Monday, June 28, 2004

Failed badly with going to the ice hockey..been up the hill on the gondola and made a necklace in the bead shop instead. Yesterday was the most amazing Sunday, woke up, got made a cup of tea and discovered The Goonies was on telly so we all stayed in and watched that cos it was raining. Got roped into going out again last night for a few quiet drinks and got in again after 3, I'm sure I used to be quite good at going out 3 nights in a row but now at a certain time of the night all I want is my bed. Preceded by some chips & curry sauce maybe. Watched another class movie till 6 this morning... Beetlejuice!!!! And that's it really, Liz and I are getting back into doing exciting stuff tomorrow, jetboating, sorting out some skiing, there's stuff on in town during the day for the festival and then the Mardi Gras at night. Made a real effort to have some beggies last night, managd to burn them to a crisp and ended up with rice and chilli beans instead. Puzzled L8iz by waving at her from the kitchen with a pile of blacked charcoaled pumpkin and stuff on a plate....and she ignored me cos she thought I was being weird and she couldn't work out what the black stuff was. Having something I can't mess up tonight. Sardines on toast. Yum. x

Saturday, June 26, 2004

A few fields of ostriches. Fields of deer. Possum roadkill. Fields of sheep and cows and sheep and cows. A midnight ferry. Awesome views of Mt Cook over the Lake. A sealion at the side of the road. Lots of snow. 5 days of driving....finally in Queenstown and it's well worth it. The Queesntown Winterfestival rocks!!! Kicked off last night with fireworks, performance art with fire and so many people in the street!! Today I've been watching the parades and a swordswallower/fire-eater in the street...pet parade (dogs dressed up and a goat!)....well it's free. Oh and I've seen the campest Ronald McDonald ever. Planning on going to the ice hockey and a whole bunch of other stuff. So much fun. Can't believe we're out the football. I'm choosing Holland to support now. What else? Went for a 3 hour walk up the hills around Lake Tekapo, got whipped by 4 points in scrabble (pretty intellectual game of scrabble actually) made friends with a few more hostel cats and dogs, slept in the car in a carpark in Picton while we waited for it to get light. And the most unbelievable thing...they don't sell de-icer in New Zealand...looks like I'm going to have to get me a scraper. x

Thursday, June 24, 2004

I was going to write but the internet is soooo expensive here I will just say, I have been driving a lot since then & will get to Queenstown in about 3 hrs worth of driving tomorrow.....So much driving!!!!

Monday, June 21, 2004

I forgot to mention that meeting people I know was not part of the nasty few days. My bank also mnaged to give me the wrong account number, so when I got paid all my money went into someone else's account!!! And I got their balance when I checked phone banking and thought I was rich for about 2 seconds because they had $1000s. Grr. All sorted now. Wouldn't mind but I used to open accounts at home and it's not rocket science!

Um, I've had a few nasty days! We spent a bit more time in Turangi hanging around, and then went back to Taupo, where I bumped into a friend of my 2nd yr housemate in Brum which was funny. One of those moments where you look at someone and think "hmm I know you". Luckily we figured out quickly where we knew each other from. And that was all good. Then Liz and I did a scary high ropes kind of course thing, which I haven't done since I was about 16...bit more scary this time and we got soaked. Then...driving up to Auckland, all going well (except the driving in the dark, wind & rain bit) till my windscreen wiper fell of 50kms South of Auckland. I was just cursing Kiwi drivers for their rude driving (flashing full beam lights right up behind you if they think you're going too slow, not knowing what their indicators are for, you get the picture) and just as m & Liz were getting soaked trying to come up with an ingenious fix for the lack of windscreen wiper blade, a man stopped to help us out. To cut a long and rather dull story short, we spent a couple of hours at his house while he fixed the whole thing properly (with string and electrical tape no less). And did you know there are places in NZ where Israelis can stay for $5 a night! No such amazing places for Britons apparently. Damn. And then when we finally got going again...I got lost getting back to Psrnell and found myself broken down only 5kms from my home for that night. Jeremy refused to start...and I was completely confused as to why...he wasn't stalling, he had petrol in case you were wondering...gave up and got a taxi to the hostel, where the ongoing joke that is my car was laughed at a bit more. (Stayed in Parnell before for 3 weeks). So when we got the AA out the next day ll was revealed. His ignition switch connection had burnt. Come to think of it there was a funny burning plastic smell. Anyway..now I know far more than I ever have about cars. Quite interesting really maybe I could be a mechanic. My main reason for going back to Auckland (apart from you Josh & Steph) was the rugby....where as you know we got whipped again. Kiwi news is not letting this one go by unnoticed...footage of the All Blacks "humiliating" the world champs is rife. But never mind. So got car fixed etc. Went for a walk along Mission Bay on Sunday...and looking at the cars that went past thought, hang on I recognise that person, looked again, so did he, and realised it was someone I went to school with for 7 years. The world is truly getting smaller by the second. watched a fair few films in the last couple of weeks. Watched Donnie Darko for the 2nd time and it still messes my head around, anyone shed some light on how the time travel thing occurs and why Frank has a missing eye before he is shot? I can only think that maybe time is circular not linear. Hmm. Shrek 2 was amazing...bit in love with Puss in Boots. And...last night went to see The Day After Tomorrow, which had me crying, waving my legs in the air and holding onto Steph's hand. Talk about roller coaster ride. And read lots of books, but they're all kind of trashy so I should probably not write them down here in case you are currently under the delusion that I read intelligent sorts of books. And that's it really, ferry to South Island tomorrow night!

