Contrary to popular belief, Mardi Gras isn’t just about Beer, Beads and Breasts. The festival and parades were actually described to us by one locals as being put on “for the locals, not for the tourists”. A family affair, outside of Bourbon street you’ll see festival revelers of all ages, and even a few local canines taking part. Here’s some images from the parades that took place when I was there in 2012.

Masked revelers enjoy a Mardi Gras Parade

One of the half-dozen music groups walking through the French Quarter as part of the Barkus parade during Mardi Gras.

A rider on a Mardi Gras float throws beads overboard

One of the younger parade attendees toots her own horn.

One of the impressive marching bands charges down the street with attitude

The "Centerpiece" of these float were women dressed in colorful regalia.

The "Krewe of Barkus" is the only Mardi Gras parade centered around dogs and donates all of its proceeds to local shelters.

An injured dog is transformed into a mock Mardi Gras float.

A drummer steps out of formation to ham it up with the crowd.

I'm pretty sure this was a roller derby group dancing down as part of a parade.

This girl shouts and waves in an attempt to get a good Mardi Gras "Throw". The beads are the most famous of these, but the locals seek better throws like plush animals and doubloons.

Throughout the French Quarter you can find little shops selling high quality, hand made Mardi Gras masks - real works of art.

A new site just hit the web and I think everyone should go check it out.  The Indie Travel Manifesto, a collaboration between one of my favorite travel authors, Rolf Potts, and the Boots-n-all travel network, attempts to define Independent travel and create a community for those that relate to it.

Here’s the video they released with the site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYIRLeiLtNs

I’ve typed out the individual statements below for your reference, which you can also find on their site indietravel.org.  I have to say, they did a great job of defining the style of travel I, and many others, try and promote.  All you have to do is scan the statements below to see why we love to travel this way and why we wish others would as well.  Discovery, growth, values, meaning – these aspects of travel don’t typically come with the umbrella in your pina colada.

Indie travel is about…

-       Replacing Broad expectations with nuanced realities.

-       Seeing yourself in the context of a rich and complex world.

-       Defining your values, exploring your beliefs, and crafting your own meaning for life.

-       Options over possessions

-       Dynamic Possibilities over Static Goals

-       Discovery over Escape

-       Interactions over Transactions

-       Local Information over received information

-       First-hand experience over expert opinions

-       Mental and spiritual growth as much as physical adventure

-       Private transformation over social status and bragging rights

-       The present moment over dreams of past and future

-       Pack light and keep things simple

-       Adapt as you go rather than micromanage in advance

-       Practice caution, but not paranoia

-       Slow down and enjoy an experience

-       Seek pleasure in simple moments and details

-       Make meaningful connections and informed decisions

-       Learn the economic, political and environmental context of my host culture

-       Emphasize listening more than talking

-       Practice courtesy, patience, humility, and good humor

-       Seek to understand – not judge or romanticize – other cultures.

-       Give back to the local economy.

-       Share what you’ve learned with others.

What do you think about these statements?  How do your thoughts on travel line up with these?

Image by NVinacco from Flickr.

I had grand plans at the start of this new year – weekly blogging, 365 days of photos and more.  Of course, I only made it a few days into January before becoming really really sick.  A week of headaches led into three weeks of fatigue and a hacking cough that is only now fading away.  So, due to unforeseen circumstances, I’m calling January a wash and am resetting my New Year resolutions beginning in February.

Being that sick got me thinking to how much it sucks being sick abroad.  Here at home, I at least had the comfort of a bed and a few people to comfort and take care of me.  When doing the independent travel thing and you get sick, you’re often in an unfamiliar place with nobody around to help you through that illness.  Here’s a few thoughts on how best to deal with being sick abroad.

Travel Insurance

The first thing I’d suggest is to make sure you’re traveling with traveler’s insurance.  In addition to covering things like major accidents and emergency evacuation, in a situation where you’re sick in a country where you don’t speak the language, you can call your provider, explain the situation and get good advice, usually from a staff nurse, on what to do next.  This is especially handy of you have symptoms for something that might be more than a normal cold or food poisoning.

God forbid you have to go to a local doctor or hospital, the insurance provider will tell you where the closest reliable place to go is, handle any communication issues, and cover any extraneous costs.  Hopefully you don’t get sick on your trip, but if it does happen, having travel insurance covers most of your bases.

First Aid Kit

I always carry a first aid kit at the bottom of my backpack and it’s surprising how often it comes in handy.  Yes it’s got bandaids and first aid cream, but I usually end up using the various medications more.  Anti-diarrhea meds, headache relief and rehydration packets are a life saver when you need them.  Don’t forget to refill these after heavy use or you’ll be left in the cold (pun intended) when you need them next time.

Digestion issues and food poisoning are probably the most common issues a traveler will run into.  The more foreign the country you are traveling in is to your home country, the higher the odds of something happening.  Best to have a remedy with you as it could be difficult to find the appropriate meds after the fact, not to mention that you won’t want to be wandering around town in your condition.

Hostels and Hotels

Take advantage of the staff at your accommodation.  They’ll know where the closest doctor or hospital is, where to get the meds you need, and will hopefully have a good handle on your language and be willing to act as a translator if needed.  They should also know if you might have caught something common to the local area that might be serious.

In addition, if it looks like you’re going to be laid up for a few days recovering from your illness, get out of the dorm room and splurge for a private room.  There’s nothing worse than having to deal with other people’s crap when you’re sick and you’ll gain karma points by not passing it along in case whatever you have is contagious.

Call Home

Call, skype or otherwise communicate with someone(s) back home.  Just talking to people back home adds a level of comfort to your situation.  Being completely alone for three days while recovering from food poisoning isn’t a situation anyone wants to be in.  Make it better by getting some love from friends or family back home.

