expat Archives | Amiekay's Adventure

January 29, 2018February 21, 2018

Magic in Real-Life: New Zealand’s Glowworm Caves

Note: All Photos in this post courtesy of Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tours unless otherwise specified.

If Epcot ever gets a New Zealand pavilion, I already know what the ride should be: a quick sail through dark waters illuminated only by glow worms.

Let me explain. New Zealand is home to a lot of magnificent sites. From its many mountains to its hot springs, to its Lord of the Rings filming locations, there are a plethora of natural things to see and do here. And while I haven’t seen them all, I have seen quite a few, yet none of them have been as magical or as memorable as my time spent in Waitomo.

Waitomo is a small town on the North Island that has a population of about 50 people. However, its population grows by the thousands on any given day, as travelers from all over come here to see glowworm caves. Now, to be fair, glowworm is a nice name for the fly maggots that glow with bioluminescence in the area, but still, they are a really beautiful sight to behold.

A close-up of the magical glowworms in Waitomo

The many caves in the area are also where Waitomo gets its name. In Maori, the language of the native New Zealanders here, Waitomo is a combination of two words: “wai” or water, and “tomo” or hole. According to the town’s official tourism site, the combining of these words literally translates to “stream which flows into the hole in the ground.” It is these streams that provide the unique environment needed for the glowworms to grow and thrive.

Oh, and because this is New Zealand there was also a hike involved. Here’s a look at some of the limestone rocks that line the Waitomo countryside, and are responsible for the caves in the area (Photo by Amiekay)

There are a number of companies that run glowworm tours in Waitomo, including one that allows you to go rafting through the caves. However, because I went sort of unplanned, we had to call around and really just go with whichever tour would take us. This ended up being Spellbound, a private tour company who has access to caves outside of the town center. For Spellbound’s tour, we took a bit of a lengthy car ride through town, parks, and eventually a private farm. During this time, our comedic tour guide asked us silly questions like “if you were a cake, what kind of cake would you be?” to pass the time. He also told us a bit of history about the area, including the opening of sinkholes that would often result in the deaths of cows.

The tour we were on included a boat ride through a wet cave and a walking tour through a dry cave. Both are interesting and informative, but the first cave is far more spectacular. During this tour, not only are you treated to your first look at the glowworms but also you are given plenty of time for your eyes to adjust before getting into the boat. This means you see more glowworms more clearly.

A picture of the raft we took through the cave.

I have to be honest, the whole thing really felt like a ride at Disney World. It seemed totally unreal and completely out of a storybook, and I found that I had to repeatedly remind myself it was in fact, not only real life but also a natural phenomenon. Sure, the lights were being made by maggots but they are beautiful. (Our comedic tour guide also told us that the glowworms sometimes fall from the ceiling, but luckily this did not happen on my trip.)

After the boat ride, our tour stopped off for coffee and biscuits before heading to the dry cave. The dry cave is a little more traditional and features the tour guide explaining the difference between stalagmites and stalactites. However, there were some only in New Zealand moments. Including a close up look at the skeleton of a Moa bird, an ostrich-like animal that was killed off when the Maori arrived on the island hundreds of years ago. (We also were shown cave wetas and a huntsman spider, but I was a little less thrilled about those things.)

The skeleton of a young Moa that experts believe fell into the cave and died

Another skeleton we were shown, which our guide told us is the “most photographed dead cow” in New Zealand. I think he was joking… (Photo by Amiekay)

Overall, I have to say the glowworm caves are a must-see for anyone visiting New Zealand. While there are glowworms elsewhere in the world, the ones here are larger and more plentiful than anywhere else. And the tours aren’t expensive, either. Our entire tour cost $75 NZD and was 2 hours long, but some of the other tours cost as little as $35 NZD. Much cheaper than Disney World.

A look at what the glowworms looked like to the naked eye (Photo by Amiekay)

November 23, 2017February 21, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

Today is Thanksgiving in the states. While it’s not the first time I’ve “missed” the holiday with my family (working in news will do that to you,) it is my first one being quite literally half a world away, which, surprisingly, is a little difficult for me. In addition to missing my friends and family, I am also missing the “Thanksgiving atmosphere” that tends to fill the States this week. You know what I’m talking about: that festive feeling that the holiday season is upon us.

However, I do want to take a moment to express how thankful I am for all of you reading along and following my experience at the moment. Your input and comments really continue to inspire me to write more, share more, and even just keep going when things get tough. I am amazed at how many of you are interested in my travels and wellbeing; your love and support mean the world to me, and without it, I probably would’ve stopped blogging months ago.

I also want to say how thankful I am for the experience I am having at the moment in New Zealand. I have met so many people here who have supported me through some dark times (and I’m not just talking about the short days!) I also have a wonderful job and a flurry of opportunity ahead thanks to the skills I have learned during my stay here. This experience has also brought me closer to a lot of people back home who I lost contact with and that makes my heart happy.

I do have plans to celebrate the holiday in New Zealand next week, so maybe I’ll write a full post about that at some point, but for now, I just wanted to share a few things I am thankful for with you on this special day.

-Amiekay

August 22, 2017February 21, 2018

Where I’ve Been

So first, I want to apologize for my growing absences from this blog. It is not intentional, but there is a lot of reasons behind it, and I want to bring you up to speed.

I’d like to say by absence is just an unfortunate reality of having a full-time job for the foreseeable future. Yes, almost immediately after my last post I got offered a long-term contract with the company I am temping for. Funny how that worked. (Heck, I even am getting paid time off!) This is all great news as I have one less thing to stress about, but it also means I am much busier than I was when I first arrived in New Zealand, and that means I have less time to explore, and therefore a lot less to write about. (I do want to mention, however, I am still exploring in bite sized amounts and have a lot of fun adventures lined up in the future, so stay tuned!)

