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By: Living Life of Inconsequence
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| Saturday, 17-Feb-2007 08:40 |
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North Island Tour: Rotorua, Matamata, Taupo and Tongariro.
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5-6 Feb - Rotorua
Rotorua stinks... of rotten eggs.
Kuirau Park, Rotorua
The whole of Rotorua is a highly active geothermal area. Geothermal vents have been known to just pop up in people's backyards here.
"Ini kawasan merbahaya kerana ianya adalah kawasan geotermal"
But I guess its okay if pretty pools like this pops up in your backyard...
...not some murky boiling mud pool! Unless you're into mud wrestling that is.
Visited the very pretty Government Gardens
And when in Rotorua, dont miss doing the Zorb!
6 Feb - Matamata
Matamata is about 45 minutes drive out of Rotorua. Its most prominent feature is perhaps more gentle rolling hills.
The sole purpose of going there purely and simply because it is home to the LOTR Hobbiton movie set. No hobbits stay there though... only sheep.
...or maybe Gandalf has turned all hobbits to something unnatural...
The Great Party Tree
The Party Tree is huge! (Yes farrah, I like to take pictures in front of big trees.  )
The only hobbit hole you can go into is Bag End. I wouldnt mind staying... the view is pretty awesome!
Right where Gandalf and Bilbo sat together after Bilbo's birthday party, smoking pipe-weed... 
6 Feb - Taupo
By late afternoon, I arrived in Taupo. Lake Taupo is actually the crater resulting from a volcano explosion which happened a long long time ago, and the impact was so huge it was noted as far away as China and Rome. The lake is so large, it is roughly the size of Singapore. What makes it also notable is that it is bordered by 3 other volcanoes, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu.
Volcanoes in background of Lake Taupo
7 Feb - Tongariro Crossing
The Tongariro Crossing is said to be the best day hike in NZ. It takes you across 2 volcanoes, the Tongariro and the Ngauruhoe, and the track is 20km long. I was so nervous about doing this walk... I went to the toilet 3 times! I wasnt sure if I could do it, but I knew i would regret it if I didnt attempt it.
Start of the track
The 30 minutes was quite easy, as it was mostly flat. But once you reach the Devil's Staircase, its a steep ascent up over sharp volcanic rocks. More than once I found myself in pretty tight spots because I chose the climb it a different way. But once up there, I was rewarded with this view
After that it was walking over a plateau between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. Its like walking thru a desert, the place was so desolate, but was still amazing. Hey it isnt everyday you get to walk along a volcano
Mt Ngauruhoe
Tongariro National Park
Walking on the straight and not so narrow...
Pay attention to the ridge in the photo above. A closeup reveals ant-like figures...
...see how small humans look on the mighty ridge!
Once up that ridge, I looked back and saw...
Over the ridge I see the a steaming thermal vent...
Red Crater, Tongariro
About 40 minutes later of tough slippery climb, I see clear blue-green pools of water
Emerald Lakes,Tongariro
...sigh...
After all the tough climb, its all downhill from there
View overlooking Lake Rotoaira (in the foreground) and Lake Taupo (further in distance)
The terrain cepat merajuk la i think
Halfway downhill, I looked up
At the final stop
Ketatahi Hut, Tongariro
Words to remember...
Wish they gave a certificate for completing the walk. This will have to do I guess
That night, I slept very very well.
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| Saturday, 17-Feb-2007 07:50 |
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North Island Tour: Auckland, Coromandel, Raglan and Waitomo.
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2 Feb - Auckland: There and Back Again
Having done the top bit, I returned to Auckland on the eve of a four day weekend, and boy was it jammed. Although I reached the city later than planned, I remain undeterred from going out to see what I can of Auckland. Did a quick tour of University of Auckland...
Auckland Sky Tower at night, from Albert Park
Auckland City lights... taken from Sky Tower!
