Stuffyour9to5

R+S travels

[warehousestevesworld]

Taupo

So it was time to leave Auckland, long overdue too, we’d got far too settled in the house, comfortable with our jobs and before you know it months have passed you by. Ria had a friend from Finland coming over, Jonna, so they had planned to travel together for a couple of weeks. I would travel down to Taupo and meet a German friend of mine who i'd worked with in Auckland, travel with him for a while then we'd all catch up afterwards where ever we would be.

I said goodbye to Webber Street and left for the city to catch my bus into Taupo. The journey was around 3 hours, and like most here in New Zealand, was a fairly scenic one. I met my mate Raphael outside the information centre in Taupo centre, where him and the owner of the hostel we'd booked into were waiting. I got myself checked into the hostel and into another dorm room. The plan was to relax with some beers today and plan what we would do for the next few days. After discussing it for a while and looking at our options we booked the shuttle bus for 5 am in two days time to do the Tongariro crossing hike. I'd tried to do this the last time i was over here, but i got advised not to because of the extreme weather along the route....and it was just my luck that the night before our trip it was cancelled yet again due to high winds at the summit and along some already dangerous ridges on the trail. So again i was left disappointed but wasn't prepared to hang around forever here just to complete the hike.

We ventured into the town for a night on the drink, when i say town i should really say the Irish Pub, as this was the only place with any real atmosphere and with anyone in. We spent the next day feeling sorry for ourselves, playing pool in the hostel, having a few 'Hair of the dog'  beers and generally being lazy...because we could.

The next day we managed to get over the Huka Falls, a beautiful area of river rapids, and a small but extremely powerful waterfall. It's a beautiful walk to get there through the nature, with river views at every corner. The water of the falls takes on a stunning turquoise colour, and as we had a beautiful sunny day it looked even more beautiful than usual. You could spend a great deal of time stood on the bridge, or one of the many places where you can look down into the rapids, looking on in awe at the sheer raw power of nature rushing through the canyon. After spending the afternoon there we headed back to the hostel where we cooked, booked our next destination, which was to be Wellington, and kicked back. Our plan was to get to work down in the capital, and to start earning some money again, which we were both looking forward to.

The hostel was decorated with all sorts of messages and drawings from people who had stayed there. This was one for the Finns that i came across..i honestly think you guys just make this stuff up as you go along😂👌🏻

[warehousestevesworld]

Mt Albert and Mt Eden

One of the reasons that i wanted to return to New Zealand was to enjoy the nature and the landscapes. Even in a city like Auckland, as nice as it is, isn’t known for it’s stunning scenery, but it definitely has it’s fair share of viewpoints from which to enjoy the surroundings. These two dormant volcanoes are just a couple of them and are very easily accessible to everyone, offering beautiful views of the city.

Mount Eden (Maungawhau)

This particular walk gives you the opportunity to walk to the summit of the highest volcano in Auckland. It’s an dormant volcano which last erupted around 15,000 years ago leaving a crater 50 meters deep. We started the walk from home, walking through residential areas and it took us around 45 mins to reach the beginning of the summit trail. The walk up to the summit has been made easier due to all vehicles being banned from the route in 2017 giving you the road all to yourself. It’s a sweaty climb to the top but you’re rewarded with panoramic 360 degree views of the city in good weather. 

Being able to stand at the edge and look down into the crater was the highlight for me, yes it has good views of the city but city-scapes aren’t that interesting for me, looking down at the now grassy banks of this volcano’s crater however was impressive. I stood there trying to imagine what it must have looked like during it’s time building up to the eruption 15000 years ago, but looking into the big green hole now, this is a very hard thing to do. As a big fan of volcano’s and physical geography in general i could have stood and stared into this crater for a long time, trying to picture the force and sheer power that was needed to blow the top off this volcano all them years ago, the anger, aggression and stress that bubbled up under where i now stand. 

Many people enjoy relaxing around the crater edge, whether it be relaxing on the grassy banks with a book, or just laying back and taking in the peace and tranquility of the area. Mount Eden is extremely sacred in Maori culture and it is forbidden for anyone to climb down into the crater itself. You do get the usual tourist hoards but it doesn’t take away from the sheer natural beauty of this spot, it was a great little walk that just has to be ticked off on a trip to Auckland. 

Mount Albert

Another one of Auckland’s volcanic peaks, however a slightly smaller one than the last one, at only 135 m high compared to 196 m Mount Eden. It was more of a general walk and didn’t require much effort to complete, but still offered great views of the surrounding suburbs and distant mountain ranges. It was very similar to Mount Eden but just didn’t offer the same experience. Alternatively, you could walk through the forest and mix a bit of bush walking in with the summit walk. This ticks off two more of the many extinct or dormant volcanoes in the area and two decent day walks to stretch the legs!

[warehousestevesworld]

Auckland 2018/19

We spent almost five months in Auckland and visted a few places other than the city centre, here they are.

Devonport

As we got off the bus in the city centre we walked staight into the Christmas street parade. The streets were lined with families ready to show their kids Santa Claus and immerse themselves in the Christmas spirit. Although i love Christmas i was more than happy to leave all the screaming kids behind and spend a day in peace somewhere else.

We took the short but very scenic ferry from Auckland city centre into Devonport harbour to explore the small little town just a stone's throw from Auckland itself. Once we stepped off the it felt as if we'd landed in another country. The town had it's own character which we were instantly drawn to and we both said it felt more like Spain or Greece (Or more like Porvoo old town to the Finns) somewhere like that.

We were both hungry as we walked into town so we stopped off and dived straight into some fish and chips. With our hunger satisfied we left to do the mini hike up Mt Victoria..not the best idea with a belly full of greasy fish and chips but we did it anyway. We were treated to great views of the Auckland city skyline and across to Rangitoto Island. Little toadstool buffets were scattered across the gardens with people getting their much needed instagram shots....including Ria. We took our pictures and left back into the town where we stopped off at a pub for a well earnt pint in the baking afternoon sun...and to make the most of the Wi-Fi to watch a much anticipated boxing match that I'd been hoping to find.

The rest of the trip was spent wandering around the place stopping off at a few shops along the way, a Scandinavian shop was a surprise find, and then back on the sunset ferry into Auckland. A nice change to the boring routine of the city, well worth the day out.

