Hey! I moved to New Zealand...and this is my blog.

April 22nd

2010-04-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

On Thursday (the 22nd) I flew back into Auckland. When I got to customs…I was the first and only person in line, then when I got my bag…it was already on the carousel. Nothing even close to that has EVER happened to me before. It took less then 5 minutes! Amazing. I ended up taking a naked bus (that is the bus company name…no one was actually naked) to Hamilton, where my friend Kirill picked me up and brought be home to Steve (my car). He was just where I had left him. I realized while I was away that I have developed an attachment to my car, I suppose because it’s been the only constant thing in my life for the last 6 months.

In Hamilton is where my body started to fall apart. In the course of the last two days I have completely lost my voice due to a nasty sore throat, developed a cough and runny nose, broken out into gross in infection and lost my memory. I’ve started a habit of leaving something wherever I go. I left my towels in Hamilton, and my favorite sweatshirt in taupo last night.

But even after all of that. It feels really good to be back in New Zealand. Like I said before, I am on my way back down to the south island to rent a flat for a bit in Dunedin. The thought of being able to sleep in the same place for more then two nights sounds like a dream come true.

p.s. keep in mind that there are about 5 new posts after this one. check them out!

April 19th

2010-04-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning I took a flight into Melbourne, where my friend Jack met me at the airport. We toured the city, had pumpkin pizza for lunch and headed up to the top of the tallest building to take in a view of the entire city. The next day I went on a 14 hour day trip to Great Ocean Rd. I was a long day, but very worth it. The main attraction was The 12 Apostles, which are (or used to be) 12 rock formations sticking out of the ocean off the coast. look for pictures below. We also saw some wild koalas- so cute! They were so close we could touch them…but we didn’t want to because they’re not very nice and they have chlamydia.

April 15th

2010-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

The next day we took the train into Sydney, where we had a wonderful first night enjoying the city lights. The Sydney Opera House was pretty amazing to see in real life, as well as the harbor bridge. Sydney is a very cool city. I don’t know if you could ever run out of things to do. We took the ferry over to the zoo (which is the coolest zoo ever) on Friday, and sadly Martha left on Saturday. So we all said our goodbyes, and Paul and Karen headed out for their last day in Sydney, and I went shopping, and to Chinatown, and to the art museum, and then another art museum, then did some more shopping, drank lots of coffee, rode the monorail, ate KRAFT MAC and CHEESE, and generally relaxed for a couple of days.

April 11th

2010-04-25T13:56:00.001-07:00

On the 11th, Martha and I flew into the Sydney airport and met her brother and his girlfriend there (Paul and Karen). We then hopped on a train, then a bus, and then another train, before we met our friend Lindsay and drove the hour and a half to her house. Needless to say it was a long day of travel, but well worth it. Lindsay lives in a little town called Broulee. Her flat mates were fantastic. She took us down to a beautiful bay for a day of lying on the beach, and to a couple of cute little towns to shop around in. we also got to see wild kangaroos too! we then took the train about an hour north to a town called Wollongong. It’s like a mini city on the coast. We had a lot of fun- once we found our hotel and fed Paul.

the last month

2010-04-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

At this very moment, I am sitting on the ferry heading from Wellington to Picton, where I will stay the night.

As for a recap of the last month or so (I know its been a long time), here goes:

After I visited Queenstown/Wanaka I made my way back to Dunedin where I house/dog sat for about a week. After which I made my way back up to Auckland to pick up Martha in Auckland. She arrived on the 5th of April (I can’t believe how time is flying by). I picked her up and we headed up the coromandel peninsula, where we relaxed on some beaches, went to cathedral cove, and attempted an even at the hot water beach (but there were too many people). Then we drove to Taupo, where we were going to go skydiving before Martha backed out. We bummed around and met lots of new people. The next day we headed back up to Auckland. We picked up my friend Kirill and decided to have a night on the town before we left the country. We had a good time to say the least…but then again, when do I not have a good time.

April 18th, 2010

2010-04-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

it's been way too long since i've posted one of these things, and i don't have much time now. but i just wanted to give an update.

at the moment i'm in Sydney Australia. it's such an amazing city! tomorrow i'll be flying down to Melbourne to visit some friends that i met WWOOFing a while back. i can't wait to see them.

then it's back to New Zealand again. i don't know yet for how long or where exactly i'll be, but i'm looking forward to it. i'm really the luckiest person i know. what a great adventure i'm on!

more to come soon. pictures too.

March 17th-24th

2010-03-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

WANAKA and QUEENSTOWN

Wanaka: The place where dreams are made.

I had the pleasure of spending about 4 days in Wanaka. It’s an absolutely stunning place. I spent my night staying in a hostel, and I spent my days wandering the town, hiking, kayaking, and just a bit of shopping. Then I was off to Queenstown, where I did a bit more shopping, got a tarot card reading (very cool by the way), some more hiking, enjoying a REAL hot chocolate at Patagonia Chocolates, a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, and admiring the general splendor.

