Christmas over for another year...

It's shocking that's it's all over so quickly given the huge build-up that seems to start earlier every year. By the end October we seem to be subjected to a barrage of hype and instructions to buy the latest this and that. It was actually quite blissful to be to broke to even contemplate getting caught up in all that festive panic - I just got to wander around on Christmas Eve with a bemused expression, watching all around me desperately searching for that last minute, perfect gift.

Next year I'm going to make my pressies (someone remind me I said that) and, rather than fight the crowds in the high street, I'm going to buy lots of red wine and spend my evenings curled up somewhere warm, being creative.

If the thruth be told, I was a little worried about the prospect of Xmas this year and of being a bit of a Billy; after being away from Bristol for so long and not really being that organized. Should have known better - had a fantastic time. Thanks guys!

OK, OK sue me it's been a while. I know I promised to update this soon but events kind of overtook me, that and a lack of internet access - Santa if you're listening, a PC and a broadband connection would be lush. Anyway this impromptu entry is due to this: Track Santa. Check it out. Well am off now before someone (Aleck!) shops me for being drunk in charge of a keyboard...

Will be writing more soon, but the computer keeps losing my stuff!

Thursday, November 07, 2002
After breakfast and an early morning dip in the spa, the three of us explored some more of Rotorua. Damn this place is smelly! We checked out the city park with it's multitude of thermal ponds and overexcited pools of mud; there's one called the Lobster Pool which allegedly turns your skin a reddish colour if you're a whitey. Then we did our bit for the local wildlife and fed the extremely freindly black swans on the lake - I'm sure they only loved us for our bread.

Next stop Taupo, via the world's youngest volcanic valley - Waimangu Thermal Reserve - which boasts the largest hotpool ever. Lake Taupo is where most kiwis go on holiday and apparently the popluation quadruples during the summer. [Will add more detail when I have the time.]

Once in Taupo we located another backpacker with a spa (hey why break a godd habit!) and spent the evening relaxing until the boys got restless and dragged me to one of the Irish pubs in the centre. Gianluca was in his element on the dancefloor although the kiwi DJ had extremely debateable taste in music.

Today the three of us explored the Coromandel. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great and the tides were extraordinarily high so no curving golden beaches for us - still the mountains were fantastic. After taking a back road from Tuarunga we arrived in Roturua, and after a little momentary blondeness from me, we eventually checked into Cactus Jack's Packpackers. A very cool places to stay as it was all decked out to resemble a Mexcian Frontier town, complete with a Jail House and more importantly the Chief's Meeting Place, aka hot tub which is just what's needed after a long day in the car.

Tuesday, October 05, 2002
After an emotional goodbye with the rest of the family in Paihia, Paul Gianluca and I headed south - the start of our 'Gaytime 2002' [a reference to Paul's antics in the bar the other evening]. Our first destination was Thames, at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula, with two pit stops in Auckland and Maramarua to see Helen and Chelfyn. Thames itself is pretty quiet, but we had a cracking evening after meeting two other travellers in the hostel's kitchen. Alison, and her German companion, was a bit of a live wire and the covnersation ran from current affairs to Asian men and the worst chat-up lines a girl can get. Beat this one: "... I'm tired of shallow waters; I'm looking for deep oceans like you..." Eugh!!!

To round off the evening I spent the night sharing a room with two naked men - in different beds! Turns out both of them prefer to sleep in the buff which isn't good for a girl's system, especially when she's been a good girl and been keeping life uncomplicated since June.

Monday, October 04, 2002
As a farewell get-together Paul and I cooked up a 'Sunday Dinner' for a pretty mixed group: 2 Italians, an Israeli, a Dutch, 2 Brits and an Ozzie. It was the full works with 3 chickens, stuffing, roasties, roast onions and parsnips, vegies and gravy, topped off a while later with apple crumble and custard. Stuffed!

Ohh... lots to write about and not the time... will have to write it out on paper and make a mad typing dash to keep the internet cafe costs down! Today the boys were chosen to take the cruisers around the islands leaving me at a bit off a loose end for the day and my plans to push Paul and Ilan off the boat into the sea in some candid camera moment dead in the water - damn! Instead I went and found Gianluca at home, unsucessfully trying to make bread, and dragged him off to sample some wine in a local vineyard which Cristina had recommended. Hic!!! A gorgeous sunny afternoon spent sipping fine wine next to a picturesque lake. Two glasses later, and very giggly, we headed off to the Pippi Patch to meet the others for more booze; discovered the 'Pippi Bomb': white wine and Red Bull... ummm.

Paul gamely added to the night's frivolities by falling in the pool (ok he had a lot of help!) and taking Gianluca with him. After a quick hunt for glasses we all trapsed into another bar trying to act normal and dry! On the way home some of the gang couldn't resist the lure of getting naked and going for a swim - must have been the full moon. Was too shy to join in so mental note to me: must go skinny dipping before I'm 30!!!

Here's the events for the last couple of days.

Saturday, November 02, 2002
My last ever Rock cruise. The crowd was just amazing, lively, outrageous and they took over everything - the music, the atmosphere. Captain chaos didn't stand a chance!

Friday, November 01, 2002
Took Paul and Gianluca (Cristina's friend just over from Ireland) to explore the Northland - Cape Reinga, Spirits Bay and 90 Mile Beach. The scenery here in New Zealand really does just take your breath away and I've still to see the South Island which is apparently even more impressive.

That evening we all headed down to a local bar - the Pippi Patch - with Paul and Ilan providing the night's entertainment by pretending to be a gay couple to discourage the unwanted attentions of some scary lady.

Wednesday, October 30 - Thursday, October 31, 2002
Another cruise, another evening behind the bar. Excellent.

The next day it was just Richard, Cristina and I looking after our guests. Went mussel diving and even managed to get them looking for shells in non-existant colours, because "apparently the locals think the red and blue ones are really lucky". Lots of bums in the air on the beach - cruel but hilarious!

Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Today I went sailing with Rich and Cristina in their little boat 'Beluga'. Sailing her is fondly referred to as belugaring and had a brilliant day on the water playing in the bay.

Monday, October 28, 2002
Went out on the Vulcan with Richard and Ilan for my first ever fishing charter. Needless to say that poor old Ilan still didn't catch any fish. To console him we took him up to Ngawha Springs - a great place to relax but my bikini has only just stopped smelling since my last visit over a month ago... damn!

