In 1985 Greenpeace's 'Rainbow Warrior' was moored in Auckland Harbour, preparing to sail as part of flotilla to protest against French nuclear testing in their pacific atolls. The French took exception to this and sunk the ship in what was supposed to be a covert operation, albeit right there in Auckland Harbour. One of Greenpeace's photographers, Fernando Pereira, lost his life.
I won't go into the details further, as if you're interested you can find out more on the Internet. However, after a couple of years the ship was eventually laid to rest further up the coast off Matauri Bay. The purpose of this was to create an artificial reef for marine life (in keeping with the theme she was due to protest on) and to provide a dive site, wrecks often becoming such havens for fish, coral and kelp and hence being popular with scuba divers.
That's the background. The relevance is that for this reason, I decided to extend my stay in Paihia, it being a base from which dive trips go to the Rainbow Warrior. My thinking was that it could be some time before I was back in New Zealand, and I might regret it if I didn't take the opportunity to do this dive. So that's what I did, I dived to the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior, and I'm very glad that I did. There are some photos on Facebook. If you'd like to take a look, send me your email address and I'll get Facebook to send you the link.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Avian Assault
How was your Christmas Day? Mine started in an unusual fashion, almost acquiring a broken finger courtesy of a grumpy parrot at the hostel I was staying at. (Perhaps he would later be visited by a ghost showing him a vision of what Christmas future would be like if he kept assualting the guests?) The bird in question also gave rise to the name of the hostel, The Pickled Parrot (in Paihia, Bay of Islands), on account of him helping himself to people's drinks! I can assure you he didn't get any of mine though!
Thankfully the day only got better from there. The hostel laid on a free bacon and eggs brunch with bucks fizz. Quite a change from the usual Christmas fayre (which I did miss!) but it went down very well, especially since it was a lovely warm sunny day so we ate outside.
Later in the day, we played cricket on the beach. The pace of the game got progressively slower not just due to tiring players but due to the tide. Since it was coming in, more and more of the 'field' was in the sea, slowing down those players unfortunate to turn up in their swimming costumes and hence ending up having to swim out to fetch the ball.
So that was my Christmas Day. Very different, and certainly one that will stick in the memory as being so.
Thankfully the day only got better from there. The hostel laid on a free bacon and eggs brunch with bucks fizz. Quite a change from the usual Christmas fayre (which I did miss!) but it went down very well, especially since it was a lovely warm sunny day so we ate outside.
Later in the day, we played cricket on the beach. The pace of the game got progressively slower not just due to tiring players but due to the tide. Since it was coming in, more and more of the 'field' was in the sea, slowing down those players unfortunate to turn up in their swimming costumes and hence ending up having to swim out to fetch the ball.
So that was my Christmas Day. Very different, and certainly one that will stick in the memory as being so.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Dive, Dive, Dive!
Those who've been following my blog will know I started my open water scuba diving training in Rarotonga but was unable to complete it due to an inner ear infection. Great news though, after my course of antibiotics and an all clear from a New Zealand doc, I was able to complete it last Saturday at Goat Island here in the north island of NZ. And so yesterday I joined a day-long dive trip from Tutukaka to the 'Poor Knights', a group of islands about 15 miles off the coast. The whole group of these islands is a marine reserve, meaning things like fishing or even setting foot on the islands is strictly prohibited, enforced by hefty fines. This in turn means that marine life thrives, making it a location with many excellent dive sites, regarded as some of the best in New Zealand and even the world.
Ah, beaming sunshine, deep blue ocean, swimming with tropical fish in crystal clear waters. Sorry to rub it in folks but I'd rather be doing this than working!
Ah, beaming sunshine, deep blue ocean, swimming with tropical fish in crystal clear waters. Sorry to rub it in folks but I'd rather be doing this than working!
SheepWorld
As a Derbyshire boy born-and-bred, there was of course no way I could pass up on a visit to the superbly named SheepWorld. This included a show on dog handling and sheep shearing. Imagine my delight when I was invited up to have a go at shearing! I don't remember whether the sheep had a name (I know, I'm a disgrace) but I'm sure we developed an instant understanding, as only man and sheep can, and will look back fondly on that fleeting encounter for years to come...
(I might as well get the cheap jokes out of the way rather than leave them up to you lot!)