Ever been sick on the road?  How’d you deal with it?  Share your tips so other people don’t have it so hard when a virus floats along…

It’s December 31^st, 2011 and I’m back home in the states after nearly three years flashpacking around the world.  Last year at this time I was in Bangkok and the year prior to that was spent at a temple in Tokyo.  Tonight is a going to be a bit more low key – dinner with my parents and a relaxing night at home.  It’s nice to take a break every once in a while.

I spent 30 months traveling through 12 countries (Spain, England, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Australia and New Zealand).  I worked in three of them, spent a month with my father moving through two, and met some incredible people in each and every one.

Looking ahead to 2012

I’m going to try and make this next year just as big as the last.  I won’t be moving around nearly as much, but hope to have some huge results this time next year.  Since I’m a firm believer that announcing goals and resolutions help keep the pressure on to complete them, here are my five resolutions for 2012.

Blog Weekly

Since I got back from my trip two months ago, I’ve really let my updates on the blog lapse, and that’s something I aim to fix next year.  I think I started to over do it and that caused me to look at it as work, which led to my not looking forward to writing the updates.  I resolve to post at least once a week, but not feel like I should be doing more.  I also aim to get the daily photos running again.

Learn Spanish

The next big trip is scheduled for the end of 2013.  The current plan is a year+ roadtrip through South America with a few scattered people I’ve met these last 30 months of travel.  I know just a bit through the osmosis that comes from growing up in Southern California, but I want to get to a point where I can actually carry on a conversation.

Lose 15 Pounds

I was doing great on the trip until I hit Australia, where I went from cheap, fairly healthy Asian meals to expensive western food.  I saved money by cooking for myself much more often, but still managed to gain more weight than I would have liked.  I’m starting an exercise and eating program tomorrow that will, hopefully, get me in the greatest shape I’ve been in since I was on the Men’s Crew team in college.

New Projects

My biggest goal this year is to try my hand at a few entrepreneurial Internet projects.  I’m currently teaching myself more about online business and how a few things work on the web.  The aim is to launch AT LEAST THREE new projects this year.  If anyone else is starting some ambitious projects and looking for a partner, contact me.

365 Days of Photography

This is a double-sided goal.  First, I aim to get the Daily Photo back up, which involves going through the tens-of-thousands of photographs from the trip and getting them edited and organized.  The other side of the coin, inspired by Brendan’s Adventures, is to join up with the 365-day Photo Challenge.  I’ll be endeavoring to shoot on a daily basis and get something up on my facebook fan page.

Are you doing anything similar?  Care to hop on board so we can keep each other on track?  Let me know what you’re up to in the comments.

Cairns is the epicenter of options for diving the largest reef system in the world – The Great Barrier Reef.  A world heritage site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world (as named by CNN), this destination is high on the list of many travelers, and is certainly a spot not to be missed when visiting Australia.

I had the opportunity to experience the reef with three different companies out of Cairns.  The longest trip, a four-night jaunt up to the Coral Sea with Mike Ball, came first.  Upon returning to Cairns, I took a day of rest before jumping aboard another boat with Pro Dive.

Some of the colorful coral out on the reef.

Strategy for The Great Barrier Reef

I’m going to diverge for a second and discuss how I think you should approach spending time on the reef.  First off, don’t just spend a single day out there.  That’s like going to Paris, Rome or New York for a day and saying you’ve really seen the city.  Nonsense.  Take your time and spend at least 3 days there – not in and around Cairns, but on the reef itself.  You’re doing yourself a disservice if you only spend a day and then move on.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, the reef is mind-bogglingly huge, and getting on a liveboard will let you spend the most time out on the water and, hopefully, diving.  It would be best if you arrive already knowing how to dive, as this would allow you to spend your limited time enjoying the reef and not learning as you go.  That being said, you can easily learn how to dive when you get there, and it is worth the time and money to experience a whole new world under water.  You could see the reef via snorkel, but you miss out on many of the interesting coral and other animals (turtles, sharks, rays, etc.) that live more than a few meters under the surface.

In addition to letting you stay out on the water longer, you get to access parts of the reef further away from Cairns.  The further you get, the healthier the reef and, generally, the more animal life you see.  I had a strange experience where I did a long liveaboard where we visited a remote part of the reef and then later did another liveaboard with Pro Dive much closer to Cairns.  The same species of fish that would scatter as you approached in the remote areas seemed much less skittish during the Pro Dive liveaboard.  I can’t prove it, but I suspect they were much more used to seeing divers in the water because there is SO MUCH diving going on close to Cairns.

A swim through 10 meters under the sea.

Dive the Reef with Pro Dive

With so many companies operating classes, day trips and “short” 2-3 day liveaboards, it can be difficult to know whom to go with.  Pro Dive has, arguably, the best reputation of any dive company in Cairns and should be your first choice for this reason alone.  When you’re dealing with people and equipment that could affect your safety, go with someone you trust.

I didn’t do any classes with them, but out of 27 guests on my 3-day liveaboard trip, 19 were doing open water classes and one was doing his advanced open water class.  The rest of us were fully certified and buddied up for our own dives.  The only real group dives were the night dives, which was totally fine with me as I’d only done two night dives before then.

One piece of advice – try and make sure you’re traveling with another diver you can buddy up with.  One of the drawbacks of doing this kind of trip solo is the “quality” of your buddy.  I had great luck during the Mike Ball trip, but then I was the least experienced during that trip and everyone on that boat was great.  During the Pro Dive trip, I split my time with the guy going for his advanced cert, who hadn’t dived in a while and didn’t listen very well to the staff or during briefings, and a German guy who didn’t speak very good English and hadn’t dived in two years.  I went from being on one boat where I was the relative newbie to leading two others during our dives.

Some more Anemone Fish

The Great Barrier Reef

The spots we visited with Pro Dive were fine, but weren’t up to the caliber of what we saw at the Coral Sea, but that’s to be expected.  The three-day trip is offered just about every day, so these dive sites are seeing dive and snorkel traffic every day or every other day, and the reef shows it.