Just about to go to work - another 24 hour cruise with paying victims to tease. Will update this with the latest events soon...

So another Rock cruise. Being busy makes work on the boat more interesting otherwise the days seem to be disorganized and random - you never know when you have a day off so planning trips is hard. Pete the owner is nicknamed Captain Chaos for nothing!

We had a huge group - 30 odd people - who were a lot more fun and lively than the last couple. With Paul away I took his spot behind the bar which is not a bad place to be; you eventually meet everyone and most stop to chat. I did have the opportunity to score some points on the Dirty Deeds Chart with one of the punters who was flirting so much that it even registered on my radar! Anyway my heart just wasn't in it, decided to stick with the Comedy Chart instead - less complicated.

Didn't get to go round the islands the next day so I stayed on the Rock instead. Anchored in a secluded bay with no one else around and a sheltered front deck all to myself... nudie sunbathing! Other than that my day's highlight was driving the Rock back to it's mooring in Paihia. It's a beast of a boat with the response time of a slug so it took a while to get used to and going in straight lines wasn't all that easy. All good fun though, seriously thinking about trying to go sailing back in the UK and apparently my time here will count as commercial seatime which has to be good for something. Know anyone with a boat???

Spent the evening on the boat playing cards and sampling beers - very civilized, if you discount having to get up at 0200 in the middle of a howling storm to make sure the inflatable boat is still snugly on deck where it's supposed to be and hasn't decided to use the bad weather as an excuse to wander off on it's own.

Just back from another 'Rock' cruise. Very sleepy. Sharing a crew room with 3 guys, two of whom snore isn't condusive to a good nights sleep but I made it onto the Comedy Chart by falling out of my bunk in the middle of the night!

I've been on the 'Rock' as crew for couple of weeks now and it's definitely a lot of fun here. The rest of the gang are: Pete Honey (aka Captain Chaos) - owner, Richard - skipper, Christina (Italian), Paul, Ilan (aka Jonah; Israeli Cockney), Thomas (aka Monkey Boy; Dutch), and me.

Took the boys on a wee road trip to Kerikeri. Ilan was desperate to buy some fishing lures (he's called GPS for a couple of reasons, one of which is the fact that he can never find any fish to catch. After spending hours sitting at the back of the 'Rock', or trawling off the 'Vulcan' and not even getting a nibble he's gaining a legendary reputation of being a fishing jinx!) and Paul just wanted to get out of Paihia for a while.

On the way back we stopped off at Rainbow Falls again. This time we were more adventurous - negotiating stepping stones across the river to explore the cave behind the falls. Pretty nifty view from the other side but unfortunately no camera (didn't want to risk dropping it in the water).

Last night we all got together for a committee meeting to outline the rules for crew/punter inaction and organize a point system for humorous events and other silliness. Previous gags involve killer penguins and naked skippers so we have our work cut out to top last season... sure we're going to have fun trying!

It's not easy getting access to the Internet at the moment, but here's an update of recent events to fill in the gaps.

Monday, October 21 - Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Ilan and I headed south to Maramarua for a quick visit to Auckland. I had a meeting with Jack Yan about the 'Million People Web' and the 'EU Water Angels' stuff - it's nice to have a face to put to the email persona. Ilan just came to catch up with a feisty Irish chick - think she's a bit more of a handful for him to cope with!!!

Saturday, October 19, 2002
The 'Rock' changed from a backpacker's fun ship to a base for a local yacht club's sailing race held for Flying 15's. It looked like heaps of fun out there... can't wait to go sailing with Richard. (Thomas arrived.)

Helen and Chelfyn came onboard to chill out for a while; they're in the Bay of Islands checking out houses.

Tuesday, October 17 - Wednesday, October 18, 2002
My first trip out as crew on the 'Rock's' 24-h cruise. The atmosphere is totally different when you're not a punter especially when you realize how much work is involved. You also discover the larger number of tall tales and porkies get told by the crew to have a little fun at the passenger's expense, i.e. dolphins communicating via SMS! Ilan still didn't catch any fish, he's rapidly becoming a local legend among the locals as a fishing jinx; I got to do some target shooting with a .22 and drive the 'Vulcan'; and Richard got his first dunking of the season (high points to Christina for that caper).

Monday, October 14, 2002
Watched the 'Hurricane' on TV. It turns out he spent 4 days/3 nights R & R on the 'Rock' last summer. That's just 1° separation from Rubin Carter!

Tuesday, October 10, 2002
Opps! I shouldn't laugh, but poor old Ilan fell off Climax today as we were coming alongside the Rock. He just lent out a little bit too far reaching for the rope and SPLOSH, he in went backwards and head first! It would have been comical if he hadn't been carrying his mobile, magic brain and a camera in his bum bag.

Monday, October 09, 2002
Sleeping on the 'Rock' is lovely. We have the best views in Paihia and the sense of space with all the water around is amazing. This morning we had a rare treat as a pod of 5-6 dolphins came chasing the breakfast round the boat - two jumping in unison only 3 m from where Ilan and I we stood - wow!

Had an interview with a hotel in Auckland for a senior staff position. It was the oddest interview I've had for a while - I just got talked at and could barely get a word in edgeways - anyway I think she liked me so perhaps I'll get a second interview. I'd rather the have the job I'm chasing in Paihia though. It's working for a company that takes tourists out to go dolphin watching... much more fun!

It's Judith's last week in NZ - so we did one final trip to Piha and Karekare (about 40 min west of Auckland), where the opening scenes of 'The Piano' were filmed. Both beaches were windswept and interesting with black iron sand and a backdrop of verdent rainforest.

Back to Paihia tomorrow...

Wow, what a week!

After getting back from Auckland last week and chilling out for a couple of days I felt like going somewhere warm for the weekend. Place of choice? The Northland (Taitokerau), which is about 2-3°C warmer than everywhere else - perfect. I'd picked up a leaflet advertising a 24 h overnight cruise on the 'Rock' in Auckland and decided to check it out. Four hours later, after grabbing an overnight bag and driving like a nutter, I arrived in Paihia (Bay of Islands) and was on the boat joining nine other backpackers and about five crew.

On the first evening we did some target shooting, fishing (the fish were hiding), had a BBQ, drank beer, played pool and generally bonded with each other. The next day we explored the islands - including the place where Captain Cook landed in 1769, played beach volleyball, kayaking, snorkelling and 'kayak surfing' (I've got bruises all over my legs again). Who'd have thought that so much fun could be had on an old converted car ferry!

