New Zealand--North Island--Te Ika A Maui

New Zealand--North Island--Te Ika A Maui 

Wellington

2 nights

I arrived in Wellington after a long ferry ride from Pickton. All I really wanted to do was make dinner, take a shower and go to bed. I made my dinner and was eating in the common room and overheard a couple of people next to me speaking Spanish so I asked them where they were from since I had not met many people who spoke Spanish while traveling. The girl was from Argentina and the guy was from Brazil another from Uruguay. I ended up going out with them to a couple of bars where we enjoyed live music.
On my full day there I went to the Te Papa Tongarewa museum. It was a huge museum with very well put together exhibits. As I was wandering around the local Maori exhibit a strange thing happened that I don't entirely understand. A Maori guy who was dressed in a suit and tie came up to me, stopped directly in front of me, said a long phrase in Maori, bowed and walked away. I will never know what he said, however, I felt a mutual sense of respect and somehow honored that he said whatever it was to me. 

National Park Village

3 nights

I could tell just how small National Park Village was when I arrived and the bus driver told me that the table next to the road was the bus stop. It had all the basics with a cafe, a bar with an ATM and a small grocery store in the town. I stayed at Plateau Lodge which had a great vibe to it. Everyone that was staying there had the intention of doing the crossing which immediately created a common interest. This was nice because you immediately had something to talk about with everyone without having to search for conversation topics. However, coming up with conversation topics never seemed to be an issue with the group of people that were there. Everyone was extremely friendly and easy to talk to. Of all the hostels I have stayed at it is one of a handful that has really felt like a home for the three nights I was there because of the simplest things. For example, every morning people would get up to make breakfast and prepare lunches for the afternoon and even if you didn't know the person you would say good morning. This happens in a lot of hostels but there was something more sincere about this one. Anyway, while I was there I did two hikes for the two full days I was there. On the first full day I was there I did the Tongararo crossing and summited Mt Tongariro (6,490 feet) also known as Mt. Doom. In total I hiked 25k that day with Scott from the US who I met through my hostel and a Canadian guy Spencer and a British guy Harry. It was a vary fun group to hike with.

The following I quickly realized that not many people hike Ruapehu on their own. The lady at my hostel who was arraigning transportation and other details for me strongly suggested I do it with a tour group because there is no trail to follow and the weather can drastically change and become dangerous quickly. After a long conversation she had convinced me to do the tour, however, later that evening I was told there were not enough people signed up so I would not be able to do the tour. Darn, now I had a full day to figure out what to with. I decided that I would take the shuttle to the ski lift and see what I thought about the hike from there. The next day, when I got dropped off at the bottom of the mountain and tried to take a shuttle to the ski lift the man in the visitors center said there would not be another shuttle for several hours. I was surprised because the information I was given said there should have been a shuttle every 30min. Now I had another problem, figuring out how to get to the ski lift because if I waited for the shuttle I would not have enough time to do any hiking. I decided I would just walk to the ski lift thinking it would take me the same amount of time if I were to wait for the shuttle and it would allow me to walk some and not be bored sitting around waiting for a shuttle. As I was walking I realized I had taken the wrong turn off the main road because I reached a dead end. Luckily it wasn't too far back to the correct road. I was walking for about 20 to 30 minutes when I could hear a car coming up behind me and I decided to stick my thumb out and get a ride the rest of the way up. An older retired couple gave me a ride to the ski field at the top. It was really nice talking to them on the way up, they had told me that they were here 20 years prior and had skied down the mountain in the winter and could see steam come off the mountain from the volcanic activity. There was still noticeable activity, however, they said that it was a lot more prominent when they had been there 20 years ago. When I got to the ski field I went to the visitors center where you buy lift tickets. While I was in the visitors center I asked about the hike to the top of Ruapehu. They suggested strongly against it so I asked about other hikes that they would recommend. Either way I had to take the ski lift up part of the mountain, so I did and at the top I wandered around a bit deciding what to do and I noticed another girl and a couple that were also wandering around looking for what appeared to be a way to the top. I walked over and talked to them and we decided to all hike to the top together. We hiked, scrambled, and climbed our way to the summit. We took a few photos and then noticed that we were surrounded by clouds that were causing a white out. This was concerning because somehow we had to make our way safely down. Luckily, after waiting a little the clouds passed over and we were able to make our way back down to the bottom. It was another successful hike with some great people.  

