And this is the link
http://ashnmel.blogspot.com
Sunday, December 28, 2008
So, if you want to check out Mel and Ashley's blog, (because I think that they update more often than we do) this is the link. Enjoy! We miss you guys. And, by the way, Mom, we got your package and think it is so adorable and are really excited to make the ginger bread houses. Actually, its extra great because we had wanted to make ginger bread houses... But! they don't have ghrahm (spelling? I have no idea) crackers anywhere in New Zealand, so we couldn't do it until now. So, anyway. Thanks!
Friday, December 26, 2008
the Reese Dart, some Thanksgiving, and some Christmas
Glacier!
At the cascade saddle. Thats a glacier behind us.
So, we did the Reese Dart which is a hiking route and it was the most beautiful and incredible trip ever (maybe not ever. But we sure did have fun.) Below are some pictures of that, and a bit of Thanksgiving from forever ago and then just a few from Christmas and our apartment.
The very beginning at the start of the track (still on the road). Dana is turning away because she didn't want a picture taken of the "more ugly mountains" and so she didn't want to be in it.
Ok. So, I know the formatting is off. But I am so not capable (well, willing to spend the time) to format it all.
Anyway. Merry Christmas and boxing day and I promise we'll put some stories to go along with the pictures soon!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
although it is usually 75 degrees and sunny here, christmas is fast approaching, and the other day i got home from work to find the flat decorated with a mini christmas tree, garlands of purple tinsel, sparkly ornaments, and a santa tray filled with cookies. it was awesome. oh, and we were listening to christmas carols. it's jarring to realize it's just a few weeks away, but luckily we have big plans and lovely company. we watched elf the other night and drank hot cocoa, and a guy that goes to dartmouth that ate at tatty's restaurant spent two nights on our couch. i'll have to take some pictures of the flat and post them soon. it really is awesome- spacious, furnished, ten minutes walk from "downtown." this weekend we're doing a four day tramp, and next week we might go skydiving. not something i had originally planned on doing, but, i hadn't originally planned on going to new zealand, if you think about it, and what a great decision that turned out to be ;)
today mel and tatty and i hiked up queenstown hill and marveled at the incredible view we get from our backyard. you can see the southern alps, which still have some snow on the peaks. in other news, we're planning on taking a trip to the coast, taking surfing lessons, and playing with penguins and dolphins.
make some snow angels for us.
xoxoxoxx
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Hi so, nearly a month later, we figure that you guys deserve a bit of an update.
Lets see. This one might be a bit short, as the task feels a bit daunting, but, I'll put in all the good parts. Dont worry.
1. We came back to Queenstown and figured we wanted to work a bit before thanksgiving.
2. We sent our CVs in at a couple of places
3. We got jobs cleaning for accommodation at some really great hostels with really great people
4. Next thing we know, we are both waitressing at night at just about the coolest places in town and spending our days doing day hikes and exploring (and not bungee jumping, and generally avoiding the adrenaline junkies, etc.)
5. We met the most amazing girls ever (Mel and Ash) who lead tours in Alaska during the summer
6. We reformulated the plan a bit: start traveling and tramping with them, because four is quite a good number
7. Thanksgiving we spent here, and cooked all day and basked in the sun. It was one of the nicest days I've had here
8. I am leaving in 4.5 weeks to study abroad in Australia
9. Dana is going to stay a bit longer and kick it with these girls and then (possibly) meet up with me again later
10. We are doing the reese dart track next week
11. Mel and I are going to sell crafts and cookies at the saturday market
12. We are going to see the rob roy glacier
11. We are going to do the Dusky track just before christmas, which is supposed to be one of NZ's (if not just the one) hardest tramp. We are planning to get in goood shape before this.
Other notes:
12. I got conjuncitivits. Which sucks and is embarrasing
13. Dana sometimes has to work as a bartender, which is funny. Because she isn't even old enough to drink!
14. Mel and Ash are from Seattle
15. Kanye West played on the north island two days ago, but we couldn't go. It was, however, designated "kanye day". which was nice.
16. I loveeeeeee and miss you all millions
And, I am thankful for my parents for being so great and nice and for instilling such a sense of independence and adventure in me.
Ok. Ttyl
Lets see. This one might be a bit short, as the task feels a bit daunting, but, I'll put in all the good parts. Dont worry.
1. We came back to Queenstown and figured we wanted to work a bit before thanksgiving.
2. We sent our CVs in at a couple of places
3. We got jobs cleaning for accommodation at some really great hostels with really great people
4. Next thing we know, we are both waitressing at night at just about the coolest places in town and spending our days doing day hikes and exploring (and not bungee jumping, and generally avoiding the adrenaline junkies, etc.)
5. We met the most amazing girls ever (Mel and Ash) who lead tours in Alaska during the summer
6. We reformulated the plan a bit: start traveling and tramping with them, because four is quite a good number
7. Thanksgiving we spent here, and cooked all day and basked in the sun. It was one of the nicest days I've had here
8. I am leaving in 4.5 weeks to study abroad in Australia
9. Dana is going to stay a bit longer and kick it with these girls and then (possibly) meet up with me again later
10. We are doing the reese dart track next week
11. Mel and I are going to sell crafts and cookies at the saturday market
12. We are going to see the rob roy glacier
11. We are going to do the Dusky track just before christmas, which is supposed to be one of NZ's (if not just the one) hardest tramp. We are planning to get in goood shape before this.
Other notes:
12. I got conjuncitivits. Which sucks and is embarrasing
13. Dana sometimes has to work as a bartender, which is funny. Because she isn't even old enough to drink!
14. Mel and Ash are from Seattle
15. Kanye West played on the north island two days ago, but we couldn't go. It was, however, designated "kanye day". which was nice.
