We arrived in Wakatane with plenty of time to spare for the White Island tour with the Pee Jay Company which was good since I needed to buy a new pair of sunglasses since I had lost mine in the bay of Islands. I didn’t have too much choice at the Pee Jay’s gift store but I picked out a pair anyway. There were not many people on our tour so the boat was very empty. The ride to the island was terribly rough and the sky was overcast so it did not seem like a good day. Even though I had taken pills I still felt woozy and my friends did as well. We sat in tortured silence for the 1.5 hour boat ride just hoping we could keep our breakfast down.

White Island

Once we arrived to the Island we were taken from the big boat over by a dingy a few people at a time. We were given yellow helmets and gas masks to wear when necessary.

My first impression of the island was that I had never seen anything like it and that it was out of this world. It was like walking through ash while jumping across neon yellow streams and having sulfur bubble at you from all directions. The only thing bad was that it was overcast which made it all seem so dreary. We walked in a single file line behind a guide. I had a short sleeved shirt on but also had my jacket with me and felt burning on my arms and raindrops on my skin. I asked Hendrik whether it was raining considering it was overcast but the guide behind me overheard my question and said it was acid rain. I quickly put on my jacket, even though I wasn’t cold to prevent the burning and was really glad that I had bought sunglasses because that was the only protection I had for my eyes.

Hendrik, me, Lissa, Simon, and Beata at the crater of the volcano

I think they should have also provided us with safety goggles because the rain did blow under and over my glasses making my eyes burn like crazy. It could not have been good for my eyes or skin. We were told we were there on an especially bad day and the tour even had to take a different route to avoid the rain. Before we went on the tour we were instructed to bring a rain coat, and then it made sense. It was for the acid rain. I just wished they had said that, considering I had brought my umbrella. It was completely useless since acid rain didn’t just fall from the sky but it was more like a mist that just clouded you.

Sulfur

No sooner then the rain began that it became very difficult to breathe and it hurt my throat to breathe and I would cough. We all put on our gasmasks at that point and didn’t take if off through the majority of the tour. At the very start of the tour when we had just gathered from the boat a man asked the guide if he would advise us when to put on our gas masks. He just chuckled and said “you’ll know.” Sure enough once we neared the crater we simultaneously started coughing. It was hard to breath through the gas mask and I could hear my breath so it was very Darth Vadarish. It was also very hot in the gas mask and coat, but still worth it. Once we had passed the acid rain zone it was great taking off my coat since I was a ball of sweat.

Walking in a "river bed"

I absolutely loved the Island and being in such a unique environment. I had never been so close to an active volcano and it was truly spectacular. About half way trough our tour the sky opened up and the clouds cleared and it was sunny making the whole place look even more remarkable. I loved seeing all the bright colors that are normally not found in nature and making my way through the mud which was like quick sand. If you stepped onto a wrong area and you sink it would burn your skin.

Old sulfur mine on White Island

Once we were back on the boat we had some really nice views of the Island. The journey back to mainland was much more relaxing since it is only rough one way and we could bask in the sun. Afterwards we drove to Taupo. Days later our clothes which we had worn on the Island still smelled of sulfur and our bags which had metal on it like my backpack’s zippers were corroded. Luckily, Hendrik’s new camera was not damaged.

White Island as seen from the boat when leaving

From Auckland we drove to Rotorua where I was set on going Zorbing.Zorbing was invented in New Zealand and I had wanted to do it as soon as I heard of it.Basically you get into a giant ball, and it rolls down a hill.I had wanted to do the dry zorb out of sheer laziness of not wanting to get wet and bother with changing but they only offered the hydro-Zorb in Rotorua. In a hydro-Zorb you aren’t strapped in in any way, like for the dry one, and bounce around in the ball. The water has to be there because otherwise your skin may stick to the ball and you would most likely get injured. My boyfriend also wanted to go, but our other friends didn’t, so at least we had someone to take pictures. We had wanted to go in one zorb together but we were also advised not to since Hendrik is bigger than me and we would probably flail and fall all over each other and I would get hurt.  Also because you cannot go down the zig-zag course with 2 people, so we both went down the zig-zag course by ourselves.

