Fiji - Yasawa Islands

We both knew we wanted to go to Fiji but didn't think it would actually happen. Paul spent hours on the phone while in Haast, NZ rearranging our flight schedule to create a 9 day layover in Fiji. We didn't really plan for this leg of the trip until the day before. Stopped and got a Lonely Planet of Fiji - that was the extent of the planning. Our Air Pacific flight dropped us off in Nadi (sounds like "Nandy"), the mainland. From Nadi our trip would begin.

Fiji consists of 333 different islands all encased by amazing soft corral reef. When you think of a tropical paradise - Fiji is it! Lush green color flowing over dramatic volcanic mountains then emphasized with 360 degrees of turquoise water - absolute heaven. Not only is the landscape beautiful and amazing but so are the people. Probably the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Everywhere you go you're greeted with "BULA" (hello)!!

Thank heavens we were on Fiji time (slow, slow, & even slower). Their wonderful laid back attitude aided in our unplanned trip. We were able to make hotel arrangements while in Auckland for our late arrival into Nadi. We knew we were staying at the Nadi Bay Resort Hotel. Just get there and we'll deal with the rest was our philosophy. Our goal would be to get out of Nadi ASAP. Nadi is sort of like Tiajuana - the downtown marketplace was run by pushy Hindi's trying to swindle you out of a buck or two (or two hundred!). After comparing feedback from friends and the Lonely Planet we decided to take the Yasawa Flyer, a large catamaran, out to the Yasawa Islands. Islands are categorized into groups throughout Fiji - we decided to island hop the Yasawa Group. The Mamanuca and Yasawa Group are well known for their more affordable resorts. Affordable means dorm room with all meals included...anywhere from $80 Fijian to $160+ Fijian (each). The resorts are very basic with some being more lavish than others. Camping is an option but we decided to opt out and keep things simple. Now that we look back on it we should've camped. Camp sites were typically covered with thatched bures. There is something on every island for every budget. We ended up island hopping to two different islands to stay at Oarsman Bay Resort and Octopus Bay Resort. Oarsman had superior beaches and fabulous snorkeling while Octopus was a bit more comfy...the food was excellent!

Resorts are typically owned and operated by villages located on the island. Another benefit to keeping things local. The resorts all ran their own activities throughout the day to generate more money. For example, they offered boat trips to the Blue Lagoon, sunrise hikes, village trips, reef hopping, or afternoon volleyball. The villages are exactly that...villages. Beautiful, amazing, friendly people working the earth and supporting their neighbors. Their day consisted of fishing, gardening, singing, talking, dancing, drinking kava, etc.

Paul and I noted how physical they were with each other...especially the men. It was very common for men to sit together, arm in arm. They would greet each other with a big embrace and would never let any passing go by without a short conversation.

You know, Paul and I could go on and on about Fiji. We could talk about the people, the snorkeling, the kava, the islands, the sunsets, the hermit crabs, etc. We absolutely loved it and would go back again...and again. It's great to take yourself and your family. Extremely kid friendly and convenient. Fijians love kids. We'd both recommend visiting Fiji at least once in this lifetime. Worth every penny spent...

Hamilton & Auckland

UPDATE: Sitting in Tully's about to update the blog, drinking decaf coffee, and watching the rain, sleet, snow hit the ground. Nothing like a cold welcome back to the supposed Northwest spring. Typical...we say that with a smile because we're still unemployed. We're still on holiday, yea?

Okay...last leg of the trip via our white Toyota Rav 4 chariot. Bikes were crammed in the back of the vehicle with the rest of the gear. Loved the right hand driving. Made things a bit more interesting. The car thing threw us for a loop...just when you think you've got the system & routine down - nope! It's just another distraction. You have to make decisions about radio stations, who's going to drive, directions, maps, etc. It adds a new element to traveling and your relationship. Thank heavens we were only going to be in the white chariot for a few days.

After a major shopping spree at the Ice Breaker outlet outside of Wellington we drove for 5 hours NE to Hawkes Bay. Unfortunately we were only there overnight otherwise we would've called up the many wonderful people we met from Hastings & Napier. It would've been great to catch up and say our final goodbyes. We bolted out of the area early in the AM to drive up to Hamilton to have dinner with Paul's first cousins, Eric, Liz, & Anneriek. Paul's dad has two brothers, Peter and Gjalt. This was the first time cousins from each brother got together. It was a night spent telling stories about fathers and piecing together bits of lost history.

Thanks so much Anneriek, Bart, Emma, & Ben! We really enjoyed our visit and hope that we can make plans in the future to visit again.





