week 30 (raglan)

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WEDS - Bus early again and onto Raglan, stopped in Paeroa and various other places. Bus full of lads, good banter 😊 really nice lot actually and the driver Thumper is great too 😊 again, it's a shame none of this lot are staying in Raglan. Super hostel in the middle of the bush, Karioi Lodge. Met a surfer dude form California who offered to teach me to surf (i couldnt afford to, not even to hire out a board) but he didnt have a spare board, gutted!! He was a cool guy mind, is aroadie for bands of the likes as Metallica, Rage Against eh Machine, Madonna etc. awesome!! Went for a walk up the mountain with Heike in the afternoon, fantastic patch of bush, found some massive Puriri trees covered in holes form the Puriri moth, was sweet as! Went back and Thumper was taking people ot the pub, i really wanted to go but had just got my pasta on the hob so he decided to wait for me to cook and eat my food!! Had half cooked pasta and veg and off we went! we picked up his mate on the way down. he bought me and another girl wedges because we hadnt really eaten! good times 😊 moved onto a different pub as the one where we started was dead, came across some interesting locals!! was a very fun, good night out 😊

THURS - today we lose one of the original 5, Heike carried on on the bus to Maketu. Lies and Pj stayed in the hostel in the bush but me and will moved on down to Raglan Backpackers in town. Got a lift with Veeno - Thumpers mate - to town 😊 he also said he would have taught me to surf but again, didnt have a spare board!! damn money/lack of! We are staying the THE BEST hostel ever!! it has free spa pool, sauna, hammocks, kayaks (other free stuff that didnt interest me like golf clubs), a cat, the people are well nice and it has a bath!! wow!! i love this place!! i would totally work here! went out kayaking in the afternoon with will for 2 or so hours, was great fun, nice river aswell 😊 got back met a gur called Ralph staying in our room, such an awesoem guy!! so funny and his adventures in South America sound amazing!! me and Will both love him hehe! i cooked us food (i owed him some as he had given me his pasta in hahei - made too muich for himself) then watched trainspotting 😊

FRI - Dads birthday, tried to ring at night but couldnt get through 😞 wandered around Raglan, cute little shops, perfect for me, a massive threat to my money thoguh! i resisted 😊 went up to a funky lil cafe - been told to go there to ask about the african reggae band/artisit i like in fiji, something like osabe...if you know who it is, PLEASE tell me!! - the dude didnt know who it was, shame, i had a mocha and wrote my diary 😊 back down into town, bought an awesome veggie burger and ate it byt the estury, Will found me and we wandered around for a bit, got cold so we went iback to the hostel and watched a film then Point Break - terrible but so bad it was good...

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