16. I loveeeeeee and miss you all millions
And, I am thankful for my parents for being so great and nice and for instilling such a sense of independence and adventure in me.
Ok. Ttyl
Monday, November 10, 2008
so, we are back, with our calves quite sore and our eyes bulging from all the incredible sights, and have finished the milford. Yes, it was just as beautiful as everyone said it would be. Probably more beautiful than usual, because of all the snow. Although it is spring here, we awoke on the morning we were starting out to big snow balls plopping on the roof of our tent. We were very cold. The forecast had called for four days of rain and snow in the mountains - yay. But, the sky was clearing as we packed our packs, and there was a light dusting of snow as we took the boat across Lake Te Anau to the start of the tramp. It was beautiful - the mountains surrounding the lake were all powdered and white, appearing on all sides out of the mist that had been hiding them from us during the rain. We were cold, had gotten the worst nights sleep in our lives, but as excited as kids in a candy shop as the boat chugged along. We hopped off and got right to it - the sun came out, our feet finally started to thaw, and we marvelled at the mountains in the distance.
Now, seeing as this was a multi-day adventure, and lots of things happened each day, I won't bore you with a play-by-play of the entire track, although I would love to (but my fingers might get sore). So, a succinct night by night follows.
Night 1. Campsite: Clinton Hut
Weather: snow in the am, then clear and sunny, cloudy again at night
Events: Huts are interesting - there are bunk rooms and a seperate kitchen/hang-out area with a stove. They are simple, but a nice barrier from the frigid weather. Snow in November - I guess I am used to that, although I thought it was supposed to be spring here... anyways, there is a hut ranger at each hut, and this one was an old man named Ross, and he took us on a nature walk before dinner. We had soup, which was hot, unlike the outside temperature (the ongoing theme of this tramp, by the way, is Dana has poor temperature regulation. You thought I was a mammal, but Tatty has decided that I am, in fact, a reptile). There was a very longwinded hut talk at 8 pm that night, and we were so tired, and Ross kept going on about blue ducks and the different bands they use to identify them, and all I wanted was to go to bed, but we also found out Obama won. Yay! We felt very proud to have participated in our very first presidential election. Then we went to bed because we were exhausted.
Concerns/Response: The thing about huts is that, unlike trail life we are used to, you are kind of on someone else's schedule. yuck. The good news is, Tatty's new boots are keeping her blister-free so far.
Day 2. Campsite: Mintaro Hut
Weather: Sunny but cool
Events: Today was a slow climb in elevation, through the river valley, saw some blue ducks but didn't remember anything about how to tell what pair was what or from where or whatever else you can apparantly tell from their bands - which you can't even see when they're flying, it turns out. However, we saw lots of beautiful waterfalls careening down steep cliffs, and it even snowed a little near the end of the day. The day finished with a climb up through some jungle-like forest, with tons of old man's beard moss that was covered in snow. It was beautiful and enchanting, and there was a stillness and quiet that resided throughout the woods. Even though there were almost 40 people staying in the hut, everyone spreads out during the day so you don't really see them all. In the hut that night we made a fire in the woodstove and drank tea to warm up, because it was even colder here with all the snow. We also made friends with some girls from Poland and Slovakia who were working in Australia as ski instructors this winter. We decided that we should get certified to do that, or whitewater rafting, and keep traveling the world.
Concerns/Response: They are predicting snow tonight and bad weather tomorrow for the pass crossing- bummer.
Day 3. Campsite: Dumpling Hut
Weather: Gorgeous, sunny, clear skies, cold winds
Events: The big day! We woke up to clear skies and sun- horay! We crossed the Saddle after a two-hour climb up to McKinnon Pass, where you can see for miles, down into the river valley on each side, and mountains in all directions in the distance - absolutely beautiful. It's hard to explain in words, and even the pictures won't do it justice, but it was truly magnificent. Tatty now understands the glory of the mountains. Then we clambered down, and had to use an emergency track because the regular route was closed because of avalanche danger. There were incredible waterfalls with the most ridiculous-colored water, and we lunched next to one. Things here are too beautiful to be real. If you ever get the chance, come to New Zealand just to see the color of the water; I can't get over it. We also hiked to the largest waterfall in New Zealand- Sutherland Falls. It's so high it didn't even fit in the camera lens. We arrived at the hut tired and ready for dinner and bed, which was exactly what we did.
Concerns/Response: I want to relive all of today a million times, but that's not possible. damn.
Day 3. Campsite: Queenstown
Weather: Sunny and gorgeous, per usual
Events: Final day on the track. It was a beautiful walk along the valley, by the river mostly, with lots of waterfalls in the distance and tumbling down side streams. We crossed a big swing bridge and saw eels (ah!) and trout swimming in the clear water. We caught a boat to Milford Sound, and the clouds came in just as we were boarding. We had the best weather for our tramp, especially after all the bad predictions. Then we drove back to Queenstown and showered and got warm (finally) and went out for a dinner to celebrate our first tramp and Obama's victory.
Concerns/Response: None. An absolute success all around =)
So - now we're in Queenstown, job-hunting for a stint before our Thanksgiving fiesta, which is going to be stellar. Tatty is putting her maintainance skills to work as a cleaner in exchange for a room at a hostel, and I have to go meet her now. Start checking your mailboxes for postcards!
so much love.
xoxoxox
-d
oh, ps - we'll post tramping pics as soon as we recharge the camera battery, so stay tuned!
