You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

After we left Queensland we hopped on an InnerCity bus and made our way to the tiny town of Franz Josef. This was a very sleepy town that had no traffic lights. Just by looking at it you could never tell that such a wonder as the Franz Josef glacier was only a few minutes away. On the first day there we decided to head to the hot pools to relax. We figured that these were natural pools or springs, but got there just to find out that they were just chlorinated cement pools at hot temperatures that had plants around them. Suzanne and I decided that we were not the “hot pool” type of people, in that we could only sit still in hot water for so long. We got to bed early that night in preparation for our full day glacier climb the next day. The next day we hiked for quite awhile to the bottom of the Franz Josef Glacier. It was so strange to be standing there in shorts and 75-degree weather staring at a massive block of ice glistening in the sun. We spent the whole day squeezing through crevices and making our way through ice caves on miles of the most beautiful blue ice I have ever seen. If you needed a drink you could just take a drink from one of the running streams or drippings from the crevice walls. We were wearing these metal spiked shoes that made me quite nervous and with my clumsiness I managed to rip my pants in three different directions with them, but never actually got broke skin thank goodness. Climbing the glacier was one of the most unique and beautiful experiences I have ever done. That evening we decided that we were going to try and make a trip to Lake Matheson. It was known for the perfect mirror images that are reflected on it. The easiest was for us to get to the lake was by renting a car. I was very nervous about driving on the other side of the road, but this was a small town and there wasn’t hardly any traffic so how bad could it really be. Well we got the last car available at the rental place, and we sat down, buckled up and I went to put it in gear when I realized that there was a third pedal, it was standard. So I have only driven a manual car once in my life before this, it was a parking lot, and I absolutely did not feel like an adequate stick shift driver when I was finished. So we decided that maybe I could just figure it out and we could make it around the corner and then it wouldn’t matter if I killed it. Well that would involve us having to get it going, which didn’t seem to be happening. We decided we had to go back in and tell the guy that this wasn’t going to work. However, the guy had another idea. He asked if we wanted him to refresh us on how to drive it. I thought maybe that would work and headed back out to the car. Well one thing led to another and we ended up going on a 2 mile driving lesson. By the end of it I felt okay, but by no means good about driving this tiny manual car. So we set off two girls and one manual car on the left side of the road. I wish I could say that everything went smoothly. But to sum up the evening, we got stuck in three parking lots, stalled the car over 200 times, 5 people stopped to ask us if we were okay, and I screamed I’m never going to be able to start this car again at least 4 times. It was quite an eventful evening, but in the end we had cheese and crackers and watched the sun go down over the mirror image on Lake Matheson, went to a beautiful beach where sheep were roaming the roads freely like deer, and made it back to Franz Josef in one piece. The next day we headed off to Christchurch on the gorgeous Franz Alpine train. We passed the beautiful landscape of the New Zealand coast. We then spent one day in Christchurch before we flew off to Australia. On that day we ate one fantastic meal, the first true good meal since leaving Auckland, toured the local fudge shop, had a guided tour through the museum, and went to a very interesting interactive aboriginal show and Hangi dinner. Overall our New Zealand trip was incredibly successful and I had such a sense of satisfaction that we had planned a trip traveling on our own in a foreign country and come out one with everything going smoothly and two without killing each other during the journey. People say that it is a true test of a friendship/relationship to travel together and I am happy to say that Suzanne and I survived with flying colors. I couldn’t of done any of this without her and I am so grateful that she has become my true traveling buddy!

