Day 101: Hobart

Tuesday 15th March

Accidentally deleted this

Mount Wellington

Salamanca

Bridge

Botanic Gardens

Harbour- fishing boats and jam factory

Cascade Brewery

Distance:

Total Distance:

I accidentally deleted this whilst tired and trying to upload over 2 weeks of posts.

What I deleted was the best blog article you could ever have read. These is a poor attempt at reproducing such work. Also I'm in New Mexico now so I'll probably just hammer through and get it done. Sorry Hobart.

The morning came with the rude awakening when someone had stollen both my breakfast and my leftovers from dinner. I've never knowingly had anything stollen at a hostel before or since. This was a shock to me. As did the middle aged man getting beers out of the fridge. I have to say this hostel was picked for me by the tour company I was with- the cheapest in Hobart. Tassie Backpackers. It was odd and awful. 

So breakfast was toast and vegemite, which isn't too bad a start at least.

Our tour was a selection of day trippers, people who had just finished the five day tour I was about to do around e rest of the island, and two of us just starting out. Our tour guide for the day looked like a thinner, younger, Peter Jackson.

The weather was coming in quickly that morning. We had been scheduled to go up to Mount Wellington later in the day but we wouldn't see anything with the clouds descending on the summit. So up there early for a cold walk around and stare down at Hobart.

It's Scotland! Or maybe the Yorkshire Dales! The summit was cold, windy, and wet, but I've dealt with that a million times. I went and explored the rocky summit and stared out at the moor land that stretches out to further mountains and hills. Back on the Hobart there's a glass building to protect tourists from nature as one looks down onto the city. I got some better views and pictures at the lower lookouts below the glass house. We could see out and down to the estuary and river that the city-port is built around. 

We went down to Salamanca to pick up lunch. The plan was to buy something to later eat in the Botanical Gardens so I went in search of the recommended bakery. Salamanca is now an upmarket selection of shops and restaurants. It was once the warehouses that serviced the port. They became derelict but were refurbished and are now the centre of late night eating for tourists and locals alike.

Before the gardens we made a quick stop on the other side of the estuary. From here we could see the main bridge that services Hobart. Many people live on the far side and work in the city. The airport is on this time too. 

It's not easy for captains of commercial shipping vessels to get between the columns supporting the bridge though. There was one major crash that occurred in the middle of the night. It was decided that the captain hadn't been going fast enough to work against the current and get past the bridge. He took out three columns before falling to the bottom, where the ship still lays. A gap opened on the bridge and, being dark, many people lost their lives driving into it in the first few minutes of the disaster. This gap wasn't closed for a long time. The work done on the bridge extended many commuters' travel time by hours going up river to the other bridge. 

Now a system is in place that the bridge is closed whenever ships are going beneath e bridge. This is great for stopping accidents of the same scale but can add a surprise 20 minutes to the transit time to and from the airport. You have been warned!

At the gardens I started on the large bags of very cheap tomato and onion rolls I'd bought at the bakery. I wouldn't eat them all, which meant that they could later replace my lost left overs and breakfast.

The Royal Botanic Garden of Hobart is small but lovely. They have a new Japanese garden which feels like a 1/4 scale picturesque, perfect, valley, complete with scale water mill.

A red brick wall dividends the garden and provides shelter from the troublesome Tasmanian climate. Hidden by it is the mixed temperate border featuring flowering plants from across the world as well as the rose beds.

Further over is the Victorian glasshouse. Unlike most though only the roof is glass. The walls are made of thick, insulating, sandstone. Inside the place is glamorous and sculpted with a central fountain and hangin baskets all around. It looks like a Graeco-Roman shrine!

Down at the harbour we were shown the variety of fishing boats used here commercially. Most go out at night or early morning so a good number were moored. 

There was one that goes after a Japanese delicacy- a shellfish people must dive to pull up. A special license is needed to do this dangerous job and there's only 1 running out of Hobart. The shellfish are worth huge amounts of money though, so it's a great business if you've got the million or so needed to start up.

A few were the usual fish or pots boats. Another that caught my eye though was the one with black painted throughout its deck. This is a squid catching boat. It goes out at night, puts lights over the edge, and squid swarm to the light. These can then be caught with a hook and brought on board. However, firstly they produce their ink, so the black deck doesn't get noticeably stained by the black ink. Secondly the black doesn't reflect the lights, so any squid on the deck doing try to scuttle off towards the lights.

