April 7 - 10 pm

I took the Tranz-Alpine train from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass this morning. It's supposedly the most beautiful train rides you can take, and it was indeed quite remarkable. I didn't want to get off halfway through the trip at my stop, but I had to. And it's okay, I needed some time back in the mountains. Arthur's Pass is the highest elevation settlement in New Zealand at 737 meters. But also one of the smallest - population 62. The town consists of a general store/cafe, a restaurant/bar, a few hostel/motels, and the visitor center. Pretty small! But it's cool. The setting really is incredible. My hostel is fine. But I'm laying here in bed right now, and I can feel the wood slats beneath me. Not the comfiest bed.. Feels like I'm camping! All the more fun. I was hanging out in the lounge for most of the evening, sitting on a couch by the wood-burning stove. It's really cold outside! Winter is just around the corner! My internal clock is going to be so messed up.. Not just with the 6 hour time difference, but I have to go through spring and summer when I get back, but it really feels like we're well into fall.
I hiked to some pretty good viewpoints today. The Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Jack's Hut, and Bealy View. Everywhere you look is another picturesque view. Love it. Hiking again tomorrow. Going to try to conquer Avalanche Peak. It's a big one. We'll see how it goes.

April 6 - 11 pm

Just found out that New Zealand does celebrate daylight savings time, and will be springing back an hour tonight. That puts me an hour closer to Utah time, but really further away. So when I wake up and it's Sunday 6:30 am, at home in Utah it will be Saturday 12:30 pm. Just more of an adjustment for me when I get back in 3 weeks. Yay.
Anyway.. Today I spent in Akaroa and Christchurch. It was rainy this morning in Akaroa, but luckily the wonderful people at the hostel let me hang out there until my bus came at 4 pm. And the weather cleared up around noon, so I went out and walked around, out to the lighthouse and to the farmers market and around town. Sad to say goodbye to that little town, but excited to move along.
Watched Jumangi in the hostel here tonight. 1995 classic.
Chatted with two of my roommates for probably an hour as we sat in our room before going to bed - a 26 year old San Fran girl and a maybe 30 year old little Indian man. They were both hilarious. And I will never see them again. So strange.

April 5 - 9:30pm

Sitting in the living room of a charming little hostel in the charming town of Akaroa, with 9 other guests, all of which are German. For a while they were speaking English and now they've switched to German, so I can't understand a thing that's going on, but it's okay. We just finished having our baking party. But I'll get to that in a minute. Let me start from the beginning..
Left Christchurch early this morning and took a shuttle to the first European settled town on the South Island of New Zealand - a French settlement on the Banks Peninsula called Akaroa. Really beautiful place. Small, old buildings line the main road which runs along the waterfront. My hostel, Chez La Mer, is a pink old villa. Very homey. The manager, Sara, was so friendly and welcoming. The people around the place all seemed to be friends, but not cliquey at all. Just really comfortable. After checking in I wandered around town. It began to rain a little, and it was actually really cold outside today, so I wasn't out long. But long enough to get fish and chips for lunch, and then stop for a hot chocolate in a cute cafe.
When I got back to the hostel, Sara decided that we would have a bake party tonight. Potluck goodie grab at 8 pm. They have flour and sugar and those things to use, so I looked at my food supply and decided that I could contribute banana bran muffins. All I needed was an egg and a few more bananas. So then I was able to make my muffins. And they actually turned out pretty good! It was fun to bake something! I haven't done any baking in a long time!
I was done around 7:00 so I just hung around with everyone, listening to Lykke Li on the stereo until 8. Sara proposed a riddle and said she'd give $5 to someone if they solved it. I thought about it for a few minutes and had the answer. So I got $5 back! It had to deal with a dog and it's owner in human/dog ages in human and dog years. Math stuff.
Anyway, then we all gathered to consume the treats we had prepared. I was worried mine wouldn't be that good. They definitely didn't look the best, but they were good! They all got eaten. so no leftovers for beakfast.. That's okay. The other goods consisted of tomato/cheese scones, vanilla cupcakes, apple/cinnamon muffins, icecream muffins, and nasty lemon cupcakes that tasted like baking soda. So mine definitely weren't the worst. Maybe even third best. I think.
Kinda wish I could stay another day, but I opted to have the security of booked hostels and a set itinerary instead of the freedom to go with the flow. Oh well. I have until 4 pm tomorrow. Then back to Christchurch.

April 4 - 6:35 pm

Well, I'm here. Back on the south side. Yesterday morning Winston picked me up from my hostel and drove me to the airport. And being the nicest person in the world, we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts on the way and got donuts, and then stopped at Subway and he bought me a footlong sub to take with me for lunch! Nicest! I am so glad I was able to meet him here and hang out with him and Claire. So anyway, I made it on my plane just fine and landed in Christchurch to much gloomier weather. It was overcast and raining a tiny bit, and definitely felt like fall. I was able to take a city bus into downtown Christchurch, and from there I walked to my hostel. The city centre isn't really at all how I pictured it in my head before I got here. I'd heard from people that it was really desolate and kind of ghost town-like, or post-apocalyptic, since the earthquake in 2011 left it pretty messed up. And that part is absolutely true. I thought you'd be able to walk around the whole city and see the destruction, but I thought there would be a lot reopened or rebuilt, and that the whole city wouldn't feel like a war zone. But it did. The actual city centre, about 8 or so square blocks are all fenced off and parts of it are under constant reconstruction. Walking around the perimeter you see glimpses of what used to be there, the shops and businesses, all demolished, or just abandoned. Cathedral square was something I was looking forward to seeing, and you can walk up pretty close to what's left of the cathedral, but it's not accessible at all. So many old buildings here that have all fallen apart. It's really sad. And it didn't seem like anyone was out on the streets.. It was just eerie. And maybe it was the weather that kept the people inside. I don't know. But I thought to myself- wow, this is bonkers. I'm glad I could see this. But I don't really want to stay here too long. Two nights will be fine.. So I grabbed as many informational pamphlets about the surrounding areas as I could from the i-Site as I could and went to the library for the free wifi. I spent all night planning and mapping and calculating my next three weeks. Finally came up with a good plan and called it a night.

