Well, we finally landed on swedish ground... We had two nice days in Bangkok before leaving for home! We spent the time in our nice hotell and in the malls. The heat was intense... so being indoor was nice. Although we had some time to enjoy the hotell pool on the roof.
The shopping was nice... but expensive. We had expectations of things being cheap in Thailand... but that was not the case now in financial crisis... But still I got some nice sports wear and Jacob got a nice summer jacket.
The trip home was ok... The flight from Bangkok left at 00.20 and Finnair is not as fancy as Quantas... but we got some ok food and got a few hours of sleep.
When we landed in Stockholm we were lucky to get an earlier flight to Gothenburg which was very nice!
Jacobs dad picked us up and we got to Vänersborg by 12.30... just in time for lunch! We got nice swedish potatoes and herring!! What a nice start on the homecoming!!
We spent the friday and half saturday with Jacobs parents and we got very well taken care off!! We got great food and got to wash all of our well used clothes.
On Saturday we got into the car and started the last miles to home... we stopped by in Gothenburg to visit Jacobs brother. And the evening was perfect with my sister gathering the entire family for a perfect reunion with great food and drinks.
The last day of vacation started with some running... oh god that was tough!! But we got through it. Then a brunch with friends and now... going through mail... getting to the grocery store... and enjoying the fact that we can spend the night in our own sofa!!
We are extremely happy with our trip and will remember it for ever and ever!!! Big thanks to my dearest Jacob who helped and stood by me through the tough times... and who I enjoyed all the amazing things with. I love you!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Koh Tao & Hua Hin
After having spent five days on island "Koh Samui", me mostly in bed with high fever and bronkitis and Tina on the beach and in the massage chair (not at all jellous ... ;-), we continued to another island - Koh Tao.
Koh Tao is famous for it's great diving spot, with clear water, live corals and plenty of fishes. Since neither of us have a dive cert, we book a day-long snorkelling trip. When leaving the harbour in the morning, the (english) guide said that the sea would probably be a little rough on the way to the first spot, but that it probably would be a problem. It got to be a little bit more than rough, with huge waves hitting the side of the rather small fishing boat with full power. Tina got sea sick and afraid, and didn't felt well at all. I tried to ensure her that the boat would not turn over, and that everything would soon be all right ... After a good half an hour, we finally entered some quite waters and arrived at the first snorkelling spot, all in one piece! As soon as we jumped into the warm and clear water, we forgot all about the wild boat ride ... The corals were so colorful and the fishes were all over us. It was indeed true what the guide has told us - if you stay still in the water, the fishes will come right up to you to check the "new guy" out! ;-) We visited another four snorkelling spot around the island during the day, all equally great but yet unique in their own ways! Hard to compare with the Great Barrier Reef but it comes very close in term of over-all experience. Probably the best snorkelling spot in all of Thailand, I would guess ... On the evening, we hanged out in an Italian-Thai restaurant, watching some of the action from Roland Garros (French Open in Tennis). Not too bad ...
The next day, we continued our trip north in Thailand (by a combined ferry-bus ticket) to the coastal town of Hua Hin (3 hours south of Bangkok). Our hope was to finally spend some time in a "normal" city; doing some shopping, perhaps playing some golf, hang at a cafe and just do normal "city" stuff ... Our hopes has at least partly come true!
Hua Hin only have 50000 inhabitants and the center feels pretty small. Tina has done a lot of shopping around for 100% Thai silk, which is quite cheap here (15 Euro per meter). We also did the town's only shopping mall ... The prices are higher than you expect and the range was not great either. Nonetheless Tina bought a clock, some long longed ear plugs and a cool and crasy dress. Yesterday, we went down to the beach, which wasn't great. But we are then comparing it to the Lamai beach at Koh Samui and Long Beach at the Perhentian Islands so the competition is super hard! The water was sooooo warm but not that clear. And we couldn't lie on the beach for more than 15 minutes because of the annoying and very persistent sand flies. If it isn't the sand flies, it is the mosquitos that are making our lives a little bit harder. We have bites everywhere! We can't wait to get home to cold Sweden with only a few mosquitos, where you don't have to put a special cream on before you go out to keep (some of) the mosquitos away ...
Today we got to play a round at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course. If you teed off after 3 pm, you got a 25 Euro discount, an offer we had to use (it got expensive anyway, around 55 Euro a head incl club rental). We arrived at 2.30 and after quite a lot of confusion at the reception, we met up with our caddies (compulsory, at least for non-locals/tourists) and head off to the driving range to warm up the muscles a bit ... After all, last time we held a golf club was in September. And it didn't start well; Tina barely hits the ball and on my third shot, the club slipped out of my grip and flew a good 50-60 meters! To the spectators joy, of course! No introduction needed! ;-) After my small mishap, I stopped at the shop for a towel and a glove, needed on a warm and humid day as this! We teed off at 3 pm and after a couple of holes we both started playing really great, and we really had a great day at the course! First time playing with a caddie, and we probably would have been better off without them ... It was first at hole 12 that we realized that the lengths they told us were in yards and not in meters! That's why I kept hitting pass the green! And after the round, the security guard firmly told us that we were expected to tip the caddies each 12 Euros! I tried to tell him that I wasn't pleased with my caddie, but he would not hear on the ear so we had to cough'em up ... ;-) And of course, the golf course is no sancuary for mosquitos, plenty of sand flies there (very odd since there was barely no sand in the bunkers ;-) But a couple of more bites makes no difference to us anymore ... All this aside, we really enjoyed it!!!
Tomorrow we're catching a bus up to Bangkok, where Tina has reserved a room at a really nice hotel with swimming pool, gym and breakfast buffe! It's the last two nights "on the road" - we got to make the most of it! And enjoy it!
As we have said before, the Thai heat and the mosquitos are really beginning to wear us down, and we can't wait to board the plane on Thursday night!!! Even though our trip couldn't have been any better, it will still be very nice to come home again!
See you all soon! TC!
Koh Tao is famous for it's great diving spot, with clear water, live corals and plenty of fishes. Since neither of us have a dive cert, we book a day-long snorkelling trip. When leaving the harbour in the morning, the (english) guide said that the sea would probably be a little rough on the way to the first spot, but that it probably would be a problem. It got to be a little bit more than rough, with huge waves hitting the side of the rather small fishing boat with full power. Tina got sea sick and afraid, and didn't felt well at all. I tried to ensure her that the boat would not turn over, and that everything would soon be all right ... After a good half an hour, we finally entered some quite waters and arrived at the first snorkelling spot, all in one piece! As soon as we jumped into the warm and clear water, we forgot all about the wild boat ride ... The corals were so colorful and the fishes were all over us. It was indeed true what the guide has told us - if you stay still in the water, the fishes will come right up to you to check the "new guy" out! ;-) We visited another four snorkelling spot around the island during the day, all equally great but yet unique in their own ways! Hard to compare with the Great Barrier Reef but it comes very close in term of over-all experience. Probably the best snorkelling spot in all of Thailand, I would guess ... On the evening, we hanged out in an Italian-Thai restaurant, watching some of the action from Roland Garros (French Open in Tennis). Not too bad ...
The next day, we continued our trip north in Thailand (by a combined ferry-bus ticket) to the coastal town of Hua Hin (3 hours south of Bangkok). Our hope was to finally spend some time in a "normal" city; doing some shopping, perhaps playing some golf, hang at a cafe and just do normal "city" stuff ... Our hopes has at least partly come true!
Hua Hin only have 50000 inhabitants and the center feels pretty small. Tina has done a lot of shopping around for 100% Thai silk, which is quite cheap here (15 Euro per meter). We also did the town's only shopping mall ... The prices are higher than you expect and the range was not great either. Nonetheless Tina bought a clock, some long longed ear plugs and a cool and crasy dress. Yesterday, we went down to the beach, which wasn't great. But we are then comparing it to the Lamai beach at Koh Samui and Long Beach at the Perhentian Islands so the competition is super hard! The water was sooooo warm but not that clear. And we couldn't lie on the beach for more than 15 minutes because of the annoying and very persistent sand flies. If it isn't the sand flies, it is the mosquitos that are making our lives a little bit harder. We have bites everywhere! We can't wait to get home to cold Sweden with only a few mosquitos, where you don't have to put a special cream on before you go out to keep (some of) the mosquitos away ...
Today we got to play a round at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course. If you teed off after 3 pm, you got a 25 Euro discount, an offer we had to use (it got expensive anyway, around 55 Euro a head incl club rental). We arrived at 2.30 and after quite a lot of confusion at the reception, we met up with our caddies (compulsory, at least for non-locals/tourists) and head off to the driving range to warm up the muscles a bit ... After all, last time we held a golf club was in September. And it didn't start well; Tina barely hits the ball and on my third shot, the club slipped out of my grip and flew a good 50-60 meters! To the spectators joy, of course! No introduction needed! ;-) After my small mishap, I stopped at the shop for a towel and a glove, needed on a warm and humid day as this! We teed off at 3 pm and after a couple of holes we both started playing really great, and we really had a great day at the course! First time playing with a caddie, and we probably would have been better off without them ... It was first at hole 12 that we realized that the lengths they told us were in yards and not in meters! That's why I kept hitting pass the green! And after the round, the security guard firmly told us that we were expected to tip the caddies each 12 Euros! I tried to tell him that I wasn't pleased with my caddie, but he would not hear on the ear so we had to cough'em up ... ;-) And of course, the golf course is no sancuary for mosquitos, plenty of sand flies there (very odd since there was barely no sand in the bunkers ;-) But a couple of more bites makes no difference to us anymore ... All this aside, we really enjoyed it!!!
