Wow time truly does fly when you're having fun. It is now the beginning of February and I am finally finding time to update my blog! Since my last update so much has happened and new adventures are unfolding.
1.) Aaron and I completed our whirlwind tour of Europe taking in cities from Belfast to Istanbul and plenty of places in between. It is so wonderful to be home! Living out of a suitcase gets tedious after a little while.
2.) I'M ENGAGED! Aaron proposed on Christmas Eve while we were in Iceland. I can't wait to spend forever with my bestfriend.
3.)We are back in Palmerston North, living with my Nana while we organise purchasing a house.
4.) I am organised and ready to begin my final undergrad year at Massey University! Can't wait to smash out the remainder of my degree.
I will endeavour to update this blog more regularly now, so stay tuned!
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Friday, 5 February 2016
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Topdeck - Day 1 to Day 6
LONDON - PARIS - SWISS ALPS - FRENCH RIVIERA
Europe's alright ae. This post will give a bit of a rundown of the first few days of my 24 day Topdeck tour.
DAY ONE: After an early start at Wombats London and a quick introduction to our travelling group and the group leader Felix we set off across the English Channel headed for Paris, France. A good time later we arrived at the Generator hostel. The rooftop bar provided some great views and delicious mint mojitos.
As it began to get dark we boarded the bus for a night tour taking in the major city monuments. The Eiffel Tower literally sparkles with lights which looked absolutely beautiful.
DAY TWO: The coach dropped us at the Louvre where we proceed to take photos outside of the Louvre pyramid. The lines were insane so we didn't proceed inside, instead heading across the Love Lock bridge (which no longer holds the millions of love locks) to Notre Dame Cathedral. The lines were super long so we didn't go inside and instead took the underground towards the Arc de Triomphe. Had some absolutely amazing macaroons from Laduree. We then climbed the Arc de Triomphe and took in the phenomenal views available from the top. It's really cool how there are no modern buildings or skyscrapers close to the central area so your view is not obscured in any direction. Of course we visited the Eiffel tower again before doing a bike tour of the major monuments. I hadn't eaten enough throughout the day and had to get the tour to stop because I couldn't see where I was biking and almost fainted. But besides that it was fab. The full on day continued with a picnic under the Eiffel tower where I ate frog legs! We then went to a cabaret show which was mostly like a strip club, complete with a carousel of motorbikes ridden by topless girls. I had anticipated more can-can than we witnessed, but it was a pretty fun night regardless.
The next blog update will cover my adventures in Italy!
Europe's alright ae. This post will give a bit of a rundown of the first few days of my 24 day Topdeck tour.
DAY ONE: After an early start at Wombats London and a quick introduction to our travelling group and the group leader Felix we set off across the English Channel headed for Paris, France. A good time later we arrived at the Generator hostel. The rooftop bar provided some great views and delicious mint mojitos.
As it began to get dark we boarded the bus for a night tour taking in the major city monuments. The Eiffel Tower literally sparkles with lights which looked absolutely beautiful.
DAY TWO: The coach dropped us at the Louvre where we proceed to take photos outside of the Louvre pyramid. The lines were insane so we didn't proceed inside, instead heading across the Love Lock bridge (which no longer holds the millions of love locks) to Notre Dame Cathedral. The lines were super long so we didn't go inside and instead took the underground towards the Arc de Triomphe. Had some absolutely amazing macaroons from Laduree. We then climbed the Arc de Triomphe and took in the phenomenal views available from the top. It's really cool how there are no modern buildings or skyscrapers close to the central area so your view is not obscured in any direction. Of course we visited the Eiffel tower again before doing a bike tour of the major monuments. I hadn't eaten enough throughout the day and had to get the tour to stop because I couldn't see where I was biking and almost fainted. But besides that it was fab. The full on day continued with a picnic under the Eiffel tower where I ate frog legs! We then went to a cabaret show which was mostly like a strip club, complete with a carousel of motorbikes ridden by topless girls. I had anticipated more can-can than we witnessed, but it was a pretty fun night regardless.
