Cairns and Townsville

On Thursday the 26^th of April I flew out of Wellington Airport and headed to the Brisbane to start the Australian leg of my overseas tour. After arriving in Brisbane I picked up my hire car and drove down to the Gold Coast to see my brother Michael. We decided to go out and have a ‘few’ drinks at the local to catch up.  The next day I awoke to rain and low cloud so I didn’t feel homesick at all! As this was my only day on the Gold Coast before leaving for Cairns we went up to the observation deck of the Q1 building which is the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere. 

After a quiet night in watching movies we were up at 6am to head to Brisbane and catch our flight to Cairns. We arrived in Cairns to sunshine and humidity so it was straight to the accommodation to swap my jeans for shorts. Then it was back to the airport to pick up Mum and Dad which was a surprise for Michael as he had no idea they were coming!! After checking them into their accommodation we all took a walk around Cairns and had lunch at ‘Outback Jacks’.  Then it was time to decide what to do the next day. It took a while to decide on something that would meet everybody’s needs – Mum didn’t want to get in the water but wanted to look at the water, Dad and I wanted to Scuba Dive on the Great Barrier Reef and Mike wasn’t fussed either way. Eventually we settled on a day out on Green Island. 

We departed Cairns for Green Island and arrived just before mid-day. First port of call was some snorkeling just off the shore. I only saw one fish while snorkeling but a couple we talked to had seen a turtle! After a quick bite to eat it was Scuba Diving for Dad and I and the glass bottom boat for Mum and Mike. The Scuba Diving was awesome. I saw so many different kinds of fish and the colours were all so bright. I was a bit disappointed by the coral as I expected it to be brighter but it was dull and brown. We later learnt that a lot of the GBR had been destroyed by the cyclones and hurricanes in the previous years and that it was just starting to regenerate itself.  I will have to add photo's later as I took them on an underwater camera I haven't had developed yet. We then headed back to the boat and while on the jetty saw a black tipped reef shark. That night we had a BBQ, complete with Kangaroo fillets.

 

The next day we drove up to Port Douglas which was not quite as charming as I expected. There were no markets on the day we went so maybe it’s different when they are on but at least I can now say I’ve been there. On the way back down from Port Douglas we went to the Tropical Zoo at Palm Cove. It was raining when we got there but that soon cleared. There were plenty of Croc’s, Koala’s and Snakes to be seen here and touched! I touched a python and a baby croc. We saw the Croc Feeding with a Crocodile called ‘Gummy’. His jaw was out of alignment due to a birth defect. When crocodile eggs aren’t incubated at the correct temperature and they get too hot, bone deformities can occur.  It was then back to Cairns and out for dinner along the Esplanade. This would be our final night in Cairns and with Ma and Pa before Mike and I headed off to Townsville. 

 

The following morning we all gathered for breakfast and to say our goodbyes before Mike and I hit the road and made our way to our second stop of our trip. We arrived in Townsville just after 2pm and checked into our accommodation. That night I decided to have a quiet night in while Mike went out and hit the bars. The next day we decided to take it easy as someone wasn’t feeling so good (haha, Mike).  We went out to The Strand along the waterfront for Gelato and a walk around the local shops. 

That night we headed out for Dinner at a local Indian Restaurant and then to the movies to see ‘The Avengers’ which I thought was a great movie and a lot funnier than some of the previous Marvel movies. After having two relatively relaxing days in Townsville we decided to head out to Magnetic Island and hire a topless car complete with a pink paint job and Barbie seat covers, oh yeah! 

We spent the day driving around the island and visiting the different bays. We saw the rock Wallabies and got up close and personal at Gregory Bay. I convinced Mike to do The Forts walking track with me and we saw 2 Koalas relaxing in Gum Trees. While I was taking a photo of one of them I stepped backwards onto an uneven surface and tripped over. Now I have bruises on my left leg from trying to get back onto the boat and a wave knocking me into the steps while at Green Island and a graze down my right leg from Magnetic Island.. I don’t think islands agree with me! Haha. We had lunch at Horseshoe Bay before cruising around some more and finishing off with a Banana Smoothie at a small café. 

And my favourite photo so far...  Chinease anyone??

 

Back on the mainland it was time to get packed again and a good nights rest before our drive to Airlie Beach.. more next time!