One Tree Hill

We were due to leave Auckland in a few days time and wanted to squeeze one last day trip in before we did. One tree hill is a famous viewpoint situated about a 45 minute bus journey out of the city centre. The 'One tree' doesn't actually exist anymore and a memorial monument stands in it's place.

Once we'd made the journey to the start of the track we walked through a park full of huge trees, people sat having picnics, people walking their dogs. We passed the all too familiar sight (To me anyway) of fields full of Sheep and Cows, before making our way up the steep climb to the summit.

Whilst walking up we saw far too many 'fitness people' attempting to run or fast walk it and i couldn't decide whether they made me feel unfit or make me laugh at the effort they were putting in to get there. Eventually we made it and nearly got blown straight back down as the wind was so strong...my cap nearly took it's own life but was rescued by a fellow tourist.

We took time to enjoy the panoramic views and read the memorial, before slowly making our way back down into the town to enjoy a post workout kebab. 

Rangitoto Island

Today we would hike a volcano...well, a long ago extinct grass covered Volcano, but still. We managed to miss our first ferry so had to wait around for the next one..a 2 hour wait, pretty frustrating. Again the weather was perfect for the hike, if not a bit too warm.

The walk started as soon as we left the ferry. Our thinking was to just start straightaway, get to the summit..enjoy the views, and then enjoy a steady walk down and relax before the ferry back. The hike to the top was steady but tough enough in the heat, around 1 hour 30 mins. The views from the summit were well worth the sweat, and there was plenty of that.

At the too we sat and enjoyed some water and our snacks, then started the walk down, making a stop off to walk through some caves. The walk back down was a lot easier and we had no rush at all so stopped off whenever we liked to take photos and take a drink.

When at the bottom we finished the rest of our food, had a short walk around the area admiring the coastline and distant Auckland skykine, before taking the ferry back to the city.  Another day trip ticked off.

[warehousestevesworld]

Waiheke Island

This trip was our ‘Treat Weekend’ and also my birthday getaway, a couple of nights of relaxation, spend some time together on beautiful Waiheke. The idea was to just spend that time eating good food and drinking wine...and we were spoilt for choice on both counts. 

We packed our bags and set off towards the ferry terminal in Auckland centre. We happened to just miss one ferry but there are many leaving to the island every 30 minutes or so, so we didn’t have to wait long for the next one. When we finally boarded the ferry there was a hoard of people in the line, it was packed, obliviously a very popular place to spend a weekend anytime of the year for the lucky people of Auckland. 

As we left the city behind the skyline was looking pretty special, beautiful blue skies and the never ending trail of white water slowly turning the view into picture postcard status. As the journey went on there were many different views of the mainland from all angles, many beaches that you rarely see in everyday city life, tiny bays, lush green fields mixed in with the rocky shoreline created such an amazing range of colours and styles to the landscape around us. On our way we passed the mighty Rangitoto volcanic Island which dominates the skyline all around Auckland. 

You could tell when we started to come into the Waiheke area as many boats, big and small started to appear. Without doubt one of many popular places to stop over when cruising Auckland’s Huraki Gulf. We were welcomed by surreal turquoise waters, calm as a pond, and the colours all around were beautiful.

Once off the boat we had to catch a bus into the nearby town of Oneroa where we were staying. We were staying at a placed called ‘The Punga Lodge,’ a nice little bed and breakfast set in lush native bush with only the sounds of the wildlife to keep you company..oh and the owners dog. Our check in went super smoothly, the owner was slightly eccentric but really helpful. We got settled into our room which was basic but more the enough for the two of us. We had the afternoon tea to look forward to which we expected to be just a cup of tea and a few biscuits at the most. The owner brought it through to us on a large tray and when she put it in front of us we couldn’t believe how much we were getting, i felt like a kid at the candy shop and could not wait to get stuck into it. A large pot of tea, cafetiere, three separate cakes ( Homemade ), all delicious...a perfect start to our stay. 

The terrace where we were staying was so relaxing, and like i said previously the only sound you could really hear was the sound of the surrounding nature, great place to spend time to ourselves. We set off for a stroll into the town to see what was going on. Amazing views all around meant that i was stopping all the time to take photos. We eventually stopped off at a bar for a much needed glass of wine. The Brass Monkey bar offered stunning views across one of the many bays on Waiheke and was definitely a place we could have stayed all evening. 

After this brief pit stop it was time to head to one of the many wineries, the main reason why we came here in the first place. Our first destination would be the Alibi brewing company for a look around, a drink and some food set amongst the surrounding vineyards. The area was stunning, farmland and vineyards all around and we were in total relaxation mode. I got a beer tasting selection, and we’d ordered some food which when it came looked amazing. The highlight of the food was the cheesy, truffle oil fries which Ria fell in love with, they were so good. 

We went inside the pub to spend some time as it was a cosy little place with exposed brickwork decor and an open fire which would be amazing in the winter time. Overall this place was a treat, the food was amazing, beer as always hit the spot and the surroundings were just what we came here for. We would definitely be back again to do the wine tasting here. 

The next day it was all about the wine tasting. We set off from our accommodation fairly early and went back to the same area where the Alibi Brewery was, but to a nearby winery called Te Motu. Here we sat down with the wine menu and ordered a tasting, along with some delicious cheese to go with it. Ria was well and truly in her happy place right now. Again the surroundings were amazing, very tuscan style rolling hills and vineyard views all around, and the weather was being very kind to us and making the day even better. 

After the Te Motu was done with we walked to the Alibi winery to sample some of their produce! We did our tasting at the bar, a little rushed though as they were stopping the tastings soon due to a large wedding they were hosting, but we didn’t mind. 

We started to head home after we had finished as i wanted to catch the afternoon tea back at our room, i couldn’t be missing out on all them homemade cakes! Whilst waiting for the bus we saw a helicopter land across the road at the Alibi Vineyard and a couple jump out who we assumed were making their great entrance for their wedding day, and to shock or surprise their patiently waiting guests....the money that must have been floating around that wedding.