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil

At the Wellington airport we flew through in approximately 15 minutes due to the fact that there was NO SECURITY OR ID CHECK WHATSOEVER! If I had a rifle, bomb, cocaine, anything it could’ve made it to Queenstown with me. Well after a little under two hours on a tiny plane you board from the outside we reached New Zealand’s adventure land. After finding lunch, we wandered upon a lake with a beach and decided to go for a swim because we finally had GORGEOUS sunny summer weather. After lying out for a half hour is was hot and we were ready for a swim. Little did we know the water was actually from the Artic. Just to quickly dunk yourself felt like needles were stabbing your entire body. I’m not exactly sure how the boys who were jumping off the pier were doing it. We grabbed dinner and headed back to the hostel to shower up for half price teapots from 9-10 at The World Bar, the hit spot for the 20-somethings traveling through Queenstown. We headed out with our European friend Vern. The “teapot” was actually a teapot with about 4-6 drinks in it that you poured into glasses. We hung out and had a second teapot at the World Bar and then headed in because we were pretty tired and had an early morning of jet boating and canyon swinging the next day. When we got back the Brazilian girls and Mexican boys were just getting ready to go out (this is midnight mind you). They then went on to yell at us for not being cool because “the party doesn’t really start until midnight”. The Mexican boy was so passionate about it that he stayed behind in the room with us until 2 because he thought it would just be so lame to go out before then. The next day started with jet boating in the morning. It was amazing we were speeding through the Shot Over Canyon coming within inches of the edges of rock. Then came canyon swinging. They labeled us with markings on our hands before we walked through the bush to the ledge that looked down over hundreds of feet of drop off to the river running in the canyon below. My marking was a stick picture being hung with a noose, kind of like hang man. It was very comforting to say the least. Basically canyon swinging was where we were connected to a harness and then were to step off of cliff and fall. As I was standing there looking straight down and what seemed like my possible death, the workers were joking around and talking about people who had died or fallen and everything horrible that could happen. I know it was all lies, but when you are standing there looking off the face of a cliff it can really get in your head. Well I finally jumped and ended up liking it so much that I decided to do it again. This time it was the “chair of death” though. So I am strapped down in this chair and the idea is to tip over backward and fall to the bottom of the cliffs. As I was sitting there I started to think about what I was getting myself into and decided that I didn’t exactly want to go upside down. So I asked if I would flip at all in this endeavor and the workers looked at each other and go of course not. Hmm, I knew I was in for it now. Well as I started to push off they grabbed me back and go no if you push that hard you’ll hit your head. Oh god, I knew they were probably kidding, but just the slightest doubt really freaked me out. In the end, I pushed off and successfully made it to the bottom without hitting my head, but I did flip around about 10 times on the way down. It was really such adrenalin high though, I have no regrets what so ever about doing it. That night we met three British boys, Mike, Gary and Will. They were obsessed with our accents. Every time either one of us opened our mouths the were like “Oh My God, Chandler”. They were quoting the tv show Friends because they thought all Americans sounded like Janice on that show. They chose not to call us by our real names, but to make up “better” names with us. So for the night I was Stephanie and Suzanne was Suzie. The boys also told us all about Fergburger and how everyone in England hears about this restaurant that was in Queenstown. The next day Suzanne and I went and ate the most gigantic burger that was quite delicious. The next day we went white water rafting. We were in a boat of all girls, who were terrified of everything. The guide saw that and basically did all the work for us. Every time we went over and sort of bump she just yelled duck and we were to get down and hold on for our lives. I kind of wished I would’ve been in a more daring boat, so it could have been more like my previous rafting experience, but it was still extremely fun and gorgeous. That afternoon we decided to try a KFC crusher. Suzanne had an internship at YUM International (the owner of KFC) the summer before and had been apart of the launching of these Sonic Slush type drinks in Australia and New Zealand. The drinks were starting here and eventually possibly making it to America. We tried one and decided that they were too runny for our liking. Suzanne insisted that the ones from the lab were better. But we later learned that runny drinks that weren’t very cold was the norm in New Zealand.

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree

At the Auckland airport I cruised through security without even a ID check, guess they figure New Zealand is under the radar and doesn’t need to have quite the security that America does. Oh and here we are not from America we are from “The States” because America is a two continent area that is not specific enough. Well we arrived in Wellington and checked in at hostel number one. It was nice, we were in the “sanctuary” which included a free towel, shampoo, and glass of campaign and the bar down stairs. We toured Wellington with full force. In one day we saw the Botanical gardens, the Parliament complex, and learned everything ANYONE would want to know about Lord of the Rings. And of course not being too much of a fantasy fiction buff I went in having no idea what all went into that movie. I came out of our tour with a new appreciation for the film and wanting to see it again to see the locations and tricks learned from the tour. Due to it being a slow day Suzanne and I were the only participants on the tour so are wanna-be hobbit guide gave us an even more in-depth tour that even included feeding the eels in a local creek in attempt for him to try and take underwater pictures of them. Although the photographs were unsuccessful it was incredible and disgusting to see the eels so up close and personal. At the end of the day Suzanne and I hobbled around the city back to our hostel with her left knee front and my left knee back seriously hurting. We sat on our beds just to get settled in with every intention to go back out but ending up getting a much needed full night of rest.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