Tomorrow we're catching a bus up to Bangkok, where Tina has reserved a room at a really nice hotel with swimming pool, gym and breakfast buffe! It's the last two nights "on the road" - we got to make the most of it! And enjoy it!
As we have said before, the Thai heat and the mosquitos are really beginning to wear us down, and we can't wait to board the plane on Thursday night!!! Even though our trip couldn't have been any better, it will still be very nice to come home again!
See you all soon! TC!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Koh Samui!
We arrived to Koh Samui on Friday after a lot of effort... It all started with the interesting trip from Malaysia to Thailand. We left the paradise Perhentian island at 8.00 in the morning, with the speedboat, as planned. When we got to the pier Jacob did some bargaining with the taxi drivers to take us to the Thai border for 70 ringit(ca 160 sek), it would be a 1,5 hour car trip.
The car was old and hot...
But at about 10.45 we arrived... we had read that this particular border was not very safe... but still it was the closest and easiest one to use... and nothing had happened for some time now. The taxi driver tried to scam us by telling us he wanted 90 ringit all of a sudden... but Jacob was persistent and did just give in with 5 ringit more...
We walked through the border in the heat... got through the passport control and the health control(they take our temperature at every border...).
Then we got on these mopeds to the train-station... interesting...
We got to the train station and got two of the last tickets left on the train to Surat Tane in air-conditioned sleeping wagon... Sounded good... I mean 9 hours on the train.. nice to get some sleep and have it nice and cool.
The time needed to be moved back one hour, so we suddenly had one and a half hour before the train should leave. We got ourselves a nice, spicy Thai meal. And at 11.30 the train left the station. We had ok seats that was folded out to beds during night.
All passengers had nice snack-bags with nuts and fruit... but since we did not know where to buy it... we had to wait for the train salesman to sell us some food.
The hours went by... and so did the boredom... oh my god... 9 hours on a train that went like 50km/hour.. in a very bumpy way.
The train was only 2,5 hours late... so we arrived at 11.30. And hopped on to a small truck... with some other tourists going in to town. They dropped us off at a hotel, and we got a nice sleep.
The next day we had bought at package deal at the hotel, getting us by bus and boat to the island Koh Samui... It was pouring down at 7.30 when we was picked up. There was a truck outside were all the bags were thrown in... and also the passengers. So, the 8 of us going with the boat was going to sit in the rain on the back of the truck... But... me and Jacob were fast and got the seats in the car!! Then there was this English guy who got really irritated with the fact that he had paid for transfer in the rain... specially since there were seats left in the car. The driver was an angry man talking very bad words about us 'stupid tourist people'. Finally, they all got in the back and we drove to the next stop... where some of the passengers needed to pay more money... nobody knows why. The English guy again was upset and it almost caused a fight with the driver... Not a very good start...
We needed to change car... getting into another back of a truck... The English guy paid finally... and got to go with us... (him and his girlfriend almost did not get on the truck...).
So after a lot of arguing in the rain... we headed for the next stop. We waited for 20 minutes... and got loaded in a minibus... that took us to even another bus... a bigger one. This bus took us to the actual ferry!!
So... we were told that the boat were leaving at 8.00... but it left at 9.30. At 12.00 we arrived to the island.
The island was a lot bigger than we thought and after going to the place we thought we were staying... we realized we were not going to find our fantasy bungalow there(Chaweng was to busy and crowded... not very nice). So yet another bus/taxi to Hut Lamai and we found Beers Guest house... Well, sounds like a party place... but oh... the opposite. A nice little family having some bungalows and a lovely restaurant just by the beach. We love it here!
Unfortunately Jacob has coming down with some fever and a throat thing... so he has been resting by the fan and on the veranda... (poor him). I, on the other hand, have enjoyed the beach... walking a long with it.. sunbathing... sea bathing... foot massage... beer by the beach front... well... all that a nice vacation should contain! We are hoping the fever lets go soon so Jacob can join me..
Tomorrow, or the day after we are heading for Koh Tao, a smaller island for some snorkeling. Then we are spending the last days in Hua hin and Bangkok. We admit it... we can not wait to get back home... Only 10 days left!!
See you all soon!
The car was old and hot...
But at about 10.45 we arrived... we had read that this particular border was not very safe... but still it was the closest and easiest one to use... and nothing had happened for some time now. The taxi driver tried to scam us by telling us he wanted 90 ringit all of a sudden... but Jacob was persistent and did just give in with 5 ringit more...
We walked through the border in the heat... got through the passport control and the health control(they take our temperature at every border...).
Then we got on these mopeds to the train-station... interesting...
We got to the train station and got two of the last tickets left on the train to Surat Tane in air-conditioned sleeping wagon... Sounded good... I mean 9 hours on the train.. nice to get some sleep and have it nice and cool.
The time needed to be moved back one hour, so we suddenly had one and a half hour before the train should leave. We got ourselves a nice, spicy Thai meal. And at 11.30 the train left the station. We had ok seats that was folded out to beds during night.
All passengers had nice snack-bags with nuts and fruit... but since we did not know where to buy it... we had to wait for the train salesman to sell us some food.
The hours went by... and so did the boredom... oh my god... 9 hours on a train that went like 50km/hour.. in a very bumpy way.
The train was only 2,5 hours late... so we arrived at 11.30. And hopped on to a small truck... with some other tourists going in to town. They dropped us off at a hotel, and we got a nice sleep.
The next day we had bought at package deal at the hotel, getting us by bus and boat to the island Koh Samui... It was pouring down at 7.30 when we was picked up. There was a truck outside were all the bags were thrown in... and also the passengers. So, the 8 of us going with the boat was going to sit in the rain on the back of the truck... But... me and Jacob were fast and got the seats in the car!! Then there was this English guy who got really irritated with the fact that he had paid for transfer in the rain... specially since there were seats left in the car. The driver was an angry man talking very bad words about us 'stupid tourist people'. Finally, they all got in the back and we drove to the next stop... where some of the passengers needed to pay more money... nobody knows why. The English guy again was upset and it almost caused a fight with the driver... Not a very good start...
We needed to change car... getting into another back of a truck... The English guy paid finally... and got to go with us... (him and his girlfriend almost did not get on the truck...).
So after a lot of arguing in the rain... we headed for the next stop. We waited for 20 minutes... and got loaded in a minibus... that took us to even another bus... a bigger one. This bus took us to the actual ferry!!
So... we were told that the boat were leaving at 8.00... but it left at 9.30. At 12.00 we arrived to the island.
The island was a lot bigger than we thought and after going to the place we thought we were staying... we realized we were not going to find our fantasy bungalow there(Chaweng was to busy and crowded... not very nice). So yet another bus/taxi to Hut Lamai and we found Beers Guest house... Well, sounds like a party place... but oh... the opposite. A nice little family having some bungalows and a lovely restaurant just by the beach. We love it here!
Unfortunately Jacob has coming down with some fever and a throat thing... so he has been resting by the fan and on the veranda... (poor him). I, on the other hand, have enjoyed the beach... walking a long with it.. sunbathing... sea bathing... foot massage... beer by the beach front... well... all that a nice vacation should contain! We are hoping the fever lets go soon so Jacob can join me..
Tomorrow, or the day after we are heading for Koh Tao, a smaller island for some snorkeling. Then we are spending the last days in Hua hin and Bangkok. We admit it... we can not wait to get back home... Only 10 days left!!
See you all soon!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Paradise?!
We left the heat in the jungle and got to the east coast... finally some sea breeze!! And the water was turquoise and 25 degrees... couldn't be better!
We are now at Perhentian Island Kecil(the small island) and we got a bungalow at Matahari Chalets, a nice and clean set of bungalows right next to the beach.
We are now at Perhentian Island Kecil(the small island) and we got a bungalow at Matahari Chalets, a nice and clean set of bungalows right next to the beach.
Our Bungalow veranda!
The beach!
We are relaxing and trying to acclimatize to the heat.. it is not that hard with the beach that close... Although we left the jungle the mosquitoes are all over us... but at least we have a good mosquito net over the bed.
We have spent the two first days on the island on the beach and on the veranda of our bungalow! Nice and easy! The weather has been nice, the few clouds we had today had a nice cooling effect! No real sun burn yet ... Lots of delicious fruit juices and shakes! We can't stay away from the coffee-chocolate-shake, it's addictive! :-)
Not the perfect sharpness in the picture.. but doesn't he look good!!
Happy Tina on the beach restaurant!! Waiting for yet another fruit-shake!!
After the snorkeling, we're probably staying on the island yet another day, and then we're heading for Thailand (sorry Khang, looks like we're leaving out Redang)! We just have to figure out how and where to cross the border ... Better ask some locals, or even better ... some backpackers!
C U soon (only 2 weeks left)!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Even hotter....
We have done a day of hiking in the jungle... and it was so hot it was almost unbarable. We were sweating like never before, and have not yet stopped(although shower in cold water and some cooling time by the fan). We are in Teman Negara, a National park in the middle of Malaysia. It is a very intresting environment... and as said... HOT!!
