New Zealand - Blogabond

Maintaining Makara Peak - Night 55

Toby arrived at the house around 9 and we all piled into the red van for a drive up to Makara Peak. Today’s work would include track work and weeding at the Makara Peak, the City of Wellington’s world famous (at least in biking circles) mountain bike park located just minutes from downtown. ...

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exumenius on December 4, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Cleaning the Pauatahanui - Night 54

Thicker clouds filled the morning sky, for this, our first day of volunteer work. After a short introduction session by Toby and Rachel (Ray), our team leaders, we packed our lunches and loaded up the van for a drive to Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve. A salt-marsh wetland, the Pauatahanui was...

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exumenius on December 3, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

I Gotta Get Me a Beach House

Well rested, well fed, and with the amazingly generous offer of the use of their beach house on the Coromandel Peninsular, we parted company with our hosts, and with Auckland, and headed east. After a couple of days' driving around we thought we had begun to get used to New Zealand roads, but...

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Alex Kent on December 3, 2007 from Coromandel, New Zealand

from the travel blog: On the Varieties of Nature

Too Much to See, Too Little Time

From the Bay of Islands we drove a north-western loop round to the beautiful scenery of the west coast and stopped for a scrumptious fish burger from a cafe that didn't sell any soft drinks as they were available at the service station next door - what a wonderfully community-minded business...

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Alex Kent on December 2, 2007 from Omapere, New Zealand

from the travel blog: On the Varieties of Nature

Up Normandale Road - Night 53

I awoke to a cloud filled sky, the first since my arrival in NZ. Entrenched in finishing Luke Rinehart masterpiece, The Dice Man, I spent the morning voraciously inhaling chapter after chapter of his daring prose. Around 11 am, exactly the time I finished the book, the clouds broke and the sun...

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exumenius on December 2, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Down Normandale Road - Night 52

Another gorgeous New Zealand day brought sunshine through my bedroom window much too early. After a second long day in a row, I desperately desired to sleep in, but as I am completely incapable of staying in bed past 7 am, the morning sun likely only cost me 45 minutes of actual sleep. The...

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exumenius on December 1, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Island Hopping

By way of the sweet little fishing harbour at Omaha Cove in the town of Leigh, which was strangely reminiscent of parts of the southern Cornish coast, and a chilly snorkelling session with some huge snapper at the Goat Island Marine Reserve, we made our way to Paihia: gateway to the beautiful...

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Alex Kent on December 1, 2007 from Paihia, New Zealand

from the travel blog: On the Varieties of Nature

City of Sails

Feeling dazed and disgusting after a sleepless flight and the shameless theft by some higher power of my 29th November 2007, we arrive in New Zealand to comically dire warnings telling us, in effect, that Kiwi customs officials are an elite, highly trained and ruthless force who will not...

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Alex Kent on November 30, 2007 from Auckland, New Zealand

from the travel blog: On the Varieties of Nature

Long Ride to Wellington - Night 51

Our bus left the YHA at 8 am. We had a long day of driving, heading all the way down the west side of the Tararua Mountains to Wellington, at the very southern end of the north island. The driver made a few pit stops for photo ops of Mt. Ruapeho and Mt. Ngauruhoe, as well as a stop at a pie...

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exumenius on November 30, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Crossing the Tongariro - Night 50

To release my inner Sherpa. At least that was the plan. I awoke at prior to 5am, unaided by the alarm Ken (a St. Louis native) had set in our room. Today, we trek the Tongariro Crossing and, if the weather cooperates, climb Mount Ngauruhoe, otherwise known as Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings. ...

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exumenius on November 29, 2007 from Taupo, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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