I am officially in Australia, but escaped New Zealand only after one of the most stressful airport situations of my life. I love that people in New Zealand are so relaxed and just deal with things as they come, but when you are a major airline and have NO order to your check-in process, it creates some stressed travellers that end up wanting to fight. I made it away without throwing a one-punch, but I was fairly close. Air New Zealand - you need to invest in a better system. I have not been impressed with you both times I've checked in, and today was the second time I was close to tears in your 'line-up' (or the lack of one!). It may be because I'm a teacher and like lines, or maybe my OCD-tendencies like some kind of order, but the chaos that ensued was enough to make my heart beat a whole lot faster than usual. Here's what the check-in process looked like, hence why it took over an hour (and a lot of deep breathing) to just drop off my bags!
See a line? Nope, didn't think so. That's because there was none. It was like we were on a boat that was sinking and everyone was fighting to get the last spot on the life boat, only no one knew where that life boat was (even the captain of the ship!). Air New Zealand - may I suggest one of the simplest, yet one of the most effective inventions around...the 'rope'. Seen in this photo to the right --------------------------------------> it has been created to help maintain order and form lineups when there are a lot of people all trying to get the same place at the same time. The other airlines in the airport have seemed to figure out that they work (notice how they don't have a huge mass of people fighting in a crowd to figure out where to go)...perhaps you should try them out! |
When I finally got onto the plane, I wasn't in the mood for sleeping as my heart was still racing from fighting off crowds and holding myself back from a few fights. I figured the best way to get out of this state I was in was to reflect back on all the amazing things I had done so far on this journey of mine. I always tend to go in to a 'happy place' when writing my blog, so I pulled out my computer and started writing an 'Ode to my Adventure'. Here's what I was able to construct during my time on the plane:
An Ode to my Adventure: Part 1
sAlmost one year ago, my friend Lauren came home.
We talked about travels and my aspirations to go roam.
“Why don’t you go and travel to New Zealand for a year?”
The thought brought some excitement, but also a little fear.
March came along quickly and I applied for a leave.
Family and friends kept encouraging me like you wouldn’t believe.
Soon the idea had become more than just a hopeful thought,
A plane ticket and tour around New Zealand had officially been bought.
July came around and I turned 28.
I knew my year ahead was likely to be nothing but great!
I said my many goodbyes, packed my bags, and shed some tears,
Then off on the plane I went for the year.
I arrived in California for a visit with Mickey Mouse
It was my annual trip to the fun Gilliam house.
From there I would board a really big plane,
But not before dealing with the Air New Zealand girl who was a big pain!
Kole helped wipe my tears and sent me on my way
I would fly 13 hours, but end up losing a whole day!
I touched down in Auckland and crossed over the border,
You wouldn’t have issues unless you were a fruit hoarder.
I passed through the biohazard screening without any fuss,
Where Lauren was waiting so I didn’t have to take the bus!
Lots of tears and Skype calls home filled most of my days at first.
I hoped things would get easier, but I knew my problems weren’t the worst.
The first weekend here, off to Queenstown Lauren, Rich and I went,
On the sunny mountaintops skiing is how the days were spent.
Lauren dropped me off in Auckland at a hostel called Nomads.
My tour began there the evening I met 5 ladies and 4 lads.
We were told the golden rules: listen, be respectful, and don’t be late!
I was looking forward to the memories we were all about to create.
We woke up early the next morning and boarded the bus for the first time,
Then started up North to the Bay of Islands – my seat up front was prime!
We got to know each other and important questions were popped:
Would you rather have a fat man follow you or all your fingers chopped?
Upon arrival in the Bay of Islands, we were loaded on to ‘The Rock’
In the ocean for the night is where this charming boat would dock.
We shared drinks around a fire and shot paintballs at a duck,
We kayaked under stars and fished off the boat with not much luck.
The glowing algae in the water made your body shimmer in the night.
Snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking all provided an amazing sight!
Back on land we stayed in Paihia and some of us rode horses down the lane.
Mine just wouldn’t listen and ended up being quite a pain!
At night we shared some drinks and had a heart-to-heart,
When Ninja explained what would become the famous ‘Crazy Chart’.