DAY THREE: Switzerland. The Swiss Alps looks like a postcard or a computer generated image. I really want to return in the winter. The drive from Paris to Lauterbrunnen was ridiculously long. We had a red and white party at the hostel bar where everyone drank too many sperm shots and just alcohol in general. My cabin mates were 2 Kiwis and a girl from the Gold Coast, Emily. While standing in the snow melt stream one of the Kiwis managed to make Emily sit in the water which sent the rest of us into fits of laughter.
DAY FOUR: Train to the summit of Jungfrau. More incredible postcard perfect scenery. At the top of the mountain I did a zipline which was super fun and provided a different angle to view the mountains from. The gopro footage turned out great. Everything in Switzerland is ridiculously expensive which is the only negative thing about it!
DAY FIVE: Woke up and had breakfast in Switzerland. Stopped for lunch in Italy. Dinner in Nice, France. 3 meals, 3 countries, 1 day. Once in Nice we took a walk down to the beach which has neither Waverley's black sand or regular white sand, but instead stones which hurt your feet and make climbing in and out of the ocean an issue. After dinner we went to a pub called Wayne's Bar which had a live band and awesome Long Island Ice Tea. After a few too many beverages and sweating so much it was beyond ridiculous we headed back to the beach for a cheeky night time dip.
DAY SIX: Nice is a lovely relaxed place. All morning we soaked up the sun at the beach and enjoyed the water. I ticked off another "to do in France" item and had snails for lunch. They were so covered in garlic sauce you couldn't taste the actual flesh, but the texture was comparable to overcooked mussels. Monaco was the next stop on the itinerary. Visiting for the evening made me feel like a peasant. I have never seen so many flash cars in one place. The casinos charged an arm and a leg (16 euro) for a cocktail, which was nothing compared to the bets some people were throwing down on various tables.
Thursday, 13 August 2015
LONDON
Arrived at the Wombat's City Hostel around 11pm on Wednesday 29 July. Crashed out to sleep as soon as I climbed into my bunk.
In the morning I walked down to the river Thames and went onto the HMS Belfast which was actually surprisingly interesting. The ship has been turned into a floating museum, so you can see what the ship looked like when it was operating as a war vessel while also having the opportunity to read about some of the histories and stories associated with the ship. The boiler and engine rooms which sit below the surface of the water were quite claustrophobic, and if you aren't good with ladders then this is not an activity for you.
I then went up the tower bridge and shocked a terrified lady by walking across the glass floor as if it was a normal floor. The poor women hadn't even stepped foot on the glass and was already shaking like a leaf. The view from the bridge is pretty cool, even though the Wanganui river is probably a lot cleaner than the Thames. The tour price includes seeing the mechanics behind lifting the bridge as well.
Saturday the 1st of August (Aaron's 25th birthday) I had a pretty chill day packing and preparing to depart for my topdeck tour the next day. Rode the London eye in the evening as the sun was setting which provided some fantastic views. The pod next to the one I was riding in only had 3 people, a couple and someone serving wine. As expected when they reached the top of the wheel the man dropped to one knee and proposed. It was quite adorable.
Ready for a full on 24 day topdeck tour!
The view from the hostel
In the morning I walked down to the river Thames and went onto the HMS Belfast which was actually surprisingly interesting. The ship has been turned into a floating museum, so you can see what the ship looked like when it was operating as a war vessel while also having the opportunity to read about some of the histories and stories associated with the ship. The boiler and engine rooms which sit below the surface of the water were quite claustrophobic, and if you aren't good with ladders then this is not an activity for you.
I then went up the tower bridge and shocked a terrified lady by walking across the glass floor as if it was a normal floor. The poor women hadn't even stepped foot on the glass and was already shaking like a leaf. The view from the bridge is pretty cool, even though the Wanganui river is probably a lot cleaner than the Thames. The tour price includes seeing the mechanics behind lifting the bridge as well.
In the evening I participated in a pub crawl which started in the basement bar of the hostel. The participants were mainly Australians which I guess is to expected when the name of your hostel is Wombats.
