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Penarth, Our Way to Cardiff.

We decided to take a short detour to Cardiff for a bucket list item. We found out the Wales rugby team was playing the New Zealand All Blacks! When we were in New Zealand a couple years ago, it wasn’t rugby season so we weren’t able to catch a match, unfortunately. So we jumped on the chance to see the famous Haka!

This diversion wasn’t part of the original plan, but thanks to our amazing travel business we were able to find affordable flights from Dublin to Cardiff and a lovely bedroom in a 3 story townhouse in Penarth, just a 10 minute train ride from Principality Stadium for the rugby match. The tickets were sold out, but we were able to find some (not so affordable) on a resale website. Totally worth it though!

When we arrived in Penarth, we were greeted by our gracious hosts who walked us through the town to the train station, but not without stopping for a pint first.

Penarth is an amazing suburb of Cardiff. Lovely shops, pubs, and restaurants. It’s a small area where everyone knows everyone. Our host was saying “hello neighbor” and “where are you going to watch the rugby match?” To practically everyone we passed on our walk.

After our pint, we hopped the train to the stadium. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people – over 70,000 attending the rugby match and countless others watching in nearby pubs! A good mix of Wales and New Zealand fans wandering up and down the closed off streets (too many people for cars!) stopping at souvenir shops and getting a quick bite and pint.

Once inside the stadium, we felt like we were at the Super Bowl! Such a fun atmosphere and all the fans were very nice despite the fact that we were sporting All Blacks gear. We should note that each person it allowed to purchase 4 alcoholic beverages at once, which makes carrying those and your hot dog all the more difficult.

We watched as the fire canons went off as team Wales entered the field. Everyone cheering and chanting to get pumped up! Then came New Zealand. They got in a triangle formation and began the Haka. A true treat and totally intimidating. Wish we could’ve seen the faces of team Wales (they’re back were to us). Although we imagine them with “game faces”, but shaking on the inside. Haha. You can see the video of the Haka on our Instagram – @endlesstravel365.

The match began. The first half was a great site, each team going back and forth scoring. Rugby is a pretty crazy sport to watch live. Especially since they don’t wear pads or helmets. The fans are equally as crazy, chanting “WALES! WALES! WALES!” and singing a traditional song to keep the players energized. The second half was all New Zealand. Final score 33-18.

After the match we let the crowd disperse a bit then made our way down to the field as all the players were heading into the locker rooms. Justin even managed a selfie with one of the All Blacks! Lindsay was too short to get in the pic, but did get a high five!

We made our way back to Penarth and met up with our hosts back at the pub. We hung out for hours discussing the match, laughing at our similarities as couples, and learning about Wales culture. What was a trip to a rugby match turned into an excellent two days with new friends. A true gem and we would’ve loved to stay longer, but we will be back for sure.

Enjoy the Ride,

Justin and Lindsay

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A New Zealand Road Trip

New Zealand was a bucket list trip for us. We didn’t have much of a plan going into it, just the first and last day and a rental car, but that’s how we travel – fly by the seat of our pants. Nonetheless, here are a few pieces of advice that we wanted to share with you about our trip.

  • DO – Rent a Jucy van.
    • Start your road trip in the South Island (Queenstown is a great place to begin, with the best lamb burger and mountain ski town vibe) and rent one of these colorful vans. They need people to drive them back up to the North Island and will let you rent it for dirt cheap. An insiders tip we wish we knew.
  • DO – See Milford Sound.
    • The 8th Wonder of the World. Huge mountains plummeting into the Sound, vast waterfalls, ferry boats moving slowly in and out of the area, low lying clouds. Truly breathtaking. We’ve never seen anything like it. Not a bad place to get engaged either.
  • DO – Eat at the top of the Auckland sky tower, preferably after you jump off of it.
    • Yes, you can jump off the 630 ft. tower at 53 mph for a mere $225. But Orbit 360 at the top offers the best 360 view (the restaurant rotates!) and a delish menu of local fare. A bit on the pricey end, but you won’t be disappointed. If you’re going to splurge, this is the place to do it.
  • DO – Go for a hike at Abel Tasman National Park.
    • Or take a boat ride, or kayak, or camp, or all of the above – an adventurers paradise. This National Park has some awesome trails and amazing scenery, including a sand wall, some awesome waterfalls, Harwoods Hole – the deepest vertical shaft in NZ. Not to mention our personal favorite, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle rock naturally made by the waves of the ocean. TURTLE POWER!
  • DO – Know that if you get sick in Westport and have to separate from your group, there will be a nice gentleman with a prop plane that will fly you to Wellington for a price.
    • There are no rental cars, no trains, no buses. It’s a small fishing town, no fuss, no muss, but the people are nice (like everywhere in NZ) and are willing to fly you to Wellington to meet up with your crew for a small fee. If you want more details on this story, find our friend Dan.
  • DON’T – Rely on WiFi or your smart phone.
    • You typically have to pay for the WiFi per GB. It is a good idea to purchase the international plan for your phone. You’ll be happy you paid the extra monthly fee. Also, don’t forget your international outlet adapter. NZ is amazing, but it is behind in technological advances.
  • DON’T –  Run over a giant shard of metal in the middle of the road – it will pop your tire.
    • In the South Island the towns are few and far between, AAA doesn’t exist, and you’ll have to hitch a ride from a passerby to the nearest tire shop. Also it is important to note that a passerby could take anywhere from 10-60 minutes and could consist of an old 1950’s pickup truck with a bed full of sheep carcasses.
  • DON’T – Underestimate the wave meter on the ferry between Picton and Wellington.
    • The ferry will have a wave meter that tells you how calm (or not) the water is. It reminds us of Smokey the Bear and the fire danger signs – only you can prevent 6 foot waves. Our ferry ride started off at a 1 rating or “calm water”. Once we got out into the middle of the sound it felt like what we imagine riding a bull to be like. The bartender nonchalantly will state “I don’t think they got the wave rating correct today. I would give this a 3”. A 3 out of 3? Nope, a 3 out of 5. We wonder what a 5 would be like. A hurricane perhaps?
  • DON’T – Forget your camera. 
    • If you have a professional one, bring it. You’ll be happy you did. If you have your smart phone camera, bring it. You’ll be happy you did. Really anything you have to capture the beauty of the country, bring it. You’ll be happy you did.
  • DON’T – Spend any less than a month there.
    • There is so much to do and see and experience. We crammed it in 10 days, which was definitely not long enough. Take your time and really enjoy what this amazing country has to offer. We can’t wait to go back!

 

Enjoy the Ride,

Justin & Lindsay

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