Later that afternoon we headed out for a meal in the evening at the Mudbrick Vineyard. This is the one i was looking forward to the most because of the look of it, it really was in such a beautiful setting. We started off with the wine tasting which went down a treat, although i thought the guy who served us was pretty stuck up and miserable, but ignoring him we enjoyed it regardless. After this we left for the restaurant, just in time as it happened as the heavens opened, it absolutely hammered it down....for a LONG time, and got heavier and heavier. This didn’t matter to us as we were inside the stunning restaurant, enjoying some unbelievable food. It definitely wasn’t cheap but was genuinely some of the best food I've ever eaten, a great ending to another special day.

We called it a day after our food, with full stomachs we reluctantly left the restaurant and jumped into our taxi, braving the torrential downpour on the way. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying some more wine and some tv in the room. 

Our final afternoon was spent at the Cable Bay Vineyard. We checked out of our bed and breakfast, took our bags and left in search of some more wine and cheese! After a fairly long, arduous walk up a long winding road, we reached the vineyard. We did the tasting, then sat down in the restaurant, which like most on the island offered more panoramic views over the bay. This time we sent for a pizza, red wine and another amazing cheese plate...safe to say we left absolutely stuffed, but very satisfied, yet another superb meal. 

Once we were done we went for our ferry back to the mainland, we left broke, bursting at the seams, but so happy with our experience on the island..well worth the trip.  

[warehousestevesworld]

Cape Reinga

The idea of this last minute road trip was to see the northern most point of New Zealand. I wasn’t originally supposed to be going but a late night drinking session at the house soon persuaded me to join in! After being up at the house till the early hours, getting no more than 2 hours sleep, we packed all our things into the car at around 4.30 am and hit the road. We stopped off at the gas station for a well needed coffee and a greasy breakfast pie, turned the music up loud and headed North!

This being a spontaneous, last minute trip for me i was quite excited at the prospect of seeing the far North of the country as it’s the part i didn’t see any of the last time i visited. I was curious what the scenery would be like, and to see if i could have better luck with my fishing than i did on my first trip. The scenery on the way up was mostly coastal, rocky outcrops, with many beaches along the way. The weather hadn’t been kind to us, and was really cloudy, and fairly miserable all the way up. 

As we got into the Whangarei area, Pat’s mate Gus suggested a spot to go try out some fishing as he knew the area quite well. As written about in my previous post, this didn’t turn out to be the best idea of the day. 

After the days fishing had been average at best we decided to push on to Cape Reinga and hopefully catch the sunset. Once we eventually arrived at the car park, we took the long spiraling walk down towards the lighthouse where amazing views awaited us. The sun was trying to break through the dark grey skies, producing beautiful rays of light which created great colours around the lighthouse, and in the ocean. There was an eerie silence around the area which added to it’s beauty. You could see for miles, and in the distance is where you could witness the meeting of two seas. The Tasman Sea and the Pacific ocean meet to create unsettled waters of the coast, and is a really cool thing to see. After taking a look at the famous lighthouse we took a minute to sit on the grassy hillside and take in the landscape that surrounded us, and to appreciate that we were actually at the most northern tip of New Zealand, a place where a huge number of New Zealanders don’t ever visit.  

On the way back from Cape Reinga we visited some sand dunes that Gus had been talking about. It wouldn’t be long before the sun disappeared so we had to be quick. We parked the car and decided to go bare feet up the dunes. We crossed a small stream and then came to the first steep slope. We all struggled to make any progress at all as the sand kept falling away every step we took. Eventually we reached the top and safe to say we were all gassed, but this was only the start. 

From here we walked across an eerie looking sandy plain, with the sun now almost ready to drop below the horizon. It was starting to get cold so we picked up the pace and headed for the next dune! This one was even steeper and took every ounce of energy we had to make it to the top..but the view was worth it. A real mix of nature greeted you at the top, forest to the right, the sea right in front and the sand dunes themselves, which didn’t really fit in with the surrounding greenery. We were very lucky and arrived just in time for the sunset, so we sat and enjoyed the moment before making our way back down. 

Fishing done for the day, sightseeing done for the day, we were all starving and  had to drive around for ages, and i mean a few hours before we could find something that was open for food..or didn’t charge a fortune to feed you. As it was quite late, after 9pm i think, we were struggling for options being in such a remote part of the country and eventually had to settle for a McDonalds feed. Once we’d collected our food we stopped in a dark secluded car park by the lake and devoured our pile of junk. The time had passed by so fast that we were forced to spend the night in the car, which i for one wasn’t happy about AT ALL. There wasn’t any space in the car as it was with all our stuff crammed in there, and on top of that i also had no leg room. Was one of the most uncomfortable nights ‘Sleep’ i’d ever had, and i forced myself up and out of the car at around 5am, and took a stroll along the waters edge while i waited for the other two to regain consciousness. 

Once we were all up and alive, (I wouldn’t say awake) it was time to hit the road again and start heading for home. We drove a couple hours and then stopped for some breakfast at some roadside cafe. The guy who was working there basically told us his life story, how he was a big time drug dealer and where we could get some ‘gear’ if we wanted some, strange guy but nice guy at the same time. I also had my first experience of Gender Neutral Gingerbread men...what the hell is all that about..the world has officially gone mad. After this we drove back to Whangarei where we stopped off at some pub for their speciality ribs and a well needed pint! Stuffed to the point of bursting we left the pub and made our way back home. 

[warehousestevesworld]

Fishing trips in Auckland🐟

Little barrier island

I got my first opportunity at a trip away in Auckland through my flat mate Pat. He’s always away spearfishing at different spots around Auckland and the North Island and asked us if we wanted to go on this trip with him. Unfortunately Ria was working and couldn’t come. We’d agreed that I could borrow some fishing tackle and fish from the boat we would be going in. It was an old, Rich guy called Mike who was a friend of a friend of someone Pat knew and he apparently wanted a few people to share the cost of fuel with him as the prices had sky rocketed and it was hard for him to go alone these days. Me and Pat agreed that we would do this and so arranged to meet him at 5am where he would pick us up with his boat and take us to the island. 

Mike seemed like a decent guy on first impressions, quite posh, well spoken and obviously had some cash behind him. He was telling us stories on the way of him growing up in Hertfordshire in the UK, and moving to South Africa with his ex wife/girlfriend (Can’t remember which) where they circumnavigated the globe on a sailing boat, traveled to all these far away places and generally lived a life of absolute luxury. On the way we picked up one of his friends who was apparently ‘An extremely successful real estate agent, and very well off🙄 ' and carried on to where we would jump in the boat! 