Needless to say, I took lots of pictures. So here some are:

March 14th

2010-03-15T19:30:00.001-07:00

Brrr it’s cold here in Dunedin. At the moment I’m staying with a highly energetic woman named Pene. She’s extremely nice, and very busy so it works out well. She left for the weekend and left me at home with Isabella, her dog. Dunedin is a very cool city, full of beautiful architecture, rolling hills and the ocean. Its only downfall is the weather. It’s been cold, windy and rainy for most of my stay. Its ok though, I’ve been on the go for a while now, its nice to be a bit of a hermit.

On my way down from Christchurch I stopped at a beach that has these big beautiful boulders right along the shoreline. Due to water and weather the rocks have become symmetrical. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen (I’ll post a pic).

From here (Dunedin), I’ll be heading up towards Queenstown/Wanaka. I’ve herd they are both beautiful and fun cities to spend a few days in. I’m attempting to find some spots to WWOOF, so we’ll see what happens.

March 9th Part Two

2010-03-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

We spent quite a few night doing what we call here, freedom camping. Basically its finding a spot on the beach or even on the side of the road, setting up shop and spending the night for free. It saved us a pretty penny and we found a few great spots…and some not so special too. And with Adam along…there was no such thing as camping food. It was all gourmet (he got to ride in the front seat a lot :) )

Next we headed up to Golden Bay, where we spend the majority of out time. Eli had a friend that was renting a beach house on the ocean, so we fortunately got to much off of them and stay for a night. Another cool spot was Whreaki Beach (pronounced: Freaky Beach...and not spelled like that either). There’s no way to describe the beauty, so I’ll just post pictures. But there were baby seals that got trapped on land from high tide and they were maybe the cutest things I’ve ever seen…for real. From there we did a bit of hiking, reading books and drinking beer. We ended up in Takaka (this is where Eli chose to leave us to head back into the woods) at the San Suchi Inn. It was paradise….it included adobe buildings, lots of green grass, a hammock, a big kitchen for Adam to cook us whatever we wanted and incredibly nice people. We couldn’t leave, and then when we did leave…we came back again. To conclude our time in Golden Bay, we did a coastal hike in Able Tasman National Park into a Hut (where all three of us got ZERO sleep due to abnormally loud snorers) where we stayed for a night and hiked back out the next day. Then to begin out decent back into Christchurch (where Rachel and Adam departed from) we went down to Nelson Lakes, where we walked along the lake and camped in the most sandfly infested campground ever. We woke up the next day and continued south to Hamner Springs. There we ate Thai food, sat in hot thermal pools and laid in the sun all day…t’was wonderful.

Then this morning I dropped them off at the Christchurch airport and began my way south to Dunedin, where I’ll hopefully be WWOOFing with a woman named Lucy for a few days.

March 9th Part One

2010-03-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

I haven’t properly wrote a blog in about three weeks (sorry if it’s a long one). There has been a very good reason for that. Rachel and Adam came to see me for a visit! It was so much fun to have them here. At times we annoyed each other just like always, but I think we’re growing up to be really good friends. The itinerary went as follows:

Three weeks ago I picked up Rachel at the Auckland airport and we headed straight for raglan to spend a few days on the beach. The weather wasn’t as ideal as we would of hoped…but don’t worry we got plenty of sun time. Then we headed to the Tauhara Centre in Taupo, where we exchanged some rigorous work (and you people think I’m just on vacation all the time J ) for three nights in the Chalet. The Chalet is an adorable little cottage, built over the edge of a cliff, that has one of the most picturesque views of Lake Taupe (or anywhere) I’ve ever seen. Catherine and Nassir were once again magnificent hosts and I’ll never forget Stan’s cooking.

Rach and I then took a bit of a road trip down to Wellington, where we enjoyed a drink overlooking the harbor, before hopping on the ferry to the South Island. The ferry left at 9:25pm, so we got to Picton (entrance city to the SI) at about 1am, where we then had a most enjoyable night sleep in the car. The next day we drove down one of the most scenic road you could ever imagine to Christchurch, where killed two birds with one stone by picking up both Adam and Eli (our cousin in law?…something like that…Wendy’s nephew). The four of us piled into Steve (I still don’t know how we managed) and headed north to a town called Kaikoura. We stayed in a little self contained room just across the street from the ocean. The following day we did a really cool walk around the shore at low tide and came across tons of seals lounging about on the rocks. It was one of the cooler sights I’ve seen (along with the baby seals…but I’m getting to that).

March 2nd

2010-03-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are in Wellington. At the time we took this picture, Rachel had been here for one week...and she still looks like a Minnesota winter white girl. we crossed the ferry from the north to the south island that evening and picked up both Adam (rachel's hubby) and Eli in Christchurch the next day. since then we have been hanging out, enjoying the beautiful weather, and playing with baby seals. It's been a treat to have fun people to travel.