I also believe that because the majority of the boat was filled with new divers getting their first certificates, we didn’t visit dive sites that might have been more interesting to more advanced divers.  I hadn’t thought about that beforehand but it makes total sense and is something to consider when booking your trip.

Average Boat but Plenty of Food

The boat was smaller than the one I took up to the Coral Sea with Mike Ball, and made do with six crew, half the amount of the Mike Ball crew.  Most of the rooms are set up with bunks while a few appeared to be double beds set up for couples.

There were also a few maintenance issues that would have made the trip a much better experience.  My bedroom lamp didn’t work, one of the showers really should have been replaced and forget about staying on the salon level (where my room was) in the afternoon.  It was like a sauna in there on the return trip to Cairns, and I got no real response from the crew after asking if they could fix the heat or turn up the air conditioning.

A piece of soft coral is illuminated by the flash of the Camera.

Food was about what you’d expect for buffet-style brekkie, lunch and dinner.  The good news is there’s plenty of it and always something to snack on after every dive.  Water, tea and coffee are free all day, but anything else you have to pay for and remember to bring your own alcohol on the boat as they don’t sell it.  Internet on the boat was also a nice surprise.

Conclusion

I was probably a bit spoiled coming on board the Pro Dive trip two days after doing the Mike Ball trip, but I couldn’t help but compare the two.  The Pro Dive trip was 3 days, 2 nights and visited a part of the reef pretty close to Cairns and so sees a lot of dive activity.  The Mike Ball trip was 4 nights, 5 days and went all the way up to the Coral Sea, a region that doesn’t see nearly as much dive traffic.

At time of print, the Pro Dive trip costs $680 with taxes and the Mike Ball trip costs $1751 for the budget option.  At almost three times the cost, Mike Ball is an option many people will pass over for more affordable trips.  If you can’t afford to get far out on the reef with a group like Mike, where the whole experience is very high quality, then I recommend going with Pro Dive.

From all the options I investigated, which were many, Pro Dive offered a good variety and, again, has the highest reputation of any of the 3 day / 2 night operators out of Cairns. This reputation is even more important if you’re going to be doing classes since safety should be one of your primary concerns.

Peek-a-boo - A diver peeks through a natural hole in the coral.

If I were going back and had didn’t have the funds to go with Mike Ball again, I’d definitely book something with Pro Dive, as long as I was seeing or doing something new.

One Tip: Instead of renting a camera from whichever company you decide to dive with, stop by the WetRez Camera shop and rent from there.  You can rent all manner of cameras for days at a time at a better rate than any of the boats I looked at.  This worked great for me the whole time I was in Cairns.

Location: Cairns

Experience: Pro Dive Cairns

Accommodation: Cairns Central YHA

Transportation: Greyhound

Camera: Wet Rez Camera

Highlights: Three more days diving the reef, more turtles and sharks, a giant spiny lobster

DISCLOSURE:  I HAVE NEGOTIATED A DISCOUNT WITH BOTH GREYHOUND AND YHA, BUT WILL BE GIVING AS HONEST AN EVALUATION OF THE TRIP AS I AM ABLE.  I ALSO RECEIVED A DISCOUNT ON THE PRO DIVE TRIP.

The Great Barrier Reef is massive, and Cairns is the launching point for the majority of ways to experience the reef.  I’d known since I started this flashpacking adventure two-and-a-half years ago that I would be headed here, and now the time had come.

I spent my first full day in Cairns doing research on dive companies, talking to dive shops and trying to form a plan of attack for diving the reef.  All the training I did in Thailand earlier this year was in preparation for this experience.  Having spent so much time and effort preparing to get here, I wanted to make sure I got the most out of it.  Little did I know that by 6pm that evening I’d already be on a boat headed toward a remote section of the reef.

Taken during my low-altitude return flight to Cairns from Lizard Island.

Mike Ball

The plan broke down into three separate trips out on the reef, going from the longest and least flexible to the shortest and most flexible. I lucked out by getting in and talking to Mike Ball (no relation) on the day their boat was scheduled to depart, which only heads out once a week.

There are many ways to experience the reef, and I’ll spend time comparing all of them in a later post.  For now, just know that the best method, in my humble opinion, is via a live aboard dive boat.  You spend anywhere from 3-7 days onboard doing nothing but eating, sleeping and diving.  I knew this was what I wanted to do but wasn’t sure if I would be able to afford it.  Mike Ball offered a trip that fit exactly what I was looking for.

The trip I went out on was a 4 night live aboard called “Fly Dive Coral Sea”.  This expedition ranges from $1751 for budget accommodation up to $2465 for a premium room.  The trip certainly isn’t cheap, but the value you get for your money is outstanding!

Sunlight illuminates coral just under the surface of the water.

The Expedition

The “Spoilsport”, our boat, departs Cairns once a week for a 7-day trip up to a section of the reef known as Osprey Reef.  The northern portion, which was my trip, speeds away the first night so that by the time you wake up on day one you’re diving a popular site called “Cod Hole”, home of massive potato cod.  Over three days of diving, diving and more diving, you visit the Coral Sea and Osprey reef.

On day four, Spoilsport pulls into Lizard Island to drop off the half timers and pick up the guests that will take the boat south.  A low-altitude flight takes the first group home after dropping off second group.  If you’re lucky enough to do the full 7 days, you miss out on the low-altitude flight over the reef but make up for it with more diving.

Of the 12 divers on the boat, I was certainly the least experienced.  Martin Reiser, a German diver who showed us some of his amazing underwater videography, had done 420 dives in the last 11 months alone.  With only 13 dives under my belt as we got underway, I was a bit nervous about how the diving would go and how I might be treated once we started diving.  Things went fine, however, as the crew neither treated me like I needed hand holding nor like I was an annoyance.

My diving buddy for most of the trip making a monkey out of herself.