South Island – Part 2 and 4

Now I’m going to take a little step back in time to before the Milford Track. I had just left Methven (I didn’t play Poker, How I Met Your Mother was on the tele and that can’t be missed) and was making my way down the South Island along the Inland Scenic Route.  I had just left Geraldine after picking up my coffee and was wondering where all of the ‘Scenery’ was…

 

About half an hour later my plans were interrupted and the itinerary thrown off track along with the car!! I was coming up to a corner and had a lapse in concentration. This meant that by the time I reacted to the corner I had to break too late and the back wheels spun out from under me. My first thoughts probably wouldn’t be appropriate for this blog. As soon as I knew the car was no longer in my control and there wasn’t anything I could do to correct it, I decided to let happen what was going to happen and brace myself for impact. I held my body as still as possible by gripping onto the steering wheel and pushing my head hard against the back of my seat.  My aim was to make sure my head did not hit anything and to try and keep a pocket of air around me. The passenger side hit the side of the embankment first which threw the car onto the drivers side, roof, passengers side and finally landed back on its wheels. As soon as I knew the car was no longer moving I turned the engine off and got out of the car as quickly as possible.  I was safe, not a scratch thankfully. My neck was a bit sore and the only signs I had of having an accident were the two bruises on my hips from the seatbelt keeping me in the seat. Please make sure you always wear a seatbelt. I can say without a doubt that it saved my life!

Two Swiss girls in a campervan stopped as well as a St. John volunteer. They organized me, picked up my stuff and told me what to do. The Swiss girls drove me back to Geraldine and the local Cop organized the tow truck and taking care of the wreckage for me. The girls then bought me a coffee and croissant before driving me to Christchurch airport so that I could fly direct to Queenstown. They were my hero’s! I could not thank them enough! Needless to say the rest of my planned Itinerary for the South Island will not go ahead as expected. I won’t get to see the West Coast on this trip so I’ll have to come back at some stage to complete that. I then arrived in Queenstown and got ready for the Milford Track. Of course Fergburger was on the menu while in Queenstown!! 

Righto, back to business and onto Part 4. I hired a car, left Queenstown and drove very safely through to Arrowtown where I stopped for brunch and had the most delicious Apricot Pastry from Bonjour Café.

Then in was through to Moeraki to see the incredible Moeraki Boulders. 

I arrived in Oamaru and took a look at the Penguin Colony. This time I got to see little blue penguins but sadly could not take pictures as it was prohibited.

Oamaru has some very old buildings and some quirky sights to see but boy does it stink! I think it’s all the sea mammals that reside in this area but I don’t think I could live here.

After a surprisingly good nights sleep it was off back to Geraldine to pick up the rest of my belongings from the car and to then make my way to Christchurch Airport (again!!) for my 8:30pm flight back to Wellington.

I had thought of going straight to Geraldine via Timaru and forgetting about the inland route but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t go the way I had originally planned to go.  Just outside of Duntroon I got to see some Maori cave drawings.

Then I got to see the wonder that is Mt. Cook. I thought I wouldn’t be impressed by Mt. Cook but I was wrong. At my first glimpse of the mountain I knew it was Aoraki (Mt. Cook), you really cant mistake it. This picture probably doesn't do it justice but it certainly has an ‘X-Factor’ about it.

I had some time to spare before having to make my way to the airport so I drove out to Akaroa for the afternoon and it is a lovely little town with plenty of food, boutiques and galleries. I could certainly feel the French influence on this place. 

Finally I made my way back to Christchurch and onto Wellington. My South Island trip was certainly an experience and I’m so glad I decided to continue on and walk the Milford Track after the accident. I even have a reason to come back as I didn’t get to see the West Coast and I’m glad I have an excuse to come back! All in all things worked out all right and I’m happy with how I spent my time.

Next stop… Australia!!

South Island – Part Three: The Milford Track

A quick note before I begin, Part Two I will get to later as there is a bit of a story but I will get back to Part Two during Part Four. For now it’s straight onto the Milford Track.

