Canterbury, New Zealand
11:37am
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Universe, Tequila, and Public Transport
So at this point in our travels, we have gotten a few things pretty much mastered. One of these things is the careful orchestration that must take place in getting to an airport. And things must be particularly meticulous when the flight you are to board is international. Stender and I had agreed in advance to let as much of this trip as possible pan out on the fly, but when it comes to arriving to an airport on time for a flight out of the country, everything must be carefully planned and prepared well in advance. Sometimes, as was the case today, the flights can be scheduled at an unreasonable hour such as 9 AM, with equally as unreasonable events, such as tequila, taking place on the immediately proceeding night.
So there are times when you plan to the best of your abilities, but you are still relying on something larger than yourself to get you to the airport in a timely fashion.
We woke up at 6 AM today, with just a few hours of a couch sleep sustaining us, in an attempt to catch a city bus, then a train, and then ultimately a plane to get us into New Zealand. Because of the sequence of public transportation that we were to take, we could not be late for one thing without severely hampering our plans. If we missed our first bus, that would mean we would miss the first train, having to wait for a second to the airport, which would put us too close for comfort for the check in of our flight.
So we ran across the West End of Brisbane, each with close to 50lbs on our backs, in the persistent rain as the sun rose above us for the last time in the land down under. When we finally reached the street where our bus stop was located, the bus was less than 60 yards to our right. We made the bus, ergo our train, ergo our flight, by literally a few meters. We leave Australia with our usual style and finesse, and with just seconds to spare.
But we made it. The universe has accommodated us once again.
Now onto New Zealand. Hopefully we can ride this same wave of luck the next three weeks.
So there are times when you plan to the best of your abilities, but you are still relying on something larger than yourself to get you to the airport in a timely fashion.
We woke up at 6 AM today, with just a few hours of a couch sleep sustaining us, in an attempt to catch a city bus, then a train, and then ultimately a plane to get us into New Zealand. Because of the sequence of public transportation that we were to take, we could not be late for one thing without severely hampering our plans. If we missed our first bus, that would mean we would miss the first train, having to wait for a second to the airport, which would put us too close for comfort for the check in of our flight.
So we ran across the West End of Brisbane, each with close to 50lbs on our backs, in the persistent rain as the sun rose above us for the last time in the land down under. When we finally reached the street where our bus stop was located, the bus was less than 60 yards to our right. We made the bus, ergo our train, ergo our flight, by literally a few meters. We leave Australia with our usual style and finesse, and with just seconds to spare.
But we made it. The universe has accommodated us once again.
Now onto New Zealand. Hopefully we can ride this same wave of luck the next three weeks.
Leaving Aussie to face the chill of NZ
So as our time in Australia comes to a close, we spent our final night in the country embracing a local tradition known as "Taco Tuesdays." It was a bittersweet and surreal experience for two boys from Texas, some 11,000 statue miles from the Lone Star State in the heart of Brisbane, Australia, to be invited to a such an event. The tacos, as expected, left much to be desired, but the $4 frozen margaritas and equally priced watered down shots of tequila were a respectable consolation. Taco Tuesdays is a regular gathering for local and traveling Couch Surfers, so we spent the night with expats from France, Ireland, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, as well as the obligatory cute blond Dutch girl with suspiciously perfect English. 
Today will be the most temperate and forgiving weather we will experience for some weeks, as we head into the South Island of New Zealand in the late fall, and plan on getting as far south in that island as we can. In checking the weather for Christchurch, which is reportedly unseasonably cold right now, the highs are five degrees Celsius (38 Fahrenheit), with lows of -3 Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit). Stender and I have zero winter clothes, as they take up valuable real-estate in backpacks, so our first order of business upon arrival in Christchurch is to hit up an op-shop (thrift store), and stock up on the winter essentials.
On to the land of the long white cloud, and to the home of the Flight of the Conchords. Sweet as.
Today will be the most temperate and forgiving weather we will experience for some weeks, as we head into the South Island of New Zealand in the late fall, and plan on getting as far south in that island as we can. In checking the weather for Christchurch, which is reportedly unseasonably cold right now, the highs are five degrees Celsius (38 Fahrenheit), with lows of -3 Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit). Stender and I have zero winter clothes, as they take up valuable real-estate in backpacks, so our first order of business upon arrival in Christchurch is to hit up an op-shop (thrift store), and stock up on the winter essentials. On to the land of the long white cloud, and to the home of the Flight of the Conchords. Sweet as.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
A view from our Picnic: The Picnic and the Powerhouse
In continuing with our ongoing picnic theme (aka being too broke to have a proper meals), we had planned a picnic on the Brisbane River with a few friends in a community park in the suburb of New Farm. The majority of Brisbane follows the river's path, which makes a particularly photogenic appearance through the city's Central Business District. On this beautiful Sunday, the park was filled with all the usual cohorts; the university group of picnickers with cases of beer, the earnest family picnickers with an entire feast, and us with the bare essentials: Sausages, bread, American mustard, and a few bottles of white wine. 
