Heading Home

Today we head home from our extended honeymoon. We're leaving a carefree summer in the land down under and heading back to the wet winter clouds that preside over Vancouver.

It's not all bad. We can swap the surf boards for snowboards, the flat whites for real coffee, the endless days of vacation for work weeks in the office, the sunscreen for raincoats, the 16 hours of sunshine for 16 hours of darkness. (Ouch.)

Actually there are some things that I really am looking forward to getting back to. My own bed, really good sushi, being productive, clothing that doesn't smell like its been living in a 20 year old backpack for 11 weeks, real internet, but mostly it's my friends and family I miss. (I know, *groan*, so predictable.)

And as we pack up in preparation for the 20 hour journey home, I'd like to stop and thank everyone that has been following my blog. Sadly, today is the last post (#80). I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Also, I really need to thank SP. He's been such a good sport with all the blog related activities, but more than that, I've had such a great time traveling with him. What can I say, life's good.

Cheers,
-E

Introducing JetStarve

JetStar(ve) is the budget offshoot from Quantas airlines.  We've flown the cost conscience airline two memorable times on our journey down under.

The price is right, truth be told - these are cheap flights. Our 4.5 hr jaunt from Perth to Sydney touched down at $164 each. Good luck crossing Canada for that price.

But you must remember that you're flying with JetStarve, and everything but the tiny cramp inducing seat is a la carte. I guess Quantas needs to make a bit of profit off JetStarve somehow as they certainly are not making it on the ticket.

• Want to check a bag in? $70 at the gate. And your carry on is limited to 10kg.
• Want in flight entertainment? You can rent an iPad for $12.

But the real kicker is the food.

• Instant noodles in a cup, $5. (The same msg laden ones that got you through college.)
• A tiny bag of potato chips, $4. (It's "lunch" sized.)
• A kitkat, $3. 
• Would you like some water? It's $3.50 a bottle. 

What was that, even the water isn't free? Yes, on JetStarve you're not even offered complimentary water.

Consider this a public service. Less weight on board means less fuel - It's good for the environment! And if you wanted to lose a few pounds of holiday weight, no problem! JetStarve is here to help. You'll land dehydrated and it will have been so long since you last ate that the hunger pangs will have subsided to a dull ache (unlike the cramps in your legs.)

(Satire folks, satire.)

Truth be told, I'd rather just pay for what I want versus having a flight attendant wake me up to offer me a flavoured food puck of one grease variety or another. So I really don't mind skipping extras I don't need. And what did you expect? It's a food store 10,000 feet up in the air, flying at 1000 km/hr - it's impressive prices are only 10x what you'd pay on the ground.

I probably wouldn't be so hard on JetStarve except that our flights were only so-so. Creaky old refurbished planes (one had half the signs printed in German) that have started to show their age.

On our trip into Perth the roof panels across the isle from us were falling apart. They had to move 12 passengers to alternative seats as they were afraid that the panels would collapse completely and fall on them. (The crew then proceeded to half heartedly cello tape the panels together again.)

I'm sure the plane's critical maintenance is top notch, as the relavant authorities have regulations on that, but watching incidents like this one really makes you wonder.

Anyways, we're safely in Sydney now, satiated on our DIY in flight peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Take that JetStarve

Tomorrow we're on our way to Manly Beach.

-E

Backpackers in Cairns

Today started with a 5 hour flight from Auckland to Cairns Australia. We chased the sun, arriving at 10 am local time.

I had low expectations for Cairns. It's billed as the "gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" and basically it's the transportation hub for Queensland (the northeastern part of OZ). Most recommendations are to just pass through.

The Great Barrier Reef as seen from the plane.

But it's actually quite nice. It has almost decent internet, cycling lanes(!), lots of parks, a scenic promenade, public fitness classes, neat kids jungle gyms, good dining, real stores and a free outdoor 4800 sq m salt water pool, aptly named the lagoon. (They even have there own Ironman). Today it was 28'C, a bit of very high cloud with 99% humidity.

The lagoon, still open at 7pm.

Cairns must also have the highest number of backpackers per capita in the entire world. (I have know idea if that's true, but it's seriously overrun with unshowered, hungover, passport toting 20-somethings.)

But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So we checked into a hostel. A big one. Though we did 'splurge' on a room with a double bed an a private ensuite, so that's kinda cheating.

