Day of Dolphins

11. December 

Today was the day me, CC and Hayzybobzykins went for the “Swimming with Dolphins”-excursion at the island-complex Bay of Islands, leaving from Russell. Max. 35 people on the boat, three hours. There was a 98% chance of us seeing dolphins, said Billy and Tommy on the boat, but we definitely don't get to swim with them each time – everything obviously relies on Mother Nature. Billy and Tommy were very friendly, very informative and very lovely. (Tommy was female btw, any ideas what name it's short for...?) There are loads of reasons why there isn't always the possibility of swimming with them: if they aren't being friendly, or if they're resting, and especially if it's a “nursing pod” meaning there are one or more baby dolphins.

At the (cold) front of the boat!

We didn't get to swim. But it was a PERFECT excursion anyways. AMAZING views, and loads of interesting sealife. Funky birds that dive-bombed from heights straight into the water, and we even saw two penguins in the water!! Already then I was like, even if we see nothing interesting from now on, this trip was a success for me.

A zoom of a zoom, but it is a penguin!!!

Then we found two dolphins. They were swimming fast and didn't act very “friendly”, so we just followed them. At some point they seemed to be getting more “friendly”, so Tommy asked for a few “strong swimmers” to get into the water and see what mood they're in. So, three guys, CC included, got into the water and tried to swim towards the dolphins. But they weren't sociable, and continued swimming off. Oh well.

First dolphin picture

CC and others

After that we found a massive pod of dolphins, probably fifteenish? It was amazing. I was actually happy when they realised this is a nursing pod, meaning a) I wouldn't have to feel bad about wimping out the swimming part – it appeared much more difficult and requiring talented swimming skills than I'd thought (I imagined it to be splashing in the water with dolphins happily bouncing around you or something like that) b) I'd get to see a baby dolphin!!!

HELLO BABY <3_____________<3

Celebration

More celebration

For about half an hour we just followed the dolphins, along with other boats, excursions and private, joining us. We were sat for nearly the whole time at the front of the boat, in the bright sun and freezing sunshine (resulting in me being hidden in CC's massive hoodie for most of the time, and CC actually managing to get wrinkle-tan lines (well, burn lines) from squinting in the sun so much), and so we got to see so much. Just sitting there, watching the dolphins swim in front of you, once or twice doing a fancy little jump out of the water (part of mating, apparently...), such happiness. :)

Sometimes the boat just went on top of the dolphins

With Tommy and Billy in the background!

I've never been the biggest fan of dolphins before – I mean, they're cool and all, but wouldn't count them as any sort of favourite animal. But now, I have fallen in love with dolphins. In the evening I had the sort of hollow feeling you have when you miss someone. I realised I missed the dolphins.

Add caption

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating ice cream burgers (oh yes!) and hanging out at our pool (yep, our motel-village has a pool and spa pool!!), then had a very nice dinner at an outdoor food place called Hone's (CC and Hayzybobzykins had fish n chips, I had a fish wrap. Om nomsiekins). We went to Hayzybobzykins's afterwards to use her wifi (we have none), and I fell asleep there. It wasn't even 10. Dolphin-watching is tiring.

The pool

Russell harbour

Ah, dolphins.

I wish you well.

Emmzzzzy

xxxxxxxxxxxx

I am not a dolphin

First day in NZ: Off to Russell!

10/12/2013 klo 22.27. I am officially very good at conquering jet lags. After flying to New Zealand, I went to bed at half nine/tennish and woke up at half eight in the morning. Amazing sleep. Granted I was quite tired this afternoon and evening, but still, lol to all the scary stories of “how it takes a month to recover from jetlag” etc etc. Maybe it's coz NZ is such an extreme. It's not a thing of slightly adjusting your timezones, it's completely redoing them, which is what I did by not really sleeping during the two nights in the aeroplanes.

NZ brekkie om nom 

After a nice relaxing morning and breakfast we headed “up north”. Our destination was a town called Russell, to where it was like 1½h car ride and then a 5minute ferry. “Why Russell?” asked CC's dad when he heard our plans. “Oh, there's some nice beaches, and the hill...” replied CC ambiguously. Also, I happened to coincidentally know, my amazing friend Hayzybobzykins. So I did some deducing...

