Year 1 Review – Steve’s Top 10 List
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Hello all,
Can you believe that I have been on the road for 1 year? Wow, sometimes it feels like I just left. October 7th 2008 and I changed my life forever. It has been a great adventure for me and I have learnt so many things, saw so many places and met some fantastic people. I did not want to just recap the year in the same type of blog that I have been doing for the past year so I decided to take an idea from David Letterman and do my Top 10 list from year number 1. This was really difficult to do because there have been so many things I have done so It ended up being a bit vague but you will get the idea of what has impressed me along the way. I have also not added any pictures as they would be the same as you have already seen. So here goes:
Number 10: The Wildlife
Yes, all these animals that you do not see in Canada have impressed enough to make it onto my top ten list. I think back to Fiji and all the enormous spiders that were around and going into the ocean and swimming with amazing fish and white tipped reef sharks. Then I got to New Zealand and swam with dolphins, saw whales and ate crayfish. All the birds, including the huge Albatross along with Kiwis, Tuis, cuckatoos and bats. Moving on to Australia and some amazing animals. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, parrots, kookaburras, stingrays, sharks, turtles, Tasmanian devils, echidnas, wombats, emus, quoll & penguins. The really cool part of this is that I saw all these animals in the wild, not in a zoo. I know I am missing some on the list but I can’t remember them all but it is a lot different than seeing the deer, elk, bears that you see near Calgary.
Number 9: Fishing
I grew up fishing with my Grandpa and Dad, actually it was the whole family and I have always loved doing it. One of my goals early on was to fish in every country I go to and that has happened so far. Actually I have fished quite a bit and caught all kinds of different fish. It started early in Fiji at Bounty Island where I caught a long tom some perch and a poisonous stonefish. I also went deep sea fishing in Fiji but struck out. My favorite spot for fishing was outside of the Te Papa Museum in Wellington. Ernst, Alain and myself hand lined fished here and caught our supper along with some mussels. Fishing at Stewart Island for Blue Cod and Kaikoura for crayfish was also awesome. When I got into Australia, the fun just continued in St. Kilda. Barramundi fishing in Darwin was great and then on my own at Mission Beach and Agnes Water/1770. Once I got to Brisbane I got to fish with Russell that I met in Vanuatu and finally I fished with Felix at Fraser Island. For all the times I went out I caught tons of fish and had some great fish fries. I have learnt some new techniques like beach fishing and new ways to tie lines. By the time I get home and go fishing with Lee, Roger and Paul I might be able to show them a few things they have never seen.
Number 8: Vanuatu
If you remember back from my blogs at the time I was not that happy with Vanuatu and so some may be surprised that it made my top ten list. Well after thinking back and all the crazy things that I did there I can’t imagine it not on the list. The start of the trip was not that good but once I decided to go island hopping and take in some of their culture everything changed. Nowhere else in the world am I going to find a place that I can stand at the top of an active volcano and watch it shot lave way above my head. It was amazing how close we were able to be and probably very crazy. Not only that but to see land diving in Pentecost Island was even crazier. Who in their right mind would jump 3 stories off at bamboo structure with vines ties to their feet with the plan to hit the ground and try not to kill themselves. The cave tour in Santo that I got the Dora Explorer float tube comes to mind as well and hiking for 2 days around another active volcano and not been able to reach the top because of bad weather. I have not singled out any other countries but Vanuatu, it was not my favorite place but it was an amazing adventure that not a lot of people will ever do. I think that is why it made the list.
