Exploring Milford Sound and Queenstown

Berbekal modal mileage yang ada, alhamdulillah akhirnya tercapai juga keinginan untuk mengunjungi salah satu fiord di dunia yang dapat diakses oleh manusia sekaligus kota Queenstown yang cantik. Dimanakah kedua tempat ini berada? Nun jauh dibawah garis katulistiwa, Selandia Baru jawabannya.

Dalam waktu lima hari, kami beruntung dapat menikmati denyut kota Queenstown dan pesona danau-danau indah disekitarnya, melakukan road trip di salah satu rute jalan terindah di Selandia Baru, mengagumi karya Tuhan di dalam wilayah taman nasional Fiordland, dan mengunjungi kota kecil Arrowtown.

Mengambil penerbangan pagi dari Auckland dengan maskapai Jetstar, kami tiba di Queenstown sebelum makan siang. Karena saat itu kami berpuasa, yang ada begitu check in kami sukses tertidur sampai sore dalam dekapan cuaca mendung dan suhu musim dingin. Menjelang buka puasa, kami berjalan-jalan di pusat kota sambil menikmati pemandangan danau Wakatipu dan barisan pegunungan berselimutkan salju di kejauhan yang dikenal dengan Remarkable mountains sebelum akhirnya mampir di sebuah kedai untuk memesan coklat panas dan churros coklat beraroma kayu manis sebagai menu buka puasa kami. Nikmaatt...

Tujuan utama kami dalam perjalanan kali ini adalah Milford Sound, fiord yang terbentuk akibat proses mencairnya es sehingga menghasilkan lembah-lembah berbentuk huruf U dengan tebing-tebing yang curam. Ikon Milford Sound, yaitu Mitre Peak, adalah puncak tertinggi dengan mempunyai ketinggian lebih dari 1,600 meter di atas permukaan air. Untuk mencapai Milford Sound, kami menempuh sekitar kurang lebih tiga jam perjalanan dibawah hujan salju dari Queenstown ke Te Anau, kota kecil yang merupakan gerbang taman nasional Fiordland, dilanjutkan dengan dua jam perjalanan dari Te Anau ke Milford Sound. Pemandangan sepanjang Milford Road sangatlah spektakuler, dengan hamparan salju dimana-mana dan pegunungan tinggi di kiri kanan jalan, kami merasa sangat bersyukur dapat menyaksikan keindahan ini.

Tiba di Milford Sound saat hari sudah sore setelah kurang lebih enam jam perjalanan darat, kami disambut dengan pemandangan matahari terbenam yang luar biasa indah. Kami memilih untuk menginap di dekat Milford Sound untuk mengoptimalkan kunjungan kali ini dengan berkesempatan menjelajah wilayah taman nasional. Namun, sebagian besar wisatawan memilih perjalanan pulang hari dengan bus, baik dari Queenstown maupun Te Anau. Ada banyak operator kapal yang menawarkan paket menelusuri Milford Sound. Informasi lebih lengkap dapat dilihat di sini.

Milford Sound

Di awal perjalanan, kabut tebal menggantung dan hujan mulai turun, namun dalam perjalanan kembali, matahari perlahan menampakkan sinarnya dan kamipun mulai menikmati pemandangan alam yang begitu beragam, mulai dari rangkaian pegunungan tinggi, air terjun, sepasang pinguin lucu, dan sekelompok anjing laut yang sedang bermalas-malasan!!! Tidak  terasa, pelayaran selama dua jam limabelas menitpun sudah berakhir. Kalau tidak ingat biaya yang harus dikeluarkan dan jarak yang harus ditempuh untuk mencapai fiord ini, rasanya saya ingin kembali lagi. Yah, mudah-mudahan saja suatu hari nanti ada rezekinya untuk kembali lagi kesini..

Karena waktu yang terbatas, setelah selesai pelayaran kurang lebih pukul duabelas siang, kami langsung berangkat untuk kembali ke Queenstown. Menjelang sore, kami memutuskan untuk menaiki Skyline Gondola yang memungkinkan kami menikmati pemandangan kota Queenstown dari ketinggian. Dengan harga NZD 25 per orang, cable car ini membawa kami ke suatu bangunan di puncak dimana terdapat restoran, bar, arena luge, dan bungy jumping. 

This is Queenstown!

Sekitar satu jam berada di puncak, kamipun memutuskan turun karena perut mulai protes. Demi memenuhi rasa penasaran, kami nekat mengantri di sebuah kedai burger! Jauh-jauh ke Queenstown, kok makannya burger? Bukannya itu bisa diperoleh dimanapun? Jangan salah, burger ini sangat istimewa, hanya ada di Queenstown dan diklaim sebagai burger terenak di seantero Selandia Baru. Mengusung nama dagang Fergburger, tempat ini selalu dipenuhi pengunjung. Kami sendiri memperoleh pesanan kami setelah satu jam menunggu...namun, begitu pesanan datang, pertanyaan mengapa burger ini begitu terkenal terjawab sudah. Kombinasi ukuran bun yang ekstra besar dengan variasi rasa yang unik, harga masuk akal, dan kualitas rasa yang memuaskan adalah alasan utama, selain tentunya strategi pemasaran yang baik.

