New Zealand Take-Aways

A stunning country to look at; the scenery is rather incredible. The small population are friendly and seemingly eager to please, having not felt much unease except perhaps out the car windows of screaming youths. It was surprising to learn that the land of grass and sheep was significantly changed from the pre-European settlement of less than 200 years ago. Only about 1/3 of forest still stands, much of it fell to timber and then for grazing livestock (sheep and increasing numbers of cattle). Still the natural towering mountains, the glaciers, ocean-fronts and rock-strewn fields are remarkable and made sleeping on the bus feel like a shame. Certain areas offered a gluttony of activities, such as the adrenaline-fueled Queenstown in the south island. The jet boating and canyon swinging there, not to mention the raucous nightlife any day of the week, were definite early highlights. Rotorua on the north island compared excursion-wise with fantastic zorbing, plus decent rafting, downhill street luging and more. The glow worm caves of Waitomo are amazing in their uniqueness, as was the jaw-dropping fjord of Milford Sound in the south.

Small towns dominate and offer pleasant stops, though there's only so far I think I could sustain myself on pretty surroundings alone. Then the cities come in and Wellington stands as one I could see myself living in (except perhaps for the limited international touring music acts). Small enough that it isn't overwhelming but large enough to have a cultural scene, from museums to sports to restaurants, it was actually quite quaint for its size. Christchurch, as previously mentioned, is in a huge state of flux but will undoubtedly be an interesting place to watch in years to come. Auckland on the other hand seemed lifeless, a smaller version of Sydney without the visual pleasantries nor the vibrancy. Perhaps it was too big for me to crack into in such a short time. Dunedin felt overly like the uni town it is, especially so as it was the heart of frosh week, with toga parties and drunk teenagers all about.

All in all it was definitely a gorgeous trip and a worthwhile one. Contiki touring has its advantages and disadvantages, especially in a country like this. Some days seem to be just rammed full of driving, and despite the sights it still gets old. While others you find yourself in small towns on dead nights with little to do when really you'd like to be spending more time in the action, or at least in a place to relax of your own choosing. I'd have loved to have taken whole days to climb mountains and explore but scheduling rarely allowed for it. (Doing it again I'd at least consider a hop-on, hop-off option, such as Kiwi Experience, to allow for more of that desired flexibility.) In the two weeks it did pack in tonnes of sights and outings, information, parties and friendships. Having essentially completed the highlight tour I don't feel the pressing urge to return in short time. No matter it was absolutely fun, fully enjoyable and worthwhile. Excellent as it was I feel I've now checked it off the list and will be moving on to new, exciting places. Watch this space to see just exactly where those places will be in the years to come! 

Extreme

Favourite Christmas gift of last year is easily proving to be the underwater, shockproof camera. Watch this space for 700 horsepower water jet 360s, whitewater river boarding, running front flip canyon swings, and in a few days time Zorbing! (Look it up) Thanks Santa.

Tour Starts, Blog Ends?

Joining my Contiki tour in New Zealand is great news for me as it means that I've got thirty brand new best friends. It also means I'm on the move all around first the south island of NZ, then the north. What else this implies is that each day will bring new experiences such as racing up the world's steepest street, cruising the amazing fjord of Milford Sound and going on a tour of New Zealand's most popular beer's brewery. (Ok, a brew tour is nothing new.) Adventure comes too - river boarding, canyon swinging - but those aren't until tomorrow so elaboration still to come. Or is it? There are only so many hours in the day, while there are SO many bars to hit, SO many laughs to have - I'll do my best to keep updates on all, well some, of the notable goings-on.

State of Christchurch

The news of the earthquakes in Christchurch had obviously reached me but a whole world away the extent did not resonate until I saw it in person. Especially weighing on my impression is that the city is shortly coming up on the one year anniversary of the deadly quake that rocked the city proper. Despite this time the central business district still lays largely in ruin, cordoned off by high temporary fences with prominent warning signs, known informally as the Red Zone. With the extent of the damage seen and unseen, tall buildings toppled and cracked, streets bulging and munted, sewage systems destroyed, is entirely understandable that the clean up would be so drawn out. Not to mention attempting to do this during  the subsequent quakes and aftershocks that continued for months and are only now subsiding into the Pacific Ocean. 

Reconstruction cannot even begin until the extent of the damage was ascertained and this heartbreakingly led to many, many homes being labelled uninhabitable as described in the large red placards placed on their entranceways. These number almost as many as the "Closed Down" signs that adorn businesses all around. Twelve months later it is still far from business as usual, as New Zealand's second largest city can in places feel like a ghost town. Many students are too trepidatious to enroll in the city's university and tourists are wary to visit a city in ruin. Some Cantaburians left town preferring to wait until the city's restoration, while still others have moved away for good. It is a place in tumultuous times. 

