Help change a life
Some of you will remember me talking about a wonderful charity called ’52 Lives’ over the past year. My good friend Jaime (second photo) who has been an amazing source of support to me during my travels started this initiative a little over a year ago.
Jaime’s aim was to help change a different persons life for the better every single week of the year by simply asking if anyone could help on Facebook.
She got the idea when reading a classified add where a woman was asking if anyone had a spare rug she could have for her broken floor so her children wouldn’t cut their feet. Jaime thought that if people only knew about her then they would love to help. At 5am the next morning she started a facebook page called ’52 Lives’.
So far she has helped make over 52 people’s life better because of the simple fact that ‘people are good’.
Each week she puts out a request on Facebook to her ’52 Lives’ gang and each week they help make someone’s life better.
Jaime has told me that two members of our 101 Gang have been influential in helping 52 Lives since first seeing it on the 101 Things page.
They have helped in so many ways, it would take too long to list everything they have done, but here is a little glimpse…They helped to buy a car for a single mum and her son, who both have cancer and had no way of getting to the hospital. They have sent twin boys with a rare disease on a holiday to swim with dolphins. They have bought a computer for a young mum trying to gain qualifications. They have helped buy dentures for a young man with no teeth. They have helped to build a sensory shed for a toddler who was about to lose her eyesight. They have given a brand new bed to a lady with disabilities, who has a spring poking through her mattress. And they have sent messages of support to a young boy who was being bullied because of his scars. Absolutely amazing!
Because of 52 Lives I was put in touch with the families of two very sick Australian children called Claire and Tommy who sadly passed away last year. Claire was the very first life that ’52 Lives’ helped.
I was asked to support Tommy’s older sister, Caitlin who was shaving her head for the Leukaemia foundation in Australia. We did this on the same day when I was in Chile and Caitlin was in Australia and raised $1000s of dollars for charity.
I had the immense honour of spending time with these amazing families when I was in Australia.
Each week I will be sharing the requests of 52 Lives on the 101 Things To Do When You Survive page. We would love it if you could help or maybe you know someone who can. With a larger community to ask we hope that 52 Lives can help even more people.
This weeks request has already been achieved which was to help send 18 kindergarten kids on a field trip. Some of these kids arrive at school having slept in homeless shelters, some arrive hungry, some without adequate clothing. They needed US$240 to send them on a field trip. The total currently stands at over $1500. Incredible!
Please Follow 52 Lives directly on Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/52lives
Feel free to share the page of 52 Lives on your own facebook. You never know who could help!
Well done Jaime and all the 52 lives community. You are all wonderful. Keep up the amazing work.
X
Thing #73 – Take a Walk in Paradise – The Abel Tasman National Park
I’ve been sat in this little cafe in Wellington staring at my computer screen for the past 15 minutes trying to think of a name that will do justice to this new addition to my list.
This has been one of my favourite things I’ve done so far in the past 2 years and for so many reasons that to call it ‘Trek the Abel Tasman just doesn’t do it justice.
There are 9 ‘Great Walks’ in New Zealand and the Abel Tasman is one of them. This is without doubt my idea of paradise. Lush rainforest, golden beaches, breathtaking views, turquoise water and crystal clear river pools. It is heaven and best of all everyone, no matter what fitness level can visit and enjoy this wondrous place.
This was the first multi day hikes I have ever done on my own and I have to be honest I was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. The last multi day hike I did was in Patagonia almost a year ago where my friend Ryan and I spent 6 days hiking in the Torres Del Paine. I found that incredibly difficult but had Ryan there who took on most of the food and equipment. This time however I had to carry it myself and I was slightly nervous that I might not be able to do it. I chose to stay in the huts rather than camp as the weight of carrying a tent might have been a bit too much.
The trek itself is 60km in length and with 5 days to do it might not seem that far for a hiker or a fit person but for someone with a blood clot its a bloomin long way even without having to carry a big pack back on your shoulders. As my main vein is blocked so my body uses enlarged superficial veins on my left side to get blood back to my heart. This can be annoying especially when carrying a backpack as the straps to take the weight off you shoulders are located around the waste which means my veins get crushed when fastened. I’ve attached a pic so you can see. Some would say they are not pretty but they work and that’s all I care about.
