Great Barrier Reef – Lady Musgrave Island

A real desert island, complete with a tropical lagoon and reef oasis, sits around 95km off the coast of Bundaberg in Queensland. Lady Musgrave Island. Part of the Bunker Group, this is the southernmost section of the famous Great Barrier Reef and plays host to a magical menagerie of sea life.

Ok, David Attenborough voice aside, this was my favourite Great Barrier Reef experience so far. Taylor and I booked the ‘Lady Musgrave Experience’ Day Tour for late February, and I was not disappointed! Between January and March is turtle hatching season, and many mother turtles are still laying their eggs through February. The tour did get cancelled on the day I’d booked it for due to dangerous offshore wind conditions (went to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery instead – never a bad thing!) The tour was easily rescheduled for the following day, at no extra cost, and went ahead as planned.

6:45am: Checked in at Bundaberg Port Marina
7:00am: Boarded the “Reef Empress” ready for departure

The morning was warm, full of promise, with the first blue sky we’d seen in days. All passengers were assigned to a group as we boarded the boat; Turtles, Clownfish and Dolphins – we were Dolphins. This was simply for the rotation of activities once we reached the island. The crossing was a rough 2 hours, the majority of passengers needed paper bags, clutching their heads and holding on for dear life. We took our ginger tablets and sat watching the crew running around cleaning patches on the floor and disposing of used paper bags. They were incredible, remaining upbeat and cheerful the whole time.

2 hours later, we pulled into a big semi-circular reef lagoon, with the gold and green island in the centre. Firstly, I need to talk about the colour of the sea. You couldn’t even paint it. It was blue, yes, a light, bright blue with stripes of turquoise and green wherever the reef lay below, but it was iridescent, backlit if you will, shining like fluorescent light!

Anyway, we stepped off the boat onto the enormous three-storey pontoon, (with an underwater viewing room below deck, and glamping style beds on the top deck for the overnight experience) and the first thing I saw as I gazed out across the reef was a turtle! It was just floating on the surface about 20 metres away, its shell all clean and beautiful.

The Glass-Bottomed Boat

After a brief snorkeling run-through, the 3 groups broke off. The Dolphin group were on the glass-bottomed boat first. Our guide was Tyson, and he floated us over the different types of coral: staghorn, brain, boulder, plated, finger…. As he was explaining that the white tips on the coral is actually regrowth, not bleaching, a Brown Booby Bird swooped low next to the boat, majestically stealing our attention.

Next, Tyson steered us over a ‘turtle cleaning station’, a part of the reef where little fish nibble all the algae off the turtles’ shells. We could see the silhouettes of 4 turtles being cleaned far beneath the surface, and as we drifted over, one swam right up to the glass, giving us all a clear glimpse of its beautiful pristine shell, before popping its head up right beside the boat! Tyson said that was the closest he’d ever seen a wild green turtle and was pretty stoked himself!

*Green Turtle under the Glass Bottomed Boat*

Lady Musgrave Island

We pulled up on Lady Musgrave Island, where another guide, Jordan, met us for a walk around Capricornia Cays National Park. The sand is white, broken coral, with flecks of pink, and is so sharp you are advised to wear footwear at all times. One of the deadliest creatures of the ocean can be found on this beach – Cone Snails, which might look like a pretty, pink shell to collect, but the creature has a tiny barb that it fires through an opening in its shell, which has the ability to kill a person in half an hour. It wouldn’t be Australia if something wasn’t trying to kill you…

Behind the beach is a dense canopy of green Pisonian Grandis trees, and then you notice the birds. I’m not sure if the noise or the smell hits you first, but when you notice the sheer amount of little black sea birds nesting in the trees, you really get a sense of the wildness of this island. They have no predators here, and they’re everywhere, diving, swooping, pooping, screaming, and they appear to wear little white hats, hence their name: White Capped Noddy Terns. They inhabit the Pisonian forest, and are part of an intense circle of life, see, the island is basically a pile of coral; the birds nest in the trees, and their poop helps fertilise the trees. The trees also produce these sticky, sappy traps, which capture some of the Terns in a slow and sticky death, essentially using the birds as plant food. Gnarly.

*A White Capped Noddy Tern Chick in its nest*

But aside from the stench, the forest was beautiful to walk through. I also spotted a couple of Buff Banded Rail birds scratching about on the ground, and some tiny Capricorn Silver Eyes darting about the branches. We came out on the other side of the island, onto the beach, where sun bleached logs litter the coral sand.

*A Bridled Tern rests on a log; a White Capped Noddy Tern flies overhead*

Then came a turtle, just a dark shape in the shallow water, moving closer to the beach. Then came another, and another! They didn’t leave the water, but one came so close to the shore that Jordan identified that it wasn’t big enough to be of nesting age (30), so she must have just been curious! We strolled back around the island along the beach, and hopped back on the glass-bottomed boat, back to the Pontoon for lunch.

Bridled Terns, Greater Crested Terns, Sooty Oyster Catchers, Pied Oyster Catchers & Seagulls
Turtle Swimming up to the Beach

Snorkelling on the Reef

Finally it was our turn to snorkel, the part I’d been looking forward to all day. After a quick lunch of salads and cold meats, we quickly got our gear on and jumped in the reef lagoon. The first thing you see are little groups of little black and white fish, swimming for a close up of your funny goggles. As you get closer to the coral shelf, schools of tiny blue fish shimmer like a glittery curtain as they dart back and forth in unison.

*Whitley’s Sergeant Fish around purple coral*

Parrot Fish have beaks that enable them to feed on the coral.

They come in a huge array of colours, you can see the orange one’s teeth-like beak.

The coral is beautiful here, splashes of colours somehow pop under the water. I was so engrossed in watching interesting fish appearing from the reef that the turtles caught me off guard! Taylor caught my eye, signalling to me under the water, and pointing ahead; there it was, appearing out of the murkiness, coming towards us, so majestic, as though flying beneath the waves. This Green Turtle was about the size of a grown man’s torso. Her tail was barely visible, showing she was female, and she swam right underneath us. I turned and followed her for a short while, before she dived into the depths of the reef.

The second turtle was skimming along a shallow shelf of reef at my eye level, flapping her flippers, and surfacing a few metres away. I popped my head up too and saw her floating on the surface!

After an hour of solid snorkelling, we sat on the edge of the pontoon sipping on a Gin Mule, dangling our feet in the ocean. On the boat ride back, we saw an Olive Sea Snake wriggle by in the waves, and several dolphins.

Facts of the Day:

The Great Barrier Reef is roughly the same size as Japan.
You can’t visit the adjacent Fairfax Islands because they were used for target practice by the Australian Military in the 1940s, and there is likely to be live ammunition still scattered on the islands.
Without the birds, there would be no trees on Lady Musgrave Island, and without the trees there would be no birds. Without either of these, the island would be a bank of dead coral, and may have been washed or eroded away.
Corals are actually living invertebrates related to jellyfish and anemones.
Coral relies on its resident algae to survive. Photosynthesis in the algae creates food for the coral.
Some corals actually catch small fish and plankton to feed on.
The tiny white tips you see on the coral reef is not bleaching; it is in fact regrowth.
The colour you see on coral is actually produced by the algae as a form of sun protection. The deeper the coral, the less colour it will have, as it will have less sun exposure.
Coral Bleaching is caused by rising temperatures and pollution that kills the coral’s algae. When the algae is gone, the coral dies.

Feb 4

Tongariro Alpine Crossing – New Zealand

The Tongariro Crossing had been on my bucket list for about 6 years, and finally, in January 2019, my opportunity arrived. Friends of mine, Simon & Mike, two brothers from back home, happened to be visiting New Zealand while I was staying with family there, and so we decided to take on the crossing together. According to my Strava app (which may or may not be accurate) it is about 14 miles (22km), with an elevation gain of about 2,762ft (850m), and crosses between 3 of New Zealand’s iconic active volcanoes. It is recommended that you fully plan the journey, with plenty of water, snacks, sun protection, good hiking shoes with support, and layers of clothing. Always check the weather, as whatever the weather is doing at ground level, it changes fast and will be at least 5 degrees colder at the crater.

A January Day, 2019

5:30am – Summer Bellbirds ‘pinged’ outside the Turangi motel, on the south side of Lake Taupo, as my hiking buddies and I awoke to make bacon sarnies. After breakfast, we packed up the car and set off beneath the grapefruit sky to Ketetahi Long Stay Car park, about half an hour’s drive from Turangi.

7:00am – We boarded the shuttle bus from Ketetahi Long Stay Car Park to Mangatepopo Hut – the opposite side of Tongariro National Park, to the start of the Tongariro Crossing.

^Prep & Conditions Board at the start of the track, Mangatepopo^

7:30am – 5°c, clear, light winds – As the sun hid behind the mountains before us, we checked all our gear, stretched our legs and used the facilities. We began hiking, gently climbing the grassy hillside, the sun making its glaring appearance over the crest and quickly raising the temperature to T-shirt weather. Through the sulphurous pumice fields, we hiked, where white daisies sprout from the rough, black earth.

The path led onto a boardwalk, which crossed the silty plains of strange moss, framed by dark, jagged rock. Mount Ngauruhoe – known for portraying Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings – loomed over the pathway, puffs of mist unfurling from its craters, casting its long, morning shadow over the landscape.

^Mount Ngauruhoe – the youngest & most active vent in the area – last erupted in 1977^

We began to climb; rock and man-made steps paving the lung-squashing incline. As we did, a panoramic view of the vast national park stretched out behind us.

Suddenly we were level and a giant plateau of sandy rock appeared before us, surrounded by an uneven black rim. We followed the trickle of hikers across the plateau, at the foot of impressive Ngauruhoe, and began to scale the lip on the other side.

^View back across the plateau & Mt. Ngauruhoe^

A fast, thick fog was moving over the summit, so we paused on the steep side of the lip for lunch. The air quickly became cool and dark, and it wasn’t long before we, and fellow hikers around us, had donned thermal jackets.

