Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo (Part 2)

Welcome back, everyone..

This is another super duper late post (the trip was made in 2023) but I'd love to share more of our experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. How I miss our days there 😍!

So, let's continue our trip on this sweet escapade we have to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo.

Don't miss the first part and you can read Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo (Part 1) too. You can see how fun and excited it was.

As we continued our trip to  Lake Taupo, we arrived in late afternoon at Taupo area, just in time to enjoy the lovely sunset by the Lake. We stayed at Cascade Lakefront Motel and took 2 big rooms,- more like apartment, for 13 of us. All the ladies and kids stayed together and the boys got their own room. The hotel is perfect because it has direct access to the lake. And Lake Taupo, famous for its sunset and lake-related activities, is not disappointing at all. I have to say we had excellent sunset here! You can see that in my YouTube video as well :). I was actually planning to try the pool and the hot tub but we were running out of time. 

That night, we had dinner in one of the restaurants in the nearest area. I forgot what’s the name of the place, will check it out on Google Maps and get back to you on that. For sure, we ordered Korean BBQ, sun dubu, japchae, and more (I hope I write them write). Kids really loved the restaurant and they really devoured their food.

I have shared the review of the Cascade Lakefront Motel on my Youtube Channel

We spent some times enjoying sunset here and the had dinner in the nearby restaurant. This time, we had some chickens and a lot of desserts. Well, kids love all the cakes and chocolates for sure. Really enjoyed the adventures here..

Of course, our adventures continue in Huka Falls and Three Sisters and the Elephant. Have you heard of these place before?

Three Sisters and the Elephant is the famous spot in New Plymouth where you can see the big rocks and unique formation that stand close to each other. We came at the right time, about to be sunset and the dramatic sky was dominating the area. It was magical! Tell me what you think about this place.. 

We stopped by at this place and parked our cars in the designated area. My husband got his drone ready as well while we walked to the Three sisters rocks. We really have to be careful because while it was low tide, we could walk closer to the rocks, yet we have to know when the high tide starts before we went back to the car.

We were lucky! We got to see the three sisters rocks as well as the elephant, although the elephant rock didn't look like an elephant with its distinct trunk anymore because of the erosion. Yet, the sunset gave us great sky and wonderful ambiance. 

We took tons of photos, videos and drone footage. After that, we cleaned up a bit and continued our journey to Wellington. It was a great journey indeed and I sincerely hope we can go back to Aotearoa New Zealand for more adventures.

See you on the next story!

The Hobbiton - A beautiful journey for the fans of the Lords of the Rings and the Hobbits

 Hi everyone... 

It's been quite sometimes I haven't been updated indahnuria.com! Well, life has been super fun and busy, and I haven't manage to sneak some times to write some of those adventures here in my blog. 

But, now, here I come, with some photos and stories about the Hobbiton.

welcome to the Hobbiton

Before I start sharing more, have you ever heard of this wonderful place before? or perhaps familiar with the movies?

For those who claim themselves fans of Sir Peter Jackson's works, - the Lords of the Rings and the Hobbits,-  like me, then you must be familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien's books as well as the movies.

Living in Aotearoa for a mere 2 years, #thefrakarsas are lucky enough to take some road trips around Aotearoa, New Zealand, For sure, 2 years is far than enough to explore this wonderful country.

So, our trip to The Hobbiton took place in 2022, during fall, just before winter. We went to Rotorua and had so much fun there. We stayed in Rotorua, enjoying the Skyline and luge as well as warm bath there, then head to the Hobbiton.

We drove to Mata mata, the name of the area where the Hobbiton is located. Before coming here, I have already booked the tickets for the 4 of us. So they have different time for the tour, where one tour will take around 1.5 hours. The tour started from the Shire Rest. Our slot started in 1 PM local time.

For sure, you are highly recommended to book the tickets in advance as this place is extremely popular all year long. The chances to just walk in and get the ticket is quite slim, so you better book it through their official website. It costs us around NZD 675 (including the tax) or Rp 6.500.000,- for the 4 of us.  I know it's quite expensive but it's really worth it..

