Sorry for combining the last few posts... It's been hard to keep up this week!
On our last full day in New Zealand, our whale watching was cancelled, AGAIN. Such a bummer but they gave us a refund and we will just have to do something super awesome in Australia to make up for it!
We decided to head to Christchurch afterwards and spend the remaining time there... I think we saw almost everything there is to see in Kaikoura in the 2 days that we were there.
From the very beginning of the trip, Tyler and I said that we would pick up a hitchhiker (sorry Mom) but under the conditions that they were female and looked relatively harmless. It's common to travel this way across New Zealand- could you even imagine attempting that in the US?! No thank you!
So sure enough, we pass 2 young girls hitch-hiking on our way out of Kaikoura. We made a deal with each other that if they were still there after we filled up with gas, we would give them a ride. And there they were!
The girls jumped in (thankfully spoke decent English) and filled us in on their travels as we made the 90 minute drive to Christchurch. They were both from Quebec, 21 years old (if I remember correctly) and actually on a work holiday visa in Australia. They had only been in New Zealand a few days and were picking up their vehicle in Christchurch. I was happy to know they wouldn't be hitchhiking the whole time! They both strongly agreed that girls (and guys) their age should take advantage of traveling internationally like this if they can get the visa. One wasn't sure what she wanted to study at University so at least while she is figuring it out, she is working and getting to travel the world!
We dropped them off in the Cathedral Square and decided to wander the area. We ended up back at the Re-Start shops, bought a few souvenirs and were even able to jump on a company call!
We wanted to find a place on a small, nearby beach to camp which resulted in the van getting stuck in some deceivingly deep sand. The warning sign said not to drive on the dunes but said nothing about sinking on the road!
Long story short, we were lucky that a young couple was leaving the beach (before it got dark), in a truck and with towing gear. What are the odds, right??
I would have taken a picture of the ordeal but thought Tyler may have not appreciated it in the moment... haha! We ended up finding a camping spot on a paved road not far from the windy beach and had another awesome sleep in the Goon Machine. I'm telling you, this van must have some serious sleeping mojo. The cushions were not overly comfortable and our pillows were basically hollow but still we slept like babies every night!
Day 14:
We returned the campervan to Wicked Campers after taking it for a wash and headed to the airport a couple of hours early. It was sad to leave New Zealand even though Auckland and the Waitomo caves seemed like they were ages ago!
The flight was uneventful although delayed so let's fast forward to our accommodation in Sydney...
PERFECT!
I used airbnb.com to book us a room in Potts, Point. We are staying in an apartment with a beautiful view of downtown Sydney and the Harbor bridge. Everything is a bit pricey over these days because of New Year's Eve and this apartment is no exception BUT, we have the perfect few of the Harbour for the fireworks so we won't have to go anywhere to celebrate! It is 10:30 am on the 31st as I write this and from our balcony you can SEE thousands of people lined up already. I've never seen anything like it.
If you look closely at this picture, near the center, you can see a mob of people where the line is forming!
Ben & Hannah are our hosts here and they have been fabulous. They actually surprised us with tickets to the rooftop celebration in their building! Each apartment gets 4 and they were able to buy some off of a fellow tenant for us. The rooftop here is one of the most sought after in the city.
We explored a bit in the Potts Point area after getting settled in, reminded me of NYC... Just cleaner. Took a trip up to the roof top to check out the view before heading to bed and it didn't disappoint... I will make you wait until after the fireworks for those pictures!
The view from our balcony at night isn't so bad either:
Crazy to think that our Australian adventures have just begun.
XOXO
Elissa
Comments
Post a Comment