So today, I woke up and partook of the delicious homemade bread the hostel puts out for breakfast. I showered and got ready and set out to see more of this broken city. Really, if I hadn't taken a bus into town from the airport and seen the suburbs so alive and healthy, I'd think this place was a lost cause, but I saw a lot today too that gives me hope for them here. I walked around more of the residential areas of the town, got lost a few times.. The maps and street signs here are so confusing! But I made it to the museum and spent some time there. There was a really fascinating exhibit on Antarctica and some of the expeditions there. I don't know why I liked it so much! Maybe the South Pole will be my next adventure?? Hmm.. So yeah, that was cool. I walked around the botanic gardens a little bit. Then went to the Re:Start mall, which is a small outdoor mall made of shipping containers. They've been turned into stores, and it's really really cool. Great little shops. Some big brands, other local New Zealand stuff, cafes, etc. and then there are the food trucks all parked there too. Street buskers, free wifi, arts and craft booths. Really fun. I did some shopping, hung out in the sunshine for a while, and then I realized that the people here are doing alright, and the city will continue to get better.
I headed over to the library again for more computer time. I booked all my hostels, buses, trains, and shuttles for the next 7 days! So take that! I think I've put in enough time to be considered an official travel agent. Maybe that's my calling in life. I'd say I've done a pretty good job for myself so far! But then again, it's been a huge pain. So that's why it's so nice that I got so much done today! That being said, I head to Akaroa tomorrow. Then I have Arthur's Pass, Mt. Cook, Dunedin, and Queenstown in my future. Time now for some cereal for dinner.

April 2 - 9:50 pm

Last day in Auckland. Can't say I had any super cool adventures, but it was still a good day. I did all my laundry, which NEEDED to be done. I talked to mi madre on the phone for a bit. I met a new roommate in the hostel named Brigitte from Switzerland. And a man Ience(?) from Germany who had been to Utah and loved it almost as much as I do. I walked down the notorious Ponsonby Road, known for its cafes and nice shops. Strolled down to the wharf. Headed up High Street, which is the fancy shopping area of town. Back by the Sky Tower once more. And then up Ponsonby. Had to hurry back to the hostel to get my little carton of milk into the fridge. Just enough for my cereal in the morning. Made mac and cheese for dinner. Walked through Western Park - Auckland's oldest park. (As you can tell, I'm basically an Auckland expert now.) I packed my things. And that brings me to now.
Good times on the North Island. Let's see what you got South Island.

April 1 - 9 pm

Happy Easter Monday! That's a thing here in New Zealand. Really it's just an excuse to have another day off work, but not such a bad idea. Good Friday too! Listen up USA!
Today was really good. As usual. The weather turned out great. I was able to spend most of the morning at the beach in Orewa. It was fantastic. I actually woke up really early - like 7:30 - and needed to get something from the supermarket for breakfast, so I went out for a walk right about 7:30. It was nice being out before the rest of the town was awake. And the sun coming up over the ocean was amazing. So I hurried back from the store, ate my bran flakes and banana, and got ready to check out and get to the beach! About 9 am I was walking along in the water, looking at the millions of sea shells that had come in with the tide. The water was the most perfect temperature. I found a few really cool shells that I'm bringing home. Figured I had to - it could be the last chance I get to be on a beach in New Zealand! Made the most of it.. Walked the entire length of the beach - about 3km - and then found a grassy hill right by the beach to sit on, and I just sat. For maybe 2 hours. Watching the waves and the people. Best morning.
Stopped in McDonald's for a 60 cent icecream cone when I got a call from Dad. The fam was all together eating Easter supper. Missed that. Gotta talk to Mom, Dad, Conor, Denney, Molly, Dave, and Eveny. Tully was there too I think. Good to hear from everybody. The call cut out unexpectedly though.
I headed to the bus stop. It was supposed to get in at 1:50. I waited until 2:35 when it finally came. So that was a fun little wait. But the bus ride was only an hour, so it wasn't too bad. Got to my hostel okay. Verandah's, on Ponsonby Road. A different part of Auckland I didn't get to see when I was here last week. It's the hip part of town. Winston called to see if I wanted to go tenpin bowling. With his accent, I had the hardest time understanding what he was saying, and finally figured out he was saying "bowling". So I said sure. We picked up Claire and her sister and went to the slummiest bowling alley ever. Quite hilarious. And I was given the bowling nickname "USA" and proudly represented my country with a score of 96. Took the silver medal. Winston took gold. We played pool too. It was all very fun. When they dropped me off I went and got myself another burger from Burgerfuel. Again, it was amazing.
So tomorrow I need to explore this new area of town and then I think I'll be satisfied with my time spent in Auckland, and on the north island. I've done almost everything I wanted to do, and a lot I hadn't planned on doing. Success indeed.