After dinner, we took a quick walk across the park to a place called The Powerhouse. The Powerhouse is, as the name implies, a former power station that has been retrofitted as a theater, concert venue, and art space. Every Sunday The Powerhouse throws free a comedy show, which happened to be the exact amount of money we had hoped to spend that night. Not only was it within our budget, but the show was actually pretty damn funny. There were suspended walkways that have been left intact which provided a phenomenal amount vantage points to see the stage from. But one of the most interesting things about The Powerhouse is that it is owned and supported by the Brisbane City Council. Another successful day.
'A' party in Brisbane
In keeping with the sold tradition of the Matts, for our first night in Brisbane, we went straight from the airport to a party. This was an "A" party, as such we were required to dress as something that began with the letter A. After several discussions on how lose we could interpret this concept with our shoestring budget, Stender purchased a set of water colours [local spelling] at a dollar store in Sydney to attend as an Artist, and I decided to really shake things up an attend as an American. A solid first night in Brisbane.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
On the way to Brissie
Tonight we leave for Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Last night we met some friends for a few drinks at Bungalow 8 in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Beautiful. The club was on a boardwalk, half indoor and half outdoor, and had a DJ with a live drummer, as well spectacular views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
Tomorrow we hit Brissie, as the locals call it.
Tomorrow we hit Brissie, as the locals call it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
View from our picnic: Sydney
Picnics. A travelers favourite [local spelling]. Cheap, healthy, better service, and you get to choose your own ambience. (Normally, I would also include that you don't have to tip, but tips aren't compulsory in Australia or New Zealand). Today, Stender and I located a Coles, a chain supermarket in Australia, and spent roughly twelve Australian dollars on a bag of pita bread, 200 grams of ham, 200 grams of turkey, 150 grams of cheese, a bottle of water, and four bananas. I defy anyone to find a cheaper lunch in New South Wales. Let alone with this view:
Waffles and wine...
Above: Silie from Norway, Stender, Matt, and David (our host from Melbourne whom we had met again in Sydney)
Our time in Sydney is to be intentionally truncated. Having conferred with many people about our travel plans, most every Aussie that we spoke with told us that our time in Australia would be much better budgeted in places other than Sydney. Basically, we've boiled down our visit here to a photo-op at the Opera House and a few nights out on the town.
Tonight we met a group of fellow couch surfers for a waffle party. Being extremely fiscally conscious, Matt and I decided that this was by far our best option for cheap food and even cheaper drinks. The host of our party lives in the subdivision of Paddington, which is the fashion hub of Sydney. Being driven to our party, we passed numerous fashion boutiques on the upscale Oxford Street.
Couch Surfing may have made the world as small as it can possibly get, but to make it even smaller, Matt had arranged to have his former bosses granddaughter from San Antonio come meet us for the waffle shakedown. Americans in this part of the world aren't too common, so it was nice to have a conversation about chalupas and Mexican restaurants at a waffle party in Sydney...
...Opera House tomorrow...
-Civ
Monday, May 18, 2009
A Drive Down the Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road was commissioned in the early 1930's by the Australian government as a public works initiative to combat the Great Depression. It was designed to be in the category of roads such as the Pacific Coast Highway in California or the Road to Hana in Maui, making the Great Ocean Road one of the most gorgeous and scenic drives in the world. The drive took us about nine and a half hours roundtrip from Melbourne in a car we had borrowed from our friend Jo. To answer your next question: No, neither Stender nor myself had ever driven on the left hand side of the road before. But that was a minor issue. All and all, we only had two real innocents of lapse, where we had realized that we had reverted to driving on the American side of the road, but no big deal. It worked out pretty well. We actually made it back to Jo's house with out any U-turns. This instills a great deal of pride in a man.