The crazy thing is that I didn’t need to do this way. There is a water taxi service that will transport your bag to each stop over hut each day which would have made the whole thing 100 times easier.
My problem is that I am constantly trying to convince myself that I don’t have cancer anymore. I do this on a daily basis from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. By doing challenging things like this it makes me feel ‘normal’, invincible and healthy. However, this way of living is exhausting and it’s something I really need to work on otherwise I’m just going to cause my body some serious damage.
I did the trek backwards from finish to start to try and avoid being on the usual tourist trail and perhaps avoid the crowds.
On the second day I chose to take the most difficult route and went inland. This is the only time I didn’t see another person for a good 3 hours. The route I took was up a steep hill and I used my visualisation techniques which I’ve used ever since my operation to help me do it. With every step I imagined the fresh oxygen I was breathing in from the rainforest, the lack of pollutants in the air, my leg and shoulder muscles getting stronger as I walked and when I got to a steep part I would visualise how I was going to feel when I got to the top and stood looking down at where I just climbed carrying a backpack.
I was knackered but I did it and I arrived at my second hut after 7 hours of hiking.
You can either camp or stay in one of the huts which has dormitory style rooms and an area to set up your stove. On the second night I met an amazing group of people who became my dinner buddies each night. A lovely kiwi couple, a newly married Swiss couple and a Dutch girl called Floor (pronounced Fleur or if your funny like me; ground, pavement, path:). I gave her the name Flo Flo!:)
Flo Flo and I got on like a house on fire and she was kind enough to walk with me for the remaining three days. I have annoyed lots of people in the past for being so slow and some have accused me for not trying but Flo Flo didn’t care at all. I look like a pretty fit guy but for a whole range of reasons, the main one being my blood clot, I struggle to do anything that involves high impact excursion on my legs like hiking and running. I was so grateful that Flo was so patient.
Flo and I had the most wonderful time and got on like a house on fire. Within a few hours I felt like I had known Flo all my life and we had such a laugh the whole way to the end. She is a wonderfully kind and funny girl and made this trek more fun and memorable than I ever imagined it would be. As with my whole trip I set off on my own and came out with a friend for life.
I trekked on my own for the frost couple of days and this gave me lots of time to reflect on life, my trip and how I am going to be when I finally go home.
On the first day I met a girl in the boat going to the first stop. I noticed her first as we waited to board the boat. She was very thin and frail and seemed to be wearing a lot of clothes given the temperature. She asked the driver if he would help her onto the boat explaining that her legs weren’t very strong.
I briefly chatted to her on the boat and she told me she was going to do the day hike before heading back to her hostel later that day. She had a very small backpack and seemed so excited to see the Abel Tasman.
Flo and I bumped into her again on day day three of the track. I was genuinely excited to see her as I thought she was amazing for doing the day trek but it I think it took her a while to recognise me as we had only chatted for a few minutes.
I told her that I thought she was only doing the day trek and that I was surprised to see her again. She told us that she was doing the entire trek but one part each day as she wanted to see the entire National Park as she had problems with her legs. She didn’t go into details about her health but on a hot sunny day she was again wearing a lot of clothes. She said she returned to her hostel each night via water taxi and would come back again in the morning.
As she walked away Flo and I were in absolute awe and Flo said “that’s pretty inspiring hey”. This amazing girl was doing the same trek as me but in a way that her body could manage and cope with it. I was in pain carrying a big back pack around trying to prove something to myself. In a few months time when I go home I will be saying the exact same thing to my friends as this girl will say to hers; I trekked the Abel Tasman.
This girl knew her bodies limitations and she adapted her walk around it. My body can’t really do things like this anymore. My mind can but my body struggles and I was inspired more by this amazing girl who I only spoke to for no more than 10 minutes than I was by my own achievement. It’s made me realise that I need to figure out a different and more lasting way to reassure myself that I am well. I am so grateful that my legs work as well as they do despite this blood clot and I don’t want to exploit that and cause them damage doing needless things. When I get tired I worry so much and I want nothing more than to believe I’m tired because I just am and not because I think I still have cancer. I clearly still have a lot to work on there.