Alongside this harbour are more old warehouses plus a jam factory. These have all been renovated after decades of squatters. There was a problem with the jam factory though, which is now an upmarket hotel and art gallery.

The jam factory was active in the Victorian period and into the last century. Seems they weren't very good at getting the jam into the jars though. When the newly installed heating was turned on in the hotel guest began to report sticky carpets and walls. They eventually had to close down for a time. The stone walls were saturated with jam! The heating was left on until all of the jam seeped out of the building.

You could say it was jam packed!

Last tour visit of the day was to the Cascade Brewery. Not so keen on Cascade beers- they feel "manufactured"- not made with the artisan love of other old breweries. This feeling was born out by the tour of their factory. Couldn't complain quite so much though when several in the tour group gave me one or two of the "free beer" tokens though. Lots of free beer for me :)

That evening I had a quick, quiet walk around Hobart. Being Tuesday the cinema was half price! So after dinner and a shower I was the ONLY person watching the 10pm showing of Deadpool!

Day 96: Melbourne

Thursday 10th March

Free walking tour 

State Library

Prison and Ned Kelly

Gold miners and their rich kids

Parliament

World's oldest standing original China Town

Modern Melbourne

Tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere 

Distance:

Total Distance:

A few of us from the tour group were spending some extra time in Melbourne. Someone had found a free walking tour. Normally these cost around $30 (£15) but one company has set up on a donation based system. Apparently they'd been excellent in Sydney (wish I'd gone on it) so we all met up at 10:30am outside the State Library to spend a morning exploring the city.

We past the old court house and the gardens which include the Victorian-era exhibition centre (one of the few Victorian buildings not pulled down in the 60s & 70s) were closed for a rose and garden competition. Inside the courtyard of the old prison our guide showed us were Ned Kelly the Bushranger (outlaw, some would say Australia's Robin Hood) was hanged. I would later go to see his armour in the library exhibit about him.

The Parliament building stands at one end of the original grid system the city is based around. The grid itself was built when Australia was still a British colony. This is the reason for the lack of public squares and parks in the city- the Empire had learned that rebellions started in squares. No square no rebellion. Easy. The state parliament building stands at the top of one of the major roads running through the grid system. It was once planned to be used as the federal parliament, back when Sydney and Melbourne were competing for the title of capital. Instead Canberra was picked as a point between the two and given its own mini-state.

Today Melbourne is no where near as big as Sydney. Yet it was once Austrilasia's largest city. This was caused by two economic boom periods. The first was when gold was found nearby causing thousands to descend on the colony (seems this happened to a number of places in the Southern Hemisphere back then) until vitually all of the gold was found. However, many of these miners were frugal, unlike their children. The second boom came a generation late when the kids took the cash and spent it all. Once all of this was gone, however, it left the city with a myriad of grand architecture and parks. A few of these protected buildings still remain, though many were destroyed for "progress". Thankfully they left behind places such as the library and the arcades- Victorian/Edwardian shopping malls, with many up market shops and cafes which have been there now for many decades.

Melbourne has, arguably, the world's oldest China Town. There's some contention with places in California, but theirs burnt down where as much of it here is still standing. We had a quick wander through before stopping for coffee and snacks.

Good, cheap, food isn't so easy to find in Australia, let alone the cities. There's no Greggs here, and Aldi's only just started to invade. But I found BreadTop! It's a really good, cheap, bakery, where everything looks fresh, the dough is light and fluffy, and there's things I could never imagine. Most of its $2.50 (£1.25) when here I'd expect to pay 50-100% more than that. I've since had sausage donuts, a tuna and egg thing, and a spiced chicken bun here, but on this day I got a naan bread covered in lightly spiced sauce and caramelised onions plus an almond and custard donut/bun/slice/thing for lunch. Love me a decent bakery. :)

We walked though some of modern Melbourne, including the new city square and down to the tallest building in the city. As we walked we pasted by Melbourne's new popular cultural past time art project. It used to be illegal to put graffiti on any building. Then people were allowed to put it on there own. Now many companies pay professionals to spray great art works onto their walls. The city now also provides spaces in small alleys for anyone to practice their skills. Thus street art has become a tourist attraction in its own right, people flocking to these alleys to see what's new. In fact there's so many people it's hard to get a decent picture of the art without people in the way!

