Another Rotorua visit and another skydive under my belt.

A close friend from Australia came to visit me for a week and a bit. We went skydiving, shooting and lugeing, not to mention various excursions about Auckland showing her around the better places to see. Was great fun, despite the weather predominantly being between overcast and raining. Oh well.

I learnt how to turn myself in the freefall and actually got to control my parachute this time Too cool.

Rock and Roll Dudes and Dudettes

Because my memory sucks aswell as me being lazy, I cant be bothered finishing the roadtrip journals, but at least I finally finished uploading all the Pics!

So if your interested, sent me a note and I'll throw you the link, just looking through the pics reminded me of how awesome a holiday it was.

Oh yes, and another person got one of my tattoo's done That makes three now, that I know about I'm stoked.

Knife making in Barrytown with Steven and his wife Robyn was quite possibly one of the best days spent in the South Island. Busting out to Barrytown early in the morning we arrived all ready to make knives. From there it was magic, heating the steel and shaping it before quenching it and moving to the grinders. The activity lasted the whole day and in between we were given lunch with a view out to the west coast that near brought a tear to ones eye. We got to throw axes and other implements of crudly shaped death steel at a wodden wall of sorts, and also got to go on a huge swing where about half a dozen people pulled you back on a rope so you could get real high. Sounds sorta lame but it was a buzz hehe. Dog ate a duckling, well, killed it but in the end beautiful sharp knives were held, nay, cradled by all. Steven was quite the character, very amusing though you had to wonder just how sick of the jokes his wife must have been getting, its probably the same with every group hahaha.

That evening we headed off through Greymouth and hit the road again on the way to Franz Joseph glacier, but not before stopping for a meal at the coolest little restaurant bar place. I completely missed the signs for it, but upon turning around we headed back to the place that served Possum Pie. The bar itself was full of skins and guns and swords... yea, male heaven. Funny little sings and such were everywhere but that was even the best part. The possum pie with gravy was absolutely delicious, the possum meat real tender and tasty. The chips done to perfection, hell even the potato salad was the best ive ever tasted.

After a hearty meal we finally hit Franz Joseph, the weather was miserable and seeing as our tent did a very good seive impression, we decided to crash in a backpackers. Sitting around a table we continued the epic game of fish head over more alcohol and some australians even joined us.

The next day we headed out to Franz Joseph glacier, jumped all the barriers and went for a trek up the riverbed. The glacier was very impressive close up, and quite populated. If you were to stop for ten minutes about a hundred people would walk by you, groups of about 20 people led by tour guides made their way towards the glacier in droves. A little while after we were told to turn back by the park ranger ( after a few photo's of course) we headed back and started off towards Fox Glacier. Fox glacier looked impressive to though we could only see it from a distance, the native forest on the drive to the glacier viewing platform however was stunning. Best native bush I have ever seen, so many greens, everything growing off everything else. It was wicked.

I believe it was this day that we finally cruised into Wanaka. To sum the scenery up in one word, and I quote murray here, "Naturegasm" This was the stuff calaenders were made of, desktops, screensavers... you name it, this was that good stuff that made you sigh inside. Absolutely amazing. Many days were to be spent here for sure. Once we found accomodation (pitched a tent in a random camping ground out of Wanaka) we chilled out by the clutha river. I went for a swim... holy f*** that water was cold, and keep in mind im the human thermometer. If I say its warm/nice, its cold. If I say its cold, its freezing. This water was freezing... but the most amazing blue. Photo's say it all really

26th December

We hit the road on boxing day. Keep in mind its over a month since we went so obviously minor details have now been lost due to the limited space in my head thats allocated to "memory". At some point in the day we got to West Port and saw the seal colony there, I think it was there anyway... then we went to Cape Foulwind and due to the weather did little more than take a fish head photo on a rock and feed a Weka some bread haha.

Heading south along the west coast we saw many a beatiful forest. Lost of beautiful bushlands to offset the rugged west coast beaches. Finally getting to Punakaiki we stopped to run around the Pancake Rocks, which basically, are a set of cliffs that look like stacked pancakes due to the way they are eroding. The fish made people smile like it always does and we grabbed soem lunch in the West Coast Cafe, which ironically wasnt called "pancake" anything... though it did serve soem delicious pancakes.

Heading south once more a little way out of Punakaiki we came across a car that had literally gone off the road not 30 seconds before we got to it, totally in a ditch. I think we missed it going off road because we were still coming around the corner onto the striaght. We pull over pretty quick and all jump out. I run around to the higher side of the car (this things on a decent pitch, 45 degrees I would say, though the photo may prove my imagination wrong when i get it) and hold my weight on a door while I hold it open so the people can all climb out. Everyones allright but we double back to find a phone to call a cop out to the scene to help them out because that car is well and truly stuck if not f***ed. Turns out they were trying to pass and they were forced off the road... merry christmas... hope you have been caught you coward scum.

South we head again, passing through Barrytown, an adventure already booked. We were so close to making knives... the testosterone was just amping... but not to worry, the women of Greymouth quelled that pretty quickly. Maybe we just got it on a bad day... Many a halarious quote that day... oh the battleship... dont ask. There was a cool beach there which kept us amused for an hour or so. Our night in Greymouth was spent drinking alcohol, playing fishhead and... well drinking more alcohol.

Morning of... I think it was the 24th by now? unsure... You people know my memory, its like a seive.

It had rained last night and being the optimist that I was, I had left my shoes out in the open thinking the weather would remain fine. not only did I leave them in the open, but right in a place where water running off the tent would be funneled directly into my left boot... absolutely saturated to the point where I literally tipped the shoes upside down and water came out. Day one of the stinky shoes and socks saga, them socks were epic in their stenchyness.

We went for a trek through Abel Tasman National Park, beautiful bush walks where your surrounded by native flora... and in some unfortunate parts, tons of freakin gorse. Passed a few streams on the way, typical me had to jump down and inspect every inch of them, having a drink from the bigger ones. Mux and Aaron munching back half of new zealands native ferns as they went, I was a little hesitant to eat many, they didnt taste that great to me. I was more hoping to have a rabbit or somethin to munch on lol, mmm meat. We walked for about 2 or three hours until we got to Appletree Bay,beautiful beach with golden sands. The sand was different down there too, very 'mineral', larger granuals than most beaches so you kinda sank down a little more than usual.

We got back in the evening and cooked dinner and such. Pasta was on the menu again, with mixed vegetables... the beginning of a trend that would last near two weeks >_< only to be interrupted by my pleas for meat, be it ham or mince or anything that bled when it died. Many a game of fish-head (an alternative to the card game shit-head) were to be played in the fading light as the sun descended, the loser of each game having to wear the fish-head as they played, alcohol was involved of course. There was also an interesting little side bet. Whoever lost 8 times in a row, (it was ten, but I haggled for lower) would have to get a picture of the fish tattoo'd on their arse. Now theres an incentive to not lose too many times at a game!

Dec 25th : Xmas day was refreshingly casual. At some point in the morning two young girls visited the campsite, both dressed up as santa, one riding a horse and the other pulling along a pony. Perfect fish-head photo opportunity we thought hehe. (By the way, if anyone wants to see a few of these pics they're on facebook, so note me and i'll throw you the addy.) Mid morning/lunch time a humble "merry xmas bro" was exchanged between us all. A beautiful day ahead of us started with an awesome breakfast, you couldnt ask for more really.