Amongst all of this however, there are signs of life. Cranes permeate the Red Zone and reconstruction signs are seen in the front of residences from the city to the suburbs. "We've Moved" signs are posted in windows beside the former "Closed" signs, as new entertainment, eating and service districts are emerging in nearby streets. An area near the CBD has returned to commercial use; shipping containers converted into shops, restaurants, banks and even temporary bars line this avenue and are flocked to by locals and tourists alike on a sunny, summer Saturday. Renewal projects are underway to bring some life back to the rubble as well. One of these is called Greening the Rubble which does just that by planting gardens in rubble-strewn lots. Another entitled Gap Filler attempts to revitalize lifeless, earthquake-affected voids by staging arts ranging from paintings to movie exhibitions and more. I stumbled upon one of these on my first night in town and here is an excerpt from my journal describing the experience. 

Only a smattering of people walked past primarily closed businesses until I saw a congregation in a rubble-strewn lot. Upon closer inspection I could see a projection on a wall with many seated viewers as I walked up behind a bank of stationary bike riders. I was intrigued and watched the very dated NZ PSA that used cycling chimps to demonstrate bicycle safety. Next up was a black and white, subtitled Italian film entitled The Bicycle Thief. I watched the opening, intending on leaving but with no where to go I thought 'why not stay?' Watching the film but with equal interest checking how the cyclists worked I gathered that the cycles were connected to generators, that fed a battery which was powering the laptop and projector! Genius. Figuring it'd be a shame if I didn't, I did my part and took a stint on a bike to help out. Following the flick, (yes I stayed 'til the unresolved ending) I asked a lady about the event's backstory. She informed me about the Gap Filler project that was attempting to make the most of a bad situation. 

With all of these hardships endured it is a testament to the inhabitants that they have showed resolve in the face of disaster. People on the street are willing to engage in discussion of the quakes and the aftermath. Even the local art reflects the experience - and though it shows reverence to the dead, injured, and displaced, it is an obvious inspiration in many fields.
Visual Arts:
 "7.1 + 6.3 + 6.3 = 19.7 CHCH Math", referring to the Richter scale reads one poster
Books:
"You know you're from Christchurch when..." your mother remarks on the colours of the new Portaloos on the side of the street... you laugh as tourists dive for the doorways during a 5.1. 
Theatre:
An all-encompassing theatrical production of The History of Christchurch, Abridged, that features two serious first-hand accounts of the major quake (and a tongue-in-cheek third account that is revealed to be about the Great Christchurch Snowfall) and concludes with a musical number singing to the tune of Jefferson Airplane's We Built This City - "Christchurch, this city, it rocks and rolls."

Christchurch was obviously once a glorious city and though seriously damaged by devastating earthquakes it seems to be determined to regain its glory. There is opportunity here for renewal and reemergence.  Undoubtedly it will be different than it was formerly but considering the spirit that I've seen in my brief visit here there is a definite underlying sense of optimism that it will once again attain greatness. 

Photos to come

Eager Vegan

It began with a one-month self-imposed challenge to cut meat from my diet, with the exception of chicken on occasion and retaining seafood. Over a decade later I find myself a happy, healthy, lacto-ovo vegetarian who no longer eats any formerly living creature, fish, fowl or otherwise. However the thought of also removing animal by-products, in other words adopting a vegan diet, has lingered with me as I am aware of the distress felt by the animals from which these products are factory farmed. 

My great friend Lee had taken this step in recent months and I thought "What better way to try the lifestyle change than while visiting her in Melbourne?" For it is a lifestyle change and I needed to learn to do what she does, and how she manages. This week was to begin upon my arrival in her city last week. 

Day One started poorly as in my hunger following an overnight train ride I popped a sea-salt, chocolate caramel bite I had on me into my mouth. The problem? Milk chocolate. Drat! Okay, starting now. 

My very next meal choice was then stymied as I found a super delicious sounding focaccia sandwich that easily met my former vegetarian terms - but came, on the menu, with halloumi cheese. The temptation was far too great and I just couldn't bring myself to order it removed. I shifted my start time to when I would meet up with Lee later that day and savoured each bite. 

That meant my introductory meal with Lee came that evening as we ordered in to The Old Bar. Forced to decline a slice of Justin's pizza (obviously with cheese) I tucked into tasty Thai noodles and spring rolls. Too easy!

