Well, my time in NZ is coming to an end - I'm leaving tomorrow..eek! It's strange how it was all stretched out before me, and now four months is up! I've been hanging out with Jen and Bevan (Jen and I are watching old episodes of Jem right now...haha we both had the dolls...oh the 80s...) Jen and Bevan are taking me up to Auckland to get my flight ( Read more... )

Something a lot of Kiwis have liked to ask me is: "How many Americans do you think have passports?" The answer: "Not a lot"...that's why I saw this and if you live in the US and don't have one, or want to encourage others to "Do something great for the country - leave!" Go here: http

Well, the past couple days haven't been the best....unfortunately, I attempted to do the Tongariro Crossing yesterday, perhaps naively I guess. Anyway, it was freezing and pouring with rain, and the wind was gusting up to 70 kmph, so I was hiking with two other guys and we got up to about 1400 m and we had to turn back because the wind was so ( Read more... )

I am having an absolutely charmed life at the moment....I hate to brag, but it's true...after just under two weeks at my lovely WWOOF place in the Wairarapa, where I got to hang out with horses, cows, chickens, sheep, lovely Melissa and Francesca, and random neighbors, I got to come and stay at Melissa and Burton's house in Wellington. Burton is ( Read more... )

so if this was a story, maybe it would be entitled "how the city girl became a country girl" or alternately, "alice shovels horse shit and chases a cow up a river to its paddock". ha. Well, I am having a great time losing my "townie" ways out in the Wairarapa, just east of Wellington. I am staying at a gorgeous house, with currently no one, as ( Read more... )

hopefully, YOU, my tireless reader will forgive me a bit for the following massive post of pictures. They're from my hike through the Abel Tasman National Park (aforementioned) and as you can see, it was a truly beautiful and awe-inspiring place..can you believe this is New Zealand?!? It looks like some tropical island I don't know where....anyway ( Read more... )

'ello 'ello 'elllo...I have returned unscathed (mom that's for you) from my two day foray into Abel Tasman National Park for backpacking...it was BEEEE-UTIFUL and I promise I will post pictures soon...I know I always say that, but I do it eventually, eh? Anyway, I took a water taxi up the coast of the Abel Tasman park..ok, fine, you really confused ( Read more... )

hello everyone - I'm good good good!! I know I haven't updated in a few days and I will remedy that soon, as soon as I get back from backpacking in Abel Tasman National Park. I decided, hey, why not, and I'm off to do a couple days - I even get to stay in a hut! Yay - no carrying tents for me! Hope everyone had a happy Valentine's Day! I have a ( Read more... )

as promised...pictures...there's quite a few, so if you're on a slow connection, I apologize if they take awhile to load..

first are from Queenstown...


( Read more... )

Ok, well...I'm still waiting on finding a place where I can update my great pictures and goings on...probably not till I get back to a city of some relative size...I've just arrived in Franz Josef on the West Coast and it's pouring with rain, so for the time being, I'm stuck inside updating YOU on my life ( Read more... )