^The skiddy ascent to Red Crater / Mound of lucky stone stacks at the summit^

The route up is a treacherous combination of loose scree and sand, on both sides of the summit of Tongariro’s Red Crater, making footing impossible, and you have to kind of cross country ski your way over. At the top, a huge mound of rocks and pebbles marks the summit, built over the years by each hiker adding a stone. You feel like you’re on the edge of the world, especially when you can’t see through the dense fog!

^The Red Crater, formed around 3000 yrs ago, coloured due to oxidised iron in the rock – last erupted 1926, but Tongariro has many craters, some of which last erupted in 2012^

Skidding down the other side, the fog began to break, revealing the dramatic Red Crater. Clouds rushed over the landscape, thinning more and more until the brilliant Emerald Lakes shone through, patchy sunlight glistening on their surface.

This is it – the iconic view of the Tongariro Crossing. The national park is a stretch of green, far and wide, all the way to the horizon where it meets the blue, fluffy clouded sky. Mountains drop down to hills, rainforests, rivers and vast plains. On the edge of the foreground three emerald and blue lakes stand out from the grey, volcanic rock, regardless of the weather. Curls of steam rise from the rock all around, that rich, boiled egg smell filling your nostrils.

^Descent from the Red Crater / Steam rising from volcanic rock^

We continued across the next plain, looking back on the three iconic volcanoes lined up like a postcard; Tongariro – jagged and broken at the forefront, Ngauruhoe – the perfect volcano shape in the centre, and snowy Ruapehu peeping out from behind.

^Trio of Volcanoes – Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro^

The walk down to Ketetahi is a neverending zig-zag, through bushland and rock, which never seems to get closer to the end. Lake Taupo shines on the horizon below, before the path eventually drops into rainforest, and quickly descends down wooden steps, joining a cascading river down to Ketetahi.

2:00pm – 13°c, sunny – Once we reached the Ketetahi end of the Tongariro Crossing, it was another 20min walk along the dusty road to the Long Stay Carpark. The hike back to the car felt long, but far from disappointing! The landscape is marvellous, and there’s plenty of nature to see; we were three satisfied & very happy hikers. Our moving time was about 5 hours, all the photo stops and snack breaks made it much longer, but why rush through an experience like that?

^Reaching the end of the crossing at Ketetahi^

Our Tongariro adventure ended at the car park, where the car wouldn’t start, and the next adventure began – getting home!

^View across Lake Taupo to Tongariro National Park, from Taupo^

Jun 17

Nakasendo Trail pt.2 – Walking the Way of the Water Wheels

Have you ever woken up with a layer of ice on the inside of your tent? It had been another below-freezing night on the Yabuhara river bank, deep in the Kiso Valley in the heart of Japan, and even our sleeping bags were a tad frosty. But we’d slept, and after completing the first leg of the Nakasendo Trail the day before, I don’t think anything would have prevented sleep. The ‘samui’ (cold) nights we’d experienced while camping so far weren’t letting up, but at least the day temperatures were reaching the high-teens.

Frosty Lodgings

~ Breakfast of Champions ~

After thawing out the tent in the rising heat of the morning sun, my travel companion Mic and I washed and drank from the river, packed our backpacks and set off to the nearby Yabuhara train station. Breakfast was a great and unexpected find. I’d remembered seeing a sign in a window for fresh bakes the night before, (Japan has really mastered the art of delicious pastries) and we headed back there on the off-chance it was open. It was, but when we stepped inside, it seemed to be a craft shop, selling unique, handmade trinkets, but no food. We were just about to leave, when I noticed it was connected to what looked like a community centre, where a group of ladies were sitting around a large table doing an origami workshop. They all cheerfully called, “Konnichiwa” as we edged in, spotting a stand at the side of the room, covered in fresh breads and pastries, and also coffee! We paid and took our bag of loot, and our coffee in paper cups, the origami ladies waving goodbye as we left, and ate the lot while waiting for our train.

Breakfast of Champions

~ Nagiso ~

A 50min train ride through pictoresque scenery; window seats; a kindle in Mic’s lap, a notebook in mine, we enjoyed the opportunity of soft chairs, prior to embarking on the second leg of our hike, from Nagiso to Tsumago-juku.

Nagiso was another sleepy little town, a little more equipped for passing hikers and tourists, with a handful of little shops and cafes by the station, their keepers perched outside on fold up chairs, watching the world go by. This is the base for most tourist companies running shuttles between Tsumago and Magome – the two most touristic Post Towns on the Nakasendo Trail, which book-end the last remaining original part of the ancient road. It is also a starting point to the old Nakasendo Pass, which follows closely where the original road would have led to Tsumago – this is what we were doing.

~ Nakasendo ~

We bought lunch in a local grocery store, repacked our backpacks, ensuring the weight was evenly distributed, and began the trek. The Nakasendo Pass to Tsumago begins just metres away from Nagiso station, and ascends beside the river, past a mini shrine on the left, and an old steam engine on the right. Blue skies added enhanced colour to our beautiful surroundings, with the river and gorge fading off into the distance behind us, and the temperature was rising, so we were soon changing into our shorts.

This part of the trail joins up with a country lane, passing through rural residential areas. The incline is small compared to the Torii Pass between Narai and Yabuhara, and the scenery is less dramatic, more serene, with pretty farmland and hills. We passed hillside shrines, which reminded me of the tiny worship houses built into the Catalonian mountains of Spain, and small villages with the authentic Edo era wooden houses, and wooden water wheels turning.

A Working Water Wheel

Every now and then, between the farms and old villages, we’d pass a great big modern new-build, with lots of land and fancy cars parked on the drive, in contrast to the ancient history etched into the landscape. A few cherry and plum blossoms were already in full bloom, dappling pink sunlight on the grass below, and teasing at what the following few weeks in Japan had to offer.

Early Cherry Blossoms

~ Tsumago-jo Castle ~

We reached a fork in the road; the right leading up hill to Tsumago-jo Castle remains, the left leading to Tsumago-juku. Leaving our backpacks trustingly against the sign post, we took the right-hand fork, up a steep incline, passing through dense bamboo forest, from which a wooden bridge once connected the castle grounds, and is now filled with earth. The sound of the birds twittering and echoing through the bamboo was incredible, and Mic was forced to patiently endure my excitement about being in my first bamboo forest! Not another human in sight; just endless bamboo, quietly creaking and making the light fresh and green.

Filled-in-bridge curving round the bamboo forest

We passed the place where the ‘Hori-Kiri’ (moat) once was, and up through the woodland past the ‘Obi Kuru Wa’ (defensive stone wall). The top of the mount was a large, circular plateau, with big rune stones strewn about, commemorating the wooden, Edo era castle that once stood there. It offered 360degree mountain views, leading our eyes down through the valley, with Tsumago-juku ahead. Behind us lay the Central Alps, snow peaks bright in the afternoon sun.

Kiso Valley & Central Alps, from Tsumago-jo ruins

Back down to the road, we collected our backpacks and descended to the little post town of Tsumago-juku – soon to be my favourite place on the Nakasendo Trail.

~ Tsumago-juku ~

Entering Tsumago-juku

Turning the corner leading down along the narrow road, following the stream on the left, and the classic Edo era wooden houses along the right, the view zigzags down the valley before you.

Tsumago Water Wheel

A wooden water wheel turns, splashing the stream part way down, while miniature ornamental gardens decorate the courtyards, with flora and forna filling each available space between. The green mountains surrounding the post town create a lush frame for the picture-perfect foreground.

Ornamental Courtyard

Tsumago was the 42nd of 69 post towns on the original Nakasendo between Kyoto and Tokyo, and is now one of the best preserved Edo era post towns, and a popular tourist destination. You can reach Tsumago by travelling to Nagiso on the Chuo Main Line railway, and catching one of the shuttle buses, or hiking the old Nakasendo. Ironically, it was the building of this railway line that caused Tsumago to fall into poverty, until it was revamped for tourism in the 1970s. I think the best thing about this town is that even though it thrives purely on tourism, none of it is staged. Tsumago is fully inhabited, and therefore completely authentic, as the locals you meet selling their goods actually do live there, and make their living by making and selling traditional products to travellers, just as they would have in the Edo era.

Tsumago-juku

There are lots of Ryokan guest houses in Tsumago, where you can get the full experience, with tatami mat rooms, onsens, and traditional meals. You can also get your luggage shuttled between towns, so you can enjoy a leisurely hike, but if like us, you enjoy a challenge and want to save a bit of money, I’d fully recommend going off the grid!

Tsumago-juku

A beautiful afternoon was spent wandering up and down, exploring the shops with different foods, coffee and tea houses, groceries stores, souvenirs, and of course, bottle shops filled with expensive sake. Beside the last house at the very end of the town, where the road continues onwards along the Nakasendo towards Magome, there is a life-size straw horse, apparently a symbol for good fortune, which is the first thing you’d see if you’re walking to Tsumago from Magome, as most people do.

Straw Horse for Good Fortune

Another little statue we began to notice outside a lot of buildings was the Tanuki – a sort of raccoon – wearing a straw hat and a dappy smile. They seemed to be outside all the ryokans and restaurants, so we guessed they were a symbol of hospitality, and once you notice them, you realise they’re everywhere! On some research I’ve discovered that they were originally Chinese evil spirits; shape shifters and tricksters. The Japanese, with their imaginative compassion, adapted this folklore, and the Tanuki is seen as benevolent and cheeky: a welcoming and wealth-bringing icon.

Tanuki

With the evening sun turning the wooden houses red, and the shadows growing long on the ground, our stomachs were beginning to rumble. Once again, there was no place in Tsumago to pitch a tent, and a last minute ryokan would have cost the earth, so we decided to back track a little way. We passed an old chap wearing a woven hat, and selling something from authentic bamboo steamers with delicious aromas coming out. Steamed buns! We purchased six with different fillings, which he wrapped in bamboo paper and bid us farewell with a smile, and we hiked back up towards Tsumago-jo ruins.