Showing off her vegan kitchen skills Lee fed us a tasty tofu scramble with lentils, couscous and who knows what else combining into a wonderfully tasty breakfast the next day. Other awesome meals she prepared (and I'm not just being polite, they were really good) were a vegan pesto pasta and stir fry. The former contained something commonly used to replace cheese (Parmesan cheese in the pesto) and was surprisingly effective. 

Being fed at home was simple but eating out had more challenges. At lunch with a friend from last year's Australian Contiki tour I faced a conundrum. We'd already wandered for ages, finally settling on a cafe and taking a seat. When I ordered the sandwich without mayo I was informed they were already prepared and it couldn't be removed. My options were to make us get up and search out another place, or order the only vegan option (soup). I turned a blind eye and ordered the mayo infected sandwich. My excuses being that my convictions were not strong enough for these inconveniences, as I'd already dragged out the restaurant selection with someone I didn't know that well, and was much hungrier than soup would satisfy. Failure number three.

There were a few triumphs. On Valentine's Day a large group of us went to Intention of Love, a yum cha restaurant that had a vegan option for nearly every item. I'd never really had yum cha at all but was interested in the steamed buns, dumplings, rolls, and five elements soup. Many of these are traditionally filled with minced meats but as this restaurant's name and intentions state - their love extends to animals and healthy human bodies so these were replaced with fake meats in all cases. And in most cases were quite enjoyable, the dumplings especially. The vegan equivalent of a testicle in the soup however wasn't enjoyed at all (primarily for the mouth feel).

Other dilemmas occurred as I ordered a phyllo pastry with sundried tomato and capsicum (red pepper to those in North America). And ricotta cheese apparently. It really pains me to see things going to waste... so I ate it anyway.

One other hang up was after begrudgingly ordering the porridge, for it was one of the few options on the menu and I dislike ordering away from the menu,  I discovered it unsweetened but served with... honey. Dammit - I'd even turned down the milk. 

Another difficult thing for me to do is to walk away without - so I was happy too find a nutty nougat bar with dark chocolate that did not contain milk. This was at a chocolate shop whereas most prepackaged chocolate bars do not meet the requirements. Gelatin is another sticky situation when it comes to lollies, ahem, candies.

Another amazing meal out was also pleasantly named, Lentil-as-Anything. Volunteer-led, in a convent kitchen, they serve up about five dishes along with salad and rice at every lunch and dinner time, each day of the week. Its self-serve, eat-until-you're-satisfied and pay-what-it's-worth-to-you model is a fantastic idea that makes it accessible to all, regardless of income. Not only that but much of the food is vegan, all of it vegetarian and all tasty. Despite vegan options I made the concession that it was my last night and that as I'd already decided I would not be carrying on the diet so I partook in it all. 

I resoundingly failed my challenge to restrain from eating any animal by-products for even six days. The experiment did prove that the limitations of a vegan diet are not compatible with my personality and characteristics. Or I'm just greedy and lazy. I really do not want my experience to dissuade others from attempting to eat as a vegan for it is a wholly sustainable, healthy and animal-friendly way of life. I resolve to maintain my vegetarian diet and plan on implementing many simple strategies to cut back on ingesting animal-based foods (replace dairy with rice milk, remove butter and eggs altogether from my grocery cart). With a more elongated time period, and progressive changes I plan to move toward a vegan diet. 


"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends." - George Bernard Shaw

Wilding (Annandale Hotel, Sydney Feb 5, 2012)

Pupils spread wide as I transitioned from the glowing Sydney summer afternoon to the dingy surroundings of the apparently rock-historic Annandale Hotel. A number of sticky steps brought me to the lightly attended floor for this showcase performance that I'd been eagerly anticipating since first hearing demos a good number of months ago. On stage Justin Stokes led his latest musical project, collectively known as Wilding, through a Sunday set of original music. This served as a preview to all the Sydneysiders, as well as myself, of the forthcoming March release of this Melbourne group's debut album.

The music had a definite pop feel, evoking influences from The Kinks and other English bands of that era, which is not surprising considering Justin originally hails from the motherland (evident through his sense of humour in between-song banter). Filling out the roster was a relaxed Robin (The Boat People) playing the keys, among other things such as the melodica, slide whistle and kazoo, Evan proficient with the electric guitar, Cate providing some nice offsetting female vocals in addition to flute, tambo and the like, Sven and Sven's wild faces to accompany his drumming, and Grant on bass patrol. Together they provided the afternoon's entertainment including Casual User which grabbed me as a very catchy number for my first listen, and the jangly Alopecia that translated very well live also. Thoroughly enjoyable was the chorus of backing vocals emanating from Cate, Robin and Evan that in a way reinforced Justin's lead and gave the songs an airy dimension, not to mention something to sing along with. However there is also a depth to the music and writing going beyond the surface pop feel, as evidenced on Lost Afternoons. This number saw the addition of Lee on violin which wasn't the only reason that this song really hit its mark. It felt fleshed out and full with the instrumental breakdown through which Sven was a delight to watch bash away. Closer, Monday Morning, had an interesting-in-a-good-way feel that I couldn't quite nail down, but had something to do with the one note Evan was bending each time through.

