had to get out of christchurch.  it looks like bosnia without half the number of attractive people.  so i decided that i would come to the beach/mountain town of akaroa.  an interesting irishman said that he would split the rental car with me if he could come.  so i agreed.  i believe that was my first mistake.

its only an hour or so drive, but tim decided that he wanted us to brave downtown rush hour traffic and gather some camping supplies for him, so the drive took 3 hours instead of 90 minutes.  while i was mildly annoyed at this, i was soon mollified by the drive out to akaroa, which is stunning and mountainous.  plus tim was afraid of my driving and i took both pride and pleasure out of that.  im not ashamed to admit it.

the town is so quaint; quiet and laid back even though it was originally settled by the french.  who knew?  we are camping at a hostel on the side of a mountain that is also a working sheep farm.  words and pictures cant quite capture the majesty of this place.  ill have to post pics of the ridiculous sunset last night when i get a chance. 

so this morning was a little rough after the few beers last night but i had faith that this next week traveling with tim around the mountains would go fairly well.  im beginning to think i was wrong.  we went for a hike today and i am finding so many things that annoy me about this man.  he constantly mumbles in a thick accent so i have to keep asking him to either repeat whatever inane comment he just made, or simply grunt in assent.  he seems to be ok either way.  he also has an annoying habit of trying to take care of me not in a chivalrous way, but in a parental way, which dara will tell you that i hate.  he even reminded me to "bring some toilet roll on the hike in case you have to 'country pee'".  i just about quit right there.

he keeps talking about how he was in the army and what boot camp was like, but im beginning to have the suspicion that he may be lying about that, and is instead an avid follower of military practices that borders on stalking.  he even tried to teach me how to properly walk down a hill without tripping.  this from a 32 year old, morose, pudgy lord of the rings fan who wears his pants above his belly button and was upset because he didnt have his correct military webbing for his water canteen.  the hike was just for 2 hours.  yeesh.

needless to say, im thinking about just giving him my half of the car rental money (which we are supposed to have for a week) and telling him that i need to be on my own.  i actually miss being quiet and having quiet around me. can i break it to him?  should i just continue to get schmammered instead?  i really dont want to say that i spent a week of my 6 weeks in new zealand with someone i dont like.  decisions...

that being said, this town so so cute i could eat it up.  one main road and we are living above it all, up in the clouds.  the sheep woke me up this morning and the only place to shower or cook is in a lean-to shed about 100 yards from the campsite.  its perfect.  we leave tomorrow morning for mt. cook in the middle of the south island.  i believe there are inactive volcanoes and whatnot there.  super excited to see all of that.

i love you.  i miss you.  send me strength.
taryn

hello again my crazypantses.

im here finally in christchurch, new zealand after a fucking trial of a 48hours.  i tok a bus from byron bay to sydney (16hours) and then stayed with a friend that i met only one time back in the states.  he was incredibly gracious and allowed me to stay last minute in his spare room because he is a scholar and a gentleman.  youre the best, sid.  he even made me coffee in the morning and brought over his friend who hadnt been to sleep yet for my entertainment.  at least, thats how i like to think of it.

then the next day i had to re-acquire all the shit i sent off, so i met my aunt dodie's niece from the states who lives in sydney and she was able to help me with all that.  in exchange i bought beers.  and i actually ate a real meal with her for the first time in a very, very long time.  she was so nice.

then it was off to the airport.  i waited in line to check in and they told me that i actually needed a printout of my flight NZ from another airline before i could check into a flight there.  fine.  so i did that.  then i went back to the check in station and they said oh no!  you need your exit itinerary from NZ because youre such a threat to the environment or some shit.  so i did that.  i rushed and ran and even cried a little in the bathroom bc i thought i was gonna miss the plane again, but it turns out the plane was 2 hours late.  there was no need for the theatrics.  ah well i needed the practice.

