Weekend party at Sheaf

It's my last official day in Sydney before heading up the coast... at least I expect it is. I'm sitting in Tribal Travel, an awesome agency in King's Cross. They have free internet and it's raining out, so I expect I'll be here for a while, at least until I can meet with my travel guy to discuss plans.

While it's hard to top dinner with Donny-T, Saturday night was a close second here in Sydney. I bought the hottest dress - black with a gold design on it, and was planning on wearing it to Alana's house warming at Sheaf, a super-cool bar a short cab ride from Bondi. But first, we headed back to Dane's old place on Bronte and pre-drank with everyone. Trish and I (see pic on the left) cabbed it over to the beach. It was gorgeous outside! Nearly full moon, Bondi was packed with people, and we were all dressed up and ready for a sweet night out. Trish looked gorge in a coral dress and we both agreed my outfit choice was a winner (wow, don't worry my life isn't just about dressing up!)

About 12 of us packed onto Dane's old veranda overlooking the ocean. The guys had coincidentally (or not, perhaps it was planned) all worn white tee's and jeans, so they all resembled the days of boy bands. We drank beer and left around 11 for the bar. We accidentally left Aaron, Dane's friend, behind - or he just didn't clue into the fact we'd all left, because we got a text from him saying 'where are you guys, how am I gonna get to the bar now'. If you knew Ikin, you'd big time appreciate the humour.

Sheaf is AMAZING! It's all outside, and split into about four different courtyards on two storeys. We drank beer and met up with Alana and her friends on the second floor. The night was perfect! I'm so glad I stuck around for the weekend. (Right: pic of me and Mitch, Dane`s old roomie).

The next morning consisted of McDonald's and a long run along the coast from Bondi to Bronte to make up for it. This was my usual route whilst staying at Dane's in January and it felt surreal to be back there again, doing the same run I'd done in the start of my trip, but now able to think about all that's happened. What a humbling experience. The guys were all at Dane's old place and I stayed to watch a bit of Superbad and pick up my sandals I'd left there the night before in place of my heels.

It was also tsunami watch 2010 for Bondi. The earthquake in Chile had apparently set off tsunamis worldwide and Sydney was on the lookout. We did notice a lower tide than normal but nothing hit. I ran back to Bondi in the rain and stopped to lookout at the water for a few minutes, drenched in the rain but completely content. I don't know when I'll be back there, so I wanted to take it in. I did.

Last night we all went to see Shutter Island with Leo Dicaps. It's nuts! It's definitely a psychological thriller with an unpredictable ending. Leo's performance is awesome and I didn't predict the twist, save for one thing that I won't giveaway here. Today I've been hanging out in Sydney and am sorting out my life - what a task!

Canada won gold!! Can't forget to mention that here, although everyone knows by now. I watched it this morning and it was amazing. I'm sad I wasn't at McMullen's with the guys, although I did see pics - it's sooo snowy there.

So here I am. I'll keep you posted on the next move, although it will probably be straight up to the islands to soak in the sun. I don't have much time left. I fly out of Sydney on March 12 to go to Vancouver to reunite with Kates and I can't wait! It's been so long since I've seen sisto, or even talked on the phone... crazy in sisto-time. But now, I've got to focus on the next 24 hours and get my act together or I'll waste the last 2 weeks.

Dinner with Don in Sydney

Friday nights in downtown Sydney are known for many things, and swanky restaurants with pools by the bar are fashionable post-work destinations for the elite. This type of place happened to be my destination yesterday. For a girl backpacking alone through Australia, who is not so used to the haute life a city brings and moreso used to hostels and condiment-less sandwiches for lunch and dinner, this would be a big change of scenery.

My dinner date was Don Tapscott, entrepreneur, international best-selling author, and close friend, who happened to be traveling through Australia to attend and speak at a few conferences. We'd arranged to meet on the 26th of February in Sydney at 6:30pm, in the lobby of the Westin hotel right outside Martin Place metro stop. Needless to say, I started preparations for this evening 3 hours earlier - showering (thank God, as UJ would say), primping, carefully choosing my outfit and enjoying a solo beer just before heading out. (Left: me excited in the bathroom at the Westin).

I was also very lucky to have stumbled upon an accidental, 7-day, free gym membership only 1 block from Dane and Trish's. I saw a sign saying you could get a free trial workout if you bought a guest pass and went in to investigate. Luckily, the guy seemed to be partial to Canadians and when he found out I hadn't been to a gym in 2 months, he handed me the free pass at no expense. I don't know exactly how to interpret this gesture... ha.

I had a great workout on an actual elliptical!! - my first since 2009, and watched the Canadian Hockey Girls win their gold medals and sing as our flag rose up high in the Vancouver arena... woooo, go girls!

So, after my workout and after a few hours of primping, I was on the subway making my way through town like a real Sydneysider. I'm very familiar with the city now and knew exactly where to go. What a change from when I arrived here Dec. 30. I arrived a bit earlier at the Westin and wandered through the swanky lobby. It's a gorgeous hotel with 3 restaurants/bars, all packed with happy-hour celebrators.

Don came downstairs and met me in the lobby a few minutes past half-six and we went for a glass of wine in the hotel before heading to our restaurant. It was so great to see Don! We chatted non-stop, I found out all about his tour to Sydney and 'MEL'-bourne (the city name was a hit with Don), and he heard all about my travels.

We then walked a short block to the restaurant with the bar-side pool. It's called Ucchello's, and typically requires a 2-month-in-advance reservation. Let's just say, Don pulled some strings. We both had margaritas by the pool. What a place! It was full of highfallutin people, all keen to spend their paycheques on $25 drinks and some of the best cuisine in Sydney. We were ushered to the front when it came time to sit down for dinner and our table was in the centre of the place. Service was impeccable, complete with a sommelier and at least four waiters/hostesses checking in on us. I've never been treated like that at a restaurant before... ever! (Left: Don and I at Ucchello`s).

Dinner consisted of a few appetizers, tuna and calamari, although they were called something much more elegant, and a delicious pasta dish we split. Dessert was decadent, a mousse-y, creamy, spongey thing that I'm not doing any justice to by explaining it this way. Don and I went for more margaritas by the pool afterwards and then headed out. I caught a cab home and by this time it was really late!

What a time. Thanks so much, Don, if you're reading this! You definitely made up for most of my living conditions these past few months. Although, I must say, I wouldn't trade in any of my hostel experiences for more places like Ucchello's. Don had a great point - that it's often more fun to live the way I've been living, instead of being waited on and taken care of everywhere you go. It's a treat for special occasions that keeps it special.