As we rode up in the ratty van and I mean really ratty the seats were totally falling apart up the hill one of the other guys which was going up as well asked me if I was scared.I wasn’t scared at all.Usually I get scared before roller coasters but this didn’t seem too scary at all.Once it was my turn I had some trouble getting into the ball, but once I was in I didn’t have to do anything.As it rolled I was flailed all around to the right, left, up, down, and it was very scary.Instantly, I was disoriented and the whole way down I screamed.Even though it was over fast it was still crazy fun, and nothing like I’ve done before.

Who knew mud could be so fun!

After that activity we had lunch where we voted on which thermal park to go to and Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) Thermal Wonderland unanimously won.Following our GPS it directed us to a building on some empty road, which was clearly not Wai-O-Tapu, but we stopped in the parking lot anyway and then realized we had to use our own devices.Finding the park wasn’t hard at all once we turned the GPS off.We first saw the mud pools and after we got over the stench of rotting eggs, which was everywhere around Rotorua, we were completely mesmerized by them.I’d never seen boiling mud before bubbling right in front of me, and we spent a lot of time just staring at it and trying to take pictures right as a mound would burst.

Champagne Pool

The park itself had lots of spectacular sights, including the famous Champagne Pool, which is a famous landmark for New Zealand with its orange rim.Unfortunately the wind was working against us and kept blowing steam in our direction so we couldn’t get a clear photo of the pool.Other sites included the Sulfur Caves and Mounds since sufur is abundant in the areas of thermal activity, and one of my favorites, Devil’s Bath, which is a pool of water that was neon green at least when we were there.  I had never seen nature in such odd colors and formations, and it was spectacular.

Me in front of Devil’s Bath

The next day we had a tour booked for White Island but I couldn’t find accommodation in Wakatane so I booked one in Kawerau, the Kawerau Thermal Motel, which was only a half an hour away.  The hotel was on the main road but we couldn’t find it as we drove back and forth trough the tiny factory town. Our GPS kept sending us onto closed roads and into the factory where they processed wood. Kawerau is a logging town and we found ourselves on roads that only loggers were supposed to use.The GPS hadn’t navigated us well anywhere yet so it fondly received the nickname of many curse words.  Finally I spotted the motel, since the sign was overgrown and we were taken aback that this was it.It looked pretty dumpy and I was asked if I had paid for it yet, I hadn’t so we could still run.We braved the office though, and a talkative friendly man checked us in ASAP and poured us a jug of milk to take with us to our room as we stood there thinking if we really did want to stay there.

Even though it looked run down from the outside it was better inside though both could use a face lift, but it would do.  We were excited about the pool but when we saw it we were also disappointed since it seemed small and unkempt and we decided we probably wouldn’t go swimming.We went to get dinner in town but seeing only 2 take away grease fast-food places we decided to buy food in the grocery store. Even though Kawerau is the size of a Wal-Mart, they had a decent supermarket.  We bought pasta to cook in our room and when we returned to the motel the owner asked us if we wanted to go to Karaoke with him and some others.   We didn’t because we were hungry and because its Karaoke, but we thought he was very nice.I just wondered where he was going to find Karaoke in Kawerau.

After dinner we discovered that the pool was warm, and therefore, we gave it a shot and surprisingly it was lovely and we spend a few hours in it playing games and relaxing.  Minus the first impressions we ended up having a lot of fun at the motel.

We got up early to go to Waitangi Treaty Grounds and the Bay of Islands.It took us longer to drive there than we had expected but at least we reached the grounds before closing time.We took the guided tour which was interesting.I had no previous knowledge of the Maori people and thought they were closely linked to the Aboriginals of Australia, but that was not the case at all.They are Polynesians just like the Hawaiians which I was familiar with.

That night we stayed in Paihia so we could explore the Bay of Islands the next day.We went on a sailing cruise with Explorenz which was very relaxing.I’d never been sailing before so it was a wonderful tranquil experience since the boat moved so fast through the water without the blaring of engines.We stopped at a gorgeous Island to hike/swim/snorkel/kayak.I only wish we had more time at the Island since we didn’t have time to do everything we wanted.

