Hope you like all the photos, thought I would put them all up before I left here and dont have free internet access anymore!
It might be along wait for more photos as I am going to have to wait till Nelson to get my digital camera fixed, and apparently it could be expensive. Its only 6 months old and under guarantee so I might end up sending it back to dad and getting him to exchange it (he doesnt know this yet!) - all very complex anyway. I'll see what they say when I get to Nelson though as obviously no big towns here to look at it. I realy hope it gets sorted out fast as I miss having a camera! (Even though I've bought alittle disposable crappy one to keep me going).
Anyway.. yesterday I went with Moa and Thea (2 Swedish girls who are kiwifruit packing) to cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach again which was cool! I asked them if Zulu could come too and they said yes so we all went. I felt bad for Zulu as she has come over as a dependent and her husbkand has been studying so she has spent the last year sitting at home reading and cooking never really going out. Anyway now he's come here to do kiwifriut picking and she of course was all set out to sit and read and cook all day. We had a great day! Her husband was okay with her being out when he returned too.. I think it was a bit of a shock for him though! It was really interesting to talk to her and learn about her culture. She's from Nepal and is in an arranged marriage and is Hindu. I was asking her about her nose piercing and she was telling me that its compulsory in their village for girls to have it done before puberty - but the majority get their daughters noses pierced when they are babies so she had hers done at 6 months. Fascinating! We discussed arranged marriages and all that and how different our cultures are.
Spent a long time at hot water beach which was cool. We got tired of digging so after a while I asked the nearest nice male if I could hop in his, turned out to be a depressed german bloke.
Have been thinkign alot and think I have decided to get a wokring visa for Australia and spend a year there.. so will apply in the next couple of months!
Today is my last day in Whenuakite, its ben beatiful weather. have been sitting reading on the deck today where its 27 degrees - considering its the shortest day on June 21st (ie winter)! thats great!! of course its cool in the shade but beautiful in the sun - still impressive for the winter anyway!! I am invited round to Dawns for dinner which will be lovely. It was a cold night though and there was frost. but apparently thats as bad as its gets here in the Coromandel, no snow but a bit of frost once in a while in the winter.
One of the useful things with living on a kiwifruit farm is that I eat plenty of kiwifruit for free! Yum!!
Dawn and I are going to go for a bike (as in push bike) ride this afternoon, I am a bit scared as I think she is fitter than me!!
I'm catching the 8:10 bus tomorrow mornign to Thames, where I change bus to get to Mount Manganui. Its along weekend this weekend as it is the Queens birthday.
I bought a Sudoku book the other day, on the front of it it says warning, sudokhu is highly addictive, oh my god they are right. I have always had a phobia of sudokhu and never tried it as I thought it was like magic squares. WE had then in year 3 at first school. Then we all wokred at our own pace through a maths book. I got stuck on this page for weeks and weeks and it traumatised me! (you had to have every line add up to the same or something) they were only 3 by 3 grids but I hated them!! - I was only 7! but I guess that lead to me hiding in maths cubpoards to avoid maths when I was a bit older!

A pohutakawa tree clinging to the side of cathedral cove. Pohutakawas common name is the Christmas tree as they are out mid summer - at Christmas and have lots of red flowers.

Me at cathedral Cove

This is a rock at hahei beach (Cathedral Cove) couldnt resist taking a photo of it as it looked so pretty

So this is Cathedral Cove the first time I went with Dawn, typically yesterday I had even better photos of this as the weather was perfect, but of course my digital camera is broken so I took them on a disposable camera but hopefully my friend Zulu will email me her copies of the photos we took there yesterday.

Gemstone Bay on the way to Cathedral Cove

Not a fantastic photo of me (better when its smaller) but I need to prove that I was there somehow! This is on the way to Cathedral Cove again!

View on walk to Cathedral Cove on Coromandel Peninsula

Windy canyon on Great Barrier Island - this is at the beginning (or end) of the track to Mount Hobson

This is the actual walk I did. I went all along this track, This is the home straight but still felt a long way, and although that last bit to the top on the left doesnt look that steep it was!!
Now you can see why I was so shattered after it anyway!
(Mount Hobson - Great Barrier Island)

Views from Mount Hobson

AS you can see loads of greenery, blue skies and blue sea. A beautiful walk!

Views of Great Barrier Island

I took this one from half way up Mount Hobson

Views of Great Barrier Island

Evert time we drove anywhere beaches like this were all around! I think (?) this one is Medlands Beach

Frankie and Lucy

Frankie and Lucy on the beach (I think Awana beach?) at Great Barrier Island

So.. might be in the local paper on Friday!

Today the local paper for the entire Coromandel region - The Haraiki Herald came over to do a piece on the backpackers. I ended up having to pose in various photos as the tourist.. I probably looked like a proper backpacker since I had not intended on being photgraphed today and got up late.. so was in my oldest clothes ready to work and had just washing my hair and tied in up rather than deal with the mass of tangles! How embarrassing - oh well its a good job I'm not all that bothered what I look like. I thought this when watching a film with this good looking guy from Brighton (why are surfers pretty much always good looking?) last night. I was wearing a strange combo of colours and my brown skirt with blue polka dot fluffy socks!! ( I will add that I hadnt actually gone out anywhere like this - I was just sitting in my lounge). I did actually bring a lipstick and some mascara with me travelling but havent put them on yet.. oh well one day I might care!