Now, seeing as this was a multi-day adventure, and lots of things happened each day, I won't bore you with a play-by-play of the entire track, although I would love to (but my fingers might get sore). So, a succinct night by night follows.
Night 1. Campsite: Clinton Hut
Weather: snow in the am, then clear and sunny, cloudy again at night
Events: Huts are interesting - there are bunk rooms and a seperate kitchen/hang-out area with a stove. They are simple, but a nice barrier from the frigid weather. Snow in November - I guess I am used to that, although I thought it was supposed to be spring here... anyways, there is a hut ranger at each hut, and this one was an old man named Ross, and he took us on a nature walk before dinner. We had soup, which was hot, unlike the outside temperature (the ongoing theme of this tramp, by the way, is Dana has poor temperature regulation. You thought I was a mammal, but Tatty has decided that I am, in fact, a reptile). There was a very longwinded hut talk at 8 pm that night, and we were so tired, and Ross kept going on about blue ducks and the different bands they use to identify them, and all I wanted was to go to bed, but we also found out Obama won. Yay! We felt very proud to have participated in our very first presidential election. Then we went to bed because we were exhausted.
Concerns/Response: The thing about huts is that, unlike trail life we are used to, you are kind of on someone else's schedule. yuck. The good news is, Tatty's new boots are keeping her blister-free so far.
Day 2. Campsite: Mintaro Hut
Weather: Sunny but cool
Events: Today was a slow climb in elevation, through the river valley, saw some blue ducks but didn't remember anything about how to tell what pair was what or from where or whatever else you can apparantly tell from their bands - which you can't even see when they're flying, it turns out. However, we saw lots of beautiful waterfalls careening down steep cliffs, and it even snowed a little near the end of the day. The day finished with a climb up through some jungle-like forest, with tons of old man's beard moss that was covered in snow. It was beautiful and enchanting, and there was a stillness and quiet that resided throughout the woods. Even though there were almost 40 people staying in the hut, everyone spreads out during the day so you don't really see them all. In the hut that night we made a fire in the woodstove and drank tea to warm up, because it was even colder here with all the snow. We also made friends with some girls from Poland and Slovakia who were working in Australia as ski instructors this winter. We decided that we should get certified to do that, or whitewater rafting, and keep traveling the world.
Concerns/Response: They are predicting snow tonight and bad weather tomorrow for the pass crossing- bummer.
Day 3. Campsite: Dumpling Hut
Weather: Gorgeous, sunny, clear skies, cold winds
Events: The big day! We woke up to clear skies and sun- horay! We crossed the Saddle after a two-hour climb up to McKinnon Pass, where you can see for miles, down into the river valley on each side, and mountains in all directions in the distance - absolutely beautiful. It's hard to explain in words, and even the pictures won't do it justice, but it was truly magnificent. Tatty now understands the glory of the mountains. Then we clambered down, and had to use an emergency track because the regular route was closed because of avalanche danger. There were incredible waterfalls with the most ridiculous-colored water, and we lunched next to one. Things here are too beautiful to be real. If you ever get the chance, come to New Zealand just to see the color of the water; I can't get over it. We also hiked to the largest waterfall in New Zealand- Sutherland Falls. It's so high it didn't even fit in the camera lens. We arrived at the hut tired and ready for dinner and bed, which was exactly what we did.
Concerns/Response: I want to relive all of today a million times, but that's not possible. damn.
Day 3. Campsite: Queenstown
Weather: Sunny and gorgeous, per usual
Events: Final day on the track. It was a beautiful walk along the valley, by the river mostly, with lots of waterfalls in the distance and tumbling down side streams. We crossed a big swing bridge and saw eels (ah!) and trout swimming in the clear water. We caught a boat to Milford Sound, and the clouds came in just as we were boarding. We had the best weather for our tramp, especially after all the bad predictions. Then we drove back to Queenstown and showered and got warm (finally) and went out for a dinner to celebrate our first tramp and Obama's victory.
Concerns/Response: None. An absolute success all around =)
So - now we're in Queenstown, job-hunting for a stint before our Thanksgiving fiesta, which is going to be stellar. Tatty is putting her maintainance skills to work as a cleaner in exchange for a room at a hostel, and I have to go meet her now. Start checking your mailboxes for postcards!
so much love.
xoxoxox
-d
oh, ps - we'll post tramping pics as soon as we recharge the camera battery, so stay tuned!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Hi guys!
We're in Te Anau and starting the Milford Trek tommorrow which will be pretty fantastic. But, today is a quite rainy grey day, so, we are currently in the library. Dana is getting a library card so she can check out an action-packed dan brown novel and read it on trail and hopefully not get it dirty because we have to return it after the tramp, obviously.
Anyway. I think that libraries are pretty great places and have spent the morning reading the most recent issue of national geographic (how about that India, eh?) and books on dreams (I had one where a witch wanted to turn me into a canadian goose the other day, which Dana and I both agreed was quite bizzare and in need of serious attention. Apparently, though - after some research - there isn't really anything to worry about. Although - can you believe it - traditionally witches frequently have goose side-kicks. Bizzare).
In addition to all the new things we have been learning, we also just spent the past weekend and a bit in Queenstown. Queenstown prides itself on being the Xtreme tourist spot, with canyoning and bungee jumping and jet boating and lots of things that aren't really quite up our alley. It was funny because it was the first time we really felt like tourists (or tour guides, or something weird like that) the whole time we've been here and spent a good 30 minutes of one evening guiding a huge indian family to a restaurant they couldnt find (which was fun, and funny, and very do-gooder-esque).
But, anyway. Queenstown was beautiful. We applied to a couple of jobs there and all the people working were very nice (much nicer than all the people traveling through there, who all seemed like rich football (or respective sport in their respective country) players who were looking to be radical and extreme but weren't really, or something like that.
