Blenheim
Wow, an absolute blast, Christmas week has been a week of endless parties and bbqs and yeah, lots and lotsa booze involved...
I celebrated both Christmas eve and Christmas day in the church and i must say ive enjoyed the service a great deal, though i truly miss my homechurch...
yesterday we had a bbq session at Martin's house and it was really lovely...Summer's here and the weather's cooling, no better way to spend the evening than to lie down on the huge lawn and drink and chit chat and consume lotsa meat!!
yeah, the kiwis are huge meat-eaters, and ive been here long enough to start worrying bout my waistline, and the neverending mouth-watering desserts that come after every single meals didnt help at all...
Next week after New Year im gonna try to get a ride to Wanaka where im hoping to do white water rafting, that would be followed by Glacier walk in Franz Josef, and bungee jump in queenstown...
Then i would be flying off to Sydney and Bali...
:)
p.s. I still cant believe is 2007 already, and im getting way too old to be fooling around!!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
wow, such amazing times on the island, breath taking scenery and sumptious farm food...dont i love living on the farm?
Nima's gone back to tasmania where he will be sailing over back to the south island...yeah, such a good idea huh, to fly from here to tassie and to come back here via sea...i guess i'll see him again soon enough...
Right now im still thinking of the place to celebrate CHristmas...possibly Christchurch since i can get a free ride there this friday...
i cant believe im leaving NZ soon...
Nima's gone back to tasmania where he will be sailing over back to the south island...yeah, such a good idea huh, to fly from here to tassie and to come back here via sea...i guess i'll see him again soon enough...
Right now im still thinking of the place to celebrate CHristmas...possibly Christchurch since i can get a free ride there this friday...
i cant believe im leaving NZ soon...
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Picton
as usual, things can have an unavoided turn at the blink of an eye...just when we were about to head for the harbour for our ride to the island, we got a telephone call from our driver, telling us that his boat has broken down and it wont get fixed until monday....what a blow!!
Desperate times call for desperate measures, we went to the harbour anyway, trying to hitch a ride to Arapawa island, just like how we hitched a ride to picton...and while hitching on the road is easy and effortless, it aint so when you wanna hitch by sea...
and there we were at the marina, talking to everyone who were conveniently standing by their boats or yachts, and pushing our luck to see if they would so happen to 'passby' our island by any chance...alas, clearly luck wasnt on our side, the folks wont be leaving till friday, and that's about sum out our fate for the day...we shall be stranded in picton for another night...
Picton is really a gorgeous town with views of the sounds and plenty of sunshine and bars and walkways...sadly, ive had my fair share of walking and tramping for the past few days and more walking didnt really appeal to me...even when nima asked me to join him for a swim in the pool that i had to turn him down...'not today, dude'...
and today the weather is absolutely shitty...it is raining outside now...nevertheless, we are much determined to get to the island later by hooks or by crooks...nothing's gonna stop us!!
im keeping my fingers crossed right now...
as usual, things can have an unavoided turn at the blink of an eye...just when we were about to head for the harbour for our ride to the island, we got a telephone call from our driver, telling us that his boat has broken down and it wont get fixed until monday....what a blow!!
Desperate times call for desperate measures, we went to the harbour anyway, trying to hitch a ride to Arapawa island, just like how we hitched a ride to picton...and while hitching on the road is easy and effortless, it aint so when you wanna hitch by sea...
and there we were at the marina, talking to everyone who were conveniently standing by their boats or yachts, and pushing our luck to see if they would so happen to 'passby' our island by any chance...alas, clearly luck wasnt on our side, the folks wont be leaving till friday, and that's about sum out our fate for the day...we shall be stranded in picton for another night...
