50 shades of Green

March 21

I just pulled over the car.  I am sitting on hwy... um actually I do not know, but I do know I am driving one way until I get to hwy 6.  And hwy 6 will take me to another coast line.  

... "Please try to find yourself a little ray of Sunshine.  Take it easy have a drink an try ta settle down, don't worry 'bout the rest of it and everything will be alright. ...... Cause what we go is just like Paradise in Palestine." ~ Cast Iron Filter

This morning I woke at 8:30, made coffee, checked the weather, ate muesli with bananas and did some gardening.  2 flower beds, around the lemon tree, and the small strawberry patch.  Kevin has hooked my computer up to the loud speakers so I can listen to music while working :)  Mid-day I decided it was time to leave Collingwood, I've been in the Golden Bay area for one week.  It's been a good week, but surf is looking good on the West Coast so I'm heading in that general direction.  The family I just left was amazing, they are really genuinely happy people.  One thing I have come accustomed to and very much admire for the Kiwi's is whether it be a friend, a job, or even a stranger, they will have a bed ready and meal cooked and then they just hang around getting to know one another.  They live life, they enjoy life and they share about life.  I told Alexi my only "rule" in this trip is to never backtrack and keep going forward, he said his father (Kevin)'s motto is to never go backward.  As I left, waving, Kevin said anytime I want to come back to Takaka I have my bed, and don't look at  it as going backwards, thanks Heywood family for sharing your little piece of NZ with me:)

The road speed limit outside of any town is 100km, but the drive is so beautiful that I tend to go a little slow, allowing a car or two around me, so I can continue at my own pace.  This time, right now I had to physically turn off my car.  There is a river, a bridge, and at least 50 shades of green in the valleys, the bushes, the long grasses, and in every different kind of tree.  A car passes every 6-7 minutes, some pass quickly, others slow to a wave, and one or two will stop as well just to see whatever it is that I may be looking at.  It is a beautiful country, NZ, but it is also a beautiful world, so wherever you are go slow and remember to admire the people and the things around you.

"No matter what...

....Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up."

The chill has hit the S.Island.  It's not too bad, but you can feel it in your bones, when you wake up you have to stretch just a little extra to warm up.  This morning, I threw off the duvet, put on shorts and a t-shirt, made coffee, and got into the garden.  It gets you going, the sunshine I mean and being outside in it.  Even though it's a chilly one, it is still a beautiful one.  Today will consist of weeding one garden bed, then I am heading up to Whakariki beach for surf with Alexi.  There is a small offshore wind, 1.5 meter waves, and it works right at high tide which is 4 p.m. today.  If you are a surfer reading this and laughing at my small waves bug off, but I call this the perfect "jessica" wave, because it's just enough for me to ride with confidence and that is just fine with me.  While I am on the subject please watch "Surf Madness" with Rob Machado..........mmmmmmmm :)

ok done daydreaming for the morning.  It's work time.

xx

Stepping Outside She's Set Free

March 15, 2013

One of my very first walks in Raglan when I first arrived was a mild little bush walk on a reserve.  There were two little birds about the size of a golf ball flittering around in front of me on the pathway.  They were playing with me, they would land and as soon as I walked forward they would fly to the next spot and land again.  They flew in front of me for about an hour criss crossing along the way.  Later I learned these birds are called fantails, because of their white tail feathers that spread out like a fan.  I liked the way they were so free and so careless so I got one tattooed on my foot as an always reminder.  Today I woke up and walked through some private farm land to a pathway leading into a cave.  3 minutes in I saw a fantail, 10 minutes in the path became narrow, steep, and technical.  The little birds were forever moving forward, it is very difficult to snap a picture, yet I swear they want you to follow them as they go along.  It was a good sign, they mean luck, and I know that this was a sign, this is where I am supposed to be right now.  I am happy exploring land, and finding caves, hiking, and even sleeping in my car.  Everyday is a new day, I don't know at all what it brings, I feel like the fantail. 

"Sometimes you meet people and you know your life has changed because of them"

