Australia, yet again, has proven to be a life-changing place. In these 2 weeks I have been here, I have experienced more emotions, more self-discovery, more deep-thoughts, and more surprises than I have since I have left. I have felt the most homesick I have felt since being away, and a few days later have felt the most inclined to call qantas and tell them to cancel my flight back home because I want to stay here forever.
I left Coolangatta pretty upset. Which fucking sucks, because I was in Coolangatta; the weather was perfect, we had surf, I was with Alex, I was in Australia...but I went into the Gold Coast airport in tears because I had a less-than great time there with my mates from back home. Long story. And I also saw Liam, and for those of you who know the story, that was a fucking emotionally draining/ridiculous experience. And it kind of went like this:
Kristi and Liam decide to go get smoothies.
While in line, a guy shouts, "Oi, Liam!"
Liam goes to speak with guy, who is obviously his mate
Kristi is left in line waiting for smoothies
Liam and mate have a chat and a laugh, and Liam returns with shit eating grin on his face
Liam: "Do you know my mate?"
Kristi: "No, I don't think so"
Liam: "Aparently you do with you lips from the pub last night."
Awesome. So I made out with my "ex-boyfriend's" mate at the pub the night before I saw him after 1.5 years of waiting, and we happen to run into him in line for smoothies. And I have been waiting 1.5 years to see this guy again to tell him with a fuck off he is for ripping my heart out, and how mature and responsible and independent I am now that I am no longer affected by him. And then I make out with his friend while drunk at the Coolie hotel, who we just happen to run into the next day, who both think this situation is hilarious. Good job, Kristi. Kellie Braam- you'll like that story.
So I was feeling rather low after the Gold Coast experience, and truly the only thing that made me feel better was hopping into the ocean and going for a sunset surf. It's really the only place that makes my mind focus soley on the present moment; look for the next set, pick the wave, paddle paddle paddle...but man, that next morning, I was quite happy to be leaving Coolangatta. It's definitely a symbolic place for me, for good and bad reasons.
But then, I was flying to Sydney. Sydney, my favorite city in the whole world. The pleace where I fell in love with this country, this lifestyle, made the most amazing memories and friends, have the most ridiculous and hilarious stories. And when the plane actually flew over the Eastern suburbs becahes and I could recognize Coogee from the Air, and then we flew over Sydney Harbor and there was an ariel view of the Opera House, well I just absolutely lost it. I balled my eyes out in sheer happiness to be returning the homeland, and I apologized profusely to the woman sitting next to me for losing my grip in a fit of emotional turmoil. But- I was home.
And the return was epic. I got into the Sydney airport and was greeted by my mate Chris, my South African, rugby playing friend who shared a few good laughs with me when I lived in Coogee. Seeing him was so wonderful- familair, friendly...it was as if I had never left. He graciously offered to give me a couch to crash on when I came back into Sydney, and I clearly accepted the offer due to my limited funds. Well. We grab a cab outside of the airport, and I'm chatting away about God knows what, not at all paying attention to my surroundings. When I finally look up, I realize we are headed towards Coogee, which is on the complete other side of the city as Chris now lives. As we pull up to Coogee Beach, Chris goes, "Well we might as well have a look at coogee, considering this is why you came back to sydney in the first p;ace". I'm like, sweet,sounds great; but don't notice that we're taking my bags out of the cab as we're pulled up to the Crown Plaza Hotel- the most posh hotel in Coogee beach. But to be fair, I was so overwhelmed with being back in coogee that you could have slepped me and I would not have noticed. So I'm getting out of the cab, relishing in the beauty that is Coogee, and Chris goes offhandedly, "Oh by the way, you're staying here tonight." BLAMMO. WHAT?! So my mate chris, hooks me up with a POSH hotel for 2 nights overlooking coogee beach, "Just because you're my mate and it's your birthday, and that's what we do for our mates." And then, I cried some more. And for the first time since I've been away, I was rendered speechless. And I am going to throw it out there that He is not Aussie, he is South African, and he has made sure to tell me that when I retell this story that I need to point out that he is South African, because he is "doing his country a favor" and hoping that I spread the word back to America that South Africans are AWESOME blokes. Well, I'm convinced. So I spent 2 nights of Luxury in a hotel that was far too fancy for me, in my favorite place in the world, and then spent my Birthday, which is Australia day, celebrating the Aussie lifestyle in the back of a pickup truck filled with hot water that we turned into a hot tub, eating lambchops on the Barbie and drinking Pure Blondes. Can this Coogee Experience get any better? I think not. Big risks= big rewards.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Coolies, Tweeds, Tim Tam Slams
I had my first sip of Toohey's New last night in 2 years, and it was Heaven in my mouth. I'M BACK IN AUSTRALIA! Have I mentioned that yet in the past few entries?