So all in all this was a very wonderful and enlightening experience. I walked in paradise, met amazing people and learned a few things on the way.
Definitely one for your list but just make sure you take Flo Flo with you!:)
X
Learn to play the Piano
This amazing guy has inspired me to add ‘Learn to play the Piano’ to my list.
He played by the harbour side in Queenstown and with the most spectacular view in front of him he stopped everyone in their tracks with his beautiful piano playing.
I stood watching and listening in absolute awe and thought…’I would love to be able to do that’. I wish I had said hello and but I’ll definitely send him an email to thank him.
Chopsticks and Thing #74 here I come!
X
Mathius composes all his own music. You can find out more about him here:- https://www.facebook.com/MathiasPianoMan
Glaciers, rainforests, turquoise rivers and the best hostel in the world
I decided to have a wee break from the Internet these past couple of weeks. I think I perhaps should have told some people before doing this tho, especially after my last Instagram post was about me me driving up the west coast. New Zealand’s winding roads are notoriously dangerous so this was a bit of a stupid update to leave people on. I was greeted by a few emails of ‘are you alive?’ after finally logging back on to the cyber world so my sincerest apologies to those who thought that something bad might have happened. All is well I promise.
There are lots of reasons I switched off the Internet but I’ll chat about that another time. Right now I want to dazzle you with photos so you can bump New Zealand right up on your list.
I now write this as I sit on the ferry back to the North Island wondering if all the other returning travelers fully realise that we have just witnessed paradise.
After Vix left I found myself in the familiar position of being slightly stuck as my lack of planning once again got me in a spot of bother here in NZ!
The bus up to the west coast was booked up for a further 5 days and once again I couldn’t find anywhere to stay in Queenstown.
I decided to hire the cheapest and consequently the smallest car I could find and gave myself 4 days to get up to the city of Nelson in the North of the South Island.
Having my own car allowed me to stop everywhere I wanted to and what should have taken 4 hours to drive from Queenstown to Franz Joseph ended up taking almost 9 hours! Yikes! I may have stopped a few more times than I thought. Everywhere I looked was just filled with breathtaking scenery. Rainforests, lakes and the Southern Alps on my right and the Tasman sea on my left. I only wished I had enough money to hire a car for the duration of my trip here although I fear it might have ended up taking months to get anywhere!
Franz Joseph is famous for its epic glaciers and massive eroded valley where waterfalls cascade down the valley sides. These glaciers are one of the few in the world that exist in temperate climates and stretch down from the mountains into the lush rainforest below. Sadly the glaciers are retreating pretty rapidly due to global warming and it was amazing to see the enormous valleys they have carved out over the past few 1000 years.
It was so beautiful and because I had my own car I even got the chance to visit Fox glacier which was down the road. I even picked up my first ever hitch hikers. I have never done his before but they looked like nice (non axe murdering) travellers so I stopped and gave them a ride. They had been waiting for almost two hours so I’m glad I could take them to their destination in my pimped up ride!:)
At the hostel I also met a great group of Asian travellers who invited to celebrate Kathy’s birthday. They told me how they got their western names. Apparently Tyler had heard that ‘Tyler’ was just a cool name and ‘Rico’ had chosen his name after hearing it on a cartoon! Love it!
Hiking on the Franz Joseph glacier was also on my list but after hiking on the amazing Perito Moreno glacier in Patagonia I couldn’t really justify the cost of doing something similar so decided not to do it. By having the car I also missed out on doing the transalpine train ride so all in all I actually saved money by having the car. There is nothing on my list that I would regret missing now after everything I’ve experienced so far. Whatever I do from now on is just a bonus. I now find myself wanting to add things to my list like ‘get a dog’ and ‘learn the piano’. It seems my adventurer lifestyle is being gradually overtaken by dreams of returning home and back to the little things in life. Who’d have thunk it!;)
From Franz Joseph I headed north to a place called Punakaiki and to what turned out to be the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in!
