I was on a mountain

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Apologies for the slight lateness of this update, the internet here is not happy.
So, I’m staying at this very peaceful retreat just outside toupo in a place called Acacia Bay.
This week I’ve been mostly working about the retreat, gardening (chopping yet more wood), doing housekeeping (making beds for the visitors) and working in the kitchen to prepare food for the visitors who came here to stay over the weekend and more who are coming this weekend. Working in the kitchen has been especially nice and has reaffirmed my wish to be a chef as a career (something I wasn’t expecting).
Right now there are 8 wwoofers staying, 1 having left today, 2 leaving tomorrow and 2 Israelis arriving tomorrow. It’s been nice to live with other wwoofers and actually have friends! (shock horror, something I haven’t had in a while) some of whom I will hopefully see again. There are also 3 English girls here which has made me kinda miss home, just having the English accent around me is nice, it makes such a difference when you’re used to European, American and Kiwi.
The most notable thing this week was climbing the Tomgariro crossing, which is apparently the most beautiful days walk in New Zealand (and home to Lord of the Rings Mount Doom). I will put up the photos when I can (yes I know I’ve been saying that for ages) but they really can’t do it justice. I’ve never seen anything like it, it completely blew my mind, words simply can’t express the majesty and beauty of it. It was 7 hours of hard, hard hiking but very much worth it. Plus getting to walk around and over an active volcano is not something I’m gonna do often in my life 
In other news I managed to download a little music which I have put on cd; so I got hold of the most challenging stuff I could readily get my hands on (bit of Mars Volta, Dillinger Escape Plan and some of Radiohead’s weird stuff) so hopefully that will keep me occupied for a little while. But it was SO GOOD to listen to new music. I could not wipe the grin off my face, cooking curry and listening to the mars volta, I was in heaven.

Chris xx

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Comments

[kim]

if you can get your hands on any remains of the day - trust me youll thank me - itll make your experience that more beautiful - theyre cathartic emotive crust from portland and i have just discovered them. Reading looks and feels amazing when theyre on the stereo. find out where the new zealand crusties by their records x