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Published: February 2nd 2009
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The night before leaving to Kiwiburn and I am sitting in Rowena’s living room eating toast with peanut butter and drinking a glass of wine while the crickets chirp outside.
My soul is so in need of Kiwi burn. Months of not letting my hair down properly have taken their toll and a dose of debauchery, uncouth behaviour, dancing and frolicking and being around my kind of people is well and truly needed.
I am over half way through my journey now, and for the first time have started thinking about home and thinking about the future. I have really started missing certain things about London, like being surrounded by people who understand and love me and love me for being me. I feel like such an alien a lot of the time here…people in New Zealand are very simple and straightforward and although places like Coromandel are quite liberal and artsy and unconventional I feel I stick out like a sore thumb and have to constantly monitor myself to make sure I’m not too weird.
Part of me hoped I might get stuck out here and not come back, but the reality of things is slowly hitting
self portrait
after attending a 3 yearolds birthday party with the theme mad hatters tea party... I didn't have a hat so had to make do with sticking lots of ferns and flowers in my hair me and I’m starting to picture myself back in England and wondering what I will do.
But enough of this…what have I been up to here?
Another week in Coromandel, where after gushing about how wonderful life was in my last blog felt like a bit of a twat when I realized there was plenty going on that was not quite so fabulous…like wwoofing at the herbal dispensary with Naomi who is extremely grumpy and frequently quite unpleasant to work for and made me feel like my skills were not only unappreciated but a waste of time. And getting fed up of not having my own space with my own things and constantly having to ask people for favours and feeling paranoid about asking for too much, constantly trying to remain vigilant and aware as to whether I am taking more than I am giving and getting tired, tired, tired of it.
There was plenty of good stuff though to balance it all out - like visiting the railway finally where I was shown around by Phil, a Californian pottery artist who is making an enormous clay mural in one of the studios in the railway arches.
Caravan at herbalism dispensary
My abode for 3 weeks in Coromandel It is the most magical of places…a tiny railway takes you through canopies of lush and dense native trees up a small mountain passing beautiful clay sculptures green with moss and cobwebs. The arches at the beginning contain several studios and brick kilns, some of which only get fired a few times a year and also a glass blowing studio as well. Knowing very little about pottery it was fascinating to have the opportunity to explore the studios and see artists at work and learn a tiny bit about glazing and firing and throwing.
There was also several afternoons making dyes from plants and flowers. Jos, a fellow wwoofer at the dispensary also started to condact his own experiments and much to my amusement he would constantly observe the horse, Pandy until he would piss and then dash underneath him with an empty milk carton in an attempt to catch it and use it as a mordant. I made inks from wild lilly, flax seed pods, amaranth, beetroot, eucalyptus, and ginkgo amongst others. I also went to a three year olds birthday party with the a mad hatters tea party theme, did a few massage swaps, gave Indian head
Pandy
my nextdoor neighbour massage at the local farmers market which was quite a success, swam to the little island a few more times, went on a random hitch hiking adventure and nearly ended up spending the night in a cow shed in the middle of nowhere (which was not really much fun and is not a very advisable thing to do and I think I may have learnt my lesson on that one).
But I decided that I was going to leave Coromandel a week early and so picked a little farm south of Hamilton and spent 5 days with Gaye and Keith a semi-retired couple, which turned out to be rather lovely. My days would start with feeding the animals - 2 cats, a parrot, some fish, some chooks, some doves and some geece and then 4 sheep and 4 cows. Some of which would eat from my hand. Cows drool quite a lot over you when you hand feed them. And I have mixed feelings about sheep. They are so fearful to the point of being ridiculous and there’s something about their eyes I find somewhat unsettling. Have you ever looked a pig in the eye? It’s quite a different
me
At the secluded river where I bathed every day experience. Their eyes are almost human.
I have made friends with the pig here at Rowena’s - I think it’s name is Margot but they tend not to get too attached to them here as they are bred for their bacon. Much to my amusement and piggies delight I decided to feed her some home-made lavender scones that I put raspberry jam and clotted cream on and decorated each one with little pink bergamot flowers and miniature pansies and placed them both on a doily on a silver Victorian platter that I decorated with pink roses and then filmed her eating it.
You can see it here:
Anyways, back to before…the highlight of my week at Gaye and Keith’s was getting my first spinning lesson with fleece from the sheep that they raise on the farm. I understand why Gandi was a huge fan of spinning…it’s a lovely, relaxing and meditative thing to do and when you lie in bed at night afterwards you can still feel the waves of rhythm in your body from tapping the pedal. The very next day I was invited to go to the spinning circle gathering at Hamilton gardens
Driving Creek Railway
The arches contain pottery studios and spent most of the day sitting under a large Ginkgo tree amidst about a dozen or so ladies who sat spinning yarn in various beautiful colours whilst chatting in the dappled sunlight. I think I might get a spinning wheel upon my return to the U.K. That would make me a spinster. Did you know that the word spinster literally means someone who spins?
The rest of my time not spent in the garden was spent studying from a huge library of books on gardening and permaculture, sustainable living and lots of craft related things and most evenings as the sun was setting and the bunnies started appearing on the paddock I would have a hoop listening to my ipod and feel all blissed out at how beautiful everything was and how lucky I felt.
And so now I am back at Rowena’s and about to leave and no idea about what will happen after Kiwiburn. I think I would like to try and hitch a ride down south and go to Golden Bay - but when I tried emailing potential woofer hosts my gut instinct told me I shouldn’t bother so I have no idea what’s
First spinning lesson
Me as a spinster, ha! going to happen.
I am debating whether to leave NZ early and go and do a yoga teacher training course in India on my way back - but that would mean leaving about a month after kiwi burn which is rubbish because there’s so much more I want to see and do here. But I really don’t want to get back to the U.k and not have a clue what to do and so after thinking long and hard about what my future plans might be I decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to continue with my original plan of moving to Bristol or Bath and then doing massage and teaching yoga for a year and getting more of an idea as to what specific area in healing I would like to go into … as I am feeling more and more decidedly drawn to that path.
So I feel excited at how little is known at present and nervous for the same reason and happy and elated to be leaving tomorrow for a dose of much needed magical antics. I have created a moustache case with little compartments in it with a range of felted and
fake fur and real human hair moustaches for Kiwi burn and am also teaching a yoga workshop and partner massage workshop and am also decorating the man.
And so by the time I next have the opportunity and inclination to post, who knows what will have happened and what direction things will have taken...
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Thomas
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animals
I just spent a few days at a farm ("Wurzerhof") in Osttirol, Stefan and Tali were also there. We went for the snow, mostly. We collected our food remains and brought them to the pig stall daily. The pigs there were hairy - 2 growns ups and 4 young ones. It was nice to see them almost fight over the food, react to us, being quite curious. One of the farm's kittens joined us and watched the pigs whilst sitting on a post. And 1m deep snow all around us. It was lovely. Like cats are, they never acknowledge us, but still followed us around. All those animals are fascinating. As for sheep, though - määäh! :) Lovely flower mad hat you had there. And I liked the video as well - good to hear your voice again. Be well!