Boiling Water

What a lovely day! It was really hot which was great! First went to Cathedral Cove - about an hour and a half walk I guess with going off on tangents seeing various pretty beaches. I have some stunning photos which I will put on here soon! Its a really fab cave and so theres so many islands out to sea. Its really beautiful! Especially on a day like today when the sky is so blue!
Then we went to hot water beach, people had already dug lots of holes so didnt need to dig my own! It wasnt too busy which was good, apparently in the summer the kiwi experience bus stops there and theres thousands of people there then!) they were all different temperatures. I accidently stepped in one near the centre and almost burnt my foot off! It was boiling! but the ones around the elde were cooler and better to sit in! Unfortunately my camera decided to stop working there so I have no photos of hot water beach - I'm so gutted. Its saying zoom problem and the zoom wont go out or anything. I hope its fixable. Its still under guarantee but that doesnt do me alot of good when the company is back in England etc! I am going to take it into a camera shop when I go into town on Tuesday (Whitianga). I have a feeling it may be due to a grain of sand or something.
Then after that we went to Waves Cafe and watched a concert and stuff, it was great, they were reall ygood local bands, and I got chatting to this girl from brighton, hadnt met anyone from Brighton in ages. Then oddly enough theres 3 people from brighton staying in the backpackers tonight, one of thems dad owns fabric fayre in Worthing - how freaky is that?! here I am in the middle of nowhere and I've been in their shop over the other side of the world!
Dawn and I also went into Tairua - about 15kms away to pick up some more kiwifruit pickers, a couple from Nepal who seem very nice! I feel so stupid, I didnt know Kathmandu was the capital of Nepal.. I really need to go and do more travelling! I was staring at a world map last night getting excited at all the places I could go!
I have been considering the option of getting a working visa for Australia too. After all theres no law to say I have to only stay a month.. I could stay much longer!! (and forget the ticket home!) at least wages are apparently higher over there.. and I could meet relatives at the same time..! Have bee writing (well emailing) a relative I have in Brisbane called Chani (she has a blog too so have read that sometimes) so I might go over and see her at some point. I will see how I feel come September - whether I want to stay travelling for another year or if I'm homesick or something! We'll have to see how I feel!!

Crusaders 19, Hurricanes 12

Last night I went over Dawns house for dinner and the rugby, she had some friends over. It was lovely. They were so welcoming. the rugby was good, so foogy though that you could barely see the players! It was funny! I think I am a Crusaders fan as they are from Canterbury which is the general area of Christchurch and Akaroa is my favourite place so far.. (My top 4 are Akaroa, Kaikoura, Great Barrier Island and Taupo). If anyones coming to NZ for a short time I could write them an itinary of where to go!!
I am fed up of mosquitos though. Just as I thought my itchy lumps were healing and fading and I thought perhaps they were out of season or something (I hadnt had any bites since Great Barrier) I've now got several new ones to add to my collection. As soon as darkness falls if there is a window open then they go for my blood!
One thing I have learnt out here is NEVER CRITICISE NZ TO A KIWI!!
Patriotism is a funny thing and there are clear difference between Brits and kiwis when it somes to patritotism! When I say never criticise NZ to a kiwi this includes when someone says to you "Gosh its rainy today".. you cannot reply " Sure is" or "Yes" as some kiwis will jumpo down your throat and start telling yuo that "At least its not as bad as England" and once when I said it was cold that day I was told "if I didnt like it I should go back to my own country"!!! Kiwis are kind friendly and generous but when it comes to negative comments its a serious no, no! This has now happened to me several times and I am learning my lesson - they much prefer it if I answer "gosh well, its great compared toEngland" or something!!
I was quite worried about how to answers a kiwis comment last night when they asked me what I thought of their television. I opted for the diplomatic response of "Its a shames heres so much American sitcoms rather than NZ shows"! This seemed to go down very well and I even got the response that Enlgish TV shows were very good!
NZ has only 3 channels unless you have SKY and they are appallingly bad! 2 of the 3 channels at any one time will have reality TV on such as Americas top model and some island something or other (what was I thinkign back in Enlgand when I watched this crap?!).
I may be generalising but I think alot of English like to moan! Its what we do! We are patriotic and we may (or may not) love our country but we still like to moan! It kind of comes down to whole thing about not boasting about things (you know the opposite to the Americans for example who will tell you how fantatic they are at stuff etc - apologies to whoever I am offending here?!) We complain about the weather most of all probably but also how expensive things are etc. I saw a book the other day and it said Brits moan particularly about moving house. It aapparently could have been the smoothest moving house ever and we will still say it was a nightmare!
I was exhausted last nigght after getting in from Dawns house. I dont know why - I didnt exactly do much yesterday! I stupidly finished Angels and Demons and now I have nothing to read- the bus timetable gets boring after a while! as does the guidebook! I'm bored of looking where to go next! I prefer being laid back and seeing hwere I end up next but of course now I've booked the flight to Nelson I need to have an itinary to get myself to Gisborne by then (or at least a vague one!) Next stop is going to be Mount Manganui, apparently as easy climb and theres apparently hot pools at the bottom for when you finsih! (yay!) Just have to make sure I dont go in them first or there wont be a reward!!
While I was in Thames I learnt to download stuff from the internet (we downl;oaded free trial programmes which allowed us to download tonnes!) anyway as I never see TV out here I downloaded the first 4 episodes of lost series 2. Now of course I'm desperate to see the rest of the series.. grr!! (see the english like to have something to moan about!)
More moans is about my clothes.. when you only have 2 pairs of trousers and 4 pairs of undies etc for 6 months you are washing them constantly - particularly when working on farms etc and your only pair of jeans are covered in cow shit and you want to go to the pub.. Anyway.. after all this washing and tumble drying my clothes are looking very faded and holey!! I cant wait to buy come new undies!! (lol hmnn! its a good job I'm not shy - just realised here I am moaning about my underwear online!!)
Anyway.. its a beautiful day here so Dawn is taking me to a beach concert at Hot Water beach, so I have got my togs on and am going to sit around in hot water and listen to some music - how cool is that?!

Booked my flights today, so on 9th June I am catching two flights. One from Gisborne to Wellington and one from Wellington to Nelson.
Whenever I used to see adverts for rice cookers on TV in England I used to think they were pointless but here everyone has one. The fruit pickers who I am living with right now are manly all asian and they wouldn't dream of going anywhere without their rice cookers and seeing as they eat the most rice then I guess they know whats what! The thai restaurant I worked in had one too. They are pretty good.. might end up getting one myuself when I settle down! (I realise I do blabber on about pointless stuff on here but sometimes theres no-one to talk to. Eg today the manager has left me to it to manage the backpackers and the only people to talk to dont speak the language and I dont speak theirs.. so I guess you'll have to put up with my ramblings! I only speak of them because I was just cleaning the kitcken and now theres about 5 rice cookers dotted around on all the surfaces!
Its raining a little less now so I guess I might go for walk or something. We just leave a sign on the door of the backpackers saying.. back at.. whatever time so its pretty laid back!

