Friday, July 29, 2005
NZ2: Christchurch - Oamaru - Dunedin
Hey guys, thanks for all your lovely birthday messages, I really appreciate all your blessings. I don't know how's it gonna be like to be 24, but this is what's fun about, you never know what would happen and life should be full of unpredictable adventure... Just like my trip in New Zealand! Here is a little bit of update for you all!
Christchurch is 85% like England, the buildings, the weather (Cold rain with chilling wind), the trees...etc. It's a beautiful town, especially the Bontanic Garden is very pretty! However, the town is really dead, everything open so late and close so early... To be honest, I don't like the atmosphere here at all.
At night, we went to this Irish pub - Mickey Finn's City, for a drink. This pub is so Christianish, Jesus christ statues everywhere, very dim light with white candle in all tables. Hence, we started to discuss some anti-religion topic. There's a pub band (The Bills) playing, they were really good. All in the sudden, they even played a birthday song to me! I was totally stunned, then Hanna and Lena came out with a card and a bracelace. (I was so keen to buy, but walked away after Jon told me the seashell crisis in Thailand) Yeah, very touched... I was quite emotional this nite. :) Really appreciate all these friends I have.
Yesterday, thank god we left Christchurch the depressing town, I would suicide if we had to stay for one more day. After breakfast, we picked up the Subaru car and raced all the way to Oamaru. To celebrate my birthday, the crew suggested to see the blue penguin, they are the smallest penguin in the world. (averagely 35cm tall; weight 1kg) We didn't see a lot this time, since the male tend to be with the female penguins while they're about to give birth. However, We did see some up close penguin action, they were soooo cute though the staff said they are very aggressive and not really scare of people. It was great fun, too bad they don't let people to take picture, but if you are interested, check out their website: http://www.penguin.co.nz
Next, we reached Dunedin and very happy that we came here instead of stay in Christchurch, it's such a magnificent town, I love it! We picked a slightly expensive hostel, but something really random had happened! In the backpacker pub, I encountered my favorite highschool teacher - Annette Tam! (if u checked my old pic in HK, there's one me and my classmates with her in Dan Ryan!) Haven't see her like decades and never expected to see her here, in this hostel, in this town. Far out...!
Today, we went to see some churches here, all the buildings here are very nice, stunning architecture they have. We were supposed to join the Speight's brewery tour, but it's full. Therefore, we had a Chocolate ale there (taste weird...) and headed to the Cadbury chocolate factory for a tour. The guide looks like an animation, you would think the same if you saw his facial expression... It's amazing to see the giant chocolate waterfall, it's the biggest in the world. Some chocolate splashed out and get to our shirt, of course the only way to clean it is to lick it off. We did that, then the guide said "yeah, this waterfall is just for tourist, no use at all, and we pump all the chocolate up and re-use them again..." Re-used chocolate... Apart from that, we ate so many nice chocolate, it's quite addictive. yummy!!
Tomorrow we will be heading to Te Anau (where the Lord of The Ring is!) and meet up with Jo, our 4th travel partner. It's gonna be kool. Wee~~!! Happy days...
P.S. Dunedin's internet is so bloody expensive!!! :(
[[audio: Common - The Corner]]
Hey guys, thanks for all your lovely birthday messages, I really appreciate all your blessings. I don't know how's it gonna be like to be 24, but this is what's fun about, you never know what would happen and life should be full of unpredictable adventure... Just like my trip in New Zealand! Here is a little bit of update for you all!
Christchurch is 85% like England, the buildings, the weather (Cold rain with chilling wind), the trees...etc. It's a beautiful town, especially the Bontanic Garden is very pretty! However, the town is really dead, everything open so late and close so early... To be honest, I don't like the atmosphere here at all.
At night, we went to this Irish pub - Mickey Finn's City, for a drink. This pub is so Christianish, Jesus christ statues everywhere, very dim light with white candle in all tables. Hence, we started to discuss some anti-religion topic. There's a pub band (The Bills) playing, they were really good. All in the sudden, they even played a birthday song to me! I was totally stunned, then Hanna and Lena came out with a card and a bracelace. (I was so keen to buy, but walked away after Jon told me the seashell crisis in Thailand) Yeah, very touched... I was quite emotional this nite. :) Really appreciate all these friends I have.
Yesterday, thank god we left Christchurch the depressing town, I would suicide if we had to stay for one more day. After breakfast, we picked up the Subaru car and raced all the way to Oamaru. To celebrate my birthday, the crew suggested to see the blue penguin, they are the smallest penguin in the world. (averagely 35cm tall; weight 1kg) We didn't see a lot this time, since the male tend to be with the female penguins while they're about to give birth. However, We did see some up close penguin action, they were soooo cute though the staff said they are very aggressive and not really scare of people. It was great fun, too bad they don't let people to take picture, but if you are interested, check out their website: http://www.penguin.co.nz
Next, we reached Dunedin and very happy that we came here instead of stay in Christchurch, it's such a magnificent town, I love it! We picked a slightly expensive hostel, but something really random had happened! In the backpacker pub, I encountered my favorite highschool teacher - Annette Tam! (if u checked my old pic in HK, there's one me and my classmates with her in Dan Ryan!) Haven't see her like decades and never expected to see her here, in this hostel, in this town. Far out...!
Today, we went to see some churches here, all the buildings here are very nice, stunning architecture they have. We were supposed to join the Speight's brewery tour, but it's full. Therefore, we had a Chocolate ale there (taste weird...) and headed to the Cadbury chocolate factory for a tour. The guide looks like an animation, you would think the same if you saw his facial expression... It's amazing to see the giant chocolate waterfall, it's the biggest in the world. Some chocolate splashed out and get to our shirt, of course the only way to clean it is to lick it off. We did that, then the guide said "yeah, this waterfall is just for tourist, no use at all, and we pump all the chocolate up and re-use them again..." Re-used chocolate... Apart from that, we ate so many nice chocolate, it's quite addictive. yummy!!
Tomorrow we will be heading to Te Anau (where the Lord of The Ring is!) and meet up with Jo, our 4th travel partner. It's gonna be kool. Wee~~!! Happy days...
P.S. Dunedin's internet is so bloody expensive!!! :(
[[audio: Common - The Corner]]