The Diving

In diving, you always dive with a buddy, and I was quickly buddied up with Gudrun, a woman from Belgium who was also traveling on her own.  Since she hadn’t gone diving in a couple years, and I had so few dives under my belt, we had to do an orientation dive with one of the crew so they knew we could handle ourselves and not get into trouble.  Everything went great and we were free to choose what we wanted to do for the rest of what ended up being a total of 13 dives.

The dives themselves covered a lot of variety.  For some of the dives, like the cod hole, shark reef and the shark feed at north horn, we were grouped up and led by a member(s) of the dive crew.  At other times, like during the open deck period on day two, we were free to go out in our pairs at our own pace and sites of our choosing.  Our pair tended to stick with the group, if there was one.

The dive sites were also full of variety.  Out of a total of thirteen dives, I did two night dives (a first for me), a drift dive at cod hole, a shark feed a north horn (one of the highlights), a couple vertical walls, my first experience with an underwater camera (rented from Wetrez in Cairns), and saw more coral, sharks and big big fish than I ever anticipated.  No hammerheads were spotted, unfortunately, and I’ve still yet to see a manta underwater, but the trip was a rousing success as far as I’m concerned.

Our tour leader, Shea, gives is our pre-dive briefing for Cod hole.

The Ship

The spoilsport had capacity for 29 guests, but we only numbered 12.  This made for a lot of room and both guests and crew got to know each other pretty well over those 4 nights.  With 12 crew on board, everything was taken care of and handled with efficiency and ease.  There was a ton of room for the divers on the dive deck and I even had a cabin to myself when I expected to be bunking with another diver.  That being said, it looked as if there would have been plenty of room even at capacity.

I asked some of the others when they booked their trips and most had done so within the week just like myself.  The four that stayed on for the full seven day trip had booked far in advance, which I think is a good idea during peak season.  Basically, if you’re at all limited and really want to do the trip book well in advance as the boat does fill up often.  If you’re on a budget and time is flexible, you might consider booking on site on the off chance you’ll find a standby rate.

A school of fish floats by in the blue.

The Food

All food is included in the price, with soda and alcohol being sold separately from the ship’s bar.  Morning juice, lunchtime punch and wine at dinner are also included.  There’s generally a meal before/after each dive, with plentiful fruit and cookies to snack on in between meals.

The meals themselves are mostly served family style, with a few of them set up as a buffet.  With an Italian chef on board, the meals were plentiful and had a good variety.  As an example of one of our dinners, we had an Aussie BBQ on Sunday night that included beef, chicken, kangaroo, shrimp off the Barbie, salads and sides, with pavlova for dessert.  Dietary restrictions are taken care of as well, with separate dishes being made for those with special requirements as needed.

All of the guests that were a part of my segment of the trip.

Conclusion

Granted, up until this trip I had no experience with live aboard dive boats, but I have to say I’m impressed.  The diving was amazing, the crew was stellar, the food was delicious and the other guests were great.  I had a wonderful time and greatly increased my breathing and buoyancy while doubling my total number of dives.

The only regular trip Mike Ball runs is this one, and it only leaves once a week on Thursdays, although you can take the low-altitude plane up to lizard island on Monday and do the 2^nd half of the trip, arriving back in Cairns on Thursday morning.  I believe they also offer the occasional exploratory expedition and longer trip to the far far north of the reef.

Shea leading us on one of our dives.

I would strongly recommend you have at least your advanced certificate in order to fully experience all these dive sites have to offer.    Just be sure you’re really confident under water, or, if you have a buddy, you’re both at the same level.  As you’ll find out in the next post, getting on a live aboard dive boat solo means you’re at the mercy of fate when it comes to your dive buddy(s).

Location: Cairns

Experience: Mike Ball Diving Expedition

Accommodation: Spoilsport and Cairns Central YHA

Transportation: Greyhound

Highlights: Shark feed, Giant Potato Cod, Tons of diving, Spoilsport Crew

DISCLOSURE:  I HAVE NEGOTIATED A DISCOUNT WITH BOTH GREYHOUND AND YHA, BUT WILL BE GIVING AS HONEST AN EVALUATION OF THE TRIP AS I AM ABLE.  I ALSO RECEIVED A DISCOUNT ON THE MIKE BALL EXPEDITION.

Over the month of July, I spent 25 days as part of a hop-on hop-off tour of New Zealand with Stray.  It was an amazing experience shared with a group of amazing people.  I decided it would be interesting comparing that trip with a more independent-style bus trip with Greyhound from Cairns to Sydney along the east coast of Australia.

The lagoon at the Cairns Esplanade seems to be a good landmark and a great place to cool off in the heat.

This portion of Australia has some very diverse options for travelers and has many activity and accommodation options appealing specifically to flashpackers and backpackers.   The Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation, the Whitsundays, Frasier Island, Noosa, and the Gold Coast are some of the spots that have been recommended to me, and I’ve always planned on spending a good chunk of time diving “The Reef”.

The Travel Plan

Here’s the plan.  I just flew into Cairns from Sydney and will spend some time seeking out diving options for the Great Barrier Reef.  From here, I will take the Greyhound bus south, stopping at various points along the way until I get back to Sydney.  I will try and keep the trip to the same rough time frame as I did with Stray – about 25 days..

A double bed with en-suite at the Cairns YHA. Book at least a few days in advance if you don't want to be sleeping in the dorm rooms.

I expect there to be some major differences between the two trips and I will be highlighting those as they come up.  Both companies offer a hop-on hop-off pass (Greyhound’s is called a “mini-traveler”), but with Greyhound it seems to be more about very flexible travel than traveling with a group.  Just like with the stray trip, I will also be doing a recap at the end and comparing costs to make it easier for the flashpackers to determine what a budget might look like for this type of trip.

