A much needed break was had over the weekend, first up I ate myself sick on the sweet grapes at a friends parents house up north, then worked my way through four country pubs and their characters on the way to a campsite where we slept with kiwi running around outside the tent
Have been away. From it all. And by it I mean not only good coffee, but the internet too. Don’t hate me, but here is what I have been doing:
So I went to the Kingdom of Tonga for one week. It’s only a three hour flight from NZ, but is a whole world away. The first four nights I stayed in a cheap, but very fun hostel in town, and from there I did the touristy things like tours and the such:
Went on a day trip to a couple of reefs in the ocean to go snorkeling on, and finished up on an island (Pangimotu), which I went back to the next day to lie on:
After I had had enough of tripping around I booked into an awesome place right on the beach where I had my own fale complete with bathroom, porch… and hammock. My next three days went something like this:
Lie in hammock and read
Snooze.
Go for a swim:
Go back to reading in the hammock.
Go for a walk to the shops to buy some snacks:
Go back to the hammock.
Go for a swim.
Go back to the hammock for a nap.
Read book. Finish book in one day. Start next book:
Go for a swim.
Find coconuts to take pictures of so I can walk along the beach singing “I’ve got a lovely pair of coconuts”. Then remember that the song actually goes on about a lovely pair of rollerskates, but Mah. There is no-one around to correct me so I’ll sing what I want.
Then realise that you may slowly be going mad from lack of human contact. Then realise if that is so you could go mad for a couple more days thank you very much. Then realise that you have to come home.
Go back to the hammock and have a nap because it is an exhausting life you lead.
Come home.
Sad face.
PS: I caught up with all your postings, they look awesome. Luci: Hatepe has been my special spot forever, but you can share it too. Vera, those photos look friggen a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Your parents must have been loving it! Em: You know Tequila is never anybody’s friend. I do like what you did with your hair though. And you’d never catch me in that scary thing. I’d be the one that peed her pants and had to be taken out early. Oh wait. You didn’t did you? Julie: I have been dreaming of a pedicure the whole time I have been away and those white booties tipped me over the edge! Megan: I say if you wanna twirl, twirl! Sometimes I sing really loudly and do wheelchair dancing down the hall of my office just couse. You gotta do what you gotta do. Barbara: so many cool flats! Peace out peeps.
Saturday night was a dress-up party Hawaiian theme. Good fun, got lei-ed.
Stacey Marie
Went shopping for things to take on my island adventure next week…
I just like black jandals okay? And I had to buy the god-awful beach feet cause I don’t want to rip my feet up on coral do I?
Stacey Marie
It’s just gone Labour Weekend here, where we shake off the winter blues and get our first sunburns of the year. I had an awesome time, kicking off on Friday night with drinks, fireworks and laughs with good friends outside on the balcony:
Then Saturday I caught the bus up north to stay with my friends Amy and Paul, who were hosting a hangi (traditional Maori way of cooking food in the ground) for- wait for it-… 90 people! There went the relaxing lie on the beach weekend I had in my head, suddenly I was immigrant labour. However the entire process and weekend was great fun, and really rewarding, and I managed to fit in a swim in the ocean and the chance to get my inaugural sunburn.
Digging of the pit for the food
This is what a quarter of 20kg of potatoes and 10kg of kumera peelings look like
After all that peeling it was time for a dip.
Sunday was hangi day, and it all went off with only one hitch… when high tide happened on the beach, the pit filled with water, at the same time that we wanted to start cooking… waiting for high tide to recede and putting some more sand in the hole seemed to remedy the situation!
Monday morning shone light on the mess 90 people can create, but it was also a beautiful day, so once we had cleaned up, we could relax in this:
Have had two three-hour exams this week, along with working, so I haven’t had much time for much other than studying, travel and work, but now they are over, the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day and I am going home next week and it’s all so good!!! But yeah, where was I oh that’s right, I still found time to go and eat awesome food with Vera on Wednesday at Squid Row. Priorities people.
Stacey Marie
First Official Jandal Worthy Day, and I knew I had to spend it all inside studying for exams this week. So I got up early (ish, for a Sunday) and took a stroll into the village for a muffin and a cup of coffee for breakie. And now I am taking another break to upload this. But nevermind, I have been doing lots (sort of) of good stuff between now and then and am quite satisfied that this afternoon is a bit cooler than this morning, so I was right to go wandering earlier. Anyway, since I am procrastinating from studying right now, I could possibly go on writing forever and ever. Do you know I’m going to buy a ukulele next payday and learn a few songs in time for Christmas. An instrument is the perfect procrastination devise, as is spring cleaning, which I may just go and do now. Have a happy Sunday!
Stacey Marie
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