New Zealand 2 Non-Tipping

 Matt here.. Well...we're finally trekkers/ backpackers. We stayed in our first hostel last night which is also the cheapest in the area. It wasn't too bad, different, but not too bad. Auckland is a real neat city. 

It's a big city, but not a lot of people and quite clean for it's size. We're still getting used to the non-tipping thing. Most countries outside the US don't leave a tip after the meal, but the price seems to include a reasonable tip. Nevertheless, after tipping for the last 10 years, it does feel a bit awkward. I will admit that I do like it this way and it makes my life simpler.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 1 Auckland

Cynthia here.....I love Auckland! it is a great city, really clean. We spent the day looking around town and basically just getting our bearings. the viaduct harbor area is very nice, lots of trendy restaurants and bars. 

I took lots of pictures of the city and will get them up as soon as I can. we have already found lots to do here but are limiting ourselves to about 3 more days in auckland. matt is looking into all of the "backpacker bus tour" options which take you around both the north and south island. you just pay for the areas you want to visit and get on and off the bus as you please. I think it will be perfect for us. 

today we visited the auckland art gallery and it was very nice but with limited works. we also went to the SkyTower and Casino which supposedly offers the best vantage point of the city but we did not pay the $18 per person to go to the top. we were told that there is a summit walk on a volcano that offers views that are comparable (and free) so we will check that out tommorow. for lunch today we had authentic (hong kong style) chinese food and it was delicious, fantastic really. and all for $8! I think we have found where we will eat for the next few days :-)

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

Australia 3 Visiting Oz’s Red Center & the Wildly Popular East Coast

Having seen only very brief sunshine in the outback, which is rare, I needed the coast so I jumped a flight to Cairns.

Over the summer in LA, I went to Catalina Island just so that I could obtain my driver’s certification and be ready to spend several days on the Great Barrier Reef and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest. 

I booked the Greyhound down the east coast of Oz and stopped to sail the Whitsunday Islands for Christmas and to drive across Fraser Island for my 25th birthday. Both were gorgeous and good fun since I was on tours filled with other backpackers. I joined up with two German women for New Years in Noosa and surf lessons in Byron Bay. Which, for the record, I was terrible at doing — I need to either invest in lessons or never hit the surf again. 

Shannon O’Donnell Shannon O’Donnell (to be continued) 

Australia 2 Couchsurfing

 Instead of taking the more common route from Sydney to Cairns, I meandered down the coast of New South Wales (because, kangaroos!). 

I eventually landed in Melbourne, where I couchsurfed for a week with my buddy Row, who had actually couchsurfed with me in LA earlier that year. 

Not one to miss the highlights of any new place, I hit up the stunningly pretty Great Ocean Road, and visited the parade of tiny fairy penguins on Phillip Island. 

Instead of taking the backpacker bus, I splurged on a quick flight to Alice Springs, which was my launching point to the Australian outback and the iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock) (where it rained and rained!). 

Shannon O’Donnell (to be continued)