Before leaving Franz Joseph I looked at the map and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw I was going to drive through places called ‘Greigs’ and ‘Barrytown’ which were right next to each other. My brothers name is Barry and you don’t often see the name Greig spelt with an ‘i’ in it so I took this as a sign that this change of plan was clearly meant to be.
Punakaiki turned out to be one of my most favourite spots so far. The sound of the ocean echoes of the adjacent cliffs so you can hear the ocean on both sides as you walk down the street. Amazing! It’s also famous for its ‘Pancake’ shaped rocks which were beautiful but it was the hostel and the people I met that made my two nights here special.
The Punakaiki Beach Hostel is located right by the beach with the perfect view of the amazing ocean sunsets, fresh bread in the morning and some great people as well. I’m not much of a party person these days so I love chilled out places like these. I could have stayed here for a lot longer.
I spent my days sitting on the rocks reading my book, my evenings on the beach watching the sun go down and even attempted a swim in a freezing cold river. I didn’t last long.
It was here I met the amazing Clare. Clare was cycling all the way from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island to raise money and awareness about depression.
Having just broken up from a long term marriage Clare had returned to New Zealand after living in England for the past 17 years. She was doing this epic challenge for both herself and to raise money for mental health charity. We had a lot in common and chatted into the wee hours. It was really inspiring hearing Clare’s story and how she was helping herself and others through this difficult time. Upon hearing my story she quickly apologised and said that her problems were minuscule to mine but as I say to everyone I meet, these experiences are all relative. A break up from a relationship is can be just as traumatic as being diagnosed with cancer. If an experience effects your mental well being then it doesn’t matter what has caused it.
You can find Clare’s blog here:- http://travelblogs.mapquest.com/78899/42159
And with that I arrived in the lovely town of Nelson where I prepared for a tough 5 day hike around the breathtaking Abel Tasman National Park. This turned out to not only be a new addition to my list but was also a very enlightening experience as well.
Lots of photos and stories to share from that experience so I’ll keep that for another time.
I hope you like these pictures gang and I hope they give some inspiration for a future trip. I promise that you would not be disappointed if you visited here. It is just wonderful in every way and there is something for everyone here whether it be relaxation or adventure. I’ll even come with you!;)
X
The wonderful Vicki Connerty
The next time I see this amazing girl she will be a cancer survivor.
As I said goodbye to Vix at the airport we gave each other a big hug and as I stood to wave her off expecting a longing stare and maybe a tear.. she immediately turned round waving her (one) arm furiously in the air and promptly told me to “go away and leave now”. It may well have even been something slightly stronger than that. ha! She’s clearly not one for long goodbyes.
It was so lovely to spend the past four days with Vix. Vix hired a little apartment on AirBNB right in amongst some vineyards in a place called Bannockburn near Queenstown. It was so beautiful. The only downside was that I had to go through Vicki’s room to get to the toilet so she was awoken by my midnight wees on a nightly basis. It was pretty cold when we arrived and it had recently snowed on the mountains. I had heard how beautiful the mountains were with snow on them so this was an absolute treat to see.
We went for walks, we chatted…a lot, drank hot chocolate and I forced Vix to go to a place called puzzle world which I heard was awesome and a super geeks dream! Shortly after I took the photo of Vix with the big tap she dropped her phone when trying to take a photo of me with her left hand and broke it. Despite her frustration with not being able to move her right arm she handled this really well. Puzzle world may have been a mistake after all though. On the plus side I did get to show Vix the super powers you get as a cancer survivor by lifting up an entire building from the ground….I actually did that!:)
Vix thinks she’s not handling this whole cancer malarkey very well but oh my goodness she really is. Far better than I ever did. We laughed a lot and she didn’t cry once. That to me is someone who is handling this horrificness very well indeed. When you can smile and find the good in a bad situation then you are beyond amazing! Even the phone thing turned out to be funny but I’m sure she will think twice before taking a photo of a big tap tho!