Somewhere

Trip to Russell was lovely. I really enjoy sitting in the car looking at the scenery. Pictures never succeed very well unfortunately from a car so not many of them today. Stopped off in a little town called Kawakawa (yes sounds like a name of a baby penguin) and had a traditional NZ lunch of pie (steak&cheese for CC, mince&cheese for me, after a long confusing conversation with CC on whether the NZ “mince pie” was a pie with savoury mince meat, or the Christmas pastry), a nice look-round some souvenir shops (I LOVE ALL THINGS WITH KIWIS!!!) and the most exotic toilet experience I've had. Well, not the experience itself, but the toilets were amongst the shops and cafés on the high street (and the only street, on what I gathered) and stood out because it looked like a temple. A work of art, apparently made out of recycled bottles or something...

Kawakawa toilets

Arrived in Russell, had a nice wander in the souvenir shops, beach and pier-thing. Checked into our motel which is basically a villa, our own two-floored house (tho, tbf, all the rooms on the second floor are locked), with a huge bed, a proper lounge, a posh kitchen etc... Pics to come maybe in the next entry. Epic!!

Our house :)

After that went out again and whoa! happened to bump into Hayzybobzykins. Though I was aware this will be happening, it still came at a moment when I wasn't expecting it, so some points for CC on his surprise ;)

Had a lovely dinner and drinks at a pub, checked out Hayzybobzykins's cool hostel room, CC got rid of a few spiders, and now, once again, bed time!

Reunited with two of my fave ppl ever!!

Bisous

Emmzzzzy

xxxxxxx

PS. Our hostel has AMAZING sugars...

Dubai 2 Auckland via Oz

9/12/2013 klo 7.17am (9.17pm previous evening English time? Maybe? So confused), BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. Tbf, all airports look pretty similar. I honestly can't believe it.

The sunny view at Brisbane airport

20mins-ish till boarding my final flight. Just over three hours to NZ. This has gone so quick.

9/12/2013 attempt 2, klo 19.26 (not 10.26 as my computer is claiming, still in Dubai time... And I think it's 8.26 Finnish time, 6.26am English time). (Don't worry I will stop these time zone things.) The thing that seems most surreal right now about being in New Zealand (for I am now well and settled down here) is realising all my friends and family are asleep. And that to my message “in New Zealand!” my mumsie would not be replying for many hours since she is deep asleep in night at her end.

So, back to Dubai. After having an enjoyable look round the gorgeous Dubai-souvenir shops and an unenjoyable visit to Costa (reasons I went: 1. they advertised wifi 2. to get a bottle of water for the plane. Conclusions to both: 1. their "wifi" was the same wifi the Irish Café place advertised, the wifi that does not work. 2. I had to throw away my water after one sip since I hadn't realised there's yet another security check before the flight itself), I made my way to gate A24.

I WANT THEM ALL

So, flight #3, Dubai to Brisbane. Over 14h. Especially after the cramped seating and sleepless night of the first plane, I was not looking forward to it. Additionally, there was a problem. Not problem in comparison with most of the world's problems, but a problem for me. I did not have a window seat. I had an aisle seat. And I wanted a window seat. I asked at the gate if I could change it, and they obediently had a look, but said there were none free, unfortunately. Oh well.

So, I made my way to my seat, 85H. 85I was in the middle and 85J at the window, and there was a couple settling down there. I addressed the guy, on the window seat, and asked him “how strongly he feels about sitting by the window”. The guy exchanged grins with his gf and said, smiling and conclusively: “quite strongly”. Ok, no worries. I asked the guy at the window behind him, 86J. He was in the middle of some complication since he was trying to get his partner to find a seat next to him or something. 84J was taken by a little girl who obviously I did not disturb. So I confidently marched up to 83J, a middle-aged man. Not quite sure what I said, but I asked, in a hopefully polite enough way, if he fancied at all swapping his window seat for my aisle. He wasn't enthusiastic. But he didn't say no. When he realised how enthusiastic I was he agreed to swap. But I am under the impression he didn't want to. (And who can blame him :( )

In any other case I would've been like “oh don't worry, I'll keep the aisle, it's fine,” but I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THE WINDOW. I was very selfish. But even though I felt quite bad later on, I didn't regret it a single moment. The views were amazing. I am horrible yes. But I did give him the chance to say politely “oh, I'd rather keep my window seat thanks”. I wasn't gonna Britishly sacrifice something I felt strongly about just because I thought he maybe didn't rejoice about my proposition.