Let's be honest, there's not all that much in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the north. So when someone says the biggest/smallest/widest/oldest/most popular "in the Southern Hemisphere" it's only mildly impressive. It does sound great the first few times, but after 5 times in a morning the awe gets lost somewhere. However, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere is still impressive. 

After the tour we went into the Eureka Tower- 297.3 metres (975 feet), 91 floors, it stands over Melbourne in blue glass, with white lines running across its surface. Kind of looks like a ruler. At the top some windows are coloured gold with a little line of red running down. The design is based around a workers strike near the site during the late years of the British Colony. The workers' flag was blue with white stripes. Some of the workers were shot, hence the red line.

It is the largest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and the world's largest residential building. At observation deck there's a little cafe, photo booth, gift shop, and Australia's highest post box (there's probably a higher one in the Andes, so no SH title there). We also chose to go into a small box they have which slides out of the side of the building, with a glass floor, so you can see all the way down to the ground!!! The floor isn't perfectly clear and the fog was rolling in at this point so the view was only mildly worrying. Great spot to see the city from though.

Day 86: Fly into Alice Springs

Monday 29th February

Happy Leap Day!

Good Bye

Flying to Alice Spirings

Hot. Dry. Spiders.

New people! Hello! Gluten Tag!

Distance:

Total Distance:

We didn't really have to wake up too early, but it was really necessary. Today we were splitting. 6 of us would be going to Alice Springs. 1 was staying in Cairns. And 13 were off north, to Cape Tribulation. Hence we were up, by the roadside, me swallowing my vegemite on toast and coffee as the girls attempted not to cry. Hugs and heart felt sorrow. I've done this too many times already though. Throughout New Zealand I switched between groups and hostels all of the time. I wanted to do a tour like this to have a "home" for a change. Not to have to constantly meet new people and lose the old. In time I've become a big believing in the idea that the important ones come back though, by accident or design. This happened in NZ, as well as with the people I left after school and university. Phones, Facebook, Skype, and we can plan to physically meet up in the future. That's the beauty of the modern world. Still, it's sad to have our old home broken like this. I'll miss having them about. The time we had was great.

Time to fly into Alice Springs!

Not far out of Cairns the landscape went from sugar cane and forests to red scrub land. Occasionally rocks, mountains, and perfectly straight roads appeared. There was the odd mine. Then I fell asleep. And we were landing.

It was odd. Like opening an AGA. Very hot, yet very dry. Hence I didn't really feel it properly until I went into the air conditioned terminal. Bag collection, new "CEO" tour guide, mini bus to hotel, blog write ups, nap, food shopping, more sleep. 

At 7pm we all met up in reception. 6 new people joined us. A German guy, 3 German women, a Canadian girl, and a Scottish lass. It must be very odd for them when the 6 of us already know each other so well. We went out to the pub for dinner and a few drinks to chat. I got a steak bigger than my hand for $10-that's about £5! Wasn't ever going to be the best I've ever had, but it was still good. We chatted away to the new people and got to know them. Were about to spend a huge amount. Of time together, better to be friends!

Day 49: Ride of the Rings!

Saturday 23rd January

Let's go ride horses! Had to do it at some point and a Lord of the Rings (and many othe films) tour seemed the best opportunity. The Dart Stables have many horses used in various films, the local area being used for a significant amount of filming.

Distance: Bus, 50km, Land Rover Discovery, 20km, Clydesdale McLeod, 8km

Total Distance:  5519km

The weather isn't predictable here, but it is plentiful. Today's weather was occasional downpours, with the odd flash of sun. There was some uncertainty as to whether we would ride for a while before there was enough of a break to give it a try.

Thankfully my sister and various stables have given me some training in horsemanship so I wasn't a total novice. Still, I want going to go on the 3 hour gallop though. Instead I went for the 1 hour ride, which would be followed by an hour in the shiny Disco down the valley to see where Boromir died and Wolverine's wife was found unconscious, as well as Saruman's vale and Beorn's home.

McLeod, an 8 year old Clydesdale was mine for the morning. He's the youngest of their herd of 60, not very big for a Clydesdale, bottom of the pecking order, whilst also being the greedy guts of the outfit. Hence the need for me to yank his head away from the foliage we passed so as to tell him who's boss. He wasn't best pleased at first, but we got to know each other over the hour.

We were taken around part of the valley by an English girl leading us through ice cold streams and across the pastoral lands. About us were the grand mountains and forests of Middle-Earth, Narnia, and Wolverine's Canadian life. W passed by a few older horses used in Lord of the Rings and Narnia. 