We talked about things we want to do after she finishes her treatment which she will be starting soon. She has agreed to work ‘FOR’ me at the 101 charity. We have both want to get a dog and apparently I will be earning my money by looking after hers. Although she claims not to have heeded my advice and written a list yet, she did talk a lot about the things she wants to do in the future. I’m no genius but doesn’t that constitute a list!:)
She is an amazing girl and one I hope you all get a chance to meet in the future. Those of you attending the Richmond Hill gathering in September will definitely get to meet her. She radiates positive energy and after 5 minutes of meeting her you feel like you’ve known her all your life. Just make sure you never write to her though. I know as she reads this and will be critiquing my grammar as she does. I’m sure if you look in the comments box she will have already produced her red pen and noted them all down.
In my opinion Vix is doing the exact right thing at the moment by keeping busy and doing things she enjoys. It’s important to not to just put life on hold until this illness is all over and done with. After all you are still alive when you are unwell no?! Your body and your mind should always be reminded of that fact!
So if I were to suggest just one thing to add to your list it would be this:- ‘meet Vicki Connerty’. You would not regret it!
I will keep you all updated with the progress of the lovely Vicki Connerty but if you fancy reading the best blog ever then check her out on facebook at ‘Fellowship of the Ringlets’. Despite all she is going through this is a joy to read. It’s honest, it’s funny and most of all it’s positive. Vix thinks that she might be a bit inappropriate writing the way does. She’s very funny and witty and if you don’t laugh during the bad times then you will cry. I know which one I’d rather do.
Keep going Vix! We all love and support you and we can’t wait to join you for hot choccie on Richmond Hill in September!
X
A magical time in an inspiring city
After my amazing Kaikoura experience I then headed South to the city of Christchurch.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of Christchurch. I had first stopped their for a couple of hours on the way to Wellington just after my food poisoning episode and I remember thinking how sad the city was.
Christchurch was hit by a massive Earthquake in 2011 that destroyed many buildings and sadly killed 185 people. The damage was devastating causing irreparable damage to homes, buildings and of course to the security once felt by the cities residents.
The damage is still very evident in the city. The cost of the damage is believed to have been a massive NZ$15billion but repairs are slowly but surely taking shape.
So all in all my first impressions of Christchurch were with a sense of sorrow.
My second visit to Christchurch completely transformed my initial perception. I was invited to stay with the family of one of the followers of 101 Things To Do When You Survive. Trevor had seen my story in one of the local Christchurch papers in 2013 and has been following my journey ever since. He invited me to stay with his beautiful family, his lovely wife Della, his two gorgeous kids Connor and Cara and the friendliest and only dog I’ve ever met who I wasn’t allergic to, Una.
I stayed with them for three nights and had the most wonderful time. Trev showed me around the city and told me all about it and how Christchurch is literally rising from the rubble. The Earthquake really affected Trevor and Della. Trevor suffered from PTSD afterwards and the family decided to travel to try and regain some normality. The earthquake produced 100’s of aftershocks which meant the fear of another catastrophe was a constant reality.
Trevor showed me the damage that had been caused. Buildings with scaffolding holding them up, houses balancing on collapsed cliffs and a damaged rugby stadium resembling something out of an apocalyptic world.
But in between all these areas of devastation were signs of resurgence and hope. The council has commissioned street art to decorate the abandoned and damaged buildings illuminating Christchurch out of the darkness. Street stages complete with speakers, lights, disco ball and a place to plug in your iPod can be found around the city encouraging people to meet, dance and be happy. Shops built out of shipping containers. A huge model of the City created by Italian architect students where people help create by decorating and placing bricks signifying the rebuilding of this beautiful city. A 101 brick was placed on the street where I had first met Trev and Della and Della’s place of work.
I was so taken aback by all these wonderful things. Along with the company of Trevor it really warmed my heart.
I also met up with an amazing girl called Mel who is another one of the 101 Things gang. Mel is a breast cancer survivor and one of the most positive people I have ever met. We met for a hot chocolate and a walk around the city and met again that night for dinner with Trev and the family. She was such a joy to be around and I felt honoured that she got in touch with me.