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

So, post-skydiving I couldn't think of anything exciting to do, so I didn't bother. Watched my dvd of it, and went shopping for thermal underwear. Yes, tha's how you celebrate leaping (being thrown from) a plane! Drove down to Turangi on Sunday, round Lake Taupo in beautiful sunshine and then yesterday we were doing the Tongariro Crossing in snow, ice, cloud...wearing about 4 jumpers, crampons, and using a walking pole. The first time I have ever used one I think, and it was very useful. This morning I am feeling the pain of the walking though. It's been a while since I walked 17km in a day I think, (up a mountain!!!) and I think I will be using poles next time and taking a specially employed person to carry me up! Liz and I were very organised and took a thermos flask and had soup behind a rock whilst taking shelter from the wind. Then we got round the coner just after 12noon and it as beautiful sunshine. And there was a cloud that looked like a spaceship. I have pictures of this bit of natural freakery.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Stopped off at the Craters of the Moon yesterday afternoon, and walked around a bit of thermal undergrowth (need a bit of keeping warm it's a bit chilly this end of the world) thinking of buying thermals of a different kind for South Island. Went up on the gondola and did the luge a couple of times yesterday morning - twice was probably enough for me as I decided half way down that my helmet was wonky, took a hand off the handle bars to sort it out and nearly hurtled to my death. Well, in a way, my powers of exaggeration know no bounds. I wobbled a bit and my heart came up into my mouth. And then we left Chris & Audrey's after 4 lovely days or so and drove little Jezza down to Taupo. Actually, my car's been given a name, a nickname and a sexuality. Is this weird? Am quite attached to him.

There's something surreal about watching your little sis be thrown from an aeroplane, strapped very tightly onto a guy with a parachute and a videocamera!!! Yes, I went skydiving this morning! And Liz went first!!! Was brilliant....plummeting from 12,0000ft at about 12 noon while everyone at home was probably in bed, or at Breeze or somewhere else admiring a different view (or am I right in thinking the strippers got banned from TT week this year?). Got to Taupo last night, thought the weather looked pretty good, so this morning off we went, got picked up in a white limo no less and strapped into a lot of gear including an attractive piece of headwear. Anyways I have never done something so cool in my life...having a bit of trouble getting my photos on so you can all admire my petrified face (before) and exhilaration (after).

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Rotorua

Here I have mostly been walking around, looking at waterfalls, buried villages and getting round to my emails. Drove down here from Tauranga on Monday, via "The heart of Kiwi country" took pictures of us with the big kiwi, resisted the temptation to buy some kiwifruit liqueur, kiwifruit chocolate, kiwifruit soap...you get the picture. Jezza is doing fine...in Rotorua he even has C & A's cat to keep him company, sitting on his bonnet. And....today we went to the climbing wall, struggled to complete a few routes, and not the kind of grades I could climb at uni, but I feel pleasantly tired out now, and my arm muscles have grown somewhat in the past few hours.

Sunday, June 06, 2004

Went to Mount Maunganui today, walked up it (the steep way) and er that was about it. Last night, introduced an Israeli boy to the delights of marmite (!!), ate the night before's leftovers for tea (we really should stop cooking for 3) and then went out. And discovered I am irresistible to Indian boys. Who in actual fact were desperate and on closer inspection doing the sleazy dance-up-from-behind move to a number of blonde girls. Despite promising themselves to me forever. Weirdoes. Yeah, Tauranga has a number of the bars that are commonly referred to as MeatMarkets, e.g. Caseys when we were 17, Pulse & Brannigans in Brum & the Globe in Auckland. No news. Had good night really despite the classiness (?) of the establishment, ignored the Herman Munster-alike who achieved the improbable and was reqarded with a sharp glare...spilling whiskey and coke down my front and back at the same time and failing to apologise.

