The Grampians Walk
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Caught up with my family on the phone at the weekend. Phoned mum and dad and then Amanda. It seems "everyone" has been, or is sick. My grandma is in hospital again after another fall (shes only been out of hospital about a week), my sister had a cyst removed and my Aunty Barbara has been in hospital with suspected DVT. So hope all of you get well soon if any of you are reading this.
When I phoned my sister she put it on speakerphone and my neice got some kind of giggling doll for me to listen to which was very cute of her!! I've been thinking what an earth to get them for xmas.. "Christmas" you are probably shouting out at me... and complaining I am insane for even thinking of it.. but in my defence the last posting date is 11th November.. and they will be the only people who get presents this year. (sorry but travelling is not designed to make you be rich!)
There has been an English guy (from East Grinstead to be precise) staying at the backpackers the last fortnight, he has been travelling the last 5 years so I was finally able to get my questions about travel insurance answered and it seems world nomads is the only way to go!
Eva phoned me at the weekend. I tried to ring her but couldnt get through so she rang me back! she had found an international calling card like the ones I use here so it was super cheap to call NZ!! It was really nice to speak to her too!
Everyone keeps teasing me about going to Bourke in Oz (i.e why on earth I would want to go to that dump..but I keep insisting I just want to get off the tourist trail!!) Oh well however bad it is all experiences are what make us ae?! I'm still excited!! Even though its going to be the plongest bus journey ever to get there!!
Talking about Oz we had our product training at Kathmandu and I have found the perfect outfit to wear there. I love it! Dallen had circled outfits for us to all try on and I was lucky as mine was lovely! (I think he was too scared to make me try on most things as he had been very strictly instructed by myself!!)
Anyway it was a good evening.. thai food, wine, trying on clothes and putting up tents!! (and I get paid for that!!)
I had my legs waxed yesterday.. it was pretty funny as I had thought about 6 weeks ago when I bought new black work trousers from the warehouse that my legs seems to be changing colour.. going grey and almost black.. so I tried really hard exfoliating but it wouldnt go away.. but I still carried on wearing them everyday not really noticing how bad it was getting.. until she started the waxing and the strips went black and you could see the strip she had waxed and the bit she hadnt so clearly that I had a white stripe and a black stripe.. kinda scary.. not only have our clothes got fomaldehyde in they have dye that dyes us... anyway I'm back to my normal colour now!! (and no hairs!!) The warehouse trousers have already worn so thin that they fell apart after only 6 weeks wear so I guess it wasnt money saving at all to buy cheap trousers..! For those of you that dont know what the warehouse is its probably the English equivelent to Primark or something I guess (so somethings last forever and other things collapse in 2 seconds)excent everyone shops at the warehouse and the adds on tv are so catchy that you find yourself singing along.. "Warehouse.. where everyone gets a bargain"!!
I went round Ambers house yesterday afternoon, shes not staying there unfortuantely though and shes going to be leaving Nelson.. which is a bugger as I liked the idea of having a new friend in town. Their going to be living in the sticks in the golden bay - only accessible by boat or helicopter.. so guess I wont be visiting that often then!!
The boys (by that I mean Matt and Phillip) have been enjoying winding me up.. there was this strange ding dong sound that was going on for days and it seemed only I could hear it until finally I saw Matt with a smirk on his face and realised that it wasnt just me.. but it did take us days to find where it was coming from. I pulled the place apart sorting out and throwing out rubbish until eventually we found an old doorbell in the cupboard this morning..! I know I should have smashed it with an axe or something because I can just imagine they havent finshed their fun with that.. Matts been finding the bins full of all the crap I've been throwing out (DVD players, fax machines...) and hes been winding me up.. last night I found the fax machine in my bed.. so he found it in the washing machine this morning..! We clearly have too much time on our hands!!
Actually I have a couple of days off which is really weird!! I dont know what to do with myself!! I think Phill and I are going to go on a walk this afternoon though so that should keep us occupied. but "panic" hes one of those "active" people so it may not be as fun as I hope!! (Kathmandus full of active people too.. makes me feel like I'm a slug or something!)
