February 6, 2019
I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand this morning at 9am and goodness was it a whirlwind of a day! I’ll spare all the flight details, but there were some issues. A friend of mine gave me some good advice before I started my travels: “Remember to be Gumby-like and flexible and make the most of each situation.” It was very applicable! During the 12 hour flight from San Francisco to Auckland I took full advantage of the movie selection. After landing I spotted my luggage and off I went! I'm impressed it made it to be honest. I guess the airline did at least one thing right. I rode the bus to the city center and found the hostel (Metro Backpackers) shortly after. It was in a great location! I couldn’t check in yet because it was only 11am, but I dropped off my luggage and explored Auckland. It was a gorgeous day! The sun was beaming and the sky was clear. I walked to the wharf and the water was so beautiful. I stationed myself at a rooftop brewery called Dr. Rubi’s. It was a dream. I had a seat at a counter overlooking the harbor. Today was a holiday for New Zealand - February 6 is called Waitangi Day and it celebrates the founding the country. Upside: there were music festivals/events going on and the main bridge displayed a light show 5 nights straight starting at 9pm every night. Downside: 15% was added to all bills at restaurants!
I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand this morning at 9am and goodness was it a whirlwind of a day! I’ll spare all the flight details, but there were some issues. A friend of mine gave me some good advice before I started my travels: “Remember to be Gumby-like and flexible and make the most of each situation.” It was very applicable! During the 12 hour flight from San Francisco to Auckland I took full advantage of the movie selection. After landing I spotted my luggage and off I went! I'm impressed it made it to be honest. I guess the airline did at least one thing right. I rode the bus to the city center and found the hostel (Metro Backpackers) shortly after. It was in a great location! I couldn’t check in yet because it was only 11am, but I dropped off my luggage and explored Auckland. It was a gorgeous day! The sun was beaming and the sky was clear. I walked to the wharf and the water was so beautiful. I stationed myself at a rooftop brewery called Dr. Rubi’s. It was a dream. I had a seat at a counter overlooking the harbor. Today was a holiday for New Zealand - February 6 is called Waitangi Day and it celebrates the founding the country. Upside: there were music festivals/events going on and the main bridge displayed a light show 5 nights straight starting at 9pm every night. Downside: 15% was added to all bills at restaurants!
Prior to my trip, I signed up for an Airbnb salsa experience with a girl named Luzie. Who knew you could do that through Airbnb? Anyway, she messaged me saying she needed to travel to Sydney, Australia for work and that her friend, Lee, would be taking me instead. I was fine with it – l was just happy to have someone to introduce me to people. Before salsa I thought I could push and stay awake to force myself to get on New Zealand time…..but I caved. I took a 1.5 hour nap. I met one of my roommates (there are 8 girls including me) and she was from Shanghai. She was very sweet. Lee picked me up for salsa around 9pm. He was very nice and we had some laughs. We arrived at the salsa place, The Kingslander, and it was a good venue with a live band. I met a decent number of people and enjoyed my time.
Lee dropped me off and I walked into the hostel room at 11:30pm. The lights were off and most of the girls were asleep. Danggg. I was definitely not expecting to be the last girl in the room. In most hostels the people go out partying late at night. I must say it was a nice change of pace. Though it was tough to gather all my things in the dark to take a shower. I liked this hostel a lot. It was relatively small, so not too rambunctious and most people seemed to be very respectable of the late hours. I climbed into bed close to midnight and fell asleep right away. It was a longg day! Even though I’m currently traveling alone, I don’t feel that way being surrounded by all the girls in my room. Tomorrow I'm taking a ferry to Rangitoto Island (a dormant volcano visible from most of Auckland)!
February 7, 2019
I woke up semi early (at least earlier than my 8:15 alarm) and started getting ready for the day. I walked to a nearby Subway to pack a sandwich for lunch since I had heard Rangitoto Island did not have any shops or food available. I walked to the dock and bought a ticket. Well that was too easy. The ride was about 30 minutes and then I began hiking around. There were some cool lava rocks along the sides that were burned black. It was a very isolated place and apparently it had no pests whatsoever. About 30 minutes into my hike, it started drizzling which was a bummer. Thankfully I brought a small jacket so I covered my little daypack. The day was rather cloudy and it was a bit chilly at times but I’m sure it would have been uncomfortably hot if it wasn’t cloudy. Especially with all the lava rocks around. I first went to the lava caves which were a little complicated to find, but they were really cool! I whipped out my headlamp (in New Zealand/Australia they call it a torch) and walked through the cave. It was very dark, narrow, and a little creepy. It felt damp/cool inside and it was pitch black at points (without the headlamp on). I felt like I was on the Discovery channel trying to locate an ancient treasure. I then walked up to the summit and enjoyed the views. You could see Auckland city center in the distance and it was amazing. The prominent feature was Sky Tower sticking up in the air like a pin needle. You could also see small islands floating in the teal water and mountains in the far distance. I could only imagine what it looked like on a clear day. I’m sure it would be mind-blowing. I soaked up the vista for a good while and devoured my Subway sandwich like I hadn’t eaten in years. I started my hike back down and every so often I could see Auckland peek out of the trees/bushes.
I took the 2:30pm ferry back to Auckland and then I walked to Vultures Lane which was a place Lee recommended for a good beer selection. Man was he right! It had a wonderful selection, especially of bottled beer. I tried a few on tap and then went with a hefeweizen. It knocked my socks off. I gave it a 4.5 on Untappd which most people know is a rarity for me. The lady at the counter was very nice and we talked about Colorado beer for a few minutes. After enjoying my sweet, sweet hefe, I walked back to the hostel and just laid around for a bit. It has been so nice to have no schedule set and no pressure to be doing anything particular. Should I watch a movie on Netflix? Ok! Should I explore? Go for it! Should I nap? Sure, why not! Around 6:30pm I headed out to grab dinner near the Wharf. I ended up at the Auckland Fish Market. I absorbed all the smells and decided to eat at a sushi place. This place was obviously the most popular. There was so much activity going on and the workers were very busy preparing the mouthwatering food. I ordered a Rainbow Roll and yes, it was the most amazing Rainbow Roll I’ve ever had. The rice had just the right amount of stickiness and the fish was so tender and smooth.
After finishing my meal, I began my search for an outlet to charge my tablet. I had been carrying it with me all day. During my search I learned something quite interesting. New Zealanders don’t know what the word “outlet” is! Each time I asked they would look at me like I was speaking another language. I then described that I needed to charge my tablet. Then they would point me to one or say they didn’t have one at a table. I texted Lee asking what New Zealanders called an outlet. He said “socket.” I’ll tell ya, once I knew the magic word it was a piece of cake from there! How interesting it was that they didn’t use the word “outlet.” Around 9pm I walked to Silo Park to view the bridge light show for the holiday yesterday. It was neat. Right at 9pm the lights changed colors and moved across the bridge span. A few other people were gathered there as well. At this point it was really cold so once it ended 5 minutes later, I didn’t dilly dally – I booked it home. The city skyline at night was beautiful. Especially Sky Tower. I got back to the room at 10pm and all the girls except for one were in bed.
I woke up semi early (at least earlier than my 8:15 alarm) and started getting ready for the day. I walked to a nearby Subway to pack a sandwich for lunch since I had heard Rangitoto Island did not have any shops or food available. I walked to the dock and bought a ticket. Well that was too easy. The ride was about 30 minutes and then I began hiking around. There were some cool lava rocks along the sides that were burned black. It was a very isolated place and apparently it had no pests whatsoever. About 30 minutes into my hike, it started drizzling which was a bummer. Thankfully I brought a small jacket so I covered my little daypack. The day was rather cloudy and it was a bit chilly at times but I’m sure it would have been uncomfortably hot if it wasn’t cloudy. Especially with all the lava rocks around. I first went to the lava caves which were a little complicated to find, but they were really cool! I whipped out my headlamp (in New Zealand/Australia they call it a torch) and walked through the cave. It was very dark, narrow, and a little creepy. It felt damp/cool inside and it was pitch black at points (without the headlamp on). I felt like I was on the Discovery channel trying to locate an ancient treasure. I then walked up to the summit and enjoyed the views. You could see Auckland city center in the distance and it was amazing. The prominent feature was Sky Tower sticking up in the air like a pin needle. You could also see small islands floating in the teal water and mountains in the far distance. I could only imagine what it looked like on a clear day. I’m sure it would be mind-blowing. I soaked up the vista for a good while and devoured my Subway sandwich like I hadn’t eaten in years. I started my hike back down and every so often I could see Auckland peek out of the trees/bushes.
February 8, 2019
Today I decided to rent a bike for the day! When I walked into the bike shop there were only a few bikes left and the lady who worked there set me up really fast. She kept calling me Sugar every other sentence. I didn’t hate it. I rode the bike to Mission Bay which took about 30 minutes. It was a super windy day but also very sunny. I felt like I was pedaling against the wind most of the time and it was pretty tough. Also the bike seat kept falling down so that was annoying. As I was riding along the coast the water glimmered in the sun and I could see all different shades of blue and teal. Rangitoto Island was in view the entire time as well. It was absolutely stunning. I’m actually doing pretty well staying on the left side of the sidewalk and biking on the left side. I’m practically a local now! I rode the bike to Mission Bay and then continued to Kohimarama Beach which I enjoyed more. It was less crowded and there were lots of beautiful seashells to look at.
On my ride back I stopped at Bastion Point which was gorgeous. It was essentially a panorama of the surrounding area. The vibrant green grass mixed with the deep blue ocean in the distance was picture perfect. After I returned the bike I walked back into my room and found two new girls in the bunks next to me. They said hi and seemed nice. I didn’t say anything else, but after a bit I heard some words that sounded like Portuguese. I asked them which language they were speaking and the more talkative girl (Rebecca) said “Portuguese. We’re from Brazil.” How neat! I have Brazilian roommates! The other girl’s name was Julia and they were sisters. They were both very sweet and easy to talk to. Rebecca had great English while Julia would struggle a little. We chatted about football (soccer) of course and Rebecca mentioned it was her first time traveling just with her sister and that they hadn’t stayed in hostels before. I really enjoyed talking with them. It’s so great to immediately connect with people from around the world.
I then wandered over to Silo Park to catch the free movie screening of Solo (Star Wars). There were a good amount of people there but not as many as I thought there would be. If it were Denver it would be so packed that I wouldn’t be able to move. There were loads of food trucks around and lots of merriment. It was a neat atmosphere. I even found my own seat on a concrete block. The movie started at 9pm but it was a little difficult to see because most of the scenes were dark. I couldn’t really get into it, and I was exhausted from biking all day, so I decided to leave around 9:30pm. I was thiiiis close to caving in and downloading the Lime scooter App (scooters that are left around the city to rent and use). No, Julie! You can be strong! I made it back to the hostel and got ready for bed. The walls in the hostel were incredibly sound proofed. It was amazing. There was practically a party going on down the hall, but I couldn’t even hear it. Same with the traffic just outside the window. Another thing I noticed about the hostel is that the cleaning staff was constantly cleaning. I don’t think there was ever a time I walked around and didn’t see someone vacuuming or cleaning. Anyway, tomorrow I’m going to see Hunua Falls with a local kiwi I met the other day! His name is Nathan and he suggested we take a trip there because it’s beautiful and only an hour drive. I’m super excited.