Number 7: Hiking
Oh my god, how much weight have I lost because of hiking. I have done some amazing hikes and ones that I never thought I would be capable of. As with everything on this trip it all started in Fiji. This time it was at Kuata and a big mountain hike. While I was on the Fiji Experience tour we climbed the Namasi Highlands and another hike I will talk about later. Once I got into New Zealand I had the bug for hiking and was really enjoying it. NZ is where the best hike I have ever done is, the Tongariro Crossing. This is a hike that everyone should get a chance to do, absolutely spectacular. I also did great hikes at Franz Josep Glacier, Mt. Luxmore near Milford Sound with Jolein and A big hike near Raglan. I think this was all just the start for the amount of hikes I would do in Australia. The list here is long and includes hikes from every state. It started at Coles Bay in Tasmania (one of the most scenic places I have ever seen) and numerous hikes on the west coast with Meghan. The Grampians in Victoria were fantastic and included Wilepena Pound and Mt. Remarkable. The 27 kms of hiking at Uluru, Kata Juta and Kings Canyon were so good that I did them twice and one time it was in flip flops, how crazy is that!!! Along the east coast I travelled back and forth between the hinterlands and the oceans and found great hikes in both places. Along the hinterlands were the Glass House Mtns, Blue Mtns and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Along the ocean was Magnetic Island (great Koalas here), the coastal walk in Noosa , the coastal walk at Bondi Beach and Ben Boyd National Park. I know I have not listed all the hikes I have been on but there is only so much space for this blog and you would all get bored of reading it.
Number 6: Adventure
I know this one is pretty vague but I found it hard to break any one adventure out from the rest. If I had to them the number one adventure that I did would be Skydiving. All of those on facebook I am sure have seen the video and it was an amazing thrill. I was not the only cool adventure I have had though. As most of you know, water is usually not my friend but with the amount of it around I have had to get used to it and I think I have done really well. Snorkeling in Fiji and especially Bounty Island was a highlight. I have never seen so many colors and fish before. The Great Barrier Reef was also amazing but the best was touching a black tip reef shark while snorkeling at Kuata!!! Still in the water, abseiling down a 100 meter waterfall and then caving at the bottom during our tour at the Waitomo Caves was brilliant. I had so much fun I went a 2nd time with Philly but this time I tubed through the caves and it was fun as well. Do you all remember my sailing trip on New Years Eve? I still laugh at myself thinking back how I lost my sunglasses, hat and broke my flip flops. I was so mad at myself at the time, I must have looked so funny, no wonder Olive and Karen could not stop laughing. Flying in an Ultra light above Abel Tasman was so cool and then to actually fly a plane myself in Kiakoura is (I am running out of adjectives to use) sweet. Kaikoura was such a great place with flying and fishing but this is also where I got to swim with about 200 Dusky Dolphins. I was so scared to start with but got over my fear and I still can’t believe I was looking eye to eye with these fabulous creatures. Find me a steep hill made sand and what am I going to do? Well sandboard down the hill of course!!! I have now done this 3 times, once in Fiji (Sigutoka Sand Dunes), once in NZ (90 Mile Beach)and once in Oz (Fraser Island). On the lighter side of things I have got in a few golf games in every country and had a wicked night canoe trip in the Atherton Tablelands where I saw the best wildlife. One of the coolest moments and I am not sure it belongs under the adventure category but it is going here anyway was being one of the first to see the sun rise in the world on February 16th at Gisbourne. Sitting on the beach that morning and seeing all the colors was spectacular.