Friday the 31st I ticked off most of the big bucket list London locations; Buckingham Palace, the St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben/Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. I also managed to get my head around the London public transport system which is far less complicated than I had imagined so I was able to avoid walking for miles to reach these destinations.
Saturday the 1st of August (Aaron's 25th birthday) I had a pretty chill day packing and preparing to depart for my topdeck tour the next day. Rode the London eye in the evening as the sun was setting which provided some fantastic views. The pod next to the one I was riding in only had 3 people, a couple and someone serving wine. As expected when they reached the top of the wheel the man dropped to one knee and proposed. It was quite adorable.
Ready for a full on 24 day topdeck tour!
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
TOMORROWLAND
It would literally be impossible for me to do justice to Tomorrowland 2015 by merely using words to describe my experience. But I'll give it a go.
Incredible. Insane. Just indescribable. If you have never attended the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Belgium I highly recommend you go. The entire weekend is absolutely mind-blowing, from the campsites, to Dreamville, the music, lights, fireworks and the food. That pizza was love in every mouthful. No words are big enough to describe the magic, wonder and excitement of Tomorrowland.
I can't pick one particular highlight, but Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, David Guetta and Steve Aoki all spring to mind as having been amazing sets.
We met some pretty cool people despite the language barrier. New Zealanders should really start learning languages outside of English because most of the rest of the world is at least bilingual. It is amazing how music can bring together people from all over the globe who you have a fantastic weekend with and then sadly have to return to your normal lives after four nights of insanity.
I have thrown together a few gopro clips I took during the day at the festival because I didn't take my gopro at night. I was far too focused on jumping around and enjoying the atmosphere to stand with a camera.
On another note, after walking round with a New Zealand flag for 4 days and having people yell "AUSTRALIA!!!" while pointing at us, I am firmly all for the flag change now.
Tomorrowland was phenomenal. I would return again next year and every year after that if I could.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Making friends... but people scare me
In six days I depart New Zealand headed for Europe. I am extremely nervous and excited for this huge adventure. Not only will I have the opportunity to tick off some of the big bucket list destinations and events, I will have the chance to meet a variety of new people.
This is the part of my trip which excites me the most but also makes me anxious. Sometimes I am socially awkward. In our relationship, Aaron often takes the pressure off of me by talking so much it doesn't matter if I'm silent. But Aaron won't be there to talk on my behalf which makes me rather nervous.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who walks into a crowded room and suddenly gets anxious when I don't recognise a single face. No one is paying me any attention, yet I still feel like all eyes are on me. Do they think I'm some weird loner? Are they judging my outfit? Is my hair a mess? Do I have something in my teeth?
To repel the idea I'm a loner I usually take out my phone and open an app just to close it again. Yes, see that people who haven't even noticed I'm by myself... I do have friends. I'm on my phone pretending to text them right now! I might even flick on the front camera to reassure myself that my face looks acceptable.
I know it's silly and I really do hate being anxious around people, but I can't help myself. People scare me, but I love people. It's a pretty complicated mindset.
Hopefully this trip helps me throw away my insecurities and open up to the idea of making new friends.
This is the part of my trip which excites me the most but also makes me anxious. Sometimes I am socially awkward. In our relationship, Aaron often takes the pressure off of me by talking so much it doesn't matter if I'm silent. But Aaron won't be there to talk on my behalf which makes me rather nervous.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who walks into a crowded room and suddenly gets anxious when I don't recognise a single face. No one is paying me any attention, yet I still feel like all eyes are on me. Do they think I'm some weird loner? Are they judging my outfit? Is my hair a mess? Do I have something in my teeth?
To repel the idea I'm a loner I usually take out my phone and open an app just to close it again. Yes, see that people who haven't even noticed I'm by myself... I do have friends. I'm on my phone pretending to text them right now! I might even flick on the front camera to reassure myself that my face looks acceptable.
I know it's silly and I really do hate being anxious around people, but I can't help myself. People scare me, but I love people. It's a pretty complicated mindset.
Hopefully this trip helps me throw away my insecurities and open up to the idea of making new friends.
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