Anyway what was meant to be a weekend jaunt turned into a week long extravaganza. I met three German girls - Nadine, Katherina and Judith - and we decided to carrying on exploring the area together, here's what we got up to...

Sunday, September 29, 2002
A pretty bizarre day. Walked the 'Hutia Creek Mangrove Forest Boardwalk' which was about 2.5 h and ended at Haruru Falls. We managed to con an unsuspecting local into giving us a lift back to Paihia in his converted Chinese milk truck after realizing that we were going to have to turn around and walk back the way we'd just come. We then went to visit some guy Nadine knew on an organic farm - a coffee stop turned into us staying and helping milk the cows! [Any cheese made by Mahoe Cheese Factory on the 30/09/02 was with our milk.]

After cows, was beers round the fire in Tim's backyard. The highlight was relaxing in a hot bath under the stars, the water heated by a log fire underneath, sipping wine - think every garden should have one - and sleeping in an old shipping container which had been converted into a funky sleep-out. Tim's place ended up being our base of operations for the next couple of days.

Monday, September 30, 2002
In the morning, back to Pahia to drop off Judith and Katherina - they were off for another day on the Rock. Nadine and I decided to explore some more of the area. First stop was Mangonui for fish and chips, specifically Blue Nose and chips as per strict instructions from Tim! Not bad. Then a long drive north along the Aupori Peninsula to Cape Reinga. To the Maori this area is known as Te Hika o te Ika (the tail of the fish), part of the legend of Maui hauling up the North Island (the fish) from the sea into his canoe (the South Island) - sweet, eh. Anyway the Cape is the most northerly accessible place and overlooks Columbia Bank where the Tasman Sea collides with the South Pacific. The views here were stunning and you could look to the west and see the tail end of Ninety Mile Beach.

Next back south to somewhere in the middle of Ninety Mile Beach (it's really only 64 miles!) which runs along the western edge of the peninsula. En route we visited the white sands at Parengarenga Harbour (the world's purest silica deposits). At low tide on Ninety Mile Beach you can drive along it but only if you have a 4WD. Mick really wasn't up to the task as you have to keep driving or risk sinking in quicksand. [Dave can I borrow your Discovery!]

Finally we rounded the day off with a visit to Ngawha Springs for a long soak in some muddy hot springs.

Tuesday, October 01, 2002
The day started with a quick jaunt into Kerikeri for breakfast; it seems as though every organic farmer in the country lives here so the here food is great. Kerikeri also hosts two of the oldest surviving buildings in New Zealand both built in 1822!

Then it was a round trip covering Puketi Forest to see some ancient kauri trees, the Rainbow Falls and back to Kerikeri Basin to check out those old buildings - Kemp House and the Stone Store.

Wednesday, October 02, 2002
We bid farewell to the Cheese Factory and headed west to Opononi famous for two things - a crazy dolphin called Opo (now dead) and magnificent sand dunes which dominate the far shore. You can go 'dune surfing' but unfortunately there were no boats to take us over so I'll just have to imagine that experience!

Thursday, October 03, 2002
Nadine and Katherina were heading back south to Napier so then there were just two. But first to Waipoua State Forest for more kauri trees and back into prime kiwi country, though only the trees were feeling sociable. We visited Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) the worlds largest Kauri tree and Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) the second biggest. They're both about 2000 years old but before the loggers arrived there would have been bigger specimens still surviving...

After goodbyes, Judith and I headed back to Paihia and dinner with the boys from the Rock.

Friday, October 04, 2002
By now pretty exhausted - chilling on the beach!

Been a busy girl this week.

Saturday Helen and I went on a girly road trip along part of the Pacific Coast Highway to the Coromandel Peninsula for a day of sunshine, beaches, and breath-taking scenery. We Followed SH25 via Thames > Coromandel > Kuaotunu > Whitianga, with a detour to stop and relax at Hot Water Beach. Here you can dig a hole in the sand at low tide and sit in your own personal spa created by hot springs on the beach!

On Tuesday I headed off to the city for a couple of fun-packed days. Caught the train from Papakura and ended up riding in the cabin with the train driver; seems an English accent is good for some things.

Got into Auckland, sorted out a bed in ACB, and met up with Diane for coffee. There we were catching up on gossip when we were approached by a Discovery Channel presenter (complete with camera man and sound man) asking us what we thought made Kiwi's unique - we may end up on TV in November - gulp! The only way to deal with that kind of stress was to go shopping. Found a foxy pair of vintage 1970s red Italian leather high-heeled strappy sandals, purr...

The next day was set aside for sightseeing. Went up the Sky tower - which at 328 m (1076 feet) it's the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere - to check out the view and contemplate the sanity of the few people seen bungee-jumping from 192 m (bit more info about this nutty pastime). My cultural fix took the form of an art gallery. They had a special exhibition - Love & Death: Art in the Age of Queen Victoria – and a lot of contemporary Maori art. Victoria Park Market satisfied the touristy urges for window shopping. Finally I rounded the day off by heading to the Globe Bar, next to the hostel, and spending a fairly inebriated evening with a German, Englishman, Irish guy and girl, and an Israeli. Messy!

Starting the whole 29 thing as I mean to go on. First snowboarding, then surfing, then .... Went to Raglan on the west coast for a spot of sand, sea air and saltwater to blow away the cobwebs and have fun learning something new at the same time. My lesson was a birthday pressie from H & C with Raglan Surf School where 'You too can Stand Up and Surf'. And I did! I'm so chuffed.

Anyway an afternoon trip to the coast morphed into a two day affair as I ended up staying over to enjoy good company, barbeque and beer with the owners and some backpackers en route to the South Island. So that combined with my success on the surf means I'll definately be going back for some more of that.

In some ways being by the sea puts life back into perspective, shows you how small you are in relation to the big picture. You look at things you'd hoped for that haven't happened, that you couldn't control and it makes you sad. But somehow all that ocean reminds you to just get over it. Move on. Look for the next wave. You never know what it's going to bring.

It's an odd day today, and I was distracting myself with a project that I'm getting involved with - EU Water Angels - and while quietly wandering the Internet for useful/interesting background information about the world's water problems I stumbled across this little titbit.

"Here's a question for constitutional scholars: can a sitting president be charged with plagiarism? As President Bush wages his war against terrorism and moves to create a huge homeland security apparatus, he appears to be borrowing heavily, if not ripping off ideas outright, from George Orwell..."