Bay of Islands

Then we had to drive back to Auckland because we had a very busy schedule to get through.We went to Lissa’s office where we had a lovely view of the city by night and she pointed out “The White House” to me on the way back to her apartment.Apparently it is a strip joint.

White House

This morning was rough, since the remnants of the wine were not making me or anyone else feel well.We planned on going to Rangitoto so even though I was not looking forward to a hike, we went.We had to take a Ferry to the island and I was curious to see the wharf considering how lovely Sydney’s Ferry wharf was, but I was very disappointed.Plainly, it was a dirty harbour not worth a mention.It was just a place like a bus stop to get on a boat, and fast because there weren’t even any benches to sit on.Auckland was soon becoming an ugly city.

Rangitoto was an inactive volcano from which there were really nice views of Auckland.The climb up would actually not be so bad, but I was feeling miserable so it was close to torture.At the top the crater was less than spectacular and when going through our photos later I was like, “what is that?” because I couldn’t imagine why on earth we had taken a picture of something so dull, and that was the crater.But luckily the highlight was not the crater but the view which was lovely.Auckland can be ugly but New Zealand is all about the nature.The clear blue water and gracefully curved carved islands around the city are gorgeous, and from the distance even Auckland looked pretty.

Going down was much easier than going up and back at shore we had sushi for lunch and then had to prepare for the Belgian party.Everyone was from Belgium and Lissa planned a Belgian party for her friends who had just flown across the globe to get away from Belgium complete with beer and waffles.Hendrik and I were really excited since we have had pretty shit beer in Australia the past year.It was fun and in two days we had already had a wine night and a beer night, so a hard alcohol night was surly in order.

Hendrik and I went on vacation to New Zealand or Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud) in Māori.  We took the bus from the airport to centre city, and the first thing that stuck out in the outskirts of town were cows on a hill. It was a pretty steep hill and it was a curiosity that the cows didn’t just fall off, but they looked as agile as mountain goats grazing on the steep hill. Once we entered the city I hardly knew we were near centre since it seemed like suburbs all the way to Queen St. then when we were on Queen St I saw a Wendy’s, which I pointed out to Hendrik since they don’t have Wendy’s in Australia or Europe so it was odd that it was here. Auckland was the only place I saw a Wendy’s and there was only one. Right next to it was an Oporto, a few steps down was a McDonalds, and then a Burger King, all on one block a few paces away. In all I counted about 5 Burger Kings (which were called Burger King and not Hungry Jack, like in AU) on Queen St alone not to mention all the other burger places and Queen St. really isn’t that long. In conclusion I figured that the Kiwis must really love their burgers and needed the grazing cows to fulfil this need.

We stayed at Hendrik’s friend’s apartment who lived smack in the centre city, and she complained that the nearest grocery store was quite far, but at least she was always only 5 steps away from a burger so she never had to fear starvation. She told us to get off the bus at the giant Santa Clause, that we couldn’t miss him. We were sceptical, but really you can’t miss him. He was huge and creepy. Not only did he look like someone you wouldn’t let your children near he also has one automated finger which moved in a beckoning fashion. Whoever thought that was a good idea for Santa had some issues, but Lissa, our friend assured us he’s there every year.

Then I met Hendrik’s other friends Beata and Simon who would also be travelling with us and we had a wine night. Definitely a bit too much. What we did see of Auckland we came to a one word conclusion, underwhelming. It was way smaller than I thought it would be and nothing that would stand out and be the landmark for the city except for the Santa and possibly burgers. Then of course there is the sky tower which is the most prominent building of the city, but we decided not to go to the top to save money. I didn’t mind because it seemed that the tower was the only building worth looking at anyway. Lissa decided to take us to her office building where she claimed to have great views but as we stood by the door she had forgotten to take her keys, so we had to postpone and wait in anticipation to gaze at the Auckland Skyline.

Wine night in a red bar.