Traveller’s Supper

~ Camping in the Castle Ruins ~

The sun was setting, painting the valley with vivid colour, and we ate our steamed buns while they were still hot and delicious – my favourite had a walnut filling; Mic’s was eggplant. We pitched the tent on some nearby scrubland with valley views – previous campers had used this spot, and their was a ready-made fire pit. The sun set, and the flames rose, and the temperature didn’t drop! Finally, spring breathed in the night sky, and it was going to be the first comfortable night’s sleep in a long time.

Jun 13

Nakasendo Trail pt.1 – ‘Samui’ in Ancient Japan

Work had come to an end. The snow was melting, and the ski lift queues had disappeared. The season was over, and it was time to leave Jimmy’s House in Hakuba, with all its inhabitants the winter had collected. Moving out was sad, saying goodbye to the family of strangers I’d adopted over the last 4 months, all going separate ways; but it wouldn’t be bye for good.

The Nakasendo Trail is the ancient road between Tokyo and Kyoto, which was used by Samurai and merchants in the Edo era, between the 1600s and 1800s. Small parts of the old road still remain intact, and are open to tourists to hike and experience all year round. Mic (also from Jimmy’s House) and I both desired to backpack the trail, so we set off on our adventure at the end of the snow season in mid-March…

~ Camping in Matsumoto ~

Road to Matsumoto

Somewhere on a hill near Minami-Matsumoto Station, across a vast stretch of paddies and crops, we set up camp. Our view was of the Matsumoto suburbs across the valley, to the dramatic mountains on the other side. Mic and I had left Jimmy’s House, catching the 12:30pm train from Kamishiro station to Matsumoto, with fellow housemates, Gerry, Cam and Zac somewhere closely behind. (Zac had recommended the camping spot, and the three of them were to meet us there on their bicycles, commencing their own bike-packing journey.) We’d walked for around 45 minutes in the warm sunshine through a network of rice fields until we reached the foot of the mount. Passing two shrines, and some of the first cherry blossoms of the season, we climbed the steep, snowy path to the plateau, which was to be our home for the next two nights.

Room with a View

As dusk began to creep at the edges of the horizon, and our camp set up, we gave up waiting for the three boys, assuming they’d found somewhere else for the night, and we walked in twilight to the nearest 7eleven convenience store for dinner. An hour later, we traipsed back up the hill to our tent, finding ourselves following three tyre tracks in the snow! “Bikes! Three of them!” Mic exclaimed, and as we climbed, torch light beamed down the hill, and we heard Zac, Cam and Gerry cheering.

Our tents floated on the snow, lit from within like wish lanterns, with the stars strewn across the clear sky competing with the lights from the city below. Sitting around Mic’s campfire, spinning yarns and trying to keep warm, one by one we turned in, and endured our first freezing cold night, sleeping on the snow.

That was the coldest I have ever been in memory. We’d somehow convinced ourselves that snow was an insulator, but alas. It was anything but! The boys were all up at dawn, having given up on sleep; Zac, Gerry and Cam preparing for an early departure on their bikes. Meanwhile I was still huddled in a ball in my sleeping bag, with some deluded belief I’d stop shivering and fall asleep soon. Though they were the worst two nights, the mornings that followed were beautiful.

The sun rose behind the trees, slowly spreading a thawing warmth over us. I sat in the tent, packing and readying for the day ahead, while Mic did his yoga stuff outside on a patch of grass. Two birds of prey circled above us, calling to eachother, gliding and diving gracefully against a sapphire sky. The town clocks chimed from somewhere below, as the sun melted the snow, and all felt peaceful. This is a very tranquil, happy place in my memory.

First Camp

~ Matsumoto Castle ~

Standing bold between water and mountain, Matsumoto-jo is a premier historic castle, dating back to 1594, and is a Japanese national treasure. You can walk around the castle’s moat for free, passing beneath the impressive defensive gate, and through the park with a pictoresque red bridge that arches over the vibrant green moat. As with many important buidings, hundreds of Koi swim around in the waters, multi-coloured, enormous and gawping. As well as sharing their name with a Japanese synonym for ‘affection’, Koi are an important symbol of strength. In Japanese folklore, the little Koi in the Golden River wanted to swim in the Blue River, beyond the Great Waterfall. Any fish that showed the courage to swim upstream into the waterfall, grew wings and was transformed into a dragon by the gods.

Matsumoto-jō

We wandered through the sunny city and met with another Jimmy’s Housemate – Jake, who took us to an onsen before dinner.

~ Japanese Onsen ~

These luxurious public bath houses are definitely something you should try at least once! I have to admit, it took me ages to go to my first onsen, because I was nervous. After all, you have to be naked! Men and Women are separated in public onsens: women enter through the red veil, and men enter through the blue. When I finally went to my local onsen in Hakuba Goryu, I had the whole place to myself, which is great if you’re feeling uncomfortable about waltzing about in a public space with no clothes on, but it meant I had no one to follow and learn the etiquette from. So, when I strolled into the onsen in Matsumoto with my towel wrapped around my torso, with at least 20 Japanese women – who had clearly left their towels in the locker room – pretending not to look at me, I felt very Gaijin! Quickly stuffing my towel on a nearby shelf and submerging myself up to my neck in the hot water, I subtly watched the other women. They were simply relaxing, washing, quietly chatting and laughing among themselves, totally naked and totally comfortable, not judging another soul, and I quickly realised I had nothing to worry about. I thoroughly enjoyed the array of different spas, including a jet stream massage seat, and multiple outdoor spas. Relaxing in an outdoor lounger, submerged in warm water beneath a beautiful magnolia tree, I watched dusk fade the sky, breathing a cool breeze on my face.

~ Yakitori and Beer with Jake ~

I met with Jake and Mic in the lobby, and we headed across to a nearby Yakitori resaurant. Yaki means grilled, and tori means bird, but Yakitori can cover just about any meat or vegetable that can be skewered and grilled. We ordered everything on the menu and washed it down with a mug of Asahi, raising our glasses to ‘Kampai’ (cheers) to good food and good times.

~ A Train to the Middle of Nowhere ~

Our second morning in our tranquil camping spot was severely interrupted… I’m going to be totally honest here – if you’re a fellow traveller, and you’re planning on free camping, that’s great! We searched the web on free camping in Japan before embarking, and it is accepted, provided you are respectful and discreet. But, DO NOT LIGHT A FIRE, unless you are in a place with a designated fire pit, or you could be fined up to 30,000yen. We learnt this the hard way. Now we know.

Leaving Matsumoto on the sunny March morning, trudging through rapidly melting snow, we caught the train on the Chuo Mainline Railway to Kiso-Hirasawa. It felt like we were back in the Hakuba Valley, where the tracks cut round mountain bases and through evergreen trees, passing occassional communities of a few houses in the woods.

A cold wind blew, though the sky was deceivingly blue. There wasn’t a soul in sight as we got off the train, yens at the ready to pay at the ticket booth in the station, but there was no one there! The tiny village of Kiso-Hirasawa was deserted too, and we found a small park nestled between houses, to sit and enjoy our 7eleven sandwiches out of the wind. The village had a narrow street lined with old Japanese buildings – which were all closed for lunch – Mic likened it to Nizawa Onsen: another ski town, famous for its hot springs. The street eventually met with the main road, adjacent to the Kiso river.

We walked along the highway to the next town – Narai – which took around 30 minutes, and while the walk was rather dull, with trucks passing at high speed and our backpacks cutting into our shoulders, the traditional Post Town was worth it on arrival!

Evening in Narai-juku

Narai (Narai-juku) is the midpoint of the Nakasendo highway, which connected Tokyo and Kyoto in the Edo era. It is also the northern most Post Town, and still resembles it’s authentic purpose from that period.

~ An Unplanned Detour ~

I really wanted to stay and emerse myself in the ancient Japanese culture, but most places were already closed, and with no space to camp, and no available accommodation, we were forced to move on for the night. The man at the Narai tourist information centre was very helpful, firstly telling us we were crazy for wanting to camp because it was “samui” (cold), and secondly recommending a nearby Chinese restaurant where we could eat before our journey. Mic found a guesthouse two stops away on the train, and although it was a little more than our desired budget, we knew we’d thank ourselves for it later. …Or would we?

Darkness had fallen fast and heavy by the time we’d had dinner, and we caught the train to Harano. “It’s about an hour’s walk from Harano station,” Mic said, consulting Google Maps on his phone. Rubbing my sore shoulders, I smiled and nodded. “No problem!”

More than two hours later, we more or less collapsed through the lobby. The guesthouse was nestled in mountain peaks, at the top of a very long, very steep, very dark winding road. We’d hiked it in the pitch black of night, with just the aid of my head torch, passing nothing but ominous woodland, a few uninhabited houses, and what sounded like mountain rivers and rapids in the dark. Both of us ached; my shoulders and hips were bruised from my backpack, and I was very concerned about the rest of my backpacking plans. It felt like the longest two hours of my life, and there were moments when I didn’t know if I’d ever make it to the guesthouse.

The worst feeling of dread, and fear of letting us both down, was quickly turned into the best feeling of relief, and hope yet. A hot bath, and soft, white linen, fresh on an actual bed with an actual mattress, and a cosy wall lamp mounted above. My head hit the pillow and I was gone.

Morning came, bringing fresh sunshine into the room through the white curtains. We made the most of the included breakfast, realising as we stared out the dining room window, that we were quite literally somewhere in the mountains. A young shiba-inu who’d barked at us the night before, was sunbathing on the porch, and the kind hotel owner agreed to drive us back down the mountain to the train station.

Sunbathing Shiba-inu

We drove for at least 20 minutes, past peaks and ridges and enormous dams; rivers cascading down into the valley. Our host pointed out a huge, white-capped mountain peak – Mt. Ontake – the second tallest active volcano in Japan, at 3067m. He told us we were in the Central Alps, and we would have had quite a long walk ahead of us to get back on track!