But. We might work in a chocolate store! That serves gelato and fudge and tons of desserts, and, that would be fun.
And I had the greatest conversation with a nice old man on a park bench early one morning when I was waiting for an internet place to open and he was waiting for an appointment and we talked about the environment and philosphy and printers and elections, etc. It was quite nice. And, speaking of. Its the eve of election day for you guys. Which is exciting, firstly. And, secondly, you should make sure to get plenty of sleep tonight and to rest up for it.
Besides that we booked a lake house next to the lake in Wanaka for four nights during thanksgiving and are inviting our quite ecclectic mix of new friends from across new zealand over for a big feast that thursday. I think that thanksgiving (beside this upcoming tramp in like, the most amazing place with the most amazing scenery, etc, on earth) is what I am most looking forward to right now.
To be honest, the prospect of a nice clean bed and room to myself and nice pillows and my own bathroom and my own personal space without snorers or gross pillows or a freezing cold tent at night (it is, we promise, still a bit cold to be sleeping in a summer tent right now in new zealand. trust us, we know, we've been doing it regularly)
Really. Be thankful for your pillows. And that, hey, if you wanted to, you could even have two to prop your head up if you wanted). They are quite, quite miraculous.
Ok. Dana hasn't come back yet and I can't imagine that it takes this long to get a library card, so, I am going to go find her and see what she's reading, etc. And I'm going to eat a granola bar because I'm hungry even though I'm pretty sure I shouldn't eat in the library. (I'll be careful! And, I'll hide in a corner or something so no one yells at me)
Alright. Cheers!
-Tatty
We're in Te Anau and starting the Milford Trek tommorrow which will be pretty fantastic. But, today is a quite rainy grey day, so, we are currently in the library. Dana is getting a library card so she can check out an action-packed dan brown novel and read it on trail and hopefully not get it dirty because we have to return it after the tramp, obviously.
Anyway. I think that libraries are pretty great places and have spent the morning reading the most recent issue of national geographic (how about that India, eh?) and books on dreams (I had one where a witch wanted to turn me into a canadian goose the other day, which Dana and I both agreed was quite bizzare and in need of serious attention. Apparently, though - after some research - there isn't really anything to worry about. Although - can you believe it - traditionally witches frequently have goose side-kicks. Bizzare).
In addition to all the new things we have been learning, we also just spent the past weekend and a bit in Queenstown. Queenstown prides itself on being the Xtreme tourist spot, with canyoning and bungee jumping and jet boating and lots of things that aren't really quite up our alley. It was funny because it was the first time we really felt like tourists (or tour guides, or something weird like that) the whole time we've been here and spent a good 30 minutes of one evening guiding a huge indian family to a restaurant they couldnt find (which was fun, and funny, and very do-gooder-esque).
But, anyway. Queenstown was beautiful. We applied to a couple of jobs there and all the people working were very nice (much nicer than all the people traveling through there, who all seemed like rich football (or respective sport in their respective country) players who were looking to be radical and extreme but weren't really, or something like that.
But. We might work in a chocolate store! That serves gelato and fudge and tons of desserts, and, that would be fun.
And I had the greatest conversation with a nice old man on a park bench early one morning when I was waiting for an internet place to open and he was waiting for an appointment and we talked about the environment and philosphy and printers and elections, etc. It was quite nice. And, speaking of. Its the eve of election day for you guys. Which is exciting, firstly. And, secondly, you should make sure to get plenty of sleep tonight and to rest up for it.
Besides that we booked a lake house next to the lake in Wanaka for four nights during thanksgiving and are inviting our quite ecclectic mix of new friends from across new zealand over for a big feast that thursday. I think that thanksgiving (beside this upcoming tramp in like, the most amazing place with the most amazing scenery, etc, on earth) is what I am most looking forward to right now.
To be honest, the prospect of a nice clean bed and room to myself and nice pillows and my own bathroom and my own personal space without snorers or gross pillows or a freezing cold tent at night (it is, we promise, still a bit cold to be sleeping in a summer tent right now in new zealand. trust us, we know, we've been doing it regularly)
Really. Be thankful for your pillows. And that, hey, if you wanted to, you could even have two to prop your head up if you wanted). They are quite, quite miraculous.
Ok. Dana hasn't come back yet and I can't imagine that it takes this long to get a library card, so, I am going to go find her and see what she's reading, etc. And I'm going to eat a granola bar because I'm hungry even though I'm pretty sure I shouldn't eat in the library. (I'll be careful! And, I'll hide in a corner or something so no one yells at me)
Alright. Cheers!
-Tatty
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
so. a lot has happened since we last updated. Its strange how much fuller your days become when you aren't working all the time.
After our beautiful retreat to Taylors Mistake and a quite adventurous weekend enjoying christchurch to its fullest (we walked through a cute craft fair outdoor market, watched a parade, happened upon the opening speeches / events for the international squash tournament, which was apparently happening the next week, and ate some pretty good Japanese food). We laid a bit low for the next couple of days while planning the next move and then decided it was time to leave for Wanaka, our next adventure.
We left Friday morning and it was the most amazing spring weather and the most beautiful drive. The town itself surrounds a clear blue lake and is, itself, surrounded by terribly picturesque mountains. It is a cute ski town and dana couldn't stop talking about how much her dad would like it (and should retire there, so she could visit).
Anyway, after exploring the town we decided it was time to finally start tramping and did an overnight jaunt to a hut in the mountains. It was incredible. The walk there was perfect spring weather and we had an ideal view of Rob Roy glacier. We stayed in a nice hut and woke up early the next morning. The weather wasn't too ideal (a bit of wind and rain) so we figured it would probably be a good idea to head back down to the car instead of adventuring too much in the mountains.