Feb 19th

2010-02-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

HOORAY! Rachel's here! I picked her up on the morning of the 18th. Her flight was on time and went smoothly. We got out of the airport and basically headed straight for Raglan. Yesterday we had a beautiful day (a little windy) of checking out the town, visiting Bridal Veil Falls, laying on the beach, working in the garden at Solscape and making pizza from veggies straight from the garden. it was what one may call "a perfect day." i think she'll survive here just fine.

Pizza making party. we cooked them outside in the big earth stove:

Feb 14th

2010-02-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

So on Saturday morning, my WWOOFing friend Line (from Germany) and I left the Tauhara Centre after a couple of hard days of saying goodbye to friends and good memories. I had a wonderful time at the Tauhara Centre, and it was an experience I will never forget.

A few days back Line (pronounced like Lena) and I decided to venture towards the east coast. This morning we woke up in Napier and headed to Te Mata Peak to watch the sunrise. It was by far the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen. Then we spent the rest of the day at Mahia Bay. We had a blue sky day and the beach to our selves. Tomorrow we head to Gisborne.

Feb 7th

2010-02-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

So, two Americans, three Germans, a French man, a Latvian and a kiwi walk into a lodge…

No, its not a joke, it’s my life right now. I’ve been at the Tauhara Center for about 5 days now, and am loving it. The people are so welcoming and relaxed. Catherine and Nasir (they run the place) are so sweet and take such good care of us. We’re working about 5 hours a day. And for that we are provided with free accommodation and meals (some of which are prepared by our very talented chef, Stan). I’ve mostly been in the garden everyday, weeding or planting veggies. I’ve been doing (or attempting) a bit of meditation in the beautiful sanctuary….but it’s hard. Other then hanging out here at the center, I try to get down to the beach of Lake Taupo as much as I can (its been super hot and sticky here). All in all, I am very much enjoying where I’m at right now, in place and in life.

The WWOOFers Lodge:

The Sanctuary:

Feb 3rd

2010-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have arrived safe and sound at the Tahara Center in Taupo. I think i'm really going to like it here. more to come...

Jan 30th

2010-01-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I left the farm and the Derecourt family behind and headed to Mount Maunganui (surf town on the east coast). From Mt Maunganui, my friend Geoff and I headed up the Coromandel Peninsula for a couple days of traveling. We saw some really amazing sights, like Opoutere beach, Cooks beach, Cathedral Cove, Whitianga, Coromandel Town, and kilometers and kilometers of car side ocean views. We ended up catching the sunrise on the east coast, and the sunset on the west coast all in one day. We went snorkeling…but didn’t see much (a few brown/grey fish, that’s about all).

As of now, we are back in Mt Maunganui and I have no plans until Wednesday when I will start WWOOFing at the Tahara Center in Taupo. Can’t wait!

Cathedral Cove (above and below)

Sunset over Coromandel Town (below)

Jan 20th

2010-01-19T13:15:00.001-08:00

I have now landed safely in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand. It’s a little tiny town about 20 minutes from the city of Hamilton and about 40 minutes from the coast. The family that I’m staying with consists of: Don and Davina (dad and mom) and Martin (boy, age 6), Dallas (girl, age 5), and Chance (boy, age 4). They’re great. There are also two other WWOOFers currently staying here with us, they are: Tony from Wisconsin and Seema from Alabama. Its funny to have so many Americans in one place. It’s nice, we relate to each other really well, and they are both really cool.

On a daily basis we end up tending to their 2 pigs/5 piglets (so cute!), calves, chicken, roosters, turkeys, ducks, two dogs and the squirrelly children. We end up working about 4 hours a day, or up to 20 per week. They are extremely relaxed. For example, on Monday it was raining so I baked banana bread and chocolate chip cookies for my work. Don and Davina have a great sense of humor, so we get along just fine.

Jan 16th

2010-01-15T18:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, after we were done working, my friend Keely and I drove to Hamilton to meet my other friend Kirill. The three of us then headed to a hot water beach in the little town of Kawhia. We picked up some fish and chips…first they forgot half our order, and second, it was disgusting!

We made it to the beach just in time. There was a family who had already found the hot spots in the sand, had dug out probably half a dozen holes, and were getting ready to leave. So we stole their holes and lounged in the hot springs for the evening. It was just like sitting in a hot tub…only smelled like sulfur. We ended up camping on the beach (up on level sand dunes). We built a fire, watched the sunset, and star gazed for most of the evening. It was by far one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do in NZ, or ever. I’m SUCH a lucky girl!!

Jan 15th

2010-01-14T16:42:00.001-08:00

So for the last two weeks I’ve just been hanging out in Raglan, and loving every minute of it. I have met some of the most wonderful people here. it’s a beautiful and relaxing little town, and I already can’t wait to come back someday. The landscapes and beaches are beautiful, and I’ve never seen so many stars in my life.

A group of us took a little trip to Bridal Veil Falls the other day. I felt like I was in a commercial for an exotic vacation. It was that amazing. Tonight, my friend Keeley and I are headed to a hot water beach to camp for the night. Supposedly you wait for high tide, then dig yourself a hole and sit in the hot springs. Fingers crossed it’ll be a success.

