The Mount

That Thursday we set from the Fulton's for Mt Munganui. Whilst we were there we stayed with Beth's friends she met in Morocco, Clare and Brad. Spent the evening on the beech before they finished work, we weren't complaining though, beautifully sunny day. After dinner we went to the hot water pools, so cool to be swimming outside at night, but a word of warning don't open you eyes underwater, not a fun experience! The next day Beth and I walked up the mount where we had a great view out to sea and Munganui. After and interesting walk into town we had lunch at a really nice cafe and did some shopping. That evening we went out for a meal and stayed on because they had a live band and were giving free beers to people dressed beachy clothes (like me) and there was this moose, Crazy.

 The next day we headed back to the farm, stopping of at Waihi beech, Pearoa to see some really cool antique shop and then at Kaharangie Gorge where there were these really cool walks through the old mines.

Yachting

On Monday I drove up to Auckland in the Honda, Lena came too. We met Beth at Nicola and Richard's then we headed on to the Fultons. After we arrived Wendy took us for a walk along the beech, we got these really creamy ice creams, that one thing NZ does really well is ice cream. Great catching up with Wendy and Roger over dinner.

Beth, Lena and I spent the morning in Auckland Centre, then met Wendy and Roger at west haven. From there we set of on the Yacht out to Islington Bay by Rangitoto island. We all had a go at the tiller which was pretty awesome. We anchored up in the bay and all had a swim, jumping of the boat was pretty cool. Played lot of card games together in the boat then had dinner out on the deck. The wind had dropped and the sea had settled making the water look so amazingly glassy and oily. After it went dark we went skinny dipping in the sea, there were all these luminescent in the water, like plankton that light up when they are disturbed. That was the most amazing experience of my life, you swim underwater and your hands look like there emitting this amazing light, so crazily cool!

I jumped in and had an early morning dip. we took up anchor and set of quite early because Wendy and Roger had work. On our way back into harbour, Roger through a rope behind that Lena and I took turns on jumping out of the boat and holding on. You don't realise how fast your going till your being pulled along, and all from the wind. When we got back to harbour Beth and I drove to Kumeu to see Mum-Mum for her Birthday.

That evening we met Wendy and Roger at the Yacht and joined them and the team for a race, which was so cool, pretty exhilarating. And you have to be really quick so as not to get in the way. We went back to Wendy and Rogers for another night. About the time of the other large earthquake down in Christchurch, alot of damage and all of the news, conversations and people's hearts in New Zealand.

Barndip and Puke Show

On the Saturday we had a Christening for Catherine and Frode's new baby Lukas. Frode is Norwegen and his parents came over for it so we had great fun celebrating with this awesome Norwegen food and great banter around a very large table.
The next morning Swiss Lena (new volenteer) and I joined Pauline to go to the Pukekohe A&P show. Emily and Sam run the shearing there so I went to be Emily's Runner (she is very pregnant so doesn't need to be doing any running). The speed of the shearers was amazing, in the open final there was the most amazing atmosphere with the commentators yelling away and the shearers going through sheep after sheep. They did twenty sheep in under fifteen minutes, increadable. After the event had finished and we'ed just finished clearing up to go home, the "Top Twins" came down with some crates of beer, they were hilarious just bouncing of each other, there a big comedy act in NZ, they'd done a preformance at the show so stopped of at the shearing shed before heading home which was pretty cool.

Bay of Islands

Mum-Mum and Pete over for a month visting Carol. The plan was for Beth and I to drive up in the Honda and meet them at Mungawhai before going on up to the Bay of Islands. But unfortunately the Honda decided to break down en-route, thankfully only a few K's from Glen Murray Motors and after a scary experience being towed and waiting for lift we ended up back at the cafe. Our saviour came in the form of Erica, a friend of Anne's who comes and does a big cook up every Thursday and Friday, She was heading home to Auckland not long after we got back to the Cafe. So once we got into Auckland we caught a lift with Uncle Frank up to Mungawhai, Praise the Lord!

So weird seeing Mum-Mum and Pete here but we all slotted together like it was completely normal quite weird really. After spending the weekend at the Bach joined with Alister and Frank; Carol, Pete, Mum-Mum, Beth and I crammed into the car and headed on up to Whangarai then to the Bay of Islands. We stayed in a unit in Russel, which was just a short walk to the beeches. Beth and I getting much better at body surfing, so much fun. Spent one great evening in Pahia together, with Fish n' Chips and live music at the local bar. During our stay we visited some amazing beeches and just simply great to be together with family. One day Beth, Pete and I took a Jet boat out and saw loads of the island and went right through the 'hole in the rock'. Pretty fun way to see the islands, rocketed round with some Tunes being blasted out.