Taupo

3 nights

When we arrived in Taupo I realized that the hostel I booked was a 40 minute drive out of the city center. Luckily I was able to cancel my reservation and book another hostel in the city center. On February 28th and March 1st I I volunteered for Ironman New Zealand.

I really enjoyed doing this for multiple reasons. First of all I was able to give back to a community that I was traveling through. Secondly, I was able to contribute to the running/Ironman community which I identify with. In all the races I have done from 5k fun runs to marathons and Ironman 70.3 I have appreciated the volunteers but this allowed me to experience it from the other side. I enjoyed it because I was being productive in a way that contributed to a community I was traveling through in a positive way. I also now appreciate more than ever all the volunteers and work that people put into setting up, tearing down and getting together support crews for any type of race. 

       

           
                                         Swim 2.4mi                                                 Bike 112mi                                                     Run 26.2mi
Rotarura 

2 nights

In Rotarura I went to a Maori living village which allowed me to see some of the Maori culture as well as geothermal geysers, hot pools, and mud pits. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience that allowed me to see nature and culture in the same place.

Gisbourne

2 nights

Gisbourne was a planning city for me because at this point I had a plane ticket out of Auckland to Indonesia but still had few days and stops left to use on my Naked Bus Pass. I spent my full day there at the I-site using their wifi and resources to plan where I wanted my final stops to be. When I was not planning I relaxed by walking along the river and sitting by the beach.

Mount Maunganui (Tauranga) 

2 nights

Another beautiful town on the North Island. Here I spent both nights walking up Mt Maunganui to watch the sunset and the full day I was there on the beach.

Throughout my travels I have not only been rejuvenated and exhilarated by water and the ocean which I wrote about in the South Island post but also amazing sunsets everywhere I went.  

Whitianga
2 nights

Here I spent the afternoon walking by the beach and the next day hiking by some beautiful cliffs next to the ocean. In the evenings I enjoyed chatting with others in the hostel. 

Paihia
2 nights

While in Paihia I did a day trip to Cape Reinga which is the northern most point of New Zealand where the the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean collide. It was a beautiful place that I wish I could have spent more time in.

I also went sand boarding just next to the 90 mile beach and Te Paki stream bed which was more fun than I initially expected. I hiked up the biggest sand hill I could find and actually picked up quite a bit of speed going downhill.

On my final day in Paihia I went kayaking with a guy I met in my hostel. We went by a couple of islands and to a waterfall.
The next day we traveled together to Auckland.  

Auckland

2 nights

Upon arriving in Auckland I had dinner in the hostel bar. I was told about a pub crawl that was happening that night but decided against it. As I was eating I met some locals that were there for the pub crawl and they tried to convince me to go and were eventually successful. 
It was a good night until I returned to the hostel where I dropped my phone down the elevator shaft. I went to the front desk and told them what had happened. The guy working opened a basement door that was under the elevator but when we looked there was a cement wall that appeared to be blocking where my phone had probably landed. I then had to accept the fact that my thousands of travel photos were gone. I was devastated but somehow came to accept it and move on. The next morning I was supposed to wake up and check out at 10am. However, I no longer had a phone to use as an alarm so the guy that was helping me at the front desk said that he could wake me up in the morning before I had to check out. The next morning I woke up to a lady in my dorm room asking for Laura King. She then told me I was supposed to check out 2 hours ago whoops. I quickly got out if bed, packed my things, and made my way downstairs to check out. I was told that I would need to pay 20 euro for late check out. I explained what had happened the night before and that the guy working the night before said he would wake me up in time to check out. I was then told that the maintenance man in charge of the building had managed to get my phone!! I was ecstatic! I would have all my travel pictures back. Woo! Oh, but I still needed to pay a 20 euro late fee. I had planned out using my money pretty well and knew 

that day didn't need to buy anything so had no more cash. I told the lady I would need to go to an ATM and put my bags in the common room. Instead of going to an ATM though I wandered around the city and hung out with Jellis and Cosima who I met and worked with on Kangaroo Island in Australia. Once it was time for me to make my way to the airport I went back to the hostel, gathered my things and left without paying the extra fee. I made it to the airport where I found a carpeted dark room where I spent the night. I had a few hours of sleep before waking up for my early flight back to Indonesia. 