Nookies been back in contact from down south. but he's having a tanty because I won't go down south and see him before I leave. He lives about as far away as he could do.. it would take me at least 2 days by bus since I'm not hitchiking nowadays.. so if he wants to see me he'll have to come up here.. but dont think he will and I'm okay with that.
When I phoned my sister she put it on speakerphone and my neice got some kind of giggling doll for me to listen to which was very cute of her!! I've been thinking what an earth to get them for xmas.. "Christmas" you are probably shouting out at me... and complaining I am insane for even thinking of it.. but in my defence the last posting date is 11th November.. and they will be the only people who get presents this year. (sorry but travelling is not designed to make you be rich!)
There has been an English guy (from East Grinstead to be precise) staying at the backpackers the last fortnight, he has been travelling the last 5 years so I was finally able to get my questions about travel insurance answered and it seems world nomads is the only way to go!
Eva phoned me at the weekend. I tried to ring her but couldnt get through so she rang me back! she had found an international calling card like the ones I use here so it was super cheap to call NZ!! It was really nice to speak to her too!
Everyone keeps teasing me about going to Bourke in Oz (i.e why on earth I would want to go to that dump..but I keep insisting I just want to get off the tourist trail!!) Oh well however bad it is all experiences are what make us ae?! I'm still excited!! Even though its going to be the plongest bus journey ever to get there!!
Talking about Oz we had our product training at Kathmandu and I have found the perfect outfit to wear there. I love it! Dallen had circled outfits for us to all try on and I was lucky as mine was lovely! (I think he was too scared to make me try on most things as he had been very strictly instructed by myself!!)
Anyway it was a good evening.. thai food, wine, trying on clothes and putting up tents!! (and I get paid for that!!)
I had my legs waxed yesterday.. it was pretty funny as I had thought about 6 weeks ago when I bought new black work trousers from the warehouse that my legs seems to be changing colour.. going grey and almost black.. so I tried really hard exfoliating but it wouldnt go away.. but I still carried on wearing them everyday not really noticing how bad it was getting.. until she started the waxing and the strips went black and you could see the strip she had waxed and the bit she hadnt so clearly that I had a white stripe and a black stripe.. kinda scary.. not only have our clothes got fomaldehyde in they have dye that dyes us... anyway I'm back to my normal colour now!! (and no hairs!!) The warehouse trousers have already worn so thin that they fell apart after only 6 weeks wear so I guess it wasnt money saving at all to buy cheap trousers..! For those of you that dont know what the warehouse is its probably the English equivelent to Primark or something I guess (so somethings last forever and other things collapse in 2 seconds)excent everyone shops at the warehouse and the adds on tv are so catchy that you find yourself singing along.. "Warehouse.. where everyone gets a bargain"!!
I went round Ambers house yesterday afternoon, shes not staying there unfortuantely though and shes going to be leaving Nelson.. which is a bugger as I liked the idea of having a new friend in town. Their going to be living in the sticks in the golden bay - only accessible by boat or helicopter.. so guess I wont be visiting that often then!!
The boys (by that I mean Matt and Phillip) have been enjoying winding me up.. there was this strange ding dong sound that was going on for days and it seemed only I could hear it until finally I saw Matt with a smirk on his face and realised that it wasnt just me.. but it did take us days to find where it was coming from. I pulled the place apart sorting out and throwing out rubbish until eventually we found an old doorbell in the cupboard this morning..! I know I should have smashed it with an axe or something because I can just imagine they havent finshed their fun with that.. Matts been finding the bins full of all the crap I've been throwing out (DVD players, fax machines...) and hes been winding me up.. last night I found the fax machine in my bed.. so he found it in the washing machine this morning..! We clearly have too much time on our hands!!
Actually I have a couple of days off which is really weird!! I dont know what to do with myself!! I think Phill and I are going to go on a walk this afternoon though so that should keep us occupied. but "panic" hes one of those "active" people so it may not be as fun as I hope!! (Kathmandus full of active people too.. makes me feel like I'm a slug or something!)
Nookies been back in contact from down south. but he's having a tanty because I won't go down south and see him before I leave. He lives about as far away as he could do.. it would take me at least 2 days by bus since I'm not hitchiking nowadays.. so if he wants to see me he'll have to come up here.. but dont think he will and I'm okay with that.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
why would I ever leave?