I have had the pleasure of meeting Alex, another soudreton water polo player who is also visiting the boys here in Australia. And I think I may have found my female soul mate, as we have been attached by the hip for the past 6 days and nights, and just in fact finished watching "The Lovely Bones" together in Reid's bed. Which was, by the way, one of the worst movies of all time. But since it is Alex's first time in the wonderful land down under, I have taken it upon myself to introduce her to some of what Australia has to offer. We went to a wildlife reserve where we did the standard kangaroo petting/photograph session, we paid 18 dollars to have our picture taken with a half-stoned Koala bear, and we ooh-ed and ahh-ed appropriately at the massive Salty Croc floating lazily in his enclosure. But he was absolutely huge; 2nd largest in captivity, and over 3 meters long. 3 METERS. Imagine that thing popping up in front of you as you're going for a swim. We actually did learn heaps at the reserve; like that kangaroos have the capacity to postpone their pregnancies if facing a draught or food shortage, and they are capable of producing two types of milk at once to cater to the different aged joeys they are rasing. And that Koalas are so lazy because Eucalyptus leaves, the only thing they eat, have about 2% useable energy, and the leaves contain toxins that basically make the Koalas very, very stoned. Alex and I then went to Kirra point where we attempted a surf lesson in ankle high waves, she got stung by a blue bottle jellyfish, and then by a spider, and then she was introduced to her first Tim Tam slam and 50 cent ice cream cone from Maccas. Overall, fantastic introduction to Australia, I reckon.
Coming here from New Zealand has given me a really interesting view on both Australia and New Zealand. When you walk out to the beach in Coolangatta, just a few kilometers up north, the giant, ugly, sky scraper-laden metropolis of Surfer's Paradise looms in the distance. Coolangatta its self has been quite built up with resorts and hotels, heaps of shopping and cafes and pubs, and people EVERYWHERE. In Raglan, it was miles upon miles of undeveloped coast. The only thing you could see beyond the small town of Raglan was green mountain, black sand, and turqioise water. a "crowded" day at Manu bay was 50 people, crowded at Kirra is about 350 people. InAustralia, you can't tramp in the bush without the strong possiblity of getting killed by spiders/snakes/Dingoes/Tasmanian Devils/Northern Queenslanders; in New Zealand, bush tramping is Death-free (unless you fall off of glaciers/mountains/volcanoes). The heat of New Zealand, at least in Canterbury, was dry and HOT, and in Queensland, the humidity is so oppressing that backsweat and swamp ass occur before you leave your driveway. And then like clockwork, it thunderstorms in the afternoon, much like florida in the summer. And today, we were graced by a rainbow, which appropriately formed over Rainbow Bay. It's still wetsuit season in Raglan, and here in Coolie, the water is a balmy 30 degrees celcius, perfect for sharks, box jellies, and other deadly sea creatures. But both places produce Tim Tams, and that is a very important similarity.
It has been great relaxing and hanging out with my American friends for a bit; it has brought me a taste of home and familiarity that I was definitely missing. But I also really enjoy meeting fellow backpackers and local people from the places I am in, and I am quite keen to get back to that. But I first detour in Sydney, the homeland, and I think I might burst into tears when I walk down Coogee Bay road again.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Alex, another soudreton water polo player who is also visiting the boys here in Australia. And I think I may have found my female soul mate, as we have been attached by the hip for the past 6 days and nights, and just in fact finished watching "The Lovely Bones" together in Reid's bed. Which was, by the way, one of the worst movies of all time. But since it is Alex's first time in the wonderful land down under, I have taken it upon myself to introduce her to some of what Australia has to offer. We went to a wildlife reserve where we did the standard kangaroo petting/photograph session, we paid 18 dollars to have our picture taken with a half-stoned Koala bear, and we ooh-ed and ahh-ed appropriately at the massive Salty Croc floating lazily in his enclosure. But he was absolutely huge; 2nd largest in captivity, and over 3 meters long. 3 METERS. Imagine that thing popping up in front of you as you're going for a swim. We actually did learn heaps at the reserve; like that kangaroos have the capacity to postpone their pregnancies if facing a draught or food shortage, and they are capable of producing two types of milk at once to cater to the different aged joeys they are rasing. And that Koalas are so lazy because Eucalyptus leaves, the only thing they eat, have about 2% useable energy, and the leaves contain toxins that basically make the Koalas very, very stoned. Alex and I then went to Kirra point where we attempted a surf lesson in ankle high waves, she got stung by a blue bottle jellyfish, and then by a spider, and then she was introduced to her first Tim Tam slam and 50 cent ice cream cone from Maccas. Overall, fantastic introduction to Australia, I reckon.