Sunday is my last day here at Solscape, but I have no doubts that I’ll be back again someday. For the next two weeks I’ll be staying on a little family farm about an hour inland from where I am now. I’m really excited to spend some time with a family and have a new adventure.

Just a picture of some of the crew: Pia, Kameron and Kiren.

Jan 9th

2010-01-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

So I haven’t posted many blogs since about my first day here at solscape. And at that time, I still didn’t know what to think about it. It wasn’t what I had expected and I wasn’t so sure about everything. But now, after having been her for almost week, I can confidently say “I LOVE IT”. I finally feel like I’ve started this grand adventure that I set out to have.

For one, Solscape is a wonderful place. It’s very much nature at its best. Two, I’ve met some really great people here. They are mostly single travelers like myself, so once we’re done with work we have the whole day to play together. Three, Raglan is an absolutely beautiful place. On one side you have gorgeous black sand beaches, while on the other, rolling hills and volcanic mountains. I’ll have to post more pictures.

I wish you could all see it

This is where i'm staying. I live with a really sweet girl names Karin from Sweden. it's super small, but we make it work.

This is the Station House. its a big kitchen filled with everything you would ever need, and a lounge area thats always full of people looking to chat and talk about the world. last night we sat around a played games with people from the UK, Sweden, the states, Italy, Germany, Australia and France. i've learned a lot since i've been here.

This is the open-air kitchen for campers. it's so wonderful to have everything outside. being woken up in the morning by a rooster crowing and brushing your teeth under a big palm tree are some of the many reasons i love this place.

Jan 6th

2010-01-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting this one earlier. But I’ve realized in the last few days (after talking to my various family members about this trip and how I’m doing, that I’ve explained a lot about where I am and what I’m up to, but nothing really about how it FEELS to be traveling half way across the world on my own. So I’m going to try my best to explain it.

Honestly, I'm having a sensational time. It’s true that I miss home pretty much all the time, but its rarely an aching need that I can’t satisfy. More so, now I’ve come to appreciate my family, friends and the life I have back in Minnesota in a different way. Sometimes (not often anymore) I feel anxious or even like I‘m drowning a little bit. It feels like I need to be doing something more productive with my time, although I can never figure out what that is. Sometimes I get lonely (like right after Christmas). But mostly that coincides with not having anything necessary to do, and not having many (or any) deeper connections with people here due to moving arouns a lot. Here at Solscape there are always people around and everyone feel like one big traveling family, its nice. I would say the biggest drawback to traveling on my own is: everything that I do, and everywhere that I go I wish I had someone to share the experience with. This country is one of the more amazing things I’ve experienced in my life and wish everyone I love you see it too.

92% of the time I feel like myself and am having a really awesome trip. And that percentage keeps growing everyday. I’m going through a lot of changes here, and learning a lot about myself. And sometimes that just takes a couple of days to adjust to. I am truly haveing the experience of a life time, and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything at home (with the blizzard conditions and below zero temps). I feel as though this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life at this very moment. It seems to just fit. And I’m good at it.

Jan 3

2010-01-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

RAGLAN

I’ve officially landed in Raglan. It’s a beautiful town on one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world. The place I’m am currently WWOOFing is called Solscape. I’m staying in a little (and when I say little, I mean little) one room cabin type thing with two other girls. One if from Germany, the other is from Sweden, and they are both really nice. I start work in the morning, and from the sounds of it I’ll either be gardening or cleaning. It’s wonderful to have internet. I feel so free. So if anyone wants to skipe…just let me know. Ok. All for now.

December 28th

2009-12-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

So I found this burger joint not far from where I live. I thought you would enjoy it. Just a little taste of home…literally.

Ok. So I thought I’d give you all an update on what I have coming up. Starting next Sunday (Jan 3rd) I’ll be heading down to Raglan to WWOOF at a place called Solscape. it’s an eco retreat center. They have camp sites, tipi tents, little cabins, and more. It’s all eco friendly, including solar showers and compost toilets. I may be doing some gardening, cooking, or helping with accommodations. In free time, there is horseback riding, kayaking, laying on the beach, surfing, bike rental, and lots of hiking.

I have had a really great time here in Auckland, but am more then ready to get out and enjoy the rest of the country.

December 26th

2009-12-28T16:07:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas for me was incredibly different from the usual, but also really nice. On Christmas eve, Sarah, Hugh and I went out to dinner at super fancy, really really delicious French restaurant. We ate way too much food and drank way too much wine. It was prefect.

On Christmas morning we (Sarah, Hugh and I) woke up, made some coffee and had a present opening extravaganza. It didn’t last long. But I got everything I needed, along with some Jif peanut butter from the states- what a treat, thanks mom and Wendy. After we all got to chat with your families, we were off to the beach. We found a beautiful beach about a half hour south in the town of titirangi. The day was maybe the most perfect day we’ve had here so far. It was warm, sunny with not a cloud on the sky, yet a slight breeze. Wonderful. Then we came home and cook an amazing dinner for all of us five flat mates to enjoy. Gotta say I was pretty proud of the apple pie from scratch…yum.

