a real new zealand town

---

a few days ago michelle and i arrived in picton after an amazing trip on the
ferry from wellington. michelle decided she wanted to keep travelling and i
already had some work set up in exchange for accomodation here so i stayed.

we arrived at sequoia lodge, where i'm working, which was filled with construction
workers and missing an outside wall. 'great' i thought 'an open air hostel.'
you know when nervousness sets in and a pit makes itself known in your belly....
that's how i felt as we were shown around. immediately i began brainstorming ways
to get out of the situation. we settled in as my belly unsettled itself and went to bed.
the next morning michelle and i said our see you laters and she was off. at some point
during the night i must have decided to give picton a chance because when michelle pulled
away i wasn't afraid of what i'd gotten myself into. i started my first day walking the
one main road in picton asking around about part time work. at first i had no luck. apparently
high season doesn't start for another month so not too many people are looking to employ
backpackers. i was on my way back to the lodge and decided to try one of the two major hotels
in town. SWEET AS....i'm going to clean rooms. i'm not sure what they call it here, but i'll give it the
title of 'glorified chamber maid.' the pay is about $8US/hr for 3 or 4 hours a day i guess. i start on
monday. at the lodge i'm driving a huge red deisel van back and forth from the ferry 3 times a day.
it's a great gig really. i get to chat with the local hostel owners a few times a day and spend the rest
doing whatever.

oh, the best possible thing is that i've got a key to the local rowering club which doubles as the gym.
silly i know. it's a hard thing to find....i actually had to ask a man named 'happy steve' (grumpy, but
i think just quiet) how to get a key. he directed me to the local home furnishing and carpet store to an
old white-haired man named richard who i paid $20 for a key to the club. understand that this 'gym' has
1 treadmill, 3 spinning bikes (which sealed the deal for me), 2 ergs, and some old school weights. sound
like wellesley to anyone else?? except this is in 1 small room with no cooling system whatsoever. it's an
oven....which i must admit i enjoy because i like to sweat. heh. i can go anytime i want for as long as i
want.

picton, let me see. it's a great, though tiny, town. i think it exists because the ferry from wellington docks
here. people stay for a night or two, but i think they're really missing out. i was skeptical at first....but i'm
so happy i stayed. there may not be many people, but there is an abundance of hikes and incredible kayaking.
the scenery is similar to what i would find in a more commercial place like nelson, but far less crowed. i've
already found my favorite cafe. 'le cafe' served me the best cappuccino i've had since i've been in the country,
and i was looking out onto a quiet harbor with hazy green hills cutting into a cloudless sky. i will be here and
happy for the month.

i do have some sad news to report. my great uncle bill (a sky diving icon in the united states) passed away
december 1st. he was sick and i'm relieved that he is not suffering anymore. i remember him as witty, intelligent, and worldly.
he spent his life in sky diving, developing the sport in amazing ways.

peace.

---

Photos

ferry to picton
on arrival to picton

a cutie in picton harbor....
heh.