Coming here from New Zealand has given me a really interesting view on both Australia and New Zealand. When you walk out to the beach in Coolangatta, just a few kilometers up north, the giant, ugly, sky scraper-laden metropolis of Surfer's Paradise looms in the distance. Coolangatta its self has been quite built up with resorts and hotels, heaps of shopping and cafes and pubs, and people EVERYWHERE. In Raglan, it was miles upon miles of undeveloped coast. The only thing you could see beyond the small town of Raglan was green mountain, black sand, and turqioise water. a "crowded" day at Manu bay was 50 people, crowded at Kirra is about 350 people. InAustralia, you can't tramp in the bush without the strong possiblity of getting killed by spiders/snakes/Dingoes/Tasmanian Devils/Northern Queenslanders; in New Zealand, bush tramping is Death-free (unless you fall off of glaciers/mountains/volcanoes). The heat of New Zealand, at least in Canterbury, was dry and HOT, and in Queensland, the humidity is so oppressing that backsweat and swamp ass occur before you leave your driveway. And then like clockwork, it thunderstorms in the afternoon, much like florida in the summer. And today, we were graced by a rainbow, which appropriately formed over Rainbow Bay. It's still wetsuit season in Raglan, and here in Coolie, the water is a balmy 30 degrees celcius, perfect for sharks, box jellies, and other deadly sea creatures. But both places produce Tim Tams, and that is a very important similarity.
It has been great relaxing and hanging out with my American friends for a bit; it has brought me a taste of home and familiarity that I was definitely missing. But I also really enjoy meeting fellow backpackers and local people from the places I am in, and I am quite keen to get back to that. But I first detour in Sydney, the homeland, and I think I might burst into tears when I walk down Coogee Bay road again.
Monday, January 17, 2011
No wuckin forries, Mate.
G'DAY! I love this country. When I left the airport at gold coast, I returned my luggage cart to the cart dispenser, and out popped a 20 cent coin. THEY paid ME to use their services! Ahhh, Australia. It was an absolutely incredible summer day yesterday on the gold coast, sunny, hot, fun waves. and you wouldn't realize, that just up the coast a ways, people are stranded in flood waters, homes are being destroyed, lives are being lost. The attitude in Coolangatta would never make you suspect that there is a crisis going on up north- everyone here is on holiday. It's been quite a pleasure jumping into the ocean of 80+ degree, crystal clear water, after being in raglan for a month where it's still wetsuit season. But along with the warm, clear water also comes the sharks and blue bottles, a horrible stinging jellyfish. So I suppose there are pros and cons of both. Went surfing at Greenmouth today, then drifted down to rainbow bay, where in the process, got toppled over the falls, hit the ground, sliced my leg on my fin and now have a nast little scar that I can braggidly (is that a word) claim, "yep, I got this one down at Kirra. hectic" Apparently, the swell that hit when I arrived from New Zealand was the best swell this place has seen in the past 10 years. And it is also the first stop on the Quicksilver/Roxy pro tour, so pros are slowly trickling into town. Mick Fannings mum owns the smoothie shop I ate at today. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!
But- it is a bit weird being here without all of my mates from coogee. When I was there, I felt like an Aussie. Here, I feel like just another American "seppo" tourist. But what I still love about this country is that no matter where you are, everyone is always interested in hearing where you're from. And they always as, "How do you like Australia?", because they're really proud to call this place home. And shit, I would be too. I also love how even at 5 in the morning, you would think it was noon because so many people are outside being active. Also playing with their children. It's so fun to watch all of the little "grommits" (small children) out in the water with their tiny little shortboards with their dads pushing them into waves. The Aussie culture is so intertwined with the water and the ocean; instead of playing video games, these kids are out surfing or playing Rugby. Maybe that's why they are so happy.
I feel like I have changed. In a very good way.
