So after a thorough examination of Christchurch we were prepared for
our onward travel, first stop Lake Tekapo. We'd pre-booked a bus
ticket for travel all the way up to Auckland so this was the beginning
of a long journey, first crossing the Canterbury Plains again, further
to the South this time and towards the Mackenzie District. Our coach
was an interesting journey, the driver providing a running commentary
most of the way along giving interesting viewing opportunities and
enough information regarding irrigation, deer, cattle and milk
production to fill a weekly journal. We made only one stop en route
and arrived mid-afternoon and instantly were taken by the scenery that
makes this place as special as it is.. Due to the glacier and
mountains interaction the run off that fills the lake also provides it
with a turqoise hue at times depending on light and other weather
conditions. We were fortunate enough to bear witness to such a day
instantly, and with the hills and mountains surrounding it the view
was something to behold - if only we could get rid of our bags!! We
headed off round the lake and eventually arrived at our hostel which
although wasn't quite as lake front as it may suggest was fortunate
with its view in its own right. Checking in we headed straight out and
back up to where we'd come from, our aim being the Church of the Good
Shepherd, a well photographed area but justifiably so.. A small
chapel, hand built by locals from rocks retrieved from around the lake
it was a charming little place, with another incredible view from
inside to the mountains over the lake. After a while capturing some
images we stopped at the local shop for supplies before heading back
to while away the night time hours with a healthy log fire
burning.Since there isn't a large amount of activities to do here we
set off for a trek the next day up Mount John, with the path just
minutes away from our hostel it was too inviting. At its summit you
have the University Observatory which you can pay to visit, though
this wasn't something we could really consider so instead we set off
up the hill with a day time view likely to offer a satisfying enough
vantage point. After a good hour or so weaving up through forest we
began the final walk through fields and the panorama was unfolding -
certainly not disappointing. West were the mountain ranges comprising
Mount Cook and the National Park, to the North Cass Valley and the
lake stretching along the base for the rest. We stopped for lunch and
took in more of the view before slowly descending - if this was a sign
of things to come then by no means was I going to be bored!!We had
planned to leave the following day but our planned trip was delayed so
we moved our departure back a further day to be able to go - horse
trekking. We got picked up early and headed to the stables where after
a brief run through of the basics (stirrups, reigns, uphill lean
forward, downhill lean back..) we set off toward the forest at the
base of Mt John where they had a track leading through which we'd
crossed on our previous trip. After clearing the forest we had a great
view of the lake, the hills opposite reflected in the still water. We
moved back down to the lake side before returning back through the
forest. It was a pretty special experience, I'd always fancied horse
riding though had never found the opportunity easy to come by.. In
reflection, it's strange sitting atop a breathing animal though you
get used to it.. The horses are more than used to this trek so we
weren't really riding so much as being led on horseback. Mine was a
bit grumpy, though it was a cold day which meant hooves slipped going
uphill and he seemed a bit impatient about other horses delay in
tackling the terrain.. Still, all in all a pretty novel experience.The
following day it was time to move on so after a seemingly longer trek
back to the bus stop we began our journey to Queenstown.Our driver was
generous with the stopping points and not quite so familiar with the
local farms though it did creep in..!! We had a brief stop by Lake
Pukaki to take in the view of Mount Cook which was appreciated and
besides that a flying stop at a farm shop outside of Twizel it was an
easy enough journey plus the final stop was not too far away from our
hostel.Queenstown was certainly an interesting place to be visiting, a
centre for adventure tourism in NZ for certain, and a fairly lively
place compared to Tekapo. Our hostel was something else, aptly named
Adventure they had provided everything imaginable - even down to book
holders and reading lights on each bunk.. We headed out for a walk
