Adventuresam

…. so guess what happened? Remember? That’s where we left off from the last blog? 

Well, on our way to the rental car, I met Roma, a deaf girl from Germany who was traveling on her own. what. I’ll say it again. A deaf girl. Who’s first language is certainly not english.  Traveling ON HER OWN. Internationally. Solo. Deaf. Whoa, I could not believe it. 

Luckily, I know some American Sign Language (it’s such a great language), so Roma and I were able to start chatting, and I soon found out that beyond her very clear and apparent bravery, she was also just a wonderful and charming woman.  I was so impressed. I wanted to know more. Rachel suggested I invite her to lunch AND I DID.

Roma was SO cool.  Have I mentioned? The more I learned about her, the more impressed I was; Roma has an insane life story.  She told me that she didn’t learn sign language until she was 14 because her parents refused to teach her. They forced her to read lips. And that no one in her family (still) uses sign language to this day.  Like, at all. In fact, Roma hadn’t even known that sign language existed until she was out and about in Germany, and happened to see two deaf people communicating with each other in public. I can.not.imagine.  I get goosebumps, even now, thinking about her life story.

QUICK NOTE ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGE:

The thing about American Sign Language (ASL) is, it’s American. Which means that German sign language and American Sign Language are actually very different. Reminder: Roma is from Germany. So when a friend-ish of hers came to meet up with us (he was also deaf), I couldn’t communicate with him because he couldn’t sign ASL and I couldn’t sign GSL (assuming that’s how German Sign language is abbreviated. But it’s probably not.) AND THEN, the plot thickened when another one of Roma’s friend-ish joined us, also deaf, and this friend signed New Zealand Sign Language, which, I learned, WAS ALSO DIFFERENT FROM BOTH ASL AND GSL. My mind was continually blown by this girl, Roma.  Reminder, Roma could speak with me in American Sign Language!  She was so smart.  She was fluent in at least 3 sign languages AND COULD READ LIPS!!!   This is understandable because her parents forced her to until she was 14, but THEY SPEAK GERMAN! And Roma can lip read in both english AND German.  SHE’S INCREDIBLE. Bonus Roma fact: At lunch I found out that Roma is vegan. Why? In order to be kind to animals who have no voice. ❤

You can tell, I LOVED chatting to Roma and her friends.  I was impressed. Seriously. I want to direct everyone in my past (and my future) who is shocked and worried by my solo travels to this girl (or lots of other kick-ass women that I meet). THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS!  PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST DOING THE DAMN THING! They are out there. And they are inspiring. I hope I always come back to this and to her, whenever I think I have it difficult on one of my solo travels. Roma is truly an inspiration. Rachel and I chatted with her for hours (as long as we could) before we finally had to head out and pick up our rental car.

Here’s a quick video detailing a few of our days in Auckland and Roma. Check.her.out.

———

Today was moving in day.  Our new home, aka the rental car, aka our vacation home, aka The Bach (New Zealand word for beach house; pronounced “batch” and not like Bach, the composer) was ready for us; we found a place for the guidebook; a spot for the water bottles; a home for the tissues.

Before we left Auckland, to go traversing into the wilderness of New Zealand, Rae and I remembered to look up what scary critters lived out there. Luckily, the answer was NONE.  The wildest thing was, as we pulled out of the parking lot, onto the road, we reminded ourselves to stay on the left side of the road (left side, left side). In New Zealand, they drive like they do in England.  Rae and I also played Left Side of the Road: Roundabout edition. There were so many roundabouts on the island that our guidebook (henceforth known as Scott) told us that there was a NZ children’s story called The Magic Roundabout. So cute. So true — they were magical.

We were going to stay on the north island for the entire trip. I know, I know, “But the south island…!” However, Rachel and I found our fun and our adventure in the north. So to start off, we went farther north. It seemed fitting. Our plan was basically…No plan. We were going to read the book, take Scott’s advice, and see what happened.