New Zealand--South Island--Te Wai Paunamu

Christchurch

2 nights

My flight to Christchurch was another late flight departing at 11:45pm from Melbourne and scheduled to arrive at 5:05am. I had gotten up early that day because I needed to get organized and check out of my hostel. I then spent the rest of the day wandering around with Brandon so was doing things nonstop. My hostel in Christchurch had limited reception hours so I slept for a couple of hours at the airport before heading to New Brighton where I would spend two nights. When I arrived at the hostel reception was open but I was still too early to check into my room so I went to the library where I slept some more. 

Finally awake and able to check into my room, I took a shower and went grocery shopping. For the rest of the evening I relaxed in the hostel. The next day I went into the city where I went to a museum that had a combination of historic artifacts and contemporary street art. 

I also walked around looking at the damage from the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2001. There was still a lot of damage and a lot of work to be done. The city came up with a Restart program where large shipping crates were used as a main construction component for the main city mall and surrounding buildings. 

The next morning I took the Naked Bus to Queenstown. 

Queenstown

3 nights

From the moment I stepped off the bus in Queenstown I got a good vibe from the city. It was fresh, youthful and full of positive energy. 

On Monday the 3rd I made my way to Xtreme, a sports bar, where I watched the Super Bowl. Normally, the Super Bowl is a fun event to get together with friends and hang out and there happens to be football in the background but this year was different. I was invested because the Seattle Seahawks were playing against the Denver Broncos. Within the first minute it started to look good for Seattle when they received a touchdown for a safety. They dominated the game and won their first Super Bowl with a score of 43 to 8. When they returned to Seattle there was a celebration parade with 700,000 people there! That's more people than actually live in Seattle. 

The following day I did a hike with Gigi and a German guy to the top of the skyline mountain where the gondola goes. From the top we started what we thought was a 30min loop walk but turned out to be a saddle walk that took a bit longer but gave us an outstanding view of the city and surrounding mountains. 

We met a few other people and watched the sunset on the beach before going out for drinks. 

Wanaka

1 night 

After a big night out in Queenstown Gigi and I arrived at our hostel in Wanaka sleep deprived and hungover. We were too early to check into our dorm so we both ended up falling asleep on the couch in the common area. We didn't do much in Wanaka just went out for Mexican food, played pool with some Israeli guys we met and walked around the town a bit.   

Franz Joseph 

2 nights

We arrived in Franz Joseph in the early afternoon so had quite a bit of the day left especially since the sun doesn't set until 9pm. Gigi and I decided to do the track to the Franz Joseph glacier that afternoon. It was a nice walk across a glacial river, through lush vegetation and over a glacial valley. The glacier looks a lot different now than the postcards show in souvenir shops. The glacier has melted and receded so you don't get to see a whole lot of ice but it is still a pretty cool area.

The next day we did three walks:

The Tartare Tunnels Walk

Callery Gorge Walk 

The Terrace Walk 

This was a night hike that we did where we were able to see glow worms which look like tiny green glowing dots. When there are a lot in one area it appears surreal and magical. This picture is not a good representation of what I could see but just a small glance. 

Hokitika

-stop through- 

On the way to Greymouth we stopped in Hokitika for lunch. I got a pie and a muffin and we ate by a river that connected to the sea. 

Greymouth

2 nights

Upon arriving at Noah's Arc Hostel I immediately noticed a sign that said there is a dog and can ask at reception for the leach to walk her. After settling in we did Lions Walk which looked out over the city and surrounding hills. 

The next day Gigi, Anna from Australia and I used bikes provided by the hostel to bike to Runanga where we did the Coal Creek walk to a waterfall where we went for a refreshing dip before biking back to the hostel.

That evening we went to the brewery where we got locals discount on a beer because we were the only ones in the bar.  

Punakiki

-stop through-

On our way to Nelson we had a brief 30 minute stop in Punakiki which was enough time to do the Pancake Rock Walk. They are limestone structures formed by erosion of alternating hard and soft layers. They are best to see at high tide because the water will splash up through blow holes in the rocks. Unfortunately it was not high tide when we were there but still incredible!

