Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku (bez spóźnienia)

Życzymy wszystkim fantastycznego Nowego Roku, w którym spełni się przynajmniej część Waszych marzeń i który będzie pełen przyjemnych niespodzianek!

A na zdjęciu nasze noworoczne celebracje w przeuroczym miasteczku Mildura,zamieszkanym przez zbieraczy owoców i winiarzy. Temperatura o północy: 35 stopni!!!

Sydney to Melbourne Wrap-up

The Great: Meeting with our friends from the Berlin days

Meeting with Marty and Tessa was the highlight of our Sydney to Melbourne trip. Unfortunately we could not stay longer In Melbourne, as our tight schedule meant that we only had a limited number of days in Melbourne. What a shame.

The Hidden: Free camping

Not only are free campgrounds well groomed, but most are situated close to or inside pristine national parks. We made some great encounters, both human (Gregg and Jade) and non-human (how about eucalyptus trees full of koalas? One tree next to our tent had a mother koala and a cub). Camping is very popular in Oz. We sure know why.

The overrated: After the Tears (polish restaurant) on Christmas Eve

We lamented the fact that Christmas Down Under is a very different event than the Christmas we are used to in the Northern Hemisphere (see other post). We wanted a Christmas Eve to feel special, so we booked for two at After the Tears, a very popular polish restaurant in a Melbourne suburb.

If there was one place in Melbourne that was going to celebrate Christmas, it surely was going to be After the Tears. We expected Christmas decorations, Christmas songs, and koledy.

We got none of it. There was not a single reference to Christmas in the restaurant. No songs or koledy either. The food was alright, but the menu had nothing to do with what is served on Christmas Eve in Poland.

We can’t blame those who recommended the restaurant to us. I guess After the Tears is a good choice in general (a bit pricey I think).

It was however a poor choice for Christmas Eve.

The Ugly: The weather

It felt like we had landed somewhere in North Carolina in winter: you know, not really cold but not warm either. We spent four days between Sydney and Melbourne and most of the time cold rain was pouring down. Some days the temperature never exceeded 15 degrees. Ugh.

Joyeux Noël - (en retard)

Meilleurs voeux pour un Noël plein de joies et une nouvelle année remplie de bonheur.

De Melbourne en Australie – JOYEUX NOËL!

Reuniting with old friends

Meet Marty and Tessa.

Marty, Tessa, Ania and I spent much time together in Berlin (2003) partying and, when time allowed it between Berlin’s legendary student parties, studying as well. Being in Australia, we had to stop in Melbourne to meet our Australian friends.

Marty was kind enough to read us passages from his diary from the Berlin days, which confirmed that our Berlin days were really more about partying than studying.

Marty introduced us to his lovely Zoe. Ania and I enjoyed every second we spent with Marty and Zoe. Seven years may have gone by since we had last seen Marty, but we can confirm that his love for alcohol, cigarettes, and intelligent discussions is alive and kicking. Marty also introduced us to his best mates, a bunch of fine gents and ladies.

As in the old days, a night of partying with Marty often took a strange twist. This time was no exception, as Marty and his friend Nick insisted that I needed a “Mohawk” haircut and quickly proceeded to cut my hair. Three drunk, armed with clippers and frantic Ozzies, Marty, Nick, and Zoe joined forces and my hair was quickly on the floor.

What a fabulous night. Ania and I met with our Australian mates and I got a haircut even though I didn’t need one. We’ll have a chance to meet Marty and Zoe in March in Sydney. Hopefully we’ll have some excellent “goon” and a carton of beer – oh, entschuldiMEgung, I meant a “slab” of beer :)

The next morning Ania realized that my Mohawk haircut was...not up to her standards and decided to cut my hair shorter. She also picked a new color for my hair – rosewood purple.

Why not.

