Singapore, Indonesia, and Transformers… The Ride!
Just to make you feel at ease I promise you that there isn’t a bare butt cheek in sight in this update. There might be a nipple or two just to warn you.
After the natural wonders of New Zealand I arrived in the buzzing metropolis of Singapore not really knowing what to expect.
In truth I only came here to visit my wonderful friend Rachael who moved here about a year ago.
Rachael was my Specialist Recovery Nurse at UCH in London when I was ill and she was a huge source of support in getting me through my operation.
After nearly passing out in the doctors office when I was diagnosed I was sent to Rachael to get me prepared for surgery. Because of my blood clots and enlarged veins there was a risk that severe bleeding could occur during surgery. Along with this and possibility of a life long colostomy bag I was absolutely petrified of not only going into the operation but also what life would be like when I woke up from it.
Rachael was amazing right from the start. Her personality is so calm and kind that it’s hard to be afraid of anything in her presence. She would constantly reassure me that I had the best colorectal surgeons in the country working on me and also that a top vascular team would also be there as a precaution. If it were not for her I would have had a melt down much sooner before my fight really began.
Rachael left her job at UCH in London to start a nursing career here in Singapore so I promised that I would stop by when I reached Asia.
It was so great to see her again. She even had a photo collage made up for me of my journey since being diagnosed. She is so kind and I can’t wait to put it up on the wall when I get home next month.
In a way I wasn’t really looking forward to Singapore. Not about seeing Rachael of course but more because of it being a hot and busy city.
Despite 13 years living in London this trip has made me realise that I’m actually a country bumpkin at heart so the thought of spending time in a busy city didn’t really appeal.
As ever I arrived having done no research whatsoever and apart from having a Singapore Sling at Raffles hotel I had no idea what else there was to do here.
With that in mind, Rachael suggested a few things to do with one of them being a visit to Sentosa Island which is a small island literally right next to the city.
It was only when I learnt that Sentosa had a Universal Studios theme park that I almost wet myself with excitement! The inner movie geek was unleashed yet again!
I absolutely loved this place. It has loads of rides and film sets but there was one thing which totally blew our minds and it is now something I’ve added to my list; Transformers The Ride!!!!
I know what your thinking…”is this guy a total loser?” Ha! Maybe a little but I’m not even kidding when I say that this was awesome in every way. I’m not a big transformer movie fan but this ride was incredible and I would definitely suggest going on it if you ever happen to be in Singapore. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not a roller coaster so fear not. Just lots of amazing interactive videos whilst sat in a car where you truly believe you are speeding through the streets, falling from the sky and being chased and grabbed by massive robots! It’s so good we went on it twice!
We also went to the incredible ‘Gardens by the Bay’ which had huge Biosphere greenhouses containing plants from all over the world, massive waterfalls and scary but amazing educational videos about the effects of climate change. Trees were hugged afterwards!
We went to the Sea life centre which had without doubt the biggest tank I’ve ever seen for the fish.
Rachael also introduced me to the most amazing chocolate ice cream I’ve ever tasted. The place is called ‘Awfully Chocolatey’ in the Harbour front mall which just so happens to be on the way to Universal Studios! The dream day!:) You can add that to your list too! I was a tourist on a massive scale here and I absolutely loved it.
Prior to me coming to Singapore, Rachael asked me what I wanted to do and I said i just wanted to do chilled out stuff. I’ve not been 100% these past few months so I just wanted to take it easy.
With this in mind Rachael went and booked a few days at a spa retreat on Batam island in Indonesia. We took the ferry over from Singapore which only took about an hour.
This place was unbelievable and when Rachael told me how much it cost I couldn’t believe it. She treated me to this so fearing that it was crazy expensive for her I demanded to know how much she had spent. If you’re planning on that super expensive resort then think again. You can live like Royalty out here for less than a fraction of the price in the western world.
The best thing was that there were no other westerners there so there was a always a ‘towel’ free sun bed available!:) British and German people will know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that!:)
Asians seem to hate the sun which meant we had the resort to ourselves during the day. Bonus! Although we also outdid ourselves by swimming during heavy monsoon rains much to the amusement of everyone around.