“These boots were made for walking and that’s just what they’ll do”

Day One

I woke up both excited and nervous about starting the 57km (33.9 Mile) Milford Track as once I boarded the 9am coach with my packed bag there was no going back. I arrived at The Station building in Queenstown to meet my fellow walkers and 2 of the guides for the trip. After some quick introductions we then boarded the bus and headed out to Te Anau for lunch. In Te Anau we picked up 2 more guides and then it was back on the bus and a quick drive out to the boat that would take us across Lake Te Anau and to the start of the Milford Track.

Day One was an easy 1.7km to Glade House where we would get our first taste of what it was like to do a guided walk of the track. Let me tell you it did not disappoint! I got a bunk room to myself as the tour was not full and I was the only person travelling solo so that gave me some privacy which was an added bonus. Before dinner we worked up an appetite by doing a 5km bush walk around the Glade House area where our guides pointed out local flora and fauna and we all filled our water bottles in a stream. The water in Fiordland National Park is not contaminated and is completely safe to drink not to mention nicely chilled. Back at Glade House we all gathered for dinner. I would like to say that I did it rough but… Entrée of Kumera and Pumpkin Soup, Main of Venison Stew with Mash and Vegetables and a Dessert of Apple Struddle with Vanilla Ice Cream all washed down with a glass of wine! Not a bad way to start at all!

Day 2

Day 2 was the day the real walking began, a 16km walk from Glade House to Pompolona that started at 8:30am.

This part of the walk took us through the Clinton Valley and only has a total incline of about 200 metres. The Clinton Valley track took us along the Clinton River and through some historical sights such as 2 Mile Hutt used by Quintin MacKinnon back in the 1800’s. During this part of the walk I got to talk to Jules our lead guide and 2 of our younger members Oliver and Meg as we set the pace up front. After a quick stop for lunch we continued the rest of our walk to Pompolona in spectacular weather.

At Pompolona we had scones, as is the tradition. When Quintin MacKinnon took the first walkers along the Milford Track he would serve them scones partly made from mutton fat at Pompolona Hut. I think the recipe has changed a bit since then as our scones were delicious! That night it was Smoked Salmon, Chicken and Chocolate Cake. It was about this time I decided this would be one of the only walks I would do where I would end up 2 kg’s heavier after finishing instead of 2 kg’s lighter!

Day 3

At 7:30am we set off for what was to be the most demanding day on the track, a 15km walk via MacKinnon Pass. As you can see by this photo it was still a bit dark as we left Pomp.

We had 1 hour of easy going before reaching MacKinnon Pass which has an incline of around 1000 metres over 11 zig zags at about a 1:8 ratio meaning that it takes 8 metres forward to go 1 metre up.  Now I thought the zig zag’s were going to be a nice path to follow up but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was navigating boulders and sharp rocks to reach the top but seeing the monument at the top of the pass was such a great feeling!

Unfortunately we were all clouded in and the view was of a white blanket so I don’t have any great photos of views. I had reached the top and made it up in good time, surely the hard part was over! How wrong I was. Going down the other side of the pass was so jarring on my knees that it had me wishing I was going uphill again! Thankfully we were rewarded with Cascade Falls.

This time myself, Oliver, Meg, their younger sister Bella and their Mum, Kathryn and Dad, Andrew were the first group to make it to Quintin Lodge at 2.20pm. We had a quick rest here before taking another walk to Sutherland Falls, New Zealand’s highest waterfall at 580 metres! Once we reached the falls we all took a walk underneath it and what a great experience that was! It was noisy and wet but the energy of the waterfall was totally invigorating. If you ever get a chance to walk under a waterfall please do it!  At Sutherland Falls we even came across a pair of endangered Blue Ducks, otherwise known as ‘Whio’.

Back at the lodge it was Mushroom Soup, Steak and Ice Cream but not for all of us. The day had taken it’s toll on some of our group and after a 7:30am start, the last 2 groups got in at 7:30pm and 8:30pm so I think it was an outstanding effort for them to make it to the end and not give up! Walking down that track in the dark could not have been easy.

Day 4

Ahh, the last day of walking… Just a casual 21km, otherwise known as a half marathon. This morning we had another 7:30am start and a bit of drizzle to go along with it.

This last leg had us in the Arthur Valley following along the Arthur River. Some highlights of this leg was the MacKay Falls and Bell Rock. This valley was a lot greener than the Clinton Valley and had a lot more birdlife. The terrain was flat and gentle, a nice change from the previous day. Just after morning tea things started to clear up.