Australia - First encounters (Ania's post)

Encounter I

It`s our first day in Australia. We landed in Sydney, took the car, managed to get out of Sydney and tried to find a place to stay for the night. We know that there should be a free camping at Carrington Falls, near the town of Robertson. Somehow we can’t locate it, so we decide to ask for directions at a local gas station. I am sure that I can easily master the Australian accent after managing English in New Zealand.

I was wrong.

My conversation with a very friendly clerk seemed to me as if I was trying to understand Dutch based on my knowledge of German and he was trying to figure out what language I was trying to speak….This is how it looked like from my perspective:

Ania: Hi, I`m looking for a camping near Carrington Falls?
Helpful Man: ??? Never heard of such place!
Ania: Hmmm…And do you know about any free camping around here?
Helpful Man: Sure, you can camp at Carrington Falls!
A: And how do I get there?
HM: You continue for 5 kilometers and then turn right at pas……..(followed by something I completely didn’t understand)
A: So I turn right at a pasture (looking doubtfully at him, since I’m not sure at all if this is what he said)
HM: Not pasture, you turn right past a bike shop.
A: Past bike shop? (I decided to repeat everything the man says, just to make sure I understood him right)
HM: A place where they sell bikes.

Feeling semi-confident that I know where to go and only a little nervous because I didn’t see any bike shop on the way, I directed Marc according to the instructions. And everything worked out just fine, except for the fact that the bike shop turned out to be a pie shop.

Close enough.

Encounter II

Immediately after we arrived at the camping we met Greg and his 11-years-old daughter Jade. This great duo gave Marc and I a crash course on proper Australian bush camping.

First of all, Greg took Marc to gather the wood for the fire. Greg warned Marc that he was a bit nervous walking in his flip-flops, since there were two of the most dangerous snakes (king brown and taipan) known to inhabit that place. But since Greg was not nervous enough to go back, Marc decided to keep up.

Greg loaded half of the forest on Marc’s arms, and Marc, a descendant of Canadian woodcutters, was too proud to admit that he was breaking in half. His grand-grand-fathers would be proud of him, as he delivered all the wood for the whole night in one turn.

We spent the whole evening together and it was fantastic. My Australian comprehension was improving every minute, and my vocabulary was greatly enriched with the names all animal species I didn’t even know existed the day before.
At the end of the evening Greg, Jade and Marc went fishing for yabbies (creatures that look like a cross-over between a lobster and a crayfish). I decided to stay as a fire-keeper, partly of altruism and partly because I didn’t quite feel like walking through a bush full of snakes only to get into the creek full of huge eels on my first night in Australia…

Everybody survived the nightly escapade, well, except for a few yabbies, and the great night was completed by a good-bye breakfast: yabbies with coffee.

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

We tried really hard. You know, singing Christmas carols along the way. The problem is, it is hard to feel the Christmas spirit in the lands down under (no offense to our readers from the southern hemisphere :)). Over here Christmas seems to be more about parties on the beach than anything else.

And truth has to be told: Christmas is much more enjoyable when there is snow on the ground. Otherwise why would Dean Martin’s song “Let it snow” be so popular?

I know a lot of our readers in cold, snowy Canada will hate us for this: you guys are lucky. That’s one time in our trip where we wish we could have taken a little piece of that frozen ground with us.

New Zealand Wrap-up

The Great: Driving in general in South Island

In South Island there are often two ways to get to any destination: the standard route or the longer scenic route. We’ll break the suspense for you: there is no need to take the scenic route. Almost all roads, scenic or not, offer the visitor an amazing visual experience, specifically in Fiordland and Southland where we drove against a backdrop of mountains.

The roads are also in excellent condition, which makes it a true paradise for campervan lovers. So go ahead and rent that Lamborghini if you visit South Island :).


The Hidden: Bealy Glacier and Arthurs Pass

Bealy Glacier may not win a boxing match against heavyweights such as Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph Glacier, but it is surely the champion of the lightweight division.

Most tourists would surely not know of the existence of Bealy Glacier. At a respectable but small 900 meters, Bealy sits hidden from the view, an hour walk away from the road.

