| Australia bookmark |
[25 Feb 2011|03:56pm] |
I'm going to postdate an entry here (so that it will always be on the top of this page) to bookmark my Australia entries. So, they start here and end here. Everything after that is about New Zealand.
Once again, for those who are not members of Livejournal, feel free to leave comments on these entries by clicking "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the entry and selecting the anonymous option, but please do sign your name so I know who it is. When I have more than a few pictures to share (almost always), I'll usually post one and then there will be a cut, or link, below the image that will lead you to the rest of the entry on a separate page.
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| I'm baaaaaaack! |
[26 Oct 2009|11:45pm] |
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On this day one year ago, I awoke in Australia for the first time. Six months ago today, I returned to Canada. It's been an intensely busy six months; the incomplete blog went on the backburner while I stoked the fire of my photography business for my first year of full-time work. I'm happy to say that I feel I achieved great success during this time... if you want to see what I've been up to, check out my Proofs site... I did tons of horse and rider portraits, covered several large horse shows, did my share of family portraits and weddings, and have begun to re-acquaint myself with covering live music. Meanwhile, the remainder of my unprocessed travel photos stayed in a folder labeled "THE REST". And now that the high season of photography has finally slowed down, I have started sorting the last month of the photos I took in New Zealand in preparation to complete the blog... and this may sound cliche, but it makes my heart ache... recalling the lush greenery, the spray of the ocean, the warmth of the sun... I long to be back there. Summer here was lovely but extremely short, thanks to a very late spring (we didn't get leaves on our trees until the first week of JUNE) and non-existent autumn (in late September, we had a week-long cold snap and went straight from summer to winter -- most of the leaves simply fell off of the trees while still green!). I'm tempted to go back, not just to escape the cold again, but because my working holiday visa in New Zealand is good until the end of January, and I can only ever have one. If I want to go back after this, it can only be as a tourist, unless I get a proper work visa... which, after following a friend's saga to get one, I do not have high hopes for! I didn't work much when I was there because I wanted to see the whole country, not stay in one place for too long... but in retrospect, I should have gone on a tourist visa and saved the working holiday visa for a future trip! Unfortunately I don't think it is very financially smart to go back this winter, even if I did go only to work. We'll see... if I do go, it would only be for 2-3 months.
Anyway, enough babbling. Time to pick up where I left off... in the Taranaki region, on the west coast of the North Island. On April 2nd, I was heading north to the Waikato region and specifically, the Waitomo Caves. From my camping spot in Waitara, I decided to take the back roads north and then east to Waitomo, instead of the major highway. I was so glad I did, because it ended up being one of my most breathtaking drives... rolling hills folding into the distance, valleys traced by streams, and even the occasional ocean vista.
( Roadside scenery, a waterfall hike, and abseiling at the Waitomo Caves! )
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| Important announcement |
[21 Jun 2009|12:33am] |
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Hello all! Apologies for the unintended hiatus from blogging... I've just been swamped with photoshoots, editing, website designing (check out the new http://www.sarahunderwood.com!), and horseback riding. I'm still swamped at the moment and am now going away for a couple days, so I still can't get back to finishing up this blog just yet, but I swear I'll do it eventually. But I wanted to pop in and let you know I'm not dead, and to make the following announcement:
I found crumpets in Canada!
Sadly, they taste nothing like Golden Breaks, but I'll take what I can get. And thanks to a tip from one of you, I also found Timtams in Superstore. Woo hoo!
And now, back to working 12-14 hours a day...
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| Palmerston North to Waitara |
[12 May 2009|03:02am] |
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David Usher - Joy in Small Places |
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I must have messed up on my dates somewhere, because my last entry was for March 30th, but I know this entry is supposed to be about April 1st. The reason I know this is because I departed from Erin and Ben's in the afternoon and did not make it very far before I GOT A FLAT TIRE. We remember that I got a flat tire ten days earlier, yes? So not only was it ironic that I had gotten two flat tires within two weeks, but I couldn't help but laugh considering it was APRIL FOOLS DAY. Unfortunately this was no joke, but once again the kindness of strangers helped me through... I pulled over, and before I had even got out my jack, a gentleman zipped in and took over the operation! Fine by me, though the poor guy just about choked when he pulled off the hub cap and was enveloped with a cloud of dust from all my back road adventures! And lucky me x2, because there happened to be a Tony's Tyres branch in Palmerston North, where they do free puncture repairs. Thankfully, that only took half an hour after all was said and done, and I was back on the road.