I have to say we are very excited to be here!

We were there before the time and waited patiently until our group was called. We took the bus to go to the movie set and while riding the bus, there was a video about a short introduction on the place as well as the welcoming words from Sir Peter Jackson himself.  The more we heard the background story about his work, the more excited we all became to see the Hobbiton. 

Once we arrived at the exact movie set, we started the tour to see this movie set closer. Our tour guide was very patience in explaining many interesting details dan statistics regarding the place as well as the movie. Coming from Indonesia (who live in Welington LOL), we joined many tourists from different countries as well. 

We saw the unique hobbit house, with all different colors. We also saw tiny clothes, ceramics, household items and more on this place.

So we managed to walk for about 1 hour to see the whole 'village' of the Hobbitton, including Bilbo Baggin's house (you can see here with the green door), the bar, the river banks and more. It's super cute to see the mini, tiny houses with colorful doors and cute details.

Before I share more details, please check out these photos from the Hobbiton.
Fore sure, we took this opportunity to take endless photos whenever we have the chance. It's so peaceful to be here and by the time we visited it, the weather was just perfect!

So, that's out little story in the Hobbiton, Mata Mata, New Zealand. 

Do you find it interesting? Do you like it and do you want to visit this place as well?

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and I have to say I don't mind coming back here again and have more adventures in Aotearoa, the Land of Long and White Clouds.

A Joyful Trip Back to Indo Tempeh Christchurch

Welcome to Indo Tempeh, Christchurch 

Hi everyone...

Welcome back dan semoga semua sehat - sehat selalu yaaa.

Now that we're back to Jakarta, Indonesia, I would like to share more stories and experience while we were living and exploring Aotearoa, New Zealand. I realized that I haven't really share that much, not as much as the memories that we take home from there.

One of the them is when we managed to visit Christchurch and hunt for Indonesian food. Yes, food from home is always comforting and that is why whenever I can, I always look for them or make them at home. 

Mba Nana, the owner, and I..

In Christchurch, we have many Indonesians residing there so naturally, we also have many Indonesian restaurant there. Welcome (back) to Indo Tempeh, my number 1 go-to Indonesian food corner whenever I come to Christchurch.

Nasi Rendang, anyone..

Indo Tempeh is located in Riverside Market, Christchurch,- pretty much in the city center. The restaurant serves halal, authentic Indonesian food, including vegan menu. As it is strategically located in the Riverside market, many visitors can easily come and stop by.

Whenever we come to Christchurch, - in my case, I came here 5 times during my stay in Aotearoa, New Zealand, - we also stop by here. I even brought many food from here back to Wellington and bring extra during our road trip in the South Island.

I really like the food here. Not only that they are delicious, the menu are halal and authentic as well. As you can see from some of the photos, there are so many wonderful menus being offered. 

Mixed green & yellow rice with crispy fried chicken and Tempe bacem, my favorite 

Here we can have beef rendang, ayam kremes (deep fried chicken with crunchy battered eggs and flour), sayur nangka, risoles, and many more. As you can see, since they mainly produce tempe or soybean cake, various tempe cooked in many ways (sweet, spicy, and/or deeply fried with crunchy flour) are also available. In addition, you can also enjoy turmeric/yellow and pandan/green rice. Super yummy!

The good thing is,  Indo Tempeh also have great vegetarian option , with jackfruit in coconut milk soup and various tempe or soybean cakes. As I mentioned above, there are many delicious choices, including tempe bacem (fried sweet tempe with palm sugar, coriander and herbs), tempe mendoan (deep fried tempe with flour, spices and spring onion), or spicy tempe.

Some choices of Tempe

In addition, they also sell peyek or crispy rice flour chips with peanuts and kering tempe or sweet and spicy fried tempe. They are indeed my favorite as well!

A pack of peyek & kering Tempe 

The last time we came here, some of the tables are available near the stall but on first come, first serve basis. I always manage to get the table for brunch, lunch or dinner. Well, sometimes, I have to patiently wait before we can get enough space for the four of us, or even more as we also came here in groups. 