(I might as well get the cheap jokes out of the way rather than leave them up to you lot!)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wheels
To continue a theme... As Steve (Stokesy) pointed out, "the best laid plans..." You can see where this is going. One thing I had loosely planned to do in New Zealand was buy a car to tour the country and sell it again at the end, ideally buying and selling cannily so as not to lose too much money, or perhaps even make a profit. Many of you will know that I drive an MX-5 back in the UK, and have done for years, because it's such an enjoyable car to drive. Hence, the prospect of driving NZ's legendary scenery and roads in the same sort of car was enticing. So, my grand plan was to buy a used MX-5 in NZ. I even checked out prices before I left the UK.
However, to cut a long story short, it was all taking too long. Time I'd rather be spending exploring the country rather than buying a vehicle I was only going to have to spend more time selling again after a couple of months. One problem was that Auckland is so spread out. There were several MX-5s for sale in the area but although Auckland has 'only' around a million inhabitants, it covers an area about twice the size of London! So just travelling to see them was a challenge in itself. (Auckland isn't known for its public transport system.) Another concern was the speed of selling a car when it came to the end of my time in NZ. I didn't want to lose a week or more out of my round the world trip while waiting for something as mundane as selling a car. Last, but my no means least, NZ law requires a vehicle's 'Warrant of Fitness' (a bit like our MOT) to be no more than a month old when selling, meaning I would have to get one done, meaning the possibility of unexpected bills.
So, on balance, I grudgingly resigned myself to the fact that I'd be better hiring a car, which you can do here for very reasonable rates due to all the competition. To keep the cost down, and because I'm travelling solo and hence not sharing the cost with anyone, but on the other hand not needing much space, I looked at the budget end of the market. A small, economical (but gutless!) hatchback could be mine for NZ$32 per day (about 12 pounds sterling). So off I went to have a closer look at what I would be subjecting myself to for the next eight weeks - I didn't want to pay my money and be stuck with a banger with each wheel pointing in a different direction and the gearstick coming off in my hand!
Walking between two of the hire car depots, I happened to pass a place called 'Alternative Rental Cars' with no less than four MX-5s parked up. Of course, I just had to enquire. Their advertised rate was $55/day but they must have been keen to drum up business because they offered me one for $35/day and no one-way drop-off fee (I was hiring in Auckland but dropping off in Christchurch). I thought about it for a while... but not for long! Hmm, soul-destroying hatchback or open-top sportscar, tough choice! The following day I collected the car, bought a tent and a sleeping bag and hit the road!
So here we are, back to that recurring theme: plans. I won't go on about it in every post (I promise!) but there we are, plans go wrong sometimes. But things usually come right in the end, and this certainly did. For the past week I've been zipping my way up the winding coastal roads of northeast New Zealand and thoroughly enjoying it. Great weather, fantastic roads and hardly any traffic. Bliss!
However, to cut a long story short, it was all taking too long. Time I'd rather be spending exploring the country rather than buying a vehicle I was only going to have to spend more time selling again after a couple of months. One problem was that Auckland is so spread out. There were several MX-5s for sale in the area but although Auckland has 'only' around a million inhabitants, it covers an area about twice the size of London! So just travelling to see them was a challenge in itself. (Auckland isn't known for its public transport system.) Another concern was the speed of selling a car when it came to the end of my time in NZ. I didn't want to lose a week or more out of my round the world trip while waiting for something as mundane as selling a car. Last, but my no means least, NZ law requires a vehicle's 'Warrant of Fitness' (a bit like our MOT) to be no more than a month old when selling, meaning I would have to get one done, meaning the possibility of unexpected bills.
So, on balance, I grudgingly resigned myself to the fact that I'd be better hiring a car, which you can do here for very reasonable rates due to all the competition. To keep the cost down, and because I'm travelling solo and hence not sharing the cost with anyone, but on the other hand not needing much space, I looked at the budget end of the market. A small, economical (but gutless!) hatchback could be mine for NZ$32 per day (about 12 pounds sterling). So off I went to have a closer look at what I would be subjecting myself to for the next eight weeks - I didn't want to pay my money and be stuck with a banger with each wheel pointing in a different direction and the gearstick coming off in my hand!
Walking between two of the hire car depots, I happened to pass a place called 'Alternative Rental Cars' with no less than four MX-5s parked up. Of course, I just had to enquire. Their advertised rate was $55/day but they must have been keen to drum up business because they offered me one for $35/day and no one-way drop-off fee (I was hiring in Auckland but dropping off in Christchurch). I thought about it for a while... but not for long! Hmm, soul-destroying hatchback or open-top sportscar, tough choice! The following day I collected the car, bought a tent and a sleeping bag and hit the road!