Back at Harano station, we soaked in the warm, valley sun, and gazed up at the mountains we’d hiked the night before, in awe of ourselves! Had it been light when we arrived and we’d known that was where we were going, I don’t think either of us would have even attempted it! The train took us back to Narai, and we continued where we left off.

~ Narai- juku ~

Exploring Narai-juku

The little Post Town was thriving in the morning sun. All the little wooden shops were open, and tourists were bustling up and down the narrow street, checking out the authentic goods for sale. You can buy lots of traditional, hand crafted lacquerware in the Kiso valley, as that is the region’s oldest trade, and you’ll see it displayed in almost every shop you pass in Narai, as well as homemade flavoured rice crackers, perfect energy snacks for hiking.

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Narai Bridge

We checked out the arch bridge, inspired by a Japanese drum, and built out of 300yr old Cypress trees, and walked the length of the town, passing six ancient water fountains. We originally thought these fountains were linked to hidden shrines, but on further research, discovered that they are the original water fountains that supplied water to travellers and villagers in the Edo era, and are still very much used today.

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Traditional Water Fountain

Finding a tiny coffee shop along the street, with a door shorter than me, and flowers in baskets decorating the exterior, we decided to go in. We enjoyed some fresh drip coffee and marvelled at the miniature architecture inside the old building.

After purchasing some rice crackers for the road, we headed to the far end of Narai-juku, following signs for the Torii Pass.

~ Torii Pass ~

The Torii Pass crosses the mountains between Narai and Yabuhara – the next Post Town on the Nakasendo Trail – and is a steep ascent. It is most popular to do the route in the other direction, as it is slightly more downhill, but it made sense for us to do it backwards from our starting point in the Nagano Prefecture.

Leaving from Narai-juku late morning, we hiked up the stone-cobbled path, ascending into evergreen woodland, and crossing a gully with a river flowing down it. There was compacted snow on the path from the get go, so with our heavy packs on our backs, (Mic and I had swapped for the day, as his was a slightly better fit, even though they weighed the same) and careful footing, we were slow-going.

Start of the Torii Pass

Despite the snowy alpine altitude on the cusp between winter and spring, the sun beat down through the trees and we were in shorts and singlets in no time! We passed some Japanese locals who laughed at us, exclaiming that word again, “samui” (cold) while in their thermal fleeces, but in our defence, they weren’t carrying 18kilos on their backs, and they were going down hill! Another couple of hikers passed by, telling us to keep our eyes open for snow monkeys, as they’d just seen some crossing the gorge.

Old Rest House

Passing an original rest house – an old wooden structure like a bus shelter – we paused for a drink before continuing up the strenuous footpath. We turned a corner, and sure enough, there was a snow monkey, clinging to an overhanging branch right beside us, looking right at us before fleeing. Then I started noticing them everywhere, flying down the banks by the dozen, scampering over logs across the river to the other side, screaming to each other, babies in tow. Mic wasn’t as lucky – he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

Climbing the Torii Pass

The path zig-zagged higher and steeper yet into the reaches of the mountain, snow and ice underfoot, up to the ridge where the road forked and began to descend to Yabuhara. From the path, we saw a big, stone torii gate, standing atop a mound covered in cedar trees. Climbing the stone steps up, we discovered an ancient, sacred Shinto shrine, overlooking Mt. Ontake volcano in the distance. There is a collection of ancient structures, surrounded by stone figures of samurai and monks, each figurine scattered with silver yen, and silhouetted against the golden mountain backdrop, in the light falling through the cedar trees.

Ancient Monk Statue

The path curved downwards, past postcard views of the Kiso Valley, along treacherous puddles of ice and frozen moss, until it flattened out into a cobbled woodland path, eventually widening into a road that meets up with the highway at Yabuhara. We’d successfully completed the first leg of our Nakasendo journey.

~ Yabuhara ~

Evening was approaching early as the sun threatened to disappear behind a peak, leaving us in the shadow of the mountains. Our backpacks were heavy, our bodies tired, and ducking down a steep, narrow residential road, Mic and I could almost taste dinner on our tongues, following the Westernized signposts for Yabuhara Post Town. Mic had already spotted a sign for a soba noodle restaurant, written in English, and was hungrily saying that he could smash a bowl of noodles!

We arrived at the top end of Yabuhara’s main street, to find it deserted, and the soba restaurant closed. “That’s alright, we’ll find something else!”

Yabuhara Post Town, like Narai, is a narrow, winding street lined with old wooden buildings. However, unlike Narai, it was more residential, with genuine houses, grocery shops, a clothes shop, a few barbers and a bottle shop. Everything was closed. We decided it was because it wasn’t 5pm yet, and usually restaurants open then for dinner, so we set off to find a camping spot.

Second Camp

We scoped out an ideal patch on the river bank, and as we pitched our tent, a local dog walker stopped to ask if we were camping there. Mic and I looked at each other nervously, “Hai,” (yes) we responded, and tried to ask if it was alright: “Kyampu OK?” The dog walker wafted the question away with his hand, “Yes, yes, OK, OK!” making an ‘OK’ symbol with his hand. Phew! But then he laughed and shook his head, “samui!” (cold). We all laughed, and he wished us good luck and continued with his walk.

He wasn’t lying. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Stomachs growling, we walked the length of Yabuhara – we hadn’t eaten since our hotel breakfast in the mountains – even the traditional guest houses were closed. Concern growing, we came across a man who’d just stumbled out of a doorway leading upstairs to the sound of people laughing and singing. “Sumimasen!” (excuse me) Mic said, grabbing his attention, and asking him where we could find dinner. The man doubled over, laughing, shaking his head. “No dinner! No shop!” he said, and then, pointing up the stairs, “Drink! Come, come!” he insisted, and with a shrug, we followed him up into a little bar.

~ Dinner with the Locals ~

Five senior men sat in a line at the bar, each with their own entire bottle of Suntory whisky. The bar lady welcomed us, introducing herself as Mayumi, and the men all budged up so we could sit down between them. Mayumi poured us a glass of whisky each, donated kindly by the man I’d sat next to, and gave us both half a banana. She asked if we liked Yakisoba, and 15 minutes later, she produced two large bowls of noodles, filled with vegetables, seafood, pork, and delicious flavours, and watched with a warm, satisfied smile as we tucked in. I felt like a lost orphan in a story who’d just been taken in by a sweet grandmother!

The evening went on in swigs of whisky, with several phonecalls to wives, telling them to set up the spare beds for a couple of Gaijins they’d just found, repeating that word “samui” over again – too cold to camp. Then the microphones came out, and suddenly it was a karaoke bar! The old chap next to me did a Frank Sinatra duet with Mic, while I clacked some castanets, stifling my histerics!

As the hour grew late, Mic and I put on our jackets and asked Mayumi-chan what we owed. She looked at the chaps, and they all agreed, nothing! A gift from them! Shaking hands and saying “Arigato Gozaimas” (thank you very much) many times, we bid farewell to our new friends, overwhelmed by their limitless kindness, and made our way back to the river for another chilly night. At least there was no snow.

Dinner with the Locals

… To Be Continued …

May 14

Tokyo – Memoirs of a Gaijin

Gaijin – literally means ‘foreigner’, and contrary to popular belief, is not intended to be insulting.

After around 12 hours of being airborne, I touched down at Narita Airport and was instructed to go and wait in a small side room at passport control. Bleary eyed and dying for a shower, I observed a lot of exchanging of foreign words, and many different people asked me the same questions and scrutinized my passport, and after a long, anxious wait, I was presented with my Gaijin Card – my ticket to reside temporarily in Japan.

This is standard procedure if you are entering on a working holiday visa, and can take hours if it’s busy, so ensure that any onward travel arrangements are flexible.

Now, I’m a quiet country girl, and when I think of major cities, not only do I imagine noise and lights, polluting smells and dirtiness, and too many rowdy people, but I expect it to be EXPENSIVE! I was about to discover how delightfully wrong that preconception was. I met with Ash and Ellie in the airport, two snowsports instructors from England, who I’d eventually be travelling to Hakuba with for the winter season, and we made our way into Tokyo.

There are many budget-friendly options for transport to Tokyo from Narita, the bus to Shinjuku (right in the heart of Tokyo) generally being the cheapest. But because of the suburban location of our accommodation, it made sense for us to catch the Keisei train to Ueno. This took about an hour and a half, and the sun was shining hot on the backs of our heads, while we hugged our backpacks between our knees.

Like most major cities, Tokyo’s train network is pretty simple to get your head round. The main thing to watch out for when planning your journey is whether it is on the JR (Japan Rail), the metro, or another service, as they all use separate tickets. A typical Google Maps route will tell you what line each train operates on, but the most efficient thing to do is purchase a rail card, or ‘Passmo’, which can be topped up as often as necessary. These can be obtained from ticket machines at most stations, and will cover all train lines.

Our hotel was a short walk from Minami Senju Metro Station, only three stops from Ueno. I was lucky to be travelling with Ash who had recommended the particular hotel for its brilliant value for money. We stayed in twin tatami rooms; comprised of traditional Japanese futons laid out on woven tatami mat floors. The sound of the busy city traffic echoed up from the road several floors below as the sun streamed in through the open windows. We chose our beds and settled our belongings, freshening up after our long journey, and headed out into the afternoon city sun.

There are plenty of accommodation options to choose from in Tokyo, so it’s probably best to decide where you want to be based and go from there. But often, you will find a tatami room in a hotel or guest house cheaper than a hostel dorm. Shoes are usually left by the front door in most guest houses, but if not, they should never be worn on a tatami mat.

When you’re in an iconic place on a tight budget, you have to decide where you want your money to go. For instance, my budget was prioritized for food! Japanese cuisine is world renowned for being beautiful, weird and wonderfully tasty, so I wanted to try as many things as my purse would allow. Our first stop was Asukusa, to a little ramen restaurant near Nakamise shopping street. You can rarely go wrong with ramen, with different soup bases to choose from, most commonly miso, soy and salt, and many additional toppings, not to mention my favourite part – gyoza – the little fried pork dumplings, dipped in soy and vinegar. You can usually find ramen for a very reasonable price, and it makes for a good, hearty meal.