Whenuekite

I'm in Whenuekite now at www.seabreezetouristpark.co.nz I am going to work here for a week before moving on. (pronounced fenooakeetee)
My boss is a lovely lady called dawn and I am living in the backpackers accomodation - a converted cow shed.
I arrived yesterday - it was about an hour from my last place in Thames. Its about 25kms from a supermarket so had got my supplies in. Though unexpectedly we ended up going into town today (Whitianga) so that was cool, had a good look aorund and a wander round the shops. Bought myself a wooly hat to keep my warm on the South Island. It was such a nightmare trying to find one I liked!!
So this morning I moved the lawn ( I like mowing so thats cool), some weeding, cleaned some windows, and did some maintenance like changing light bulbs etc (all on my own! - normally I rely on men in my life to do those type of things but out here I am learning new skills)!
My last day nigth in Thames I bumped into an old friend Amanda - she wandered in the shop after having been on a mana retreat (this shows she has money as its extortionate there! -thats the place I visited for the day with Paul). I met Amanda originally In Orewa when I first met Paul and she is quite good friends with him so she was asking me all about that which was difficult as I didnt really want to say "well really I dont want to see him again!" But apparently he's told her I'm a wonderful person so at least thats nice to hear! anyway Amanda came round mine for a bit, she got extrememely drunk though - thats the risk of going near that flat I guess!
I shall miss my flat in Thames I had got used to living with Matt and Jess but it was a complete drug den!
They have token operated showers here so I am having to get used to washing my hair and having my legs in 8 minutes! I guess its a good idea to conserve water and power. Luckily I get a free token everyday!
The farm I am living on has still got some cows but they have moved most of the cows to their farm on the South Island. They also have lots of kiwifruit.
They have subdivided and sold loads of their land. A few houses have been built and each of the houses they have sold has 50 acres each. they have kept 100 acres, so its pretty big, and all green and beautiful!! they have a lovely house and have invited me up for dinner tomorrow as lots of people are going round for dinner and watching the rugby. (Havent watched much rugby out here really so really should do the kiwi thing!)
Hopefully if the weather is nice Dawn is going to take we to hot water beach which is 7kms away. You just dig yourself a hole and hot water comes up. It can be as hot as 65 degrees so you have to be quite careful! But I cant wait!! The weather was pretty terrible today though so hopefully it wont be the same tomorrow. Maybe while I'm online I shall check the forcast!

Shop

Well am working in the shop again! Is pretty quiet! although in the two seconds I dealt with another customer in laundry a guy on the net bailed without paying. Cheeky bugger. Have been staring at the till trying to work out if he took some of that as well.. but dont think he did.. I'm hoping he didnt. (The till is a wooden desk drawer with no lock so not fantastically secure).
Have agreed to stay a week in Whitianga, the place is 15kms from the nearest supermarket and I have no idea what my email access will be so dont expect regualr contact!! But I will be checking my emails somehow as am trying to sort something out for Nelson! am also looking for cheap flights there as it might end up being cheaper than having accomodation in wellington etc , the ferry and then a bus to nelson etc. I'll just see what happens!
Am reading Dan Browns Angels and Demons today, plenty of reading time.
I also checked my bank blance after being too scared to - as need to print off a couple of statements for dad as he is trying to defer repayments of my student loan for me. It wasnt as bad as I thought, I just need to keep trying to spend as little as possible and then I can stay out here longer!
I will miss Thames in some way, and the drug den of a flat I am living in. Strange how quick somewhere becomes home!

Pohutakawa

So, am working all day 9-7pm. am manning the internet shop, art shop and laundry all on my own. am quite impressed with how have learnt how to do all this kind of stuff really! When I was at uni and worked in the cafe the till was such a nightmare that I told myself I could never work where tills were involved.. but actually its fine!
am at work at the moment, a couple of people are in the laundry and a couple of people in the internet shop, Its bound to be quiet though as its pouring down outside and the tourist season has pretty much ended!
Stuart is staying in the backpackers on his own, the manager seems to have disapeared for the past week, so last night when people checked in he just took the money for them! So he migth be starting his own business if he doesnt get caught! The backpackers look dead here in Thames, I think alot of backpackers on the North Island shut for the winter. I guess the ones in the ski areas on the South Island get really busy!
Went to the pub last night but got tired and left matt and stu to it (jess didnt come she went out somewhere else). Pubs close here when the last cutomer leaves rather than a set time.. and I need my sleep! Still have to wear ear plugs for when matt gets back and watchesd film at 3am (as dont have door on my room noise doesnt get blocked out!)
But then spend rest of might paranoid that I wont wake up and will sleep through alarm with my ultra powerful ear plugs! How do people manage without ear plugs! they are truly a godsend! In backplackers i couldnt live without them! in Auckland for example my last bed was directly next to a bungee jumping thing so people were screaming all night, the curtains didnt close properly so I was watching people hanging upside down in my sleep!!
Its all fun! am going to book a bus to Whitianga for Thursday, am looking forward to hot water beach. it was one of the places I looked up before I left the UK and wanted to go to so I cant leave the North Island without going there!
The bright side of working in a laundromat is I get to have clean and dry clothes all the time!! (it can be expensive elsewhere and of course in rural places there isnt much power)
have been going on MSN the last couple of days while I have internet access (may as well make the most if it) but not many of you are online! admittedly it is the middle of the night over there at the moment and you might all want some sleep! Spoke to Helen yesterday though while I was eating my brekkie and she was off to bed! Is weird being in contact with people back home and having an online chat! their all tired and I'm wide awake!

Moving on again!