As time passed and Mike continued to tell story after story, I became irritated at his constant talk of money, success and his bragging as I saw it. I wasn’t interested in people like this, they aren’t my kind of people, and I didn’t wish to sit there and absorb all this shit, I couldn’t wait till we got in the boat and they all disappeared into the water and left me to fish in peace! 

We finally arrived at the boat launch site at Little Omaha Bay, they changed into their wet suits, and we jumped into the boat heading for Little Barrier. It took maybe 45 mins to reach the island, and the spot where they wanted to start spearfishing. We stopped and dropped anchor, they got themselves ready to dive, I got set up with my fishing stuff and off we went. They swam around looking for fish or any signs of fish, while I cast out a few times using a lure that Mike already had set up. He dived down and caught me a Red Moki that I could use for bait and I cast out a few times before they wanted to leave the area and search for scallops nearby.

A short ride away we came to an area that was apparently good for scallops, great visibility and really shallow. Although we saw a couple of boats dredging for scallops close by which rips up the sea floor, it didn't seem to affect the guys too much as they sent up handful after handful of fresh scallops. I stayed in the boat and measured them to see if they were legal to keep or not, and some of the ones not legal I started opening and eating fresh, a first for me! Actually pretty good.

After hauling in literally a boat load of scallops we moved to a spot where I could fish with the rod and into deeper water so they could try and catch some bigger fish. I got everything set up and dropped the line in the water with some scallop attached for bait..and as I slowly brought the line back to the surface a snapper took the bait and I just about managed to land the fish with a little help from Mike's friend who was in the boat taking a break from diving. It was my first ever fish caught at sea and I was well impressed with the result.

Soon after we, or should I say Mike decided that he wanted to head back to avoid the traffic back into Auckland. Me and Pat both thought it was a little soon, as we were sharing the gas and wanted to carry on, but Mike wasn't happy with the amount of fish around and wanted to head back...fair enough.

A good day for me, and a fresh experience with the scallop eating, I couldn't really complain.

Somewhere between Auckland and Cape Reinga

The next fishing trip would be a brief one but took place around Doubtless bay on the way up to Cape Reinga. It was an over night trip with Pat and one of his workmates Gus. We stopped off at a place Gus said he knew to be good for spearfishing, but also had good spots for regular rod fishing. As we parked up there was a big Maori party going on, they themselves also out fishing for food to feed the crowd. Pat and Gus got themselves changed ready to give the area a go, not knowing if they would be successful or not. They walked one way, and i went down a different route to a decent looking fishing spot for myself. 

After a couple of hours i’d had no luck at all, and saw that the tide was coming in fast, and could end up blocking off my escape route. At that moment i saw Pat and Gus emerge from around the corner, signalling that they were finished. I packed my gear up and met them back at the car, and we drove to the next spot. 

The next place we stopped off at was a beautiful beach close to the Pataua walking trail in the Whangerei district. The whole area was deserted and we had it all to ourselves. I walked to one side of the beach to try fishing from the rocks, whilst they tried their luck at the other end around the headland. I ended up having to walk around 30 mins to find an area that i could actually stand up on, but it was still a little precarious to say the least. After a few hours of fishing this area, and moving a couple of times i decided to walk back to the beach as the tide was again coming in fast. On the walk back i fell over on the rocks a few times, cutting myself in various places on the jagged rocks, a real pain in the arse!! I couldn’t wait to get back to the car and call it a day..again with nothing to show for my efforts. 

When i eventually got back to the beach Pat and Gus were there waiting with smug faces, their float was filled with various kinds of fish of different sizes, and they’d obviously had a lot more success than i had! We decided to call it a day and left back to the car. 

The last job of the days fishing was to take the days catch to a secluded area and gut the fish before the started to go bad. As Pat and Gus were experts at this, and did it on a regular basis i left them to slice and dice and leave the seagulls a good feed!

[warehousestevesworld]

Useful facts on New Zealand🇳🇿

To try and make you a little more familiar with the country we’ve put together a few facts - 

The Maori name for New Zealand is ‘Aotearoa’ which means the land of the long white cloud.

The official languages are English and Maori.

The NZ people are known also as Kiwis, not the fruit, but because of the native flightless bird.

New Zealand was the first country in the world to allow females the right to vote (1893)

There are more sheep live here than humans, around 9 sheep per person! The highest ratio in the world. 

There are no snakes in the country.

New Zealand is the first country on earth to see daylight, with their eastern coast being only 500km from the international date line meaning they are basically living in the future!

Nz and the UK are roughly the same size but have a difference of about 60 million people! (NZ - 4 million, UK - 66 million) This makes Nz one of the least populated countries in the world. 

Home to the town with the longest name in the world....`Taumatawhakatangihangikoauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu` a ridiculous 85 letters!!

The native `Kea` bird is responsible for many damaged windscreen wipers, which they attack for the obviously irresistible rubber strips inside. 

[warehousestevesworld]

2.9.18 Auckland, New Zealand!

So here we are..back in the country I fell in love with almost 7 years ago, but this time to try and do it properly, see more of the country, become part of the country and learn so much more about the country. This second chapter will start back in the city where it all began last time, Auckland. Last time however this was just a short stop over of a couple of nights before I made my way down to the South Island having only 6 weeks to squeeze both islands into. This time it was to be home for a while, where we would try and get jobs and discover more of the North Island that was left relatively untouched on my last visit. 

Thanks to my mate Patrick Ryan (who I met in Australia on the last trip) we have been living in a small suburb of Auckland called Westmere. It is a fairly big house with 3 bedrooms and 4 of us now live here, me and Ria, Patrick and a New Zealander called Mitch, and as you can see i wasn't happy to arrive here to more rain! After a couple of weeks of sorting ourselves out, getting bank cards, tax number, and employment we quickly settled back into normal life and a decent routine after our Asian adventures. 

A few quick facts about our new home -

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, home to a third of the entire population! 

Until 1865 it used to be the capital, before being changed to Wellington. 

It is nicknamed `The city of sails`

The Maori name for Auckland is `Tamaki Makau Rau`

[warehousestevesworld]

28.8-1.9.18

Ho Chi Minh City!!

