• Blog
  • About
  • The Trip
  • Selfish Guides
  • Best Of

The Selfish Years

~ Over 200 cities, 42 countries, 6 continents and counting.

The Selfish Years

Tag Archives: Oceania

8 Observations about Gorgeous New Zealand

21 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in New Zealand, Oceania, Rant

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

JAFAS, New Zealand, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Mrs. Selfish and I spent 2 weeks driving through friendly, jaw-dropping New Zealand. From bustling Auckland, to devastated Christchurch, to awe-inspiring Queenstown, New Zealand is a beautiful country with a very small population.

Here are some of the differences we noticed.

*Disclaimer * These observations are purely things I noticed after driving through New Zealand for 2 weeks and may not be entirely accurate. If you have any explanations or stories, please share away.

1. Everyone hates JAFAS.

JAFFAS are a very popular candy in New Zealand, and are a type of orange chocolate ball. JAFAs are “Just Another F***ing Aucklander.”

Where Sydney-dwellers hate Melbourners, and Northern Californians hate Southern Californians, EVERYONE in New Zealand hates people from Auckland.

While Auckland isn’t a big city per se, it does have 1.5 million people, which means it is THE BIG New Zealand city with slightly over 1/3 of the population.

2. Native New Zealanders are still part of New Zealand culture.

New Zealand Maori rowing ceremonial coreography

While Americans and Australians settlers crushed their native populations and forced them into reserves, the New Zealand natives (Maoris) are still a very large part of New Zealand culture. Maori art is prolific, many street names and sites have Maori names, and the Maori people seem very well integrated in New Zealand society.

3. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way.

New Zealand Observations 003

As a pedestrian, I have never felt more in danger than I did in New Zealand. Not crossing motorcycle infested streets in Vietnam. Not running across rural towns in China. Drivers in New Zealand just don’t seem to care about pedestrians, and it feels like they have the right of way at nearly all times.

We asked some New Zealanders why that was the case and were told that New Zealand doesn’t have any civil lawsuits, so pedestrians don’t have much recourse if they get struck by a vehicle. Apparently several North Americans are killed every year while crossing the street.

If you are from the States and you’re visiting New Zealand BE CAREFUL. New Zealanders will kill you.

4. You can still hitch hike across the country.

  New Zealand Observations 004

That being said, I have never seen more hitchhikers than I have in New Zealand. They are EVERYWHERE. Especially in the Queenstown area. It felt like America in the 70’s.

5. New Zealand (feels like it) has more sheep than anywhere else in the world.

And it probably does. There are sheep everywhere: fields, vineyards, hills, mountains, roads, etc. You can even see them in the city, like we did on the outskirts of Dunedin.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Fit for a Queen: The Food in Queenstown

19 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Aggy's Shack, Amisfield Winery & Bistro, Chard Farm Vineyard, Fergburger, Food & Drinks, Gibbston Valley Wines, New Zealand, Oceania, Peregrine Wines, Queenstown

The food in Queenstown was amazingly fresh and delicious. Mr. Selfish and I didn’t have a single average meal. It was all outstanding.

Fergburger: The Legendary Burgers

Prior to arriving in Queenstown, we had heard tales about the hamburgers at Fergburger (42 Shotover Street, Queenstown Town Centre 9300). We were skeptical that the long line would be worth the wait but we figured that we would give it a try.

NZ Food 15NZ Food 16NZ Food 17

I ordered the traditional Fergburger with blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli, and tomato relish. After an hour of waiting, my Fergburger arrived. The patty on my Fergburger was perfectly cooked. The bun was delightfully toasted, and the aioli and tomato relish were a perfect balance against the blue cheese. It was quite tasty.

NZ Food 19

Mr. Selfish went the less traditional route and ordered the Chief Wiggum, which is a pork belly burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, hash brown, aioli, and an apricot seeded mustard. The pork belly was quite yummy, and the hash brown provided a very good crunchy texture. The apricot seeded mustard also added a nice sweet flavor. Although the traditional Fergburger was quite good, I think the Chief Wiggum was better due to the novelty factor.

