Hello again. I started writing this post almost a month ago, but completely forgot about it until now... oops.
October 17, 2017:
It's Thursday night for us here in New Zealand. Josh and I are currently in Motuoapa, a suburb of Taupo. It was our first week of work on our own. We were our own team leaders... And I mean, we did okay. Not the top team of the company again or anything. But we didn't completely fuck everything up, which is always good. We are getting a little frustrated though because all of the accommodations the company has been booking for us have been wifi-less. The only reason I've got internet right now is because we had to book a night in a nearby motel. The house that was booked for us is having plumbing issues (no running water right now). But luckily, this motel was literally two doors down. Why the company chooses to book us in run-down holiday homes whenever places like this motel are available...I don't know. It's always an experience I suppose.
While we were in Rotorua, we finally got to do some more sight-seeing. Last Saturday night we visited a Maori village called Mitai. It was kind of a cheesy tourist experience that reminded me a lot of things my dad used to book for my family whenever we’d go on vacation somewhere. The night consisted of a cultural performance, a traditional Maori dinner, and a night bush-walk through the Mitai forest. The dinner was basically an English roast, which was kind of culturally disappointing. The cool thing about it was that it was prepared in a traditional way; slow-cooked buried in the earth. The performance was nice as far as performances go, we got to see and hear a lot of Maori songs and dances and a version of the Haka. I have videos to show you guys, but I have to post them to youtube first and I haven't really had time... Maybe I'll be starting a vlog channel as well?...
The night bush-walk was definitely the icing on the cake. The forest was covered in glow worms that lit up the night and made it feel like a place out of a fairy-tale. We also got to see this sacred spring and drink some of its crystal blue water. Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to figure out how to take long-exposure pictures before we got there, so I can't show you guys the glow-worms. But Josh and I plan on visiting a cave in Waitomo that's covered with these little guys. So I promise, I'll make up for it.
We were wanting to do a few more things that weekend, because there's actually heaps to do in Rotorua. We wanted to do a red-woods hike as well as go back to one or two of the hot-pools. But unfortunately, we ran into a little trouble with our van. Josh noticed something metal hanging from the bottom of the car. We called roadside assistance to come take a look, and it turns out both of our back shock-absorbers had basically fallen apart from New Zealand's country roads. So we were stuck at the guest-house on the farm for another night. But it gave me the chance to get some pictures of the house for you guys. It looks super charming during the day, but at night it felt like walking through a horror movie. Especially with some of the creepy pictures and antiques lying around. There were like five really unnecessary paintings in our bedroom that gave me the chills every time I walked by them.
This weekend, Josh and I are planning to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and to go on a boat ride on Lake Taupo. People usually spend months training for the crossing because you’re basically climbing a mountain... We’ve only been consistently working out for a week, so we’ll see if we end up making it or not.
Thanks for being patient with me guys. It’s been a long way coming, but we’re finally doing cool New Zealand shit. My visa ends in 4 months and I haven’t even made it to the South Island yet... I’m thinking I’ll have one of two options. Worst case scenario, I extend my visa as a tourist. So I wouldn’t be able to work after April 2018, but hopefully Josh and I will have enough money saved to spend a few months doing tourist shit. Best case scenario, if I keep doing well at the company I might be able to get sponsored for a six month work visa. And hopefully within that time we’ll get sent to fundraise in the South Island. Who knows. We’re just going with the flow.
