Sunday, July 27, 2008

I've Been In New Zealand For a Month!

I can't really believe it. There are only 3 and a half months left! It feels like it's going by so fast. I need to start getting out there! I mean, I have done plenty but there's so much more I want to do. Not having a car makes it a bit more inconvenient to get out there - the bus routes are infrequent and kind of limiting. Also, the price of them adds up, although each one is not too pricey.

Yesterday highlighted why we should get a car. We went out to the Otago Peninsula on a bus. We got off at Portobello, but there was no connection to Taiaroa Head because apparently that only goes on weekday mornings. Also, to get to the castle you need to get off at an earlier stop. I hadn't actually realized how big the peninsula is. It is quite different from what you expect when people talk about it. It is not at all easy to just walk from one place to another. Taiaroa Head is some 11km from Portobello. Not an impossible walk, but quite the return journey. So we instead found a nice hiking path of sorts and went into the hills. Then traveled towards the beach - two of us (me included) didn't make the beach. The other three did (they had split off before) but only by getting a ride (15 minute drive or so!). We saw some lovely farmland, and some cool birds. The walk was peaceful and scenic. We ate at one of Portobello's two dining establishments.

Today I mostly cleaned and did chores. Even in New Zealand, you gotta do it. I also made it to the Farmer's Market yesterday. I love the Farmer's Market. Gavin and I are planning to walk to St. Clair beach tomorrow. It's definitely doable, many people I know have done it. It looks to be about 5 or 6 k. Should be fun! Also, I just found out that Google Maps has a Beta version of Walking directions now! Pretty cool.

4 comments:

Rachel said...

more: "[We missed the first bus out because we weren't at the right stop.] After the missing-the-bus fiasco, we made the next bus! hooray! I wasn't sure where exactly was good to go, I didn't really make specific plans and was just intending to do whatever turned out to work, but apparently other people didn't realize that. The bus driver was going on about how there was nothing to do in Portabello and how we couldn't go out to Taiaroa Head where the albatrosses and penguins and seals are except for on weekdays. So everyone else started being really negative and in fact talked about taking the bus straight back to Dunedin. But I was like, umm, can't we just walk around? And they agreed, sort of reluctantly, but at least Emma (who I know through Amber, I haven't mentioned her before) wanted to try to go up some random mountain (there were plenty). So we set out in a mountain-wards direction, then came to where the road narrowed and was no longer paved (oh and the other people walk really really slow and I was getting annoyed between that and their negativity). It said 'public road' on it but still one girl was like 'I'm not going up there' and went to catch the bus back immediately. That was pretty lame. So the road turned into a path, clearly used almost exclusively by people on horseback. We then found what was probably a sheep trail going up a hill but got to a fence. There was a little, crawling-sized tunnel of plants that Amber went through. I noticed that at that point the fence was down a bit so obviously it was someone's land/fields. I followed Amber to see if she wanted to turn back and the others stayed behind. We came across this shrine/temple/memorial looking thing in a big empty circle. We looked at it but I assumed we would soon go back the way we came. But then the others came and then they all went up to the shrine then, which felt sort of inappropriate/intrusive to me. Anyway we were definitely trespassing so when they said they were going to check out some road they found further in I felt extremely uncomfortable (I have a sense of adventure but it kind of stops at outright trespassing), but so did Kate so we went back and went towards the beach. The trail let out at a road that went back towards the farm we'd been on, and at the end of that driveway like thing there was a sign that there was a nursery back on the property, so it was probably completely fine to be on that property (not where we were, but nearby). Oh well. We continued towards the beach then turned at a road that promised a walking trail. We kept going but never found the trail, and it was time to go back if we were going to walk on the road - didn't want it to get dark, as we were both wearing dark blue/black (as has always happened when I end up walking down roads at night.... curious). We passed by some lovely farms, sheep and horses and cattle, and some water with cool seaweed in it. It started raining harder (it had been just drizzling) about when we were walking by some lady's driveway, she was getting out of her car to close the gate and she was like "nice day for a walk, eh?" and I laughed."

Rachel said...

cont'd: "We got back into town not long after. We checked out the two restaurants in town and at one got invited to come in and sit on couches by a heater. We got offered free tea but didn't drink tea so didn't want it. We talked to people I can only assume were the owners for a while. It was early and no one was coming into the restaurant until 6. We happened to notice after a bit that it was an extremely nice restaurant. Apparently Kate felt weird about being there but I felt fine since we were invited in, and who would turn down hospitality like that (plus it was miserable out). Eventually Emma, Amber, and Helen showed up and came in, they were much wetter than us. The lady gave them free tea, and apparently they felt extremely weird about it, but of course the people had been expecting them from talking to us.

we dried off for a while, until just before they were supposed to have customers. the bus wasn't til 6:45 though, so we went to the other restaurant in town and got dinner. It was really good, I got a burger and chips for $10 and it was high quality.""

Rachel said...

And about the next day: "I slept in today, only til 11 or so though. I found my Easy Mac under a bunch of crap on the floor and had that for lunch. I went to the grocery store and Coupland's and stocked up on yummies. I found unflavored corn chips! They're just "salted". Hooray! I did a bunch of cleaning as well. Including cleaning the shower which *ahem* someone else should have done (one of the two flatmates who've done NOTHING). But I was tired of the shower being gross. It's better now, though it could get even better! But that would involve standing in the actual shower and needing to not wear shoes, and I didn't feel like changing to do it.

I am getting ready to cook my venison tacos! Then if there is nothing going on I will get started on my essay which is due Friday. I just looked around, I can't believe how clean my room is! Anyway, it was sort of nice earlier! Recently it has started raining. I would have gone for a walk or something today but I really really needed to clean. Ugh. Oh well. Maybe I'll finish my essay tonight and be able to do something interesting tomorrow!"

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