This morning I woke up late to a Saturday on Bondi. The weather is amazing. Not a cloud. My destination is the beach, then the gym, then home to get ready. Tonight, Dane's old roomie, Alana is having a house-warming party and EVERYONE is going. Can't wait! I bought a new dress to wear and am sooo excited to see my Sydneysiders again. Tomorrow I think I'll lie low and start my travels again on Monday. Well, gotta run catch the sun.

Last days in New Zealand

Location: McDonalds, McCafe, Bondi Beach, Sydney
Day and time: Feb. 26 at 11:28am

Mood: Ecstatic!!!!

Let me just say how amazing New Zealand was!! I left with a heavy heart, but with memories that will last forever. My a-team/posse/new amazing friends from all around the world were slowly dispersing and it was time to move on with the rest of our trip plans. But first, let me backtrack....

I picked up my adorably sexy, hot little Toyota Camry rental car - baby blue, and an upgrade from the small car I'd requested - and at no extra charge. WOW! the Freedom!!!! I could taste it. Binnie gave me an escort on the highway out of Wellington to my freeway exit and I waved bye to Binnie and Joshie in their car as I coasted north on highway 1. While leaving Wellington, I was able to drive through the 'beep beep' tunnel, as Joshie calls it. It's sort of an unspoken rule for Wellingtonians, to beep like crazy as they drive through this tunnel beneath the mountain. Joshie just loves it! I beeped like mad also, it was a declaration to the world of my imminent freedom in my rental car.

The drive to Rotorua was FABULOUS! More than a feeling!!!! haha sorry that song just came on here at McDonalds. I drove for 6 hours on the wrong side of the car, on the wrong side of the road, stopping every now and then for breaks. I arrived in Rotorua, checked into my hostel at around 7:30pm, and felt like something was missing. DUH, it was my 6 amazing peeps I'd been traveling with in NZ for the past week. They were elsewhere on the north island accomplishing more than is humanly possible to accomplish and I knew I needed to get to them.

One night in Rotorua later, I decided to check out the Waiotapu hotsprings 20 mins out of the city. They are incredible!! Just watching the activity of the hot springs, the bubbling sulpherous goop lurking below the surface, was spectacular. The volcanic activity on the North Island is unbelievable. The whole area is active volcano, something eerie to think about. I wandered in and around Waiotapu before heading back to the hostel. I checked my Facebook when I got back and saw a few messages from my peeps -- they were nearby! Bent on seeing them again, I checked out of the hostel and hopped into my car, without much knowledge of where I was driving to.

Let me just say, this is one of the best decisions I made on the trip. The 4 hour drive up north to Whitianga from Rotorua was the best drive I've ever been on. It was just me, my hot car, my music, and the gorgeous weather and views. The road wound like crazy up mountains and then would go flat again on the long countryside. Farms are everywhere, so are sheep. At this time it was around 4pm in the afternoon. This is my favourite time of day. The sun is setting and it hits the landscape at a perfect angle. It makes everything look so angelic and peaceful. I was so far away from home and away from everyone I knew, but I was so happy knowing I was on my own in such a gorgeous place.

I stopped in Waihi, a little town near my destination. I wanted to ask for directions so I hopped into a travel place 1 minute before it closed. It happened to be right across the street from an old mill building, with giant stone ruins. I had to check it out. With time to spare I crossed the street and went to look at this old building foundation. What a find! It was absolutely unique and breathtaking. I spent a few minutes taking photos of it and then hopped back in my car to continue on the route.

At one point I was driving on a windy road, with golden leaves that had fallen from a stretch of trees alongside, and I pulled over to change into my new dress. I was stopped in front of the cutest farm, it could have been a hobbit's place. I was in awe. If I could do this drive again, I would in an instant.

I stopped to take many pictures and arrived in Whitianga around 7pm. My group hadn't arrived yet so I had time to check out the beach. I brought my camera and was taking my usual self-pictures when a guy walked nearby and I asked him to take my pic. He asked me what I wanted in the background, but I thought he asked what WAS my background. So I replied 'Canada' completely straight-faced and he was like, uhhhh, ok. Then I clued in and we had a good laugh.

My friends arrived 20 mins later and it was such a great reunion!! It was the best day/night ever - great hostel, we went for dinner at a place called Smitty's then walked along the amazing beach -sooo great! I was so happy to see them again. It's great to be in these small towns with good people. I prefer them to the bigger cities by far.

The next day we went to Cathedral Cove, named so for the giant rock formation that forms a cathedral archway, separating two pristine beaches. The waves were vicious, the sun was hot, and we lounged for 4 hours. I'm sooo glad I did this. It was the best way ever to end my NZ phase.

We then had to drive to Auckland that day (February 23), so we left at 4-ish and drove along the coast, up around Coromandel and along the seaside. Linda came with me in my car and we had major mp3 issues - the music wasn't working. So we tuned into the Coromandel radio station and the first song that comes on is Fireflies!! We DIED!!! That is our song, it's the epitomy of the trip. We BLASTED it and coasted along the oceanside - what an amazing drive.

We arrived in Auckland late, after I took the wrong exit but made a quick recovery, with Linda laughing hysterically in the car as colourful language flew out of my mouth when we lost sight of the other's van. We shared a 6-bed dorm and went to the bar, unimpressed with it but staying for a few pints nevertheless.

The next morning, there was a strange feeling. Dave and I both were flying out that day and the others had plans to go visit more of the beautiful north. I was envious but knew the time had come to say goodbye. After a breakfast of muesli and a soggy peach muffin, we all made it to the cars and Dave and I said our tearful goodbyes, all of us promising to keep in touch and have a reunion in a few year's time. Then, the van drove off as Dave and I stood, quietly waving our arms off. Thank God I had Dave. I'd have been so depressed without him. We chilled in town for a few hours before I caught my plane to Sydney. I said goodbye to the bloke from Darlinghurst and watched as Dave walked off down the street in Auckland, armed with his giant backpack and knowing he had 83 hours of travel ahead of him to get home. I know how it feels and we're all the same.

I flew back to Sydney, jumped on a subway and was welcomed with open arms into Dane and Trish's apartment, which is RIGHT ON THE BEACH! We went to Bondi and tanned all day yesterday. Last night's dinner consisted of Bondi Pizza, the best pizza joint I've ever been to, and I treated my two hosts.