There you all were thinking I've settled into my flat share in Thames and I've decided to leave! I do have a good deal witha comfortable flat to live in but Thames is not for me.
I had a heavy feeling in my heart wandering round searching for a job today and I was in the end glad that there was no work. I was nervous about telling Rowan I want to leave but he was very friendly about it which was great! So I am going to work all day in the shop on Tuesday and Wednesday (i.e tomorrow and the next day) and then on Thursday I am going to leave. I am going to go to see hot water beach before I leave the Coromandel so I'll either stay there for a day or 2 or if I find a wwooofing job there (have emailed someone) then I shall stay there for their minimum of a week.
I feel much happier having decided this!
In do want to settle somewhere for a while but not here. (by a while I mean about a month - hardly long term or anything!)
I have been thinking about Nelson and have been in email contact with a family in a remote area in the Marlborough Sounds which I'd have to get a mail boat to (ie join the weekly post man on his rounds till I get dropped off at theirs!) They have 10 (yes ten!) children that they are homeschooling who I could help with! Sounds like a fun challenge!!

Am I old before my time?

Sometimes I wonder if I have got old before my time.
I also wonder what I did in England?
As far as I can remember I spent most evenings watching TV. what kind of life is that? but what else is there to do in England apart from go to the pub or watch TV. Sure theres the cinema and meals out both of which I love but both of which are expensive. I would do them every night if I could afford to!
I think people in Thames watch Tv or go to the pub.
Its assumed as I'm english I must drink alot everywhere! This is quite funny! I feel very boring as I dont drink that much. what does it mean that I can probably count the amount of times I have been drunk in the last two years on one hand?! people think I'm boring (and I probably feel it) and I have to remind myself that once apon a time drink was an issue for me and I used to drink everynight and go clubbing all the time. But this feels so long ag0 that it feels like another lifetime!
Today I was meant to be painting walls but rowan change dhis mind and I will be working in the shop all day tueday and wednesay.
I am going to look for a job tomorrow. If I find one I will stay in thames as I desperately need money (dont get me started on the money panic - I will at some point soon have to think about the debt back in england. Dad is deferring my student loans for me again but as for the bank loans... I try not to think about it as its too scary) if I dont find one I will move on and look for work elsewhere. I really want to go to the south island again now, even though I am going to freeze my arse off.

Market Day

After Great Barrier I saw dolphins on the ferry back to mainland again which was cool. It was like leaving the country or something, I felt nervous like I was starting my travels again. and of course I was back in Auckland again. Considering I dont like Auckland I have now been there a good few times!
I stayed the night in Surf n Snow, a new backpackers right next to the sky tower so it would be nice and close to get the bus in the morning. In the morning I went to this student hairdresser training thing and got my hair trimmed (quite happy with the length really so didnt want tonnes off), It turned into nigtmare though as I dont wear a watch so half way through the hair cut I got my alarm clock out of my pocket and dropped it, it said 1pm and I had a heart attack as my bus left at 1:15, I had to get my stuff and get to the station. i wouldnt get my money back for my ticket if I missed it! So I said is it really 1pm and she said yes, so she sped cut the rest - probably not great for a student and I raced to the backpackers and to the station where I could see my bus, I was at this point wheezing away and sweating and bright red in the face. I handed my bags to the guy and he said no he couldnt put my stuff on so I started pleading thinking I had a strict guy, (you are meant to be there 20 mins early to load your stuff etc. After he'd said no a million times and I'd burst into tears saying I couldnt afford another ticket he asked me what the stress was as it didnt leave for another hour and he couldnt put bags on for another half hour.. it was 12:15 after all that! m yhair practically still had the hairdresser clips in it, it was everywhere! I didnt know what to do, sigh of relief or cry! anyway luckily my hair looks ok and I spent the next half hour sitting calmly wheezing and caughing looking like I was going to die! Quite funny as people were moving away thinking I had some kind of lurgy when in actual fact I was just unfit from racing through auckland city with a heavy backpack on! the good thin gwith winter is that everything fits in my backpack as I am wearing the big stuff! even my food bag fitted in which was great, no need to have bags tied to my arms and legs!
anyway once in thames I had a long walk to the shop but am getting quite strong now and as long as going slow am fine!
Today I had my first shift, it was market day so I was on the stall outside the shop, The shop sells all arty things made locally such as photos on blocks (very popular) and soaps and handmade clothes etc. Its all very nice. Its very odd as over a month ago when I wa shere with Paul we came in this shop and while he was on the internet I had a good look round the shop!
Last nigth I also babysat for Rowans girlfriends children, Lucy age 6 and Alice age 3 so have been fairly busy since arrived really.
Thsi afernoon have wandered round town but most places shut at 12noon on a saturday and are shut all day sunday as well. so went to pakn save and got my tea! I thought it was funny as you would have thought I would be bored of fish since I ae it nearly everyday on great barrier but I found myself cooking salmon and roast veg for myself last night!
The guy who I'm woofing for -Rowan has 4 businesses. The shop pohutakawa, the internet shop, the laundromat and a bar so he's pretty busy. I have no idea where and what I will be doing each day. Tomorrow I shall be painting walls apparently.
While I'm in Thames I am looking for some paid work as well so am loking around and Rowan is too hopefully. I have agreed to stay 6 weeks as that what he has asked as a minimum. When I have time off I might go for short trips to Whitianga and Tauranga as well I reckon.
Its nice to have somehwere to call hime, a proper flat share and a double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers, great to not live out of a backpack for a while!

The caves that we used to fish by a lot. all the tourists go under these etc!

Somewhere on Great Barrier

In the centre of this photo is the place I lived at on Great Barrier so you can see its not exactly built up!

Trish trying to sort naughty fejoia out who refused to cross the creek!
Rock wash and Rosie have come over just to annoy her!

1) Paul fishing
2)Me with 2 fish I caught!
3)Me on the boat!
All at great barrier!

Views of Great Barrier Island

Lucy's 7th birthday party - cutting her cake.

kaitoke hot springs, great barrier island, theres lots of little hot pools up here to sit around in, and as usual I had the place to myself! its about an hours walk to them. I like walks that have a reward at the end of them! usually i have to take a choclate bar with me but this one I get to lounge around in hot water! yum!