I know the owner, mba Nana, quite well, as I met her many tomes. We have been in touch through whatsapp as well as I have ordered fresh tempe several times. Mba Nana is one of the stellar examples of successful Indonesian entrepreneurs in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has successfully promoted Tempe and sold it in many supermarkets in New Zealand. Her vegan catering services are also quite famous. So proud of her!

Happy faces after eating delicious Indonesian food

Paid parking is available for Riverside  Market, including for disabled. The market is also disability friendly with accessible entrances and toilets for disabled as well. For sure it is usually packed during rush hours and weekend. Sometimes we have to be patience for a while as we wait for the parking spot.

Can't wait to be back here again!

Make sure you don't miss this place whenever you visit Christchurch.

See you in the next adventure!

Nga Mihi, Aotearoa

 736 days.

Two years and 6 days.

That's the time when us, the Frakarsas, stayed in Aoteroa, New Zealand. 

The land of long, white clouds is really leaving some long-lasting, wonderful memories for the four of us. 

Saying hello from Aotearoa..

Back then in November 2021, arriving in the middle of COVID-19 and lock-down, we certainly had to go through certain procedures that required a lot of preparation and coordination. By the time we landed in this land of Kiwi, we knew it was going to be another unforgettable chapter for us.

Then came along the orange setting and all the adjustment as well as protocol we all have to go through during the pandemic. I remember we all are required to have a pass to actually go out and scan the QR code to 'log in' wherever we go, including to the office and public places. I have to say New Zealand came slightly later when it comes to the obligation to wear mask whenever you are at the public places, while many countries like Indonesia has implemented that policy for quite some times. Even with all the prudent measures taken, we still got infected by COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Well, I set the record of being positive with COVID-19 4 times,- twice in Indonesia and twice in New Zealand, together with Rudi and the kids. Not that I'm proud of it but looks like this is destined to be part of our journey here. Alhamdulillah everything went well and we all were in good condition with no further long term health concerns.

Well, back to our short journey in Aotearoa..

I say short because I am usually posted in countries longer than my designated assignments. Geneva and New York were the examples of that. Instead of 4 years,- my full terms, this time my family and I only stay for two years. Opportunity knocks and I was appointed as one of the new directors in my ministry. Originally, I was assigned until 2025 or even January 2026. But since the beginning of the procedures that I have to go through for this particular position, it has been a family decision. Well, we sat down with the kids and talk a lot about the decision and the implications if I got the job. And now, here we are.. back to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Cheers from the Frakarsas

TO BE CONTINUED

Happy Happy New Year

Hello, 2024!

Wishing everyone a wonderful year of 2024, filled with blessings, endless joy. health and happiness!

Cheers for brighter days ahead. Semoga kita semua selalu dikaruniai yang terbaik dari Sang Maha Segala. 

Cheers from the Frakarsas

It's been an unforgettable 2023 for #thefrakarsas, as we enjoyed our last year in Aotearoa, New Zealand, before moving back to Indonesia.  So many things have happened and for sure, many places visited and wonderful people,- those who became parts of our family,- we met along the way. Pertinent decisions were made in 2023 as well, including those that will change and heavily impact the course of our lives.

2023 has taught us many things as well, including how we, the Frakarsas, all depend on one another, while at the same time supporting each and everyone of us. 

one of our wonderful trips at the South Island, New Zealand

We made many important decisions this year, especially those related to the future of the kids. We have arrived at the point when we will be physically separated in order to pursue our dreams. Bo and Obi are growing up and my husband and I have to definitely work on next phase of our lives. 

will certainly miss my boy..

The plan is for Bo to continue his study in Aotearoa New Zealand and Obi for the the time being will stay with us in Indonesia. Obviously, with the help of technology and all the facilities we can utilize nowadays, space and distance won't be problems anymore. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, insya Allah semoga semua jalan dilancarkan dan mohon doanya ya teman - teman. 

first time touching the Llama :)

I have been blessed with so many great things that I might not be able to dwell on one by one. For sure, we started 2023 at that time with a great vibe and unforgettable trip to the Northern part of New Zealand. 

