Tag Archives: new zealand

5 Fun Activities to do in Queenstown, New Zealand…

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Queenstown New Zealand is one of the most unique parts of the world that I have ever visited and lived in. It is jaw droppingly beautiful and you certainly have to keep reminding yourself to look up every day to admire the wonderful mountains and terrain. It was recently voted a winner for the Travellers choice 2012 on Tripadvisor for the South Pacific competing with the likes of Melbourne and Sydney.

You have many sides to Queenstown even though it is nicknamed the ‘Adventure Capital of the world’. I have decided to put together a list of the top 5 things to do while here in Queenstown in no particular order and have incorporated a bit of adventure, relaxation and activities exclusive to the Queenstown area.

1) Queenstown Hill

The walk up Queenstown hill is stunning and breathtaking in more than a few ways. It takes about an hour to walk to the top and about half the time coming down. It is quite a steep walk and has look out points along the way so you certainly want to bring your camera. The view from the top is epic, looking down on Queenstown and the lake and around at the surrounding mountains it really is a beautiful sight and well worth the effort getting up there when you get to the top!

2) Onsen Pools

Onsen Pools is a great relaxing experience and is situated about a 10mins drive from Queenstown; they provide a pick up and drop of service if you do not have a car. Once  you are there you are shown to your private pool. The room has a retractable roof which is awesome and you have epic views of the Shotover river and surrounding mountains and is is stupidly relaxing while lying in the Spa. An hour is about perfect and the Spa, staff and whole experience were all great! (www.onsen.co.nz)

 

3) The Nevis Bungy and Swing

This has to be one of the best experiences I have ever had when it comes to adrenaline activities! It i deemed the highest Bungy in NZ and the largest swing in the world and both are awesome in their own right! This is definitely a must do for all you adrenaline junkies! Epic experience! (www.bungy.co.nz/the-nevis/the-nevis-swing)

4) Day trip to Glenorchy and Arrowtown

A day trip out to both of these beautiful quaint little towns will not leave you disappointed. The drives out to them both especially Glenorchy are wonderful and you can admire the amazing mountain views, both are great to take a trip out to to wander around and have some lunch or an afternoon there. From Glenorchy you can ‘tramp’ aka: Hike part of the Routeburn walk where you can encounter awesome waterfalls and rivers. Arrowtown is like stepping back in time and has some great cafes and shops to explore and is well maintained. Would recommend no more than an afternoon here after you have walked the few streets and learned some NZ history about how the village first evolved. (www.glenorchyinfocentre.co.nz) and (www.arrowtown.com)

5) Skyline Gondola

The Gondola is a must while visiting Queenstown! The views from the top are again surreal and you are able to take a bite to eat or have a drink while taking in the views of Queenstown and the Remarkables. You are able to ‘Luge’ while up at the top of the mountain and wanted to do something fun and adventurous. The restaurant also has an all you can eat buffet which is rather good and then you can take the Gondola back down when you are finished. Enjoy! :)

(www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/)

 

Couchsurfing…What is Couchsurfing.org?…

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Couchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.org ) has been a very influential thing in my life thus far having first signed up to it in February 2007. I found out about it from a random guy on Gumtree when i was looking for advice from people who have toured around the States. My housemate Dave and I found the site and instantly thought that the idea of having loads of people from around the world come and visit us was awesome and the next day we had our first Couchsurfer coming to stay and on some nights we had 13 people stay. ;) Little did we know how much of an impact it would have on our lives.

What is Couchsurfing then I hear you ask?

CouchSurfing is a corporation that is the world’s largest hospitality exchange and social travel network, connecting a global community of travelers, adventure seekers and lifelong learners dedicated to sharing their cultures, hospitality and authentic experiences. Couchsurfing was founded by a guy called Casey Fenton in 1999 and it became public in 2004 and is run from San Francisco. It was a non-profit organisation up until last year where it turned into a B Corporation ( a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems).

CouchSurfing connects more than 4 million members in 86,000 cities via its website and mobile applications. It is free to register and you create a profile like Facebook listing your interests and you have the options of either listing yourself to either:

  1. Meet people in your area for a coffee/drink, or join an event such as a weekly meetup group, sport group or language exchange, you can search for people with similar interests, age (just a number ;) and location.
  2. Hosting people- Here you can host people for however long you like in your spare room or couch who are currently visiting your area.
  3. Surf- Stay with somebody when you are travelling in another city.and get a locals knowledge in the area you are visiting and discover things you would not normally know about.

