Backpacking in New Zealand – How to Get Amongst the Locals & Experience Things Off The Tourist Trail
Word Count:
499
Summary:
A great way for backpackers to get a taste of the real New Zealand is to seek out local events and festivals. One festival not to be missed is the legendary Wild Foods festival held annually in a small town on the West Coast of the South Island called Hokitika.
Keywords:
backpacking, new zealand, backpackers, independent travel, nz
Article Body:
A great way for backpackers to get a taste of the real New Zealand is to seek out local events and festivals in smaller towns and communities. Take your time to chill out in one place for a while and you will be surprised how much more you can deepen your experience by getting amongst the local scene.
One festival not to be missed is the legendary Wild Foods festival held annually in a small town on the West Coast of the South Island called Hokitika.
Due to the isolated location of the West Coast the ‘Coasters’ have always done things their own way, paying little attention to how the rest of the world lives. The festival is a prime example of this, as it show cases the rather random delicacies of the coast and the local characters that live there. You name it, it's on offer and both locals and tourists come from afar to challenge themselves to eat the huge selection of wild foods.
Some of the more memorable dishes at this years festival included Mountain Oysters (goat testicles); huhu grubs that were very much alive; eel spine, marinated duck tongue; semen sauce; cow tit; seagull turd; rotten fish eyes and possum pie. MMMMMM Yuk! Funnily enough there was such a high demand for the live huhu grubs that they sold out. The atmosphere is awesome as everywhere you look people are egging their friends on encouraging them to try the most vulgar of the vulgar wild foods on offer.
A few of the more tame – or should we say edible foods - included “Bambi” burgers, white bait fritters, homemade fudge, pickled punga (native fern), mussels and wild pork.
Let’s not forget that there is also plenty of booze and live music (hillbilly style) at the festival for those who like a drink or three and a bit of a boogie. The locally brewed Monteiths Ale was flowing from mid day along with a selection of New Zealand wines.
Hokitika has a population of about 6,000 and with more than 10,000 people attending the Wild Foods Festival accommodation options get rather interesting. So where does everyone sleep? The local fire brigade set up a couple of large camp sites right by the beach which over flows with tents and campervans. The setting is to die for... right at your doorstep is a rugged west coast beach dotted with bonfires as far as one can see which makes for the perfect place to chill out on return from the Hillbilly dance.
On waking early to enjoy watching the sun rise take a stroll and you will discover that the less organised have set up home on the railway track, footpath, under the town clock or in some less fortunate cases in amongst the abundance of porta-loos…
There are many fantastic festivals in New Zealand, so be sure to enquire about what is on and where during your backpacking through our beautiful country, Aotearoa – the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Showing posts with label backpacking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backpacking. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Advice For Backpackers Going To Europe
Advice For Backpackers Going To Europe
Word Count:
510
Summary:
Backpack in hand, you are ready to head to Europe for some fun and sun. Here is some advice for backpackers from someone who has done it multiple times and made the mistakes.
Keywords:
backpacking, backpackers, backpack, europe, trip, vacation, trains, eastern europe
Article Body:
Backpack in hand, you are ready to head to Europe for some fun and sun. Here is some advice for backpackers from someone who has done it multiple times and made the mistakes.
Advice For Backpackers Going To Europe
In my personal opinion, spending a few weeks or months backpacking in Europe should be a mandatory task for every person. Admittedly, it can’t really be called a task since you will love every minute of it. Having backpacked Europe more times than I can count, here are some of the lessons I learned which can help you.
The first piece of advice is to limit the number of things you take. Europe is not located on a far away planet. If you can buy it here, you can buy it there. This includes items such as soap, socks, toothpaste, disposable digital cameras and guidebooks. I guarantee that you will take too much junk with you. Don’t. One or two pairs of shoes, shorts, one pair of slacks [to get into museums and churches] and a couple shirts is all you need. If you need anything else, you can just buy it there.
There is a lot to see and do in Europe, so most people want to maximize their time. One way to do this is to travel and sleep at the same time. Yes, I am talking about the night trains. When moving from one location to another, try to take the latest train and sleep during the trip. You only have a set amount of time. Taking this approach will keep you from wasting valuable daylight hours on the road.
One of the key pieces of advice I can offer you is to use your common sense. If you wouldn’t walk down that alley or into that establishment at home, why the heck are you going to do it in Europe? Europe is very safe and the people are friendly. That being said, every location has its rough spots. Avoid them. Particularly in the Eastern European countries. Trust me on this one!
To maximize your experience, it is best to get off the beaten path. When you visit a city, spend at least a day in a town outside of the city limits. You will discover the real nature of the country. Tourists are fewer, so people tend to be interested in talking with you. There are always a group of older men sitting in a café. Join them and you will be laughing for hours. I did this in Austria and ended up speaking a week in a little village called Halstatt. One of the best times I ever had.
When it comes to tips backpackers and Europe, this final piece of advice is very important. Do not try to see everything. Stick to one country for two weeks, but no less than one week. This lets you get the most out of the visit.
Yes, there are other countries, but you will just have to come back again to see them. Poor you.
Word Count:
510
Summary:
Backpack in hand, you are ready to head to Europe for some fun and sun. Here is some advice for backpackers from someone who has done it multiple times and made the mistakes.
Keywords:
backpacking, backpackers, backpack, europe, trip, vacation, trains, eastern europe
Article Body:
Backpack in hand, you are ready to head to Europe for some fun and sun. Here is some advice for backpackers from someone who has done it multiple times and made the mistakes.
Advice For Backpackers Going To Europe
In my personal opinion, spending a few weeks or months backpacking in Europe should be a mandatory task for every person. Admittedly, it can’t really be called a task since you will love every minute of it. Having backpacked Europe more times than I can count, here are some of the lessons I learned which can help you.
The first piece of advice is to limit the number of things you take. Europe is not located on a far away planet. If you can buy it here, you can buy it there. This includes items such as soap, socks, toothpaste, disposable digital cameras and guidebooks. I guarantee that you will take too much junk with you. Don’t. One or two pairs of shoes, shorts, one pair of slacks [to get into museums and churches] and a couple shirts is all you need. If you need anything else, you can just buy it there.
There is a lot to see and do in Europe, so most people want to maximize their time. One way to do this is to travel and sleep at the same time. Yes, I am talking about the night trains. When moving from one location to another, try to take the latest train and sleep during the trip. You only have a set amount of time. Taking this approach will keep you from wasting valuable daylight hours on the road.
One of the key pieces of advice I can offer you is to use your common sense. If you wouldn’t walk down that alley or into that establishment at home, why the heck are you going to do it in Europe? Europe is very safe and the people are friendly. That being said, every location has its rough spots. Avoid them. Particularly in the Eastern European countries. Trust me on this one!
To maximize your experience, it is best to get off the beaten path. When you visit a city, spend at least a day in a town outside of the city limits. You will discover the real nature of the country. Tourists are fewer, so people tend to be interested in talking with you. There are always a group of older men sitting in a café. Join them and you will be laughing for hours. I did this in Austria and ended up speaking a week in a little village called Halstatt. One of the best times I ever had.
When it comes to tips backpackers and Europe, this final piece of advice is very important. Do not try to see everything. Stick to one country for two weeks, but no less than one week. This lets you get the most out of the visit.
Yes, there are other countries, but you will just have to come back again to see them. Poor you.
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