Best Friends Down Under

Three of my best friends from home decided to make the journey and visit me here in New Zealand and though we didn't leave Auckland, we managed to have quite the adventures. Morgan arrived on Friday morning and we spent the day exploring Queen Street. Morgan was introduced to her first Miss Higgins cookie and fell in love. At night one of my friends here had rented out a VIP room at a club called Pyramid so Morgan and I went out on the town. She had her first Scrumpy, which is a hard cider that costs about $10 so it's very popular among the NZ students. We didn't do much on Saturday and then on Sunday Caitlin arrived to join us. We walked down to Britomart and caught a bus down to Mission Bay since it was a nice day out, not nice enough to lay out but nice enough to enjoy the beauty of a beach. Monday and Tuesday I went to Hamilton to visit a friend one last time, but the girls came back to Auckland and took a ferry to Devonport. On Wednesday one of my friends here was having a day party, so Caitlin, Elly and I went to K'Road to explore some shops, pick up some alcohol for games and then got Morgan and joined the party. It was a very fun day and afterwards we went out to town to enjoy some of the "not-so-classy-but-fun-clubs" on a Wednesday night. We had a lot of fun, however, waking up to let Reann in at 9am on Thursday was not so fun. We went to the Auckland Zoo that afternoon and Caitlin certainly enjoyed the giraffes. Later that night we went to the Ice Bar, which is a bar made of ice and you receive a complementary drink among paying the entrance fee. It was a lot of fun, and we continued to venture off to other bars and dance the night away. Friday we took a ferry to Waiheke with some of my guy friends who know a cop that lives there. We just stayed with him and enjoyed hanging out at his place because the weather was icky. The next morning, the girls tried their first pies. Morg, Reann and I ordered a potato top pie which was a mince pie with mashed potatoes covering it, and Caitlin tried the butter chicken pie. We enjoyed ours much more than Caitlin did, but it was an experience to say the least. After we took a ferry back to Auckland, we started to get ready for the Paint Party on Saturday night. We wore all white and by the end of the night were covered with a mixture of colors. It was an interesting experience, but the crowd had a few dodgy people. Sunday I had to work on my paper due for Wednesday, but Morgan and Caitlin went and enjoyed a nice dinner at the Sky Tower. We had planned to go to Taupo with my roommate Elly, Monday through Wednesday, but due to some complications, we ended up staying in Auckland. Monday we went to watch the sunset at Mt. Eden, but unfortunately the cloudy skies made it hard to see. The girls still enjoyed seeing the view from there, even if it was quite the hike. The next two days were spent just hanging out and going out but nothing too note worthy. The girls left on Thursday morning, while I forced myself to study for my exam that I just finished. I am so grateful to have had my best friends be able to make the trip and though some days we did nothing, it was such a fun time. My parents arrive on Sunday and then it's a week of traveling, then back to the States.

Update

So the month of May has been quite boring compared to the rest of my adventures here, but since I haven't written since my travels during mid-semester break, I thought I would do a little updating. The study part of studying abroad has finally come to mean something as I am finishing up the semester. I only have one more week of actual classes, then 2 group projects, 2 essays and 2 finals and I am done with AUT and ready to celebrate summer time, well actually more winter time while I am still in New Zealand. May has been pretty mellow in regards to traveling or doing exciting things, however, things will pick up again in June and my last month here is going to fly by. Three of my best friends from home, Morgan, Caitlin and Reann are coming to visit me and will be here roughly two weeks. I am going to try and show them as much of New Zealand as I can, with the limited supply of resources (money, car, etc.). Once they leave, I have to take my two finals, which hopefully will go smoothly, and then it's arrival of my parents and Uncle Melvin and Aunt Leta. The next ten days will be spent with them traveling to Wellington and other stops along the way, then it's U.S.A. here I come. It amazes me that 4 months have already passed, I truly have had an incredible experience here and am sad to see it end. This trip has definitely made me want to travel more and experience other cultures because I've realized there is a whole lot more to the world then Cow Town Tulare and Sunny San Diego.