Nelson

3 nights 

In Nelson Jenny from the UK (who I met in Franz Joseph), Gigi and I:

Biked to Tahunanui Beach 

Walked to the center of New Zealand 

It is thought to be the center because of surveys taken upon early European Settlement but not the true center because curvature of the earth was not accounted for in the early surveys. The true center is in Golden Downs Forest along the Spooners Range. 

Did a day trip to Able Tasman with two German guys Fabian and nick where we:

Went cliff jumping & rope swinging 

Did a lookout hike

Relaxed on the beach in Golden Bay

Hiked to a waterfall 

Nick and I also decided to climb up to the top of the waterfall after the path had ended. It was truly amazing getting to the top because it was such a challenge and untouched and unseen by most tourists. 

From Nelson I booked a ticket to Kaikoura but happened to be on the same bus as Jenny who was heading to Christchurch. We met two kiwis when the trip started at 9am who had already started drinking for the day. We all decided to do a power hour at 11:30am (slippery slope) in Blenhime where we had a 2 hour break before a bus transfer. We found a nice spot by the river where we swam and drank. 

Christchurch

3 nights

Whoops...how did I end up in Christchurch?!? 

I slept through my stop in Kaikoura because I drank so early in the day. Jenny was picked up by her friend that she was staying with and they offered me a ride to find a hostel. We went to two hostels and called about a half dozen but everything was full and the people we talked to didn't think there would be availability anywhere. Jenny's friend said she would offer a couch at her place but there were other people staying there and it was full. Jenny contacted her friend Luke who she met in Asia and lived in Christchurch who let me crash at his place. I ended up staying there for three nights. The first full day I was there he invited me to a park with his friends where I learned the New Zealand drinking game Pukana, the next day I went to a family dinner and the next morning I took a bus to Kaikoura. 

Kiakoura

2 nights

This time I made it to Kaikoura! Although, I think I was lucky to get there because the bus broke down in Kaikoura and the people going further had a long delay in their travels. 

While in Kaikoura I did a walk around the entire peninsula. It took all day and allowed me to see the main town center, beaches, seals, fields, sheep, rolling hills and mountains. It was a great walk. 

Both nights there I watched the sunset on the beach, played in the sand and wrote in my journal. 

Nelson

3 nights

I returned to Nelson with the intention of going to a bush festival with nick but we were unable to find a ride and had too many people and too much stuff to hitch with. I relaxed in a pool at my hostel and doing a bone carving class in the days I was there before heading north. 

Hei Matau Moana

I came across a flyer for a bone carving workshop in Nelson and decided to attend and create something to represent and commemorate what will be 8 months of independent travel. 

I have been from the lowest place on earth to then see the highest point; across oceans, deserts, and jungles; to both hemispheres experiencing an endless summer; I experienced developing, westernized, religious, conservative and liberal countries with a variety of people, culture and landscape. I have seen stereotyped actions to both affirm and contradict the expected. I have lost track of time in both days and months. I have seen the excitement of life as well as the grieving over death. I have experienced acts of kindness and of hatred. I have been lied to and taken advantage of. I have been treated with kindness and generosity. I have seen new ways of life while adapting to my own. 

My journey has taken through a huge variety of experiences and overall I have been blessed to see some of the most amazing and beautiful parts of the world with kind and wholesome people. 

The Places:

Jordan 

Eastern Europe: Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia (a second time), Italy, Greece

India

Nepal

Indonesia

Australia

New Zealand

Indonesia (a second time)

Singapore 

All of my time spent in these places has evolved into a portion of my life that I will treasure forever. I will learn from the bad and thrive on the good. To symbolize all of this and more I have created a Maori bone necklace by combining the traditional Hei Matu or fishhook and Moana or sea symbols.  

Hei matu- symbolizes good luck and protection on journeys, especially over water as well as prosperity and a fulfilled life. 

Moana- symbolizes the importance and fascination of the sea. The sea is important for several reasons in Maouri culture: it's home to 'Hine a Moana' and 'Tangaroa' (goddess and god of the sea), resting place for the souls after life, major food source. 

I decided to combine these symbols for multiple reasons:

First of all, the fishhook meaning protection and luck on journeys especially over seas correlates directly to the fact that I want it to represent something from my travels and will continue to provide protection and luck as I finish my trip and continue other journeys in my life. 