Picton is really a gorgeous town with views of the sounds and plenty of sunshine and bars and walkways...sadly, ive had my fair share of walking and tramping for the past few days and more walking didnt really appeal to me...even when nima asked me to join him for a swim in the pool that i had to turn him down...'not today, dude'...
and today the weather is absolutely shitty...it is raining outside now...nevertheless, we are much determined to get to the island later by hooks or by crooks...nothing's gonna stop us!!
im keeping my fingers crossed right now...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
picton
It all went very well indeed, Nima managed to sell his car when we were catching a movie in the cinema. We watched 'a good year' starring Russell Crowe and thought it wasnt too bad a film...i particularly can relate to the story really well since i was working in the vineyard and hence did acquire some knowledge on wine producing...loved the countryside of France, loved the language, loved the soundtrack!! cant wait to practise my francais in France...
We also got a call from a woman who's keen to host our stay in Arapawa island in the marlborough sounds and we were psyched! so to celebrate on the glad tidings, we went dining in the local thai restaurant here and couple of hours later felt totally ripped off...alright, the Tom Yum was OK, not entirely authentic as the waitress kept insisting that the kiwis cant take it too hot, and the curry was way watered down...and we hafta pay $16 each for this meal...totally pissed the helloutta us...
It was an emotional moment when we hafta part with 'the goon', nima's car...we love the car to bits as we've been travelling around with it and it hasnt given us much problem at all...but it has to go, it was inevitable, he's leaving nz soon and so would i, lest i would have taken 'the goon'...
now we are officially handicapped again, and hafta rely on our foot to go places...at night, we invited some friends to our place for a lil' fellowship before we leave blenheim...we bought a few bottle of wines for everyone and had a very good evening indeed, playing 'shitheads' and exchanging contacts...
right now we are in picton where we will be catching a ferry to the island tomorrow for a few days of island retreat...
it's all good...
'A traveller has no fixed plans, and do not intent on arriving'
- Lau Tzu
It all went very well indeed, Nima managed to sell his car when we were catching a movie in the cinema. We watched 'a good year' starring Russell Crowe and thought it wasnt too bad a film...i particularly can relate to the story really well since i was working in the vineyard and hence did acquire some knowledge on wine producing...loved the countryside of France, loved the language, loved the soundtrack!! cant wait to practise my francais in France...
We also got a call from a woman who's keen to host our stay in Arapawa island in the marlborough sounds and we were psyched! so to celebrate on the glad tidings, we went dining in the local thai restaurant here and couple of hours later felt totally ripped off...alright, the Tom Yum was OK, not entirely authentic as the waitress kept insisting that the kiwis cant take it too hot, and the curry was way watered down...and we hafta pay $16 each for this meal...totally pissed the helloutta us...
It was an emotional moment when we hafta part with 'the goon', nima's car...we love the car to bits as we've been travelling around with it and it hasnt given us much problem at all...but it has to go, it was inevitable, he's leaving nz soon and so would i, lest i would have taken 'the goon'...
now we are officially handicapped again, and hafta rely on our foot to go places...at night, we invited some friends to our place for a lil' fellowship before we leave blenheim...we bought a few bottle of wines for everyone and had a very good evening indeed, playing 'shitheads' and exchanging contacts...
right now we are in picton where we will be catching a ferry to the island tomorrow for a few days of island retreat...
it's all good...
'A traveller has no fixed plans, and do not intent on arriving'
- Lau Tzu
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
gosh, what have i signed myself up to?? it turned out that the blockade that ive participated is to oppose the coal mining proposal of Happy Valley...
for three days ive been pushing myself hard to get through some really hardcore tramping, to sleep in a freezing tent, and to not able to take a shower, not to mention taking a poo in some hole that is filled with shits...Nima cant help asking me: 'Asians dont like getting themselves dirty huh?', and then go on to lecture me about getting back to basic, to the bare essentials, to be like our ancestors where they dont have anything but still do live in comfort...
well, it was a really good experience, i befriended some greenies in whom educated me regarding the environment and how we can do our part to protect it...i was deeply inspired by these group of people who has devoted themselves to the environment to the extent of putting themselves in risk of getting arrest by the authority...they would die for the trees if they have to!!