But- it is a bit weird being here without all of my mates from coogee. When I was there, I felt like an Aussie. Here, I feel like just another American "seppo" tourist. But what I still love about this country is that no matter where you are, everyone is always interested in hearing where you're from. And they always as, "How do you like Australia?", because they're really proud to call this place home. And shit, I would be too. I also love how even at 5 in the morning, you would think it was noon because so many people are outside being active. Also playing with their children. It's so fun to watch all of the little "grommits" (small children) out in the water with their tiny little shortboards with their dads pushing them into waves. The Aussie culture is so intertwined with the water and the ocean; instead of playing video games, these kids are out surfing or playing Rugby. Maybe that's why they are so happy.
I feel like I have changed. In a very good way.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Australia. Again. Holy Shit.
I cannot believe I am sitting on a porch in Coolangatta, looking out over Kirra beach watching about 300 surfers ripping in 8 ft swell. I AM BACK IN AUSTRALIA! I am not quite sure that anyone except a select few people know what this means for me. and not only am I back in Australia, I am back in Coolangatta. Coolangatta changed my life.
I went for a run this morning up Kirra Beach, past Snapper's rocks, up to Rainbow bay and froggies. Memories flooded back to me. It was surreal-hence why I am having difficulties finding the words to explain how I am feeling right now. It's very strange to be here, in a place that is familiar, that means so much to me, with mates from back home who are also familiar, but in a very, very different way. Having a barbeque on Kirra beach and then doing Tim Tam Slams with Souderton Water polo players...jeez, it's a small, small world. And then there's that feeling of half hoping to run into that familiar face, and wondering what sort of chaotic emotions that will trigger. But aside from that, I AM BACK IN AUSTRALIA! Holy shit.
The road trip of the Northern part of the South Island was a complete success, and Amy and I concluded the trip with swimming with the Dusky Dolphins in Kaikoura, and then an all night bender of a night down in Christchurch, complete with dancing hula hooping in the streets and dancing on tables. Noticed that in Christchurch, dudes out number chicks by about 87 to 1. It was also pretty crazy to walk around the city and see the damage that the earthquakes have done, wondering if i'll experience an aftershock. And now I am in Queensland, the state where all of the flooding is occurring in Australia. That seems to be how I roll; moving from one natural disaster to the next. Sorry mom. But no flooding in Coolies, thank goodness. Just pumping swell, sunshine, and that unbelieveable Australian feeling of "no fucking worries, mate."
I went for a run this morning up Kirra Beach, past Snapper's rocks, up to Rainbow bay and froggies. Memories flooded back to me. It was surreal-hence why I am having difficulties finding the words to explain how I am feeling right now. It's very strange to be here, in a place that is familiar, that means so much to me, with mates from back home who are also familiar, but in a very, very different way. Having a barbeque on Kirra beach and then doing Tim Tam Slams with Souderton Water polo players...jeez, it's a small, small world. And then there's that feeling of half hoping to run into that familiar face, and wondering what sort of chaotic emotions that will trigger. But aside from that, I AM BACK IN AUSTRALIA! Holy shit.
The road trip of the Northern part of the South Island was a complete success, and Amy and I concluded the trip with swimming with the Dusky Dolphins in Kaikoura, and then an all night bender of a night down in Christchurch, complete with dancing hula hooping in the streets and dancing on tables. Noticed that in Christchurch, dudes out number chicks by about 87 to 1. It was also pretty crazy to walk around the city and see the damage that the earthquakes have done, wondering if i'll experience an aftershock. And now I am in Queensland, the state where all of the flooding is occurring in Australia. That seems to be how I roll; moving from one natural disaster to the next. Sorry mom. But no flooding in Coolies, thank goodness. Just pumping swell, sunshine, and that unbelieveable Australian feeling of "no fucking worries, mate."
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Fuck. The Check Engine Light is On.
I am a rubbish blogger. The past 2 weeks have by far been the most eventful, most story- inspiring, most interesting and entertaining times of my travels thus far, and I have missed blogging about them all because I no longer have access to a computer. Why? Because I'm on the road again. Finally after a month in Raglan, a town that captured a piece of my heart forever, me and Vermont Amy hit the road in our friend's Claire's car, who decided on a whim to go to Asia for 5 weeks and is allowing us to borrow her car in the meantime (Yes...people do lend cars like clothing when they travel). And now It's Me and Amy, cruising in the Saab with a broken radio, camping where we can, eating oatmeal and peanut butter and banana sandwiches on the Reg, and getting ourselves into some pretty funny situations. But before I go into that, I will give some brief and important bullet points of things I missed blogging about:
1. New years. Boys from Wanaka came to Raglan. Copious amounts of beer and food consumed, then heard rumors of a Rave out in Rhuapuke on a farm. Drove 40 minutes into Bumblefuck New Zealand farm land in the pitch black until we saw what looked like spotlights in the distance. As we approached closer, the moos of cows were slowly becoming muted by the a thumping baseline. Drive over a hill to see about 500 people dancing their asses off around a massive bonfire, with a huge dance floor and crazy rave lights. Arrive exactly 23 seconds before the New Year's Countdown, celebrate the New Year dancing barefoot in a cow field. Woke up on top of a hill overlooking the ocean with all of my Raglan friends. Epic fuckng New Years.