Yesterday when we arrived we got stucked in one of the floating restaurants(the village is by a river) by the heavy rain that started. I have never seen so much rain in my entire life... Luckily we got a ride back to our hostel by the nice travel agency lady... The rain with lightnings and heavy thunder kept on for all night... which was a petty because they closed the "Canopy walkway" in the park today... the one we really looked forward to. But we got so see it from a distance, it was actually a rope-bridge walkway in the tree canopies, from tree to tree... It looked really cool.. but what can we do. At least the rain stopped in the morning and we could do the hike to the top.
Before we came to Teman Negara we spent two days in Cameron Highlands which was great. The climate was more "normal" with a cooler attitude. In the morning until 15.00 it was warm, but in the afternoon it always rained... intresting. We got to visit a tea plantage, strawberry farm, honey farm and we managed to do a hike in almost no rain in the afternoon. But hey... is it rainforrest or not??
Yesterday when we arrived we got stucked in one of the floating restaurants(the village is by a river) by the heavy rain that started. I have never seen so much rain in my entire life... Luckily we got a ride back to our hostel by the nice travel agency lady... The rain with lightnings and heavy thunder kept on for all night... which was a petty because they closed the "Canopy walkway" in the park today... the one we really looked forward to. But we got so see it from a distance, it was actually a rope-bridge walkway in the tree canopies, from tree to tree... It looked really cool.. but what can we do. At least the rain stopped in the morning and we could do the hike to the top.
Before we came to Teman Negara we spent two days in Cameron Highlands which was great. The climate was more "normal" with a cooler attitude. In the morning until 15.00 it was warm, but in the afternoon it always rained... intresting. We got to visit a tea plantage, strawberry farm, honey farm and we managed to do a hike in almost no rain in the afternoon. But hey... is it rainforrest or not??
Us at the tea plantage... a bit dark... but at least we are both in the picture!
We stayed at a very nice place called Fathers guesthouse, very clean and very nice staff. Good facilities like internet, good food and DVD room(so nice to just get into the couch for a DVD....).
Tomorrow we are heading for the Perhentian Islands and we are looking forward to have some lazy days on the beach with snorkling and reading books.
We can not believe that we only have three weeks left on this trip... what happened to time?? Although I must admit I am looking forward to coming home. Must say I miss some basic things back home like, mum, Lin, Ems and the rest of my family, the exercising, my own bathroom, our bed, some other clothes(oh man... these clothes are worn out...), potatoes(not fried in any way.. just boiled), news(TV or paper...), a movie in the couch, sweets...
But hey.. three weeks is still a long time and we plan on spending them well in Malaysia and Thailand!!
Sorry... did not bring my camera here(didn't think we would find internet here in the middle of the jungle) .. but pics on Jacob with the snake will come... promise!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Singapore/Kuala Lumpur
Hi all!
We are now in Kuala Lumpur and had one day in Singapore before that. The flight from Australia was great with a lot of movies and TV programs... Singapore was HOT! And big... we stayed in a nice hotel and enjoyed the city. The last night before going with the night bus to Kuala Lumpur we went to Night safari which was cool seeing all animals by night. Also Jacob became a celebrity on the animal show being the one taken on stage to hug the 30kg big Python!!
In Kuala Lumpur we gave ourselves a bit of a treat checking in to a five-star hotel! Imagine the feeling of going from a dirty 10 people dorm to a huge room with bathtub and "livingroom". We got to check in when we got there early in the morning and therefore got a nice breakfast that morning. Then we enjoyed the hotel facilities: pool, afternoon snacks and evening drinks on the 21th floor... It was sooo nice to get a bit of a homey feeling in that luxirous place!
Today we are heading north, to Cameron Highlands, a nationalpark, for some hiking and visiting tea plantages. Then we are going to Teman Negera for some jungle adventures before we are heading for the coastal area.
The heat is crazy.. it is more of a humid heat than the breezy one in Brazil. So we are sweating down the streets... looking for shoppingmalls to cool down in.
Get back to you soon with pictures on Jacob with the snake!!
/Tina
We are now in Kuala Lumpur and had one day in Singapore before that. The flight from Australia was great with a lot of movies and TV programs... Singapore was HOT! And big... we stayed in a nice hotel and enjoyed the city. The last night before going with the night bus to Kuala Lumpur we went to Night safari which was cool seeing all animals by night. Also Jacob became a celebrity on the animal show being the one taken on stage to hug the 30kg big Python!!
In Kuala Lumpur we gave ourselves a bit of a treat checking in to a five-star hotel! Imagine the feeling of going from a dirty 10 people dorm to a huge room with bathtub and "livingroom". We got to check in when we got there early in the morning and therefore got a nice breakfast that morning. Then we enjoyed the hotel facilities: pool, afternoon snacks and evening drinks on the 21th floor... It was sooo nice to get a bit of a homey feeling in that luxirous place!
Today we are heading north, to Cameron Highlands, a nationalpark, for some hiking and visiting tea plantages. Then we are going to Teman Negera for some jungle adventures before we are heading for the coastal area.
The heat is crazy.. it is more of a humid heat than the breezy one in Brazil. So we are sweating down the streets... looking for shoppingmalls to cool down in.
Get back to you soon with pictures on Jacob with the snake!!
/Tina
Friday, May 15, 2009
Cloud9 Backpackers- worst Australian hostel!
Just need to make this clear to all backpackers out there... since we did not book through a website we can not make an "official" review.. But the world should know that Cloud9 Backpacker hostel in Brisbane is the worst ever. Extremely dirty, not very friendly and rude personell, dirty kitchen with no bowls, plates or cuttlery(you could get dirty ones for a deposit of 10AUD!!!), not very clean sheets, deposit for blankets, bad smelling beds, some kind of DVD room that consisted of some broken and dirty sofas in front of two broken TVs.
I mean, how hard can it be?? We stayed at the nicest, best hostel in Hervey Bay(Next Backpackers) and they made everything look so easy... and did not make any fuzz about ones responsibilities... When you close up, you clean the kitchen.. When you have reception you check people in AND you help them what ever booking they want. Sheets were sent of to be cleaned(and not washed in-house with kind of bad washingmachines...).Things were there as a service to the guests... and guests were treated as geasts not as annoying backpackers(which I bet there can be a lot of though...). It is not that hard if you just have the will!!
We stayed two nights in a 10 bed dorm at Cloud9 in Brisbane and we are happy to have left it... We are now in Singapore and at a lovely hotel where they said: "Welcome Mr Mattsson" when we stepped inside the door! Too easy!!
I mean, how hard can it be?? We stayed at the nicest, best hostel in Hervey Bay(Next Backpackers) and they made everything look so easy... and did not make any fuzz about ones responsibilities... When you close up, you clean the kitchen.. When you have reception you check people in AND you help them what ever booking they want. Sheets were sent of to be cleaned(and not washed in-house with kind of bad washingmachines...).Things were there as a service to the guests... and guests were treated as geasts not as annoying backpackers(which I bet there can be a lot of though...). It is not that hard if you just have the will!!
We stayed two nights in a 10 bed dorm at Cloud9 in Brisbane and we are happy to have left it... We are now in Singapore and at a lovely hotel where they said: "Welcome Mr Mattsson" when we stepped inside the door! Too easy!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Great Barrier Reef!!
Ok, without heading more north we needed to see the Great Barrier Reef. Since we only had a few more days in Australia we needed to go for a day-trip. We could go by bus a few hours up north and head out with a boat, that would leave us with just a couple of hours on the actual reef. Or, we could head out from Hervey Bay where we stayed and then get a lot more hours on the reef. Hm... once again choice... BUT it turned out both of them were the same price!! So, after talking to Mark at Next Backpackers(thanks Mark!) we decided to go for the a day-trip with a flight to the most southern island of the Barrier reef: Lady Elliot.
At 8.10 in the morning the small plane took off:
We were six people in the plane, plus the pilot. The flight took about 35 minutes and it was amazing!! We flew over scenic blue water and saw Hervey Bay from 1500 feet distance... cool!!!
Although we had beautiful weather when we started it was pouring down when we got to Lady Elliot... Well, well.. at least you do not need sunshine to snorkelling right?! So, we were booked on a glass boat at 10.45 which included snorkelling on the depth. So, we had time to do the first snorkelling in the lagoon! We got changed and as we walked with our fins and mask the heavy rain started. Vikings as we are, we just put our towels under the rain-coats and got in the water!
But what an amazing feeling!! The water is so blue, and since it was raining, it was so much warmer than on the beach and what a sea-life!! The most amazing fishes and corals... unbelievable!! And as we swam through the water we happen to just run into a sea-turtle, can you believe it. It just took a rest by the corals and there we were, face to face... it was sooo big and did not seem scared at all... just a meter from two pale swedes... God, wonder what he thought...
We went for the glass boat and the rain just wouldn't stop... but once we got out at bit and got into the water it was again amazing.... warm and blue!! And the scenes under water were fantastic!!!
Then we got some nice lunch and got ourselves dry and pretty warm. Then we went for the reef-walk with a guide. She spotted strange creatures in the reef: sea-hare, anemones, "sjo borre"(sorry, don't remember the english word), sea clams, sea cucumbers and more.