It was depressing to be told that the Lord of the Rings was filmed here 17 years ago and most of the horses in it are either dead or well into retirement. It's logical, but still sad. Also, I'm only 25, and that fact make me feel old. 17 years. Blimey.

Just as I figured McLeod out (and had a tiny trot to catch up the group) we were back at the stables. 

From here I was the only one on the part of the tour involving the 4x4 trip through the rivers and streams down into more of movie land, including the region known as "Paradise"- there's even a sign. Thankfully my driver was a great guy who I'd been chatting with as he drove the bus all the way from Queenstown. 

As we drove he told stories of both the filming here. 

Sean Bean hates helicopters, he walked for hours to the top of a mountain dressed as Boromir whilst everyone else flew for the scene when he picks up the ring as Frodo drops it.

Liv Tyler hates horses, so she sat for 10 minutes on a horse someone was holding and the rest was done with stunt riders or close ups of her on a barrel decorated to look like a horses trunk. 

When Prince Caspian was filmed here the big black horses brought from Australia wouldn't cross the ice cold rivers, so for those scenes they were swooped out for some of the stables horses. In the film you can see it as the horses are smaller and one suddenly develops a white star. 

Much of Wolverine was filmed here, mixed in with Canada. At times they are driving on NZ roads but as if they were in Canada. However, at filming and post production they didn't remember NZ drives on the left, and there are a lot of signs to remind the tourists. Scenes such as when the old couple who lake in Logan drive over a long bridge still retain the Kiwi signs and arrows on the road.

The weather still wasn't improving, and the rain came in with the clouds that blanketed the tops of the mountains, so the views weren't perfect. Has to be said though the reality never looks like the film-  a huge amount gets changed at the time of filming and postproduction, such as different horizons, or moving rocks and plants. Plus it's been 17 years since LotR was filmed- between storms, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and time things have changed.

I got back into Queenstown and visited The Fat Badger- the best pizza place in the area. Afterwards I investigated the few art galleries I'd been told to explore, before sitting on a wall in the afternoon sun to watch some street magic. 

Everyone had left when I woke up. Apparently I'd missed most of the show due to the comfortable spot I'd found. Sleepily, I headed back to the hostel, finding someone I'd met on Stewart Island there for a good catch up and tea.

Day 4 & 5: Rotorua, Redwoods, Buried Village & Exhausting Myself

Days 4 & 5, Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th,December

Rotorua, The Redwoods, and The Buried Village

Myself & Tonto (Walter Knitty's just too big for some of these journeys)

Walked about 40km (25 miles) - thankfully I could carry a light bag

Total Journey Distance: 752km

The plan: 

Walk to The Buried Village- a cross between Beamish (a Northern England Must See) and Pompeii (an Italian Must See)

Walk, in part, through the Redwood forest park

I'm writing this on the afternoon on my fifth day. I just couldn't find the energy last night. I could barely walk. So amazing to have a soak and a shower afterwards. I wasn't much better this morning, so this has been a bit of a lazy day. Just talking to whoever was around the hostel. I deserve it. Yesterday was nuts.

I guess I should have felt warned when I managed to, in the rush to get out of the door, forget the green stone pendent I was given by the practice as a leaving present.

Although, maybe I kept some of the effects. I was certainly determined. I did get plenty of walking in. Just not so sure how good it was for my short term health.

The day started at the hostel at 8am. The Buried Village site is 15km away by road. With a small day sack I can easily cover 30km in a day. In theory I would be there by 11am, before the day became far too hot.

The first few kilometres I steadily got into my usual rhythm wandering along watching out for traffic and ensuring I was alongside the correct highway.

I turned onto the road that lead to the Village. There was the entrance to the redwood site. 1km to the centre and start of their tracks. I had a memory of one route that would take me across the are to a place far closer to the Village. But if I was wrong I could be doing another 2km, and if I was right, with hills etc. I'd be doing another 3km minimum- but under the trees and through the forest. I might also lose and hour. I could still be at the village for 12 though, that was fine.

The route does have a proper name. Something long and in Moari which, for better or worse, I can't pronounce, spell, or remember. But it had black arrows showing the way, so I just called it the black route. Simple.

The problem was that there was work going on in the forest.

"Please ask inside about diversions"

Pay, no fear,I was just wanting to follow the road, I'd work it out.