We hiked the Haruru Falls straight to the Waitangi Treaty Ground,
Which is where the Maori’s doing the Haka is what we had found.
We headed back to Auckland where two more people joined our pack,
From this point forward on our tour, there was no looking back.
Onto Raglan we would travel, but first stopped at Charlie’s Eel farm,
Driving through the countryside revealed so much of New Zealand’s charm.
When we arrived in artsy Raglan, Stevie E. greeted us with a smile,
Then we hopped into some kayaks and paddled around for a little while.
We spent hours in the hot tub where some discussions got quite heated,
Inside people played some card games and Dave, the kiwi, always cheated.
In the morning we took a surf lesson and learned all about the ocean,
We all successfully surfed into the beach once we learned the proper motion.
We stopped in Waitomo, population of 41
Climbing through the caves was sure a lot of fun.
We saw the glowworms shining brightly and explored inside the cave,
I would have gone tubing through them if I had been a bit more brave.
Rotorua was up next, where we’d sing a Maori song,
We laughed at ‘Whakapono’ and didn’t practice very long.
A speech was given by our chief. About their culture we were taught.
The ‘ponds’ that were around us were steaming and boiling hot.
The sulfur from the water made the town smell like rotten eggs,
Waking up at 4 am was rough and created some pretty big eye bags.
We were on our way to Lake Taupo, not knowing what was coming our way.
‘You’re all very capable of climbing this’, is what we heard Ninja say.
We got suited up with warm clothes, helmets, crampons, and ice picks,
Then headed down the path carrying what felt like a tonne of bricks.
‘The devils staircase is ahead,’ our guide happily exclaimed,
My muscles were screaming at me, and my joints were becoming inflamed.
We hacked away at ice and learned to save ourselves from a fall,
I wondered if there was an air ambulance or helicopter I could call.
To the top we finally made it where I thought the worst must have been done,
I figured the decent down would have to be a little bit more fun.
‘The risk of avalanches is high, so let’s go off the beaten track!’
Falling into snow that was waist deep, I thought I’d break my back.
The path just never ended, ’45 minutes to go’ the sign would say,
Had it been 5 minutes longer, in the forest I would have to lay.
We had been walking for 9 hours – our bodies ached, and our feet bled.
There was nothing I wanted more than to get to Whakapapa and go to bed.
Having survived the Tongariro Crossing, onto Wellington we would go,
But not without stopping, as we had a Gumboot to throw.
We took pictures with a carrot and sang to Backstreet Boys,
That night we drank, danced, and partied and made a lot of noise.
Early the next morning, Duffman showed up with a megaphone.
‘This is the police’, he exclaimed as Ninja woke up late with a moan.
We boarded the ferry to Picton and slept along the way,
Because of the previous evening, it was quiet for most of the day.
We arrived at Old MacDonald’s farm and it was already very dark,
The next day we would hike through Abel Tasman National Park.
We hung out by the heaters, played with the dog, and had time to nap,
We were introduced to ‘right meow’, Kevin Hart, and other YouTube crap.
While we left the farm behind, we stopped for some people to sky dive,
I watched nervously from the ground, just hoping they’d land alive!
Back on the bus we went, to Punakaiki we would try to get,
It was a race to arrive before the sun would set.
We unpacked into our cabins in the middle of the ‘jungle’,
If Ninja didn’t like you, you risked being called a ‘mongrel’.
Into the ‘Jurassic Park’ forest a few of us would hike,
Ending back at a café for pancakes was something I would like.
Moving on to Franz Josef where the rain would never stop,
We wouldn’t climb the glacier because it was too dangerous to get to the top.
Instead we hopped on quad-bikes and treaded through the mud and rain,
At night I ate so much pizza that my belly was in pain.
Through the windy roads we traveled on to Wanaka, then Queenstown,
It’s where I jumped off of a mountain and paraglided safely down.
We rode bikes to a winery, ate Ferberger, and listened to music played live,
We zip-lined, rode the shotover jet, and had a drink…ok, maybe four or five!
To Fiordland we would drive, then take a boat to Doubtful Sound,
We stayed in the middle of the forest where no Wifi could be found.
Together we played werewolf, and another confusing game we tried
Out in the dark we walked to see the stars, the kiwi all just hide.
