Touring About With Me

A lot of you would never have heard of couchsurfing before. Well I hadn’t either until 6 months ago. I started surfing the net looking for ways to save money on travel and accommodation.  As we all know  accommodation can really eat up your holiday money. Here in New Zealand we are lucky as we do have a lot of different options for accommodation. I don’t think we are to badly priced against that of other countries. We might even have a lot more cheaper options to offer the traveler. Will look into a few different ones for you, but for now a little about couchsurfing.

I have just had or should I say done my first hosting this week. What fun it was too. I joined couchsurfers about 6mths ago, so I could meet people from all over the world, that I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet any other way. It has become a very big organization, with people joining everyday from every country in the world.

OK so what is it you ask???…
I have a spare bedroom so I offer it to someone traveling here for free. Then when the day comes that I’m lucky enough to travel,  I’ll have made a new friend I could stay with .  But it doesn’t have to be, I have you you have me, there are so many happy to host you too.
“CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.”

A lot of the people have a couch they are happy for someone to sleep on, or like me a spare bed or two. It is a real fun way to meet people and make life long friends. The young lady I hosted is a German born girl living in the USA. She is traveling around New Zealand with her partner, (didn’t meet him sadly as he went to the West Coast). I would never have met this lovely girl if I hadn’t joined CS.  You may think what a strange way to travel and a uncertain way to get accommodation too.  It’s as easy as emailing a friend.  You can find a couchsurfing host in time for your arrival in what ever town you wish to travel too. Some only meet for a coffee or to show the traveler around their area.  Which is just as good as having your own tour guide. No-one knows their hometown better than a local.  Well I know I have a lot to learn about my hometown. It opens your eyes as to what the overseas traveler wants to see.

Take a look at the website and see for yourself how safe it is and the people you could meet.  You might even be surprised on who you know in your own hometown that are hosts or travel this way too. There are 1 million members worldwide, so think that speaks for itself.  Who can argue with free accommodation and meeting someone from a different culture. It’s not only about somewhere for a traveler to sleep, it’s an experience, an adventure into a different way of life. Theirs and yours. So dare to be the next couchsurf member and have fun.  Age is no barrier.  I know I will be happy to host again and again…

Well had a great time at bluesbrews&bbq’s. The day could not have been nicer. I think at one point we got up to 35d, very hot. So the plan of taking sun block, hat and dear I say it a umbrella (the sensible folk took one too ). It was good to see people not being dumb and sitting in the sun all day. They had put up a couple of big shade tents, which as my friend and I were lucky to be able to lay our trendy brown chequered blanket under, only because we were there nice and early. (Told you I’d be at the gates when they opened.) Good idea to get to these things early if you want a good spot. But really with an event like this all spots are great as you can walk around as much as you like. We were even brave and left our bags on our trendy blanket, thats how safe you felt.

It was great to see all the different age groups. From families with teeny tots to (sorry dad) the older generation. We watched this dear alder chap I’d say in his 70’s having a whale of a time. He had this amazing smile on his face all day and night. Really got into the groove of it all. There would have been a few love connections that day too. The oh I can drink now age groups and what that drink can do to ya. Yes lots of  sights to see. I’ll leave that to your own imagination.

Can you imagine what it’s like being in a big field with around 4000 people with the sun beating down on you, oh the thirst that builds up. Yeah right just a good reason to do a little tasting of all the different beers, ciders,wines,food and coffee can’t forget that.

The day was filled with smells, music, dancing, voices of laughter and fun, and the odd scream. That coming from the few that do over indulge (not me true).