After the few nights up at the Bay of Islands together we came back to Mungawhai. On Friday Beth and I caught a bus back to Auckland then train to Pukekohe, then got a lift from Emily Back to the farm.

Sunny January

Went and met Beth in the Coromandel for a few days, quite drizzly weather but we made the most of it and saw Cathedral Cove (where hey filmed Prince Caspian), Hot water beech with the crazy tourist bathing in the rain, Kuatunu for the largest ice creams I've had in my life and Coromandel Town with lots of small boutique shops. Spent a night with Andrew and Sharron which was really cool.
We had a busy January with Grant and I running the Cafe, whilst Anne and Phillip went for there holiday, had help from chef Tim on weekends. Did more cave tours this time and we had a change over of foreigners in the cafe Zander and Miranda (Canadian).
Weather packed up mid way into January which meant some quieter days. We had Erin Cole-Baker come and do a concert which we were packed out for, beautiful music and knew alot of the words because the CD is on loop most days in the cafe.

Beth and I went to Parachute Festival one day, which is kind of like Soul Survivor but more music based. Super fun and just great to have a churchy day after not getting to church in so long because we are so busy in the cafe. Brenton Brown sang some classic songs in the evening, including "lord reign in me" as the sun was setting on a beautiful summers day. Chris Tomlin lead the evenings main worship and Louie Giglio spoke which was pretty impresive or "indescribable". We were in an open theatre, so really cool to look up to the stars whilst he is spilling the mind blowing facts.

New Years

After a few more days hanging out at the Bach, Carol drove Beth and I back to Auckland where we did some shopping in the Christmas sales then caught a bus to the airport where we met Anne who drove us back to Wiakaretu. Didn't take long for me to fall back into the flow of the cafe. A really good gang of us staying at the farm. There is German Lina from the Wellington business school, she is a whiz in the kitchen, always a step ahead. There is Crazy Czech Martin who just does the dishes and laughs (at everything!). There's Grant barrister and cave guide completes A team in the Cafe (Plus Anne and Phillip , of course). Pauline is also around and about, Thebault from Reunion Island and Sara the vet, we all stayed up very late playing Mafia ("villagers against killer!") and laughed most nights!

We had an awesome time for Beth's birthday on the 30th. Beth, Sara, Lina, Thebault and I all went to the beech. we had a very competitive game of ultimate Frisbee and paddled in the surf. Abbi joined us for dinner and we popped a bottle, lots of people round the dinner table, great fun.

For New Years Eve we went down to the campsite and joined the Wrights who were camping also joined by most of the Woodward whanau and other guys known through stepping stones. We had a lamb on a spit, crazy wigs, dancing with sparklers and this laser light thing. An awesome night with the stars shining and still hot late into the night.

The following days we had some really hot days, really busy days in the cafe and alot of BBQs down with the campers.

One night, Thebault and I spent it sleeping on the lawn, just so stunning the stars are so clear, amazing waking up at different times in the night and seeing the stars shifting. Although had a very scary experience with a possum that doesn't make me want to camp out again very soon. We went to Emily and Sam's one evening dressed up as farmers to pick up bales, so much fun. Also went to the beech quite a bit great cooling off in the sea after such hot days.

Pauline, Philip and I got a chance to fishing where we didn't catch much but it was just amazing sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere watching the sun set, magical.

Christmas in the sun!

Kiwi's enjoying the snow!

After getting back to Carols we had great fun helping her out in the nursery, helping around the house or just even lying out in the sun. I even went and helped one of Carols friends shear some alpacas.
We also had some great times in Auckland going to see a naming ceremony for a big ferry at Auckland harbour and also visiting Devonport where they had a snow dome (just polystyrene not real snow) in the middle of this sunny field with coastal views. Really weird to be thinking that they were covered in the real stuff at home!

Beachy Christmas tree

We had some torrential rain whilst being up at Auckland and at Carol and Franks Bach in Mungawhai Heads. Which is good because it looked as if it was going to be a drought filled summer. But we did get some scorching days too. Really quite bazaar thinking that its Christmas when your walking round in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.

Kay's awesome 12day advent calenders.

We spent Christmas up at the Bach and we had an awesome time despite having to keep pinching yourself to remind yourself that it was December and Christmas. Beth, Carol and I went through a very creative stage and made a beachy Christmas tree from a piece of drift wood and some shells etc. We also had a bit of a hitch up on Christmas day when Carol walked into the ranch slider and had to go to hospital (very new Bach, very clean windows!) She was fine just quite shaken up. But it didn't stop us having lots of fun and laughs that weekend.

