Auckland, Paihia, Auckland, NZ, 31 March - 10 April 2012‏

Lighthouse at Cape Reinga

We eventually arrived in Auckland after a 6 hour delay at Nadi, Fiji due to the weather. Lucky we got out at all, as the weather in Fiji was on the turn to a cyclone, and persistent rain which would cause floods which we saw forming as we lifted off.

When we left Nadi, Jo was starting to feel pretty ill, and as we landed in NZ, she was only getting worse. For fear of being too far from a loo, and to speed up the journey to the YHA backpackers, we took a shuttle straight to the door. 
There's very little to report after this. I went out to get some food to cook etc, but didn't stray too far for about 4 days to keep an eye on Jo. Luckily the YHA wasn't too busy, and had a big tv room in the basement, so we weren't too bored. 
After a few attempts to change our flight so that we could leave NZ after only a week or so (very low on money, so planned to get to the cheap countries asap!), it proved too pricey, so bit the bullet and figured that the cheapest and easiest way to see the country was on the Magic bus.
Our plan meant that we put our application for a Chinese visa in at Auckland, then headed up to the Bay of Islands for a few days, then came back down to pick up the visa, then head South.

We headed North to Paihia in the pissing rain, and it stayed that way for the next day. Was lovely actually, felt just like home! By this point I had almost got used to wearing things on my feet again after being barefoot for so long!
En route, we stopped off at some waterfalls (began with a W I think).
We got to Paihia, wandered around town, and watched another film (on video! Never went out of fashion over here!), went on a short hike to a lookout over the town and some of the islands, and signed up to a tour to Cape Reinga for the next day.








Next morning was an early start on a bus tour to the Northernmost point of NZ that is Cape Reinga, which is a Maori sacred ground thought to be the lifting off point for Maori souls who die in NZ, whose souls must make the trip back to their ancestral grounds around Polynesia. Apparently if you have been good, your wings sprout and you take flight, but if you've been bad then your wings are piddly little things that won't hold your weight, and you plummet into the ocean to be eaten by the sea monster.
Anyway, it's got a lovely lighthouse, and is the point where the Tasman sea and Pacific clash, and you can actually see the swells and waves of different seas lapping each other. 
After wandering around for a bit we got back on the bus and went down to some sand dunes for some sandboarding. My first go I wanted loads of speed so didn't dig my feet in at all. This worked as I flew, but meant I couldn't steer, so went arse-over-tit halfway down. Second, third and fourth run were much better, though almost castrated myself going over a bump where the guy infront of me wiped out!

Tane

From the dunes we drove onto and along 90 mile beach (which isn't actually 90 miles but more like 60). We then stopped off at a Kauri manufacture place where they make furniture and things from the Kauri tree, but as it's protected they can't cut them down anymore. Luckily, a few thousand years ago something (tsunami, volcano etc) knocked over and buried a whole forest of Kauris just beneath the ground, which is perfectly preserved, so there is still a readily available source of the stuff. They're big impressive trees, but to be honest, it's still just like pine. 
Got back to Paihia, and took the Magic bus early the next morning back to Auckland (again) to hopefully pick up our Chinese visa. En route we stopped at Tane Mahuta which is a huge Kauri which Maoris say is the father of all Kauris, and is the child of mother earth and father sky (I think), and to push them apart, he put his back to the ground, legs to the air and grew as high as he could and push the sky up to allow other Kauris (his children) to grow. Maori stories are much better than the bible I think, so much nicer with more whimsy.
Anyway, we saw that, and a bunch of Korean women on the bus obviously liked it so much they thought we were going back, as one of them left her bag there with loads of cash in it, but didn't tell anyone until 2 hours later, and we were almost back in Auckland. God knows if she got it back or not, dozy sod. At least she'll know the way though, as she seemed to have a video camera pressed against the windscreen most of the journey whether we were on motorway, in towns or middle of nowhere. I'll admit NZ is pretty, but not THAT pretty.