We then drove to the middle of nowhere; Wedderburn is what it was named.
There are only 8 families living there, is what the locals claimed.
Our hostel was in the back of the only pub in town,
We rode 35 km on some bikes, mostly up, but part way down.
It was a long drive up to Christchurch where we stayed in jail for the night.
The damage done from the earthquakes was really quite a sight.
We watched people swing dance together and cheered them all along,
Olivia even joined in to try dancing for a song.
Kaikoura would be our second last stop, which made me pretty sad,
We couldn’t swim with dolphins, but saw seals, which made me glad.
Kayaking in the ocean when the swells were 4 meters high,
Left me feeling a bit queezy, I’m not going to lie!
From there we made our drive back to Picton so we could catch the ferry.
If you wanted a photo liked, you could count on Toby’s grandma, Mary!
Back to Wellington we went and headed out for our last night together,
I couldn’t have asked for this tour to be any better.
The next morning there were tears as we all parted our own way,
Luckily Olivia would be someone who would stay.
From there we traveled together, to the Weta workshop and up Mount Vic,
We even went to Porirua where we managed to get one pic.
From there we flew to Christchurch, and back to Kaikoura we went,
Hoping the dolphins would come out and play and make this money well spent.
We boarded on the boat to head out to the sea,
There were 100s of dolphins that came to play with me.
Back to Christchurch we would travel, to Olivia I said goodbye,
And if you are wondering, yes I sure did cry!
I was on my own now, my ‘cuzzys’ had all left me behind.
I went to Franz Josef, for a glacier there was to find.
The helicopters were not flying (again) so I walked to the glacier face,
Climbing on this ice is a dream I’ll have to continue to chase.
From there it was back to Queenstown, my favourite spot to be,
Sitting at the waterfront on a sunny day brought me lots of glee.
I flew from there to Auckland and was back with Lauren and Rich,
My journey so far had gone off without a glitch.
I took a trip to Hobbiton where I saw a hobbit hole,
Making Ryan jealous of me was really my main goal.
To The Coromandel I would travel to see Hot Water Beach,
And to think I could be back at home where I would have to teach.
So that, my friends is what has happened on my adventures so far,
In terms of a great journey, New Zealand has really set the bar.
From the silver fern, to the kauri trees– it’s all been ‘sweet as’,
The kiwi fruit and kiwi bird is not all New Zealand has
This country is so stunning and so beautiful to see
I’m leaving this country a better version of me
To all the friends who’ve made this great, I truly can’t thank you enough.
Your amazingness is what has made saying goodbye so tough.
I know I’ll never forget the memories that you have helped me make,
Now off to Australia I go to fight off spiders and some snakes!
Today I boarded another plane to take me on my next adventure,
Don’t worry Australia – no need to feel too much pressure!
Before I say goodbye and go and hit the 'sac'
New Zealand you must know, I will soon be back!
We talked about travels and my aspirations to go roam.
“Why don’t you go and travel to New Zealand for a year?”
The thought brought some excitement, but also a little fear.
March came along quickly and I applied for a leave.
Family and friends kept encouraging me like you wouldn’t believe.
Soon the idea had become more than just a hopeful thought,
A plane ticket and tour around New Zealand had officially been bought.
July came around and I turned 28.
I knew my year ahead was likely to be nothing but great!
I said my many goodbyes, packed my bags, and shed some tears,
Then off on the plane I went for the year.
I arrived in California for a visit with Mickey Mouse
It was my annual trip to the fun Gilliam house.
From there I would board a really big plane,
But not before dealing with the Air New Zealand girl who was a big pain!
Kole helped wipe my tears and sent me on my way
I would fly 13 hours, but end up losing a whole day!
I touched down in Auckland and crossed over the border,
You wouldn’t have issues unless you were a fruit hoarder.
I passed through the biohazard screening without any fuss,
Where Lauren was waiting so I didn’t have to take the bus!
Lots of tears and Skype calls home filled most of my days at first.
I hoped things would get easier, but I knew my problems weren’t the worst.
The first weekend here, off to Queenstown Lauren, Rich and I went,
On the sunny mountaintops skiing is how the days were spent.
Lauren dropped me off in Auckland at a hostel called Nomads.
My tour began there the evening I met 5 ladies and 4 lads.
