East As

1 - 9 October 2010

Road trip No 2!! This time it's a week long trip along the remote east coast of New Zealand - Moari heartland where the horses roam free! Left Taupo to Napier and Hawke's Bay (Jerry's hometown), then Mahia to Gisborne (first CITY not place, in the world to see the sunrise), round the east coast to Tiki Tiki for a horse ride, Whakatane and finally back to Taupo.



Sweet as East As

 Napier's an art deco town. Built to resemble the art deco style of the states after the 1931 earthquake that destroyed the city. Went to Possum world - possum slippers cost NZ$99! And here I thought they were pests.


Above : Buildings b4 the 1931 quake
Below : Art-deco buildings after the quake

 Our trip to Hawke's Bay could not have been at a better time. Hawke's Bay Spring Carnival was on! Basically a whole day at the races where people come dressed to the nines with those huge hats. Loads of drunken teenages in the skimpiest outfits possible lolling around. Great for people watching. Sad to say, our incredible betting knowledge (which was zlich) won us absolutely nothing.

Hawke's Bay Race Day

Stayed with Jerry's brother Martin at Havelock North. Besides the races, we climbed a steep hill and went to the petting zoo where this really really cute lamb shat on me when I picked him up! It made Jerry's day that moment. Esh. But ahhh cho cute!!!!!


Bloody steep hill at Havelock North

Love the petting zoo!

Gisborne, the first CITY in the world to see the sunrise, was next on the itinerary. Note that it says CITY, not place. They're so kiasu that they had to have the shortest river in New Zealand at a few metres too.

Gisborne - 1st city in the world to see the sunrise

Gisborne's the last big town we were gonna pass before we enter the remote Maori heartland of the East. Jerry has a friend at Rangituki where he used to bring the Kiwi Experience backpackers touring East As so to Reg's farm it was for some awesome horse riding. I'm so pleased with myself as I managed a few canters albeit a slight mishap of me tumbling off War Lord when he transitted from canter to trot. Jerry was quite concerned.. how sweet of him. Lucky it was on the beach and I fell not that badly. Could have been worse but all's sweet.

War Lord (white) and Dreadlocks

Treated ourselves to a nice motel at Opitiki after days skimping in our tent. Great 8 day roadtrippin East As. Will be back for more horse riddin.

North Island Big Trip

9 -20 September 2010

After months of slaving away with work it was finally time for me to fly to New Zealand. Direct flights to Auckland are freakin expensive. MAS was like RM5200 and SIA RM4500 or sumthing. Found the cheapest way to travel. Thank God for AirAsia! Flight to Melbourne was bout RM1100 return and flew Melbourne - Auckland on Pacific Blue (Virgin's sis co) for bout RM1000. Not bad for the total cost huh? Only setback is that you gotta spend the night at Melbourne airport coz the flight reaches at midnight and the next flight out's at 10am the next morn. You can opt to stay at the airport hotel but that's another A$100 or more. Spent an uncomfortable but uneventful night on the food court's chairs.

Auckland's skyline

Auckland's pretty cool. Not as busy as KL but it has its own charms. Stayed at Jerry's sister Jane's place in New Lynn. Oh and met up with Shuk too! Elliot, Shuk's other half, cooked us beef rendang in conjunction with Hari Raya. So funny to have a gwailo cooking M'sian food haha.

As Jerry's Swiss friend Sandra was in NZ, we decided to wait for her and do a trip to Waiheke Island together. Waiheke's an island just a 40 min ferry ride from Auckland where rich people go to retire. Maybe like Bintan island is to Singapore?

Having Gluhwein at the backpackers

The weather's much better here than it was in rainy Auckland. Although it's so near, the sunny skies must have something to do with the protected coast or island weather. Did a few walks along the beach and to town. Visited a vinyard too.

The most memorable part of the trip was cooking a BBQ accompanied with Gluhwein (heated red wine mixed with spices) I brought from Germany. All the German girls said it smelt like Xmas. :)

The trip around the Coromandel was absolutely beautiful. I swear they have the best mussels in the world! Yumm!! Revisited places I went to when I did Kiwi Experience in 2005 such as the Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and such but it was still good as I did it with Jerry this time. We even drove by Jerry's farm in Waihi which he sold a few years back (thank god! hahha it was in the middle of nowhere!)



Our trip from Auckland - Coromandel - Tauranga - Rotorua - Taupo



    

Coromandel Town, where the best mussels in the world are at

  

Revisiting Cathedral Cove

 

Jerry's old farm at Waihi

 

We headed up to Tauranga and Mt Maunganui next where Jerry's cousin Sandra stays. We came to see Jerry's Taupo soccer team play ?? damn can't remember. Anyway, Taupo won and the group photo with us in it came out in Taupo Times! Famous so fast hahha. After walking around the mountain seaside town, I realised I've been here before. Climbed the mount too. Stayed with Paul & Nise one night and Sandra's the next. Oh, and I went to my fist live rugby match - Bay of Plenty vs County Manukau. Bit dissapointed coz atmosphere was quite subdued. Maybe it was not that big a game. And it was sooo damn bloody cold! Bay of Plenty won anyways.  



My first live rugby match at Mt Maunganui



Evil smelling town of Rotorua

Quite enjoyed Mt Maunganui. Jerry was thinking to buy a house here coz of the surf. Poor boy, surf conditions were not on his side. Brought his surfboard all over but couldn't use it once.

Last part of our trip was to Rotorua - the evil smelling place hahha - coz of the sulphur in the air courtesy of its active geothermal activity. I was in Rotorua in 2001 & 2005 and damn have prices gone up! The geopark I went to in 2005 was bout NZ40. It's double now! Luge was NZ15. It's NZ35 now. What a rip off. Tourists will wise up soon then nobody will go to their exorbidantly priced attractions.



Didn't do much touristy stuff but we did walk the free geoparks to check out the boiling mud and all. Gardens look so beautiful with the spring flowers in bloom. They looked really pretty. Now this is what Spring is supposed to look like! Not the cold front I came into. Always liked Rotorua.

Colours of Spring 

Boiling mud pools & foul smelling steam

After more than a week on the road, we finally reached Taupo on 20 September 2010.



Lasangne Attempt #1

Decided to make lasangne for dinner today but found out we bought the 'wrong' type of lasgne. It came in the form of spiral ribbons instead of the normal flat sheets but what the heck, we'll make it anyway.

Haha wonder how we'll lay it out

Did it anyway. Here it is with the meat on top.

Jerry spreading the cheese sauce on top of the meat

Can't call it lasagne so we decided on Meaty-Cheese-Spiral Lasagne-Sandwich. And it was so good we all had seconds! Not much left at the end though :(

I'm here

Thursday 14 Oct 2010


Been in Kiwiland a month already! How time flies. Anyway, loving it here although it's cold but living with it.

Will update soon when I have time.