Today I decided to rent a bike for the day! When I walked into the bike shop there were only a few bikes left and the lady who worked there set me up really fast. She kept calling me Sugar every other sentence. I didn’t hate it. I rode the bike to Mission Bay which took about 30 minutes. It was a super windy day but also very sunny. I felt like I was pedaling against the wind most of the time and it was pretty tough. Also the bike seat kept falling down so that was annoying. As I was riding along the coast the water glimmered in the sun and I could see all different shades of blue and teal. Rangitoto Island was in view the entire time as well. It was absolutely stunning. I’m actually doing pretty well staying on the left side of the sidewalk and biking on the left side. I’m practically a local now! I rode the bike to Mission Bay and then continued to Kohimarama Beach which I enjoyed more. It was less crowded and there were lots of beautiful seashells to look at.
February 9, 2019
Today was a good day! It started off slow because check-out from the hostel was at 10am and I couldn’t check-in at the Airbnb until 1pm. I will miss the hostel, but I looked forward to having my own space and meeting up with Emily and Dan (Virginia Tech friends) later! Checking in with Shona was quick and uneventful. The Airbnb is the bottom floor of a house with a nice little backyard. Unfortunately, it was rather loud when the hosts were walking around upstairs - it sounded like elephants were marching around. I dropped off my luggage and laid out all my clothes to breathe since they had been stuffed in my suitcase for 3 days. I took a quick trip to Mt. Eden by hailing an Uber and the guy dropped me off about a half mile from the top. Cheating the system for the win! I was thankful because it was very steep and my legs were sore from yesterday’s bike ride. I started hiking and the views were outstanding. Mt. Eden is an extinct volcano, much like many of the hills/mountains near Auckland, and the crater was enormous. It was very intimidating to stand near the edge and a little frightening. There were even warning signs about getting too close. I reached the summit within minutes and took a short documentary video along the way. Once I got to the top there were panoramic views of the enter city, Pacific Ocean, and surrounding areas. It was truly amazing. This was definitely becoming one of my favorite parts of Auckland so far. It started raining a bit which scared most people off the summit. I didn’t bring my raincoat so I followed the hoard of people. It stopped shortly after and I continued along the path to what I thought was an even better view (of the city center and Rangitoto Island at least). Rangitoto really is a gem of Auckland. It can be seen from pretty much anywhere. I took a bazillion photos and the sun even came out for a bit and lit the grass with a vibrant green color! Yep, this is probably my favorite activity so far. The views were just astounding. Thankfully the path wasn’t very long because I was able to experience it all within 45 minutes. I called an Uber back to a bar near the Airbnb (about a 10 minute drive). I quickly ordered a beer and a cobb salad. The bartender was fantastic. He gave me “wee tastes” of two beers which really were like half glass pours. He mentioned that it was a rule to finish both of them before serving me a full pint. Well, twist my arm why don’t ya!
I waited for Emily and Dan to arrive at the Airbnb and we briefly swapped stories of our international experiences so far. We hit the hay and planned to leave tomorrow morning at 9am for a full day at Waiheke Island! I’m pumped to have them here and I can’t wait for us to create many fun memories together!
February 10, 2019
Today was such a fun day! We loaded the boat and left the dock at 10am toward our Waiheke Island adventure. The views during the ride were amazing - islands in the distance, a giant mountain, Rangitoto Island, the bright sun on the glimmering water. The three of us were trying to soak everything in but also not lose our hats along the way. We docked the boat on Waiheke Island at 10:40am. Our first order of business was to figure out what we wanted to do with our time. We decided to visit some vineyards and then relax at Oneroa Beach. We opened up the maps they gave us and experienced a lot of confusion about how to get where. Eventually, we found a bus timetable board and read through it. It was much easier to follow. However, we must have still sounded distressed because a local New Zealander came to our rescue and told us how to gets places. She also recommended the “best” places. Thank you, New Zealand girl! She mentioned we just missed the bus to the vineyards, but we could walk 20 minutes to the small town and catch the next one there. We started our journey and the weather was amazing. Oh, I forgot! As we were coming into the harbor there were little boats anchored along the sides and one of them was hoisting…..a Colorado flag!! I was so pumped about that. And the water was a gorgeous teal/green color. We strolled into town and thankfully caught the bus within minutes. We were timing things poorly in some ways, but fantastically in others. Once we hit the cluster of vineyards (and when I say cluster I mean about 5 or 6!) we hopped off. We decided to go to the one closest to the bus stop called Wild on Waiheke first. It was a neat place with vines everywhere. Most of them were covered with nets to protect them from pests. As we walked further, we discovered it also had a brewery component. Even better! I tried a few beers and really enjoyed the hefeweizen. Dan got a wine tasting and Emily ordered a cider. We also ordered a cheese board. Dan, Emily, and I had pleasant conversation and lots of laughs. After our enjoyable experience of the first vineyard, we decided to walk to Stonyridge Vineyard. Em and Dan were craving a large meal and Stonyridge was supposed to have a wonderful restaurant and menu. The road leading to the vineyard had many quick and shallow curves. I mentioned that someone must have had a couple glasses of wine when they designed it because it looked drunk. We approached the hostess stand and we sadly found out that they were completely booked and had no tables available for the remainder of the day. Total bummer considering the veranda/outdoor restaurant area looked incredible with vines dangling overtop the tables. The hostess did mention that the patio was open seating and had self service for food and drinks. We found comfortable lounge seats just on the edge of the patio underneath a large tree. The weather was fantastic and it put me in the mood for a wine. This was the first glass of wine I’ve had in months, maybe even a year! Most people know I’m not much of a wine girl, but I couldn’t pass this up. It was a Riesling and very refreshing. Em and I then took a photo with our wine glasses and the hills. It reminded me of our time at Virginia Tech when we would visit wineries and take similar pictures. I felt a little nostalgic!
We relaxed for about an hour and then decided to venture to the next venue. We noticed a side trail that would take us to Te Motu Wines. Once we arrived at Te Motu we again were rejected for food. We thought about staying for a tasting but once we started talking to the girl who worked the counter, she talked so highly of the next-door winery/brewery that we decided to go there instead. We felt bad leaving since she was so helpful, but we were really intrigued by the other place at that point. The next door winery, Tantalus Estate/Alibi Brewing Company, had such a great layout and 3 menus! One for the fancy restaurant, one for the cocktail/bar area, and one for the brewery in the cellar downstairs. Finally, a place that didn’t reject us! This was my favorite place, hands down. Just walking around outside of the winery was more comforting that the other three. It seemed like it was tucked into the hill more than the others. Then we went down into the brewery and it was totally my style. It was darker with brick walls and high top wood tables. I’m so glad we decided to check it out! We then caught the bus back to Oneroa Beach area. Em and I swam/floated in the water for a bit and then we all laid out in the sun. There was hardly anyone on the beach! We were shocked. It was 5pm at this point so maybe everyone already came and left.
The boat ride back was beautiful because it was close to sunset. Emily and I fought the wind to try and take photos and Dan video taped us doing it. It was hilarious to watch the video. Once we got back to Auckland we walked to the harbor area that I knew all too well from my previous excursions to grab dinner. We then bought ice cream at a nearby parlor for dessert. We asked the counter lady sooo many questions about the ice cream and tastes, etc. It was comical. I ordered the Hokey Pokey flavor which was amazing. It was like English toffee but crunchier. I wonder if I can order it back in the States too. We walked to Sky Tower and my old home (the hostel) as we finished our ice cream. Uber picked us up and then we relaxed in the Airbnb before bed. Such a great and fun filled day! And we’re going to the Shire (Hobbiton) tomorrow! It should be heaps of fun.
Today was such a fun day! We loaded the boat and left the dock at 10am toward our Waiheke Island adventure. The views during the ride were amazing - islands in the distance, a giant mountain, Rangitoto Island, the bright sun on the glimmering water. The three of us were trying to soak everything in but also not lose our hats along the way. We docked the boat on Waiheke Island at 10:40am. Our first order of business was to figure out what we wanted to do with our time. We decided to visit some vineyards and then relax at Oneroa Beach. We opened up the maps they gave us and experienced a lot of confusion about how to get where. Eventually, we found a bus timetable board and read through it. It was much easier to follow. However, we must have still sounded distressed because a local New Zealander came to our rescue and told us how to gets places. She also recommended the “best” places. Thank you, New Zealand girl! She mentioned we just missed the bus to the vineyards, but we could walk 20 minutes to the small town and catch the next one there. We started our journey and the weather was amazing. Oh, I forgot! As we were coming into the harbor there were little boats anchored along the sides and one of them was hoisting…..a Colorado flag!! I was so pumped about that. And the water was a gorgeous teal/green color. We strolled into town and thankfully caught the bus within minutes. We were timing things poorly in some ways, but fantastically in others. Once we hit the cluster of vineyards (and when I say cluster I mean about 5 or 6!) we hopped off. We decided to go to the one closest to the bus stop called Wild on Waiheke first. It was a neat place with vines everywhere. Most of them were covered with nets to protect them from pests. As we walked further, we discovered it also had a brewery component. Even better! I tried a few beers and really enjoyed the hefeweizen. Dan got a wine tasting and Emily ordered a cider. We also ordered a cheese board. Dan, Emily, and I had pleasant conversation and lots of laughs. After our enjoyable experience of the first vineyard, we decided to walk to Stonyridge Vineyard. Em and Dan were craving a large meal and Stonyridge was supposed to have a wonderful restaurant and menu. The road leading to the vineyard had many quick and shallow curves. I mentioned that someone must have had a couple glasses of wine when they designed it because it looked drunk. We approached the hostess stand and we sadly found out that they were completely booked and had no tables available for the remainder of the day. Total bummer considering the veranda/outdoor restaurant area looked incredible with vines dangling overtop the tables. The hostess did mention that the patio was open seating and had self service for food and drinks. We found comfortable lounge seats just on the edge of the patio underneath a large tree. The weather was fantastic and it put me in the mood for a wine. This was the first glass of wine I’ve had in months, maybe even a year! Most people know I’m not much of a wine girl, but I couldn’t pass this up. It was a Riesling and very refreshing. Em and I then took a photo with our wine glasses and the hills. It reminded me of our time at Virginia Tech when we would visit wineries and take similar pictures. I felt a little nostalgic!
We relaxed for about an hour and then decided to venture to the next venue. We noticed a side trail that would take us to Te Motu Wines. Once we arrived at Te Motu we again were rejected for food. We thought about staying for a tasting but once we started talking to the girl who worked the counter, she talked so highly of the next-door winery/brewery that we decided to go there instead. We felt bad leaving since she was so helpful, but we were really intrigued by the other place at that point. The next door winery, Tantalus Estate/Alibi Brewing Company, had such a great layout and 3 menus! One for the fancy restaurant, one for the cocktail/bar area, and one for the brewery in the cellar downstairs. Finally, a place that didn’t reject us! This was my favorite place, hands down. Just walking around outside of the winery was more comforting that the other three. It seemed like it was tucked into the hill more than the others. Then we went down into the brewery and it was totally my style. It was darker with brick walls and high top wood tables. I’m so glad we decided to check it out! We then caught the bus back to Oneroa Beach area. Em and I swam/floated in the water for a bit and then we all laid out in the sun. There was hardly anyone on the beach! We were shocked. It was 5pm at this point so maybe everyone already came and left.
The boat ride back was beautiful because it was close to sunset. Emily and I fought the wind to try and take photos and Dan video taped us doing it. It was hilarious to watch the video. Once we got back to Auckland we walked to the harbor area that I knew all too well from my previous excursions to grab dinner. We then bought ice cream at a nearby parlor for dessert. We asked the counter lady sooo many questions about the ice cream and tastes, etc. It was comical. I ordered the Hokey Pokey flavor which was amazing. It was like English toffee but crunchier. I wonder if I can order it back in the States too. We walked to Sky Tower and my old home (the hostel) as we finished our ice cream. Uber picked us up and then we relaxed in the Airbnb before bed. Such a great and fun filled day! And we’re going to the Shire (Hobbiton) tomorrow! It should be heaps of fun.
