New Zealand has a lot of small breweries and everyone appears to have a different favorite beer. Some beer drinkers are very excited about micro beers while others swear by their favorite mass produced macrobrews. What is the largest difference between macrobrews and microbrews? Why should I spend extra money on a micro brew?

You should spend the extra money on microbrewed beer simply because it tastes better.  If you are not dinking beer for the taste, then ask yourself why you are drinking it. 

Microbrewers are like great chefs in that they heave learnt the science and processes of brewing but approach the brewing with artisanal intent (hence the term “Craft Beer”).  The result, whether it is subtle or outrageous, is a unique flavor explosion.  Brewers of macrobrews know and follow the science and processes of beer making well.  Sometimes their beers can be really good but mostly they are like franchised food, consistently bland.

Microbreweries and their staff are also a valuable part of local communities.  Visit a local brewery or a bar stocking local beer and ask someone what else you can do in the town, you’ll be inundated with ideas.  Ask the same at a national chain, stocking national brands, and you’re likely be met with the blank response of someone who hasn’t been given a process to deal with this situation.

All New Zealand beer is unique to most overseas travelers and telling the difference between good beer and “so so” beer can be a real challenge. For newly arrived travelers what is a good way to find and sample quality New Zealand beer?

It’s a hard road to finding great beer here in New Zealand (just like it is in almost every other country in the world).  The longer you stay, the easier it becomes.  The internet is a valuable tool, as is the advice of locals.  The craft beer community is small and quite collaborative, so if you find one place with good beer they will almost certainly be able to pass on the names and directions to other great places… then your journey is underway.

If good craft beer is a “must’ on your trip to New Zealand, then the best advice I could give to a anyone is to check www.ratebeer.com for a list of great kiwi beers and then to post some questions to the forums at www.realbeer.co.nz about where to find these beers (and for any others that are still creeping under the radar).  The Society of Beer Advocates (www.soba.org.nz) is a beer consumer group with plenty of information and links to other beer friendly places.

Kiwis are very proud and very passionate about their beer. Are New Zealand brewers simply recreating recipes from Europe and North America or is this a period of innovation and experimentation that is creating new recipes and tastes?  What make New Zealand beer different than other beers around the world?

Yes and no.  Craft brewing in New Zealand is still very much in its adolescence.  It has, of course, been strongly influenced by brewing styles from around the world – firstly by British ales and German lagers, and more subsequently by hoppy American “west coast” ales – but it is starting to develop a personality of its own.  Our brewers are influencing each other as much as following the direction of their overseas peers.

In the last few years New Zealand has started to become well known for its unique hop terroir.  Pine and fruit descriptors are common, much like American craft ales, but the fruit in our hops is more commonly described as tropical fruits (as opposed to the ‘citrus’ associated with American hops).  I note strong herbal and spicy influences in much of our hops too, which may well stem from the fact that many of the prominent NZ hops are originally of central European origin (Germany and Czech Republic).  NZ hops, though still unknown in the wider world, are beginning to be exported to many of the leading lights of innovation in the brewing world.

We are also now seeing the infancy (or perhaps gestation) of a unique NZ malted barley terroir.  This industry is very much in its early days, and still has a lot of room for development and expansion, but I see it developing a lot in the next few decades.  Craft brewers were mostly using UK and German grown and malted barley and wheat for many years but are now slowly moving over towards New Zealand malt.

Every country has a different tasting room culture. Some tasting rooms are very formal almost like a stuffy wine bar, while others are quite informal. What should a traveler look for in a tasting room experience and what type of behavior should be avoided?

New Zealanders, especially in the metropolitan areas, are a pretty liberal bunch and will tolerate most behavior as long as it does not encroach on them.  We don’t mind if you want to drink wine or a macrobrewed beer (wink, wink).  Our bars generally don’t set concrete dress codes like they may have ten or fifteen years ago – and they certainly don’t expect you to wear a collar and tie into any restaurants, bars or clubs.

Bars serving craft beer vary from upmarket restaurant bars (even fancier than D4 where I met you guys the other day) to cafe-style bars or traditional “public bars”. I’m as comfortable at the formal end as the informal end, it all depends on my mood and the occasion.  Look for whatever you prefer in a bar, and where you feel comfortable.  Most craft beer drinkers are at the more open-minded end of the spectrum.