We had massages which for me turned out to be more of a punishment than a treat. At one point I thought my big brother had taken over when the masseuse started punching me in the legs. This was rather reminiscent of the ‘dead legs’ my big bro used to give me when I was a kid.
Singapore Slings at the famous Raffles hotel were had when my gorgeous cousin Alexa came into town on a business trip. We only had the one but ate most of the peanuts just to get our money’s worth. They had a really cool band on so definitely worth a visit.
Singapore has been in mourning after the death of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew so some sights and shows have been closed as a sign of respect. The light show at Main Harbour however opened back up on my last night which was such a lovely way to end my Singapore adventure.
A huge thank you to Rachael for being her wonderful self and making this part of my trip so special. She has been there for me through sickness and now in health and I love her to bits.
I’ve arrived now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia afterthe coldest train journey in the world!
X
Bowel cancer
Yep, that big white thing in the photo is my bum and just a few short years ago there was a big fat tumour up there.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness month so I thought I’d talk about my experience with Bowel Cancer to help raise a little awareness about this awful disease.
There seems to be a stigma attached to talking about our bodily functions which is pretty ridiculous especially considering we all have bums and we all have to poo!
Bowel cancer rates in people aged between 20-30 years old are set to rise by 90% in the next 15 years with junk food and inactiveness beloved to be the main cause. This is a very scary statistic!
The good news is that Bowel Cancer survival rates are also increasing! With early diagnosis Bowel Cancer is one of the more curable forms of cancer.
Sadly, many just don’t like talking about their toilet habits or simply don’t know the symptoms to realise that something is wrong.
I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 30. My only symptom was extreme tiredness. I couldn’t even walk up the stairs without feeling tired. Someone told me it was because I was 30 and that’s just how you feel. That was total nonsense. Blood tests showed that I had an iron deficiency which led my doctor to order a colonoscopy which discovered a 10cm tumour in my transverse colon. There were no other symptoms. I just knew something wasn’t right.
An operation and some chemo later and I am still here to tell the tale.
Symptoms of bowel cancer
- blood in your poo
- blood in your back passage
- tiredness
- feeling bloated
- iron deficiency
- change in bowel habits – diarrhoea or looser than normal stools and constipation
- pain in abdomen or bum
- weight loss
- sickness
If you have any of these symptoms then see a doctor. If you are over 50 then see your doctor for a routine stool test. These guys have seen it all so don’t even worry about it. The only difference between a doctor and your pals is that they use the word stool instead of poo.
Don’t feel embarrassed about something that everyone does and probably most people have problems with.
Early diagnosis can help save your life and this is no longer an older persons disease so listen to your body and if you think something’s not right then see a medical professional without hesitation. It may just save your life!
X
Follow-up 3rd April 2015
I just wanted you say a huge thank you to everyone for your support with my slightly ‘cheeky’ but informative post about Bowel Cancer. I wanted to grab people’s attention so hopefully they would read a bit more about something that isn’t spoken about enough. My bare ‘bowel cancer surviving’ ass seemed like the best way to achieve that. I hope that by reading, liking, commenting or sharing it you have helped inspired someone to get checked out and possibly helped save a life.
Great work gang and I hope the topic of bum problems and early diagnosis is one that you will continue to talk about long after Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is over.
Wishing you all health and happiness over this Easter period and forever more.
X
Oh and thank you so much for the lovely compliments on my extremely white bum. That was the first time I’d ever seen it from that angle. Thank goodness for low lighting!:)
My sincerest apologies to the guy running in the background. I didn’t notice him at the time but I’m really hoping he had poor eyesight. Have a great Easter everyone.
Writing
During my darkest time with post traumatic stress disorder I tried various forms of therapy to try and sort myself out. I tried cognitive behavioural therapy, neurolinguistic programming, hypnotherapy, healing and general cancer counselling. I tried it all.
The one thing a lot of these therapies had in common was that I was given ‘homework’ to do at home to help train my mind to change its thought pattern. This homework was often written work. Mostly writing my feelings and thoughts down. The thing was I never did it as at the time I couldn’t understand how writing all these things down would help me figure what was going on in my head.
