Pictures, People, Places - Entry 7 - New Zealand

 Kia Ora

Due to 4 days in Fiji becoming 17 after two adjustments and extensions to our departure dates, we only had one week for NZ and time and money were running out like grains of sand through the hour glass.

We needed to hit the ground running and have a really good guide to ensure our time was spent on the highlights. We certainly managed it and the man who is responsible that we have both come to love and respect is Tristan Tuckey. TT invited us to stay at Tuckey manor and managed to get us some tickets to a NZ Maori rugby game on the day of arrival. This gave us just under 4 hours to land, get out of the airport, get a hire car and complete the 3 hour drive to the rugby stadium. It was close but we just about made it and it was a great game which was decided in the last minute.

The manner was a great base for the north island and although TT had to hit the road for the second part of the my OE competition in England we had some great times and food while he was around and he left us in some very capable hands for the remainder of our trip. 

It seems that due to having so much fun with TT and Norelle we forgot to take pictures of them, however this image is a good likeness.

NZ is stunning and we loved the freedom of a hire car and life on the NZ road. We witnessed some stunning beaches and landscapes, the jaw dropping size and beauty of the Kauri trees and hooked up with a Kiwi conservationist to go in search of the elusive Kiwi (which we found, held and weighed after a long search). I also managed to get involved in a few hours of manual labour which was the very least I could do for all the kindness that those lovable Kiwi's showed us.

We shared some special times with Janine, Richard, the kids and the pup in Auckland, truly a home from home.

Everyone goes on about the south island and I'm sure it is incredible but I would not trade the memorable week we had in NZ for any other. You really have to see it to believe it.

Pictures, People, Places - Entry 6 - Fiji

BULA!!!

If Fiji was a game (and if you have ever been there then that really is not that hard to imagine) then it played out in two very different and distinctive halfs.

The first half was definined by two guys that are far from your run of the mill average kind of people. Both charasmatic, friendly and rather partial to excessive alcohol consumption and having a laugh. They were also very business savy and their company and vision had led them to Fiji. They co-run a company called my OE that specialises in taking Aussies and Kiwis to the UK for an overseas experience of travel and work. In an aim to promote their company to the universities of Oceania they were having a competition;

100 words and 3 photos of any standard got you to the video round. 2 minutes of film to state why you should be one of the 52 (1 from each uni) to go to Fiji on an all inclusive 3 days, 2 nights session.

This is where Chan and I come in to the my OE adventure. We met Tristan and Brenton on the Thursday and the student winners were due to turn up the very next day. As they were all trying to make it through to the top ten as well as have fun, it was extremely interesting as a fly on the wall to see the way that people behave differently infront of people they are trying to get something out of. It really was 4 days of madness and I have not drank that much in that space of time for years.

I summed it up in this poem;

MY O.E

Before I went to a place called Fiji,

I'd never even heard of my O.E.

Now I do I'm absolutely glad,

Fun at times and occasionally mad.

Not due to them that I was overseas,

But the winners going to my country.

Uniform simple, orange T's to wear

More confusing was rumours of real Bear.

Some of the crew stood way out from the crowd,

Make no mistake they were all rather loud.

Those that stood out, I remember their names,

They were genuine, fun, not playing games.

Drank so much, did not want anymore,

Managed to get drunk 5 days out of 4!

Although only 10 go to the U.K,

No doubt everyone had great holiday.

I tip my hat, applaud Tristan and Brent,

For having the vision for this great event.

Note it does not matter where you come from,

We can all be friends; Aussie, Kiwi and Pohm.

Joseph Davies 3/6/2010

The second half was much more representative of the actual pace of island life. Bula means life in Fijian and they are all high on life and not so high on getting work done. A great people to interact and play with but maybe not so great to have work for you. As always when you invest heavily in the party there is usually an aftershock and the 4 day hangover actually turned into pretty serious boughts of illness for both Chan and I. It was not until we actually got to NZ and saw a doctor that we finally managed to shift the sickness. We still managed to thirive on the island lifestyle and days were full of lounging by the pool, walks on the beach, stunning snorkling, free pool, afternoon tea and scones, beach volleyball, hot springs, jungle walks, lomos (cooking in a pit with red hot stones - delicious), crab racing (bring your own crab), and coconut bowls. I also sorted out the music for the owner and managed to get us a sweet free upgrade to a garden suite instead of the dorm. Got to love the free stuff.

We loved Fiji and will certainly return. After what would be an expensive and lengthy flight from England the cost of living in Fiji and the quality of experience would definately be worth it.