December 22-24th

2009-12-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday morning My flat mate Hannah and I took off on out way down the coast to Waiuku, her home town. I got to spend a lovely afternoon with her mum, dad, brother and his fiance and her grandma and grandpa. We had a huge Christmas feast of steak, pork and NZ crayfish, yum!. Then on Wednesday Hannah and I drove out to the coast and went to arua bay, big bay and the Wailuku lighthouse- all incredible sights to see. Sadly it was very overcast and even got down poured on a couple of times. I was also lucky enough to get to go swimming…with all of my clothes on (I feel off a rope swing). Then last night we went out to a fabulous restaurant that over looked the ocean. It was delicious food and an even better view.

This morning we woke up and headed back to the city. It’s a beautiful Christmas eve…even though it doesn’t feel like it at all. You have no idea how nice it was to spend some time with such a wonderful family around Christmas. They were way too kind to me, and I don’t know how I can ever repay them.

Here are lots of photos.
The beach at arua bay:

The beach at Big Bay:

The view from the lighthouse (both pictures):

December 20th

2009-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

It finally feels like Christmas. It started mid afternoon and only lasted an evening. And is now back feeling like July. Sarah and I ventured to Mission Bay in the morning/afternoon to lay in the sun on the warm sandy beach for a bit. Then spent our evening making gingerbread cookies and listening to Christmas music. We even created a New Zealand beach-ready gingerbread man/woman series. It was lots of fun.

This years Christmas will hopefully consist of relaxing on the beach in the morning (depending on the weather), and a huge flat mate Christmas day feast in the afternoon. Can’t wait. Then on boxing day (day after Christmas) Sarah and Hugh will be moving out for good :( and it’ll be back to the three of us for about another week until I move out of the third.

I’ll be heading south about 2 hours to Raglan, a fun little surf town on the west coast. I’ll be WWOOFing at an eco retreat center called Solscape (www.solscape.co.nz if you wanna check it out) for about 2 weeks. I’m pretty excited to move on and try something new. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

December 14th

2009-12-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

It has come time for me to start making plans for my next adventure. It hit me the other day that I’ll be leaving Auckland in about three weeks, give or take. Time has gone by so fast. From here, I’ll be spending some time WWOOF-ing. WWOOF-ing, which stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is basically an exchange of work for accommodation and food. The work I’ll be doing (depending on the establishment) could include: weeding, picking, cooking, housework, looking after children (if any) or anything else they may happen to need help with. I’ll have weekends off and afternoons to do with as I please. I’ve emailed about working at meditation centers, bed and breakfasts, cheese makers, vineyards and more. Stay tuned to see what happens.

December 13th

2009-12-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

I’m gonna go throw on my jandals, togs and a jumper, grab some muesli and red capsicums, head to my bach and it‘ll be sweet as. What! In American English that means, I’m gonna go throw on my flip flops, swim suit and a sweatshirt, grab some granola and red peppers, head to my cabin and it‘ll be good.

“fresh as”…packaged spices. Here is NZ (N. Z-ed as they would say here) they tend to add the word “as” onto just about any phrase. Sweet, is sweet as. Good, is good as. Nasty, would be nasty as, etc.

Today Sarah and I went across the big harbor bridge to Takapuna Beach. Takapuna is a great little beach town, full of cafes, shops and of course the ocean. It was a beautiful day, perfect for laying in the sun (on December 13th…who knew). I can’t get over the color of the water here, it’s a light aqua blue, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

December 8th and 9th

2009-12-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I woke up early and drove through the mountains about 45 minutes south to Piha beach. Piha is a glorious black sand beach set on the coast of a cute little town consisting of a gas station and a café. When I arrived, the waves were jam packed with surfers, who were very entertaining to watch. I spent 4 wonderful hours in the sun. it was so nice to get away- minus the fact that I lost a hubcap on the way down (its ok, they didn‘t match anyway). Here are some pictures for you to drool over and enjoy.

Today I went to the Auckland City Zoo. Its just a short walk from our flat, through Western Springs Park. Its an awesome zoo! It has your standard monkeys, lions and tigers, but it also has elephants, hippos, kangaroos, kiwi birds, red pandas, wallaby’s and a ton of other animals I’ve never seen before. It was a beautiful day, but since I had gotten a bit sun burnt (oops) the day before I didn’t want to over-do it. :)

December 6th

2009-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

BEACH DAY!! Finally.
The weather has officially started looking up. After five straight days of rain, the last two days have been beautiful. Yesterday morning Steve (my car), Sarah, Briar, and I drove up the coast about 40km to a white sandy beach in Orewa. The wonder lasted about an hour or so before the clouds started rolling in. We packed up our gear and decided all could be righted with a good cappuccino. It felt so great to get out of the city for an afternoon. I had almost forgotten how insanely beautiful this place is.

I happened to stumble upon a last minute babysitting job for the evening, so I gladly spent my night entertaining two really sweet boys (and by entertaining I mean watching a movie…pretty easy). My flat mate’s friend- who works in early childhood education and had more babysitting jobs then she can handle- had offered to hand out my number to anyone she couldn’t cover. Yay for making money! Then came home to an awesome family flat night consisting of cards and too much red wine.