I have had some epic experiences from Couchsurfing having hosted over 350 people in 6 countries and met well over 500 people through it! Most of my close friends I have met through CS and even though I have mainly hosted I have stayed in mansions as well as average couch’s around the world (awesome experience in Montevideo, Uruguay…hosted by a dog) ;)

The mission statement of CouchSurfing is:

Create Inspiring Experiences….At CouchSurfing International, we envision a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter. Building meaningful connections across cultures enables us to respond to diversity with curiosity, appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global community.

What about hosting or staying with some weird people?

This is usually the first question most people ask and there are three methods designed to increase security and trust, which are all visible on member profiles for potential hosts and surfers:

  1. Personal references, which hosts and surfers have the option to leave after having used the service.
  2. An optional credit card verification system, allowing members to “lock in” their name and mailing address by making a credit card payment and entering a code that CouchSurfing mails to an address of their choice.
  3. A personal vouching system, whereby a member that had been vouched for three times — originally starting with the founders of the site — might in turn vouch for any number of other members he knew or had met through CouchSurfing, and trusts.

Out of all the amazing experiences that I have encountered I would say discovering CS is definitely one of them! I have met so many amazing people from around the world and had experiences that I never would have had staying in a 5* hotel or other accomodation. So why not? If your interested in discovering new cultures and how other people live then sign up for free now and see if you have a similar epic experiences! :)

Website: http://www.couchsurfing.org/

My profile on CS: http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lordhickey/

3 Incredible lessons on how to travel and work abroad….

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I recently did a guest post for my good friend Ian Robinson on his blog www.howtotravelandwork.com << check it out, and have posted it below! See what you think!

A lot of people always think ‘How will I be able to work and travel’? Working and travelling is something that many people would love to do in life, however there is a stigma that people sometimes never get around to it or make an excuse for not doing it (time is not right, go next year, unable to afford it etc). When really all you need is your ‘WHY’ you want to work and travel–is it for the adventures, different experiences, learning about new cultures and job skills, new friends or a new perspective on life.

 

 

It is all about feeling the fear and doing it anyway…get out there and with the will power and initiative then anyone can do it…I have been doing it for the last 5 years.

Here are 3 quick tips for when working and travelling…

 

1) Network, Network, Network…before you go or as soon as you arrive, use sites such as www.couchsurfing.org, www.meetup.com, gumtree.com, tripadvisor.com, Transitionabroad.com, Escapeartist.com, virtualtourist.com, www.triptrotting.com for any information and advice from people that have been in your similar shoes. Ask them about potential work in the destination you are heading to and put feelers out for what work is available depending on your sector. Networking is the biggest tool when looking for new work in my point of view.

2) Use sites such as www.monster.com and www.seek.com and www.linkedin.com so that your cv is open and available for potential employers to get in touch with you. Otherwise depending on the line of work you are looking for you might want to use www.localist.com to then get a list of all the bars/restaurants and business’s in the area and then blast your way through them with a copy and paste email and cover letter and you will be more than likely to get something asap to keep you going while you search elsewhere!

3) When in a new city get out to the bars and other meetup places and get your face known so that you are meeting people who have lived in that destination and know what work is available, each person on average has a network of 250 people, meet just 4 new people in a day and then you have a 1000 person network at your disposal for potential work. ;)

I have always lived my dream and made steps towards the bigger picture and found work pretty quick through the steps above, e.g. Turned up in NZ wanting to get paid to watch every game of the Rugby World Cup including the Final with zero contacts and achieved it!

Find out your ‘why’ and take action on it, learn from it and get out there and just do it! Enjoy the journey, have fun and say yes more! :)

p.s. If you need that extra push then here is a list of all the main travel sites for plane tickets so there is no excuses! ;)

www.expedia.com (Best one)
www.kayak.com
www.cheapflights.com
www.sidestep.com* outside US suggestion.
www.orbitz.com
www.priceline.com -(Bid for your ticket)
www.Cfares.com (American site)
www.Skyauction.com (auction bid for your next adventure)
www.Tam.com (Latin America)
www.lata.org (Latin America)

5 Must See Places to Visit for Auckland, New Zealand

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Auckland city which is also known as the ‘City of Sails’ is the largest and most cosmopolitan city of New Zealand with a population of about 1.4million people. Although it is quite a large city it has a small town vibe to it with everything within access and a friendly feeling to it.