I have purchased a 15-day “E-nights” pass with YHA so that’s where I’ll be staying the majority of the time along my trip south.  It’s been over 10 years since I have stayed in a YHA hostel, which I did while backpacking in Europe, so it will be good to get back and see what they’re like in Australia.  I’m looking forward to a bit more quality, quiet and privacy than I might find at some of the other hostels that seem to cater to a more “party” crowd.  Being kept up until 2am when I’m diving the next day is not exactly what I’m seeking.

If you have any questions, recommendations, tips or comments to help get me started, let me know.

Disclosure:  I have negotiated a discount with both Greyhound and YHA, but will be giving as honest an evaluation of the trip as I am able.

What’s it like to travel on a hop-on hop-off bus? I recently finished a whirlwind, twenty-five day trip around all of New Zealand with a hop-on hop-off bus company called Stray.  While I normally trend towards much more independent travel methods, I felt this was the way to flashpack across New Zealand.  Had I been traveling with others already, I might have opted to rent a camper van, but my limited time and budget combined with a need for a few temporary friends edged me in the direction of the hop-on hop-off bus.

A quick stop at a playground helps breakup the drive from one destination to another.

Stray

There are three main companies in New Zealand doing these trips – Stray, Kiwi Experience and Magic.  Kiwi Experience has a reputation for being the party bus and caters to a much younger crowd of backpackers than I really wanted to spend a month traveling with.  Magic seemed like a decent choice, but I went with Stray because they seemed to get more off the standard route and included some destinations the other two skipped.

Things got off to a shaky start for me day 1 when I was one of the last two people to get on the 24-seat bus in Auckland and ended up in a near fetal position, cramped over the wheel well – probably the worst seat on the bus.  About 30 minutes later, we arrived at Stray Headquarters where we watched a quick video about how the whole booking system works, hit the toilets and confirmed our itineraries.

TIP #1: Make sure you understand the system and that you book as much as you can in advance.  It’s easy to stay flexible and get off the bus if you like a spot, but impossible to get on a fully booked bus, forcing you to wait a couple days for the next bus. NOTE: there are fewer busses (3/week) in the winter than in the summer (once/day) making bookings at busy stops (Queenstown, Mt. Cook) essential.

After staying over extra time in Wellington, my second bus had only a few travelers from the first, creating an entirely new group dynamic.

Group Dynamics

Once we were underway, “Mambo”, our driver, had us do a “speed-dating” style game where we had to talk to someone we didn’t know.  After five minutes, he’d have us switch.  We did this for about and hour and by the time we were done, I’d managed to procure a better seat and knew half of the bus.  My 2^nd bus could have used something like this, but I ended up helping the process along a bit at one of our first stops.  It also helped that there was a passenger who was with the first bus for a while, and the 2^nd bus for a while, and was able to bridge the gap a bit.

TIP #2:  Get to know your bus.  You are going to have a far better experience if you make some friends on the bus.  If you can get the whole bus, or at least the majority, to be one big group, it can really be something.

Long hours together make for fast friends on a trip like this.

Travel for me often has just as much to do with who you meet along the way as it does the places you see, the things you do and the food you eat.  If you’ve never done a tour like this, you’ll be shocked at how quickly strangers become friends.  I came away with two different groups (Bus #1 and Bus #2) of friends, some of who I’ve since met in Australia and will likely travel with in South America in a couple years time.

Trip Highlights:

-       Dolphin Encounter, Kaikoura – Swimming with 600 dolphins (okay, not all at once) was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

A traditional greeting at the Maori cultural stay, something you can only do with Stray.

-       Maketu – A Stray exclusive, this Maori cultural experience was another major highlight of the trip, and not just because I was determined to be Chief.  We learned about how different tribes would be “invited” into a Marae (where we stayed overnight), ate a traditional dinner (that didn’t seem all that traditional) and learned how to do a Haka (a cultural dance you can see an example of by watching the All Blacks during the Rugby World Cup)

-       Franz Josef Glacier – Stunning ice caves, crevices and experienced, knowledgeable staff made for a great day of exploration.

-       Waitomo Caves – Spelunking and abseiling through underground waterfalls – what’s not to like?

-       Abel Tasmin – The only great walk I was able to do any part of due to weather.

-       Queenstown – Skydiving and Bungee jumping, not as much for the activities themselves as my going through with doing them.  I’d do skydiving again, bungee jumping not-so-much.

The Cape Foulwind walk was probably the best "side stop" of the trip.

-       Cape Foulwind Walk – this was just a one hour stop between Abel Tasmin and Greymouth, but it was a gorgeous day along cliffs overlooking the beach and a seal colony.

-       The Mountain Scenery – There were certainly some weather issues that came up (see below) but all that snow on the mountains of the south island made for some spectacular scenery.

TIP #3: If you fall in love with a stop, get off the bus.  If you fall in love with the bus, or driver, and are scheduled to get off, stay on the bus.

TIP #4: The Drivers are all radically different individuals and each one is a character.  If you don’t mesh with your driver, or your bus, get off the bus and get on the next one.

Disappointments:

The morning we left Queenstown we were inundated with snow that blocked our access to Milford Sound.

-       The Weather – Traveling during a country’s winter period has some advantages, such as lower costs and less crowds.  However, there’s a reason most people travel during peak season – it’s when the weather is at its best.  There were four major things I was unable to do/see due to bad weather – River Rafting in Rotorua, the Tongariro Crossing (supposed to be New Zealand’s best day walk), and Milford Sound (arguably THE highlight of the south island).

-       Time – Do what I didn’t do and allow yourself at least a week, preferably three weeks, over and above what is recommended in the brochure.  The pass I was using, called “Moe”, says minimum 18 days.  I took two extra days in Wellington and three extra in Queenstown and wish I had more time (see tip #3)

-       Full Day Lord of the Rings tour, Wellington – Only do the Full Day tour in Wellington if you are truly a hardcore LOTR fan.  If you’re only curious and feel you have to do a LOTR tour, do the afternoon tour in Wellington.