around town before it got too cold and dark before saving the rest for
the next day.We headed to the Botanical Gardens that morning, partly
to have a good walk around them but also to try our hand at Frisbee
Golf - certainly not as easy as it looks or sounds!! We gave up after
5 out of 18 'holes' and carried on taking in the view around Lake
Wakatipu. When we came back into town we stopped in at Williams
Cottage, an original settlers house that had been saved from
demolition and now served as an art shop come cafe.. It hadn't
actually been re-decorated since the 1930s so it was a really special
little building, layers of wallpaper peeled off te reveal previous
decades of design, all the way back to a hessian cloth backing. The
walls were also stained by various cases of flooding, the most severe
and recent being in 1995. Out of anywhere we'd seen this was the most
connected with it's heritage, the family tree of the previous owners
hung in the hallway.We had a trip to Milford Sound booked up for the
next day so after some dinner and a few games of Monopoly we turned
in. It was a cold and early morning to be waiting for a bus, though
once on board it was a fair bit warmer. We had to ride this for around
six hours til we reached the Sound, various stops on the way from Te
Anau to Mirror Lake, NAME waterfalls and Monkey Creek broke up the
journey well and made for fantastic viewing along with Mitre Peak and
the NAME Reserve. Our driver had been brilliantly concise with his
explanations thoughout, as a Maori descendent he was able to
illuminate other aspects that otherwise may not have been. We
eventually arrived and departed on our boat not too long after
boarding, toward the Tasman Sea where we'd turn and head back before a
shorter return journey. Already the scenery was incredibly beautiful,
the final throws of the mountainous peaks before they descended below
the water line - and the fiord we were passing through only a further
testament to the immense powers of nature that continue to forge this
country.. Then for another experience, as we reached the Tasman, a pod
of dolphins came to play with the boat much to everyones delight..
There were around seven of them, one youngster among their numbers -
and apparently one did a big jump though I missed it! Heading back we
drew up incredibly close to the base of one of the many waterfalls and
as we were turning back into the main passage witnessed a set of seals
sunning themselves on the rocks.. After a great afternoon it was time
to head back, the journey shortened by less stops and taken up with a
few dvds en route. That night I stayed up all night to be able to
watch the FA Cup Final - plus Arsenal v Norwich, it was quite fun and
the first time I'd seen any live football for 2 months, fortunately
not a disappointment. Come six am it was time to get ready and head
out to our bus stop for the next leg, on to Wanaka.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Monday, 14 May 2012
Chch cha!!
After carefully navigating the route to the airport and avoiding using
trolleys at $4 a pop we boarded our flight and headed to Christchurch,
our plan was to potentially sleep at the airport as we were likely to
miss the last bus departing for town. We arrived earlier than expected
so there was some hope of managing to get to town where we'd stay for
one night before catching a bus to Sefton to volunteer on a farm for a
week before coming back to town. Then we came to Immigration and when
asked where we were staying I readily provided this information. Big
mistake. We were stopped, made to wait then interrogated about our
intentions while here since any food or accommodation in return for
labour is considered pay, so we'd either need a Working Holiday visa
or to give this plan up altogether. Faced with this choice we had to
decide quickly, and since we had three seperate locations lined up
across the country we decided we'd apply for the Working Holiday visa,
so we were granted a two week temporary entry visa while we applied
for this, an apparently simple process. Second big mistake. After an
hour we were out and had missed the bus but had been left feeling like
criminals after an honest mistake so caught a shuttle to town and
stayed in an overpriced YMCA room but worthwhile if just to get away
from the airport. We then immediately set about applying for our visa
which we got sent off having been informed we'd need a medical since
we'd been in a high risk TB area recently, first thing in the morning
we checked at the doctors and this would cost us £250 each.. Ouch.
