New Zealand, how I love thee. With your ever-changing landscape, each place more beautiful than the next. I feel spoiled with how lovely everything is, it's getting harder and harder to take it all in!
We have been driving up the East coast and it's been great fun. We stopped back in Christchurch for a few days to stay with my friend Britt and a house she was house-sitting, and although getting there was quite the struggle (more on that later), it was so worth it to see her and hang out for a while in one place. I helped out in the garden since they are WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms, look it up if you have not heard about it, it's a pretty cool global program), and went on a bike ride into town with her and her boyfriend, panting behind them in their hardcore biking outfits on their tandem bike they will be travelling the South Island on. Pretty awesome.
On the way up we went on a drive out to the Albatros center on the Otago peninsula near Dunedin, and saw the Larnach castle, the only castle in the country. It was pretty cool, although I'm sorry to all you bird lovers but Albatross look exactly like giant Seagulls. Anyway, we were getting tea in the castle and this middle aged NZ tour guide sat down with us for about 40 minutes and made us write down everything, and I mean everything, he said we should do on the South Island. Like 3 months worth of stuff. He didn't care if we wanted to hear it or not, he was going to tell us anyway and not leave us alone til he was done.
This is why I love New Zealanders... I don't know if it is the adventurous and non-touristy crowd the Island (especially the South) attracts who are super friendly and not, for lack of better term, Ugly Americans." But we have had every local tell us all the advice they know, and they sincerely want us to have the best time possible here. National pride runs in their blood.
This is why I love New Zealanders... I don't know if it is the adventurous and non-touristy crowd the Island (especially the South) attracts who are super friendly and not, for lack of better term, Ugly Americans." But we have had every local tell us all the advice they know, and they sincerely want us to have the best time possible here. National pride runs in their blood.
Teaching ourselves to drive has been... Well, interesting. Literally no one tought us into about a week of us struggling on our own. Actually stalling at every light. We would spend extra hours to get all the way around big cities and avoid every single light and stop sign. We are getting the hang of it, though it still causes a bit (a lot) of anxiety. Luckily, 5 months in Australia has gotten us used to being on the left side of the road so that's not so much of an issue.
Yesterday--yes, Valentines day-- Montana and I went wine tasting in Marlbourough, which you may have heard of from it's famous sav blancs. It was so much fun. Great wine, great company, great weather. It was us and 6 older couples from the UK who were so friendly and nice. Love the English.
Tomorrow we are heading off for a 3 day/2 day kayaking trip in Abel Tasman national park on the northern point of the South Island. It should be an adventure! Wish us luck. Will put pictures up when my jurassic computer decides to upload them.
Miss everyone!
xoxo
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