CIA(Certificate in Adeventure)

Well, there hasn't been a spectacular amount of adventure since I got home. Samoa was spectacular. For any planning on travelling I suggest getting a tour guide. Samoan is the official language and it was so helpful to be able to have a native that knew where everything was located and how to get discounts on many of the activities. Everything is privately owned and there is a fee to access EVERYTHING. Must do's in Samoa-Visit both Islands. I can't stress this enough. The laid back life style gives ample time to visit both islands in one week. Also the beaches are spectacular, but you will automatically notice that. We had an awesome time in the canopy walk. It is a little overpriced, but if you want to see the real beauty of Samoa from the top this is a fun outing. A must is swimming with the sea turtles. there is a spot on Upolo that has a few in captivity. Make sure you take along a snorkeling mask so you can tract the buggers down. Grab on and go for a ride. Cultural attractions, make sure you get to an umu. If possible watch the preparation of the dinner. We were able to see the entire process from gutting to cooking to eating. It was awesome to watch the native way of cooking. If you have a squeamish stomach, may be you should just eat the dinner rather than watch the preparation. A spectacularly fun time was the rock slide near Apia. We were able to slip and slide down the rocks. Make sure you chose your path with care otherwise you may end up with a few unnecessary rock unpleasantries. Places to stay-Vacation Beach Fales and also Rita's travel lodge were great and accommodating. Samoa is fantastic. If it weren't for the huge spider that greeted us our first night I may have been unwilling to leave. But, the sunsets made all the spiders, roaches, and mosquitos worth it.

So, I know this is a little outdated, but I just had to write about the rugby game I went to...that and the fact that I am avoiding writing a paper yet again. So, a couple of weeks ago the Highlanders played the Cats. It was great! For those of you who don't know the Highlanders are the local team and the Cats are from South Africa. I now know where most of the teams are from and I have become quite well versed in rugby. Okay, I haven't but, I really want to. I have tried and tried, but sometimes you just can't accomplish without doing, and since I don't know anyone here to do, I haven't accomplished. Back to the game though. So, I bought my ticket before the game and thought I was good to go. Well, I was, but I didn't get the free Highlanders cape that they were giving out to those who bought tickets before the game. I got to the game and saw most of my group had these awesome capes. Well, I felt like in order to optimize my experience here in New Zealand I needed to have the optimal rugby experience. In order to have the optimal rugby experience I NEEDED one of those capes. I was about to start to sell my kisses for capes. When I realized that not all my options were out yet and I didn't want to kiss any of these guys here (I haven't seen any lookers that weren't on the rugby teams). I went over to the Times tent and asked about the capes. The guy told me to me where to get the capes and to get lost. So, he didn't tell me to get lost, so what. I asked him what he was giving away...kiddie bags. Well, I flirted and finessed my way into getting a bag for me and my four other friends that were anxiously engaged in the good cause of getting a cape. The bags had a foam sword, chocolate milk, and chips in them. I was happy with a sword, but, lets be honest, it's no cape. I continued on looking for a cape. I was about to steal one off a small child if I didn't get one soon, or start puckering up. Well, it was after I had numerous teen boys ask me for my sword when I realized that it was quite the little bartering tool. I had one kid walk up to me and ask me for my sword. I told him I would gladly trade a sword for a cape. He was able to get one of his friends to give me his cape for my sword, the milk, and the chips. I was stoked. Well, one of my friends started to barter an even better deal for the kid-she had two chocolate milks. I finally offered the kid two dollars plus the kiddie bag. He took the deal. I had my cape, plus I had gotten extra treats so I even had the snacks too. I was so happy. I watched the game and couldnt' have been happier. Until I met the rugby players. They were signing autographs after the game. I got the love of my life to sign my cape. It was great. I told him that I came all the way from the states to get him to sign my cape. He did, and then I took a photo with him. I am sure that we are going to get married some day. Well, I got more players to sign as well. It was quite a funny site when a player started to flirt with me about phone numbers and my protective host dad was standing next to me. I loved it actually. He went home and told the family that I was hit on. Too bad it was too awkward flirting with an audience or I might have come back with another rugby player. Well, I love rugby, and even more, the players!