December 4th

2009-12-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

Rain rain go away....

Well one things for sure. I've made proper use of my rain jacket here in Auckland. It is yet another rainy day outside...fifth one this week.

Ready for some sunshine!

any day now...

November 30, 2009

2009-11-30T17:16:00.001-08:00

I BOUGHT A CAR!! and his name is Steve...

So i bought a car today. it's a Honda Integra hatchback. the back seats fold down and there is loads of room. someone seems to be looking out for me out there, because this seems to be the perfect thing. i bought it from two extremely nice, father figure type mechanics. i bought a different car i was interested in into the garage to have them check it out, and they basically said that car was garbage. so needless to say i didn't buy it. the next day one of the mechanics called me to tell me that they had just bought this car off of a couple of travelers. it needed a new water pump, but other then that it was in extremely good shape. so i went and test drove it. they replaced the water pump, cam belt, changed the oil, looked over the breaks, tires, and everything else on the car and granted it a brand new warrant of fitness (every car in NZ has to pass a new WOF every 6 months, this means that the car is in good running condition and no work needs to be done on it). i should be able to tour the country without any problems, and when i'm done with it i'll hopefully be able to get most if not all of my money back.

The name steve happened to come to me in a dream. i dreamt i was telling someone that i named my car steve because it was incredibly dependable, yet very generic...just like any steve i've ever met. funny huh. so it was inevitable.

all in all a good day. now i can get out of the city and enjoy the countryside. i'll have other things to write about besides the good food i've been eating :)

In this picture i tried to show that the steering column and everything else is on opposite side, but its hard to see...eek!! scary.

November 24th

2009-11-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! (it's your birthday in the states today...yesterday here)

So today is my dad's birthday, and thanksgiving is in a couple of days, then it's Christmas already!! it's extremely odd seeing Christmas decorations everywhere when it's sunny and warm. i think because they don't have thanksgiving here, Christmas celebrations start about a month earlier. the huge Christmas parade is on November 28th...how crazy is that! In honor of thanksgiving and everything that i am thankful for, my flatmates and i are preparing a feast. my flatties from Canada missed their thanksgiving, which was in late October, so we're joining our efforts tomorrow for one giant celebration. fingers crossed that it'll be edible.

Yesterday i went to the Auckland city art museum. it's in a beautiful building, but has a surprisingly small collection. it's was a good experience, and also a free one. being surrounded by art for even just a little bit makes me feel like i could be in a museum back in Minneapolis. and for even more of a taste of home, i went to Starbucks after (every Starbucks looks and feels exactly the same).

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone i love back home. i am so thankful for you and the support i've received.

November 19th

2009-11-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

So it seems that we are surrounded by wildlife in our little house on Great North road. these are the neighbors chickens that wander about, and we have bugs/flys galore. the newest addition to our happy family happens to be some mice. they come alive at the most inopportune times, like night. but as long as you keep your door closed, with something stuffed under it starting at about 5pm, they should really bother you....whomp whomp.

nothing much is really new. just enjoying my time here. i'm still focused on the job search, although it's much more difficult then i expected. there aren't many positions available at the moment. oh well, time spent not working isn't the worst thing in the world :) i'm also searching for a car at the moment. it'll be nice to be able to get out of the city and enjoy the country side (especially if i wasn't tied down to a job). i'll keep you posted though.

it's fun to be more familiar with the city these days. i've started discovering some of the lesser known hot spots. like the best sushi in the city, or this woman who frys Korean pancakes that are filled with yummy stuff. she and her husband hardly speak English, and the pancakes are so so bad for you. but they are absolutely to die for! and isn't she cute?

November 12th

2009-11-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

This last week has been about learning and appreciating life in the slow lane. i am finding so much enjoyment in waking up and making a healthy homemade breakfast from scratch, reading a bit of my book, playing my (new) guitar, washing clothes and hanging them to dry outside and going for walks around the lake by my house. it feels so relaxing and even productive.

Yesterday i got a new 3/4 guitar, i figured i needed a little extra project while i'm here. and music is never a bad idea. although...i'm more terrible then i thought i would be...lots and lots of practice needed.

The other night a couple of my flat mates and i tried our hands at making homemade sushi. it was a success! take a look for yourself. and it tasted even better then it looked.

November 10th

2009-11-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

I have new flat mates!! Along with Briar and Hannah (who are the pre-existing flat mates) I now live with Hugh and Sarah. They are a couple from Novascosha, Canada, who are also here on a working holiday visa. They arrived here in NZ about a month before I did, and have been doing a bit of traveling/camping/hostel living in the mean time. They are both really great and it’s nice to know people who are in a similar situation to my own. It’s extremely easy to relate to one another.

This means that I have moved from my awesome huge room, into a smaller not quite as awesome room. It’s still a great room, but doesn’t exactly have the character that the first room did. On the flip side, I’m saving about $60 per week with the smaller room…I think I got the better deal.