On the first dirt road we hit outside of Auckland, we saw a Kiwi sign, and that was when we realized our dream: To see a real life KIWI.

we will find you!

The first time we ‘officially’ stopped, on Scott’s recommendation, it was a waterfall that was well-off the beaten track.  It felt like our first Tinder swipe with him…and we liked what we saw; a hidden waterfall!

Stumbling into Lord of the Rings

Channeling our inner mythical creatures (the unicorn towel) because New Zealand is a fantasyland

The falls were gorgeous. It was a stunning introduction to the north of New Zealand.  That night, we slept in our bach, which is actually made to sleep in — it came with a mattress, pillows, sheets, and a blanket; the front seats scooted forward and the back seat folded down flat. The back seat was made out of ply wood and a mattress laid on top.   Rachel and I emptied the trunk into the front seat, which then allowed us to lay our legs out in front, like so.  It didn’t take us long before we had a great system.

Bach in action

Chillin’ in the bach seat

The bach was comfortable.  Rachel and I had a really good month sleeping like this, and we slept even more soundly when we thought about all the money we were saving.

Right, so the next morning, after that first night (of many) in the bach, we went to a Maori (pronounced Mouldy) town, called Whangarei (pronounced Fun-Gah-Ray; the WH in Maori makes an “F” sound). 

The far north was the only place on the island that had toll roads, which was fine because we weren’t spending any money on hostels. We set an alarm for every three days so that we wouldn’t miss the (very small) payments. 

After a few hours of hanging around, Rachel and I couldn’t help but notice that people were going barefoot in all sorts of public places — now, mind you, we weren’t even close to a beach, and yet people were wiggling their toes around nice grocery stores (like Countdown), restaurants, gas stations, etc. It seemed normal.  And I love doing things that are normal. So we started asking around and learning that people do it in order soak up the earth’s energy. Not even hippies. Just regular people. SIGN. ME. UP. Rachel and I went barefoot at the grocery store a few times, you know, just to fit in (but also to soak up the earth’s energy). It was LIBERATING (except when we left and had to walk on the hot pavement outside).  I loved it, from my head down to my toes.

Did somebody say Chee-toes?

Another revelation in a grocery store? :

You don’t have to refrigerate your eggs.

While Rae and I were in Whangarei hiking and getting acquainted with the area, we realized that the Super Bowl was coming up! We called several bars to see which one would be showing it. Touchdown! We drove back into town, and arrived at Donnelley Station, the New Zealand bar that would be playing the game.  It was decked out with American decorations. They even played Jack Johnson when the game was over. Hole-in-one.

Baseball called; they want their cracker jacks back.

New Zealand: Home of Super Bowl LIII

The bar, beyond playing Jack Johnson and putting up colonial American flags, sold cracker jacks and root beer just for the game. Spoiler alert: they weren’t a big hit.

“Cracker Jacks are more of a baseball thing,” I told the bartender.
“Would have been good to know, eh?” he responded, talking to his mate.

Fun and Friendzy in NZ

Later, I started chatting up a stranger at the bar and it came up that I’m a big fan of comedy.  He immediately responded, with his New Zealand accent: “How sad is it about Chris Farley?!” Really sad.

These strangers at the bar also introduced us to some New Zealand slang; we heard the word “dag” for the first time (not dog), which is an affectionate insult for someone with poor social skills.

——–

The next day, we went on our first date.  But not like that, Col.  Not with strangers, but with Scott, our guidebook.  We had referenced that hidden waterfall as Tinder, and now we were ready to hangout more with our perfect match.  Thus, Breams Head Point was, metaphorically, our first date.

The hill we happily crossed MANY, MANY times to find wonderful hikes and free places to sleep.

Hiking to the point of Breams Head.

Getting 360-degree views from the top!

The good good.

Things we learned as we kept hiking:

1. New Zealand is stunning.
2. New Zealand is beautiful.
3. New Zealand is perfect.

Back to our home, in our bach, we spent nights underneath the most GORGEOUS sky. I could’ve stared up at that starry night for hours, but the next day, it was time for another beautiful hike, so it was always important to get some rest.

