First, an Adventure

Before I start my life as a starving artist, I'm going to use my substantial accumulated back vacation pay to have one little Adventure.  A travel Adventure.  I'm going to Australia and New Zealand for three weeks, with the trip centered around this year's World Science Fiction Convention and a visit to my old friend Emily, whom I haven't seen since she moved to New Zealand twelve years ago.  I'll also be hitting the NZ natcon, Au Contraire, which is very conveniently located in Wellington, where Emily lives.

My style of Adventure is to:

(1) Minimize expense.  So I'll be staying at cheap motels and hostels and not going out for much fine dining.  I have narrowed my packing down to one small suitcase (small enough to be a carryon), a tiny daypack, and my laptop bag.  (Starving freelance artists ISO gigs cannot be completely offline for three weeks.)  I do not plan to do much shopping.

(2) Not overplan.  I got my round-trip to NZ on Thursday and a one-way ticket to Melbourne for worldcon yesterday.  Melbourne back to NZ is TBD when I figure out how much time I want to spend where, but after some thought I am going to limit my Australia-wandering to Victoria and the Melbourne area, rather than try to squeeze in Sydney as well, since I also want to spend quality time in New Zealand.  Depth rather than breadth.  My only other planning involves a hotel reservation with Emily for worldcon and the purchase of two guidebooks.  All the details I will figure out as I go along, or on the plane outbound.  It will be winter, so all the outdoorsy things people typically recommend for NZ are pretty much out, but other suggestions are welcome.  But I am not going to spend the whole time touring Lord of the Rings filming sites, no matter how pretty the scenery is.

(3) Do it mostly alone.  So I'll be staying with Emily for a few days and doing Au Contraire and worldcon with her, but otherwise traveling solo.  I find that I meet more interesting people that way, and I like not having to please anyone else with my itinerary.  If I want to see fairy penguins and ride ferrys back and forth for no good reason and roll downhill in a giant plastic ball, no one else gets a vote.

I leave from NYC-JFK at 5:00 this evening with a transfer in Los Angeles and return to NYC-Newark on September 12/13 with a lengthy layover in San Francisco during which I will invite people to come visit me at SFO.  I'll try to blog as I go along, but since I don't want to spend my whole Adventure sitting around typing, I may be writing offline and posting things in clusters when I have a chance.  I will take lots of pictures, and maybe even get around to posting them.

It will be an Adventure. 

And I need an Adventure.

Comments

[Mary Aileen]

Sounds like a great trip. Have a wonderful time and don't worry about us; we'll be here when you get back.

[Serge]

Goodness, Susan, you travel almost as light as I usually do and not like some people who bring everything but the kitchen sink.

My best wishes!

[Paul A.]

*whistles innocently*

*stands in front of suitcase in such a way as to hide the drainpipe sticking out at one corner*

[Susan de Guardiola]

Paul:
So, you coming to worldcon?

[Marilee J. Layman]

Have lots of fun! Keep in touch when you can!

[Neil W]

For Auckland in winter I suggest the War memorial museum and going up the Sky Tower, if it's clear. Maybe eat a pie as well.

I'm fairly confident you aren't a beer drinker, but if I'm wrong and you are, I enjoyed the Monteith's black.

[Paul B.]

Have a great time!

[Paul A.]

Susan:

Alas, no. I have too many commitments elsewhere at the same time.

(The universe seems determined to make me regret this.)

[Sorcyress]

Dude, I know I don't get a vote, but if I did, I would totally vote YES on rolling down hills in giant plastic balls. That sounds crazy-fun!

I'm glad you're having an adventure, and I hope you have a wonderful time!

~Sor

[Susan de Guardiola]

Paul A:
I can't remember what corner of the continent you live in, but if it's Victoria, would you like to have lunch or something regardless?

[jonathan eigen]

You should be able to eat pretty well in Australia if you stick to the food courts that are often found in shopping areas and train/subway stations. Eating sit down meals are expensive, but the food courts are reasonable and are much better than the typical american food court.

[Paul A.]

Susan:

Entirely the wrong corner of the continent, I'm afraid. I'm over in Western Australia.

[Carol Witt]

Goodness, I'm so far behind that you're almost back from your adventure! I hope it was all that you wished it to be.