But as I said, this isn’t the only reason I’ve disappeared. I’ve also disappeared because I am struggling with the cold. (Yes, it’s the end of summer for most of you, but in the Southern Hemisphere it is very much still winter.) This is making me very homesick for warmer temperatures, and particularly Florida, to the point I was making plans to return there as early next month. My bags were all but packed, and I didn’t write because this reality was a hard one for me to admit, but one I think you should know. As excited as I am to have this time in New Zealand, it is also not an easy transition, especially now that life is becoming a bit more routine.

The homesickness is more than just the temperature. It’s hard seeing my friends in the States go through big life changes, both positive ones, and negative ones, and not feel like I can be there for them. Sure, the internet makes this a bit easier these days, but I am still 16 hours in the future, so that means when most people I love in the U.S. are free to chat with me, I am either asleep or at work.

I am also missing my old life and frankly, having a career. I miss having a car and a place to call my own. I miss having a freaking closet, central heat, and even a video game console. These are all things I would’ve said didn’t mean much to me before I left but once I got here, I find myself daydreaming about these simple and strange things.

Don’t get me wrong, I would not trade my time here in New Zealand for anything. Even though it hasn’t been all positive, it has been great. Wellington is as amazing as everyone says it is, and many of the friendships I’ve made here are ones I will take with me for life. I’ve even bought hiking boots because, well, it’s an activity I’ve actually come to enjoy and one that’s hard to avoid here in New Zealand. (Honestly, even some of the walking paths here are basically mini-hikes.) But it doesn’t make missing my friends and family any easier, and it doesn’t mean I prefer hiking to Disney World because let’s be honest, Star Wars Land is going to be epic.

So where do I go from here? I’m not entirely sure, and I guess that’s always been part of the adventure. I am making strides, however, and learning to embrace my new surroundings in both old and new ways. To combat the chilly winter, I have started going to the gym again, something I did regularly in the States. I’m also meditating and saying “yes,” to opportunities to experience new things both in and outside the city. I’m also trying to find things to make the tiny space I live in feel more like a home because living out of a suitcase has been really difficult.

To end on a positive note, I plan to make a photo post soon of all the “mini adventures” I’ve taken throughout the area. Also, know that I do plan to get back to updating this now that I am in a better space, and ready to get things back on-track instead of just “existing.” I mean, I did buy hiking boots.

July 27, 2017February 25, 2018

The Reality of Finding Work Abroad

Anyone who thinks it is easy finding a job abroad either works in tech or has never actually tried it.

I have been in New Zealand for over 2 months now, and just finally found someone who will pay me to work. And while it is a good gig, it’s only on a temporary basis, which means unless they continue to have a need for me, I could be without a job again come October. And for anyone who enjoys a sense of security, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

I’m a good candidate with lots of experience and I like to think a decent online presence. I come with passion and a somewhat ridiculous work ethic. I have written some incredible cover letters and have applied to dozens and dozens of jobs since moving here. And what has that gotten me in New Zealand? Two interviews and one job offer. (Unfortunately, the job offer was based in a distant suburb of Auckland on weekends, and would almost definitely require me to have a car so I had to turn it down.) This, of course, has affected my confidence and has sort of caused me to withdraw back into myself. It has caused me to walk away from this blog, and spend most of my time wondering why I moved here in the first place.

I have been asking around, and the most common answer I get from anyone is that immigration is a big political issue here at the moment and that I probably won’t be able to find permanent work of any kind until after the election, and employers know more if I am a candidate they can invest in. Meanwhile, I am missing having a career and upward mobility. I am missing creating but at the same time avoiding it because this inability to even just get interviews is new to me, and makes me wonder what I am doing with my life. It makes me think maybe I should return to the States, where I can find work, health insurance, and a sense of stability.

Is any of this New Zealand’s fault? No. Like the States, it only makes sense a country wants to provide for its citizens first before making room for new people like me. I get it, I do, but it doesn’t make my struggle, or any other immigrant or expat’s struggle any less valid. (Or any less frustrating.)

So what am I to do here if I want to stay? Well, I have always loved spending time on the computer since my childhood. (Seriously, ask my family how I would take over the family computer and build websites during middle and high school.) So, I have thought about going to school to learn coding or some other skill in the tech world to make me more appealing to employers. I know it is something I would enjoy, but student debt is a hard reality I am still dealing with and not something I’m sure I want to incur more of.

So what is the point of writing all this? Well, I think people have this misconception that being a qualified candidate makes it easy for you to live anywhere you want. That if you work hard enough, you can achieve whatever dream you have for yourself. But the truth is that this isn’t possible to some extent, as there are external factors at play, especially for people seeking a life in a new country. Short of starting your own business, opportunities are few and far between unless you have a skill that can’t be found in someone else who already has residency or citizenship — or two things you can’t get anyway without a job offer or a native partner.

I am sorry if this seems political, I don’t mean it to be. I simply needed a post to explain where I’ve been for the past few weeks. I have plans to get back into this blog, but I really needed a break while I dealt with some of these issues. Obviously, they haven’t been fixed but I am at a much better place now than I was a few weeks ago. I also wanted to give you some reality into what it is like looking for jobs outside of your country of residence, and just how hard it is to find a job when you are a foreigner, even if you speak the same language.

On another, happier note, the working environment here in New Zealand is quite different than that in the States. (For one, I drank beer in the office yesterday!) But I’ll save that for another post.