Full and satisfied, we followed Nakamise shopping street through the market, beneath the gate with enormous hanging lanterns. Colours and smells filled the air as we passed stand after stand, overflowing with unique and handcrafted goods, and bustling with people.

You can buy street food everywhere, and the more you look, the harder it is to choose. Sweets, mochi, cakes, balls of custard deep fried in pistachio batter, sweet bread, melon pan, seafood, sushi, steamed buns, you name it!

What is really noticeable about Tokyo, (and Japan in general) is how clean it is! Surprisingly, you don’t see any bins anywhere, so where does all the rubbish go!? Japanese culture is highly respectful, and everyone follows unspoken rules of general consideration to one another, carrying their trash home, keeping their voices and mobile phones quiet in public, and keeping their germs to themselves by wearing face masks.

~ Sensō-ji Temple ~

At the opposite end of the food market lies the impressive Sensō-ji Temple, brilliant red laced with gold; the five tiered Shinto pagoda standing adjacent to it like a backdrop out of an old samurai movie. Sensō-ji is Tokyo’s oldest and one of its most significant Buddhist temples. In a large basin at the front, groups of individuals burned incense, available for purchase from a nearby street vendor, wafting and bathing in the smoke as a cleansing ritual. We climbed the steps to the facade of the temple, where we joined a line of people taking it in turns to make an offering and pray to the gods.

~ Temple Etiquette ~

There are thousands of temples in Japan that can be accessed for free, but it is respectful to make an offering of small change (apparently the 5 yen coin is designed for this very purpose, and is worth less than an English penny!) The customary routine is to throw the coin into the offering box, bow twice, clap your hands twice, bow again deeply, and then pray. If there is a bell, ring it prior to this to awaken the gods. Of course, you don’t have to be a devout Buddhist to do this – plenty of tourists from other religions, or no religion at all, join in with the culture out of interest and respect.

Beyond the Sensō-ji Temple are beautiful gardens; little arched footbridges over ponds and streams teaming with colourful Koi. A multitude of different seasonal trees and plants line the path, ensuring a beautiful frame for the temple all year round.

Wide awake at 5am, jet lag imminent, I saw the sun rise and the moon fade over the buildings outside the hotel window. Make your way through any town or city in Japan, and you are sure to find the streets dotted with vending machines. If you’ve forgotten your morning coffee, or need a quick refreshment, simply slot your spare change in and out pops a can of hot coffee, or tea, chocolate, cold juice, soft drinks, water, even soup! I trialled a hot can of coffee; very sweet and not very strong, but I wouldn’t knock it if nothing else was available!

Breakfast in Japan is much like dinner – rice-based, usually with fish, vegetables or salad – though most places will now offer bread and pastries. If you are self catering and want something more ‘breakfasty,’ you can buy cereal in most supermarkets.

After a cheeky cheat breakfast at McDonalds, Ash and I made our way to Ueno. Crossing the road outside Ueno station, we walked along the side streets, where vendors were setting up hundreds of market stalls all along the already buzzing shop fronts.

There were fish stalls, fruit stalls, candy, bags of dried goods and nuts, souvenirs, clothes, and much more. Arcades with loud tunes coming out of them, where grown adults sat in endless rows inside, gambling in a game called ‘Pachinko:’ little silver balls spinning round in circular basins, like a strange, up-right pinball, making an awful, clattering racket. Every other shop is a snowsports shop, or a restaurant with rich aromas wafting out. The market vendors all welcome you in their native tongue as you pass by, trying to tempt you in with their array of exotic goods.

~ Ueno Park ~

Back onto the main road, Ash led the way up some large stone steps, through a canopied courtyard, and into peaceful Ueno Park, with shrines nestled between the trees. Wandering past a museum that was showcasing some ancient British art, (and drawing quite a crowd), we climbed up a mound that had become a sacred resting place, covered in colourful trees and swarming with chirrupping birds. Out in the central area of Ueno Park, people strolled around a big peaceful water fountain, while a man played a cello beautifully, attracting a small crowd.

~ Ueno Toshogu Shrine ~

Bowing beneath a wooden torii gate, we were led down a pathway lined with hand-carved stone pillars, towards the flame of Hiroshima & Nagasaki – a haunting living-memory of the 1945 atomic bombs dropped on Japan by the US forces – preserved in a monument in the beautiful precinct of Ueno Toshogu Shrine. Yuzu trees surround the precinct, bursting with their ripening, citrus fruit. The temple itself was stunning in the midmorning, winter sun, with a solid gold facade, decorated with intricately ornate dragons, carved uniquely and coloured with shining sapphire blue and violets.

~ The HUB ~

Happy Hour was approaching fast, and our group was growing as more seasonal workers arrived from England. We met Jamie, a snowsports instructor working with Ash and Ellie for his first season in Japan, and we made our way to Akihabara to meet Dave and Clare, who also work with Ash and the others… (and who I knew from my previous snow seasons in New Zealand – small world!)

There are plenty of Japanese and multi-cultural bars all over Tokyo, but if you’re new to the city and looking for a cheap bevvy and fellow English speakers, you’re never very far from a HUB. This is a British-style pub, where quite often Japanese people go for the opportunity to practise their English with real Gaijins! HUBS have a typical pub menu, for very reasonable prices, and often, their Happy Hour is extended.

We sat on the red leather-bound bar seats, surrounded by classic stained-glass window booths, and sticky pub tables, listening to generic British rock music. A man sat nearby, smoking a cigar, giving it that real dirty local’s-pub-in-the-90s feel! We commenced our drinking of Happy Hour cocktails, confidence growing with each one, making the next one easier to order in broken Japanese!

~ Yakiniku in Shinjuku ~

With quite an appetite growing, it was time to soak up some of the booze with some delicious, Japanese Yakiniku. Taking our shoes off before we sat down, (common dining etiquette in traditional restaurants), the waitress fired up the flame grill sunk into the centre of our table, and we began to choose platters of meat off the menu.

‘Yaki’ means grilled, and ‘niku’ means meat. You simply order your cuts raw, and cook them yourself at your table. This is a more expensive dining experience, as it is usually a flat rate, where you are given a time limit. But if you have a big appetite, you definitely get more than your money’s worth, as it’s all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink. It is ideal for groups, for instance, not everyone in our group knew each other yet, so it made a good introduction for bonding!

I started with cow tongue! Lucky I’d had a couple of drinks, or I might have over-thought it, and wouldn’t be able to tell you just how tender and tasty it was! Many steaks and rashers and various vegetables were brought out, along with endless drink top-ups, until our two-hours were up. Stuffed and merry, and well-bonded, we staggered starry-eyed through the city-lights of down-town Tokyo.

~ Seven Storeys of Snow Stuff ~

The morning after the night before… In down-town Tokyo, you tend to find entire streets dedicated to a certain product – for example, Ochanomizu Street near Akihabara, is lined specifically with musical instrument shops, and is any musician’s dream. We were, of course, heading into a ski season, therefore, the snowsports district was our destination! Taking a sobering walk from Ogawamachi Station, sipping on ‘tea lattes’ from a coffee shop in passing, and taking in the surroundings with sore heads, we made our way to Yasukunidori Street – shop after shop selling everything you need for winter sports. We browsed until it got dark, piling into tiny elevators that took us to every floor in these compact super stores. I found my snowboard jacket on the seventh floor of a shop called Victoria, and I don’t think any of us left empty-handed.

~ Electric Dreams in Akihabara ~

Known for its abundance of electrical, gaming and tech shops, this is the district for nerds, (and I say that fondly!) Enormous TV screens flicker and shout, animé characters flit on and off screen, their Japanese cartoon voices yelling happily. Theme tunes compete with one another, while music plays out from somewhere in the sky, and another tower block of stores is playing an advertisement loudly over it’s tannoy. It’s noisy; it’s bright; it’s a little bit overwhelming, but it’s great, and this is all before even entering any of the shops…

Crowds of people had flocked to a corner near a train station – business men and women of all ages, standing still in a small radius, all staring intently at their phones. I glimpsed their screens as I passed, wondering what they were doing, and realised they were all playing ‘Pokémon Go’, (a mobile gaming app, for those that don’t know, that uses location to find cute little Japanese monsters, “catch ’em all” and battle them against each other.)

Inside the stores, each floor again is dedicated to something specific, be it consoles by brand; every Nintendo game that ever existed, in order of production; trading cards, alphabetized by aisle; collector’s vinyl models of video games characters, etc. This really is the fanatic’s dream. Often, on the top floors, you’ll find the ‘Adult section’… Animé pornography is a thing – especially in Japan where real porn is EXTREMELY taboo – and there are trading card games, often played by men of a certain age, which depict provocative animé girls. These cards are displayed wall to wall, but most amusingly, due to Japanese modesty, it is someone’s job to go around the entire shop floor and strategically place little stickers over certain parts of each individual card! What a job!

~ Rush hour on the Tokyo Metro ~

Making our way back towards the metro station, we passed busy street food stalls, and interesting cafés such as owl and cat cafés. There were people everywhere, crowding around vendors for their supper; lining up for fresh Takoyaki (grilled octopus, rolled swiftly and skillfully into floury, seasoned balls with a pair of pointy metal sticks); and tucking into hot custard filled puff pastries, fresh from the baker. Smells filled the air, tantilising our senses, and by the time we got into the busy metro station, we’d been tempted enough to buy some cream-filled buns from a street stand. Delicious!