Sometimes I wonder why on earth I would ever want to leave Nelson. Its warm, sunny, vibrant, it has the sea and mountains, and is arty and spiritual. What more could I want. I really do love it here.
But I've got this ithcy feet desire that must be satiated - and the onlt way I can do that is to get on a plane and see new places.. hopefully one day I'll be back!!
When i do settle somewhere I want it to be somewhere I can have my feet in the earth with space around me and beautiful surroundings!!
Am very excited as I have now been at kathmandu long enough to get staff discount and its a fantastic one!! 60 or 70% off!!! woopee!!!!! So I will be buying the shorts I desperately need from work then!!!
We had a trying on sess the other day and we have to work this Tuesday doing product training which basicaly means try everything on, play with it and get fed pizza and wine.. sorted!! (obviously I have to actually remember facts and stuff about our products too but the best way to learn is to try them out!)
Its Friday night and I've stayed behind at The Child care Centre to catch up with emails and my blog and chewck online bank balances.. NZ very healty.. UK very unhealthy. I know if I went back to the UK I could sort it out by working my butt off but I dont want to go back. Its a really hard situation.
Have been thinking about doing a working visa in Canada at some point..
Its my weekend at the backpackers this weekend and it seems pretty busy.. but dont mind! its beautifully sunny so will read my book in the afternoon in the sunsine! at work today the kids have been doing water paly and running round in the nappies and sunhats.. (and its only spring!) god I love nelson!!
But I've got this ithcy feet desire that must be satiated - and the onlt way I can do that is to get on a plane and see new places.. hopefully one day I'll be back!!
When i do settle somewhere I want it to be somewhere I can have my feet in the earth with space around me and beautiful surroundings!!
Am very excited as I have now been at kathmandu long enough to get staff discount and its a fantastic one!! 60 or 70% off!!! woopee!!!!! So I will be buying the shorts I desperately need from work then!!!
We had a trying on sess the other day and we have to work this Tuesday doing product training which basicaly means try everything on, play with it and get fed pizza and wine.. sorted!! (obviously I have to actually remember facts and stuff about our products too but the best way to learn is to try them out!)
Its Friday night and I've stayed behind at The Child care Centre to catch up with emails and my blog and chewck online bank balances.. NZ very healty.. UK very unhealthy. I know if I went back to the UK I could sort it out by working my butt off but I dont want to go back. Its a really hard situation.
Have been thinking about doing a working visa in Canada at some point..
Its my weekend at the backpackers this weekend and it seems pretty busy.. but dont mind! its beautifully sunny so will read my book in the afternoon in the sunsine! at work today the kids have been doing water paly and running round in the nappies and sunhats.. (and its only spring!) god I love nelson!!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Google Earth
OMG!!! how cool is it!!? I finally got round to checking out google earth as its free on the library computers and I could see my house here, my parents house etc etc.. wow!! Now I want the full address of the place I will be staying in Bourke just do can see it properly!! (just to see how much red dust surrounds it!!)
Spookily Similar!
I have a new friend who is spookily similar to me. Literally we barely need to ask if we think this or that about something or if something has happened to one of us.. we already know!
It is really quite scary how much we have in common! But great!! She's been sharing my room for the last week and its like a sleepover every night.. we cant stop talking!!
Unfortuntely she moves out tomorrow.. but shes renting a house in Nelson so we can still be friends which is cool! and she says I can have a soak in her bath (and she has lush products - god I miss the shop lush) - I mean what could be better than that?!
Its so nice to have a friend I can talk to though. I really miss my freinds in the UK who know the real me.. and you cant exactly scare people you've only known 5 minutes by telling them all your secrets.
I have been working by butt off this week, I was so tired Saturday night I could have cried! We worked late every night.. thankfully they rewarded us with wine, chocolate and pizza but even so I was shattered! However, pay day will be nice! I am not sure how mnay days I am doing this week or whether I will end up back at the child care centre more.. who knows.. I feel pretty confident there now though.. even though we got a new computer system for us to learn - just because I had got used to the last one! But the bright side is that I dont feel inferior to the other staff anynmore as they are learning it at the same time as me!!