I headed about an hour northwest towards Wanganui, which was a pretty little city, and continued on to the tiny town of Waitotara. The couple I had met out at Lake Waikaremoana the other day told me that there was a free camping spot down the road at Waiinu Beach. I didn't write the name down though and only remembered the Waitotara part, so I had to guess which road this campsite was on. I only knew that it had to be on the left since it was a beach campsite, so I took the first left turn near the town to explore. I wasn't in a very alert state of mind though, because it was only much later that I realized that shortly after turning off, the road curved around and went UNDER the main road, meaning that I was now going inland instead of left. But because I didn't notice this, I thought, "I have to get to the beach EVENTUALLY" and drove a ridiculous amount of kilometers -- although part of that was also that I was captivated by the scenery and once again afflicted with "What's Around THAT Corner?" Syndrome. I didn't take any pictures because it was getting dark.
( Cutting it here because there is still lots of text before the pictures start! )
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| STUFF |
[02 May 2009|01:01pm] |
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Until about a year ago, I had it in my head that the word "kleptomaniac" meant someone who collected things uselessly and/or couldn't throw things out. I now know that a "kleptomaniac" is someone who compulsively steals things, but this has left me with the need to find a new word for a collector... "hoarder" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I want a word that conveys the ridiculous-ness of thinking, "It's still good! I can use this for something one day!"... but I guess I should be happy that something that describes ME does not have the word "maniac" in it. I'm in the process of moving from my parent's place in the Crowsnest Pass (where I stored my belongings while I was gone) to the city of Lethbridge, where I went to university and lived for the five years before my trip. After living out of a backpack for six months, I'm appalled at the amount of STUFF I have.
I've never considered myself a "girly girl", but by gum, I have an entire large box full of beauty products. I have a whole bag full of skin washes/scrubs, a dozen bottles of lotion, and several bottles of hair gel/spray/wax. I didn't use hair products ONCE while I was away -- in fact, thanks to my layered hairstyle and natural wave, I can count on one hand the number of times I even combed my hair, haha! I hardly used hair products before I left, either... I suppose what I have is left over from the days before the Great Low Maintenance Hair Cut. I'm going to try to get down to one of everything now, which means pampering myself to use everything up! The dumb thing is that I also suffer from "But it's too NICE to use!" Syndrome, so I'll have to get over that as well.
Moving on, I just sorted the box containing the contents of my desk drawers. I've always had a love of office supplies... I adore new pens, different-coloured paper, and the smell of scotch tape (is that weird??). I just counted my writing utensils, AFTER throwing out the ones that don't work anymore. I have:
29 pencils (all but 8 are mechanical and half of those are missing lead)
15 markers and highlighters (5 of which are red... who needs five red pens?!)
22 pens, half of which are semi-expensive gel pens
Even when I was in school, I hardly wrote anything done... I typed everything. And now that I am out of school, writing is even less likely... but I don't think I can bear to give away my precious office supplies, so I guess I'll just be a crazy person who collects things uselessly and can't throw things out, haha!
Make me feel better. What "stuff" do you have that you can't part with, but know you should? How much of your "stuff" could you live without?
I will admit that I jumped up and down a little when I got home to my full-sized backbrush and electric shaver... some things just make life so much easier!
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| Gisborne to Te Urewera NP to Putorino |
[02 May 2009|02:19am] |
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*I've been busy with the horses and packing since I got home, and not so eager to update on the dial-up internet... but I am in Lethbridge for the weekend on the high-speed internet aaaand I just found out I will have access to faster satellite internet in the Crowsnest Pass now, so more updates should be forthcoming.
I had a mid-afternoon start to exploring on March 27th, as Garth's dad helped me plan much of the rest of my route around the North Island and kindly patched the NEW leak in my air mattress (getting tired of hearing this yet?). I decided on making Te Urewera National Park and specifically Lake Waikaremoana my destination for the day, but it was suggested that I make a side trip to the Mahia Peninsula, where a wild dolphin was known to cruise the shallow waters of the beach near there and would occasionally let people touch it and play with boogee boards or other toys! It had been there for three seasons and simply seemed to enjoy interaction with people. The locals had even named it: Moko. Even though I was thrilled to have swam with the wild dolphins near Whakatane, I've always wanted to TOUCH a dolphin, so this was too good to pass up.
| The road out to Mahia reminded me so much of Lethbridge. See, look... coulees! Such contrast to all the green I had been seeing. |
Before I went to the beach, I drove as far as the road around
the peninsula went, and ended up with a nice viewpoint.