The train arrived. Like a tin can jam packed full of sardines. No one seemed to get off, but the entire platform of people was somehow squeezing on. Sometimes at rush hour, the station masters push the crowds of people onto the trains to fit as many as possible before the strictly timed doors close. I don’t remember how I claimed my place slap bang in the middle of the carriage, clinging on to a single hanging handle above me, with my feet barely touching the ground as bodies pressed against me from every direction. The crowd moved with the train like seaweed with the current, all joined together. Nobody talks on the train, and mobile phones are supposed to be kept off, or silent – talking on your phone on Japanese public transport is considered very rude.

~ Konbini Dinners ~

That evening, we were all too tired to think about spending money on going out for dinner, or cooking at the guest house, and so I had my first experience of a ‘konbini dinner’. Konbini is a word the Japanese have coined, meaning ‘convenience store’. We walked in the shop to a chorus of “Irasshaimase” (welcome) from all the staff, and was overwhelmed by the selection of products all sparkling in their strange, colourful packaging. Shelves of perfectly spherical cakes, and bread filled with sweet red bean paste, buns, pastries, and many things I couldn’t identify! I bought a box of gyoza, and a big bottle of Pocari Sweat – an electrolyte drink – and took it back to the hotel room for an early night.

There are three main convenience stores in Japan – 7eleven, Lawson’s, and Family Mart, and you will pretty much find everything in them: toiletries, first aid, stationery, hot & cold drinks, alcohol, snacks, groceries, even a selection of ready-meals that they will heat up for you instantly behind the counter! Not only do they provide microwaves, but there is usually use of a hot water earn for filling up your Cup-Noodles, an international cash machine, a scanner/printer, a recycling station, toilets, and pretty reliable wifi. These ‘konbinis’ are everywhere. In the city you might find two or three in a single street, but in rural Japan they are usually placed somewhere along the main road, away from residential areas.

~ Meiji Jingu Shrine ~

The morning presented blue skies and warm winter sun. Ellie, Dave and Clare left the city for the mountains, so Ash prepared Jamie and I for a long day of touristing and sightseeing. We entered the Meiji Jingu Shrine park at one of the north entrances, from Minami Shinjuku, walking beneath the first impressive gate onto a wooded, gravel path. The gates at every entrance, and throughout the park, are 1500 years old, and protect the shrine from evil spirits, and many people bow as they pass under them, often turning to bow again once through. The park is enormous and filled with a network of winding footpaths through woodland, fairytale streams, and gardens. In the centre of the park is the ancient Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine.

‘Shinto’ is Japan’s oldest religion, and most traditional. It is mostly a practice of rituals, connecting present day with past ancestors, and is more of a collection of ancient Japanese beliefs than an organised religion. Buddhism is probably the most commonly practised religion in Japan, and though they are totally separate, the two religions stand side by side, with a lot of people practising both.

Passing through an open courtyard, we approached the purification fountain where you cleanse before entering the shrine. The water trickles from the top into a basin, equipped with wooden ladels, which you use to wash your left, then right hand. Then use the ladel to pour a little water into your cupped hand, and wash out your mouth. Rinse the ladel before replacing it.

Two perfectly round trees stand side by side outside the shrine, decorated with symbols of thunder and rain, which represent the wish for good seasons. The birds in the trees all around the shrine park create a serene and peaceful atmosphere, despite the constant influx of tourists, worshippers, and daily processions for wedding ceremonies.

On the outer reaches of the park are two walls either side of the footpath – one is built of thousands of sake barrels; the other wines and whiskys, all donated to the emperor from around the world.

~ Harajuku ~

Exiting the Meiji Jingu park at the east gate, Ash introduced us to the Harajuku district – famous worldwide for its fashion. Harajuku girls strut the pavement like a catwalk, wearing anything ‘Kawai’ (cute), from novelty school uniforms, to animal ears and tails. Colour is key in Harajuku fashion, anything bright and sparkly, with enormous platforms and blue or pink hair. I found the style quite similar to cyber-punk, and wished I’d donned my best Gwen Stefani outfit, instead of going for the totally unglamorous ‘backpacker look!’

Takeshita Street is the hub of Harajuku – a narrow back street, heaving with busy clothes shops, shoe shops, and popular crepe shops! We stopped for a crepe, with strawberries, banana and cream, and marvelled at all the colour and hype happening around us. A group of girls were squealing excitedly as four identically dressed boys appeared from a building, and they had their selfies with them, while an older Western man stood on another corner, looking like a Rolling Stones extra, having his photo taken with more excited Japanese girls.

~ Shibuya Crossing ~

When in Shibuya, you simply must witness the crazy Shibuya Crossing, rumoured to be the world’s busiest intersection. At 2pm on a Thursday, it didn’t quite match that expectation, but was still impressive, and actually, I don’t think I’d enjoy being there at rush hour! If you don’t mind emersing yourself in a dense crowd of people just to cross the road, it’s actually quite an experience! The light turns green and thousands of people disperse across the zebra crossings in all drections like dandelion seeds.

If you’d prefer to watch from a safe distance, there is a Starbucks in the building adjacent to the crossing, which is positioned to look directly down upon it, though you will probably have to fight for a window seat.

We went for late lunch in a little restaurant Ash found, tucked secretly up on a tiny nook of a building, as most good restaurants are. Ginger fried pork and rice, and katsu chicken, served with a raw egg filled our stomachs, before we headed to Shinjuku to book our bus tickets out of town.

~ Godzilla in Shinjuku ~

Walking from Shinjuku station, you cannot miss Godzilla, roaring down from the top of the Toho building. This is the home of the Godzilla franchise, and the studio in which it was produced, therefore it’s not surprising that the enormous, 40ft high monster guards his home, roaring occassionally into the city.

~ Pokémon Store ~

The Sunshine Building in Ikebukuro has a waterfall-wall centre-piece, surrounded by a mezzanine viewing platform, where business people sit and eat their lunch. The Pokémon Store is on the second floor, and is every 10 year old’s dream (and twenty-something year olds!) Being one of Japan’s biggest and most well-known childhood franchises, it has to be done! Plush Pikachus as far as the eye can see; key rings; T-Shirts; shoes (Pikashoes!) all lighting up the shelves with their bright colours. Ash and I cuddled every toy in the shop (completely revelling in the fact that I was watching a real life Ash choosing his pokémon,) before committing to purchase JUST ONE!

~ Tokyo Heights ~

There are many famous landmarks in Tokyo from which you can take in the views of the city lights from above, two of the most iconic being the Sky Tree, and the Tokyo Tower. However, if you don’t fancy paying for the privilege of going up a famous landmark, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building offers 360 degree views from the 48th floor for free! The building has an East and West tower, and you can choose which side to go up, or do both!

The queue for the elevator was empty, so the steward let us straight in, and up we went to the 48th floor. A huge hall, with souvenir shops in the centre, and panoramic windows all the way around the edges stood before us. The view was breath taking, and my sudden jelly legs were well worth it! Silver skyscrapers poured over the landscape for miles, with vast, green parks and gardens in between, the low, winter sun glinting off of everything it touched. Mount Fuji sat in the distant South, a lonely plump cloud sitting neatly on top. We absorbed the sights and took a hundred photos before heading back down to Earth, but not without stamping my journal with the ink stamp provided in the tower…

Most landmarks and attractions in Japan provide a unique little stamp and ink pad for tourists to put in their journals – if in doubt, look at a nearby train station or tourist information.

~ Shinjuku Bus Terminal ~

Tokyo’s main bus station is, weirdly, on top of a building, so you are required to find the elevator at street level, which I would never have looked for if Ash wasn’t there! It is located at Shinjuku Station South, (signs can be followed from inside the station). Buying tickets is relatively easy, using the multi-lingual self-service machines, and there is a large indoor waiting room, with facilities and vending machines for long waits. Finding our stop, we boarded the 3pm bus to Hakuba, and followed the setting sun into the mountains of Nagano for winter, where I’d part ways with the others, and begin my own seasonal-working adventure in Hakuba Goryu.

May 13

Okinawa, Japan – A Series of ‘Not Ideal’ Events

Okinawa is the last place I visited in Japan before flying back to the UK, and therefore the freshest to write about, which is why I have chosen it as my first Japan blog.

It is the biggest and most populated of the Ryukyu Islands, half way between mainland Japan and Taiwan in the East China Sea, and is home to Japan’s most critical American military base. Okinawa is quite different to mainland Japan, and wasn’t altogether what I expected…

I was travelling from Osaka city with two companions from the previous season, Taylor and Mic, and after several weeks of backpacking, all three of us were ready to sit on a sunny beach on a tropical island and relax. We’d planned our routes and times thoroughly, and were feeling pretty confident. Here, it is probably important to note that Osaka has two international airports, and they are nowhere near each other. Kansai Airport is where you’d likely catch a flight to Okinawa from, while Osaka International is the one Google Maps will default to, if you’re not quite specific enough… We went to the wrong airport.

A hair raising, hour-long taxi ride later, (worth more than the cost of our flight), we arrived at the RIGHT airport, about 3 minutes too late. The budget airline were able to put us on the next available flight, which was roughly nine hours later. So our first day in sunny Okinawa was spent in Kansai Airport’s domestic terminal. Not ideal.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong with our flight. The runway staff finished loading the luggage hold, stood in a line beside the plane, and bowed in unison, waving us off in true Japanese fashion as we taxied to take-off. Our flight took about 2 hours, with stunning in-flight views of the sunset, before descending over the twilit islands of Ryukyu. Our plan was to catch the bus into Naha city, near to where our pre-booked Air bnb was located. However, we’d arrived nearly 10 hours later than expected, and the island’s public transport isn’t very forgiving… We’d missed the last bus to Naha by minutes, and had already spent half a week’s budget on taxis that day, so, with a heavy sigh and some uncertain giggling, we adjusted our backpacks and began the two hour trek beneath the stars into the city.

At least it wasn’t raining. In fact, the temperature was noticeably warmer than mainland Japan, and despite the heavy luggage and worn out bodies, the walk was quite pleasant. We eventually reached our Air bnb, (via a supermarket for some instant noodles) and after a fairly disappointing shower, and an even more disappointing “instant” dinner, (which required the miniature kettle to be refilled three times), it was time to call it a day. Taylor went to close the sliding doors dividing the rooms, and found that only one door moved, sliding uselessly in the middle of the large door frame. He peered through the wide open gap, and let out a slightly maniacal laugh.