Ready set go

Well, anyways, PHENOMENAL views. Also, I made friends with the young couple next to me, N and T from England, visiting friends in NZ and Australia. Their first time too, so we were excited together and chatted through mealtimes etc. Really nice to have people to hang out with during solo travelling!

I have no words

Literally one of the best moments of my life

Mountains near Dubai. Tried to google what they are but didn't find answers! Anyone know?

Somewhere

In addition, watched altogether two films (half of Bling Ring, half of the Great Gatsby and the whole One Direction: This is us-film, brilliant!!), ate lots of amazing Emirates food, read Life of Pi and attempted sleep a few times.

When most people attempted to sleep

Brownie muffin with cappuccino and chocolate mousse. OM NOM

All in all, the flight was really quite enjoyable. There was much more leg room, and I was much more organised, putting both my Duty Free-plastic bag and computer bag in the overhead locker instead of with my packed back bag on the floor under the seat in front of me, like I did in the first one. And arriving in AUSTRALIA was an insane feeling.

Flight #3 Brisbane-Auckland was only three hours so basically I blinked and it was over. Sat at the back with magazines and books and Big Bang Theory. Had a minor scare when the air hostesses gave out intimidating “NZ Arrival Cards” saying that if you don't have a visa you will get deported. (I didn't have a visa.) (Luckily we found out later that you get a visa, which is just a stamp in your passport, at passport inspection.) Also they showed an aggressive video of MAKE SURE YOU DECLARE EVERYTHING otherwise face an instant 400-10,000 dollar fine. And things you had to declare were all sorts of food of all different categories and sports shoes. (And loads of other things, but those were the ones I ticked.)

Brekkie number 2 in the Australia-NZ flight. Om nom

Flying off the map...

First sights of New Zealand were incredible. Since it has been such a life-long dream, it was absolutely crazy being able to tell myself that that there, my friend, is New Zealand, the island country at the complete opposite end of THE GLOBE, the tiny nation so far away it is often not even included in maps of the world. (Lol CC is reading this lol) The country so many people love and obsess about.

First glance of NZ. IT ACTUALLY EXISTS

I AM NOW HERE. :)

CC picked me up and it was lovely, and drove to his parents place about an hour away, the views were magnificent. I was telling him, it's a bit like a vague mix-up of England/Wales and the South of France. Green like the UK, full of cute random cafés and workshops on the roadsides like especially Wales, with exotic-looking trees and SUN like in the Mediterranean areas. I find the trees especially funky. And I have never been one to be really interested in plants.

So far, amazing. Now to catch up on some of that sleep.

View from CC's parents' house

Emmzzzzy

xxxxxxxx

PS. All in all, I think I will treasure this blog entry forever. Those of you who know me know how much I love travelling. And this was just my craziest dreams, and more, realised. I've used the words 'crazy' and 'insane' and 'amazing' a lot but the description still feels incomplete. My first time out of Europe. This trip has been one of the best times of my whole life, and I'm not even exaggerating.

PPS. I don't think a title can get any better than that. I can't believe this has actually now happened. 

PPS. Ok I'll stop now :P

London 2 Dubai

8/12/2013, 7.47am. A bit disconcerting since all my gadgets are still on British time saying it's 3.47am. But it is sunny, hot (apparently 24 degrees), and I am looking over the skyscrapers of Dubai OH YES I AM. Sat in an apparently Irish café eating a mahoosive fruit salad and cappucino which came to God knows how much, but still, I know there'll be food on the plane etc but you can't experience DUBAI without experiencing Dubai food! After this “breakfast” will head off and hopefully have a gate by now. My next flight leaves 10.25.