( A dolphin, a lake hike, and caving )
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| Te Araroa to Gisborne |
[26 Apr 2009|01:47pm] |
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Note: I am on dial-up internet for the next week (yes, it still exists!), so I will not be able to reply to comments very easily -- but I will try! Don't feel like you have to comment for the sake of commenting though. :) I will let you know when I am back in high speed internet-land and then you guys can spam me with comments again! Comments make the world go round.
On the morning of March 26th, I planned to go to the East Cape Lighthouse, the furthest east lighthouse in New Zealand and just down the road from Te Araroa. I had read that it was most rewarding to see the sunrise from the lighthouse, but the night before, I realized that I didn't think I had enough petrol to drive the 40 kilometer round trip. There had only been one petrol station between Opotiki and Te Araroa (160km of distance), and they charged $2.02 per litre there thanks to their geographically-obtained monopoly! I was told there was a station in Te Araroa, but to get there in the morning, as the proprietor would often wander off in the afternoon if the flow of customers dwindled (now that's the way to run a business, haha!). He most certainly was not open when I arrived in the evening, and a local told me he didn't open until 9am the next day, at the earliest. I abandoned my hopes of seeing the sunrise from the lighthouse in favour of ensuring I wouldn't run out of fuel, and it's just as well that I did, because after fuelling up the morning, I drove out there and read the sign that said you had to climb 600+ stairs to get to the lighthouse! Funny the things they don't mention in advance!
The fuel in Te Araroa was $1.78/L, a deal compared to the previous one!
The road out to the lighthouse had some spectacular coastal scenery.
( The lighthouse, a wharf, and rugged farmland )
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| "It doesn't matter where I go... this place will always be my home." |
[26 Apr 2009|01:20pm] |
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I'm home! Our flight from Vancouver to Cranbrook, British Columbia (and the drive from Cranbrook to the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta) was good except I didn't have a window seat for once and the guy next to me seemed bent on using his entire body to shield me from seeing outside -- which is too bad, because we were flying over the Rocky Mountains, which look amazing from the air. The lady in the window seat next to my dad was sleeping though (there should be a law against sleeping in window seats over amazing scenery!), and he switched seats with me so I could lean over her and take pictures, haha! So I do have some to show for that, but I'll post those later with all the rest from Vancouver on. Right now I just want to share Paul Brandt's "Alberta Bound" video since it is fitting. Parts of it were filmed in the Crowsnest Pass. At 0:56 is the Burmis Tree with the Frank Slide (from Turtle Mountain) behind it. The church at 0:57 is down the road in Bellevue, the Crowsnest River is at 0:58, and the mountain in 0:59 is Crowsnest Mountain, which is right behind my house. :)
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| Homeward bound |
[23 Apr 2009|09:58am] |
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I am on my way back to Canada today! Let's just check the forecast at home to be good and sure that I missed winter by being away for six months. Dum dee dah...
Yup, it should be spring by now, being the end of April and all... I heard it was 21C there the other day... that's just super!
Now to click "Check Current Weather Conditions"...
Wait... what? Nooooooooooooo! It's still winter! My plan has been foiled! *refuses to leave the plane*
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| Pacific Coast Highway (Opotiki to Te Araroa) |
[21 Apr 2009|12:32am] |
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Triple J internet radio <3 |
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On March 25th, I promptly turned my car around and drove the 30-odd kilometers along Old Motu Road, back to the ocean and highway. My guide booklet had described the road as travelling "through some of the best rugged bush-clad mountainous country in New Zealand". Although I was retracing my tracks from the day before, I had driven most of it in the dark and therefore this was my first real look at it. A little history: it was built 40+ years ago and used to be a major "highway" for logging and driving sheep/cattle -- even though, as I said yesterday, it is now described as better suited to mountain bikes!