In retrospect, this was a great decision because during our walk back to the carpark there was an ubelievable ammount of wind. We probably couldn't have walked at all if it wasn't a tail wind, and itstead we just stumbled and laughed lots and worked to keep ourselves balanced and held our arms out lots. We also enjoyed the sheep and had copious ammounts of fun working to communicate and make friends with them, despite being unsuccessful in most of our attempts to even get close to them at all.
Anyway. After the tramp we drove back to Wanaka and decided, once again, that it was time for our next adventure.
We left this morning for Queenstown and are planning to spend the night at a campground and use the next couple of days to prepare for the Milford Tramp, which we are starting next wednesday.
We'll keep in touch and upload the pictures shortly!
After our beautiful retreat to Taylors Mistake and a quite adventurous weekend enjoying christchurch to its fullest (we walked through a cute craft fair outdoor market, watched a parade, happened upon the opening speeches / events for the international squash tournament, which was apparently happening the next week, and ate some pretty good Japanese food). We laid a bit low for the next couple of days while planning the next move and then decided it was time to leave for Wanaka, our next adventure.
We left Friday morning and it was the most amazing spring weather and the most beautiful drive. The town itself surrounds a clear blue lake and is, itself, surrounded by terribly picturesque mountains. It is a cute ski town and dana couldn't stop talking about how much her dad would like it (and should retire there, so she could visit).
Anyway, after exploring the town we decided it was time to finally start tramping and did an overnight jaunt to a hut in the mountains. It was incredible. The walk there was perfect spring weather and we had an ideal view of Rob Roy glacier. We stayed in a nice hut and woke up early the next morning. The weather wasn't too ideal (a bit of wind and rain) so we figured it would probably be a good idea to head back down to the car instead of adventuring too much in the mountains.
In retrospect, this was a great decision because during our walk back to the carpark there was an ubelievable ammount of wind. We probably couldn't have walked at all if it wasn't a tail wind, and itstead we just stumbled and laughed lots and worked to keep ourselves balanced and held our arms out lots. We also enjoyed the sheep and had copious ammounts of fun working to communicate and make friends with them, despite being unsuccessful in most of our attempts to even get close to them at all.
Anyway. After the tramp we drove back to Wanaka and decided, once again, that it was time for our next adventure.
We left this morning for Queenstown and are planning to spend the night at a campground and use the next couple of days to prepare for the Milford Tramp, which we are starting next wednesday.
We'll keep in touch and upload the pictures shortly!
Monday, October 20, 2008
well, the past few days have been quite eventful. we finished up our soul-sucking jobs selling ugly towels and duvet covers and valances (don't even get me started on those stupid things), and finally had some time to explore and adventure around Christchurch. We went to a beach called Taylor's Mistake on Friday with our friend John who is from Canada. We walked along the coast and saw lots of sheep and beautiful turquoise waters crashing up against lava rocks - you know, typical New Zealand gorgeous. And, since I have now figured out this whole blogging and picture uploading thing, you can see it!
The Beach
John and I imitating sheep (baaaa!)
(Because we don't have enough pictures of the two of us loving each other)
After a while walking along, we stumbled upon a deserted summer village, a
ccessible only by boat (or our path), and it was all miniature and hobbit-sized. So, we were sketchy and peered into the windows and found miniature beds and chairs and refrigerators inside miniature houses, and dubbed the town Hobbiton.
peeping toms
The quaint little seaside village
John and I are ready to enroll in the Hobbiton School
So, trying to format this post and integrate pictures was incredibly difficult, so I hope you all appreciate it. You can see more pics on the photoworks site, the link is in the last update. So, I'm going to try another update with pictures again in a bit - there are more stories to tell, and more photos to share, but I can't deal with formatting any more right now.
xoxxxx
- dtrain
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Hi all!
So, we have been plagued by guilt for not having updated more (really, we really have. Christina, we have talked so many times about how we need to email you. really. we need to. - and we have a great postcard that we are waiting for the right time to write. yikes. and my parents because you always send me such nice emails and the same for dana's parents. and we talk about how if we were to go see kanye west it would be fun to send widji people a postcard from the show and how funny our bosses at work are and tyler because you always send so many silly facebook things that make me smile and. really. my point is, i guess, that we talk and think about you all tons and we're sorry for not being too good about updating. BUT, happy distraction so you wont be too mad at us... I am uploading pictures from the trip so far at this very moment! so, you will no longer be in the dark. And, more than just long boring paragraphs that you are mostly interested in but sometimes get bored with during the middle of long sentences and too verbose descriptions and too descriptive details about things you dont really care about so long as we're okay. Well, more than that, you are about to become so illuminated - so completely aware of - everything we have seen and done thus far. Or, at least, you will get to see a bunch of pretty cool pictures of it. So, that's exciting.)
Anyway. We left off at Christchurch, where we still are. And, yes, we did begin selling bras. In fact, we have fancy name tag-style pins labelled "bra-fitter", which we think is kind of funny. But, more importantly. We are staying in Christchurch for a total of three weeks - until the 27th - working just about everyday. Last week was our first week of work - and it was a LOT of work. On Tuesday we got to the parking lot at 8 AM and spent the day unloading trailers full of bras and underwear and towels and bathmats and cushions and sheets and valances and duvet covers (etc) until 6 that night. We did this for the rest of the week, until the expo opened on Saturday (one of my favorite memories was when we were unloading a gigantic trashbag full of underwear that split open all over the floor and one of the other workers, a bit uptight backpacker, scrambled around picking it all up. It was, certainly, something I never thought I would see in my life, and it was quite funny).
