Rotorua

Weather was bad yesterday with pouring rain and howling wind...it was cold! despite that it didnt dampen our mood to travel to Rotorua for a daytrip...so after morning devotion, john, helen, DJ and myself hit the road after putting on some thermals...we packed some light snacks of Sandwiches, cookies, and lamingtons, tonnes of maps and brochures to get us around, and then we set off...

our first stop was the geothermal village of Wakarewarewa where we witnessed some volcanic activies of Geyser and mudpools and hot steam...the place was warm with all that boiling water but it sure stinked badly, from the sulphur, that is...we got used to the smell quickly and moved on to visit the village...We didnt need to pay the entrance fee of $20 because we know someone who's living there...I bought a bone carving necklace for $40 and really love it..i chose the fish hook which represents strength and determination, it also brings peace, prosperity and good health...now that's what i need....

We later went on to do Zorbing...the idea of a Zorb is to roll down the hill in a gigantic ball, and yes, we will be inside the ball...since the weather wasnt so good with strong wind, we had to do the hydro-zorb, and it literally means zorbing with water...as if it wasnt cold enough...anyway we all had great fun even though we were all soaking wet and was freezing to death at the end of the journey...the price was $45 per person but we chose to do it together so it only costs us $31 each...

i wanted to do the luge but the weather really wasnt permitting, so we headed back in the evening, skipping the hot water pool as no one brought their 'togs' (swimsuit-NZ slang)...

there was a power outage when we got back and we all had fun cooking in the dark and having a candle-lit dinner...

it's all good...


Boiling pool and sulphur stained ground


John, Helen and DJ(kiwi) at Wakarewarewa


My bone carving necklace


candle-lit dinner


Skyline up the mountain to do Luge


Zorb


Mud pool


Geyser


DJ and Helen trying out the Maori Flute

Somemore photos while i was on the road trip


Cows are just about everywhere

Mt. Maunganui

Aotearoa - the land of the long white cloud...



This is all so touching...my heart is deeply moved by the hospitality that the maoris has shown...the Hangi was a huge success, there was a congregation from eight nations and from friends and families of our host...they started preparing the food before dawn while we were all still sleeping, and the work went on till noon...

and what a spread it is, ive never seen a feast at such a scale before, we have different meats and vegetable, pumpkins, potatoes, kumaras...dessert was absolutely delicious too...and what a blessed moment when everyone took turn saying grace before we tucked into the food...i chose to say grace in chinese language when it was my turn because i really couldnt think of any malay words at the moment...then we have the french, the czech, brazil, korean, taiwan, england, and maori version...to think of such a cross cultural event taking place where everyone comes together as one, irregardless of the differences and backgrounds...

and after that we have some guests performing maori songs, it was lovely! it's one of those songs and rhythms that touches one's heart...you just didnt want it to come to an end...our housefather later gave us each a token of appreciation - a NewZealand T-shirt...to thank us for staying with them, that is so sweet...

ive decided to stay with them for another week...i just couldnt leave this lovely family, not after such a grand and humble treatment from them...the french couple have decided to stay on too for another week...i dont need to move on in such a haste afterall, ive decided that i have all the time in the world...i can always come back in the summer months...would just wanna spend some quality time with this blessed family right now...


Picking some mandarins for the banquet


Everyone wearing their new T-shirt


My t-Shirt (Kia Mana - Be Strong)



some of the food that was served


Meat slicing


Yummy


treasures unveiled


the hot rocks


the earth is removed to uncover the food


The food was buried underneath the ground, on top of burning rocks

It's getting freezingly cold that it is no longer a luxury to walk on the street...im driving most of the time now even when we went clubbing yesternight...the guys protested that i shouldnt drink driving and we should walk to the bar instead, but they later thought it was a good idea afterall when the cold creeps in...


Lucas and John at the bar


icicles on the car window every morning and night


my hotwater bottle

So john was sick the other day and hence decided that he would cook us something special...i still dont see the relation between sick and cooking but anyway, when i came home there was dinner served...it was made of some cauliflower broth and meat and mashed potatoes...and damn, it was scrumptious! im always amazed at how all these guys that ive met here can cook so superbly well...it is always embarrassing because im forever cooking instant meals like pasta and steaks...im glad everyone is taking sympathy on me and feeding me...we malaysian guys should start paying more attention in this area...cooking...



