April 6-8 was the Kiwi Asian Club's event "A Few Days Away" aka "AFDA, " and it was great fun. It was at Camp Morley on Clarks Beach and was a chance to get away from school and enjoy ourselves. Played a lot of random games...did some taboo, dance-making (seagull move 4 life!), and much, much more random things that I can't think of right now..
Group photo! (that i took off someone's album...) Sadly I wasn't in this photo cuz I left early on the last day :(
But what a great bunch of people! <3
So I left early on the last day of AFDA so that I wouldn't be late for my flight to Wellington, where I was meeting up with Jessica.Had a few hours to kill before Sam/Anneke drove me to the airport and I ended up sleeping after I checked to make sure I had packed everything.
Got to the airport, checked in, blah blah, and got on the plane... where a surprise rainbow before takeoff made my afternoon!
:)
The flight was only an hour but I still ended up falling sleep, and was really pissed off when I had to wake up (what else is new?).
From the airport I took a shuttle to the local iSite (a traveler's best friend), only to find it had already been closed for an hour. Freaked out a bit because I didn't know how close/near the hostel was, but luckily I had gotten a free map at the airport and only had to walk a few blocks to make it to my hostel, Nomad's Capital.
Checked in at the desk, where I was given a free dinner voucher! Free food! It was only good 6-7 PM, and Jessica wasn't getting in until past 7, so I went up to my room to put my bags down, only to find one dude already sleeping and the electricity not working in our room or the bathroom. So I picked a bed, put my stuff by i
t, and went down to the bar to claim my free mail. I was a bit nervous, not knowing anyone, but I took a quick glance around at the tables and found someone I presumed to be traveling alone (a bit awkward to approach a big group, right?). So I walked up to her table and proceeded to make a new friend! Her name is Emily and she's a schoolteacher in Ireland who took a little time off to travel. I invited her to come out with Jessica and I to wherever we'd end up for the night.
Jessica arrived not too much longer after dinner. She was supposed to be in the same room as me, but by the time we went up the second time, there were no empty beds. So they switched her to the room next door for the night.
The three of us went out at around 10 or 11 and found "The Big Kumara," where Sam/Anneke's friend works. Felt like such a detective! We stayed there a little while, feeling terribly underdressed, Emily and Jessica in fleeces, and myself a walking billboard for my school. It was very cold though! Don't know how the others girls in there survived wearing little dresses.
The next day was busyyyy! Started up at the Te Papa museum, which is THE museum of New Zealand - roughly tra
nslates to "Our Place" and spent a few good hours there. Saw the Monet exhibit - Monet and the Impressionists. Beautiful!
After that we went to the Weta Cave, which is a big deal in the world of film. They do a lot of stuff with costume and specifical effects, and worked on a lot of big movies like LOTR, and worked on shows like Xena and Hercules (Maggie, you should go there!) When we first got inside there was a giant mob of people so
we went to the mini museum, but then a dude told us there was a 20-minute movie going on and we should watch it - we had only missed the first couple of minutes anyway. It was a pretty cool video and once it was over we just looked around the shop for a while.
We took the bus back and met up with Emily to go on the cable car. In the 10-minute walk to the cable car Jessica thought she saw David Duchovny. Haha. Was it him? We'll never know. But anyway, the ride up wasn't really that exciting, but the view at the top was pretty nice. The botanic gardens were also at the top and was of course beautiful, but a bit too hilly for my liking. We kept walking downhill until we realized we'd have to walk back up again...
And so ended night #2 in Wellington.
The next day (April 10) was a long day of travel.
t a Subway, which was really the only place open. We took the TranzCoastal train, which had big viewing windows and also a viewing cart at the end of the 
train where you could take pictures. Unfortunately I slept for about half the train ride because I was still headachey from the ferry ride.
We got to Christchurch around 6:30ish, and took a shuttle to our Base hostel. Jessica and I had booked separately. I stayed in the "Sanctuary" (all girls rooms) because a friend had told me the extra $2 was worth it. The rooms were sooo girly, complete with pink walls and flower sheets. Ironically enough, there was some other KAC people in Christchurch for the weekend and they invited Jessica and I out to their socials. We met up briefly for the night, but Jessica and I were so exhausted we went to bed early.