Tonight is going to be amazing. Don Tapscott is taking me out for dinner in Sydney!! And that will be where my next blog starts....

But quickly, here's another acceptance speech. I love New Zealand. Traveling is all about saying goodbye and it's been quite painful at times. I've never felt so sad to leave people I've just met and I've never wished so much to rewind time and relive all that we've done. It's so bitter sweet but I just know the memories are all that matter and there will be way more good times to come. So I just wanted to say, THANK YOU... Thanks for taking a chance on a nerdy girl on the Lord of the Rings tour....

In the words of Dave Hatton, "what the *#&# is wrong with New Zealand?"

I concur, Dave, it's perfect.

In the words of the ginger boy "THIS IS THE BEST VACATION EVER!!!!"

Beachside with Binnie

Ahhh, the beach, the sun, the waves and the hills - life has been exceedingly normal the past few days compared to the week I just came from, but they contained all these wonderful things Kiwis often take for granted. I left off, standing in the rain, waving goodbye to my friends as they drove off down the street in Wellington, gung-ho for more fun, while I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd been living out of a van for many days and the thought of an actual house, with my own room and bathroom sounded like a funny joke too good to be true. When traveling, you often have to shift your frame of mind, so I immediately began to think of this weekend as my 'down time' at home. So far, it's been amazing!

I wandered the streets of Welly-wood for a few hours before meeting Binnie, mom's family friend from Branksome. She picked me up and we drove to her place, and I could tell instantly that we'd get along really well. Binnie is from Toronto but moved to New Zealand many years ago, so it was cool hearing her Canadian/Kiwi accent but also nice to be with someone from home.

Binnie has an adorable 3 year old son named Josh who we picked up from daycare then went home. It was Thursday night and we kept it low key, with wine and chicken for dinner, followed by an early bed time. While this doesn't sound too exciting, it was for me - I have my own room, my own bathroom, and an internet I can use without having to deposit $2 every half hour. Luxury!

Friday was a day that will go down in history as one of those surreal yet totally comfortable experiences. I slept in til 11 at Binnie's insistence and then we went for a drive to the Kapiti coast, near her house but right on the beach. We walked along the beach, ate fish and chips, and paused for photo ops whenever possible. The day finished off with a ride up to the Mt. Victoria lookout that overlooks the entire city, and a stop at the park where Josh played by the beach.

Today, I awoke earlier to go watch Josh's super spectacular soccer game. Every Saturday morning here in the summer kids 1-7 play soccer (wow, alliteration!), which is more like describing little ones in oversized Beckham jerseys kick the ball a distance of two feet (and this is with all their might) and miss the goal when they are only inches away. It's adorable! It's like watching someone really inexperienced play Wii or Xbox - you just want to help but you also know you can't. Josh is a super energetic kid and he actually ran around more practicing soccer with me before the game started.

Afterwards, Binnie and I headed to the local fair, where at least 6 blocks of a main street in Petone were blocked off for various shops and rides. We were both sucked into one particular booth selling gorgeous and unique wrap dresses and I bought two - yikes! One for Kates, of course, but we can both share. Kate you will LOVE THESE. I tried one on and a few people gasped, they were so nice. Or, maybe they gasped in horror, either way, I bought some. I then sampled a hot dog, followed by a quesadilla, then it was time to head out.

I'm very excited. Firstly, tonight I'm going to a real live Rugby match downtown. Wellington is playing Perth and I'll be cheering for Wellington. Second, tomorrow I have successfully rented a car and am driving myself to Rotorua and then to Auckland. Binnie is so amazing and has already let me practice left-hand-side-of-the-road driving here, and we'll do some more tomorrow. Luckily, the highways are very straight forward, literally, so she thinks I'll have no trouble, but I'm going to be texting her every now and then just in case to check in. I can't wait! One of my biggest to-do's has been to rent my own car and sail down the road with the window down and good music, so if all goes to plan, that's my life for the next 3 days. I'm still unsure if it will happen, since there is a shortage of rental cars in New Zealand and I was already turned down by another car rental place because of availability. If I'm turned down again, then I have to take a bus and it'll delay me a day. Everyone cross your fingers!

So, I'll let you know how things go when I get to Rotorua. I can't believe my NZ trip is almost over and I'll be so sad to think about that, so I won't do so yet. Can't wait to meet up with my a-team in Auckland.

If 10 million fireflies...

For anyone checking my blog often, I apologize that it's been a week since my last post. For those just checking in, here is a recap of all the excitement of the past week! I had just left Christchurch when I last wrote, with little idea of all that was going to happen in just 7 days. I jumped on an 8-hour bus to Queenstown and booked a room at Base for one night. Feeling a little lonely for the first time in 6 weeks, I quickly made friends with a British girl in my dorm named Sadie (pic to the right). Fun and bubbly, Sadie reminded me much of Alicia Miller (family friend) in a really crazy way! We got dinner and hung out at the bar that night, but I was exhausted and I went to bed early, knowing I had to plan my next day carefully.

Now this is where I have to pinch myself every time I think about it. Do you remember the tour I took to go to the Lord of the Rings site? Well, do you also remember that I bumped into a group of 6 young people also traveling through New Zealand in a van and that I made friends but then said goodbye to them to return to the LOTR group? Do you also remember Ben's 'yes you can, no you can't' messages to me about whether I could join then in the van? Well I heard from Ben, one of the peeps in the group, and they needed an extra person for their van to travel around New Zealand. I was a bit apprehensive as I didn't know them, but after coordinating for several days, the plans were in motion. The only downside was that I couldn't take full advantage of Queenstown. This was ok, since I'm not the jump-out-of-a-plane type, or the swing-from-a-bungy-cord-over-a-river person, and this is the essence of Queenstown. So, I caught a bus to Wanaka the next morning (February 12, Friday) to meet up with the group. (Group pic from left: Monika, Dave, Ben, Josie, Coralie and Linda).

Within 24 hours, I went from CHCH to the back backseat of a camper van next to the most adorable German girl I've ever seen named Linda (see pic to the right). Linda and I hit it off right away. The group consisted of 1 Belgian, Josie, 2 Germans, Linda and Monika, 1 American, Ben, 1 English guy, Dave, and 1 French girl, who we all called Frenchy, or Coralie (her real name). There I was, sitting in the back of a van winding its way along the beautiful and remote roads of the South Island of New Zealand. The music was on, the weather was fair, and the 7 of us were off on a big adventure.