( Take it easy... a day of driving )
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| White Island and more dolphins |
[20 Apr 2009|12:18am] |
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On March 24th, the tour of White Island was finally a go, and it was so worth waiting for! Not only was the weather absolutely perfect on both the mainland and the island, but the tour was great AND we saw more dolphins on the way out and the way back! As you might predict, I went photo-mad, and even though I have tried to whittle the number down so as not to spam you, I have ended up with 45 pictures I want to share. I cannot pick a favourite of White Island, but I have a definite favourite dolphin photo that I am absolutely giddy over (and you should be too), so click to read about this amazing island and see one of my proudest captures EVER!
( The best things in life are worth waiting for )
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| Whirinaki Forest Park |
[18 Apr 2009|11:18pm] |
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N.B.: In my last post, I accidentally said that the next post would be about White Island, but that's the one after THIS, in case you were wondering.
On the morning of March 23rd, I got a call from White Island Tours saying the boat trip was cancelled yet again due to weather conditions! The mainland was warm and calm as it was the day before, but the island was still experiencing awful winds. The night before, I had decided that if it was cancelled again, I would go somewhere else overnight and try for the day after that. That somewhere else I had in mind was Whirinaki Forest Park, about 1.5 hours south of Whakatane and described as containing "New Zealand's forests at their best".
( More waterfalls, giant trees, and self-inflicted torture )
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| Swimming with dolphins |
[17 Apr 2009|11:34pm] |
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March 22nd started with a big "wow" as I rolled over to see this out my car window:
It looked like a perfect day and I happily trotted off to the White Island Tours office for my boat trip, where my bubble was promptly burst when I was told it was cancelled due to... weather conditions! I looked out the window at the clear blue sky and sunshine, and raised one eyebrow at the guy. It seemed that White Island, being 60km off the mainland, was subject to much different weather conditions and the winds near the island were around 30 knots! This made landing any vessel dangerous, and so the trip had been rescheduled for the next day. I really did want to go, so I signed up and wandered off to find something else to do for the day. One thing I knew I wanted to do before leaving New Zealand was swim with dolphins, but I wasn't planning on doing this in Whakatane because I was already doing a paid activity with White Island, and I try to spread them out since I don't do many of them. But I walked down the main street and one of the first shops I found was a dolphin swimming company... so I went in to see what it was all about, and they had a boat leaving in 45 minutes (the only one for the day)! Plus, I had a COUPON. How could I say no? Soon enough, it was time to don wetsuits, and choose masks, snorkels, and flippers. We went out the back door of the shop, walked half a block down and across the street, and we were at the boat docked at the river... now that's accessibility! Their regular boat was having maintenance done, so we would be cruising on what looked like a glorified dinghy, but turned out to be a sturdy seafaring vessel.
A photo taken by Wayne, a friend I'll tell you about shortly:
( Dolphins! )
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| More food! |
[17 Apr 2009|10:43pm] |
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We haven't done much in Hawaii yet, so I'm going to blog about food again instead! My dad and I went to get some groceries tonight, and I made some more observations that I thought I'd share. Oh, and in a related note, my parents had Honey Bunches of Oats waiting for me when I got here. <3
-Bananas, 59c/pound! Usually $2.99/kilo ($1.35/pound) down under, though sometimes $1.99 or less.
-Whole cabinets full of donuts! Not such a big deal down there.
-Sugary cereals galore... Sugarcrisp, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Cookie Crisp, Reese's Pieces, Nesquik chocolate... no health pellets here! But especially in NZ, I noticed that about 3/4 of every cereal aisle was muesli. There were so many varieties (and yet it was hard to find one I liked, because I don't like chewy fruit in my cereal and most of them had that).
-I'm already missing the nice big containers of yoghurt, although the US does have quite the variety of unique flavours that Canada does not.
-The biggest milk size in Oz and NZ is 3L, but here and at home it is 4L with the next smallest size 2L. And I ALWAYS spill a bit from the 4L when I first pour it, as I just did. Argh!
-Aaaaaand Coke, again... 600ml (sorry, not sure what that is in US ounces) bottles were $1.59 here... I never saw them for less than $3.00 down under, and yet 1.5L bottles were often on sale for $1.89 and 2L were sometimes $1.99! Way more for way less... makes no sense other than the smaller bottle is a more convenient size. And let's not even talk about cans (ok, I already did in a previous post, but you know I'm resisting blogging about it again!).
But seriously, I wasn't exaggerating when I was complaining about canned Coke prices...
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