The next day we walked around Christchurch. Spent a while in the botanic gardens (preferred theirs to Wellington's). We also went punting on the avon, which was nice and relaxing. Alyssa was in town with her mom and we met up with them for dinner.
We got in at the Dunedin Railway Station (2nd most photographed building in the southern hemisphere) and proceeded to find a hostel. Penny's Backpackers was one of the cheaper ones and they had free internet so we chose that one. When we got in we saw signs to see albatrosses and penguins in the Otago Peninsula for $25, so of course we had to jump on that. Walked around for an hour and got food before we had to walk back to go to the peninsula.
It was a nice ride, about 30 minutes or so? And the scenery was amazing (I'm sure I've said this 500 times already but I'll keep saying it). We got to the reserve where we got to see a bunch of animals. Stayed there til dark because that's when the penguins come out (I don't have any pictures of them because flashes from cameras make them go blind).
The next day we only had a few hours to do anything because our buses left around 2:00PM. So we went to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. I really enjoyed their exhibit, "Turning Points" which looked at Maori representations. What I've learned in my Sociology class definitely helped me to understand some of the subjects of the paintings.
After that Jessica was going back up to Christchurch, and I was heading off the Queenstown. I didn't really know what I was gonna do other than Bungy Jump. But it was all good. Before my bungy jump I went up the Gondola, and it was good that I did that. I freaked out a bit up at the top, and was able to get ride of some nervousness that way. OH. I did have a double fail moment though that morning: so my camera was dying before I went up the gondola thing but I figured I'd just buy some batteries up at the top. I get to the top, try to take my first picture, camera dies. Store isn't open yet. And when it opens, they're out of AA batteries. -_-
Anyway! Bungy jump = highlight of the trip :)
From the airport I took a shuttle to the local iSite (a traveler's best friend), only to find it had already been closed for an hour. Freaked out a bit because I didn't know how close/near the hostel was, but luckily I had gotten a free map at the airport and only had to walk a few blocks to make it to my hostel, Nomad's Capital.
Checked in at the desk, where I was given a free dinner voucher! Free food! It was only good 6-7 PM, and Jessica wasn't getting in until past 7, so I went up to my room to put my bags down, only to find one dude already sleeping and the electricity not working in our room or the bathroom. So I picked a bed, put my stuff by i
t, and went down to the bar to claim my free mail. I was a bit nervous, not knowing anyone, but I took a quick glance around at the tables and found someone I presumed to be traveling alone (a bit awkward to approach a big group, right?). So I walked up to her table and proceeded to make a new friend! Her name is Emily and she's a schoolteacher in Ireland who took a little time off to travel. I invited her to come out with Jessica and I to wherever we'd end up for the night.Jessica arrived not too much longer after dinner. She was supposed to be in the same room as me, but by the time we went up the second time, there were no empty beds. So they switched her to the room next door for the night.
The three of us went out at around 10 or 11 and found "The Big Kumara," where Sam/Anneke's friend works. Felt like such a detective! We stayed there a little while, feeling terribly underdressed, Emily and Jessica in fleeces, and myself a walking billboard for my school. It was very cold though! Don't know how the others girls in there survived wearing little dresses.
The next day was busyyyy! Started up at the Te Papa museum, which is THE museum of New Zealand - roughly tra
nslates to "Our Place" and spent a few good hours there. Saw the Monet exhibit - Monet and the Impressionists. Beautiful!After that we went to the Weta Cave, which is a big deal in the world of film. They do a lot of stuff with costume and specifical effects, and worked on a lot of big movies like LOTR, and worked on shows like Xena and Hercules (Maggie, you should go there!) When we first got inside there was a giant mob of people so
we went to the mini museum, but then a dude told us there was a 20-minute movie going on and we should watch it - we had only missed the first couple of minutes anyway. It was a pretty cool video and once it was over we just looked around the shop for a while.We took the bus back and met up with Emily to go on the cable car. In the 10-minute walk to the cable car Jessica thought she saw David Duchovny. Haha. Was it him? We'll never know. But anyway, the ride up wasn't really that exciting, but the view at the top was pretty nice. The botanic gardens were also at the top and was of course beautiful, but a bit too hilly for my liking. We kept walking downhill until we realized we'd have to walk back up again...
