Anchors Away!

The dream is now officially a reality! To be honest, I was dreading the whole ordeal of getting to New Zealand, but apparently karma was on my side. My first pleasant surprise came when checking my luggage in at the YVR. I had two massive bags, and was planning to face extra baggage fees of up to $80. Instead, I only had to pay $10. Wooohoooo! The flight left right on time, and even arrived in Los Angeles early. The 6 hour layover left something to be desired, but once again the departing flight was right on time. The only scare came upon us when we realized that a rather large man (and when I say large, I'm being politically correct) had been seated next to us. Not only was he overflowing into the adjoining seats, but he had what was potentially the worst body odor ever. To make matters worse, his breath smelled as if an old hot dog had lodged itself in his teeth and then rotted there for the last decade. Thankfully he was moved to a "more comfortable seat" about an hour later. (Thank goodness!!!) After an 11 hour flight to Fiji, I was feeling refreshed and excited. (I slept extremely well!) At 5am local time, it was a humid 25 degrees in the islands. Glorious!!! Another layover in the beautiful tropic land proved somewhat boring, but once again the flight departed without any hitches and arrived early in Auckland.

Prior to departing, I had read several bad reviews concerning the Air Pacific Airlines. Reviewers seemed to have absolutely nothing good to say about their fights. They complained about the food, the service and most of all about the lengthy delays they always seemed to experience. Needless to say, I was feeling a tad bit paranoid. After traveling with Air Pacific, I can honestly say that they are an excellent airline. Apparently I'm either very easy to please, or people just have ridiculous expectations. Not only were all of our fights on time, but the flight attendants were great. I found the meals to be not only delightful, but surprisingly filling. To top it off, alcohol is free on the flights, and they don't seem to know the meaning of "singles." A rum and coke turned to be "tons of rum with a splash of coke."

New Zealand finally made itself visible through the clouds, and a beautiful rainbow greeted weary travellers. Thankfully, the airport process was very simple, which was greatly welcomed after such a long journey. The declarations lineup was a bit crazy, but within 20 mins we were at the front of the line. They inspected our hiking boots and the tent, and after finding them to be acceptable, they sent us on our way. The officials didn't even ask to see proof of a visa or funds. All that stress for nothing!

By this point there was a full on wind storm raging outside , but nonetheless it was wonderfully warm. After catching a bus from the airport, I was greeted by my friend Angela at the Oaklands Lodge hostel. Once booked into a (free!) twin room, Angela and her sister Dawne took us for a celebratory sushi dinner. We then went to the grocery store to pick up some essentials. Food, fruit and alcohol are all very expensive. However, their sales seem to be much more of an actual bargain than back home. We managed to snag around three days worth of food for less than $20. (mostly because I'm a crazy cheapo bargain hunter! )

We trekked up Mt. Eden that night and the view of the city was gorgeous. The wind was still howling fiercely though and it made for a rather short visit. We climbed it again the next day, and it couldn't have been more perfect. As Mt. Eden is an old volcano, there is a magnificent crater right at its summit. Many trails and paths wind their way up its slopes, and once at the top, the rolling hills and mounds take ones breath away. In fact, Auckland seems to be riddled with similar peaks of extinct volcanoes. You can see them littering the land in and around the city for miles. (Sounds inviting, doesn't it Chelsey?)

After descending, I decided to make some lunch and eat outside in the backyard. It was about 25 degrees yesterday with clear sky, and I'm both ashamed and proud to say that I have a mild sunburn. We then took another walk down the beautiful rolling streets of our neighborhood. The houses here are beautiful - older but with stunning wooden detailing and designs. Soon it was time to head to the bus terminal, and Angela and Dawne were generous enough to offer a lift. We caught the overnight bus to Wellington and arrived an hour ahead of schedule. We were pretty stoked about this, especially when the coach driver offered us a free lift to the ferry terminal. It would have been about a 40 min walk otherwise. However, it also mean that at 5:50am, the ferry terminal was still closed. Thankfully, it opened promptly at 6:30am, and we've been waiting here since for our 10:25 ferry. It's a bit of wait, but I'd rather get here early (and feast on our loaf of bread and sweaty cheese) than risk missing our transit. Anyways, it's now about an hour until boarding, and it looks to be another gorgeous day. It's almost 9am and already it's about 15 degrees and sunny out. I'm excited for the ferry ride, as it's rumored to be one of the most beautiful in the world. I'll sure to post an update as soon as sketchy internet allows! Much love to everyone back home. Xoxoxoxo <3 <3 <3