Then along the year, I managed to visit 9 countries, without me realizing it. I managed to visit, among others, Samoa (for the very first time!), came back to Cooks Islands, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Switzerland and of course, Indonesia! Not to mention many parts of beautiful Aotearoa, New Zealand.

At the same year, I also have to move to 3 houses! One of the records during my existence and career. And for the first time ever, I travelled back home with my mom and my son with 17 luggages as the same time! Hah... never have I thought it would happen to me ever!  For the first time, the Frakarsas went on 6-hour hiking and tracking. For the first time as well, we cooked layers cake or lapis legit, and it didn't work well LOL. Well, so many 'first time' that we experienced here in New Zealand and beyond. Well, so many 'first time' that we experienced here in New Zealand and beyond.

So, that's a little story I have in the beginning of 2024.

I will certainly share more about all those experiences and hope to see you around on the next post!

Let the new journey begin..

Alhamdulillah..

I am so grateful that life has been packed with endless blessings from the Almighty. By the time I wrote this, I was starting the preparation to move back to Indonesia.

Yuup.. after living in Aotearoa for almost 2 years (by the time we move, it will be 2 year and some extra days :)), we are instructed to go back to Indonesia. 

It was a mixed feelings obviously, as we do enjoy our life in Aotearoa New Zealand, but at the same time we believe that it's also a golden opportunity for us to embark on a new journey which hopefully will boost my career path. 

So, long story short, we are preparing our next move back home. After Australia, Switzerland, and New York City, this is the 4th time for us to move internationally. That means, logistics have to be very well prepared. Boxes, boxes, come to Mama haha. Again, between stressful feelings of managing all the logistics, The Frakarsas are super excited to return home.

But I feel so melancholy.. it just felt like yesterday when we started our  new adventures in the Pacific realm, Aotearoa New Zelanad.

I remembered that we got around 11 cm3 items to be shipped to New Zealand (which at later stage, we just realized, it took 3.5 months to reach us). We packed our essentials and most of them contain any of Indonesian items I love so much and will need at later stage. We packed Bapak's MTB as well, although for sure, he plans to get new ones in Aotearoa New Zealand (bravooo, Pak hehe)

We left Indonesia on November 25th, 2021 and went through Christchurch and as the local regulations in Aotearoa New Zealand at that time mandated us to have a short quarantine of 7 days, we have our arrangement in one of the hotels in there. After that, we continued our trip to Wellington and have 2 other days quarantine in there as well.

Cheers from Queestown, South Island

Fast forward 2 years, we are getting ready to go home. Alhamdulillah luckily, we have visited many places in Aotearoa, New Zealand, be it in North as well as South Island. Auckland, Lake Taupo, Rotoroa, Hamilton, Napier, Northwood,  Picton, Kaikoura, Akaroa, Christchurch, and beyond..Not to mention the amazing views of South Island. I certainly have to share them one by one here.

Still the vantage point from Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Alhamdulillah as well, Abang Bo will be back to continue his 13th year and his university days in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Hope all is well as planned ya Bang.

Thank you so much for everything, Aotearoa, New Zealand. You have been wonderful and memorable to us.

Well, wish us luck yaaa. Bismillahirrahmanirrahiiim...

Indonesia, here we come!

MERDEKA - HAPPY 78TH INDEPENDENCE DAY, INDONESIA

It was windy and cold, as we started assembling for the flag - raising ceremony this morning. 

Yet, our hearts were warm with pride as we saw Merah Putih, our national flag, was gallantly fluttering against Aotearoa’s blue sky. A beautiful, historic day! 

Pengalaman indah di bumi Aotearoa merayakan genap 78 tahun usia negeri tercinta, kebanggaan kita semua, Indonesia. #thefrakarsas beruntung bisa menjadi bagian dari cerita penuh warna tentang jalan panjang perjuangan, indahnya persatuan dan persaudaraan serta memaknai kemerdekaan. Alhamdulillah… merci ya Rabb 🇮🇩🙏.