One of our hikes was called Whangarei Heads — it had bunkers and WWII history. It was pretty empty, although, ironically, we did see a Japanese couple.

New Zealand; where the views never get “old”.

Fresh and inviting

Does this make you want to visit New Zealand yet?

Hidden beach

When the rocks match your shoes.

Collecting treasures.

A beach all to ourselves.

Somewhere you’d find a mermaid sunbathing.

Bench bartender turned bench chef.

Sustenance for the hike made by NZ’s finest bench chef (and yes we were putting room temperature soup on seaweed crackers and eating them).

All the hikes were incredible, as you can see; the views were gorgeous, and we quickly realized that it’s really easy to find yourself on a deserted beach when you come to New Zealand.  In a good way. Not Castaway more…well, see below.   

The weather was perfect. Our days were perfect. One hike blended into another. No wonder we didn’t want to go south. Or east. Or anywhere, really. But, the call of travel beckoned. And Rachel and I did decide to keep going north. On the way up, we stopped by Whangarei Falls.

Literally chasing waterfalls.

This hike was a success in that we saw gorgeous falls. We kept going, past the waterfall (just as Scott had recommended  – also sidenote, at this point we love Scott) and seriously discussed bathing in a waterfall. When was the last time we showered? Rachel and I mused, not for the last time, over the possibility of running into Scott.  It wasn’t that far fetched, he loves New Zealand, and we were following his trail, so why not? We even passed a guy who could’ve fit Scott’s description. As we passed him he asked us if we were locals, and we BOTH thought, “wow, that’s a question Scott would ask!” So we asked him a question in return: “Is your name Scott?” He said, “Sadly, no,” either because he really did wish his name was Scott or because he could tell we would’ve been so excited if he had been Scott and was sad to let us down.  But in true Scott fashion, he volunteered tips for us on where to go next, and sent us on a path with fern trees:

New Zealand? More like New Treeland #amIright?

And we saw our first ever Kauri trees (which make up some of the most ancient forests in the world). They are huge and old, which is not something I’d ever want you to say about me.

Rachel gave one a hug ❤

Sunglasses next to one, for scale.

The hike was awesome but after it was over, we had to talk to the police on the phone.  There was a scary guy following some of us women on the trail, asking uncomfortable and inappropriate questions. Which is really creepy at any hour, but it’s sort of creepier at 10am.  A local woman called the police and asked us to corroborate her story which we did but, once she was safe, we didn’t stick around to see what happened next.

Even though we probably wouldn’t have gone on the hike if we’d known about the creepy guy on the trail from the beginning, we saw a lot of cool stuff.  This hike was when we started to learn about the DoC #DepartmentOfCorrections. Just kidding. But I do hope that gross man gets reprimanded by the law; however, DoC stands for Department of Conservation. And every letter is pronounced; D.O.C.

Their website says, “We are the government agency charged with conserving New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage.” And let us tell you, they do an IMPECCABLE job. Rachel and I constantly found ourselves saying, “Thank you, Doc.” 

And still, there was more breath-taking, natural and historic heritage to see in New Zealand!  Rachel and I happily piled back in the bach, and headed up the Tutukaka coast where we………. 

……(read the next blog to to find out). 

We’ll be right bach with more stories.
‘mi

My epic trip to New Zealand wrapped up in the beginning of March but, like usual, it has taken me awhile to process this spectacular adventure.  I’ve compiled my thoughts, writings, memories, and photos into twelve bite-sized blog posts that I will be publishing over the next month, or so.  Spoilers: NEW ZEALAND IS WONDERFUL!!

I had my year-long working visa (which I recommend); I had my great guidebook with an equally great title NZ Frenzy (which I also recommend); I had my best friend explain the necessity of pre-packing by way of mitosis (see below); I had my road-dog, Rachel, who was meeting me a few days after I landed (yippie for friendship!).   I was all set for a thorough exploration of New Zealand where I planned on working (ok, maybe not, but I would apply to jobs) and doing what I do best — finding adventure the moment my feet hit the ground.