Sky City early evening

Anyway, got back to Auckland, spent the following day wandering around the viaduct/marina, fish market, and the SW part of town, then next day headed to the museum which was really good, but massive, so we had to go back the following morning to finish it off before getting the bus out to nowhere to pick up our Chinese visa, which we got really easily, despite having no outbound flight from the country. When we got back into town, we went searching for the Victoria markets, and finally stumbled across them to discover they're having a major refurb and only 1 or 2 shops were open, so we wandered back and found a place on the way called Shed 5 Cycles, which is a cafe/restaurant, but where they custom and refurb motorbikes. Was so cool, loads of old British bikes, and about a third of them were Triumphs. Most were to be auctioned, and the guide prices were so cheap! I spent about half an hour dribbling and mumbling incoherently to myself whilst Jo looked on, then we headed back to YHA (and our freely upgraded room!) for dinner and to pack to head off around the country the following day! 

Cape Town, SA

Jo looking thoughtful

As per the plan, we made it up Table Mountain after our tour of Robben Island. We got up early, had some breakfast and took the hop-on hop-off city tour bus to the base, and started walking up the gorge route which was supposed to take 2 1/2 hours. Jo also reserved the right to whinge as she doesn't like walking, but she did really well, and we overtook loads of people and only got overtaken by two fully kitted up lads on a mission, so pretty proud! Though we did notice there were about 4 times as many people walkinbg down the mountain as walking up. When we got to the top (after only 1 1/2 hours!) we realised why; the cable car is really popular and fast (only takes a few minutes), and because of this there's families, kids, and women in dresses and stupid shoes everywhere. There's also a full blown restaurant/cafe. It put the rustic cafeteria full of smelly and wet climbers at the top of Snowdon in perspective! We took a load of photos (pics to follow), including some really nice ones of Jo that I took when she wasn't looking.

Jo and I at the top of Table Mountain

We took the cable car back down (we'd done the hard work, so sod it, why not!) and got back on the bus anf went to Camps Bay which is pretty posh and a real beach resort with some beautiful hotels. We had a wander about and some lunch, then got back on the bus around the city, through the waterfront, and got off at the square just off Long St (where  we were staying). Busy, busy day, so we went out for a light snack for dinner and a few beers!
The following day was Sunday, and we went on the Cape peninsula tour which was another early start. We first went to Hout Bay and took a boat trip out to seal island, which is just an outcrop of rocks just off the coast, but was nice!
Then we stopped on Chapmans drive near the peak which looks down on Hout Bay. Turns out Hout Bay was designed when fully developed by the apartheid government, who put all the blacks and coloureds in a weather-beaten and hilly part of the bay at the base of a mountain, whilst all of the whites were housed in the middle, on the flatter and more sheltered ground with the beaches. They even had outside pools built on the beachfront for the blacks so that they didn't even share the same seawater. Pretty pathetic, but amazing that this was still enforced and people were being jailed for breaching such rules up until 1993... Anyway, it was very pretty.

Jo a kilometer up overlooking Cape Town

We then went to Simons Town where there is Boulders Beach which has penguins on it. Jo of course absolutely loved the cute little buggers. From there it was onto the Cape, and Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. These were both very windy with lovely scenery, and a little surreal being at the very tip of the entire continent.
Monday was spent sorting ourselves out ready for the next 4 days doing our PADI Open Water which is in Simons Town. Worked out cheapest to just move to a hostel closer to the station and pay the R100 (about 8 quid) each for a week long train ticket.
Tuesday and the first day of the course was pretty boring to be honest, just working through the dvds and knowledge reviews and quick quizes. Wednesday was spent sat in the shade at the base of Table Mountain in a military barracks going through the knowledge reviews, We then got kitted up (and dekitted, and in, and out, and in, and out, and in again for one of the skills) and did our swimming and skills for the rest of the day. Was a bit of a challenge, and the "hover" took a few attempts, but we did it. By this point, Jo wasn't enjoying it at all. The feeling of being underwater was unnerving her. We went to Mojitos again last night afterwards for some BOGOF burgers which are just amazing,
This morning was another 6.30am start, and our first open water dives. We did 2 shore dives, and got all the skills down. Unfortunately, Jo wasn't liking it any more than previously, and on the second dive when she was struggling to equalise and the controlled emergency swimming ascent she nearly threw in the towel. Luckily, our instructor; a nice saffer called Carel, gave her a break from doing that skill, and with his patience, got all the rest of her skills done, and even the one she was struggling with. Have to say though, she never really wanted to do it, she just went along with it for me, so I'm very proud she's got this far when it's scaring her so much.
We saw loads of fish, a few shoals of stripies, absolutely loads of starfish. There were 2 other divers in who came over and told us about a huge ray (about 1.8m span) on a wreck we were near, but we never found it unfortunately.
We got out of the water (carrying about 25kgs more than normal after being weightless for an hours is difficult though!) and we're ok, but I must have done something to my ear, as when we went to do the exam I was in agony. I was terrified I'd burst my eardrum, but think it's ok, feels alright now, though think there's still some water trapped in there somewhere. Will just take it easy on the way down tomorrow on the boat dives! Will also be going from 7m we were at today down to 18, so that will be good! Fingers crossed for some big rays and maybe a few little sharks!