Intrigued, the link lead to this "Learning To Love Big Brother: George Bush Channels George Orwel" and this "Happy New Year it's 1984 - Bush's Orwellian address". It seems this 'subversive' idea is gathering quite a following with the online community; I only had to search Google for "bush orwell" to get a list 63 pages long referring to the same comparison.

Even CCN was getting in on the act: "Orwell invoked as lawyers present ballot-count cases".

I've also accidentally learnt that today has significance for other reasons. On 11 September 1973, the US backed a military coup to assassinate the democratically elected Salvador Allende and install dictator, murderer, and chronic human-rights abuser Augusto Pinochet. Here's some links about this: " Salvador Allende" and "The retrospective history of Chile".

Perhaps the sickeningly frequent examples of intervention like this contribute to the current attitudes towards the US?

As I type this we are sat listening to NZ national radio playing Chelfyn's 'Evil Plans' for a second night running in a prime slot. What was even more amazing was what the DJs asked just before playing it ...does NZ really wanted to be bullied into going to war for a country [US] who are motivated by trade sanctions..."

Some companies just don't get the whole concept of the Internet. Take Elephant for example. I'm trying to get insurance quotes online, it's past midnight in the UK and I get this when I submit my details.

"You can get a quote and make changes to your car insurance policy online from 6.30am to 11.30pm every day."

Doh! One of the best things about the Internet is that time is irrelevent.

Hey meant to mention this yesterday, but got my first serious article online - You Gov - and I'm working on a couple of others. I guess this blog has got me over the lurker syndrome and well on the way to being a virtual gobshite!!!

Just noticed something spooky, look at the time of the previous post about the evil plans of Mr Bush - 9:11 PM...

Chelfyn's just had a phone call from Channel Z (an NZ radio station) to say that they've aired 'Evil Plans' on one of their primetime slots. Needless to say he's a bit chuffed!

Just got back last night from a week away down south at Mount Ruapehu, home to the North Island's only substantial snow fields. There's two main skifields: Whakapapa and Turoa. I was told that Whakapapa was the better, more established site, but I'm inclined to disagree. We spent most of our time at Turoa and it was more laid back and a lot more fun.

We stayed in a bach in Okakune which seems like a normal ski resort until you discover the giant carrot which, in true Kiwi fashion, proclaims it's position at the heart of NZ's market-gardening regions. Even their winter festival revolves around carrots!

Snowboarding is great. A pain in the ass or the knees, depending on which way you tend to fall and it's even worse when the snow is hard and icy, but it's definitely worth the hassle. Having both feet strapped in means you have to be aware of your balance and where you put your weight otherwise it's a face full of snow and a lot of swearing! By the time I left I had full use of my brakes and could do turns both goofy (right foot forward) and natural (left forward). Most people have a preference, but I seem to be comfy either way.

One of the other highlights of my holiday was discovering the Powder Horn's indoor hot pool which had an intercom buzzer direct to the bar. Press the button and wait for the booze to appear - very dangerous!

Anyway, funds allowing, I'll be going back for some more. The season doesn't end till mid/late October so I should have plenty of time to practise.

Kiwi Guide
Remember that here 'wh' is pronounced 'f', so Whakapapa is said Fakapapa… that's rude!
Bach - holiday house.

On a more serious note I came across this article, President Bush Plans a War of Aggression. It feels as though the whole world is waiting on the whim of one man who doesn't seem to have a very good handle on the world outside of Corporate America. Anyway the author coined a brilliant phrase that seems to fit quite a lot of their foreign policies… "The issue that motivates this planned aggression, is not weapons-of-mass-destruction: it is resources-of-mass-attraction." Perfectly put.

You don't have to dig very deep to see the guy doesn't have a great track record, and if they didn't like the father in the Oval Office why on earth did they think the son would be any better at the job?

Sorry if anyone finds this offensive, but spending 11th September 2001 stuck in Baltimore would be an eye-opener for anyone. I don't even have an urge to go back, and this is from the girl who loves going to new places.

Anyway to lighten things up a little listen to: The Evil Plans of George W Bush III, just make sure you turn it up loud.

If you prefer your humour in the gutter then check out: An Apology To Our US Readers, and if you decide to follow up with their archives beware. The humour is vicious in places, in others downright offensive.

Umm... sun. Don't you just love it. It's been blissfully warm sunshine, blue skies and token fluffy clouds all week.

I'm doing the Brit thing and talking about the weather again. But when you're accustomed to unpredictable summers, which have a habit of feeling suspiciously like late autumn, four beautiful sunny days in a row is a big deal.

If I can be out sunbathing in early spring (think March in the UK) then I can't wait for summer. OK it'll probably be unbearably hot, there'll be the constant application of sun block, but it'll be warm. We'll be able to plan our beach trips, for surfing and partying, weeks in advance with no worries about it pissing it down on that one day.

Umm… bliss.

It shows that we really are a bunch of sad puppies here when the first thing we all dive for and fight over, after the days' papers and post get delivered, is not the world news, not the cheesy gossip section of the local rag, but the weekly 'Warehouse' catalogue. It's the equivalent of going nuts over an Argos catalogue with all it's bargins, or being overwhelmed by the goodies in 'Rajani's' (Eastville Trading Estate). I think it's an expat thing - Helen has an eastern European friend who displays the same obsession. Most of their house is kitted out from the Warehouse so I think it also displays a little of the Ikea syndrom that most of us in the UK all know and love.

Kiwi Guide
Kibbled = coarsely ground, as in kibbled wheat.
Noticed this 'kibbled thing' on the back of bread packets. Strange the things you read when waiting for your toast to cook!

I like this - Don't Link to Us! - the public ridicule of companies who try to impose absurd rules about who can link to their sites and how. Guess they just don't get it eh. What makes me giggle is the money they probably spend on advertizing, and here they are quibbling about promotion that's free. Perhaps it because they're not always complimentary, like this site, but marketing agencies are always telling us that "any publicity is good publicity..."

It's been a busy week - sold my first piece of jewellery in a shop in Pukekohe, wrote an article for KnowledgeBoard, and Tmet Media got their first client.