February 11, 2019
We jumped on the Hobbiton tour bus at 9:30am and it took 2.5 hours to get to our destination. During our bus trip the driver informed us about Auckland facts:
There are 53 volcanoes in Auckland – 52 are extinct meaning they won’t ever erupt again, and 1 is dormant. The dormant one is Rangitoto Island (my old pal). Scientists predict it will erupt again in 100 years or so. He also mentioned that Auckland is going through a major housing crisis mostly due to the strict building and safety regulations. This makes construction lengthier and more expensive. The government is even paying for people to live in motels to fight homelessness. Currently there are more construction cranes in Downtown Auckland than any city in North America. He talked about it at length and it kinda made Auckland sound like an awful place to live haha.
We had an hour to spend at Shire’s Rest which was about 10 minutes from the movie set itself. We indulged in some café food and coffees and the scenery surrounding us was gorgeous - very hilly and green. It reminded me of Ireland. While we waited at Shire’s Rest I swore that I saw Rebecca and Julia (the Brazilian girls from the hostel) walk by. I shouted “Rebecca!” but she didn’t look. Weird. It must not be them. Em, Dan, and I hesitantly applied sunscreen and sarcastically talked about how much we loved it. Our bus to the movie set arrived at 1:05pm and I started singing one of the Lord of the Rings songs. Dan said, “Ah, Star Wars.” His silly comment actually made me second guess myself haha. We took the short ride over to Hobbiton and our tour guide showed us the way through the Shire. It was beautiful! It really felt like a magical land. There were butterflies all around and the smell of flowers filled the air. The hobbit holes (there were 44 of them) looked like they naturally grew within the hills. It was astounding. Our guide said that some were larger than others so that in certain scenes the actors would either “shrink” or “grow” in size. Most of the hobbit holes did not actually open. We took many photos throughout the picturesque tour. The green hills were so vibrant and many of the hobbits’ tools/clothes were still laying around. It was very cool. Our guide told us that in the book there are plum trees in the Shire, but it was too hard for the movie to show the hobbits picking plums because the trees would be too tall. So instead they used apple trees and then if a scene needed a close up of the tree, they would substitute the plums very briefly. The director, Peter Jackson, was very detail oriented. Also, one of the trees was created to match the description in the book – the one above Bilbo’s hole. It’s actually made of silicon and steel. It wasn’t apparent at first, but once she pointed it out we could tell it wasn’t real since it didn’t move with the wind like the other trees. She noted that they first painted the leaves a yellowish green color but Peter Jackson didn’t like the look so he asked someone to repaint all the leaves (there were thousands!). If you don’t like your job, just think about how horrible that would be!
We ended the tour at the Green Dragon for a drink. We were on the hunt for a shady spot outside which was a tough task. I then saw the two girls from earlier in another tour group and decided to approach them to figure out the mystery. “Hi…did I meet you before? In the hostel in Auckland?” Julia looked at me with a puzzled look, but Rebecca immediately lit up. “Julie! Hi!!” It was very heartwarming :) Emily and Dan wandered off while I continued to talk to them for a few minutes. The two girls actually rented a car and drove to Hobbiton instead. I joined Emily and Dan on the side of the pub and shortly after, Emily jumped up and shouted, “Get it off, get it off!” I looked between her legs and saw the most disgusting looking insect dangling there. I thought “What the heck is that!?” I was hoping Dan would get it off her but I guess he didn’t see it because he was just standing there. Emily was jumping around and eventually I took a deep breath and stepped in to save the day. I flicked it off and it felt prickly. BLARGH YUCK! So gross. Once it hit the ground we all stared at it with disgust. It was like a giant mutated cricket grasshopper. I think I’m going to have nightmares about it. It could star in a horror movie for sure. Rebecca and Julia were leaving with their tour group and they shouted “Bye, Julie!” How nice of them. I hope they have a wonderful rest of their trip. Around 3pm, we hopped on the bus and hit the road.
Despite the long traffic delay during our ride back, we still arrived in Auckland around 6:30pm. We decided to stay in the city to find a place for dinner. We ate at the Fish Market which again was delightful! I had a sushi bowl and it was divine. Later in the night, we went to Lord Kitchener near our Airbnb. I ordered a beer and Dan a cider. Weird thing about cider in New Zealand is that they usually serve it on ice. We closed the place down at 10pm and then walked home. We relaxed in the Airbnb for an hour or so before falling asleep. Tomorrow we are renting a car to drive to Waitakere Ranges.
We jumped on the Hobbiton tour bus at 9:30am and it took 2.5 hours to get to our destination. During our bus trip the driver informed us about Auckland facts:
There are 53 volcanoes in Auckland – 52 are extinct meaning they won’t ever erupt again, and 1 is dormant. The dormant one is Rangitoto Island (my old pal). Scientists predict it will erupt again in 100 years or so. He also mentioned that Auckland is going through a major housing crisis mostly due to the strict building and safety regulations. This makes construction lengthier and more expensive. The government is even paying for people to live in motels to fight homelessness. Currently there are more construction cranes in Downtown Auckland than any city in North America. He talked about it at length and it kinda made Auckland sound like an awful place to live haha.
We had an hour to spend at Shire’s Rest which was about 10 minutes from the movie set itself. We indulged in some café food and coffees and the scenery surrounding us was gorgeous - very hilly and green. It reminded me of Ireland. While we waited at Shire’s Rest I swore that I saw Rebecca and Julia (the Brazilian girls from the hostel) walk by. I shouted “Rebecca!” but she didn’t look. Weird. It must not be them. Em, Dan, and I hesitantly applied sunscreen and sarcastically talked about how much we loved it. Our bus to the movie set arrived at 1:05pm and I started singing one of the Lord of the Rings songs. Dan said, “Ah, Star Wars.” His silly comment actually made me second guess myself haha. We took the short ride over to Hobbiton and our tour guide showed us the way through the Shire. It was beautiful! It really felt like a magical land. There were butterflies all around and the smell of flowers filled the air. The hobbit holes (there were 44 of them) looked like they naturally grew within the hills. It was astounding. Our guide said that some were larger than others so that in certain scenes the actors would either “shrink” or “grow” in size. Most of the hobbit holes did not actually open. We took many photos throughout the picturesque tour. The green hills were so vibrant and many of the hobbits’ tools/clothes were still laying around. It was very cool. Our guide told us that in the book there are plum trees in the Shire, but it was too hard for the movie to show the hobbits picking plums because the trees would be too tall. So instead they used apple trees and then if a scene needed a close up of the tree, they would substitute the plums very briefly. The director, Peter Jackson, was very detail oriented. Also, one of the trees was created to match the description in the book – the one above Bilbo’s hole. It’s actually made of silicon and steel. It wasn’t apparent at first, but once she pointed it out we could tell it wasn’t real since it didn’t move with the wind like the other trees. She noted that they first painted the leaves a yellowish green color but Peter Jackson didn’t like the look so he asked someone to repaint all the leaves (there were thousands!). If you don’t like your job, just think about how horrible that would be!
Despite the long traffic delay during our ride back, we still arrived in Auckland around 6:30pm. We decided to stay in the city to find a place for dinner. We ate at the Fish Market which again was delightful! I had a sushi bowl and it was divine. Later in the night, we went to Lord Kitchener near our Airbnb. I ordered a beer and Dan a cider. Weird thing about cider in New Zealand is that they usually serve it on ice. We closed the place down at 10pm and then walked home. We relaxed in the Airbnb for an hour or so before falling asleep. Tomorrow we are renting a car to drive to Waitakere Ranges.
February 12, 2019
Today was a jam packed day! First, Dan graciously picked up our rental car from the city while Emily and I slept in. At around 8:45am we left to find a grocery store to buy some munchies. After that, it took us about 30 minutes to drive to the Visitors Center in Waitakere Ranges. Along the way were beautiful vistas of the water and extinct volcanoes. We parked and walked into the Visitors Center where we essentially formed our game plan solely from the suggestions from the lady working there. She detailed out everything and we loved that she made everything so easy for us. There was also a small window display of some creatures we may spot in the Ranges. One of them was none other than…the DISGUSTING insect I flicked off Emily yesterday! It still made my skin crawl. It was called a Weta. If I never see one of those again I’ll have lived a good life. First up was the 12 minute Welcome video then the Plant ID walk. After that, we took a few photos and drove to Upper Nihotupu Reservoir trailhead. It was a 1 hour 40 minute hike roundtrip. Along the way we saw a couple waterfalls which were outstanding and the end of the trail put us on top of a dam. We made a lot of “damn” jokes. Before each hike we were required to scrub and disinfect our shoes to prevent the spread of the Kauri disease. It’s actually caused by a very tiny pathogen that clings to soil. I was impressed the rangers were able to tell where it was or wasn’t and then open/close tracks accordingly.
Next up, by recommendation of the Visitors Center lady, was to climb Lion Rock and have lunch. She made it sound very pleasant. Lion Rock is located on Piha Beach which is on the west side of the Ranges. The road to get there had many many vibrant green trees and ferns. It also was very curvy. It made for a great drive. We pulled up to the beach and looked at the giant rock. There’s no way she meant for us to climb THAT thing, right? It was extremely tall, steep, and jagged. We had a sunscreen party, grabbed our snacks, and headed to the daunting rock. The sand on the beach was black which was really neat! It was also very hot. The water was a gorgeous color blue and waves were layered one after another. It was picture perfect. Apparently the current at this beach is very dangerous so the lifeguards only allow you to swim in a small section of it. After walking across the shore of the beach, we reached the bottom of the rock and stared at the very uneven “steps” made of jagged rock. There was even a handrail to keep your balance. All right, I guess we’re doing this! We started hiking the narrow path and made several stops along the way. Eventually we reached the end which was 110 meters high. I was surprised that my fear of heights didn’t strike and keep me from getting to the top. There wasn’t much of a breeze so the sun was scorching our skin. We pulled out our snacks but we could only bear the heat for about 15 minutes. I must say the views were insanely gorgeous and eating lunch there would be wonderful, if there was a breeze. You could see mounds of hills/mountains around and the deep blue was a perfect match to the deep green of the ranges. We carefully walked back down and then spent some time in the shade of the rock. Then we all walked back to the car. This was a great suggestion despite the heat! We then hiked to Kitekite Falls. It is pronounced “kitty kitty” so we had a lot of fun making jokes about it. It took about 30 minutes to walk to the bottom of the falls and it was like a fairy tale! There were three tiers of waterfalls all trickling down into the lagoon below. A couple people were swimming in the lagoon. It looked refreshing so I took a dip as well. It was just a tad chilly but definitely nothing in comparison to the water temperature of The Cascades in Blacksburg, VA. It was very relaxing to swim around and float underneath the falls. Then everyone on the bank started pointing at something in the water. “What is it??” “It’s an eel!” Knowing nothing about eels I started freaking out and rushed to the nearest rock in the water. I guess my reaction also scared another girl who was in the water because she jumped on the rock as well. We both frantically looked for the eel below us. It came into view very quickly like it smelled our fear. Someone on the bank mentioned they are harmless, but it looked so slimy and creepy that the person’s voice of reason didn’t resonate with us. The eel poked its little nose (I guess that’s what it’s called?) out of the water and it actually looked kind of cute. Daw. But I still wasn’t ready to go swimming with it. Eventually it swam away and I quickly made my way to the safety of the bank. The girl who was on the rock with me had a bunch of tattoos so it was comical that she, a “tough girl”, was also frightened. We took lots of photos and then headed back down the trail.