Small groups let you wander the Franz Josef Glacier and see more of what you want to see.

-       Franz Josef Heli Hike – I was initially booked to do a heli hike during our day at the glacier, but this fell through due to not having enough passengers to make it cost effective for the company to put the helicopter in the air.

-       Christchurch – Stray pretty much passes by Christchurch due to the fact that they’re still recovering from the Earthquake.  I didn’t get to spend much time exploring, but was disappointed it was just a quick drop off and pick up spot on the way to Kiakoura.

-       Minor points – there are a few spots along the way I felt could probably be skipped in wintertime, as there isn’t much going on.  Rangitata, for example, was in the middle of nowhere and didn’t really have much to offer during the winter (in the summer, you can go river rafting).  Greymouth and Makarora were along the same lines.  Another reason to make friends with the bus – the slow stops become an opportunity to hang out.

TIP #5: Give yourself some buffer time.  If the weather turns, a heli hike gets canceled, or you simply want to spend more time at a stop, you can do so.  If your schedule is really tight, I can guarantee you’ll miss out on a few things and wish you had the time to fix it.

My Itinerary and a cost breakdown:

Sheep on the farm along the road to Mt. Cook.

I also wanted to include an Itinerary of my trip and a cost breakdown to give everyone a sense of what a trip like this would cost.  It was difficult not to notice a few people on the bus really concerned about going over their budgets.  I don’t think enough thought was put into what kinds of activities they’d be doing along the trip.

-       Day 1: Auckland to Raglan (activity – Surf Lesson – $89)

-       Day 2: Raglan to Maketu (activity – Maori Cultural Experience – $75 incl. accom and dinner)

-       Day 3: Maketu to Taupo (via Rotorua) (activity – Hells Gate spa – $115)

-       Day 4: Taupo to Whakahoro (Blue Duck Lodge) (activity – 4WD Safari – $90)

The road leads away from Mt. Cook towards the warmth of Christchurch and Kaikoura.

-       Day 5: Whakahoro to National Park (activity – None: Tongariro Crossing Canceled due to weather – $105 in winter to cover gear rental, free in summer)

-       Day 6: National Park to Wellington (activity – Te Papa Museum – free)

-       Day 7: Stay in Wellington (activity – Full Day Lord of the Rings Tour - $115)

-       Day 8: Stay in Wellington (activity – City tour by Stray & city exploration – free)

-       Day 9: Wellington to Marahau/Abel Tasman (activity – None, but the ferry ride was okay – $51 for the ferry)

-       Day 10: Stay in Abel Tasman National Park (activity – Seals and Sand tour/trip – $70)

-       Day 11: Abel Tasman to Greymouth (activity – Cape Foulwind walk & Pancake Rocks – both free)

A sunny shot over Lake Taupo

-       Day 12: Greymouth to Franz Josef (activity – None: greenstone factory closed during our tour)

-       Day 13: Stay in Franz Josef (activity – Franz Josef Glacier Hike – $123)

-       Day 14: Franz Josef to Makarora (activity – None)

-       Day 15: Makarora to Queenstown (activity – Puzzling World $15)

-       Day 16: Stay in Queenstown (activity – city exploration –  free)

-       Day 17: Stay in Queenstown (activity – Skydiving – 12,000 foot jump for $329)

-       Day 18: Stay in Queenstown (activity – more city exploration – free)

-       Day 19: Stay in Queenstown (activity – Bungee Jumping – $180)

Your own private beach at Abel Tasmin

-       Day 20: Queenstown to Invercargill instead of Gunn’s Camp (activity – None: Horrible weather closed the roads leading to Gunn’s camp and Milford Sound.  We detoured to our next stop which was Invercargill – The trip I had planned on doing was $92)

-       Day 21: Invercargill to Stewart Island (activity – half-day hike along various beaches and island exploration – $66 one way for the ferry)

-       Day 22: Stewart Island to Dunedin (activity – Speight’s Brewery Tour – $25)

-       Day 23: Dunedin to Mt. Cook (activity – None: Ice covered paths and threatening snow made a walk somewhat dangerous, so we stayed in and took first and second in the pub quiz)

-       Day 24: Mt. Cook to Rangitata (activity – None)

-       Day 25: Rangitata to Kaikoura (activity – Dolphin Encounter – $165)

Encounter Dolphins in Kaikoura.

Total Hop On Hop Off Breakdown

Stray Pass = $750 with winter discount

Average Accommodation cost of $28 X 25 Days = $700

Food (Eating out) avg cost of $15 / meal  X 3 meals / day X 25 Days = $1125

Food  (mostly self catering) avg cost of $7 / meal x 3 meals / day x 25 days = $525

Total spent on activities = $1574 ( Would have been $1771 had we done the Tongariro Crossing and Milford Sound)

Total Cost with $1000 food budget = $4024

Note: When budgeting something like this, always add %10 for incidentals and backup.

The Moeraki Boulders as the tide comes in along the coast of New Zealand.

The last few days on the bus were mostly filled with scenery instead of activities.  We woke up in Dunedin and had a long drive up to the base of Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain.  The stops along the drive included the Moeraki Boulders, large, marble-shaped boulders on the beach, the Victorian town of Omaru and a few lakes.

We arrived at Mt. Cook about 2:30 in the afternoon – enough time to go on a walk if we were interested, but the ground conditions made that a bit treacherous without crampons for the ice.  Most of us took a look around the information center and spent the night playing bar trivia in the tavern of the lodge.  Split into two teams, our bus took first and second place, earning a bar tab which was quickly tapped.