On the Sunday myself, Trev, Connor and a few of Trev’s pals went fishing. This was my first taste of real fishing. I’ve always wanted to do it and on a gloriously sunny day I stood at the edge of a stunning glacial lake and caught….nothing!:) ha! Such fun though and a great group of guys. They immediately made me feel like one of the gang.
Trev, Connor and I then went to a place called Castle Hill which was absolutely unbelievable. Huge limestone boulders litter the hills resembling an old run down castle. Both Trev and I loved it but I think it was hanging out with Connor that made it extra special. Seeing the excitement on his face as we climbed around the rocks was infectious. Check out the photo of Trev and Connor on the huge rock with their arms in the air. These rocks were enormous. Such a beautiful place and one I would have missed had it not been for Trev.
On the way home we stopped in a place called Springfield. I immediately starting humming the tune to the Simpsons and Trev laughed and pulled over next to a giant pink donut which was given by the creators of the Simpsons to every town in the world called Springfield. Trev came up with the idea of doing our very own ‘donut 101’!
This was such an amazing experience. I met wonderful people, experienced the optimism of a beautiful city and breathed in the air of some of New Zealand’s most beautiful natural wonders.
A huge thank you to Trev, his wonderful family and friends and the inspiring Mel for their generosity and for welcoming me into their beautiful world.
Christchurch, you are truly amazing!
Heart full, next stop Queenstown (I’m here now…blog delay) for some cancer survival training with the mighty Vix!
X
World Cancer Day
Look who just dropped in on World Cancer day!
My wonderful friend Vicki flew over from Sydney today to spend a few days hanging out with me on what by sheer coincidence has turned out to be World Cancer Day.
What are the chances that we chose this day to meet up. Vicki who has just had a lumpectomy and is soon to start chemo in her fight against breast cancer and me who has now whipped cancers ass on two occasions. It seems we were not only destined to meet in Sydney but also destined to meet again on World cancer day.
Vicki’s operation was a success but she has now lost feeling and movement in her right arm. The nerves were damaged in the operation and the docs have said that it might be another few months until she regains any movement. She called her cancerous lump ‘Lumpy’ and her right arm is now known as ‘Limpy’. Despite having to get used to only having the use of one arm and 6 months of chemo on the horizon Vix is in remarkably good form and has been making me chuckle all day long.
We spent this afternoon chatting about all things cancer, our fears, our hopes and how this horrible disease seems to bring out the best in people. Vicki has been overwhelmed by the support on her blog – The Fellowship of the Ringlets which I must say is both inspiring and hilarious.
There are lots of scary headlines in the news about cancer. I’m not going to go into them all but the main one is that 1 in 2 people are now believed to get cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 2!!!!!!! This makes me feel rather sick.
Vicki and I were talking about why certain people get cancer and others don’t. We discussed nutrition, stress and age but we just don’t know. I am of course all for better treatments for cancer as they are the reason I am still here today but I would rather not see people getting cancer at all.
There needs to be more done on the prevention of cancer. Why are we getting it and what can we do to help prevent it. More education is needed on diet, nutrition, exercise and stress management. If this doesn’t happen then the next headline might just be ‘everyone will get cancer in their lifetime’. Like everyone else on the planet I don’t want that to happen!
There are so many great charity’s out there doing wonderful things from research to support. All need our help but the charity I want to promote today is the Anthony Nolan trust.
For no money at all you can donate your stem cells which could go on to save someone’s life.
Please register at the Anthony Nolan website and YOU could save someone’s life! How amazing is that.
http://www.anthonynolan.org/8-ways-you-could-save-life/donate-your-stem-cells/apply-join-our-register
My love and well wishes to my friends Vicki, Victoria, to everyone who has fought or is fighting cancer and to anyone supporting someone with cancer. We Will beat this. Keep fighting and keep hope in your hearts.
X
Dolphins, Kaikoura and good people
Thanks to the amazing Vicki Connerty I was able to fulfil a lifelong dream on Thursday and achieve Thing #45 on my list which was to swim with dolphins! Aaaaaahhh! Amazing!
