IM SO SORRY IVE BEEN AWAY!! I can't say that it has been hectic or stress has averted my attention from blogging...it's more that i've have been enduring relentless relaxation here in Raglan. Buuuut, to humor you, I am now sitting indoors on a sunny day to update you on the going ons.
Where was I? Did I tell you about Queenstown? Yes...yes, well. Kessy and I stayed in QT for about a week...and what a fabulous week it was. She was in search for a van (with a bed in the back), and through this ordeal, we met some truly amazing people. We spent the beautiful days hanging out on our balcony, looking up at the Remarkables (a vast expanse of mountains covered with snow), slacklining in the sun (sort of like tight rope walking a foot off the ground), going to bbq's and all sorts of other adventures. But, individually, I DID skydive from 12000ft. I simply cannot describe the experience...the freedom completely enraptured me. My heart was beating a million miles an hour right before we (the tandom guide and I) jumped from the plane...only downer: SO COOOLLLDDD!!! My face felt it was about to fall off...but! for all you lucky folks near the SF region when I get home...you will be able to see an epic epic DVD of my jump. Hold onto your shorts kids.
Driving up the west coast was a bit of a pain, considering the four day long, non-stop rain storm that seemed to follow us no matter how fast or slow we drove. Let me tell you what...sleeping in a small van whilst the rain beats against the glass and the wind wreaking havoc blowing the van back and forth...not a fun thing. Those four days, I simply had no sleep. Not that I got a lot of sleep anyway, but those four days were brutal.
Finally, we make it through the clearing in Tekaka, a small little hippy artisan town on the northern tip of the south island. There, inspired by such artistic vibes, we bought paint and proceeded to paint the van. My side complementing my personality, and Kessy's hers. We also painted quotes on the sides of the car that we felt best represented our feelings of our trip.
My quote was :
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." -Lord Byron.
We also went to a local bar called the Mussle Inn in Tekaka, where was met ALL locals. One local (or his family) owned a camp ground called Hang Dog, which was primarily for rock climbers. Just my luck! AND it was only $5 to stay there!!...AND...we desperately needed showers (which, in case you were at all interested, were practically outside...and COLD!). But the family that ran the place (different from the family that owned it), were sublime and the husband took Kessy and I rock climbing the following day at Paynes. It felt good to hold desperately onto rock again...even the sharp bits. We then made our way, slowly, to Nelson (where we went to a pretty cool reggae show), then to Picton. This is where I leave Kessy, for she was running out of money and needed a job (which she got very easily...at a 5 star resort that can only be accessed by boat...). The following day, I hopped on a boat to Wellington, where I stayed for a night. I can honestly say, after being "in the wild" for an extended period of time, being back in a big city was daunting and uncomfortable. I'm not saying i'm Chris McCandless or anything, but the moment I stepped off the boat, I desperately wanted to be back in the van, sleeping next to a lake, surrounded by mountains, underneath a vast blanket of millions of stars, peeing in bushes and taking baths in glacier runoff. But, I was making my way towards Raglan once again, and to do so, I had to make sacrifices, such as staying in a dorm room in Wellington with 30 other people. Serious bummer, brah. BUT, about a week and a half ago, I finally made it to Raglan. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....
Sunshine (for the most part) - though the rain wasn't unfortunate...the plants need drinks too!! I surfed a bit too...until my surfboard knocked me upside the head under water, resulting in my fear of water to come crashing back...needless to say, I haven't been back in the water (surfing) since...but this isn't entirely a bad thing...OH! we had an amazing mudfight the other day...at low tide, we found an ideal mud patch, and wrestled and played volleyball. The little rocks and shells were of no concern to us, really....that is until we got into the hot tub. Little scrapes and cuts EVERYWHERE...burning! So...when you see me next time and I'm bruised and bloodied...don't be alarmed. This is simply proof of my amazing New Zealand experience. See you soon!
xo