Managed to spend an afternoon/evening in Auckland City [online photos] with Helen. It's a beautiful city, in a modern way and comparable to Bristol in that the actual centre is very small. Dominating everything is the Skytower. From a distance it resembles a huge whale-sized hypodermic needle, and from underneath it reminds me of the spaceship towers in the closing scenes of Men in Black. For a bit of sillyness check out 101 uses for the Skytower.

Last night we all trapsed round to Cathy's for a girly aromatherapy party. Turns out we all knew more than the lady trying to sell us stuff!

Kiwi Guide
Tight speedo swimming trucks = dick stickers
The men who wear them = undiemen

Don't ask how this snippet of Kiwi colloquialism cropped up in conversation. Get 7 or so girls in a room and eventually one or two of them get around to lowering the conversation...

Iain Banks is one of my favourite authors - his books make escapism sheer bliss. Anyway I found this thought-provoking article this evening while wandering around the net this evening, looking for articles on knowledge mangement, online communities and blogging. I always have been easily distracted!

Have a peek at 'Entrenched Technology, from The Culture. The reason I've mentioned it here was not so much for the article, though I found it interesting, more for the comments made by 'riptalon', e.g. "The greatest evils in society are caused by too many people unquestioningly following orders, rather than too many people who don't." There's a lot there to go away and think about!

I've got my first commission in today for a bracelet!

www.jesus.com: his quest for a special woman to love. Here you can bathe with Jesus, get a credit card with his image, and find out that he loves to frequently and willfully experiment in the kitchen!

You see the site. You know it's a piss-take. You notice that it's American, and then you begin to wonder. It might, just might be serious...?

I miss being a city girl. Don't get me wrong, I love the wide-open spaces of the country, the feeling of freedom and fresh air, but I miss having my world on my doorstep. The cinema, the shops, the pubs, all within walking distance; café and bar culture; lazy Sunday afternoons in the company of friends; not making it home from work till late because you and your colleagues got distracted by beer and conversation; changing the route you take on your way out somewhere just to say hello to someone you miss; and people. I miss people watching, it's such a fascinating past-time which can be either enlightening or horrifying depending on what you observe.

I guess what I'm learning, living out here with the cows and the magpies, is that I'm a social bunny at heart. Yes I enjoy my own space and solitude, but I enjoy it more when I'm surrounded by people - sitting in a café drinking coffee, reading the Economist, and quietly watching the world go by.

I'm not a geek. I'm not, honestly. But I'm all excited that I've found a way for you to post comments on my blog. This assumes of course that you actually want to leave any, but there's no harm in me being hopeful ;)

Talking of feisty birds. Penguins are 'feathering' their nests by turning to prostitution, but instead of doing it for money, Antarctic dolly-birds are turning tricks to get rocks off their menfolk. It's true - the BBC says so.

I'm looking out the window and see daffodils, snowdrops, baby animals and flirty birds, and I know spring has arrived. Again? Somehow that doesn't seem right - I've just left one behind. I'm consoling myself by the fact that the weather is still better than the UK, and summer is almost here. Then I can smile because while I'm over here frolicking in the sun, it's cold and wintry up north. (Hehe!)

Opps, guess I've just conformed to the English obsession with talking about the weather! Hold a moment while I think of something else to talk about…

Chelfyn's quietly turning into a bit of a bird watcher, think he's emulating Keith Flint (bloke with scary hair in the Prodigy) who's also an avid twitcher He came out with a classic today when explaining birdsong. You're walking down the street or waking up in the morning, listening to the little feathered things merrily singing away outside and it all sounds so lovely. Apparently though it all translates to:
"Look at me! Look at me! Wanna shag? I wanna shag! Look at me! Fuck off! She's mine! Fuck off! Wanna shag? Look at me! Look at me!"

Charming!

Finally someone has stood up and said 'No. This is unacceptable" to the US demanding immunity from the ICC - Norway rejects US call to give its citizens immunity from war crimes and Norway and US clash over court.

Another weekend almost gone and it's been an odd one. Friday saw another trip down to MonkeyFeather (this is getting to be a habit!) and much fun was had by all. I really must try and get to Auckland for a night out - have a feeling that it'll be much better than Hamiliton.

Saturday... well it wasn't a good day. Woke up and it just hit me, I was feeling homesick. It wasn't places so much as people and friends, and there was me cockily thinking that I'd got away with it. My cure involved being thoroughly unsociable, devouring a 600-page book in a day [Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb - not a bad read] along with some nice red wine. By the time I crawled into bed I was feeling a lot more mellow and, after talking to one of my favourite people and leaving a silly message for another at 3 in the morning, I had managed to kick myself back into touch.

Today I've been making necklaces to take into the shop at Pukekohe on a 'sale or return' basis, and just generally pottering about.

They have some great adverts here - the funniest I've seen so far was a billboard ad for a vacuum cleaner - the 3 ft catch phrase being "More suck for your buck"! I mean that's positively indecent... and right on my level; made me giggle.

Anyway had a bit of a road trip today which got me out of the house. My newly aquired bother Tim is off to the States and is selling up all his worldly possessions to be footloose and fancy free. He had a buyer for his van in Tauranga, but needed to hitch down to Wellington afterwards - bit of a trek from the east coast. An excuse to drive LWSC was materializing... follow Tim in convoy and check out the scenery on the way, sell the van (scarper sharpish!) and then down to Hamilton to desposit Tim on State Highway 1, strategically placed to hitch down south. It was all ticketyboo!

We passed through some pretty hardcore dairy country en route. By the side of some of the driveways where these cage/hut structures which I've noticed before but not understood what they were for. Today I found out. It was a sad to see little calves, sometimes quite crowed, huddled together in these cages with no food or water. Guess that's how they get them to wait for the cattle lorries... sniff.

Went to MonkeyFeather again last night. As it was the first Friday in the month Chelfyn does something a little extra special with the club, like extra lighting, production, and me with a little UV stall. I sold some jewellery - it was a quiet night which makes it even more impressive - but I got a real buzz out of watching people dancing around wearing stuff that I had made. I've found a shop on Ponsonby Road in Auckland (think Park Street in Bristol) who are also interested in what I've been making so I'm taking in some samples in next week.

Blue skies, sun, and warm enough for Chelfyn and I to wear shorts/T-shirts, get the hosepipe out and clean the windows (think more water ended up on him as the hose was being a little temperamental). It's the equivalent of January here so need I say anything else. The longer I'm here the more I realize how little I miss the UK, as in the way of life (rat race), and the weather. New Zealand is inherently more laid back, chilled, less controlling, the cost of living is cheap, the scenery is breath-taking and the people up-front, friendly and sincere. If any of you ever get the chance to come here just do it. The one thing that does make me feel home-sick are all the friends I've left behind; I just have to keep thinking that you're still all out there and we'll have lots of stories to swap when I next see you...

