Ok so after an 11 hour flight in economy class aaaahhhh we finally arrive in Auckland and check into the hostel. the room was very basic but clean at least. we found a really nice pub for dinner, the food was amazing and although not the cheapest, for what we paid we got a really good deal. then it was an early night for everyone. we had had orientation on tuesday and all started to feel very releived we'de paid all this money to BUNAC, rather than doing it on our own. we had about 3 hours on work, money, travel and the servicies that IEP, BUNAC's New Zealand partners provide. Aside from all the help and advice they give with everything you could possibly wish for they have free internet, printing, photocopying, faxing and if you recive any post they forward to for free to any New Zealand address. we then went to the IEP social that night at the Bluestone room, but didn't stay out to late.
Wednesday we had a free bus tour of Auckland, courtesy of Stray adventure buses and Rob, a guy in our group won a free jump off the sky tower. we went to the Michael Savage memroial the drove through some suburbs then got a free walk across the harbour bridge (worth $20) and a few people bungy jumped off it. they're crazy as they went into the water about waist deep. It was nie t see other parts of Auckland, its a nice city but i don't think i want to stay here.
Thursday was a vey stressful morning for various reason but by the end of the day i had my first WWOOF placement on Waiheke island helping a lady on her sunflower farm starting on sunday it works well because i was planning to do a vinyard tour of the island on saturday and have just booked a hostel. we also went out last night for Kristin's, one of the girls in my group, birthday. So i'm escapeing Auckland for a few days then when i get back i'll oraganise my trip to Wellington. Today I am nursing a hangover basically
The people here are really nice. I hate my new room in the hostel cos its above th night club so its really noisy. we are all spliting up tomorrow to do various things but most of us are going to end up in Wellington eventually. the city is nice, niver than Honk Kong but i want to see the real new zealand now!!
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Hong Kong
ok, got to be honest, not everwhlemed by hong kong. we got there on the first day and had the whole day free so after a shower we all took the subway then the cable car to a giant budda. the subway is really woerd over there, its like one giant long carriage, like a really really really long bendy bus so when you look down its almost like a wierd optical illusion. the gian budda was good, there was a monestry there which was very pretty.
The next day we had the morning to ourselves, then in the afternoon visited victoria peak which is the highest peak on hong kong island and where all the english settled as it was to hot for them down by the harbour. from there you can really appriciate the landscape, with the mountains just appearing from the ocean, and the high rises didn't seem as big from where we were. we then went on a sanpan or water taxi around aberdeen fishing villiage, and all got confused as to why there were boats in the middle of the water, with no one on them. did the people have to swim to shore? then we realised: sanpan... water taxi... thats how they get to shore. we vitisted stanly market after that which was ok then went out for a chinese meal. that was very good, some dishes were unlike anything you would get in the UK. after dinner we went for a ferry ride back to our hotel then saw a laser light show. the buldings on the other side of the harbour all lit up and there were lasers and music, but honestly it was crap.
Our last day was basically a drive to a buddist temple then a walk around a place full of fortune tellers then a visit to the jade market before heading to the airport.
Hong Kong is only 200 years old, and for 150 years was a birtish colony so it wasn't very 'Chinese.' There are 7million people crammed into a tiny area of land, as no one wants to emmigrate to China, even though Honk Kong is now Chinese the people of Hong Kong still need a visa to go there. It was just full of modern high rises and had very little character. the Budda was only 18 years old showing that its main tourists attractions are very young. Having said that it wasn't all bad. the people were friendly, the views of the mountains and the harbour were beautiful and at night when the city is all lit up it looks stunning, just not enough character or culture for me. It was also good to get to know my fellow travellers, the atmosphere was a bit like freshers week all over again!!!
The next day we had the morning to ourselves, then in the afternoon visited victoria peak which is the highest peak on hong kong island and where all the english settled as it was to hot for them down by the harbour. from there you can really appriciate the landscape, with the mountains just appearing from the ocean, and the high rises didn't seem as big from where we were. we then went on a sanpan or water taxi around aberdeen fishing villiage, and all got confused as to why there were boats in the middle of the water, with no one on them. did the people have to swim to shore? then we realised: sanpan... water taxi... thats how they get to shore. we vitisted stanly market after that which was ok then went out for a chinese meal. that was very good, some dishes were unlike anything you would get in the UK. after dinner we went for a ferry ride back to our hotel then saw a laser light show. the buldings on the other side of the harbour all lit up and there were lasers and music, but honestly it was crap.
Our last day was basically a drive to a buddist temple then a walk around a place full of fortune tellers then a visit to the jade market before heading to the airport.
Hong Kong is only 200 years old, and for 150 years was a birtish colony so it wasn't very 'Chinese.' There are 7million people crammed into a tiny area of land, as no one wants to emmigrate to China, even though Honk Kong is now Chinese the people of Hong Kong still need a visa to go there. It was just full of modern high rises and had very little character. the Budda was only 18 years old showing that its main tourists attractions are very young. Having said that it wasn't all bad. the people were friendly, the views of the mountains and the harbour were beautiful and at night when the city is all lit up it looks stunning, just not enough character or culture for me. It was also good to get to know my fellow travellers, the atmosphere was a bit like freshers week all over again!!!
Monday, 20 September 2010
T minus 3 days
Hello everyone! i've set up this blog to keep everyone posted with all my goings on in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Fiji. I have started packing now, can't decide which shoes to take! Anyway will let you all know when something exciting happens
bye
bye
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