Secondly, the wave meaning importance and fractionation with the sea has come to mean something unique to me specifically on this trip. Throughout my entire life I have always loved water and swimming but I have now come to appreciate the power it holds. At several points on my trip I have struggled with various things small and big. From not knowing where to go next to questioning what I want to do with my life. There have been times where I have not felt like myself and struggled to appreciate my surroundings including the actual location and the people I was with. The main time this happened was for a portion of my time in Australia. I was aware of it but couldn't seem to change it. After 10 days of surfing and swimming along the Great Ocean Road everything changed. I was reenergized, passionate, and back to myself again. I have now noticed this feeling in other oceans, rivers, and lakes. The sea has a strong vibrant power and energy that is able to make me conscious lively. 

Finally, I think both meanings and designs work well together both symbolically and ascetically. 

It is also part of Maori tradition that the necklaces be given as gifts and those who wear it remember the ones who had it previously. I am excited to one day pass it on to someone who finds as much meaning in the piece. 

Taonga--Treasure

Australia

Perth & Fremantle

After my unplanned arrival at the airport in Perth at three o'clock in the morning I was lucky to find Internet so I could search hostels. I wrote down a couples of addresses and found a bus to the domestic airport where I was able to get a shuttle into the city. I asked the bus driver if he knew of any hostels that were close to any of the set stops. I got off at a stop right in front of the YHA hostel with a map of the city and a couple of other hostels marked by the driver. Unfortunately, the YHA did not have 24hr reception and no one answered the door so it was time to put my map to use. I took a minute to gain my bearings and then walked around in search of a bed to sleep in. I was lucky that the second hostel I found had 24hr reception and an available bed! I stayed there for two nights before heading to Fremantle for Christmas week. 

I discovered that with the exception of a handful of people in hostel everyone was working and had been there for at least a month. This was not ideal because no one really wanted to venture out of their routines. However, overall I found Fremantle to be a quaint and enjoyable town. It was quite small but had a nice Main Street and city center with several parks and beaches in walking distance which is where I spent most of my time. When I was not at a park or at the beach I was usually hanging out in the hostel common area. 

On Christmas Eve I skyped my mom and brother and on Christmas Day skyped my dad and brother.

At the hostel there was a Christmas Eve party, a Christmas Day brunch and relaxing at the beach. 

These were all very nice festivities and although it did not feel like Christmas it was nice to have things going on. While in Fremantle I decided to apply for a working visa in New Zealand because just traveling at this point was not fulfilling me. I felt like I needed to do more and be productive so it seemed like a good idea. 

On the 26th I had a flight to Adelaide at 6am. I had to leave especially early because the last tram was at 10pm since the 26th is Boxing Day in Australia which is an observed holiday. Once I got into the city I went to the place where I was dropped off but the shuttle in the hopes that I would get the same shuttle back to the airport. I stood by there looking for a bus timetable or a sigh but there wasn't anything so I decided to just wait and see what happened. I couple minutes after I was standing there a car drove by on the other side of the road and a guy asked if I was okay and what I was after. I said I was fine and just waiting for a shuttle. He told me that they were not running because of the holiday but a car pulled up behind him so he told me he'd drive around. He went up to the nearest stoplight and did a U turn and then offered me a ride. I got to the airport with no problem and for free! Since I was at the airport about 5 hours before I needed to board I found a place in the baggage claim to take a nap. It surprised me that there were so many people with the same idea. When I arrived in Adelaide I stayed at a hostel for one night and the next morning took a 6:30am bus to the ferry which would take me to kangaroo island. 

