New Series!

As much as I'd love to stick to my original plan to make this a 'Travel' blog, I thought that it wouldn't really hurt to add something new to this blog. As a travel AND food lover, why not talk about food too? This blog is a hobby of mine, and of course we can do what we like when it comes to hobbies, right?

So, I decided to make a Food series: Ada's Food Review!

Basically what it means is that I will still be mainly focused on travelling posts, but will add 'Ada's Food Review' posts once in a while. I will either give a review of a snack or food that I have tried, or even a review of Restaurants I've been to. No, I do not get paid for these reviews so I promise you that it will never be biased, 100% my personal take on them. 

Here begins..

Ada's Food Review  |  Ep.1 MOBY!

I recently got addicted to these Philippine snacks. 

Now, I know they look pretty average and all, but these have got to be one of the best snacks to munch on anytime, anywhere. My friends and I saw this VMart, and they were only 99 cents (NZD) so we decided to give them a try. They're perfectly crafted in my humble opinion. I'm not a fan of over-flavoured chips and all, if you get what I mean. I don't like snacks with too much seasoning powder, so these really gave me satisfaction. They taste like your usual popcorns (they're not really popcorns though), but as written on the package:

No Hulls.

No Hard Kernels.

Melts in your mouth.

I'm actually muching on these as I type, and I really have to say, they're the best version of popcorns to exist. They really do melt in your mouth, they don't have hard kernels which I really don't like and they're really cheap. The prices for an average-sized 60g packet of Moby Caramel Puffs go from about 99 cents to at most $2 in my experience. I know 60g sounds a bit too little but these caramel puffs are very light, a 60g packet really contains a lot of them. 

Tip when buying: Don't buy only one. One's never enough. Thank me later.

Overall: 9/10. For the simple yet delicate taste, and cheap price.

Hidihi, Queenstown! (+ a few tourist tips)

I recently got back from a Geography field trip to Queenstown, New Zealand and I must say, it was fantastic! 47 students, with 3 teachers, all headed on a bus ride to Qtown for a 5D3N trip (for educational purposes may I assure you).

Day 1: Just the bus ride mainly, and grocery shopping at Pak'nSave Frankton. Queenstown is a popular tourist destination, so you would expect the prices to be a little bit demanding, hefty, in the Central Business District (a.k.a. the town centre).

Tip #1: Just a little further out the town, into the residential area, Frankton, there are many retail stores and shops that offer much lesser prices for groceries and whatnot. Don't buy your snacks and grocery from the Four Square in the CBD, go to Frankton instead. Pak'nSave is a good option, save your money!

Day 2: Skyline Queenstown Gondola and Luge! This was an absolutely fun day, we got to go on the gondola and witness the most spectacular view of Queenstown! Plus, it was lightly snowing on the day we went. The Luge, was also an amazing experience, like the tagline itself 'Once is Never Enough'. We bought tickets for a Gondola ride + 3 Luge Rides, and I must say even three Luge rides aren't quite enough. Super fun, an activity for all ages.

Tip #2: Going on the Gondola sure is fun, but you can never complete the experience without trying the Luge! Highly recommend to go for the 3 or 5 Luge ride packages. Prices below (valid until 31st March 2020):

(this is what a Luge ride would look like)

After that, my friends and I went to try what has been said as 'The Best Burger in the World' according to CNN and many other news outlets- The Fergburger. It was packed, people were lining up outside the store. There were such a variety of burgers and they were all good. Deeply satisfied with my Chicken burger, delicious!

Tip #3: You can order through phone, so that you don't have to go through the hassle of long wait. Their menu can be checked here, and just ring +64 3-441 1232 to place an order. Simple.

Day 3: Hoped on the TSS Earnslaw Boat Cruise, and experienced a Walter Peak farm excursion. The TSS Earnslaw is the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. Interesting, right? We got to see the mechanics of how the steamboat worked and of course, enjoy the magnificent view. At Walter Peak, we got to tour the farmyard, feed Cattles, goats, Alpacas, Donkeys and more. Oh, and a delicious all-you-can-eat afternoon tea buffet is included in the package, with delicious, hot scones!

Day 4: AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Center. Oh no, I did NOT try bungy jumping (I want to live, thank you very much), but I did go on the Zipline. DId I mention how this is literally the home of world bungy jumping? Yes, New Zealander AJ Hackett along with his friends commercialised the bungy frenzy, made it an extreme sport for everyone to enjoy. Now we say: Thank you, New Zealand.

I brought my GoPro Hero 7 Black, and tried to record most of the exciting things on the trip, so check out the video I compiled:




We also went to Fear Factory, a popular haunted house attraction in Queenstown. Think you're brave? Think again. Try going to Fear Factory and test yourself. Over 17,000 people have chickened out, definitely not an activity for the light-hearted.

Here's a video I recorded at Fear Factory:



Day 5: Headed back to Christchurch.

There's tons of cool stuff to do in Queenstown, New Zealand, and even if you don't do anything, simply enjoying the view itself is also a good deal. Relax, unwind. Take a break from your daily headaches and book a flight to Queenstown!