Spring Break, Part Two - Samoa

The second part of my mid-semester break was spent in the island Upolu, Samoa. Lauren, Sarah, Taylor, Eric, Joey, Steven and I started our journey at 3 am Tuesday morning. I decided to not sleep Monday night because I knew if I had to wake up that early I would be in a terrible mood. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our 6:30 am flight to Samoa. The flight was probably one of the worst I have been on while being here, but we made it to Samoa safely. We arrived there on Monday, (we got to go back in time since Samoa is on the other side of the international date line) and from there on out we were on complete Island time. The resort we stayed at included breakfast and dinner everyday so we skipped lunch each day in order to save money. Samoa consisted of laying out from the hours of 10 am until 5 pm everyday, with the occasional naps. It was truly a vacation. On Thursday of our trip we decided to rent a car and explore town along with a few other touristy places. This was definitely the most interesting and entertaining day of them all. We had ordered a van because three others had met up with us so there was 10 of us total, and when the van arrived early Thursday morning we realized none of us knew how to drive a manual vehicle. Kaleigh had learned before she got her license but since she had not practiced in 5 years, it made for an exciting ride. Our first stop was this hole in the ground that had incredibly clear water and was truly gorgeous, there was also a blow hole and other great views of the ocean. Next, we made it in to town and did some bargain souvenir shopping at what reminded me a flea markets. On our way back to our resort we stopped at the sliding rocks, which was nature's own version of the very best waterslides. Each place was fun and interesting, but the drive was truly the high of the day. We ran about 5 red lights for fear of the van not being able to start again, and realized that the 3rd time was truly a charm when it came to getting going. We later decided to name our van the Clutchenator because it came through in clutch moments, and also we probably destroyed the clutch of the van. While being in town, we realized how great we really have it. I felt so naive to other countries and was so grateful to the life I live in the U.S. and also here in NZ. We saw kids walking around with machetes to chop grass and get coconuts and it was so common. It truly was a different way of life there, but outside of our resort, I could never live there. Now, I am back in Auckland and probably won't have many more exciting posts because I am devoting the month of May to saving money and working on school work. However, in June three of my best friends will be visiting so the adventures will be sure to continue.

Spring Break, Part One - Australia

We have two weeks of a mid-semester break for Univerisity, so Kristine, Sarah, Nicole and I headed to Sydney, Australia for our first week. We arrived on Saturday and checked into our hostel at Bondi Beach. We rented a car to make getting around easier. On Sunday, we went to Featherdale's Wildlife Park and we were able to feed kangaroos as well as hug a koala. It was such an incredible experience. I also drove for the first time on the wrong side of the car and road. It was an interesting experience because the roads were very narrow and our car was very wide, but I managed to keep us and the car in one piece. After the wildlife park, we decided to take a detour and check out the Olympic Park and the Sydney's Royal Easter Show was going on. We heard it was cheaper to go after 5, so we did some grocery shopping then back to our hostel. We then went to the Easter Show and after getting lost a few times, we headed straight to the alcohol booth. The Royal Easter Show was very similar to the county fair, and made me crave funnel cakes and churros, however they lacked those items, but they did have chips on a stick. We met some wood-choppers from NZ and Aussie in the alcohol area, and they gave us free tickets to return the next day and watch them chop. So, Monday we went back to the Royal Easter Show and spent the entire day there watching the wood chopping, and checking out everything else that the show had to offer. Tuesday we decided to stay at the beach and soak up the sun. Later that night, our hostel was taking people to a club in a van, so we hopped on and had our first Sydney night life experience. Wednesday we took a ferry to Manly and did some souvenir shopping. Manly reminded me a lot of Devonport, and it was cute little area. Thursday, we devoted our day to the beach again, but later that night embarked on my first pub crawl. We paid $25 and were taken to 5 bars and given a free drink at each bar. Nicole and I won a contest at the third bar for a free cruise for Friday along the harbour, which was the high of the night. The low of the night was realizing that the party bus had left without us to the fourth bar, so we had to catch a cab and meet them there. Originally we had planned on going to the Taronga Zoo on Friday but after waking up in the morning, we decided Bondi Beach day sounded a lot better, so we headed down the beach to soak up some more sun. Friday night, Nicole and I went on the boat cruise while Kristine and Sarah explored Bondi Beach because they didn't want to pay for the tickets to go on the boat cruise. Nicole and I had an amazing night and it was incredible to see Darling Harbour from a boat with all the lights. Saturday we finally made it to the Taronga Zoo, it was cool but I liked the Wildlife Park a lot better because it was more interactive. I'm not a huge fan of starring at animals through fences. We had to leave by 2 because we were headed back to Auckland and our flight was suppose to be at 6. However, our flight was delayed an hour and we didn't make it back to Auckland until midnight and it was close to 2 before we made it home. Sunday was Easter and it was not the same without being around family, but I was able to skype the family today for their Easter, so that helped make it feel more like an actual holiday. Tomorrow I leave for Samoa and will have more adventures to share!!

