Since my return to New Zealand in September 2009..... here's a quick round-up!
Christchurch chill with Phil and Xena, mini trip with him and Josh to Wellington for Spring Equinox party, South Karori community, outdoor firebaths, Marama the cuddling cat, dumpster diving soup making with Ben, Rainbow beginnings..ferry to Picton and Rainbow scout circle in Takaka, night drive to Chch. Back to Hereford and Dolls House work for next 6 weeks to raise cash, highest earner for the club 2 weeks running, so many moments here, learnt a lot more, developed, struggled, challenged....choreographed and performed fire strip show...memories of how the time panned out are pretty faded now. Some harrowing experiences, some sadness at my slight love obsession, some good times though - eating well, playing guitar, reading Nomadology, having lots of phonecalls home, Skype chat with Beechwood, telepathic communications with Joel, with Olly. A definite winter-hibernation type period. A week to chill and try find a new tent...
On the road again! -to the north with Bruce, Sam and Mary to Naki Burn, big fire celebration, spinning my old staff, leaking tent, hot pools, Wilderland, Auckland, evening with Dan, cuddles with Karl, back in Bruce's van and overnight in Hamilton with Zara, Kiwiburn work weekend such such fun snorting hot sauce and waxing boys' privates, dancing to Spice Girls and hanging with the Kiwiburn crew. Back down to Welly and Te Papa the next day, also City Gallery Japanese exhibition yellow polka dot room, ferry stowaway then back to Chch, next day new tent finally the right one for me, get tooth fixed, night at Fat Eddie's then up late drinking and making phonecalls, hitch to Dunedin, stay with Amethyst, up at 5.30am some excellent rides with truckies and friendly folks I make it to Queenstown for 12.10pm to meet Holly at last, afternoon lazing, Fergburger, mojitos, paste!, World Bar dancing to shitty tunes and trying to avoid the drunken boys, back to Bryce and Alex's, hungover Xmas decoration shopping, decorate the tree, roast lamb, 3am chocolate fondu, shy cuddles, giant Sequoia, nose around fancy house, oversleeping Holly misses her bus, chocolate brandy fondu, first ever blue cheese non vomit-inducing experience!
Hitch to Dunedin, Otago museum giant Moa skeleton, scone and bisciut baking, Amey's birthday in the gardens, wine drinking and kitten cuddles. Hitch to Chch on the way visit Moeraki Boulders and other inland amazing rock formations, Elephant Rocks, whale fossil, back to Christchurch for the evening and oat cookie baking, then morning hitch up to Rainbow Gathering...
Beautiful bush valley, streams, waterfall, cave sleeps, no power, no phone signal, lovely people 42 countries represented. Cheeky mice, freedom space nature cuddles smiles so many beautiful eyes. Christmas Eve Owen Melanie and Phil surprise appearances. Food circles, bakery cookies, pizza, hot sauce injection. "Are you allergic to duct tape glue?"Dawn chorus without sunrise. Firewood missions, washing in cold streams, welcome centre help, talking circles, epic talking circle crazy experience shouting crying connecting with other beings who know what or how but something powerful occurred, amazing Christmas Day almost totally void of Christmas references just lots of lovely times with lovely people, Shyness, oh the shyness with a certain Lithuanian. Fat massage walking on back. 4 hour mission to make text/phonecalls, alter plans, stay for New Year, psychedelic New Year mountain sunrise, cuddle puddles, mud bath, outdoor firebath, harmonica jam with Eran on guitar at LAST i know how it feels to have telepathiuc music-playing connection, signs for Yalla, chai chai chai yum! Singing loud loud with Strypey at the Maori ceremony, making porridge in the dark, salad facilitator. Reciting Yes and singing Guillemots 'We're Here' to 50 people at the night-time talent show at the woodland theatre....
Lift to Christchurch airport, oversleep missing morning flight, extra $70 transfer, up to Auckland and on the road with Hikiokoi....Whangarei, Mangawai, Opononi, Leigh. Waioura Forest huge kauri trees, collect Katie K, amazing pizzas, mass cookie baking mission, van mish to New Plymouth after lunchtime Auckland chilltime, morning hike up Mount and then off to Parihaka. Beautiful to be back here, feels like home, I am remembered:"is that really you Kat?!"...amazing musical dancing times, feel the love and joy, joining the Parihaka choir, 'Woke up this moring with my mind...stayed on freedom....El Pueblo unido jamas sera vencido". Singing in a choir is soo much fun! Cabaret stage beautiful jams, Sunshine, Tiki Taane and Kapa Haka awesomeness, acid trip dancing to fat fat music and Katie's energy buzz, photographic roulette, ridiculously beautiful sunrise, birdsong visuals, hangi deliciousness, Hikoikoi dancing times, choir performance on main stage as rain and thunder kicked in and we ended the festival, shelter backstage free food and chats...
Travel back to Wellington via Mount Taranaki and waterfall visit, chilli dinner by deserted warehouse, singing to keep James awake. Paul and Leanne's beautiful bush house, day of rest and washing and porridge biscuits, celebration dinner. Morning car hire from Welly, stereo search and eventual departure 2pm from Welly, drive to hot pools via Desert Road. Huka Falls in the dark! Car battery dies, morning AA wake-up, hot pool lazing, Rororua blue steaming lake, Redwood walk, blue lake dip and green lake viewing, Abracadabra amazing bar buffet meal and Moccachino in the sunshine, drive to Auckland ridiculously awesome sunset, addicted to sunsets through sunglasses ha! Wake up in the car to see sunrise over city, mission to airport, say goodbye to Katie, bus it to Big Day Out, have hardly any work to do then bounce to Kora...hot donuts, Mars Volta on half a tab, moshing, exoskeletal, el via, yes yes Cedric gyrating and so powerful to sing along to! Muse rockin so close and so together like the old days fat tunes and piano solo, Groove Armada in the Boiler Room, so much joy and laughter, walkin home seeing beautiful trees and that big bud and white flowers smell sooo good. Night-time dip and then today, I finally meet my blood relative cousins Jennifer and Jason.
.....
Another day here in Auckland and on Monday I fly to Christchurch from where I will travel to Golden Bay to go and help set-up and work on Luminate festival. Gonna be there for a few weeks, off internet radar again.
Sorry it's not the most descriptive of blogs but better this than nothing at all. Maybe sometime I will actually get some decent space to write something proper for you all.
Basically I am falling more and more in love with this country, hopping about all over the place and having a great summer. There is so much going on here it can be tough to make decisions or commit to anything because going with the flow works so well and at any moment things can change and take you in a different direction. Important thing to know is that it's ALL GOOD so whatever you decide, there's so much enjoyment to be had. Looking forward to Mum's visit next month and explore Southland and Fiordland, a whole new world completely.
This country is beautiful, the people are fun, innovative, friendly, the energy is strong, the land in amazing, the birds are fantastic, new and exciting things are everywhere and I am feeling the buzz again after a few months of toughness and social recovery when I first got back here from my round the world jaunt.
I'd like to find time in the next few months to write more about my travels and look into publication in print somehow, but in the meantime I'm going to be accumulating more experience and sharing more love and joy.....
Saturday, 16 January 2010
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