I never planned to write a blog when i started 101 Things. I was just going to post pictures and the odd video here and there.
I think the first time I ever actually wrote down my actual feelings on Facebook was when I was in Colombia. I was feeling pretty down at the time and a little girl came over to me in a cafe, told me she liked my blue eyes and painted me a picture and then drew me another picture which she said i could colour in myself later on. It was the sweetest thing and made my day so I decided to write it down. I found that also writing down why I was feeling sad helped me a lot as well. I later posted it on Facebook.
I then started writing down things that affected me during my travels and then I found myself wanting to write when I was feeling sad or worried. It really seemed to help me when I put things down on paper (screen:).
In person I am not a good story teller and I find it hard to convey my true feelings. I could never sit at a table and tell a group of people stories of my adventures. My motivational talks work quite well but they are structured and because of the fact that I’ve been invited to speak I usually figure that people want to hear what I’ve been up to. I therefore find it easy to chat about my trip and experiences with cancer.
When at home a few months ago, people who don’t read my blog would ask me how my trip was and I’d reply with “really good thanks” and that would be it. After all how I could I possibly convey the things I’ve seen and learnt in just a couple of sentences.
I’ve said things in this blog that I have never told anyone before in my life. I’m not sure I would know how to say it verbally. Writing has not only given me a voice but it also helps me reflect on my experiences. Writing down my thoughts helps give me clarity and make sense of the way I’m feeling and of what I’m thinking.
I often write when I’m feeling sad or worried as it seems to distance my negative thoughts from me when I write them down. When I read them back it’s almost as if I’m reading someone’s else’s feelings and I then know exactly what to say to them. I’m sure you’d agree it’s always easier giving advice to others rather than yourself.
If you are going through a tough time at the moment no matter what it is, try writing your thoughts down. I promise you it helps. I usually just note things down in the notes section of my phone. I wish I could go back to my therapy sessions and have actually tried the writing exercises they gave me. I’m pretty sure it would have helped me sort myself out a bit sooner.
Happy writing gang
X
Farewell New Zealand
In 2010 I saved up my money and my annual leave and made a plan to come to New Zealand for a month. I had wanted to visit this amazing country ever since I first watched The Fellowship of the Ring. Unfortunately cancer decided to have another crack at me and my trip had to take a backseat.
My darkest days with PTSD would have me believe that I’d missed my chance. That I would not only never come to New Zealand but that I would never be well enough to do anything again. How wrong I was!
I not only came to New Zealand but I also had a pretty good look at some more of this wonderful world we live in on the way.
Along with helping myself and others, New Zealand has always been my goal on this trip. I’ve always said that I can take getting ill again but not before I’ve seen New Zealand. This country was my inspiration for doing this trip.
Achieving my dreams was always something I would do in the future. In 2010 my future looked non existent and fears of ‘I didn’t exploit my health whilst I had it’ were an everyday occurrence.
Well, I got here and I think it’s fair to say that I saw this wonderful country with my eyes and my heart wide open.
I have absolutely loved my time here. I wanted nature at its most epic and I got it! I jumped out of a plane, I swam with Dolphins, I smiled uncontrollably in Hobbiton, I walked in Paradise, I learnt the Haka, I rafted in caves and best of all and what once again seems to eclipse all the things on my list; I met good people.
I would recommend this country to absolutely everyone. It has everything; Volcanoes, glaciers, tropical beaches, rainforests, geysers, lakes, mountains, vineyards, caves, cafes and the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet. Although New Zealand is a very long way away the thing that stands it apart from other countries is that all of these amazing things are located right next to each other. Once you are here you can see them all by travelling 100s of miles instead of 1000s making it super accessible.
For those who are unwell, the health care is first class and again easily accessible. For my fellow Brits, New Zealand has a reciprocal health care agreement with the UK which makes medical attention affordable and easy. My bout of food poisoning and also a little health scare which I’ll tell you about another time have helped prove that.