After cleaning our shoes and touching asphalt, we drove to the other beach, KareKare Beach. It ended up being a MUCH longer walk to the water’s edge than any of us were anticipating. We were all wearing sneakers and a stream crossing adventure was required at one point. Eventually we all made it which was a fun experience. We didn’t spend too much time there because we were getting tired. It was definitely less crowded than Piha and the road to get there was a little scary. It was very narrow and had lots of blind curves. At many points we thought we had taken a wrong turn. The beach was surrounded by very tall rock formations which were incredible. Next up was the waterfall that was supposedly only a 10 minute walk from the beach. We found it and there was some sort of photo shoot going on there. It was a girl in an Indian/tribal outfit and lots of crew members. We joked that we should jump into the scene. We think it was for a promo of the Ranges. The waterfall was impressive - it was falling from a great height and the moon could be seen above it. It was definitely picture perfect and I wish I had a better camera to capture it. We then walked back to the car and drove back home. It was so nice to have a car instead of calling Ubers! We had so much more freedom. We went to bed at midnight and Dan graciously offered to drive me to the airport tomorrow morning. So nice! I’m going to miss hanging out with him and Emily. I’m heading to Perth, Australia tomorrow and I’m excited to meet up with my friend, Brett! He and I met during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil so I haven’t seen him in about 5 years.
Today was a jam packed day! First, Dan graciously picked up our rental car from the city while Emily and I slept in. At around 8:45am we left to find a grocery store to buy some munchies. After that, it took us about 30 minutes to drive to the Visitors Center in Waitakere Ranges. Along the way were beautiful vistas of the water and extinct volcanoes. We parked and walked into the Visitors Center where we essentially formed our game plan solely from the suggestions from the lady working there. She detailed out everything and we loved that she made everything so easy for us. There was also a small window display of some creatures we may spot in the Ranges. One of them was none other than…the DISGUSTING insect I flicked off Emily yesterday! It still made my skin crawl. It was called a Weta. If I never see one of those again I’ll have lived a good life. First up was the 12 minute Welcome video then the Plant ID walk. After that, we took a few photos and drove to Upper Nihotupu Reservoir trailhead. It was a 1 hour 40 minute hike roundtrip. Along the way we saw a couple waterfalls which were outstanding and the end of the trail put us on top of a dam. We made a lot of “damn” jokes. Before each hike we were required to scrub and disinfect our shoes to prevent the spread of the Kauri disease. It’s actually caused by a very tiny pathogen that clings to soil. I was impressed the rangers were able to tell where it was or wasn’t and then open/close tracks accordingly.
Next up, by recommendation of the Visitors Center lady, was to climb Lion Rock and have lunch. She made it sound very pleasant. Lion Rock is located on Piha Beach which is on the west side of the Ranges. The road to get there had many many vibrant green trees and ferns. It also was very curvy. It made for a great drive. We pulled up to the beach and looked at the giant rock. There’s no way she meant for us to climb THAT thing, right? It was extremely tall, steep, and jagged. We had a sunscreen party, grabbed our snacks, and headed to the daunting rock. The sand on the beach was black which was really neat! It was also very hot. The water was a gorgeous color blue and waves were layered one after another. It was picture perfect. Apparently the current at this beach is very dangerous so the lifeguards only allow you to swim in a small section of it. After walking across the shore of the beach, we reached the bottom of the rock and stared at the very uneven “steps” made of jagged rock. There was even a handrail to keep your balance. All right, I guess we’re doing this! We started hiking the narrow path and made several stops along the way. Eventually we reached the end which was 110 meters high. I was surprised that my fear of heights didn’t strike and keep me from getting to the top. There wasn’t much of a breeze so the sun was scorching our skin. We pulled out our snacks but we could only bear the heat for about 15 minutes. I must say the views were insanely gorgeous and eating lunch there would be wonderful, if there was a breeze. You could see mounds of hills/mountains around and the deep blue was a perfect match to the deep green of the ranges. We carefully walked back down and then spent some time in the shade of the rock. Then we all walked back to the car. This was a great suggestion despite the heat! We then hiked to Kitekite Falls. It is pronounced “kitty kitty” so we had a lot of fun making jokes about it. It took about 30 minutes to walk to the bottom of the falls and it was like a fairy tale! There were three tiers of waterfalls all trickling down into the lagoon below. A couple people were swimming in the lagoon. It looked refreshing so I took a dip as well. It was just a tad chilly but definitely nothing in comparison to the water temperature of The Cascades in Blacksburg, VA. It was very relaxing to swim around and float underneath the falls. Then everyone on the bank started pointing at something in the water. “What is it??” “It’s an eel!” Knowing nothing about eels I started freaking out and rushed to the nearest rock in the water. I guess my reaction also scared another girl who was in the water because she jumped on the rock as well. We both frantically looked for the eel below us. It came into view very quickly like it smelled our fear. Someone on the bank mentioned they are harmless, but it looked so slimy and creepy that the person’s voice of reason didn’t resonate with us. The eel poked its little nose (I guess that’s what it’s called?) out of the water and it actually looked kind of cute. Daw. But I still wasn’t ready to go swimming with it. Eventually it swam away and I quickly made my way to the safety of the bank. The girl who was on the rock with me had a bunch of tattoos so it was comical that she, a “tough girl”, was also frightened. We took lots of photos and then headed back down the trail.
February 13, 2019
The flight to Perth was uneventful and I had an empty seat on my left (score!). The “flight preparation” video they showed us was hilarious. It was a rap that talked about safety and I filmed some of it because it made me laugh so much. I then saw the attendants standing in the aisle and prayed to God they would start dancing to the rap like the people in the video. But I was let down because all they did was stand there. Darn. After I arrived at Brett’s we went out to grab some food at a small café. The guy behind the counter asked if I was from Colorado. How did you know that?! It was on my Rockies shirt. Oh. Brett and I went back to his house, I showered, and then I was too tired to do anything else so we just stayed in a watched Harry Potter. A much needed relaxing day! Tomorrow, Brett and I are going to Rottnest Island! We’re leaving the apartment at 7:15am and then returning from the island at 6:30pm. Supposedly it’s gorgeous and Brett was showing me snorkeling pictures so I’m pumped! It should be a good Valentine’s Day with the cute quokkas :)
The flight to Perth was uneventful and I had an empty seat on my left (score!). The “flight preparation” video they showed us was hilarious. It was a rap that talked about safety and I filmed some of it because it made me laugh so much. I then saw the attendants standing in the aisle and prayed to God they would start dancing to the rap like the people in the video. But I was let down because all they did was stand there. Darn. After I arrived at Brett’s we went out to grab some food at a small café. The guy behind the counter asked if I was from Colorado. How did you know that?! It was on my Rockies shirt. Oh. Brett and I went back to his house, I showered, and then I was too tired to do anything else so we just stayed in a watched Harry Potter. A much needed relaxing day! Tomorrow, Brett and I are going to Rottnest Island! We’re leaving the apartment at 7:15am and then returning from the island at 6:30pm. Supposedly it’s gorgeous and Brett was showing me snorkeling pictures so I’m pumped! It should be a good Valentine’s Day with the cute quokkas :)
February 14, 2019
Happy Valentine’s Day from Perth! Today was wonderful to say the least. Brett and I spent the entire day at Rottnest Island and then finished it off with dinner at an incredible brewery called Little Creatures. Side note: being in Australia is a little tougher time zone wise because when I wake up in the morning I have a slew of personal emails and messages to catch up on and then the rest of the day everyone in the States is sleeping. It seems I need to give myself an hour in the morning to take care of it all. Anyway, Brett and I boarded the ferry and took off right on time. The boat ride took 30 minutes and we decided not to rent bikes but to use the bus system instead. The bus was wonderful because it was cheaper than the bike rental and it came by each stop every 20 minutes. Brett mentioned that I would most likely be able to get a selfie with a quokka! I didn’t even consider it when I made the decision to go to Rottnest Island because I thought they were rare and only lucky people got to see them. He said it’s called Rottnest Island because it literally means Rat Island and the founders thought the quokkas were giant rats. Knowing I was almost guaranteed a selfie with a quokka got me very excited. We rode the bus to the second stop and walked around a bit. THE COLOR OF THE WATER WAS SO AMAZING OMG. It was the clearest teal blue and you could see the reef areas within it which were a darker brown. When people stood in the water you could still see their legs. It was like taking a fantasy world and making it real. It blew my mind. I mean, I had seen photos of places like this on Instagram or the internet, but this was just unreal. I was so amazed and I wasn’t afraid to voice it. I was like a broken record. Brett chuckled a bit. Probably because he hasn’t heard anyone get this excited about it. The locals are so lucky that this is in their backyard! I took heaps of photos and I literally couldn’t get enough. We noticed we had been there close to 20 minutes so we headed back up to the bus stop.
We then rode to Parker Point which showed a snorkeling symbol on the map. A huge benefit to having Brett along was that he packed us snorkel gear! So amazing. As the bus pulled up to Parker Point I saw three quokkas!! Oh my gosh this was my time to shine! I was so amped up. The quokkas had lots of attention of course and people were constantly snapping photos of them. Eventually the crowd thinned out and I tried my best to get a selfie with one. It was harder than I thought! Getting the right angle was tough because I didn’t want to be up in its business. Eventually I cornered one (not really, he cornered himself) and I started snapping away. HE WAS PERFECT! He was naturally smirking at the camera and froze in that position for about 30 seconds. I was rapidly firing my photo finger and came out with some great ones! Quokkas are so cute! Though their tails are not. They are like giant rat tails – yuck! Anyway, it’s safe to say I had the cutest Valentine this year. We hung around that stop for about 40 minutes total and got some photos. We didn’t snorkel in this area, but we did at the next one.
The next one was called Little Salmon Bay and it was obvious it was a very popular spot. More so than the others. Loads of people were snorkeling or just laying on the beach. Again the views and serenity of the water were mind boggling. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. It was like an out-of-body experience. We prepared for snorkel battle and I had forgotten how tough it was to walk in flippers in the water! Brett mentioned I needed to walk backwards. Genius! Within minutes we were swimming through the underwater city. At first I saw two big fish (about the size of my thigh) and I got all excited. Then I realized they were everywhere! It was amazing. The reef created little coves for many of them to swim in. I saw small, colorful fish as well. My head was on a constant swivel. It had been so long since I had snorkeled and I forgot how incredible it was to watch fish swim around in their natural habitats. After about 30 minutes of heaven, I started to get cold. I told Brett that I sadly needed to get out to warm up. We laid on the beach for a bit soaking in the views and then we got hungry. We took the bus all the way around the loop back to the start. It took about 30 minutes. Along the bus ride I scoped out the other stops to see which we should hit after lunch. There were so many beautiful ones it was difficult to choose!