Sarah and Hugh also really enjoy cooking and good food- I knew we’d get along from the start. One of the first nights they moved in we mastered the art of steaming muscles (see picture above) and tonight we will conquer homemade sushi. The fresh seafood here is out of this world, I can’t get enough of it.

Other than that, I’ve been continuing the job search, exploring my surroundings, doing lots of cooking and reading, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. I gotta say it’s really strange to see Christmas decorations everywhere when you’re sweating just standing outside.

November 7th

2009-11-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Birthday Breakfast for Briar! Wednesday was Briar's 20th birthday, so we decided to trek up the hill to a really great little cafe in Grey Lynn called Occam. it has amazing coffe and pretty gourmet food. this is a picture of my cinnamon marscapone (sp? you all know i can't spell...) cheese french toast with fresh blackberries and chai....so yummy. i could spend a ridiculous amount of money on food here.

more later.

November 3rd

2009-11-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

Chicken flavored potato chips anyone?

Or how about calling granola- muslie, or a sweatshirt- a jumper… those are just a few of the abnormalities that I’ve experienced here. Everyday I’m learning so much more about what it mean to be a kiwi. I’m even sometimes starting to sound like one.

Yesterday I journeyed over to Pt. Chev.- the next neighborhood over-on my way to the coast. but the time I got through the town it started to rain. I decided that the coast would be no fun in the rain. So I found my new favorite (granted I haven’t frequented too many) coffee shop/deli. It was called The Muddy Pie. And if you don’t know what I pie from NZ is, well it’s gross. But lots of people love them and grew up on them. They are like meat or cheese filled croissants type things filled with jelly like goop. Yuck.

Today I will begin (casually of course) my great job search. And where it ends? Nobody knows. I’m pretty much willing to do just about anything. My largest struggle at the moment would be the allocation of my time. I came from a life where I was always busy running around. Now I have nothing that I have to do, no one that I have to see, and nowhere that I have to go. On one hand it’s nice, on the other I don’t quite know how to handle it. My head is screaming, “get a job! Bring in income!” but the rest of me is saying, “enjoy your time, you can work for the rest of your life.”

So we shall see. Also, here’s a picture of me, just so you know I’m alive and well.

October 30th.

2009-10-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

So… this whole blog posting everyday thing just isn’t going to happen. I currently don’t have internet at home, so I have to head into the city to use it. I can get free wireless (you have to pay everywhere here) at the public library, but it’s extremely slow. It works though.

So here’s an update. I am all moved in a settle into my little house in Grey Lynn (I‘ll post some pictures). It’s about a 15 minute bus ride into downtown Auckland. It’s nice to not live right in the city. Here in Grey Lynn we have our own little main street with everything on it you would ever need, and it’s just up the road from my house (maybe 3 blocks). There’s a food town (a pretty main grocery store), a post office, lots of little convenience stores, a kebab stand (yum!), butchers, fresh seafood, a subway (I think they’re everywhere), a really cute café, sushi, chinese food and oh so much more. I have also discovered that we live about a block away from a place called Western Springs Lakeside Park. It’s by far one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It’s full of walking paths, big open grassy areas, tons of wildlife and a short walk to the zoo (which I haven’t visited yet). I’ll post some pictures below (took then when it was overcast and they don't do it justice...the water is usually aqua blue and beautiful).

I am also really enjoying my flat mates. Their names are Briar, Hannah and Sophie, but Sophie is moving out in a week. Hannah and Briar are the two girls that work at the backpackers downtown. Turns out that they haven’t technically posted that job position yet, so it may be a bit before I hear back about it. that’s not a bad thing though, I’m still waiting for my tax id number to come in the mail. You can’t work without it. But back to my roommates…we immediately hit it off, which is so nice because I already feel like I have a connection here. Two days ago I went with briar to her hometown called orewa. It was about a 45 minute bus ride north of Auckland. It is a gorgeous place! The beaches are breath taking. Last night we had a girls night and sat under the stars and drank wine. You wouldn’t believe the stars here.

also my phone number including country code is +0064 21 151 8483...i think it was wrong before. ok. all for now.

October 27th.

2009-10-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I set out in the rain to find me a place to live. I had talked to a few people who had ads running on trademe (like the NZ version of Craig list). The first place I went to was a no go. It was a travel lodge so it has people from all over staying for all different periods of time. When I walked in the door, I suddenly felt about 10 pairs of eyes, all males, that seemed to say “A GIRL?!” needless to say, I didn’t stay long.

House number two was great and the one that I ultimately decided on. The two flatties (or roommates) are girls that are my age and seem super nice. Should be a fun place. I’ll have a large room with a curved window seat and an attached bathroom (even if it is over my price range). There is only one downfall. no internet. I’ll be moving in tomorrow, a day later then expected, but oh well. I’m spending the night in a bunk room at my hostel with a very nice woman from Scotland.