As a New Zealand beer expert, if a traveler could only sample 3 beers in New Zealand, which ones should they try and where would you get them?

This sort of question is always difficult as I’m the person that very rarely drinks the same beer on two different days in the same month.  I’m always looking for that perfect beer and enjoy the journey and the people I meet along the way. But, in saying all that, here goes:

Emerson’s Pilsner: The classic example of the new world style of “NZ Pilsner’ that has developed from our unique hop terroir.  Don’t expect a classic German or Bohemian style Pilsner from our beers.  Think of the classic interpretations with a fruity hop character more akin to an American Pale Ale (or New Zealand’s world famous Sauvignon Blanc!).

Moa Original (red label): Refermented in the bottle in the méthode traditionelle style that champagne is famous for. Floral and spicy, dry, bitter and complex. Extremely unique and an excellent apertif.

Renaissance Elemental Porter: A black hole of a beer – substantially malty with a complex array of fruity esters and hop flavor, and characterful roasty bittersweet finish.  It is much like, and goes well with, the very best dark chocolate or excellent espresso.

Brewery websites usually contain a section on where their beers are available.  These beers are generally available in New World supermarkets across the country.  The distribution information at www.ratebeer.com will help as well (it can be found in the header section of each beer).

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1. Easy access to outdoor activities (i.e. hiking, rock climbing, bike friendly, etc.)
2. An excellent micro brewery
3. Active and progressive theatre district
4. Walking friendly
5. Quality public transportation
6. Very friendly people

My list has about 10 other points but lets stop here. I am not wandering the world in search of Justin’s version of Shangri-La, and I suspect that Natalie and I will eventually find an acceptable home town. Truthfully, I don’t actually fear settling down, but I was hoping not to fall for a specific city (read: want to stay indefinitely) while nomading  Problematically, Wellington is the first place, since departing the States, I was not ready to leave. I can see myself living and working in Wellington. I want to aimlessly roam the streets and try coffee from every sidewalk cafe. I want to go to the Sevens with a big group of friends, all dressed as Steve Jobs. I want to invest in community theatre and learn everything I can about brewing quality beer. I want to ride in a personal cable car and make life long friends. For me, the city just felt like home. Like a place I can be myself.

Traveling the world has changed my perspective of the United States, providing me with a greater appreciation for my previous home towns (Livonia, Mi, Rockford Il, Kalamazoo Mi, Loveland, Co, Winter Park, Fl). I am not homesick I just miss the community that a static life provides. A nomadic life creates a never ending cycle of “single serving friends” and although this is always interesting, it can be a bit tiresome. I read somewhere recently that if while traveling

everything you see starts to remind you of home, it is time to go home.

Well, very few things remind me of home and I am not ready to hang up my backpack. But eventually, when I grow weary of living on the road, we will need to find a home. Perhaps, Wellington with its absurdly safe streets and quirky personality will become “home”.

Then again, the world is a big place and “home” can always be found around the next curve in the road.  .

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Read with a slight attitude: Forget that!  How about, what did you experience?  Who did you meet?

While developing a sustainable nomadic lifestyle, it is important to both Justin and myself not to get lost in the sea of tourists.  We attempt to approach our travel with a distinct understanding that “tourism” is not our intended goal.  Investing time into experiential travel is one method we utilize to enrich the nomadic experience.  Adapting our way of thinking to experiential travel has been, and continues to be, a process. Experiential travel requires a conscious effort to move past merely observing something to a place where experiencing something is possible.  Bungee jumping and other adrenaline junkie sports, despite Justin’s many persuasive attempts, is not experiential travel.  It’s adventure travel. I like adventure travel, I would just rather learn a skill than gain a temporary adrenaline high. If I can do both at the same time, bring it!