We ate lunch at Gov’s Sports Bar which was perfect because 1. Their beers were on point 2. Their food was amazing and 3. They were playing a re-run of the Champions League match between Ajax and Real Madrid from earlyyy (4 am) this morning! I couldn’t have been happier. We caught the next bus at 1:40pm and rode it all the way to the West Point stop. The West Pont stop had two overlooks – one with New Zealand fur seals and one with a cove. The seal part was astounding! We witnessed a couple of them having the times of their lives in the water directly below. At times it seemed like they were putting on a show for us because they would lift their fins up out of the water either doing handstands or waving. I told Brett they had a future at SeaWorld. We also saw a few more swimming in the distance closer to a large rock. And even more on top of the large rock sunbathing. It was incredible. There were also dolphins peaking out of the water even further out! We walked over to the cove overlook and the water again was breathtaking. Next we stopped at City of York Bay. We had the entire beach to ourselves! Talk about spoiled. The water was very cold there because it wasn’t being protected by the wind. We decided to go elsewhere. Though having our own private beach was tough to part with. We caught the bus to Little Parakeet Bay which had a snorkel symbol on the map. There was only one more bus coming by after that around 3:50pm so we decided we would walk the 1.5 miles back to the ferry since our ferry ticket was for 6:30pm. We snorkeled for a little while and left around 4:45pm after relaxing in the sun. We both agreed that the snorkeling was better at the other place (Little Salmon Bay). We walked along the road for about 20 minutes and had fun conversation. Then, out of nowhere, a shuttle bus pulled up next to us and the driver opened the door. “Sorry! I was running behind because I was helping a lady with a wheelchair. Hop on!” Brett and I looked at each other with confusion, because we knew there were no more buses running for the tickets we bought, but then shrugged and hopped on. He must have thought we were with a certain group. His mistake is our gain! We chuckled about how lucky we were. The driver stopped and picked up a few other people walking who looked a little frustrated. Aha these were the people he was meant to pick up. The ride saved us about 15 minutes. We hopped on the ferry at 6:30pm and watched the sun set behind the massive Navy ships. It was a gorgeous silhouette.
Brett suggested we stop by Little Creatures Brewing for dinner and boy was I happy he did! Once we walked in I was amazed at how large it was. Whoaaaa. I’m pretty sure it was the biggest craft brewery I’ve ever been to. The indoor dining portion was like half the size of a football field and it also had outdoor seating in front and back (near the water). The tanks for the brewing process created an aisle on either side making the width even larger. The wait staff was running around frantically and we eventually found out that it was busier than normal because it was Valentine’s Day. There were hanging low-lit light bulbs and candles stationed around the pillars. Our waitress seemed a little rushed so it was hard to hold her attention for long periods of time. I asked for a few tastes of the beers and ordered kangaroo (because why not) and pretzels with cheese of course. The kangaroo was extremely chewy and I was having trouble breaking it down into smaller pieces. I had tried it back in 2012 but I forgotten what it tasted like. It was like a mix of sirloin and beef. A nice treat for me since I don’t eat beef anymore. I took a break from it to try the pretzel and cheese and Oh. My. God. I thought I died and went to heaven. BEST CHEESE OF MY LIFE!! Seriously. It was just creamy enough and so so addicting. I was constantly shoveling it into my mouth. Brett was laughing at my commentary because I was this cheese’s biggest fan. I asked our waitress if it was possible to obtain the recipe and she came back and said, “All I could find out is that it’s made of four cheeses.” Dang it! I knew they wouldn’t give up such a magical recipe so easily. I guess I’ll just have to combine 4 different cheeses at different proportions until I get it right. This could take a while…
After we were stuffed to the brim, I called us an Uber. We walked into the house around 10pm and then went to bed. Rottnest Island was pure magic. I can’t believe I got to experience it. Wow. I’m still speechless. It was a great day!
Happy Valentine’s Day from Perth! Today was wonderful to say the least. Brett and I spent the entire day at Rottnest Island and then finished it off with dinner at an incredible brewery called Little Creatures. Side note: being in Australia is a little tougher time zone wise because when I wake up in the morning I have a slew of personal emails and messages to catch up on and then the rest of the day everyone in the States is sleeping. It seems I need to give myself an hour in the morning to take care of it all. Anyway, Brett and I boarded the ferry and took off right on time. The boat ride took 30 minutes and we decided not to rent bikes but to use the bus system instead. The bus was wonderful because it was cheaper than the bike rental and it came by each stop every 20 minutes. Brett mentioned that I would most likely be able to get a selfie with a quokka! I didn’t even consider it when I made the decision to go to Rottnest Island because I thought they were rare and only lucky people got to see them. He said it’s called Rottnest Island because it literally means Rat Island and the founders thought the quokkas were giant rats. Knowing I was almost guaranteed a selfie with a quokka got me very excited. We rode the bus to the second stop and walked around a bit. THE COLOR OF THE WATER WAS SO AMAZING OMG. It was the clearest teal blue and you could see the reef areas within it which were a darker brown. When people stood in the water you could still see their legs. It was like taking a fantasy world and making it real. It blew my mind. I mean, I had seen photos of places like this on Instagram or the internet, but this was just unreal. I was so amazed and I wasn’t afraid to voice it. I was like a broken record. Brett chuckled a bit. Probably because he hasn’t heard anyone get this excited about it. The locals are so lucky that this is in their backyard! I took heaps of photos and I literally couldn’t get enough. We noticed we had been there close to 20 minutes so we headed back up to the bus stop.
We then rode to Parker Point which showed a snorkeling symbol on the map. A huge benefit to having Brett along was that he packed us snorkel gear! So amazing. As the bus pulled up to Parker Point I saw three quokkas!! Oh my gosh this was my time to shine! I was so amped up. The quokkas had lots of attention of course and people were constantly snapping photos of them. Eventually the crowd thinned out and I tried my best to get a selfie with one. It was harder than I thought! Getting the right angle was tough because I didn’t want to be up in its business. Eventually I cornered one (not really, he cornered himself) and I started snapping away. HE WAS PERFECT! He was naturally smirking at the camera and froze in that position for about 30 seconds. I was rapidly firing my photo finger and came out with some great ones! Quokkas are so cute! Though their tails are not. They are like giant rat tails – yuck! Anyway, it’s safe to say I had the cutest Valentine this year. We hung around that stop for about 40 minutes total and got some photos. We didn’t snorkel in this area, but we did at the next one.
The next one was called Little Salmon Bay and it was obvious it was a very popular spot. More so than the others. Loads of people were snorkeling or just laying on the beach. Again the views and serenity of the water were mind boggling. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. It was like an out-of-body experience. We prepared for snorkel battle and I had forgotten how tough it was to walk in flippers in the water! Brett mentioned I needed to walk backwards. Genius! Within minutes we were swimming through the underwater city. At first I saw two big fish (about the size of my thigh) and I got all excited. Then I realized they were everywhere! It was amazing. The reef created little coves for many of them to swim in. I saw small, colorful fish as well. My head was on a constant swivel. It had been so long since I had snorkeled and I forgot how incredible it was to watch fish swim around in their natural habitats. After about 30 minutes of heaven, I started to get cold. I told Brett that I sadly needed to get out to warm up. We laid on the beach for a bit soaking in the views and then we got hungry. We took the bus all the way around the loop back to the start. It took about 30 minutes. Along the bus ride I scoped out the other stops to see which we should hit after lunch. There were so many beautiful ones it was difficult to choose!
We ate lunch at Gov’s Sports Bar which was perfect because 1. Their beers were on point 2. Their food was amazing and 3. They were playing a re-run of the Champions League match between Ajax and Real Madrid from earlyyy (4 am) this morning! I couldn’t have been happier. We caught the next bus at 1:40pm and rode it all the way to the West Point stop. The West Pont stop had two overlooks – one with New Zealand fur seals and one with a cove. The seal part was astounding! We witnessed a couple of them having the times of their lives in the water directly below. At times it seemed like they were putting on a show for us because they would lift their fins up out of the water either doing handstands or waving. I told Brett they had a future at SeaWorld. We also saw a few more swimming in the distance closer to a large rock. And even more on top of the large rock sunbathing. It was incredible. There were also dolphins peaking out of the water even further out! We walked over to the cove overlook and the water again was breathtaking. Next we stopped at City of York Bay. We had the entire beach to ourselves! Talk about spoiled. The water was very cold there because it wasn’t being protected by the wind. We decided to go elsewhere. Though having our own private beach was tough to part with. We caught the bus to Little Parakeet Bay which had a snorkel symbol on the map. There was only one more bus coming by after that around 3:50pm so we decided we would walk the 1.5 miles back to the ferry since our ferry ticket was for 6:30pm. We snorkeled for a little while and left around 4:45pm after relaxing in the sun. We both agreed that the snorkeling was better at the other place (Little Salmon Bay). We walked along the road for about 20 minutes and had fun conversation. Then, out of nowhere, a shuttle bus pulled up next to us and the driver opened the door. “Sorry! I was running behind because I was helping a lady with a wheelchair. Hop on!” Brett and I looked at each other with confusion, because we knew there were no more buses running for the tickets we bought, but then shrugged and hopped on. He must have thought we were with a certain group. His mistake is our gain! We chuckled about how lucky we were. The driver stopped and picked up a few other people walking who looked a little frustrated. Aha these were the people he was meant to pick up. The ride saved us about 15 minutes. We hopped on the ferry at 6:30pm and watched the sun set behind the massive Navy ships. It was a gorgeous silhouette.
Brett suggested we stop by Little Creatures Brewing for dinner and boy was I happy he did! Once we walked in I was amazed at how large it was. Whoaaaa. I’m pretty sure it was the biggest craft brewery I’ve ever been to. The indoor dining portion was like half the size of a football field and it also had outdoor seating in front and back (near the water). The tanks for the brewing process created an aisle on either side making the width even larger. The wait staff was running around frantically and we eventually found out that it was busier than normal because it was Valentine’s Day. There were hanging low-lit light bulbs and candles stationed around the pillars. Our waitress seemed a little rushed so it was hard to hold her attention for long periods of time. I asked for a few tastes of the beers and ordered kangaroo (because why not) and pretzels with cheese of course. The kangaroo was extremely chewy and I was having trouble breaking it down into smaller pieces. I had tried it back in 2012 but I forgotten what it tasted like. It was like a mix of sirloin and beef. A nice treat for me since I don’t eat beef anymore. I took a break from it to try the pretzel and cheese and Oh. My. God. I thought I died and went to heaven. BEST CHEESE OF MY LIFE!! Seriously. It was just creamy enough and so so addicting. I was constantly shoveling it into my mouth. Brett was laughing at my commentary because I was this cheese’s biggest fan. I asked our waitress if it was possible to obtain the recipe and she came back and said, “All I could find out is that it’s made of four cheeses.” Dang it! I knew they wouldn’t give up such a magical recipe so easily. I guess I’ll just have to combine 4 different cheeses at different proportions until I get it right. This could take a while…
After we were stuffed to the brim, I called us an Uber. We walked into the house around 10pm and then went to bed. Rottnest Island was pure magic. I can’t believe I got to experience it. Wow. I’m still speechless. It was a great day!
February 15, 2019
I started today by walking to Sayers Sisters for breakfast. My jaw/teeth were very sore and after thinking about it I determined it must have been due to all the chewing I needed to do to eat the kangaroo dish last night. The kangaroo got its revenge! I finished my meal and then hung out at Brett’s for a bit. We left at noon for lunch and I called us an Uber since it would only take 10 minutes vs 30 min using public transport. Brett gave me a hard time about it since I’m transportation engineer haha. We had some pleasant conversation and the view was outstanding. We were right along the water and could see Perth city in the distance. We then walked up to Kings Park after “Froggering” across the highway. To get to the park required conquering a slew of stairs! I was trying to play it cool but it was tough! Brett was also struggling. I was trying to make Colorado proud by not breaking down. Once we reached the last step Brett guided us to the overlook. I was so happy to have him around because the park was so big I didn’t know where to start. The view of Perth city in the distance was incredible. Especially with the water right next to it. There was a group of 3 girls who wanted their picture taken. They then returned the favor and took one of Brett and me. We were chatting with them and one was from Michigan! But she now lives in China. One of them was a local and she asked if we had seen the kangaroos on Heirisson Island yet. Brett said, “I didn’t even know there were any there!” We immediately added that to our plan. We walked around the gardens for a bit and then I ordered a milkshake at the café on top of the hill. It was good but the views were better. We then caught a FREE (yes, FREE) bus to the city center. This baffled me. I mean, yes, Denver has two free Downtown buses but this Perth bus was going outside the Downtown limits. There were actually 4 different tracks that were free. It was called the CAT bus system. Cats always provide happiness.
