Hello again!

Well, week #2 is done and so is my solo portion of this trip – later today I’ll fly to Melbourne and meet up with Abdulla.  By the time week #3 is over, we’ll be off hiking somewhere in northern Thailand… lots of exciting things to come.

In the mean time, I’ve had a much more relaxed, low-key week than the last one.  After uploading my last post in a McDonalds in Rotorua, I took a nice stroll around the town and treated myself to a gigantic dinner of NZ lamb shanks – delicious.  It was so big that I saved the leftovers for lunch the next day!  Those of you who know me well know that this is rare… I’m capable of eating a lot for dinner.

The next morning I got back on the Kiwi Experience bus and headed for Auckland.  We arrived in the early afternoon, and by dinner time I’d finished a 2-hour walking tour of the city.  I ate dinner at a place called Food Alley – its a little food court packed with about 15 different hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurants serving up delicious and dirt-cheap meals.  I had a nice big plate of Indian lamb curry and went to bed happy.

The next day I decided to take a ferry over to Devonport, a suburb just across the bay from Auckland with great walks and views.  After an impulse-buy gluten-free muffin and a ferry ride full of school kids, I realized I’d forgotten to put on sunscreen =/.  Long story short, after an annoying search through downtown Devonport for sunscreen, I bought a cheap stick of unusual sunscreen and ultimately got burnt anyway.  Oh well, lesson learned.

Sunburn aside, I had a great time walking around Devonport.  The city itself is… quaint, and decidedly wealthier than Auckland itself; instead of Polynesian thugs cruising down Queen Street in low-riders blasting rap, Devonport is full of old white women driving Mercedes.  What really makes the town rich and desirable, though, are the views from Mt. Victoria and the harbour’s North Head – after lunch I walked to both of these sightseeing spots, and got some great panoramic views of downtown Auckland and the surrounding areas.  No wonder this is where the rich live.

Later in the afternoon, after getting back to the hostel and resting for a bit, I used up most of my remaining NZ cash on a trip up Auckland’s Sky Tower: their space needle-equivalent building (and, it so happens, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere).  I watched the sunset from the top, and got even more great views of Auckland.  All around a very sightseeing/picture-worthy day =).  After the sun set, I went back to Food Alley for another quick cheap meal (this time a Thai soup), and wrapped up my last day in NZ with another trip to McDonalds to use the internet.

On Friday morning, I went back to the airport to fly to Sydney.  But boy was I surprised when they told me I couldn’t check in – I didn’t have a visa to enter Australia!  There had been a miscommunication with the travel agent and a visa was never arranged – luckily I was able to buy one at the airport right there and then, and I made my flight with no problems. 

Once I was in Sydney, I met up with my old friend and coworker James Polley, who I’ve been staying with during my time here.  We had a nice dinner at home with his friend Graham, and watched heaps (Ozzie slang for lots) of TV before going to bed.

Saturday was a rainy, unpleasant day.  But I was still determined to get out of the house and see something, so I walked to the Google office, the opera house, the Rocks, and Obseratory Hill Park – some of my favorite places from my time here last year.  I came back to James’ place for a video chat with my parents, and then met up with (ex-boyfriend) Dave for dinner.  It was great to see Dave, and we had a fun night; after dinner we out went to a comedy club, and then finished up at a bar in Enmore.

The next morning (Easter), Dave and I drove out to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.  After a long, traffic-filled drive, we made it to the town of Katoomba (the main city in the Blue Mountains) for lunch.  During the afternoon we visited Echo Point, the Three Sisters (a rock formation), and Wentworth Falls, all of which were absolutely beautiful.  Back in Sydney by the late afternoon, I met up with James, Graham, and another friend Tim for a great home-cooked dinner at Graham’s apartment.

Monday was an easy, uneventful day.  The rain returned, so I stayed inside, did laundry, and surfed the web.  I had a fantastic gchat with Nate, Eliza, and Leo, and caught up on some television (Rupaul’s Drag Race and America’s Next Top Model).  That night James and I met up with James McGill (my former boss at Google) and Eddy Meade (another former coworker) for a sushi dinner in Glebe.

On Tuesday, though it was still rainy, I was determined to see more of Sydney while I still could.  I took a walk out to Hyde Park and the opera house (again), caught the bus to Bondi Beach, and took a nice leisurely stroll from North Bondi down to Bronte Beach.  The sun poked through during my time at Bondi, which made for some gorgeous walking in the sand – I was in heaven.  In general, the weather ended up working in my favor throughout the day; it stayed clear during my entire time on the coast, and just as I finished up a fruit juice I’d bought at Bronte Beach, it started to rain again.  I walked straight to the bus stop and went back into Sydney – perfect timing.  That evening I had dinner with James and Graham at a Thai restaurant in Pyrmont, and came home to watch a little more TV. 

And now, here I am – its Wednesday morning and I’m about to roll out of James’ apartment.  I’m on my way to Google for lunch with some coworkers from last year, and from there it’s straight to the airport and on to Melbourne.  I’ve got to say, I am sad to leave Sydney yet again.  Even in the rain it’s a beautiful city.  I’m sure I’ll be back here again some day…

I’d conclude with a “tidbits I’ve learned” segment, but the truth is, I haven’t really learned any new tidbits!  I covered all my Kiwi knowledge in the last note, and I’m already well-versed in Ozzie oddities after living here for three months last year (check out my Facebook notes to see what I wrote last summer).

Next time in Thailand!

-Izaak