3 Feb - Coromandel
My trip this time did not get a good start... my bus was 2 hours late! but once on the bus, we headed out of Auckland... to Mt Eden. Mt Eden is... surprise, surprise... a volcano, but more importantly, is the highest natural point in Auckland which gives a fantastic view over the whole area. At the top is a 50 m crater. No kidding. Its huge!
Why would anyone want to enter the crater? Its a bloody volcano!
Must... put... face... in front... of... landmark...
The bus then heads out to Coromandel. Coromandel is home to Hot Water Beach, where you can dig yourself a pool in the sand and sit in water from an underground hot spring. Like a natural hot spa pool! I didnt take any photos because I didnt take my camera with me. Heh. Anyways, it was too crowded.
Also went for a lil bit of bushwalking, this time to see Cathedral Cove.
Its pretty big, I'd say. Can you make out the person just walking out from the cave?
Inside, it doesnt seem so big. But look straight up and the ceiling is extremely high
4 Feb - Paeroa and Raglan
First stop for the day was a short walk to see Twin Kauris. Ive had enough of kauris from my last trip. But it wasnt all a waste. I liked the signboard they have there
Next stop is the L&P factory. L&P, which stands for Lemon & Paeroa, is a popular drink in NZ. They basically added lemon and sugar to the natural spring water there and made lemonade. I like their tagline though.. "World Famous in New Zealand"
Raglan is a place famous for having even consistent waves, apparently great for surfing. I really liked the place I stayed at, Karioi Lodge. It is still one of the most beautiful backpackers hostel Ive ever stayed in.
Raglan beach
Two of the four gods of the winds overlooking Raglan beach
Loop track, Karioi Lodge
5 Feb - Waitomo
When you come to Waitomo, this is what you will generally see
..but underneath all the gentle rolling hills, lie an extensive maze of caves. So I opted to go explore some caves.
The tour includes cool funky hats
After being in the dark for a while, daylight never looked better
You know of how sheep are sheared for their wool? Ever heard of a rabbit being sheared? Waitomo is happens to be the only place in NZ where the angora rabbits have their fur sheared to make into yarns.
Macam tissue box cover kan?
One last look at Waitomo...
...to be continued.
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| Sunday, 11-Feb-2007 21:51 |
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North Island Tour: Auckland, Northlands and Cape Reinga
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30 Jan til 8 Feb 2007. 10 days. Highlights are:
30 Jan - Auckland
I never really bothered to plan a visit to Auckland. Always thought it was just like any other big city, except that it must have a lot of sailboats in order for it to get the name City of Sails. Come on, you are in New Zealand for the scenery and activities, not so much the cities. Yet despite my not so high impression of Auckland, I was nevertheless charmed.
Auckland Sky Tower
Sky Tower makes a pretty good landmark when navigating your way around Auckland. Its the only building that easily stands out (kinda shows there's not so many skyscrapers crowding the tower). You can jump off it too! Heh, these funny kiwis... they like to jump off all over the place. (towers, bridges, planes)
Whats a trip to Auckland without going to the harbour? Here's me with some sailboats behind. Ada macam KK Sutera Harbour ka?
Auckland is surrounded by active volcanoes. Last count: 48 volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Field. Here's me with one of the most recent volcanoes around Auckland... Rangitoto Island.
See? It's still smokin'!
31 Jan - Bay of Islands
First leg of my trip covers the areas north of Auckland, imaginatively named Northlands. Kauri, a protected NZ native timber, seems to grow alot in this area. There is is museum dedicated to kauri, many stops to look at the big gigantic kauri, even a "ancient kingdom" of kauri. Maoris highly respect the kauri, and the largest of the kauris is known as the Tane Mahuta, which means "Father of the Forest" (not to be confused with the catchy Hakuna Matata).
Tane Mahuta
On the way to Bay of Islands, I passed an area called Opononi. Its named after a dolphin named "Opo" who used to hang around in the area for a while, turning the area into a tourist attraction in the 1950s. Too bad the dolphin died after a year. I wondered what they called the place before Opo came.