Anyway. We spent the weekend working 9-6 at the cash registers. Some of it was fun and rewarding, but most of it was a bit tiring and monotonous. Our bosses are quite nice though, and we get free coffee every morning, and during the week (this week) it is only 10-6. And... we get tomorrow off. (We think we are going to make pancakes in the morning and then spend the day at the beach, maybe doing a bit of a short walk. It will either be that or going to go to the "cookie time" factory if the weather isn't nice enough for the beach). We work again this weekend and then through next week and weekend, and then are planning to do quite a bit of traveling and tramping and adventuring around the rest of the south island. We are hoping to be in Dunedin for Halloween and Wanaka for Thanksgiving, but, really, who knows.
Anyway. Though life has been a bit dull (ha! as if our lives could be dull at all) here, we did go see Blackalicious last Saturday, which was a fantastic show. And, we are in the process of watching the Saw trilogy, which gave me nightmares but which we also highly recommend. And, I got bangs. Real ones.
We have also made quite a few nice new friends, including a pair of german blonde girls who are also working selling bras and remind us a bit of ourselves that we hope to do some tramping and traveling with after we finish our stay in Christchurch.
And what else? Tonight was a night full of Indian food, a silly movie, and soy ice cream - after a day full of cash registers and refolding pillow cases.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
We only have seven minutes left to update, so here goes:
Wellington was the greatest. The Botanical Gardens are incredible.
The ferry to Picton was sweet - we got to drive our car on it, and then we watched She's the Man on a bigscreen tv (which we both took as a very good sign), and ate really yummy chocolate covered almonds. and espresso beans. mmm.
Then we stayed at a hostel in some small town with dolphins and seahorses painted everywhere. Then we drove along the coast and saw seals chilling on the rocks and watched the turquoise waters crash all little mermaid-like. Then we got to Christchurch and got temp jobs selling bras and earning $14 an hour. We're pretty much awesome.
- the girls
Wellington was the greatest. The Botanical Gardens are incredible.
The ferry to Picton was sweet - we got to drive our car on it, and then we watched She's the Man on a bigscreen tv (which we both took as a very good sign), and ate really yummy chocolate covered almonds. and espresso beans. mmm.
Then we stayed at a hostel in some small town with dolphins and seahorses painted everywhere. Then we drove along the coast and saw seals chilling on the rocks and watched the turquoise waters crash all little mermaid-like. Then we got to Christchurch and got temp jobs selling bras and earning $14 an hour. We're pretty much awesome.
- the girls
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Week Deux
Well, a week often doesn't seem like that long, and yet it feels like ages since we last updated, so bear with me as I recount the past couple of days. And, I wish we could figure out how to upload pictures, but we're still working on it, so just try to imagine the most beautiful places in the world, and that's pretty much what we've been seeing.
After a nice stay with Quentin and his family in Hamilton, we ventured to their lovely beach house just northeast of Coromandel. As if driving on the left-hand side of the road isn't tricky enough, we had to wind our way up a very narrow mountain road. Oh, and it was gravel. And it was raining. But! Since I am such a skilled and highly trained professional, we managed. At the top of the mountain there was a lookout, and we climbed up and could see for miles - the view was exactly like Neverland: blue lagoons, volcanic islands, incredible misty clouds, then a rapid and intense downpour while we were gazing all around sent us rushing and slipping down the mud back to our car, and as we descended the mountain a rainbow appeared in the distance; it was all too beautiful and stereotypical for words.
We arrived at the cabin and found it, once again, too beautiful to comprehend. It was a small house, perched on a hill overlooking the east coast. Volcanic islands broke up the ever changing ocean. We could see the clouds and weather come in from the sea for miles, and watched it turn the teal blue waters to a dark grey. The stars were incredible, too, away from all the city lights. It was wonderful to have a few days to relax and explore the coast. We went down to the beach and collected rocks and shells, climbed a tree and watched a seal play in the surf. We cooked delicious food and tried to figure out where to head next, and got a call back from a nice guy who wanted us to come wwoof at his bed and breakfast.
We left the cabin then, and drove down to Cooks Beach and Cathedral Cove, and decided to camp out for the night. We stopped at a local winery and the barman let us try all sorts of wines and specialty liqueurs. He also let us try the cherimoya, a fruit typically grown in Brazil that is delicious, and gave us some feijoas, or pineapple guavas, to take. We parked our car in a beachfront lot in Hahei, then took our packs and hiked an hour along the coast (in the dark), until we arrived at the fabled Cathedral Cove, where the second Narnia movie was filmed. It was dark, so we couldn't really see, but we walked under the huge archway and peered out over the dark sea crashing on the beach. We set up the tent, and when we awoke we were greeted with sparkling waters splashing on the sand, and white cliffs rising around the cove. We explored, walked under the arch again, marvelled at the fact that we woke up in Narnia, and were downright giddy when we filled up our water from a stream pouring over a cliff and purified it with our uv-activated water purifier (Thanks, Bart).
We got back to our car, which was fine, thank god, and then headed towards what we thought would be our first wwoofing job. Alas, we checked our email and got coffee at a cafe on the way, and he had sent us a note saying they couldn't host us because they had just had a baby and were too overwhelmed. Bummer. We mulled over what to do, finally got another job lined up, and had to basically bum around for a day. We kept driving, and the landscape was changing, and we drove past some geysers and volcanoes - one in the middle of a desert that was still covered with snow. To break up the drive, we stopped at a trout hatchery just south of Taupo, and walked around and saw lots of baby trout and even watched an informational video about them and their introduction to the area. An interesting thing to note about this hatchery is that it is the only one in the world that uses wild trout eggs to replenish the population instead of hatchery-bred ones. After the trout, Tatty drove for a while, which was nice because I finally got to look around at the scenery. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as interesting as some of the other stuff we ha driven through - dry desert and an army training area. We camped in a field the night before getting to our first wwoof host, and now we have been here for two days.