I have loved my time here and instead of the one month trip I first planned to take a few years ago I got to spend three whole months here in Middle Earth. My wonderful Kiwi friend Lisa gave me a travel guide when I was ill and put handwritten notes on every page telling me what I could do when I came to visit. I think I managed most of them Lise!:) Spending so much time here was made possible because of my friend Ruthie. Ruthie gave me her spare room, drove me to places I probably wouldn’t have even heard about, introduced me to the amazing people at Weta studio and she even raised money for me by having a charity Halloween party. I really don’t believe I deserve such support but I am so grateful to her for believing in what I am doing. Thank you so much for everything Ruthie.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who I have met in the past three months. My story was in the press in 2013 and I was overwhelmed with emails from the people of New Zealand. You may have given me a bed to sleep in, bought me a hot chocolate or were just nice to me. Either way your warmth and kindness has helped make this one of my most favourite experiences. I am so sorry to those of you who I didn’t get a chance to meet this time round. I promise you I will be back very soon.
I thought I would be sad to leave New Zealand but I am not. I got to come to New Zealand and when I think of all the places I visited and the things I did whilst here I feel nothing but grateful and content. This was a huge part of my entire trip and I did it. New Zealand was my inspiration to take on this trip in the first place and quite fittingly it is also my inspiration for going home. I’ll talk about that more in another post. So much to say about that.
A few weeks ago I booked my flight home and on May 20th I will land in London where the next chapter of 101 Things To Do When You Survive will begin. I have a few more stops in Asia and then I head home to start a whole range of all things ‘101’. I’ve helped myself and I now believe I can help a lot more people. I think I’ve just about figured out which path I will go down in terms of helping others and I hope you will not just watch me do this but also play a big part in making it happen.
101 Things To Do When You Survive started off being mine but when I return to the UK I want it to be ours and I plan on working hard to make that happen.
This photo was taken on my final day in New Zealand. I usually end my time in a country with a photo of a sunset but this is actually the sunrise from Takapuna beach in Auckland. There was a time where I thought the end of this trip would be the end of 101 but I now I believe that this is just the start of it.
Thank you all for sharing my New Zealand adventure with me. I hope it gave you inspiration for your lists as well as helping you believe that anything is possible. I wish many more sunrises for you all.
To the people of New Zealand….your country is ‘sweet as bro’ smile emoticon
X
Black water rafting in the Waitomo Caves
Let me start by saying that this has to be one of the most fun things I’ve done on my trip so far. My big bro told me about this when I started writing my list and when he described it I had trouble fully understanding just how it would work. Rafting in a cave? Surely this is some kind of death trap!
The word Waitomo comes from the Maori words ‘Wai’ meaning water and ‘tomo’ meaning hole or shaft. The caves are famous for the beautiful glowworms that live there. These glow worms are actually the larval stage of an insect called the fungus gnat. These insects naturally produce light from a series of small tubes which come out of the glowworms bum as a byproduct of excretion. These tubes hang down from the ceiling and the light attracts insects which then get stuck in the tube and the glowworms suck it up and dinner is served! It sounds a bit disgusting but it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.
There are literally thousands of Glowworms in the Waitomo caves. When you go black water rafting you get a wetsuit, a helmet, a rubber ring and you jump and float yourself along a series of underground rivers and waterfalls with the glow of the worms hanging over head. Fear not! This is nothing like white water rafting. It is very safe and is only called black water rafting because you are in a cave in the pitch black.
My favourite part of this whole experience was near the end of the tour when the group all sit in their rubber tubes, everyone turns their lights off and links together and the guides slowly pull you through the water in complete silence. The only thing you can see are the hundreds of glow worms up above you. It was one of my most favourite experiences ever. Sadly you are not allowed to take a camera with you for health and safety reasons so I’ve stolen a few of these images from the Internet so you can see what it looks like in the caves.
There are lots of different types of tours you can do here which also include abseiling and rock climbing. I went for the cheapest option (The Black Labyrinth Tour with Legendary Black Water Rafting Co) and fortunately this had everything I wanted anyway so I didn’t feel like I had missed out on anything by going for the cheapest.
