New Zealand - South Island: Week 1

So we're currently rounding up week 5 in New Zealand. Our first 3 weeks were spent in a camper van touring the South island.

"Kiwi" the Kamper van ;)

Departing from Christchurch, our first stop was after a 3.5hr drive to Lake Tekapo, a gorgeous glacier fed lake with an aquamarine blue colour from the silt particles coming off the glacial ice. This reminded us very much of beautiful Lake Louise in Alberta. The Lake Tekapo area is also part of the largest of 5 "International Dark Sky Reserves" found in the world, meaning it is an area deemed free, or near free, of light pollution making for premier conditions to view stars in the night sky and the Aurora Australis in NZ winter (you guessed it...the "Southern Lights!") Our next morning saw us hiking up Mt. John to the University of Cantebury's observatory where we had better views of this picturesque lake.

Lake Tekapo

Sunset at Tekapo

Mt. John

Lupin field by the lake

After spending an evening at a free camp site (surrounded by semi-abandoned campers which was a little creepy), we drove 1.5hrs to the larger sister lake, Lake Pukaki, which is fed directly by the glaciers of New Zealand's highest mountain at 3,724m, Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Rhonda & I spent a few hours hiking along the torrential glacier river to view this very impressive mountain.

Aoraki/Mt. Cook

Afterwards we set our course to Queenstown, New Zealand's answer to Whistler.

-Terry

"Home" for Christmas

Jelly Belly map in Queenstown

Tongariro Crossing hike

Auckland Museum

Christmas makes us reflect on family, friends, and home. Having our first Christmas away has made us look at "home" in a different light and leads us to ask questions like "What is home?" "What do we miss about home?" The funny thing is...we don't really seem to be missing "home" yet. 

The concept of "home" is changing for us, we find it is primarily a place where we feel comfortable to relax and live a daily life that is similar to how we lived in Vancouver. To us this means cooking our meals, a clean and quiet lounging space, decent bed and pillows, and a hot shower. With other creature comforts we have more flexibility. 

As an example of our changing needs, in Vancouver we have a ~1000 sqft condo and as we travel more, we're realizing how much excess space we have! Being in a camper for a number of weeks, traveling with a 40L bag's worth of belongings, and sharing other people's homes has opened our eyes to exactly how little we really need in order to live a life that is comfortable for us.

Being away we toy with the idea of how we can make travel a larger part of our regular lives and how that would impact our "home/home environment." Things we've considered are flexibility of housing, income, and time. For housing we'd need to be able to cover our ownership/housing costs whether it be tenanted, a roommate, or posting as an AirBnB, etc. For income, ideally we'd be able to make a decent income while abroad, or have a position that allows for travelling in the form of time off or working remotely. For time...well this relates much to the work concept and other life commitments (ideally, to consolidate and have larger chunks of time to travel). 

Technology has also done a lot to make our travels easier by closing the distance from family and friends, we can keep in touch so easily. It has made being on the other side of the world feel very similar to living in another province/city while back in Canada.  

-Rhonda & Terry

Great Ocean Road - More pics

Just a quick picture post of some more shots of our drive on the Great Ocean Road:

-Rhonda & Terry

Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch

We landed in New Zealand and spent the first 3 days at an AirBnB.  It was fabulous - hotel like comfort and it had an amazing, fully stocked kitchen!!  We took advantage of the opportunity to prep and cook food for our next leg of our journey which is 18 days on the road in a camper van.

Christchurch is a city that is still recovering from a large earthquake that occurred in 2010 and continual aftershocks that lasted into 2013.  The majority of the ruined buildings have been leveled and cleaned up and as a visitor you think the city center is under an economic boom with construction taking place everywhere and the perception there's lots of empty lots for more redevelopment and growth.  The AirBnB owner shared some of her story with us and we were surprised to hear about the length of time the people had to live without running water or toilets and insurance claims that are still waiting settlement.  

