November 2004

Wednesday, November 3, 2004:

"I've been celebrating birthdays, 3 of them; the lady I live with, her boyfriend, and his son.

I went to a photography club meeting the other night with Cole - There was a presenter from the lcoal museum. He showed us an hour and 15 minute slide show from his trip to Burma /grin Alan = I've got lots of questions for you now!"

Thursday, November 04, 2004:

"I only have two weeks of student teaching left! Eeeeep! and then two weeks to travel around NZ > I've just bought my tickets to fly down to Christchurch and then I'll rent a car and drive around down there for the majority of the two weeks.

I'm also waiting to hear if it is possible to stay here a bit longer - I contacted my travel agent in MN and asked him to look into it."

Sunday, November 07, 2004:

"You'll not be rid of me yet NZ!

I've managed to extend my stay in New Zealand until the 19th of December. I had decided early on that two weeks would not be enough time to see everything I wanted to, so I gave Hawaii the boot and will be spending the rest of my vacation time here! How cool is that?

I'll have two weeks and some change to check out the South Island and my tickets for down there and back are flexible. Whenever I'm done down there I will come back to the North Island and check out things up north - I still haven't seen hardly anything of the North Island.

I spent the majority of Saturday and Sunday working on my papers for my Standards of Effective Practice class. I only have two papers left! My mommy must be so proud :)"

The Fireworks:

Wednesday, November 10, 2004:

"Did you hear it?

Back to school!"

Monday, November 15, 2004:

"Loads of fun at the school gala this past Saturday - got lots of sun, fun, a painting, and dunked by a bunch of kids.

Getting ready to say goodbye to people here in Plimmerton - HARD. Really going to miss everyone. I am glad I'll be able to come back one more time before I go back to the states. I've been invited to the end-of-the-year barby and I'm planning on being here for that - to say goodbye to everyone."

From about my 2nd hour in New Zealand I didn't want to leave.

Strange how you can go to a brand new place and instantly feel at home.

Stranger still how you can love your family and friends so much and miss them and still not want to leave the place you are at.

I was very conflicted during this time and even more so upon my return to The States.

My 25th Birthday. Don't know that it will ever be topped.

November 18, 2004:

"Lots of birthday wishes - 27 kids singing happy birthday to me - a surprise shared-lunch from the kids - my birthday and age posted on the staff message board :)

Good times."

Mom and Dad sent me a birthday card as did my Aunt Mary. I got beautiful paua earrings from Anne (the lady I stayed with) and Kevin (her boyfriend).

Lovely dinner with Anne, Kevin, and John. Amazing handmade rimu (wood) box from Cole (the kiwi guy who was a teacher at the school and boarded with Anne) - he is so talented & a kiwi-pewter-key ring he also made.

Getting ready for my B I G tour of the South Island!

On November 20, 2004

"Flew to Christchurch yesterday and drove down through Ashburton - stopped at the AshfordHomestead - saw lotsa fiber and lotsa wheels, drooled a bit. Lovely little building - great feel to it and a small room filled with all sorts of old Ashford wheels. They had an old steam train blowing away as I drove out of town - thought of Grandaddy JB.

Went on to Oamaru - GORGEOUS little old town. Spent the night there - saw a penguin colony - only one penguin. Tons of OldBuildings to see and a good-feeling town."

and then...

"rove down to Dunedin today.

Spent the morning in the Otago museum - amazing place.

I saw their Everest exhibit - Did you know the guy who was the first one to climb Everest, Sir Edmund Hilary - is a Kiwi!? If you did you were one step ahead of me, I just learned that today. They had loads of exhibits and I spent about 3 hours strolling around there.

Oh and just outside, as I was going in - I met the biggest freaking dog I've ever seen - a St. Bernard named Avalanche - because he goes straight through things, not around them - and he weighs 85 kilos... BIGGEST freaking dog! Was so lovable, absolutely gorgeous! Let's put it this way - he came up to my belly button and I could just barely reach my arms around his chest. BIG! A leaner too! Like to have knocked me over :)

Dunedin has an old Scottish culture - lots of great buildings, including a castle which I'll go see tomorrow."

And further south...

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

"Headed South today - went to Slope Point - the Southern-most point of the South Island."

and then to Invercargill, the Southernmost town on the South Island.

"Getting up bright-n-early to catch the ferry from Bluff to Stewart Island. New Zealand's third main Island. Then I'll have visited all three main Islands! I'm hoping to go to a bird sanctuary down there - maybe even catch a glimpse of a Kiwi! Then spending the night and coming back to Bluff on Thursday afternoon. Spending another night somewhere around here - then heading up for an overnight trip to Doubtful Sounds - the Glow Worm caves in Te Aunau and then over for a day in Milford Sound. Then the glaciers....

I really should find some links for these - but I'm a bit rushed at the moment."

ThanksgivingInNewZealand & I was sick :(

GlowWorms

TheSounds

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