The first 10km were up and into the forest. We travelled through a region filled with giant American redwoods, brought over for the timber industry,but here left as a recreational park, mostly for mountain biking. There are also fern trees and bushes interspersed, giving the place a "Jurassic Park" feel. If anyone remembers the Walking with Dinosaurs episode about the baby sauropod this is that landscape.

Up and into the hills, the vies we distupted by the trees, until we got deep enough to were vast swaths had been felled. This was the commercial area at the back of the park.

Eventually I descended and reached the roadside. The path was due to follow the road further, in theory. I should have gone with the plan and followed it. Yet it wasn't obvious, and there was the road. There were a lot of cars on it, maybe I could hitchhike?

I've done a fair amount of road walking in the past. I don't generally encourage it due to the dangers.  There are a few rules to make it safer, though.

Keep as far off the road as possible. 

Keep yourself aware of traffic, and get out the way! Especially big stuff.

When walking round a bend walk on the outside. Your more easily seen and people tend to drive towards the inside of a curve.

The forest walk, whilst nice, hadn't given me a short cut, or a decent time. It was 11am, the sun was hot, I was hungry, and I still had 12km to do. I fished out one of my small burger buns, a cold sausage and a boiled egg. Not much of a sandwich but it hit the spot.

Right. Hitchhiking. People still do it here. People on highways with too much time and too little cash. People just trying to go somewhere else. Successful people doing it either look sensible or have a low cut top and sweet smile. So yeh...

After 6km I'd given up and had my kindle out, reading the last of my Harry Dresden novel. The trees had grown closer, the traffic less, and my legs were in auto. I sipped water from my bag and hammered along.

 Reached the Blue and Green lakes at about 12.30. There were a lot of families splashing about, having fun. I was knackered. Why was I bothering? This wasn't worth it! Surely I would have had more fun staying in Rotorua. Maybe if I turned back now I could do more in the redwood forest, go have a sleep, have a drink with my feet up. I'd done enough for the day. I'd earned a rest.

"Buried Village 4km"

Sod it.

There were even fewer cars as I carried on, but more trees. I just keep going. Mindless, just carrying on.

"Buried Village 1km"

We can do this.

Where all the cool kids at.

"The Buried Village. Devonshire Cream Teas 10am-3.30pm"

Finally!

Have you ever sat on a train staring out of the window, only for when it stops to still feel like you're moving? Your eyes and brain make it seem as if everything is very steadily slipping past.

I had that when I'd stopped walking. Freaky. I must have been doing a very consistent pace.

I shook my head and sat down outside. 2 bread buns, a sausage, boiled egg, and an apple. A little bit of bread when to the friendly wee bird that cautiously came to say hello.

The Buried Village

In the year 1886 the most famous tourist attraction in New Zealand were the Pink and White Terraces.

I know, tourism on the other side of the world for the Victorians! Looking at some of their stuff they clearly didn't travel light either. Glad I'm not carting around half a dozen petticoats. One's enough for me.

The terraces were formed as hot, mineral rich boiling waters bubbled out from the volcano. The minerals were deposited as the water cooled, forming a series of terraces and small pools, not unlike a Chinese paddy field hillside. Tourists would start at the cooler bottom pools, working up to the warmer pools, then down again. Some items were pertained in the pools- there's a bowler hat someone left in a pool for a year in the museum. It's not unlike Mother Shipton's cave in Yorkshire- but the minerals are a pretty white or pink, not a rusty brown.

It wasn't to last though. On the night of the 10th June 1886 the ground shook and then exploded. The volcanoes heating the terraces had erupted. Rock and dust fell out of the sky onto the local village, destroying Maori and Pakeha buildings alike. Hundreds died via direct hits, buildings collapsing under the weight of debris, or from toxic gases. Many tried to run, or huddled together in larger Whares ("Fares"- traditional Maori houses). Some were successful- the main guide, Sophia, a half-Maori half-Scottish lady successfully sheltered many in her home.

It was all over by morning. Rescue parties were sent out, digging people out from the 2 metres of dust and mud up to 4 days after the event. Some were even deeper. Some too deep to rescue.

Initial reports proposed the the terraces had, in part, survived. This would at least mean the tourist trade could continue. Then the truth came. They were gone. Simply gone. The land had shifted, moved, flown. The lake had been altered, part of the mountains obliterated, and the terraces nothing more than a memory, other than a few chunks littering the land.