At 8.10 in the morning the small plane took off:
We were six people in the plane, plus the pilot. The flight took about 35 minutes and it was amazing!! We flew over scenic blue water and saw Hervey Bay from 1500 feet distance... cool!!! Although we had beautiful weather when we started it was pouring down when we got to Lady Elliot... Well, well.. at least you do not need sunshine to snorkelling right?! So, we were booked on a glass boat at 10.45 which included snorkelling on the depth. So, we had time to do the first snorkelling in the lagoon! We got changed and as we walked with our fins and mask the heavy rain started. Vikings as we are, we just put our towels under the rain-coats and got in the water!But what an amazing feeling!! The water is so blue, and since it was raining, it was so much warmer than on the beach and what a sea-life!! The most amazing fishes and corals... unbelievable!! And as we swam through the water we happen to just run into a sea-turtle, can you believe it. It just took a rest by the corals and there we were, face to face... it was sooo big and did not seem scared at all... just a meter from two pale swedes... God, wonder what he thought...
We went for the glass boat and the rain just wouldn't stop... but once we got out at bit and got into the water it was again amazing.... warm and blue!! And the scenes under water were fantastic!!!
Then we got some nice lunch and got ourselves dry and pretty warm. Then we went for the reef-walk with a guide. She spotted strange creatures in the reef: sea-hare, anemones, "sjo borre"(sorry, don't remember the english word), sea clams, sea cucumbers and more.
Sea hare (sjo hare)
After the reef walk we got some left over time to go snorkelling again, and the rain had stopped. So we headed for the "Coral garden" and got to the edge of a reef and got into the blue beautiful sea. And again... amazing views of tree-looking corals. By the end of our time we came once again close to a BIG sea-turtle and got to swam with it a bit... Oh, my god what a feeling!! We met a couple there that had a under-water camera and they would send us some pictures.. we will upload them as soon as we get them!!
When we finally got back to our hostel we were still so amazed with our experience we could hardly find the words. But we made some noodles, got a beer and fell right asleep... Great Barrier Reef tires you out!!
Now we are in Brisbane after one day in Noosa. Noosa was a nice little town with a lot of surfers. (not as good hostel as in Hervey Bay though...). On Friday we are heading to Singapore and I can't wait to see a "new" culture and maybe have some warm days! (So far, Australia has been the coldest country, who would believe that?? I even think that it has been warmer back in Sweden the last weeks...).
Catch ya!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Hervey Bay and Fraser Island
On Thursday, we took a flight from Melbourne (via Sydney) to Hervey Bay, north of Brisbane. This is town located just next to the largest sand island in the world - Fraser Island. This is the region we'll spend our last week in Australia (after one week in Sydney and one in Melbourne).
It was a nice feeling stepping out of the air plane - the outside temp was at least 10 degrees (C)higher than in Melbourne - nice! As soon as we arrived to our super-clean hostel ("Next Backpackers"), we booked a two-day tour on Fraser Island. After a falafel and a hair cut (only me ... ;-), we had a quick look at the beach before the sun set at 6 PM (as always, way too early). We finished the evening at one of the four open (it's off-season now) restaurants here - an Irish pub. After a couple of beers and some laughs at some crazy Irish limericks, we enjoyed a Guinness and beef pie with mash' (what else)!
Early next morning, we're picked up by our (funny) tour guide and joined the others in the group (quite a few germans, 3 scotts, 2 welch guys, an aussie couple and a french couple). We took the 4WD bus over "The Great Sandy Strait" onto Fraser Island. First impression was -"where's all the sand?". Sure, we landed on a nice beach but apart from that the island seemed to be completely covered by a thick bush.
The island is protected as a world heritage since 1991 and very few people live here. The first thing we saw after getting off the ferry was a Dingo - cool! The first stop was a 20-minute walk through a rain forest (the only one in the world growing in sand only). Really nice with the cool fresh air, and the huge old Kauri Pine trees were quite impressive! After that we continued over to the east coast where our camp site was located. It was time for an all-you-can-eat lunch (a fact that our tour guide announced at least ten times ... ;-)
After lunch we stopped at a fresh water creek, an old ship wreck, some multi-colored sand dunes and climbed a small hill for some marine wildlife watching (ocean was "dead" though).
Nice stops, indeed, but nothing special ... An hour before sunset, we returned to our camp site and checked in to our cabins. Since me and Tina we're the last guys to book the tour, we had no other choice than to upgrade our accommodation to more luxurious one. And the cabin was not bad at all - a huge comfy double bed, an ocean view and a large clean bathroom! Can't remember when we stayed that good before ... Certainly not in the camper van, even though the first two might fit ... :-)
After a long longed shower, we joined the two welsh guys (John and Nick) and the Aussie couple (Craig and Erin) for some beers before the dinner. As it happened, there was a national rugby game this evening, Australia vs New Zealand. So our new friends gave us a crash-course in the rules of the game, and we then enjoyed a great game! Quite a surreal feeling, watching on TV and drinking beer and wine in the middle of nowhere, far away from any civilization!!!
The next day, we had an early lunch and drove south along the beach (speed limit is 100 km/h). I'm pretty sure I'll never go that fast on a beach again, pretty cool feeling! The first attraction was Lake Wabby - a fresh-water lake in the middle of the "desert". To get there, we hiked some 20 minutes through a lush forest. The color was quite dark (and not turquoise like we had seen on fliers, but the was probably another lake (McKenzie)), and the water wasn't that warm either ... but we dived in anyway. As soon as got on, it started to rain, quite heavily ... Strange feeling, being surrounded by sand (desert) in a black'ish lake with the rain pouring down on us ...
After a picnic lunch, with way to little food, we continued to another lake, Lake Garawongera. Another fresh-water lake, but this one was located in the bush, 220 m above the sea level (also some kind of world record, plenty of them here ...). Dark, cold water but since bathing was the theme of the day, we never hesitated going in. Of course, as soon as we got in, it started to rain again ... No worries! Apparently, the bottom sediment (sand) in the lake is great for your skin (like a mud treatment, only with sand). Of course, we had to try it! We rubbed the white sand all over our body and awaited the "amazing results" that our tour guide had promised. No instant result but after a while you could really feel that the skin had gotten really smooth! Perhaps not amazing but still cool! :-)
We really appreciated the two-day tour on the island and we also enjoyed spending some time with some nice people! The two welsh guys also stayed at Next, and we finished of the day by a all-you-can-eat (what else) Mexican buffet. Me and Nick also stayed up all night (o well, at least til 3 AM) to catch the Premier league fixtures of Everton - Spurs (0-0) and West Ham - Pool (0-3). Nice to have a conversation on football with a proper Brit (for a change)!
Today, we have had a relaxed day with some time on the beach and a long walk along the shore! Tomorrow, we going out to the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling! Can't wait! Life could be harder! :-)
It was a nice feeling stepping out of the air plane - the outside temp was at least 10 degrees (C)higher than in Melbourne - nice! As soon as we arrived to our super-clean hostel ("Next Backpackers"), we booked a two-day tour on Fraser Island. After a falafel and a hair cut (only me ... ;-), we had a quick look at the beach before the sun set at 6 PM (as always, way too early). We finished the evening at one of the four open (it's off-season now) restaurants here - an Irish pub. After a couple of beers and some laughs at some crazy Irish limericks, we enjoyed a Guinness and beef pie with mash' (what else)!
Early next morning, we're picked up by our (funny) tour guide and joined the others in the group (quite a few germans, 3 scotts, 2 welch guys, an aussie couple and a french couple). We took the 4WD bus over "The Great Sandy Strait" onto Fraser Island. First impression was -"where's all the sand?". Sure, we landed on a nice beach but apart from that the island seemed to be completely covered by a thick bush.
The island is protected as a world heritage since 1991 and very few people live here. The first thing we saw after getting off the ferry was a Dingo - cool! The first stop was a 20-minute walk through a rain forest (the only one in the world growing in sand only). Really nice with the cool fresh air, and the huge old Kauri Pine trees were quite impressive! After that we continued over to the east coast where our camp site was located. It was time for an all-you-can-eat lunch (a fact that our tour guide announced at least ten times ... ;-)
After lunch we stopped at a fresh water creek, an old ship wreck, some multi-colored sand dunes and climbed a small hill for some marine wildlife watching (ocean was "dead" though).
Nice stops, indeed, but nothing special ... An hour before sunset, we returned to our camp site and checked in to our cabins. Since me and Tina we're the last guys to book the tour, we had no other choice than to upgrade our accommodation to more luxurious one. And the cabin was not bad at all - a huge comfy double bed, an ocean view and a large clean bathroom! Can't remember when we stayed that good before ... Certainly not in the camper van, even though the first two might fit ... :-)
After a long longed shower, we joined the two welsh guys (John and Nick) and the Aussie couple (Craig and Erin) for some beers before the dinner. As it happened, there was a national rugby game this evening, Australia vs New Zealand. So our new friends gave us a crash-course in the rules of the game, and we then enjoyed a great game! Quite a surreal feeling, watching on TV and drinking beer and wine in the middle of nowhere, far away from any civilization!!!
The next day, we had an early lunch and drove south along the beach (speed limit is 100 km/h). I'm pretty sure I'll never go that fast on a beach again, pretty cool feeling! The first attraction was Lake Wabby - a fresh-water lake in the middle of the "desert". To get there, we hiked some 20 minutes through a lush forest. The color was quite dark (and not turquoise like we had seen on fliers, but the was probably another lake (McKenzie)), and the water wasn't that warm either ... but we dived in anyway. As soon as got on, it started to rain, quite heavily ... Strange feeling, being surrounded by sand (desert) in a black'ish lake with the rain pouring down on us ...