So here we are, back to that recurring theme: plans. I won't go on about it in every post (I promise!) but there we are, plans go wrong sometimes. But things usually come right in the end, and this certainly did. For the past week I've been zipping my way up the winding coastal roads of northeast New Zealand and thoroughly enjoying it. Great weather, fantastic roads and hardly any traffic. Bliss!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Hello from the other side of the globe! Yes, I know an update's been long overdue and I'm sure you've all been pacing up and down, unable to sleep or concentrate on anything, so for the sake of the British economy, love-lives, dying houseplants, malnourished pets, etc, here goes.
First I'll rewind a little. My first stop was New York. It was cold. Bloody cold! -2c in fact, which was not good considering that I had packed for summer in the southern hemisphere, i.e. v. little in the way of warm clothing. However, New York is a great place and I only had two clear days there so it wasn't a problem. I just had to make sure I kept moving... and occasionally stand over subway grates to take advantage of the warm rising air. I'm happy to report the Statue of Liberty is still there, and the immigration museum on Ellis Island is well worth a look too. I also went on a walking tour around Wall St. Naturally I dropped in and asked them what they had been messing around at recently and told them I could do a better job, but for the moment I'm busy travelling so they'll have to pull their fingers out. So expect the world financial system to pick up. You're welcome, as they say a lot in New York. Even those than can't speak English.
Next stop was LA. What a contrast. 27c, that's more like it! Though it does feel peculiar for it to be that warm and the sun to set at around 5pm. Another amusing, subtle difference I noticed was the use of the horn while driving. (Insert your own punchline here.) In NY, use of the horn conveys the message, "I'm pulling out, consider yourself warned." In LA, it conveys, "What the hell do you think you're doing pulling into my path?!" Come to think of it, with New Yorkers living in LA and Californians living in NY, it shouldn't be any surprise that you hear car horns almost constantly. And in New York, no surprise that the emergency vehicles seem to have about fifteen different siren sounds, which they switch between constantly, sounding like some manic toddler with the latest Fisher Price 'music' toy.
Anyway, despite that, I really like the US. As you'll probably have heard others say, much of it is eerily familiar, like you've been dropped onto the set of an American film or TV episode. Just as they come to an end though (except Lost of course) so did my time in the land of opportunity. In particular, lots of opportunity to put lots of weight on and be a target for marketing. Apologies, I digress.
So, I left the US and flew to Rarotonga, largest of The Cook Islands, in the south pacific. On arrival at the airport we were greeted by Jake, a man in a hat playing the ukelele as we walked into Arrivals. You don't get that at Heathrow! I joined the transfer bus to my hostel (pleasingly priced: free) and at 7am a group of us were sitting under coconut palms on the hostel's deck, overlooking the clear blue water in the lagoon and marvelling about what a beautiful place we were in whilst waiting for the office to open so we could check in.
My style of planning that you will by now be familiar with (arrive, spend two weeks in a hostel, leave two weeks later and no specific plans in between) really came into its own here. Honestly, all these project managers must obviously be pulling a fast one. After all, to paraphrase Spike Milligan, if there's no plan nothing can go wrong. So not planning to not get a cold on arrival was not a departure from the plan. On the contrary, it meant I didn't feel bad about doing next to nothing for most of the first week, just reading, ambling about a little and the occasional swim in the warm shallow lagoon. So shallow, incidentally, that you could walk right out to the reef if you wanted to. But careful not to walk too much further, as the bottom then quickly drops off to the ocean floor at a depth of about 4,000m! You see, all The Cook Islands formed volcanically, and although I didn't visit the others in the group, Rarotonga certainly has a prehistoric feel to the landscape. In fact, on a kayaking trip out to the reef I turned around to be greeted by a vista that looked like something straight out of Jurassic Park - amazing. On the same trip we also saw a large eagle ray swim right past us. It must have been real, as it wasn't (quite) big enough to have been a person in disguise like in a Bond film.
That's the other feeling I got from the island, that it's the kind of sleepy little place where 007 might charter a private fishing boat to go and check out some mysterious goings-on on an apparently deserted little islet just off the coast. However, I didn't find time to do so myself so apologies in advance if any archvillains hold the world to ransom.
