So I'm currently sitting in a hammock resting up from a long walk home from the beach with a 5$ pizza hut pizza thinking of all of you. Once again it's only been a few days since I last touched base but it already seems like a distant memory. We have now made our way to the south and are spending our last of 3 nights in Nelson.
So far if I could live anywhere in New Zealand I would definitely pick Wellington. Definitely absolutely my favorite place we have stopped thus far, which was pleasantly unexpected after hearing nothing but criticism and the labeling of it as one of the world's worst capital cities. It blew auckland out of the water and definitely helped me to understand where the term Jefa came from. Wellington was definitely "buzzin" as the brits would say. It has an amazing waterfront view and is super lively yet somehow keeps a small town vibe. The coolest part was that we got there right before the 7s rugby tournament so the city was full of people from all over the world. Sadly this also made finding accommodation almost impossible and we had to cut it a little shorter than we would have liked (only stayed 3 nights).
By day we shopped a lot. This one street called Cuba is probably the coolest street I've been on, full of all types of shops and restaurants. There were also dozens of kids performing for money. Apparently it's a pretty common way for the kids to make money on summer break and it's way more entertaining than the stuff you'd see in Toronto. We also checked out the museum (pretty cool) and jumped off this 25 foot diving board right on the edge of the water (pictures below).
We also got a chance to meet up with our cousin and his new girlfriend, which actually makes us the first people in the family to meet her. Her name is Chelsea, and she was quite lovely. Matt, you can tell your family she gets my seal of approval, and you know that I don't give that out easily...
On our last day in the city we went to the beach which was nice enough but covered in jellyfish in and out if the water. Apparently it's fun to throw them at each other and build sand castles with them, because everyone seemed to be doing that. I touched one and felt very brave.
I would also like to take a minute to acknowledge the kindness of a stranger... He was an employee at JP hifi (sp?) and when I went in to try to replace my blown camera battery he just handed me a new one for free. I haven't found kiwis to be as friendly as they're hyped up to be, but this one was a saint.
One of the more memorable parts of the trip was a trek up mount Victoria where we got to see a 360 view of the city. Halfway up was a rope swing that a few of us went on, actually so hard to get on to though. Both Glyn and Will had to hold it steady for me while I got on. Sadly that strategy only developed after Lizzie tried to get on before me, failed and fell 10 feet off of it onto her side. Lizzie, you know I love you and for a second I was so worried, but after we saw she was ok we couldn't stop laughing. Lizzie actually needs to be placed in a bubble to protect herself from herself...
The best part of Wellington though was hands down the night life. We partied our faces off. Every night we would go to the basement bar of our hostel and then to a local bar. For 3 nights we got pretty wild, despite waking up each morning and saying nothing could make us do it again that night. We also got the chance to party with some euro beauties on our bus including a gem named Thor, a giant named robert that the boys loved, and my bus crush, Emil. The second night was particularly amazing. Glyn took us to a bar called El Horno where we heard an amazing ska band play some of the best covers (thrift shop woo), and I don't think I've ever enjoyed a dance floor that much ever. We also witnessed a Local BK lounge post bar rumble which was quite a thrill. All in all, we had 3 amazing nights and it was the almost perfect way to end our time in the north, which only could have been topped if we'd gotten a chance to see Canada play in the 7s before we took off.
On Friday morning at 7am we pulled ourselves out of bed, hopped on the ferry and headed south. We were so tired that Lizzie, mike and rishi got down on the floor and slept. When we arrived the heartbreak sunk in, because we had to split off from Lizzie and Will (and Simone and elise the night before). Rishi is still with us for two more nights, but the other two are on a tighter itinerary and couldn't hang back with us. Lizzie and Will, you two are two of the greatest people I've had the pleasure of getting to know, thank you for making the last 2 weeks so great. Can't wait to catch up in Australia!
After a 3 hour bus ride, we got to Nelson. At first glance, we were regretting the decision to stay here 3 nights, but now we've come to realize it was a fantastic decision. We are staying at an amazing hostel called Prince Albert's that has free wifi (unbeatable), free breakfast, a games room and an outdoor patio with hammocks and picnic tables. It's a lot more laid back than we're used to and a bit of an older crowd, but an amazing place to regroup. The hostel owner is a guy from LA with a vancouver girlfriend, and the boys have loved talking sports with him.
Yesterday Rishi's friend got here, so im a bit outnumbered by boys, but he has been a hilarious addition. We broke him in with a bar night last night and Nelson proved it is quite a fun little city. Other than that we checked out a local watering hole (it feels weird to say that for some reason) and today we went to the beach. It was a pretty nice beach but the sand was swirling all over the place and I think it's permanently caked on to my body and face, giving me quite a grungy appeal. Looks like we're taking tonight off and having a family movie night tonight then taking off tomorrow to kaiteriteri (sp) post super bowl!
On a personal note, I have never felt so dirty for so long. The dirt hasn't come off my feet for weeks and my hair is always full of sand. I also want to burn the contents if my bag and am convinced mold is starting to grow in there. Last night I cut a huge chunk out of my thumb cutting onions and had to type this entire blog post with just my right thumb because the screen couldn't read the bandaid. I also left all my spare contacts, toothbrush and make up at an unknown location somewhere between checking out of river valley and arriving in Wellington. My towel flew off our balcony in taupo and today a pair of my shorts disappeared. I am a pretty terrible traveller, but despite it all I'm falling in love with New Zealand and never want to leave.
Bye for now friends. Lots of love!
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