Sep 2007

Los Angeles

When you think of LA you think of all the glamor of Hollywood Blvd. Believe me i stayed in a hostel slap bang in between Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd and they are far from glamorous! They are pretty ace streets but the scale of types of people roaming them is vast! Lots of homeless and beggers amongst the stars on the sidewalk. Cutting through this crap however it was awesome to walk along the stars and check out all the hand prints and foot prints located in the chinese theater.

I went on a Hollywood stars home tour in a limo which was cool...saw Britneys, Johnny Depps, Paris Hiltons, Opera's, Kevin Costner, The Beckhams, Tom Cruises and loads of others. Also saw the Happy Days diner, the viper lounge and loads of other cool hangouts on sunset strip.

Visited Universal Studios which was a playground. The Jurassic park ride was welcomed as it was a water log flume and it was over 100 while i was there. Went on the famous tour and watched while they filmed Desperate housewives in Wisteria Lane!

Went to Venice beach, Santa Monica and checked out Rodeo Drive and the other well known Shopping streets.

San Diego

What an awesome city. Hostel was located in the Gaslamp district which was crammed full of amazing Cafes,bars and restaurants. Met some amazing people and caught up with a few guys i met in Fiji. Visited Balboa park and went to the Photographic arts museum, arrived in Pacific beach to see a labour day riot, went to La Jolla, and crossed the border into Mexico and visited Tijauna!

Lots of drinking was had in SD, so many great places to go out...one problem, they stop serving alchol at 2am, the silver lining you can party till 4am and drink water...hangover sorted!

Las Vegas

Not much to say....lots of Casionos on one massive strip in the middle of the desert. Was so very hot and to get from one casino to the next was a mission. Saw the tigers at MGM Grand, watch the volcano eruption at the mIrage, the water show a few times at the Bellagio but the pirate ship show at treasure island was cancelled! Also saw white tigers at the Mirage too. The casinos are out of this world...everything here is obscenely huge....it has to be seen to be believed.

Myself and 5 others hired a car for the day and went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. The 10hr round trip was well worth it...it takes your breath away, an absolutely must see place before you die type affair! The trip home was made more bearable by fast food and a thick shake in a 60's style diner on route 66!

San Francisco

Absolutely one of my favorite cities of my trip so far! Would actually consider living here. Stayed in North Beach right in Little Italy. The Green tortoise hostel i stayed at was awesome...really hippy vibe, lots of people had just come from the Burning man event....imagine Glastonbury 200x more hippy and drug infested in the middle of the desert with lots of crazy cars and you get about by bike!

Went to Alcatraz, Berkley (watched the cheerleaders and band in full swing on the lead up to the Bears game (American football) being played that arvo) and biked across the bridge and through to Sausalito and Tiburon.

Walked around most of the city, went to Golden Gate park - got involved in the drum circle, watched a production of a mid summers night dream in Presidio park, took in Fishermans wharf, climbed Coit tower and walked the windy Lombard street..san frans crookedest street! Decide to be cultured too and went to SFMOMA (SF Museum of modern art)..saw a electric powered car that had been stripped down and water had been pored over it in freezing temps so a 2 inch layer of ice had formed....i had to don a couple of blankets and go in a big freezer to see it.

An amazing place that has to be revisited!

After travelling from the Cook Islands back to Auckland then onto tahiti, entering sunday just to go back to the evening of saturday i was a bit all over the place. Was very lucky and met a Kiwi guy and a local Rugby player who helped me find accommodation in Papette after everyone i asked where the place i'd booked was, gasped and pulled a face!

Once i finally got settled into Camping Nelson in Moorea i was happy. The prices here are stupid, catching a cab is expensive and the food is way overpriced sue to everything being imported. I lived on the traditional french fare of baguette and water!

The campsite was located right on a fabulous beach. I made friends with a cool couple called Cari & Matthew who were travelling with their 11 month old girl, Shanna. Was so impresssed with how much they had achieved with her, by her 1st b'day she will have been to 12 countries!

Also hung out with a guy from Cairns and a French guy. The french guy came in handy what with the 1st and only language spoken being French! It made it possible for us to hitch hike all over the island and see beauty spots such as Cooks bay.

Nights were quite on the island which is only approx 50kms in circumference. Star gazing and reading were the main passtimes, although watching the sun set over the sea with a beer in hand was

Managed to get a trip on a small catamaran for free with a french poloynesian guy & an Italian couple. We swam with stingrays and sharks. Couldn't help but be scared of the barb! Did some amazing snorkling out by the reef and exploring some submerged tikis. We were dropped off on a desert island and picked up on the other side...crazy to think people live on these small islands, all self sufficient. It was an ace day where i saw true beauty. Even got treated to a dolphin show.

Wouldn't probably return here in a hurry. Think French poloynesia has lots more to offerm just a shame it is so hard for the backpacker to get to the other islands.

Why should i change now...my lame attempts at keeping this up to date has failed miserably so here is just a quick list of where i went to after lake Tekapo. If you want to know more, e mail me or wait till i get home and ask me then!

Christchurch

Much like Canterbury...it has a church and everything!

Akaroa

Went on a day trip from Christchurch to this french colonial town. The weather was chilly so i took refuge in a cafe for a sausage roll...oh so french!

Kaikora

Went whale watching and was lucky enough to see 5 and 2 pods/school of dolphins. It was totally breathtaking seeing the tail flick up out of the water and dissapear.

Blenheim

Part of malborough sounds, hired bikes and went to the local winerys...partook in some tasting!

Picton

Liked it so much the first time i revisited the hostel with the ace hot tub and home made apple crumble!

Wellington

A friend i made on the magic bus managed to get us tickets to the Wellington vs Otago rugby match. Great to see and lots more fun was had in the pub crawl we

Napier

Art Deco tastic. Loved the place...of course being by the coast and the sun shining didn't sway my opinion at all. On the way to the Mt we stopped in Rotarua where Lindsay, Karl the magic bus driver and I did swoop....being raised to 100 meters in the air in what is in essence a sleeping bag on a harness all strapped togetehr and one of you has to release us so we swoop like a bird towards the ground and pendulum swing back and forth.

Mt Manguanui

Even nicer! The sun stayed out for me as i explored the coastline and the township. Great coastal walks with awesome views over the bay.

Auckland

Back where i started. Met up with Anna who i met when i first arrived. Also met a guy called James who i met in Cairns. Strangely, both times it was at the end of my time in that country and then saw him again on the yasaw flyer in Fiji...small world!

New Zealand is beautiful.