Adelaide & Kangaroo Island

My first day on kangaroo island was fairly pleasant compared to the rest of my stay. I took a bus directly to the ferry and then transferred to a shuttle where I was dropped off at The Gallery in Kingscote where I was to be picked up by my work away hosts. Another guy about my age was also dropped off at the same place and looked like he might be doing the same thing so I started a conversation with him and it turned out that he was doing help x for a guy named Graham who made honey and jam. It turned out that my host and his host had carpooled and we would be sharing a ride. Before we headed out of the city we had to run a couple of aaronds. I went with Uzi who was the owner of Seal Bay Cafe where I was going to work. We had to pick up a referidgirator, grocers and alcohol. It was a very unique shopping experience. We had about ten items on the shopping list but we were wandering around the store for a good 50 minutes while his kids ran around the store like it was a playground. Uzi then left me in a cafe with his two kids while he went to pick up alcohol. The cafe was quiet and peaceful until we came in. I did not enjoy looking after his kids especially since I had no control over them and everyone was looking at me like I should do something to make them quiet. Half the time I did not even know what they were saying because they mainly spoke Hebrew because they were from Israel. Finally, Uzi returned and we got in a car to head to seal bay. When we arrived I was very unclear about what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go. Uzi said I could have any food I wanted or take a shower but there were three different buildings and I wasn't sure which one I was staying in. He told me that Janet would come and explain everything shortly. She didn't come for several hours and it was other woofers that showed me around and explained things to me which was very much appreciated. After figuring out how things worked and had a snack I sat down to watch tv and was lucky enough to see that the UW bowl game was on. It was really nice to watch since I had not been able to see any of their games during the season and it was even better because they walked away with a victory of 31 to 16 against BYU in the Fight Hunger Bowl. As I was watching the game Janet came and told me that whenever I was ready to come to the kitchen and I would be shown what I was going to do. I waited until the game was over to head to the kitchen where I was shown their extremely complicated system. 

The next morning a group of French people that had been there for several weeks left which meant that there were only four of us to do the work that had to bee done. Cosima and Jellis were the only ones who had experience with how things were run since they had been there for about two weeks. Kate had arrived the day before me and knew as little as I did. When we were thrown into work it was a bit overwhelming because the kitchen was very fast paced and the slightest mess up could cause a lot of problems. After two days of work Uzi, his wife and two kids decided to move into the hostel accommodation that was specifically for woofers and people doing work away. This is when things started to get frustrating. When they moved in they also brought a family of snails that took over the kitchen, smells of bad body odor would overpower rooms, and the kids would pee on the bathroom floor. At this point if had been traveling for about four and a half months and felt like I could handle almost any type of accommodation but this was too much. My standards are not very high but they put me over the edge and Kate and I decided to leave. There were a few other things that contributed to us wanting to leave. For example, Cosima and Jellis were offered cash in hand for extra hours and after they put in extra hours were not paid. I heard about this and then was offered extra hours for cash in hand but decided against it. Cosima and Jellis left the day before New Year's Eve which left Kate and myself alone to help in the kitchen for an event that they had planned. I was stuck in the kitchen and Kate was waitressing. It was an exhausting evening and the work didn't stop until quarter till midnight when we closed the kitchen. At that point Kate and I went to the cafe to watch some of the live music and countdown to midnight. Dominic Guida was a musician from Adelaide who had come to play. He and his family were also staying in the hostel with us and we got to know them and enjoyed each others company. I had two songs dedicated to me which was nice. Ring of fire was one because we had a conversation about Johnny Cash previously and also a Nirvana song because I'm from Seattle. After the countdown I headed back to the hostel because I was very ready to go to bed. 

Before going to sleep Kate and I chatted with Dominic and he gave us both one of his original CDs. I have not been able to listen to it because I have no access to a CD player but I can't wait to hear it. On the 2nd Kate and I were planning on leaving. We made arrangements with Graham to get picked up in the morning, drive around the island a bit to check on his bee hives and then drop Kate off in Kingscote and I would work for him for a couple of days. We told Janet and William (the managers who we had mostly been working with) on the 1st that we would be leaving and when Uzi found out about this he was far from happy and we heard him yelling on the phone to Graham soon after. The morning of the second Kate and I got up early and packed our bags, had breakfast and waited for Graham. I went to check my email in the cafe while we waited and to my surprise I had an email from Graham saying he couldn't pick us up because Uzi had banned him from coming on the property. We were at a loss of what to do. We thought about hitchhiking into town but only saw two cars drive by and they were both going the wrong direction. We had to wait until Uzi got up to get a ride from him which was the least desired option. I was very upset and told him I would have appreciated knowing the night before that Kate and I would not be able to get a ride into town because of his conversation with Graham. He said he didn't think about that and avoided accepting blame. He also tried to get us to work more and stalled for about an hour before he took us into town. We finally got to Kingscote where we checked into a hostel for the night. When we arrived we were so happy and within the first couple of minutes talking to the guy that worked there found out that we were not the first people to seek refuge in the hostel after working at seal bay. He commonly had woofers stay in the hostel after a bad experience volunteering which is quite sad because it makes people remember an unpleasant experience in a beautiful place. That night I enjoyed my first beer of the new year with a group of French people while listening to them play the trombone, guitar, and accordion. Kate and I decided to do a day tour of the island the next day before returning to Adelaide so we could leave having positive experience. Big tours are not something I generally tend to do or enjoy but there was no other way of seeing everything or getting around the island. It turned out to be a decent tour and I got to see the main attractions on the island. On the plus side, with the exception of the tour I didn't spend any money that week!

