After leaving Townsville I had basically 1 day to spend in Cairns before I caught a flight down to Melbourne and then, 1 day later, jumped on a plane to Christchurch, New Zealand. Unfortunately I did not get to see much of Cairns as time was of the essence but from what I did see I can say that it would have been a place I’d of stayed longer otherwise. However, my stay consisted of preparing to leave the country (confirming flights, repacking bags for the plane, getting the appropriate documentation ready, etc.) and hanging out with the stragglers from previous towns who managed to find themselves in Cairns at the same time I was. So, after several pre-emptive goodbye parties I met up with Jared, Lisbeth, Merete, Rachael and Fiona (two Brits from the boat) and had a FINAL goodbye drink.
The next morning I boarded a plane to Melbourne and, after landing, I got to experience the feeling I’d had 6 months ago when I first landed in Australia. It seems so long ago and what a strange feeling it was. I remember asking someone where a CVS might be and they looked at me like I had two heads. The same streets, the sights, the same hostel even. I was to stay two nights which gave me some time to get my snowboard and golf clubs from Chris, who I’d worked with at Greco when living in Melbourne, and see Andy and Oscar, two English guys I’d worked with as well. After some headache determining what to do with my clubs I decided to leave them with Chris for a later date of departure.
Later that night I went down to see good old Andy and Oscar at their flat in St. Kilda. Since Oscar would be taking a night off Andy and I went out for drinks and did some catching up. I, once again, ended up sleeping on their couch since the trams stopped after a certain hour and even though it had been about 4 months since the last time I had slept on it, sleeping on a couch is something like riding a bike, you never forget how to get comfortable.
And so, after one more night I said my goodbyes and went to my hostel this time to sleep a bit before getting on yet another plane. The feeling of something totally new seems to be, for me at least, exclusively related to Melbourne as it came right back to me as I lugged my bags to the airport. Once I got through security (they made me give up my nice pair of scissors!) I relaxed a bit before boarding. And although I was about to leave a place of familiarity for one of uncertainty I was not so much nervous rather than excited. And the view from the window as we cruised over the mountainous terrain of New Zealand’s west coast made the excitement that much more palpable.
Snow capped mountains, jagged landscapes and, after 10 minutes, the patchwork fields of pastures filled with crops and grazing sheep filled the view. It was just an amazing sight to see something that I’ve only heard of for quite a while. I landed in Christchurch and made my way into the city. Right away I noticed that it was cheaper here than in Australia and, with the exchange rate, very agreeable. The city of Christchurch is said to be more European than Europe and I can see why. An old Cathedral stands at the center of the city in a square of granite bricks. The architecture seems like something out of a Charles Dickens novel but with a touch of modernity. Old trams cruise the streets and intricate fountains and parks shaded by strange trees are scattered in various corners of the city. Little pubs and cafes are everywhere and, if only a little bit, it reminds me of Boston. But in a different way.
I’ve decided to start getting into shape in preparation for the ski season so that I am not as old as I feel once on the slopes. For the past two days I’ve been running in the morning and the legs are a bit sore. On the second morning I was running up the sidewalk and heard a crash on the road beside me. Running over I found a women bleeding from the eyebrow as she had gotten her tire stuck in the tram track and tumbled over. Another guy close by called an ambulance (and it’s not 911 here. In fact, I don’t even know what the emergency number is here!) and her husband was there to help her. I felt tempted to add some of the limited knowledge that I accumulated during my university days but decided it probably wasn’t practical and that I should just help in some other capacity. And so, after telling her that it didn’t look to deep as it wasn’t bleeding too much I waited for the ambulance with them and put her bike in a good Samaritans garage for storage. This, along with one other guy stopping me on the street and asking me, ‘Are you that guy?’ was my interesting encounter in Christchurch. The guy on the street was referring to a Canadian TV personality who I apparently look like. And after a delightful chat with him (he’s having twins and his friend’s wife just gave birth to their first) he told me to enjoy Christchurch. I am definitely enjoying it so far.