We were told the golden rules: listen, be respectful, and don’t be late!
I was looking forward to the memories we were all about to create.
We woke up early the next morning and boarded the bus for the first time,
Then started up North to the Bay of Islands – my seat up front was prime!
We got to know each other and important questions were popped:
Would you rather have a fat man follow you or all your fingers chopped?
Upon arrival in the Bay of Islands, we were loaded on to ‘The Rock’
In the ocean for the night is where this charming boat would dock.
We shared drinks around a fire and shot paintballs at a duck,
We kayaked under stars and fished off the boat with not much luck.
The glowing algae in the water made your body shimmer in the night.
Snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking all provided an amazing sight!
Back on land we stayed in Paihia and some of us rode horses down the lane.
Mine just wouldn’t listen and ended up being quite a pain!
At night we shared some drinks and had a heart-to-heart,
When Ninja explained what would become the famous ‘Crazy Chart’.
We hiked the Haruru Falls straight to the Waitangi Treaty Ground,
Which is where the Maori’s doing the Haka is what we had found.
We headed back to Auckland where two more people joined our pack,
From this point forward on our tour, there was no looking back.
Onto Raglan we would travel, but first stopped at Charlie’s Eel farm,
Driving through the countryside revealed so much of New Zealand’s charm.
When we arrived in artsy Raglan, Stevie E. greeted us with a smile,
Then we hopped into some kayaks and paddled around for a little while.
We spent hours in the hot tub where some discussions got quite heated,
Inside people played some card games and Dave, the kiwi, always cheated.
In the morning we took a surf lesson and learned all about the ocean,
We all successfully surfed into the beach once we learned the proper motion.
We stopped in Waitomo, population of 41
Climbing through the caves was sure a lot of fun.
We saw the glowworms shining brightly and explored inside the cave,
I would have gone tubing through them if I had been a bit more brave.
Rotorua was up next, where we’d sing a Maori song,
We laughed at ‘Whakapono’ and didn’t practice very long.
A speech was given by our chief. About their culture we were taught.
The ‘ponds’ that were around us were steaming and boiling hot.
The sulfur from the water made the town smell like rotten eggs,
Waking up at 4 am was rough and created some pretty big eye bags.
We were on our way to Lake Taupo, not knowing what was coming our way.
‘You’re all very capable of climbing this’, is what we heard Ninja say.
We got suited up with warm clothes, helmets, crampons, and ice picks,
Then headed down the path carrying what felt like a tonne of bricks.
‘The devils staircase is ahead,’ our guide happily exclaimed,
My muscles were screaming at me, and my joints were becoming inflamed.
We hacked away at ice and learned to save ourselves from a fall,
I wondered if there was an air ambulance or helicopter I could call.
To the top we finally made it where I thought the worst must have been done,
I figured the decent down would have to be a little bit more fun.
‘The risk of avalanches is high, so let’s go off the beaten track!’
Falling into snow that was waist deep, I thought I’d break my back.
The path just never ended, ’45 minutes to go’ the sign would say,
Had it been 5 minutes longer, in the forest I would have to lay.
We had been walking for 9 hours – our bodies ached, and our feet bled.
There was nothing I wanted more than to get to Whakapapa and go to bed.
Having survived the Tongariro Crossing, onto Wellington we would go,
But not without stopping, as we had a Gumboot to throw.
We took pictures with a carrot and sang to Backstreet Boys,
That night we drank, danced, and partied and made a lot of noise.
Early the next morning, Duffman showed up with a megaphone.
‘This is the police’, he exclaimed as Ninja woke up late with a moan.
We boarded the ferry to Picton and slept along the way,
Because of the previous evening, it was quiet for most of the day.
We arrived at Old MacDonald’s farm and it was already very dark,
The next day we would hike through Abel Tasman National Park.
We hung out by the heaters, played with the dog, and had time to nap,
We were introduced to ‘right meow’, Kevin Hart, and other YouTube crap.
While we left the farm behind, we stopped for some people to sky dive,
I watched nervously from the ground, just hoping they’d land alive!
Back on the bus we went, to Punakaiki we would try to get,
It was a race to arrive before the sun would set.
