Well I wasn't going to write again so soon...but then I was poo'ed on by a wild dolphin, and, well, if that is not a good reason to write then blow me down I don't know what is?!
Understandably after my crazy death defying day I felt rather in need of a rest so it was up the Coromandel Peninsula for a good old fashioned Kiwi retreat to a beach side batch I managed to scout out from my bible (ah the Lonely Planet Guide I salute you). A batch is a real original holiday home, where people went before they got all fashionable, high tech and glass fronted, when just a shed and some shells would do. This batch was beautiful. In a town...well...road along a natural harbour, set back in the hill side with views out over the harbour right to the sand bank that led to the sea. There was no TV, but the beauty of it was there was no need. I would quite happily spend hours staring out at the sea and the sky watching the sun set and the moon rise (and yes, rather uncharacteristically I did spot the sun rise, not once but twice!!). Reading a book, doing a crossword...or making up a few answers, then a few words, then getting annoyed as even that didn't work, and going back to my book. The ceiling was covered in shell and drift wood mobiles and the room below the living quarters was full of kayaks. There is nothing nicer after going to sleep under the astronomer's map that was the night sky and waking in the warm glow of the sun than to go for a brunch time sea kayak...unless of course you plan it with the military precision I tend to plan things with...end up hitting low tide and quickly re-evaluating your trip...sand kayaking is terribly underrated though.
I found my self lost in this idyllic little world for a week or so, exploring the peninsula's stunning scenery, walking through mystic coves and deserted bays, eating the freshest of fish and chips- served in news paper and everything! No TV, no WIFI, barley any mobile reception, just me and my little world. Wonderful. I discovered ancient enchanted trees (which I'm sure were rife with fairies) which grow out of nowhere/cliff edges into the (still suspiciously) blue sea waters, roads which look like foot paths leading no where, which take you to secret hideouts where you feel like you can see the edge of the world, stunning views surround you, bay after bay, green upon green gently tumbling into the sea, which is an explosion of light as the sun dances upon its surface. Though few and far between, even here the people were so friendly and I ended up getting terribly hammer happy and helping out with a local revamp...rather amusing...again I was the victim of many a girlie, blonde, nail breaker joke...until I started getting a little too into my being hammer happy...I looked like I'd been back at work the number of bruises I came away with (no I wasn't THAT hammer happy, just enthusiastic, working with gusto, and my usual level of clumsiness).
With little time to dwell on the new career as a builder ahead me, or the sudden lack of fog lights on my car (ah a little bit of home in that there vandalism) it was up off to the northern tip of New Zealand, home of the Bay of Islands and 90 Mile beach- to name but a few of its wonders..the few I had time to visit actually! It was in the Bay of Islands that I was able to sample the FRESHEST of sea food- by freshest I mean thrown from the rocks into the hotpot and swim with (and be poo'ed on by) wild dolphins. This was quite possibly the most bizarrely amazing experience of my life, manikly paddling through the water to try and keep up with these great majestic bests (bottle nosed, 2-3m minimum length) who were gliding with such grace and poise, so calm against my flayling splashing madness. When you catch up and they surround you, dipping and diving under and around you, you don't know whether to gaze on in terror or excitement, I settled on just pure paralysing awe. Still they are little teases, know exactly what they're doing (the penguin conspiracy again I fear); swimming right up to the boat when it's moving, flipping around the bow then darting off as soon as we start to swim. (You sit in a net attached to the boat and get dragged along the side while they try and catch up with the dolphins and ascertain if it is a swimmer friendly environment. Cosy. It was in this net, head in the water oohing and ahhing and gazing and gasping, that our little friend really made his presence known, before, of course, darting off. We didn't follow with such haste on that occasion)
90 mile beach (or 62 if you're going to be pedantic..which I was...much to the guide's joy no doubt...well he did offer me a job...?!??!) is the main "Highway" down from Cape Reinga- though I don't know why I'm surprised, if a B road- C road even by our standards can serve as the main motor way, why shouldn't a beach?! 63 miles of pure uninterrupted beach, forest on one side, sea on the other, not a single building, and barely any traffic (hardly surprising given some of the horror stories we heard, and saw the remains of, about getting stuck and loosing the argument between car and tide). The only blot on forest/sea land scape is to the north, where you will find 90m high sand dunes, which of course to a kiwi is just something else to jump off...which of course I did!!