Us and the cousins, Christmas day at the beach.

ZO

On the first day with Zo our camper we drove right up to Wellington. Stopping of in Kiakoura again to have lunch and say goodbye to the seals. And this time as we drove up the coast we saw some dolphins! I looked out to see and said "those are some really big fish jumping" and then Beth took her eyes of the road long enough to say "there dolphins, you idiot!" Was quite exciting seeing as we had hyped ourselves up for seeing dolphins last time we went to Kiakoura and were severely disappointed.

Then we stopped at Picton to have a thick shake and wait for our ferry (cookies and cream, not a nice thick shake flavour!). After we listen to this guy in a fluorescent jacket talk about didymo (or something like that?) we boarded the ferry. Great watching the sun go down over the cook straight. We then drove through wellington and got lost trying to find, Penny Menzies brothers' house, but found it in the end. Josef and Helen where really kind to us and let us stay the night on there driveway. We stayed up late talking about traveling and hearing lots of great stories.

We had breakfast with them the next morning then headed into Wellington to see Te Papa and have a walk around the capital. After lunch we headed north going through Parmeston North and heading up to New Plymouth we decided it would be to late to get to New Plymouth and dark so we couldn't see the beautiful drive, so we turned of at Strangford after having a Chinese takeaway, and headed up the forgotten highway. Such an amazing drive, we didn't meet a single car on the whole way and we could just stop and turn of the engine and there was complete silence. We spent that night in a DOC camp sight on the Wanganui river. I had a bit of a dip in the morning but it was so cold I didn't stay in long.

Then we kept heading North and stayed the next night at Wiakaretu. Took Addison for a ride in the camper which was hilarious. Her and Mattias had great fun climbing round in the back. That evening we went and watched the schools Christmas performance and there leavers show.

The Next day we headed for Auckland and met Carol at the place where we dropped of the camper.

Back to Christchurch

After Kiakoura we went back to Christchurch. Lina and Ingus picked us up from the bus and we went back with them and our German friends in the lodge at Living Springs. We stayed there fore about two weeks, we had such an amazing time helping out in the camp and cleaning up the lodge.

One night we went and had a BBQ with Jo and family great to see them all again and Carolyn too.

We also did lots of things for the lead up fr Christmas like decorating a Christmas tree with lots of random things we found in the lodge like playing cards, cutlery and a screwdriver etc. One evening we went down to a beech in the Lyttelton inlet and swam, really crazy to just be swimming in board shorts and not be feeling cold. We also had a Christmas party just before Beth and I left which was awesome fun with lots of great food and dancing.

We left early the morning after the party and went into Christchurch to pick up our camper van which we then had four days to drive up to Auckland.

Rocks that look like whales

From Nelson we caught our bus down to Kiakoura. We stayed in a backpackers called 'the lazy shag' and they tried to charge us or using the duvets,can you believe, but we convinced him out of that pretty quick! We stayed in Kiakoura for about five days, doing some amazing coastal walks and getting up real close and personal with some seals. Kiakoura is the dolphin and whale watching capital, really yet we saw none. We were wondering whether we should just take some pictures of some rocks out at see and just say they were whales because they were very convincing rocks.

Beth also had a crazy bump into someone she went to school with in the fish 'n' chip shop of all places.

 

We enjoyed Kiakoura but because it was coming to the end of our trip we didn't want to pay for the swimming with dolphins and whale flights just because money was looking a bit short. But we had some great walks and you can get so close to the seals it crazy.

Sunny Nelson

We found this sweet deal of a backpackers in Nelson for $20 a night we got free noodles when signing in, free breakfast and soup (if your quick enough), There was a swimming pool, free WiFi and only a short distants from Nelsons city Centre. That Sunday we went to Nelson City Church, where we had an awesome service and a really spirit filled worship lead by the youth. We were invited back to the churches bring and share lunch where we met loads of cool families as well as Penny and Stefan Menzies an awesome couple that we go on really well with and who were really inviting and friendly. After the lunch Penny and her daughter took us round Nelson showing us all the best places to go.

The plan for the next few day was to hitch up to Farewell Spit, Stefan was going half way so gave us a lift which was awesome, Then we got a ride from a really friendly German couple, who took us to Takaka. Beth had booked this backpackers, that sounded really awesome, 'great retreat' 'beech access in the golden bay' it had this really weird name that we couldn't pronounce as well. We got there to find it was like a Buddhist retreat with some really un-talkative WOF's and no one else. We thought "that's cool we will just spend our time on the beech' the beech was really rocky with no place to swim or to lie on the sand. We both felt "God what are we doing here". Until this American guy called Lee rocks up, we get talking to him and he asks us if we want to go to the local pub for a drink so with nothing better to do we accept.

