New Zealand, Part II

The day began with our alarm going off at the unpleasant hour of 6:00 AM.  However, today was the day that we were going to go whale watching so we were both happy to be awake (well, at least I was happy to be awake).  After gathering all of the essentials (sweatshirts, cameras, and water bottles) we headed outside to catch the bus to the airport.  After waiting for only a few minutes, we saw the bus coming toward us, so we stood up in anticipation.  As it approached, it didn’t seem to be slowing down, so we both gave a gentle wave to the driver.  A few seconds later, the bus was still barreling down the freeway and we both began frantically waving our arms toward the driver.  No dice.  He completely ignored us and continued to drive down the road.  Disheartened, we went back into the nice heated hotel lobby to wait for another hour before the next bus came.

After it had been nearly an hour, we went outside to try to board the bus for a second time.  From the second we heard the bus, we began waving like lunatics so that our intention to board the bus would be crystal clear.  This time, it worked and we were dropped off at the the airport.  As we entered, we both realized that we weren't exactly sure of where the rental car company was located, so we roamed around for a few minutes until our eyes fell upon something amazing.  Our mouths gaped open upon seeing this magical thing, and we both slowly turned our heads toward each other and gave a small nod as to say "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?...Yeah."

What was the amazing site?  It was only one of the best American creations: Dunkin' Donuts.  But before indulging ourselves, we still really needed to find the rental car company.  As we were walking to the far end of the airport, I happened to look out the window and saw that the company was located right across the street.  We decided that while Kelley got everything settled with the car, I would be in charge of purchasing everything that Dunkin' Donuts had to offer--which was no small task!  The lady working seemed to be surprised with the sheer number of sweet, doughy creations that I was purchasing (and no, I will NOT disclose how many I bought...) but she was also happy because no one had probably ever spent the amount of money that I was about to spend.

Like a proud parent showing off a child, I walk toward the rental car smiling and showing off my white Dunkin' Donuts bag.  I didn't have to ask a passerby if he or she was jealous--I simply knew that they were all insanely envious of my investment.  I piled into the car with my prized possessions and we began to head north toward Paihia--a three hour drive.  Upon arrival, we walked around to check out the local scene which was pretty much non-existent.  For some strange reason (which may or may not be directly attributed to Dunkin' Donuts) we weren't hungry, so we both just grabbed a drink and headed to our boat for the tour.

As it would turn out, the boat was quite luxurious and offered plenty of room to stretch out and relax as it made its way toward deeper waters.  Kelley and I decided to venture outside after a few minutes and we ended up being some of the first people to see two Bryde's whales--a mother and calf.  The whales stuck around for a half hour or so, but right before they left a pod of Common Dolphins approached the boat.  

They were hunting fish which was a very cool site to see!  

Kelley wanted to be right in the middle of the action, and since she couldn't be in the water, she laid her body down on the on a platform at the bow so that her head and camera were hovering just above the water.  

Mom and calf!

After another half hour or so, the dolphins also left the boat and we once again continued along our path. 

We saw some incredibly gorgeous sites as the boat was passing near the coastline such as an old lighthouse and the world famous "Hole in the Rock." 

The boat received a call from a nearby boat telling us that a pod of Bottlenose dolphins had been spotted nearby, so we changed course and headed in the general direction of the dolphin sighting.  We passed along a beach with several people on it (despite that fact that it was only about 55 degrees Fahrenheit).  Much to our surprise, one man was standing on the beach completely nude! 

One of them is nude.

Everyone on the boat began laughing uncomfortably and when the man realized that everyone could see him, he promptly covered himself up with a towel.  

It began to get late and since there were no dolphins to be found, we headed back to port and called it a day.  

Two islands that look like dolphin and shark dorsal fins.

Unfortunately, we still had to drive three hours back to Auckland, but as we began approaching the city the sun was setting which made for a beautiful scene to end our long, but very exciting day.  When we got back to our room that night, we packed up all of our belongings and went to sleep--the next day we were headed to the South island to see the beautiful city of Queenstown.

New Zealand, Part I

Our trip to New Zealand began with several bus rides.  First, we took the bus (with all of our luggage) from campus to downtown.  Then we had the bright idea that walking would clearly be the best way to get from downtown to the bus station.  After walking for a half hour in the sweltering heat, we came to realize that this was actually not the best option and we vowed to never do it again. Next, we took a five hour bus ride from Townsville to Cairns.  About halfway through the bus ride, we stopped for a lunch break.  However, due to the copious amounts of snacks that we had eaten up to that point and our natural curiosity for the ocean, we decided to head down to the beach. 