Once again it was Oliver, Meg and myself leading the pack and we passed the time between mile markers by playing “What animal would you be?” and “How long do you think it will take us to reach the next Mile Marker?” Soon enough we had reached Giants Gate Falls for lunch where Bella, Kathryn and Andrew caught up with us. It was then onto the final 5kms to Sandfly Point and…

WE MADE IT!! We arrived at Sandfly Point at 2:20pm which gave us time to have a Milo before catching the 3pm boat to Milford Sound and Mitre Peak Lodge. Interesting fact: The above sign is incorrect. DOC measured the Milford Track a few years ago and found it to be 33.9 miles instead of 33.5 miles as thought but the sign is pretty cool so they haven’t bothered to change it.

At Mitre Peak Lodge we had a celebratory dinner of Vegetable Soup, Rack of Lamb and Chocolate Fondant followed by a certificate presentation!

Day 5

But I thought we had finished? Yes, we had finished walking but we still had one last experience – A boat cruise around Milford Sound.

What a beautiful place Milford Sound is!!

I think the thing that most stood out for me over the 5 days was the sheer size of the mountains and the arctic blue colour of the incredibly clean water that is in the area. It is pristine and I really hope it stays that way.

After our cruise we got back on the bus and made our way back to Queenstown where we all swapped email addresses and said our goodbyes. I had a truly amazing walk with a funny, kind, and caring bunch of people that made the trip unforgettable and kept me going even when my feet and knees were sore!

South Island - Part One

After a lot of planning and waiting the day of my great kiwi road trip has finally arrived. Over the years I have explored a lot of the North Island but have neglected the South Island. Before I head to the UK I felt it was time to show the South Island some love.

It was an early morning start to catch the ferry from Wellington

Soon I was over to the gateway of the South Island – mighty Picton!

I was officially in the South Island and it was time to get busy and drive. I made my way to Kaikoura for a late lunch and stopped off at the Fur Seal Colony at the peninsula. Unfortunately no Seals were to be seen. Hopefully I’ll have better luck further south near Oamaru.  So instead of a picture of some cute seals, here’s my driving map:

I then drove on the inland road to Hanmer Springs and have since renamed it “The Gauntlet”. Why, I hear you ask? On my way though a particular stretch of road I counted more than 50 insects hitting the windscreen and meeting their maker. I’ve never seen anything like it! I then arrived at Hanmer Springs and checked into the Hanmer Springs Backpackers.

A bed was all I needed and I even got a free pass to the Thermal Pools! So off I went and relaxed in the hot thermal pools for a few hours surrounded by tall pine trees and dark wooden buildings. This is what I imagine the Swiss Alps to be like! Hanmer Springs is a beautiful, quaint little town and instantly made me feel on holiday and relaxed.  And a BIG shout out to Hanmer Springs Backpackers for not only the free pass to the Thermal Pools but also for the free dinner of Indian from the local restaurant!! After dinner I spent the night chatting to some English and German backpackers about their travels.

I then got up early and drove down to Christchurch. I drove through the CBD where there is still so much devastation a year on from the February quake. I decided to make my way to Lyttelton for my morning coffee and took a quick walk around. I snapped this picture, which I though was quite ironic, destroyed buildings in the foreground and then a group of expensive yachts in the background.

I then went back into the CBD and walked through the new Cashel Street container mall which is brilliantly designed, it really does look bright and vibrant, just what Christchurch needs.

Much of it is still Red Zoned so the CBD area feels like it’s still in mourning. There’s not much life apart from workers either repairing or demolishing quake affected buildings.

After lunch it was time to head inland to Methven, I drove out to Rakaia Gorge

And then drove up to Mount Hutt which is a gravel road, nothing like our flash Mt. Ruapehu roads (hehe), to take a photo of the Ashburton Region below me

Tonight I am staying in The Brown Pub which is in the centre of Methven so I am having a pint of Canterbury Draught and watching Sky Sports… when in Rome.. haha. I might even participate in a Poker night tonight.. will let you know in my next post!

