Canuck to Kiwi...My Adventures in NZ!

Back in February, I was lucky enough to have two good friends from home visit me. First came Katie. It was so nice to have a friend come in and visit me at the cafe, and I was glad to prove to my co-workers that I really did have friends!!! For the first few days of Katie's visit, she got into the slow groove of Richmond life, and had plenty of time to sleep off her jet lag. We spent evenings riding bikes, getting junk food from the corner store, just like when we were little kids, and staying up way too late watching chick flicks. I thoroughly enjoyed this laid back girl time, and David was probably happy to be off the hook to be my fill-in girlfriend, haha! As much as we enjoyed vegging out and pigging out, my time off work couldn't come soon enough, and we didn't waste any time getting out of Richmond to do some exploring. First, Katie, David and I went to Golden Bay, where we stayed in a little cabin on the beach. It was raining the day we got there, but luckily we ha...

I've wanted to visit Christchurch since I arrived in New Zealand, and was lucky enough to have the opportunity on our way home from Queenstown. Even though I had seen the extensive TV coverage since the 2011 earthquakes, I was still shocked to see the devastation firsthand. Entire city blocks were fenced off, whole streets of businesses and apartments abandoned. Buildings being temporarily supported with stacked shipping containers, and huge empty lots where buildings had been demolished. There was an eerie quiet in the worst hit areas, and hardly anyone around. It was fascinating and very sad at the same time.   At the edge of downtown, there was a striking memorial set up to remember each of the 185 people who lost their lives in the February 22nd, 2011 Canterbury earthquake. 185 chairs sit on the site of a fallen church, each one unique to the person it represents. Visitors are encouraged to walk amongst the chairs, which range from office chairs...

Alright, so we made it to Queenstown, and again, managed to set up our tent just before it started raining. And rain it did! For the 3 days we were there, it poured almost non-stop. We didn't let that spoil our fun though. First of all, the campground we stayed at was the coolest campground I have ever seen! There were quirky little touches at every turn, and lots of re-purposed items that were super funky. The common areas were also the best I've seen, which was good, considering the time we spent indoors! Awesome outdoor kitchen at the campsite Neat old parking meters at the campground Queenstown is an adventure based city, with lots and lots of fun things to keep you busy. We shopped, dined and explored, and hit most of the attractions not to be missed. When the rain became especially heavy, we ducked into cafes and ate warm cookies at "Cookie Time" and also killed some time at the same fudge shop we found in Arrowtown. I got my Canada hit at Starbucks w...

Okay, for those of you who didn't already know, you do now. I am quite possibly the world's biggest procrastinator. Since it's been, oh, 6 months or so since I last posted anything, (I don't seem to grasp the concept of blogging too well) I thought I would update all of you who haven't totally given up on me. Well, the last 6 months have been very eventful, and I've been lucky enough to see lots of New Zealand, both with David and with friends from home. After a long and hot summer, the winter has been somewhat of a shock, but I am better prepared for it this time around. Out came the jogging pants and slippers, and I've become very attached to my hot water bottle, or "hottie" as it's referred to here. David's Dad was also nice enough to put a heat pump in for us, and I seriously do not know how David survived last winter without it. I have a new appreciation for the toughness of the people of NZ, which I'm reminded of when I put on c...