Reasons I love New Zealand and things I miss about the UK

New Zealand is an amazing place to live and I'm so fortunate to have this opportunity to be here in this stage of my life. Here are some reasons why it's awesome...

1. The View from my house.

You really don't need a TV in your lounge when you have this to look at everyday.

2. People say "Thank you" to Bus Drivers.

I know this happens t'up north in England but do this on a London bus and people will look at you like you have two heads.

3. Nothing is ever sold out or fully booked.

Ok, this isn't strictly true but most of the time you can get tickets to a gigs or sports games on the day at the box office saving you the hassle of fighting for tickets online.

4. Every house is different and unique.

It would be pretty hard to get terrace houses on some of these hills and mountains.

5. Cricket!

This is a sport I could never get into until I arrived in NZ. I feel that if I didn't show any interest in it then I would have absolutely no small talk with the locals...Everybody talks about cricket! A day at the cricket is awesome...a day on the beer sitting in the sun talking rubbish to your mates! What's not to like?!

6. The spectacular scenery...literally everywhere you go!

Even in Wellington, the capital city, there are rolling hills, rugged mountains, golden beaches, lush forests all surrounded by crystal clear ocean...this is 'urban' NZ. Head down south and the landscape is even more amazing! There is a mountain range near Queenstown aptly named 'The Remarkables'

Queenstown and 'The Remarkables'

7. Australia is only a 3 hour flight away!

Being on the other side of the world has it's perks. It means you are a reasonable flight away from Aussie or any of the Pacific Islands. What would normally take a day to get to from London is now only a 3 hour flight 'across the ditch'.

I get really annoyed when expats moan and bad mouth their home country so here are some things I miss about the UK (aka Home).

1. Winter/Summer being the 'right' time of year.

It still baffles me that Christmas is hot yet the Christmas cards still have snowmen and reindeer on them. December should be cold and July should be hot not the other way around!

2. Heinz Tomato Soup.

Watties (New Zealand's version of Heinz) simply does not cut the mustard. Speaking of mustard, nothing compares to Colmans!

3. H&M.

I never thought I'd admit this but H&M was a life saver for kitting out your winter/summer wardrobe without breaking the bank.

4. The feeling I get knowing that there probably isn't going to be a huge earthquake today.

I may be over reacting here but just walking around town you see building being closed for 'earthquake strengthening' and tsunami safe zones. All acting as a reminder that there could be a big one around the corner.

5. Using British colloquialisms and being understood!

Sometimes I just want to go for a few jars with me chums and then grab a ruby before hitting the hay...ya know what I mean!?

10 ridiculously logical Australian places and landmarks

Remember the advert on TV for Ronseal? “It does exactly what it says on the tin.” (This may be lost on people outside of the UK.)

I feel that the Australians took this no nonsense approach when it came to naming certain places and landmarks in the land down under.

Here are 10 off the top of my head but I’m sure there are more. Feel free to add more in the comments below.

1. Great Sandy Desert – Whilst this does give a pretty accurate description, I feel that some creativity wouldn’t go a miss.

2. Sunshine Coast where you’ll find Golden Beach.

3. Snowy Mountains – Believe it or not, they do exist in Australia.

4. Great Barrier Reef.

5. New South Wales – It’s new, it’s in the south and it looks like Wales.

6. Wet Tropics of Queensland.

7. Sydney Harbour Bridge nicknamed 'The Coat Hanger'.

8. Stone Island – A small island made of…you guessed it.

9. Seven Mile Beach or if that’s not long enough there is always 10 Mile Beach.

10. Christmas Island – Named because it was discovered on Jesus’ birthday in 1643.

You can imagine my disappointment when I arrived at Surfer’s Paradise with my surfboard and not a wave to be seen!

…And don’t even get me started on the Three Sisters in The Blue Mountains!

Not the three sisters I had in mind.

Backpacking alone

Setting off into the big bad world alone can be a daunting experience and that’s because it is! Hopefully this post helps anyone thinking about going it solo.

On my travels one of the most common questions I have received is…

“How have you found travelling by yourself?”

Mostly other backpackers who had a travel companion or small groups of intrepid nomads on organised tours asked this.

My answer was always the same.

The best thing about travelling alone is you have the best of both worlds!

If you want to be alone, you can just bury your head in a book, take a nap in your room, go for a wander, pop your headphones in and listen to music…whatever floats your boat.