Risotto (Matthew's cooking)


Matthew (France), John (Czech) and Lise (France)


Ada, Reg, Nicky and Helen (Taiwan)


The maori family im staying with ( plus john and matthew)


John (Czech) and Jeannie (Korea)


John's cooking

Te Puke

We were supposed to go skiing today and explore the Tongariro national park for a three-day tour, but there is a slight change of plan, as usual...

Since i've planned to leave in a couple of days to another town, my houseparents have decided that they are gonna throw a 'Hangi' party for all of us...a Hangi is a traditional Maori Feast that is put up whenever there is some kinda celebration going on or when they want to honour a visiting guest...i would like to think that they are not celebrating of my departure but rather to let me experience the Maori culture, as ive mentioned to them before that i would like to try the Hangi one day...It is a real blessing staying in with a Maori family that i get to experience the real maori lifestyle instead of some commercialized village showcasing Maori people to the tourist...Like the one in Rotorua where they charge $20 per entry just to put on a show for you...im experiencing the real deal right now, for free...

so we are to have the feast tomorrow at lunch time where they will dig up a hole and buried the prepared food underneath the groud...a fire will then be lighted up on top of the soil and the food will be cooked with the heat generated...that's the whole idea from a theoretical point of view...ive only seen it on discovery channel to be quite honest...will describe more after tomorrow...

We went shopping earlier with Ada and Reg and i managed to buy some thermal underwears, pantyhose, scarf and beanie, for my skiing trip...ive never put on a pantyhose before, and ive always thought that only gals wear them, so when i told my kiwi friends such, they laughed and said that i will be freezing as hell if i dont put them on...it will be weird wearing tights underneath my pants, but i'll get used to it...

ive also bought a hot water bottle to keep myself warm, and right now im sure im ready to challenge the skiing field...it cant be that cold, right? I'll survive...

another plan diversion is that i think i wont be bringing my car down to south island...ive just checked on the ferry ticket online and it is a whopping $225, just to bring the car accross Cook Straits...such daylight robbery...so the tentative idea is to sell the car here, and get another one down in south island, i really need a car in south island, too many places to go to that is off the beated track...i aspire to grab lotsa breathtaking pictures for your viewing pleasure...

I will need to find a job soon after my skiing trip, as the ski resorts offer only expensive and more expensive packages...not to mention about hiring skiing gears and the lift service up the mountain...alot of money is involved here...

But it will be worthwhile...



Kiwi fruit orchard (i tried picking kiwi fruit for three days)

Self-drive trip has begun


My gorgeous car




Hot water beach, Whitianga


View from Auckland sky tower with Auckland University in between the domain


Rangitoto Volcanic island


Auckland, City of sail...


Car buried from high tide


Hole in the rock


Sand toboganning


ninety mile beach


This is where im currently staying

The meeting place of Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean


Cape Reinga, the northern most part of NZ


Ahipara bay in the background

Alexis mimicking a sheep


Alexis (France) getting all lunatic


Ahipara bay

haha, i have successfully uploaded my first picture....aint i proud of myself? will put in tonnes of photos from now on....

let's try another one...




pete(canada) and David(belgium) on the day i left KeriKeri


renee(holland) getting pissed...
barbeque session taking place

uploading photo attempt

I've warned you guys that i will be blogging pretty frequently right now that i have internet access...

just came back from watching Da Vinci code and thought it was really good...i've just decided that musee de louvre will be the next destination i will be travelling in...it's funny how when i see some foreign places in the movie that i will always wanna go there asap....just like LOTR, and talking bout that, i will be going to the movie set next week...think hobbiton, think mount doom...it will be awesome...

i will miss all my friends here nevertheless, really wish they could all travel with me...but as i move on to different places, there are always someone that i can meet up, the friends whom ive made while im in northland...the feeling is just so good, the reunion, and the stories that we will exchange...a german girl just called me up and asked if i will meet her in taupo next week, and that's where im heading to...it's just unbelievable...everyone is travelling down the same direction that it is not impossible bumping familiar faces on the street...

just the other day i ran into Adam (england) that i was still in awe of that coincidence when he came over and gave me a hug...i was dumbfounded....imagine meeting a foreign friend on the summit of a mountain, what are the chances? and right after that i bumped into a korean friend at the hot salt water pool...it's really such a small country u know...