Lots of farmland here as well. Im abit disillusioned though. Remember those Fernleaf milk tv ads with those pretty black and white Friesien cows? The cows I see mostly look like this
Gives new meaning to "All Black". See the cow in front giving me the look? 
1 Feb - Cape Reinga
This place is actually my main reason for even bothering to venture north. This is where the Tasman and the Pacific seas collide, and is also the most northern point of NZ. Plus it has a real purr-ty lighthouse.
Cape Reinga lighthouse
Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean fight it out...
Finding my way at the lighthouse
Can you see the waves going in opposite directions?
A really cute guy checking out Cape Marie van Diemen, named after the East India Company Governor-General's wife. One serious "ampu" case.
One really cute sumandak 
On the western side a little south of the Cape are these really huge sand dunes. And where there are sand dunes, there are.... sand surfing 
Climbing up the sand dune is not easy! Every 4 steps forward you slide down 2 steps back. Dem tiring ok?
Facing head down first with gravity propelling you down the steep dunes was scary. Was desperately digging my feet into the sand in an almost futile effort to slow down
But hey, I did it... twice! Haha!
Last stop was Ninety Mile Beach. The beach is huge! It's so wide, it would probably take a good 15 minutes from the start of the sand to get to the waters edge. But its not as long as its name claims to be. Its only 64 MILES long. But hey, who's counting? Its still VERY VERY LONG!
The beach was this big! Bigger!! Its the biggerest beach Ive been to!
2 Jan - Last round in Bay of Islands
Decided to go on a cruise around Bay of Islands. I'm such a sucker for boat rides. I like Bay of Islands... there's just so many islands! Had I more time, i'd be island hopping.
This time around Im here for the wildlife. And boy there were many of them!
Dolphin!
More dolphins!
And pirates too!
Can you see something special about this rock?
Here's a closeup
Its really hard to get a good photo on a moving boat
All in all, it was fun. So what do I think about my trip north of Auckland?
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| Tuesday, 2-Jan-2007 09:20 |
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Melbourne Sojourne
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Melbourne is marvelous. Thats what the brochures tell you. And its true.
I've heard about how Melbourne is the fashion and shopping mecca of Australia. Yep, it even has Sydney down beat. But what surprised me most was how very "European" the city is.
Certainly Melbourne has a strong British influence. You cant go very far if you have your state named after the illustrious Queen Victoria.
Interestingly, the Parliament is an incomplete building.
Here's the completed part.
The State Library of Victoria has a romanesque facade with its imposing roman pillars.
The Shrine of Remembrance, which is the largest war memorial in Australia, is reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture. And no wonder... it was designed based on the
Tomb of Maussolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
And this is where the Queen would probably feel most at home
I just love the stark contrast of modern and old buildings
Melbourne city, across the Yarra river
Flinders Street Station (l) and Eureka Tower (r)
The Flinders Street Station reminds me of the Sultan Abdul Samad building
I love the symmetry of this building
...unfortunately I dont know what it is. Can you tell me whats the name?
Transportation here is super efficient. I just love the trams here
But sometimes it can look very "Made in India"
Sometimes you need a reminder that not all vehicles depend on gas/electricity
They have statues falling all over the place
Melbourne so artsy, they even decorate their sidewalks with art
Hey, they dont call this place the fashion capital for nothing
Grand ole Melbourne. Id definitely visit again.
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| Wednesday, 27-Dec-2006 06:20 |
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Signs
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...because they bite?
Its hard being a pedestrian. You have to keep a lookout for everything
More signs pedestrians rank really low in road traffic rules...
...because pedestrians just wont win
They've even reduced pedestrians to mere limbs! Come on, pedestrians are people too!! 
Above all, pedestrians must not speed
...so if i walk really fast, like 11kph, do i get a speeding ticket?
Caught a kid trying to break the speed limit
...look ma, guess who's faster than a speeding bullet!