While living in Wellington, we signed up for and completed a SCUBA diving class.  I can’t say it was easy.  We had to go to class, take notes, read the textbook, pass the written exam, and demonstrate our practical skills both in the pool and the ocean.  The Discovery Channel makes diving appear simple, as if all a person needs to know about diving is how to take pictures of exotic fish. I guess its a bit unfair to bag on the Discovery Channel though, taking pictures of exotic fish is way sexier than learning about decompression injuries. Diving is complicated. In fact, I still have water in my right ear.

I suppose that’s an element of experiential travel.  It’s not supposed to be easy, or, for that matter, completely enjoyable.  Breathing salt water through your nostrils, 6 meters below the surface is actually more painful that breaking my nose while running into a wall at full speed. Trust me.  However, if I wasn’t up for a challenge, I wouldn’t have gotten into a wet suit in the first place.  While traveling, many days can be filled with visiting monuments and famous places (while taking pictures like a Japanese tour group), but that’s not why I’m living out of a backpack. I like monuments and famous places but travel is more about culture and experiences than national propaganda and photo ops.

Hello world, I’m Natalie and I want to experience you!

I believe Ariel, in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” sings it best, “I want to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see them dancing.”

And incase you didn’t understand, diving is not as easy as our carrot top mermaid makes underwater adventure look. But the fins do help and I feel amazingly victorious that I completed the class.  Now I am an, SSI certified Open Water Diver.  It means I can dive to a depth of 30 meters (100 feet), although I’m not planning on going that deep quite yet.  I’ll work up to it.  Which is one of the greatest elements of experiential travel.  You always have more to build up to, higher goals to reach, and a new mission to obtain.

Want to become a SCUBA diver?

1. Find an SSI dealer near you.
2. Inquire about when the next ‘Open Water Dive’ certification course will be held.
3. Show up for all classes and try your best.  Hopefully, you too can become certified and be my new dive buddy.  Sorry, Justin you swim too fast.  I want a new dive buddy who wants to swim slow and look at everything.

Diving is experiential travel for me, because I will be able to experience new environments all around the world, while I also aim to further my knowledge and abilities.  Experiential travel can bring a whole new level of excitement to travel.  Maybe you like going on cruise ships.  Have you ever asked to interview the captain?  Or asked to get a tour of the kitchen?  Or a sneak peak at the staff living quarters?  Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?  This is just a small example of taking your next vacation, trip or holiday to the next level.

However, breaking away from the mainstream travel industry to a world of experiences is not the easiest thing to do.  Look for the cooking class, the eco-tour, equestrian riding, performance sailing, or the opportunity to go SnowCat skiing.  Be creative and experience something you are not sure you will enjoy.  You may be surprised!

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Five Things to Do in Wellington When it Rains

1. The Film Archive: The New Zealand Film Archive is located in Wellington and it contains all movies and television shows ever produced in New Zealand. The Archive is FREE and well staffed, thus allowing anyone to quickly find and view hours of Kiwi entertainment. A cafe on site allows you to stay well caffeinated and dry while trying to understand the illusive Kiwi sense of humor. No ideas about what to watch? The Film Archive’s staff are passionate about Kiwi films and television so ask them for recommendations.
2. Te Papa: The famous “Museum of New Zealand”, Te Papa has a diverse number of exhibits ranging from Natural History to current Art displays and everything in between. Most of the museum is FREE and it is easy to lose track of the hours as you wander its densely packed 6 floors. Although much of the museum is geared more towards children than adults, the 2nd floor houses a interactive photo and movie display (entitled Our Space: The wall) that allows museum goers to manipulate images on a series of massive screen interfaces, 10 feet high and 100 feet long. This alone is worth the trip.
3. Internet Cafes: Wellington has almost as many internet cafes as coffee shops. Take advantage of a rainy day to catch up on your email, call home, and plan your next adventure. Take care of the logistics on a rainy day so you are not forced to waste sunny days with obligations.
4. Drink Coffee: Wellington has an active cafe culture, so use a rainy day to sample the local coffee and watch people. You won’t be the only one hiding from the rain in a coffee shop. Chances are you will meet any number of eccentric locals. In the mood to ignore people? Take a book and snuggle into a sofa when watching people loses its appeal.
5. Clothing on Cuba Street: Wellington’s Cuba street is loaded with eccentric clothing boutiques and quality second hand clothing stores. Spend part of a rainy day trying on local fashions and searching for that comfy pair of pants or perfect accessory. If your low on cash, this is still a great way to experience and witness the hub of Wellington sub-culture.

The rain is inevitable. Don’t sit around your hotel or hostel watching movies and moping about it. Get an umbrella and get out into the city. It may be dreary but their is plenty to do. If you only see Wellington in the sun, you are missing half the city.

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This is the type of city where a dozen girls get out of class, in private school plaid skirts (aka “the kilt”), walk to the harbor to strip down to bikinis and jump the 10 feet off the pier into the water.  Sorry guys, no pictures. The girls already seemed to be attracting enough attention without me snapping a few shots.  It’s also the type of city that a man in a full business suit will be spotted skating down the street on an electric deck.  That’s right, why own a Vespa or a Smart Car when you can plug in your skateboard at night and ditch the cost of Petrol?

After traveling New Zealand for well over 3 months now, this is the first place I can actually see myself living.  Breathing in the energetic life and culture is easy.  It’s a bit more difficult to put into words some of the things I have seen and experienced.  Maybe some of my photos will help.  Feel free to visit our gallery for a few more.

Wellington offers everything from Skaters to Doilee covered trees.  The Artistic energy flows through the city as fluid as it’s fountains and unites people from all over the world.  Through spending a few weeks in Wellington, I think it’s easy to say I will leave with the Wellington spirit. “Absolutely, Positively, Wellington!”

Wellington has also helped me further my knowledge on Parkour (it’s a French word).  I was able to meet 3 members of Physical Graffiti the Wellington based Parkour group.  Darren, Chris and Rowan all a part of the group allowed me to watch their sport in action.  Parkour is a rather unique sport that is growing in urban areas all over the world.  The sport involves the skill and agility of a runner or climber but the creativity and poise of an improvisational modern dancer.  It is incredible to watch, I recommend checking out Physical Graffiti in action on YouTube.

After casually interviewing the guys about the sport, Chris and Darren helped me to realize that it is a non-defacing activity, unlike skating.  At times skaters will grind in one place so many times that it causes deterioration or defacing of public buildings and property.  While Parkour allows the motion to be experienced with out the damage causing gear.  Please know that I am very pro urban skating, and not all skaters cause damage to the environments in which they skate.  And incase you were wondering, Parkour can cause many small injuries, especially scratches on the forearms.  Rowan shared with me that he has broken one watch and one cell phone.  So, although Parkour is FREE, it can become expensive depending on what types of fragile items you carry on your body.  If attempting to begin the new sport, I would begin slowly on grass.  Feel free to check out the basic form closer up.

Overall, I agree with Justin that Wellington does seem very clean, safe and friendly compared to the cities I’ve been to in the past. But, there is a unique art culture and vibrant life found in the Wellington Kiwis you just can’t experience up in Auckland (or anywhere else for that matter).  Wellington, you had me at “hello”.

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The problem is that, and this is really sick, Wellington does not feel like a “real” city.

Clean

It is clean. Although, not sparkling like a Scrubbing Bubbles commercial, Wellington is still very clean. For example, I pulled into a parking garage the other day to find a team of street cleaners giving the concrete a deep scrubbing with an industrial buffer. Cleaning a parking garage!?! Seriously? I watched them for about 5 minutes to see if they were filming a commercial or something. They weren’t. I like clean cities, but who would have thought the “Be A Tidy Kiwi” promotions (plastered all over the country) would actually work?

Safe

Wellington is an urban area. Traditionally, there must be a bad part of town. The wrong side of the tracks. A ghetto. This is true of every city right? The problem is, I can’t find it. I have wandered all over the city during the day and at night. I walked through the Lower Hutt and the Town Belt, down the water front and across the Theatre District. I moseyed down Cuba Street and up around Brooklyn and nowhere feels dangerous to me. I even walked, with Natalie, past strip club row without feeling any sense of personal danger. Often, when visiting a city, hostel front desk operators or locals will indicate which places should be avoided. Usually, this occurs without prompting. No one in this friendly town warned me about a “bad” area. I know this is a bit disturbing and, if anything I should be rejoicing in the safe nature of Wellington. A part of me does. Honestly. Another part of me feels out of place, like I’m a character in the Twilight Zone or the Wizard of OZ.

Friendly

People in Wellington are legitimately friendly. This friendliness does not belong just to the shop keepers or people who are trying to sell me stuff. Even people on the street are relatively nice. I like friendly people but friendly (gregarious even) strangers in an urban area kind of weirds me out. It is not that I have a problem with friendliness, it is just that urban areas are typically filled with busy, unfriendly people. Busy people don’t have time to be friendly and they don’t have time to make eye contact on the street. In fact, most busy cities function because everyone participates in an elaborate mind game that involves simply ignoring everyone else. Although anti-social, it cuts down significantly on road rage and homicides.

I understand it is cynical to quantify a city based on its apparent lack of the typical undesirable elements generally associated with urban areas.  I get it. Really. Problematically though, being in a city that is safe, friendly, and clean leaves me waiting for the other shoe to drop. When I know a city has a dangerous area, I feel…comfortable. Like a room with perfect Feng Shui. I know if I go there I will be in danger, and I know that the people who do go there also venture into the “safe” part of the city. Thus, I am never perfectly safe. That is fine as it keeps me on my toes. But, when everything is so clean so safe and so friendly, I slowly let my guard down. Comfort tends to breed negligence and a city, even a small one, is never perfectly safe.

Wellington,

You have nurtured my inner urbanite, helping me to once again find my equilibrium after spending so much time in the rural South Island. We have laughed together and walked together as I joyfully drank in your lights and your winding urban streets. Wellington, we have shared many beers and I have been thoroughly charmed by your theaters and your shops. The problem Wellington, is that I only know the good things about you. No no, don’t protest. I am sure there must be a darkness to your shiny exterior. But don’t worry Wellington, I will continue to laugh and play and allow you to rejuvenate me. But, you must know… I don’t trust you.

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I think one of the best ways to select a live performance in an urban setting is on foot.  Especially, if you are unfamiliar with the city, people, or culture.  What fun!  The individual working the Box Office has no clue that you are semi-interviewing the entire theater through them.  Box Office operators beware, you are the first impression of the Friday night show contending for my consideration.  You are the face of the theater.  No stage makeup necessary. The personality of this key individual can make or break whether or not I purchase tickets.

When I walked into the Bats Theatre I knew I could experience a high energy intimate show, through their black box theater.  I asked about one of their upcoming shows, “Words Apart” only to find out it was sold out on Valentines Day evening (Feb 14th is just days away. Incase you are suddenly frantic because you forgot to do something special, breathe, you still have time).  Yeah, I was a little bummed that “Words Apart” sold out because it’s an adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”, and it’s described as, “a young Deaf man struggles to find love in a predominantly hearing world”.  Sounds like a romantic Valentines Day activity to me.  Oh, well, I’ll have to seek out other cupid plans in Wellington (and that was cupid, the little guy with the arrows, not a stupid typo).  I could always get tickets for the night after Valentines Day, it could still be a romantic date for Justin and I.

Forgetting about the Hallmark holiday, I continued to hang out with the nice girl (it’s true, I can’t remember her name) at the ticket box and inquired about a dance intensive show that interested me.  Finally, with no theatrical conclusions made, I asked the question, “May I take a look at your black box?”. She agreed and set me loose to do some exploring.  A bit of try it before you buy it.  Who wouldn’t want to walk into the theater venue, sit in a seat, and try to imagine the type of show they wanted to see?  The options are truly endless with a black box theatre: improvisation, a series of one act plays, a poetry reading, a beat boxer, or maybe some choreography with a mix of intense lighting and sound?

As I walked into the black box, I found a few friendly Kiwi’s with hundreds of cardboard boxes.

The Purposefully Edited Version of What Happened Next:

Natalie: “Are you guys working on the set for a show?

(Natalie’s) Internal Monolog: Okay, I was right.  Man I miss theater, I’ve gotta see a show soon.  Wow, this bunch of Kiwis is way too outgoing and dynamic to be the stage crew.  No offense to my flat building buddies.

Natalie: “Are you guys the cast?”

(Natalie’s) Internal Monolog: Sweet as (that’s what Kiwis say right?), I’m meeting the cast.  La la La la La laaaaa!  Wow, they seem like fun.  I should talk Justin into seeing this show.  It will be sweet as.  There we go, now I’ve got the Kiwi convo down.  Except that it’s in my head.  Hmmmm, I better let this great cast know I am interested in the show and that I am not just drooling over their cool cardboard boxes.

Now a Word From our Sponsor: Reality

Justin and I now have tickets for the opening night performance of “Drowning Bird Plummeting Fish” presented by Binge Culture.  What fun!  I know we are going to see a unique show with an environmental awareness theme. Even the flyer a cast member handed to me was printed on re-used paper.  Needless to say, if I had not ventured by foot into the Wellington Theatre District, I would not have met the cast and bought tickets to see this show.  It counts to go by foot instead of merely browsing different theater’s websites.

Another theater I visited today, during my “interview the person at the Box Office adventure”, was the Downstage Theatre.  I’ve seen advertisements for a show called, “Turbine” all over Wellington.  Amy, at the Box Office, convinced me that I should see the show, simply by mentioning that it had first been performed at the Bats Theatre last year.  Since it did so well there, they took it to the next level.  In the end, I purchased tickets to see a special performance of “Turbine” next week which includes a post show cast discussion.  I love these opportunities to meet the cast and crew after a performance and to be able to consider different aspects of the show as a collective audience.

Since the Downstage Theatre seems to be larger and better funded than the Bats Theatre, I can only hope that more little black box shows will build to the Proscenium level in the future.  Who knows?  Maybe Binge Culture will soon present “Drowning Bird Plummeting Fish” at a Theatre near you.

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Justin and I had an amazing day walking around downtown people watching, or perhaps costume watching.  I wish we had known…we would have dressed up too.  However, thousands of people walked by us in hundreds of different outfits and this made Wellington a much more colorful place to spend a Saturday.  All of the costumes were enhanced because each group of people had a theme.

Highlights from the day:

1. The tin man (of Oz) crossing the street almost planted a kiss on me…talk about silver face paint…shiny happy people having fun.
2. The dozens of men dressed as big “tickle me Elmo’s”.  Don’t worry we didn’t tickle any of the men. It was a hot day and I didn’t want to test the strength of their deodorant.
3. The tango dance class in the street, with interrupting penguins.  That’s right. They had orange diving fins as feet and everything.
4. Justin watching me verify with a cop what time the train would leave the station, only to realize I was not talking to a strange man in costume, but I was in fact addressing a cop.
5. William Wallace’s shouting “FREEDOM”. I made William Wallace plural because their were at least 8 or 9 of them.
6. Thomas the Train (each person in a straight line) choo-chooing by.

By late afternoon Justin and I became more or less immune to the various costumes and we felt out of place because we were dressed up as tourists.  We turned the corner to discover a group of girls, each dressed all in white with two red stripes encircling their waists.  Then, I realized they were standing super straight and facing Justin and I.  “Want to bowl?”, one of the pins shouted eagerly.  “Yeah, knock us down, see if you can get a strike”, another one shouted, while other pins giggled and smiled.

Instinctively, Justin and I thought, that meant we were suppose to roll and make full contact in order to knock them down.  Then, one of the pins handed me a tennis ball and said, “If you hit any of the pins with this, they will fall.”  So, I gently, bowled the tennis ball and struck the front lead pin.  She fell down and caused all the rest of the girls to tumble to the pavement. “STRIKE”!!!! chorused the pin girls.

Justin’s turn came next. This time they let us use the bowling ball.  Not an actual ball but Nic, dressed up as a big blue bowling ball.  Her exact words to Justin were, “Alright you have to get a finger in each of the three holes.  One-two-three!”  And she went flying towards the pins.  It was a truly spectacular sight.  I wish you could have seen it.

Many awesome costumes were seen throughout Wellington , but by far the bowling pins and bowling ball were the absolute best of all.  Don’t the pictures make you want to be a pin?  Or would you be the bowling ball like Nic was?  She was a pretty cute bowling ball.  Don’t you agree?

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