Last year I travelled to New Zealand and had the grandest time of my life.




I met so many friendly people, with whom I managed to hitch quite a few rides around the country and one whom I stayed with in Christchurch (Danny! Are you still in Christchurch?!)

A post here about my hitch hike experience down the Southern Island.




I travelled from Auckland in the North Island, then went down to Wellington, passed the ocean and Marlborough, few stops in between and ended up in Christchurch eventually. I wrote a post on my journey and stops here.


Among all, my stay in Marlborough Wine Country was the most unforgettable. I’ve been to several wine valleys before, but that was my first experience cycling in one, the weather was perfect (cooling but not too cold) and it was silly not to cycle from winery to winery.







Tried my first cheese soufflé there.




Good wine, good food, good people.


Then by the time I hit Christchurch, it just was endless and endless of scenery and culture and architecture.

Cable ride up to see Akaroa was really pleasant.


Albeit very windy.


The Art Gallery, which we went silly taking photos at the colourful steps.




And then I ran out of time when I hit Christchurch. I didn’t go further South and regretted for never having the chance to venture into Milford Sound, or even Mt Cook, which I heard is BEAUTIFUL.

That also meant I never visited Queenstown either.

:(

It wasn’t easy for me to fly there in the first place.

To save a couple bucks (well, more like a thousand ringgit), I flew down to Australia, did some legs there in Tassie before heading up to Sydney and flew off to Auckland.

Believe it or not, it was really much cheaper to fly into Australia and then to New Zealand back then. And I was a poor freshly graduated master student then.

If you were to fly straight, the flight ticket could cost up to RM4000.

Now, the good news is… Airasia X flies to New Zealand!!!




When I first heard the news, I was like... “FINALLY?!”

Then I went online to check out the new flights promo to Christchurch, which I also heard was only RM499 one way.

You can win a 7D/6N trip to NZ by playing the Faces go Places contest on the Airasia FB page. Three simple steps of choosing an activity, upload your face, and submit with a caption on the new photo while posting it on your FB wall.

Like this:

I know, disturbing image.

Then we want you to share it with your friends and get loads of votes. Easy.


I can’t wait for New Zealand, and I can’t wait to rent a car to go back to Marlborough (car rentals are so cheap in NZ!).

Oh… and…




Wait for me Mt Cook!!!

Here's a compilation of all the wallpapers and beauty of New Zealand. :)


download 1600x1200 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download wide angle 2560x1600 here.



download wide angle 2560x1600 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download 1600x1200 here.



download wide angle 2560x1600 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download 1600x1200 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download wide angle 2560x1600 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download 1600x1200 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download 1600x1200 here.



download 1280x800 here.



download 1600x1200 here.


Do you know where these places are? Hehe...

*update* review of dim sum restaurant in this post has been updated in my food blog.

I arrived at my final leg in New Zealand - Christchurch adopting a new concept for masking tape.




My host in Christchurch taught me that the best way to not get your wallet stolen was by making your very own wallet from the cheapest material you can find in a stationery shop. (He lost his previous LV wallet)







After hitch hiking down from Marlborough with a random German couple, I met up with Danny, my reader and host in Christchurch. A sweet sensitive guy whom you should be dialing his number right now to ask for a date.







while I comfortably sat in his car as he drove me around Christchurch.




We went out of town to take the gondola up the Port Hills to see the beautiful landscape Christchurch takes pride in.







The ride cost us NZD44 for two. Not a cheap ride, but definitely worth while considering there up there were really spectacular.










The cafe's food quite delicious. A great place for an afternoon tea.







From the summit, you can catch a glimpse of Akaroa - a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano.




If you have the transport and time here in Christchurch, take a day trip 85 km east to Akaroa to bask in the beauty of what's left by two erupted volcanoes.




The place was first sighted by Captain Cook in 1770 and was then was settled by French in the mid 1800.

Get a jacket when you visit the summit, it's windy.




I mean really windy.

Now my Christchurch experience can be summed up in two: Food




& Culture.




Danny's parents own a very neat dim sum restaurant in Christchurch which he brought me there for lunch one day.




The restaurant is called Foo San. You should go and support our countrymen's business in foreign land.

He also brought me to sample some of Christchurch's finest desert in a local popular dessert cafe - Strawberry Fare.




Where we indulged in crazily sinful rich and moist cakes (keep a look out for my food blog soon for this one too).




At night we would sit at home in front of his big ass flat screen and sip wine and eat cheese with chutney while watching Slumdog Millionaire. Kiwi life, one has got to love it.

Danny's mom is one of those rare friendly awesome moms who allowed her son to invite travellers from all over the world to come to their house and stay and eat for free. They have a way to make you feel most at home that you can't help but to feel embarrassed.

Just before me, Danny hosted a Hong Kong traveller for a week who was visiting Christchurch in the guest room I was staying then.

Speaking of his house, he has a typical tree-hugging organic kiwi backyard where you can find all the locally produced fruit trees around.

One being the Feijoa fruit tree.







Amongst many other fruits too.





lemons, not lime.





Before I leave the city and country altogether, I was brought on a walking tour around Christchurch to see some of the typical tourist spots you'll find in town.

Like the famous Christchurch Art Gallery.




And its famous colorful staircase. Which we shamelessly took millions of photos on.





Danny jumps



Nicole jumps (photographer fails)






distant Danny



near Danny



cool pose


And then the guards came and we had to run. :p


Then we visited the Cathedral Square.




Where you'll find the strange metal sculpture in the centre in front of the Cathedral.




And a shot of me with one of the hundreds of similar Cathedral I've seen around the world.




And the inside.




And the pope's chair.




I'm just guessing. I don't think it's the pope's chair.


Fallen angel.


Then continue to act silly almost everywhere else, Danny being my ally.




If you can't tell, I'm imitating the angel with the sword at the top.

I also spotted Captain Cook somewhere near a fountain area.




Well, that's the end of my long New Zealand trip.

With that, I left Christchurch and headed back to Australia.

But not before heading toward Perth before flying back to Malaysia as my final stop.


Bye bye Christchurch. I lup you. *hug*




Yes I know. I'm loony.