I finished work at 2pm on the Sunday really fed up after managing the place all week.. It was pouring down which came to my advantage when hitching as people felt sorry for me. I had a lift by 2:10 so lay in the back of a campervan with tyhis american guy called jared while two girls sat in the front driving and navigating! he was a nice guy and absolutely gorgeos, but he would make an ideal glacier guide. Hes such a poser and label consious guy! still it was a fun journey to wanaka. I felt sick when ever I sat up so I just lay in bed!! (in the back of the campervan)
we arrived in wanaka about 7:45 and they were staying in their van so I checked in the Purple Cow where I met lots of people and went to the 8pm showing of Clerks 2 at the cinema (its got couches and a car in it!)
its was sooo funny! and they have an intermission so I had lasagne in the break! Yum!I stayed up till 2am chatting to various people and then in the morning wanted to go straight to Queenstown (Only another 118kms) being the persausive kind of person I am I pesuaded deane who had a relaxing day of reading and moping about planned (and had just come from Queenstown to drive me there and then he would have to drive all the way back to Wanaka. We had a great day, he took me straight to Karawau bridge where I did my bungy, then checked me into my hostel, then bought me lunch and showed me round etc.
Then I was knackered after all the adrenalin so I came back and chilled out at the backpackers.
The next day I went into town and had another look round, booked myself for the canyon swing where I met lots of nice people and went out for lunch with ?(might have been another Paul?) had huge burger at fergburgers anyway! then went back to the backpackers and sat about on the balcony soaking up the sun overlooking the lake and met Tina from germany who tunred out to be my room mate. We decided to go out that eveing and arranged to meet at 7pm. By then I'd made lots of other friends, and invited them to come out with us, katie and Mike came and we all went to 5 below. This is the coolest bar!! in both senses!!
They kit you out with boots and coats etc and the bar is kept at -5, all the tables, chairs, bar and your glasses are made of ice and theres ice sculptures everywhere!! It great! I took so many photos! (you've got to wait for them though as they are on the next disk)
we then went to a few other bars but I was pretty tired from another adrenalin rush with canyon swinging!
The next day it snowed all day so I just wandered round the shops with tina and sat around watching dvds with Mike. was a nice day and the snow was beautiful!
I had booked a bus back to Franz Joseph as I didnt want the stress of hitching and worrying if I would get in time for work on Friday. the bus left at 8am and got into franz at 4:10 so its a long journey.
I was fairly near the back of the bus so after half an hour when he stopped for photos break I was ready to throw up - but I got chatting to this guy called gareth and he said I could sit next to him up the front. I felt much better there and chatted away to him non stop for the next 8 hours.. (lucky guy huh?!) anyway he wanted to take me out for a drink when we got back so I agreeed to meet him after yoga and we went out for a few drinks. Then I had this bright idea of taking him on the glow worm walk (I wanted him tro see all the local attractions... on second thoughts alking of into the rainforest with steep drops on either side when tipsy may not be the best plan. But I went back for my torch and we set off.. It was further than I remmebered and I told him to be careful as there were steep drops on either side into the glacial river and down a kind of mini canyon (big rocky drops anyway). we got to the top and sat watching the christmas tree lights of the glowworms when I got animated talking and flung my torch down the steep drop... we were fine down by the glow worms but as soon as we went 10 feet forward we were in total darkness and there was no moon to help us.. we decided we would be okay if we stayed to the left and were carful but held hands to keep safe. I thought this was just a ploy so he could hold my hand but Im so glad he did... 10 steps later I slipped down the steep drop, he held on to me, grabbed both hands and hauled me up (what a hero! arent I glad he's a strong cornish farmer!) I was very bruised and had a few cuts but what a relief! However, the rest of the journey was still an adventure, it was really scary and there were drops everywhere and bridges to get accross, at sone point we lost the path and were crawling around the rainforest with steep drops all around us.. he wanted to stay the night and wait till light but I said we could do it.. after the 3rd time of getting lost (and 3 hous latere)and I was about to give up , we were sat in a muddy bog and I had a look in my handbag to see if I had anything useful (we'd worked out neither of us had out phones) I discovered my camera.. I put it on the display to look at phots and realised it gae us enough light to get out. It kept cutting out due to low battery so we ran while it was working.. and finally got out.. covered in mud, scratches and bruises! thank god! scary!!
That night (3am - so just after I got in) melissa and daniel came back from te anau with 2 small children aged 3 and 4. When i woke up in the mornign I thought I was imagining things.. but no it turns out they are staying for a week.. it was my only lie in off the week so I was not impressed to find a very smelly child with nits dripping puss out of their ears trying to get in my bed with me.. and procceeding to walk in my room and have to door wide open whenver I tried to get dressed (my door doesnt lock). NOT IMPRESSED!
I had to stay at the hotel that night but melissa brought the kids back to the hotel as she had to watch Aaron. At 6pm I said to Mrie I couldnt hear the phone calls over the kids screaming and swearing. Of course nothing was done about it as usual.. By 8pm when I had hauled the kids out off the road for the 10th time I had words with melissa and said they had to stay in and be supervised, she said they were fine, I said it was not okay for them to be running in front of cars aged 3... (I said all this as polite as possible)
the last ppl didnt check in till 11pm and Melissa was paid to do the laudry in the evening as the water was off in the day.. of course when i got up in the morning the washing hadnt been done yet she will be paid.. (the bright side of being the bosses daughter) so I spent the morning rushing around getting launrdy done checking out guests, sending faxes, answering the phone and tripping over unsupervised children.. marie and deane were in bed with hangovers as usual.
Deane got up at 12 and said to me Marie was not happy at me having asked her to get the kids to be quiet last night.. it was her time off and she was with her friends... at least I could not restrain myself any longer and said i did not think it was okay fro guests to be complaining to me at the noise and for me to be woken up with children coming into my bed.. at this he said I should have gone and told the children to be quiet. (Excuse me is this my job.. besides their kids are so rough its like working at the refuge again.. I'm always asking tehm to be quiet.. anyway rant over.. I was not happy.
the day melissa moved in marie asked me when I would be leaving as she didnt want me not to see the country and to feel like I was trapped there. ( I though this was a bit bizarre at the time and wondered if she was trying to get rid of me)? yet they had told me how great I was and are always leaving me in charge. Then I spotted Melisss was being put on reception to be trained as well as cleaning. Maire said Ian (the owner who lives in Christchurch) wants Melissa to be trained on everything.. I wondered if it was my imagination or was melissa being trained up to take my job? Obviously when I got ther job marie had no idea Melissa would come and live here.. (since she moved into fostor car when she was 14) now Marie wants to do anything to keep her daughter happy... When Daniel asked me yesterday how long I would be here I just cut the crap and asked if melissa was going to take over from me when I left? He said yes... ahhh so it all falls into place...
so I am job searching. I applied to be a manager of the YHA so I am considering that, also a manger of a backpackers in kaikoura.. but am still looking around. Its goo to be prepared for when it all hits the fan...!
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