Sooo, this was to be our final destination in South East Asia before jetting off to New Zealand...for now anyway. We’d both got to the point where instead of enjoying the places we were in, we were just rushing through them, not fully appreciating where we were. This was just down to travelers fatigue, being constantly on the move and having no routine...which for some parts was good, especially in the beginning but as we made our way through the different cities it all just started to feel the same and lost it’s appeal and we knew that we should look at slowing the pace down a little and finding that routine, that happy medium. I for one had started to get really frustrated with the culture side of things, as good as it is for the most part, it just started to wear on me, the hustle and bustle, the intense traffic, the market sellers in your face every two seconds, i’d just had enough. Oh and the small matter of the humidity, I was just sick to death of sweating..HAD ENOUGH. 

But before we said goodbye to this country and this part of the world we had to try and do this place some justice. It was just as busy as the busiest places we’d been, just as stressful, and BIG. We not only had to contend with the scooters as usual on the roads, the sound of their horns blasting every 2 seconds but here we also had to deal with them on the pavements!! They would just weave in and out of you as you walked, not a care in the world, pedestrians didn’t exist as far as these drivers were concerned. We’d decided to just try and see some of the main sights, but not push for too much more, and to just enjoy the final few days before escaping into the relative peace of Auckland in the next few days. 

As usual we tried to find our share of coffee places to get our daily fix and it definitely didn’t disappoint, they were everywhere. One place in particular which was a favourite of mine was the chain Trung Nguyen which were all over the place. They did a special ginger coffee which I couldn’t get enough of, really small but the taste...special indeed. 

Coffee shops were in abundance but we couldn’t find any decent street style restaurants, we seemed to come across more traditional sit down ‘Proper’ restaurants which we didn’t want really as we were already thinking about New Zealand and saving. However, we came across an Asian style fast food restaurant called Com Tho Chay which we basically called our ‘Local’ the food was really good, and so cheap...so why go elsewhere? A great find. 

As far as the sightseeing went for Ho Chi Minh, we didn’t do a great deal. We had looked up a few places which we were going to try and make but in a strange way, neither of us were too bothered. The cities main Post Office building was quite impressive and we spend a little time in there posting some cards back home and admiring the building itself. We also came across a large shopping mall which came as a refreshing change to the local culture, it had the usual suspects in there, HM, Zara etc etc, and so we spent a fair chunk of time in here trying to pick up some cheaper clothes before moving on to NZ. After we’d spent long enough in the shopping centre we walked on in search of some food! As usual we were struggling to find anywhere and eventually settled on this rather expensive looking spot above a Christian Louboutin shop, which should have told us all we needed to know really, but we or should I say I was starving. We sat down and looked at the menu and instantly realised it was miles out of our price range. Having already ordered our drinks, we decided to just order some tiny soup between the two of us and try get out as fast as possible. 

Once we’d escaped from the robbing restaurant we picked up some cheap wraps from a street kiosk and headed to the city square where there was apparently a really big and important football game being shown. There had been people handing out Vietnamese flags, clothing, banners, basically anything with the national flag on as it was the Vietnamese national day on the 2nd of September which was 4 days from now. We got to the square and it was absolutely packed with red shirts and Vietnamese flags flying. There were many huge tv screens lined up along the square showing what we found to be the Semi final of the Asia Cup between themselves and South Korea. There was a real party atmosphere all around and I was keen to stay and watch the game unlike Ria. She only stayed to watch because they were giving out free bottles of Coke, and anyone who knows Ria will know that she would never turn this down. A huge storm blew through the square at one point but no one really moved...until the heavens opened and unleashed an almighty downpour upon everyone. We all ran into nearby shops and sheltered there until the storm eventually eased off. It had damaged some of the screens so that part of the picture was missing, but this still didn't dampen the spirits of the local fans. Vietnam ended up losing the game 3-1 but the fans seemed to have enjoyed every second and were proud of their teams efforts. 

After this we called at the night market, had a couple of drinks, and left for our hotel. 

The rest of our time here was here was spent just like the first day, coffee, drinks, food and walking around the city. 

We felt ready to leave South East Asia for now, and looked forward to our New Zealand adventure!

[warehousestevesworld]

26-28.8.18

Mui Ne

So we arrived in Mui Ne around 12pm after yet another sleeper bus journey of around 4 hours. Our seats weren’t the best this time and I had to be cramped in a bottom middle seat with zero legroom, but managed to swap with someone later in the journey for a back of the bus laid out flat kind of seat, it was heaven.

We walked the short distance to our hotel from where the bus dropped us. Our room wasn’t quite ready when we got there so we waited a little while before it was available. While we waited we took a look out to the back of the hotel where there was a nice sea view, wooden sun lounges and seemed a good place to unwind....until you actually got to the edge of the outside area where you were met with huge amounts of rubbish...lots of it. You had fishing net washed ashore, bicycle tyres, lots of plastic, wood, you name it, it was probably somewhere in this pile of S**T. It was really sad to see, and it ruined what would be a beautiful view. I was very surprised that the hotel hadn’t made the effort to get it removed themselves as surely it would put a lot of people off staying there or at least from returning. 

Once ready we carried our bags to the room, got settled and then left for a well needed feed! As there was a restaurant next door we decided to just go there as it was the quick and easy choice. It turned out to be a really good place with nice food and excellent service. We ended up going back here for every meal of our stay...not just for the fact there wasn’t anywhere else worth going to for miles around.

After the food we decided to take a walk around the area. We soon discovered there wasn’t anything worth seeing or any places worth visiting. Also the trash problem just got worse as you walked the streets, it really seemed that none of the locals cared about this or were just not educated on how much of an issue it really was, and how bad the problem was for the area. 

The main reason for coming to Mui Ne was to see the sand dunes nearby. Whilst we were out walking we decided to book onto a tour for the following day which would include both the white and red dunes on a sunset trip. We got picked up outside our hotel at around 2pm an set off in our own private 4x4, our first stop would be the white dunes. When we arrived the driver told us where to go and asked if we could meet him back at the drop off point in about 1 hr 30 minutes. We turned down the option of driving our own quad bike to the top of the dunes, not just because the ridiculous price, but also because they had someone drive you to the top and then that was it, that's what you paid for.. a rip off. So on we went in bare foot struggling through the sand towards the ‘Summit’ feeling as though we were in another world to the one we’d just come from. There is definitely something otherworldly when your walking amongst desert like sand dunes, with the green of forests, the rural sprawl and ocean views all around you, it was very surreal. The weather also took a turn for the worst with hellish black clouds forming all around us and before we knew it we were at the top of the dunes getting soaked and blown around like rag dolls..while at the same time getting a good dusting of sand for our trouble! After a while up there trying our best to take some cool photos and watching the guys on the quad bikes tearing up the sand around us we headed back down to the car park and onto the next stop, the red dunes! 