The ferns etc on the walk to kaitoke hot spings on great barrier island. seeing as though the national emblem is of sliver fern this fern fronged walk is typical traditional New Zealand I guess!

whnagaparapara harbour and the boat from a distance - great barrier

hosanna rolling around outside my caravan on great barrier

me at mana on the meditation circle in the sanctuary

frankie age 8 -one of the children from great barrier island! i'm going to miss them! they are both lovely!

View from mana retreat

Me at mana retreat in the coromandel

the coromandel - i think?! before i went to the barrier whem i went away with paul

me in the coromandel with a strange cloud behind me!

Lucy

Lucy - age 7 where I was staying on Great Barrier, doing a little fairy show for me!
The follwing photos are all mixed up, they are all mixed up on the disc and I cant be bothered to put them in the right order so you'll just have to put up with the lack of continuity!

Huka falls

This is a really powerful river and waterfall which people go whitewater rafting on etc!

Lots of Photos!

These arent the actually photos I loaded to come on but since I've loaded them they may as well stay!
Photo 1 is from the top of the cable car by the botanical gardens in wellington.
Photo 2 is of Craters of the Moon again!
Photo 3 is of me by the side if wanganui river in wanganui.
Photo 4 is of a sunset in New plymouth.

Craters of the Moon!

Craters of the Moon!

Yes it is as cool as it looks! Takes about an hour to walk round all these boiling mud pools and steaming craters!

Craters of the Moon

Lou and I at Craters of the Moon! which is in Taupo..

seems like a million years ago! am going to put all my old photos up now..

Thames

So... I am in Thames!
it was sad leaving the island, as usual went fishing wednesday and thursday before I left.
Also climbed Mount Hobson. Several points up it I thought I was going to die (either from slipping off the side or from exhaustion!) It was so slippy and I was very glad of the tree roots to hang on to to pull myself up! But.. there was amazing views! and I was lucky as it was a beautiful day! I didnt see a soul for four and a half hours! I had so much time to think! its amazing what you think about when you have the time, the things that have happened in my life and the people who have been part of my life for however short a time or long a time. I get lost in my thoughts often and people must think I'm really quiet. When people try to get my attention its like they have to shout to get my attention! but Thames should be different, for a start I'm living in a flat share with 2 other backpackers called Jess and Matt, they both seem nice, have only met them briefly! I need to e rbought out of my thoughts a bit!
So, on my last night on the island I went to the club (the bar), had a couple of drinks (strangely have not felt like getting drunk in months). The men on the island are more than rugged, its strange how back in England I wanted a more rugged man but theres rugged and theres rugged. I think on great barrier the men smell of fish are covered in mud and have lots of facial hair. They also talk about fishing tackle, nails and all things practical alot! So I'm, not sure what I would have in common with a man on the island if I did meet one I fancied! but maybe i'm being unfair and generalising.
One thing that surprised me was the smoking pot all the time. Its a big thing over there, at work they all seem to stop several times a day for a smoke! It grows everywhere, people have all their own crops and it even grows in the bushes, maybe thats why the island is packed with young people over new year. I cant imagine it being like that! it must be so different!
Thames has a paknsave which is good cheap food wise! so have been by the supermarket and got a few bits in! Not sure what I'm going to be doing here, have to work 18 hours a week. Jess said something about a market tomorrow. Its all new and stuff right now, theres going to be lots to learn! (am a bit nervous but everyone seems nice which is good!)

Today we went fishing, no crayfish again unfotunately but caught snapper and trevailly. Then went to Tryphena and to a bakers! Excitement - havent been to a bakers since got to Island as the nearest bakers being 30kms away! Collected bucket loads of seaweed from beach to use as compost, then came back and chilled with a book. I made caesar salad dressing. (I always thought these things just came from a packet. I have even learnt how to make mayonaise. I plan to make these sorts of things myself in the future, this does mean I shall have to have more than just ketchup in my cupboards though!
Tomorrow is my last day, so I am going fishing in the morning and climbing mount nhobson in the afternoon.
I made sure I took lots of photos today to remind me of my stay!
I'm going to miss the girls so much! I have got used to helping them with their homework each day after school and listening to them read their stories. I also play rumikub at least 5 times a day and cludo twice! I am going to try and find them godfather marbles when I get back to New Zealand so I can send them one each! (Marbles being all the rage at school and they lose their little (peewee) marbles to this boy who has a godfather marble!)
am looking forward to going to thames though, my room is in a loft apparently so will have to climb a ladder to get there but its all adventures!!

Tamarillos and thunder stroms in tin boats

Tamarillos are just getting ripe on the trees. I had been told that they were bitter but actually they are nice! They are also called tree tomatoes. I guess because when they are ripe they are red and are full of seeds?! Anyway I've been eating lots the last few days!
It was realy wet overnight raining and a howling wind (I notice it more being in a caravan! and as the horses smashed the windowns the windowns are not plastic covering which blows open in the blowing wind at times, so during the night I had to retape the windows to stop myself getting wet! All fun though!
I wasnt sure if we would still be going fishing in the pouring rain but we did so I had lots of waterproofs on! We went down the creek in the little boat to awana beach area near the caves. The lobster pots were empty unfortunately but caught a few snapper and put some down in the pots as bait and we will check them again tomorrow morning. I was gutted as a shark got my hook and ball bearing and we had forgotten to bring the box of spares so I didnt get much fishing done after that! It got pretty scary at one point when it started thundering and lightening (there we are in water in a tin boat...) so we came in after that and of course typically the weather got better once we were back in! The surf was pretty exciting though. Going over it in a little tin boat meant we went flying into the air and crashing down again! Its like white water rafting or something! Cool huh?
After that we went and got more pungas to make garden beds. I've left Trish and Paul to argue over where they go! the day goes quick here, its nearly 2pm already so only an hour and a half and the kids bus will drop them off!
I only have a few days left now and plan to climb mount hobson before I go, the weather will hopfefully be good on wednesday for it!

Kinnies, Paua and roller blading

I aim to do something new everyday! So what did I do in the last couple of days that was new?

