We happily left Old MacDonald Farm the next morning and headed for Barrytown. On our way, we passed by the spot when the other Stray bus had flipped. I couldn’t see it too clearly from where I sat, but someone said there was a distinguished bus shape in the vegetation. Shortly after passing the site, we stopped at the Pancake Rocks. It seemed like people were pretty quiet after this. Three days can really change your life. I suppose stopping at the Pancake Rocks was the best place to reflect on the funny thing we call life. It’s pretty tranquil looking out at the ocean and seeing all these rocks that the water has eroded perfect lines on causing a pancake-like appearance.
After that much needed break and time for reflection, we ventured on to Barrytown.
Oh, Barrytown. This is one of the most interesting places I stopped on the bus tour. You’d miss this town if you blinked and I think Stray stops there for one purpose alone – embarrassment. There are only two things to do in this small town.
Firstly, we carved our own necklaces out of cow bone. Mine is a beautiful Maori symbol that represents strength, determination, brings peace, prosperity and good health. It also provides a safe journey over water. This hippie guy that was helping us had us all laughing the entire time. I miss the strange people I met while I was traveling. You never knew what they were going to say and do. Prime example…and I won’t write the cuss words out, but this gives you the idea of the kind of hippie he was. We asked how he ended up in Barrytown carving necklaces. His response, “I’ve done some good s***, bad s****, but I like this s****.” Who says that? I write this only because it makes me think about how much he’s gone after what he wanted to do. He proceeded to tell us about his trip across Europe that took seven years. The hippie got it. He understood what it was to go after what he wanted, no matter how long it took and he did what he enjoyed. So maybe it takes me 5-10 years to return to NZ, I can’t loose hope that it won’t happen. I want to go on mission trips. Maybe that’s 3 years off after my last car payment. I’m going to do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely unhappy being back, I just hope it’s a stepping stone to the next phase in my life I’m looking forward to. Le sigh…
Anyway, the other thing to do is Barrytown is cross-dress. Yes, that’s right. The hostel/bar we stayed at gives discount drinks to those who dress up. Imagine my surprise when we return from carving our necklaces to see 20 males dressed up as women. Not only were they dressed as women, but someone had put make up on them and painted their nails. Some of these images will never leave…Mark dancing in heels most of the night saying he doesn’t understand why they’re uncomfortable only to find out that his feet hurt, Spiderman pulling money out of his shoe because he didn’t have pockets, and the drunk Irish guy (well woman that night) singing his National Anthem loudly at Claire. Too funny. Vanessa, Claire and I did dress up…which was actually fun. Vanessa was David Beckham, Claire was Bob the Builder and I was Kevin. Let me explain. After the soccer and construction worker outfits were claimed, there wasn’t much left. I ended up wearing a HUGE pair of Khakis, which luckily I traveled with my belt, and a shirt and vest that did not match in the slightest. We someone named me Kevin and said I was the next US President. We further described Kevin as “the nerdy guy who just never figured it out”. Cross-dressing must sound weird to the outsider, but when you’re there and you see several males dressed up and dancing, it makes for some great laughs. Once again, I had a Chandy…was probably the only sober person, but I had a blast.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
South Island – Abel Tasman
This was a long bus ride. There was a place to stop and do a three day hike, but seeing as how I had limited time to get back to Christchurch, I ventured on, and promised I’d go back one day. I really hope one day this does come true…and that I could become a permanent resident. We’ll see.
I had a horrible attitude this day. I remember it so clearly. It was pouring when we got to the hostel and the kitchen was beyond packed. I think Vanessa, Claire and I all fed off of each other’s negative attitudes, making the Old MacDonald Farm much worse than it should have been.
Other than booking our catamaran for the next day, we basically ate and went to sleep. There was one comical thing that happened. I don’t know why, but the Stray bus drivers like to tell little lies and see who is gullible. When we arrived, our driver told us that there was a new breed of an animal... it was a crossbreed of a sheep and a camel called a Shamel. We walked past them and Vanessa was arguing with this German guy who kept calling it a Llama instead of a Shamel. I’m not really sure when we realized we’d been duped, but I don’t think I’d laughed that hard in a long time. To top it off, Vanessa called her boyfriend and their convo went something like this:
“Hey, there is this animal here that is a crossbreed of a sheep and a camel…”
“You mean a Llama?”