Passed Out on the plane ride

Driving on the Anzac Bridge

First Time driving on the wrong side of the car/road

our hostel

Bondi Beach :)

Koala

Feeding a Joey

Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Ferry to Manly

Merry-Go-Round at Manly

Manly Beach

Pub Crawl

Party Boat Cruise

Speak No Evil, See No Evil, Hear No Evil

Koala at the Zoo

Kangaroo

Hungry Jacks instead of Burger King

Half Way through my Adventure =/

My journey in New Zealand has met its halfway mark, I officially only have 2 1/2 months left in this country and can't believe how fast time is flying by.

I think I could live in New Zealand if it weren't for the lack of these things:

1. Friends & Family
   
2. Taco Bell
3. Dr. Pepper (They have it in single cans at 2 convenient stores... not enough)
4. Vejars
5. In-N-Out
6. Spicy Doritos
7. Urbane Cafe
8. Chipotle

Things that were introduced to me in New Zealand that will forever change my life:

1. Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
2. Diagonal Crossing at intersections
3. L&P Soda
4. Starburst Rattlesnakes 
5. Tim Tams
6. Squiggles

Though New Zealand has introduced me to some amazing things, they also have some very strange things:

1. Starburst Babies 
2. Eggs that don't need to be refrigerated 
3. Meat pies (chicken, mince, steak... pretty much anything in the form of a pie) 

While being in New Zealand I've also experienced a few Firsts:

1. First Time Camping
2. First Time Surfing
3. First Time Drinking LEGALLY
4. First Time Swimming in a Waterfall
5. First Time Driving on the Beach
6. First Time Zorbing
7. First Time Caving

Then there are the things that the U.S. should adopt that New Zealand already does:

1. The Metric System (since we are the only country that doesn't use it, we should probably start)
2. The Money system (they don't use pennies or nickels, instead everything is rounded to the 10)
3. Correct meal portions (when out at dinner your meal is actually made for one person, this may help the obesity that America faces)

Fun Slang Words that are now a part of my vocabulary:

1. Dodgy - sketchy, dirty
2. Heaps - lots
3. Sweet As - awesome/cool
4. Keen - interested
5. Mate - friend
6. Flash As - expensive/nice
7. Rubbish - trash
8. Pissed - drunk, but they also use the word "piss" in many ways for instance "taking the piss out of something" is making fun of something, "out on the piss" means drunk at the clubs, "on the piss" meaning on your way to being drunk or if you just use "piss" it means alcohol  

Too Far from Family & Friends

Diagonal Crossing (FAVORITE)