Since ive been here i have learned how to cook....everyone is giving me a lesson of their country speciality..the french cook two gigantic pizza yesterday and it is sooo yummy...that we have salads by the czech and some stew beef from taiwan...cakes are provided by the kiwi, and i cooked some pasta...abel(brazil) didnt prepare anything...lazy ass...

my houseparents have been telling me how blessed they are having me staying with them that they will feel so sorry of me leaving next week...nevertheless i really have to move on, despite the weather being colder down there...it's snowing already...but again, im running out of time...

later...

Te Puke

Alright, im feeling very excited right now, as of today, i will be able to get in touch with the world again...my housefather has just set up the wireless connection at home today, and i will be able to log on to the internet in my comfortable room using laptop, with the heater turned to the max (30 degrees), and my favourite music playing...

so many things have happened in the past few weeks that i really don't know where to begin...i'm so glad that i found this nice maori family to stay with, and mark my word, they are like the nicest human being on earth...i dont feel like leaving te puke at all! But really, deep in my heart i know it's time to move on, if i want to cover south island before i return to malaysia...

I've spent some few days studying the map and choosing the most interesting route to travel in, asking the french couple who's currently staying with me, since they have been to everywhere in the country...It's so much easier to travel with a car and im glad i made the right decision this time around...i will sell it before i fly to Fiji and Melbourne in September..

On the other hand, i have also made a plan B, that is to fly from Aus back to Christchurch should i miss out any parts of the country by Sept...the objective of this backpacking trip is that i am able to explore most of the country, covering both tourist spots and local's secret sanctuary....at the rate im going, i'm doubtuful if i can really go to all these places that i have planned to go...there are just so many interesting spots that im having a hard time selecting which one to visit and spend time in...

Right now on the list is to first do my sky-diving in Taupo, followed by skiing and snowboarding in Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Taranaki, where the famous Tongariro national park is...The Tongariro has earned a reputation that it is one of the few national parks with dual world heritage status...I'm hoping that i will be able to arrive in Wellington by mid July where i will take a ferry, with or without my car across to south island...

I'm really starting to get really complacent in this small beautiful town that i feel as is i have lived here forever...imagine bumping into the same person in two different supermarkets within three days...i'm getting to know the neighbourhood so well that i know where to get the right stuff and meet the right people...

We will be going to the cinema tomorrow for Da Vinci Code...it's always cheaper on a tuesday to watch movie (NZD $7.50), and im so looking forward to it...i adore the book to the utmost despite the pastor in church here telling me it is all fiction and there is no solid ground to the claims that Dan Brown has made...

I am still checking out the country and though this is a beautiful place, i dont think i will ever settle down here, not at my young age anyway...we cant just dwell on beautiful scenery alone you know, even though the grass is really GREENER and the moon is ROUNDER here....im not kidding ya...

should i decide otherwise, i already have the forms and documents ready to apply for a residency, and it's not that tough getting a PR here, the country is under-populated and i have the right channel and sponsors to see me through...

I've been hanging out with my roomies most of the time now and we often just chillout in our room....it's really too cold to sit outside now...Trent, a kiwi guy is an artist with fantastic sketches and ideas, he's currently writing a sci-fi book and would love to direct a film in the future...then there is John and Lucas from Czech Republic...it's always funny when we communicate because they speak little English, and i often have to guess what they are saying, and vice versa...Staying upstair there is Helen and Nicky from Taiwan, sweet girls who love to cook, you just cant turn down their invitation for a meal...

it is good that we are not allowed alcohol here and i can really save up some money, though the boys often smuggled some beer in...the ppl from czech really do consume the most beer per capita in the world...

There will be a huge party next week before i leave...tell ya more then....

Time for bed....

Te Puke

Moved it to a nice Christian family and will stay here for a couple of weeks...nice town with alot to do, great walks and awesome garden....

next stop: Rotorua, Taupo, and Waitomo...

currently travelling with a guy from Czech Republic and we got to know these girls from Taiwan, will possibly join us for the trip down south...

weather is getting extreme, frost bite every morning, car windows are all frozen up with ice...it's unbelievable...

but i'll survive...