For the Bikers
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Hey just thought I'd upload a few pictures of some of the trails here in Rotorua. Its kind of hard to make them out but I know Chris and Jesse and Kirk will be able to make some sense out of them and appreciate them. Hope everyone is doing well!
My home, for now.
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As you all know, I love to mountain bike. Well the rides here are world class. In fact, the world cup was held here a few years ago. I went for a ride yesterday with some people from a bike shop and I fell in love. I can't explain how good the trails are here. Did I mention no pedestrains or horses are allowed? Its a cyclist's dream!
So, I've gotten a job. Starting Monday Morning I'll be stripping and refurbishing furniture (yes, some antiques, too) for $10 an hour under the table. That should last me 2-3 weeks and then after that the manager of the bike store said he might have a job for me over the summer. If I get that job, I'll be here for a while, for sure.
So expect the updates to come less frequently, I'm going to be busy riding. But do keep in touch! I miss you guys!
Stay warm!
-Austin
The Misty Mountain Hop
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Hey guys remember the scene from Lord of the Rings where the fellowship pass through the misty mountains? The song Led Zepplin sings? Yea you guessed it, I rode through em. They are not only called the misty mountains in LOTR. One Maori (native new zealanders, think American Indians but waaaay more baddass) I came across was really curious about why a person would be riding his bike on this hilly road. I talked with him for a while and he explained that the Maoris called this place the "Land of the Mist" and the people that live here "Children of the Mist" I AM NOT KIDDING YOU!!! how cool is that. Its hard to tell from the pictures but the place really was misty, it was always floating through the air like smoke, and it was always, always raining.
Unfortuneatly I can't really say that I enjoyed it all too much, until I was finished with it. I started out from Rotorua into this eerie land about a week and half ago, a day after my last journal entry. It was pouring rain, but that didn't deter me. It is summer after all, how long could it last? A very long time, I came to realize. It didnt stop raining for 5 days straight, with the exception of a beautiful 3 hour break on the 4th day. All this time I spent riding on a dirt road, that became more like a mud road, with no people, no accomodation not even stores around me. Just the misty mountains, the birds, animals and the occasional Maori. I packed all my food with me. The menu consisted of noodles and canned beef, bread and luckily some chocolate my mom sent me for Xmas for breakfast. It got old really fast.
The going was tough and by the second day everything that I owned was soaking wet. My tent had a permanent puddle in the middle of it. I wasnt camping in camp sites, oh no, but out in the bush a few hundred meters from the road. My water came from streams (best tasting water I have ever had) and I learned what native plants are best to wipe your ass with (when you use leaves, always go against the grain, it works better that way) Anyway, after 3 days I began to become quite miserable. But what doesnt kill you make you stronger, right? If anything the horrid conditions inspired my legs, because I pedalled like hell to get out of there. The 3rd night I finally made it to lake Waikaremoana, and camped in an actually designated camp site, a sign that I was inching closer to civilization. On the 5th day I finally made it to Wairoa, a small town on the coast, and I was so wrecked that I plopped down the $90 for a hotel room. I've never enjoyed myself so much. I thawed out my hands with the hairdryer (windchill sucks when its raning and cold to begin with) and laughed manically as I discoverd the bed had an electric blanket. It was truely heaven. I bought a six pack and watched tv for 6 hours, perfectly happy in doing so. I had ridden 226km in total.
After that night I rode a small 13km to a farm hostel, where I rested for 2 days, got food poisoning, and ended up staying for another 3. While there I did some pretty cool things, like eat lamb tails and shooting clays with a shotgun. It was good, except for the vomiting and diaharrea. But at least I was warm and dry.
And now Im in Napier, a rather big city, enjoying the crowds and pretty women.
Merry Xmas folks!
Politics and Travelling
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Well my job at the furniture store is finished, and Im considering taking up another at a bike shop for a few weeks, but the more I think about it the more I just want to say fuckit and keep going. Rotorua is a city and I'm starting to get tired of it (even though its just a town to American standards) I can't wait to get back out into the bush.
People always say that Americans are self centered and unconcious of the world around them. Well, it most ways they are right. Travelling and talking to people from all around the world has drastically changed my perspective of the world. Mainly I've realized that now matter how great California and the USA is, it is not the center of the world. It may be easy to think that way when you are a citizen of the most powerfull empire on earth, but our time may be limited. At least thats what everyone says.
Most people are talking like China is going to be the next big superpower, and as people stop listening to the USA our standing in the world will slowly start to dwindle. There are a lot of Israelis here and thats got them worried. Once we cant push people around anymore there will be nobody to protect the jewish nation that many people in the world don't believe should even exist. Its all very interesting.
But lets not forget about the Germans. I would say 80% of the travelers here are German. In school they are taught that they were the bad guys in World War I and II. Think about how strange that would be, to be taught you were the bad guys in school. Whats the result? According to one guy I talked to yesterday 12% of their senate is in the Nazi party and growing. They are also the richest country in the EU at the moment. Lots of money for panzerfausts?
Woo! I predict WWIII as China vs Germany and who knows what else. In any case, I have a feeling out lives are going to get real interesting in the next 20-30 years.
So, enough of that, I'm having an awesome time here and I can't wait to check out the South Island. Heres more pics.
Please dont fart anymore!
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I think the last time I wrote i was in Whangamata, well I've been through a few towns and cities since then and had my fair share of adventures.