We unpacked into our cabins in the middle of the ‘jungle’,
If Ninja didn’t like you, you risked being called a ‘mongrel’.
Into the ‘Jurassic Park’ forest a few of us would hike,
Ending back at a café for pancakes was something I would like.
Moving on to Franz Josef where the rain would never stop,
We wouldn’t climb the glacier because it was too dangerous to get to the top.
Instead we hopped on quad-bikes and treaded through the mud and rain,
At night I ate so much pizza that my belly was in pain.
Through the windy roads we traveled on to Wanaka, then Queenstown,
It’s where I jumped off of a mountain and paraglided safely down.
We rode bikes to a winery, ate Ferberger, and listened to music played live,
We zip-lined, rode the shotover jet, and had a drink…ok, maybe four or five!
To Fiordland we would drive, then take a boat to Doubtful Sound,
We stayed in the middle of the forest where no Wifi could be found.
Together we played werewolf, and another confusing game we tried
Out in the dark we walked to see the stars, the kiwi all just hide.
We then drove to the middle of nowhere; Wedderburn is what it was named.
There are only 8 families living there, is what the locals claimed.
Our hostel was in the back of the only pub in town,
We rode 35 km on some bikes, mostly up, but part way down.
It was a long drive up to Christchurch where we stayed in jail for the night.
The damage done from the earthquakes was really quite a sight.
We watched people swing dance together and cheered them all along,
Olivia even joined in to try dancing for a song.
Kaikoura would be our second last stop, which made me pretty sad,
We couldn’t swim with dolphins, but saw seals, which made me glad.
Kayaking in the ocean when the swells were 4 meters high,
Left me feeling a bit queezy, I’m not going to lie!
From there we made our drive back to Picton so we could catch the ferry.
If you wanted a photo liked, you could count on Toby’s grandma, Mary!
Back to Wellington we went and headed out for our last night together,
I couldn’t have asked for this tour to be any better.
The next morning there were tears as we all parted our own way,
Luckily Olivia would be someone who would stay.
From there we traveled together, to the Weta workshop and up Mount Vic,
We even went to Porirua where we managed to get one pic.
From there we flew to Christchurch, and back to Kaikoura we went,
Hoping the dolphins would come out and play and make this money well spent.
We boarded on the boat to head out to the sea,
There were 100s of dolphins that came to play with me.
Back to Christchurch we would travel, to Olivia I said goodbye,
And if you are wondering, yes I sure did cry!
I was on my own now, my ‘cuzzys’ had all left me behind.
I went to Franz Josef, for a glacier there was to find.
The helicopters were not flying (again) so I walked to the glacier face,
Climbing on this ice is a dream I’ll have to continue to chase.
From there it was back to Queenstown, my favourite spot to be,
Sitting at the waterfront on a sunny day brought me lots of glee.
I flew from there to Auckland and was back with Lauren and Rich,
My journey so far had gone off without a glitch.
I took a trip to Hobbiton where I saw a hobbit hole,
Making Ryan jealous of me was really my main goal.
To The Coromandel I would travel to see Hot Water Beach,
And to think I could be back at home where I would have to teach.
So that, my friends is what has happened on my adventures so far,
In terms of a great journey, New Zealand has really set the bar.
From the silver fern, to the kauri trees– it’s all been ‘sweet as’,
The kiwi fruit and kiwi bird is not all New Zealand has
This country is so stunning and so beautiful to see
I’m leaving this country a better version of me
To all the friends who’ve made this great, I truly can’t thank you enough.
Your amazingness is what has made saying goodbye so tough.
I know I’ll never forget the memories that you have helped me make,
Now off to Australia I go to fight off spiders and some snakes!
Today I boarded another plane to take me on my next adventure,
Don’t worry Australia – no need to feel too much pressure!
Before I say goodbye and go and hit the 'sac'
New Zealand you must know, I will soon be back!
I arrived to the Brisbane airport with Crystal and her two cute girls, Cori and Lexi, waiting to welcome me. They were wonderful tour guides for the day and showed me around the neighbourhood, introducing me to all their family members, including their Aunt Sam's massive 'mini' pet pig. We are off to explore more tomorrow and I'm sure I will soon settle in to make this my home for the next little while (while keeping my eye out for spiders and snakes!).