Although a lot smaller, these dunes were more impressive to look at because of the red sand, and with the hope of catching a good sunset on top of this was the very reason we were here. Our driver dropped us at the side of the road and we walked past the pile of trash that greets you at the bottom and got as high as we could for a good view of the upcoming sunset. A few other people were dotted around but all in all it was pleasantly quiet. We decided to sit down in the sand and watch the sunset, which was a big letdown but still we tried to take it in all the same. There were some beautiful coastal views to be had around us which in some way made up for the lack of sunset. Once the dark started to blanket the sand we made our way down the slopes and back to the waiting car. The driver drove us back to the hotel whilst getting very angry about the local police who we'd seen stop someone at the side of the road. He was telling us how he hated them, and how corrupt they were and us as foreigners would 100% have to bribe them to stand any chance of getting away. We thanked him for the ride and left to our room. 

Once back in the room we had sand in every corner, nook and cranny of our bodies which would take days to remove. We sat down and discussed the possibility of leaving for New Zealand early as an offer of a place to stay and possible job had come up in the last couple of days which seemed too good to turn down, this just meant skipping Cambodia for now and doing it again later. After a while discussing it we decided that we’d go ahead and move to NZ in the next few days! 

Our overall impression of Mui Ne was one of extreme disappointment. The place has the potential to be a great little coastal getaway with a lot of offer as far as tourism goes. However it is just being ruined by the build up of trash that overtakes every corner of the place and the locals just don’t seem to care. If nothing is done soon then Mui Ne will literally be buried in it’s own rubbish and left to rot..a very sad sight indeed. 

[warehousestevesworld]

24-26.8.18

Nha Trang

Our journey to Nha Trang was by night bus, over 10 hours of night bus...the only good thing about the trip was that we managed to grab a 3 person upper ‘bunk‘ which meant loads of space and no one else’s sweaty feet in our faces. Regardless of the space the journey was pretty uncomfortable to say the least. The roads were so bumpy that with every pot hole or uneven surface we seemed to lift off the seat, and got our heads banged against whatever we were leaning against. 

We finally arrived in Nha Trang at around 5am, and with slight brain damage we left the bus and stood at the roadside along with many other travellers with our bags, figuring out the best way to get to our hotel. As was standard practice we were approached more or less straightaway by taxi drivers, scooter taxi drivers, all wanting your business. The time and the fact that our journey was really shitty made our minds up for us and we decided to go with these two scooter drivers as our way of getting to the hotel. One of the drivers told me that the other was from our hotel and was waiting for us basically, and told us it was only a short distance, and that it was also free because of this! We both hopped on the back of the banged out scooters and were on our way. True to their word it was only a short time later that we arrived at our accommodation. Our drivers stopped a fair distance apart, and not so true to their word instantly started asking for money for the trip, requesting a ‘tip.’ We told them that we weren't paying anything as they told us it was free, and grabbed our bags. We got ourselves to the same spot as they were trying to keep us separate so they got more money. One of the drivers started to get particularly angry and started giving us some abuse as we walked away towards the hotel, shouting at us as we got nearer the entrance. We got inside and were glad to get to our room.

The night didn't get any better as we got into our room. After getting into bed for some well needed sleep we discovered that the toilet wouldn’t flush when we woke up!! So we had to gather our things and move to another room.. now with two single beds instead of the queen in the previous room. 

We finally got ourselves out into the city and soon discovered that the rumours about the place were too true...it really was FULL of Russians. One of the first things you saw as you left the hotel was a huge tourist info office...for Russians. Nearly all if not all the restaurants had menu’s in Russian, Russian signs were everywhere, and many tour operators specifically for Russians. 

Two minutes away from our hotel was a nice beach, but happened to be like walking into a tornado when you walked onto it. Ria loved it though as it made the waves pretty huge! There were loads of kite surfers, and people flying kites  everywhere (Even though there was a huge sign saying this wasn't allowed)  and again loads of old Russian men in their underpants...

One night on our way back from a bar we called in the local grocery store for some snacks to take back our room, and to get some sleep! When on the way out a girl followed us out and in a strong Russian accent asked where we were from and if we were interested in spending some time with her and her boyfriend so they could practice their English skills with us. We agreed and left to some nearby bar with them to begin the English lesson!  It ended up being a good night with them, good conversation (Even though the girl really struggled to understand me and kept asking me to slow down) we tried a traditional Russian drink called ‘Kvass' (A low alcohol drink made from rye bread) and had a good laugh)

All in all neither of us really enjoyed the place, too much focus on the Russians, and it seemed like we were in some European party town...minus the party. It just lacked any atmosphere or Vietnamese culture at all and we wouldn’t be rushing back. 

[warehousestevesworld]

21-23.8.18 

Hoi An

We checked out of the Pederson hotel at around 10.30 am and decided to grab a taxi to Hoi An instead of messing around on the buses with all our bags, was well worth it. We got checked into the Areca Homestay in Hoi An and wandered into the ‘Ancient City’ which was full of tiny little side streets, old wooden shop fronts, and French style architecture, it was a photographers dream. 

Coloured lanterns lit up the streets, coffee shops lined the streets which was a great way to take the weight off your feet. The leather shops were so tempting, too many nice things which we couldn’t buy as we didn’t have the space! 

We sat and drank lotus tea and people watched in the old city. I tried to buy some mango cake, or these potato/coconut cakes that were being sold by the local vendors, but by the time I had turned my back to take some money out they disappeared into thin air!

A definite highlight for me was enjoying a 4000 VND Bia Hoi (14 cents) overlooking the river, watching people snap their selfies, and the orange trail of life jackets dotted all over the water. 