SEALS I had no idea they weren't nice, okay, I did, I'm just stupid. I got to the beach hoping to see them out in the water and I didn't. I was a little devastated since I had already missed the penguins that day. Well, I turned and looked about 5 meters away....there were four just chilling taking a nap in the sand. I about blew up with excitement. I loved it. so, I took warning from Terence (he is always so worried about my safety and is always calling me back from the edge of the cliff...I think they think I am a daredevil that is stupid with all my adventures-but only because my roommate ashley doesn't care to push the envelope, she is good with just looking from the observation deck while I climb out on the cliff to get the optimal New Zealand experience.) and I just watched from a distance. Well, the longer we stayed there the more antsy I was to get closer. I mean, it is a seal. It is Andre, how mean could they be? Well, I crept closer, and then closer. Making sure not to disturb them I laid down next to them and had Ashley take a picture of it. Well, it was just about then that they woke up. Little known to me you aren't supposed to ever EVER go in between them and the sea-that is their escape route and only escape route if needed. Well, many times I had walked and cut them off from their route. And, at this particular moment I was laying in the way. So, this big old papa seal got all tuffed up (I know that isn't tough, it is a word I just made up on the spot to mean bent out of sorts) Well, he was pretty upset and bent out of sorts at me and started to attack. Thank goodness I wasn't wearing my wetsuit. I guess that really makes them go berserk and all heaps of craziness. Well, he started to attack me. I got away with him slapping me a couple times and biting my shoe...good thing it was a cold day and I had on real shoes instead of chacos. Well, I got away with the bite marks to prove it.
Well, if you don't believe the bite marks maybe you will believe photos of my encounter when I get home.

The last time I wrote on my fantastic little site that you all love looking at I had had a spectacular adventure on Stewart Island. The tentacle did finally come off, after a week and a half. Man, we all felt for her. So, The next week I had a remarkable experience mountain biking. I know what you are thinking-I don't mountain bike. And you are right. I don't, but it sure was fun trying. We chose this town called Cromwell to bike in. We thought we had chosen a nice easy beginning ride for our first ride. Well, it really ended up being a nice little rike (ride/hike) because we ended up walking our bikes up most of the way. It was spectacularly disappointing that my first attempt I failed miserably-but it was okay because even the experienced riders ended up walking shortly after I had claimed defeat. Well, once we got to the top of the mountain we were sitting at the overlook looking over what we had just riked when we were carried off by the wind. It consumed the entire environment and swiftly lifted several of us off our feet. We had to quickly ride back down the mountain to escape being thrown off the cliff into the swift river below-okay, that is a crock, it was a lazy winding river with a couple of eddies, but nothing that a beginner kayaker couldn't handle....good thing I am now a beginner kayaker. But, it isn't the water that would have killed us, it would have been the fall. After such an exhilarating rike we felt we deserved ice cream. I went to this sweet fruit stand and filled up on the most delicious crisp fresh apples I have ever had the privilege to eat. And then I had fresh Ice cream with fresh fruit mixed in. I feel that I am the most blessed person to be able to experience that experience. That was weekend one since Stewart Island. Weekend two included me, king kong, and a giant sandfly. So, we went to Milford Sound. If anyone has ever heard of that place then you all just quivered with reverance for the beauty of this place. As we left our quaint city of Invercargill and headed to the northern part of this area it was raining severely. As we pulled into the Fiordland National Park the rain just made the scenery more breathtaking. The rain was the cause of thousands of new, but temporary waterfalls. Now, when I say new and temporary don't automatically think of something puny with similar pressure to the showers here in New Zealand, I mean, these were huge waterfalls that collected quite a bit of water. This rain, if let go long enough was strong enough that it could have flooded the earth two times over. But these waterfalls stretched for thousands of feet up the granite cliffs of the fiords. So, I have never felt so small(that is quite a feat since I tower over most) as I did while standing at the base of Milford Sound. The huge cliffs that come up out of the sea and climb up to over 5,000 feet of near vertical. Covered in beech trees and groundcover. I don't know how the trees grew because there is no top soil and gravity works against them. They actually have tree avalanches because of this fact. Anyway, the green trees show through the mist of rain that is continually falling. There are only 4 permanent waterfalls in the entire park, and on dry days they completely disappear. This is so hard to imagine because some of them are so strong that it appears like God is hosing down the entire place. Well, everything was awesome. Okay, King Kong, I know you are all waiting to hear how this comes into play....Well, this is were he lives. I know you don't believe that he is real, but I saw the cave he inhabits. It was huge-took up most of the mountain. So, okay, this is where the new film was shot. I was there. Can you believe that? The place is so gorgeous that Maori legends or whatever state that after God created it he cursed it with sandflies to keep people away so it didnt' get destroyed. It is true. The sandflies here were huge, they were made for king kong sized primates. Actually, they were as small and as annoying as they usually are, but there were thousand and millions of them. I hate them, As soon as the rain let up they were out and causing terror. Okay, on to the next weekend. I loved it. That should be enough said, but it isn't. It just won't do for me to leave you all hanging in the dark as I enjoy my adventures by myself. I feel that to not explain and share in my happiness I would be doing a diservice to all. We went with some of out tutors to Wanaka to rock climb. It was spectacular and in my next life I hope I have spidermanistic abilities to climb. But, I really truly enjoyed everything I did on this trip. We got out to the crag the first day and had an awesome go round. I felt like I would really enjoy learning to outdoor climb...I was right. I did. It was so cool to be able to see a cliff and know that I could climb up it and you know, whatever. So, when I get back to the fabulous rockies that are oh so close I am going to try and climb and get the most out of my long arms and legs. It is amazing. The only thing that I have trouble with is trusting my footing and being able to place my all on the little niche that I have found in the rock. So, we were at a campground with our tutors and there is one of them that people have a hard time with. Well, he came around and woke us all up by shaking our tents. After not sleeping because I am so full of mucus from this cold I have I was tired and my voice left much to be. Well, when he came to my tent and shook it I was tired and in a surprisingly daring mood for telling the truth, I said "I'm not gonna lie, I never wanted to hear your voice first thing in the morning." Well, he didn't like that too much. He ripped my tent open and grabbed the first sleeping bag he could. As he ripped my tent buddy out of the tent she screamed. He told her to look at the beautiful sunrise we were missing. After she told him it wasn't her and that she didn't have her contacts in and couldn't see he shoved her back into the tent and started to grab again. I was cowering in the corner and trying to be small. Well, he got hold of my sleeping bag and dragged me from my tent and demanded that I acknowledge the beauty of the sunrise that we couldn't really see. I did and in turn demanded that he put me back. He dropped me and left me to try and get back into my tent that is now in shambles. Okay, that is so true it is funny now. Some other people in our group were anxious that the same fate would befall them. We continued to climb for the next three days and had such a good time. I was able to increase my confidence and my ability. I even learned how to save my own life by tying all knots needed. Sweet, I can truly get started now. Well, after that we didn't come home. No, we went to Queenstown-a quaint little tourist town. The place revolves around the lake in the summer and then the Remarkable mountains. They are named that, but they aren't as remarkable as the Rockies. Well, It was so much fun and I loved it all. I could see myself nestled up in a chalet for the rest of my life sipping hot chocolate and eating gourmet chocolates and the best fudge I have ever eaten in my entire life-I don't even like fudge either. Well, I spent my entire life savings here in all the little shops. So, I went bungy jumping on the Kawarua Bridge. It was fantastic. I got such a rush from it. I got up on the plank and jumped off before they had even finished the countdown. As I jumped, I thought "Crap, this is supposed to be a bigger deal than this. Aren't I supposed to freak out about throwing myself off a bridge?" Well, I didn't and I loved it. It was a rush like no other and I want to go bigger and better next time. I wish that I would have gone the biggest, but I didn't and I will have to go out of a helicopter when I get home. That night was St. Patrick's Day. What a lame excuse to drink. It was hugely celebrated and the words to Happy Birthday St. Patrick were sung off the roof tops. People everywhere were plastered. I went out for the evening I found so many interesting people making fools of themselves. As I was toasting things of the past, present and future by skipping stones over the lake I was fortunate enough to see urinating individuals, people near toddling into the lake, others spewing their guts out, naked men riding the sheep statue, girls flashing to strangers, and in my jogging clothes I was invited to three different bars. It was a very productive and eventful evening. I enjoyed it all and laughed as this all took place. I truly did love Queenstown and will forever. I may, in my old successful age come back and buy a small summer home here. Well, that brings me up to the current course of it all. I am busy with papers and school this week, and have the week free from trips so I can catch up on what I have procrastinated on.