Irish Dubai food

Well, haven't really slept. I HATE PLANES. Even though this plane was awesome. I had a sort of déjà vu when I entered it. A mahoosive plane I've never been on before – three seats on one side, four in the middle, three on the other. Like a film. Amazing. Dreamlike.

Obsessing over my ticket to Dubai

The plane, emirates.com

But, I didn't get a window place :( But I didn't even get an aisle place!! I got a MIDDLE place! Arghhh. On the window seat was an African woman with a humongous blankety shawl which kept itching me, to the left a young man off to Dubai for work who I got talking to after we had landed. The flight was TEDIOUS but went surprisingly quickly. Watched one mediocre film Paranoia (chose and watch it only coz of Liam Hemsworth ah. Oh and Josh Holloway was in it too!), and spent the first and last hours sleeping 50% successfully, otherwise... I dunno what I did lol.

I am giving up on my sleep pattern pre-preparation. I am just gonna sleep when I feel like it, but just make sure in the last 3h-flight I won't sleep.

Cool screens on the backs of chairs telling you about your flight

Arriving into Dubai, AMAZING. Poor blanket shawl lady coz I kept on leaning over her to look at the views. Got a glimpse of the skyscrapers, and a lot of deserty view, SO INCREDIBLE. Like, like, like. 22 years and this is the first time I've left Europe, I told my male neighbour after landing. INSANE.

Desert. Pics of city will be in next entry...

Have had like half of my fruit salad and it's becoming a bit too much...

Ah but food on the plane was nice om noms :)

Ok. I am shattered but SO SO SO SO excited. Gonna finish my fruit salad, have another peek at the Burj Khalifa whatever it is, then go see if I can find my gate. For my flight to AUCKLAND via BRISBANE literally waaaah this is insane.

Emmzzzy

xxx

Dubai airport is pretty sick

Aberystwyth 2 Gatwick

(Due to lack of wifi during the travels, there is a bit of a back-log in the publication of these...)

7/12/2013 klo 18.12 Yo. Hello from EAT. at Gatwick Airport, which has neither plugs nor wifi. Won't be using my phone or laptop much on these flights then... Oh well. I have books. And sleep. Sleep would be good.

So, been travelling all day and I haven't even left the country lol. 9.30-16.50 were the train rides of Aberystwyth-Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton-Reading, Reading-Gatwick. My alarm was at 4.30 and even then I struggled to manage to get everything done on time! My lovely housemate Sam drove me to the station and I left an Aberystwyth covered in a pleasant refreshing drizzle.

The first train ride was nice. The weather was amazing – from strong rain to brilliant sunshine, also saw the most beautiful rainbow I have seen in my life. Seriously. Dark grey sky with the clearest, brightest rainbow ever. It was gorgeous.

Unfortunately pictures never do justice

Also, I got inspired to write my friend James a long letter, and for the last half hour to hour was engaged in pleasant conversation with an elderly gentleman sat opposite me. He'd been to New Zealand once, for six weeks, it was a beautiful country... was one topic. He was really nice and I was very happy to be talking, knowing I will be travelling by myself for the next ridiculous amount of hours. He was however very worried about the fact that I have an exam two days after I come back from NZ. "You can't ask the examiners to change the day of the exam...?" "Nope, unfortunately." "...And you probably don't want to do a year again?" "No, definitely not." 

Both the first and second train were unusually PACKED, obviously providing awkward situations with my 22kg suitcase, but oh well. The second train ride I spent eating my stuffing roll (OM NOM), reading Life of Pi and being very very annoyed by the young lady next to me who seemed to have the worst cold in the world. At Reading I spent most of the time trying to think up a sentence using the words “Reading”, “to read” and “red” as many times as possible. If you're reading a book in Reading whilst bleeding on your book, you could be “Reading in Reading while reddening your reading?” Yes, no, maybe? And maybe if the book is already red it could be even cooler... “Reddening whilst reading in Reading because of reddening your reading”.....