NZ Food 18

If you’re in Queenstown, you should definitely try a burger or two at Fergburger. It met and exceeded all of the hype.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Climbing the Lovely Queenstown Hill

18 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown, Queenstown Hill, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

On a wonderfully sunny day, Mr. Selfish and I decided to hike Queenstown Hill, which takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours round trip (sans photos). With lots of photos, it takes closer to 3.5 hours. It was a surprisingly steep walk but quite enjoyable.

Queenstown Hill 01Queenstown Hill 02HikingQueenstown Hill 05

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

I wish I was still relaxing at the Hilton Queenstown

17 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Accommodations, Hilton, New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown, Travel Hacking

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Hilton Queenstown, New Zealand, Oceania, Relxation Room, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Travel Hacking

After the disappointing stay at the Hilton Auckland, Mrs. Selfish and I decided to give the Hilton one last go at the Hilton Queenstown.

From everything we’d heard, Queenstown is the most beautiful city in New Zealand, and the Hilton Queenstown is one of the best hotels in the city.

Neither disappointed.

Queenstown Hilton 01

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Dilly Dallying in Dunedin: Penguins, Haggis, and a Farmer’s Market

16 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Dunedin, Dunedin Farmers Market, Dunedin Railway Station, Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania, Otago Farmers Market, Penguin Place, Penguins, Scotia Bar and Bistro, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Yellow-Eyed Penguin

One of my top priorities on our selfish trip was to see penguins in the wild. I did lots of research to determine whether we should see the penguins in Australia or wait until New Zealand. Since we were in Australia during the winter, we weren’t likely to see hoards of penguins ascending from the beach at dusk, which is more typical during the summer. I therefore opted to see the rarer yellow-eyed penguins in Dunedin.

Dunedin 11

These yellow-eyed penguin only exist in New Zealand, and there are only an estimated 3,000 left. These penguins are different from every other penguin in the world, because they are quite anti-social. They do not live in large colonies. In fact, each penguin has one long-term mate, and they can only mate when they do not see any other penguins. Other than mating and raising their offspring with one other penguin, they do everything individually. Hence, they go hunting alone and come up from the beach one by one.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Devastation that is Christchurch

15 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Christchurch, Costas Taverna Greek Restaurant, Earthquake, Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Mr. Selfish and I had heard about the 2011 earthquake that hit Christchurch but we hadn’t realized the extent of the devastation. Following an earthquake in 2010 that had a magnitude of 7.1, the 2011 earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3. Due to the succession of these earthquakes, Christchurch suffered immensely.

We had thought that by the time we visited Christchurch that the city would be mostly in repairs. We were wrong. The city center of Christchurch is still devastated. Apparently, other subsequent quakes have occurred, which kept setting the city back.

Christchurch 29Christchurch 28Christchurch 30QuakeChristchurch 27

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Drive between Marlborough and Christchurch

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christchurch, Marlborough, New Zealand, Oceania, Ohau Seals, Ohau Stream Walk, Pegasus Bay, Seal Pups, Seals, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

The coastal drive between Marlborough and Christchurch takes about four hours and is quite lovely. Based on advice from our Highlight Wine Tour operator, we made two pit stops. First, we stopped at the Ohau Stream Walk, which is about an hour and a half away from Marlborough, to see the seal pups. Second, we had lunch at Pegasus Bay winery, which is about 50 minutes away from Christchurch.

The Adorable Seal Pups at Ohau Stream Walk

Mr. Selfish and I were lucky enough to visit Ohau Stream Walk during the height of the season for seal pups. During the winter, momma seals leave their pups at Ohau stream and waterfall while they are out at sea hunting for food. The pups frolic and play in the stream with the other pups while waiting for their moms to come back.

Christchurch 01Christchurch 04Cute SealsChristchurch 10Christchurch 11

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Selfish Wine Tour in the Marlborough Region

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Blenheim, Brancott Estate, Drylands, Food & Drinks, Framingham, Gibson Bridge, Hunters, Marlborough, New Zealand, Oceania, Renwick, Rockferry, Saint Clair, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Seresin, Wairu River, Wines

Mr. Selfish and I spent two days in the Marlborough wine region. We rented an Airbnb apartment in Renwick, which is a perfect home base for wine tasting. We booked a tour through Highlight Wine Tour and the rest is a Sauvignon Blanc blur. We visited nine wineries and below is the summary of our impression of each winery.