Number 5: Culture
One of my goals when I left Canada was to see many different cultures and see how other people really live. Well I have definitely changed my views since I started this trip and learnt a lot about myself and others. When I started in Fiji I was pretty amazed at the culture shows with the Fijian dance and the fire shows. Going to the villages and seeing how poor they were and getting to participate in a Kava ceremony. It was all changed when I went to Voro Voro and spent 5 weeks to learn the true culture and I am going to save the rest of this story for later. Going to New Zealand and seeing the Mauri culture was another eye opener. The Mauris’ are closer to the native Indian culture that I am used to in Canada. The main difference is that the Mauris have been able to keep a lot of their land and customs. They make up about 30% of the population so they still have lots of say in what happens. I started to learn their customs by participating in welcoming ceremonies and watching other ceremonies. When I was with the Stray tour we alos got to learn and perform the Haka. They take their Haka very seriously and I think when we did it they we really surprised how good we were. I then spent 4 days at the National Kapa Haka Festival where I sat beside a Mauri family through the whole thing and was taught a lot of what was going on. It was about 95% Mauri and 5 % white and they all made me feel welcome. The performances I saw we outstanding and by the end I had a pretty good idea what to look for and understood what the performers were trying to say. In Australia it was shocking to see how they are treating the aboriginals. I first thought that the Mauris were like our Indians but now that I see the Aboriginies this is much closer to what we have in Canada. 200 some years ago the white man decided that the land belonged to them and they moved the aboriginals out and took over whatever they wanted. Not much of a fair fight when the whites are using guns and the Aboriginals only have bow and arrows. When alcohol was introduces it affected them just like our native Indians and now most think that they are just drunks. For all of you back in Canada, does this sound familiar? A guide told me a great story about the Aboriginals that seems to make sense to me: He said that the aboriginals look lost and I agree with that. How else are the supposed to look when they took an entire generation of them and moved them into white society and taught them white rules and then when they were finished no whites would hire them so they went back to their people but then they did not know the Aboriginal way either. What do you do then? You look lost!!! I have definitely changed my idea of how these people should be treated and how we as white people should sometimes just leave things alone. This does not mean that I think we should be giving them tons of money either, it just means that they should be able to learn their customs and live by their customs. Okay enough on that!!! There is another culture in Australia as well. It is the aussies themselves. They may speak English but just as we have slang so do they and a lot of it is really cool. Anyone know what the following slang means: fair dinkum, crikey, yobbo, flat out like a lizard drinking, chuck a wobbly, barbie, tinnie, bloke. Okay that is enough of them and you get the idea. No, I am not going to tell what they mean, you just have to figure it out on your own. I would like to hear from you what you think they mean. The aussie culture is laid back and the closer you get to the outback the more of it you see. A good example of this is bush tucker or food. In the outback they eat whatever they can find which includes Witchite Grubs like I ate and Kangaroo and all sorts of other anamals. In my stay I have had kangaroo, crocodile, emu, bat, and some assorted fruits and leaves and stuff like that. Of course I did,I eat anything!!!
Number 4: The Sites
This is a huge category and should probably have been broken up into its own top ten but I just don’t have the time or space to do it. The interesting part of most of these places is that they are they touristy spots and I did not spend that much time at them. I have tended to like to go to the path less chosen but some you just cannot miss even if they are filled with tourists. By the way, I do not consider myself a tourist but a traveler and yes there is a difference. If you go to Fiji 95% of the people will go to the Yasawa Islands as I did and it was a great way to start my adventure. Most of the rest of Fiji is unexplored unless you get off the beaten path and that is still to come. In New Zealand there are so many things to see. Many people say the south island is better than the north but I think both were great. Auckland itself has a great harbor area and really nice Botanical Gardens. 