No more farming, no more tourism. Local Maori donated food, blankets, and even land to help their refugees. The Pakeha were not so lucky. Many went to find new work, but those who owned businesses were ruined. The insurance companies declared that no one was eligible for protection from volcanic eruptions so wouldn't pay out. Some items were retrieved, medals were awarded to people for bravery, but nothing prevented bankruptcy.

Vi Smith had begun a little tea room not far from Lake Tawera. She was effectively right above the original village. He sons, before WW2 began excavating the site, finding Victorian items, and them homes. After the war the excavations continued, and do to this day. They are steadily unearthing everything that had been left behind.

Thus, today, the tea room has a museum attached documenting the day the terraces were destroyed. The grandson of the Maori chief who saw the eruption guides some of the tours. Outside are a collection of the houses they have unearthed, including a few Whare and the blacksmiths. 

And finally, their waterfall.

Sorry, the rest of my photos are on my camera, which isn't as easy to move photos from right now compared to my phone.

Suddenly my day REALLY doesn't seem so bad

After my wander round, I'd missed afternoon tea. It was bang on 3.30pm and everything was shut up. I managed to find someone to fill my water though, then sat down for a little snack. Still had to get back.

So, I set off. I'd finished my book and wasn't in the mood to start another. I was getting tired. Very tired. Must have done 20km so far. I didn't have a great deal of food left either. I really wasn't in to mood to carry on. Why should I anyway? I could be back at 10pm and it wouldn't matter. I got to the Blue lake and had a lie down. Just a little nap, a sleep to help. The wind picked up. The clouds might have been a dark shade. No rain as forecast. Wasn't going to take the chance though. A cereal bar and I was off.

I'm not much of a music person. I like it, enjoy it, appreciate it- but I can never remember track names nor artist's names. So far I hadn't put in my earphones- the book was already an excessive risk when road walking. But without it, and keeping the volume down, I risked it. And I'm so glad I did! My legs got back into the rhythm. I was suddenly positive again, able to just keep going. We eve off!

So far along I noticed, as we passed a few redwoods 8km along, a little hole in the hedge. I pushed through and there it was, the black track that ran along the roadside! It had been so close throughout my earlier walk. Well, I'd missed this opportunity before, let's not do it again. Hearty pace, don't get run down by the occasional mountain bike, keep going. 

After several kilometres the road diverted off and a gully grew between it and the track. This must be a short cut around that, I decided. Keep going.

The gully grew. Some hills were added to the ensemble. Big hills. A ridge. A long ridge. Ah. I'd missed the turning I hadn't taken that morning. I was lost. And going south- I wanted to go west, over the ridge.

Suddenly I came across a black arrow. So, i was in the right area. But do I go with the track, or against it? Against was uphill and south. With it was down into the gully. I followed it... Into a turning circle for log trucks. The path ended. Must have missed a diversion too. Oops.

I heard voices further down the gully. Young guys playing on mountain bikes. Time to ask for directions.

I know men traditionally are supposed to be too proud to ask for directions. If I have a map I usually am. But when I'm tired, the sun is setting behind the ridge I might have to climb, and I have no idea where I am pride can go (rude words) itself.

As I walked down I noticed an older man put his bike down and walk over the lip of the land into the gully. He'd know where I should go. I walked towards him. A head appeared out of the bush, his wife pulling up her shorts!

I blurted out something akin to an apology, then turned around for a few paces, trying not to blush. She came up the hill, pulling a bike I hadn't noticed out of the trees.

"You look lost"

I tried to explain my position.

"My husband knows this place better than me"

Her husband arrived out of the bushes with their daughter. He did a fair job of explaining were to go. But it wasn't exactly safe.

"Go over this creek, then climb up that bike track. You'll find a clearing. You see that gap between those two trees? Yeh, that's the exit of a bit track. You'll know it by the massive jumps it has. Follow that up to the track. Then do down hill to the filtration ponds. Take a right, follow that, it'll turn into asphalt. Follow that until the cross roads, take a right, you'll come to the end of the road the redwood centre is on"

Simple, easy, slightly dangerous and tiring, but God bless that man!

I followed his advice. He wasn't wrong about the bike jumps. The last one was like two king size beds at 30' angles, separated by a gap the size of another king size bed. The rest weren't much easier.