After the initial hyperness, I was quite calm for the rest of the trip. Once I got to Gatwick I started feeling really giggly and shaky and everything. I shared a lift with a young lady in a Brighton University hoody, who saw my NZ-suitcase and was like “oh, you going to New Zealand as well!” She is a Kiwi, studying at Brighton, going home for Christmas. We had a nice chat. Lost her now, but it's reassuring to know there is someone who I can talk to when I get to the gate. So excited!!

When the Middle-Eastly dressed air hostess checked my passport and weighed my bags I was seriously scared I would burst into tears of sheer excitement. She looked so Middle-Eastern and cool and posh, but was British or at least had a British accent. My hand luggage bag was less than 7kg, amazingly!

 Super stylish Emirates air hostesses. www.gistexpress.com

Exactly an hour till boarding. What to do. I dunno if it's worth looking for plugs. My bags are pretty heavy. Hmmmm.

I AM GOING TO DUBAI and a fact I forgot to mention in my previous entry is you know the film where Tom Cruise climbs the Dubaian mirrory skyscraper (Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol I think?), the guy who plays the Swedish baddy is actually Finnish!! Yesterday was Finnish independence day ONNEKSI OLKOON SUOMI <3

Tty soon ;)

Emmmzzzzy

xxxxxxx

Off to the other side of the world...

Dear family, friends and fans,

For about ten years there has been a country I've been obsessed about. Originally the main reason was because it was so far away, but then it evolved into a more general interest in the amazing scenery, the exciting possible adventures and the cool accent. But it was always seemed like a dream which, one day or other may be realised, or may not be.

Another dream I've had for basically as long as I can remember is to travel outside of Europe. I love travelling and have visited a fair few countries, but all in Europe. I always knew that when I did leave Europe for the first time I'd like to do it “properly”, not just say hop over the border in Turkey or somewhere.

So, now it's happening, leaving tomorrow to be precise.

I AM GOING TO NEW ZEALAND. :)

Thank you Google

To see CC, to see Hayley, to experience a new place. A new AWESOME place.

Thank you Google

I leave Saturday morning (tomorrow) from Aberystwyth, Wales. About six hours in a train till Gatwick Airport. 6h 45min flight to Dubai. (DUBAI!!!! Yes, the city where Tom Cruise climbs a humongous glass skypscraper... Unfortunately apparently you can't see much from the airport...) A few hours there, then a quick flight to Brisbane, Australia. 14h 15min to be precise. INSANE. An hour in Australia, then a 3h 45min flight to Auckland, NZ. I arrive there Monday the 9^th of December, klo 14.35. That's half three in the morning (Monday) for the UK. I think.

Map on my wall depicting the journey...

Sleep pattern is experiencing changes. I am editing this (wrote it a few days back, never published, so sort of old knowledge) at 6.54am, woke up naturally at 5.56am due to waking up at 6am exactly for the past two days. If my plans had actually happened my alarm would've been at like 4am today. But I really, really, really cannot handle much lack of sleep. I really have felt if I have pre-jet lag. At least I have a lot of time in the mornings to do stuff.

My to do list for the past week... now much more messy and full (and yes Birmingham xmas market was amazing!!!)

Feel relatively well prepared, well in comparison to what I usually am at least! Bought an eye mask and ear plugs, thinking of what change of clothes to take, found passport, tickets and even got and printed out travel insurance!! Also, FINALLY got myself a pair of noise-cancelling earphones. (Third time lucky!) Will probably prove very useful for the flight... 

PLAN FOR NZ: Will be situated in Auckland at CC's place, but the first week will be roadtripping around the North Island. For Christmas we'll be going up north to CC's parents except that his parents won't be there. So will be an interesting Christmas... Anyways, will try keep you posted, hopefully tell you about any adventures, interesting encounters and probably any good food ;) 

COMMENTS ARE BEYOND WELCOME.

Hope you enjoy the new blog posts, Nectarine Travels gone Kiwi ;) (thanks to my dad for coming up with that lol)

AND if any of you have any last-minute advice/tips/hints/ideas about how to exist through a 30h-flight and the days following it please tell me :) Be it sleeping, what kinda activities to do, etc etc etc. 

Emmzzyyy

xxxx

Thank you Google

Thank you Google. Well, here NZ doesn't look much different to Wales does it...? Maybe it's all a scam