Back to Fairyland… my adventures in New Zealand

More photos are here.

After my short Christmas holiday back home I went to Singapore and from there I headed to Wellington to spend the New Year’s Eve there and of course prepare for the big event: Sharon and Alan (NZ) were about to link their lives officially together in a town of the South Island, Dunedin.

31 December 2006. New Year’s Eve in Wellington

Amit (IN/SG) and I flew over to the Southern hemisphere and after a 11-12 hour-long-trip we were already in New Zealand. We got to Wellington in the afternoon and the soon-to-be-married couple picked us up from the airport and took us to downtown. Soon after we met many other friends, returning from different parts of the world: Maryna (PL/UK), Judit (HU/SE), Aditi (IN/SG), Nisarg (IN/SE), Giedre (LH) and her boyfriend, Virgas (ES), Liam (NZ) and I could go on and on… After a bit of browsing around in the centre I got all my nostalgic memories coming alive and felt that I actually used to live here in this little windy Wellington!

In the evening we met up with many-many Kiwi friends at the party that Bex organized in her flat: Alicia, Kate, Claire, Wan, Rena, Nanda, Nalaka, Erin, Ozge (TY), Amy Lily, Kristi (ES), Simone (AS)… there were only a very few unknown faces over there so it really felt like being back in time, as if nothing has changed :-)!

One hour before midnight our two gangs (2002-2004) went over to Sharon’s where we awaited the first moments of 2007 while sipping on small cocktails of Baileys-Kahlua-Zhubrovka. We had a great deal of fun and indulged in nostalgic thoughts… later we went to dance a bit in one of the bars of the Courtenay Place and happily celebrated the arrival of the new year!

1 January 2007. New year means the beginning of new adventures - trip to South Island

Next day I met Dave for lunch. After around two and a half years it was a bit odd to meet again but drinking a delicious hot chocolate together again, in Hotel Bristol of Cuba Street made me realize again I actually indeed used to live here before.

Later we were preparing for the hen’s party of Sharon, though as it was just the afternoon, just slowly and moderately :-)… then we were already heading towards the ferry to Picton to take a 3-hour-long shaky-makey ride and start our adventures on the South Island.

We put up at a tiny and very cozy little backpackers called Sequoia where, as planned, we met up with Keno (AU) and his girlfriend, Eri (JP)! Finally our team’s international gang was together again!!!

2 January 2007. Well, in New Zealand the summer still looks like winter :-P?

The next morning we got a beautiful red Mistubishi from the car rental :-)! And then Kaikura, here we come!!! After a 2-2-hour-long drive we got to the tiny town that is so famous for its dolphin-seal-whale programs. Unfortunately that day the storm was terrible and all programs were deleted but never mind! We will surely return!

Instead we then decided to check out the thermal spas Hammer Springs. The steaming and slightly sulphurish water was a real life saver in the cold nature (10C does not quite qualify for summer, right ;-)?)!

Having got energized from this relaxing experience we then headed towards Greymouth! We somehow ended up in the outskirts of the tiny village, in a place once called Dunellie Hotel, now rather referred to as Ranch Backpackers. As planned, we met up with a Kiwi gang there: Tee, Kate, Alicia, Bex and Claire! After a Thai dinner, we enjoyed a bit of Chardonnay, played pool and soon it was high time to get ready for little Tee’s birthday!!!

3 January 2007. Stunningly beautiful glaciers! Wooooooooow!

On Wednesday morning we targeted the Central South Island that is so famous for its huge hills and unique glaciers. On the West Coast the path to our target was very much pleasant as under the hardly cloudy sky all colours of the nature came truly alive! Seeing the glaciers of Franz Joseph even from far-far away was absolutely breath-taking!

Our tour guides brought us to explore the icy river and here and there they were breaking the ice for us with their hammers and those sharp things. It is the world’s steepest climbed glacier wall that we were about to conquer and making our way through the ice blocks and fields was quite an experience! Not really an easy one but certainly absolutely worthwhile! I was a bit upset to see the impact of the global warming as the recent glacier lines far from the ones just now show we have to better take care of our Earth :-(….

After this we went to Haast (Haast Lodge) where we hardly had any energy left even to make some dinner and plan the next day, as the climbing exhausted us to alpha-beta ;-).