trolleys at $4 a pop we boarded our flight and headed to Christchurch,
our plan was to potentially sleep at the airport as we were likely to
miss the last bus departing for town. We arrived earlier than expected
so there was some hope of managing to get to town where we'd stay for
one night before catching a bus to Sefton to volunteer on a farm for a
week before coming back to town. Then we came to Immigration and when
asked where we were staying I readily provided this information. Big
mistake. We were stopped, made to wait then interrogated about our
intentions while here since any food or accommodation in return for
labour is considered pay, so we'd either need a Working Holiday visa
or to give this plan up altogether. Faced with this choice we had to
decide quickly, and since we had three seperate locations lined up
across the country we decided we'd apply for the Working Holiday visa,
so we were granted a two week temporary entry visa while we applied
for this, an apparently simple process. Second big mistake. After an
hour we were out and had missed the bus but had been left feeling like
criminals after an honest mistake so caught a shuttle to town and
stayed in an overpriced YMCA room but worthwhile if just to get away
from the airport. We then immediately set about applying for our visa
which we got sent off having been informed we'd need a medical since
we'd been in a high risk TB area recently, first thing in the morning
we checked at the doctors and this would cost us £250 each.. Ouch.
We took the rest of the day up by taking a trip into the City Centre, or
more specifically the Cashel Street Re:start Mall - a series of
shipping containers all vividly painted and operating as a temporary
(?) shopping centre in the wake of the 2010/11 earthquakes that
devastated the area. We headed on through the town to a supermarket
across town before getting back to business. We passed along the South
East corner of the red zone on this trip where rows of shops were
either mid-demolition, now car parks or fully stocked with no
customers in over a year.. It was an eerie experience, fascinating and
terrifying, grotesquely beautiful - carnage in the built environment,
something some people dream of though only those who have lived with
this reality can even begin to understand.. After a few more calls to
Immigration we hoped that things were under way so took a trip round
the Botanical Gardens that afternoon. It's a beautiful city and people
who arrive and leave without so much as a breath don't know what
they're missing.
more specifically the Cashel Street Re:start Mall - a series of
shipping containers all vividly painted and operating as a temporary
(?) shopping centre in the wake of the 2010/11 earthquakes that
devastated the area. We headed on through the town to a supermarket
across town before getting back to business. We passed along the South
East corner of the red zone on this trip where rows of shops were
either mid-demolition, now car parks or fully stocked with no
customers in over a year.. It was an eerie experience, fascinating and
terrifying, grotesquely beautiful - carnage in the built environment,
something some people dream of though only those who have lived with
this reality can even begin to understand.. After a few more calls to
Immigration we hoped that things were under way so took a trip round
the Botanical Gardens that afternoon. It's a beautiful city and people
who arrive and leave without so much as a breath don't know what
they're missing.
We'd skipped visiting the Museum next to the park so we'd have something to do before checking in to our next hostel, sadly a decision to close it until further notice had come into effect, one
more building added to the long list. We headed back into the
Botanical Gardens before moving our bags across town. In The Right
Place was a great place to be checking into, a nice hostel and homely
feel to it, the owners more than happy to talk about the area and its
trials. The library wasn't too far away either so we headed there to
fit in some time on the internet before buying up a stock of
vegetables at a brilliant price from the local grocers - no joke, I
loved this shop!!
more building added to the long list. We headed back into the
Botanical Gardens before moving our bags across town. In The Right
Place was a great place to be checking into, a nice hostel and homely
feel to it, the owners more than happy to talk about the area and its
trials. The library wasn't too far away either so we headed there to
fit in some time on the internet before buying up a stock of
vegetables at a brilliant price from the local grocers - no joke, I
loved this shop!!
We'd arranged to stay at the house of a local guy through Couch Surfing so heading there the next day we were welcomed into a new home and experience. Our host was an inspirational
character, working, studying and volunteering plus hosting guests -
though not from New Zealand, he fits into the attitude of the country
perfectly. His tale of the second quake involved being in the shower
before running out into the streets in just his pants, needs must. We
were privileged to stay at his house despite his non-presence for a
few days by which time we would have returned from our working had we
planned it all correctly.. We'd mailed Immigration a few more times
and walked out to their office to apply for a full Visitors Visa, a
stressful afternoon.. A few more trips to the supermarket and the
Cashel Street mall where they held a Craft Market which was formerly
in the City Centre and we'd done most of what we could in walking
distance and it was time to go and visit our friend we'd met in
Laos.
