NZ Adrenaline Rush 2007 – Part I

February 9, 2021 Holden

Since international borders are still closed and I don’t expect to do any travelling in 2021, it’s time to take it way back to 2007 and revisit my first and only trip to New Zealand so far. As this trip occurred more than 13 years ago, I don’t remember the minute details now. At the time, I did not keep a travel journal or write notes during the trip. Most of what I know come from the captions accompanying my photos on Facebook. Hence, this post will be light on details but more on photos and captions.

I will now share what I do remember about the trip. It was a family trip with my Uncle J, Aunt C, cousins JJ and YS, and YS’ friend Jamie. I was kinda roped in at the last minute, but sadly, my parents couldn’t come along. It was a free-and-easy trip as my Aunt C’s sister (Aunt V) lives in Auckland with her husband (Uncle S) and they very kindly offered to show us around their beautiful country.

Our trip lasted 10 days altogether, from 15 to 24 November 2007. We spent the first two nights in Auckland staying at City Central Hotel while exploring the city. After that, Uncle S rented a Toyota Previa MPV and the eight of us (plus our luggage) squeezed into the car as we explored the other parts of New Zealand’s North Island. We spent a night at Rotorua, two nights at Lake Taupo, another two nights at Rotorua, one night at Paihia and one last night at Auckland before flying home.

There were plenty of highlights from the trip. One of which was Rotorua, which we visited on Days 3, 6 and 7. Rotorua is located about 230km southeast of Auckland and it is known for its geothermal activity. We visited the Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland and saw some amazing landscapes and bubbling pools. As a geography student in junior college, I really appreciated seeing those incredible natural sights up close. Nothing you read in books can replicate the experience of seeing the natural phenomena in person.

I remember the lovely house we stayed at Lake Taupo, which was right on the edge of the lake. We even had ducks coming up to our doorstep to pay us a visit. I also enjoyed the feasts we had – the sumptuous barbecues that Uncle S prepared, the gallons of beer and wine, and most of all, the golden kiwi fruits, which were so sweet and juicy. It was a lot of fun staying together in a house, as we chit chatted late into the night every day.

The trip was also memorable because of several milestones I accomplished. Like most people, bungy jumping and skydiving are on my bucket list. Honestly, there is no better country in the world to try out extreme sports than New Zealand. So, for the first time in my life, I tried bungy jumping, skydiving and white water rafting, all within the span of two days. Being young and fearless, I didn’t think twice about doing them all. Up till now, I look back at this trip with special fondness because of this. Those were such daredevil days!

I also managed to watch Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveShow concert at the Vector Arena in Auckland on 23 November 2007. I booked my ticket online about 1½ months before the concert and I was lucky that tickets were still available. I paid NZ$148.50 for my Floor ticket.

When I reached the venue at 6:15pm that evening, I was surprised to find that there weren’t that many fans yet. I quickly bought a programme book for NZ$25 and joined the queue, and eventually managed to get a good spot near the stage. The concert was the first of three sold-out shows, with 12,000 fans filling the massive arena each night. It was a high-energy and entertaining show, well worth the money and effort. My feet were positively sore after standing for five hours, when the concert ended at 11:15pm. Watching a concert while overseas is always exciting, and it wouldn’t be my last time doing so.

One of my happiest memories was shopping at a huge music store called Real Groovy. It was an old-school record store like Tower Records and I loved it immensely. I spent 3½ hours trawling through the extensive collection of CDs, DVDs and vinyls. I unearthed quite a lot of goodies and spent a bomb, but it was worth it. I remember it was my dream then to work in a record store like Real Groovy or Tower Records, but sadly, this is a dream that will never happen.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable and memorable trip. Big thanks to Uncle S and Aunt V for their wonderful Kiwi hospitality. As I’ve said many times before, there is nothing like having locals bring you around the country because they know best. I’m sure my memories and impression of New Zealand would have been very different if I had joined a group tour with a travel agency instead. I had loads of fun travelling with my cousins and uncle and aunt too. It was a great experience.

When Covid-19 is all over, I will love to travel to New Zealand again. I have heard so much about how the South Island is even more beautiful than the North Island, so that will be my goal next. I hope that one day, with a bit of luck, I can rent a campervan and drive around the island, visit Milford Sound and see the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) at Lake Tekapo. I will also love to take full-day hikes in the forest and perhaps have another go at white water rafting.

Realistically, I know this trip will be years away so I can only dream about it for now. In the meantime, I shall reminisce about those wonderful 10 days spent in North Island in 2007…here’s Part I, enjoy the pics!

Day 1: 15 November 2007, Thursday – Singapore/Auckland