so i arrived in this lovely country at 2am i id be damned if i actually paid for a room and only stayed in it for 6 hours, so i proceeded to sleep in the airport like about 40 other people and relax until the comupers turned on and i could get directions to my hostel.

the bus was actually amazing because i met this english guy who was willing to pay my bus fare because the bus driver couldnt break a fifty.  he and i chatted for about an hour and then stopped as soon as we got into town.  christchurch looks like bosnia.  it experienced an earchquake in april 2010 of 7.1 which rocked the city to its core and demolished much of the town and its surrounds.  then in february of this year, they had another huge earthquake that made the grad total percentage of damage to about 70%.  im not kidding when i say that this town looks like it had been bombed.  there are even tours beign given of the destroyed churches that used to be on the "church tour".  its really sad.

so anyway, yesterday i finally arrived at the hostel and it seemed like a gift from the universe.  i was so tired that i couldnt get warm, and i thought i was getting a fever because it was so cold outside that my face had windburn (i thought this was supposed to be summer?!?).  oh well, i decided that i was going to absolutely nothing all day except sleep, eat good meals, and read my book.  and it was perfect. 

today, after almost 9 hours of sleep (hold cannoli) i finally got up and felt amazeballs.  i had light breakfast and proceeded to go for a 6 hour hike with a 40 year old aussie man who kept saying, "EASY!!"  every time he wanted to accentuate something he said.  cant hold that against him though bc he was super nice and generous.  we walked up and down hills, went shopping for supplies, and generally had a pleasant time.

after a little hiking, trespassing, and a few beers, here i am: in a hostel lounge again, dreaming of all of you.  i love you.

tomorrow i will either go window shopping downtown or hiking with a young german boy who needs the money and has a car, while i need the car and have money.  (we may meander down south together to queensland and do some camping if it works out in both our favors.)

thats the super brief version of my last few days, and if you want more stories ill have to be chargin ya.

TF

im trying to plan for my last few days here in Oz, because i dont want to have high amounts of leftover currency and have to trade them in for kiwi dollars.  i also dont want to buy tons of food because itll make my pack heavier and i dont wanna fly with it... idk its all strategical and whatnot. 

i just arrived in byron bay today, and its this magical mix of santa cruz hippie chic and progressiveness in the food arena, and the santa barbara laidback-ness of a surfing community.  its like im back in college and it feels amazeballs.  i am SO glad i just outright booked my last two days here.  my hostel even has a pool!  and americans!!  i think it used to be a motel and was then converted.  wish the weather wasnt shitty but you cant have everything and at least its not cold.  im in shorts right meow. 

chatted with some canadian woman on the bus about how freakin expensive this country is.  i honestly cant begin to tell you how flabberghasting it is to try and buy a case of cheap beer and have it be upwards of $40.  but i did find a cute dress for like $20 and finally bought some toenail clippers but had to pass on the eyeliner ($23 are you kidding me?!).  ah, the essentials, i suppose.

i keep getting reminded that this country is like the US in so many ways.  at least i keep doing the same things that i would naturally be doing back home, anyway.  movies, beach, wine tasting, beer, road trips... maybe thats why im so excited to move on.  looking for something different than my normal life.  

i have also been considering the fact that for some people i am an emotional drive-by.  i engage perfect strangers in intimate and revealing conversations, truly connecting with them, then leaving them in the dust as i go along my merry way.  this lovely german man seemed to be slightly upset that he and i shared some private things with each other and that i would simply be evaporating from his life.  im thinking that perhaps it was an unusual occurence for him, but more likely a few people have felt the same way.  perhaps i should think before i divulge. 

or not.  those conversations are super fun. 

also: the voices in my head seem to be changing nationalities on a regular basis.  super frustrating.

sorry about all the made-up words.  i was just feeling it today.

also, for future reference, do NOT read the shining in a tent alone.  it tends to make one jumpy.

write that down.