And so my arrival into a new country was successful and I am yet again excited about the coming months. After figuring out some of the logistical problems that come along with changing countries (new currency, new SIM card for the phone, new accent to understand, and new brands to get to know) I will head down to Queenstown where I have an interview for a position at the Coronet Ski Resort for the winter. I do really want this position but if it is not meant to be then I will travel north, stopping to see the glaciers and some of the spectacular sights I keep hearing about, and make my way onto the north island where I will settle into Ohakune, a small town a short drive from Mt. Reuphau, where I have already been given a position at that ski resort. It’s nice to have options. We’ll see what happens.
The next morning I boarded a plane to Melbourne and, after landing, I got to experience the feeling I’d had 6 months ago when I first landed in Australia. It seems so long ago and what a strange feeling it was. I remember asking someone where a CVS might be and they looked at me like I had two heads. The same streets, the sights, the same hostel even. I was to stay two nights which gave me some time to get my snowboard and golf clubs from Chris, who I’d worked with at Greco when living in Melbourne, and see Andy and Oscar, two English guys I’d worked with as well. After some headache determining what to do with my clubs I decided to leave them with Chris for a later date of departure.
Later that night I went down to see good old Andy and Oscar at their flat in St. Kilda. Since Oscar would be taking a night off Andy and I went out for drinks and did some catching up. I, once again, ended up sleeping on their couch since the trams stopped after a certain hour and even though it had been about 4 months since the last time I had slept on it, sleeping on a couch is something like riding a bike, you never forget how to get comfortable.
And so, after one more night I said my goodbyes and went to my hostel this time to sleep a bit before getting on yet another plane. The feeling of something totally new seems to be, for me at least, exclusively related to Melbourne as it came right back to me as I lugged my bags to the airport. Once I got through security (they made me give up my nice pair of scissors!) I relaxed a bit before boarding. And although I was about to leave a place of familiarity for one of uncertainty I was not so much nervous rather than excited. And the view from the window as we cruised over the mountainous terrain of New Zealand’s west coast made the excitement that much more palpable.
Snow capped mountains, jagged landscapes and, after 10 minutes, the patchwork fields of pastures filled with crops and grazing sheep filled the view. It was just an amazing sight to see something that I’ve only heard of for quite a while. I landed in Christchurch and made my way into the city. Right away I noticed that it was cheaper here than in Australia and, with the exchange rate, very agreeable. The city of Christchurch is said to be more European than Europe and I can see why. An old Cathedral stands at the center of the city in a square of granite bricks. The architecture seems like something out of a Charles Dickens novel but with a touch of modernity. Old trams cruise the streets and intricate fountains and parks shaded by strange trees are scattered in various corners of the city. Little pubs and cafes are everywhere and, if only a little bit, it reminds me of Boston. But in a different way.
I’ve decided to start getting into shape in preparation for the ski season so that I am not as old as I feel once on the slopes. For the past two days I’ve been running in the morning and the legs are a bit sore. On the second morning I was running up the sidewalk and heard a crash on the road beside me. Running over I found a women bleeding from the eyebrow as she had gotten her tire stuck in the tram track and tumbled over. Another guy close by called an ambulance (and it’s not 911 here. In fact, I don’t even know what the emergency number is here!) and her husband was there to help her. I felt tempted to add some of the limited knowledge that I accumulated during my university days but decided it probably wasn’t practical and that I should just help in some other capacity. And so, after telling her that it didn’t look to deep as it wasn’t bleeding too much I waited for the ambulance with them and put her bike in a good Samaritans garage for storage. This, along with one other guy stopping me on the street and asking me, ‘Are you that guy?’ was my interesting encounter in Christchurch. The guy on the street was referring to a Canadian TV personality who I apparently look like. And after a delightful chat with him (he’s having twins and his friend’s wife just gave birth to their first) he told me to enjoy Christchurch. I am definitely enjoying it so far.
And so my arrival into a new country was successful and I am yet again excited about the coming months. After figuring out some of the logistical problems that come along with changing countries (new currency, new SIM card for the phone, new accent to understand, and new brands to get to know) I will head down to Queenstown where I have an interview for a position at the Coronet Ski Resort for the winter. I do really want this position but if it is not meant to be then I will travel north, stopping to see the glaciers and some of the spectacular sights I keep hearing about, and make my way onto the north island where I will settle into Ohakune, a small town a short drive from Mt. Reuphau, where I have already been given a position at that ski resort. It’s nice to have options. We’ll see what happens.
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