4 January 2007. Queenstown, the world’s extreme sport capital

The next day we were very keen to leave the town of sandflies and head to the beautiful town of Queenstown! On the way we stopped in Wanaka for an ice cream and I wonder at the cute lake and spectacular views of the mountains in this little village (many scenes of the Lord of the Ring was shot here so you can imagine!). I had been here, around four years before, and I must say my memories did not play tricks with me: as the hills reflected on the crystal clear water I felt absolutely enchanted!

After around one and a half an hour or so we were already in Queenstown, the world’s extreme sport capital! Here we met a few friends, who were also roaming around the South Island, though on different routes. The weather was unusually great and under the nearly clear blue sky we happily walked around the small streets to enjoy the place’s atmosphere!

In the evening we drive to Te Anau where we only wanted to have a good sleep (Steamers Backpackers) after a nice walk by the lake, preparing for new adventures the following day!

5 January 2007. Fiords, seals, dolphins and beautiful nature

New day = new adventures! I have been dreaming about exploring the fiords of Milford Sounds for long year by now! The path to the Sounds was very-very nice: the snow covered hills surrounded the way while the so typical NZ creatures, the sheep created roadblocks for us and many other vehicles along the way! Eventually we still made it there on time to start our boat ride in the fiords! We boarded and soon were already amongst the huge 90 degree steep cliffs surrounding the cold river. On the walls of the cliffs trees were clinging on each other for mutual support so we could easily see that given a small earthquake or so when the top trees fall down, all the ones below disappear in the river. The plane surface then shows how rich those cliffs are of the various natural sources! At the bottom of the cliffs there were small groups of seals which are apparently naughty teenage seal boys that were casted away from their colonies, they say! We seemed to get lost sometimes in the clouds coming down to the fiords but slowly made our way to the open Tasman sea! And then…! Dozens of dusky dolphins appeared and jumped around our boats happily and playfully! Gosh! Their presence absolutely enlightened all of us for the day, that is for sure!

After a few hours of natural adventures in the fiords, we had a stop in the lavender fields that were right by the valley that reminded me to the Alps in Europe. We visit the Mirror Lake that has such a crystal clear water that you could easily see the dying trees’ last branches in peace. Ducks playing on its surface steered up the calm water but the whole moment just made me realize what a stunningly beautiful world we live in…

We then rested in a village called Gore. After a refreshing walk we enjoyed the stressless moments of the countryside and then put ourselves away for the next day in the Old Firestation Backpackers.

6 January 2007. The big day of Sharon and Alan, the wedding!

The next day we passed by beautiful spots of Central Otago to head towards Dunedin. We soon found the Manor House Backpackers that with many other friends we rented for the big occasion.

The ceremony took place in the oldest church in the city called First Church. Family and friends were all awaiting the arrival of the bride while sitting at the benches and trying to guess what the facial expressions of the obviously excited Alan were about ;-). The minister was unbelievable: he started the ceremony by saying what a marriage means according to the dictionary (that two people promise love to each other for a life) and that it is also a great occasion to party ;-)! He talked about his own life experience in marriage and shared about his recent talks he had with a friend who unexpectedly lost his wife. He addressed each and every messages to the couple, sweetly, very humanly, simply and funnily-caringly. The atmosphere of the ceremony was therefore unusually warm and not really ceremonical.

After the wows to each other, Sharon and Alan hopped out of the church while listening to a romantic pop song which, yet again, made the whole thing very non conventional. After taking some group photos, though I found it very odd, but we ended up all going to a nearby pub for around 3-4 hours whilst the newly weds took their wedding photos and the reception was prepared.

IT took place in a very nice place called the Savoy restaurant where approximately 120-130 of us ended up going. The guests were randomly allocated to around 10-12 tables which were all signed up with small 1996-2007 year signs, symbolizing certain episodes of the couple’s life. After the warm-up cocktails Alan’s father, the master of ceremony conducted some very creative quiz questions, addressed to the audience who had to guess the funny and interesting aspects of the couple’s life (like cm difference, school leaving exam details, location of the proposal, etc). Based on the right answer first given, a table got the right to line up to self-service themselves with the delicious buffet dinner.

Later the speeches were about to happen: the dads of the groom and the bride started (with a lot of life wisdom, I must say) and then the witnesses were nostalgising about their common moments with the couple. Alan had an absolutely heart-warming message to his dear wife and the program became one with full of love and care. There was a lot of music and entertainment. The newly weds’ dance was cute and catchy and the approx 45 alumni also spiced up the night with some AIESEC dances that many relatives also happily joined in for.