The courtyard at our hostel, Caravellas

Our hostel happens to come with a free dinner. For those that have travelled the backpacker trail, it's worth mentioning that these types of deals are pretty common and baked into the business model.

Here's how it works. Your "free dinner" voucher is actually for the local bar. The deal doesn't start until relatively late at night, 7pm in this case. There is some small print. First you have to buy a drink from the bartender, then, with drink in hand, you line up to order dinner. The dinners are pretty basic, but for a small cost you can upgrade so something more substantial. By the time you've ordered, you've finished your first drink, so you might as well get another. Etc.

The lineup outside the bar for the "free dinner".

Everything is fairly reasonably priced, and before you know it the bar is packed and most people are totally sloshed. The business, in turn, packs in a full crowd of hungry, thirsty and still unshowered 20-somethings even on a Monday night.

It's really fun people watching. I had a blast. (The photographic evidence doesn't really need publishing on the WWW though.)

Tomorrow's post is an introduction to Australian wildlife (not including the 20-somethings).

-E

The Flash Bach

It's our last day in the very far north as we're heading down to the bay of islands today. 

I thought I'd end our stay here with another post on the real estate. When I arrived, it was hard to not notice the vast number of empty lots. But the community does have a lot going for it, and though most of the homes below are probably vacation homes, there is a friendly year round population too. 

Starting with the basics, below is your stereotypical NZ bach. Tiny, but enough space to store a boat and fairly popular as a vacation rental.

Decent ones Like the one below, start at about $300k NZD ($240k CAD).

But there is lots of flash around here too. This one is not for sale, but indicative of the nicer houses here.

This one is across the peninsula from us, listed at $860 NZD ($688 CAD).

The terraced looking houses are popular. Here's on just around the corner from us listed at 1.2 mil NZD (IMHO, overpriced).

Another interesting thing is that the local bylaws (covenants) do not seem to have many restrictions on look and feel, or even usage. So you can basically build whatever you like. How about a modern white box?

Or a Spanish villa. (The house below has security cameras, an automated gate and an intercom too.)

Or you can even converted a single car garage into an IKEA style home:

As you've seen over my last few blogs, there isn't that much to do here. Most people who own these homes love this area because they fish. So almost all of the homes have ample parking for boats and their various accessories.

Some houses seem to take boat storage to the extreme. This is actually a home (or at least it is until they develop the rest of the property):

When you're not fishing, there a few other pursuits up here for those looking to burn some money. The Karikari Estates winery is beautiful and has a lovely restaurant.

They are also located across the street from Carrington Resort and golf course. The two establishments are owned by the same company, so you can even drive your golf cart over to the winery after your game.

Also, if you're looking for a place to park your sail boat, there are plenty of options. It's not an area I'd want to stay in long term, but I can certainly see the appeal.

Matai and Waikato Bays

The beautiful twin bays of Matai and Waikato are my the last beach reviews from the very far north.

We spent two afternoons up at the bays. They are nicely sheltered and get a lot less wind than much of the peninsula.

It's a shame I'm not a better photographer, as my pics just don't do them justice. (I think you would need a serious panoramic lens for that.)

Other than being highly photogenic, it's also great for swimming, snorkeling, bird watching, hiking or finding a secluded cove to just hang out in. Also, though there are shells on the beach in some areas, for the most part it's just sand.

There is a small campground nearby, but otherwise the bays are very secluded.

Beach review #4: Matai Bay and Waikato Bay

Rating: 4/5

Best use: Anything that doesn't require a lot of surf. (Bodyboarding possible)

Cool stuff: Apparently it's the best beach-access snorkelling in the far north. There is also pinnacle diving too.

I might have given this beach a 5 if the water wasn't so cold. We went snorkeling once in full wetsuits, but I was freezing in no time. Also, when we went it wasn't low tide, so it wasn't particularly interesting. The bay empties out quite a bit at low tide, so definitely better to snorkel then. 

We've booked a couple of reef dives in the Bay of Islands a few days from now, should be interesting to see if I freeze or not!

-E

Will stop for (cute baby) quadrupeds

New Zealand may be best know for it's sheep, but at this time of year, it's not the sheep that are catch your attention, it's the super cute lambs.