When your best friend is also a science teacher.

Friends & Family: “What are you gonna do in NZ?”
Me: “I’m just gonna wing it.

I had flown out of LA and, due to some bad weather, the flight took longer than anticipated. But I kept myself busy by watching Shape of Water and other movies during the flight. Overall, it was 12 hours (the flight, not the movie). And on the plane ride over, New Zealand Air flight attendants were handing out free wine, and though I said ‘no thanks’ because I was trying to avoid jet lag, I thought it was a pretty good indicator as to the type of fun that would be in store for me when I landed. 

And I was right– not that they were handing out free wine everywhere (in fact, the flight was the only place I’d find cheap food & drink in all of New Zealand), but just the process of getting through customs and out of the airport was easy, breezy, and casual. And the smooth sailing kept on from there.  I took a bus from the airport to downtown Auckland; I put my bag down at my hostel; bought myself a SIM card so that I could call around for jobs ASAP, and took a trial barre class (aka a free barre class) because I’m a firm believer in the idea that exercise helps reduce the effects of switching time zones. But also because I’m a firm believer in free. 

After the class, I was hungry (obviously), so I found myself at the cheapest restaurant I could find — a sushi joint serving warm sushi (and not because it was trendy).  But, because it had been sitting out all day. Now, for those of you that know me, you’ll recognize that I like to live life on the edge (…of potential food poisoning).  I find that it makes for a strong constitution. And I was fine. Better than fine! I had saved some money.

Anyone know where Old Zealand is?

My first night in NZ, I walked around the waterfront and got followed by a live, large band — sounds terrifying but, ever since Mexico, it was sort of like a dream come true. The next morning, I did hot yoga for 90 minutes, which, at any hour of the day feels like a really long time, but at 8AM feels impossible.  Your protagonist stuck it out though, and rewarded herself by taking a shower with all of my clothes on (laundry and a shower all rolled into one, nice). My hostel was only a few doors down and I went there to change.  After getting nice and dry, I went for a walk, found myself some $14 avocado toast — because NZ is hella expensive —  and who can possibly remember what else.  This went on for several days before, on February 1st, Rachel arrived. YAY!!!!! RACHEL WAS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!! My New Zealand trip was about to change for the better 🙂

 ❤ She made it!!

We weren’t allowed to check into our new room yet, so we used the grossest hostel bathroom we were allowed to access.   It was time to get ready — Rachel is such a champ — and we became veterans as we navigated the sludge and trenches of the disgusting conditions. Rachel’s comb, however, did get traumatized from falling into some unknown liquid behind the toilet while we were fixing ourselves up. But both of them are troopers, and they have since worked through the trauma. 

Once we won the Battle of the Bathroom — we looked impressivly good, by the way — we found out that the cheapest drinks were from the corner store.  So we went to grab some stuff, ate kebabs for lunch, and got hired. 

When Rachel and I first emerged from the corner store, we looked for the perfect bench to hang out on. Our exploration was Goldie Locks style: “This bench is too small,” “This bench is too big”,  and “This bench has no back.”

We finally found a bench that was just right.  Rachel became the bench bartender, and we had a flavored water drink with “zero” sugar. It was horrible, but we kept the bottle. In fact, we kept the bottle for the entire trip because things were so expensive.  Bonus reason: It was good for the environment. We had a red bottle, a blue bottle, and a green bottle. 

A collector’s item.

When Rachel and I were finally able to check into our hostel (which was $28/ night for a 10-person room…. Good lord) we decided to leave again and continue our day by walking uphill to The White House, which was set up like Congress.

Downstairs, there was a spa with cheap champagne and upstairs there was a place where you could pay to play pool.  We skipped out on all of that. We learned that the employees weren’t allowed to have their phones with them – at all – during their 9-hour shifts, and the manager we had wanted to talk to showed up 45 minutes late. During that waiting period, though, Rachel and I came up with a spoof idea called Buckingham Palace, and the name of the bar would just be “Oooo.”