1. Rock Fishing (Hanging on the side of a rock flinging a rod out for fish and squid)
2. Searching rock pools for kinnies and Pauas
3. Eating Kinnies raw (they are sea urchins, those round spiky things - you just hack them open with a knike, wash the guts out in sea water and eat the orange fish egg bits, looks disgusting but actualy tastes sweet)
4. Eating Paua (or abalone I think it might be called back home - I actually dont like this, the texture reminds me of muchrooms - but we collected about $150 dollars worth!)
5. Going in a little boat down the estuary and then over the surf (hanging on as we fly over the surf! and then catching lots of fish and putting down lobster pots - this was quite gruesome as we caught the fish chopped their heads off and stuck flax through their eyes and tied then to the top of the pots and then put the pots in the sea. We have to go out tomorrow morning to collect the pots as lobster come out at night. I am looking forward to seeing if we have caught any! We had to get up early this morning to be out for high tide, its an hour later tomorrow morning though so I dont have to get up too long before sunrise (its freezing before sunrise now winter is beginning! the sea felt postively warm when I was washing my icky fish hand out in it every time I baited my line!)
6. Roller blading (lucy got roller blades for her birthday - Paul and Trish got them off the internet, the wrong size arrived first time which turns out to be my size and Trish's size so I've spent a few hours rollerblading today! It was fun! I only fell on my arse once! (Ouch!) I havent been rollerbalding before. I had rollerboots when I was little but I was such a wuss I never went on them since I fell and cut my knee - I was about 8! I was really scared today but decided to persevere!
7. Also today we went to their 4th boat and checked it was still working and played around on a beautiful beach. They have boats dotted around in various spots for all types of weather and tides!

Its Sunday today and I am leaving on Thursday so not much time to enjoy this beautiful island now - but I cant stay here forver - there is a whole world to explore out there! (and I'm looking forward to seeing every bit of it!

Went and got a few cards for various people today, (sent yours Laura - dont open it till your birthday) and bought birthday cards for Jim and Grandma who both have birthdays next month. I will be orgnaised and try and send them early rather than forget and end up sending them late!

I'm still reading lots - today I am reading "the other boleyn girl" by phillipa gregory. Its very good now I've got into it! I'll chill out with it in my little caravan tonight I think! Not that I'm going to be staying up late! all this fresh air and early mornings tires me out!!

Just had some sad news, I got an email telling my ex therapist Bryan is in hospital having radiation therapy for lung cancer. It is a shock and feel pretty tearful actually. I didnt want therapy anymore with him or anything but he is a good person and I care about him. Can someone please let me know whether he lives at the same address in Goring Road (as it was on the market when I left) so I can send a card. I know hes going to Brazil for treatment but I'm sure if I send a card somewhere it will find its way to him somehow?
Today I have been working hard cutting down vegetation (have got over fear on knives here when I'm using massive sharp knives for everything!), digging up plants and moving soil about (digging river!) am knackered, but spent afternoon fnisheing the book The Tenth Circles By Jodi Picoult, was very good, but her books are always so emotional!
Yesterday it rained alot so didnt do alot, but did cow hearding and refenced fields for them!
Have sorted my flights as best possible. There were none of the flights avainale I wanted but hopfully can chnage them again as I dont have to pay until Novmber so can change it before then again for free (why they didnt tell me this in the first place I dont know!)
Anyway as it stand I fly Auckland to Sydney on 19th November (cant get flights from Christchurch with my ticket apparently) then Sydney to Bangkok on 10th December and Bangkok to London on 30th December. I wouldnt out this in your diaries though its not for definate or anything!

I did just attempt to put some photos up but I guess there is not enough power here so it will have to wait till I'm back on the main land! So what have I been up to today?! This morning we went to a farm to get some pungas to use as edges to a garden bed. The after salad and snapper for lunch it rained so I sat in and read and then Trish and I went for a 3 hour horse ride. I learnt how to rise to the trot and trotted pretty fast which was exciting! This evening we ate thai green curry and I finished my book. We also watched a fishing programme about Brighton which was weird. was weird seeing back home, felt like some sort of dejavu, like surely I'm not from there?!
Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow - will see what happens. Tried to change my flights today, phoned round STA etc and they told me I have to speak to Qantas. I spent ages on the phone to them and they couldnt do mch as there are no flights around January, they keep telling me its high season as if I'm phoning the week before or something!?urely not everyone is so organised that they book that far in advance. Anyway she said they might release more flights and recommended I ring back Friday, so I shall try that!

time to think!