Today Hendrik’s parents booked a tour to some of the places around Cairns. All the tours including the ones to Cape Tribulation were booked and this one was the only one available. Hendrik and I were less then thrilled to know we would be going back to Paronella Park and thought it would have been much wiser to just rent a car.

We went with Tropical Horizons Tours and the first stop was Lake Barrine where we had tea and scones, yes I felt like I had aged 50 years in a matter of 2 hours. Then we went on a cruise around the lake which was relatively small. The guide pointed out as many snakes and birds as he could but there just weren’t that many. We didn’t see any cassowaries or a platypus.

Giant curtain fig tree

The next stop was also my favourite which was the Giant Curtain Fig tree. I thought it was pretty spectacular the way the tree grew but it was also impossible to take a descent picture of since we couldn’t back up far enough. Then we were off to the Millaa Millaa waterfall, which was pretty and had lunch by the Mungalli waterfall. There was a 30 minute hike to the waterfall but we didn’t have time to do the hike so that was disappointing. So we didn’t get a good view of that waterfall.

How the tree formed

After lunch we did the Ma Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway which was nice and our guide was well informed. The last stop was Paronella Park which Hendrik and I skipped and relaxed outside in the café. I wouldn’t recommend this tour to people who have a limited time in Cairns. Go to Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation but as a tour it was well organized and the tour guide was very nice and passionate about nature and Australia.

Ma Mu Rainforest

This concluded the trip with Hendrik’s parents and the next day we all had morning flights, and Hendrik and I went back to Melbourne.

Yesterday we spent relaxing and shopping in Cairns so there was nothing worth mentioning. Today we set off to the Great Barrier Reef. We went with Reef Magic since they had something for everyone. Hendrik and I wanted to go diving, Hendrik’s dad wanted to snorkel, and Hendrik’s mom just wanted to relax. Reef Magic takes people to a pontoon, Marine World, where people can dive, snorkel, relax in lounge chairs, go on a semi-sub, or view the ocean from an underwater viewing gallery. So this was the best option for us.

The ride out to the reef was rough as usual so I took my travel-calm but many people did barf. I just stared out at the horizon the whole time. The ride to the reef is the worst thing about going to the reef from Cairns since it takes about 2 hours and it’s terrible.

Once there we went diving straight away. There is a platform that is underwater under Marine World to which stairs lead and this is for divers to enter the water. I really liked it since it was so smooth and allowed me to get situated with my BC and flippers while being able to stand in the water making the load on my back light. The reef was really nice below Marine World. We were with a group and had a guide and she was able to point out many interesting creatures like a trumpet fish which I had not seen yet while diving and three nemo families. Then we saw Wally, the resident Maori Wrasse which we each took a picture with. They had a really great photographer, much better than on the Kangaroo Explorer and I got a nice shot with Wally. He definitely does wonders for Reef Magic since everyone has to buy the picture because it’s so cool.

Me and Wally

After the dive Hendrik and I went on the semi-sub which was nice because of the live commentary but I would suggest them to wash their windows more often since lots of green stuff grew on it covering the view. We were still able to see sharks, a green turtle, and a unicorn fish. The buffet lunch was good and then we had one more dive. This time we were taken with the semi-sub to another part of the reef and dived there. All the comforts of getting into the water were reversed and it was very uncomfortable wearing the large and heavy oxygen tank on a little dingy.

Snorkling on the reef

This dive went well, and we saw two reef sharks, barracudas, and a feather star which I was able to touch. After the dive it was time to go back to Cairns which was a shame because we had no time to go snorkelling. I wouldn’t have minded spending another hour on Marine World. The ride home was smooth so it was much more pleasant and bearable. I really enjoyed Reef Magic and think they do a wonderful job.

We woke up at 4:15 so we would be at the park at 5:00AM which was opening time. It was a beautiful ride through the desert as dawn was breaking coloring the desert and Uluru/Ayers Rock. Unfortunately by this point Hendrik’s camera had totally broken and was unsalvageable and mine was also slowly deteriorating and refused to turn on. It seemed to only turn on when I didn’t actually need it to but when I did it wouldn’t. So unfortunately we don’t have pictures of this morning.