I havent had much time to read lately because I work 8-8 and then fall into bed.. but have started on Bill brysons "The Lost Continent". Realsied I read on average 2 books a week so have probably read 208 books while I've been in NZ - and I reckon thats a conservative estimate!
I got a text from Heather the owner of the Child Care Company this week who told me to dump Kathmnadu and come and work for them as they loved me more! So nice to be missed!!
Today I have been enjoying my day off.. I was ridiculously excited as it has been almost 2 weeks. Amber and I have been shooping and stuff.. we spent 3 hours in the Warehouse trying to find me some shorts (to no avail!) but we did find me a skirt in Farmers so I am almost set up for summer!
I just got a text from my friend Vicki from Kaikoura (remember I used to hang out with her lots?). She gave birth this week to a little baby boy! I would so love to pop back and see it!
My friend Laura from the UK (in Worthing) who I used to have dinner with once a week is pregnant too. She is due on 2nd February. Congratulations Laura!! Am so excited for you! I think by the time I get back to the UK my neices are going to be starting school and everyone I know will have children!!
I have been thinking about doing my Canadian visa, it sounds so beautiful there.. I work with a few canadians and they make it sound great!! I've also met several people from Quebec since I started travelling so it would be great to visit them!
It is really quite scary how much we have in common! But great!! She's been sharing my room for the last week and its like a sleepover every night.. we cant stop talking!!
Unfortuntely she moves out tomorrow.. but shes renting a house in Nelson so we can still be friends which is cool! and she says I can have a soak in her bath (and she has lush products - god I miss the shop lush) - I mean what could be better than that?!
Its so nice to have a friend I can talk to though. I really miss my freinds in the UK who know the real me.. and you cant exactly scare people you've only known 5 minutes by telling them all your secrets.
I have been working by butt off this week, I was so tired Saturday night I could have cried! We worked late every night.. thankfully they rewarded us with wine, chocolate and pizza but even so I was shattered! However, pay day will be nice! I am not sure how mnay days I am doing this week or whether I will end up back at the child care centre more.. who knows.. I feel pretty confident there now though.. even though we got a new computer system for us to learn - just because I had got used to the last one! But the bright side is that I dont feel inferior to the other staff anynmore as they are learning it at the same time as me!!
I havent had much time to read lately because I work 8-8 and then fall into bed.. but have started on Bill brysons "The Lost Continent". Realsied I read on average 2 books a week so have probably read 208 books while I've been in NZ - and I reckon thats a conservative estimate!
I got a text from Heather the owner of the Child Care Company this week who told me to dump Kathmnadu and come and work for them as they loved me more! So nice to be missed!!
Today I have been enjoying my day off.. I was ridiculously excited as it has been almost 2 weeks. Amber and I have been shooping and stuff.. we spent 3 hours in the Warehouse trying to find me some shorts (to no avail!) but we did find me a skirt in Farmers so I am almost set up for summer!
I just got a text from my friend Vicki from Kaikoura (remember I used to hang out with her lots?). She gave birth this week to a little baby boy! I would so love to pop back and see it!
My friend Laura from the UK (in Worthing) who I used to have dinner with once a week is pregnant too. She is due on 2nd February. Congratulations Laura!! Am so excited for you! I think by the time I get back to the UK my neices are going to be starting school and everyone I know will have children!!
I have been thinking about doing my Canadian visa, it sounds so beautiful there.. I work with a few canadians and they make it sound great!! I've also met several people from Quebec since I started travelling so it would be great to visit them!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
A flirt... me?!
Okay I'm going to come clean! When I applied for the Kathmandu job I happened to notice when picking up my application form the abundence of men. Which I saw as a nice change from child care work (and okay I admit the guy who handed me the application form was pretty damn good looking). Anyway it was very disapointing once I'd started work to discover all these men have wives and girlfriends already.. but this week we are moving stores so we have a million electricians, and 12 cover staff from the agency. I had loads of fun flirting all day..! I realise I sound completely desperate there or something (well I have been single since May 28th - that is over 3 months!!!) but hey it makes the day go by faster!
Its nice to be without customers this week as well... I have got used to the rude ones though but would very much like to have a tape recorder in my pocket and say to them "Listen to yourself"!!