The whole group had met in Christchurch after Ben put up an ad looking for travel companions. Turns out, Linda and Monika had been on my Melbourne flight to Christchurch! They welcomed me into the group with open arms and my dream of traveling around New Zealand with a group in a car became reality. (Left: me in front of cairns at Lindis Pass, along west coast in NZ).

Our first night we ended up in Fox Glacier with one catch - there were no hostels. Luckily, the 7 of us clever travelers knew how to blend in and look like we were paying guests, when in reality we all just picked a spot on the floor of the hostel lounge once everyone had turned in and we slept there. Ahhh the joys of traveling!

It wasn't until the end of Day 1 when we realized that the locking mechanism on the trunk of the van was broken. It was locked shut, unopenable, and all of our bags were buried inside. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to load a van from the middle seat? Well, we became quite good at it, establishing an assembly line of sorts, with Dave tasked with positioning the luggage. It turns out we managed to pack more efficiently with the trunk door welded shut, than opened, and Monika, the driver of us all, could finally see out the back.

The following day it was miserable and rainy. You couldn't see any scenery and we spent our time inside the hostel where we weren't technically guests and played games. I started to excel at Trivial Pursuit, stumping Ben, the Harvard graduate a few times. We then curled up and watched Empire Records before leaving the hostel around 5pm.

We lived night by night, calling hostels and motels the day of to ask if they had accomodation, and often we were turned away but kept on persevering.

At the end of Day 2 we hopped in the van (no easy task with 12 bags and 7 folks) and drove to Franz Josef glacier (Nina, it IS AMAZING!). We got a motel with lots of beds and couches to make up for our previous night, but first decided to check out the hike to the glacier. It was a bit nicer out so we walked for 40 minutes to investigate what our route for the following day should be. Then we went for dinner in the cute little town of FJ and found an Indian place. We were never short on conversation or laughs.

Day 3 we did the Franz Josef glacier and hiked all the way to the bottom. However, with time constraints and money constraints, we decided to forego the $100 inside-the-glacier hike and just admire it from its base. It was a good idea, as the weather wasn't the best and we had to hit the road and drive up to Nelson that night! Funnily enough, though, at the glacier I bump into Sadie, my Queenstown hostel mate! I love meeting people in random spots.

So, after the glacier we all climbed into the camper van and hit the road, but stopped at the pancake rocks for everyone to see. I was so happy to go back there and felt kinda cool as the others called me their tour guide for knowing where to go. Oh, Canadians, we know so much! I also decided that the pancake rocks undeniably needed a restaurant where they serve pancakes. It's the perfect niche market. I also decided to name this restaurant 'Pancakes Rock' and announced this brainchild idea to Ben who, although concurred, probably thought I was nuts. It really was hilarious.

Stopping for dinner in a cute little town, we cracked open the beers. Did you know that in New Zealand you are allowed to have open beers consumed in a moving vehicle, provided the driver himself isn't drinking? So we took the party on the road on the way to the next destination. Drinking also leads to needing to pee, so twice we had to pull over in the pitch blackness of the New Zealand open road and pee in the bush. Laughing hysterically and screeching at what we thought might be the odd spider, the drive took a little bit longer than planned.

We arrived in Nelson, once again hostel-less, but we knew we could probably pull off another lounge-sleep so we did that but as it was late, we only got about 5 hours of sleep before heading off again.

So that brings us into Day 4 - Abel Tasman National Park!! I'm so glad we spent more time there because it was certainly the most beautiful part. It was finally sunny, and after a quick stop over at the mechanics to fix the trunk mechanism (which earned Collin, our mechanic, a round of applause), we carried on up the mountains and down to the coast. What a beautiful day! The sun was shining, the air was warm, and we did a 3-hour beach walk along the water.

The walk consisted of many obstacles, including beaches full of rock that required extreme walking precision, but we all did it successfully and reaped the benefits of a private beach in the end. We went for a swim, too, and it was just surreal to be in the water in a private cove with my new friends and on the bottom of the planet.

Linda's favourite expression is "Ohhhhh Nooooo", spoken in her high-pitched, adorable German accent, and throughout the trip we'd frequently imitate her to everyone's amusement. Ben is a soon-to-be stand up comic and was able to practise many a joke on us, so we were never short of entertainment. He's also got a great knack for voice impressions, Smeagol is one of them and so is the Nazgul, a demonic dragon/snakelike creature that the Ringwraiths fly around on in Lord of the Rings. We'd frequently ask for his impressions and they'd send us into hysterics.

Dave is the soft spoken British bloke from Darlington with adorable feet and hair. He's also the human sand fly, as was typically the first person to get bitten by the little annoying creatures. Think mosquito, but smaller. These things come at you whenever you get out of the car. By the end, Dave was covered in bites, and after counting them, he could find 73 individual attacks on his body. Josie has a song we all like to break out and sing and it goes like "we love you Josie, we do, we love you Josie, we do, ohhhh Josie we love you!" and Dave was typically the first to initiate a sing a long. Josie also knows a lot of my music and we frequently broke out into song while waiting for the crew to get organized. Monika, mother Monika, our driver, is so fabulous, as she was in charge of transporting all of us around and she did so flawlessly along the winding, sharp corners of the New Zealand bush. Frenchy would often wander off, so we developed a game and counted how many times during the day we'd ask, "Where's Coralie?" Sometimes it would get up to 11 times.

Our theme song is.... Fireflies by OWL CITY!!!! Kate, I know, how crazy is that? "You would not believe your eyes, if 10 million fireflies..." haha. The story is that the guys love that song and sing it exactly like that band. But my story is the day I flew to Sydney from Toronto, Kate and I heard it on the radio and we both commented on how funny and stupid yet catchy it is - but also it themed my trip just by coming on the radio at that moment. Funny how it's now themed our trip.











The next day we hiked Abel Tasman through the forest and to another secluded beach. The sun was out again and the bugs weren't so bad. When we made it to the beach, it was definitely worth it. Although too cold to swim, we walked in the water, did cartwheels, took photos and had a great time.
It was 10km round trip and we were all pretty exhausted by the time we got back to the car. The next stop was the Picton ferry to Wellington, so we drove for 3 hours to make it to the 10:30pm departure time. The ferry was amazing! Although you couldn't see many sites, we had 3 hours to relax and have a glass of wine before driving to our hostel. We booked into Nomads hostel, a 6-bed dorm so we could all actually have a good sleep.