The sun had not yet risen when we started the Valley of the Winds hike around the Olgas/kata Tjuta and the earth was still cool. We had loads of water with us this time but it was pretty unnecessary since it was cool and there are 3 water stops along the hike. It was a beautiful hike and often strenuous. There were signs everywhere that depicted a stick figure falling on rocks which we thought was funny. The walk only took us about 2 hours and progressively it became hotter and hotter. We passed by many people just beginning the walk when we had ended and thought to ourselves that we definitely wouldn’t want to start in this heat. It wasn’t even 9:00AM and it was already hot. It was a gorgeous hike and I definitely recommend getting up early for it because the switch of colors and temperature from night to day are amazing.

We were glad we had made good time because we needed a shower and we would still make breakfast and yes buffet breakfasts excite me. I have to admit as food goes the Ayers Rock Resort was one of the nicest (far better than at Kings Canyon Resort) and I enjoyed the dinner as well as brekky. After breakfast we had a few hours to kill before we had to catch the plane so I just surfed the internet and hung out by the pool.

The Uluru Airport is tiny and is there solely for a rock. I thought that was pretty funny that a rock can have its own airport. We arrived in Cairns in the evening, booked a Great Barrier Reef tour on Reef Magic for the day after next, and just relaxed.

I was very excited about today since we had a helicopter ride booked to take us over Uluru/Ayers Rock, the Olgas, and Amadeus salt lake. We were transferred from the resort by a van to the tiny Uluru airport where a shiny yellow helicopter was waiting for us. I had never flown in a helicopter before and it was one thing that I had on my to do list before I die. We all got to wear a headset with a microphone because the helicopter is so loud that we wouldn’t be able to hear each other without it.

Helicopters fly much smoother than airplanes because they don’t need the speed to stay in flight, a helicopter can just hover in one place. I also loved the bowled out windows which were great for viewing the scenery. We started by viewing Ayers Rock which sadly looked less spectacular from the air than it did on the ground. I was excited about viewing the rock from the air but it just blended into the red sand around it. I also felt that we didn’t go close enough to it.

Then we looped around the Olgas/Kata Tjuta which was much more impressive from the air than on land because we could see the whole picture of them unlike from the ground when we only get one angle. From behind the rock sculpture we could see the Olgas /Kata Tjuta, Uluru/Ayers rock, and Mount Connor all line up which was pretty spectacular because this cannot be seen this from the ground.

Then we soared over the vast red desert and looked for camels underneath, but we didn’t find any. Apparently there are thousands of camels in the area and they are also hunted for their meat, and I can vouch for that since they are served to curious tourists at the Ayers Rock Resort. As we flew over the vast Amadeus we saw camel prints in the salt and also 4wd tire marks which is illegal but worth the risk to joy riders. I thought the lake was particularly interesting and beautiful. I’d never seen a dry salt lake before and the white was so out of the ordinary to the red landscape. Before the flight I thought that the lake would be the least impressive followed by the Olgas/Kata Tjuta and Uluru/Ayer’s rock would be most impressive but it was just the opposite.

The second half of the day in the late afternoon we planned to do the base walk around Uluru/Ayer’s Rock which is a flat 9km walk around the rock. We started in the Mala car park (where the climb begins) and walked clockwise half way through the Base Walk North/East, when Hendrik’s mom began to feel ill again. I can’t say the hoards of flies which surrounded us were helping anyone’s mood, but just made us wish we had bought hats with netting.  She had purchased a hat now but she had probably not fully recovered from before. Hendrik was really bored with the walk saying that it is just flat and the same. He was also pissed that the road led around the rock too, to which I said, “You knew that we drove around it yesterday.” I thought it was obvious what we were getting ourselves into so the walk hadn’t deflated my expectations and I wanted to finish it since I wanted to finish what I started, get some exercise, and I had nothing better to do. Hendrik’s mother couldn’t have finished it, and his parents went back to get the car and Hendrik and I finished half the circuit. In hindsight we should have done the walk the other way since I think the rock is more interesting on the other side, if we were only going to do half but usually it doesn’t matter because you can’t get to your car without going back.

