|
|
|
|
Aimless is the word I would use to describe these past few days. When I left Sandy’s place in Gisborne, I knew two things: 1) I was driving around the East Cape and seeing the sunrise; 2) I was going to go hiking in the Tongariro (Tong-ah-rear-roe) National Park (located in the very middle of […] At 5:30 AM, today, February 3rd, 2006, I sat in the rain at the top of the easternmost point in the world, and watched the sun come up. I was the first person in the world – in the world! – to see the start of the day. I got up at 4:30, stuffed my […] Three things need to be addressed. 1. In my last entry I wrote that it had been three months. Not true. It should have read 11 weeks. Today's entry comes exactly three months and three days into the trip. 2. I repeatedly referred to the Richmonds and their property as “farmers” and “the […] This is the sound that a 12-gage shotgun makes when it's fired ten feet away from me. The hills around the farm catch the sound and echo it back and forth, stirring up more birds to be shot at. KE-BLAMmmmrrrrrrrrrrringingringingringingringingringing…. This is the sound that a 12-gage shotgun makes when I fire it, because the […] Vines and grapes and wines, oh my! I'm working on a vineyard in Raukawa (R-ow-kawa), Maraekakaho (Ma-rye-ka-ka-hoe) near Hastings (only a half hour drive from Meeanee, where I was doing strawberries), and learning heaps about grape growing, winemaking, stock trading and general viticulture. George was able to hook me up with not only a job, but free […] …staying put. For a few more days, at least. Found out that the strawberries would be finishing completely this weekend, and decided it'd be nicer to stay and finish off the season with the rest of the workers than dash off Thursday for points unknown. Plus, I'd been procrastinating in the “plans” department. It's been […] This is my routine. The alarm goes off at five, or five-thirty, an hour before the start of work. I have to prepare myself, have to wake up fast and steel my nerves against the cold and wet that await me outside the tent. It’s been dropping to about 14 degrees celsius (55ish fahrenheit) every […] My present to myself: a toe that is NOT broken! Hurrah! Also, orthopedic insoles that will correct the way that I walk and therefore make my achilles stop hurting me when I hike. In general, my experience with the NZ medical world has been incredibly positive. The entire affair (clinic visit, x-ray, one physiologist visit, […] Here it is, another week gone by between entries. Another eventful week! I left Jasmine's on Thursday, after an incredibly relaxing and warm three days in her company and the company of various other members of her family. I got to hike “The Mount,” or Mt. Maunganui (Mon-gah-noo-e), which is a curious round, tall dome […] is that they let you fall completely into sleep. There's something about a backpacker's bed that keeps you just on the edge of deep, refreshing rest, as if the collected consciousnesses of all the people who've slept in the bed before you are needling at you, thinking at you, reminding you that this bed is not yours […] |
|