If you see this sign, make sure you obey it
..."hmm... its the wrong way... what does that mean?"
but just in case you missed it
I also think OZ is very elitist. They are very particular about who gets to use their highway
Are animals supposed to be literate in OZ?
Then, there are just some signs that begs the question...
...huh?
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| Thursday, 14-Dec-2006 10:35 |
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Brisbane - Land of Theme Parks
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I went to
As a rule, I always take the scariest rides first. So I headed for this
Felt very "power" after the ride
..padahal, my knees were still a bit wobbly.
My next favourite ride left me kicking my feet up in delight
Photo courtesy of WB
When it got pretty warm, its best to cool off with wet rides, like this
This guy thinks he is Zorro. I think he looks dodgy. Abit like perogol.
I want her bike
Does anyone remember what's the name of that rooster?
The not to be missed tourist trap is the All Stars Parade. First comes the kiddie stuff
Then comes the adult stuff
She looks so... hot! No, I mean, really hot. Literally hot. Ndak panas ka dia pakai tu PVC stuff???
This is what my face looks like on the Superman roller coaster
Note to self: Next trip to the Gold Coast, I'm going to Dreamworld.
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| Thursday, 14-Dec-2006 09:02 |
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Crikey!
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I never really liked the Crocodile Hunter. Dont get me wrong, its not that I disliked him, I just never actually liked him either. Its the kind of show you watch when there nothing else better to watch. His death was unexpected, but I figured, heck, he died doing something he loved. I wish I could die like that. Ok la, one would hope to die a quick and painless death. But a close second would be to go like Steve.
Since I was in Brisbane, it gave me the chance to go to see Steve's legacy: Australia Zoo.
Being as famous as it is, I was surprised to find that the privately owned zoo is actually quite small. True to its reputation, the first animal I saw was the crocodiles and alligators. Can you tell the difference between the two? I cant. I think this one is a crocodile.
The elephants here are special. I think they are indigenous to Australia. Have you seen brown elephants before?
Then there was the koala. As cute as they are, they smell really bad! I guess a pure diet of eucalyptus leaves cant do any good for your BO.
After that were these really huge Galapagos Giant Tortoises. Next to them were some really angry looking turtles...
The main attraction here is definitely the animal shows. For the opening act... tiger show!!
Heh
Then comes the other animals.
Got to meet some kangaroos as well
And last but not least, the star attraction... Bindi Sue Irwin.
Did you know how she got her name? She was named after Steve Irwin's favourite crocodile.
Me at Australia Zoo. Its definitely worth a visit!
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| Wednesday, 29-Nov-2006 09:55 |
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Sunny Brisbane
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I was invited to join some family friends to go over to Australia, and I jumped at the chance to see what the other side of the ditch has to offer. So off I go to sunny Brisbane
Gold Coast is about an hour's drive from Brisbane, and is THE beach holiday destination for OZzies (and even Kiwis for that matter). There's the sun, sea, sand and surf PLUS theme parks galore. The beach just stretches for miles and miles.
View from the 78th floor of Q1 tower
Theres something strangely soothing about crashing waves.
Sunrise was at 4.30am!
View from the place we stayed
BIrds you can see here:
I'm told these are called 'jabiru'
and erm... these too...
Seafood here are fresh, huge and aplenty!
Spaghetti Marinara never looked better 
Spanner crabs... **drool**
Aah, pretty pretty Gold Coast, how I heart thee at night
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| Wednesday, 29-Nov-2006 06:46 |
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Tingau in Christchurch
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So kiut this tingau!!
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| Wednesday, 8-Nov-2006 11:27 |
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What Drives You?
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Does the title sound familiar? Points for people who knows where its from
Anyways, I ask you, if you saw this vehicle, what would you call it? It looks abit too plain to be a sports utility vehicle (SUV), and it definitely aint an MPV
I guess the manufacturers also didnt know quite what to call it, so they named it
MUV 
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