After a picnic lunch, with way to little food, we continued to another lake, Lake Garawongera. Another fresh-water lake, but this one was located in the bush, 220 m above the sea level (also some kind of world record, plenty of them here ...). Dark, cold water but since bathing was the theme of the day, we never hesitated going in. Of course, as soon as we got in, it started to rain again ... No worries! Apparently, the bottom sediment (sand) in the lake is great for your skin (like a mud treatment, only with sand). Of course, we had to try it! We rubbed the white sand all over our body and awaited the "amazing results" that our tour guide had promised. No instant result but after a while you could really feel that the skin had gotten really smooth! Perhaps not amazing but still cool! :-)
We really appreciated the two-day tour on the island and we also enjoyed spending some time with some nice people! The two welsh guys also stayed at Next, and we finished of the day by a all-you-can-eat (what else) Mexican buffet. Me and Nick also stayed up all night (o well, at least til 3 AM) to catch the Premier league fixtures of Everton - Spurs (0-0) and West Ham - Pool (0-3). Nice to have a conversation on football with a proper Brit (for a change)!
Today, we have had a relaxed day with some time on the beach and a long walk along the shore! Tomorrow, we going out to the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling! Can't wait! Life could be harder! :-)
Saturday, May 02, 2009
More Sydney, Melbourne, Great Ocean Road and Grampians
Ok... Sydney
Tuesday was another nice day inSydney ; we started off with the ferry from Parramatta to Darling Harbour in Sydney Darling Harbour
After that we deserved a lunch and it was a quick one on a familiar Thai place. Then we took the bus to famous Bondi beach!
Melbourne
The next day we had a busy schedule going to the market and taking the tram to St Kilda, famous for good cakes! We got cakes and a lovely present for my sister! We strolled St Kilda’s beach walk way
Melbourne
Very exiting to imagine the pit stops during the race. The day ended with an Australian football game... rugby, but still not... Very popular, but a bit long... 4 x 30 min... But it was nice to see, and we really got a good grip of the game!
The next day we picked up our second Wicked camper-van. A crap-van! So old... so bad... It smelled... it made funny noises and third gear just worked like 60% of the time... Marvelous!! Oh, well.. only 4 nights!!
Great Ocean Road, with beautiful beaches
and exciting rain forests
Along the way, we stopped at the great surf museum, close to the world-famous "Bell's beach"
After driving along the ocean road, we head up to Grampians national park
(were we actually were allowed to bush-camp in the bush!!), and then back toMelbourne
Melbourne and tomorrow heading for Harvey bay to explore Fraser Island and Great Barrier Reef .
Australia
Got to go!
Tuesday was another nice day in
After that we deserved a lunch and it was a quick one on a familiar Thai place. Then we took the bus to famous Bondi beach!
The sun was shining (although, it was not that hot) and Jacob was persistent in getting in the water... if he would... I should...
So.. we plunged in the BIG waves!! And it was very nice.. much warmer than in the air. But since it was late afternoon the waves were getting bigger and all of a sudden, the life guards closed the beach for swimming... But, we made it! The surfers were still going strong... Can't believe they want to do that...
The next day we had a busy schedule going to the market and taking the tram to St Kilda, famous for good cakes! We got cakes and a lovely present for my sister! We strolled St Kilda’s beach walk way
Very exiting to imagine the pit stops during the race. The day ended with an Australian football game... rugby, but still not... Very popular, but a bit long... 4 x 30 min... But it was nice to see, and we really got a good grip of the game!
The next day we picked up our second Wicked camper-van. A crap-van! So old... so bad... It smelled... it made funny noises and third gear just worked like 60% of the time... Marvelous!! Oh, well.. only 4 nights!!
and exciting rain forests
Along the way, we stopped at the great surf museum, close to the world-famous "Bell's beach"
After driving along the ocean road, we head up to Grampians national park
(were we actually were allowed to bush-camp in the bush!!), and then back to
Got to go!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Commenting 4 all
Some of our friends have had problems commenting on our entries. Apparently, not all was allowed to comment with the current settings. We've now changed these settings so that ALL can comment on our entries! Sorry for the problems you might have experienced!
So, please go ahead and post a comment! We always appreciate it! ;-)
So, please go ahead and post a comment! We always appreciate it! ;-)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sydney!!
We arrived to Sydney on Friday afternoon. Jacob's friend Khang picked us up and took us for coffee, cakes and later on a great dinner. From that on we have really been spoiled with good food, nice non-touristy sights, great homy feeling (very welcomed after long time in the Camper-van).
Saturday was public holiday here in Sydney, which let us wander around on the streets without cars. Of course we went for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera house which was surreal since you only have seen those structures on post cards before...
Saturday was public holiday here in Sydney, which let us wander around on the streets without cars. Of course we went for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera house which was surreal since you only have seen those structures on post cards before...
We walked through Hyde park and saw Chinatown where we got some good Bimbimbap (korean rice-dish).
Sunday we went for the Blue Mountains, which got their names from the bluey glow from Eucalyptus trees, where we went for a fantastic bush-walk through the damp forrest (kind of a jungle...).
Then we spent the night in a nice forrest-cabin with a fireplace and had a relaxing evening. The wind was blowing hard and it was quite cold... but the fire kept us warm! We introduced "Turn eight" to Khang and realized we need another english name for it... somebody has a suggestion?? On the morning, we got to feed the native birds.
Tonight back in Parramatta (city close to Sydney where Khang lives) we have got nice german food (Flammkuchen and Pretzels) in an old church (turned into a resto, really cool!) and are now heading for bed. Tomorrow we will continue to explore Sydney, can't wait ...
Take care!
Tonight back in Parramatta (city close to Sydney where Khang lives) we have got nice german food (Flammkuchen and Pretzels) in an old church (turned into a resto, really cool!) and are now heading for bed. Tomorrow we will continue to explore Sydney, can't wait ...
Take care!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sceneries and adventures
Sorry for not having posted anything for more than a week ... We have been busy doing all kind of adventures and enjoying the amazing scenery on the southwest part of NZ's south island.
Last Tuesday, we drove from Greymouth down to Franz Josef, the small mountain village next to the stunning glacier with the same name. We wanted to do a walking-tour on the glacier itself, and had read that they took of at around 1 PM. Therefore, we left Greymouth pretty early and arrived in FJ at 12.30, well in time (we thought). Unfortunately, all tours were full and they adviced us to wait until next day. However, after some great begging from my side, we were allowed to tag along right away. And I really mean right away, we got 5 minutes to go back to the car to change clothes and bring water och food. A bit stressy ... but we made it! As usual, it was a beautiful day weather-wise. After a 2 km walk along a river, we arrived at the glacier. It was kind of grayish at the bottom, but once we got up on it the colors turned to blue and turqoise. It streched 12 km up the mountain, and we walked at most half a km up of it, but it was still a great experience! Quite a feeling, standing on a 120 m thick chunk of ice!
The next day, we stopped to have a look (from a distance) at the other large glacie in the area - Fox. It's even longer, 15 km, but we only saw about a 5th of it ... Still, awesome products of nature! Too bad they are all slowly melting away due to global warming ... We also did a 1,5 hour walk around Lake Matheson. After having seen post cards of it (and the Alps in the background), I just had to go there.
And it was just a nice as we had expected! But I think I snapped just a few photos too much ... Tina got a bit tired at the end ;=)
We then drove a couple of hours before stopping at the camp site just after the Haast pass, stopped by both the darkness but also heavy rain. That night, it rained a lot and it felt like the winds should turned the van, but made it through the night. We got off early (couldn't sleep anyway) and avoided some fallen trees (or more like branches) on the road on the first miles. After a relaxed breakfast stop in Wanaka, we continued to Queenstown, the no 1 adventure city (or town) on the south island. We had heard that it was quite touristy and didn't have that high expextations. But we were pleasently surprised! A pitoresk little town next to a beatiful lake and some impressive mountain peaks (for ex. The Remarkables).
We wanted to do another adventure - sledging. It's like rafting except with sledging you're actually in the water instead sitting in a raft. With the help on a floating pad under your arms, you're are guided down the roaring river. Since we hadn't booked it in advance, there were no spaces left for the next day. Therefore, we decided to drive out to Milford Sound (fjord land, think Norway) and to take the sledging on the way back through Queenstown.
The drive from QT to Milford Sounds is 300 km and was expected to take around 5 hours (that is, if you don't do any stops). We drove the first 200 km to Te Anau pretty fast (not much to see) but then enjoyed the scenic drive from Te Anau out to Milford Sound with plenty of stops on the way. For ex., we slept at a camp site next to a stunning river
and did a superb 3 hour hike up to Key Summit with the amazingly beautiful Alpine Walk on top of the mountain.
We had absolutely superb weather and you got see for miles and miles in all directions!!! Probably my best hike ever!
Well in Milford Sound, we went out on a boat cruise in the fjords (the ONLY thing to do here). Awesome feeling to be on the water next to these huge mountains! You feel pretty tiny! After checking out some seals, we turned back along the fjord and admired some great water falls at the end.