A promising set for this band that is finding solid footing in preparation for their album release. Based on this performance I'm quite excited to hear the recording in full and then catch another live performance with more familiarity with the material. Unfortunately the 20 hour flight could prove prohibitive, but that's just a detail to be worked out in this band's bright future.

Backdoor Braggin'

• The nerve of the Sydney Tower! We'd only circumnavigated two-thirds of the city in their revolving tower-top bar when we realized that the world was no longer spinner around us, or vice versa, or the opposite. This meant that my friends Yian Yian, Dan, Lindsay, Derek and I were forced to get up and move from table to table in order to finish the grand-scale game of I-Spy, as well as my James Squire Amber Ale. What a drag!

• Ugh, I look like Rudolph (no, not the former mayor). My single application of sunblock must not have been strong enough once the sun pressed through in the early afternoon yesterday, leaving me with a bright red nose. It was probably the extended picnic  lunch (pictured) on the cliff top of the South Head entrance to Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson). Though I suppose it could have been the hike out to New South Wales' second-oldest functioning lighthouse, or the reflections off the water on the fast-ferry ride out to Watson's Point.

• Isn't burning the roof of your mouth simply the worst? Dining at Sea Baby on yummy Chinese soup during my friend Pieta's lunch hour the delectable dumpling burst flavour, along with intense heat, leaving my tongue in heaven and my mouth's roof in purgatory.

• A decade's streak ruined by the Taronga Zoo. Having worked up an appetite just watching the acrobatics of the seal and bird shows, I was in need of refueling. Snagged a veggie wrap from the cafe to rejuvenate myself for the three baby tigers, lions, giraffes and platypus, but not until after tearing off a huge bite with my teeth and swallowing it did my friend Shaista, with whom I was sharing the wrap, point out that it looked mightily like chunks of chicken in the wrap. Sure enough the label confirmed it, but the damage had already been done to this vegetarian.

•  Suffering for choices - at the Local Taphouse I could only drink one night's worth of beer from the twenty on tap (and additional twenty-one bottles, including two from Brooklyn Brewery). Not only that but Dan legitimately complained that they did formerly have more. Ok this isn't backdoor at all, it's simply marvelous and I wanted to share.

To(o) Lax

With the prospect of over 20 hours cooped up in a flying vessel ahead of me I wasn't too anxious to strap in early. Waiting for the first call for last call before boarding at Pearson, I was near the end of what had been a lengthy queue for a full flight. Arriving at my window seat I tried to show penance for having climbed over the two people to get there by reassuring them that boarding was almost complete. The wording of what I blurted out did the opposite of reassure them, as I asserted to my fellow airline passengers "The end is near." The rest of the flight was spent trying not to worry them by not saying much. Luckily there were Hollywood distractions on board my flight to LA - Gosling, Pitt and Clooney. Like I said, it was a packed flight!

Australia, The Rematch/New Zealand (February 2012)

Welcome to this double feature. Grab your popcorn, or more appropriately some of Stefan's Pies, and prepare to follow the adventure through this foreign feature.

A mere fourteen months ago I was returning from the underside of the world with visions of starfish and tales of even grander times to be had in New Zealand.

Not to mention my new-found appreciation for organized tours, and the parties that run hand-in-hand. Doing the quick calculation I realized at a rate of one Contiki tour a year I only had ten more opportunities before being age-discriminated out of eligibility. All of this combined with a yearning to see everything in the whole wide world, and additionally take a break from the Canadian winter, culminated in the planning of this trip. I couldn't very well travel all that way and not pop in to say hello to my Aussie and transplanted-Aussie friends (see you soon Lee, Shai, Yian Yian, Dan and Tegan!) so I'm starting in the familiar home of the kangaroo before breaking new ground with the kiwis.

Equipped with my new everything-proof camera and a desperate desire for a break following some intense months of work I'm setting off shortly to view every vista and soak up every ray of my month away. That being said, I may take the occasional moment to fill you in on what I've seen and done. Feel free to peek here from time to time and read all about it.

Next post from the other side!