With so much agriculture on the island, there is almost every type of baby farm animal around. And because I'm a sucker for cute animals, I give you a selection of photographic evidence.  

Adorable and flexible

Twins!

Feeding time.

Pink Ears!

OK, not a quadruped, but still cute.

7 day old colt

Posing for the camera

The laughing sheep and "raj" the neighbors pig are bonus pics today. 

Is it wild life or feral life?

What kind of wildlife lives on a beach? Birds. Lots of birds. But on today's long beach hike we also met one of the other residents.

It started with SP taking the lead as we tramped down Karikari beach. With the waves crashing at our side, we trudged along for about four kms.

Our aim was to reach a rehabilitated bird sanctuary located below Karikari estates vineyard. A collection of swamps, lakes, rivers and lots of sand dunes. We knew the sanctuary would also included a number of estuaries. As we got closer to our destination, we realized that we would need to ford a harrowing river in order to carry on.

Though we searched upstream for a dry crossing, it turned out that we would have to get wet. Thankfully, all of us crossed the mighty three inch deep creek successfully. 

Forging on, we finally arrive at the main event, the outlet of the Wairahoraho river. It's a lot deeper than the first river, maybe 5 inches, so we decide to put safety first and call this the turn around point. It's time for lunch.

Before you know it, SM discovers a foot print in the sand. A giant bird print. We follow the prints for awhile, as it wanders around the estuary. The prints are close together, almost like the bird waddles. On speculation, SM think it's an albatross, I think it's a duck and SP thinks it's a dragon, but we really have no idea. Unfortunately, we don't get to see the bird, all we saw were prints. (Photo below.)

There are a few small birds, enjoying the estuary. Oyster catchers and dotterals mostly. Running around on their spindly legs the birds are too skittish for me to get a decent picture. Besides, now that we have spent over a week up here, they are also pretty regular sightings.

At this point we were somewhat disappointed. What was supposed to be a beautiful estuary teaming with life, was really a lot of sand, a trickle of water and some sorry looking shrubs.

We settle on a somewhat grassy dune for lunch and watched the river meander to the sea. The sad looking grasses, exposed to the ocean and the wind, struggle to stay rooted. With the weather, river and dunes constantly changing, it's a wonder anything grows here at all. Lunch is  quiet. SP and I sit listening to the waves and SM is poking around looking for shells. 

And wouldn't you know it, just when things were dullest, SP spots something moving in the water. Following the thalweg upstream is a huge animal. It turns and huffs itself up onto the river bank, shaking water from it's coat. It's big enough to ride (not that you would). After a second it's trotting off into the shrub, tail wagging. It was a boar. Totally dumbstruck, I didn't get a picture. But I can tell you, it looked like this (except it wasn't riding a bike, and it was very much alive):

A book we found at the library. Hunting boar is common up here.

Dragonduckatross prints

Endless sand dunes

The estuary. 

Catch of the day?

Today we're in Mangōnui. An adorable old fishing/whaling village that is now a tourist trap. 

Our adventure included lunch out at possible one of the most famous fish and chip shops in the world. (At least, that's what it says on the side of the building anyways.)

It's worth mentioning that this fish and chip shop has the most amazing business model and is basically a license to print money. It helps that it does have a nice waterfront deck to lure the innocent travelers in.

First you order from the counter, this saves them cash on wait staff, etc. Notice on the sign that one piece of fish is $6.70 (not bad, that includes tax.) The sign also reminds you not to forget the sauce (this part is very important to the business model.)

 

Once your number is up, you pick up your parcel and it's time for lunch.

Plastic cutlery included, as the restaurant also likes to keep the dishes to the minimum too.

Though the fish and chips were tasty, it was the bill was seriously memorable.

The restaurant charges you for each individual sauce. My "large ketchup" was a mini can and cost $3! The sauces were 15% of the bill. 

Those folks sure know how to do this. They even poke a bit of fun as the lemons are free. $44 NZD is about $35 CAD, divided by 3, it's $11.73 each (after tax, no tip required.) It's not egregiously expensive, but it's not cheap either. I should have read the reviews on TA first!

Anyways, the harbor view was nice and we did enjoy Mangōnui. If ever you visit here, go to the harborside takeaway (if you really want fish and chips) or the waterfront cafe instead.