Yesterday we did Wellington but the weather wasn't so nice. It rained a bit but we walked around, discovered the greatest breakfast spot called Mr. Bun, and tried to see all we could. That night was our last night in Wellington together and we all went out, first to a really swanky place called Matterhorn and then to a bar right next door called Mighty Mighty. It was so great! I ended up dancing like a mo fo at MM before we all left to head back to the hostel around 2am.

The gang had plans to drive up the North Island, but I said I'd stay in Wellington to visit with my mom's friend Binnie. I talked to Binnie yesterday and we said we'd meet today at 1:30pm for lunch downtown. So that is where I am right now. I said goodbye to my little gang of companions, who I've known for only 7 days, but it was 7 intense and fun days of traveling together. Someone should come up with a formula for how long you can say you've known someone compared to how long you've traveled with them. Traveling with people is the easiest and fastest way to get to know someone and it already feels like I've been friends with them for years.

This morning (Thursday at 11:30am right now as I type this) I said bye to everyone and it was a little sad, but I'm meeting up with them in Auckland the day before I fly out to Sydney. It's raining out and I'm still drenched from standing in the rain and saying my goodbyes. What a whirlwind time, I can't believe still how much has happened and how far I've gone. This group of people are the best bunch I could have ever wanted to meet and it's honestly crazy to think about the series of events that have brought me here. I'm off to meet Binnie, who I'm staying with for a few days. She's taking me to a rugby game this weekend and promised to show me around - I'm so fortunate to know such great people.

New Zealand isn't over yet... stay tuned!

The Kiwi, the Aussie, and the Canuck

And then there were three. Jamie wasn't able to join us on our trip, something I found out 20 minutes after posting my last blog. We completely understood, as he wasn't intending on going in the first place until we all ended up at Christchurch Idol, aka the local karaoke place, and in a drunken state Jamie said he could come.

I also had to go and take care of my cell phone issues. I'd run out of money on my plan and usually am able to go to any Vodafone to top it up. But in New Zealand, you can't top up an Australian phone, so I ended up getting a NZ SIM card, with a new number. Mum, Uj, I'll email it to you.

Either way, Mike (the Kiwi) met Zoe (the Aussie) and me (the Canuck) at the Base hostel around 10:30am yesterday (Wednesday) and we headed out on the open road. We were really lucky with weather even with the 2.5hour journey through the mountains looming before us. If you look at a map of New Zealand, you can see Greymouth, our destination, on the mid-north, west coast side of the south island, so we literally drove across the entire country in half a day. The mountains usually dictate erratic weather but we left in the bright sunshine, 25 degrees outside, with a good feeling it would stay that way.

Our road trip was amazing. Pumping the tunes, we had flat country for the first 45 minutes and that's just when you start to see the first of the mountains on the horizon. They looked like really defined clouds, but you soon realize that's where you are headed. It's so different from Ontario where the only excuse for a mountain is the escarpment (sorry Milton, but it really can't compare). Suddenly, the hills grow all around you and the car goes from driving on a flat plain to winding on sometimes-precarious roads. Mike knew the best places to stop for pictures, so we'd pull up, be the only car on the road for miles, and score these amazing shots of the landscape.


We made it to the landmark of Arthur's Pass, a town on a road that winds between two very high peaks. It's the only place for miles where you can get food and go pee. It's also one of the only places along the route where you can get cell phone reception! I took a photo of myself in front of the weather camera for Arthur's Pass - you can Google pics but while you won't see me, you'll see the views.

Stopping in Arthur's Pass for a meat pie, I had a steak and cheese one, we sat outside admiring the views but were suddenly weary of unwanted guests. These guests are Keas, birds that are so ruthless for food, they'll jump on the table and steal the food from your hand (or worse)! They are giant, parrot-like birds and are in constant attack mode. Under no circumstances can you feed a Kea. They bothered us for a bit but then went off to look for more generous scavengees.

Shortly out of Arthur's Pass we stopped at a lookout just above a river tucked in deep beneath the mountains. The beautiful red trees amongst the green foliage swept up the hills, giving it a Canadian fall-like feel. The pics speak for themselves.

We arrived in Greymouth at around 4pm and headed south down the coast about 20 minutes to a place called Hokitika, famous for jade stones. We went to a store/manufacturer that sells and carves the jade. Jewelry is quite pricey, but the pieces are gorgeous. I bought a little necklace and so did Zoe.

We then headed north up the coast to Greymouth where Mike's sister and husband live with their two kids. We dropped off our things, said hi to the family, and then headed even farther north. This drive was incredible. It was so scenic and we each thought about how it looked very Hawaiian. It was entirely along the ocean coast, with the water going on for thousands of kms before reaching Australia. The sun was setting along the water and it was a beautiful day, still. We drove to Punakaiki, a coastal lookout famous for its pancake rocks. What a place! It was like traveling back millions of years to these huge rocks that formed gradually over time, creating blowholes for the ocean to spew out of in giant bursts. The rocks stand like pillars coming out of the water and long, dark, flowing seaweed grows out of them at the bottom, floating grimly in the water. Zoe so aptly noted how the seaweed resembled the Harry Potter dementors and we all concurred. I could also compare the seaweed to the dead girl's hair in The Ring - creepy.

We stayed and took photos and enjoyed the sights (and ocean smells) for at least 45 minutes before heading back into Greymouth to grab some food. We ate dinner at a pub called Speight's, named after a New Zealand beer. I had the best garlic-thai shrimp. It was a great dinner. We headed back to Mike's sister's and watched some tv, chatted, and Zoe and I went to bed around midnight as we had to leave early this morning to get back to Christchurch.

An interesting thing happened. While quickly checking my email at Mike's sister's place I get a Facebook message from one of the guys who was at the Lord of the Rings tour. Remember how I said I bumped into a group of six people my age? Well I gave the one guy my Facebook info. So, it turns out I got a message from him saying they'd love for me to join then in their van! They said they have one free spot because the British dude is leaving to go home early. But then, I get another message from the Ben guy saying that the British dude is actually sticking around and that they don't have room. Then, I get a third message from Ben saying they figured it out, they can put the luggage on the roof, and that he feels bad for offering a seat to me and taking it away so they are trying to make it work now! Either way, I'm a bit skeptical so will fill you in on that if anything happens.

The drive back to Christchurch was much quicker without all our photo stops, but it was also gloomier with the rain and low clouds. We dropped Zoe off at the airport at noon - we were so sad to see her go! She's been my Christchurch companion this whole time and with such a fluke-y way to meet, and for all we ended up doing, it was so great to meet her and get along so well.