So this is slightly delayed but the trip through New Zealand was too fast paced to find time to blog. I’d much rather be slight seeing than sitting at a computer blogging. Well first off we arrived in Auckland after 28 hours of 5 airports and four bags each. We were quite the sight to say the least. With a backpack that stands a good foot over my head it wasn’t hard to draw attention to myself. If anyone is traveling to Australia/New Zealand I would highly recommend V Australia. Even though leg room was sparse back in economy class the flight attendants female and male were all extremely nice, energetic and quite attractive. There was a small TV on the back of each seat with over 50 movies, television shows, games, welcome to Australia videos and a seat to seat messaging system. So to all you girls traveling, before sitting down be sure to check out where the cute boys are sitting on the plane so you can send them a message and possibly find an Australian fling! The flight also had quite peculiar lighting changing from pink and purple colors to blue greens. Oh and when I tried to order my drink the flight attendant questioned my age (thinking I was under 18)… what a surprise, people think I’m four years younger than I am. Great. I guess that’s a slight step up from getting carded at rated R movies like this past summer.

Anywho after the two southwest flights, long flight to Sydney, flight from Sydney to Auckland and trip through customs we entered the country of New Zealand! It was so wonderful to see the Babbott family again (my mom and I went to visit them 7 years ago). They welcomed us with an airport pick up and on the way home we stopped by to see new and quite impressive indoor ski slope. I think that they thought I would be missing the mid-west snow and needed a little touch of home. Once at their house we ate some dinner and toured their gorgeous rolling acres of farmland. We saw the cows and sheep and fed some donkeys and chickens. Due to the fact that I am allergic to the country of New Zealand I think it would not be wise for me to move here, but hands down it is the most beautiful place on earth. The next morning I woke up soar because I don’t think I moved all night due to sleeping so deeply. However, due to a semester of not sleeping due to our major of choice, Chemical Engineering, neither Suzanne, my traveling buddy, or I suffered really any jet lag. We woke up to a late breakfast of fresh eggs collected the day before and other breakfast delights.

We then suited up and headed out to the beach! After picking from the about 100 beaches within minutes of their house we ended up at a good swimming beach that was still suitable for boogie boarding also. Suzanne, Katie and I thought kayaking would be fun and no one wanted to be left behind so Suzanne boarded the blue kayak and Katie and I thought it would be wise to both hop on the pink one. After a wobbly start Katie and I were streamlining when an unsuspecting wave tip us a little to far to the left and we were in. Scrambling for paddles and sunglasses we spend the next 20 minutes ATTEMPTING to board the kayak. In water what I thought was too deep to stand up we struggled and grasped at the kayak time after time. Lets just say it’s difficult for one person to board a kayak but it’s near impossible for two! Just when I decided to just hold on to the side to head to shore I put my foot just far enough down and realized I could reach the ground, what a difference that would’ve made when struggling for air

We headed back for dinner and spent a lazy evening at home. We were going to try and head to the beach the next day but torrential wind and waves prevented this so we spend the afternoon touring nearby cities that have quant little feel about them. We headed to the grocery store that evening and Suzanne and I were blown away by the BAREFOOT shoppers! Apparently shoes are optional in stores, restaurants, and even elementary schools. Talk about stepping back in time. Well we said our sad goodbyes and at 4 am we were off on a shuttle Wellington bound.

From the beginning...

So I know that this is extremely delayed considering that I left "the states" (as they call it here) on January 28th, but the past month and a half have just been a whirlwind of adventure. Two years ago I never would have believed that I would be sitting here, riding The CityCat,a river ferry, home from a day on campus in a city 8800 miles away from good 'ol Overland Park, Kansas. However, ironically enough I did pick a place with the same nickname as my home state... "OZ". I am excited to finally be able to share with everyone my adventures over here, I have been trying to jot down any details that I find particuarly interesting so that I don't forget to share them. As a background for those who are not familiar with my journey, I am spending my second semester of my Junior year studying at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia with one of my best friends Suzanne Robison. We are currently living on the 24th floor of a high rise apartment in the heart of the CBD (Central Business District). I didn't go into college convinced that I would study abroad or being obsessed with Australia, but the opportunity presented itself and now here I am. I just kind of never stopping filling out the paperwork, but being here now I know that I could not of made a better decision, especially with all hopes of Purdue winning the National Championship gone. The life experiences I'm gaining and the spectacular things I'm being given the opportunity to see are something that I would have never expected to see in a lifetime. Given that, next will be the first real blog. We started our journey traveling through New Zealand starting by seeing my amazing family friends the Babbotts in a little town called Warkworth just outside of Auckland. I feel like staying on their farm was years ago, but it's better late than never share. So here comes my blast from the past, I hope I don't bore you all too much, and please leave comments or suggestions, I'm definitely a novice blogger so anything is helpful! I Love and miss everyone from home! Cheers!