After this we walked back across the bridge which was packed with tourists and sellers alike. We tried to take some snaps of the candle lit lanterns all down the river but it was pretty dark, the pictures don’t do it justice! The lanterns were basically floating wishes made by tourists and locals alike.  

When we were done on the bridge we were both hungry so we went and found ourselves a nice looking place which seemed to have a good buzz about it. We sat down and as we were both starving we just wanted a quick and simple feed and so decided on good old rice and chicken. What we got was probably the most fragrant, perfume like rice and chicken we’d ever had, not that it was terrible it was just so overpowered by whatever they had flavoured it with. 

After the food we decided to go back to our guesthouse. On the way back we came across a group of people who were practicing some traditional arts, obviously for some up and coming festival or performance. There were a group of men training with the ‘Paper dragon‘ making it do loops and twists and turns, others performed other things and musicians played. We stood and watched for a while before heading back. 

Whilst walking back we crossed a road which was free of traffic (Very Rare!!) when all of a sudden a scooter flew in between us and another group that were crossing, swerving around us and amazingly not hitting any of us, while at the same time screaming some abuse at us at the top of their voices. They were definitely high as a kite on something , and part of me hoped they wrapped the scooter around a tree on their way to wherever they were going. 

After breakfast the following morning we rented some bikes from our guesthouse and rode into the rice fields. We eventually got onto the right track and came across a small restaurant within the Tra Que herb village. By this time the breakfast was long gone and we sat down inside to sample some of the food. We shared shrimp and pork pancakes seasoned with herbs from the garden next to us, really good! After this pit stop we rode on through the fields exploring and getting lost. 

On the way back into town we came across a local guy sat on a buffalo across the road from us. We definitely wanted to go across and say hello! As we made our way across I joked “I wonder how much he’ll charge us to touch it” After we’d been stood there a while admiring it the guy was keen to let us jump on it’s back, lay on it, feed it and whatever else we wanted from it. Ria ended up getting on board nervously, laying down on it all with a big nervous smile! As she got off he tried to tempt me to do the same, but I refused as I knew he was just trying to fill his wallet. Then came the inevitable negotiations, we asked him how much and he tried to charge us 200,000 (7.50 euro) which to put it into perspective is more than we were paying for accommodation...we politely told him where to go and offered him 50,000 (Less than 2 euro) which he reluctantly accepted and we were on our way happy with the photos we’d got. 

When we got back into town we dropped our bikes off and went for some pizza, and spent the remainder of the day/night wandering the beautiful streets.

Hoi An was my personal favourite of all the places we visited in Vietnam. To me it has it all, beautiful architecture, colourful lantern lit streets, amazing shopping (If you like leather!) and even beaches just a stones throw away, the place is full if character. I would definitely want to re visit for a longer period, preferably not on a backpacker budget so I could buy something!

[warehousestevesworld]

17.8.18 - 20.8.18

Luxury Treat in Da Nang 😎👌

After a lot of traveling recently, all the hustle and bustle of the places we've been, I decided it was time for some downtime, comfort, and to just relax. We found a nice place called the Alisia Hotel on the beachfront, where we got an 11th floor room with a seaview, rooftop pool and just chilled out for a few days. It was heaven, eating and sitting by the pool just about sums up our time in Da Nang👍😎😎

We did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing when we visited the White Lady Buddha which at 62m high casts her beady eyes over the whole Son Trá Peninsula. Although it was an impressive thing to see, part of some beautiful grounds, I was disappointed when we found out we couldn't go up to the top of the statue and look out over the bay through the eyes of the Buddha as I'd read about before we came 🙄

I also tried a vegetarian/vegan (Not quite sure which) dish at nearby café/restaurant Thuc Duong Bao An, Peanut butter spring rolls! It was delicious and less than 2 euros👌

Great few days, we definitely left feeling like we'd recharged! 🙌

[warehousestevesworld]

14.8.18 - 17.8.18

Hue!

The bus journey to Hue was around 200km and took us about 3 hours. We got dropped off somewhere outside the city centre and began walking to our hotel, the uniquely named Google Hotel😆 After a sweaty walk we eventually arrived and were glad to drop our bags, we got checked in and went to our room.

First impressions of the room were that it was gloomy, smelled of damp, no air, and generally a bit grubby. We dropped the bags and left for some food at the restaurant attached to the hotel.

Ria stayed in the room and had a nap, and I went for a wander around the city. I'd not been out long at all, just ordered a coffee when Ria messaged me saying I had to come back as she'd found bedbugs😐 I finished my drink and made my way back to the hotel. Once there I wanted to see what she'd found, took the evidence in tissue paper down to the reception and asked for a full refund as we didn't want to pick up the bedbugs and potentially carry them around.

The guy who checked us in offered us another room but was reluctant to give us any money back. We refused his offer as we thought there was a good chance there were the same problem in other rooms. He didn't seem happy with what we said and asked us to walk over to a shop with him a few minutes away to speak to who must have been an owner or something. He showed her the bedbugs and told her what we'd said, she wanted us to try another room...again we refused, and seemingly pretty pissed off that we wouldn't budge the guy left the shop, throwing the tissue on the ground and storming off back to the hotel.

Once back he made up some excuses about it being difficult to give us all our money back as we'd been in the room..(For less than 2 hours!) And said he'd offer us three quarters of the money...again we said no and this time demanded all our money back..he gave in and after leaving us again to go and collect the money from somewhere we eventually had our refund and gladly left the place! 🙄🙄

Ok...apart from that issue we had a good stay in Hue and enjoyed the city. We managed to find a lovely little replacement to the infested Google place, The Kha Hotel. We found this place by chance when asking for directions to another hotel we were going to try. It started raining, we went in to ask directions, they said we could sit down while the rain stopped...then we booked 2 night's there instead 😆

Highlights of our stay in Hue -

Getting approached by a group of local students whilst walking next to the river, and being asked if we could spend some of our time talking to them so that they could improve their English skills 😁👌 We spent maybe 45 mins talking with them, telling them a bit about ourselves and answering any questions they had for us, it was a very rewarding feeling and good experience.

Visiting the Citadel and Forbidden City.