There are plenty of things to do in Auckland for everyone, whether it be sailing across to one of the beautiful islands such as Waiheke or Rangitoto, sailing on the America’s Cup Yacht, going kayaking and fishing or walking or jumping off the tallest building in the southern hemisphere the Skytower, there is fun for everyone.

 

Auckland city from the bridge

 

Below I have listed the top things I recommend to do when visiting Auckland in no particular order! :

1) Island hopping: Take a sailing trip or ferry to Waiheke island for the day and explore the great beaches and secret bays on the island as well as checking out one of the 30 or so Wineries there and sitback and enjoy the views over a glass of wine! Just a 30minute Ferry Ride from Auckland Harbour, it is definitely a great day trip! http://www.fullers.co.nz/

B) Take the ferry to Rangitoto island which is a volcanic island which last erupted 600 years ago, it offers great views at the summit of the island and back towards Auckland and beyond. There is also walking trails, bird-watching and fishing opportunities.

 

2) Check out the Skytower: The largest tower in the Southern Hemisphere at 328metres, the Skytower is an impressive landmark to visit to say the least. Whether it be having dinner at Orbit the revolving restaurant, shooting in the lift to the top of the observation tower to enjoy the 360degree view, taking a SkyWalk on the outside of it or even taking the Skyjump off it! (www.skyjump.co.nz). Definitely worth it on a great day or clear night! Orbit Restaurant: (http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/Restaurants/Orbit.html)

 

3) Waitakere Ranges: Take a scenic drive to the Waitakere Ranges to see Piha Beach (www.piha.co.nz) amongst others and enjoy the amazing views, great hiking trails and good surf at some of the beaches!

Otherwise a road Trip around the Coromandel is also another great day trip with breath taking sites along the way! Both are great trips! (www.thecoromandel.com)

 

 

4) Popular spots in Auckland: Check out Mission Bay (www.missionbay.co.nz) and St Heliers for a great view of Rangitoto, good cafe culture, and good old Fish and Chips. Also there is the cafes and bars in the Viaduct Harbour and eateries in the Wynyard Quarter (www.waterfrontauckland.co.nz) which is a relatively new area since the Rugby World Cup. For a hike and great views of Auckland check out one of Auckland 49 volcanoes, I would recommend One Tree Hill in Cornwall park which is beautiful and then also Mount Eden.

 

5) Auckland Museum and Art Gallery: Auckland Museum and Art Gallery are both quality places to visit, the Museum is free if you say you live here and allows you to discover the history and culture of New Zealand through a well structured layout. The Art Gallery has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand with over 15,000 artworks and are currently showing the Degas to Dalí exhibition. www.aucklandmuseum.com/ www.aucklandartgallery.com

I hope you enjoy your time in Auckland and some of the great places above and I appreciate any feedback you might have! cheers! :)

Auckland at sunset

Adventure Experience of a lifetime! Mototaxi Junket 2011: Asuncion Paraguay to Cuzco Peru in a Tuk-Tuk.

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It all began back in 2007 when our worlds collided through www.couchsurfing.org and Mr Red came to stay in London with Mr Pink and I. We all wanted to go on an adventure as soon as we had no commitments, the world was our oyster and we wanted to do something extreme and out there and we found the site www.theadventurists.com. We then made a pact there and then that we would do an adventure for charity in a Tuk-Tuk somewhere in the World within five years. (For those of you who do not know what a Tuk-Tuk is….please see the picture below that it is basically a shitty motorbike with a sofa on the back not made for adventuring!)

 

 

Four years later I get a phone call from Mr Red while on a mini retirement from life in Brazil and he tells me ‘It is time’, he has awesomely signed us up to an adventure from Asuncion, Paraguay to Cuzco, Peru (Over 3000km more or less) in a Tuk-Tuk or Mototaxi!! We all agree to meet with Mr Pink who was currently in Colombia a month before so we could check it all out, raise the money for Practical action the charity and get our ‘outfits together and have a catchup before the challenge ahead.