It was low tide and there were so many treasures on the beach that it was difficult to decide where to begin!  First, we found a sea turtle shell.  Not just part of the shell, but the entire thing!  We wanted to take it with us to look at it further, but the sheer size of it prohibited us from doing so.  However, we did find a vertebrae from a cetacean that we have yet to identify and we put it in a special hiding place so that we could recover it later (after all, New Zealand Customs and Boarder Patrol would NOT be impressed with us if we tried to bring that into their country...).  We also found tons of amazing shells and tiny crab skeletons which was a dream come true for a couple of marine science nerds like ourselves.

We eventually boarded the bus and when we got to Cairns we had another amazing idea.  Cairns is a beautiful, touristy city with many different shops, so we explored the scene for a while and then decided to WALK the 7 kilometers to the airport (since we hadn't learned our lesson...).  After more than an hour of walking and a path that was quickly disappearing, we decided to call for a taxi to take us the rest of the way.


Although Cairns Airport is a huge hub for international flights entering and leaving Australia, there was nothing to do and only one tiny cafe open.  After Kelley and I each waited for a half hour in line for incredibly dissatisfying sandwiches, we both decided that it was best to just grab some candy and call it a night.  Since our flight was so late (11 PM) immediately upon boarding the plane we both passed out for the majority of the trip. 


When we arrived in Auckland, at 5:30 AM, we were subjected to screenings by Customs and Boarder Control and promptly earned another stamp in our passports!  Because we are classic Americans, we found out just days before departing that the Rugby World Cup was going on in Auckland, which explained why there were so many families pouring into the airport at such an early hour.


Upon arrival at the hotel we found that it was...quaint.  The man working behind the desk insisted that our room was not ready yet, so we sat down on some couches in the lobby and waited...and waited.  At one point, I swear that he was sleeping behind the desk!  A woman walked up to the desk and said "hello?" several times before he popped up looking tired and confused.


The waiting eventually paid off and we were able to put our bags down in the room, take a hot shower, and head to downtown Auckland for the day.  To me, Auckland was a city like I've never seen before: it was modern, but not "in your face" contemporary; it was Western, but had a distinct Japanese and Eastern influence.  We roamed the city for several hours to see what it had to offer and found out that there was a beautiful island nearby that was accessible by ferry which we decided that we would go to the next day.  As for that night, we grabbed dinner at a local restaurant and bought a box of cookies for dessert.  We came back to the hotel, had a few cookies, and headed to sleep early since we had been up so early and were still trying to adjust to our new time zone. 


I awoke to a disturbing scene in the morning.  I am an animal lover, but there are two animals in this world that I'm not particularly fond of: mosquitoes and ants.  To my horror, there were 50-60 extremely large ants crawling all over our night stand and eating our delicious cookies.  It was one thing for them to be in our room, out of sight.  It was an entirely different thing for them to be in my room, right by my head, and eating my cookies.  They had crossed a line, and it was time to pay the price.  I bolted to the bathroom and grabbed as much toilet paper as possible.  I proceeded to run it under the sink, and then I began my assault.  They were dying by the tens and I felt no remorse.  I take my sweets very seriously, and it was utterly rude of them to eat my cookies!  By the time I was done with them, bodies were scattered everywhere.  I then did a final sweep of their carcasses and threw them all to their watery grave.


On a happier note, we did end up taking the ferry to Waiheke Island that day and we were not at all disappointed.  We opted to take a bus tour of the island so that we could ensure that we would see the entire island in one day.  There were a plethora of vineyards, gorgeous beaches, and rolling hills that made the island breathtaking.  

The bird Kelley chased.

The sea star Kelley saved.

[]_ _[] (I love my 'Canes...so I just had to!)

HI BIRD.

Instead of heading back to Auckland after the tour, we decided to walk/hike along one of the rocky beaches.  The hike took about an hour and we were able to find plenty of organisms to keep our interest.  

After a day of exploration, we finally headed back to the mainland to grab a late lunch/early dinner.


Since Kelley loves Mexican food, I agreed to go to a Mexican restaurant for food.  Much to my delight, the TVs were on ESPN and the Steelers game was on.  I was in Heaven.  As Kelley ordered her food, I stood in front of the TV watching every move.  A voice finally snapped my out of my football trance and I looked around, confused.  "So...are you going to order?" asked the man at the counter.  With my eyes moving spastically between this man and the game, I finally managed to say "Uhh...yeah...umm...sure...uhh, how about a cheese quesadilla?" 


After paying for my quesadilla, I sat down with Kelley who was carefully perched by the nearest TV.  At one point, I stood up and yelled "COME ON BEN!!!!!!" before realizing that I was in a restaurant full of people who know nothing about American football.  That did not discourage me from ranting further (as any Steelers fan would understand), but after my team clinched a victory, I happily ate my mediocre quesadilla, sipped a Margarita, and shut my mouth.

Due to the fact that the next morning was going to be an early one, Kelley and I did a quick sweep of the city before heading back to the hotel for another early bed time.  We noticed that there were still some ants lingering in the room, so we asked to change rooms and our wish was granted, much to our delight.