Emily and Kevin left this morning. I always get sad when people leave. I make friends and then they go and leave me.. but I guess thats always a downside to travelling! We went out for goodbye drinks at Smugglers in Tahunanui which was really nice. I hardly ever go out to pubs and stuff so it was a nice change.
We've had a couple of nice people staying at the backpackers this week. Olly from the UK whose only just finished school/6th form but he's really mature for his age(and probably private school I think?)He's been backpacking around Africa so I've been grilling him for info!
I still havent got to know the new managers of Shortbread Cottage, Matthew and Louise.. I spent some time training them up yesterday.. so in a minute I'll have to go home and see how they managed their first day on their own! I'm sure they'll be fine.
Amber has also stayed all week and she is moving to Nelson and has applied for a job managing a jewellery shop. Although shes moving out the backpackers hopefully we can keep on being friends.. she's coming to the Lighthouse with me tonight as we've discovered were into the same kind of stuff (reiki, tarot etc)
Its nice to be without customers this week as well... I have got used to the rude ones though but would very much like to have a tape recorder in my pocket and say to them "Listen to yourself"!!
Emily and Kevin left this morning. I always get sad when people leave. I make friends and then they go and leave me.. but I guess thats always a downside to travelling! We went out for goodbye drinks at Smugglers in Tahunanui which was really nice. I hardly ever go out to pubs and stuff so it was a nice change.
We've had a couple of nice people staying at the backpackers this week. Olly from the UK whose only just finished school/6th form but he's really mature for his age(and probably private school I think?)He's been backpacking around Africa so I've been grilling him for info!
I still havent got to know the new managers of Shortbread Cottage, Matthew and Louise.. I spent some time training them up yesterday.. so in a minute I'll have to go home and see how they managed their first day on their own! I'm sure they'll be fine.
Amber has also stayed all week and she is moving to Nelson and has applied for a job managing a jewellery shop. Although shes moving out the backpackers hopefully we can keep on being friends.. she's coming to the Lighthouse with me tonight as we've discovered were into the same kind of stuff (reiki, tarot etc)
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Childminding
What with testing out another career option in the last few weeks (Kathmandu ie travel/outdoors shops I have been thinking more about what I may want to do when I settle somewhere. I enjoy working at Kathmandu but have found myself missing children and gravitate towards them when they come in the shop! I miss the Child Care Centres but know it would be completely different in the UK what with all the govt targets and OFSTED so have been thinking about becoming a childminder. I hear they are now ofsteded in the UK but surely it cant be as bad as nurseries? Obviouslyn this is completely long term as I need a house to be able to set it up.. but its definately an option for the future - especially when I've got children of my own! I could even turn it into a mini nursery and employ one member of staff?!
I have booked my flight leaving Nelson arrivng in Taupo. So I leave Nelson on 3rd December, spend a few days in the North Island doing the Tongariro crossing and chilling out on Waiheke Island and go to Australia on 9th December - all flights booked and sorted!!
I had a day off a couple of days ago (when I put my photos up) and realiswed just how tired I was when I finally stopped. I have been working so hard lately! My next day off is in another 9 days time...
I am reading "A walk in the woods" by Bill Bryson at the moment. Am really into his books at the moment. I must be completely ignorant because I had never heard of the Apalachian trail before I started reading it!
The whole of NZ is going to be kanckered for a while as the rugby is going to be on at 4:30am!! (no rugby for me then - sorry I dont care that much!!)
Lou (one of my best freinds back home) moved to Milan yesterday, she's going to be an English teacher for then as she just last week received her certificate to say she passed her TEFL course (or it might have been TESOL?) Anyway I'm really excited for her..I know nothing about Milan except that I would love to go!! If I was in the Uk I would have gone to see her and I'm guessing my the time I go back to Europe she'll have moved on somewhere else..
I went to the cinema last night with Helen (I'm very lucky as Kathmandu the cinema and my house are all within about 1 minutes walk of one another! so I ordered a pizza to pick up after work and took it into the cinema with me (great Italian place above the cinema). Saw the film Premonition which is one of those films which is not scary for anybody but myself. For the entire film my heart was in my throat and I had my fleece pulled over my mouth for the entire film and hid under it entirely regularly!
