Kiwi Experience: Back on the Bus

11th - 16th May 2014

Whilst working in Franz Josef I formed very strong opinions of the people that are part of the Kiwi Experience. I found that an alarming number people just use it as one giant pub crawl and have no real interest in seeing an experiencing a new country. Now, that's not all of them. I'm not judging everyone. I for one started off on the bus and made friends on it that weren't complete retards.

Jumping back on the bus, however, after dealing with all those morons over the summer did not fill me with excitement at all but it was the cheapest way for me to get around and I'd spent a lot of money on that ticket so I'm bloody well going to use it! I still had the rest of the south island to see and, as I had a ski job starting at the end of June, I had a lot of time to kill.

By some very strange coincidence the driver who took me away from Franz Josef was the very same driver who had brought me, Toddy. He managed to squeeze me on to a full bus by having me sit in the spare seat on the steps next to door. I didn't mind. I hadn't banked on the bus being full given its very nearly winter.

Very Misty

The first stop today was a very misty Lake Matheson where, on a calm clear morning, you can catch an awesome reflection of New Zealand's highest mountains, Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. I was still hobbling due to my foot injury so I didn't make it round to the best viewpoint but the view I did see was stunning.

Which one is the real one?!

Mount Aspiring National Park

We did a few stops at lookouts as it was such a nice day. We drove over the Haast Pass and around Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea which looked awesome in the sun.

Lake Wanaka

Lake Hawea

At every stop I kept meaning to talk to some people on the bus knowing that they can't all be bad but every time I was about to make an attempt I decided against it. I wouldn't be staying with them that night in Wanaka because I had already booked my accommodation separately as it would be cheaper so there was no real need to talk to them. I am aware that I was being very narrow minded but it was just how I felt at the time.

I checked in Base Wanaka for a bargain thanks to a new website I discovered that tends to always have the cheapest rooms in town and I was surprised how good it was. Base backpackers are always a bit hit and miss but this one had a light and plug socket to every bed which is an absolute luxury for a hostel. You would normally get 8 people trying to plug in to one socket.

In Wanaka

I met up with Miesha who I had lived and worked with in Franz. We went the cinema with a guy Miesha had met at her campground called Martin and an American I had been chatting to in the room. The cinema is a rather unique one with sofas instead on normal cinema seats and a couple of cars you can sit in. We opted for the sofas but the whole way through Spiderman 2 I wanted to go sit in the car!

Cinema

The next morning I had my interview for Cardrona. I had managed to convince them to move my interview to the Monday as they had emailed me the previous week asking my to interview on Friday. That would have given me less than 48 hours to get from Nelson to Wanaka which is just not possible without your own car. So I thought I would be the only one interviewing that day as they had originally said that they would be finishing interviews on the Friday before but there were other people there too.

Me and another girl were both waiting to be interviewed by people who hadn't turned up to work yet. When they arrived we went on a walk around the building trying to find somewhere quite to do my interview and we ended up in a storage room filled with staff uniforms. The woman who interviewed me seemed really bored and uninterested. She didn't take any notes or have anything with her.

I left the interview thinking I'll be really surprised if they offer me a job and if they did I wouldn't take it. The whole thing seemed really unorganised and the job itself didn't seem that interesting. It sounded like I'd likely be either sat at a till or stood at the coffee machine every day. I decided to take the job up at Mount Ruapehu as I got such a good vibe from the place when I was there. As it turned out I missed the cut for staff for Cardrona but they put me on a reserve list in case anyone rejected their offer but I told them it wasn't necessary.

Puzzle world

I went and met up with Miesha who was with Sharn. She had come down for a couple of days for Miesha's birthday. We went to puzzle world which was still fun even though I had been before. I remembered most of the maze but I still got stuck a couple of times.

Miesha squeezing one out

Leaning!

Sharn is the tallest person in the room - unusual

The next day was Miesha's birthday and we had to dress up. Martin came too with his dog and a guy called Phil and Jason who was in Franz for a bit in January. We went to a charity shop I picked out the most random clothes. I had a pair of bright blue trousers that I've kept since because I think they are awesome! Most of the others went for blazers which looked relatively normal next to me but ah well.

Woof!

We had a few beers at the YHA where Jason was staying and then we went to an Irish bar where we had a proper Irish car bomb. Then we went to Mint bar which was empty except for Lefty (stray driver) and a few off his bus. Everyone started pole dancing for some reason.

I'M BLUE!

Just come work ya

Pole dancing

Getting a helping hand

I met everyone next morning a Kai Whaka Pai Cafe (pronounced Kie Fack a Pie. yep!). Everyone was a bit hungover and the waitress was kind enough to take a picture of us in our hungover state.

EUGH!

That was pretty much it for Wanaka. The next day I was back on the Kiwi bus and this time Jess was the driver. She had an overbooked bus so she asked a favour and I once again sat in the spare seat next to the door. You do get the best view of the landscape from there. This time I managed to bring myself to making conversation with people on the bus. We stopped off at a farm shop that sells heaps of fruit (skipped on that) and then we went on to the Kawarau Bridge.

The base at the K bridge

The Kawarua Bridge

Now, I had completely forgot that this was a stop on route to Queenstown and I very much considered not going into the building incase anyone in there knew me. I went in and I saw Welshy who was always in charge of the AJ Hackett crew whenever they came up to Franz. I really wanted to hide because I knew what would happen but I kinda owed her an apology for being a douche the last time I saw her so I had to speak to her.

Not again!

Yep! That's what happened! I spoke to her and of course she forced me to do a jump despite my protests! There wasn't really a reason for me not to do it especially as it was free. She also told the instructor to be extra nice to me! I was told I had to do it backwards. I was surprised to find backwards was actually easier than forwards. You are not looking down and when the instructor gently pushed me on the chest I fell backwards and I didn't have to think about it too much.

AHHH

It wasn't half as scary as the Nevis. I got dunked too which was the 'be extra nice' bit and it was bloody refreshing! The water was so cold, not that I was even paying attention to the temperature of the water at the time. Had I realised we were going to the K Bridge I would not have worn my Nevis t-shirt. Looked like such a nob but never mind. Again, I'm glad I did another bungy, especially without injuring myself this time, but that's enough now. STOP MAKING ME DO THEM!

Dunked

I'm wet now!

woo

Here we go again

After that rather unexpected event it was on to Queenstown which was just how I remembered it, spectacular. I got chatting to a girl in my room, Joana, who was in town interviewing for Coronet Peak for the job I got rejected for! We went to the bar for a few drinks before a couple of her friends came and then had a few more beers. Then we went to The Find which was full of people and I had even more beers. There were a few drivers in there so I was chatting to them for a while. Jess was in her usual state.

The Ramarkables (walls of mordor)

Queenstown

I only stayed in Queenstown the one night as I was planning to stay there until my new job started so I hopped on a much smaller bus on the way to Dunedin.

Clyde dam

We stopped off a little place called Clyde which was like stepping into a retirement village. It was a very small place with seemingly only old people and a dam. I had to hobble to the chippy as I'd pulled my damaged foot the night before.

Clyde

Then it was on to Dunedin where we visited the steepest street in world, Baldwin Street. I hobbled all the way to the top and back and it is bloody steep. I would not like to have to walk up and down that every day, nor drive up it. There's a set of steps on either side rather than a pavement. Then it was on to the hostel.

Baldwin Street

Steep!

I planned to stay in Dunedin for a couple of days as a friend from Franz, Emily, was going to her  home but my plans quite often have a habit of changing.