Wayne and Jenny live on a small farm in the mountains outside of Otaki; they just moved here a year ago and are trying to start up a vegetable garden and fix up cabins around the place so people can come and stay. There is a stream nearby and a ropes course that groups come and use, and also a convention center type of place that groups can rent out. Tatty and I are living in the center, which is just down the hill, and a lovely ginger cat named Rosie hangs around; he is the friendliest guy ever, and even though we're both terribly allergic, we can't help but pet him when he jumps into our laps.
During the day, Tatty and I get to wear coveralls and wellington boots and scrape paint off of doors, caulk and paint doorframes and trim in the cottage, and scrub mold off the wood walls before repainting them - good thing we have lots of experience in this area. We also help cook, which is awesome. Today Wayne taught us how to make bread, and we made flatbread. We also cooked dinner - falafel, hummus, and yogurt dip, and zucchini bread, all from scratch. If all else fails, Tatty and I are planning on opening up an organic cafe and raising hypo-allergenic cats.
I hope you're all doing well, and drinking lots of mulled apple cider for me.
xoxox
- d
After a nice stay with Quentin and his family in Hamilton, we ventured to their lovely beach house just northeast of Coromandel. As if driving on the left-hand side of the road isn't tricky enough, we had to wind our way up a very narrow mountain road. Oh, and it was gravel. And it was raining. But! Since I am such a skilled and highly trained professional, we managed. At the top of the mountain there was a lookout, and we climbed up and could see for miles - the view was exactly like Neverland: blue lagoons, volcanic islands, incredible misty clouds, then a rapid and intense downpour while we were gazing all around sent us rushing and slipping down the mud back to our car, and as we descended the mountain a rainbow appeared in the distance; it was all too beautiful and stereotypical for words.
We arrived at the cabin and found it, once again, too beautiful to comprehend. It was a small house, perched on a hill overlooking the east coast. Volcanic islands broke up the ever changing ocean. We could see the clouds and weather come in from the sea for miles, and watched it turn the teal blue waters to a dark grey. The stars were incredible, too, away from all the city lights. It was wonderful to have a few days to relax and explore the coast. We went down to the beach and collected rocks and shells, climbed a tree and watched a seal play in the surf. We cooked delicious food and tried to figure out where to head next, and got a call back from a nice guy who wanted us to come wwoof at his bed and breakfast.
We left the cabin then, and drove down to Cooks Beach and Cathedral Cove, and decided to camp out for the night. We stopped at a local winery and the barman let us try all sorts of wines and specialty liqueurs. He also let us try the cherimoya, a fruit typically grown in Brazil that is delicious, and gave us some feijoas, or pineapple guavas, to take. We parked our car in a beachfront lot in Hahei, then took our packs and hiked an hour along the coast (in the dark), until we arrived at the fabled Cathedral Cove, where the second Narnia movie was filmed. It was dark, so we couldn't really see, but we walked under the huge archway and peered out over the dark sea crashing on the beach. We set up the tent, and when we awoke we were greeted with sparkling waters splashing on the sand, and white cliffs rising around the cove. We explored, walked under the arch again, marvelled at the fact that we woke up in Narnia, and were downright giddy when we filled up our water from a stream pouring over a cliff and purified it with our uv-activated water purifier (Thanks, Bart).
We got back to our car, which was fine, thank god, and then headed towards what we thought would be our first wwoofing job. Alas, we checked our email and got coffee at a cafe on the way, and he had sent us a note saying they couldn't host us because they had just had a baby and were too overwhelmed. Bummer. We mulled over what to do, finally got another job lined up, and had to basically bum around for a day. We kept driving, and the landscape was changing, and we drove past some geysers and volcanoes - one in the middle of a desert that was still covered with snow. To break up the drive, we stopped at a trout hatchery just south of Taupo, and walked around and saw lots of baby trout and even watched an informational video about them and their introduction to the area. An interesting thing to note about this hatchery is that it is the only one in the world that uses wild trout eggs to replenish the population instead of hatchery-bred ones. After the trout, Tatty drove for a while, which was nice because I finally got to look around at the scenery. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as interesting as some of the other stuff we ha driven through - dry desert and an army training area. We camped in a field the night before getting to our first wwoof host, and now we have been here for two days.
Wayne and Jenny live on a small farm in the mountains outside of Otaki; they just moved here a year ago and are trying to start up a vegetable garden and fix up cabins around the place so people can come and stay. There is a stream nearby and a ropes course that groups come and use, and also a convention center type of place that groups can rent out. Tatty and I are living in the center, which is just down the hill, and a lovely ginger cat named Rosie hangs around; he is the friendliest guy ever, and even though we're both terribly allergic, we can't help but pet him when he jumps into our laps.
During the day, Tatty and I get to wear coveralls and wellington boots and scrape paint off of doors, caulk and paint doorframes and trim in the cottage, and scrub mold off the wood walls before repainting them - good thing we have lots of experience in this area. We also help cook, which is awesome. Today Wayne taught us how to make bread, and we made flatbread. We also cooked dinner - falafel, hummus, and yogurt dip, and zucchini bread, all from scratch. If all else fails, Tatty and I are planning on opening up an organic cafe and raising hypo-allergenic cats.