Once we left, we headed a few blocks up the road to continue exploring, and we met a trans-woman named Jessica who liked to shop. After such a whirlwind of people and places, Rachel and I decided we’d had all we could handle for the night, as far as this genre went, and we decided to go out on the town…in the opposite direction, towards the water. We watched as couples shared Lime scooters and discussed how dangerous it would be if she and I ever attempted to do that. 

But I was sort of tempted.  Fast forward to the next day, instead of trying to ride it as a couple, I rode one by myself. But to add to the challenge, a kid offered to race me.  He won, unsurprisingly. And I didn’t ride a scooter again for the rest of the trip.

Participating in a race that I did’t mean to enter.

But anyway, back to the night time activities.  Sans children, of course.  On our walk towards the water, Rachel and I ended up in the bumpin’ (expensive) part of town. As we continued to walk, we asked for a comparison of drink prices, and when it got to be $10.50 for a drink (far too rich for our taste), we turned around but not before stopping to talk to some gay guys, an uninterested American basketball player, to pet some buffalo hide with a Brazilian blowout (a chair), and mingling with a friendly bouncer.

Next, we checked out a bar, covered in astroturf, that was hosting a private party. But the theme in New Zealand was American determination (you’ll see it again), so we didn’t let the private party hinder us from joining in the fun and enjoying the rose petals on the floor or the bowls of chocolate, lollipops, and condoms. We didn’t stay for very long…just long enough to enjoy the rush of crashing a party.  When we’d had enough, Rachel jail-broke us out through a gate, yet another rush. Not supposed to get in, and not supposed to leave.

The party-crashing made us hungry, as it tends to do, and so we headed to get some Turkish food because it was the cheapest, hot thing we could find in NZ.  While we ate, we watched two teenagers makeout — but, like, not in a creepy way. Just think of it as dinner and a show. I certainly did. Anyway, when we were done with our food, we looked for mischief, couldn’t find it, and went back to our hostel to look at the inside of our eyelids instead. 

Rachel crashed hard since she’d just arrived and had a very full day (she’s incredible), but I, on the other hand, had a difficult time sleeping because the room was like a sauna and the door (which we were sleeping right next to) opened and closed all night long.

The next morning, because I hadn’t spent enough time in the stagnant heat that was our hostel room, I decided to sweat even more in a hot yoga session.  Sometimes burning energy gives you more.  When I got back, Rachel and I went to a farmers’ market and bought some delicious kiwis. Strangely, most of them were imported from Italy, so we had to read the labels carefully.  The ones grown in New Zealand were golden bodied on the inside (pro tip: for convenience, I eat them with the skin on).  Rachel and I tried some other yummy food samples, and my road-dog bought a coffee before we went on a long walk to a grassy crater, which used to be a volcano. 

Volcano crevice or grassy knoll?

New Zealand does not lack gorgeous views.

After our long walk, we grabbed lunch at a perfect Malaysian restaurant that Rachel had picked out, and my food was so good that, as soon as I finished my first helping, I ordered it again. 

This is a before and after picture, except both plates are the ‘after.’

I couldn’t finish the second, identical plate. Raise your hand if you could have seen that coming.  (Dad, I see you raising your hand.)

Rachel and I continued on to more adventures, like a wooden door interactive art exhibit (lame), and a sensory maze, which was in a mall and ironically difficult to find.  The maze ended up being one of the coolest things we did in Auckland because it was so much fun and just, overall, a really unique experience. Here’s a link for those who want to check it out. Or, for us, when we go back.

That evening, Rachel and I rented a car.

The next day, we woke up and headed straight to the tourist office to get the directions to walk to our rental car. AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED???? Well, since I’m trying to create intrigue, you won’t get an answer until you read the next post. 🙂

(More) New Zealand fun and frenzy coming your way soon,
‘mi