Three days ago, I walked Abel Tasman.  This national park is one of the nine great walks in NZ and one of the two that I personally wanted to do.  The trip was 50 kilometers and 2 full days of walking.  My bag was heavy with camping gear and they days were hot.  Arriving in Abel Tasman they brought us to Tutranui via water taxi, the boat ride up was almost enough.  At the start of the trip I met Ondrej and Zee, from Czech Republic and we did the two days together.  What could make Abel Tasman more exciting then it already is?  Starting it off by not hiking the path.  Instead we made our way around the edges- shore side- up and over rocks.  Late into day one and my shoulders were not comfortable, and at a point I very much considered having my bag brought back by boat however the boys were encouraging and by 8 p.m. the following day we made it back Marahua, where the cars were parked with no boat.  That night we stayed in a camp near Abel Tasman and the next day I took off to head North.  Not too far north and I was in Takaka, and in an instant I felt at home once again.  You can buy apples, pears, nashi, free range eggs, horse poo, and worm fertilizer from road side stands by putting your money in "honesty boxes", there is a local raw milk factory (new and very difficult to do here in NZ), and the views of mountain, stream, country side, and ocean just begin to describe the beauty that is.  I've explored "The Grove", Rawhiti Caves, Labriynth Rock Park, Pupu Springs, and Pohara beach community.  The town bulletins read: banjo lessons, yoga retreat, luminate festival, and story telling.  The shops are secondhand or handmade, whole organic food, SOUL, and... well you get the idea.  Ran into my Czech loves outside the grocery shop and we did some more wondering before they headed South.  I will be spending the next few days with a family just North doing Wwoofing work in their gardens and with their piggies.  Elda, Kevin, and their son Alexis live in a home 25k North of Takaka near a town called Collingswood.  They are the kind of family that takes you in at once, I know that the next few days will be good for all of us. :)

"this is my message to you,ou,oo"

"If you are stuck in the past you are depressed
If you are thinking of the future you are anxious
If you are living in the present you are at peace"

When I was 17 my high school guidance counselor asked me to write an essay about something or someone that inspired me or made an impact on my life.  This essay was to be submitted to college for acceptance into their university as if it was a complete judge of my character and who I was.  As I travel around another country ten years later (almost to date) I recalled again the event and person in which I wrote that essay about.  I realize how accurate the words I wrote back then really were and how much my essay was about a life lesson, and not just an acceptance plea. 

Days first sunrise 7:03 a.m. March 8, 2013 East Cape NZ

On Friday March 8, 2013 I woke at 4 a.m. with a thumbnail moon hanging low in the sky and cold still clinging to the night air.  I had stayed the night at Marae Haku, a small and very quiet grounds next to the Sea on the North East Cape of New Zealand's North Island.  I usually do not wake up early, and when I do wake I prefer to do so in my own time...slowly with no rush to be anywhere.  Well this morning was an exception that my body was just going to have to handle, I could have very easily snuggled down into my borrowed green sleeping bag and drifted back to sleep, but thinking of that life lesson, the one I based my entire college essay on, I crawled out of the tent.  Today I was driving to Te Aroha about an hour East.  After packing all I own back into the car, strapping the now 3 surfboards across the top, and assuring my Uruguay-en passenger was sleepily in the seat next to me, I wound around the uneven narrow gravel roads while still rubbing sleepies from my eyes.  Coming to an end at a remote farm plot I parked the car, and climbed 749 stairs to the top of the hill.  Upon arrival there were 7 others sitting on cliffs edge waiting in near silence, in the minutes that followed 4 others arrived.  The sky began to lighten and although the clouds were thick, 12 people of the 7 billion of us on Earth watched as the sun rose on a brand new day.  (Although there is no "technical" first point where the sun first rises and is seen each day and depending on how you look at the question there are a few different locations and answers, but to the best of my knowledge this point in NZ is one of the first spots on Earth that is inhabited and can be easily viewed where the sun rises on a new day.) 

For me this sunrise symbolized life, breath, and freedom, something that my dad showed me some 20 years ago.  Even back then I was not a morning person, but one Easter morning he dragged Justin and I out to Lake Ontario to watch the sunrise.  This he said is what life's about and although my dad is not "religious" I took it as this is what we are thanking God for.  The sunrise on each new day is all we need to know that we are alive and fortunate to be where we are.   In 2003 that was the moment that I described in my "essay" of life altering experiences and it is a moment that I thought of yet again as I sat watching the sky change color, the clouds become lined with pink and bright rays of light pushed their way through through the dark gray sky.  It might not seem like much, but once in awhile sit in the presence and enjoy that your life has another sunrise.

Free....Free Falllllllllling

One Minute free fall from 15,000 ft. Wicked.  The scariest part was being pushed off the side of the plane while your instructor still sits on the edge, you are just dangling there and then whoooosh.  You are falling fast and it’s incredibly free and scary and beautiful all at the same time.  And then the ‘chute is released and you just kinda float and spin down.  JP (my instructor) asked me to yell real loud at one point, I guess he thought I was sick or passed out I didn’t realize how quiet I was being, but it was so much to take in and I was just enjoying it.   Skydiving with skydiveTaupo is a must do.  Everyone was excited and helpful and the whole experience was epic!