I would definitely consider adding this to your list. It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before and I loved every second. Excitement fun and nature! Perfect!
I loved this so much I then ran (hobbled) up the hill afterwards to the main and probably most famous of the Waitomo Glowworms caves where I just caught the last tour of the day. The fact it was the last tour of the day made even more special. There was only a few of us as all the big tour buses had left which made it even more magical and it felt as if I was on a private tour. There are no cameras allowed in the caves so again I’ve stolen images from Google so you can see what it looks like inside.
The main cave known as Cathedral Cave and absolutely breathtaking. Packed with Stalactites and stalagmites the cave is famed for its amazing acoustics and has even had legends like Rod Stewart perform there.
The Maori tour guide turned off all the lights and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ in Maori. He claimed he wasn’t much of a singer but it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. It was one of those moments where I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
We then walked through the caves and got on a boat which floated along the underground river and this time instead of 100’s of glowworms we were treated to 1000’s of Glowworms which literally lit up the cave.
You should definitely add these to your lists gang. The black water rafting is pretty cold so maybe wait until you’re fully fit before doing this one but the dry tour around the caves is perfect for everyone. Just make sure you go at the end of the day.
Thing #40 – Black Water Rafting in the Waitomo caves – Tick!:)
X
Rehabilitation after cancer
I’m not sure if any of you have noticed but I’ve got quite an oddly shaped body. With the loss of my kidney at 8 years old I became a little bit lop sided.
Being the amazing body it is the left kidney grew in size to compensate for the loss of the right so I’m a bit chunkier on my left. My rib cage is also a bit skew whiff and the left side sticks out way more than the right. Added to this I also have a curved spine.
After a period of time being unable to walk properly after developing DVT at 21, I lost all confidence in my left leg and as a result I now walk with a slight limp.
My core (abdomen) has taken a bit of a beating from the operation I had to remove a section of my bowel. This led to a loss of confidence in my core strength and as a result I’m now pretty weak where once I was strong.
It is only after meeting a wonderful woman called Lou James have I now realised that perhaps there should have been more support for me during this time which would have helped with the long term physical and emotional effects of my cancer treatment. I met up with Lou in Auckland yesterday after one of the 101 gang, Hilary, told me about what Lou is doing and I just loved it.
Lou is the founder of the PINC and STEEL rehabilitation trust. She is an experienced physiotherapist and established the PINC programme after seeing the physical and mental toll that cancer had on the lives of women. In 2011 she introduced the male equivalent called the STEEL Program.
Lou’s programmes have helped thousands of people at every stage of their cancer treatment so they can minimise the side effects of treatment and help them have the best quality of life they can.
Talking to Lou I was instantly captivated by her passion and belief in these programs. We all know that exercise is good for both body and mind but Lou also explained to me the importance of informing patients of the reasons why they get pain where they do and showing them what exercises they can do to help alleviate it and make that area stronger.
The benefits of physiotherapy and certain exercises were something that have never really been mentioned to me during past illnesses which now seems ridiculous considering what my body went through. I think I would be a much stronger and more physically confident person if they had.
With cancer patients not really being eligible for free access to rehabilitation services Lou has set up a trust which raises money to help patients pay for this vital treatment.
PINC AND STEEL now operate in New Zealand, UK, Australia and South Africa.
You can find out more information at the website – http://www.pincandsteel.com/
To follow the PINC and STEEL Facebook page here – https://www.facebook.com/TeamPINC?ref=br_tf
This is well worth a look gang and if you have any similar issues to the ones I do then please try and see an expert like the specialists at PINC and Steel.
I have realised after chatting to Lou that there is a lot my body could benefit and improve upon by seeing an expert. When I get home I’m going to do just that
Keep up the amazing work Lou and all at PINC and STEEL.
X
Ridiculously happy in Hobbiton
I think I could get away with writing very little in this post and just let my cheesy ear to ear smile in all these photos do all the talking.
My visit to Hobbiton was everything and more that I’d hoped it would be.
