Island hopping…

I hope you all like the pictures, let me know if something didn’t show up.

So I’m off NZ to the land of Oz.  (Australia)  I leave here in a few hours to spend a 2 hours plane flight to Sydney and view the Darling Harbor, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and of course the Opera House.  🙂  This is a touristy trip, not that I’m overtly happy about it, but 3 days in Sydney doesn’t give me time for much else.  It’s then off to Melbourne (originally it was Tasmania) to meet up with Jack, my old roommate from CSU.  Who knows what havoc we’ll create, then I’m off to Hawaii.

As for NZ.  I love this place.  Sorry I haven’t kept you in more of a loop, but there was two mad dashes around the island and if I haven’t said this before, I feel this place is a microcosm of all my favorite parts of America.  People constantly commented on how this felt like one place or another back in America, and yet it was more peaceful and serenity to me.  I may be more unique about this as I stayed out of hostels and did more oddball camping in unique places, but I really like this place.  It’s a tourist trap of the first order! But only in places where you’d expect.  Tourist don’t always go where it’s uncivilized, only oddballs like the ice population.  🙂   (And many others, but more interesting types to me.)

I’m looking into coming back with a working holiday permit next year as it sounds like fun to try and work for some firm while backpacking/hitching around the entire island and just enjoying this place.  Indeed I’ve distinctly regretted not bringing any of my camping gear and backpack.  I did it on the fly with borrowed stuff and a few acquired items, but it’s really grown on me as a method of travel.  You get to see the milkyway from your sleeping bag, a waterfall up close and personal, penguins when they aren’t hiding, and serene off the grid paradises like shambalia (Hostel near takaka).  Not to mention you get to meet random Europeans, Americans, Asians, and worldins from distinct places and have strange conversations about politics, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Friends come and go, just like the ice does, but it’s the memories and the experiences that never entirely leave you. 

Off to make some more!
Rich