The real gem is that you can have a walk on the glacier for free! (an activity that will set you back 80 $ for an hour on Fox Glacier). You can also take all the pictures you want without having 50 tourists in your picture.

Other highlights in the area surrounding this Glacier makes it a perfect half-day stop: the cute village at Arthurs Pass, the other trails, and the great camping spots.


The Overrated: Franz Josef on a cloudy day

One cannot but feel a bit cheated. We wanted so much to see the glacier all the way to Mount Cook. After all, isn’t it what we are showed on tourist brochures?

Unfortunately, chances are you are not going to see Franz Josef Glacier, or Fox Glacier for that matter, under a sunny sky (see our post).

Both glaciers may draw thousands of tourists every year, but without help from Mother Nature, you’ll be slightly disappointed.


The Ugly: Prices of tours

If you choose to travel to New Zealand, you’ll be careful to avoid most of the outrageously priced tours and create your own itinerary if possible.


Other observations:


• Milford Sound (South Island) receives a staggering 6088 mm of rain every year. We were extremely lucky to arrive there on a sunny day.
• The native people of New Zealand are Maori. Strangely, we did not see a single Maori on South Island.

Post updated

The post New Zealand - it's going to cost you! has been updated.

First Impressions (my tribute to Jane Austen :) )

Somehow I thought that New Zealand would be a lot like North America – another country from the old British empire. I was wrong.

Some cities (Auckland, Hamilton) resemble many of the North American cities I’ve seen so far – quite nice but not very distinctive. However, there are a lot of smaller towns and townships, where houses seem to be taken from Scandinavian architecture catalogues. Passing through villages on the east shore of the Southern Island was a pure delight – little houses surrounded by all kinds of flowers, neatly painted and nestled in stunning landscapes.

Some Canadians we met on the way to New Zealand told us that the landscapes would be nice but not as impressive as the Rockies in Alberta. This may be true. Never having been to Alberta, we cannot verify that. What we found special about the Southern Island, though, was the diversity of landscapes within relatively short distances. Driving for only a couple of hours, we would pass from dry brownish landscape to lavishing rainforest (and believe me, it’s not called a RAIN forest for nothing!). And driving away from peaks of Southern Alps covered in snow, we would suddenly find ourselves among gentle hills and thousands of sheep.

And a definitely European flavour to New Zealand is its coffee culture. Practically every coffee shop has a respectable espresso machine. Even more surprising: practically every McDonald has a coffee corner with a big espresso machine! Imagine my delight when I ask for coffee and I get by default a nice strong cup of espresso! However, Marc is less upbeat about it, as he prefers a solid cup of filter coffee to a tiny espresso, as delicious as it might be .

Franz Josef Glacier

This is one picture of New Zealand you’ve probably seen already : Franz Joseph, the bluish glacier under a blazing sun.

The problem is, the sun rarely shines in the part of the country. In fact, even the lady at the information kiosk says “it rains everyday here”. “That’s why we have a great glacier”.

Hidden in the clouds and seen on a rainy day, Franz Joseph is not the archduke I expected to see. Like an emperor looking down the valley, but an emperor without a crown. Franz Joseph, like Mount Cook which remained under a thick layer of clouds, may live up to its reputation - weather permitting.

A great encounter with our first glacier, I expect our second one to be more impressive – Perino Moreno in Argentina will give us our second chance to see a glacier in all its glory.

Don't feed the Kea

Kea are a unique and endangered parrot species endemic to the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Kea are highly adaptive and are considered by scientists to be one of the most intelligent bird species in the world.

New Zealand authorities are rightfully concerned about humans feeding kea. Indeed, some of them have lost all fear of us humans. Check the picture. I tried to scare the bird out of the car. It didn’t work. It was still chewing on our camera bag and trying to find food in the various plastic bags in our car.

I wanted to see a Kea – this one got to close and personal for my comfort.

New Zealand - it's going to cost you!