For the food I do have to say I did expect more. Well not so much more food as there was heaps of that. But it’s called blues brews and bbq’s. We walked around the whole area before we decided what to have first and you won’t believe this but all I had was some hot chips. OK thought good to line tummy before ale tastings. But really apart from having an ice cream or a big meal, there wasn’t much else. The meat and buns were really big and pies not.  There wasn’t really that many things actually cooking on a BBQ. I wanted to watch how they cooked fancy stuff on the barbie, but a lot of it was done behind the counters of the stalls, so couldn’t really see it. I suppose if I asked they would have let me round the back of the stall to watch,you think. They did have a great Texas bbq, which cooked pork and beef and the smell from that was mouth watering. Yes we got food from there for tea. Beef with pasta salad and bun. yummy very sweet tasting beef. There was oysters, paua, whitebait fritters other seafood stuff (not me sorry) which I’m sure lots enjoyed. Over all there would have been something to tempt everyone into eating heaps, which we did. The coffee did go down well to, it was a long day.

The Ales, well every colour of gold to dark brown and more you could think of. Yes I had blonde beer from Bop Brewery (OK I know the blonde jokes) but it was nice and lite, can I say that about beer. Also tasted cider which I didn’t think I would like, but there was one from Bulmer/Harvest Cider which I did enjoy too. You had so much choose from the good old tried and true Tui to yes Blonde beer. I didn’t taste the wine as don’t like to mix but there was a good selection of that too.

The music was fab all day and all night. Hamish Pinkham missed his flight from Auckland, but they just changed acts around until he arrived a bit later. He seems very popular here in the Bay. The line up was.. Hamish Pinkham, Devils Elbow, Pulse, Tropical Downbeat Orchestra, Ian Morris & The Undefeated, The Checks and lastly Naked Gun who really had the crowd going and wanting more. Think they ended up doing 3or more songs to please everyone. Not really a blues band but enjoyed all the same. A good mix of music, lots of people up dancing. I think we all had a great time just being there amongst a neat lot of folk. I nearly forgot they had a competition for fancy dress and boy there was some sights. Even a group dressed as a boat, yes a boat (do have some pic’s to put up yet). 2 amazing looking fire girls which court a lot of attention and why not. Lots of great hats,wigs, and a police women who actually won the first prize, not your normal looking police women though..  A really fabulous days outing, something any tourist to our hometown should have on their to do list while here enjoying the Bay.

So what did I think of the day.  Fabulous

Would I go again. For sure

If you went, let us know how you enjoyed the day too.

A big Welcome to you.

I hope to take you on a journey with me around and about my home town, once I  have set all this up looking great for you.

I know you’ll enjoy seeing where I live, what happens here and why you should come visit.One being it is such a beautiful place.

I will be visiting your home town in the not to distant future as it’s my desire to see the world and show it to you through my eyes. Which will hopefully inspire you too, to get out and see what is around you and hopefully the rest of the world.

Home is always a great place to start. It’s funny how you can live in a town, city or even in the country and not really know much about your own surroundings.

I have lived here in the Hawkes Bay of New Zealand since 1987 and have only just discovered I know very little of what and where the tourist usually go. How bads that.

Well that is about to change. I’ll set my theme up get my camera out and we’ll be off.

So please do call back in the next few days as hope to have all looking great, and start showing you something of the Hawkes Bay. Even if it is only a few photo’s that I like to take while out walking.

So see you again soon

Deb

Hi guys

Just wanted to give a quick update and as you can see I have finely picked my theme. Only taken me days to do it, as others I picked couldn’t use for one reason or another. I’m just waiting to find out if the photo in the header of this can be changed. Yes it’s sadly not of where I live, but I’m sure I’ll be able to find a photo of the Bay at night that looks just as inviting if not more so.

There are a fair few things on in the Bay this weekend so I’ll get some links up for you to take a look at. I myself am off to (for the first time) Blues Brews nd BBQs http://www.bluesbrews.co.nz/home  , at the Show Grounds in Hastings on Saturday 17th January. I’ll be at the gate when it opens at 2.30pm.  So looking forward to it and hope to take heaps of photos so you will be beating at the bit to go next year.

Ok said a quick update so that’s it for this post. Sorry will add links when all setup.

Thanks everyone