Before you continue reading this you must know that movies are very special to me. Movies along with books have the unique ability to transport you to another world when your own world seems like it’s getting a bit dark. They can be a form of escapism, they can inspire and best of all they can make you feel good. I love them to bits and I watched a lot when I was ill.
I’ve made no secret of my title as total ‘Lord of the Rings Geek’ so this really was a dream come true.
Ever since I watched the very first film back in 2001 I was mesmerised by the incredible world of Middle Earth. I remember my friend Miles asking if I wanted to go to the pictures to see a film called the Fellowship of the Ring. I asked what it was about and he and laughed at me because I’d never even heard of the book; Lord of the Rings by JR. Tolkien.
I watched this film and was absolutely mesmerised by what I saw. It was everything I loved about the movies. I was immediately immersed in the world of Middle Earth, I fell in love with the characters and I loved the never tiring story of good versus evil.
One of my favourite quotes of all time comes from this wonderful story. In the scene where Frodo is explaining to Gandalf that he wished all this evil had not happened in his time. Gandalf replies with;
“So do I and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”.
I think about this quote a lot. This issue of ‘why me?’ and ‘time’ is something every person who has experienced illness or a traumatic life event thinks about a lot both during and after the experience. I’m glad I used the extra time I’ve been given to do this wonderful trip. I am very grateful to have it.
When the movie ended I remember feeling absolutely gutted that we had to wait another whole year to see what happened next. I then decided to read the book as I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
Those who have seen the Fellowship of Ring will know that after the initial introduction about the forging of the ring we are then transported to Hobbiton. A beautiful little village of Hobbit holes built on the side of gorgeous green rolling hills. Packed with happy tiny people with big hairy feet like my friends Ruth and Lisa!:) I remember thinking that Hobbiton looked like the most blissful and happy place ever!
It was after watching the DVD extras that I realised that the scenery for this make believe land of Middle Earth was actually the beautiful country of New Zealand. It was these three movies that were my inspiration for visiting New Zealand.
When I found out that Hobbiton was made into a permanent tourist attraction I just knew I had to go.
So on a cloudy and rainy day I set off on one of the tours and as you’ll see even the bad weather couldn’t ruin this experience or the beauty of Hobbiton for me. The place is stunning and complete with smoking chimneys, tiny Hobbit clothes hanging on washing lines and even has the Green Dragon pub at the end for a cheeky glass of shire ale.
The guide told us stories as we went round and I could not stop smiling.
Hobbiton is actually built on a working farm. Apparently the farmer had no idea what Lord of the Rings was before agreeing to let Peter Jackson transform an area of his farm into Hobbiton. I bet he is happy he said yes tho!:)
I’ve said “I can’t believe I’m here” quite a few times on this trip but I think I said more in this 1 hour tour than at any other time. I loved every second of this!
I’ve now found out that you can hire Hobbiton for weddings so here is a warning to my future wife:- WE WILL BE GETTING MARRIED IN HOBBITON AND WE WILL BE DRESSING UP IN FULL COSTUME!:)
X
Vix update
A wee update on my wonderful friend Vix for you.
A few days ago Vix parted ways with her iconic blonde ringlets in preparation for the likely loss of her hair from her chemo which started on Tuesday.
I think you’ll agree she looks even more amazing now due to the fact that you can see more of her beautiful face. I’m also loving the straight hair wig which seems to have brought out a set of supermodel esque cheekbones! Hot stuff Vix.
When I lost my hair I simply looked like I had an alien head!:) not a sexy cheekbone in sight!
I know how much Vix was dreading losing her beautiful hair but in true Vix style she has done it with a smile and in full knowledge that all this horrific treatment is for the greater good.
Vix once said to me “but everyone knows me for my hair”. Which is simply ridiculous as once you meet Vix you will quickly realise that there is a lot more to her than her hair. Constant hilarious chat being one of them! She’s now loving her new temporary hair style which is great as it will make it super easy to get used to when it grows back.
Sadly, as in all battles, it’s not just bad cells that take a fall but also the good ones and unfortunately hair is one of the good ones. The good thing about this though is that the good ones will bounce back whilst the bad ones will fester and become so scared of mighty Vix that they will cease to exist. Boom! Vix wins, cancer loses.