In our discussions with other travelers we met in Hawaii and Fiji, we heard more than once that New Zealand was an expensive destination. That sort of surprised me, because New Zealand is the poorer cousin of Australia in two important respects – weaker currency and weaker economy.

When we landed in New Zealand, we soon found out why – tours and activities are prohibitively expensive.

New Zealanders love the word “booking”. It seems that one must “book” tours to see most landmarks around here.

You want to see the Royal Albatross? It’s going to cost you – $45 for a 45 min tour. It basically costs $45 to get a tour guide to bring you up to the observation deck where you get 45 minutes to watch nestling Royal Albatross. Of course the “independent tour” is not offered – the authorities have fenced off the whole mount to make sure tourists pay for the hefty tours.

You want to see fur seals, sea lions, and penguins? You can if you are willing to spend $75 for a 90 minutes tour that makes a point to mention that there is no guarantee you’ll see any. They just take you to the area where penguins and seals occasionally come to shore. Thanks but no thanks, I saw all the seals and sea lions I wanted in San Francisco and Hawaii for free.

You want to see the Moeraki Boulders (ball-shaped rocks in the ocean)? Sure, provided you find a way down to the beach. The only close access is a stairway behind a restaurant – cost $2.

Want to visit the Information Centre at Milford Sound? For a meager $27, you get a 20 minutes documentary and a few explanations about the local rock formations. This is no joke!

On our last day in New Zealand, we were tempted to visit the famous village “Hobbiton” from the movie The Lord of the Rings.

After learning that a 2-hour tour in the Shire will cost us $52 each, we elected not to approach the Middle-earth, as our wallets would look awfully light after our little escapade. This is an absurd price for an activity that incurs little operating cost to the owner.

Even “free WIFI” is often “free” only for 30 minutes…after you make a purchase from the owner.

I couldn’t help but compare with all free or $5 activities that abound in Hawaii (remember the Astronomy Centre).

I can now fully understand why travelers moan about New Zealand being expensive – because it is.

P.S. McDonald, the American heavyweight, is changing the local culture – it has introduced real free WIFI. This is the first time in my life that I find myself asking “Is there a McDonald in the area?”. Thank you Uncle Sam 

Viewing our pictures on Picasa

We’ve received a few emails inquiring about our pictures on Picasa. Some of our readers are computer neophytes and we respect that.

We thought we should give you a few pointers to make sure everybody is on the same page.

When you click on any of the pictures displayed on our blog, you’ll access a specific album on my public album on Picasa. You can access our other albums by clicking on “Marc” at the top left of the album page. You’ll be taken to a page that lists all our albums. This link will take you directly to the list of albums: http://picasaweb.google.com/marc.delisle

Please feel free to write to us again if you have questions regarding our blog or pictures.

Monthly Trip Summary (1)

Nov; 8 2010 – Dec.8 2010

Summary of the first month of our trip

Number of countries visited: 3

Number of flights taken: 8 (the average of 2 flights a week!)

Number of posts added to our blog: 16

Number of major marital conflicts: 0

Number of potential conflicts: 1. On Big Island, Hawaii: when lava rock was getting warmer and warmer under my feet and Marc was pushing me to go further and further :)

Best overnight stay: Hookena Beach camping on Big Island, Hawaii. A close second position goes to Waikiki Backpackers Penthouse in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Worst overnight stay: Parking lot somewhere between Christchurch and Dunadin, New Zealand. We slept in our car, as it was too cold to set up our tent. And still – we were freezing all night! Marc really needed a Driver Reviver the next day (see pictures for that)

Best Call we made: Going to Walu Beach Resort on Malolo Island, Fiji. After reading several horrible reviews about backpacker’s resorts on Fiji islands, we were prepared for the worst. What a great surprise – the resort was great, people were fantastic (both staff and guests) and we were upgraded to a wonderful bure (a traditional Fiji house).

Worst Call we made: Deciding to camp in New Zealand with the lightest summer equipment you can get! (see Worst overnight stay :) ).

Fiji Wrap-up

The Great: Snorkeling in Malolo island.