And here's the drive to get here:

Itinerary

Here's my 'Where's in the world is Stephanie Wilson' info page :)

NZ

9/04 – Wellington to Picton to Hanmer Springs

10/04 – Hanmer Springs to Methven

11/04 – Methven to Oamaru

12/04 – Oamaru to Queenstown

13/04 – Milford Track Day 1

14/04 – Milford Track Day 2

15/04 – Milford Track Day 3 (Hardest Day McKinnon’s Pass!!)

16/04 – Milford Track Day 4

17/04 – Milford Track Day 5

18/04 – Queenstown to Franz Josef

19/04 – Franz Josef to Motueka

20/04 – Motueka to Picton to Wellington

AUSTRALIA

26/04 – Wellington to Brisbane

28/04 – Brisbane to Cairns

1/05 – Cairns to Townsville

4/05 – Townsville to Whitsunday

6/05 – Whitsunday to Rockhampton

7/05 – Rockhampton to Bundaberg

8/05 – Bundaberg to Gold Coast

THAILAND

12/05 – Gold Coast to Phuket

17/05 – Phuket to Bangkok

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

21/05 – Bangkok to Dubai to Abu Dhabi

24/05 – Abu Dhabi to Dubai

UK

26/05 – Dubai to London

New Eyes

Since I was 10 or 11 I have always worn glasses as I have Myopia or ‘short-sightedness’. Myopia is a condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it. This causes the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus but in focus when looking at a close object.

In preparation of my travels I wanted to get this surgically corrected so that I could enjoy all outdoors activities without the need for wearing glasses. I also wanted to eliminate the risk of losing my glasses overseas. While I was in the USA I once left my glasses behind in the hotel room before going out and trying to read signs to find out where I should be going was a real frustration. I don’t want to be by myself in a foreign country struggling to see where I’m going!

After much consideration and suitability assessments, I had the surgery done on the 7th March 2012. First of all I went and met with the nurse who explained in detail what was going to happen during the surgery. All the talk of cutting my eye open to make a flap and the possibility of smelling my own eye burning made me a bit anxious and by the end of our conversation I was more nervous than ever. My nerves had got the best of me and I burst into tears. By this stage I just wanted to get it over and done with. Knowing that I would have my eyes open during a scary situation went against everything my body was telling me: If your scared, close your eyes and RUN!! Nope, I would be awake with my eyes open the whole time during the surgery and I wouldn’t be able to move!

Next up I went into a sterile room where numbing drops were put into my eyes and I was told to lay down on a bench ready to be put under the first laser. Once under the first laser, an American voice told me ‘Suction On’ which meant the laser was ready to make the “flap” or cut into the first eye. It was about 5 seconds into this (it takes 19 seconds) that I started to hyperventilate as I knew what was happening and my basic instinct to avoid pain started up. The nurse held my hand and told me to breath slowly which took all of my concentration to do. By the time the first eye had been done I had managed to calm myself back down.

After both eyes had been cut open I then got moved around to the second laser which is the laser that makes the correction to my sight. This laser was not as bad as I focused on how the lights in front of me looked like funny UFO’s moving from side to side. After the corrections had been done, the flaps were put back down into place by the Doctor and I was ready to go complete with my little bag of goodies aka eye drops.

Dad was ready and waiting to take me home and in the car. I put my sunglasses on and closed my eyes. Everything felt fine until about 2 hours later when the numbing drops had completely worn off… I couldn’t open my eyes, they wouldn’t stop weeping and the pain was unbearable. It was like someone was poking my eyes with needles and it wouldn’t stop! Luckily Dad had some pain killers and after taking these, I finally felt ok enough that I was no longer regretting what I had done given the amount of pain I was in. I tried to sleep and got to wear these very attractive eye shields to stop myself from touching my eyes during my sleep.

The next day my eyes felt much better and I went into the clinic for my post operative check up. Everything was healing as it should have been so that was good news. The only side affect I had was throwing up, possibly caused by the pain killers or the anxiety and stress of the whole event. After arriving back home and getting some more sleep I woke up feeling a lot better.

It’s now been a few weeks and I’m back to normal. My sight is 20/20 and I only have mild dryness in my left eye which should clear up over the coming days. It is truly amazing to be able to see the world clearly without the need for glasses or putting contact lenses in my eyes. Even with all the pain I went through, it really is some short term suffering for some long term gain and I’m so glad I did it.

My next post will be early April when I start the first leg of my travels: New Zealand’s South Island.