I hope you're all doing well, and drinking lots of mulled apple cider for me.
xoxox
- d
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Greetings from New Zealand!
We have been here since Friday, so not quite a week yet. However, a lot of things have happened to us (of course, because that happens when you are transplanting yourself somewhere completely unfamiliar and then trying to regain balance and composure without being overcome by vertigo - or so we have heard).
Among the things that have happened include:
Auckland
A. Stayed in a dorm for free at the U. of Auckland and got shown around the city, which included
1. Delicious Kabobs
a. Which are unlike shishkabobs that you grill with pineapple and mushrooms, etc. They are much more like gyros. Dana and I split one that had falafal in it. They are cheap and we highly recommend them.
2. Terrible dorm food
a. Their pies were good, though. With a sort of flakey crust and mash potato filling.
b. There was also as much free coffee as we wanted, which was nice.
3. Watching a rugby game at the pubs
a. This is a very big deal here and it was fun to see people so excited about something, i guess.
B. Buying a cell phone and a car
1. We bought the phone used from a french man who had been traveling around and was leaving (or, really, who stole it - who knows) and keep recieving phone calls and text for him because it is still the same number.
2. The car is a black honda inspire with wood paneling on the inside and it cost us $1700. It has a three cd player and the back right window doesn't open.
5. Learing to drive.
3. Dana is great at it
C. Leaving because the city was beginning to suck the souls right out of our bodies.
1. We are not city dwellers and were very happy to leave the city.
2. The drive leaving the city was one of the best I have every experienced. It was so unbelievable green and hilly and pure and idyllically pastoral.
Hamilton
A. We are staying with a friend of Dana's Dad.
1. Hamilton is beautiful
2. We love families
3. We went out to dinner at "The Cook" last night and highly recommend it.
a. It had a great fun atmosphere and veggie burgers and delicious white wine.
B. We finally recieved our WWOFer book in the mail.
1. The book is amazing - everyone who hosts wwofers sounds incredible.
C. Today we drove and hiked around a bit.
1. We saw Bridal Veil Falls
2. We went to several beaches in Raglan.
a. Both were beautiful. At twelve noon today we were sitting on a black sand beach watching the Tazmin sea. Both of us agree there is no place we would have rather been.
3. We listened to a bunch of early 90s hip hop
a. including the song blow job betty by too short, which we both agree is very inappropriate and not at all what you should listen too while driving along the west coast of the North Island.
b. We discussed why we drive on the left vs. right side of the road.
i. We looked this up later. It is very interesting:
ii. http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/
The tentative future
A. Going to Cormandel where this family has a beach house and staying there for a bit.
1. Working
2. Or WWOFing
a. We are interested in Emus, horses, bunnies, kayaking, buddhists, and free yoga. All of which seem entirely plausible
3. Or ?
B. Printing out Absentee Ballots
C. Tatty remembering to print out her working holiday visa
We have been here since Friday, so not quite a week yet. However, a lot of things have happened to us (of course, because that happens when you are transplanting yourself somewhere completely unfamiliar and then trying to regain balance and composure without being overcome by vertigo - or so we have heard).
Among the things that have happened include:
Auckland
A. Stayed in a dorm for free at the U. of Auckland and got shown around the city, which included
1. Delicious Kabobs
a. Which are unlike shishkabobs that you grill with pineapple and mushrooms, etc. They are much more like gyros. Dana and I split one that had falafal in it. They are cheap and we highly recommend them.
2. Terrible dorm food
a. Their pies were good, though. With a sort of flakey crust and mash potato filling.
b. There was also as much free coffee as we wanted, which was nice.
3. Watching a rugby game at the pubs
a. This is a very big deal here and it was fun to see people so excited about something, i guess.
B. Buying a cell phone and a car
1. We bought the phone used from a french man who had been traveling around and was leaving (or, really, who stole it - who knows) and keep recieving phone calls and text for him because it is still the same number.
2. The car is a black honda inspire with wood paneling on the inside and it cost us $1700. It has a three cd player and the back right window doesn't open.
5. Learing to drive.
3. Dana is great at it
C. Leaving because the city was beginning to suck the souls right out of our bodies.
1. We are not city dwellers and were very happy to leave the city.
2. The drive leaving the city was one of the best I have every experienced. It was so unbelievable green and hilly and pure and idyllically pastoral.
Hamilton
A. We are staying with a friend of Dana's Dad.
1. Hamilton is beautiful
2. We love families
3. We went out to dinner at "The Cook" last night and highly recommend it.
a. It had a great fun atmosphere and veggie burgers and delicious white wine.
B. We finally recieved our WWOFer book in the mail.
1. The book is amazing - everyone who hosts wwofers sounds incredible.
C. Today we drove and hiked around a bit.
1. We saw Bridal Veil Falls
2. We went to several beaches in Raglan.
a. Both were beautiful. At twelve noon today we were sitting on a black sand beach watching the Tazmin sea. Both of us agree there is no place we would have rather been.
3. We listened to a bunch of early 90s hip hop
a. including the song blow job betty by too short, which we both agree is very inappropriate and not at all what you should listen too while driving along the west coast of the North Island.
b. We discussed why we drive on the left vs. right side of the road.
i. We looked this up later. It is very interesting:
ii. http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/
The tentative future
A. Going to Cormandel where this family has a beach house and staying there for a bit.
1. Working
2. Or WWOFing
a. We are interested in Emus, horses, bunnies, kayaking, buddhists, and free yoga. All of which seem entirely plausible
3. Or ?
B. Printing out Absentee Ballots
C. Tatty remembering to print out her working holiday visa
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