The view of the Mt. Cook ranges from the edge of Lake Takepo

The following morning was bright and early as we had a lot of ground to cover to make it to Ringitata.  Stops along the way included photos of Mt. Cook from the edge of Lake Takepo (humorously pronounced as “take-a-poo”) and a lunch stop where you could opt for ice skating or tubing. Normally this leg ends at Christchurch, but due to the earthquake damage still being repaired, Stray is putting people up at a private river rafting lodge for the time being.  In the summer, you’d probably spend the afternoon rafting.  Our bus, on the other hand, spent the time mountain biking, hiking and lazing the afternoon away in front of a movie.

My last day on the bus was the leg from Ringitata through Christchurch ending in Kiakoura.  Because Christchurch is still a major start/end for many of the Stray passengers, we had a long drive this morning without any stops.  This is mostly so we can get people to the airport in time for planes and also pick up new passengers just starting out.  From Christchurch it was a straight shot to Kiakoura where I hopped off the bus for the last time.

Kiakoura

A few Stray passengers headed for a Dolphin Encounter.

Since the bus stops for only one night in Kiakoura, we have to get in early enough for the passengers to do the optional activities here, of which there are many.  The day we arrived, myself and three others raced over to the Encounter Kiakoura center, dropped our gear and got suited up to swim with dolphins.  Let me tell you, this was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

Swimming with Dolphins, Whale Watching and Fishing are the three most promoted and interesting options among many in Kiakoura.  It’s a small community on the coast that has a lot to offer and I’m sure is very crowded in the summer.  Though the water was supposed to be freezing, I opted for the Dolphin Encounter where you put on a wetsuit and get to snorkel with the dolphins.

Some of the gigantic pod of dolphins we had the privilege to swim with.

It took our boat about 45 minutes to find track down the dolphins and previous to this experience, I’d always thought a pod of dolphins was a small group, maybe maxing out at 20 or 30 as a large pod.  What we saw when we got out there was a group stretching out as far as you could see.  At the end of the day, the staff estimated about 600 to 700 dolphins in this pod.  Crazy.

The water was so cold that it was a shock to the system the first time the fourteen of us on the boat jumped into the water.  I’d like to say you get used to it, but it’s always cold, just not so bad after a while.  The 9mm wetsuit keeps you fairly warm and so buoyant that you’d have a hard time getting under the surface.

The tale of a humpback we passed along our way to the dolphins.

The dusky dolphins were great – very playful and curious about the surface dwellers making “eee-eee-eee” noises under the water, as suggested by the tour staff.  They’re so maneuverable in the water that if you manage to touch one it’s because they wanted you to.  You get about 10 -15 minutes in the water before the boat calls you back up and maneuvers into position to drop you back off in front of the pod.  After about five dunks, the wetsuits come off and it’s time to get warm and take pictures as you head back to the harbor.  If you’re lucky, you’ll even catch sight of a whale as we did on the way out.

Fishing with Gerry

The following morning, I waved goodbye to the bus and the few people I still knew that were headed north.  An hour later I was heading back out to sea, this time with Gerry.  If you are seeking an authentic local experience, you can’t get closer than this.  Gerry isn’t exactly retired, but he’s moved on from his previous career as a businessman.  He now lives in Kiakoura and does fishing trips with the stray travelers that come through the small town.

Gerry holding one of the 6 crayfish we pulled up from his traps. These are as big as lobsters and taste incredible.

When you go out, you can expect to come back with enormous crayfish and whatever you can catch with a rod.  As we went out, the wind created swells too large to safely manage so we turned back after gathering crayfish from a few traps previously set.  We went back to Gerry’s house where we cooked up the crayfish and snacked on one while Gerry began pouring wine from a winery where he’s partially invested.  Later, the Manuka Honey came out, of which he’s also partially invested in.

Spending the day with Gerry and a few of his salty fisherman friends, one of whom has quite a few shark stories to tell as evidenced by a few missing limbs, was really a great experience.  Yes, it would have been better had we actually been able to fish, but drinking the day away with a few locals and a few travelers seemed a great way to end my free time in New Zealand.

Activity: Kiakoura Dolphin Encounter & Fishing with Gerry (only with Stray)

Go back and read about what happened the previous day.

The above is posted from the road during the middle of a month long trip through New Zealand with Stray.  If you don’t know who stray is, read the intro to the trip with stray or check out their website.

In an attempt to give you an idea of what the trip is like I’ll be posting like I was writing a journal, but with some practical information in case you want to follow in my footsteps.

DISCLOSURE: I HAVE RECEIVED A DISCOUNTED TOUR PACKAGE  WITH STRAY BUT WILL MAINTAIN AN HONEST OUTLOOK AND PASS ALONG BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD AS ACCURATELY AS I CAN.

Two things you see a lot of in the south island - sheep and snow covered mountains.

A Sealion scratches an itch near the Moeraki Boulders.

Stray passengers at the boulders.

The southern tip of the south island of New Zealand with Stewart Island far in the distance.

We were up bright and early this morning to catch the morning ferry back to the south island and meet up with the rest of the bus.  The ride back from Stewart Island wasn’t as bad as the previous day’s trip, but I’m not sure that passage is ever calm.  If you plan on getting to Stewart Island by ferry, do yourself a favor and take some motion sickness pills before you go, just to be safe.

A sea lion that was bathing in the warm sun at Waipapa point.

Today was another day of south island scenery; only instead of mountains we made a number of stops along the southern coast.  One notable stop was Waipapa point where we walked down to a lighthouse and were greeted by a sea lion.  While it was still a bit chilly, the warm sun was a nice change from the snow storm that prevented us from reaching Milford two days earlier.

A bit further down the road we made other stops to check out some petrified forests, grab some milkshakes by a bay and saw a couple waterfalls a short walk from the road.  We ended our day in the city of Dunedin, who main draw for the Stray bus is the Speight’s Brewery Tour.  However, before we checked in and headed down to the Brewery, we hiked up and down Baldwin Street, the “world’s steepest street”.

The sign post at the bottom of Baldwin Street, world's steepest street.

