http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Kiwi-Diana/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Kiwi Diana en-us Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:01 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:01 +0000 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Blue-Mountains/blog-8046.html 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 cheapoticket deals. Unfortunately for me the airport clo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Sydney-Airport/blog-7868.html 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.Every http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Northland/Paihia/blog-7583.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Northland/Cape-Reinga/blog-7263.html Dearest friends I'm sad to be leaving Last night that debacherous eve at the farewell gettogether it smacked me full in the face to see how lucky I am to know so many wonderful people in Reno. Believe me they're there lurking in the dark corners of the biggest little city. The foreigners are pretty sweet too wink wink. A few words of acknowledgment To my girls Emily Windy http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/blog-3690.html Dear all If anyone has tried adding a comment on travelblog and has had problems this is how it works Go ahead and type it in but I have to read them and approve of them before they're posted on travelblog. It's kinda retarded but I think it's so people don't get a bunch of nasty dirty things on the comment board. However I'll post anything no matter how questionable they may be http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/blog-3944.html Dear All Okay I finally made it to Sydney Australia Upon arriving at my hostel a quaint outoftheway brick cottage in the Sydney suburbs I was greeted by what could have been a washer lady from England during its Industrial Age. She was all ruddyfaced and foulmouthed. She waddled like an angry penguin. Her bulging forearms scared me. Still she was an inviting personality gene http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-4063.html Dear lovlies So this is what I get for being lazy and not putting in entries as often as I should. There's too much to talk about Just the highlights please... After I left warm humid Sydney which is a beautiful city and I intend to spend a few more days there when I come backI landed in Christchurch the capital of New Zealand's South Island around midnight. Unfortunately I found a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-4200.html I have survived Hell There is a god. Nelson the sunniest place in New Zealand North part of the South Island home to beautiful sounds and wine regions. But what really draws the visitors here is Abel Tasman National Park a place that leaves you openmouthed at the sheer wondrous beauty of earth that was splashed on this corner of the globe. Abel Tasman is on the northern coast I' http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Abel-Tasman-National-Park/blog-4303.html P.S. Little interesting things I do my laundry in a sink and hang my clothes on tree branches to dry. I get to run around barefoot without being arrested According to Kiwis the Dutch explorers who discovered New Zealand were drug addicts. Got a nasty sunburn three days ago and am now peeling like an ugly lizard. Showers are a rare luxury. Fruit tastes organic and delicious. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Abel-Tasman-National-Park/blog-4306.html Dear all I've finally added pictures to my journal entries. To see them all go to the old entries and click on the travel Journal link to display the full entry along with the pics. If there are any problems just email me. Diana http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Glaciers/blog-4415.html Dear friends and family Destination from Nelson Franz Joseph Glacier Ahoy ya'll New Zealand truly is a land of contrasts and variety. The day after leaving the sunny land of NelsonMarlborough I found myself climbing ICE Yes I hopped on the Magic Bus and headed down the West Coast more of God's country. The Southern Alps run down the backbone of the South Island defining and isol http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Glaciers/blog-4506.html Dearest Friends and Family I would like to talk about one thing today FEAR. Yesterday I experienced this powerful sensation in its truest rawest form. Nothing compared to this. Not public speaking or thinking a dark thief is breaking into my apartment or finals come close. Not even the dreaded piano recitals of my youth hope to touch this sort of fear. I went for a canyon swing. The S http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Otago/Queenstown/blog-4586.html Dearest woofoos 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 mou http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Marlborough/Picton/blog-4860.html 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... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Otago/Queenstown/blog-5197.html 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. RAI http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/West-Coast/Punakiaki/blog-5254.html 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 Hawai http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington-Region/Wellington/blog-5689.html 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 15000 feet meat bombing your way into the earth below and hoping that http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Taupo/blog-5907.html 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. Everythi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-7002.html