Found a shop in Pukekohe that sells funky clothes and club gear so I've left some jewellery samples for them to look at. I go back tomorrow to see what they say (fingers crossed) - en route to Auckland. Want to scout out a part-time job in the big city and have an explore. Now that I have Mick on the road I fancy getting a job in a clothes shop or something, firstly to meet more people, and secondly I'm feeling broke!

Well going to go back and be sociable - we've got visitors for the next couple of days. A UK DJ, D.A.V.E the Drummer (aka Henry) is over for some gigs and he's using the house as a home from home. The best thing is he brought beer, gorgeous ice-cold beer - I haven't had a beer since getting here and that was over a month ago so suffice to say I was gagging for it!

Can't believe it's Monday again, but at least it's sunny - the weather outside resembles a beautiful summer day, complete with blue skies and little fluffy clouds.

Saturday evening Helen and I headed into Auckland to watch '24 Hour Party People' at the 34th International Film Festival. The festival was surrounding by a great deal of controversy this year with a local group trying to dictate what films the rest of us should see - read the press releases.

Bloody hell, if people find something like a film offensive then don't watch it - I don't want to be wrapped up in cotton wool, I want to be challenged. If groups like this want the rest of us to be kept in the dark thinking that nothing bad ever happens then how the hell are things ever going to get better? "If ignorance is bliss then why aren't more people happy?" Anyway rant over! The film was good but left me with more questions than answers but the location - the Civic Theatre - was amazing, with the ceiling in the main hall designed to look like the night sky, complete with stars and clouds.

After the film we went to meet Demitri - a Russian/Australian DJ on the Tmet books - who was playing at DV8 an Asian club night. The venue was a small shopping mall temporarily converted into a huge club teeming with about 2000 Japanese. Definately an experience!

Sunday was a day for lazing. None of us left the house or even got round to getting out of our pajamas - it was great!

Hehe check this out, Aqua got taken to court over their Barbie song! "Barbie must accept that being parodied is part of the job, a US judge has ruled after the manufacturer of the famous leggy blonde took legal action against a pop song which mocked her." You have to giggle at how seriously they must take themselves.

Just got back from a hard day shopping with Helen. Over here charity shops are known as op shops (opportunity shops) and you can pick up some amazing bargins and I am now the proud owner of a very foxy little fitted jacket made of very soft honey-coloured leather, ummm... happy bunny.

Of to go and chill in the spa before getting ready for a Friday night at MonkeyFeather.

I've had one of those weeks where you seem to be busy but you don't really have anything to show for it. However, I did finish painting my room white and moved back in while I decide which colours to use to finish off and make it all funky. Also took Mick to the garage to get some rust sorted out. That cost me all of $101.25 - which is about £30; in the UK they'd charge you that for just looking at the car let alone doing any work on it! He's booked in to get a 'warrant of fitness' tomorrow, and then I'm legally, independently mobile. Guess I'll have to come up with more creative excuses to drive LWSC... suggestions welcome, just email me.

Have managed to arrange a summer job helping out on a caravan site by one of the North Islands most picturesque beaches, Pakiri [just above Kawau Island and Leigh]. Looking forward to being a beach bum all windswept and interesting, playing on the beach or surfing when I'm not working. Who needs an office job?!

On the down-side, Cass's evening at Chemistry fell through and so my jewellery didn't make it onto the stall. Next time I guess...

Went to play in boats with Sam and Craig over the weekend; little tippy kayaks in 'ouch, chilly toes' cold water. We went to the Rotorua region, in central North Island. It's very volcanically active due to a thin crust, with lots of thermal activity - good for hot water, but also verrry smelly due to sulphur [Rotorua is nicknamed 'Sulphur City'].

We stayed on a campsite in Awakeri (A-wa-kerry), about an hours drive from Rotorua, where they had a hot pool filled from a geothermal geyser... of course we spent far too much time relaxing in there! Went kayaking for the first time Saturday afternoon - yes capsized the canoe and got wet. Sunday - more time in the hot pools, then got taken to a river fed by a hydro-electric station, complete with rapids. Ended up very wet, learnt to capsize (not voluntarily), get out of boat and keep hold of it and paddle so I didn't loose them both down the river! All good fun, but think I need time playing in nice still water where I can get confident with the boat and fall out without worrying about loosing the boat in the water currents.

Something has been occurring the last few days; making me feel quiet odd. It's hard to explain, and I mention it here only because I sense a need to record this. In brief it feels as though part of me which has so far spent it's time snoozing, casting a lazy eye on the world, is beginning to get a sniff of something interesting and waking up. More on this another time but I think I'm going to set-up another blog to explore my thoughts.

Had a great meeting this morning - Cass liked the stuff I've made so far and is going to sell it on the stall this Saturday. I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow finishing things off. Can't wait till Sunday when I find out if any of it was sold.

Talking of mornings - they're are so beautiful here with the crisp clear light and mist rolling down verdant hills. I've been sleeping in since being here but after having to crawl out of bed at 0800 (it was soooo hard) and seeing the stunning view from the window think I'm going to make more of an effort.

Well apart from a slight cash flow problem things here are ticking along nicely. Although living in the countryside means fresh air, amazing views and lots of cows it also means I can't just wander out the house and blag a job in the nearest bar or café; I have to be a bit more imaginative. Thankfully living with Helen and Chelfyn is making me look at things somewhat differently as neither of them subscribe to the whole 24/7 work, work, work and haven't forgotten that life is all about having a great time.

Have a few fingers in a few pies, but I've been giving my creative streak free rein over the last couple of weeks and prototyping some jewellery to sell. It’s so nice to have the time to do this. I've got a meeting on Thursday with a lady who has a stall to see if she likes my stuff and figure out prices - then with any luck some will be for sale over the weekend.

A bit about the weather. Mid-winter in NZ is more like early autumn back in the UK - sun, blue skies and warmish but when it rains!!! The surrounding area is reclaimed swampland so there's a fair bit of flooding at the moment; we're so glad we live on a hill. However, the weather is still better than back home even in winter. Check out some photos of the house.