2. Sold my beloved surfboard for 400 bucks, so essentially I just rented a board for a month for 50 bucks. WIN!
3. Sunday Session in Raglan: Watched someone steal my purse, but surprised him when he realized I was a girl he danced with on New Years. Got the bag back. Danced until the dawn of my last day in Raglan
4. Within 2 hours of me and Amy departing on our new road trip, the check engine light turns on. And we almost run out of gas. And the car smelled funny. And the hood won't pop. And we ate a whole bag of Chips and Salsa for dinner because we couldn't find a place to camp. But ended up stumbling upon what may have been a refuge for the mentally disturbed, on an isolated beach on the West Coast, where a woman with crazy, crazy eyes insisted that we come inside her bunk for a cup of tea. And we camped right there beside her cabin, and it was lovely. Thanks Loretta.
5. Hiking Mt. Teranaki and not seeing a thing, until we decided we had gone far enough when the clouds miraculously opened up and we got an awesome view of the summit. And then I fell and scraped my entire ass on some volcanic rock, blood gushing down my legs and staining the only pair of shorts I have. But at least we got the views.
6. Seeing the Colossal Squid ad Te Papa Museum in Wellington. LARGEST INVERTEBRATE EVER ON DISPLAY! And i'm not being sarcastic- that was definitely a highlight of my trip thus far. Just the fact that such a beast exists and has rarely been seen just makes you realize how little we really know about our deep oceans. It had eyes the size of SOCCER BALLS for shits sake.
7. Crossing over to the SOUTH ISLAND! Can't believe that at all!
8. Meeting up with Kristen Alexovich in Mapua- the land of 15 year old sluts snorting speed for lack of better things to do.
9. Hiking into the Nelson Lakes...absolutely beautiful
10. Katchafire at Summer 6- Sooooooo good. Got a photo with the bassist, and Kristen definitely drank a few beers with them after they performed. amazzzzzing
11. ABEL TASMAN on MONDAY!
I really, really lucky to have been able to do all of the different kinds of traveling I have been doing. When I first came here, I figured I would just be traveling on the bus passes to towns every few days, spending nights at hostels here and there, moving on. That's called flashpacking. But so far, I have done the flashpacking, wwoofind at a family's farm, being a "longtermer" at Solscape in Raglan, and now I'm traveling via car, free as a bird to do as I please, with another travel buddy who has the same plans and goals as me. It's awesome to have been able to do all of these kinds of traveling because it really makes me realize what I do and do not like about each way. Flashpacking is great when you're on your own if you have set things you want to do or see in a town, like tours and what not, but you dont really get to know people very well, and you're limited in the places you can really go due to lack of transport. Staying long term has some "what the hell am I doing here" kinds of days, but I absolutely fell in Love with Raglan and my friends I made there. It was awesome walking down the street in Raglan and being recognized by locals, by other workers, feeling like you have friends and a real sense of community. I also met amy here, my travel buddy, which is also a bonus. I am So, so glad I decided to stay there for a month. And now we have a car, which is amazing for freedom, but not amazing for money. We've been putting 60 dollars of gas in the damn thing every 2 days at LEAST. Camping is cheaper obviously but you also then lack the social-ness of staying at backpackers; it's just you and your travel mate. Which is awesome, especially when you both bring your guitars and write songs about Loretta and the check engine light turning on.
Phew: This is an epic entry, but I must conclude with this genius observation I made today about the Kiwi 15-27 year old male hair cut:
It must incorporate one of the following:
1. Rat tail
2. Curly Mullet
3. Fo-hawk
4. Single braid, perhaps fastened with a feather and a bead at the end
5. Bleached skunk stripe that sits asymmetrically on the back of the head
We're going to keep a tally sheet to see which of these haircuts deems most populat.