We visited 2 very interesting post-earthquate developments, one being a shipping container shopping mall called the Restart Mall.  The outdoor mall was set up utilizing shipping containers for all the stores complete with a food court.  We were told that the opening of this mall was a real boost psychologically for the people - it gave them back some normalcy in their life.  We also visited the Cardboard Cathedral which was a sustainable design by a Japanese architect made mostly out of cardboard, wood and polycarbonate. It's beautiful in a very modest and humbling way.  Terry and I both had this feeling of simplicity and that it was a perfect setting for a church.

Restart Mall: made of shipping containers

Cardboard Cathedral - Vaulted Ceiling utilizing cardboard tubes 

reinforced with plywood (simple but gorgeous) 

Cardboard Cathedral - Steel Containers were used to provide rooms off the sides 

Cardboard Cathedral - podiums and chairs made out of cardboard & plywood 

Melbourne & The Great Ocean Road

Melbourne - The State Library (fish eye view)

Melbourne - Blue Whale Skeleton (very cool!)

So after Tasmania we flew into Melbourne and spent a few days in the neighbourhood of South Yarra which is a trendy area with lots of options for shopping and restuarants.  We spoiled ourselves with an AirBnB condo and enjoyed having a shower and in-suite laundry.  During the few days in Melbourne we ventured downtown and toured both the State Library which is impressive in a quiet, reserved way and the Melbourne Museum which won us over with their opening exhibit of a massive blue whale skeleton (which we then found out was only a "pygmy" blue whale!)

The main reason we were drawn to Melbourne was to drive the Great Ocean Road by car. Dubbed one of the world's greatest drives, it is incredibly gorgeous with picturesque coastlines and roads that hugged the curves of the outermost landscape.  Unfortunately, those same curvy roads may have also led to some significant motion sickness on Rhonda's part.  The major attractions for us along this drive are The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge is magestic.  The force of the water is absolutely humbling and intriguing as it beats and erodes the earth. Pictures just do not do the views justice!!

Great Ocean Road - Several of the 12 Apostles 

Great Ocean Road - 2 of the 12 Apostles

Great Ocean Road - Loch Ard Gorge

Great Ocean Road - Random Gorgeous Arch and View

Transitions

Having fun on a beach in Tasmania!

So we have been on the road for about 5 weeks.  We are on our second country and our eighth accomodation.  We have stayed in the homes of 3 relatives, 1 campervan, 2 air bnb's, 1 hostel, and 1 motel.  Surprisingly I seem to have transitioned quite easily from being a responsible income earner to a carefree traveller.  I expected some psychological challenge or emotional release to take place because I was changing the course of my life as I had always known...but it never transpired.  No instead I seamlessly embraced the leisurely morning coffee, a morning online yoga class and taking time to consider what the days activities will entail (first having to remember what day it is).  

One re-occuring challenge I've had is struggling with feeling guilty wanting a down day where we stay in, read a book, watch a movie, nap, etc...in my head I'm telling myself that I've taken a year off to travel, isn't every day a down day already?! How could I want a day off from traveling? But I had no idea how exhausting it is to take in a new environment and information.  The intake comes in the form of information and education from tourist attractions. Grocery shopping in a new country is the same but different and takes us hours, taking public transit and reading maps to figure out where you are, driving stick shift on the left side of the road (funny though, it was the reversing of the blinker and windshield washer that got me the most.  Rarely did people know I was turning but I was ready for a flash flood every time). And to add insult to injury...we're still in an English speaking, first world country! Can't imagine what it'll be like when we get to SE Asia...or India!