If the trek up a big 90m pile of sand doesn't terrify you (it should) the ride down, on a boogie board certainly will! This is the closest thing I can think that the flight or flee response must feel like. Pure terror as you see nothing but white rushing past you and you feel your speed gaining and your muscles seizing up, and you think for a minute it would be better if you just fell off and made it all stop, then you realise that that's exactly what will happen if you don't relax slightly, then before you know it you've stopped, you can feel your limbs again, you can hear again (non of that wind gushing past you) and you should really stop screaming again! Fabulous!
But alas that was it. Mammabear's birthday was fast approaching and it was time to go home. the fun was over and the real world was fast approaching- there was that fight or flee response kicking in again! But this time I made the sensible decision to flee. Yes I have decided, rather than returning to Earth with a bang, to do it with more of a bounce! So after a week at home on mummy duty and moon lighting as Cilla Black from her Surprise Surprise era (horrifying and terrorising my nearest and dearest, turning up unannounced whilst all the while I'd been insisting I was still safely locked away on the other side of the world) I took off again with my friend Katie to Rome for three days! But I'm back now...for now...
But you deserve another break before I go into all that.
Do you think I'll make it another week before I'm off again...
C x
Some pictures from New Zealand: (I use the word some fairly loosely here I'm afraid)...
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033103&l=50e89&id=200901546
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035066&l=fdf8e&id=200901546
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036638&l=70797&id=200901546
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
200 days...
I have written this email 3 times now and each time I write it the computer crashes and erases it. I figured I should take this as a sign, the email was clearly too boring to subject you all to, something had to be done, the anti needed to be upped, and that's just what I did....
I believe I last left you as I clambered onto...and promptly fell off...a surf board, accompanied, of course, by my trusty Terrier, "Gov"...who had a phobia of water and yet was better with the board than me...yes by terrier I mean small yappy dog. Who knew repeatedly falling off a board into water could be so tiring, two hours later, i did!! In my defence I did manage to stand up 2 1/2 times!! Well, 3 half times and once properly, but I was generally so girlie and surprised and excited by it all that I squealed and promptly jumped off, much to the instructor, and his dog's despair- he was not charging nearly enough to deal with 2 hours of that!!
Perturbed slightly, and in A LOT of pain, I decided to give the sea a miss for a while and take to the skies instead-by helicopter no less!! Well surfing isn't very Surrey is it?! So off I flew, all Top Gun, sunglasses, head sets and...gas masks?!!? Well I wouldn't just take any old flight now would I? I flew to the volcanic White Island...or, as I suspect, the set from the latest Star Wars. This place was eerie-not least because it was a sulphur mine until a Lahar washed all the minors into a never to be found oblivion, leaving skeletal rusted remains of the works behind; but it is untouched in every way, no pathways, no chains or signs and is surrounded by the usual suspiciously blue waters-except for one patch where the sulphur meets the sea forming a mustard yellow smear. Walking around looking into craters that weren't there last week, feeling the steam on your face and the heat of the ground in your shoes is a mind blowing experience-especially when you arrive by a helicopter...which is doing 90' doughnuts above the main crater! (That is a very bizarre experience, you don't really realise you're sitting in parallel with the ground until you look out the window and wonder where it's gone, and why your stomach is complaining so...)
It hasn't all been extravagance though, I haven't forgotten that I am but a lowly traveller sent to be rugged and experience all, I have been rather cultural to. In fact I spent the day chilling out with a Maori Chief no less, who showed me around Whakatane, all the ancient Pa sites (original landing sights for the ancient Wacca's- Maori canoes) and all the wonderful things us Palangi have done to them in the interim...er...such as blowing up sacred rocks to build shingle beach walls, or building monuments to the Maoris on them...mmm...interesting logic we have...