Neither of us were too bothered about the historical side of this visit, it's just not our thing, but whilst in Hue I definitely wanted to visit this place and at the very least take some pictures of the ancient architecture 👌🤓 There were some aircraft and other machinery used in the Vietnam war on show outside the grounds which were interesting to look at. It was definitely worth the visit, some very nice parts to look at, and craftsmanship of the highest order👌..oh and Ria's favourite part, feeding the fish 😆

Rooftop happy hour cocktails listening to the same Ed Sheeran songs they seem to have on in every bar... can't say I minded tho👌

Seeing the hotel's children play like children should play, outdoors with friends playing dominoes!😂👍 Not a piece of technology in sight, great to see!

And last but not least, we spotted a boat traveling down the river so heavily loaded with what looked like building material that it was so close to sinking it was unbelievable 😂😂

Another city ticked off, and another one we could have spent longer in, next time then!

[warehousestevesworld]

12.8.18 - 14.8.18

Phong Nha

We took the sleeper bus from Tam Coc to Phong Nha, our first journey in a proper overnight bus. It was like a tightly packed dorm room, where you lay down in your seat with your feet in a compartment like space, safe to say it wasn't ideal for me! 😣 We left at around 2130 and made ourselves 'comfortable' for the eight hour trip. After being on the road about 5 minutes the driver stopped and announced they were stopping for 30 minutes🤔😐..a few moans and groans rang out around the bus as everyone was eager to get going..but apparently having packed everyone into the bus the on board staff now decided it was dinner time 🙄🙄..again, welcome to Vietnam.

We eventually arrived in Phong Nha at about 4.20am, both knackered and not rested at all. Fortunately we managed to check into our hotel straightaway and got up to our room and caught some more 😴😴😴

Phong Nha was a small place, all centred around the many cave trips the area has to offer. We decided to visit one of these caves, the areas namesake, The Phong Nha Cave. We shared the boat that would take us to and through the cave with a Vietnamese couple, and relaxed as it cruised down the river, engines chugging away.

We chilled out on the 30 mins plus boat ride, taking in the beautiful green mountain scenery, occasionally spotting the famous ( and delicious ) mountain goats as we went. The boat arrived at the entrance to the cave and turned its engines off to avoid polluting the inside of the cave, and we were paddled through the rest of the way.

Inside the cave was beautiful, otherworldly as it's been described is I think a pretty accurate description. It is the longest river cave in the world, and during the Vietnam War it was used to store and hide equipment and also as a hospital.

We were able to walk around inside the cave after the boat ride had ended, and it seriously felt like I was walking on Mars, or in some other world, it made for spectacular viewing, the pictures definitely don't show just how good it looked.

Apart from the cave trip we enjoyed more food, and happy hour drinks at the Easy Tiger hostel where we also ate probably the best banana cake I've ever tasted, sweet, sticky and served with homemade peanut butter and a selection of local fruit... amazing 🤤😋

Short but sweet stay here, definitely recommend it to anyone👍

[warehousestevesworld]

8.8.18 - 12.8.18

Ninh Binh/Tam Coc.

When we arrived back at the Harbour the guy who we booked the trip with was waiting for us as promised. He drove us to a coach that was soon departing for Ninh Binh. We dropped our luggage and got on, it was packed! Hot and sweaty, and really uncomfortable..just what we wanted with a four hour trip to look forward to😧

I managed to strike some kind of luck and got the back middle seat so at least I could stretch my legs out...or so i thought. There was one seat left on the bus and that seat was next to me...a couple got on and had to split up with the tall guy taking the middle seat next to me, leaving me wedged against the seat in front 👌👌😐

The painful journey passed and we were dropped off in where we thought was Ninh Binh...it wasn't, it was a place called Tam Coc..a short distance away from Ninh Binh. We all had to get off the bus here and wait for the bus to come back, to then get dropped off where we wanted..strange carry on, but welcome to Vietnam!

We eventually got dropped in Ninh Binh and soon discovered there wasn't anything there, no life, nothing to see or do..and we wanted to move. We stopped off for some food at a restaurant next to what looked to be the only hotel around, then jumped in a taxi and went back to where we'd just come from 😆

We got back to Tam Coc and checked into the Long Hotel, which was where the bus dropped us in the first place, what a waste of time!

Apart from the bad start, Tam Coc was a nice little place, very rural with plenty to see, highlights included -

Walking through nearby paddy fields, with yet more Karst rock formations towering over us.

Witnessing the locals rowing boats with their feet whilst taking tourists on scenic trips through the lush scenery. Apparently this is a technique they use all the time as it takes the strain off their arms and back.

Renting bikes and riding to the viewpoint of Hang Muá. We had to put some effort in to see this one, over 500 steps off effort to be precise. By the time we got to the top, I for one looked like I'd just come from the shower, soaked to the skin. The views however were well worth the pain, they were amazing.

Finding more Bia Hoi! I read that you could only get the fresh, water cheap beer in Hanoi and surrounding areas, I didn't realise that 2 hours south they would still have it, definitely a bonus, and well needed after the walk up to Hang Muá.

A well worthwhile trip with some of the best views of our journey yet!

[warehousestevesworld]

8.8.18

Ha Long Bay, Day 2!

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog, I've had a serious case of cantbearseditus😂 Back up and running now.

My alarm sounded at 5am, and both pretty knackered, we left the room for the sundeck and waited for the sun. We weren't the first up though, an older French couple had already taken their seats for the morning spectacle. Soon enough Ria came up to join me and so did everyone else apart from the Dutch family who had obviously see enough sunsets on their travels and didn't need to add this one to memory 😆

The silence across the bay was the most beautiful thing, of course the sun rising over the cliffs was amazing as always, but just the peace and quiet all around, the fishermen readying their boats, made the early start all worthwhile.

After the sunset was over we went back to the room for a short nap then up again for breakfast at 7am. Breakfast was followed by a trip to a 'Cave' ( It was never a cave😆 ) on a 'Bamboo' boat ( Just a small wooden boat 😂 ) then returned to see a small fish farm which I wasn't interested in at all.

After this mini trip we had a little downtime then got ready for lunch at 11am, which was too early for most of us but we understood why they had to do it, and that we had to be back at the harbour soon afterwards. After the lunch there was a cooking class on how to make spring rolls...we both skipped this and instead sat up on the sundeck taking in the stunning views all around.

The views on the way back to the taxi boat were just beautiful, and will live long in the memory. Overall it was a great trip, amazing experience and all done with a really good group of people 👌😎