When it comes to meeting people, it is too easy in hostels where like-minded travellers surround you. Just spark up a conversation or eavesdrop into somebody else’s and take it from there. Normally it’s your accent that will trigger the question on every backpacker’s lips…”So, where are you from?”

BANG…you’re in! Conversation started and you’re no longer alone!

I found the biggest challenge was remembering everyone’s name! I have so many photos of ‘Blonde Aussie Chic’ and ‘Cool Danish Guy’, not to mention ‘The American Dude with the awful tattoos’.

When it comes to going at it alone you really are free to do what you want to do. You answer to nobody. You want to cut your China trip short and jet over to The Philippines for 10 days then you do it!

Solo travel forces you into situations where you have to put yourself out there. You are faced with scenarios, which are alien to you. For me, this was exciting and made my trip the spontaneous one that it was.

Travel alone because you are never really alone.

                          

Japan - Where are the flying cars?

The bright lights of Tokyo

Japan has been a country I have longed to visit since learning about it in year 9 geography class. I specifically remember being amazed when Mr. Long taught us about the ‘Bullet’ train jetting through the railroad arteries of the country. I remember seeing a picture of Shibuya Crossing set in a backdrop of nothing but neon lights as Tokyoites scurry across the intersection when instructed by the green man, and thinking, this is cool!

Now it’s been 12 years since Mr. Long’s geography classes so I’ve had a few of my own life experiences since then and seen a bit more of the planet than I had done when I was 15. Maybe my shock threshold is a little higher now but I just found Japan to be fairly (dare I say it) normal.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a unique place and it’s the people and their customs that give it, it’s originality. It’s true that people do bow towards you as a gesture of thanks.

Japan has integrity.

   I was surprised to see signs on the subway system in Tokyo saying ‘No mobile phones’ in the section designated to senior citizens.

   It was refreshing to see people reading actual books or newspapers…not a kindle and not emails on a smart phone.

Tokyo's sprawling transport network

   Like London, the subway isn’t exactly a place to engage conversation, quite the opposite in fact. During the morning rush hour, you can hear a pin drop as the train negotiates it’s way through one of the busiest transport networks in the world. No pushing or reminding others to “move down the carriage!” It’s a peaceful experience as Tokyoites blissfully make their way to the office.

Bikes...not flying cars!

Based on my brief encounter in Japan, I don’t believe the Japanese the leaders in technological innovation anymore. I believe that they got the ‘the line’ first and unlike other countries, they didn’t cross it. For this reason, I am glad that Japan DIDN’T exceed my expectations because it reminded me that tradition and values are wonderful things.

Crossing Shibuya was fun…there is more to Japanese food than sushi and it’s amazing…being up close and personal to Mount Fuji was stunning…seeing the elegant, traditional Japanese architecture was just as I imagined it would be and yes, the neon signs do exist and yes, they look great.

The symbol of Japan

Visit Japan but loose the preconception that you are boarding the plane in 2014 and arriving in 2056. Go and enjoy what Japan really has to offer.

What is a hostel?

I’m sitting in the common room of Nomads Central Hostel in Wellington, New Zealand as I write this. Let’s call it inspiration.

It’s 8:30pm on a Tuesday evening in January (Summer in NZ).

As I look around I’m thinking that this is a fairly typical snippet into hostel life…

The ‘kitchen’ is bustling with ravenous backpackers all of them watching their pan of boiling water, making sure they don’t overcook their pasta. This is quite the task when using kitchen equipment, which is either dented, rusty, missing it’s handle or all of the above.

I eavesdrop in a conversation between a British guy and a German guy who are having the age old debate about different English accents whilst the British guy tries to brush up on his German. Turns out all he know is “Sauerkraut”…and he thinks it’s a sauce (I kid you not).

It’s prime time for television and a half decent film has finally come on so the cleaners decide now is the perfect time to turn on the industrial vacuum cleaner and clean around the suitably relaxed residents.

I glance over at the ‘NO ALCOHOL’ sign, which is refreshing to see that both the guests and staff have chosen to ignore.

It’s hard to define a hostel as I believe it really depends on which continent you are in. I find that the less developed countries offer a better standard of accommodation for loose change in your pocket. Check into a hostel in the ‘Western World’ and you’ve got to make your own bed for $40 a night!

I guess a hostel is a melting pot of different languages, accents, cultures, stories and experiences, which is constantly changing everyday. For this reason, they are the best places on Earth.

They are home…for now.