Terbukti sudah pendapat orang-orang tentang Queenstown. Kota cantik ini memang begitu menarik sehingga sesuai dengan namanya, layak dikunjungi oleh sang Ratu.

Sampai jumpa di petualangan selanjutnya!

The true reflection

One of the most visited places within the National Park due to its breathtaking beauty. I personally could not get enough of taking more photos of this natural mirror.

Serenity at Mirror Lakes, Fiordland National Park

Camping in France

When I was still single, I used to stay in 10-12 dorm bed at a backpacker hostel when traveling. Since we got married last year, he introduced me to his family tradition, camping!

Camping sites, especially in France, are very comfortable and available in most cities, regardless the fact that the sites are usually located at the outskirt of the city. However, since we always rent a car every time we travel, then distance is no longer a problem. Besides, we are more flexible in terms of destination and time.

Apart from the blocks for tents, the sites also provide places for camping van, fully furnished mobile homes, and majority of the sites are baby-friendly, too. In most of the camping sites that we have been, the public facilities, such as toilets, showers, and washing room, are kept clean and dry. The camping sites have stars, too, depending on the facilities they have, ranging from one-star to five-stars, just like hotels. So, if you demand for a swimming pool, nice rooms, playground for children, restaurant, and everything else in your site, do not hesitate to pick the five-star ones. Our picks range from one-star to three-star sites, depending on availability and in my personal observation, those sites met our standard, so far.

From the financial point of view, camping is also beneficial for our budget since we spend less in total but we see more. This is only my personal opinion since it may be varied among travelers subject to their styles and preferences. He and I share the same level of traveling passion, therefore camping for us is obviously an exciting adventure. By camping, we are brought back to nature where we hear the chirping birds in the morning and we spend the night staring at clear skies with countless stars at the camp site. Lovely, isn't it?

Last time we did the road trip, it took us twenty days, eight different camping sites, and roughly four thousands and five hundred kilometres to visit twenty cities in three countries. Do not ask how many road maps and guide books we brought along during the trip, MANY!

Our tent at Camping de la Cité in Carcassonne

Here are some tips!

1. If you plan to do camping, it is better to rent a car for your trip. You can also hitchhike if you demand for more adventures!

2. Find the camping site from Camping France or Camping de France. Visit the nearby Tourism Office once you arrive in a city and they will provide you with a complete list of camping sites in the region. 

3. Prepare your camping equipments, including tent, sleeping bags, kitchen utensils, torches, first aid kits, rubbish bags, and cooler. Some places offer camping equipment rentals, too..try to find it by Google.

4.  Always bring raincoats as in some mountaineous regions, the weather may change unexpectedly, even during the summer.

5. Make sure that you have the latest update of the weather condition in your destination.

6. Happy camping, everyone!

Our way of life

Everyone must have particular consideration when deciding what they are going to do with their life. For us, we want to enrich ourselves with as much life experiences as possible in the coming years. Therefore, we choose not to stay permanently in either both countries at the time being. As a consequence, we have to be ready for any possible opportunities that might knock our door and pack our things right away should that opportunity arise. Since I am quite new to this world, I am currently learning my lessons in how to deal with this kind of lifestyle. What I share here are in random order and merely from my point of view and personal experiences for the last few years.  

Maturity and Independency
The fact that living far away from family requires a certain level of maturity and independency in order to be able to take necessary action or considerable decision for us to move on, especially in critical situation. 

Survival skills
Basic survival skills such as cooking and doing domestic chores appropriately are definitely compulsory for me thanks to my beloved mother who has taught me the importance of possessing these basic skills since I was still a little girl.

Self-adaptation
Living with different characters from different backgrounds in a new place is another issue. Willingness to learn the local language, culture, and enthusiastically get along with the people are the key to a smooth self-adaptation.

Courage
Life is about experience and we might encounter either good or bad ones. Be ready for the worst situation that may occur and stay alert. I once had an unpleasant experience about this and I am glad that I could take a good lesson from it in order to be more alert in the future.

Adventurous mind
Changing living places from time to time gives the advantage of seeing more and more parts of the world. Therefore, do not hesitate to explore the regions, get to know the local way of life, and learn from it. Don't leave a country without having any single traces to its rural/suburban and less traveled areas.

Open mindset
Once we are outside our homeland, we become the minority and therefore it is us who need to adjust with the majority and not the other way around. Being tolerant and respectful to others' opinions without betraying our own principles are utterly important.

Fresh from the garden

yummy..yummyy...