Wow, we felt dumb.
Anyway, the next morning we woke up early and walked a half day to Anchorage Bay. The walk was so enjoyable – very green and blue. We had to meet the catamaran around noon so we tried to get there early enough to enjoy some time at the beach. When we reached the beach, I had a very blonde moment. We weren’t sure which way to go and I saw part of this sign that said, “Anchorage Bay – 5 mi—“. Without even looking at the rest of the sign, I thought it meant 5 miles and we all started freaking out. Upon a more careful observation, we read that it said 5 min, not miles.
Relaxing on the beach is one of my favorite things to do and I was actually sad to have to board the catamaran. It was a gorgeous ride back though. I wish I’d taken a class on how to sail…next time, right? I enjoy the ocean too much for my own good.
I had a horrible attitude this day. I remember it so clearly. It was pouring when we got to the hostel and the kitchen was beyond packed. I think Vanessa, Claire and I all fed off of each other’s negative attitudes, making the Old MacDonald Farm much worse than it should have been.
Other than booking our catamaran for the next day, we basically ate and went to sleep. There was one comical thing that happened. I don’t know why, but the Stray bus drivers like to tell little lies and see who is gullible. When we arrived, our driver told us that there was a new breed of an animal... it was a crossbreed of a sheep and a camel called a Shamel. We walked past them and Vanessa was arguing with this German guy who kept calling it a Llama instead of a Shamel. I’m not really sure when we realized we’d been duped, but I don’t think I’d laughed that hard in a long time. To top it off, Vanessa called her boyfriend and their convo went something like this:
“Hey, there is this animal here that is a crossbreed of a sheep and a camel…”
“You mean a Llama?”
Wow, we felt dumb.
Anyway, the next morning we woke up early and walked a half day to Anchorage Bay. The walk was so enjoyable – very green and blue. We had to meet the catamaran around noon so we tried to get there early enough to enjoy some time at the beach. When we reached the beach, I had a very blonde moment. We weren’t sure which way to go and I saw part of this sign that said, “Anchorage Bay – 5 mi—“. Without even looking at the rest of the sign, I thought it meant 5 miles and we all started freaking out. Upon a more careful observation, we read that it said 5 min, not miles.
Relaxing on the beach is one of my favorite things to do and I was actually sad to have to board the catamaran. It was a gorgeous ride back though. I wish I’d taken a class on how to sail…next time, right? I enjoy the ocean too much for my own good.
South Island – Christchurch and Kaikoura
Flying in New Zealand is a bit more slacked than the US. I found this out on February 2nd as I departed for Christchurch on the South Island. On my way, I saw a sign that said:
“I miss the way you used to talk to me when you were a kid.” – God
Looking back, I can see this was God totally speaking to me because I was about to embark on one crazy adventure where I truly needed to be closer to Him than I had been in the North Island.
Dave and Sarah, a married couple from the church in Christchurch surprised me at the airport when I landed. I had expected to just go to the hostel and hang out downtown since I was leaving on the Stray bus in the morning, but they took me all over and showed me some beautiful sights.
That night in the hostel, I was speaking with two Danish girls who told me that I’m “not a typical American.” Call me crazy, but I loved being told that while I traveled. I didn’t want to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths, I wanted to prove that we aren’t all that stereotype most countries hate. I also met Vanessa that night, a girl from England who would be traveling with me on Stray. From the moment I met her, I liked her. She’d just come from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and her stories inspired my current fascination with going there myself. Needless to say, her friendly demeanor and attitude on life had me excited to travel with her.
We left for Kaikoura the next morning. This was one place I was seriously excited about. It’s known for swimming with dolphins and seals. On the bus ride there, Vanessa and I started talking to another girl, Claire, who was from Scotland/Australia. Claire went deep sea fishing while Vanessa and I went with a big group to go seal swimming.