Saya dan @bofrakarsa were proudly wearing our Tapis from beloved hometown, Lampung. A bit mix and match I know (apologies for that) but proud to wear my Siger and the set of West Lampung Tapis I got as my dowry (thanks sweet 💜 @frakarsa ).

Bo was wearing his Tapis and Kiket, the headrest for Lampungnese males, Manuk Mekhem or the sleeping bird (CMIIW please 🙏😇). Well, again happy and proud to wear them 🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩 

 These are only a tiny bit of fun photos I took today, so bear with me 🤗😉 

 Merdeka 🎉🎉

Welcome to Whakapapa - It’s Snow Time at Aotearoa New Zealand

It’s Snow Time at Aotearoa New Zealand 

 

Kia Ora,

Apa kabar semua? 

Welcome back to indahnuria.com and let’s continue our adventure here in New Zealand. This time, I have a little story about how us, the Frakarsas, enjoys winter time in the land of the long clouds.

This year is the second winter we have here in the Kiwi land. Yet, last year’s winter was a but fuzzy and blurry as we had so many things going on in July- September 2022. I somehow remembered cold, wet winter days last year, which is not too different from now. However, this year we manage to drive up North to see the snow and enjoy a bit of fun out there.

On our way to Ruapehu and Tongariro National Park

So on one long weekend, we drove to Tongariro National Park and went to Whakapapa, a ski area in this beautiful place.It took us 4 hours to drive there and we decided not to stay over night in Ruapehu, the nearby village. After that long drive, welcome to Whakapapa - it's snow time at Aotearoa New Zealand !

We got our ticket for 1-hour sledding in Happy Valley, Whakapapa. The ticket for the 4 of us cost NZD 89.54, including taxes and surcharges.

Got our ticket and we were ready!

Obi and Bo were excited, as the last time we played in the snow was back in New York City. When we arrived, it was foggy and rainy, yet we managed to enjoy riding our sled and go up with the magic carpet ride. Bo actually wanted to try the snowboarding but we were a bit late due to the traffic up to the Whakapapa ski station. Well, fog and rain are not helping.

Bo posing with his sledding board

Yet, we arrived and directly got our ticket at the machine. After that, we went down to the Happy Valley (What a perfect name for the place :) ) and lined up to get to the area for sledding

There were three lanes we could use and it was again fun to play in the snow, screaming around and hitting the snow piles. One hour flew fast and although we wanted to continue, it was too cold and freezing already. So, we called it a day and just wrapped it up the same time as the Happy Valley was about to close.

FIFA Women World Cup in Wellington

Do you like football?

I do! Although I don’t fully understand the regulations and the latest updates from the field but I always enjoy the festivities and the vibes during big matches and competitions.

This year, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup.  Can you imagine the excitement we have here!

the match between New Zealand and the Philippines

Poneke Wellington is also selected as one of the cities in Aotearoa New Zealand which will be hosting the matches, besides Auckland, Hamilton, and Dunedin.

Obviously, the Frakarsas won’t miss the chance to see the matches! We got the tickets for the match between New Zealand and the Philippines, which was held on Tuesday, 25th of July, 2023. The match was held in Wellington Regional Stadium.  It was quite a match and we were supporting the Philippines as part of the ASEAN Sisterhood, but we also hoped New Zealand would play well on this match.

What a game indeed! For the first time, the Philippines won and beat the host New Zealand 1 - 0. There was an offside goal made by New Zealand so unfortunately it didn’t change the scores. New Zealand team was very aggressive and offensive, sent many shots on goal but the Philippines’ goal keeper or goalie is so good! No wonder she became the player of the day! 

I hope we can watch more games as the matches continue till mid August. It’s time to get more tickets. 

The three of us after the game..

Me holding the scarf of the match of the day, between NZ and the Philippines

Do you like watching football as well? How about women’s football? 

Do you like watching it directly at the stadium if you get the chance or you prefer watching it on TV? Share your experience here on the comments and see you on the next adventures!