Goodbye North Island, Hello South Island

To my dismay, the day came that I had to leave Brandon and Jenn in Taupo. That day was Tuesday. Jenn dropped me off at the I-Site where I caught the Naked Bus (interesting name, I know) to Wellington. It was a long ride and it was after 5:30pm by the time I got to Wellington. I stuck around the I-Site for a bit because Brandon and Jenn had put me in contact with a couple they knew there. I sent them an email but because it was so late the chances of them getting back to me quickly was slim. After waiting a bit without hearing anything back, I went in search of a hostel. I went to Nomads across the street from the I-Site. After they told me a price that was more than I wanted to pay, I headed towards the YHA which was supposedly $3 cheaper. Part way there, I turned back. I didn’t really feel like walking and by staying at Nomads, I would be close to the I-Site where I could get free wifi. As I went to check in, the room they had available was $36. $36!!! It was like swallowing an apple. I asked if any of those rooms were female rooms. After checking, she then told me there was a 4 bed female dorm available for $34. A little better; rather than swallowing an apple, I was swallowing a plum. I reluctantly paid the hefty rate. It was the most I’ve paid so far for a hostel. After checking in, I got a bit to eat and then caught up on some journaling.  

On Wednesday morning, after eating, I got my stuff together and left it at the hostel while I went out for the day. I began by going to the I-Site to see if I had gotten an email from the contacts in Wellington. I had. Ryan and Katie invited me to their home for the evening but they wouldn’t be around until later that afternoon. As I was sitting outside the I-Site, a guy was walking towards me. I recognized him which was quite unexpected considering the size of the city and the very limited number of people I know in New Zealand. Finally it registered. I had met him briefly in a hostel I stayed at 3 weeks ago in Paihia. He was the one who gave me my first taste of vegemite. He sat down and we talked for a bit. I then headed towards Mount Victoria. The ascent on the road was a bit steep. It reminded me a bit of Seattle. I then walked on some of the paths, including Hobbits Hideaway, before getting to the lookout over Wellington. I looked around and snapped a few pictures before making my way back down the mount. As I was walking along, I spotted something shiny in the grass. Money! I found $2. That now brings the amount of money I have found to $4. It was something small that brightened my day. I walked back into the city where I went to the Te Papa Museum which is a National New Zealand Museum. It was free. Free is good. It was quite large. Some things were interesting while others were not. I was there for a couple of hours and by the end I was museumed out. I walked along the water for a bit before making my way back to the I-Site to check email one more time. I collected my bag from the hostel and started walking to Ryan and Katie’s. Again, the streets had an upward slant. Just working on strengthening my calf muscles. When I arrived, Ryan came down to meet me. I talked with him and Katie for a bit before they had to leave for something. I spent the evening watching a movie and relaxing before they came back and we talked for a bit longer before going to bed.

Hobbits Hideaway

I had never seen an electronic lock like this on a bathroom before.

Mount Victoria overlooking Wellington

I found $2!!!

The infamous kiwi

This morning I woke up and Ryan and Katie kindly took me to the airport. I was going to be flying to Queenstown which is in the south island. I checked my backpack (13.2kg) to find out that my flight had been delayed and hour and a half. So I waited. Going through security at the airport was a piece of cake. They align your photo ID with your ticket, I didn’t have to empty my water bottle, and I got to leave my shoes and belt on. It also went quite quickly because rather than having one security area for the whole airport, every couple of gates had a separate security line. We finally boarded the plane. I had a window seat and there was an empty seat between me and another girl. I began talking to her. Her name was Sam. She was from Queenstown but had been living in Wellington for the past 7 years. She had a very warm personality and I found out that she is a Christian as well. She told me about the church that her brother goes to here in Queenstown and suggested I check it out. When we arrived in Queenstown, her dad was picking her up and they offered to give me a ride into the town. I was very thankful. A bit about Queenstown: It is quite small with a population of 13,333 (according to the map given to me by the I-Site). Even though the population is small, there are a lot of tourists here year round. They come here in the summer but in the winter as well for skiing. Because it is so touristy, it is also quite expensive. It is a cute town tucked next to a lake in the mountains. The views are gorgeous.

The view from the plane while leaving Wellington.

Approaching Queenstown

Queenstown. Isn't it beautiful?

Sunset over the lake in Queenstown.