Then it was off to Tauraga to meet friends and swim with dolphins...or...ride on a freezing boat for 5 hours being told how rare it is not to see dolphins, how perfect the conditions were, how we may even see orca, how penguins were very rare so not to bother looking for them, but to keep your eyes peeled for ALL the dolphins we were just about to see-after all there'd been so many around recently...all the while dodging penguin after sodding penguin, and how many dolphins...?! I swear they work in cahoot's, a conspiracy I tell you! My friend luckily was not so elusive and showed me a lovely day, touring the best walks, eateries and ye oldy villages (of course!)
I was very pleased when I woke up the next day to be greeted by a flat car battery...and with only 30 min to get to my white water rafting trip. Normally this I'm sure would've been no cause for stress, but this river is only raftable on 26 days of the year...guess which day my car decided to have a break on...yup...Calamity Carys' Car dies on day 26! Luckily the AA was not on a break...even more lucky is the fact I was not in England where I would still be waiting for their arrival! They got me started and on my way in plenty of time to wheel spin into the car park. Having already survived one high adrenaline white knuckle ride that day the river would be easy peasy right...mmm....I'll let the picture's explain...
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039005&l=864e5&id=200901546
...(though please while looking at them consider the fact that I was the only girl in the raft. Thus I was the only target for all the wimp jokes in the raft....but...unless my eyes deceive me...am I not the only one smiling in the raft? While all about me scream in terror, flexing their "big-strong-brave" boy muscles only to hold on for dear life...mmm...lets not underestimate the powers of the little blonde girlie girl next time eh?!)
Obviously by this time I was on quite the adrenaline kick and figured why not cap off the day with a small detour to Rotorua. Ah yes I hear you say, to see the beautiful thermal parks, or sample some of the wonder that is the mineral mud baths...er...no...to go ZORBING!!!! Well in my defence I'd seen all the proper stuff before (and yes it is stunning and fascinating and I highly recommend it) but travelling is all about rebirth and finding yourself surely? Well you wont be reborn in a bath tub will you?!? No no, its all about squeezing yourself in to the small rubbery sphere, full of warm water that is a zorb ball. Seriously it practically induces flash backs as you plummet down the side of a hill with no idea where you are going, how fast and which way up, before you, and all the water spill out of a teeny gap in the sphere at the bottom. But when in Rome (which ironically enough, I'll get to...) and when in the home of the zorb (the aerodrome) you have to also try a spot of stunt jet boating and bungy swinging...rude not to so off I pop... The bungy swing is incredible, closest I'll ever become to being wonder woman- you're practically flying! You get winched up 200m in a sleeping bag no less (OK I said closest to wonder woman, not exact match) before you're forced to pull your own release chord and plummet (apparently the day's theme) until the chord catches and swings you back up again at incredible speeds, flying! The stunt jet boating was pretty much the same, but in a boat...who knew they actually could do hand break turns...let me tell you it is lucky they can!
Well I think 5 extreme sports is probably the medical limit for one day (those of you who've been in my car/booked me for penalty points will know that a drive with a panicked, late, me does fully qualify as an adrenaline sport) and certainly for one email so I'll give you all a wee tea break before round two....
C x
I believe I last left you as I clambered onto...and promptly fell off...a surf board, accompanied, of course, by my trusty Terrier, "Gov"...who had a phobia of water and yet was better with the board than me...yes by terrier I mean small yappy dog. Who knew repeatedly falling off a board into water could be so tiring, two hours later, i did!! In my defence I did manage to stand up 2 1/2 times!! Well, 3 half times and once properly, but I was generally so girlie and surprised and excited by it all that I squealed and promptly jumped off, much to the instructor, and his dog's despair- he was not charging nearly enough to deal with 2 hours of that!!
Perturbed slightly, and in A LOT of pain, I decided to give the sea a miss for a while and take to the skies instead-by helicopter no less!! Well surfing isn't very Surrey is it?! So off I flew, all Top Gun, sunglasses, head sets and...gas masks?!!? Well I wouldn't just take any old flight now would I? I flew to the volcanic White Island...or, as I suspect, the set from the latest Star Wars. This place was eerie-not least because it was a sulphur mine until a Lahar washed all the minors into a never to be found oblivion, leaving skeletal rusted remains of the works behind; but it is untouched in every way, no pathways, no chains or signs and is surrounded by the usual suspiciously blue waters-except for one patch where the sulphur meets the sea forming a mustard yellow smear. Walking around looking into craters that weren't there last week, feeling the steam on your face and the heat of the ground in your shoes is a mind blowing experience-especially when you arrive by a helicopter...which is doing 90' doughnuts above the main crater! (That is a very bizarre experience, you don't really realise you're sitting in parallel with the ground until you look out the window and wonder where it's gone, and why your stomach is complaining so...)
