Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

Hopeless!

2006-04-08T14:36:00.000+12:00

Sorry everyone, I've been a bit crap aboput updating this.
Heading back to the South Island on the Wednesday after easter. I'm really looking forward to it and a bit sad at the same time. Taupo has been really nice for us and it's been a very cruisey few months. Daniel has been off work on ACC the whole time we have been here and so have I with a bung knee. We haven't done much, just mucked around, been fishing and had a few trips away. Mostly we have just been hanging around the house though.

Here is a few pictures from the last few months.

Seals in the rocks up the coast from kaikoura

Another seal in the rocks. We counted about 40 of them just lazing around on the rocks on a 50 metre stretch of beach!

Brad having a morning ski on lake Taupo

Justin and Brad on the boat in the early morning

Another early morning shot. Brad and Greg

Brad and Daniel playing on the JetSki in Tauranga Harbour

Ben asleep under the quilt on the couch. Awwwwwww...!

Jimmy's Birthday. Jimmy in the middle with Brad, Greg, Justin and me

Jimmy's Birthday. Me and Daniel.

that's it for now. Will post new photos when we get back to the South Island and show you all my new house.
xx jo

More pictures

2006-02-08T11:07:00.000+13:00

Hi all.
Finally I have managed to upload some more pictures to put on here. Yay!!!

The weather has been good the last few days, but unfortunately today it has turned to custard. And it's bloody cold!! Will be cranking up the fire tonight I think. I'm sitting in Invercargill Public Library with a woolen jersey and a scarf on, yes, it's cold, I'm really not exagerating!

The 'Thinking Tree' in the Wellington botanical gardens. You can climb up the middle of it on a kind of staircase and sit on the top.

The staircase in the middle of the Thinking Tree.

Christina sitting on top of the Thinking Tree. I used to sit up here and get stoned when I was a teenager living in Wellington.

Moeraki Boulders

Benson at the Moeraki Boulders. He was a pain in the ass getting in everyones photos!

Scooby the crazy Labrador

The Tuatapere Library. Cute!!

Daniel fishing at Frankton on Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown

Fox Glacier

Mum, Dad and Greg on a walking track near Fox Glacier

Very drunk Greg in the tent at Glendhu Bay

Not so drunk Christina in the tent at Glendhu Bay

Very drunk Daniel in the tent at Glendhu Bay

Glendhu Bay at Lake Wanaka early in the morning. Beautiful!

That's all for now team. Will try and take more and get them on.

xxx

A few pics for you all

2006-02-01T13:41:00.000+13:00

I'm very very slowly uploading and resizing pictures but it painfully slow and you all know how patient I am...

So here is a few for the mean time and I'll try to put more on in the next few days.

The pretty fountain on Marine Parade, Napier

Me and my very pregnant friend Yopie with Pania in Napier. Yopie is now 5 days overdue to have her baby!

Somewhere in the middle of Cook Straight on my very rough but very fun ferry trip.

Daniel in the cow shed.

What a dumbass

2006-01-19T16:04:00.000+13:00

Me, I mean. I just realised that I had my blog set so that nobody could leave comments. I wondered why nobody had bothered to leave any, I thought you didn't love me! What a dork. Anyway, I think I have remedied the situation, so, comment away!

Anyway, life on the farm is all good. Yes,I still like it. in fact, I like it more and more every day. It's such a different way of life from the city and it suits me well. I drive about 10 kilometres and I am lucky to see another car! Yesterday Daniel's daughter Jordan (6) and I went for a walk for about an hour down to the end of the road. We didn't see one car the whole time. And when you do see a car, they wave at you! Country life is all good.

I only have two complaints about living down here:
1. It's cold! We've even had the fire on a couple of nights!
2. I miss my friends. That has been the only hard thing. I miss having a few drinks after work and having people around to the house. I'm sure I will make friends here eventually though.

Mum, Dad, Greg and Christina arrive in Wanaka on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to seeing them and spending some time exploring around that area. We are camping for about five days at Glendhu Bay on the edge of Lake Wanaka and then I'm not sure where we are going. I guess we'll see where the weather is nice as we have another week to kill until they go home.

I'm continuing to learn how to milk cows and I'm pretty sure that is what I am going to find a job doing. The money can be quite good if you find the right job. Yes, I'm fully ensconsed in the dairy industry!

That's all for now team. Miss you all. xxx

Still here....