1. Saint Clair: Best Sauvignon Blanc

While in the States, we loved drinking Fault Line, which is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. We learned that Fault Line is actually produced at Saint Clair winery, so we knew we had to do a tasting there. We learned that the Fault Line is one of Saint Clair’s multiple labels that is sent to the States.

Saint Clair

The Fault Line was not available for tasting, but we tried the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Wairu Reserve and ended up buying two bottles. It is the one of the best Sauv Blancs I’ve ever tasted.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Zorbing and Hiking in Rotorua

12 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in New Zealand, Oceania

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Blue Lake, Green Lake, New Zealand, Oceania, Redwoods, Rotokakahi, Rotorua, Tikitapu, Waimangu, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Whakarewarewa Forest, Zorbing

Mr. Selfish and I spent two nights in Rotorua, which is surprisingly a large tourist attraction in New Zealand. It may have been because we visited during a three week school holiday but it was swarming with families from other parts of NZ. In any case, although Rotorua is quite touristy, it has a lot to offer, and I don’t regret spending two nights there.

Zorbing: Put Me In a Large Hamster Ball Please

NZ is known for its fair share of thrill seeking. It is of course where bungee jumping was invented, and although lesser known, it is also where Zorbing was invented. Zorbing is basically rolling down a hill in a huge plastic hamster ball.

Rotorua 01

There are many options for Zorbing but me and Mr. Selfish both opted for the unharnessed zigzag path. The only issue with the zigzag path is that the ball is filled with water. Luckily, it was warm water since it was winter time.

Rotorua 03Rotorua 04Rotorua 05Rotorua 06Rotorua 07Rotorua 09

It was definitely a good time. I was thrown all over the place as the ball made its way down the zigzag hilly path. My only advice is to not scream too much since you may end up with a mouth full of warm Zorbing water. Ewwwww.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Heading to the Shire: The Hobbiton Tour

11 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in New Zealand, Oceania

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Hobbiton, Hobbiton Movie Tours, New Zealand, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Having been raised on the Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings, I was a pretty big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies. Mrs. Selfish, on the other hand, fell asleep during the 1st movie and refused to watch the rest of the series.

So I was completely taken by surprise when she told me she wanted to take a tour of Hobbiton!

Actually, I think Mrs. Selfish was mostly interested in the photo-ops.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Two Weeks of Glorious Driving in New Zealand

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in New Zealand, Oceania

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Auckland, Cambridge, Christchurch, Dunedin, New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown, Renwick, Rotorua, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Wellington

For the final leg of our international trip, Mr. Selfish and I spent two weeks driving around New Zealand. Here was our itinerary: (1) Auckland, (2) Cambridge, (3) Rotorua, (4) Wellington, (5) Renwick in the Marlborough wine region, (6) Christchurch, (7) Dunedin, (8) Queenstown, and (9) Milford Sound.

NZ Driving 001

And we drove all that in this amazing car:

NZ Driving 002

Yes, it was a 10-year old Mitsubishi that didn’t even have powered locks. But I must admit it did get us around, albeit with very little horsepower.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Melbourne’s Magnificent Markets and Arcades

04 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Australia, Melbourne, Oceania

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Australia, Hopetown Tea Room, Melbourne, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Victoria Market

Mrs. Selfish and I have always been market people. Perhaps it’s the energy of the fruit merchants hawking cheap oranges, or the allure of handmade wares, or (more likely) the tiny restaurants and shops selling artisanal food.

Having visited Sydney’s markets, and missed Hobart’s Salamanca market we were determined to visit Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market.

Set near the central part of Melbourne, Queen Victoria Market is open 4 days a week, with the exception of Monday and Wednesday. I was immediately reminded of Philedephia’s Reading Terminal Market or Seattles Pike’s Place – albeit a much larger version.