When I left Wellington I jumped on the ferry to the South Island and got a bus to the beautiful little coastal town of Kaikoura. I stayed at a hostel which despite the £15 a night price tag (expensive in travellers terms) and the 30 minute walk from the bus stop turned out to be worth every penny and step. The view of the bay and the mountains was just incredible.
I had built this particular thing on my list up to be something truly amazing and then started to ‘worry’ that maybe I had hyped it up too much and it might be a bit rubbish. It wasn’t!!! It was even more spectacular than I expected despite the crazy early morning wake up call of 4:30am!
The dusky Dolphins are known for their acrobatic skills and they just love to play. The boat found a small pod of around 50 and we all jumped out. The tour company I went with don’t feed or entice the Dolphins in any way which I really liked. If the Dolphins want to play then they will play. If not then we get back in the boat and try and find some Dolphins that might be interested in hanging out with us.
We were told that the Dolphins love noises and bubbles. It was hilarious to hear everyone humming and bubbling through their snorkels trying to get the Dolphins attention.
The Dolphins loved us and swam around chasing each other and jumping out of the water. I couldn’t believe how close they came up to me. Everywhere I looked their was a dolphin whizzing by so much so my video is all over the place as I was flinging the camera here there and everywhere. A seal even came over and joined the party.
After about 45 minutes we got out of the water and I was greeted with the dream drink…a steaming cup of hot chocolate, a ginger biscuit and the sound of 10 people throwing up into buckets because of sea sickness! More hot choccie for me then! It seems the sailing training I did in September paid off!:)
As we headed back to shore the two tour boats joined up and we were surrounded by around 300 Dolphins! It was the most incredible sight and one which I will never forget. Thank you so much to my beautiful friend Vicki for this wonderful birthday present.
Definitely one for your lists and one you can do with minimal fitness if you are recovering or unwell. Just watch out for the cold though. It was a bit chilly.
Good people
I met some great people whilst in Kaikoura. I got chatting to a Dutch guy called Lenny in the Queue for my bus to Kaikoura and we chatted all the way there. Lenny was on his way to start work on a dairy farm for 10 months. A Geordie girl who I swear I know. At the hostel we then met a young guy called Piers from California and an amazingly lovely girl from Switzerland called Linda. Piers is 18 and rocked up in Auckland, bought a motor bike and is now riding through the country. Both were such lovely people and we and hiked the coastal track in Kaikoura together (see pics). Lenny and Piers are the two guys that look like they’ve been photoshopped! Im the squidgy one in the hat!:)
That night I then met a guy called Will who was on his way to Christchurch to start Uni so he gave me a ride.
I first greeted all these people with handshakes but it was big hugs when it came to saying goodbye. I really love that about travelling. People just seem to have time for one another and you seem to connect far quicker than in any other time in your life. I’m going to try and adopt this travellers people approach when I get home so fingers crossed I don’t just come across like a total weirdo!:)
X
Milford Sound, the most beautiful place on Earth?
My energy is now back to full strength and I’m ready for the off tomorrow. First stop is the coastal town of Kaikoura for a date with some Dolphins!
I do believe things happen for reason and because of my food poisoning on New Year’s Day myself, Ozen and Ruth had to cancel our trip to Milford Sound because I wasn’t well enough to go. We instead went the following day which turned out to be an absolute blessing as the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It rains an average of 200 days a year in Milford Sound and the day we were originally meant to go was one of these rainy days.
Milford Sound is New Zealand’s most popular tourist attraction and has been hailed as one of the most beautiful places on earth and the 8th Natural Wonder of the World. It is unbelievably beautiful, almost to the point when at times you think you’re in some computer generated simulator. Mountains rise out of the water like prehistoric animals and your gaze can’t help but catch one of the beautiful natural waterfall cascading down a mountain. There are seals and penguins as well as an underwater observatory where you can see just some for the amazing underwater sea life.
Milford Sound is actually a ‘fiord’ as it was formed by glaciers cutting their way through the rock over 1000’s of years and not a ‘Sound’ which is actually a large ocean inlet or a narrow stretch of water in between two bodies of land (degree in geography gang….and in reading Wikipedia:). It is an incredible 400m deep in some places.
