So I'm currently sitting in Christchurch airport surrounded by hundreds of sleeping backpackers. It's amazing how well they adapt to sleep in any conditions. I guess it's a necessary skill to be able to sleep in sub-par accommodations. The current go-to sleeping position seems to be curled up against the large concrete pillars that fill the terminal. A small herd has taken over some carpeted benches and are resting like seals on rocks. I'm going to study them, see how they interact in this new environment. Anyway, I figure this is as good a time as any to write the epitaph for my NZ trip (keep in mind that I drove for roughly 10 hours today and am respectively tired....typos are inevitable).
The past couple days were spent in a town called Te Anau. It's the nearest town to Milford sound: a huge fjord that has some of the most ridiculous views I've ever seen (pictures to be posted shortly). I went out on a boat which basically went around the whole thing. Got to see some dolphins, and some species of New Zealand seal. But really it was all about the crazy views and waterfalls.
After that, it was back to Queenstown. I enjoyed a few adult beverages there and the next morning set off on the final segment of roadtrip. Luckily the weather was still perfect (which it had been almost the entire time). I b-lined it straight across the country to a place called Moeraki. It's a small place on the coast where these gigantic spherical boulders scatter the beach. They are strange mud concrete balls that formed in the ground and have appeared due to erosion of the beach. They are on average about 5 feet in diameter and qutie smooth on the surface. Check out the wikipedia page for a description of what they exactly are and how they formed (cause I still don't really get it): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moeraki_Boulders
From there, I cruised up the coast and stopped in a town called Oaomaru. It's a strange super victorian town. The cool thing about it though, is that tons of blue penguins flock there. There were kinda far away but I got to see them wandering around and even saw a NZ spotted seal (I think); I waited patiently for it to take on some penguins in combat but it never transpired.
I eventually got to the airport at 12:30; kept alive by flat whites and an incredible ipod playlist. Diversion: A few from the list that I feel really get you amped for driving:
- Jet Airliner: The Allman Brothers
-Roll Down the Highway - Bachman Turner Overdrive
-Midnight Rider - The Allman Brothers
-Smokin' - Boston
-Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas
-Rock and Roll Band - Boston
...Just to name a few
Getting back to my story then. I made it to the airport alive and am currently waiting to get on my flight. I get into Melbourne at 8:30am and after customs and bus ride/train ride, I'll probably be in the city center round 12 and in desperate need of a shower (though it will be unattainable till ~6). Figure I'll check out some museums and wander around. Two days in Melbourne then its off to Mt Gambier to get picked up by my boss and see what I've really gotten myself into out here.
Also of note, I haven't shaved for almost 2 weeks and am contemplating having the harvest equivalent of a hockey playoff beard (if I'm even capable of growing one, which I'm not to sure of. Current status is near the point of how Keanu Reeves looks in the Matrix after not shaving i.e. pretty patchy and gross). Also, I think I'm going to start using the wine rating scale for everything in life. This New Zealand trip got like a 91. The speed at which I got through security at the airport ~89.
-Final flat white count ~21
-Bacon and eggs consumed - every single morning for breakfast (My arteries have quickly become filled with what is more of a gravy than blood at this point. My cholesterol level is now just represented by the limit as bacon approaches infinity (yikes math jokes, watch out. Let's weed out who took calculus).
-Money spent on beer - too much (just because the exchange rate is in my favor doesn't mean spending $50 on beer in a sitting is acceptable)
More fun (and actually true this time) New Zealand facts:
-Tire (as in car tires) is spelled tyres. Go fygure.
-Truck drivers flash their turn as they pass other truckers on the opposite side of the road (at night anyway) as like a "hey dude". I tried to join the fellowship but received no turn signal flash back. I guess my big-rig of a Nissan Sunny just didn't cut it.
-You can get lamb in any restaurant and it's delicious. It's just magically tender everywhere. I guess because they just kinda lounge around in the countryside preparing themselves to be devoured by myself. So it goes.
-Speights really is the Budweiser of NZ and I grew quite fond of it just as I do it's red canned counterpart.
-Hitchhiking is very much alive in NZ. It's like the 60's never left, which is how my ipod playlist seemed.
-eggs are better. simply put.
-kiwi fruit grows on a vine (who knew)
sorry this entry was less comical, my brain no work good from not enough sleep getting. Now lets all go back to that place, where the bed..and TV...is...(sorry, Simpsons jokes).
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