On a bit of a tangent, one of the things I found fascinating about the Stray trip so far is the number of kitschy tourist attractions we passed along the way.  A giant carrot, a giant gumboot and giant stone fruits are just a few of the things we passed before hiking what they claim to be the steepest road in the world.  They remind me of how towns in the United States do very similar things to try and draw tourist traffic.

Dunedin

After our little jaunt up and down the street, we checked into the hostel and quickly made our way over to the brewery for the last tour of the day.  The tour itself is okay, all things considered, but the guide certainly knows what he’s talking about and the information I found worthy of note was how the brewery was owned by a major Japanese company and that they’d been brewing many brands outside the Speights label.

The items on the menu in the tasting room of the Speight's Brewery Tour.

Of course, the reason the tour is high on the list of things to do is the time you get in the tasting room after the tour is completed.  You’ve only got about 30 minutes, but it shouldn’t be surprising how much a bus full of travelers in a room with free beer can put away.  After the tasting room, most of us went next door to the attached restaurant for dinner and then scattered a bit, some to head back to the hostel and others to continue drinking the night away.

Activity: Speights Brewery Tour

Go back and read about what happened the previous day or find out what happened next.

The above is posted from the road during the middle of a month long trip through New Zealand with Stray.  If you don’t know who stray is, read the intro to the trip with stray or check out their website.

In an attempt to give you an idea of what the trip is like I’ll be posting like I was writing a journal, but with some practical information in case you want to follow in my footsteps.

DISCLOSURE: I HAVE RECEIVED A DISCOUNTED TOUR PACKAGE  WITH STRAY BUT WILL MAINTAIN AN HONEST OUTLOOK AND PASS ALONG BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD AS ACCURATELY AS I CAN.

In Garston, the crossroads between Milford Sound and Bluff, where the ferry is caught for Stewart Island.

If you’ve been following along form the beginning, you’ll already know that, while in the North Island, heavy rain prevented us from doing river rafting and created heavy snow that shut down the Tongariro Crossing as well.  After a week’s worth of amazing weather, I suppose it was only a matter of time until we got caught in a storm.  It is wintertime, after all, and one of the gambles you take when traveling during the off-season is dealing with bad weather.

We had a 6am pick-up this morning so that we could hit the road and get out to Milford Sound in time to do one of the tours provided by Real Journeys.  I had pre-booked a nature cruise by them and was looking forward to the trip.  Of course, waking up to massive amounts of snow on the streets turned out to be a bad omen.

Our bus full with passengers new and old, our new driver Chase made it clear that she would do what she could but that safety was of prime importance and that it didn’t look good for getting to Milford.  She did try her best, but the road conditions continued to get worse and by about 9am we knew we weren’t going to make Milford Sound.

The Milford Sound Cruise - Image provided by Real Journeys

Milford Sound

As Milford is supposed to be one of the most beautiful parts of traveling through the South Island, I feel I need to provide a bit of information about it, even though I wasn’t able to get there this trip.  Real Journeys provides a number of tours of the sound, including the Scenic Nature Tour that I had planned on doing.

As my previous drivers tell it, just about everyone from the bus does some form of tour, be it kayaks or cruises.  Since I didn’t really have any practical experience, I can’t give you any first hand information except to say that it seems to be a must-do along the tour and I’m gutted I missed out.  Check out the Real Journeys site for more info.

Kayaking at Milford Sound - Image provided by Real Journeys

Invercargill

With the roads the way they were, the decision was made to get to Invercargill a day earlier than we normally do.  Invercargill is the gateway to Stewart Island, a nature reserve that is more accessible in the summer season but became more of an option because of our early arrival.  We were all ready to catch the 5pm ferry until that too was canceled, this time due to high swells.

With nothing to do in Invercargill (there really isn’t anything to do there), Chase, our driver, offered to set up a quiz night at Tuatara Lodge.  We got into our groups for dinner, then met a few of the new faces over trivia and Celebrity, the game I taught at the Blue Duck Lodge.

Early along our walk on Stewart Island. It's a strange thing seeing snow on the beach.

Stewart Island – Stray Day 21

The next day, half the bus caught the 8am ferry over to Stewart Island.  After the hour-long ferry ride over some rough seas (bring those seasickness pills), we hopped off the boat and checked into our hotel.  An hour or so later we split into a couple groups to wander the island.

About seven of us took a four-hour walk out to Lee Bay and back.  Highlights included snow on the beach, shell hunting, some more sub-tropical rainforest and a few private beaches.  Stewart Island is mostly bush and you can do a 3- or 10-day trek around if you’ve the time.  There are also a few activity providers for things like fishing and kiwi spotting if you’re so inclined.

The shells one the beach at Horseshoe Bay, Stewart Island, were some of the most pristine I've ever seen on a beach.

That night we were all exhausted.  Most of the group had fish and chips on the recommendation of our driver and then crashed for the evening.  We had to be up for another early morning to catch the ferry back to the mainland and at this point a bunch of us were fighting a chest cold now referred to as the Queenstown Plague.

Accommodation: Tuatara Backpackers (Invercargill) &  (Stewart Island)
Activity: Milford Sound (CANCELED) and Stewart Island

Go back and read about what happened the previous day or find out what happened next.

The above is posted from the road during the middle of a month long trip through New Zealand with Stray.  If you don’t know who stray is, read the intro to the trip with stray or check out their website.

In an attempt to give you an idea of what the trip is like I’ll be posting like I was writing a journal, but with some practical information in case you want to follow in my footsteps.

NOTE: SOME PICTURES OF MILFORD SOUND ABOVE WERE PROVIDED BY, AND USED WITH PERMISSION FROM REAL JOURNEYS.

DISCLOSURE: I HAVE RECEIVED A DISCOUNTED TOUR PACKAGE WITH STRAY BUT WILL MAINTAIN AN HONEST OUTLOOK AND PASS ALONG BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD AS ACCURATELY AS I CAN.