We rode the bus to Heirisson Island and walked about 20 minutes from the bus stop. Along the way, I noticed a person who got onboard was wearing a Jacobs polo shirt. OH COOL. As soon as he sat down near me, I waved over at him and asked if he worked at Jacobs. We had a semi-long conversation and it was a fun and unexpected encounter! After crossing the bridge over to Heirisson Island, Brett and I tried to figure out where the kangaroos would be. Thankfully, a guy riding by on a bicycle (aka our savior) asked us if we were looking for the kangaroos and then pointed us in the right direction. So nice of him! We were glad he said something because we were about to go the opposite direction. We went over and unlatched the double gate to get in. The gated area was HUGE and I was getting discouraged that we would ever spot any. My eyes were darting in every direction to try and catch a glimpse of a moving creature. I also felt like we were in a movie being hunted. It was eerie. We walked around for a good 30 minutes or so and Brett started to approach some people in the distance to ask if they spotted any kangaroos. Then, VOILA! I spotted one! I told Brett to come back and that I found one. He motioned to the girls to come over and he said, “Of course YOU would find one. You and your hawk eyes.” Hehe that’s me! We admired it for a good while and one of the girls had never seen one before. She was funny because she was baffled about how its legs “just go straight down.” She said it looked like a regular deer or goat or something but then the legs made everything confusing. We spotted another one nearby and eventually they both hopped out of the bushes! One was hopping right at me! If I hadn’t moved, we would have collided. We all had a long photo-op with the roos and then Brett and I left. On our way out I spotted a Kookaburra! They are so pretty. Brett joked that I had a magic touch because I kept spotting the Aussie animals before anyone else. I mentioned I could be a Aussie tour guide and he said I was like Steve Irwin. Heck yeah! We walked to Mardalup Bridge from there because it was highlighted in my Civil Engineering magazine. It was quite impressive with it’s suspended support system.
We took another awesome CAT bus to get to Elizabeth Quay. This was truly an ideal location for any venue. You could see the beautiful skyline of Perth across the water and the sky was so blue and perfect. There even were some rowers racing in the water which made it extra fun. One of the teams was wearing Viking helmets which was hilarious. We then walked toward the bus station to head back home. As we were walking, I noticed there was a live band playing for free in the Chevron Gardens. Aha! So that’s what the little brochure I picked up the first day was referring to. I asked Brett if he’d like to make a pit stop and he said definitely. This was a great spontaneous decision. It was a cool atmosphere with lulling blues-ish music. We took the bus back (which again was free – two thumbs up for Perth’s public transportation!) and during the ride we decided to go to the Perth Glory vs Brisbane soccer match tomorrow even though it started at 7pm and our pre-purchased Rooftop movie tickets for She’s the Man were for 8pm. This was an instance when just going with the flow and making plans on the fly was a better option. If I didn’t buy the movie tickets ahead of time we could have attended the entire soccer match instead of just half of it. One major lesson that I’ve learned during this trip is that spontaneity and not having everything planned has always resulted in fun times and more opportunities. Another example was stopping at the free show at the Chevron Garden Stage. We were just walking by, looked over, shrugged, and said why not?
I started today by walking to Sayers Sisters for breakfast. My jaw/teeth were very sore and after thinking about it I determined it must have been due to all the chewing I needed to do to eat the kangaroo dish last night. The kangaroo got its revenge! I finished my meal and then hung out at Brett’s for a bit. We left at noon for lunch and I called us an Uber since it would only take 10 minutes vs 30 min using public transport. Brett gave me a hard time about it since I’m transportation engineer haha. We had some pleasant conversation and the view was outstanding. We were right along the water and could see Perth city in the distance. We then walked up to Kings Park after “Froggering” across the highway. To get to the park required conquering a slew of stairs! I was trying to play it cool but it was tough! Brett was also struggling. I was trying to make Colorado proud by not breaking down. Once we reached the last step Brett guided us to the overlook. I was so happy to have him around because the park was so big I didn’t know where to start. The view of Perth city in the distance was incredible. Especially with the water right next to it. There was a group of 3 girls who wanted their picture taken. They then returned the favor and took one of Brett and me. We were chatting with them and one was from Michigan! But she now lives in China. One of them was a local and she asked if we had seen the kangaroos on Heirisson Island yet. Brett said, “I didn’t even know there were any there!” We immediately added that to our plan. We walked around the gardens for a bit and then I ordered a milkshake at the café on top of the hill. It was good but the views were better. We then caught a FREE (yes, FREE) bus to the city center. This baffled me. I mean, yes, Denver has two free Downtown buses but this Perth bus was going outside the Downtown limits. There were actually 4 different tracks that were free. It was called the CAT bus system. Cats always provide happiness.
We rode the bus to Heirisson Island and walked about 20 minutes from the bus stop. Along the way, I noticed a person who got onboard was wearing a Jacobs polo shirt. OH COOL. As soon as he sat down near me, I waved over at him and asked if he worked at Jacobs. We had a semi-long conversation and it was a fun and unexpected encounter! After crossing the bridge over to Heirisson Island, Brett and I tried to figure out where the kangaroos would be. Thankfully, a guy riding by on a bicycle (aka our savior) asked us if we were looking for the kangaroos and then pointed us in the right direction. So nice of him! We were glad he said something because we were about to go the opposite direction. We went over and unlatched the double gate to get in. The gated area was HUGE and I was getting discouraged that we would ever spot any. My eyes were darting in every direction to try and catch a glimpse of a moving creature. I also felt like we were in a movie being hunted. It was eerie. We walked around for a good 30 minutes or so and Brett started to approach some people in the distance to ask if they spotted any kangaroos. Then, VOILA! I spotted one! I told Brett to come back and that I found one. He motioned to the girls to come over and he said, “Of course YOU would find one. You and your hawk eyes.” Hehe that’s me! We admired it for a good while and one of the girls had never seen one before. She was funny because she was baffled about how its legs “just go straight down.” She said it looked like a regular deer or goat or something but then the legs made everything confusing. We spotted another one nearby and eventually they both hopped out of the bushes! One was hopping right at me! If I hadn’t moved, we would have collided. We all had a long photo-op with the roos and then Brett and I left. On our way out I spotted a Kookaburra! They are so pretty. Brett joked that I had a magic touch because I kept spotting the Aussie animals before anyone else. I mentioned I could be a Aussie tour guide and he said I was like Steve Irwin. Heck yeah! We walked to Mardalup Bridge from there because it was highlighted in my Civil Engineering magazine. It was quite impressive with it’s suspended support system.
We took another awesome CAT bus to get to Elizabeth Quay. This was truly an ideal location for any venue. You could see the beautiful skyline of Perth across the water and the sky was so blue and perfect. There even were some rowers racing in the water which made it extra fun. One of the teams was wearing Viking helmets which was hilarious. We then walked toward the bus station to head back home. As we were walking, I noticed there was a live band playing for free in the Chevron Gardens. Aha! So that’s what the little brochure I picked up the first day was referring to. I asked Brett if he’d like to make a pit stop and he said definitely. This was a great spontaneous decision. It was a cool atmosphere with lulling blues-ish music. We took the bus back (which again was free – two thumbs up for Perth’s public transportation!) and during the ride we decided to go to the Perth Glory vs Brisbane soccer match tomorrow even though it started at 7pm and our pre-purchased Rooftop movie tickets for She’s the Man were for 8pm. This was an instance when just going with the flow and making plans on the fly was a better option. If I didn’t buy the movie tickets ahead of time we could have attended the entire soccer match instead of just half of it. One major lesson that I’ve learned during this trip is that spontaneity and not having everything planned has always resulted in fun times and more opportunities. Another example was stopping at the free show at the Chevron Garden Stage. We were just walking by, looked over, shrugged, and said why not?
February 16, 2019
I started the day semi late by leaving the house at 9:30am. My original plan was to borrow Brett’s bike for the day, but I realized that it would not be rideable due to the triathlon clip-ons. I told him I would just rent a bike but then he said his friend Kirsten would lend me one of hers. Sweet! So nice of her. I met up with them at Sayers Sisters then Kirsten drove me to her place and we grabbed her bike. I rode her bike to the closest train station and got off near Cottesloe Beach. It was so hilly near the beach! I was dying. Also, everything was great with the bike EXCEPT the brakes made the sound of crows. I swear, any time I tried to slow down people across the continent could hear me. Heads would turn every time. It was greatt. I eventually made it to the beach and it was pretty. The waves were very soothing. Then I rode 20 miles back to Perth and stopped by the iconic Blue Boat House for some photos. I continued to ride along the coast of the Swan River which felt so freeing. Then, I spotted dolphins! They were so close to the bike path! I stopped to take a video as did a couple others. The dolphins were throwing around a fish. It was amazing. They kept swimming next to the bike path so I literally went on a bike ride with dolphins! I kept looking over to see if we were still next to each other. Eventually I was too fast for them so I had to say my goodbyes. That was one of the coolest experiences ever! As I continued to ride, the bike path swerved along the river next to some green space and then the city skyline against the blue sky came into view. It was truly a magical scene.
Next I stopped at Golden West Brewing Company. I marked Golden West Brewing Co on my Google Maps because when I searched popular breweries earlier this morning it came up. I rode my bike down the alley and it didn’t look too promising. I hit the end of the alley and I noticed a Golden Brewery image. Score! I walked into what looked like an abandoned building and saw a group of 5 guys inside. They all looked up at me at the same time and I asked, “Hi, are you guys open?” They said no, that they were just the brewing operations building. We chatted for a minute and they said that their beers were served at a place called The 21st Amendment down the street. I said, “Ok I’ll head there then, thank you.” I was halfway down the alley and one of the guys came running out after me and asked, “Hey! Did you want a beer?” Ummm YES. So I turned around and went back inside. All of them were very nice. The two owners of the brewery were creating some of their masterpieces and one of the guys handed me a Blonde Ale for free. Cheers! It was such a warm and local feel, I loved it. I felt like they had adopted me. We chatted about Colorado beers and the American beer scene in general. They were all impressed by the number of breweries in America and one of the owners had heard of The Great American Beer Festival! They mentioned it was odd that a girl came by to ask about beer because not many Australian girls like beer haha. They were a fun crew and seemed really tight. I found it odd that when I searched them on Google Maps the location popped up because I was expecting an actual established brewery with seats and such. Instead it was just a few brew tanks and a couch and tv. It was like witnessing the beginning stages of a brewery. It was awesome. I love it when things like that happen out of nowhere! And thankfully I came by on a Saturday because they said they are only there on Saturdays since that's their brewing day. Talk about lucky!