90 mile beach heading north was fun to drive on and Cape Reinga at the very top is cool to see 2 oceans come together. Anytime you can go to a beach and dig in the sand and make your own hot pool you know you are in a cool place and that happened at Hot Water Beach in the Coremandel. Rotarura with its hot pools and unusual smells and one of my favorite places in NZ, Taupo. I went to Taupo 4 times and it is where my favorite hostel is, Urban Retreat. I got treated so well there and had an amazing Christmas there; Santa even showed up and gave us gifts!!! Abel Tasman, Mt. Cook and Franz Josep along the west coast are spectacular sites. Milford Sound was incredible and even better was a stop on the way called The Chasm, this place was heavenly. Barrytown is off the beaten track but very memorable for the party we had and because this is where I made my carving the eventually ended up in Esthers’ hands. Queenstown (Adventure capital of NZ) was crazy with parties every night and lot off tea pots to drink. I spent 10 days in Christchurch to watch the buskers festival and volunteer for the ALPG golf tourney. Dunedin had Baldwin Street (the worlds steepest) and a ton of Albatross birds to see. I have seen so many churches in all the countries and all were great but St. Stephen in Brisbane sticks out, I wonder why??? Now we get to Australia and of course the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge .It was cool to be in Sydney when the Naval exercises were going on, so many sips in the water. Staying in the Kings Cross area was interesting as well, it is the only place I know that has a library beside a strip joint. Tasmania was the most scenic place that I have seen on the whole trip and so many people do not go there. The roads and the million turns on them I will never forget. Melbourne has some great building and of course the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) where me and 75,000 others got to watch Aussie Rules Football. The Great Ocean Road with the 12 apostles and everything else along the coast. Coober Pedy and the underground accommodation. The amazing sites and drive through the middle of the country was remarkable. Katherines Gorge, Uluru, Kata Juta, Kings Canyon: I needed to go to these places twice just to understand them and they are all incredible. Darwin and its 30 degree weather in the winter was lovely. Kakadu and Litchfield were tremendous for wildlife and scenery. Most go to the east coast of OZ and I can understand why. Sailing the Whitsundays and 4×4 through the sand at Fraser Island, these adventures are for everyone. Cairns is beautiful and gets you up to Cape Tribulation. Whale watching at Hervey Bay are just relaxing in the sand at Noosa or Byron Bay. Brisbane was one of my favorite cities with great people and a lively atmosphere even if a certain jazz club was closed after a 2 hour walk!!! The mountain drives and scenery on the east coast is awesome and staying at the Blue Mountains for my birthday was MEJ. Yes, have not used MEJ yet but it wasn’t until the east coast till I heard this word and did not want to use it too early. There is plenty more of it to come. Everywhere I have been has been exciting and new and very rewarding. My only hope is that all who read this get a chance to see these places as well.
Number 3: Voro Voro – Tribewanted
If someone asked if I had found paradise yet then this would be the closest that I have come. It is not paradise because it has everything one would need but paradise because I think I found myself. I felt great when I left for my adventure but of course I had a lot of questions inside wondering if I was doing the right thing leaving a great company friends, family and life. Here is where I knew that I had made the right decision and that this was exactly where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. On the island you could do as much or as little as you wanted and of course I had my hands into lots of different things. We had Karma Duties and I think I did everyone of them except feed the pigs and chickens. The 3 peaks challenge hike was very difficult but completely rewarding. Our snorkeling trip was outstanding. But once I really got into the true Fijian culture is when I learnt so much more. I can’t believe that they let me help build a house; if this was at home I am sure it would have fallen over in a day or 2. I got to weave coconut leaves to make a roof, weave bashed bamboo to make walls, bash mangrove to mush and the tear apart to make rope. Getting to be a part of a true Sevu Sevu (welcoming) ceremony and being asked to be a Toana guard was very special. I was invited to Tui Mali house for the weekend and went to a church service with him. I remember the remarkable Fijians on the Island. Tavita and his incredible story, Maura and his fishing ability, Leavi and his guitar playing, Pupu an amazing old gentleman that knew more than I could ever expect to know, Poasa the quiet man of the island, Save and his teachings and healing hands, Api and Jone our boat captains and their antics, Sosi and Tale always giving a helping hand and of course Va (my Fijian mom) always putting a great meal on our plates. These amazing people live their lives every day like I got to for only 5 weeks, what lucky people!!! I also learnt Fiji language and the Meke (Fijian Dance) which we performed whenever possible. This was an amazing place and everyone there seemed to help everyone else no matter what their background was or what their story was. This would not be paradise for everyone, actually probably very few but at the time I was there it was definitely that for me
Number 2: All my new Friends