The second week, my cold had cleared (or so I thought) and I got a little more active, beginning my four-day PADI open water diving course (scuba diving). My timing was excellent (naturally) as on the second day of it the glorious weather gave way to two days of torrential rain! i.e. Not great weather for sunbathing. According to the local newspaper, we had 200mm of rain in one 24 hour period. If that sounds like a lot, so it should. It certainly looks and feels like a lot! Walking into a hotel's outdoor swimming pool all geared up in scuba gear while the wind drives the rain in sideways feels hilarious, though on the other hand it's probably bizarrely appropriate, and after all, it doesn't matter once you're below the surface.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish the course as on the second day of open water diving (beyond the reef) I couldn't 'equalise' my left ear. An appointment with a local doctor the next day revealed a throat/inner ear infection as the cause, no doubt a remnant of the cold I had the week before. Thankfully the prescription didn't include any mysterious potions, chants, dancing or ritual sacrifice. Though incidentally, they do eat dogs on the island apparently. A vet told me that, so I'm inclined to believe it. There's some controversy that the chap employed by the police to round up 'strays' may be a little over-zealous with his rifle. You can work out the rest!
Anyway, back to the diving. Not to worry, I can complete the course at any of the many PADI centres around the world. Like in New Zealand for example, which is where I'm writing this from now. Yes, all good things must come to an end, and so it was that regrettably I had to leave 'The Cooks' having developed quite a soft spot and having been seriously tempted to extend my stay. Perhaps it helped that as we scurried across the tarmac to climb the steps to the plane, the rain was once again lashing in sideways!
I'll end this post with a question for you. Have you ever had your hair cut by a camp pacific islander whilst it's swealtering outside, Christmas songs jollily playing on the radio and the sound of chickens running around outside the door? Perhaps you should. :-)
First I'll rewind a little. My first stop was New York. It was cold. Bloody cold! -2c in fact, which was not good considering that I had packed for summer in the southern hemisphere, i.e. v. little in the way of warm clothing. However, New York is a great place and I only had two clear days there so it wasn't a problem. I just had to make sure I kept moving... and occasionally stand over subway grates to take advantage of the warm rising air. I'm happy to report the Statue of Liberty is still there, and the immigration museum on Ellis Island is well worth a look too. I also went on a walking tour around Wall St. Naturally I dropped in and asked them what they had been messing around at recently and told them I could do a better job, but for the moment I'm busy travelling so they'll have to pull their fingers out. So expect the world financial system to pick up. You're welcome, as they say a lot in New York. Even those than can't speak English.
Next stop was LA. What a contrast. 27c, that's more like it! Though it does feel peculiar for it to be that warm and the sun to set at around 5pm. Another amusing, subtle difference I noticed was the use of the horn while driving. (Insert your own punchline here.) In NY, use of the horn conveys the message, "I'm pulling out, consider yourself warned." In LA, it conveys, "What the hell do you think you're doing pulling into my path?!" Come to think of it, with New Yorkers living in LA and Californians living in NY, it shouldn't be any surprise that you hear car horns almost constantly. And in New York, no surprise that the emergency vehicles seem to have about fifteen different siren sounds, which they switch between constantly, sounding like some manic toddler with the latest Fisher Price 'music' toy.
Anyway, despite that, I really like the US. As you'll probably have heard others say, much of it is eerily familiar, like you've been dropped onto the set of an American film or TV episode. Just as they come to an end though (except Lost of course) so did my time in the land of opportunity. In particular, lots of opportunity to put lots of weight on and be a target for marketing. Apologies, I digress.
So, I left the US and flew to Rarotonga, largest of The Cook Islands, in the south pacific. On arrival at the airport we were greeted by Jake, a man in a hat playing the ukelele as we walked into Arrivals. You don't get that at Heathrow! I joined the transfer bus to my hostel (pleasingly priced: free) and at 7am a group of us were sitting under coconut palms on the hostel's deck, overlooking the clear blue water in the lagoon and marvelling about what a beautiful place we were in whilst waiting for the office to open so we could check in.