I have the next 2 days off from kathmandu but it is my weekend managing the backpackers and on Sunday I train the new managers Matthew and Louise.. hopefully that will all be good.
Anyway gotta go.. got to get back in time for Shortland Street! (yes I really am that sad!!) I missed it last night as I was at the cinema but luckily Carolyn at work filled me in on it this morning!!
I have booked my flight leaving Nelson arrivng in Taupo. So I leave Nelson on 3rd December, spend a few days in the North Island doing the Tongariro crossing and chilling out on Waiheke Island and go to Australia on 9th December - all flights booked and sorted!!
I had a day off a couple of days ago (when I put my photos up) and realiswed just how tired I was when I finally stopped. I have been working so hard lately! My next day off is in another 9 days time...
I am reading "A walk in the woods" by Bill Bryson at the moment. Am really into his books at the moment. I must be completely ignorant because I had never heard of the Apalachian trail before I started reading it!
The whole of NZ is going to be kanckered for a while as the rugby is going to be on at 4:30am!! (no rugby for me then - sorry I dont care that much!!)
Lou (one of my best freinds back home) moved to Milan yesterday, she's going to be an English teacher for then as she just last week received her certificate to say she passed her TEFL course (or it might have been TESOL?) Anyway I'm really excited for her..I know nothing about Milan except that I would love to go!! If I was in the Uk I would have gone to see her and I'm guessing my the time I go back to Europe she'll have moved on somewhere else..
I went to the cinema last night with Helen (I'm very lucky as Kathmandu the cinema and my house are all within about 1 minutes walk of one another! so I ordered a pizza to pick up after work and took it into the cinema with me (great Italian place above the cinema). Saw the film Premonition which is one of those films which is not scary for anybody but myself. For the entire film my heart was in my throat and I had my fleece pulled over my mouth for the entire film and hid under it entirely regularly!
I have the next 2 days off from kathmandu but it is my weekend managing the backpackers and on Sunday I train the new managers Matthew and Louise.. hopefully that will all be good.
Anyway gotta go.. got to get back in time for Shortland Street! (yes I really am that sad!!) I missed it last night as I was at the cinema but luckily Carolyn at work filled me in on it this morning!!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
It was really hard to get a photo of it but this was the eclipse of the moon which was also on the night of a full moon. I think it was only in NZ though. It was the sun, earth and moon aligned causing the moon to go a strange coppery colour and to be completely eclipsed in the end.
The birds are a few pukekos I see in the park on the way to work in the mornings.. I love these birds because they are so "NZ"
I have the day off today!! yay!! I realised just how completely exhausted I am last night. It was the first time I had to relax and it hit me like a tonne of bricks!! But I cant complain I asked the universe (read the secret to know what I'm on about) for more work than I could handle and that it what I got. Perhaps I should have been less specific though because I was so tired I could have cried last night ( I wasnt sad or anything I was just too tired to even move!)
Emily and Kevin the mangers of shortbread cottage leave this weekend and the new manager have already moved in, they are a young aussie couple. She will be working in the supermarket and he will be running the place. I havent seen much of them yet, they seem nice and I'm hoping they will be because it will effect my life alot having new managers!
It was a bit more crowded last night and I had to share many room, but thankfully she was a quiet girl (no loud snoring!) I guess I'm going to be sharing my room more and more as it gets busier and busier which I am not looking forward to.
This is where I go when Helen and I take her dog Daisy for a walk.. thats her 2 year old son Elliot and daisy the black dalmation. Its a gorgeous beach and I love walking along it. I cant wait for the summer when I can dive in!! (which is pretty much now.. its officially Spring now and gorgeous weather.. I've just been too busy working to enjoy it!)
Thought I'd put up some of the random photos I have taken over the last couple of months.. not been anywhere exciting though I'm afraid so there just of home (Nelson).. only a few months to wait for new and exciting photos of Australia!
The first one is of my lounge.. (told you they werent interestign photos!) so you can see where I vegetate of an evening!
The second one is a view from the hills.. part of the cnetre of NZ walk. I go on this walk after work every so often.
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