After they dropped me off in Queenstown, I went to search for work in exchange for accommodation. I went street to street, hostel to hostel, asking if they had any work in exchange for accommodation. My spirits dampened as I continually got told that there was no work available. This process lasted 6 hours. I should probably mention that I was carrying both my backpacks at this time. Of all the days I have been in New Zealand, today was the most disheartening. There are 22 hostels in this town. I went to 21 of them. Of those 21, at one of them I was told that there may be a position opening within the next few days but I would have to come back when the guy in charge was there. Now you may be wondering, you went to 21 out of the 22 hostels in town, what about the one you didn’t go to? The one I didn’t go to was a Base hostel. Base hostels are known as party hostels here in New Zealand. Since being here, I’ve tried to avoid Base hostels. I don’t really care to stay at one, let alone work at one! When my search came to an end, I found a place to lay my head for the night at Lakeside Backpackers. It cost $22. The cheapest in town, and now I know why. I’m not a germaphobe but of all the hostels I’ve been in, this is probably the most unkept. Sure, the hostel where I got bedbugs wasn’t great either but as far as overall cleanliness goes, I think this may be the worst. The sheets are clean though. I happen to be sharing a room with three guys. It may not be the greatest, but I’m glad I have a place to sleep tonight. Around 7:30pm, I went into town. I went by the lake for a bit and listened to some people playing bagpipes. I then walked to the supermarket to restock on food. On my way back, I stopped by the Base hostel. If the other hostel doesn’t work out, this is my last resort. As I walked into reception, there was a sign advertising work in exchange for accommodation and details about it. Seriously, I walk all over town, all afternoon with no luck and this is what happens! It’s ironic how things like that work out sometimes. Maybe there is a reason for it. We shall see. When I got back to the hostel, I used the limited kitchen supplies to make a late dinner.

 Two days later: (I had what was written above saved in a word document but wasn’t able to post it because of limited internet.)

Yesterday I woke up and got my stuff together knowing that I wouldn’t be staying at the same hostel that night. I was willing to pay a few more dollars for a cleaner hostel. If you know me, that says a lot. After eating a wonderful breakfast of toast with nutella, I checked out of my room but was able to leave my pack for the day. As a traveler, not having to carry my big pack around is always a relief. It was a cool morning. You may have thought I would escape cold weather by coming to NZ. You were wrong. Summer is coming to an end here. I’m not the best guess at temperature but it was probably close to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I wandered into town. I walked along the lake and there happened to be an artisan market there. I sat on a bench for an hour or so just watching people walk by. I then went to McDonalds where I got a McFlurry in order to get a little bit of internet time. I was still in a state of not knowing what I was going to do. Should I stay here in Queenstown or should I move on? The time arrived that one of the hostels said I should check back with them. I walked to the Flaming Kiwi hostel where I met Kent, the guy who ran the hostel. We talked for a bit and he offered me the cleaning position. I would be working 15 hours a week with 2 days off. It starts Monday and there would be a 3 week commitment. I told him to plan on me being there on Monday. Although I’m thankful that something came up, probably the only work for accommodation available in town, yet I didn’t have the feeling of excitement like I had when I got the first job in Paihia. There were some feelings of apprehension, not about the hostel but about Queenstown. I think I will take the job though. I’ll probably stay here for 3 weeks then spend a couple of days going up the west coast making my way to Nelson. I will look for work in Nelson.

I walked back to the town center, sat by the water, and ate an apple. Those at the market were still there and I talked to a young man by the name of Tyson who was selling jade for a bit. Shortly before 4pm, I decided I should probably figure out where I was going to spend the night. I walked to the Black Sheep and booked a room at $25 a night. It was worth the extra $3. I then had to go back to the other hostel to get my pack. This process took close to an hour. I then made myself a pasta dinner, caught up on journaling, read, and went to bed. That brings us to today. Who knows what will happen today? I guess we will just have to see.

In other news: Bed bugs are the worst! Miserable, I tell you! I would rather get bit by a hundred of mosquitoes or get stung 5 times by a bee than have bed bugs. Those things go away after a few days or so. It has now been close to two weeks since I stayed in the hostel where I got bed bugs and they aren’t getting any better. I think this case is worse than when I got bed bugs in Italy. In Italy, the bites were limited to my ankles. Not so with these bed bug bites! I have a couple of bites on my face, and many on my arms, back, legs, and ankles. They itch something terrible! Someone told me that to stop the itch, you can put wet oatmeal on the bites. I may have to give it a try because they don’t seem to be getting better. Okay, that’s my rant for the day. Peace out!