I've been painting my room today. The bland 1970s wallpaper is now hidden beneath layer of white paint, will do another tomorrow just eradicate all trace of it. The plan is to airbrush some very retro shapes on the walls in various shades of turquoise. Yes I know I'm replacing 70s cheese with 70s cheese, but it's going to be a funky full-fat version instead of boring beige on beige. Anyway I'm covered in paint so going for a nice long bath...

I do love driving that little white sports car; think it's that low down feeling and the way it hugs the road round corners. [Purrr...] The excuse I dreamt up today was a perfectly valid one - needed to buy some beads and other goodies so I can start making funky UV jewellery to flog to clubbers. If they sell then I'm in for quite a good profit margin and that's selling them at bargin prices... fingers crossed. I'm getting vaguely interested in the concept of world domination through retail therapy. Other people's therapy. Been chatting Helen about it and I think we could be onto something good.

Mick. Brought him home with me yesterday and then made him sleep in the barn. Harsh I know, especially when we should be getting to know each other, but I'm so infactuated with LWSC and still mourning the sale of Peugout 205 that I've barely given him a second glance... feeling a little guilty... do cars have feelings? So let me introduce Mick - he's a burgundy Mitshubishi Mirage who was previously owned by a friend of Helens's (he's off to tour the States for 3 months) and now belongs to me for the princely sum of 200 bucks (about £60), a new tyre ($20-ish), an MOT ($35), and some rust work (hoping not too much!). Hopefully we should be on the road sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Well almost the weekend - not that it makes any difference at the moment since everyday is like a Sunday here. Sweet as, eh!

Hehehe! Have to stop laughing - it's beginning to hurt. Have just been told the funniest thing. It's about a growing trend amongst those rufty-tufty Aussie men - not just content with exfoliation and moisturizing they are going crazy for the ultimate body beautiful - a 'back, crack and sack wax'! Ouch, at least us girls just stop at the legs, underarms and bikini and just in case you don't believe me read this article. I mean, how would you ever take a guy with hairless balls seriously, it's just not natural. Anyway I can't stop giggling and don't think I'm going to look at a rufty-tuftless Aussie hunk on TV the same way again! And all of you who find hairy backs and bums a turn-off you now know that Australia is the place to go.

Kiwi Guide
Supermarket trolleys are called 'trundlers'.

It's Helen's 29th birthday today... we're having a small jelly and icecream party with a special chocolate fudge brownie birthday cake. Jelly... eugh hate the stuff, but the icecream is pretty damn good here. Apparently New Zealand is the place to come if you want to test new products and flavours on a small captive audience, so there's about 15 different types of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, the chocolate icecream is out of this world, and technology is out there with the icecream. I now live in a country where they test chocolate on you!

Anyway I'm off to contemplate the possibility of spending the next hour lounging in the spa...

Kiwi Guide
JAFA, just another fucking Aucklander.
Cadbury's Crunchie bars don't have a golden honeycomb centre over here, they have a golden 'hokey pokey' centre.
Oh and if you're 'slutted' then you're greatly annoyed about something!

Been here in upside-down land a whole week but it feels like longer.

Spent most of Sunday in the spa recovering from the party... I ached all over from dancing so much. It was an amazing night but the jetlag kicked in about 1800 so they fed me some of this herbal energy stuff - like red bull but in a pill. Shit it worked, kept me going till about 0700, but that's all I had - just don't get the urge to try anything else. Anyway the party was Wow. Four DJs playing techno/trance in the main room - discovered this whole new groove I didn't realise I had :) Mad dancing all night. Then in the chill out room they had two guys playing live trip hop so I could go and slinky to some chilled beats when it all got too hectic in the other room. Being the only one wanting to dance to their music I got the whole floor to myself.

The original plan had been to recover in the hot pool at a place called Miranda [in the middle of the map, on the coast just below Thames], but some of us got distracted by the fact that there was a spa, warm wood fire and food at the house and didn't make it outside again. Helen and Chelfyn went onto Miranda to round up the rest of the crew and ended up getting thrown out of the facilities even thought they'd paid and forty odd people were there due to being at First Contact... seems the manager didn't like their hair. Why are some people such narrow-minded wankers?! [Sorry forgot to mention Chelfyn is sporting a funky orange mohican and Helen's got the most amazing raspberry coloured crop.]

Monday went to Auckland to drop off the UV backdrop at a theatrical prop/costume place. What a treasure trove; sure I recognized some of the cheesy props from Xena and Hercules in there! The last couple of days I've just been chilling trying to think up ways of making some cash so I don't feel quite so broke. Am going to start making jewellery and also some funky UV stuff to sell online and at club nights. Fingers crossed...

Oh, and I get to play in a little white convertible... very yummy. Can't wait for it to get warmer so I can drive it with the top down.

Kiwi Guide
Bedding/sheets, etc. and the linen section of a department store are known as 'manchesters' - eh?!
The post office is a shop called 'Books and more', and 'Postie Plus' is a cheapy middle-aged clothing store... confusing.
Other phrases: 'sweet as', 'staunch' when refering to manly butch men, if you're 'stoked' then your feeling very pleased, my favourite so far 'it's all good', and everyone is a 'bro'.

WOW!!! Too tired to write anything more... later

Decided to post something now in the lull before the crazy storm that is 'First Contact' - Helen and Chelfyn's first big club night which is being held in Hamilton. Now for a girl that has no idea about the whole trance/techno scene (Po Na Na's and Cosys are a world away) it's all a bit bemusing being on the inside looking out. The amazing thing is that people are getting very excited about the whole night (doors open at 1000, close 0400, kickout 0600 - thats lots of herbal high energy drinks for me!): there'll be massseurs and live Trip Hop in the Chill Out room; a tea/coffee/smoothie bar (booze-free night); face and body painting so we all glow like worms with the UV-lighting set up; and of course lots of mad dancing to big tunes.

After the craziness the plan is to retreat to a place called Miranda where there's some hot springs and then back home for the after party. Oh I am going to be soooo trashed after this weekend and it's going to play havoc with my jetlag!

Anyway off to go help paint backdrops, signs and iron logos onto t-shirts...

Just checking my mail and thought I'd add another entry here... only so that I can say I've just got out of the spa. Verrry nice lounging in a hot pool outside under the stars on the patio.