2006-01-09T11:12:00.000+13:00

Yes, I'm still at the dairy farm just outside of winton staying with Daniel. It's lovely being out in the middle of nowhere where it's quiet and peaceful. It's on a dirt road and cars hardly ever go past. When they do I tend to wonder what's going on! I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it.

I helped milk cows yesterday! Unbelieveable. And I enjoyed it! It's weird to think that I have gone from city girl to country girl all in the space of a few weeks! I don't miss the city at all, only the people in it. And I'm a little bummed that I will miss dinosaur jr. at Shadows!

Not sure if I will milk this afternoon. My arms are pretty sore from yesterday and I have a massive bruise on one hand from getting booted by a stroppy cow. Bloody hard case huh?

The Dirty South!

2006-01-06T14:28:00.000+13:00

Hi All.

Today finds me in Invercargill. I'mn quite surprised that it is as big as it is. Not sure what I was expecting, but I am pleasantly surprised! It's a really nice town (a city apparently!) and I could see my self living here. I know! Invercargill of all places!

The weather has been really crap. Very very cold and windy and wet with lots of thunder and lightening! Not exactly summer weather, but I'm still having fun. I've been staying on a dairy farm for the last few nights, a new experience for me. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and even ventured in to the cow shed to observe 850 cows being milked! I will probably have a go at milking at some point if I go back and stay at the farm. I went out this morning on the motorbike and got covered in mud and cow shit, which was a kinda gross.

Reason number 754 not to become a farmers wife: Mud and cow shit don't look good on me!

I have also had the unfortunate experience of seeing a dead cow or two. They both died from bloat which is when they eat too much (see, I am on an educational holiday!). Not a very nice sight, but I didn't gross out as much as I thought I would.

Anyway. Enough about dairy farming.

The drive down here was great. The coast between Blenheim and Kaikoura is stunning. Beautiful clear water and unspoilt land. So pretty. The crossing on the ferry was pretty rough. When I woke up on the morning I left Wellington and saw how windy it was I just about cried! But I took some sea sick pills and had a great time! It was awesome standing in the wind and the rain and the sea spray. Benson wasn't sick in the car so that's all good. He seems happy enough cruising around.

I would put some pictures up, but I'm a ditz and left my usb cable for the camera at Christina's in Wellington. I will have to wait until she posts it to me until I can put some photo's on here. Sorry :(

Bye for now team. Miss you all. xxx

Pictures for you. Yes, you!

2005-12-29T15:07:00.000+13:00

Me and my brothers Greg, Justin and Brad at a party a few weeks ago. I'm sticking my tummy out! Yikes!

Taupo today. I'm going jetskiing shortly. Yay!

Crusing around Taupo today with Gladis

Merry Christmas from Taupo

2005-12-25T11:39:00.000+13:00

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

xxx jo

This is it..

2005-12-22T09:37:00.000+13:00

The day I have been waiting for is finally here. This is the last day of work. I've said most of my goodbyes and I'm ready to go. Wow!

My friends gave me an incredibly thoughtful gift last night and I had a few tears. It's hard leaving friends...

Will miss Ken Yakitori. Had a nice night there with Rachael, Katrina and Charlie. Even though their service is bloody awful!

The Final Countdown

2005-12-19T14:41:00.000+13:00

Well, it's only four more sleeps until I leave Auckland and only three more days of work. I'm really really REALLY excited now and a little nervous too. It's a big jump to be making, but I'm still certain it's the right one.

It's been very difficult the last few weeks saying goodbye to people. Theres been a few tears, mostly on my part! But I suppose it was always going to be emotional! There are a few goodbyes still to come and I'm really dreading some of them. Some will be particularly difficult and just the thoguht of leaving some people makes me want to cry. Deep breath.

Still don't really have any kind of plan. I will leave Taupo on the 30th Decemeber and go to Napier to visit a friend and then on to Wellington for a New Years and to spend a few days with Chris. Ferry on the 2nd January and I think I will head down the West Coast and slowly meander my way on down.

My Travelling Companion

2005-12-06T14:47:00.000+13:00

This is Benson. He is a 10 1/2 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, very cute and cuddly but with a massive attitude. His favourite past times are sleeping and eating. He doesn't much like walking unless it's a new place where he has never been before. He get's bored easily! A bit like me really.

It's only a few weeks until we leave now and only 11 more days of work! That is the single most exciting thing at this stage, I can't wait to be finished work, so bored of it.

The journey begins...

2005-11-18T12:55:00.000+13:00

...In 5 weeks. It feels like it is a really long time away, but I know it will go pretty fast.