His was probably more dangerous than the roads. I took the earphones out and kept to the edges. I wasn't so much worried about anyone hitting m- I'd be able to get out of the way. But suddenly seeing a random guy when riding a bike at 20+km/hr through a forest- that could lead to some serious miscalculation and I didn't want to see someone crunch into a tree because of me. Keep close to the trees, be ready to hide well out of the way.

Is that a hare? What's a hare doing here?

The little fluff ball looked up at me. I wasn't going to get any closer. It wasn't quite right though.

Then it started hopping off. But not like a hare does. Just on its hind legs, holding its front paws off the ground.

A Wallaby!

There's not many in the park- they eye released by accident from a private collection. Now a few live out their lives amongst the trees. And I'd seen one!

I got to the entrance of the track without seeing any crazy humans trying out the massive jumps. At the top I got a confused but caring look from two mountain bikers who gave me the same directions as before and sent me on my way. I was so close that I had to celebrate. More music, my last half bread bun and an apple. Oh, splash out, have the other cereal bar.

There were more people as I got closer, a few dogs, families, walkers, asphalt. Finally I was back down to ground level. I found the information centre. It was 6.30pm and only 4km back to the hostel. I fished out the last of my food to help me finish off. A raw carrot. I'm sorry, who packed this bag? Where's the Jelly Babies, or the chocolate? Weirdo.

Once bag I hammered through 2 bread buns and a giant bowl of last night's curry. At 9 the Irish lass who's in the dorm room invited me to the warm spa pool. Oh, so good for the legs. She chatted with the old American lady we shared the pool with as I allowed blood to leave my head to do good elsewhere. 

After a shower I stumbled to bed and passed out. It was good night's sleep. 

Day 2: Gisborne, Captain James Cook, and logs

When: Day 2, Monday, 7/12/15

Where: Gisborne, first city to see the sun, first landing of Captain James Cook

Who: Wingham and Tonto

How: on foot (I'm so out of shape right now!)

Why: Gisborne is one of the few major cities on the North Island I hadn't visited. It proclaims itself as being "First place to see the light" (it's even on the drain covers). It is built around that landing sight of the first pakeha (Europeans) to get here. There was once a large amount of export industry here, but as roads improved it was deemed easier to export on the west cost, transporting everything there via the roads. That apparent exception to this is the timber.

I started the day win brisk walk to, around, up, and over, the large hill that over looks Gisborne. 

At the base of the hill is the port, where today a ridiculous number of logs were being loaded.

By the entrance to the port, however, sits a monument to the first pakeha to land on New Zealand, Captain James Cook.

Above this spot, on the hill, are numerous sites, including old cottage sites, look outs, and the observatory. May favourite spot has to be the statue of "Cpt James Cook" near the top. It's not James. It's a bronze replica of a random marble statue from Italy. The uniform's not British, and the face is nothing like that of the portraits of Jimmy. It was all sponsored by a brewery- they have the statues twin at their main site in Auckland. Yet it's still a good representation, and the view is pretty sweet, so it'll do.

After all the exercise the rain set in, a signal to head off for the museum.

Admission free on Mondays! Good timing

The museum doubles as an art gallery, so there was lots on photography of the local area, art exhibits, Maori and Pakeha history.

Most amazingly they've got half a ship in the museum! 

The Heart of Canada, from Belfast, sank just off the coast. The captain's quarters and the piloting area (don't know the real name, bit with the wheel) were salvaged and rebuild on the side of the museum.

There were also exhibits about the areas surfing history, Maori boat building, and James Cook's initial landing.

From here we went on to the Botanical Garden, with its desert green house, aviary, native plant garden, and assortment of trees. Nice place to sit and take 5 before I came back to the hostel.

All in all a good day to start me off. Now I really need a shower, lots of tea, and some sleep.

Tomorrow morning we're off to Rotorua!

Monument to Cpt Cook

Not Cpt Cook, but close enough

View of the bay, with ship being filled with ex-trees

Tonto taking charge of the Heart of Canada

Looking at the compass

The real Captain James Cook

Random little fence in the Botanical Gardens, looks like bamboo, actually painted steel pipes. Penned Tonto up to keep the ducks safe

The Flying Nun, an ex-convent, now hostel

Where's Wingham? Episode 1 Where's Wingham Going to Be?

                                      

Good morning and welcome to this edition of “Where’s Wingham?”, brought to you by me, Mini Wingham!

For nearly 14 months now we have been following this young man’s adventures, having moved from Yorkshire in England to the other side the world, living in Bulls New Zealand.  Now, however, he has decided is the time for him to move on.  And yet the adventure does not finish here.  For like any good Yorkshireman Wingham has saved his pennies and chosen to invest them in the best way he can think of.  He will invest in himself!