I returned to Brett’s around 6pm and we walked to the soccer stadium from there. With tickets in hand, we walked through the gates and I bought myself a Perth Glory scarf. Another scarf to add to the collection! The supporter group for the team was loud and proud the entire time and they had funny chants. Perth Glory looked really good on the field. Much better than the Colorado Rapids that’s for sure. They were dominating the match but it took them a while to score a goal. Before we left at halftime, Perth had scored 3 goals. Sweet! We then took an Uber to the Rooftop movie. We were some of the last people to arrive (it was slightly after 8pm at this point) and we searched for a place to sit. It was a really neat setup! There were beanbag chairs shaped like lounge chairs. The tops of the skyscrapers were in the distance right behind the screen and the movie started. We couldn’t have had more perfect timing! I laughed a lot during the movie, She’s the Man, and so did Brett. I forgot how hilarious it was! I should watch it more often.
I started the day semi late by leaving the house at 9:30am. My original plan was to borrow Brett’s bike for the day, but I realized that it would not be rideable due to the triathlon clip-ons. I told him I would just rent a bike but then he said his friend Kirsten would lend me one of hers. Sweet! So nice of her. I met up with them at Sayers Sisters then Kirsten drove me to her place and we grabbed her bike. I rode her bike to the closest train station and got off near Cottesloe Beach. It was so hilly near the beach! I was dying. Also, everything was great with the bike EXCEPT the brakes made the sound of crows. I swear, any time I tried to slow down people across the continent could hear me. Heads would turn every time. It was greatt. I eventually made it to the beach and it was pretty. The waves were very soothing. Then I rode 20 miles back to Perth and stopped by the iconic Blue Boat House for some photos. I continued to ride along the coast of the Swan River which felt so freeing. Then, I spotted dolphins! They were so close to the bike path! I stopped to take a video as did a couple others. The dolphins were throwing around a fish. It was amazing. They kept swimming next to the bike path so I literally went on a bike ride with dolphins! I kept looking over to see if we were still next to each other. Eventually I was too fast for them so I had to say my goodbyes. That was one of the coolest experiences ever! As I continued to ride, the bike path swerved along the river next to some green space and then the city skyline against the blue sky came into view. It was truly a magical scene.
Next I stopped at Golden West Brewing Company. I marked Golden West Brewing Co on my Google Maps because when I searched popular breweries earlier this morning it came up. I rode my bike down the alley and it didn’t look too promising. I hit the end of the alley and I noticed a Golden Brewery image. Score! I walked into what looked like an abandoned building and saw a group of 5 guys inside. They all looked up at me at the same time and I asked, “Hi, are you guys open?” They said no, that they were just the brewing operations building. We chatted for a minute and they said that their beers were served at a place called The 21st Amendment down the street. I said, “Ok I’ll head there then, thank you.” I was halfway down the alley and one of the guys came running out after me and asked, “Hey! Did you want a beer?” Ummm YES. So I turned around and went back inside. All of them were very nice. The two owners of the brewery were creating some of their masterpieces and one of the guys handed me a Blonde Ale for free. Cheers! It was such a warm and local feel, I loved it. I felt like they had adopted me. We chatted about Colorado beers and the American beer scene in general. They were all impressed by the number of breweries in America and one of the owners had heard of The Great American Beer Festival! They mentioned it was odd that a girl came by to ask about beer because not many Australian girls like beer haha. They were a fun crew and seemed really tight. I found it odd that when I searched them on Google Maps the location popped up because I was expecting an actual established brewery with seats and such. Instead it was just a few brew tanks and a couch and tv. It was like witnessing the beginning stages of a brewery. It was awesome. I love it when things like that happen out of nowhere! And thankfully I came by on a Saturday because they said they are only there on Saturdays since that's their brewing day. Talk about lucky!
I returned to Brett’s around 6pm and we walked to the soccer stadium from there. With tickets in hand, we walked through the gates and I bought myself a Perth Glory scarf. Another scarf to add to the collection! The supporter group for the team was loud and proud the entire time and they had funny chants. Perth Glory looked really good on the field. Much better than the Colorado Rapids that’s for sure. They were dominating the match but it took them a while to score a goal. Before we left at halftime, Perth had scored 3 goals. Sweet! We then took an Uber to the Rooftop movie. We were some of the last people to arrive (it was slightly after 8pm at this point) and we searched for a place to sit. It was a really neat setup! There were beanbag chairs shaped like lounge chairs. The tops of the skyscrapers were in the distance right behind the screen and the movie started. We couldn’t have had more perfect timing! I laughed a lot during the movie, She’s the Man, and so did Brett. I forgot how hilarious it was! I should watch it more often.
February 17, 2019
We left the house around 10:15am and arrived at Mullaloo Beach at 10:50am. We scored an amazing parking spot within 10 yards of the beach. There were sensors/lights in each parking space to indicate if a car was in it or not. Apparently if you are there over the time limit then the light will go on and the rangers can bust you. A very ingenious process - how Swiss of you, Perth! We walked down to the beach and relaxed for an hour. We then drove 15 minutes to Scarborough Beach. For Scarborough we again found a great parking spot and Brett mentioned it must be due to my aura. It made me feel like a wizard haha. We grabbed a bite to eat/drink at a restaurant that overlooked the beach. Oh. My. Word. Was it gorgeous. The teal blue water was creating waves and a few surfers were sprinkled throughout. I feel like I’ve been using this term a lot, but it was picture perfect. After soaking in the scenery for a bit we walked down to the beach. I think I liked Scarborough more than Mullaloo (before the trip I thought I’d like Mullaloo better through reading articles and seeing photos) due to the waves and the activeness around the shore. It seemed to have a more boardwalk vibe with more shops and bars, but it wasn’t overwhelming – there was still a local feel about it. We laid on the beach for a bit and it was so beautiful.
After the beaches we went back to the house to freshen up. I mentioned to Brett earlier that I felt like I was wearing the same clothes all the time (he laughed) and it would be nice to “dress up” a little more in the evening. We drove to the area I biked through yesterday because I liked how walkable/pedestrian friendly it was. There were two major streets that were designated for peds and they were full of shops and stores. However, since it was Sunday, most of the stores were closed and there weren’t many people around. We walked past the area we saw on Friday (loads of food stalls and music) but now it was empty. So wild how it changed so drastically. Then we walked to the Chevron Square Garden Stage to catch another free music concert. After that we drove to Blasta Brewing. We pulled up and oh my goodness did I get a good feeling about this place. It had a huge outdoor area with low hanging lights and a huge indoor area like a warehouse. I was impressed. I went up to the bar and asked for a couple tasters. I couldn’t decide between two of them so I asked the girl bartender if they had a small size so that I could have two glasses. She laughed and said she was going to offer that option but wasn’t sure if it would be well accepted. I mentioned I was from Colorado in the States and having two beers in hand was quite alright with me. Brett said, “Now that you have two glasses you need to skull one of them.” I looked at him confused, “I don't know what ‘skulling’ means, what is that? Oh chugging!” I exclaimed. The girl bartender laughed really hard. Adding another nifty Aussie term to my vocab! Brett and I sat at a table outside and it was an incredible venue. We ordered some food and stayed for a while.
Brett then suggested we drive to Kings Park to see the city lights. I was cool with it and it was nice of him to think of it. We drove through and it was gorgeous. Seeing Perth all lit up was something else. We have an early day tomorrow for the Margaret River road trip – 6:30am departure! Should be a good time :)
We left the house around 10:15am and arrived at Mullaloo Beach at 10:50am. We scored an amazing parking spot within 10 yards of the beach. There were sensors/lights in each parking space to indicate if a car was in it or not. Apparently if you are there over the time limit then the light will go on and the rangers can bust you. A very ingenious process - how Swiss of you, Perth! We walked down to the beach and relaxed for an hour. We then drove 15 minutes to Scarborough Beach. For Scarborough we again found a great parking spot and Brett mentioned it must be due to my aura. It made me feel like a wizard haha. We grabbed a bite to eat/drink at a restaurant that overlooked the beach. Oh. My. Word. Was it gorgeous. The teal blue water was creating waves and a few surfers were sprinkled throughout. I feel like I’ve been using this term a lot, but it was picture perfect. After soaking in the scenery for a bit we walked down to the beach. I think I liked Scarborough more than Mullaloo (before the trip I thought I’d like Mullaloo better through reading articles and seeing photos) due to the waves and the activeness around the shore. It seemed to have a more boardwalk vibe with more shops and bars, but it wasn’t overwhelming – there was still a local feel about it. We laid on the beach for a bit and it was so beautiful.
After the beaches we went back to the house to freshen up. I mentioned to Brett earlier that I felt like I was wearing the same clothes all the time (he laughed) and it would be nice to “dress up” a little more in the evening. We drove to the area I biked through yesterday because I liked how walkable/pedestrian friendly it was. There were two major streets that were designated for peds and they were full of shops and stores. However, since it was Sunday, most of the stores were closed and there weren’t many people around. We walked past the area we saw on Friday (loads of food stalls and music) but now it was empty. So wild how it changed so drastically. Then we walked to the Chevron Square Garden Stage to catch another free music concert. After that we drove to Blasta Brewing. We pulled up and oh my goodness did I get a good feeling about this place. It had a huge outdoor area with low hanging lights and a huge indoor area like a warehouse. I was impressed. I went up to the bar and asked for a couple tasters. I couldn’t decide between two of them so I asked the girl bartender if they had a small size so that I could have two glasses. She laughed and said she was going to offer that option but wasn’t sure if it would be well accepted. I mentioned I was from Colorado in the States and having two beers in hand was quite alright with me. Brett said, “Now that you have two glasses you need to skull one of them.” I looked at him confused, “I don't know what ‘skulling’ means, what is that? Oh chugging!” I exclaimed. The girl bartender laughed really hard. Adding another nifty Aussie term to my vocab! Brett and I sat at a table outside and it was an incredible venue. We ordered some food and stayed for a while.
Brett then suggested we drive to Kings Park to see the city lights. I was cool with it and it was nice of him to think of it. We drove through and it was gorgeous. Seeing Perth all lit up was something else. We have an early day tomorrow for the Margaret River road trip – 6:30am departure! Should be a good time :)
February 18, 2019
We crammed a lot in today! First we drove to the Busselton Jetty which took about 2.5 hours and we grabbed some brochures to figure out a game plan. The water at the jetty was the same teal blue I’ve been falling in love with recently. We then drove to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and did a short hike out to the coast. The flies were relentless! I picked up a piece of brush to keep moving around my head so they wouldn’t land on me. We reached the platform at the end of the trail which is typically a good place to watch whales during the migration season (June to November). We spotted a seal on a rock and Brett filmed it with his fancy video camera for a bit. We walked back to the car and headed toward a restaurant for lunch. They had a nice view over the rolling hills. And today was a beautiful blue sky day once again. I ordered a cheese/bread board with a slab of chicken in block form. I didn’t particularly like the chicken thing but everything else was nice.