It hasn't all been extravagance though, I haven't forgotten that I am but a lowly traveller sent to be rugged and experience all, I have been rather cultural to. In fact I spent the day chilling out with a Maori Chief no less, who showed me around Whakatane, all the ancient Pa sites (original landing sights for the ancient Wacca's- Maori canoes) and all the wonderful things us Palangi have done to them in the interim...er...such as blowing up sacred rocks to build shingle beach walls, or building monuments to the Maoris on them...mmm...interesting logic we have...
Then it was off to Tauraga to meet friends and swim with dolphins...or...ride on a freezing boat for 5 hours being told how rare it is not to see dolphins, how perfect the conditions were, how we may even see orca, how penguins were very rare so not to bother looking for them, but to keep your eyes peeled for ALL the dolphins we were just about to see-after all there'd been so many around recently...all the while dodging penguin after sodding penguin, and how many dolphins...?! I swear they work in cahoot's, a conspiracy I tell you! My friend luckily was not so elusive and showed me a lovely day, touring the best walks, eateries and ye oldy villages (of course!)
I was very pleased when I woke up the next day to be greeted by a flat car battery...and with only 30 min to get to my white water rafting trip. Normally this I'm sure would've been no cause for stress, but this river is only raftable on 26 days of the year...guess which day my car decided to have a break on...yup...Calamity Carys' Car dies on day 26! Luckily the AA was not on a break...even more lucky is the fact I was not in England where I would still be waiting for their arrival! They got me started and on my way in plenty of time to wheel spin into the car park. Having already survived one high adrenaline white knuckle ride that day the river would be easy peasy right...mmm....I'll let the picture's explain...
http://rhbncac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039005&l=864e5&id=200901546
...(though please while looking at them consider the fact that I was the only girl in the raft. Thus I was the only target for all the wimp jokes in the raft....but...unless my eyes deceive me...am I not the only one smiling in the raft? While all about me scream in terror, flexing their "big-strong-brave" boy muscles only to hold on for dear life...mmm...lets not underestimate the powers of the little blonde girlie girl next time eh?!)
Obviously by this time I was on quite the adrenaline kick and figured why not cap off the day with a small detour to Rotorua. Ah yes I hear you say, to see the beautiful thermal parks, or sample some of the wonder that is the mineral mud baths...er...no...to go ZORBING!!!! Well in my defence I'd seen all the proper stuff before (and yes it is stunning and fascinating and I highly recommend it) but travelling is all about rebirth and finding yourself surely? Well you wont be reborn in a bath tub will you?!? No no, its all about squeezing yourself in to the small rubbery sphere, full of warm water that is a zorb ball. Seriously it practically induces flash backs as you plummet down the side of a hill with no idea where you are going, how fast and which way up, before you, and all the water spill out of a teeny gap in the sphere at the bottom. But when in Rome (which ironically enough, I'll get to...) and when in the home of the zorb (the aerodrome) you have to also try a spot of stunt jet boating and bungy swinging...rude not to so off I pop... The bungy swing is incredible, closest I'll ever become to being wonder woman- you're practically flying! You get winched up 200m in a sleeping bag no less (OK I said closest to wonder woman, not exact match) before you're forced to pull your own release chord and plummet (apparently the day's theme) until the chord catches and swings you back up again at incredible speeds, flying! The stunt jet boating was pretty much the same, but in a boat...who knew they actually could do hand break turns...let me tell you it is lucky they can!
Well I think 5 extreme sports is probably the medical limit for one day (those of you who've been in my car/booked me for penalty points will know that a drive with a panicked, late, me does fully qualify as an adrenaline sport) and certainly for one email so I'll give you all a wee tea break before round two....
C x
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