 Eating my first Steak & Cheese meat pie

First Time Surfing

Lack of Gravity in New Zealand

So I have always been a clumsy person and I don't pride myself as being graceful by any means, but I am beginning to think this country has a lack of gravity. Proof #1 Spraining my ankle while getting off my surfboard 1 1/2 months ago at one of the best surfing beaches in the Northern Island, I thought that was one of the lamest ways to hurt yourself, but it keeps getting better, or worse.. Proof #2 Last weekend while hiking, I tripped over some rocks while hiking on the best scenic cliff walk that New Zealand has to offer. Proof #3 If you take a look at people walking down Queen street or really any street in Auckland, you will notice many people tripping, me being one of them from time to time. Proof #4 Today! I was walking to take a test, which is shitty because who has exams on Saturdays anyways, and the door to the building was closed, as I walk around to use the other door, I fall on the uneven sidewalk. Mind you, this is at 8 in the morning so there is heaps of traffic for people going to work and as I fall completely down my water bottle goes tumbling down onto the road through traffic and as a car runs it over, I get splashed (barely, but still) Not only did I further injure my already sprained ankle that has yet to heal, but I also hurt my other foot really bad. I'm hoping its only bruised since I can still walk, but I am really thinking I am going to have to be put in one of those Mana Balls that I zorbed in to get around this country without getting hurt.

Road Trip

This weekend a bunch of us decided to head up to the 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, I traveled with Lauren and her friend Alice. We started our adventure at 9 on Friday morning and didn't end it until 11:30 Sunday night. As we were driving North, our first stop was Mangawhai Heads which is known to have the best cliff walk in New Zealand, there was a beautiful beach and we walked along the trail for about an hour until my clumsy self decided to fall on my bad ankle. We then got back on the road and went as far as Paihia where we met up with the boys Taylor, Joey, Alex and Steven. We then caravaned to Rainbow Falls which is a 27 meter waterfall near the town Kerikeri. We decided to go for a swim and though the water was freezing cold, it was a fun adventure. After we were done swimming we hit the road again to our final destination of the night, Maitai Bay. We met up with Katlan, Jeff and Alex at the campsite and they helped us set up our tent in the dark. We saw the most beautiful view of the stars and I have never seen so many at once in my life. We woke up the next morning and went for a swim in the ocean before we began driving up the coast some more. Our next destination was the 90 Mile beach, I learned it is not actually 90 miles but instead 55 miles, apparently a drunken sailor walked along the beach and swore it was 90 miles and that is how it got its name. We drove the car on the beach and then layed out to soak up the sun. After we had enough sun, Lauren, Alice and I walked over to the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes. There we were able to surf down the dune on a boogy board. I got sand in my mouth and only went once, but it was lots of fun. After that we decided to head further north to Cape Reinga where there is a lighthouse and the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. We had a picnic dinner and ran into the boys again while we were there and all enjoyed the sunset together. After the sun had set we went to our next campsite in Tapotupotu Bay (little did we know that this campsite was infested with mosquitoes that enjoyed eating away at us) We all sat together with this question book that Taylor owns, and continued to get to know each other better. The next morning, it was time to head back to Auckland, so we left the bay and started another long driving adventure. As we were  driving we came across this beautiful beach called Omapere and stopped to enjoy the sun, we went with us girls and Jeff, Katlan and Alex but as we were messing around on the beach, the other boys came running towards us because they had seen us while they were driving. We had no cell phone service in the far North so it was quite humorous that we kept running into each other. After that we all caravaned to the tallest tree in New Zealand. It's name is Tane Mahuta which means Lord of the Forest in Maori, and it was a giant Kauri tree. We took our pictures then continued our journey home. We stopped again at Bayly's Beach to watch the sunset and all of us decided to go swimming in the ocean because the waves were so huge. We then got to drive on the beach and I got to drive around for a while as well. It was truly the perfect end to a great weekend. We drove a few more hours and finally made it back to Auckland. :)

View of Beach from Mangawhai Heads

Rainbow Falls

Cave behind waterfall

Me in front of the waterfall

Te Paki Sand Dunes

Driving on the 90 Mile Beach

Cape Reinga

Lauren and Me

Tasman Sea Meets Pacific Ocean at Sunset

Tapotupotu Campsite

Me in front of the giant Kauri tree

Group Photo

Tourist Photo

Sunset in the waves of Bayly's Beach

Me getting ready to drive on Bayly's Beach