character, working, studying and volunteering plus hosting guests -
though not from New Zealand, he fits into the attitude of the country
perfectly. His tale of the second quake involved being in the shower
before running out into the streets in just his pants, needs must. We
were privileged to stay at his house despite his non-presence for a
few days by which time we would have returned from our working had we
planned it all correctly.. We'd mailed Immigration a few more times
and walked out to their office to apply for a full Visitors Visa, a
stressful afternoon.. A few more trips to the supermarket and the
Cashel Street mall where they held a Craft Market which was formerly
in the City Centre and we'd done most of what we could in walking
distance and it was time to go and visit our friend we'd met in
Laos.
Monday morning we arrived in Riccarton where we were greeted by
our friends mother since everyone else was at work.. After we went on
a flying visit of the local mall we were taken on a tour of the
outer-lying suburbs of the City. Firstly down to Sumner where the road
had been rippled, cliff-houses downed or damaged and shipping
containers lining the road to prevent further rockfall meeting the
road. There was a fairly nice beach with some surfers braving the
cold, also the land marker of Shag Rock which had been damaged, now
nicknamed the Shag Pile.. We crossed town toward the suburb of
Avondale where some of the worst affected housing was, liquidaction
having reduced roads to dust and the majority of houses
'red-stickered' so uninhabitable. Portaloos stood on most streets
where most running water and sewage had been affected in the
aftermath.. However from here we took in areas of redemption and
renewal, a group called Gap Filler have been utilising the spaces
created in a variety of colourful and enthusing ways, from open air
pianos to a book-exchange fridge and a 'dance-o-mat' where you have a
dance floor, stereo speakers and a laundry machine primed for you to
plug your favourite songs into and pump them out.. This is a small
part of the on going recovery of the area but with such positivity and
room for creative solutions then in time it can only become great.It
was good to see our friend again after four months, so we had an
evening of catching up to do.
our friends mother since everyone else was at work.. After we went on
a flying visit of the local mall we were taken on a tour of the
outer-lying suburbs of the City. Firstly down to Sumner where the road
had been rippled, cliff-houses downed or damaged and shipping
containers lining the road to prevent further rockfall meeting the
road. There was a fairly nice beach with some surfers braving the
cold, also the land marker of Shag Rock which had been damaged, now
nicknamed the Shag Pile.. We crossed town toward the suburb of
Avondale where some of the worst affected housing was, liquidaction
having reduced roads to dust and the majority of houses
'red-stickered' so uninhabitable. Portaloos stood on most streets
where most running water and sewage had been affected in the
aftermath.. However from here we took in areas of redemption and
renewal, a group called Gap Filler have been utilising the spaces
created in a variety of colourful and enthusing ways, from open air
pianos to a book-exchange fridge and a 'dance-o-mat' where you have a
dance floor, stereo speakers and a laundry machine primed for you to
plug your favourite songs into and pump them out.. This is a small
part of the on going recovery of the area but with such positivity and
room for creative solutions then in time it can only become great.It
was good to see our friend again after four months, so we had an
evening of catching up to do.
We headed to the mall the next day, hopefully to see a film at reduced rates, typically the electrician
was in so our choices were both cancelled!! Instead we headed round to
Riccarton Bush, a small area of woodland preserved by the original
land owners. With the cottage on site being the oldest building on the
Canterbury Plain and the woodland itself being as close to what the
colonialists had found here, it was certainly interesting and
presented a surprising view of how much this land has changed so
quickly.. Two architectural students from Australia had also been
staying at the house as they worked on some projects to do with
housing and we had a big meal that night to mark their departure, a
few of the talks that happened that week were amongst topics crossed -
the chief architect of the proposed 'cardboard cathedral' being a
heavy influence upon their future outlook.Come Wednesday and it was a
public holiday to mark ANZAC day. We headed out on a road trip to
Lyttleton where we first visited a friend building a shed though they
hadn't reached the point where our help was required; moving on we
travelled all the way around the bay til we reached Diamond Harbour.
