Hey guys!

[ashley robb]

Hi everyone,
My names Ashley I'm an 18 year old from New Zealand and I'm super keen to do some train hopping. The whole idea of the lifestyle appeals to me so much, the trains are calling me! Haha

So basically I'm new to all of this, and about to head off to the US to a summer camp and then plan to travel after that. Any advice is much appreciated!

Ash

 

[Benny]

What part of the US are you going to Ashley?

 

[thapoet]

its a sting! five oh five oh!!!! lol... well, if not, good luck ashley.... judging by the immaculate skin, and perfect white straight teeth, i'd say u will enjoy the less structured life.... mayne you might wanna give a when and where so someone might actually be able to help you out. oh, if you have any ideas on how an american can go about illegally immigrating to new zealand without a passport, can u pass the info on on here ... thanks

 

[Matt Derrick]

I'm curious to know what it's like to live in New Zealand...

 

[thapoet]

i am amazed that anyome would trade their for here... lol.... but i understand the "pull" to travel. i am serious tho, any pointers about getting into new zealand in a backhanded way is a big hi five for real... my dream....

 

[ashley robb]

Haha NZ is amazing, but I've got a serious case of wanderlust! Camps in West Virginia and then kindof anywhere from there eventually ending up in LA for my flight home.

I'm not sure about imigrating to NZ, I mean everythings pretty lax here, if your visa ran out youd probably get away with remaining in the country for a while haha. but if you dont have a passport, im not sure how you would get here in the first place. boat? lol

 

[ashley robb]

Oh and Matt,
What to tell you? since ive lived here all my life, everything seems pretty normal. but people dont worry about things like terrorist attacks, I used to walk myself to school in the morning, go out on adventures and biking - parents were never fussed!
the majority of people are quite outdoorsy. NZ isnt really that clean and green... lots of people get shitty about how we portray it but dont live it. compared to other countries we are but yeah.
NZs extremely diverse, in that you can drive from one side of the country and go from wild coast to rainforest to mountain passes to desert to green fields to the east coast which is completely different... You get all four seasons in a day as well! Its very hard to explain what NZs like since it is so diverse, the people vary huuugely depending on where you are, heck i notice a difference in accent between queenstown and another town an hour away... then i would sound TOTALLY different to someone from auckland in the north island. i get hassed about how i roll my Rs when i go anywhere else haha

 

[Odin]

Nice place to visit I imagine... highly volcanic to the north, wide variety of geography and endemic fauna/flora. Sounds like eden.

As long as you appease the volcano gods with ritual sacrifice all should be good. Lake Taupo cauldera especially... do you have a special name for that one? Something like great wallikikikwaa earth tremblor.

J/King

And welcome.

I have to agree with poet though... If I were already there I would not imagine wishing to leave. I would keep my self immersed in nature. Setting up a wilderness commune sounds ideal.

 

[jrock]

I am always down for an adventure. If you need any advice, just ask. I will actually be riding through WV very soon OTW the way to the Appalachian Trail. Hopefully I can give you some helpful info.

 

[notlateforsuppa]

be carefullll lots of nice people in the states but if you get a bad vibe trust it!!! You are young and beautiful so you should be aware that people will take advantage of you if you let them stay in a group for sure.

 

[Kip]

Hi, Ashley, I just joined this site as well, but have been a traveler for some years now. I am currently in Asheville, NC, and I'm planning on going to the Rainbow Family Gathering in July. Ever heard of it? I think it's a must for an "American experience."

Anyways, I'm trying to find a ride, but if I can't, I'll be hitching and trainhopping. It will be a big trip , but if that's what you really want to do, we can make it happen. Let me know and I'll give you details.