When we arrived at the beach, we had about a ten minute walk to the spot we’d swim to. The swim was actually scary and I’m a strong swimmer. There was one part where we had to wait for a break in the waves before we could swim through, otherwise we’d be smashed into the rocks. I’ll tell you what…the moment the guide said swim, I took off. The adrenaline was amazing though and when I reached the seal colony, I was in awe. These creatures are absolutely gorgeous with their big blinking eyes and their love for attention. At one point, one seal swam at me and jumped over my arm showing off. It was so cute watching them come up close then quickly dart away. I must say that these few moments will stay with me forever. Summer will never be the same…not when I know what the summer consists of in NZ.
That night, Clair cooked the fish she caught and the crayfish they gave her. The crayfish was the size of our lobster. Surprisingly, I ate some of the seafood and actually enjoyed it. I guess there is a first time for everything.
On the North Island, I had gone to bars…but only when I knew people and trusted them. I suppose this is when I started making some mistakes and started going out every night on the South Island. Now, people knew my beliefs and they saw that I didn’t have more than two drinks, but I regret how frequently I put myself in this atmosphere. It’s weird…I don’t miss that life. I see it so clearly, but while traveling, I would go out because that’s what backpackers did. We went to The Whaler Bar that night and Claire introduced me to the Chandy…half beer, half sprite. Sounds weird, but it’s actually pretty good. Needless to say, this was the first of many nights like this.
On a sad note, there was a horrific Stray bus crash on this day. The bus was about three days ahead of ours and flipped, killing one tourist. I don’t think the reality of it hit me until I met a girl on that bus two weeks later.
“I miss the way you used to talk to me when you were a kid.” – God
Looking back, I can see this was God totally speaking to me because I was about to embark on one crazy adventure where I truly needed to be closer to Him than I had been in the North Island.
Dave and Sarah, a married couple from the church in Christchurch surprised me at the airport when I landed. I had expected to just go to the hostel and hang out downtown since I was leaving on the Stray bus in the morning, but they took me all over and showed me some beautiful sights.
That night in the hostel, I was speaking with two Danish girls who told me that I’m “not a typical American.” Call me crazy, but I loved being told that while I traveled. I didn’t want to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths, I wanted to prove that we aren’t all that stereotype most countries hate. I also met Vanessa that night, a girl from England who would be traveling with me on Stray. From the moment I met her, I liked her. She’d just come from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and her stories inspired my current fascination with going there myself. Needless to say, her friendly demeanor and attitude on life had me excited to travel with her.
We left for Kaikoura the next morning. This was one place I was seriously excited about. It’s known for swimming with dolphins and seals. On the bus ride there, Vanessa and I started talking to another girl, Claire, who was from Scotland/Australia. Claire went deep sea fishing while Vanessa and I went with a big group to go seal swimming.
When we arrived at the beach, we had about a ten minute walk to the spot we’d swim to. The swim was actually scary and I’m a strong swimmer. There was one part where we had to wait for a break in the waves before we could swim through, otherwise we’d be smashed into the rocks. I’ll tell you what…the moment the guide said swim, I took off. The adrenaline was amazing though and when I reached the seal colony, I was in awe. These creatures are absolutely gorgeous with their big blinking eyes and their love for attention. At one point, one seal swam at me and jumped over my arm showing off. It was so cute watching them come up close then quickly dart away. I must say that these few moments will stay with me forever. Summer will never be the same…not when I know what the summer consists of in NZ.
That night, Clair cooked the fish she caught and the crayfish they gave her. The crayfish was the size of our lobster. Surprisingly, I ate some of the seafood and actually enjoyed it. I guess there is a first time for everything.
On the North Island, I had gone to bars…but only when I knew people and trusted them. I suppose this is when I started making some mistakes and started going out every night on the South Island. Now, people knew my beliefs and they saw that I didn’t have more than two drinks, but I regret how frequently I put myself in this atmosphere. It’s weird…I don’t miss that life. I see it so clearly, but while traveling, I would go out because that’s what backpackers did. We went to The Whaler Bar that night and Claire introduced me to the Chandy…half beer, half sprite. Sounds weird, but it’s actually pretty good. Needless to say, this was the first of many nights like this.
On a sad note, there was a horrific Stray bus crash on this day. The bus was about three days ahead of ours and flipped, killing one tourist. I don’t think the reality of it hit me until I met a girl on that bus two weeks later.
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