Cfred!!!

[Wonderwiper]

Started our own thread.....I want to hear about everything they have planned for you!!

I lived mostly in Queenstown. Worked as a kayak guide in Milford and Doubtful Sounds for 5 years then as a nanny in Queenstown. I have pretty much been everywhere though!

Have you been before? What's your plan????

[cfred]

Hahaha! No worries....was a good idea I'm about to take a nap as the anaesthetic (sp?) is still knocking the stuffing out of me. I'll look for the email itinerary she sent my friend and I back some time ago and can tell you more after I find that. Many of the names over there are odd and hard to pronounce...please forgive all my misspellings of Kiwi places. My boyfriend used to live in Whangarei (sp?) so I pronounced it as it looks....to find out with a big round of laughs from my Kiwi friends that it starts with an 'F' sound. What??? What I do know off the top of my head is that they live near Auckland. We're spending a few days at their batch (proper spelling???) on Bland Bay, stopping to see my boyfriend's old place on the way. We're going to see some glowing worm poo in caves (name is on the tip of my tongue but can't quite get it) and to a place called 'Rotarua'. I think we're kayaking there. Something that sounds like 'Whytomo' is sticking in my head. There's also a fantastic day hike we're doing that's very well known and that name is completely gone. I believe we're going white water rafting near Wellington. Also a bungee jump but NOT the Hackett one on South Island...we're staying on the North. 90 mile beach and surfing the dunes (is that at 90 mile?) and I believe petting eels at a park. She said she's taking us to see as many things you can only see in NZ as possible. There is also talk of climbing a mountain. I can't remember the name of it, but apparently a couple of people died on it not too long ago - trapped when bad weather ensued. Maybe that's a totally different mountain. I've asked if we can visit some Maori children as I wanted to bring some Canadian stuff for them (maples candies and such), but have learned that you must be invited. I'm sure we'll see the tourist presentations they put on, but I'd be just as happy to miss that in favour of meeting the kids in school and learning first hand about them.

Doubtful Sounds rings a bell.....Wow, lucky you! Kayak guide in NZ? And then you packed up and came here? How did you end up over there? Why did you come back? I'm feeling like it might be hard to get on the plane to come home from everything I've been hearing. I usually travel to under developed Caribbean islands for holidays. For the past 3, I've camped on Playa Flamenco in Culebra, PR. This will be a very different experience and I'm excited about it.....will bring my tent and hammock along, in case I miss that aspect though.....I do love my little tent

[Wonderwiper]

Wow...sounds like you'll be busy! All wonderful things! The wh as an F got me too, ha ha! Rotorua is cool but very stinky. Waitomo caves are neat and the glow worms are actually really cool! Probably Mt. ruapehu...lovely!

It's not really like Maori children are somewhere different from other New Zealanders. It's also very easy to be invited everywhere! I spent my first year hitching around both islands and always got invited into people's home for tea, lunch etc. An amazing experience! AJ Hackett has bungy in North island too....I know Henry and have done all of their jumps, you'll love it!!

I started off on a year long working holiday in Australia after University. That turned into a couple of years traveling south pacific and Asia before ending up in NZ!

Although I miss it and it was an amazing part of my life....I got older and really wanted to start a family and couldn't imagine being so far away from my own family then! I have two girls and feel so grateful that they have grandparents and aunts in their lives so totally worth the trade off!

[Wonderwiper]

So...have an incredible time!! You can freedom camp wherever you want so you should have an opportunity to hang up that hammock! Would love to hear about your adventures when you get back!