We are all thinking of you Vix and are thoughts awith all the other amazing people out there who are also fighting this awful disease.
Vix now has a wonderful blog to go with her Facebook page which you can find here :- http://www.fellowshipoftheringlets.com/?m=1
And on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/groups/742411789184049?tsid=0.6124652184080333&source=typeahead
Just remember, hair or no hair, two boobs or none, you are still beautiful, you are still a woman and you are still the person we all fell in love with.
X
Mount Doom and the Tongariro National Park
I must admit I hadn’t even heard of the Tongariro National Park before arriving in New Zealand which now seems ridiculous considering it is the home of Sauron and Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. I’ve had to take back my ‘geek’ status!
This place is far from the dark and horrible place it is in the movies and as you will see it’s pretty spectacular.
The Tongariro Alpine crossing is regarded as one of the best day walks in the world but unfortunately we were advised that due to dangerous winds we should avoid doing the Trek. A guy looking and sounding like John Malkovich looked over in Ruth’s direction and said “small people have been known to have been swept off the mountain in such winds”! Ha! I found this very amusing and with that me and my hobbit like friend did an alternative trek called ‘Tama Lakes Trek which as you’ll see was absolutely stunning and by no means a second choice.
The Tongariro was New Zealand’s very first national park and is home three Volcanoes including Mt Ngauruhoe which was used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. This was clouded over for most of the day but just as we were leaving the clouds cleared and you could see the top. No eye of Sauron visible so my little hobbit friend was safe!:)
Everyone I had spoken to said that the Alpine Crossing was one of the highlights of their visit to NZ so I felt it was a must do. I had heard it was pretty difficult though and my legs haven’t been the same since the Abel Tasman trek so I was a bit nervous about doing it. It’s almost 20km the majority of which is uphill. It’s probably a good job we didn’t do it as I was exhausted doing what was apparently an easier trek.
Ruth headed home to Wellington the next day and I texted her to ask how she was feeling. She replied with “I feel like a 87 year old” which selfishly made me feel better.
It was great having Ruthie there to share this with. I found it hard but we had a right old laugh and even though she is a kiwi this was a first for her as well so we were both in absolute awe of how many beautiful places her country has.
I must admit though but this trek made me realise that I’m not sure I’ve ever known what it feels like to feel fit or even ‘physically normal’. Ruth never seemed to get out of breath. Flo Flo was the same on the Abel Tasman and my brother wasn’t even phased by Angel Ride. I however, am panting for dear life on these things. I can now see how frustrating it is when you are getting older and your mind tells you can do something but your body is saying the exact opposite.
I am sure that my body can do these thing but it’s just being lazy! I might give it a little bit of a rest now though.
Anyhoo, “without the sour the sweet is never as sweet” and all that panting was worth every step of this 6 hour 19km trek. Yikes! Maybe do some training before adding these to your list tho! I promise you that Richmond Hill is much smaller!:)
X
Oscars, vineyards, the Haka and a fond farewell to Wellington
Right gang, I’ve been reliably informed that my updates are getting way too long now so here is a long update before I try and make them a ‘wee’ bit shorter!:)
This one has to be long as In the past couple of weeks I’ve learned the Haka, met some Lord of the Rings Legends, held an Oscar, watched a World Cup cricket match and best of all I’ve spent time with some pretty wonderful people.
One thing I ‘forgot’ to mention in my last update was that on the final day of the Abel Tasman trek I fell asleep on the beach, missed my bus back to Nelson and as a result was almost two hours late meeting a lovely 101er called Tania who had invited me to stay with her and her family before I headed back to the North island.
Luckily I had Flo with me who gave me a ride and Tania was so lovely about me being my usual idiotic self.
Tania drove an hour and a half from her home town of Blenheim to pick me up from Nelson. It was so kind of her and luckily I caught her just as she left so she could wait at home whilst I attempted to rush to finish the last few kilometres of the trek.
