Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Hello!!! i am sorry, i have not updated my blog for so so so long. Alot has happened since my last update when I was up north in the Bay of Islands. I got back to the Mount, I got a job, it was christmas and new year, Ive drunk rather alot of alcohol, i've gone blonde and am tanned (well tanned for me).
So ill start at the beginning - this may be a long blog - on the return trip to the Mount I stopped over in Hokianga in the north on the West coast, it was the coolest backpackers ever, just two rooms a little living room and a cople of hammocks, which got some good use in the sun. I was only there one night, but I went on a really cool walk through the Kauri forest. Kauri trees are very important to the Maori's and we stopped at the biggest Kauri tree in New Zealand, also one of ther biggest trees in the world. It is called Tane Mahuta, or affectionaly known by me and a few of the other guys on the trip as Hakuna Mahtata! We had two cool Maori guys give us the walk and we got to wear Headlamps!!! Yes!!! It was really amazing, and we sat in front of the huge tree in the dark, the Maori guys sang a song to the tree and then we were all invited to sing or say something. Needless to say noone did, but we came up with some brilliant songs in the van that we SHOULD have sung! any one for Earth Song?? So anyways, that was lots of fun and then we travelled back to Auckland and I stayed with a couple of english guys in a backpackers who id been travelling with. We went to a wet t-shirt competition in the evening, no i didnt partake, and my was i glad...... long story! I've found Auckland not to be the most exciting of cities, but me and Dan a guy i'd made friends with went out to one of the Islands, Rangitoto which is the remains of a volcano explosion, and we climbed it with wicked hangovers. It was worth it tho, the views were amazing. So after Auckland I made my way back to the Mount and to Kristin and the gang. I'd only been away for a week or so but it seemed like ages!!
I was to settle in the mount then for quite a while. I have done any big travels since my last excursion but I have had lots of fun since Ive been here believe me!! Its been a busy time! I got a job in a deli/cafe called Carpe Diem. I just work behind the till and get meals ready, Ive had a go at making coffee, but its not my forte!! The guys that work there are pretty fun, and it isnt all that bad working. I usually do the lunch rush - 10 till about 3.30-4, so I always have time to go down to the beach after work. The shop is also a 5 minute walk from the house so its really convienient. Im going to be working there until the end of Feb and then i am off to do the South Island, woohoo!
So anyways back to the chronological order. Christmas was really fun, we made Christmas cookies at Krisy's mums house (a Thurston tradidtion) which has been one of my highlights it was so fun!! Krisys mum makes all the cookies and then the 'kids' all ice them on top. I put kids in inverted commas as actaully the kids do it for 10 minutes, get bored and go to play in the garden. The adults two hours later are still putting the finishing touches to the cookies! Christmas day was cool, it was spend in Waihi with krisy's family, and its a pretty big family! There were 25 of us for lunch! So it was really fun. it did rain, was slightly disappointed it wasnt bright sunshine for xmas day but a good day. Unfortunatly then i got ill for a couple of days. Nothing to do with the food!! Just got a bit of a bug, so ended up in bed on boxing day and the day after. But got better pretty quickly and still managed to drnk quite a bit when we went to see a band called the Black Seeds. they are a NZ reggae band, really cool look them up! Was a very fun night, and slept in a tent in the Waihi house.
New Years was pretty quiet, the Mount is overridden by teenagers at New Years who all get pretty drunk and silly. I have never seen anything quite like it!! We went for a walk and saw someone get punched in the face, and then a guy running down the street with a death wish i think runnign into parked cars! He lost his inhaler and Pheeebs ended up running down the street to give it back to him! Then we had fireworks, expertly lit by Krisy and sparklers. And then Singstar was go, go go!! me and Ed ended up sitting up till quite late belting out the tunes! The 90's cd is bloody good!!
It was then Debby, Krisys sister who lives underneath us birthday. And there was lots of celebrating! I went out with the family before the Thurstons all dispersed across NZ again. It was a really fun night, spend at the Moiunt and then Tauranga.
Then a gang of us went to Blues, Brews and BBQs, a big beer festival at the Mount. it was so much fun!! When you enter you get a beer handle (glass) and then there are around 50 beer tents. We had intended to visit each one. About 1/4 of the way round we were plastered!! Still managed to get round a few more, but my list of tents we had vistited and the point system scoring the beer had deteriated!! It was a hilarious day/night, had a wicked time. The photos probably reflect the drunkeness!
Then a couple of days later Debby and her friend Rachel had a party celebrating their 25th. It ws a beach theme so we all dressed up. I made a skirt out of drinking straws! It took ages to make, but looked pretty cool, and wore my bikini top, i was breathing in all night i can tell you!!
After the party the detox began!! Alot of partying had been going on over the festive period!! Have been generally working quite alot since then. I did manage to get away for three days tho, and went away with a friend Ed to Taupo to do the Tongariro crossing. We stayed at her friends farm house which was in the middle of nowhere literally and had just been built. It was beautiful, and overlooked the lake, and you could see the mountains in the far distant with snow on! It was truly idyllic. Me and ed then did the tongariro crossign which is a 7 day hike across a volcano. It isnt spittign ash or anything like that id like to add! there are three volcanos very close together, and one of them actually did explode last September, pretty scary stuff. It was such an amazing walk, and makes you realise how amazing the world really is. The scenery was just awesome. Parts felt like you could be walking on the moon, and then other sections is like Alpine, and then other sections are geothermal, and giving out steam. It was incredible. We were absolutly shattered by the end. You get to a hut, at 'the end' and you're like 'yey we're nearly there!!' - oh no, still two hours to go!!! We quickened our pace, Ed even ran a little but down some stairs. I was in quite alot of pain at this point as my boots had removed the majority of skin of my heels!! We were never so happy to see a carpark EVER and sit on a bus!!!!
And that pretty much brings you up to date. Oh yeah, when I put my photos up if you wonder who the guy is im quite cosy with in a few photos, he;s Peter, a french guy i've met out here. We are going to go and do the South Island in March, hes just gone to Australia for a month and then he's coming back and the plan at the mo is to get a campervan, fun times ahead!!
I'll be glad to finish work and get on the road again. I am heading back to Auckland for the Chemical Brothers on the 28th Feb and then off to the South! Cant wait!! All is brilliant, i am absolutly loving it here, it's 'sweet as'. the mount is the best, living so close to the beach is wicked and the weather is so fab. By the time i get back i will be so bronzed, you wont recognize me. And im gonna keep up the blond hair too!! Miss everyone lots and lots tho, I really crave seeign everyone alot. I am keeping busy tho, and have a pretty cool group of chums over here to stop making me feel to sad. Keep saying hello tho, i love your emails and messages. And once again sorry for not writing for SUCH a long time. Hope you have enjoyed the update. Lots of love Em xxxx
- comments