Blogs from Palmerston North, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 3

Had a fairly quiet week, well anything in comparison to South island would be considered very quiet. Both Margaret and i are complete numpties however as we both left our bungy vids and pictures on the bus, most annoying, so we'v been chasing matty our driver around NZ trying to get them! Not clever. After all that action packed adventure; all Margaret and i felt like doing was chilling out in Christchurch and as id already been there i knew we wouldnt be missing out on much! It was ANZAC day when we were there as well so we just caught up on sleep and rested our livers. Also went to see The Reader, a Brill! film, if you havent seen it, go seriously. its awesome. Kate Winslet soo deserved that Oscar. Off through kaikoura again, ... read more

Rotorura Area & Palmerston North Tues 10th Feb Headed for Rotorura - good journey. At one point driving through forestry and there were 100’s of small white butterflies just like snow. Passed a hot spring with lots of young fit people bathing - so we gave that a miss! Passed a sign for Waimangu Volcanic Valley - followed it along a gorgeous small road with well maintained farms. Attraction closed when we got there(!) so will return tomorrow. Reached Rotorura, huge, busy, didn’t fancy it so headed for a campsite at Tikitapu Lake. Lovely site by a large lake which is one of the main venues for water skiing sports. Walked around lake (5.5.Km) before dinner. Wed 11th set off on our way to Palmerston North to stay with my cousin Gytha. On the way we ... read more

We got a puppy!!!! Sorry I haven't written in awhile, I have been busy being a mommy!!! We named him Kobi! Kobi Kiwi lol! We picked him up last Saturday, the 10th near North Palmerston in a town named Levin. It was almost a 4 hour drive, very pretty drive though, on a rainy day. Before we left, we stopped at a pet store and picked up some essentials. We knew that the breeder was providing us with his food to last for a little while, so we got a brush and nail clippers, and some odour eating spray for when he pee's inside! Best to plan ahead! The lady at the pet store was so bossy or I don't know what it was about her. I guess everyone has their tips for raising a puppy ... read more

Hi all, Last night I was made ridiculous by dear, darling Felix and Stephanie, because I have not paid any attention to my blog since the entries on Japan. So, hereby I dedicate this entry to you guys! I am sitting at the comp at seven in the morning on a sunday as an attempt to climb back up from my devastating fall from your grace... This 'd better be appreciated... So now, what have I been up to lately, you wonder? Well, simply said work, work and more work (field work also counts as work, of course!) at the HortResearch institute in lovely Palmerston North (North Island, New Zealand). To give an impression of this city to the Dutchies, think: a cross-over between Wageningen and Lelystad (as some of you might know this is where ... read more

After a night and morning in Palmerton North, we headed to a place called Ohotu, just outside Taihape. Ohotu is a Lord of the Rings site, so we all had our eyes peeled trying to work out if Orlando or Strider may have been filmed here. However, today Lord of the Rings spotting was not our main reason for being in Ohotu. Ohotu was home to Gravity Canyon, which houses some rather scary activities. At Gravity canyon you can do a bungy, a chair lift (for the tame ones), a bungy swing and the flying fox. We decided to do the flying fox, as it took up to three people at a time so we could all wet ourselves with terror together. The flying fox is a wire that starts at the top of the ... read more