In order to make Milford Sound accessible to cars the 1.2km Homer tunnel was constructed right through the mountain and then a weaving road to Milford Sound.
Just like the Bolivian Salt flats it wasn’t just the destination that was spectacular. The entire route from Queenstown to Milford Sound was mind blowing.
When we arrived we jumped on a 3 hour boat tour so you could definitely see this place if you weren’t feeling 100% just like I did.
There is also the famous Milford Track which is a 4 day hike but unfortunately you need to book up to a year in advance for that one so I’ve missed out this time but it’s a very good excuse to come back in the future! Anyone?:)
My words won’t do this place justice so I will let the photos do the talking (he says after yet again writing the equivalent of War and Peace).
When I was there I declared that this was indeed the most beautiful place I had seen on my entire world trip so far. I’ve looked at my other photos since and I’ve seen some pretty spectacular places so I will simply say that this is definitely ‘one’ of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and that this is definitely one for your list!:)
Hope you enjoy these pics gang. South Island here I come again…..armed with Probitotics….and Imodium!:)
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South Island – Part 1
The good news is that I am almost back to 101%. I managed a 19km walk the other day and also made it through a game of tennis without collapsing. I’m still pretty worn out the day after but I feel a lot stronger than I did. I will be heading back to the South Island on Monday for a couple of weeks and after you see these photos you’ll understand why. Thank you so much for your lovely messages. I won’t lie I was a bit scared there for a while and as ever it is a blessing to be able to get up in the morning and feel well again.
I’ve been a bit bad at keeping the blog up to date since Christmas so here is the post Christmas action and some beautiful photos to warm you are up if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere and to also show everyone that despite all the horribleness that’s been in the news lately we still live in a very beautiful world.
It was the day ‘after’ Christmas…
The day after Christmas myself, Ruth and a lovely Canadian girl called Ozen set off for the South Island. This was a weeks holiday for the girls and was meant to be the start of a longer South Island adventure for me.
Looking at all the photos it’s pretty amazing how much we did in one week. No wonder I was exhausted.
We took Ozen’s car and jumped on the ferry from Wellington. As I awed at the scenery as we left the bay Ruth said to me, “just wait until you see the South Island”. As you’ll see from the photos I wasn’t disappointed.
We headed towards to Queenstown briefly stopping at Kaikoura and spending the night with the family of Ruth’s big brother in Christchurch before continuing South via the beautiful lakes Tekapo and Wanaka and onto Cardrona where we stayed for the week.
There are no words to describe how beautiful this country is. We kept stopping on the way as each view became increasingly more beautiful. Queenstown is just spectacular and these photos just don’t do it justice. The mountain range is called the Remarkables and with very good reason. They are ….erm….remarkable and overlook the insanely blue Lake Wakatipu. Whilst in Queenstown we jet boated, skydived but mainly just stood in awe at the scenery.
We also visited a little town called Arrow town which was where Chinese settlers set up camp during the gold rush, living in tiny make shift shacks. Such a beautiful little town and you can still search the river for gold whilst your there.
We spent New Years eve at New Zealand’s oldest pub called the Cardrona Hotel where we hung out with the owners and their friends. Such lovely people and they made us feel so welcome.
When I was in Cardrona I was interviewed by a local journalist for a Queenstown newspaper and magazine (see link) – http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/329381/globe-trotting-survivor-drops
Her name is Louise and I was far more interested in talking about her life than I was in talking about mine. Lou is from Ireland and has sadly lost both her parents to cancer. When her relationship ended in the UK she decided to set off on an adventure and find her happiness again. She now lives in Queenstown and absolutely loves it. Such a lovely girl and it was such a pleasure to meet her.
The South Island is spectacular and I’m so excited to go back and see a few more things before I venture up the north island. Just wait until you see the photos of Milford Sound which I declared as the most beautiful place I had ever seen. It’s pretty special.
New Zealand is definitely one for your lists and one you can do even if you’re not fully fit yet as I found out when I went to Milford Sound.
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