With P, floating home.

Kiwis are well represented on the 59th voyage. We rock! On the South Seas to Auckland, I noticed familiar changes: the sun’s light was sharper, the weather became changeable, and the Southern Cross appeared in the night sky.Risa, P and I woke early before dawn. The Peace Boat silently passed by Rangitoto and the first shards of morning light began to emanate over Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs. This was a special sunrise (ok, the only sunrise), that we woke for on the voyage. I was coming home for Christmas. (more…)

A character, a joker, a singer, my uncle. Who enjoyed a beer and loved a laugh, who brightened up life, whose positivity and optimism shone out as inspiration to me in his fight with cancer. He passed away on 5 May 2007 and I was fortunate to be able to return home for a huge funeral attended by some 700 family and friends. Countless stories were wonderfully recounted about his character. Below is the speech I prepared for my dad, which he delivered for his brother. (more…)

Pauanui Panorama (click for larger)

Home is where the heart is. This was to be my first Christmas home for three years and I was looking forward to seeing family and sinking my teeth into a juicy glazed Christmas ham laced with cherries and pineapple. And kiwifruit and strawberries and Pavlova and Christmas cake… No Sushi for Christmas, thank you. (more…)

Thanks for the welcome home New Zealand - 4 seasons in one day. Some things never change! The first question on everyones lips - So what does it feel like to be back? Well it feels good, I think.. it feels the same. And theres nothing wrong with that. Travelling in some of the places Ive been gives you a greater appreciation of what we have - much more of an appreciation than just saying it would have you believe. What have you all been doing this past 1 1/2 years? Im looking forward to seeing a lot of you in this whirlwind stopover before heading off again to Japan to teach Engrish. I can’t sit still.

And ps, Im hoping at some point to write up some back dated posts on Tibet, Pakistan, Europe and Egypt and Jordan, we’ll see how I go.

Oh, and Ive given in to advertising on this site. Please feel free to click a link on the side - Im hoping to earn enough beans from this to pay for my website hosting and domain name registration.

I never really listened to John Denver so as I walked onto the plane on Friday I was singing it my own way.

I used to work at a shop in the airport and ‘people watched’ the many little soap operas as they unfolded. Lovers, families, friends saying goodbye. This time it was my show, played out amid ambivalent onlookers, complete with real tears. Its funny how in this time before I left everything had such compounded meaning - last words, meals, I love you’s. As the plane climbed I could see Manukau Heads and Whatipu from my window seat. When Trean and I were tramping there last week we saw a plane fly overhead. I was now in that plane - seeing things from the other perspective. It was not lost on me that ‘new perspectives’ might be the theme for this whole adventure.

Thanks to everyone who made Saturday at Khuja as sweet as it was. With so many friends overseas already I wasn’t sure about the turnout, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was awesome to catch up with all you guys that I just haven’t seen enough of recently. Cheers for all the beers, I was well watered. And thanks also for all the cool words and best wishes. (Special thanks to Matt and Jac for making the night never end). You’re all great people and Ill miss you a lot. Especially when I’m lost.

Check my Photolog for photos, if anyone else was shooting a few email me them and Ill post them too. Next Friday I’ll be in Melbourne with Jules before hitting Bangkok. Stay tuned

For 6.5 hours we were estranged from the hum drum of life. Our landscape tranformed every hour or two from Xena country > Golums swamp > to the beach.

I couldn’t leave this country before ‘getting back to nature’ and soaking up some of the rugged beauty of the Waitakere Ranges. An hour from central Auckland, Whatipu sits on the mouth of the Manukau Harbour overlooking South Head. Trean an I set out from Whatipu Lodge just after 10am. The first part of the climb took us straight up the cliffs of Gibbons track, looking out over the expanse we were to cover. Trean had dislocated her shoulder a week earlier so I played pack horse. We moved quite briskly, but stopped for some healthy chocolate breaks. I also took a bare plunge into the stream near the mouth of the Pararaha Valley.

If you’re interested in doing this tramp and others stop into the Arataki Visitor Centre first and pick up a map of tramps in the Waitaks. Starting this loop from Whatipu lodge do the Gibbons track first and come back along the beach. Finding the track off the beach is difficult. Also, when coming out of the Pararaha Valley walk straight out to the water - don’t try to cut accross the swamp. You’ll see why. See my Photolog for pics.

Rotorua always strikes me as an unashamed tourist town, its natural wonder a mecca for tourist operators. So I was stoked to find some untapped natural hot springs flowing through native bush.

Without a bit of local knowledge you probably wouldn’t find Kerosene Creek, down an unsuspecting metal road near Rainbow Mountain. To get there follow State Highway 5 south from Rotorua. Turn down Old Waimate Rd, first on the left after the State Highway 38 turnoff. Follow this rough dirt road for one or two km until you see a parking area. There are several spots you can hop in the stream, including 2 baby waterfalls. For hours we lay in the thermal warmth without seeing anyone. No walls, no cost, just beauty.

I stared down from the platform into the 35 metre chasm. The cave walls narrowed quickly like a funnel, beyond which I could see only darkness. I was surprised by the boldness in Katrina’s voice volunteering to be first. In full wetsuit and hooked up in her harness, she silently disappeared down the hole. I was next.

Putting my trust in my rope I convinced my feet to leave the platform. I hung for a moment before feeding the rope through, beginning my descent. The cave entrance converged faster than I had anticipated and was smaller too. Brushing the cavity walls I descended and saw the cave opening out again like an hourglass. With growing confidence the guide encouraged me to bound out from the rock. In four more decent leaps I joined Trean and the guide on the floor of the Ruakuri Cave. The other cavers all descended. Phase 1 complete.
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To all those people who know me, you warmly invited to my leaving party at Khuja Lounge on the 11th of September. It’ll be a pretty cool night and the last time I’ll be seeing most of you for some time. And if I havent caught up with you for a while it’s a good chance to say hello, goodbye

Click here to view invite