What an amazing road trip we had. Now I can say that I've seen the northwest coast. I've bought my bus ticket to go down to Queenstown already and I leave tomorrow (Thursday) morning. I arrive there at 4:30pm, so it'll be another long day of journeying ahead.

Bye, Christchurch and everybody, I'll really miss it here and remember how amazing it was for the rest of my life. We all made a pact that in 2012, we'd meet each other somewhere for a reunion. While it would be cool to make that spot Greymouth, we decided, for convenience, to make it Vegas.

Ain't no stoppin' us now!

Hi Y'all!

That's such a Southern greeting, but I'm mistaken for being American a lot. Most of the locals say they can decipher between my Canuck accent and an American one, but sometimes I can't even do that myself. I guess it's the 'oot' sound, for 'out', that sets me apart. They also love it when I say 'orange' and 'Carl' haha.

I'm sitting in the Cathedral Square in Christchurch, on a for-hire computer charging $3.00 per hour, which isn't too bad a price. It's nice and quiet here, 9:07am, and today Shrek and Donkey are off on another whirlwind adventure.

After leaving you all off in Middle Earth, I returned back to reality to go and stay at Jamie's place for a few nights, as all the hostels were full (well, Base was and I didn't have time to check others haha). What a great place! He lives only a few blocks from the city centre - us Torontonians could compare it to living at Queen's Quay, about 10 mins from Union - that's NOTHING. We all had a lazy day on Saturday - blogging and watching cricket - then we had the best intentions to go and watch a one man play in the park but didn't end up leaving Jamie's, we just stayed there drinking and listening to music.

The listening to music part was a feat and a half. At that moment, what I wouldn't have given for my five computer speakers and sub-wooooooooooofer from home! We sat around for about 45 minutes figuring out how to achieve ample sound with what we had - and we finally did that with some handy technical work.

Sunday was great. The guys took me to Lyttleton and Sumner to see the sights and the ocean. Everywhere is so hilly! The hills are alive, the hills have eyes, and The Hills are all popping into my mind - but this place is so picturesque. We had lattes at a local cafe and then drove up the mountain to the other side to see the OCEAN. Jamie got a video of me epic-running into the water. I only made it to my ankles, but still, I did it. We had beers on the beach listening to a two-man band, known as Stig, the name of the front runner. Mike had to steal the poster to prove what a nut Stig was. He looked like Santa on holiday and sang lousy covers of songs - all with the gall to charge $10 door cover. Luckily we didn't have to pay, but got to rag on the entertainment instead.

We all then headed to a warehouse store we Canadians would compare to Zellers and each had a hankering to watch Anchorman. Only problem - Jamie doesn't own Anchorman. Thinking we'd have no trouble picking up a copy from the giant store, we set out not knowing our task. It took four of us 45 minutes to comb through at least 5,000 dvds and none of us found what we were looking for. It was hilarious! Settling on pizza and Wedding Crashers for our Sunday entertainment instead, we called it an early night.

On Monday I went for the most amazing run through town and to the Botanic Gardens. It was so splendid being out early and getting a workout, something I've been lagging on. I was completely alone for most of it in the gardens, save for the ducks, and I'd love to go again only we are leaving early this morning for another adventure. Then, yesterday afternoon we watched the Superbowl yesterday (I felt like I actually knew more about NFL than I thought I did!), we went for dinner, and then went to sing Karaoke... again. My rendition of 'Be My Baby' was a keeper, wish I'd recorded it.

So that is where I am now. I had no idea I'd be staying in Christchurch for this long, but I love that I have no obligations (no medical? haha) to go anywhere else. Although I know I have to move along soon so I will keep y'all posted as to where that may be. Either way, think of us on our road trip today (me, Zoe, Jamie and Mike), driving up through the mountains and Arthur's Pass to head West for a fun day of sightseeing wonders.... just another day typical day of my IWA. I don't want this to end.

Edoras and the Lord of the Rings tour I actually did

I'd booked my hostel for two nights only and when I went to the front desk to ask if they could book me in for a third night, they said unfortunately, we're full. No room at the inn. What to do, what to do, what to do? Got it! Jamie kindly offered me to stay at his parent's apartment right downtown, so that is where I am sitting right now. I am so so so lucky, I couldn't have planned this better. On Thursday night he said of course you can stay over for a few nights and I was relieved I wouldn't have to find another hostel or sleep outside.

But first thing first. I'd actually done it. I actually went into the travel office and booked myself on a day-tour. This wasn't just any day tour. This was the OFFICIAL Lord of the Rings day tour that takes you to where they filmed a large chunk of the second film, The Two Towers. I actually shelled out the $200 for the 9 hour trip, that departed at 9am on Friday morning. I was a little skeptical. Would I be on a bus with complete fanatics, or would this be worth it? So after our night of Karaoke, I woke myself up at 7:30am to pack, check out, and go wait for the tour bus. I was able to store my luggage at Base.

What an excellent morning. It was a bit cloudy when I left the hostel in search of tea and a muffin, but it was warm. I went to the Starbucks on the outer part of the cathedral square in the heart of the city. Mum, I was all set to use my Starbucks card but they didn't accept it. Bummer, I'd have liked to say I used it here. So I bought my venti tea and a blueberry muffin and, armed with my mini backpack and a positive attitude, I set out to meet my little tour bus.

It came around the corner in full force, a 6-wheel, 15-seat bus with the huge letters written on the side: 'Lord of the Rings tours'. I climbed on board in a flash, not keen to have the onlookers associating my face with the cheesy bus. I was met with the faces of my companions for that day, many of whom I anticipated to be on board. There was a cute older couple from Seattle, a group of 3 sexagenarians from Britain, a German girl, and two brothers, one of whom had ginger hair and a minor mental handicap, and the other who was dressed like Neo from the Matrix meets Woody from Toy Story. What a group. I could see I'd fit right in.

One very promising individual was the bus driver named Hammond - a Kiwi version of my Dad, although he had white hair. Dad, I couldn't believe how much this guy reminded me of you!! We had the best bus driver. Not only were we lucky enough to have him take us on the tour (he only works once every two weeks) but he has worked with Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings sets doing sound editing, had won 2 Oscars for his work on the 3rd LOTR ROTK and King Kong, and he knew the location inside and out. He also confessed that the other drivers were not associated with the films at all and that he was the only tour director who had this level of connection to them. WOW! He only told us this full story on the way back and he'd only said he'd done sound editing on the films enroute to the location. But, being the movie buff I am, I did manage to corner him during one of our first pee breaks in a town called Staveley and asked about winning an Oscar for the movie. He looked at me like I was onto something but I'd have to wait for the full story later.