I had such a lovely time in Blenheim although I didn’t feel I was particularly good company. I was pretty tired from the trek and spent my afternoons asleep in their garden hammock. Tania has been following my journey since my travels in Central America in 2013. Her husband Brent sadly lost his brother to cancer at the young age of 21.
We had a wonderful time visiting Vineyards, the famous Peter Jackson air museum but my favourite moments were watching TV in the evenings with Tania, Brent and their youngest daughter Emily. We watched a show called Hamish and Andy. If you haven’t seen this then you just have to. Just imagine my trip around South America but with crazy challenges by two of the funniest guys ever. Absolutely brilliant so add it to your Christmas wish list.
I stayed with Tania for a few days and then headed back to Wellington where I’ve sent the last couple of weeks with my friends Lisa and Ruth.
I was also taught the Haka by the amazing lads at Wellington College. This was Thing #65 on my list and one of the things I was most excited about doing. As you’ll see in the video my version of the Haka stills needs a lot of practice. I’ll talk more about that when I share the video but it was an amazing experience and I learned a lot about Maori culture and when they welcomed me into the school they performed the Haka for me and it was mind blowing. Unfortunately my gift back to the guys was to sing Flower of Scotland. I think I got the better deal there!:) A huge thank you to Warati and Tina for helping me are age this.
As well as sneaking me into the WETA Oscar party my wonderful friend Ruth organised for me to go into WETA the famous effects studio that made Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. I got my face scanned and even got to hold some real Oscar and BAFTA awards. Those puppies are heavy!
As you can see from the photo if I ever won an Oscar I would be least cool person ever! I also got to meet three WETA legends. Two famous illustrators who were influential in the design of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbitt. The incredible Alan Lee and John Howe. I couldn’t believe I got to meet them. They were so lovely and agreed to sign some books which I plan to auction off to raise money for Camp Quality New Zealand. They didn’t simply sign them but also drew the most beautiful unique illustrations in there as well. I’m tempted to keep them for myself!:) such great guys.
Camp Quality is a very similar charity to The Hole In the Wall Gang camp and stands for everything 101 is about.
I had asked to volunteer there but sadly I was too late in enrolling so couldn’t do it. I’ll talk about them more when I auction off the books but they are amazing.
I sadly didn’t get to meet the legend that is Peter Jackson as he was busy but thanks to Ruth, Peter said he would be more than happy to sign something for the auction.
If anyone has any suggestions where the best place to Auction things like this would be then please let me know. Fingers crossed we can raise a lot of money for Camp Quality.
I also got to meet and befriend a wonderful guy called Gino. Gino (photo with oscars) is an effects supervisor at WETA and has worked on everything from Lord of the Rings to Men in Black. He is such a lovely guy and Ruth and I got spend time with him and his lovely family. Gino lost both his parents to cancer so we talked a lot but mostly about films and what they mean to us.
He showed me some of the amazing props he’s worked on, what its like chatting to Steven Spielberg and how moving to New Zealand from the states was the best decision he ever made because that’s where he met his wife.
Ive met so many wonderful people here and thanks to Ruth and Lisa Wellington has felt like home to me. Lisa’s boyfriend Sean and his wonderful daughters feel like family to me now. I’ve made new pals with some people that follow this blog like Karen and Merrie and I also got to catch up with my lovely friend from Raleigh International, Kirsty who also now lives in Wellington.
I can definitely recommend Wellington to either visit or live. I fell in love with the harbour and the botanical gardens. The cafes are incredible and there is such a nice non city vibe about this place. It’s hard to believe it’s the capital.
I now only have a few weeks left to zoom up the North Island before I head off to Asia.
My plan is to head up the North Island to do the amazing Tongaririo crossing (minus big backpack), see the glow worm caves in Waitimo, visit Hobbiton and then head to the beautiful Coromandel before finishing up in Auckland.
I’ve loved being here with my friends in Wellington. It felt like home and spending time with them has been my most favourite part of being here in New Zealand. I think the fact that I think that suggests that it’s almost time for me to go home. The fire I once had for travelling has dwindled of late and I find myself longing for a more settled life. I think I’m almost ready.
Miss you already Wellington.
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