right now ive travelled back to blenheim with Nima where he plans to sell his car before taking a ferry up to north island...i suppose im gonna stick around here for a couple of weeks before going south for Christmas...
im rather tired...
for three days ive been pushing myself hard to get through some really hardcore tramping, to sleep in a freezing tent, and to not able to take a shower, not to mention taking a poo in some hole that is filled with shits...Nima cant help asking me: 'Asians dont like getting themselves dirty huh?', and then go on to lecture me about getting back to basic, to the bare essentials, to be like our ancestors where they dont have anything but still do live in comfort...
well, it was a really good experience, i befriended some greenies in whom educated me regarding the environment and how we can do our part to protect it...i was deeply inspired by these group of people who has devoted themselves to the environment to the extent of putting themselves in risk of getting arrest by the authority...they would die for the trees if they have to!!
right now ive travelled back to blenheim with Nima where he plans to sell his car before taking a ferry up to north island...i suppose im gonna stick around here for a couple of weeks before going south for Christmas...
im rather tired...
Friday, December 01, 2006
Abel Tasman National park, Golden bay
Well i knew for a fact that when Nima asked me to join him in his eco-expedition that im in for the 'real deal'...No, youth hostels and backpackers are not in the itinerary, even putting up a tent is a luxury, because we dont have any!! Yes, his idea of a real travelling experience is to sleep in the car!! luckily he has a spare sleeping bag for me, you have no idea how cold it is at night, even in summer!
we did some kayaking in abel tasman and i thought it was a really good activity...we didnt manage to kayak around the Adele island because the wind built up in the afternoon and the sea got too choppy...for a second i thought we were gonna capsize and the images of drowning came back to haunt me...but we got over the rough sea and head back to shore immediately, the dude knew i was freaking out, and rightly so too...
We also made it to the northern most part of south island, which is the cape farewell, and then followed by the spit, which was nothing but a mere beach...
earlier we rescued a wounded Weka on the road and brought the poor fowl to the vet...Nima has a soft spot for animals and nature alike...he despises loggers who cut down trees and reprimands those who doesnt recycle...i darent take any more pamphlets and brocures from the information centre since i started travelling with him so that he wont get too uncomfortable...
The next stop is northern westport in which we are supposed to participate in some kinda blockade to protest against loggers with other environmentalist...ever see ppl lying down in front of a huge tree or ppl staying up in the tree to stop lumberjacks from logging? that would be us...
i cant believe im doing this....and im excited to bits!!
Well i knew for a fact that when Nima asked me to join him in his eco-expedition that im in for the 'real deal'...No, youth hostels and backpackers are not in the itinerary, even putting up a tent is a luxury, because we dont have any!! Yes, his idea of a real travelling experience is to sleep in the car!! luckily he has a spare sleeping bag for me, you have no idea how cold it is at night, even in summer!
we did some kayaking in abel tasman and i thought it was a really good activity...we didnt manage to kayak around the Adele island because the wind built up in the afternoon and the sea got too choppy...for a second i thought we were gonna capsize and the images of drowning came back to haunt me...but we got over the rough sea and head back to shore immediately, the dude knew i was freaking out, and rightly so too...
We also made it to the northern most part of south island, which is the cape farewell, and then followed by the spit, which was nothing but a mere beach...
earlier we rescued a wounded Weka on the road and brought the poor fowl to the vet...Nima has a soft spot for animals and nature alike...he despises loggers who cut down trees and reprimands those who doesnt recycle...i darent take any more pamphlets and brocures from the information centre since i started travelling with him so that he wont get too uncomfortable...
The next stop is northern westport in which we are supposed to participate in some kinda blockade to protest against loggers with other environmentalist...ever see ppl lying down in front of a huge tree or ppl staying up in the tree to stop lumberjacks from logging? that would be us...
i cant believe im doing this....and im excited to bits!!
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