“That’s not ideal,” Mic said.

~ Kokusaidori Street ~

Morning came with the sound of birds twittering in the trees, and the shush of traffic a couple of blocks away. There was a bit of blue in the sky, and it was bright and warm. We drank the free coffee provided by the Air bnb, and took off down the road to the main international strip, about 10 minutes away on foot.

Kokusaidori Street – noise; both visual and audio – sales men and women attempt to catch your attention at every shop entrance, ornamental dragons in multi-coloured pairs line the displays in all shapes and sizes. Novelty toys, mugs, T-shirts, and generic holiday paraphernalia fill your peripherals as far as the eye can see. Enormous jars of habu sake, (rattle snakes drowned in Japanese liquor) stand in stacks, going for 400,000 yen a pop, the snakes inside hissing silently at by-passers. Fiberglass fronted restaurants boast of rare delicacies; puffa fish gawp out from tanks. We even saw a very small tank outside a seafood restaurant, with a live turtle in it – I quickly walked on and tried not to ask too many questions.

Following the street up, we turned off beneath the canopied Heiwa dori Street, through a network of arcades and alleys lined with street sellers, leading into the wonders of Makishi Market, where Okinawa’s strangest delicacies can be found. We stumbled upon the seafood hall by meer accident, filled with stalls and restaurants of all kinds. A grid of long tables laid out like an enormous canteen, played host to hungry punters, while lobster, squid, fresh fish, shellfish, everything you could imagine, was served on platters shaped like small boats!

At the intersection marking the end of Kokusaidori Street, we discovered an underground food hall in the basement level of the Ryubo building. We browsed the deli counters, bakeries, fish mongers, and enjoyed a varied lunch, accompanied by special blend coffee, and topped off with some delicious Japanese beer from the world craft beer counter. Happily satisfied after a good feed, we headed back outside, eyes directed at the sky in hope of beach weather! Unfortunately it was windy and grey, (though we had no idea what was in store for us) so we continued to browse Kokusaidori street, soaking up the bustling atmosphere with a local ‘Orion’ beer in hand from one of the many Lawson’s convenience stores.

~ Shisa Dogs ~

These goofy looking statues are everywhere, bearing similarities to Chinese Dragons, they are somewhere between a lion and a dog, and these are the little trinkets that fill every souvenir shop. Shisa Dogs are a Ryukyuan tradition from Okinawan folklore, believed to protect places from evil, and are often seen on rooftops, or guarding the entrance to most buildings. They always come in pairs; the right-hand Shisa Dog has its mouth open to ward off evil spirits, while the left-hand one’s mouth is closed to keep good spirits in. Often the pairs have cheeky facial expressions, and are depicted to be cheerful and amusing, sometimes painted in vibrant colours, reminding me of Disney’s ‘Stitch.’ The Shisa Dogs were one of my favourite things about Okinawa, giving the place a little touch of character.

~ Naha Beach ~

Advertised up and down the main strip as one of Naha’s hot-spots, it was quite amusing how unspectacular it was when we arrived! However, despite the small radius of beach, surrounded by concrete walls, and the noisy highway bridge crossing the water, the sand is clean and white, and the water is crystal clear. A sectioned off lido protects swimmers from box jellyfish, and a lifeguard patrols the beach. Trees fill the park behind, where dozens of stray cats frolic in the grass, prowling on picnics. The facilities also include toilets, showers, and even a hire shop for all your seaside needs, from parasols to inflatable tyres. Apart from sunshine, what more can you really ask for?

For dinner we found a pub serving Taco Rice – an Okinawan dish coining taco filling, and Japanese rice. Finished with a big dollop of salsa, it is a blander version of chilli con carne; a sort of Japanese/American compromise, washed down with a refreshing glass of Orion.

The night took us to a penthouse bar, where we couldn’t figure out what language to order our drinks in. With the only other customers being American, and the bar girl responding to my broken Japanese in English, I felt like a proper tourist! The boys smashed out a game of Foos ball, I destroyed a game of jenga way too early on, and we all found out the hard way that you should never strawpedo Guinness!

~ The American Village ~

It’s super easy to hire a car, as long as you have your international driver’s license, passport, and a better sense of direction than us. We went to the airport on the monorail – which loops Naha city on a regular basis throughout the day time – to find the best selection of car hire. After walking around the terminal, looking in all the wrong places, we couldn’t for the life of us find a car hire desk! Of course, it was really easy, slap bang in the middle, impossible to miss, and once we got there, we simply picked our price range, chose our insurance policy, and hopped on a shuttle to the depot. After a quick exchange of details and money, we were given our car – a little white cube on wheels. These little Japanese cars don’t have much of a kick, and the top speed limit in Okinawa is 60kmph, which makes driving very economical and cheap. As there are no trains around the island, and buses can be irregular and expensive, hiring a car is definitely the best value for money.

Heading north, we joined the highway out of the city. The landscape rose and fell, every inch littered with white and grey tower blocks, as though several boxes of starwars lego had been emptied across the land. As we approached the American Village, fast food restaurants began to pop up by the dozen alongside the highway; McDonalds, KFC, Dominoes, Denny’s, and so on and so forth. Pulling up in the village, it was like stepping out into one of those replica towns at Disney World – each building with a brightly painted facade, and palm trees spaced neatly between perfect paving slabs.

Making a bee line for coffee, we entered an arcade of cafes and restaurants along the waterfront promenade. We were welcomed at the door and shown to our seats in American fashion, by a smiley, English speaking waitress, where we enjoyed perfectly rosetta’d lattes, watching the moody weather roll in off the East China Sea, and quietly wondering whether we were supposed to leave a tip, or if like the rest of Japan, it was considered rude…

The village is a jumble of American style burger shops, cafes, and tack shops selling American souvenirs. There is a ferris wheel on top of a building filled with arcades and novelty shops. White sand bays surround the village, where we dipped our feet in the warm water beneath an ominous black sky.

Driving out of the American Village, we passed ‘Round One’ – a chain of indoor arcades and sports activities. An entire level is packed with arcade machines, pinging and popping and singing, lights flashing, enormous cuddly Pokémon willing you to defeat the impossible and win them! We decided to stick with the day’s American theme, and played ten pin bowling. Not until we’d begun our game did we realise we were supposed to hire bowling shoes from a vending machine. Yes, a vending machine! Oh well, that saved a thousand yen – Gaijin card well played… Oops!

~ Island Hopping ~

There are tonnes of little islands off the coast of Okinawa that you can take day trips to via ferry or plane, and they are said to be stunning. Unfortunately, we were on a budget, and the weather forecast was looking a bit temperamental – the ferries are known to stop running if there are any signs of bad weather. So for fear of being trapped on a desert island in a storm with no money, (and the way our luck was going, the chances were high) we made a mutual decision to go and explore some closer islands, accessible by bridge.

We headed north-west, the sun behind us, and eventually came to countryside! The concrete jungle fizzled out, and we could see the sparkling ocean ahead, our hopes alive for finally getting our tropical island swim! We even stopped at a Lawson’s and got a picnic for our glorious beach day, and could already smell the salty air and sun cream in anticipation.

Crossing our first bridge onto the tiny Yabuchi Island in the Uruma district, the road narrowed into a winding dirt track, leading seemingly to a dead end. Parking up, we continued on foot, and just through the trees we found the entrance to Janeh Cave. 6500 year old arrow heads made of shell were excavated here in 1960, along with claw-shaped pottery. These finds suggested that sea routes between Southern China and the islands were extensive much earlier than first thought.

We entered the cave, stalactites looming down on us; fossils jutting out of the rock. You can see gaping squares in the ground, strewn with tarpaulin, where archaeologists have scarred the ancient rock. Deeper into the cave and the temperature dropped. Cool moisture clung to my skin, and that eerie feeling came over that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. We tried to hold our ground, egging each other on to peek around the next pitch-black corner, but it got too narrow; the shadows too surreal, and so we went back to the light.

Pretty coves surround Yabuchi island, with volcanic rock formations jutting out the edges of the turquoise sea, where bridges stretch off in different directions. Though it was beautiful, the spikey rock made the water inaccessible.

Then, all of a sudden, it was raining. Fine, wet rain, which had the three of us sheltering under an arch of rock, rolling our eyes. Certainly not ideal. We ran back to the car, and searching for a rainbow as the sun burned through again, we made our way to the next island.

A long bridge takes you to Henza island, which is mostly industrial land, belonging to the Idetsu oil company. Henza leads on to Miyagi and Ikei, which are home to many tourist beaches, the first being Tonnaha Beach, in the north-most cove of Miyagi Island. A track leads down to a seawall, beyond which is more white sand and clear sea, decorated with coral and picturesque rocks. We watched hermit crabs scurry about on the sand, playing peek-a-boo from their colourful shells. An oil rig sits off-shore of Tonnaha Beach, obscuring the silhouette of Okinawa main island across the sea in the distance.

Another bridge and another beach – Ikei Beach – which we had to access through a building. A lady came out and welcomed us, asking for 500 yen per person to enter the beach… many of the tourist beaches in Okinawa are pay-on-entry; a concept we couldn’t get our heads around, growing up with the freedom of having beaches on our doorsteps. The sky wasn’t making any promises, and it was beginning to drizzle, so onwards we went! Every beach on Ikei Island was asking for money just to enter, and with the weather on the turn again, and most of our picnic already eaten, Mic suggested finding a seaside coffee shop and watching the rain.

On our drive around the islands, we saw many impressive tombs, unlike the burial sites in mainland Japan. Often randomly placed, like on the edge of a crop field, or next to a convenience store, they are grand and haunting. ‘Haka’ tombs are unique to Okinawa, though their origins have been traced back to ancient Southern China; designed to be like houses for the departed, sometimes we’d see an enormous cluster of tombs, where an entire family is laid to rest, little offerings like bundles of herbs or flowers laid down at their doors.

