There's a bar (Globe Bar) underneath the hostel, and they had a theme night (jungle theme), and gave everyone in the hostel a 2-for-1 coupon for a pint of beer, and had free punch for everyone, so all the guys from the room went to that for a while. Me and what's-his-face didn't stay too long, we don't need to spending money on alcohol. The girl in our room didn't go at all.
I slept really great last night.
So, I got up this morning, 9:00ish, I think, got a few groceries (milk and bread and cereal), and made myself some breakfast. I then started out on a trek to get information and pricing for flights to Fiji. It's middle of school break right now, and all the students (elementary->university) are on break...and of course, the uni students all go to Fiji for the break (kinda like Palm Beach or Cancun or whatever for North American students). First went to Flight Centre, and a flight to Fiji is more than $1100 return, no deals on right now. Or, I can get a package for $1450 that gives me 3 nights accomodations at one of the tiny islands resorts, then from there, go on my own for the rest of Fiji. They also had one more very great deal, for $770, return, but you had to stay at a specific resort for the whole time, all accomodations booked in advance. Not for me. I then tried another travel agent, Great Holiday Escape, and they took me through the $770 deal too, but it didn't suit me. The other deal right now, she informs me, is a flight to Fiji, but you have to spend minimum one night in Naumea (New Caledonia). So, Auckland->Naumea->Nadi(Fiji)->Auckland for $990. I wrote the info down, ran over to the nearest bookstore, checked out the Lonely Planet for New Caledonia...it's the closest South Pacific Island to New Zealand, 2.5hours flying time. And they have a cheap hostel in the Naumea too. It's a French colony, the main language is french. Fiji, for those who care, the official language is English. So, I went back and booked the flight! I'm flying from Auckland on Thursday (July 10) to Naumea, land at 3:35PM. I'm spending two nights in Naumea (sounds like a nice place), and fly from Naumea to Nadi on Sunday night, and arrive in Nadi at 1:10AM (yuck!) I also booked the Feejee Experience bus pass, which is like the Oz Experience and Kiwk Experience bus pass for backpackers, a hop-on/hop-off bus, and I can stay as long as I like at any drop-off point. I return back to Auckland on July 24, so I'll be gone from NZ for 2 weeks!!
The total cost for that was just shy of $1500NZ. I keep forgetting the favourable exchange rate, though, so it's only about $1200CDN for the flight and the bus pass.
AFter getting that all sorted out, it was about 3:00, so I headed up to Auckland's Skytower. It's the highest tower in the southern hemisphere, and you can get some pretty great views of Auckland from up there. I also saw a jumper!!! No, he wasn't committing suicide, you can pay money and jump off the Skytower. Advertised as New Zealand's highest jump, it's not a bungee jump, it's a "drop", you're wired between two cables strung from near the top of the tower to the ground, and you go down. It's a drop of 192 metres. When you drop, they stop you, suspended in mid air, at the level of the observation level, so everyone can see you, suspended in mid-air above the city. I got a great picture of the first guy. They have a backpacker rate for going up the Skytower, $10, compared to $15 for a regular adult fare. It's great being a backpacker!
AFter that, went back down to the bottom, and surrounding the Skytower at ground level is a huge casino, so I went in there and lost my shirt. Well, I only played $4, but lost it all. Mostly played the 2 cent machines. But it was fun!
I then went and got a few more groceries (pepperoni and ham) and had sandwiches for supper. Yum!
I have a bunch of losers for roommates! All they do is hang out in the room all day. They were in there when I popped in at lunch, they were still in there when I was up mid-afternoon to drop my flight stuff off, again after supper...that's all they do, is sit in the room!!! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!! The girl is the worst. And the big guy too.
As for the hostel, I paid for two more nights today, and it was only $20/night this time. Woohoo!! I don't particularly care for the hostel, though, it's too big and impersonal. It's the biggest hostel in NZ, can house 300 people. Imagine sharing a kitchen with 300 other people...well, to be fare, there's no way all 300 will be in the kitchen at any one time, and they have about 8 or 10 stoves, each with four burners, so there's lots of cooking room. And they have abotu 6 or 8 sinks to clean dishes with, so there's lots of room. But they need to invest in another frig (Hi Sandra!), as they only have a smallish one, and it's overflowing. And there's lots and lots of seating. But, it's such a huge place, I'd rather have something smaller. But since I'm leaving in a few days, I'm not going to bother moving anywhere else, but I'll lay my ass down somewhere else another time (perhaps that Climborama (or whatever) hostel that Kirk and Donna left a comment about...that sounded cool!)
Oh, I was chatting with Court last night, she has a job. Receptionist at the hostel where she's staying at. Pay is good too, and she gets a discount on accomodations too. I don't know anything past that.
So, I have to say, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy right now!!!!! Before Court and I left for this trip, I had a list of places that I was really hoping I'd get to see, that was never included in any of our "plans" or tickets (not that had any plans). And guess what! I'm doing it all!!!!!!!1 I so wanted to get to NZ once we made it to Australia! And here I am!! And I also really wanted to hit at least one island in teh South Pacific. Now I'm going to TWO! New Caledonia and Fiji! I can't believe it!!! The one other thing that I MUST to that I haven't yet is the Great Barrier Reef, but that will come in good time!!!
As for travelling alone, so far I like it! Nothing against Court, I loved travelling with her (and would take her back as a travel mate in an instant), but travelling alone gives you so much freedom. You can do whatever you went, spend however much time you want doing whatever it is you want. It is nice to have someone to share certain thigns with (for example, the views from the top of the Skytower), but I guess you gain in some ways, and lose in other ways.
Mmm, seems to me there was something else I was gonna remark about in here. Well, from the top of the Skytower, Auckland is a BIG city. I'm gonna try and hike Mount Eden and stare down into the volcano tomorrow (weather permitting...it was rainy here again today, but sure didn't seem that cold, compared to the last couple of days...although both the travel agents I talked to complained that it was especially cold today...go figure...oh, and I lost my toque somewhere to boot...I'll have to buy another one when I get back from Fiji).
Everyone in the room does their own thing, alone as well. Doing things on your own just comes with being a single backpacker. I know everyone in the room I'm in right now does their own thing, alone, during the day (except when they don't leave the room, and just sit in it all day). They've all remkared about what they did that day or that-other day, and they did it alone.
Anyway, it's kind of fun actually updating my journal all the time again. I get a kick out of doing it. I wonder what sort of internet facilities they'll have on the islands. Some of the smaller resort islands around Fiji (that I plan on going to) don't even have electricity, other than a generator in the evening for a few hours...ahh, memories of islands in Thailand and Laos!!!
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