-Rhonda

Rhonda relaxing on the rocks in Bicheno, Tasmania

Terry the prehistoric beaver

Tasmania

MONA (Museum of Old & New Art)

Water exhibit

From our tour at the Port Arthur Penal Colony
(~1820-1860)

Our first night camping by the ocean (Eagle neck beach)

"Wally" our camper at Eagle neck

Wineglass Bay, we hiked 2 hours to this remote beach

Mama and baby Wallaby came to visit at our camp site

Echidna: like a cross between an ant eater and hedgehog

Tasmania = Okanagan Valley + ArizonaArizona + Vancouver Island + Aussies and other similar creepy crawlies ;)

It's been a great 10 day trip to this arrid island by the ocean, a few highlights:

-the historic penal colony of Port Arthur (cutting edge during the 1800s, where convicts received more rights, freedoms, and higher living standards than back in Great Britain)

-beautiful beaches with pretty cold water, the kind that makes your skin hurt at first and then you turn numb and say "It's not so bad once you get used to it" (I think you experience similar sensations with hypothermia)

-the first two days were partially consumed with fixing issues with our camper van but fortunately they were all minor and the company was helpful in providing solutions

-today we hiked up and around an area called Wineglass Bay, great views but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves

-the camp grounds have been great for the most part, offering comforts like hot showers and clean facilities. Locations next to beaches are real blessings as well
-Terry

Australia - Quick update & off to Tasmania

Blue Mountains w/ Vanessa & Richard

Been a while since our last post so I'll try to catch us up, this may be long:

-We're so lucky to be able to stay with family, it's been great hanging out with them and they've made the adjustment period so smooth, we're very grateful.

-We've taken 2 surfing lessons at Bondi Beach and both of us have managed to get standing on the boards, I think we might be hooked, especially Rhonda! One more lesson to go!

-A weekend was spent with family exploring the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves where we saw some amazing wonders of Australian nature.

-A good portion of our time has been spent on simply relaxing, reading, and gradually exploring the neighborhoods we stay in. Maintaining a bit of "normalcy" has been wonderful, again when we've got the time there isn't the pressure to "pack it in." 

-Our entry ticket into SE Asia has been booked and it's quite an experience picking a destination when you have no time restrictions. The world really feels like our oyster!

We're super excited for the next chapter of our travels as we have landed on the island of Tasmania. It's our first step out "on our own" and as of the 2nd day it's been another whirlwind learning curve. We've rented a camper van and learning to drive on the other side has taken some adjustment but it's coming along better than expected and is a very welcomed challenge!

So far, Tasmania reminds us of Vancouver Island with the laid back island lifestyle and scenery. We just finished 5 hours at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and by far it's the best art gallery we've been to (more entertaining  and provocative than the Louvre!).

We'll try and do a few posts to elaborate more on the above points so we'll see you then!

-Terry

Sydney Downtown

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Terry pretending to be a bridge

Sydney First Impressions (10 days in):

• Great variety and adoption of SE Asian cuisine - Sydneysiders have made SE Asian food very mainstream (even more so than Vancouver)
• Polite culture and manners - Very polite people where proper behaviour is to follow and respect the rules.
• Aborigine language influence - We've come across some great everyday names/words such as "Wooloomooloo," "Barangaroo," "Wagga Wagga."
• Gorgeous coastlines  - Cliff faces, beaches, seaside walks galore!

We're thoroughly taking advantage of our time to relax and just take things slowly. There's a part of me that wants to pack ours days with acivities but I'm recognizing how much more enjoyable our experiences are when things just flow naturally and are not rushed.

First Stop - Sydney

Well we made it out of Canada and onto foreign soil.  When leaving I felt we were prepared and had things well organized to manage the next year of our life on the road.  I must thank my amazing husband for accommodating all my last minute "must do" items.

Australia is beautiful.  It's much more tropical and exotic than I was expecting.  I love the birds, flowers, people and amazing beaches and coastline...and let's not forget the food.

The Australian's Lui's have treated us royally and made our first stop wonderfully easy - great place to stay within minutes of the beach, amazing food such as the 'oh so traditional' shrimp on the barbie, steak and lamb dinners, and a night at the Opera House to see the comedian Danny Bhoy.