The next day, we drove back to QT and finally did the sledging. Another day with great weather, but that didn't helped much when we first dipped our toes in the river - freezing!!! But after a few minutes in the water, it wasn't that bad anymore. After a few warnings and instructions from the guide, we were off down the river (or at least all but Tina). She didn't really made it out of the Eddie (calm, rotating water next to the river main flow), but after some help from the "back" guide, she were out as well! We went down a 5 km stretch of the river called Roaring Meg. However, this time a year, she didn't roar. But it was more than enough for us!
We did the 5 km twice, and the first run was more of a practice run in order to enjoy it a little bit more on the second run. And you really needed a practice run, it took some time to learn how to manover in the river. The first run was a bit scary, since it was more like being flushed down the river than actually floating down it (under control). The second run was much better, and then we also got to try to ride a standing wave. Not that easy I must say ... ;=) But we really enjoyed it all, although a warm shower at the would have been nice. Now we ended up a little bit cold, smelling rubber ...
The last couple of days, we've hanged around the great, turquise lakes of Pukaki and Tekapo. Unbelievable scenery in this region!!! Today, we're heading for Christchurch in order to catch the flight to Sydney on Friday! We are now started to feel a little bit tired of NZ (and especially the camper van!) and we really can't wait to get to Australia, where a new country and new adventures awaits!
Take care, all!!! See you!
Last Tuesday, we drove from Greymouth down to Franz Josef, the small mountain village next to the stunning glacier with the same name. We wanted to do a walking-tour on the glacier itself, and had read that they took of at around 1 PM. Therefore, we left Greymouth pretty early and arrived in FJ at 12.30, well in time (we thought). Unfortunately, all tours were full and they adviced us to wait until next day. However, after some great begging from my side, we were allowed to tag along right away. And I really mean right away, we got 5 minutes to go back to the car to change clothes and bring water och food. A bit stressy ... but we made it! As usual, it was a beautiful day weather-wise. After a 2 km walk along a river, we arrived at the glacier. It was kind of grayish at the bottom, but once we got up on it the colors turned to blue and turqoise. It streched 12 km up the mountain, and we walked at most half a km up of it, but it was still a great experience! Quite a feeling, standing on a 120 m thick chunk of ice!
The next day, we stopped to have a look (from a distance) at the other large glacie in the area - Fox. It's even longer, 15 km, but we only saw about a 5th of it ... Still, awesome products of nature! Too bad they are all slowly melting away due to global warming ... We also did a 1,5 hour walk around Lake Matheson. After having seen post cards of it (and the Alps in the background), I just had to go there.
And it was just a nice as we had expected! But I think I snapped just a few photos too much ... Tina got a bit tired at the end ;=)
We then drove a couple of hours before stopping at the camp site just after the Haast pass, stopped by both the darkness but also heavy rain. That night, it rained a lot and it felt like the winds should turned the van, but made it through the night. We got off early (couldn't sleep anyway) and avoided some fallen trees (or more like branches) on the road on the first miles. After a relaxed breakfast stop in Wanaka, we continued to Queenstown, the no 1 adventure city (or town) on the south island. We had heard that it was quite touristy and didn't have that high expextations. But we were pleasently surprised! A pitoresk little town next to a beatiful lake and some impressive mountain peaks (for ex. The Remarkables).
We wanted to do another adventure - sledging. It's like rafting except with sledging you're actually in the water instead sitting in a raft. With the help on a floating pad under your arms, you're are guided down the roaring river. Since we hadn't booked it in advance, there were no spaces left for the next day. Therefore, we decided to drive out to Milford Sound (fjord land, think Norway) and to take the sledging on the way back through Queenstown.
The drive from QT to Milford Sounds is 300 km and was expected to take around 5 hours (that is, if you don't do any stops). We drove the first 200 km to Te Anau pretty fast (not much to see) but then enjoyed the scenic drive from Te Anau out to Milford Sound with plenty of stops on the way. For ex., we slept at a camp site next to a stunning river
and did a superb 3 hour hike up to Key Summit with the amazingly beautiful Alpine Walk on top of the mountain.
We had absolutely superb weather and you got see for miles and miles in all directions!!! Probably my best hike ever!
Well in Milford Sound, we went out on a boat cruise in the fjords (the ONLY thing to do here). Awesome feeling to be on the water next to these huge mountains! You feel pretty tiny! After checking out some seals, we turned back along the fjord and admired some great water falls at the end.
The next day, we drove back to QT and finally did the sledging. Another day with great weather, but that didn't helped much when we first dipped our toes in the river - freezing!!! But after a few minutes in the water, it wasn't that bad anymore. After a few warnings and instructions from the guide, we were off down the river (or at least all but Tina). She didn't really made it out of the Eddie (calm, rotating water next to the river main flow), but after some help from the "back" guide, she were out as well! We went down a 5 km stretch of the river called Roaring Meg. However, this time a year, she didn't roar. But it was more than enough for us!
We did the 5 km twice, and the first run was more of a practice run in order to enjoy it a little bit more on the second run. And you really needed a practice run, it took some time to learn how to manover in the river. The first run was a bit scary, since it was more like being flushed down the river than actually floating down it (under control). The second run was much better, and then we also got to try to ride a standing wave. Not that easy I must say ... ;=) But we really enjoyed it all, although a warm shower at the would have been nice. Now we ended up a little bit cold, smelling rubber ...
The last couple of days, we've hanged around the great, turquise lakes of Pukaki and Tekapo. Unbelievable scenery in this region!!! Today, we're heading for Christchurch in order to catch the flight to Sydney on Friday! We are now started to feel a little bit tired of NZ (and especially the camper van!) and we really can't wait to get to Australia, where a new country and new adventures awaits!
Take care, all!!! See you!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Moving on to the South Island
Yes, we are now on the South Island.
After leaving Taupo we headed for Wanganiu by the Wanganui River coast way... It was a lot of gravel and about 40 km/hour for 64 km. But Jacob did a great job behind the wheels. The road followed the river and the scenery was lovely. When we hit Wanganui town it was quite dead... but the nice lady at the information centre helped us book the ferry to the south island. Since easter was heading.. it was quite booked already. But she got us in on the Thursday morning ferry. So, with that in mind we decided to head for Wellington as fast as we could.
Wednesday morning we got to Wellington and got informed that campsites are not to be found in the city... ok.. hostel it is! We found one with ok parking price and then went for a stroll in the city. Also visiting the amazong Te Papa museum. That got us tired and hungry and we found a nice little restaurant round the corner, Sweet Mothers Kitchen and got some food before the movie started. Yup, "Gran Torino" was shown and that movie was absolutely great... see it if you get the chance!!
The ferry to Picton(on the south island) was a bit rough... I was told it would be rough... and it was not pleasant but not as rough as I thought. When we left Wellington the rain was pooring down but when we got to Picton the sun was shining on us again.
Jacob had found this vineyard that served food and that was a very good idea to start the South Island adventures... some mussel soup and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the sun... perfect!
The day after we went to Nelson, but since it was easter everything was closed... we found a little cafe and we got something to eat. Although it was nice to have one day "off" just relaxing.
On the saturday it was Jacobs birthday and he got served a nice breakfast by the sea at 6.15 in the morning. By 8 we were in Kaiteriteri heading for a Kayak day-trip. The sun was shining and the sky was so blue. In the shade it was a bit cold but on the water in the sun... it was amazing. And the scenery a long the cost of Abel Tasman National Park was stunning.
The day included food and we got a nice pic-nic on a small beach. Of course we needed to plunge in to the water.. it was about 17 degrees...
The day ended with a nice dinner in the van with our Chilean wine!
We headed south west to Nelson Lakes National Park and went on an hour long walk along the lake. Beautiful scenery and lots of kiwis on their easter holiday.
Yesterday we got our first rain and visited Pancake rocks with our rain-coats on. Then we got to Greymouth were we took a tour on the local beer brewery, Monteiths.
Now we are going further south to the glaciers and are stretching the time we have left.
See ya!
After leaving Taupo we headed for Wanganiu by the Wanganui River coast way... It was a lot of gravel and about 40 km/hour for 64 km. But Jacob did a great job behind the wheels. The road followed the river and the scenery was lovely. When we hit Wanganui town it was quite dead... but the nice lady at the information centre helped us book the ferry to the south island. Since easter was heading.. it was quite booked already. But she got us in on the Thursday morning ferry. So, with that in mind we decided to head for Wellington as fast as we could.
Wednesday morning we got to Wellington and got informed that campsites are not to be found in the city... ok.. hostel it is! We found one with ok parking price and then went for a stroll in the city. Also visiting the amazong Te Papa museum. That got us tired and hungry and we found a nice little restaurant round the corner, Sweet Mothers Kitchen and got some food before the movie started. Yup, "Gran Torino" was shown and that movie was absolutely great... see it if you get the chance!!
The ferry to Picton(on the south island) was a bit rough... I was told it would be rough... and it was not pleasant but not as rough as I thought. When we left Wellington the rain was pooring down but when we got to Picton the sun was shining on us again.
Jacob had found this vineyard that served food and that was a very good idea to start the South Island adventures... some mussel soup and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the sun... perfect!
The day after we went to Nelson, but since it was easter everything was closed... we found a little cafe and we got something to eat. Although it was nice to have one day "off" just relaxing.
On the saturday it was Jacobs birthday and he got served a nice breakfast by the sea at 6.15 in the morning. By 8 we were in Kaiteriteri heading for a Kayak day-trip. The sun was shining and the sky was so blue. In the shade it was a bit cold but on the water in the sun... it was amazing. And the scenery a long the cost of Abel Tasman National Park was stunning.