well, as you might have guessed, i missed my plane to brisbane yesterday.  i had too much to do in the morning and indeed, my day was filled with the mean kind of assholes that were not inclined to be obliging or helpful to me in my predicament.  i literally had to tell myself to hold it together at the ticket counter when the lady told me i was too late.  and i almost reached across that counter to smack her when she told me that it would be beneficial if i were "at least an hour early for a flight in the future."  simpering woman...

anywho.  so i sat outside for about 30 minutes just reading and thinking about what to do next.  i made my way to the information center and asked where the nearest campsite was- about a 90 minute walk- and proceeded to make my way there.  i felt much better walking in the comforting morning sun to the beach and it turned out to be a great, relaxing day.

i snuck into the campsite so that i wouldnt have to pay ($40, cheah right!) and picked my spot right near the beach.  it was perfect.  i hung out, took a nap, laid out for a tan, and watched the sun set on the sand dunes.  all in all i suppose the universe watched out for me.

unfortunately i woke up with some painful ribs from the way i had been sleeping and a minor sinus issue that involves massive amounts of tissues.  oh well.  i caught my plane and tried not to throttle the lady from yesterday who made a snide remark about how i was on time today, and arrived in brisbane... a day later than expected but i suppose its all part of the journey.

the weather is shitty again and its too bad that i only get one day here before im off on a bus (again) to head south towards sydney and eventually NZ.  theres a girl in my room that is doing the same thing and i think i may actually have a bus buddy for once.  should be fun!  im looking forward to finally being able to do the check on-check off thing and just stop wherever my heart desires on the way to sydney.

on another note, you ever notice how loud your thoughts can get when you are alone?  i was there yesterday and laughed when i had to tell myself not to lick my Leatherman after using it to spread peanut butter.  hilarious!  and everyone appears to be right, that the obsessive thoughts about home and the people there seem to die away after a few weeks.  its odd but in a way i kind of miss them.  they could be rather comforting after a while.

ah well im tired and my back hurts and im a little lightheaded due to sinus and no-eating.  off the the free bbq on the roof of the hostel.  ttfn.

T

tomorrow is going to be a day of assholes.  by that i mean its going to be another day of travel.  its not that people are mean or anything, its more that youre seated around a bunch of other people whose asses are big enough that they have no conception of where their flesh ends and my face begins.  i cannot tell you how irritated this makes me, and the fact that i have been using copious amounts of long distance public transportation should tell you how sensitive a topic this for me. 

other than that, i am trying to work out how i am going to ship my wine when the post office opens at 830am, i have to also return the rental car, the airport is 30 minutes away, and my plane leaves at 955.  sweet jeebus.

im super excited to spend the next few days on the beach and taking the long road back to sydney.  talk about the most amazing road trip this past month.

finally made it to adelaide after a 13 hour bus ride, and had the most amazing sleep that ive had in quite a while.  whatever i paid for this hostel is totally worth it.  even the instant coffee is good.  although it could have been the ear plugs (thanks again, bree!), or the utter fatigue, or the couple of beers.  either way, i woke to the first day of true sunshine that i have had in almost 2 weeks.  i plan to spend it on a bike, wandering the city.

tomorrow im going to rent a car (i know.  i might die.) and go wine tasting!  gonna try out those lovely new business cards (courtesy of RR) and see what i can finagle for the next couple of days.  mclaren vale and barossa valley, watch out.  if you want some wine, message me on FB or something.


its weird what travelling alone can to to you.  you either make friends from faraway places and stay outside yourself all the time, or, if youre like me, you become very introspective.  i would rather that i focus my mind on world problems and intellectual/philosophical debates, but more often than not im just thinking about my own shit.  people, places, things, past transgressions; they are all swirling around.  even reading or playing loud music doesnt keep me out of my head. 

i cant figure out why its so hard to stay present.  ive stopped calling home so much and leave the internet alone for a couple of days at a time, and still cant seem to stop my mind from making these racetrack patterns of the same topics. 

on the other hand, maybe i just shouldnt think so much.