We took a walk down to the waters edge where we could easily see why
the area got its name, the sun glistening over the water making a
quite stunning scenery that bit more wonderful. We headed back up and
tucked in an ice cream before heading back round the bay til we
stopped at She chocolatiers in Governors Bay, a funky little place
with pretty divine chocolate on offer. We were good and only had a hot
chocolate each before heading back for the evening.
was in so our choices were both cancelled!! Instead we headed round to
Riccarton Bush, a small area of woodland preserved by the original
land owners. With the cottage on site being the oldest building on the
Canterbury Plain and the woodland itself being as close to what the
colonialists had found here, it was certainly interesting and
presented a surprising view of how much this land has changed so
quickly.. Two architectural students from Australia had also been
staying at the house as they worked on some projects to do with
housing and we had a big meal that night to mark their departure, a
few of the talks that happened that week were amongst topics crossed -
the chief architect of the proposed 'cardboard cathedral' being a
heavy influence upon their future outlook.Come Wednesday and it was a
public holiday to mark ANZAC day. We headed out on a road trip to
Lyttleton where we first visited a friend building a shed though they
hadn't reached the point where our help was required; moving on we
travelled all the way around the bay til we reached Diamond Harbour.
We took a walk down to the waters edge where we could easily see why
the area got its name, the sun glistening over the water making a
quite stunning scenery that bit more wonderful. We headed back up and
tucked in an ice cream before heading back round the bay til we
stopped at She chocolatiers in Governors Bay, a funky little place
with pretty divine chocolate on offer. We were good and only had a hot
chocolate each before heading back for the evening.
Over the next two days I was left to my own devices while Amy went to undertake a Red
Cross first aid course for her on going professional development, so I
tapped away on a guitar to hand and had a bit of a walk before meeting
her at the end of each day.
Cross first aid course for her on going professional development, so I
tapped away on a guitar to hand and had a bit of a walk before meeting
her at the end of each day.
Come the weekend everybody jumped in the car as we took a day trip out to Arthurs Pass, the main route through
the Southern Alps to Greymouth and the West Coast. This meant a long
drive over the Canterbury Plains til we started climbing and didn't
seem to stop for a while. We did so to take in the Cave Stream Reserve
and the surrounding area before carrying on up to the village of
Arthurs Pass - so named as Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson reported on this
route as the most likely to allow access to the West Coast. It was a
nice small little place with very few buildings and resorts, the Trans
Scenic Railway having a station there being the largest structure..
After a light lunch we carried on a bit further to 'Death Corner'
where a viaduct crossed the valley..
Here as hoped we encountered Kea, the only mountainous parrot and a
cheeky and clever species they are. Known for picking away at anything
from cars to roofing nails - a cause of high fatalities due to lead
poisoning. It was wonderful to end our journey out having met these
birds, a beautiful species that will hopefully survive so long as
people take heed and stop feeding them!! We'd gone to another friends
that night for dinner with a spectacular view over the city, then
finally a trip to the local market the next morning before we got
ready to leave Christchurch and really begin our exploration of NZ..
the Southern Alps to Greymouth and the West Coast. This meant a long
drive over the Canterbury Plains til we started climbing and didn't
seem to stop for a while. We did so to take in the Cave Stream Reserve
and the surrounding area before carrying on up to the village of
Arthurs Pass - so named as Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson reported on this
route as the most likely to allow access to the West Coast. It was a
nice small little place with very few buildings and resorts, the Trans
Scenic Railway having a station there being the largest structure..
After a light lunch we carried on a bit further to 'Death Corner'
where a viaduct crossed the valley..
Here as hoped we encountered Kea, the only mountainous parrot and a
cheeky and clever species they are. Known for picking away at anything
from cars to roofing nails - a cause of high fatalities due to lead
poisoning. It was wonderful to end our journey out having met these
birds, a beautiful species that will hopefully survive so long as
people take heed and stop feeding them!! We'd gone to another friends
that night for dinner with a spectacular view over the city, then
finally a trip to the local market the next morning before we got
ready to leave Christchurch and really begin our exploration of NZ..