The day included food and we got a nice pic-nic on a small beach. Of course we needed to plunge in to the water.. it was about 17 degrees...
The day ended with a nice dinner in the van with our Chilean wine!
We headed south west to Nelson Lakes National Park and went on an hour long walk along the lake. Beautiful scenery and lots of kiwis on their easter holiday.
Yesterday we got our first rain and visited Pancake rocks with our rain-coats on. Then we got to Greymouth were we took a tour on the local beer brewery, Monteiths.
Now we are going further south to the glaciers and are stretching the time we have left.
See ya!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Lake Taupo
Well, now we are campers all the way!! But since the clock here is turned back one hour (their winter is starting) the sun now sets at 18.00.. which means that our evenings are "Turneight" (card game) in the light of the head-lamp until at least 20.00 when we are dead tired and tuck in...
Friday night we headed for Taupo region and stopped by a nice campsite by Mohaka riverside. Here we met the greatest locals inviting us for some beer by the fire. It was so nice sitting by the fire, sipping on some beers chatting with them. We woke up by the nice river and soon the sun came through the fog... what a place to stay!!
After some coffee and southern island tips by our new friends we headed northwest to Taupo town.
Today we woke up by the Lake Taupo at a riverside campsite. A bit sour in legs and feet after a 6 hours/19 kms walk through/over/around a couple of volcanos yesterday, but a nice breakfast and we were ready to go Skydiving!!!
Before the plane actually lifted I was very calm... I mean.. what can happen... how hard can it be??
Miss Conehead and Jacob
The plane lifted and we were heading for 12000 feet(4000 meters). On the way up I felt a little sick in my stomach... but during those 20 minutes, I got plenty of time to calm down. I was the second person that would go out of the plane... when we were buckled up to our tandem-master the adrenaline started to rush!!
The feeling of just have your legs dingling outside an airplane is crazy... and weird... I can not even explain it. And to even try to explain the free-fall when the tandem-master just pulled us out of the plane... it is undescribeable...
We were told that the freefall should last 45 seconds... and these 45 seconds were the longest seconds of my life. I mean... as soon as I got "back" to my sense (after5 seconds of chock) I just screamed and realized I was falling through the sky. Oh my god what a rush!!!!!!
Then the parachute opened and the tandem-master loosen up the straps and we just sailed through the sky for like 4 minutes. He also did some loops and I just screamed... I mean it was absolutely amazing. And the view!!! Blue sky and the Lake Taupo and the volcano in the back... it was, once again, amazing. Our landing was perfect... on the feet and perfectly standing!!
So... with that rush first thing of the day... what else to do??
Jacob was also amazed by the view and the experience, but since he is a hang-glider pilot he kind of know the thrilling feeling of being in the air...
We are now looking for some lunch and then checking out the water falls nearby. After that we are going further south and looking at taking the ferry to the south island on friday.
We are so much enjoying New Zealand and the weather is still great... 20 degrees during daytime and around 8 during night. Just hoping it will not be much colder on the south island.
See you all soon!!
Friday night we headed for Taupo region and stopped by a nice campsite by Mohaka riverside. Here we met the greatest locals inviting us for some beer by the fire. It was so nice sitting by the fire, sipping on some beers chatting with them. We woke up by the nice river and soon the sun came through the fog... what a place to stay!!
After some coffee and southern island tips by our new friends we headed northwest to Taupo town.
Today we woke up by the Lake Taupo at a riverside campsite. A bit sour in legs and feet after a 6 hours/19 kms walk through/over/around a couple of volcanos yesterday, but a nice breakfast and we were ready to go Skydiving!!!
Before the plane actually lifted I was very calm... I mean.. what can happen... how hard can it be??
Miss Conehead and JacobThe plane lifted and we were heading for 12000 feet(4000 meters). On the way up I felt a little sick in my stomach... but during those 20 minutes, I got plenty of time to calm down. I was the second person that would go out of the plane... when we were buckled up to our tandem-master the adrenaline started to rush!!
The feeling of just have your legs dingling outside an airplane is crazy... and weird... I can not even explain it. And to even try to explain the free-fall when the tandem-master just pulled us out of the plane... it is undescribeable...
We were told that the freefall should last 45 seconds... and these 45 seconds were the longest seconds of my life. I mean... as soon as I got "back" to my sense (after5 seconds of chock) I just screamed and realized I was falling through the sky. Oh my god what a rush!!!!!!
Then the parachute opened and the tandem-master loosen up the straps and we just sailed through the sky for like 4 minutes. He also did some loops and I just screamed... I mean it was absolutely amazing. And the view!!! Blue sky and the Lake Taupo and the volcano in the back... it was, once again, amazing. Our landing was perfect... on the feet and perfectly standing!!
So... with that rush first thing of the day... what else to do??
Jacob was also amazed by the view and the experience, but since he is a hang-glider pilot he kind of know the thrilling feeling of being in the air...
We are now looking for some lunch and then checking out the water falls nearby. After that we are going further south and looking at taking the ferry to the south island on friday.
We are so much enjoying New Zealand and the weather is still great... 20 degrees during daytime and around 8 during night. Just hoping it will not be much colder on the south island.
See you all soon!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Camper van!!!
Oh yes! Three nights so far!! It is great... just as long as the weather is good and not wet... (crossing our fingers). It is a great van with a kitchen in the back and a fold out madras in the middle which means that we are sleeping very good... with real sheets and covers. Not that cold either...
Yesterday I made a "McGyver"-mosquito-net to keep the mosquitos out of the "sleeping-area" while we were cooking dinner.
We have left Auckland and snorkled by the Goat Island... got to see nice fishes and cray-fish(not that common!!). Then we went to see big trees in Kauri forest and ended up on a lovely camping-ground just by a nice lake.
Yesterday we moved quickly over the landscape... and I drove for the first time!! It wasn't that hard actually! Today we are in Waitomo caves and we did the black-water rafting looking at Glow-worms!! It was amazing... floating down the caves on a tube with no lights... soooo coool!!! The worms were glowing in the ceeling... a bit cold but the hot shower after got us warm.
So... we are now heading to the smelly town Rotorua, but before that we need to find somewhere to spend the night. Since sun goes down by 19 we need to plan and cook dinner before that... then we go to bed around nine... But we rise early! And mom... thanks for the "pann-lampa" idea.. it is brilliant in the van!!!
Miss you all a lot...
Pictures soon... I hope... not that easy to load them up... but soon...
Cheers mate!
/Tina
Yesterday I made a "McGyver"-mosquito-net to keep the mosquitos out of the "sleeping-area" while we were cooking dinner.
We have left Auckland and snorkled by the Goat Island... got to see nice fishes and cray-fish(not that common!!). Then we went to see big trees in Kauri forest and ended up on a lovely camping-ground just by a nice lake.
Yesterday we moved quickly over the landscape... and I drove for the first time!! It wasn't that hard actually! Today we are in Waitomo caves and we did the black-water rafting looking at Glow-worms!! It was amazing... floating down the caves on a tube with no lights... soooo coool!!! The worms were glowing in the ceeling... a bit cold but the hot shower after got us warm.
So... we are now heading to the smelly town Rotorua, but before that we need to find somewhere to spend the night. Since sun goes down by 19 we need to plan and cook dinner before that... then we go to bed around nine... But we rise early! And mom... thanks for the "pann-lampa" idea.. it is brilliant in the van!!!
Miss you all a lot...
Pictures soon... I hope... not that easy to load them up... but soon...
Cheers mate!
/Tina
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Auckland
We have now arrived in Auckland, and things couldn't be better! Well, aside from Tinas allergic attack (don't worry, she's fine now ...). The flight from Santiago （12 hours）was easier than expected. We left at 10 PM and after a meal and a movie it wasn't that hard to get to sleep (for me). Tina had to struggle a little bit more. A couple of days earlier, she had got this small rashes. looking like small mosquito bites. The itched a little but it wasn't that bad ... But during the last afternoon in Santiago and especially during the flight to New Zealand, the rashes really got more aggressive and we're really itching like crazy! So at 4 AM (local time) we landed in Auckland and took the first cab to the Auckland city hospital. They advised us to go to another hospital since they could see/treat her right away and since the other hospital was less expensive. Another 10 minutes in taxi and we finally got to see a (quite sleepy) doctor, who told us that it probably was a allergic reaction to something . We got a prescription for medicine, but the pharmacies didn't open for another two hours ... So Tina had to bare with it a little bit longer ... We grabbed an early (6 AM) breakfast at a McDonalds cafe (second this day, surprisingly good)! We then went down to the city center and picked up the medicine. It didn't worked right away but during the day it finally (and thankfully) started to get better ...
At 8 AM, we left our backpacks at the hostal, and wondered down to the harbor ... We wanted to check out the time schedules for the ferries out the islands in the Auckland bay. We planned to go there the next day. But we wanted to visit two islands; Rangitoto (volcano) and Waiheke (beaches, wineries and art exhibitions). We suddenly realized realized that it would more or less be impossible to the both islands in one day. Therefore, we took a really fast and spontaneous decision to catch the next ferry to Rangitoto (leaving in 3 minutes). We made it ... =) and well on the island we started to walk up to the summit/crater (1 hour). Compared to the previous walks, this was really a walk in the park (literary as well, we we're walking through a thick forest=)! The weather was great and the view from the summit was fantastic (especially the view of the city skyline)!!! We went back to the city center and grabbed a fantastic lunch at an Asian food court! We spent the afternoon in Auckland domains, a huge, calm, green park in the middle of Auckland. We almost fell asleep lying down in the grass (for us, it still felt like 3 AM in the morning).