Puff Adder Shy Shark

NB. Tried to upload a few photos, but seems that you get what you pay for with free internet, so I'll have to do it another day.

UPDATE: Found somewhere with a decent connection, so photos from Table Mountain above, and below of me in the water finishing PADI Open Water, and a puff adder shark we saw when down there!

Me looking my best

Green Turtle - Ghana

Ok, I'm not sure what happened there, but seems that the bloody great post I wrote yesterday vanished into the ether when I hit "publish". Oh well. Fingers crossed forattempt number 2... on a machine that doesn't even have USB ports... I wonder where you pu the coal in?

So after Cape Castle we went to Elmina which also has a castle for slaves that was run by the portugeuse and dutch. It wasn't quite as "nice" architecturally as Cape Coast, and but had some stunning views and equally harrowing history.

When we were finished in the castle some bloke who came and chatted to us before we went in came up to us again and handed us a shell each which he'd "personalised" with permanaent marker, and then immediately got out his football team sponsorship form. We said sorry, we couldn't carry them, and that we weren't going to sponsor and walked off. We decided against remarking that my shell was broken, and that Jos name isn't "Julian".
Got back to Autie Loves in the evening then the next morning headed to Green Turtle.
We took the tro-tro,then had to get a taxi as this place is a resort in the middle of nowhere by itself on the beach. When the drivers said 35 cedes we thought they were taking the mick,and haggled them down to 20. We felt a bit guilty when it turned out it was an hours drive,along roads which aren't meant to take a 300-odd-thousand mile Nissan Primera. But we got there, it was a little pricey for some of the food and drink, but as you have nowhere else to got for it, it wasn't a surprise, and it wasn't really that bad. 2 nights accommodation and food and drink over the 3 days came to about 30 quid each. And we had our own little hobbit-hut on the beach with 2 double beds too.
I was a bit ill out there, and I've got a load of little spots on my back and chest, but apparnetly this is a reaction to the Doxycycline in the sun. So I shall be hunting down Malarone or something for our next stint on the anti-malarials!
Had a couple of lovely days relaxing on the beach, then had to head back to Auntie Loves yesterday. As we couldn't barter for the cab, we had to accept the price, so we shared with 3 Dutch girls. Then halfway along the track (it reminded me of the ridgeway on the downs this road) we got a puncture. Not surprising with the girls big backpacks, plus all our daysacks and 6 people crammed in the car. Helped the guy change it to his spare which had a massive pressure bulge in the side, so I thought it was only a matter of time before it happens again, but we made it.
Got into Takoradi at about 4.30, went to an internet cafe, then home.

Today has been a bit slower than normal as Jo has caught a bug or something and was up all night throwing-up. She was tired out this morning and drained, so I got her some more water sacks and a can of coke to replace the sugars,and wandered into Takoradi alone for the first time to check on whether STA have replied conforming our flight change to tomorrow night. Also, to rewrite this whole thing again!

So fingers crossed, next update will be in a couple of days from Cape Town!