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Happy Birthday Jen

Yeah so it's Saturday! I have spent the entire morning in bed...so few opportunities to have a sleep-in when you're travelling, in fact, when someone tried to tell me to get up cos it was 11am I said...yeah I know I'm not getting out of bed till it's at least pm. Then proceeded to worry that I didn't know what am and pm stood for. I have now found out so my day's going ok now! We spent a few nights in Te Aroha, which is one of the world's smallest places! We saw most of what Te Aroha has to offer in a day...saw the world's only hot soda water geyser (less impressive than it sounds) and went for a walk around what used to be a booming gold mining town, Waiorongomai (which I don't think I can even pronounce)....till they discovered there wasn't actually any gold to speak of there. There's a poem, part of which goes "we are all sold, there is no gold, the claim's not worth a cuss". Funny how I can remember these things and not where I put my keys just now! We also visited Te Aroha's pub, the Grand Tavern, with a girl called Doodle. It was rather grand...it had a very large dead snapper on the wall and the results of last months hunting competitions....deer, boar and fish!!! They like their shooting animals around these parts. Jack and Keith Robinson were doing very well and came 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Doesn't make up for not coming first though does it!!!!? We met the 3 occupants of the pub, one of whom was yet another incomprehensible old man who looked a bit like Santa. Had a bit of a chat about the Isle of Man (TT time now...so wish I could morph home for a week and then come back and carry on meeting randoms and killing roaches, more on that in 3 seconds) then the landlord had a call from a pub in the next town to say the out of town coppers were on their way. This put them all into a panic on whether their car registrations and WOFs were up to date and whether they were too pissed to drive home. The front door got locked, the lights went out, but all to no avail. Everyone we saw on the roads on the way home got breathalysed...even Doodle who was driving us, and actually forgot her real name when asked by a very nice lady police officer for her name and address. Random breath testing??? They got EVERYone I think. Then....to end a perfect evening, me and Liz found a cockroach on our wall!! We made the Japanese boys get rid of it (even though Itchyshin was was very scared of roaches, I'm not lying, that was his name). Anyway, here's the worst bit....I thought, hmm better go out to the car and find my packet of coffee, best put my trainers on, or my flip flops, no trainers. Put my foot in, not quite all the way, felt something in there with me and screamed the house down. Roach in my shoe. I can almost still feel the tickle of its dirty legs on my poor little toe. Left the bug spray out as a hint to the owner. In all the years I have been going camping, travelling round random countries and diligently shaking out my shoes every morning, nothing has ever been shaken out. Played some more trivial pursuit as no telly, just a 1950s radio and record player which we tried desperately to make work as there were some cool 78s in the cupboard. And one of the aforementioned dirty creatures leaped at my head. Some kind of ill conceived revenge for my massacre of his compatriots. We arrived in Tauranga yesterday via Karangahake Gorge and Waihi, (am keeping note of all the places I have to stop and put air in one of Jezza's tyres) and went out last night after having a lovely dinner of squash and silverbeet curry. Our food concepts are getting more and more random, but making efforts to eat lots of veges. Apparently tonight is Freddy Mercury tribute night..this place has more bars than is good for it :) alright with me. Is Queen's birthday weekend. They get Monday off work. So doesn't really affect me at all, except that some of those shops I can't go in won't be open. xxx
PS spellchecker has come up with some amazing alternative suggestions....Itchyshin =hitchhiking. Of course. Duh.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Well, as I said, there's loads of things I should have been writing about lately, but I haven't!!! This was first due to going to work...I worked for Public Health and the Hospital in Auckland, did some of the dullest filing jobs imaginable, but made about $900 so it wasn't all bad. Except somebody referred to me as "miss temp" and I literally had to hold my lips together to stop myself being exceptionally rude back. Miss temp indeed. Huh. There was also the panic of getting the car fixed, by Lithuanian mechanic man who didn't know my name, and eventually thought I was 3 different people. Gave up trying to correct him and paid him the $, in exchange for functioning brakes. L hung out and did her own thing which usually sounded a lot more fun that what I was doing, but now I am fully into the going and doing fun stuff thing! Went scootling down the caves in Waitomo, in a car inner tube, cue much mud, crawling through dark skinny holes (I went first!!) getting very cold and getting the occasional whiff of the not very clean person who obviously used my wetsuit before me. Oh, and a cave weta jumped at my head, causing a few obscenities to be directed at the American responsible. Well, it was a large ugly insect!!!! Jumping at my head!!!!That was on Sunday. Monday we had even more fun (ahem) and went to watch a bit of bunny bondage. Yes that's right we saw an angora rabbit get tied up by its arms and legs and then it got sheared by a large lady. Looking petrified, but managing to hold onto its dignity while we all peered at it. Later in the afternoon we were watching another animal get sheared....apparently you can do 4 sheep in the time it takes to do one bunny wabbit. So cute. Wandered off to the natural bridge...Monday was a busy day, and then yesterday we were mainly engaged in a bit of essential car maintenance. As a treat we wandered off to the kiwi house, and watched the most mental animal I've seen in a while being fed. It was a bit more like a dog....wanting to be petted, leaping around desperate for its food, while the other ones were much less amused by being disturbed. Done a little bit more fixing of the car this morning...L is quite handy with a screwdriver, and now we're heading north a little again, to go in the direction of Rotorua eventually.