1. New years. Boys from Wanaka came to Raglan. Copious amounts of beer and food consumed, then heard rumors of a Rave out in Rhuapuke on a farm. Drove 40 minutes into Bumblefuck New Zealand farm land in the pitch black until we saw what looked like spotlights in the distance. As we approached closer, the moos of cows were slowly becoming muted by the a thumping baseline. Drive over a hill to see about 500 people dancing their asses off around a massive bonfire, with a huge dance floor and crazy rave lights. Arrive exactly 23 seconds before the New Year's Countdown, celebrate the New Year dancing barefoot in a cow field. Woke up on top of a hill overlooking the ocean with all of my Raglan friends. Epic fuckng New Years.
2. Sold my beloved surfboard for 400 bucks, so essentially I just rented a board for a month for 50 bucks. WIN!
3. Sunday Session in Raglan: Watched someone steal my purse, but surprised him when he realized I was a girl he danced with on New Years. Got the bag back. Danced until the dawn of my last day in Raglan
4. Within 2 hours of me and Amy departing on our new road trip, the check engine light turns on. And we almost run out of gas. And the car smelled funny. And the hood won't pop. And we ate a whole bag of Chips and Salsa for dinner because we couldn't find a place to camp. But ended up stumbling upon what may have been a refuge for the mentally disturbed, on an isolated beach on the West Coast, where a woman with crazy, crazy eyes insisted that we come inside her bunk for a cup of tea. And we camped right there beside her cabin, and it was lovely. Thanks Loretta.
5. Hiking Mt. Teranaki and not seeing a thing, until we decided we had gone far enough when the clouds miraculously opened up and we got an awesome view of the summit. And then I fell and scraped my entire ass on some volcanic rock, blood gushing down my legs and staining the only pair of shorts I have. But at least we got the views.
6. Seeing the Colossal Squid ad Te Papa Museum in Wellington. LARGEST INVERTEBRATE EVER ON DISPLAY! And i'm not being sarcastic- that was definitely a highlight of my trip thus far. Just the fact that such a beast exists and has rarely been seen just makes you realize how little we really know about our deep oceans. It had eyes the size of SOCCER BALLS for shits sake.
7. Crossing over to the SOUTH ISLAND! Can't believe that at all!
8. Meeting up with Kristen Alexovich in Mapua- the land of 15 year old sluts snorting speed for lack of better things to do.
9. Hiking into the Nelson Lakes...absolutely beautiful
10. Katchafire at Summer 6- Sooooooo good. Got a photo with the bassist, and Kristen definitely drank a few beers with them after they performed. amazzzzzing
11. ABEL TASMAN on MONDAY!
I really, really lucky to have been able to do all of the different kinds of traveling I have been doing. When I first came here, I figured I would just be traveling on the bus passes to towns every few days, spending nights at hostels here and there, moving on. That's called flashpacking. But so far, I have done the flashpacking, wwoofind at a family's farm, being a "longtermer" at Solscape in Raglan, and now I'm traveling via car, free as a bird to do as I please, with another travel buddy who has the same plans and goals as me. It's awesome to have been able to do all of these kinds of traveling because it really makes me realize what I do and do not like about each way. Flashpacking is great when you're on your own if you have set things you want to do or see in a town, like tours and what not, but you dont really get to know people very well, and you're limited in the places you can really go due to lack of transport. Staying long term has some "what the hell am I doing here" kinds of days, but I absolutely fell in Love with Raglan and my friends I made there. It was awesome walking down the street in Raglan and being recognized by locals, by other workers, feeling like you have friends and a real sense of community. I also met amy here, my travel buddy, which is also a bonus. I am So, so glad I decided to stay there for a month. And now we have a car, which is amazing for freedom, but not amazing for money. We've been putting 60 dollars of gas in the damn thing every 2 days at LEAST. Camping is cheaper obviously but you also then lack the social-ness of staying at backpackers; it's just you and your travel mate. Which is awesome, especially when you both bring your guitars and write songs about Loretta and the check engine light turning on.
Phew: This is an epic entry, but I must conclude with this genius observation I made today about the Kiwi 15-27 year old male hair cut:
It must incorporate one of the following:
1. Rat tail
2. Curly Mullet
3. Fo-hawk
4. Single braid, perhaps fastened with a feather and a bead at the end
5. Bleached skunk stripe that sits asymmetrically on the back of the head
We're going to keep a tally sheet to see which of these haircuts deems most populat.
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