And so ended night #2 in Wellington.
The next day (April 10) was a long day of travel.
- Step 1: Get to ferry.
- Step 2: Ferry from Wellington to Picton.
- Step 3: Train from Picton to Christchurch.
t a Subway, which was really the only place open. We took the TranzCoastal train, which had big viewing windows and also a viewing cart at the end of the 
train where you could take pictures. Unfortunately I slept for about half the train ride because I was still headachey from the ferry ride.We got to Christchurch around 6:30ish, and took a shuttle to our Base hostel. Jessica and I had booked separately. I stayed in the "Sanctuary" (all girls rooms) because a friend had told me the extra $2 was worth it. The rooms were sooo girly, complete with pink walls and flower sheets. Ironically enough, there was some other KAC people in Christchurch for the weekend and they invited Jessica and I out to their socials. We met up briefly for the night, but Jessica and I were so exhausted we went to bed early.
The next day we walked around Christchurch. Spent a while in the botanic gardens (preferred theirs to Wellington's). We also went punting on the avon, which was nice and relaxing. Alyssa was in town with her mom and we met up with them for dinner.
Cathedral in Cathedral Square
Punting on the Avon
We had an early morning bus ride to Dunedin (7:45AM) the next day. It was freezing and the bus showed up about half an hour late, which kind of sucked. The scenery was nice, and we slept half the time.We got in at the Dunedin Railway Station (2nd most photographed building in the southern hemisphere) and proceeded to find a hostel. Penny's Backpackers was one of the cheaper ones and they had free internet so we chose that one. When we got in we saw signs to see albatrosses and penguins in the Otago Peninsula for $25, so of course we had to jump on that. Walked around for an hour and got food before we had to walk back to go to the peninsula.
It was a nice ride, about 30 minutes or so? And the scenery was amazing (I'm sure I've said this 500 times already but I'll keep saying it). We got to the reserve where we got to see a bunch of animals. Stayed there til dark because that's when the penguins come out (I don't have any pictures of them because flashes from cameras make them go blind).
The next day we only had a few hours to do anything because our buses left around 2:00PM. So we went to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. I really enjoyed their exhibit, "Turning Points" which looked at Maori representations. What I've learned in my Sociology class definitely helped me to understand some of the subjects of the paintings.
"Te Huringa / Turning Points presents a diverse range of works devoted to the representation of Māori and Māori subject matter by Pākehā and the way in which Māori art practitioners have reflected their own ideas and concerns. The works chart a visual history of this country’s journey from early European contact (the earliest works in the exhibition are hand coloured engravings of Māori architecture, weaponry and utensils from 1826), through settlement, colonisation, protest to mana renewed. The exhibition includes work by Francis Dillon Bell, Shane Cotton, Augustus Earle, Robert Ellis, Charles Goldie, Michael Hight, Robyn Kahukiwa, Colin McCahon, Selwyn Muru, Buck Nin, Peter Robinson, and Gordon Walters."
After that Jessica was going back up to Christchurch, and I was heading off the Queenstown. I didn't really know what I was gonna do other than Bungy Jump. But it was all good. Before my bungy jump I went up the Gondola, and it was good that I did that. I freaked out a bit up at the top, and was able to get ride of some nervousness that way. OH. I did have a double fail moment though that morning: so my camera was dying before I went up the gondola thing but I figured I'd just buy some batteries up at the top. I get to the top, try to take my first picture, camera dies. Store isn't open yet. And when it opens, they're out of AA batteries. -_-
Anyway! Bungy jump = highlight of the trip :)
I did it! And I'm alive :)
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