7 January 2007. Barbeque and roaming around in Dunedin

The Sunday started a bit slowly but under the clear blue sky (though freaking cold) we went for a walk to downtown. It certainly helped to wake up. In the afternoon Sharon’s parents organized a traditional barbeque for all the guests which provided us all with the opportunity to continue with our chats, look at the photos and of course continue celebrating the newly weds :-).

Late afternoon Sharon, Alan, Guilly and Deb took us (with Amit) around Dunedin, showing us the places famous for dates and making ups, the steepest street in the world, the Baldwin Street, they showed us places where they used to flat while in uni, we had a look at the Oktogon, the university district and got a great view to the city from up the hills. In the airport later we met up with a bigger gang of friends with whom we then headed up north.

8 January 2007. Now I believe I am back to New Zealand!

My last day in New Zealand was extremely packed, I must say but I absolutely adored it! Maryna and Amit were still sleeping when I headed off to have my own little nostalgic day. I started at Lambton Quay where I noticed that even up to today the Kiwis have kept their funny fashion sense: business attire, white sport shoes and sport backpack all at once which rather recalled funny memories in me. The Beehive, the parliament was full of the Kiwi Christmas trees called pohukutawas which I always adored. Then I went to see the tiny Hungarian Garden in Thorndon and soon I was already at the Royal Society of NZ where I used to work for over half a year or so! I met two very nice ex colleagues (many were still on holidays :-)) and we had a great nostalgic chat there…

After this I walked back to downtown and went to see Tall Poppies Consulting where the consultants are my friends and professional inspirators. When I entered their office they were just talking, by a cup of tea and coffe, about their Christmas stories and the so called “post-holiday trauma” (i.e. that employers should consider to give two weeks to the employees to recover from their post-holiday trauma, else it will take longer to be back to normal ;-)). It did not take longer than a few minutes and I felt at home with them again: working with them was always inspiring both personally and professionally! It was great to be back :-)!

I had lunch with Dave and we both nostalgised about all times and daydreamt about plans for 2007. Then we went to another ex workplace of mine, the Wellington Convention Centre (Michael Fowler Centre) where I met two nice ex collagues, Nachos and Rati.

After this I was rushing to Karori, the district near to my old place, Kelburn, where my friend Christine (also Tlal Poppies) lived. She was to give a birth the next day but we agreed to give it a try to catch up after all! Her new home is very sweet indeed but I soon found out she was not there that day. She just gave a birth the day before to little Emily!!! ;-) Even though we did not manage to catch up this time, I was happy to get to know her parents and the little son, Duncan, too :-)…

From here I then went to downtown again. It was a fair distance but worth every bits of it as somehow I made my way to the Botanic Garden that I have a lot of sweet memories with. At Queens’ Whard I met up with Tee, Maryna and Amit and then the girls, we headed to Scorthing Bay to indulge in the delicious hot chocolate of the Café Chocolate Fish (one of our all time favourite!!!). We had great chats about things in life and enjoyed the windy but beautiful day!

Later I met up with my Cambodian friend, Thea, too whom I used to work with (and for) in Café Siem Reap for over a year. It was great to see how her non-conventional life is progressing and just chill out a bit.

In Café Felix I then met with my two Hungarian friends, Gyula and Reka. They are an amazing couple, full of ideas, plans to adventure around. Talking with them is always energizing because of their belief in life! I loved seeing them agin!

Later then I met Maryna and Amit (yeah, yeah, my many timeth meeting but still enjoying ;-)) with whom I first got myself into some New Zealand chocolate hunting and then ended up in a restaurant on Courtenay Place. Bex and Clair soon joined us there so it was even more fun to chill out :-)! Later we went to check out one of our old places, the Kitty’s O’Shea Irish pub, I quickly met up with Dave, packed and then after 2-3 hours of sleeping it was time to say „astalavista, dear New Zealand“ :-)!

9-10 January 2007. Enchanting-darling Sydney

The next day I stopped in Sydney for a day and a half. Three years ago I had some amazing times here and I must say that the city enchanted me in seconds again! I took a ferry in the harbour (oh, gosh, how much I love those ferries!), I walked around the city centre, the Botanic Garden, I went to touch the Opera House again and I let the place truly indulge me! I met Simon which meeting was kinda different than we thought half a year before… but c’est la vie… and then I met Josh, too who even up till today is full of very human plans and with whom meeting again was a great energizing experience :-)!

And then slowly my 3-week-long Hungarian-Kiwi-Australian holiday was over… :-)! And now back to reality…