Check out these pics below: First is Hammond, on our tour, and the Second is Hammond (far right) winning his Oscar!

We stopped a few times before actually reaching our destination. Where we were going was called Mt. Sunday, although the LOTR fans will know it as 'Edoras' the location where the mighty king Theoden holds court in the land of Rohan, home of the horse lords. I'm laughing out loud writing this. As we approached, we snaked through the giant hills, with huge, high peaks all around. They had no snow at the top, but would have had some at the time of filming. We stopped at various vantage points to take photos (let me just say how unloading and re-loading people, many of whom are less mobile than others, on and off a bus is quite a task.)

Then, when you truly do approach the mountain, the driver puts on the Lord of the Rings theme music over the speakers and the nerds go insane with excitement. I was full of cringe moments, laughing to myself about where I was and how, if anyone in this world besides Sandy, Nick, Rick or Kate were with me, I'd be getting the death stare for me bringing them there.

By this time, the mentally handicapped ginger boy (he was at least 21) was over the moon with excitement. We climb out of the bus for another photo opp and he's running around the group shouting 'This is the best vacation ever!' and yelling 'I'm feeling LOUD!' We haul ass back into the bus and are literally at the helm of this giant landscape. The driver tells us to buckle our seat belts and proceeds to drive through the rockiest, most unstable area I'd ever seen. I thought we'd tip over multiple times and he advised us to watch our heads on the windows as we were tossed around like salad.

Then, he advised we unbuckle our seat belts. Waiting for the universal 'why? you're crazy' he informed us that we'd be crossing through a shallow river and that should we tip over, our escape would be facilitated without the constricting seat belts. We gladly unbuckled them. Finally, our journey was almost complete. Aside from the cheesiness of it all, it was actually quite a feat to think of how the crew filmed in such a location. The small lump of a mountain is actually 600 ft. above sea level. It is nestled onto the valley floor and surrounding it is a wall of even higher peaks, some four times as large, forming a ring around the valley. Famous for reaching winds of up to 180km/hr, we were very lucky with the sunny, warm day. It's truly breathtaking to see it all. It's phenomenal, I've never seen anything like it in my life.

This is the moment when the driver unloads the legitimately real LOTR weapon props used in the movie and hands it to the true fanatics. He gave the ginger boy the axe to wield around like Gimli and we all slightly questioned this decision. I noticed the other passengers fearing for their lives should this kid swing too wildly and chop off someone's appendage. We kept our distances.

We hiked higher and higher, avoiding the cow dung, until we were at the top of the hill, or on the exact location where the great hall was constructed for the movie. Hammond held up photos to show us what it all looked like when it was built. He pointed to different spots where King Theoden pushed Wormtongue out of the hall and down the steps, and where Theoden mourned for his son by the grave.

My all time favourite part of the movie is in Part 3 when the lighting of the beacons occurs and I asked about the peak where it appeared. It's when Aragorn first sees it and comes rushing to tell the Rohan guys that Gondor is calling for aid. This ever-so-detailed question destroyed my skepticism about whether I truly fit in with all the nerds. I did.

At this point, Hammond was about to show us a particular area where a scene was filmed and he asked for a volunteer to help demonstrate. I was hanging back to take some photos when I overheard the scene he was describing, which called for a young blonde girl. I knew exactly what part he wanted to portray but it was only when the ginger-haired guy started shouting for me to come over did I realize I had no other choice. This is the kind of stuff that would happen to me or Kate. Everyone watched as I followed Hammond to the spot on the edge. He told me to look out in the right direction and stand still. There I was, Eowyn, princess of Edoras, and the other tourists snapped away their cameras with me the focus of the recreation!!!!!! See the comparison:


Wwwwwwow!!!!! The funniest thing is that all 12 other people on the bus will have this exact photo on their cameras to take home and show everyone because as I stood there, trying not to LMAO, they were all taking their photos of me. It was quite the moment in my life.

I even got a pic of me holding a sword, which I won't post, it's just too embarassing...

There were a few other people also visiting the LOTR site in their own group. They were my age, also staying at Base, and they'd rented a camper van to go up to Mt. Sunday. It made me feel even more lame knowing that I was with the official tour haha. One of them asked me to get a group shot of everyone and I got talking to them. There were two guys and four girls, one guy from the States, and they all said to look them up when I get to Queenstown. Wow, what are the chances of meeting people THERE.

The rest of the tour included lunch and champagne back at the cabin. While the other nerds sat inside, I brought my food outside to sit quietly overlooking the gorgeous view. It was another unreal 'am I here' moment, ahhh. We all drove back into Christchurch and Mike picked me up and took me to Jamie's where we chilled and had Thai food. So here I am! What an adventurous two days. So amazing, what a great time so far in New Zealand. I love it here and can't wait for more.

Just to close, I want to say, Happy Bday SHPEE!!! Have such a great day and have fun in Whistler. Check out this special birthday message I did for YOU!! love ya xoxoxox

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryOK5wieg6s

Landing in Christchurch and Akaroa

Oh My Gosh!!! OMG, what a life I am leading... is this for real? Hi everyone, this is the next phase of the trip and it's been incredible.

Remember how I said in my last post, 'we'll see where meeting up with Mike leads?' Well, you have no idea! I left off in Melbourne, so picking up from there, I woke up on Wednesday to go and catch my 5:50pm plane to Christchurch. Philip drove me to the train and it was sad to say goodbye to them, as I'd had such a great 3 weeks staying there. I'd wanted to do something for them so I went to a gift shop and bought them a butterfly made from metal - a really cool decoration that I thought would fit into their home perfectly. I would have liked to do more, though. I also picked up wine and dinner for our last supper and we had vino and tacos. What a great time in Melbourne, sigh.

So, the day of my flight I stopped off at the post office to mail home some items I couldn't carry with me to New Zealand - it wasn't too big of a cost, I think it's worth it rather than facing the hassle of bringing books and souvenirs with me. I sent off my items and they should arrive in Waterloo in three weeks. I had the option of doing the 'sea' service, but that would've taken 3 months!! I'd have been jealous of my possessions still on holiday when I return home in March!