I can honestly say that I never expected to meet this manly incredible people and make so many friends. This is the main reason I can stay on the road and not completely miss everyone back home as these people become your family. And I have a great one!!! There are so many, so if you are reading this and not mentioned I am sorry but everyone I have met has been special in their own way but here are some that stand out: My Irish friends from Bounty Island and Beachcomber: Christine, Caoham, Carol and Katie but she was from England. You guys were the first friends I made and we had so much fun singing Irish songs till very early in the morning. Eve for the US, even though we did not see each other for very long you made a lasting impression and I still follow what you are doing on Facebook. My 3 friends from the Czech Republic, Teresza, Lenka and Vera: we met at Kuata and became friends during the Fiji Experience, your Halloween costumes were amazing. The rest of the Fiji experience crew especially Nicole, Jerry, Jen and Emily; you guys made it an adventure. To all my friends from Voro Voro and this list is long: Sophie, the best chief ever, Ben you have a lot to tell the world, Jim the boss and head of the hammock society, Amy always a smile even when stung by a jellyfish, Dan worked so hard and did so little, Ole and Jonas the Norwegian crazy boys, Mark I learnt lots from you, Andrew the poker champion that never won, Giovanni your pasta is incredible, Irina you are an amazing lady with the whole world in front of you, Paul you lucky bugger because Irina loves you, Gemma my little sister on the island and I am so glad that I got to spend Christmas with you, Laura the sister that I pick on, Philly our time in Fiji and NZ will always be remember for fun and frolic, Nieke we left the island together and met again in NZ and I bet we meet again sometime, John Cel,Michael and Danielle you 4 are truly amazing and I am so glad went time together in Fiji and NZ. To all of you I sent my love and thanks for a great experience on a beautiful island. Now the New Zealand crew: Olive and Karen who taught what it really means to party, Iris the quiet girl who I enjoyed talking with, Liam the English traveler, Ernst and Alain who forever changed my image of people from the Netherlands and my fishing buddies, Jolein our week together was incredible you are the most mature 18 year old I have ever met, Corey you are the man!!! Zoe who knew such a little girl could party that much, Lena you were special and I learnt a lot about art, Dave and Joe I didn’t understand half of what you said but no one should drink that many Jagermeisters, Carlijn we got to spend time together in NZ and travelling through the middle of OZ you were so much fun. Look how lucky I am and I still have Australia to go. Australia was a little different because I travelled it in my own car and spent a lot longer with most of the friends I made here. Meghan (bugs) I was so lucky to meet you and have you with me for Tasmania and through the middle you made everything easy, Matt you put up with me for a month while trying to buy a vehicle I thank you for the bed to sleep in, Juliana, Lindsey and Olivia we made it through the worst drive I have ever done thank god I had you along to get through it all, John and the staff at Travellers Oasis the advice you gave and looking out for my car while in Vanuatu thanks is not enough, Kim we meet so many times along the east coast I think maybe you were stalking me but I guess not because you ended up with Tim, Tim you lucky dog and my favorite bartender, Sanna my Finnish friend you can always count on me for English lessons, Felix thanks for the Bonanza game I will play it everywhere I go, Tobi you will always be the Simpsons guy, Susanna and Mona you were great to spend my birthday with you are both very sweet, Sabrina my little sister in Melbourne thanks for the help with the German.
Number 1: meeting Esther
I am sure that this is not a surprise to any of you. Meeting and getting to know Esther has been the most incredible adventure in my life (MEJ). I almost still can’t believe that I turned my car around at Byron Bay and went back to Fraser Island for a second time. I met you on August 12th and we got to spend 24 wonderful days together. I don’t know if I have the words to say how much you mean to me, the only thing I can come with is “the world”. The day we said goodbye was one of the hardest days I have ever had and I can’t wait to see you again. There are no coincidences in life and I look forward to what happens next. Your incredible smile and amazing eyes are seared into my mind forever. We have talked or text every day since you left and I love getting your messages and I love sending my own. I could sit here and write another 10 pages but I think everyone knows how I feel. I love you very much and we will see each other soon.
I have been asked many times over if I plan on coming home anytime soon and I can definitely say that I have no plans to do that. The thing is I have no plan at all. I have random thoughts of where to go but I have spent 1 year not making plans more than a few days in advance and I will continue with that. I have many more adventures to find and many more friends to meet. I thank everyone for following along in the first year and look forward to telling you about my continuing adventures. I love the fact that I can talk with my family and friends on skype and facebook and if any of you want to chat with me that is the best way to get a hold of me. Everyone can have a drink to my first year of travels; I know I am going to have a few to celebrate!!!
A special thanks goes out to my family for the support and understanding. I love you all and miss you lots and think of you often. Big hugs to you all!!!
To all my friends that I have been in contact with I thank you for being there and listening to me. I love hearing things from home and all the updates from your lives.
Take care everyone and thanks to a great year
My life is: MEJ
sdietrich90