After two days in Hamilton Paul and I started our travels north to Auckland. This would be our last chance to say good bye and pass on our many thanks to Lex & Christina for allowing us to take over their house over the past 3 months. We are extremely grateful for their generosity and flexibility. The Friday before our departure would be spent packing bikes, organizing gear, and making dinner for the de Jong family. It was great catching up and comparing stories with Lex & Christina. Hope your war wounds with the Rav 4 pay off, Lex. Did you get your new bike yet?



From left to right: Andre, Niko, Wilhem, Mieke, Christina, & Lex.

Back To Reality

Not sure if anyone is still checking in to read the blog. Most of you have probably noticed that there's been alot of inactivity...there's a reason (in fact, many). We're back in the states and on another adventure...REALITY! Just like that we've been swept up and in looking for a place to live in Bellingham, WA. It's amazing how quickly things change.

If you're interested in reading the final days of our New Zealand, Fiji, and California trip...just check back within a few days and we'll have the rest of the trip updated.

We really appreciate the fun feedback we've received on behalf of the blog while out on the road. It's neat to know people actually read the thing.

Check back soon and you can read about our "Fush'n Chup" adventures in the states!

Cheers,

Paul & Marijo

Blenheim & Picton - onward to the North Island

Can't believe our days in NZ are slowly coming to a close. We've tried to spend as much time on the South Island as possible...now we have less time to make it up to Hamilton on the North Island. Looks like we'll have to bus it, train it, or possibly fly it to the north.

Thanks to Julie and Chris we spent the rainy Saturday (March 22nd) morning in a warm, comfy bed. The rain was just coming down and all we could do was smile! What a treat! Morning tea came and went...it was time to catch a 6 hour shuttle in Greymouth across the South Island to Blenheim. Errand day for Julie & Chris in Greymouth...they gave us a lift to our drop off point. They gave us so much and the only thing we could give them was a bag of Afghan Biscuits from the Greymouth Fresh Choice. These just weren't any Afghan Biscuits...these come recommended by none other than Jeroen and Jenny! These are highly sought after. Take a peek to see what's in this yummy NZ delight! http://www.azmetro.com/nzrecipe.html#afghan

Once again, thanks so much Julie & Chris for making us feel so comfortable and welcome. We appreciate your generosity!

Easter Sunday we decided to partake of the element. Blenheim & Renwick is widely known for its wine production. The best Sauvignon Blancs & Pinot Noirs can be found throughout the vineyards dotting the Marlborough landscapes. Our first destination, Saint Clair Family Cellars. Saint Clair is the largest family owned winery in New Zealand. The Vicor Choice label is sold in the states...but we'd highly recommend any of the Reserve Range or Pioneer Block. Wow! Super yummy and every one's super friendly. http://www.saintclair.co.nz/wines/ Tasting was free so we had some lunch and another glass of wine. Might as well, right? We had so much fun at Saint Clair we almost forgot there were other wineries on our map of drinking! We visited Henri Herzog (only sold in Europe) and Hunter's (wouldn't recommend), then a wine village that sold us on a bottle of Pinot Noir from a local winery called TerraVin. These guys set high on a hill so irrigation is limited. To add as much zest into their grapes as possible they cut back the batches of grapes to 2 per vine. This almost guarantees these grapes every bit of attention (flavour). It worked for us...could have been a bunch of malarkey but the sommelier sold it well. The story got passed onto you, eh? By then we've had several tastings and we were hungry...so we stopped for some cheap pub food and a jug of beer in Renwick. Couldn't have been a better day.

Monday, March 24th we biked up to Picton to prepare us for our 5:45 AM ferry to the North Island on Tuesday. Across the Cook Strait into Wellington awaits our chariot...rental car. The cheapest way north with the most flexibility to catch our flight out of Auckland on the 29th. Between here and then we'll be visiting Paul's relatives in Hamilton and Auckland before our departure. Oh, and we'll take a few side trips to see some of the North Island we missed on our earlier trip. Did I forget to mention there's an Icebreaker Outlet just north of Wellington. www.icebreaker.com You must supply your wardrobe with several articles of their product line. It's awesome. I've been wearing the same shirt for the past 4 days and it doesn't stink yet! Wool is the way to go. We've converted and proud of it.