I think one of my best memories already here in New Zealand has been Kati Kati, where I stayed on an elderly couples farm, with one other Swiss guy named Toby. He is also a Mountain Biker.
We decided to go for a day hike the second day there, so we hitchhiked through the dirt country farm roads until we reached the trailhead. Not much of a trail, there were 11 river crossings total, only 1 with a bridge. Luckily neither of us fell in, which is a miracle considering we were hopping and jumping on slick wet rocks. After the river crossings (about 6k of them) the trail climbs up a steep ridge and at the top the waterfall is visible. But thats not enough, we decided to continue on to the top of the waterfall where the trail ends, and have lunch. Its hard to tell from the photos but there is a rock outcropping at that juts out into the air at the top, nothing but a 120 meter drop below us. We had lunch on it. It took us 5 1/2 hours round trip, but it was worth it.
After Kati Kati I stopped by Tauranga. I spent 2 nights in a Hostel with 45 Germans. EVERYONE there was German. I think there was one Austrian. It was fun, but I was happy to get out of there. They're a little crazy. I've never been is such a heated game of Uno in my life (think of the video of the angry german kid playing ut, that gives you some kind of idea)
Now Im hanging out in Rotorua, its a neat place theres tons of thermal activity around here, even the sewers have sulpher and steam coming out of them all day. The hostel I am not has a hot spring hot tub. Sweet as.
Oh yea, and in a few hours I'm about to go Zorbing. What the hell is Zorbing you ask? http://www.zorb.co.nz/
Woot.
Hello from the surf capitol of New Zealand.
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Later Guys!
Out of the city, woohoo!
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Anyhoo, is winter hitting HMB yet? Im going to miss hearing the swells smash up against the coast and the wind and rain through the eucalypsus.
Actually, I wont miss it that much ;)
Still here
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For ANYONE thinking of travelling outside the United States, take this advice.Watch as much MTV as possible before leaving!!! Cause you know, its like, totally wicked sick over here. Pop knowledge will GET YOU IN.
So I was supposed to leave this morning to the Coromandel peninsula, well turns out there was a misunderstanding and the ferry I need to take doesnt run today, only tomorrow. So I’m staying in Auckland for one more night. At the Camel Hostel (2 humps, guranteed!) Its a sick place. So Im not too bummed out about having to stay one more day.
I walked around for a few more hours today, everywhere I went people are just smiling and laughing, silly hobbits they are! I went to a record shop, and the dude working there was wearing a t-shirt with the California state flag on it. Yeaa. We’re kinda a big deal around here. Us Californians. Heres more pics from the last 2 days.
The ball is rolling
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Whew what a day. I did a lot, didnt have much fun as yesterday but I feel good that I got a bunch of things done. Of course you dont care but I Got a
NZ bank account
Tax number
new cell phone for $50
bike
a minor british following.
I went to Adventure cycles and picked out a bike, I also got the chance to talk to a german couple who had just finished their tour of NZ by bike and were heading off to Asia. After that I went shopping for a phone on one of the main streets, I ended up stopping in a gaming store and talking to a Kiwi about Magic cards for about 45min. Woot.
The hostel here in Auckland is cool, but I don’t think I could spend my entire time in NZ in hostels like these. It seems like a lot of the people here are just around to hang out with other backpackers and get laid or whatever, not really to see NZ. You can tell just by the advertisements and the atmosphere. I really cant wait to get on the road and go to the more out of the way places where I will hopefully meet some more adventurous people.
Last night was absolutely crazy. The bar started off by giving out a bunch of free vodka punch, and then some free beer vouchers, and then the DJs came. I stuck out like a sore thumb in my flannel shirt (wont be wearing that again). I met a swedish guy and two british girls and we all hung out all night, danced a lot, and talked about music. the Swede was hilarious, bright blonde hair, blue eyes, silly accent and completely metrosexual. We talked a lot about things and he had some intresting views on America, he said the USA was the coolest thing in the 90s, but now he says it is more compareable to Soveit Russia, still powerfull but not so cool.I guess the whole MacDre hyphy thing hasnt really hit here yet, only 2 of the “thug” guys knew what I was talking about, I felt pretty cool knowing more about it than them, apprently they thought so too because I was invited into thier party van. I didnt go with them though cause I liked my new found friends better. From then on I was referred to as “The guy in the shirt.” Anyway no partying for me tonight I’m getting picked up at 7am by the guys Im getting my bike from so we can set it up and all. I can’t wait to get on the road.
More pics of course:
Cool gaming store, I talked to a Kiwi for 45min about Magic cards.
“I am an Emo” and “Sheep Sick”??
Sweet as, bro!
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I did a lot of exploring today! This time i walked far away from the reach of most tourists, so I got some genuine local New Zealand experience. I visited a nice grassy park, where people were playing rugby and skating in a skate park. After that I went to a market, that was full of hilarious novelty items. My favorite was this guy selling ties with all kinds of crude drawings on them - from humping pigs to erict penii and vodka bottles. There were some cool smoke shops and clothing stores too. I did some more wandering and then came back to downtown. The neighboring bar is having free punch, sausages and a tequila shot at 45min, so I’ll go check that out. Here some pictures I took today.
Can you spot the 2 things I like in this picture? You’d thin I died and went to heaven!
the Sky Tower.
“Learn to Spray”
