Teriaki

Sitting on a sofa in a little veggie cafe in Corromandel.  My home for the last week.
It's lovely up here, you really feel a million miles from anywhere, quiet, chilled and beautiful.
I am working in the Driving Creek Cafe, out of town, placed next to a railway built on elevated tracks in the forest.
Its fairly remote and getting anywhere other than town without wheels is a bit of a no go.  So operation make friends with the locals all go!  Although over here and especially up these neck of the woods, hitch hiking is an excepted form of transport and safe.  So I gave it a whirl, another first for me, was great, everyone is so nice here, strange to get used to, but people are just genuinely nice.  Very refreshing.

I have been to the top of the penninsula, at Port Jackson, pretty wild and kind of got the I'm at the top of the world feeling, even more than at Cape Reinga, probably because its not a tourist trail and just is what it is.
I also visited whangapoua, up a very wiggly hill, right up high, a beautiful white sand beach, but then I took the walk over the stoney forested waters edge to New Chums beach, a proper movie moment, when I came out from the sheltered track to be greeted with a pristine white sand beach and turqouise waters, all but deserted.
Yesterday I went on a walk, called the success track boy did it feel like it at the top!  Its was a toughie, steep and rough terrain, streams, branches and some cool caves, they were actually mining shafts, but I liked them as caves! We were helping set traps, not normally one for killing creatures (earwigs being my Exception) it is geuninely to assist the growth of the kiwi population, which I'm all for.

Working is good, being around food too ( in the producing sense although much eating of too!). My payment is a wee hut in the garden and access to the fridge. Pretty cool and working with some lovely people. 

Have visited some of my issues here, not a happy jaunt, but trying to accept great things can also be difficult. 

First day of rain since being here, so all cosied up inside under a blankie with a tummy full of scrambled egg on toast.

R xxx

a few pics for you

 Waiheki Island

 Kauri Forest

 Sandboarding

 Bay in Northland

 Cape Reinga

 Ninety Mile Beach

 Paihia

 Orca

 Sailing in the Bay of Islands

 Mangroves on Hururu Trail

Hururu Falls

Rxxx

Rainy beauty part deux

Apologies for such a sudden end to rainy beauty, it was fully due to my rebelious computering devise. I gave him a telling off and then a cuddle.

Any way, so think we were on mussels picked from the rocks, which were delicious.  Did get me some strange looks in the hostel kitchen, but hey ho, used to that!

I had a nice lazy day after my orca day, a well needed chill out.  This enjoying yourself is crackering!
My lovely new pal from the flight came up to Paihia and enjoyed a good catch up with her and new friends alike.  I then went on a sailing trip on a gorgeous tall ship, call the R Tucker THompson, which is run for a Youth program, they do trips in the summer to fund it.  It was such a great day, fun and relaxing all in one.  It was so great to be on the water, to feel like I was boating again, which I have missed so much.  I did some steering (I managed a few hours before I need to get in on the action!), but all a bit different to canal boating and I kept trying to steer the opposite way!  Ah well I did manage not to crash into the cruise whip, so all good!  The water was apparently still only about 6degrees, but I couldn't resisit it, so not doing anything the easy way, I did a rope swing into the sea off the boat! Lordy that was fun, felt like tarzan!  No loin cloth sadly. 

yesterday, I had a few hours to kill until mybus arrived to whisk me away from my paradise.  A few weeks ago this would have meant sitting on the sofa with tea and a catch up on downtown abbey, but now, it meant going on a 14 odd km walk through forest and mangroves  to a waterfall!  It was stunning, the waterfall was lovely and could listen to it for hours, but the walk was incredible, think I was smiling the whole way.  Apart from the jaw dropping moment when I emerged from the forest to an expanse of turqoise water, with a bridge across, to thick mangroves.  A moment that will be with me forever I am sure.  My legs were like jelly afterwards, but happily exhauseted!

Lots of active fun stuff, but some chilled out moments as lovely, like playing monopoly with a bottle of gorgeous NZ wine and giggles with new friends.  Lying in our bunk beds mimiking the drink people outside and lying on the beach have a good gossip.

I had the most amazing time indeed, stunning in everyway. 

I am back in Auckland for the day, sorting some stuff out and then I am off again tomorrow.  I head off to the Coromandel.  I have a wwoofing job up there, which entails working for accomodation and food, I shall be working in an Organic Cafe, very much looking forward to getting stuck into something and sampling Nz life outside holidaying!

See you there.
Rxxx

rainy beauty

wow what a week up in the far north.
i travelled up to Paihia on monday for some chill time and good scenery, and got it in bucket loads.  it is gorgeous here and have ended up staying all week, just didnt want to move.

I'm staying in a lovely hostel with the beach just a spit away.  A small relaxed town surrounded by sparkly waters.  mostly.  Have had some rainy days, but even through the gales and driving rain today it remains beautiful.

I have been up to the most northly point Cape Reinga, so called but not quite true.  celebrated with a lighthouse and the belief that its where bad spirits leave.  It felt special to me and hope some of my negative spirits left me too.
The day also consisted of flinging myself down a huge sand dune, face first.  Sandboarding was a new one on me but lordy was it fun!  Ninety mile beach is also a bit of a fib, but with golden sands as far as the eye can see, who really cares that its really only about 87 km.
The next day took me on a dokphin swimming trip, sadly bo dokphins to be seen, but a gorgeous family of Orca's graced us with their presence.  They came right up the boat and swam under us, think they were saying hekko after watching them from afar for hours, quite breathtaking.  A trip around the bay of islands, even without dolohins was a joy.  There were some volcanic protrusions like the giants causeway apparently nestled amoungst the islands.  One of the guides jumped off t

hemisphere swapping

well hello  over there from all the way over here.
i am sitting in central auckland in my hostel room, listening to the rain batter against the window.  it really is as crazy weather as sthey say.  i was sutting in thep park eating icecream in the blazing sun yesterday!

so i left just over a week ago and still cant really believe im here.  i thought it would sink in, but no, still seems crazy.  good crazy!

first port of call was Hong Kong, which i loved, a beautiful city, the contrast of a city skyline against sparkling waters and lush green mountains just gave it so much charm.  we stayedin kowloon, out of the tourist area so saw a locals side which was great.  i took a trip to lantau island and up the cable car to see the giant bhudda, the scenery was stunning and loved a bit of spirituality to top me up.  the hotel was pretty luxury for a traveller, i even had a sauna like and swim on the last day, bliss!

another 11 hour flight saw us into Auckland, the fresh air and lush green to start my New Zealand adventure.
it has been a manic week, especially coming from  the boonies into a huge city.  but bank accounts needed setting up and phone numbers getting,.  but have also been busy exploring, i went to north head and climbed the volcano mound and down the caves, went to waheki island on the ferry, a spot of wine tasting perhaps! it was beautiful there, quiet and slow and the cleanest air.  the city art gallery was great and the lovely Albert park.
not forgetting a catch up dinner with a friend not seen for 20 years!

Auckland has been great, but time for a change and get miving.  im off up north tomorrow morning, at the crack.  be nice to be bit more chilled, have had a great week, but m all achey and tired, need some sitting down!


looks like i have some work for a few weeks at the end of the month, which gets me free accomodation, yey!
right rosie bo boo time, back soon with some photographic evedience im really here.

Rxxx