The pub was called 'the muscle inn' an awesome pub, they made there own range of beers which tasted really great. They also happened to have a salsa night on that night which was awesome. We had a go a salsa and met some guys from Israel and laughed ourselves silly trying to join in with all the locals.

The next day Lee was driving all the way to Farwell Spit and asked us to come along so we did. Walked along the spit for a bit then went to Wharariki beech which had the most golden sand i have ever seen it was huge and went on forever and we were the only ones there.Crazy.

Lee then took us back to Takaka, we were planning to go to Abel Tasman next but we had only taken a small pack with us and we were both getting short of clean clothes and tired so decide to head back to Nelson. We hitched for ages without getting a ride, one guys stopped and helpfully told us we should look for accommodation in Takaka because it was getting to late in the day for hitchhiking. So as we got out our BBH book to look for accommodation Beth prayed "please God give us a ride all the way to Nelson" guess what, the next car took us all the way t Nelson, call it coincidence if you want, but we were gobsmacked by a miracle! The women that picked us up was the only female tractor sales women in New Zealand so we were quite thankful for our dad's boring lectures on tractors because it all came in handy on that hour or so journey.

We had great fun the next couple of days hanging out in Nelson, by the pool at the backpacker catching the rays and just chilling.

West Coast!

From Wanaka we headed up the rainy, rainy west coast stopping for a night a Franz Josef. Where we lazily hitched a ride to the glacier and hitched a ride back. Both very excited for our first hitch hiking experience. The Glacier was cool but I think from going there we realised ice just isn't our thing, I'm sure it is very interesting for you geologists or maybe it was just the rain but we got bored quite quickly walking in front of the glacier. Imagine if we had payed for a hike! We we're more impressed by the waterfall next to the glacier!

After we left Franz Josef we kept heading up and stopped at Punakiki for half an hour or so to see the pancake rocks an blow holes, which are definitely worth a look at if your going passed. We reached Nelson that Saturday evening.

"Home of inappropriately placed benches"

Our next stop was Wanaka where we stayed for three days at a backpackers about 10mins walk form the main town and lake front. Wanaka is a cool little town still very suburban although there is some tourism there but mainly for the winter in the snowboarding season. The lake was great and we did some great walks around it but it was nothing like lake Tekapo and wherever we would walk we would stop and sit down to a bench to find it facing the opposite way from the view or there was a big bush infront, crazy but hilariuos.

We did go to the Paradismo Cinema during my stay which is one of my best kiwi experiences so far. It was basically made by a guy that sayed "we need a cinema in this town" so he made one. You go in and sit down or lie on old sofas, airiplane seats, bean bags or even an old car. Then one of the staff shuts the door and yells "is everyone warm enough cause I can change the air con if you want?" (only in New Zealand) Then after everyone dicsusses the heat she runs to the back and starts the film, Which watched RED which is a good film but tripled in standards because of the confort of feeling like your at home in your lounge. In the middle of the film there is an intervle where we get to go and buy freshly made cookies and ice cream, so good. So much fun and would recomend Padismo Cinema to anyone whois going through Wanaka.

Milford Sound

That Monday we got a bus early from Queenstown that took us to Milford Sound. We had a really hot week in Queenstown so Beth and I automatically put on shorts and T-shirts didn't even contemplate taking a rain coat! Surprisingly it was a horrible wet cold day, but we decided early on that we would both make the most of it despite the weather. To embrace this Beth bought some socks to wear with her jandals to take the chill of things, kinds.

The bus ride was very touristy with around five other buses all taking the same route to get to Milford, our driver was hilarious, but you got to a point were you didn't believe a word he said because of his jokey, kiwi personality. We would stop of at some touristy places on the way with all other five buses and bustle around the bush walks with all the other foreigners taking photos of every leaf and twig. Hilarious attitude people were literally queueing up to get this one picture of a bridge. At this point we decided to take lots of random photos to take the mick! Really great fun and made our time, being herded around like cattle, much more enjoyable.

Once we got to Milford we hopped on our boat thinking it would be just like the previous description to find the absolute opposite there were only twenty of us on this hundred passenger boat, quite small compared to the other boats. Beth and I borrowed some coats from the boat and spent the whole of the cruise out on the front deck. We had so much fun and despite the weather the scenery was so spectacular and there were some great waterfalls that apparently you can't see unless its raining. On waterfall our captain took us right under and we stayed there for ages! Beth was the only one left out there by the end we all went it because we were so wet. 

It was quite late when we got back to Queenstown and Beth felt quite ill so went back to Emily and Jonny's, and i went to the backpackers where all our stuff was.