Thursday, 3 May 2012
The writing's Wollongong
Our train from Newcastle Broadmeadow arrived half hour late so our transfer at Sydney and pick up from Unanderra were automatically skewed. A phone call from Central corrected the pick up time and after possibly our shortest time travelling yet we pulled in. Thankfully the message got through and I was soon back at a house I remembered fairly well from 16 years before. It was great seeing more familiar faces and after recounting various aspects of our travels til late in the evening we settled in for the night.
We went for a journey round the area the next day, taking in the view over the surrounding area from the remaining platforms of Mount Keira and a having swim at Port Kembla Beach after saying hello to our friend there. We carried on to a trip round the Wollongong harbour, up to the lighthouse and back round in to the marina and beach before heading back. A beautiful day with a good wind to keep it cool enough to enjoy.
The day after we went off for a walk down to Lake Illawarra and round to Worrawong where we eventually found the bootfair we'd aimed for after battling the strong Sou'Wester blowing in over the lake. We checked out the mall there in search of Ugg boots or anything we could afford. We bought a few snacks at a dollar store before heading back.
The following day everyone leapt in the car as we headed out of town to NAME where it seems several other groups had the same idea. Heading down the boardwalk we arrived at the first viewing point where we contended with a dozen others for a prime view of the water cascading down the sandstone face to the boulders below. One patch of grilling on the platform was rather vertigo inducing but I'll lay the blame firmly on the height at which we were above solid ground. Carrying on along one of the paths there was a second viewpoint where you could see the original falls as well as a later set plus the most spectacular view over the Yarrunga Valley. This had made a beautiful afternoon and even with the high flow of tourists even they had their entertaining points - a young girl having firmly wedged her leg in between two boulders must have made more than just me giggle under their breathe.. We left and made a flying visit to Robertson - home of the giant potato - where we visited a set of shops situated in the old dairy before a swift drink at The Robertson Inn and heading back.
Nan Tien temple was our next days entertainment, a better walk than the previous day and a rather interesting place. We'd known not to expect anything like what we'd seen in Asia though the stark difference was evident almost immediately. It seems to be having a positive effect locally and visitors aren't in short supply so I'm certain it will only increase in popularity and expand in due course.
After packing our bags up so we were ready to transfer from one house to another, we all headed out for one last meal together - an all you can eat buffet, which we accepted as a challenge - before returning bloated, saying our goodbyes and making the switch.
Our first afternoon we took a walk down to the local mall and that evening settled our plans for the next day - we had considered visiting a caravan park for a few days but we had to fit Sydney in for at least one day before we left.. Deciding to stay in situ we woke early and headed up to the City. We'd decided to walk up to Circular Quay rather than take advantage of the free bus which we'd use on our way back when tired of walking. The first few blocks were rather uninspiring, the only real interest garnered from the sandstone prevalent in the infrastructure. We passed the War Memorial before hitting the CBD which was our first map, turning on our heels we headed back to The Strand and shopping areas around Pitt Street. The Strand mall was particularly pretty, an old structure with modern cafe coffee culture poplar with the office crowds. It was all way out of our price range but worth a walk round purely for the aesthetic. After touring a few more shops and the tourist jungle - including a GAP ad being photographed featuring a young geekily attired posse bopping down the pavement with an mp3 boombox - we made our way down to Circular Quay and the Opera House. Arriving I remembered this area fairly well, wandering round we took a sweeping tour of the Opera House before crossing back over for a long journey around the Contemporary Art Gallery, if the Opera House was once contraversial I'd love to hear the critics perspectives on some things in here.. It was good to get all cultured though, some interesting pieces, others slightly bemusing though I'm no artist. From there we carried on round toward the Harbour Bridge and had lunch in its shadow before heading back to the station on the bus, a well earned freebie!!