So a little more about the place I'm staying. Here's a map of the area: showing Auckland, to the south Pukekohe, then, further down by a lake and above Huntly, Te Kauwhata - I'm staying near here about 15 mins from the lake. Auckland and the coast is an hours drive away. (Quick prononciation guide: in Kiwi wh = f, so Te Kauwhata is said Te Kaufata.)

Chelfyn and Helen's pad is in a valley with hills/forests either side. There's a dairy farm behind us and a couple who breed big hairy black New Founland Dogs on the other side of the road - so they're the neighbours. Further along the valley is an ostrich farm - there's the boys in one field, girls in another (bit boring) - and I'm wondering about the omelete you could make with those eggs!

The house itself is a mad rabbit warren of a bungalow with stripped polished floors and very light and airy. There's a large sitting room, large kitchen/dining room with a wood-burning stove and patio doors (in Kiwi = ranch sliders) which open out onto the above mentioned spa. Four bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry room, another bathroom, an office, Helen's sewing/play room, club and a studio later you get to a nice big garden (about an acre and has a little orchard with orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit trees) and a barn. Lots of room for three people, two cats and numerous guests to run around in. (Jealous yet? You should be!)

PS. An expansion on the Sinagpore gossip for Jenny:

1. Who asked that girl for a date? A fairly foxy dark-haired Frenchman called Emanuel (sorry can't ever hear that name without thinking "porn films"!). They spent the whole evening checking each other out - very sweet.


2. And where were you?! Getting a foot massage.


3. How did the date turn out?! Apparently Rachel's date was great. He took her to a nice Mexican restuarant and chose her wine and her food. Personally I like to pick my own nosh, but then I'm impressed by being taken out in the first place!

All I can say is that winter isn't like this in the UK. Been here almost two days now and all I've seen are blue skies and warm sun, apparently winter NZ-style is like a very nice english autumn... allegedly it does rain here. Yesterday was nice and slow: stopped off in Pukekohe for lunch and supplies. Pukekohe is a very 'Farside' (i.e. subtley surreal in way that can't be described, it's just odd) place with local radio piped out on the streets - a combo of local advertizing and 1950's music. Lunch was sushi, not bad for the equivalent of a market town, and essential supplies was well, wine, what else do you need!

Anyway Chelfyn and I are off to the shops for more essential supplies ;)

6:36 PM


Holy shit, I'm finally here in New Zealand! It still hasn't sunk in that I've just travelled to the other side of the world, crossed the equator for the first time in my life, and now I'm sat here using Helen/Chlefyn's spare PC listening to them picking tunes and getting all excited about their first club 'First Contact' on Saturday. More about that later... first I'm going to recap the last few days.


The trip out to Malaysia was uneventful - slept for about 8 of the 13 hours which was perfect. Tried Tristan's suggestion of choosing a check-in desk with a bloke and using feminine wiles to obtain an upgrade - think I need a lot more practice as I only managed to get the Kuala Lumpur (KL) > Singapore leg, although he did find me a window seat when moments before there hadn't been any.


First evening comprised of a visit to a hawker stall for local nosh (yummm), then loafing in the pool sipping red wine till past midnight (it's far too easy to slip into chillout mode). The next day (Monday) was brilliant fun, got adopted by a couple of Zoe's friends Natalie and Rachel - two very cool chicks. Did Holland Village, shopping area, for Starbucks coffee and muffin. Next was Orchard Street, the ultimate for the girl about town - if you like clothes shopping then this area is to die for. China Town was a wierd mix of nineteeth-century streets (buildings reminded me of Lisbon) with various shops/stalls, including traditional Chinese pharmacies (very weird shit in those places!); found the place a little touristy but fun all the same. The best bit of the whole day was Rachel being invited out for a hot date while we were checking out a clothes stall; she didn't have time to go home and change so we spent about 40 mins putting together a outfit for her so she could turn up straight from the shop looking all fresh and foxy! Finally rounded off the day by returning to Holland Village for a foot/back massage, ummmm... back to the pool to practice chillin out!

The flight from Singapore to Auckland was about 9 shitty hours - couldn't sleep, women getting up at 1 am to squirt on more smelly perfume (eugh), stuffy plane and screaming, overactive children... ggggrrrr! Took about 90 mins to get through passport control and customs, and discovered that the baggage handlers has decided to trash the zips on my small bag (which was padlocked) to have a root around, don't think there's anything missing but can't think why they needed to look.

Left the airport to discover blue skies and sunshine... wow, I'm finally here!!!

Sun, sun, and more sun. I guess this little two day sojourn in Singapore consititutes my summer for the year. Still I've seen more sun and humidity than I probably would if I'd stayed in the UK for the whole summer! It's an amazing place and I've seen quite a bit, definately deserves a return visit. I'll write a proper entry when I get to NZ as right now my stomach is growling at me for neglecting breakfast - slapped wrists, I know!

Umm... it doesn't bode well for a stress-free trip when you almost miss your train from Bristol and you've still got to make it all the way to New Zealand.

Taxis. The bane of the highways, especially when they don't show. You book a taxi leaving plenty of time to get to where you're going, it's late so you ring the taxi co. to be optimistically told, "It's just a moment away..." Ten minutes later, with panic levels rising, you find yourself questioning whether you actually exist in the same dimension as the taxi driver or if he's been mysteriously shunted off into some strange temporal anomaly on his way to pick you up.

So, I'm outside the Glass Boat wondering how the hell I'm going to make my train when I'm saved by an unsually helpful bus driver. He lets me get on at the lights and drops me off outside the station before his allotted stop. I'm stunned - didn't now bus drivers like that existed in Bristol. Made the train with a minute to spare; bit close for comfort but hurrah to the bus driver!

Bloody hell! I'm packed and, barr a few last minute letters to post, I think I'm all set; if there's anything I've forgotten I just hope I don't remember it.

My train leaves at 1425 hours and I should hit Paddington at about 1630 - timed perfectly to coicide with rush hour madness on the tubes (doh!). Why did British Rail scrap the whole concept of porters? I could just do with some bloke to carry my bags for me!

Singapore, New Zealand, here I come.

I have nine days till I leave and as always everything seems to need sorting out at the last minute; I try to be more organized but something tells me I'm never going to manage it. It just wouldn't be me!

I'll be posting accounts of any adventures/mishaps/gossip as they happen and will hopefully get some pictures up here - just to make you groan with jealousy. This way I should have more time to keep in touch personally as the general goings on will be written here. Sound like a good plan?!