fun with sandbaords!!!! Which I have been dreaming for so long. Some pictures I havent got from my Japanese friend, but this is how it look, but actually it look much awesome because the mountain is just so so so high!!! You will feel like you are in a desert, and you will be scared when you are going down with the board. But I have also made 3 times, cant do more because you have to climb up that high, TIRED!!!
Next, we went to Ninty Miles Beach, it is actually just a beach, but very long, about 45miles(ninty just a name). We were there, looked around. And the tour guide picked something like mussels but not mussells and let us try. That was just so so delicious!!!! I dont even know that those fresh food can be that fresh!!! With some salty taste, just yummy!!!!! Pictures of the beach here not clear, because of cloudy day and my camera is not that good.
After that, I went to Paihia from the bus, and Makiko, my best friend here left me and back to kerikeri, wish her good luck and all the best. She is really a backpacker, have been more than 10 countries. Anyway, I just got a room there and have a nice sleep that night, just too tired. An Irish guy in my room took off all his cloths and slept =.=""" dunno wanna yik who.. haha...
The next day, the weather was just so so so bad, what I have planeed was just cant go in my way. Initially, I was planning to book a trip for a boat trip to some islands around Bay of Islands, swimming with dolphin and surfing. But now, all cant go... Therefore, after information and blow wAter with the staffs at the counter, they gifted me a ferry ticket to Russell. I think that was only what I can do. Russell is a much smaller town than Kerikeri, only a few hundreds people, most of them are working in tourism industry and Oyster picking. But the terrible weather made me so suffering, and I can only have a few cups of coffee at that moment.
Then, I booked a mini trip there, just a small van brought me around some places in Russell places within 1 hour, cost 20 bucks.. what even more freaking was that, I was the only tourist in that trip =.= Then what I can do? Of course fat fai my blow water power with that tour guide!!! Superb blowing water with her in that hour, but of course she has explained all those places and history of Russell. Russell was the capital of NZ in a small period before when European just landed in here. However, some other cities with other reasons made them become the capitals, like Auckland, but now Wellington. because of the terrible weather, I also couldnt take many pictures, only a few for memory. But 1 thing is really significant, 1 hour blowing water power, I have known the tourist's background, where's her house, husband's occupation, their goal, relatives and many others... Issac Neng... ng hai long dak hui ming... hahaha...
Rainny night, could never make me feel peace.... hahahaha... I just went to pub with my new friends in hostel, and met up with some others. Finally, 8 of us drank and dance from 1 pub to another. Only 1 night, I have been 4 pubs!! hahaha... that was just so much fun, I was there alone, suddenly met up with some people, all of us have fun, dance and drink together, and I am the youngest and only Asian. A Canadian, a Netherlander, 2 Germans, a South African, a Latin American, a English, a Russian, and I... weird combination again....
The next morning, rainny day has not been stopped at all...Can you believe 4 days rainning continuously, non stop at all??? However, this ***ing thing just happened on me, messed up my plan, and I couldn't travel like what I was hoping for...Because I was also planning to do skydive, now this weather just made me pissed off!!!!
Therefore, I went to a place called Waitangi, where a handover agreement was signed by European and Maori, therefore it is also a national heritage of Maori culture. I was just looking around there, and enjoying performances of Maori, you just cant believe how well they can sing even without any musical instrument..
After the visit of NZ heritage and historical place. I walked back to the jetty, and hope the weather will be fine and I can have the final chance to get out from the land. Finally, I DID IT!!! the staffs told me that the weather was just slightly better, therefore I can only go for the trip with DOLPHIN WATCHING,NOT SWIMMING, and visit HOLE IN THE ROCK. I was actually happy, because I could go for a new place where I havent been, even though not as good as I expected. However, it was a nightmare unfortunately.... Initially, it wasnt that bad, because I met my roomates there, another 3 Enlish stayed in my room, and also the bian tai naked Irish guy... what a conscidence? Then we just blow for a while. because the weather wasnt that nice, and the boat just cant stay that peace... up and down, left and right just non stop, I almost wanna throw out, but an old lady beside me and feeling really good, of coz I need to.... haiz.... pretending like nothing and blow water with her.... When arrived at the HOLE IN THE ROCK, it is really a big hole in the rock, natural environament is just so powerful... On the way back, we stayed calm for a while for waiting the dolhins to appear... Finally, about 2 or 3 were at the far away distance from us, I cant even see clearly with my eyes!!! Then the captain said:"Wow!!! What a nice dolphin here today, we are just lucky, but we can probably see more than this if the weather is better. But dolphins are just too nice there... Ok, we have finished our DOLPHIN WATCHING, and now heading back." DEng him ar... waste me so much money, time, see the far away dolphins, and only be there less than 5 mins. You know? this 2 hours trip cost me 80NZD!!! But also because of the terrible weather... hate it ar!!!!! hmm.....
Once I got up to the jetty, I got back my backpacks, and ran to catch my bus which was heading back to Auckland. THis 1 month working and travelling trip gave me so much, like experience of travelling DIY and alone, new friends, knowledge, and a lot others. Sometimes, you just cant estimate that how much the return will be when you travel, it just SO SO MUCH... Travelling alone as a backpacker is now my habit, I love it, will also do it more and more... This year 2008, I might have alot others to do, wait and see.. hehe....