My style of planning that you will by now be familiar with (arrive, spend two weeks in a hostel, leave two weeks later and no specific plans in between) really came into its own here. Honestly, all these project managers must obviously be pulling a fast one. After all, to paraphrase Spike Milligan, if there's no plan nothing can go wrong. So not planning to not get a cold on arrival was not a departure from the plan. On the contrary, it meant I didn't feel bad about doing next to nothing for most of the first week, just reading, ambling about a little and the occasional swim in the warm shallow lagoon. So shallow, incidentally, that you could walk right out to the reef if you wanted to. But careful not to walk too much further, as the bottom then quickly drops off to the ocean floor at a depth of about 4,000m! You see, all The Cook Islands formed volcanically, and although I didn't visit the others in the group, Rarotonga certainly has a prehistoric feel to the landscape. In fact, on a kayaking trip out to the reef I turned around to be greeted by a vista that looked like something straight out of Jurassic Park - amazing. On the same trip we also saw a large eagle ray swim right past us. It must have been real, as it wasn't (quite) big enough to have been a person in disguise like in a Bond film.
That's the other feeling I got from the island, that it's the kind of sleepy little place where 007 might charter a private fishing boat to go and check out some mysterious goings-on on an apparently deserted little islet just off the coast. However, I didn't find time to do so myself so apologies in advance if any archvillains hold the world to ransom.
The second week, my cold had cleared (or so I thought) and I got a little more active, beginning my four-day PADI open water diving course (scuba diving). My timing was excellent (naturally) as on the second day of it the glorious weather gave way to two days of torrential rain! i.e. Not great weather for sunbathing. According to the local newspaper, we had 200mm of rain in one 24 hour period. If that sounds like a lot, so it should. It certainly looks and feels like a lot! Walking into a hotel's outdoor swimming pool all geared up in scuba gear while the wind drives the rain in sideways feels hilarious, though on the other hand it's probably bizarrely appropriate, and after all, it doesn't matter once you're below the surface.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish the course as on the second day of open water diving (beyond the reef) I couldn't 'equalise' my left ear. An appointment with a local doctor the next day revealed a throat/inner ear infection as the cause, no doubt a remnant of the cold I had the week before. Thankfully the prescription didn't include any mysterious potions, chants, dancing or ritual sacrifice. Though incidentally, they do eat dogs on the island apparently. A vet told me that, so I'm inclined to believe it. There's some controversy that the chap employed by the police to round up 'strays' may be a little over-zealous with his rifle. You can work out the rest!
Anyway, back to the diving. Not to worry, I can complete the course at any of the many PADI centres around the world. Like in New Zealand for example, which is where I'm writing this from now. Yes, all good things must come to an end, and so it was that regrettably I had to leave 'The Cooks' having developed quite a soft spot and having been seriously tempted to extend my stay. Perhaps it helped that as we scurried across the tarmac to climb the steps to the plane, the rain was once again lashing in sideways!
I'll end this post with a question for you. Have you ever had your hair cut by a camp pacific islander whilst it's swealtering outside, Christmas songs jollily playing on the radio and the sound of chickens running around outside the door? Perhaps you should. :-)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Preparation is Key
There's a saying, a bit management-speak but here goes anyway: "Perfect planning prevents p***-poor performance." Any trip requires some preparation (or should do!) so it stands to reason that a big trip probably needs quite a bit of preparation. But, not one to be constrained by conventional wisdom and the like, I went my own way. Three days before leaving the country(/continent!) I still hadn't finished moving out of my house, changed addresses with all those boring organisations (you know, banks, etc.) arranged final bills or got a backpack! However, don't be misled that this first post is starting on a negative. Far from it! The message is that success can emerge from even the most (admittedly, self-engineered) hopeless circumstances. After all, I had managed to make sure I had a passport, choose destinations where I didn't need to arrange a visa in advance, booked my ticket and even had the remarkable foresight to put some clothes to one side before moving out, which was a good thing because all the rest of my possesions then ended up in 101 anonymous looking boxes and bags.
And so here I am, congratulating myself on success in the midst of chaos, and with the first destination on my trip already behind me (New York). I'm now in LA, it's hot outside (yes, HOT) and I'm looking forward to flying to the Cook Islands tomorrow. More on NY and LA in a later post though.
For now, the summary is this. My trip has begun. It's working. It's happening. Hurrah!
Well... perfection is boring anyway!
And so here I am, congratulating myself on success in the midst of chaos, and with the first destination on my trip already behind me (New York). I'm now in LA, it's hot outside (yes, HOT) and I'm looking forward to flying to the Cook Islands tomorrow. More on NY and LA in a later post though.
For now, the summary is this. My trip has begun. It's working. It's happening. Hurrah!
Well... perfection is boring anyway!
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