Hokitika to Kumara - Visit with Julie & Chris

Today would be a short ride to Kumara. Today we'll be visiting with Julie Colpitt and her partner Chris (sorry Chris - I never learned your surname). But before we started our short 24km ride we wanted to stop in Hokitika to see about it's title as the Jade Capital of New Zealand. Jade, or otherwise known as "Greenstone", can be found throughout New Zealand. Huge boulders in the middle of grassy fields, boulder fields, or river beds. Apparently Greenstone can be found on beaches as well. Hokitika just happens to be on the West Coast of the Tasman Sea. Carvers create elaborate and traditional Maori designs with the Greenstone and sell it throughout New Zealand. Almost everyone wears it in some form. I almost feel guilty leaving the country without purchasing some of it for myself. Ah, they make better gifts anyhow. Pretty neat stuff.

Once we were done shopping we headed north along the coast to Kumara Junction. Into Kumara we rode and met up the Julie & Chris. Julie's been living in New Zealand for about 4 years now and is now a resident of New Zealand. She is the sister of Christine Soja of Seattle, WA. Christine is my biking buddy back in Seattle - it was great to meet up with her sister. Her and her partner Chris moved from Dunedin to Kumara and are getting ready to build a house on a track of property they just bought. Chris is super talented & wicked smart. I can't wait to see what they produce...they're talking off the grid type of stuff that sounds amazing! I can pound a nail or two if you need help guys!?!

Julie invited us over to the "The Bridge" - a new restaurant that has a 20 yr. old brilliant chef that produced the best meal since we've been in New Zealand. It was Good Friday night so we shared the restaurant with one other couple. We tried to make Julie's night painless...although Paul did get a bit out of control with his table manners. Oh, the place sat on a river which drained into the Tasman Sea. Nice sunset and a cute kitty added to the atmosphere. Cats are allowed to roam the restaurant to control any rat/mice population. I thought that was neat...especially for this little guy. He didn't like it when I tried shoving him in my coat pocket. He did not want to come home with me...

Since the restaurant was slow Julie was able to come home and hang out. We spent the night on the deck, battling sand flies around Chris's handcrafted, wood-fired, outdoor tower heater. It was great meeting their friends and hanging out. Thanks so much Julie & Chris!

Franz Joseph Glacier to Hokitika

Well Franz Joseph is nice but it is a bit touristy for our tastes. On to fairer pastures. The countryside was green and rolling with some good climbs and descents along the way.

We were feeling fit that morning and thought we would see how we felt along the way and let that determine how far we went for the day. We got to Pukakuri (50mi) and were feeling fresh so we pressed on to Ross. At Ross (65mi) we looked at each other and went, 'Eh, a mere warm-up'. We continued to Hokitika (85mi), well we weren't so fresh but were feeling surprisingly well. It was our biggest mileage day and our best average speed (13.2mph) so we felt great!!!

We camped at a beachside holiday park and walked along the beach before making dinner and calling it a day. I checked out the 'Gloworm Dell' across the road. They are, well, worms that glow in the dark in a little cliffside. That night we were hoping for a night of quiet slumber but instead spent it "shushing" our drunk Scottish tent neighbors. Very frustrating. We're not sure how kids can stay up all night drinking then get up at the crack of dawn as if they had a full nights sleep. Don't miss those days at all.

Sorry about the lack of pictures...the camera didn't make it out of the pouch today. Tail wind...check out picture below. First time in a long time we actually felt south westerlies!!

Welcome Flats Hut to Fox/Franz Joseph Glacier

We woke up to Welcome Flats to some overcast skies that hung onto the jagged peaks surrounding us. We had a quick breakfast and took a soak in the hotsprings before we packed up our camp. What goes up must come down...we hiked out of the Welcome Flats Hut in just over 5hrs, repacked our bikes and rode another 16mi to Fox Glacier.

We went out for dinner and spent the night in a basic cabin (just beds but comfy). The next day we spent on the computer and taking care of business so nothing to report except a case of computer eyes and big appetites unapeased by any amount of food.

Later that evening, Jen & Jeroen came to the same camp so we went out for desert before hitting the hay. We have had a great time catching up with Jen & Jeroen in every town and hike we go on: )

Next day we followed the heard to the terminous of the glacier for a quick hike and a view. We saw Jen and Jeroen there also. Then we rode an ardous 18mi to Franz Joseph, another glacier spot. What is unique about these areas is that you can access the glaciers so easily and they are within 20km from the Tasman Sea. The towns are touristy but cute.

At Franz Joseph we also rode up to the trail to the clouded glacier terminous where we again caught up to Jen and Jerone on their way out and up the road north. A couple of photos later we were back on our bikes and up the road to the campground for the night.