Kiwi Diana - Diana Westwood

Twenty three-year-old college grad from Reno, Nevada. I'm seeking post college excitement. Some call me a hippie at heart but with a style that's stuck in the 80s :-) I am embarking on a spiritual endeavor, seeking other planes of existence and have an insatiable curiosity about the world. (But only the good parts, ha ha). Why New Zealand, some ask? Call it a deep seated dream that has called to me like a consistent drumbeat over the years. To experience the beauty of nature is to come face-to-face with God. (Providing that I don't fall off a cliff, freeze in the mountains or get a limb trapped in the jaws of one our Creator's masterpieces -- the carnivorous duck).

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Joined on: January 28th 2005
Last Login: December 11th 2008

Blog Entries: 19
Photos: 48

TB Code: [blogger=1747]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Kiwi Diana, order by Date newest first.

By Kiwi Diana
May 4th 2005

Aussie Tidbits Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Blue Mountains

Dearest friends and family, Hee hee. I lied. I'm not quite done with the stories because Sydney has proven to offer alot in terms of fun and entertainment. Sydney's a really pretty city. Alot of the houses are red tile roof in the Victorian style and the harbor is just amazing. (By the way, did I ever mention how ugly and unimaginative the NZ towns were? Talk about blah!) I'm staying in a hostel smack in the middle of downtown Chinatown which is jam packed with hair, nail and massage salons, internet cafes and Gloria Jean Coffees. The weather is [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
April 29th 2005

The Chapter Endeth Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney » Sydney Airport

The Headaches of Travel Now I'm in Sydney, Australia and the journey to New Zealand has ended. Last night was a nightmare! Because I had a 6am flight this morning, I took the bus to the airport the night before because paying for a few hours in a hostel would have been pointless, right? Besides, that's what I get for jumping at the cheapo-ticket deals. Unfortunately for me, the airport closes at midnight, leaving me in a bad position all loaded down with my bags, in need of a shower and feeling extremely grumpy. I had a feeling that this [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
April 23rd 2005

Rambling Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Northland » Paihia

Kia Ora, You know what's weird about NZ? No native mammals or any poisonous beasts in the wild. I've just had a nice long solitary walk in a eucalyptus forest (minus the koalas) and am sitting in Kerikeri's super happenin' Internet cafe -- McDonalds. Let's talk about McDonald's differences, because everyone likes it. The menu here is different from America. (Sorry, no Le Royales.)Everything comes in the form of a sub sandwich with all the naughty fillings inside. Vege, Italian, Beef 'n' BBQ, or, if the customer's really feeling wild, Chicken Tandoori. What happened to the bur [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
April 18th 2005

Northern weirdos and beaches galore Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Northland » Cape Reinga

Dearest doozies, I just purchased a half dozen "Barn Eggs" at the Four Square corner market. According to the cardboard box, the eggs come from chickens "raised on lNew Zealand ifestyle properties and looked after by caring farmers who allow the chickens to roam and engage in natural expression." Riiiiight. Since my last entry in Auckland, things have been...adventuresome. I met up with a German gal named Isi, who I met a few weeks before in the natural hot springs in Lake Taupo. We're both nuts, so we make great travel partners. We've been clunking around the northernmost tip of [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
April 13th 2005

Back amonst the Naked Apes Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

Deep breath. Dearest friends and family, Let me begin by giving a gentle reminder to all who have the luxury of having the Internet at their fingertips with little to no agony. Don't take it for granted! When I have a keyboard underneath my thirsty hands, I feel as though I've hit the lottery (even though it costs an arm and a leg.) New Zealand is not a cheap place, by the way. Everything, especially food, is just as, if not more, expensive here than in the good ole U.S.A.! Back to the juicy stuff. Here I sit, in the [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
March 24th 2005

A plunge of perfection Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Taupo

Cheesy beforehand pics

Dear all, It's the best part of your favorite song played really loud. It's when the person you've been drooling over in the bar looks your way and smiles. It's the perfect drug. Alcohol can't touch it. Sex doesn't even come close. It's absolute legend. I'm talking about launching out of a perfectly good airplane at 15,000 feet, meat bombing your way into the earth below and hoping that little napkin opens to cushion your fall a bit. I've always dreamed about skydiving. It seemed an appropriate rite of passage, something a person had to do before becoming a qualified [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
March 20th 2005

On to the North Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington Region » Wellington

Pancake Rocks
Limestone formations a skip up the road from Te Nikau Retreat. What horrid scenery!

Dearest friends and family, Hello from Napier, Art Deco capital of the world!! I will mercifully spare you accounts of my travel because nothing really uncomfortable has happened yet, and we all know that stories about nasty occurences make for better entertainment. I have, however, left Te Nikau retreat. :-( The weather cleared up beautifully last week and it was how I imagined Hawaii would be like. I should have some awesome pictures in a bit, once the English gal Claire (who hates beetroots, sushi, hummus, spicy stuff, couscous, etc, thus giving merit to the stereotype th [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
March 9th 2005

Making beds in the Rainforest Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » West Coast » Punakiaki

Dear all, I saw a flea in my bed last night. Still, not a bad tradeoff for learning the best bread recipe ever and how to make Ritz worthy beds. PICTURES But before I launch into my overdue journal, please take a peek back at my last entry for pictures that I posted for real this time. They're about a week or so old, but hey, I'm in the boonies and technology is hard to access. RAINFOREST ROUTINE Yes, the boonies. I'm becoming domesticized. The calm pace of this past week has been a far cry from the frenzy of [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
March 8th 2005

More of what you want...pictures! Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Otago » Queenstown

View of Queenstown valley
Before the insanity of Adrenalinetown, the open, drier landscape here is refreshing for these Nevada eyes.

Pics, for the love of god. I lied last time, but here are the real pictures! Sorry about that. I'm out in the sticks where the phone works 25% of the time and the Internet about 2%. And it's slooooww. I'll update my journal in a bit, but right now a weka (like a cross between a chicken and a kiwi bird) is pecking the trash bags apart! Damn bird! To be continued... [View Full Entry]

By Kiwi Diana
March 1st 2005

Away from Adrenaline Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Marlborough » Picton

Dearest woo-foos! Back to Queenstown, though my body has left the seductive deathwish capital where I lept to my demise via Canyon Swing, my heart still beats with its life force. Thus, I'll write in the present tense: This town crackles with energy. It's the 7th most popular vacation destination in the WORLD and it's not hard to see why. It's nestled at the base of the Remarkables mountains, home of Mordor for you Lord of the Rings freakies, and one of the only two mountain chains in the world that run true north and south.(The Andes sharing the honor). [View Full Entry]

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