The final island – Hamahiga – linked off the south of Henza Island, had so much potential, had we been there a month or two later. The coffee shop we’d aimed for was still closed for the down season, and the only other people we saw were a group of workmen, who all stopped and waved enthusiastically as though they hadn’t seen anyone for days either! At the end of the island we came across a salt factory, with a beautiful hidden bay beyond. We even considered going for a swim in the rain, but agreed that we’d only be doing it for the sake of it, so, feeling quite fed up, we hopped back in the car and drove back towards Lawson’s for a cold coffee out of the chiller and wifi.

Then the monsoon came. It hammered the windscreen so we could no longer hear the music. The wipers flailed manically, but couldn’t clear the view. Traffic had slowed down significantly, the road spray preventing anyone from seeing the vehicle in front, or the road for that matter. Tyre-deep flash floods appeared from nowhere, and all vision was a wet, monochrome blur. Beach day was cancelled.

We took ourselves back to Naha, where we waited for the rain to ease off before going to a local ramen restaurant for dinner, but by the time we’d finished eating, the storm was back with a vengeance. Floor-length skirts and flip-flops in ankle-deep water is definitely not ideal, I was trying to say beneath the drumming on my umbrella, while cars splashed by causing mini tsunamis. It was time to go back to the apartment and drink wine, while the crack of forked lightning echoed across the night sky outside.

~ Zanpa Beach & Maeda Point ~

Morning began late, with a heavy head from a glass too-many of wine, but the sun was shining fresh after last night’s storm, and I was feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. We were on the road to Cape Zanpa, and Maeda Point – I volunteered not to drive, so Mic took the wheel while Taylor and I kept ourselves quiet with a cheeky McDonalds, like two happy children. We passed The American Village around halfway, and continued up the coast, past large American bases; their big, white bungalows fenced in with barbed wire. At first, we continued past Zanpa Beach, assuming it was another pay-to-enter resort, and found ourselves in the neighbouring bay, looking at an array of coral reef formations, like the foundations of ancient building remains.

Mic made the journey across the reef to test the water, and in the meantime, Taylor and I sussed out Zanpa Beach, realising that we could access it easily without any sign of having to pay. So there we went. The grasslands above the beach were laden with public BBQs, probably thriving with off-duty military men and their families in the summer months. The beach itself hosted a number of water activities – you could hire paddle boards, kayaks, jet skis; have a go at tubing or even try one of their jet packs. It had a swimming lido, as most tourist beaches do, to protect from dangerous jelly fish, and the lifeguard sat on his plinth, observing under blue skies. It seemed too good to be true – the sun was gleaming down; the sand was hot and the sea was cool. Towels laid out ready, the three of us ran into the ocean, (you can almost hear the slow-running music playing in the background) and we swam and floated about, while fish darted about our legs. Drying in the sun, I laid on my towel, hangover washed away by the ocean, and finally felt like I was on holiday. It was ideal!

Once dry and crispy from the sun, we got back in the car and made a point of going to Maeda Point… (sorry). Cape Maeda was exactly what we’d been looking for, with quirky little coffee shops and authentic restaurants. There were little beach-town houses rather than tower blocks, and pretty, natural bays with no expensive resorts or lines of parasols. Following Mic’s satnav instructions, I drove along a track to a car park, where we got out and followed a line of scuba divers down the footpath to Maeda Point. A viewing podium leered on the edge of the cliff, protected by two Shisa Dogs, looking out onto a most stunning cove, smothered in reef.

Below, groups of divers and snorkelers explored the sea life at the water-logged entrance to the renown Blue Cave. I think the three of us could have stayed there all day, but the hire car had to be back at the depot by 5pm, so we made our way reluctantly back to the city.

Dinner was a treat. It was Taylor’s last night in Japan, and he chose Okinawan seafood down in Heiwa dori Street market. We went for some of the tamer dishes on the menu, (as opposed to boiled fish eyes and tuna gizzards) which were freshly and expertly prepared to order within the shop. I was pleasantly surprised, tasting the rubbery squid tentacle, salmon sashimi, and tasty tempura tuna, and we ended up getting seconds of the delicious grilled tuna! That was definitely worth making our wallets lighter.

The remainder of my time in Okinawa was mostly reserved for packing, and after bidding Taylor farewell, we prepared for our individual onward journeys. Mic and I shared a last meal on the island, at one of the Okinawan restaurants along Kokusaidori Street, where we tasted some classic local produce. It is very similar to Japanese food, but with an island twist – egg and tofu with bitter melon – a kind of peppery celery that looks like a snozzcumber, but adds a lot of flavour and crunch to a dish. We had Okinawan dry soba, which was enriched with chicken and vegetables, and a side of pork fat potatoes.

Despite many ‘not ideal’ moments, Okinawa was an enjoyable experience – certainly different, and quite amusing in hindsight! If I found myself there again, I would hire a car from start to end, and consider staying in a few different locations, leaving space to go to some of the other off-shore islands… And stock up on Orion beer for when the monsoons roll in!

Jun 9

The Bay of Plenty Memoirs

Tonight I feel like your stereotypical writer. Sitting in a motel room in Auckland, wondering where the next pay packet is coming from; sipping tea made with a kettle that doesn’t fit under the tap, and those tiny pots of milk that never seem to be enough, but always turn out to be the perfect amount… I can hear the traffic outside; the fridge is whirring like the tardis, and the man in the room next door has a rasping cough. I’ve eaten all my satsumas, but I’ve got plenty of tea.

I’m trying to decide which bed to sleep in. The double provides sufficient ‘starfish’ space, and it’s closest to the light switch, (there’s nothing worse than stubbing your toe during the scramble-run-dive to the bed in the dark after switching off the light), however the single has, more than likely, seen a lot less ‘action’.

Speaking of ‘action’, I had my first experience in a strip club the other night. Having finished my job in the posh hotel, “The leading hotel in the Bay of Plenty…” (blah blah) I had leaving drinks with some of my work mates. It was a typical friday night on The Strand, and there were a few Mid-Christmas parties going on, which made it slightly rowdier, (Mid-Christmas is a mid-winter celebration, which often involves turkey and tinsel because Christmas falls in the middle of the busy summer period). We started in the usual fashion with a beer or two in the local, when some of the guys began talking about how they always used to go to the strip club. I let slip that I’d never been to a strip club: mouths fell open and that was that! They took me to ‘Route 67’, where we sat along a bench and watched a couple of dances. It was a lot more tasteful than I expected, (and possibly more tasteful than it would be in London), and the girls were really natural, down to earth and friendly. We had a nice chat about wine with a topless girl in the middle of her dance, and then she asked if we would like to spank her. One of my mates even got to motorboat her! The boys weren’t allowed to touch though. I never imagined seeing myself write this, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Shortly after, we moved on to The Bahama Hut, where we danced to generic music and drank Backdraft shots…

The shot was set on fire, and sprinkled with cinnamon to create sparks, then the barman put a cup over it to catch the smoke and put the flames out. I had to take the shot with a straw and then breathe the smoke out of the cup.

We sat on the swings in the seating area, just for the novelty of it, and we danced around the palm tree until the club shut, and as the cops made their closing time arrests, we shared taxis home, marveling at the crystal clear stars blinking down at us through the rear windows.

The clarity of the sky here never fails to impress me. I was sitting on the deck back in Tauranga the other day; the sun was shining, it must’ve been about 20 c, and I just sat and listened. In the distance I could hear the faint whoosh of the highway; someone was mowing the lawn in a nearby neighbourhood; a dog was barking in multiples of 3 somewhere in the valley, and the goat on the hill bleated here and there, but the sound that filled my ears the most, was the sound of the birds. Not just one bird; not even one type, but a colourful collage of maybe 10 or 20 different songs, filling the blue sky with music. It got me thinking about how close we are to nature in this part of the world, and all the things I’ve seen in Tauranga and The Bay of Plenty…

A Shag at The Blue Lake, Rotorua (sounds rude)

Creepy spider’s web in The Bay of Plenty

Admiral Butterfly in The Bay of Plenty

An Orb Spider in the garden

A shiny green ladybird in the garden

Cicada skeletons – throughout the summer months, these big fly-like insects shed their skins, sounding similar to a field full of crickets, and leave them scattered about the landscape like a graveyard.

Bumble bee in the garden

Paperwasp nests in the garden

Praying Mantis – these guys are everywhere! In the shower, on my long board, climbing through the window… they’re awesome, and when you hold them, they swivel their eyes at you!

Skinks – these little lizards are cute too. They run super fast, but if you’re quiet, you can see them basking in the sun in the garden

Sting Ray in Tauranga (dodgy camera phone)

Male and female New Zealand Robins – (they really are All Blacks) in The Bay of Plenty

A Tui in Whangamata

A Fantail in Taupo, such flitty little birds – difficult to photograph

A Silvereye in Taupo

Male and female Bellbirds in Taupo – quite rare to see

Glowworms in Waitomo

A Kingfisher in the garden

A Tomtit in Whakatane

A fluffy butterfly in the garden…

But in contrast to the abundance of beautiful birds, trees and insects, Tauranga city itself has been a marvelous place to spend these past months. I’ll never forget the day I walked home from work and saw a balding man in a business suit, scooting along on a little fold up scooter. And when I witnessed a fight between a man and a woman outside the church while a christening was going on. The little quirks of urban life, matched up with the serene harbour views and coffee shop culture, it’s definitely given me something to miss.

However, with the end of one chapter comes the beginning of the next. I’m flying to Queenstown in the morning, so it’s farewell sub-tropic, volcanic shire land, and hello dramatic snowy mountains!

The stars are shining for my last night on North Island. Good night!

…And I think I’ll choose the double bed…

Jaimie's Travels

Photographic travel journals from first hand experience

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