The next day (yesterday), we took an early ferry out to Waiheke. After a nice breakfast on a bench next the ocean, we walked up the biggest town on the island, Oneroa. Instead of walking on the road, we (of course) took the scenic, lowland route through a calm forest (spotting some odd birds on the way). The tourist info advised us to visit a nearby vineyard called Mudrick. It was located on a small hill, and was only a 20 minutes stroll away. When approaching the vineyard, we were amazed by the great views and the stunning location!!! It looked like a small paradise! And of course, the had plenty of weddings all year long. =) We tried six of their wines (great whites, not so good reds) and had a rest to enjoy the fantastic scenery ... For a bit too long, sadly ... We realized that we were about to miss the buss to the next winery, and ran back down to the bus stop in Oneroa (Tina even enjoyed it, too much energy ...). More wine tasting on the next winery (Goldwater Estate) and then we continued to on of the great beaches on the island - Onetangi. It was so beautiful and calm (we're almost alone). An hour on the beach was just what we needed! The water wasn't too bad either, a bit cold at first but really clear and turquoise.
At the evening, we had reserved a table at the Orbit restaurant, situated 192 m above the ground in the Auckland Skytower (the tallest building on the southern hemisphere, 300 something). From there, you had a fantastic 360 degree view (the restaurant rotated) over Auckland and its surroundings. And the food was probably the best we have had on this trip so far. I had a steak and some mash potatoes and Tina has a red snapper (fish) and veggies. For the dessert, we tried the Swedish cheese cake with figs and ice cream. It was almost like the Swedish cheese cake we get at home (think Froedinge), but not quite. Still great!!! All in all, a(nother) great day on our trip. Life can be harder ... =)
Today, we'll pick up hour camper van and start our trip around the North and South islands of New Zealand. We can't wait to get started!!! Take care, all!
Ciao!
At 8 AM, we left our backpacks at the hostal, and wondered down to the harbor ... We wanted to check out the time schedules for the ferries out the islands in the Auckland bay. We planned to go there the next day. But we wanted to visit two islands; Rangitoto (volcano) and Waiheke (beaches, wineries and art exhibitions). We suddenly realized realized that it would more or less be impossible to the both islands in one day. Therefore, we took a really fast and spontaneous decision to catch the next ferry to Rangitoto (leaving in 3 minutes). We made it ... =) and well on the island we started to walk up to the summit/crater (1 hour). Compared to the previous walks, this was really a walk in the park (literary as well, we we're walking through a thick forest=)! The weather was great and the view from the summit was fantastic (especially the view of the city skyline)!!! We went back to the city center and grabbed a fantastic lunch at an Asian food court! We spent the afternoon in Auckland domains, a huge, calm, green park in the middle of Auckland. We almost fell asleep lying down in the grass (for us, it still felt like 3 AM in the morning).
The next day (yesterday), we took an early ferry out to Waiheke. After a nice breakfast on a bench next the ocean, we walked up the biggest town on the island, Oneroa. Instead of walking on the road, we (of course) took the scenic, lowland route through a calm forest (spotting some odd birds on the way). The tourist info advised us to visit a nearby vineyard called Mudrick. It was located on a small hill, and was only a 20 minutes stroll away. When approaching the vineyard, we were amazed by the great views and the stunning location!!! It looked like a small paradise! And of course, the had plenty of weddings all year long. =) We tried six of their wines (great whites, not so good reds) and had a rest to enjoy the fantastic scenery ... For a bit too long, sadly ... We realized that we were about to miss the buss to the next winery, and ran back down to the bus stop in Oneroa (Tina even enjoyed it, too much energy ...). More wine tasting on the next winery (Goldwater Estate) and then we continued to on of the great beaches on the island - Onetangi. It was so beautiful and calm (we're almost alone). An hour on the beach was just what we needed! The water wasn't too bad either, a bit cold at first but really clear and turquoise.
At the evening, we had reserved a table at the Orbit restaurant, situated 192 m above the ground in the Auckland Skytower (the tallest building on the southern hemisphere, 300 something). From there, you had a fantastic 360 degree view (the restaurant rotated) over Auckland and its surroundings. And the food was probably the best we have had on this trip so far. I had a steak and some mash potatoes and Tina has a red snapper (fish) and veggies. For the dessert, we tried the Swedish cheese cake with figs and ice cream. It was almost like the Swedish cheese cake we get at home (think Froedinge), but not quite. Still great!!! All in all, a(nother) great day on our trip. Life can be harder ... =)
Today, we'll pick up hour camper van and start our trip around the North and South islands of New Zealand. We can't wait to get started!!! Take care, all!
Ciao!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Last days in Chile!
Well, we are today leaving Chile! On the way to New Zealand we will loose one day... the 24th of March(sorry Bruna.. I still wish you a happy birthday!!). The last days has been hectic... we came to Santiago and were surprised by the cleaniness and freshness of the city. We had been told by some people that Santiago was not much to see so we were gladly suprised.
We spent two days strolling the streets... the first day it was not a fast strolling since my legs and toes were so sore...
The weather was warm and we followed the Lonely Planet walk around the city. Found some great places to eat and got to see the "Slumdog Millionare", a really good movie!!
Friday we left the city real early for a small town 3 hours away called Talca. There we got to visit a winery and got to a National park for a 4 hour walk. My toes were still sore so we did not climd the entire mountain.. but got to see some fantastic views of the mountains.
Late saturday night we got back to Santiago and slept for a few hours before we took an early bus to Baños Molinas Sunday morning. It was high mineral hot springs in the middle of the mountains.. when we got there we felt peckished to go for a small walk in the national park... but since we just brought our sandals... we were recommended not to. So, we got to continue our "Vändâtta" competition with a beer and an empanada before we got into the "hot" spring. It was amazing to sit in the yellow water in the middle of the mountains... and the sun was so warm and nice... I loved it.
So, today we are leaving Chile and it has been a pleasure!! More pictures soon... promise!!
So long dude!
/T
We spent two days strolling the streets... the first day it was not a fast strolling since my legs and toes were so sore...
The weather was warm and we followed the Lonely Planet walk around the city. Found some great places to eat and got to see the "Slumdog Millionare", a really good movie!!
Friday we left the city real early for a small town 3 hours away called Talca. There we got to visit a winery and got to a National park for a 4 hour walk. My toes were still sore so we did not climd the entire mountain.. but got to see some fantastic views of the mountains.
Late saturday night we got back to Santiago and slept for a few hours before we took an early bus to Baños Molinas Sunday morning. It was high mineral hot springs in the middle of the mountains.. when we got there we felt peckished to go for a small walk in the national park... but since we just brought our sandals... we were recommended not to. So, we got to continue our "Vändâtta" competition with a beer and an empanada before we got into the "hot" spring. It was amazing to sit in the yellow water in the middle of the mountains... and the sun was so warm and nice... I loved it.
So, today we are leaving Chile and it has been a pleasure!! More pictures soon... promise!!
So long dude!
/T
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Impressions of Chile
- a bit more americanized/europized than Argentina.
- cleaner
- by the sea there is actually cold breeze...
- buses are more modern.
- not that friendly atmosphere as in Argentina... of course we met some very nice people in Chile.
- a lot of coins... 10 000 chilean pesos are 150 SEK, then you can imagine how many coins they have since they have a "one peso" coin... madness.
- PISCO SOUR!! Delicious drink!
- a very nice picant tomatoe-salsa served to bread before dinner.
- no actual trends... that I have noticed. The "hockey-hairdue" is long gone...
- they like paper-work... it took us 2 hours to cross the border to Chile, and we filled in 3 different notes that needed stamps from two different cues. When we got to the bank to get money, they filled in a lot of papers... and then we needed to go to another cue to get all those papers stamped several times.
- they have plastic-stands on the streets... they actually plast stuff... books, cards... etc.
- natural juices!! Oh man... they are so good made from the freshest fruit... mix chirimoya and raspberry and you have like a desert... slurp.
a few days left in Chile to find out more stuff....
- cleaner
- by the sea there is actually cold breeze...
- buses are more modern.
- not that friendly atmosphere as in Argentina... of course we met some very nice people in Chile.
- a lot of coins... 10 000 chilean pesos are 150 SEK, then you can imagine how many coins they have since they have a "one peso" coin... madness.
- PISCO SOUR!! Delicious drink!
- a very nice picant tomatoe-salsa served to bread before dinner.
- no actual trends... that I have noticed. The "hockey-hairdue" is long gone...
- they like paper-work... it took us 2 hours to cross the border to Chile, and we filled in 3 different notes that needed stamps from two different cues. When we got to the bank to get money, they filled in a lot of papers... and then we needed to go to another cue to get all those papers stamped several times.
- they have plastic-stands on the streets... they actually plast stuff... books, cards... etc.
- natural juices!! Oh man... they are so good made from the freshest fruit... mix chirimoya and raspberry and you have like a desert... slurp.
a few days left in Chile to find out more stuff....
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