The market is split into three sections: delis & bakeries, produce, and general merchandise. Since we arrived for lunch, our first stop was the market’s deli area.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne

03 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Melbourne, Oceania

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Australia, Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Mr. Selfish and I visited the National Gallery of Victoria, which is housed in two different buildings in Sydney. The first building near the CBD in Federation Square contains Australian art while the other building, which is a little further away, has international art.

We visited the building with the Australian art first. I particularly liked the art exhibit dedicated to the 1980’s.

Melbourne - Museums 005

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Meandering Around Melbourne

02 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Melbourne, Oceania

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Australia, Melbourne, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

As our last stop in Australia, Mr. Selfish and I spent five nights in Melbourne, which is the second largest city in Australia and naturally has a rivalry with Sydney. We had spent sixteen nights in Sydney but I wish that we had allocated more days to Melbourne. While Sydney was a nice city, it could have been a city anywhere in the world (aside from the iconic Opera House). Sydney is just so clean and sterile.

I viewed Melbourne as Sydney’s grittier and dirtier cousin – the fun cousin who will try to get you in trouble. We even learned that people from Sydney derogatorily refer to Melbournians as “Mexicans,” which is an interesting derogatory term in itself.

Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed meandering around Melbourne and especially appreciated the graffiti.

Melbourne - Walking Around 012

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Delicious Wines in Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale Near Adelaide

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Adelaide, Australia, Barossa Valley, Battle of Bosworth, Foggo, Food & Drinks, Jacob's Creek, Lehmann, McLaren Vale, Minko, Oceania, Rockford, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Seppeltsfield, Willunga Creek, Wine Region, Wineries

South Australia is home to hundreds of vineyards. Although we couldn’t visit them all, Mr. Selfish and I did manage to visit eight of them during our short stay in Adelaide. We visited four wineries in Barossa Valley, which is about 60 km northeast of Adelaide and is known for its red wines. We then visited four wineries in McLaren Vale, which is about 35 km south of Adelaide and is known for its production of shiraz wines.

Alcohol

No, just kidding. Mr. Selfish wasn’t even driving that day.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Who’s Selfish?

Mr. and Mrs. Selfish are an obsessively organized couple who sold all their junk to travel abroad for a year. Now settled in San Francisco, they have since visited over 200 cities in 44 countries over 6 continents. This site chronicles their travels.

Looking for something?

Current Location

Next Location

Subscribe to our RSS Feed!

  • RSS - Posts

Recent Posts

  • Heading back to Japan for one more Selfish Trip!
  • Our Earning and Burning in 2015
  • Traveling with an Infant Means Less International Travel for Now
  • Where to Spot Geishas in Kyoto
  • Keeping it Short and Suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo

Archives

  • August 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012

Categories

  • Accommodations
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Athens
  • Australia
  • Bali
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Best Of
  • Bosnia
  • Busan
  • California
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Club Carson
  • Croatia
  • Cross Country
  • Disney
  • Dublin
  • Dubrovnik
  • Edinburgh
  • Europe
  • Flashback
  • Florida
  • Food & Drinks
  • France
  • French Polynesia
  • Fukuoka
  • Game of Thrones
  • General
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Gyeongju
  • Hilton
  • Hong Kong
  • Hyatt
  • IHG
  • Infant Travel
  • Ireland
  • Istanbul
  • Istanbul
  • Japan
  • Kanazawa
  • Kyoto
  • Lake District
  • Living Abroad
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Madrid
  • Malaysia
  • Marriott
  • Melbourne
  • Morocco
  • Mykonos
  • Naxos
  • New York City
  • New Zealand
  • News
  • North America
  • Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Oceania
  • Okinawa
  • Orlando
  • Paris
  • Philippines
  • Portugal
  • Queenstown
  • Rant
  • San Francisco
  • San Francisco
  • Santorini
  • Searching for the Best . . .
  • Seoul
  • Shanghai
  • Singapore
  • South America
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Split
  • Starwood
  • Sydney
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Tasmania
  • Thailand
  • The Maldives
  • Tokyo
  • Tons of Pictures
  • Travel Hacking
  • Uncategorized
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vienna
  • Vietnam
  • Virginia
  • Zadar
  • Zurich

Blog at WordPress.com.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: