Old Fishes, New Photos

Took some photos today prior to selling.. decided to clear up 75% of my fishes collection in this 2-3 months time, as i'm flying off to New Zealand soon for a long period of time.

Some of the old fishes, but new photos taken just this evening..
1. Ameca splenden, the Mexican livebearing goodeids RM30 each


2. Bumble Bee Platy RM25 a pair




3. Campoma guppy RM80/pair


4. Red Lace guppy RM80/pair




5. Vietnamese White Cloud, Tanichthys micagemmae RM15/pc




6. Manacapuru Angel/Wild Peruvian Angel RM50/pc

Travel and Transportation in New Zealand

You'll be traveling by foot a lot in New Zealand! I've done the most walking ever in my life during my 3 months in New Zealand.. haha

Bus - Intercity - NakedBus

However, there's plenty of options! Public transport such as buses are very good and punctual. For those who wants to travel far, i suggest booking with Intercity NZ. They offers one of the most cheapest bus fare ever! Just book a day or two before and you'll get some amazing deals. Besides Intercity, you'll find NakedBus, Atomic Shuttles (south island) and few more companies i cant recall right now..

Oh ya, i travel by bus the most also in my life during the 3 months holiday.. 4 hours ride, 6 hours ride, 8 hours ride, 11 hours ride, u name it! This is what i do to save money.. bus is cheap! If you want cheaper, you can always try hitch hiking.. i heard it's quite easy to get (my sis does.. so do most girls.. just becareful and watch out for wary drivers.. ). Guys will be harder to hitch any rides, so... good luck!

Bicycle


This is a great mode of transportation.. although you must be fit seriously.. there's so many hilly roads at some places (almost died of exhaustion cycling up Queens Street in Auckland! hahaa.. sorry ler, my stamina is not that good... )

You can get a cheap one, probably under NZD100 or so..

Environmentally friendly, free, exercise and be fit.. highly recommended! It's safe to ride bicycle in NZ, drivers there are very wary and watch out for pedestrians and cyclist, and there's dedicated bicycle lanes in most places. It's not like in Malaysia where... drivers are crazy!

Motorbike

Some of us might think of getting motorcycles there.. i still dont have much information except that i heard there's some license to take.. i will update this part when im there.

Car


Car is dirt cheap in New Zealand! You can get car as cheap as NZD1000! The only thing is fuel, but it is good if you have few friends to share with.. car pooling.. if you have cars, you can travel far by yourself, dont need to worry about the weather (it can be 4 seasons in a day..) and it's heated so it'll be comfortable as well. The only thing is fuel... for those who are budget conscious!

Driving in New Zealand is pretty safe too, everyone follow law. Speed limit and speed traps are everywhere, so dont break the law. There's no bribery there..no duit kopi anymore..

You can use our Malaysian driving license there, as long as you get it translated to English by JPJ. It only cost RM10. Cheap. Just get it done, whether you going to drive there or not. You'll never know..

New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme 2012

Oh yes, i've finally received the confirmation of the approval of New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme for year 2012! Cant wait to go there again soon!

To all the successful applicant, congratulations! It's time to prepare, physically and mentally before you head to NZ! I do have some guides and experience to share during my 3 months stay in New Zealand as a backpacker.

What to bring and wear?

• Make sure you have at least a set or two, Long Johns for the cold weather
• Hats, sweaters, wool shirts, although i do fine without those.. what i wore during the winter is just Long john, 2 t-shirt, and a jacket  (make sure it's insulating and wind-breaker as well.. NZ is very windy!) and of course, jeans. However, wool attire are always better choices, especially when wet.
• Good socks and very comfortable shoes (i suffer from bad walking/hiking shoes.. every step hurts, so it's better to buy a pair of good shoe now, test it few weeks before you go) Spend over RM250 on a waterproof hiking shoe and end up, pain, smelly feet sometimes, cant walk on icy roads.. gonna buy new pair soon :P

You don't need to bring a lot of clothings.. you don't sweat as much as in Malaysia anyway :P and washing machines are available at the backpackers (and of course, rental house) Pack lightly so you can travel happily and enjoy..

And that, i got a problem too, because i have to bring 2 backpacks, one for clothings and stuff, the other for laptops/cameras/gadgets... phewww.. thinking to get a rollerbag too! Imagine hiking and walking uphill with 10kg gadget bag and 20-30kg backpack. A bag with roller will be a great help! NZ roads are pretty hilly sometimes...

What to buy there first?

• It's gonna be cold, so, get an electric blanket (from Warehouse, only NZD19 for single size) and sleeping bags (I bought at Warehouse too, NZD25) I suffer the first night at rental room, freezing cold, without pillow/blanket/heater/sleeping bag/electric blanket.. unforgettable night! SO better be prepare!
• BBH card
• Telephone card - i bought Zero Degree NZD5 for sim card and NZD20 for top-ups to call home and friends

For your first week or two, you can stay in backpackers while looking for room to rent. It cost about NZD18-25 per night, and usually it's pretty clean, safe and fun! So don't worry so much, make friends, open your mouth and talk, and you'll feel like home pretty soon :P

Will continue updating with some informations soon...

Information about Transportation HERE
Travel and Transportation in New Zealand

Doberman Pinscher puppy

My Doberman pinscher puppies just enter 3rd week of life, and there they are, play fighting and show some aggressiveness and guard dog basic already.. barking when i walk in to the compound. Im amazed!

Here's of the male puppy, showing some dominance here..


And here's the best of the litter, the one and only red & tan female! She's so so huge!