Thebest thing about this island is that it gives me time to think! As I weed in complete solitude (apart from a few pukekos squawking) I go off into a day dream so that paul and trish end up having to shout me several times to go and have lunch! I like all this time to think! I end up thinking of more things I want to do in life though so I'm going to be kept busy!!
Firstly I want to pass my driving test, as soo n as I get back to england I am going to take lessons, and none of this I cant afford it stuff, its going to have to be a priority. Then I can but a campervan and travel round england and europe working my way around. (I may or may not do Austrailia first)
One thing that made me laugh was how worried I was about coming home via Australia at Xmas and New Year, I was worried about the noise and people clubbing!!! Then rose (frankie and lucy's nanna) reminded me it was fun busy! AH sometimes I think I old before my time, New Year is meant to be fun. I probably should be out drinking and having a laugh! So I guess its the best place to be! Lol! something else was that I saw a pilot yesterday and had to stop myuself voicing the words "gosh he looks too young to be pilot". That would really mean I'm old if I start saying things like that!!
Havent managed to change my flights yet. am waiting for an email back from brighton sta. I have decided to chnage it as planned in last enrty but am not panicking, it is not set in stone. if I start thinking I have to leave in january I start getting upset. So I just tell myself just see how it goes!
Today we went out fishing (we were meant to go yesterday but the weather wasnt right do I visited the local school instead) it has a total of 52 pupils and 3 classes. Its really cute and I got to walk round it all and meet all the children and teachers! alot of the kids recognise me anyway now which is cool! I can imagine it wouldnt take long to get to know everyone on the whole island! As for teaching here, the girls and all cute the boys are wild! Thir all out shooting wildpigs by the time they are 10! Shooting season has started for birds btw so I hear a few gunshots now wnd then. Paul shot a rabbit this morning, they eat rabbit alot but apparently not today so I will try rabbit for the first time another time. Just as well I'm not still vegetarian huh?! anyway back to fishing!! I caught 2 wopping snapper! Fish of the day for me!! How cool! I caught smaller ones too but these were huge!wait till you see the photos!! I was so proud!! I really like fishing! i though it was meant to be boring but its not!! fish are contantly biting, I'm learning a new skill and I get to see dolphins frolicking in the water! (lots today). We caught squid too so I'm learning all the different methods of catching stuff! Apparently on Friday we will go and get some cray. maybe out the pots down on Thursday!
am getting attached to the girls, we play games and stuff when they get in from school from hide and seek to rumikub. Its fun!!
I'm still reading lots. The local library in claris is good so I get alot of the best sellers.am reading "Swallowing Grandma" at the moment which is good!
I am still covered in mosquito bites (i'm hoping that one day they will think I'm a local and stop biting me!) it was good when lou was here as they bit her instead!
I'm getting over the OCD I used to have back in enlgand for cleanliness! I dont have the option to wash my clothes if they've so much as touched me here so I just wear them until their disgusting! How many baths I have depends on how hot it is (solar warmed) or if the fire is on (fire warmed!) I love this kind of living but dont think I would be able to do it forver! I gotaid today from the work in the thai restaurant the other day which was cool. I could get a job an a nanny as well which I am considering short term. I love the island and love the live but maybe a small village would be more me for longer term. Here would be a hell of a lot better if I could drive. Paul is going to take me up to the camp ground for a driving lesson this week, so that will be cool! I desperately need to learn to drive! Its essential for out in NZ, I can hardly hitch in to work everyday can I?!
Its a pity I'm not still going out with that guy from years back - Jon. He was really into fishing and I used to think it was boring and never went with him - maybe I should get back in touch now and say "lets go fishing?!" not that I have his address out here so thats not going to happen! (see thats what happens when I have lots of time to think!) but its good to get some of it down on paper (as such) as then its not all swimming around in my brain and I can think abiut something else instead and you lot will just have to put up with all the ramble!
I bought 2 envelopes from the post office (not really noteworthy stuff youight sa but of course here going to the post office is a trek and a half!.. anyway am going to send some more stuff back to england. Have decided to send in back there rather than to tony and Pats in torbay as one day I'm going to have to colledt all my stuf from theirs and then carry it around the rest of NZ and australia and thailand, so at least sending it back to england gets rid of it properly. I was thinking I might get my flight out of NZ from Christchurch so I would have to get my stuff from Pat and Tony's when I go back to Auckland from here (aghh so much to think about when I really dont want to think about things at all?!) however it would be useful to fly from christchurch as then I wouldnt have to come back to the north island at all. The plan is once I leave great barrier I will maybe spend a day or 2 on waiheke island then head down to the coraomandel, down to the bay of plenty, to gisbourne and then over to the south island. Thats planned loosely of course. who knows what will happen?!

Lucy's 7th Birthday!

So what have I been up the last couple of days? My memory is atrotious so I will start with today before I forget! today is Lucy's birthday so we were cooking and wrapping presents this morning and her friends all arrived for 11am. We played musical cushions, pin the tailon the donkey and went down to the beach to play the big dig, they had a yummy birthday lunch as well. They all left at 2pm ish but Arrouha and Chenny have stayed the night so they will all catch the school bus together in the morning. I got Lucy a card with stickers in and some pineapple chocolate chunks (such a simple present yet she was so excited!). their party bags were marbles! (Its so old fashioned and so sweet - Lucy and and Frankie have never played playstation! (Such a great thing!)
I'm now shattered sotrying to stay awake as it is only 7:30pm. I think I'll be heading to my caravan soon. In the caravan I read by candle light. I have truly never seen so many stars in my life as I do here, its beautiful! the only noise is the surprisingly noisy cows, the chickens and squawking pukekos. the childrens nan has also been staying the weekend, she flew in from Red Beach which is right by Orewa where I used to work in the backpackers.
Yesterday was my day off so I hitched a lift to the cross roads, wwalked down to the hot pools track and then went on a 2hour round trip walk and chilled in some hot pools with a book for a couple of hours. they were warm rather than hot becaue of the rain in the night but once again it was a fab experience, completely on my own in the wilderness laying about in hot water! I assumed nobody else would come so happily got changed and was naked for ages, yet when I was walking back I bumped into 3 people walking that way so it was just as well they hadnt arrived half an hour earlier!!
When I left the hot pools I walked towards the cross roads, hitched a ride into Claris to look round the shops (The pigeon post and the store) Pigeon post is the post office, you can still send pigeons to send post here! They do have a normal postal service too though! (Dad I sent your cheque yesterday so it shouldnt hopefully be too long!)
Then I hitched a ride back to the cross roads and hitched another ride to the Art Gallery (Laura I bought your birthday card there!). then I hitched a ride to right outside the driveway! It was so easy to hitch. Everyone knows each other on the island so its compeltely safe, kids do it all the time. People say they'd do it here but never off great barrier island! Then is the afternoon trish and Paul went to a memorial service so I looked after the girls and we played lots of games.
The day before I did weeding (veg patch looking much better now) and I have new garden clothes so save my own from getting destroyed. At the community centre in Claris there is a Swappping Centre where everyone brings their stuff they dont want (anything and everything) and people rumage through and take what they want, so I picked up a few pairs of trousers etc to use while I am on the island as it gets muddy and I dont have that many clothes to use! what a good system!
I may at some point go and woof with lIz in dairy flat again as she has sold her place and needs help wih packing.
Paul has gone to Pakistan for some reason. As least that makes it easier tor me not to end up seeing him again!
I think thats all I've done, well its probably not but all the days merge into one and I get confused!
I have been looking into where my next job will be. I have done most of the North Island but would like to finish the Coromandel. I have seen a job in Thames so I might head there next. I have already been there with Paul but at least its in the right direction - and theres more chance of getting paid work as well. The job is in an art shop.
Tomorrow Paul and I are probably going to go fishing for dinner! (I love that concept of having to get dinner!)
They have been building the wind generator so we have more power. The solargenerator can be more lacking in the winter and the hot water not hot enough (we also have to light a fire to get hot water) so I have to be more careful with water in the shower etc!
I have been trying to sort out flights as my oringinal flight to Sydney was meant to leave 16th June. so I have been emailing brighton STA. I have tp be back in England be January 2007 according to my ticket. I am going tchange my flights to do that. I dont want to go back to England then but I will see what happens in January, I want to stay out here 2 years but would lose my return flight, so I will keep my options open and chnage my flight to January! I guess I will still spend 2 weeks in Aus and 2 weeks in Bangkok so probably spend Christmas and New Year in Aus? who knows what will happen by then though, I prefer not to think about it but I have to sort out thr flights!