He will therefore be sadly leaving his job as a vet on the 4^th of December, once more leaving behind all of his friends and colleagues, and introducing much more of the world to that which is Wingham.

Out before us stretches over 5 months of travel!  From the forests and mountains of volcanic New Zealand, to the bright lights and sandy beaches of Eastern Australia, then out into the depths of the outback, before venturing onto to the natural wonders of both Tasmania and Kangaroo Island, and finally across the southern states of America and the eastern seaboard before returning to the UK and the 11^th of May 2016.

By which point he will be in debt, jobless, and incredibly interesting!  Present calculations cannot estimate whether he will be a well rounded person by this point. (Although, after the USA he'll be a well round person, no doubt)

Further updates will be brought to you over the coming weeks giving details about each tour that is being undertaken in the various countries.  Today’s edition will primarily focused upon the outlined plan to give you some idea of what to expect and where he will be.

Acknowledgment: this series has been enabled with significant help from STA Travel, and was only possible through the kind help of my travel expert, an Australian working in Wellington, Ivory Hattenfels. 

As you are well aware Wingham has been lucky enough to travel around much of the north island of New Zealand.  However there’s much still to be seen.  Much much still to be seen.  With this in mind, and with recommendations from Foxy and Fran, friends who have tried it before, the first part of this not a gap year will be cruising for nearly six weeks with the tour operator Kiwi Experience.

Kiwi Experience offers the chance for one to buy a bus pass that will take you around much of New Zealand, providing you with activities, tours, sites, and experiences along the way.  And if one ever wishes to spend an extra day in a place one can simply leave this bus and join the next one that follows.  In this manner we will see Wingham travel across and around the south island, attempting to see as much as possible before returning to the north island to see all that he has missed including Auckland and Northland.

NEW ZEALAND!!!

His time in New Zealand will end on the 4^th of February when he departs from Wellington Airport.  He will arrive on the same day at Sydney Airport and hopes (despite not having asked kept) to stay with Christian Byrne and his benevolent flat mates during that weekend and the following week.  The banter in the flat was so good he just has to return!

On Valentine’s Day Wingham will begin his next trip through Australia. This trip will take him from Sydney, up the east coast, through Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and onto Cairns, but many adventures along the way including learning to surf and spending two days sailing.

Once at Cairns the group will be flown in land and thus travel into the outback.  Out here he will visit Alice Springs, see the great site that is Uluru, commonly known as Ayers Rock, onwards into South Australia down to Adelaide, and then on to Melbourne, his final stop of the tour.

AUSTRALIA!

If the final day of the tour is on the 9^th of March, and you’ll fly out again on the 13^th of March.  This will give him a few days to rest and recuperate as well as explore the city.

Having taken a deep breath, the next part of the not a gap year will be eight days on Tasmania exploring the forests and beaches and meeting Taz!

TASMANIA!

Having been to one scenic islands off the Australian Coast the jenny then carries on to another scenic natural paradise.  In a place where he will hopefully be able to affect his David Attenborough, 

Wingham will be spending two days seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of Kangaroo Island.

KANGAROO ISLAND TOUR

The final stop in Australia will be a few more days in Melbourne before flying out.

Flying with China Southern Airlines he will transit through Guangzhou in China before landing on the 30^th of March at Los Angeles International Airport.

The plan then is to stay for a day in LA before traveling to San Francisco to spend a weekend with relatives of relatives.

 Wingham will be travelling through New Zealand and Australia during their summer months.  Meanwhile in the northern hemisphere it has been winter.  This means that wants in America spring should have sprung, and whilst the northern states will remain cool for a little longer the southern states will be coming warm.

This should result in pleasant temperatures for our noble adventurer as he passes through the deep south (visiting such places as Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon) before seeing the vibrancy of New Orleans, Obama’s Crib, and finally the Big Apple!

32 nights road tripping across the USA finishs with 4 nights in New York City! Apparently there’s some stuff here.

This is nearly the final stop. Nearly.

On the 10^th of May Wingham departs from JFK to go to Rayjavik Keflavik Airport, Iceland.

This is merely a stopover though, before carrying on to the last, final, absolutely the last stop, Manchester! Exciting.

Then back home for a slap up meal and a decent sleep.

Probably going to need a bath too.