                                         

A little over a week ago some friends  (thanks Fran, Roz, LT, Chris, farmstay guys) threw the best going away party at the Stable.  Every person showed up dressed in full on Cowboy or Indian costume: guns, handcrafted bow and arrows, facepaint included.  If you want a good party leave it to Raglan.   The last few days there flew by.  I said bye to not only all of my friends but to Dan, Leanna, and little ‘Belle.  We had a feast of Salmon and Udon Noodles and with lots of hugs, and well wishes, and see you laters, I hugged my “family” bye.  Three people that changed my life, gave me a home, and 5 of the best months of my life.  Now we just have to get them to come visit the States 
 
Caroline, Seba, and I left Raglan (a little sad) and headed to Taupo.  Upon pulling into Taupo we came across Reid’s Farm, a nice camp on the side of the River, where you can camp for free.  It is safe, and close to town, but far enough to hike up to Huka falls and hot water springs.  Taupo is a lake located in the central North Island, it is known for sailing, parasailing, skydiving, and mountain biking.  It is a healthy and clean city, and I would go back.  The skydive (see first paragraph) was unreal.   Spent some time wandering the town, chilling and hiking at camp, sitting in hot springs, and paddeling (with surfboard) in Acacia Bay on Lake Taupo.  I was fortunate enough to meet with David and sail on Fearless with him and Lindsey.  We took a 2 and a half hour trip around the lake, stopping to see Maori carivings, and go for a swim.  Thanks Dave and Lindsey see you both again!  Here is where I said goodbye to Caro, as she went back to Rags and Seba and I continued our North Island adventure. 

                                    

 Mt. Maunganui was the next stop.  This city is located on the West Coast, known for its surf.  There was ok surf, but the city was not a favorite.  If you want to go out for a night life or shop you might like it, but there was nowhere to camp or park, and it was not convenient for travelers.  However I needed my board fixed and the recommendation of Mike Meldon(spl?) came by.  He was one of the nicest men I’ve met, he was accommodating, and helpful, he fixed my board real quick and he is a well known long board shaper.  Thanks Mike wherever you may be, you were my favorite part of the Mont.

The Loveliest Places of all are those that look as if there is nothing there to those still learning to look –Turner-

Drive to Coromandel was nice, full of small towns including Paeroa (Lemon&Paeroa a local NZ bottled drink) which I loved.   All the small towns were gentle and sweet.  New Zealand is all about small towns with easy going people and spectacular beauty each different in their own right.   You must zigzag around them, enjoy the locals and the sites, taking your time otherwise you will pass by some of the best things.   In Thames Valley on a twisty road with a steep rock wall to one side and a river the to other I pulled over a one-way bridge in the middle of no where to use a bathroom.  There was a small Maori run farm and Caravan stay and if I’d had the time (or caravan) would have loved to stay and get to know the family and their land more than just the restroom.   We headed up the West Coast of the Peninsula and stopped off at “The Cheese Barn” and had a picnic of homemade icecream, brie cheese, blue cheese, chutney and crackers, and of course took some time to visit the farm animals.  Up the coast another couple hours we pulled into Te Mata Bay for a swim, and lunch, and it was so relaxing I pulled out my yoga cards Ani made for me and put on the relaxtion cd for an improptu 20 minute yoga and meditation.  Once in Coromandel town we got fishing gear from Top Catch (thanks for helping me out again TopCatch) ice, fuel, and water.  Then took the dirt roads winding up and around the North Point and stayed at Port Jackson beach for two nights.  Ahhhh Coromandel.  Gorgeous, calm, peaceful Coromandel.  Love it here.  Coromandel is a Peninsular that looks like it came out of scenes from Jurassic Park.  It is also known as the Puhutekawa Coast Line as the roads, beaches, and hills, are covered in this exotic NZ tree.  We drove all the way up to the North Point where the beaches are desolate and the water is crystal blue.  I took more pictures here then my camera could hold, so if you want to see beauty, see some of my albums.  I tried fishing (this is the Coromandel pastime) but without a boat/kayak I did not have much luck.  On day two I took the Coromandel Coastal Walkway by myself for a 7 hour hike around the coast to Stony Bay.   7 hours of walking, praying, and bird watching.  It clears your mind and your soul, no matter who you are you cannot resist saying Thanks to God that created such beauty and allows us to walk on it. On the way back South again we swerved around and made way down the East Coast of the Peninsular to Waikawau, and New Chums Beach.  New Chums is off the main road and once you “arrive” you have to wait for outgoing tide and walk the rocks and a small path to an oasis.  If you can find this unmarked beach you will not be disappointed.  White Sand, teal blue clear water, small waves, (good surf on a swell) and ¾ surrounded by tall rock and cliff.   It’s what I imagine the small islands of Hawaii, or Fiji to look like. 

               Keep your eyes open it’s more beautiful that way