Hi all,

I know, haven't been updating my blog for ages. Got some requests, so thought would be nice to add something new again. Basically I guess I'm strictly speaking not a traveller anymore, you reach the point where "normal" life kicks in, and you simply don't have the time to write stuff down. You're just busy working, recovering from work, spending time with friends, trying to settle down a bit. Nothing wrong with travelling, I love it, but after heaps of travelling it's real nice to have a kind of base, and let all those new experiences sink in.

Current situation: volunteering at a farm in Kaikoura, South Island, waiting for my residence application to come through. Yes, I've got a joboffer, and going through the whole bureacratic and time consuming and stressful process of getting the necessary paperwokr done.

Job offer is for a youth worker position at te Puna Wai, the Youth Justice Centre where I applied for a job earlier (September), in Rolleston, close to Christchurch. Weehoo.....real happy bout it, but currently still scared that they will pull back the offer if the whole "getting a visa" thing is taking too much time. Well, I've done all that I could do, have my Residence application running...so can't do anything more.

Got selected after sending my Expression of Interest a few days earlier, which means they are doing a preliminary check on the points that I claim (for education, joboffer, age, work excperience etc), and then they wil send me the Invitation to Apply, and that's where you have to proof all your claimed points by sending in your diplomas, medical test results and loads more. Pretty exciting, coz if I get residence that means I can stay in NZ as long as i want..

Worst case scenarios around the corner though. 1. If my visitor permit won't be extended I'll be home the 10th of June....not good. 2. If my joboffer gets pulled back I 'll be home soon too, not good either. 3. If everything works out but I have to wait too long for my residence to be processed I'll be home soon, but only until i got the right stamps are in my passport, and then I'll get back to NZ on a one way ticket so not too bad.

Best case scenario: employer will wait, my visitor permit gets extended till september the 9th and my residence will come through before that date. All sorted !

I'm really looking forward to start working and get a place to live and do normal things again. But hey, not getting bored at the moment. I stayed at Camp Kaitoke for 2 months, doing loads of outdoor instructing for schoolgroups (kayaking, canoeing, oreinteering, archery, horses, survival/bush skills, teambuilding) and doing site work (painting, digging out ditches, weeding). Being the only unemployed staff member wasn't always fun, not on payday, but the manager wrote a great reference for my new job, and surprise me with a gift voucher to do a Skydive. Pretty cool !

Early March I could finally welcome some visitors from back home. Mum conquered her fears of being in a plane long enough to get here (and I think she would have no trouble anymore to jump on a plane to wherever in the world) together with Ton to travel aroudn NZ for over a month. And of course I was their private tourguide. They came to pick me up in a Spaceship (really...it's just a kind of campervan that Stray rents out, real cool coz they're orange...great for Dutchies) and we travelled around the South Island first. And they loved it, and totally understand my decision to move to NZ. Had some trouble getting them in a plane back home haha. The weather was stunning, only one day of rain the whole trip, in Franz Josef, where it's supposed to rain anyway. Mostly blue skies the rest of the time...boring....haha.

Took them down the Stray route, with the help of Karlyn's itinerary and stopped at the most amazing places. Took them to my fave spot Kaikoura to meet up with some locals. Stayed at Adelphi Lodge, managed by my friend Michelle, and did the whole Kaikoura experience. Having crayfish at the beach, check the seals, enjoy the views, had a free boattrip to watch seals, crayfish and an octopus, drink heaps of wine with some locals (while I was getting real seasick seafishing), enjoyed the sunsets and sunrises (which are the best in the world), Mum and Ton went whalewatching (no whales, so seasick for nothing), etcetera. Cool as.

Took ferry to the North Island, crosses to Napier, had a great Maori cultural night in Rotorua, and went up to the Coromandel to chill out before heading up to Auckland again. Had to say goodbye, weird after spending a month together with family. But didn't stay in Auckland long. Had a farewell tapas diner with Noortje, Tina and Lotte, missed a drink with Karlyn, and took bus in direction of Welly. Spent the Easter weekend in Wanganui at the home of Emily's parents (colleague at YMCA) which was real nice. And then back to Camp Kaitoke for Easter school holiday Camp. Heaps of kids I knew from summer, and had an awesome week. Went on a hike for two day, always good, and cool to meet up with all the summercamp staff again.

Found out that camp season was about to be over, realised I wasn't going to work soon because of all the bureaucrtais hassle with my workpermit, so had to look for something else. Well, have a reason to be on the South Island (well, more then one reason...hehe), and found myself a volunteering spot on a farm, Fyffe View Ranch, in Kaikoura. Cool, coz that's my favourite spot in NZ, it's stunning and some very good friends around. So after a meet up with Karlyn who found a job in Welly on the day we went out for lunch, (Stray fired him..long story and it sucks) I crossed to my fave South Island again. Handy to be close to Christchurch..and something to do.

So working at Fyffe View Ranch. Knew the place coz Michelle took me mountain luging, real cool, going downhill a dirt/gravel track on a skelter, trying not to wreck yourself.. But they do horsetreks, archery and have an animal park too. So I have to feed the animals, get the horses ready and trained to be a guide, so loads of horseriding, and help out with whatever needs to be done. Cool as. Live on site, it's about 12 kilometers tot town. Which makes it a bit hard to get into town without a car, but it's beautiful up here.

Well, fell of a horse yesterday...kinda scary. My horse (not so experienced yet, but a real sweet horse, has to be trained to do the job) tripped while trotting and fell compeletely forward, head touched the ground, and so did my face, full forward. But still in one piece. But went out on two rides today (on another horse) and did some cantering (galop) and started to feel way more confident again.

Hope to hear back from employer and Immigration soon. In the meanwhile I'll just get myself busy doing other things, and I just love being here and being me. So hey, that's the update so far. Hope you're all good, and will keep you all posted. Heaps of interesting stuff going on in my life right now, goes with ups and downs but getting back home is definitely not my plan. So just keeping my fingers crossed that it will all work out.

Love you all,

Marlieke