We got to see:

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, Flinders Chase National Park,

Parndana Wildlife Park & Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Remarkable Rocks

Cape du Couedic Lighthouse 

Admirals Arch

After the tour I returned to Adelaide for 3 nights. When I arrived I found my hostel but the reception was closed. I asked a couple of people in the hostel if there was anyone working and a guy staying there lent me his phone to call the night manager but no one answered. A girl that was cleaning for accommodation told me there was an empty bed in her room I could use and she would lend me her key to get in although I would not have any sheets. In the morning I went to reception to check in and they already knew the situation. I was able to get that night for free because I was to give any sheets which I was quite pleased with. I would have slept without sheets for another night if it meant it was free! I met up with Cosima and Jellis on the 4th; we walked around the city, made dinner and played drinking games in their hostel before going to a bar. In the afternoon on the 5th I caught a flight to Melbourne. 

As I continued to travel through Australia the sight seeing and activities available in the cities which I had been to were not exciting me or motivating my passion for travel; I was also lacking a sense of productivity and was not accomplishing anything meaningful. 

Melbourne 

When I arrived In Melbourne it was the same old thing. I found my hostel, went to the grocery store, made dinner, found wifi, and went to bed. I know it sounds so thrilling and makes you want to jump off the couch and buy a plane ticket to Australia! Australia is an amazing country but traveling in it is not the easiest thing without a car. There are some areas that I could not get to because I did not have a car and refused to do a big tour. If I were to come back to Australia to travel more I would want to do it with someone I knew and buy a van that could fit a mattress and kitchen. However, when I really think about it the main thing that I wanted to see that I was unable to was Uluru and I probably won't return to Australia just to see it. 

In my earlier travels I met many Australians and Ended up contacting Nathan and Chris who lived in Melbourne. 

On the 9th I met up with Nathan who I met in Zagreb Croatia. We walked around the city, had chicken parma for dinner, and then watched a 20/20 cricket game at the MCG. It was fairly easy to understand the rules and it was not nearly as complicated as people made it out to be. 

Mitchell River & Wilson's Prom 

From the 10th to the 13th I joined Chris, who I met trekking in Nepal, and his friend Dion for camping at Mitchell river & Wilson's prom. 

The first two nights we camped at Mitchell river. We had an initial camping spot in mind, however, couldn't find it after driving for a while on roads required 4WD which we did not have. After our failed search we settled for a camp ground that we just stumbled upon. It was really nice, we had green grass, a tree for shade, and a table. After a long days drive and setting up camp we heated up the BBQ and enjoyed cold beers. That night we all had a bit too much to drink and paid for it the next morning. We had a refreshing swim in the river that afternoon. 

The next day we did a couple of hikes before heading to Wilson's Prom. We got really lucky to get a camping spot even though it was not in the park because it is extremely busy and people generally book ahead. On our final day wen went into the park and did a hike to a lookout, had another BBQ, and swam in the beach. Normally, this kind of thing is amazing and I enjoy every minute of it. However, I was still in my weird travel mode and did not appreciate it as much as I should have or normally would while I was there. However, looking back at it I was really glad I got to go camping and see more national parks in Australia because that is what I find to be the main beauty of Australia, it's parks and landscape. 