Our next few days we spent putting together our final plans for arriving in New Zealand and getting to the airport - a medley of trains and buses to avoid the 'gate entry' fee earned by catching the direct train, an expense we felt highly unjustified. After arriving back from the campsite it was good to spend a few more hours with my relatives before faring them well, a promise of spending my money next time we meet is one I intend to honour!!
We went for a journey round the area the next day, taking in the view over the surrounding area from the remaining platforms of Mount Keira and a having swim at Port Kembla Beach after saying hello to our friend there. We carried on to a trip round the Wollongong harbour, up to the lighthouse and back round in to the marina and beach before heading back. A beautiful day with a good wind to keep it cool enough to enjoy.
The day after we went off for a walk down to Lake Illawarra and round to Worrawong where we eventually found the bootfair we'd aimed for after battling the strong Sou'Wester blowing in over the lake. We checked out the mall there in search of Ugg boots or anything we could afford. We bought a few snacks at a dollar store before heading back.
The following day everyone leapt in the car as we headed out of town to NAME where it seems several other groups had the same idea. Heading down the boardwalk we arrived at the first viewing point where we contended with a dozen others for a prime view of the water cascading down the sandstone face to the boulders below. One patch of grilling on the platform was rather vertigo inducing but I'll lay the blame firmly on the height at which we were above solid ground. Carrying on along one of the paths there was a second viewpoint where you could see the original falls as well as a later set plus the most spectacular view over the Yarrunga Valley. This had made a beautiful afternoon and even with the high flow of tourists even they had their entertaining points - a young girl having firmly wedged her leg in between two boulders must have made more than just me giggle under their breathe.. We left and made a flying visit to Robertson - home of the giant potato - where we visited a set of shops situated in the old dairy before a swift drink at The Robertson Inn and heading back.
Nan Tien temple was our next days entertainment, a better walk than the previous day and a rather interesting place. We'd known not to expect anything like what we'd seen in Asia though the stark difference was evident almost immediately. It seems to be having a positive effect locally and visitors aren't in short supply so I'm certain it will only increase in popularity and expand in due course.
After packing our bags up so we were ready to transfer from one house to another, we all headed out for one last meal together - an all you can eat buffet, which we accepted as a challenge - before returning bloated, saying our goodbyes and making the switch.
Our first afternoon we took a walk down to the local mall and that evening settled our plans for the next day - we had considered visiting a caravan park for a few days but we had to fit Sydney in for at least one day before we left.. Deciding to stay in situ we woke early and headed up to the City. We'd decided to walk up to Circular Quay rather than take advantage of the free bus which we'd use on our way back when tired of walking. The first few blocks were rather uninspiring, the only real interest garnered from the sandstone prevalent in the infrastructure. We passed the War Memorial before hitting the CBD which was our first map, turning on our heels we headed back to The Strand and shopping areas around Pitt Street. The Strand mall was particularly pretty, an old structure with modern cafe coffee culture poplar with the office crowds. It was all way out of our price range but worth a walk round purely for the aesthetic. After touring a few more shops and the tourist jungle - including a GAP ad being photographed featuring a young geekily attired posse bopping down the pavement with an mp3 boombox - we made our way down to Circular Quay and the Opera House. Arriving I remembered this area fairly well, wandering round we took a sweeping tour of the Opera House before crossing back over for a long journey around the Contemporary Art Gallery, if the Opera House was once contraversial I'd love to hear the critics perspectives on some things in here.. It was good to get all cultured though, some interesting pieces, others slightly bemusing though I'm no artist. From there we carried on round toward the Harbour Bridge and had lunch in its shadow before heading back to the station on the bus, a well earned freebie!!
Our next few days we spent putting together our final plans for arriving in New Zealand and getting to the airport - a medley of trains and buses to avoid the 'gate entry' fee earned by catching the direct train, an expense we felt highly unjustified. After arriving back from the campsite it was good to spend a few more hours with my relatives before faring them well, a promise of spending my money next time we meet is one I intend to honour!!
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