After that we went to our first cave! It was called Ngilgi Cave and our guide first warned us about the snakes outside the cave and how they were poisonous. After that I felt like I was on a safari adventure always trying to spot the danger. There was a sign just before the cave entrance that said “no drinking cameras” and our guide jokingly asked the Irish couple in our group if they had one. I had to ask Brett what that was and he said it was a fake camera that hides alcohol inside. Sort of like a thermos. That's brilliant! Our guide had a really dry sense of humor which was great. And sometimes he would talk to himself out loud after making a comment to us. It was funny. He let us explore on our own after giving us a brief spiel. I was feeling a little light headed at that point which worried me. He warned some people suffer from light headedness since there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the depths of the cave. The other 4 people in the group and Brett walked down to the Amphitheater portion while I stayed in the main area to adjust. We then continued to explore the depths of the cave. I slowly became accustomed to it. It was amazing! I had never been in a cave like it before. You could see hundreds of stalactites and other types of formations. The only cave experience that I can recall is when I went spelunking (caving) with the VT Cave Club and it was much narrower and mostly just rock slabs – no stalactites. Anyway, this cave was much different. It had so much beauty everywhere. There was a lot of room to walk around and they had built a walkway within it. At points the top of the cave was so low that you needed to be careful you didn’t hit your head. It wasn’t cold inside which surprised me. A new formation could be found at every turn. It definitely was incredible. Some of them looked so pointed that if they fell they could spear you. Apparently their tensile strength is off the charts. But if you were to whack them from the side they are very brittle. Some of them form sideways and are called shawls because they are so wide and thin. Our guide met us near the end of the loop and he talked for about an hour. It was all very good information! As we climbed the stairs, Brett hit his head pretty hard. “Oh my gosh are you ok?!” It sounded bad. He played it off like it was no big deal but I was worried. We spent an hour and a half at the cave when we intended to spend only 30 minutes. Oops.
Next, we took part in the 3:20pm tour of Lake Cave which was fabulous. We first needed to walk down a long series of stairs into a collapsed part of the cave which now created an large opening to the outside world. Once we reached the narrow cave opening, we walked down one more flight of stairs into almost complete darkness. Our guide (let’s call her Susie) flipped a switch to slowly light up a walkway that crossed over the water basin. It was breathtaking! I really liked how this experience was so much different than Ngilgi Cave which was lit up entirely throughout the cave. Having the lights turn off and on in certain areas of this cave gave it a more eerie vibe and made you wonder what was going to be shown next. Susie then turned a light on to highlight the end of the cave and it slowly put a spotlight on it which was so cool (and a little creepy)! This cave was known for having water in it (hence the name Lake Cave) and for a suspended table formation. The “table” weighed over 5 tons!! It looked like it would fall at any moment. We walked to the back of the cave and took a seat on a long bench. We gazed across the path we had just taken and Susie continued to give us a light show as she described each area. Then she turned off all the lights and let us experience total darkness. It was so freaky. I could see just a hint of light from the main entrance but that was it. You couldn’t see anything else. Also, while this was happening everything was silent except for the slow drips of water from the stalactites above. Drip. Drip. Drip. It was very calming. It also made me need to use the restroom. Good thing this was the end of the tour! Susie let us roam out of the cave on our own when we were ready. Brett and I were the last to leave and man, everyone seemed to have booked it out of there! They were no where to be seen. I thought for sure people would want to mosey around and take more photos. When we reached the Visitor Center Brett took off his hat and said, “Look.” He showed me the bump from where he hit his head earlier. “YUCK! Omg are you ok?! Does it hurt??” He seemed shocked that I asked him those questions. I guess he didn’t think it looked that bad. What I saw was a disgusting red bump with a bunch of dried blood. Just thinking about it again makes me a little queasy.
After Lake Cave we drove the 12km Bonarup Drive to see the karri trees. This was incredible! The trees were all very tall and the road was made of dirt so it was a real excursion. I kept looking up at all the trees in all their glory. The view never got old even though it was practically the same the entire drive. They were such gorgeous trees. They looked like a mix of redwoods, sequoias, and aspens. We drove for a while and it felt like we would be lost among the trees forever. There were some forks in the road and our GPS wasn’t really working, so we just hoped for the best. At one point I did get a little worried. Eventually we came to an overlook area which was nice. Then we made it to the main road. Hallelujah! It was a nice loop and I would definitely recommend it. The sky was the perfect deep blue today too, which helped bring out the trees’ beauty even more.
Then Brett wanted to show me Gnomesville. It was an area where people from all over the world come to visit to drop off garden gnomes of all shapes and sizes. Along the way Brett pulled over quickly to point out a huge group of kangaroos! As soon as he pulled over, all the kangaroos stopped what they were doing, stood up tall with their heads turned toward us, and froze. It was so synchronized that they seemed like robots. Brett got out to take a photo and about 1 minute later they all started hopping away. It was like he was the director and just shouted “Action!” It was a very memorable sight. Also along the way, the sun was creating a fire sunset on the left while the full moon shined on the right. It was amazing. The sky around the moon was a purplish orange color. We arrived at Gnomesville a little before dusk. It was really creepy. Literally thousands of little gnomes looking at you with their beady little eyes. I’m sure during daylight it was a neat place to visit, but at night it freaked me out. I made a comment to Brett that it could be the basis of a horror movie. He laughed. We didn’t stay long because I think Brett even found it a little terrifying. I tried to open the car door but it was locked and I said, “Oh my gosh it’s happening! We’re gonna die!” Brett laughed and unlocked the car. From there we drove to Bunbury for food/drinks. We found a table outside near the water and we could see the full moon reflecting off the ripples in the water. I was speechless. Also, there were boat passageways so there were twinkling red and green lights that were synchronized. Moonlight and a light show!
It was a fun day. We fly out to Melbourne tomorrow morning to meet up with Kerrie and Andrew (I met both of them during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as well). So long, Perth! You’ve been wonderful. It probably didn’t hurt that I had the best host in all the land :)
We crammed a lot in today! First we drove to the Busselton Jetty which took about 2.5 hours and we grabbed some brochures to figure out a game plan. The water at the jetty was the same teal blue I’ve been falling in love with recently. We then drove to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and did a short hike out to the coast. The flies were relentless! I picked up a piece of brush to keep moving around my head so they wouldn’t land on me. We reached the platform at the end of the trail which is typically a good place to watch whales during the migration season (June to November). We spotted a seal on a rock and Brett filmed it with his fancy video camera for a bit. We walked back to the car and headed toward a restaurant for lunch. They had a nice view over the rolling hills. And today was a beautiful blue sky day once again. I ordered a cheese/bread board with a slab of chicken in block form. I didn’t particularly like the chicken thing but everything else was nice.
After that we went to our first cave! It was called Ngilgi Cave and our guide first warned us about the snakes outside the cave and how they were poisonous. After that I felt like I was on a safari adventure always trying to spot the danger. There was a sign just before the cave entrance that said “no drinking cameras” and our guide jokingly asked the Irish couple in our group if they had one. I had to ask Brett what that was and he said it was a fake camera that hides alcohol inside. Sort of like a thermos. That's brilliant! Our guide had a really dry sense of humor which was great. And sometimes he would talk to himself out loud after making a comment to us. It was funny. He let us explore on our own after giving us a brief spiel. I was feeling a little light headed at that point which worried me. He warned some people suffer from light headedness since there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the depths of the cave. The other 4 people in the group and Brett walked down to the Amphitheater portion while I stayed in the main area to adjust. We then continued to explore the depths of the cave. I slowly became accustomed to it. It was amazing! I had never been in a cave like it before. You could see hundreds of stalactites and other types of formations. The only cave experience that I can recall is when I went spelunking (caving) with the VT Cave Club and it was much narrower and mostly just rock slabs – no stalactites. Anyway, this cave was much different. It had so much beauty everywhere. There was a lot of room to walk around and they had built a walkway within it. At points the top of the cave was so low that you needed to be careful you didn’t hit your head. It wasn’t cold inside which surprised me. A new formation could be found at every turn. It definitely was incredible. Some of them looked so pointed that if they fell they could spear you. Apparently their tensile strength is off the charts. But if you were to whack them from the side they are very brittle. Some of them form sideways and are called shawls because they are so wide and thin. Our guide met us near the end of the loop and he talked for about an hour. It was all very good information! As we climbed the stairs, Brett hit his head pretty hard. “Oh my gosh are you ok?!” It sounded bad. He played it off like it was no big deal but I was worried. We spent an hour and a half at the cave when we intended to spend only 30 minutes. Oops.
Next, we took part in the 3:20pm tour of Lake Cave which was fabulous. We first needed to walk down a long series of stairs into a collapsed part of the cave which now created an large opening to the outside world. Once we reached the narrow cave opening, we walked down one more flight of stairs into almost complete darkness. Our guide (let’s call her Susie) flipped a switch to slowly light up a walkway that crossed over the water basin. It was breathtaking! I really liked how this experience was so much different than Ngilgi Cave which was lit up entirely throughout the cave. Having the lights turn off and on in certain areas of this cave gave it a more eerie vibe and made you wonder what was going to be shown next. Susie then turned a light on to highlight the end of the cave and it slowly put a spotlight on it which was so cool (and a little creepy)! This cave was known for having water in it (hence the name Lake Cave) and for a suspended table formation. The “table” weighed over 5 tons!! It looked like it would fall at any moment. We walked to the back of the cave and took a seat on a long bench. We gazed across the path we had just taken and Susie continued to give us a light show as she described each area. Then she turned off all the lights and let us experience total darkness. It was so freaky. I could see just a hint of light from the main entrance but that was it. You couldn’t see anything else. Also, while this was happening everything was silent except for the slow drips of water from the stalactites above. Drip. Drip. Drip. It was very calming. It also made me need to use the restroom. Good thing this was the end of the tour! Susie let us roam out of the cave on our own when we were ready. Brett and I were the last to leave and man, everyone seemed to have booked it out of there! They were no where to be seen. I thought for sure people would want to mosey around and take more photos. When we reached the Visitor Center Brett took off his hat and said, “Look.” He showed me the bump from where he hit his head earlier. “YUCK! Omg are you ok?! Does it hurt??” He seemed shocked that I asked him those questions. I guess he didn’t think it looked that bad. What I saw was a disgusting red bump with a bunch of dried blood. Just thinking about it again makes me a little queasy.
After Lake Cave we drove the 12km Bonarup Drive to see the karri trees. This was incredible! The trees were all very tall and the road was made of dirt so it was a real excursion. I kept looking up at all the trees in all their glory. The view never got old even though it was practically the same the entire drive. They were such gorgeous trees. They looked like a mix of redwoods, sequoias, and aspens. We drove for a while and it felt like we would be lost among the trees forever. There were some forks in the road and our GPS wasn’t really working, so we just hoped for the best. At one point I did get a little worried. Eventually we came to an overlook area which was nice. Then we made it to the main road. Hallelujah! It was a nice loop and I would definitely recommend it. The sky was the perfect deep blue today too, which helped bring out the trees’ beauty even more.
Then Brett wanted to show me Gnomesville. It was an area where people from all over the world come to visit to drop off garden gnomes of all shapes and sizes. Along the way Brett pulled over quickly to point out a huge group of kangaroos! As soon as he pulled over, all the kangaroos stopped what they were doing, stood up tall with their heads turned toward us, and froze. It was so synchronized that they seemed like robots. Brett got out to take a photo and about 1 minute later they all started hopping away. It was like he was the director and just shouted “Action!” It was a very memorable sight. Also along the way, the sun was creating a fire sunset on the left while the full moon shined on the right. It was amazing. The sky around the moon was a purplish orange color. We arrived at Gnomesville a little before dusk. It was really creepy. Literally thousands of little gnomes looking at you with their beady little eyes. I’m sure during daylight it was a neat place to visit, but at night it freaked me out. I made a comment to Brett that it could be the basis of a horror movie. He laughed. We didn’t stay long because I think Brett even found it a little terrifying. I tried to open the car door but it was locked and I said, “Oh my gosh it’s happening! We’re gonna die!” Brett laughed and unlocked the car. From there we drove to Bunbury for food/drinks. We found a table outside near the water and we could see the full moon reflecting off the ripples in the water. I was speechless. Also, there were boat passageways so there were twinkling red and green lights that were synchronized. Moonlight and a light show!