In the car:
The culmination of our trip was supposed to have been the Twelve Apostles, which are [apparently] magnificent rock formations that protrude out of the ocean off of the southern coast of Victoria. Due to logistical constraints, we left Melbourne later than we had planned, so for this trip, the Twelve Apostles were beyond our reach. The rain and the dark were coming on quickly, so we had to bail and drive through the boggins town of Colnac for an interesting adventure at a fish and chips joint.
Stopping at one of the beaches:
An amazing waterfall along the way:
Alleyway in Melbourne
This is the alley behind the Tongue and Groove and the Backpackers in St. Kilda, Melbourne. There are similar allies like this all over Melbourne...
The street art is here part of the charm of the city, and it seems to cover every available surface. Alleys like this demonstrate the cultural and artistic crossroads that Melbourne is. I even heard it referred to as 'Mini-Berlin' by a few of the expats living here. Here is a video of Matt and I enjoying our chill spot for the night:
Party on a Rooftop Garden Terrace
The plans for our second day in Melbourne were pretty simple. Take the train to a southern city subdivision called St. Kilda, and walk out on the pier and hope to see the indigenous Little Penguins that come out after dark. Having already been won over by the inexpensive yet delicious wine in the states, Stender and I felt it was appropriate to pay our respects to it's namesake. 
After hanging out with the penguins, we walked along St. Kilda on our way to find $2 pints at a bar named The Tongue and Groove, which happened to be located next to a Backpackers. We were a few hours early for the drink special to kick in, so Stender and I went into the hostel to kill some time. We followed the stairs up to their 'Rooftop Garden' where we found the heart of the Melbourne backpacking community, made up mostly of British expats that have 12 month work visas in Australia.
The trip to St. Kilda pier to hang out with penguins quickly turned into a night of drinks with international citizens, and gave us a great idea of what Melbourne is. It's not a landmark city that is made for sightseeing. This city is all about the culture and the people that make up its population. And we are comfortable with feeling that we got the quintessential Melbourne experience tonight. Unlike so many other cities of the word, there is a general eagerness among the people in Melbourne. They are excited to be here. And so are we.
Below is our view of Melbourne from the St. Kilda pier:
After hanging out with the penguins, we walked along St. Kilda on our way to find $2 pints at a bar named The Tongue and Groove, which happened to be located next to a Backpackers. We were a few hours early for the drink special to kick in, so Stender and I went into the hostel to kill some time. We followed the stairs up to their 'Rooftop Garden' where we found the heart of the Melbourne backpacking community, made up mostly of British expats that have 12 month work visas in Australia. The trip to St. Kilda pier to hang out with penguins quickly turned into a night of drinks with international citizens, and gave us a great idea of what Melbourne is. It's not a landmark city that is made for sightseeing. This city is all about the culture and the people that make up its population. And we are comfortable with feeling that we got the quintessential Melbourne experience tonight. Unlike so many other cities of the word, there is a general eagerness among the people in Melbourne. They are excited to be here. And so are we.
Pro-Tamil Protest
I stumbled upon a protest by ethnic Tamil's one of the main ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka who were trying to raise awareness of the bloody conflict underway in the island nation off the coast of India. The protesters ultimately aimed to persuade the Australian government put pressure on the Sri Lankan military to stop the attacks on the Tamil Tigers. Media and NGO's have been barred from the conflict zone, but reports of mass civilian casualties are prevalent.
More about the conflict.
More about the conflict.
The Meeting of the Matts
So after two months, with Stender having left for his trip around the world (and then eventually grad school in Hong Kong), we had planned to meet up in Melbourne, Australia. Here we are in the Central Business District of Melbourne, across the street from Federation Square. The last time we saw each other before this picture was taken, we were at a bar called Dixies near the San Antonio International Airport toasting to our future travels, some 8,000 miles east of where we are now.
Immediately before we met up, I had been in Northland, New Zealand and Matt had been in Australia for a few weeks. From here, we spend the next 5 weeks together couch surfing Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington, and then finally Auckland again.
This blog is a chronicle of our collective trip throughout the land down under and the land of the long white cloud. We'll be posting a View from the Window every day of our trip, as well as videos of whatever it is we end up doing... And from there, much like our trip, this blog will be left to whatever it becomes...
Cheers
-Civ
View from our window: Day 5
Flinders Street Station, CBD, Melbourne, Australia
11:32am
The Matt's are now together
View from our window: Day 4
Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand
4:41pm
Photo by Matt Civitello
View from our Window: Day 2
Bryon Bay, New South Wales, Australia
5:00pm
Photo by Matt Stender
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