From fishing, riding and thai restaurants on the Barrier

I'm on Great Barrier! I've wanted to come here since I first decided I was coming to NZ and was reading the travel books!
So it was a 4 and a half hour ferry ride over, paul drove me over to the ferry terminal and we said our goodbyes, I've decided its over between us so I guess it was a goodbye forever. He's not going to make me happy and he's got way too much baggage!
On the ferry over (there was about 10 of us) I got burnt it was so hot and saw a big pod of dolphins which was cool! the ferry captain was very friendly pointing out all the islands on the way and everything.
Trish and the girls were waiting for me, Lucy aged 6 and Frankie aged 8. We drove to the shop in Tryphenia which is quite along way from their place in Awana. It is the most rural place I have ever been to. The scenery is stunning, blue skies, cliffs down to sandy beaches and some of the best surfing in NZ.
So I settled in and unpacked in my own little caravan in a field behing the house. Welly boots are needed all the time for getting around the place as it has been pretty wet so is very muddly, luckily trish has some spare ones for me!
The next day was beautiful so paul (trish's husband) and I went out on his yacht and went out fishing. I have never been fishing before, it was so exciting! We caught loads, We are not allowed to catch blue cod so we put that back but can keep the red snapper and trevailly that are huge (I thought the ones we put back that were too small were big too compared to english standards! Anyway it was really exciting when I could feel the fish biting and having to real the huge things in!! It wasnt boring at all as there always seemed to be something biting. The first time I put the line in it got bitten off by a shark! We took loads home for dinner and dinner was especially yummy as I had caught it! Mmmn snapper in bread crumbs! we ate the trevailly raw. I've never had raw fish and always wasnt keen on the idea but it wasnt bad at all!
The next day I cut lots of flaxes into points ready for planting and split them into smaller plants, that took me all morning and in the afternoon I went for a bike ride. Its been ages since I cycled anaywhere so it was another new experience and hard work! Being so rural and hilly it was very good exercise. I rode round the empty campsite (out of season now so empty) and up to the beach! I wonder if I could make it all the way to the nearest shop (about 10km)?
I came back and chilled with a book, read the bridge to (?!) thats helpful isnt it?not being able to remember the title?! anyway its the book following the bronze horseman by paullina simons my new current favourite author. I have the NZ top 100 books list so am working my way through it, so far have read 26 out of 100 and have just started number 27!
We had thai fish curry for dinner which was yummy, trish is a trained chef so the food is very yummy here. Its surprising how unfishy fresh fish is, apparently it takes a couple of days to get the fishy taste and smell and usually it takes that long to get off the boats and into the shops!
The next day we took loads to the dump (the flax etc).In the afternoon Trish and I saddled up their horses Hosanna and Fejoia and went for a ride. It was great! we went for a couple of hours up the road along the campgrounds and estuary (the horses like drinking the water so we wade through it) and then along the sandy beach watching the surfers! It was great! Learning to ride properly is on my list of things to learn so lesson 1 is completed and I am one more step to getting more experienced!
Then in the evening we went down the club in claris, a pub which is open wednesday nights, friday nights and saturday nights, it hasd a big games room, playground and field for the children to play in and parents can watch them while they socialise! As soon as I got there the bar man said "oh a visitor" and got me to sign the guestbook! I gues with only 800 residents on the whole island everyone knows everyone! There was actually one other visitor but he had been there before, a surfer guy from Bude in Cornawall. He was a proper surfer dude who couldnt say a sentence without saying "far out" and "oh your really in the zone"! The kids had a great time, they ate pizza there and we came hokme for steak from next door. The cows are literlly over the field in front of the house. I have never had meat from somewhere so close by! The O Shays are an irish/maori family who cought up along time ago and have alot of land and houses and sold Paul and Trish their place 18 years ago.
Lucy has chickens which are noisy in the mornings, there are only 3 left now as one died of natural causes the other day, they still lay a couple of eggs everyday though. Lucy and Frankie are lovely kids and so different from town kids having never played with playstations etc. They go to the local school with 52 children in and the children here play games like marbles etc, so I'm learning the names of differnt marbles etc! (stealies, peewees etc)! It is Lucy's 7th birthday on Sunday so she is very excited! 7 other children are coming over for a party. Frankie and Lucy are in the same class at school as 3 age groups are in the same class. I imagine that must be hard to teach!
Today I went to work with Trish and worked in the Thai restaurant, it was pretty busy fo a smally polpulated island I thought! I was waitress, washer upper and worked the till and was behing the bar while trish cooked! It was a busy day but I leanr lots and would feel more confident in applying for a job in a restaurant now!
Am back home now, tired, and the girls are back in from school playing in the groceryy boxes. Groceries are brought over by boat from the supermarkey in Auckland. You can buy just from, local shops but it cost a bomb, thye can charge what they like as theres no where else to buy it!!
On the way back from the restaurant I saw a dead whale on the beach.
There was tsunami warning out during the night but thankully it got cancelled, that would have been pretty scary, there has been alot of flooding back in Orewa whewre I was a few weeks ago.