I don't think the impact of our year long adventure has settled in yet, presently it feels like we are in holiday-mode visiting family. 

-Rhonda

We're off!!!

Wow, I can't believe it, the day has arrived and we're on our way! As we sit here in the airport about to board we reflect on the final push to get everything ready and cleaned up... the past few weeks have been an absolute blur.
The feeling of leaving our home is both real yet removed, it feels more like a vacation rather than an open ended journey. The bipolar feelings echo through us as we try hard to reconcile being so excited and also so anxious for the unknown. We found ourselves burning through energy where we needed to eat more frequently just so we wouldn't crash from the emotional rollercoaster.
They're calling our boarding zone so goodbye to Canada for now, we will be back. Next post will be from down under!
-Terry

Budgeting

Dollars per day. This is the unit of measure for long term travel. That's everything included: flights, accommodations, food, entertainment, miscellaneous expenses, etc.

How many dollars/day do we expect to go through? We're aiming for $75/day/person. 

How did we come up with that figure? Primarily through reading about other people's budgets in similar areas of travel for similar amounts of time.

In a nutshell, we figured that $50/day essentially equated to hosteling, couch surfing, choosing destinations based on ticket sales, buses, trains, street eats, etc. So we figured if we bumped up the margin 50%, that should leave us with some good flexibility of choice (primarily for major flights & accommodations). Keep in mind this is a forward looking assumption as we haven't left for our trip yet, so we can very well be wrong. Whether we're wrong on the high side or the low side is TBD. 

Below are links to two websites that I found useful in both the content and presentation of information on budgeting for long term travel.

Boots N All - Travel Comparisons

Travel Independent - Budgeting

-Terry

The hardest part: Goodbyes

Saying goodbye to those who are close to us has been the hardest part of our departure. You make suggestions to meet somewhere during the trip but it feels uncertain and distant, yet you hope it'll happen.
Memories of times past flood into your mind and you think of how that's going to change given the new distance... It's strange because even though I may only see some of my friends or family members once a year or even less, the thought of not being able to is much more significant than being able to but not actually doing it.
The emotional weight probably comes from the simple difference in "ease of free will." How easy is it to be with important people in my life when the desire or occasion arises? I guess the more difficult it would be, the greater the emotion.
-Terry

1 year of travel, long enough?

Ok I know this sounds ridiculous and I certainly feel crazy as I type up this post (we haven't even left yet!) but hear me out...
As we've mentioned, Australia is our first stop and during my initial planning, I compiled a master "wish list" of all the things we'd want to do regardless of time and cost. I sent the list to my cousin to get her opinion and to paraphrase her polite Aussie response, "Oy, Terry! This is a bonzer list but it won't be done in an arvo, you'll be running around like a tradie living in a ute, 24/7. And that's my fair dinkum opinion!"

Um..ok...I figured she meant I was being a bit ambitious. But come on, with 5 whole weeks I thought we could essentially circumnavigate Australia while keeping it at a "reasonable" pace. I was wrong. It'd take 5 weeks to drive it straight without any stops for sights. Eat, sleep, drive. Repeat.

Ok so back to the drawing board...again, and again. After 3 or 4 revisions of my wish list we've come to the current plan of doing ONE state. No Great Barrier Reef, no visit to Perth or Western Australia, probably no time to see Uluru and the outback, no crocodile river cruise...damn this is a big country!

So what does this all mean? It means there will be plenty for us to do the next time we're in Australia, and probably the time after that! But some of you may be wondering why have we trimmed the list down so much, in a nutshell it's because we want to dig deeper in our travel experiences, to get beyond the introductory "tourist" attractions, and also be able to simply relax and enjoy the process. No rush, no deadline. One day we might just feel like vegging, watching a movie, taking a nap. Or maybe people watch at a coffee shop for a few hours. A plan to have...no plan.
-Terry