Fiji is not renowned for its great surf. In fact, most of the islands (there are 330 islands in Fiji) are surrounded by coral reef, which acts as a barrier against waves. When we stayed at Walu Beach Resort on Malolo Island, we were stunned to discover that the reef extends in all directions in the water. Walk 20 meters in the water and enjoy the show. All for free! We saw Nemo, all sorts of colorful fish, and stingrays! Snorkeling is a great feature of Fiji islands. We still have the Great Barrier Reef ahead of us but so far, this is the best snorkeling we’ve done in our lives.


The Hidden : Mainland Fiji (Viti Levu)

Most tourists land in Nadi (mainland) and go directly to the outer islands (the small paradise islands the surround the mainland). We can’t blame them. Nadi is a small town that you will never see on the postcards from Fiji. It looks run down and shifty in many places.

That being said, those who go directly to the outer islands will miss out on the real Fiji: the public bus without windows that churns more smoke inside the bus than outside; the great encounters on the street with the locals; the fresh fruit and vegetable market; the best curry Ania and I had in years; the beautiful landscape of mainland.

Fiji will always be about the stunning turquoise water and white powder beaches. No doubt about it. But mainland Fiji is a definite stop for those who really want to indulge in the local culture.

The Overrated:

There was nothing in Fiji that disappointed us.

The Ugly:

Wild dogs everywhere. Ania loves those. And worst of all, wild dogs are often allowed on the premises of hostels. Walking down our street with all these dogs made Ania very nervous. Fortunately for us there were no dogs on Malolo Island.

Other observations :

• Fijians and Indians two distinct groups according to the law. Although Indians make up over a third of Fiji population, they are discriminated against in several ways:
o Customs card – Are you Fijian, Indian or European (I didn’t know I was European :))
o Indians for the most part cannot possess land; they can lease it, but are not allowed to own it. Most Indians are running the businesses while Fijeans are working the land.
• Fijians are very curious and will approach us just to chit chat. The greatest part is that they will not try to sell us anything. They just want to talk. Like Ania said in an earlier post, Fijeans have a very severe face. Some of them look permanently angry. They look at us as if they want to eat us (“hmm, should I start with his arm? Oh, but his left thigh looks delicious too!” :)), but they crack the nicest smile I’ve seen. Very friendly people.
• Indians will approach us to talk as well, but most of the time, it is to sell us something. Not too pushy though.

No tornado watching for Ania. Cyclone watching? Oh yeah!

So much for Ania not wanting to watch tornadoes with me. Instead, we land in Fiji right when a cyclone is about to hit the islands! Fortunately (or unfortunately for me – I’d love to be in the middle of the action) the cyclone passed just south of Vita Levu, the main island. We were still treated with gale force winds and lots of rain.

Of course this is cyclone season here in Fiji. We still got lots of sun, fabulous beaches and calm water. But who said that Fiji was only about stunning beaches and calm water?

Cyclones are a typical Fiji experience. And we got it.

Bula!

We just arrived in Fiji. After a very bumpy and, consequently, sleepless night flight, there we are at the airport waiting in the line for the customs. The Fijian lady calls in a low strong voice “next!” That’s us. The lady turns out to be much less scary than her voice. We have a little nice conversation. When she sees that I come from Poland, she says that it is great; a lot of Fijians are catholic because there were Polish and French missionaries who converted Fijians to Christianity..
“Because you know” she adds, as she leans towards me and looks me deep in the eyes “we were cannibals. We used to eat people here…”
And I’m half expecting her to add “And I haven’t had my breakfast yet…”

But whatever Fijians may or may not have eaten in the past, one can’t help but like them. When we walk on the streets of Fijian towns, everybody greets us with “Bula!” which means hello, welcome, cheers and goodbye, as far as I discovered so far. A lot of times they will stop to chat, or just to make sure that we are fine and not in the need of anything.

And just for the record – the only meat served at a traditional Fijian dinner we had was definitely chicken!