 

The Unroute!…3000km more or less ;)

 

A few days before the big day we found some amazing all in one suits from the Bogota black market and instantly bought them as we were looking for outfits that would keep us warm and also allow us to strip down when necessary. On the morning of the big day as we were putting shorts on with our ‘Tellytubby’ outfits we thought why don’t we challenge ourselves and only wear boxer shorts underneath, take our outfit, passports and cards plus Mr Blues outfit who we were meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay and nothing more or less!!

 

 

So it was done, we set sail from Colombia known as ‘The Colours’ (no real names allowed) or the ‘Tellytubbies’ with our few items (see picture above- no maps, no nothing) for Asuncion, Paraguay via Buenos Aires for 8 or so hours for Christmas day and then spent 4 days in Montevideo. On Christmas day eve where one of the colours was robbed with our passports and wallets however he managed to negotiate our passports back and we still had one wallet left so were able to continue! It was meant to be! This was only the beginning of what was to come! haha.

 

The Colours on the front page of the Paraguayan news ;)

I could write a mini book on everything that followed, from tackling security at the airport, hiding each others passports in sick bags and breaching international flight regulations and not getting arrested it as it was Christmas day. Jumping in an immigration booth and stamping each others passports, stopping the streets of Paraguay with Police escort so all the teams can have a curtain raiser to the bigday, jumping across borders illegally with only one of us having an international driving license (wallets stolen). From leaving Paraguay just asking which way North was to Peru as we had no maps, not having any accomodation booked for any nights and choosing to sleep on stone cold floors in the middle off nowhere with pet monkeys in the kitchen. Being on multiple news stations and on the front pages across Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru would just be touching the surface of it all!

 

 

So here it is! I think this video produced and edited by Mr Red sums up the adventure fantastically well and gives you a good insight into what it was like. This is the Tuk Tuk adventure we did from Asuncion, Paraguay to Cusco, Peru! One of the most amazing experiences I have done ever with just fancy dress, cards and passports and any items we were given or picked up along the way! :)  I hope your enjoy it and please just click the link below which takes you through to see the video and feel free to leave any comments! :)

 

Auckland Bridge Bungy Jump, New Zealand…Bucketlist tick No. 23. :)

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Bungy jumping is one of those activities that has always been high on my list of things that I wanted to do in life. So many people have experienced and enjoyed it and I was given the pleasure of a present from a special someone (thank-you) to do a bungy jump off the worlds first harbour bridge Bungy Jump in Auckland, New Zealand. It was awesome!! :)

A group of about 10 other ‘jumpers’, a handful of spectators and I walked the 10minute bridge climb from the entrance of the bridge and then up to the top which stands at about 43metres high. I was embracing the views which overlook the city and then the fear started to dawn on me a bit more as I got closer and then climbed up into the ‘jump pod’ as they call it that I was actually in the here and now and would shortly be jumping! I looked around and started to see the similar fear on everyones faces and the jump order was read out which goes by the heaviest person first so I was to be jumping about the 4th in line.

 

Having a bit of banter with the instructor...;)

 

My name was called up and I sat in the chair (see picture) to have the harnesses put around my ankles and measured so that my head would dip into the water! I had a bit of banter with the instructor as he told me that this harness looked particularly rusty and he was not sure! ;) With the music blaring I then stepped out towards the edge and stood on the platform, did the mandatory look at all the cameras and smile and pretend you are not scared at all and then I bit the bullet and dive jumped off! :)

 

 ’The Plank’

 

The free fall feeling is amazing as you see the water rapidly coming towards you in a few seconds and then before you know it…SPLASH! your head dips under and out and after 3 bounces you pull the cord on your ankle to allow you to go into a sitting position and then I was hauled back up to the ‘jump pod’.  I was then back 43 metres high still pumped from the experience and back with all the other jumpers and spectators!

 

Pumped for life! :)

Overall it was a massive adrenalin rush that I would recommend anyone to do! :) Get out there and embrace this experience! You will not regret it! (http://www.bungy.co.nz/auckland-bridge)

 

Awesome view back onto the city!