Torquay & Great Ocean Road

On the 15th I went to Torquay where I booked next level surf lessons with Go Surf Tours. I was very hesitant when I was initially thinking of booking it because I knew it would be more commercial and not live up to the amazing time I had at surf camp Lombok. After calculating out my budget and comparing it to staying in Melbourne I decide it would be worth it because it would give me something scheduled to do and would not cost much more than if I were to stay in Melbourne. I booked 10 days with them, 6 of the days I had surfs lessons. I think in the end I surfed 8 days total by going out on my own one day and joining the tour on the other day. The first day I was there I took a bus to Lorne where I met up with Haggie who I met as surf camp Lombok. We went swimming in a crystal clear white sand beach, had Mexican food for lunch, and jumped off the pier. It was a very refreshing day and a good kick start to my experience along the great ocean road. Over the next 9 days surfing and I had a love hate relationship. I have surfed beach breaks before when I lived in California but at that time I didn't really know what I was doing and when I was in Indonesia I was surfing reef breaks which I find easier to read and more consistent. While I was surfing along the great ocean road the waves were not always good and I found them hard to read because they would move around and I would move around and never seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Although, thinking about it and talking to my coach this would help me become a better surfer because the conditions are not always going to be as perfect or consistent as they are in Indonesia and it is good to be able to read the waves, position yourself, and just go for it. I had two really good days that made up for all the mediocre days but within each session I had at least one wave that made it all worth it. I also gained tools to continue progressing in my surfing. The main thing I need to do to get better is practice more and continue going for any wave so I can get better at reading the waves as well as riding waves that initially did not appear good.  

Along with surfing I got to explore the great ocean road and the highlights were:

Bells Beach--with some swell

The 12 apostles 

Although they seem like they might be sandstone they are actually limestone. 

I returned to Melbourne on the 24th refreshed and energized from the ocean. 

On the 25th I went to federation square where I watched several street performers, a couple musicians, and then watched women's tennis finals for the Australian open. Li Na from china won against Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia.  

Geelong 

Sunday the 26th-Australia Day!! 

Nathan invited me to Geelong for four days and three nights. I had no other plans and it sounded like fun so I decided to go. 

On Australia Day we arrived in Geelong at around 10:30 and cracked open a beer when we arrived. We then had a barbecue and played backyard cricket. Later that evening we drove to Torquay (one town over) for a party. When we got there we all just hung out and drank beer. I asked if there were any Australian drinking games and I was introduced to goon of fortune. 

You hang bags of goon also known as cheep wine out of a box from a clothes hanger that spins and you spin it like a wheel and when the goon bag lands on you you have to drink. Simple, fun and Australian! The next couple of days we just hung out, barbecued, went to the beach, played cricket and avoided the sun on a 43*C day.  

I also learned that Australia has a completely different type of patriotic spirit than what I'm used to in the states. The only people that I saw wearing Australian colors or something spirited were foreigners. I was also told there is commonly talk about changing the Australian flag. And finally the most surprising thing was half the Australians I talked to did not know the words to their national anthem and don't always stand up or remove hats when it plays. I was completely shocked by this because of how patriotic people are I'm the US. 

On my last day in Australia I met up with Brandon who I met in Tessoliniki, Greece and hiked Mt Olympus with. He had recently arrived in Melbourne and was planning on finding work. We wandered around the city, had lunch in a park, went to the Melbourne museum (which was free because we were there for the last 20min it was open), and finished it all off with the most amazing juice consisting of at least 10 different fruits and vegetables. This juice has inspired me to buy a juicer when I return to Seattle! 

I took the skybus form southern cross station to the airport. While everyone boarded the bus I noticed a backpacker who appeared to be starting his journey. He was accompanied by a group of his friends and had a very emotional departure. As he said goodbye and hugged all of his friends he began to cry and once he got on the bus had a hard time holding it all in. He found a seat and gradually regained his composure. Also, the day before I met a girl from Sweden who was moving to Melbourne and had just arrived in Australia that day. It was nice seeing people begin their journey and It reminded me of when I started my trip. 

The night before I left I went to the ave to have a couple of drinks & said goodbye to everyone. I was hit by a rush of emotion that night and the next day as I boarded the plane. I was very excited to begin my trip, however, jumping into the unknown where I wouldn't see anyone I knew for an undetermined amount of time made me sad and like the guy on the skybus I had to regain my own composure. 

Now I'm a little over 5 months into my travels and am amazed by some of the things I have done, people I have met, and the world as a whole. The past several days my motivation for travel has kicked back in and my inspiration and passion have resurfaced. I have also been able to process some of the things I have done and the amazing opportunity I have had. 

The world is an unbelievable place full of good and kind people. I have three full months left and I am going to take advantage of every moment by exploring, learning, meeting people and challenging myself. 

I have mixed feelings about returning to the states but will hopefully be able to learn from my travels and convert my passion into positive energy that translates into other aspects of my life.