Even though we recommended the sunset viewing for Hendrik’s parents his mother was not feeling up to it, and she had to be taken back to the resort and didn’t come out for the rest of the night. The red sand had totally turned my Tevas maroon and after many washings I still have some of the red on them which will probably be permanent.

During the day Hendrik and I also discussed tomorrow’s plans. I wanted to climb the rock but Hendrik wouldn’t let me since the Aboriginals don’t want people climbing it. For them it is a sacred thing to do and therefore an insult to climb. Though I can understand that point of view I disagree with it. The path is already closed most of the time and only opens from 5AM-8AM if it’s not too windy so why not just close it off? While doing the base walk there were plenty of signs for other places at the base of the rock that said people aren’t allowed to take pictures of let alone allowed to enter because it is sacred. So I didn’t really know what to think. I would have felt better about the trip knowing I wasn’t allowed to climb it in the first place then being pretty much guilted and scared out of it. In the info center we found information how bad luck will come to those who climb the rock and the stories of those who died were very available. I didn’t think that was in good taste. I know things can have a meaning to other people but for me it’s just a giant rock which I’d have loved to climb and I don’t see the wrong in that. People compare it to churches and temples, but I see a divide in man-made structures and nature. I don’t feel its right to say that it’s only holy for the Aboriginals because who’s to say that someone else can’t have a religious experience on or by Uluru?

Anyway, in conclusion, I wasn’t allowed to do the climb, which I regret, but hey, at least I won’t have bad luck. So we decided to hike around the Olgas/Kata Tjuta instead and do the Valley of the Winds hike. We also had to get up really early since the hike closed and because we didn’t want to do it in the dead heat, because that’s no fun.

We drove through the desert towards Uluru/Ayers Rock. On the way we hardly passed any cars but we did see plenty of huge birds eating road kill by the side of the road and even saw a dead camel. When we got closer to the rock suddenly we were surrounded by coaches. At a lookout we could see the dry Amadeus Salt Lake and a rock which looked like Uluru/Ayers Rock but we later learned that it wasn’t Uluru/Ayers Rock but Mount Conner or Connor or Attila or Artilla, or the mountain with lots of names. Apparently Uluru/Ayers Rock, the Olgas, and Mount Conner all line up in a straight line. The sand at the lookout was even redder than at King’s Canyon and very soft.

Hendrik and Mt. Conner behind him

When we arrived at Uluru/Ayers Rock it was funny to see the village which existed here solely for tourism. It was made up of only hotels, resorts and campsites. We stayed at the Ayers Rock Resort which had mediocre rooms, the worst we’d stayed in thus far, but I found out that the hotel was the most expensive one we stayed at during the whole vacation so someone was really getting rich off the rock.

Hendrik and I went to see the rock without his parents since his mother wasn’t feeling well from yesterday’s sun. As we drove up to the thing it was amazing as it rose up from the earth in front of us. I had pretty low expectations because at the end it is just a rock but it’s definitely worth a visit. Out of nowhere there’s this gigantic red monolith which some claim to be the largest monolith in the world. Others say it is the second largest next to Mount Augustus. It stands 1105meters tall while Uluru/Ayers only 348 meters so my vote would have to go to Augustus but at least most everyone agrees that Uluru/Ayers Rock looks way more spectacular. We were definitely in awe of the rock. We visited the info/ Aboriginal cultural center and drove around the rock stopping at the highlights.  I particularly liked the Mutitjulu Water Hole, a crevice where a waterfall appears when it rains and forms a pool at the bottom. I would have loved to see the rock in the rain becasue not only would lots of waterfalls appear on the rock but also it would cool the earth down, but no such luck since it hardly ever rains in the desert.

On our way back to the resort we stopped by the sunset lookout point which had at least 100 campervans and cars all parked in a line already staring at the rock. Minus the crap-load of people if was beautiful and we were able to take many nice pictures as the rock changed colors because of the setting sun.

The typical postcard pic