One of my much loved activities during our summer visit in the Loire Valley is fruit picking. In my own family, we have never had a garden planted with so many fruit trees and the only fruit tree we had was a papaya tree. So, when the first time I saw a tree full of ripe prunes at my in-laws’ well-manicured garden, I was extremely excited. As most of the houses here grow their own fruits and vegetables, there will be barters among neighbours when the harvesting season comes. As for us, we swop prunes for beetroots and greenbeans with two different neighbours. Prunes aren’t the only ones found in the garden. There are also different kinds of apples, walnuts, almonds, pears, cherry tomatoes, courgettes, and figs. The latter is commonly found only in Europe, I think. For the best walnuts and almonds, we often have to compete with the cute squirrels who definitely love them, too.

what have been saved from the squirrels

So, if many young people from Europe travel down under to work during the fruit picking season as well as to take advantage by being in the country, I am doing the other way around. My ultimate satisfaction comes from the experience of picking the fruits directly from its trees, fulfilling my imagination when reading childrens’ storybooks.

The fresh products ready to be consumed

The lure of Mele cascades

Mele Cascades is one of Efate’s natural gems. Located about 15 minute-drive from Port Vila –everything is close by in Port Vila and most of the time you can always expect for a smooth traffic– Mele Cascades offers a spectacular view of the turquoise crystal clear waters gently flowing down the smooth round rocks. Hidden in Mele’s lush nature, the waterfalls are visible after climbing some friendly steps, walking through the path, and crossing a small river for about  10 minutes walk. At the end of the walk, there is a small hut where a guard and simple storage facilities are available.

In making our way towards the waterfalls, we just need to climb the small cascades and follow the existing path. The path itself is not naturally built, yet it is blended perfectly with its natural surroundings. In between, you will find shallow ponds where people can soak themselves while having a chat in the fresh water. Nice, isn’t it?

With the entrance fee of VT 1000 or equal to AUD 10 for residents, and VT 1500 or AUD 15 for non-residents, visitors love to spend their time swimming, taking pictures, or having natural back massage under the waterfalls, just like we do.

A year in Port Vila: Honeymoon from a different point of view

As soon as we tied the knot in April last year, we spent the first three months living on our own in Jakarta, almost two months on vacation here and there, and about a year ago, we arrived in Vanuatu, a faraway archipelago, somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. He was occupied at work since day one, while I was still figuring out what I could do during the year. I managed to get some small projects to do for the first month thanks to my BFF, but that was it! I do not have my own network of friends yet. Most of the people I know were those from his office, until I met some friendly ladies in one of the functions we attended who later became my good friends.

Indeed, life is much challenging when you have to take care of your own household. To name a few, dealing with various problems in the house, maintaining relations with the landlords and neighbours, sharing domestic chores between the two of us, and hosting guests from time to time. We have a helper who comes twice a week doing the chores but I still manage to do some of the work myself considering the fact that I might be spoiled with the situation in the long term. Living an expatriate life means we may not always get this kind of privilege all the time, subject to which country we live in. After a couple of months living here, life was getting difficult for me as I used to do nothing almost the whole day and I became super duper lazy. I think I was the laziest person on earth!

When we were in Jakarta, I was already unemployed, but there were plenty of things to do so that I never got bored. Fortunately, on this critical period, I was given the opportunity to volunteer at one of the government office for about three months thanks to him, and thankfully I found another interest that has helped me spending my pastime.

There is not much difference between our life in Jakarta and in Port Vila. In both cities, we are used to take public transportation in the absence of the office car or office driver since we don’t have our personal vehicle. Some people may associate the fact of being an expatriate to a glamorous life. However this doesn’t apply to ours as we also don’t do expensive shopping on branded items, we go to cheap hairdresser to have a haircut, and we don’t occupy business class seats whenever we travel.

Particularly for the accompanying spouse like me, living this kind of life may be exciting for certain time, but when it prolongs, then it is no longer as thrilling as it may look. Some friends say that I am living such a perfect life everyone would want, but honestly, I am not comfortable with the fact that I have no job therefore I have no means to satisfy my self-existence as well as self-confidence needs and at the same time, I become financially dependent. Despite our agreement that the terms ‘yours’ and ‘mine’ have merged into ‘ours’ since we got married, in the beginning it was not easy for me to deal with. Moreover, being among a bunch of our guests talking about their work to some point has made me lose my confidence. It took me sometime to compromise with the current situation and I finally managed to put my negative thinking out of sight. Later, instead of complaining about the things I don’t have, I used my time learning new skills, reading more books, making more friends, immersing myself into new culture, and realizing my postponed plans.

As they say that honeymoon is as sweet as honey but soon it fades away like the moon, this also applies to my first time experience as an expatriate’s wife. It is still a long way to go but I do learn that independence, perseverance, self-adaptation, tolerance, conviviality, patience, modesty, and willingness to learn are some of the characters I personally need to strengthen in order to equip myself for our next journey in the near future. Being a good and supportive spouse, whether an expatriate’s or not, surely a long-life learning, and I am working on my way to get there, insya Allah.