Also, these two girls that I’ll be living with work at a hostel downtown Auckland that is looking for a receptionist…which I would be terrible at because I’m so shy and hate meeting new people. So it would be great if I got a place to live and a job out of the deal! I dropped off my CV (or resume) this morning. Fingers crossed.

Other than that, I opened a bank account today and had some really good sushi. Wells Fargo sucks. And the jetlag is starting to set in… sorry no pics today, forgot my zip drive.

October 25th.

2009-10-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Whew…made it. I arrived in Auckland yesterday at about 8:30 am, collected my baggage and flew through customs. Apparently its quite easy to obtain a visa here. My friend krill met me at the gate, and wee set off in search of coffee and the big city.

I checked into my hostel (which is very nice compared to others I’ve stayed in), then headed down to have a celebratory beer down by the water. It was an absolute beautiful day, sunny and warm. We bummed around queens street all day which is the main street in the central business district (cbd or downtown). It seems to be such I diverse city. Every sign has at least 4 languages on it: English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. And everywhere I go I experience a new accent. I had some really delicious kimchi at a Korean restaurant pretty close to my hostel, followed by some gelato- yummy. So far I’m really enjoying things here.

I got to shower this morning, and it felt so so good. I grabbed a long black coffee (which is espresso and water…they don’t really have drip coffee here) on my way down to the water. A very nice man pointed me in the direction of a balcony overlooking the ocean that isn’t “technically” open to the public, but has an incredible view (see picture). This may just have to become a morning ritual. I also did some much needed shopping this morning for a few needed necessities.

I got a cell phone! The number is 021 151 8483. Hopefully this will help in looking for a place to live. Feel free to call.

Well, more later I suppose. here's a couple of photos to enjoy.

October 22nd/23rd...i may have skipped a day in there somewhere

2009-10-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

One flight down. Two to go. It’s gonna be a long day… I started out with a flight from Minneapolis to Houston, where I have about a 2 hour lay over. Then from Houston to LA where I am stationed for about 6 hours before my 11pm flight to Auckland. At the moment I am sitting in a food court in the Houston airport peeling off layers because it’s 75 degrees and sunny here (and my feet are absolutely roasting in my smart wools- should have thought that one through better). And I have never seen so many men with higher heals then me.

Since the last time I posted, life has been more then a little intense. Last Monday my mom had unexpected surgery to remove a mass in her abdomen. It turned out to be a borderline malignant tumor (meaning it was in the beginning stages of cancer). By the time they went to operate, the tumor had ruptured, therefore making things a bit more complicated. Luckily the cancer cells were confined to the tumor and hadn’t spread. She spent 5 days in the hospital and is now home and doing well. She’ll have to have a low dose of radiation in about a week or so.
Saying goodbye to everyone I love was one of the harder things I’ve ever had to do. I am truly the most fortunate girl in the entire world because I have the BEST family and friends you could ask for. Everyone has been so supportive and positive about this whole experience, and I own all of them a big THANK YOU! I wouldn’t be able to set out on this adventure without your love and faith in me.

Along with all if this worry and sadness, there’s a lot of excitement too. I can’t wait to meet new people, experience new things. I’m already finding postcards with supercharged inspirational quotes printed on the back that have been snuck into my suitcases (thanks wendy). This was the first one I found:

“The finest inheritance you can give to a child is to allow it to make its own way completely on it’s own two feet” - Isadore Duncan.

And I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for the support everyone!

Here we go...

2009-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you all know, in 16 days (eek!) i will be making the 18 or so hour flight to Auckland, New Zealand for a one year adventure.

Many people have asked me "why?" why now, why for so long, and why New Zealand. My response to all of those people who have so many questions has most likely been one of the following: I'd rather travel then look for a job, because i can, New Zealand is one of the very few places that I've visited that i think could feel like home, and why not.

So as it sits right now, i will be landing in Auckland, NZ around 6am on Saturday the 24th. After gathering my loads of luggage, I'll head into downtown to start exploring. I've booked a hostel for the first few night, and will hopefully find a welcoming flat to rent in no time. I'm also hoping to find a job in either the service/tourism industry or a temp position to help pay the bills. beyond that, I'll be doing some traveling, volunteering with WWOOF New Zealand (http://www.wwoof.co.nz/), and generally enjoying anything that comes my way (this may include buying a station wagon and a dog and going on tour, who know).

Along with the many new tasks that i will be taking on, one will be participating in Project 365. it is a blog based project focused around slowing down and enjoying life as it happens each day. it involves taking and posting one picture each day (or in my case, whenever internet is available) for an entire year. The purpose is to be able to look back at any day of your year and recall what you did, who you met, and what you learned. I think it will be an important way to keep me connected to my blog, motivated to post, and serve as a great way to document my travels.

Well, thats all for now. More posts will be coming soon. if you're looking for other ways to keep in contact- here are all the ways:

Skipe: gretchen.egeberg
MSN: gretchen6858
Email: gretchen.egeberg@gmail.com
Facebook: Gretchen Egeberg
Blog (obviously): www.gretcheninnz.blogspot.com

and a phone number and address is hopefully soon to come.