It was very easy getting to the airport and I arrived in plenty of time for the plane. I'm certainly an experienced traveler now, heading off with my backpack, my baby pack strapped onto my chest like a real baby carrier, and my new purse. I love the journey, of having to get somewhere on time and make it there on your own. So, once checked in for the flight I bought a few magazines and waited in the cute, quiet Melbourne airport. I was feeling a bit apprehensive, as I tend to feel before heading somewhere new where I don't know anyone. One good thing - I'd met a new tennis friend named Mike from New Zealand and he lives in Christchurch, so he said we could meet up Thursday. Little did I know!!

The plane ride was great. It was awesome watching the sun set in the distance, and the horizon turned so red as the plane made its way into the night time "The daytime of the night" - Jemaine, Flight of the Conchords haha.

We landed and I had no idea what to expect. I hopped onto a shuttle going into the city. Sitting next to me was a girl also traveling alone. We soon struck up a conversation and I found out that she was Zoe, traveling alone in NZ for a week before heading back to study/her job as a Microbiologist. She's from Melbourne, she was on my flight, and she's going to the same hostel as I am, and I later found out that she was staying on my floor! I love traveling!

So, Zoe and I hit it off right away. We checked into Base and went down to the bar - it was packed- for a beer. Then, the craziest thing happened. I noticed this guy in the bar and thought he looked familiar. He looked at me and we both kinda did the 'I know you but don't know you' thing. He came up to me and asked if I was from Toronto, and I said yes, and it turns out he knows Kate (his name is Andrew T. - forget his last name) but he went to high school with Kate and he was at Base in Christchurch. What a coincidence!!

The next morning Zoe and I went for a walk in town. Our hostel was right downtown. Christchurch is the nicest place. It's so quaint, really easy to walk around in, and lots of sights to see all in one central place. It's very clean and well kept. There's a cathedral, which we went into briefly, and we also went to the botanic gardens. We walked in the small market where they were selling jewellry and trinkets when I got a text from Mike. I thought he'd just be sending some details about that night's dinner but he mentioned he had his car and that he and his friend Jamie were going to drive to Akaroa, the coast near this peninsula and that we should come.

We'd just finished saying how amazing it is to hang out with locals, and now we had some locals who wanted to hang with us! Within 5 minutes we were driving in Mike's car, heading for Akaroa, an amazing little village by the water. It was about an hour's drive of beautiful hills and scenery, and so nice to catch up with Mike, who worked with me on the tennis website, and with his friend Jamie, really awesome guy as well.

We stopped for icecream and to take in the scenery, and drove to the coastal village. What a marvelous spot. There is a salt-water bay in the middle of giant hills, with a long pier and shops along the water. We walked down the pier and I was lucky enough to film a movie of the dolphins swimming! Dolphins, in February! Dolphins, at all?! I couldn't believe it. We then went for fish and chips and beer on the beach. All I can say is 'wow'.

That night the four of us went out for beer at a bar called Dux de Lux, a local pub that was hosting a special evening called PechaKucha night, where speakers get to show the audience a series of 20 photos on a PowerPoint, but the catch is the photos can only be up for 20 seconds each. It's really interesting to learn about the Maori culture (pronounced Mau-ree, like Maui). We heard from 10 people, some were funny, some told really interesting stories about what they do. It was such an amazing thing to listen to. I had one of those moments where you're thinking, am I actually here? Am I actually in New Zealand with these strangers who are now friends listening to this? Unreal moments like that are such treats.

If that was amazing to listen to, then what we did next wasn't. We all went out to sing Karaoke at an Asian Karaoke bar! The way they do it here is there are about 7 rooms and you rent out a Karaoke room so you and your group can sing as much as you like. We had a ball belting out our favourite tunes and by the time Zoe and I got back to the hostel, after KFC and 7-11, it was 3am! But what comes next is even crazier... it needs a new post to describe it.

Okay, last Melbourne post

Hi everyone! Turns out I am able to do one more blog post before leaving Melbourne. I head out tomorrow afternoon to fly into Christchurch, landing around 9pm.

I left off writing about the men's final and it didn't disappoint. The last set between Federer and Murray was a roller coaster ride - a tie break that ended 13-11!! What a match! The biggest treat was still yet to come - our web team got to go and stand down on centre court to get a photo taken of us, and I brought my camera along for the ride. It was so surreal standing on centre court where Federe had JUST played, winning the Australian Open. See the first pic in the previous blog post - that's the writing on the ground where Federer stood to accept his trophy. So cool!
(Pic to the right is Hewitt practicing --- haha mmmm, nice! It's an older pic but just wanted to throw it in there for you.)

Sunday evening was also the bigger staff party for all those involved in putting on the Open. It was held in the player cafe, so after taking photos on centre court, a group of us went over to get our 3 free drinks and mingle. When we arrived, we heard that Federer had just been there to the player cafe to say thank you to the staff - d'oh, missed him again, polkaroo!! I didn't stay too long, and got a ride home with Kim, the head of the Web Team.

Yesterday was relaxed. I went for a nice, long run, and came home to do laundry and clean up. That evening, Tom had plans to take the Trengove family clan out for dinner at France Soir, a very exclusive, swanky place downtown. The Williams' sisters apparently love going there and Henri Leconte had been recently during the two week Open. Did anyone see/hear Leconte's commentary? Amazing! He was very funny and down to earth, it was a popular topic here.

So, I drove to the restaurant with Philip and we met Meg there while the others arrived separately. It was me, Philip and Megan, Deborah, Joan, Alan and Tom. What a cute group! I had a steak poivre, which I thought was too spicy, and some apple pie, which I thought was too bitter. The wine was delicious and the atmosphere was great, so I'm not complaing about a free dinner. Tom was very generous to treat all of us.

Then, I had a second party to go to (ha!), the web team part at Post Office Hotel. Tom and Philip drove me and stopped inside for a beer as well. It was so great to see everyone and you could tell we'd all gotten along really well over the tennis. I've added most of the team to Facebook to stay in touch! (Pic above: part of web team crew, celebrating a great two weeks!)

Right now, I am in an internet cafe in Richmond, a neighbourhood right near the tennis, and afterwards I'm going to look around for a gift for the Davey's. I'm also in charge of picking up dinner ingredients - tacos, so nothing too hard to make - and I'll pick up vino for the last night here in Melbourne. So this time, I can safely say I'll be writing to you next from NZ where I already have plans to meet up with new friends (Mike Steere, a tennis friend from Christchurch).

We'll see where that leads but I reckon it will be a lot of fun!!