So, I now surf quite well. Actually, I don't but I want to. We had our surfing assessment and I loved it. We went back to the Catlins (where the dolphins are) and the waves were actually big enough to surf. I loved it. I had to work less because the wave does more of the work. But is was such a thrill to be there and riding a wave. For those that haven't done it you should. It is such a feeling that I can't explain it. In the words of my surf instructore Wayne, "It's a way of communicating with the Big Guy"-said with both index fingers pointing up. Wayne was crucial to my learning to surf. He helped so much and believed I could do it even though I am tall and it is way harder for tall people to learn. I take my kayaking test tomorrow. I think I may take some sort of gillyweed so that I grow gills and can breath underwater. I think I would be way more calm when waiting upside down in a kayak if I could breathe under there. I really don't like waiting for the instructor to come flip me back over. I hate the claustrophobic feeling that I get when I have water infiltrating my nose and mouth and slowly filling my sinus'. I also went on a three day backpacking trip to Stewart Island. This is the closest I will ever be to Antarctica. It was beautiful and tropical rainforesty-very hard to believe it is the closest I will come. But, we got there and I saw real Pirates. We were sitting in the car on beach enjoying a nice sunny picnic when we realized the tide had come in and we were now up to mid panel in water. Well, we couldn't drive out so the car turned into a boat. While we were getting back to the dock(why not take a cruise in the boat while you have it out?) we looked over and there were pirates chasing us down. It was so scary. Yes, The did have a canon on the starboard side. Yes, I know I just described a ridiculous story, but it is true. There really were pirates in the bay we were staying at. Yeah, right, I know you aren't believing this, but they were drug lord pirates and their booty was hidden in a cave on the shore. I was just about to explore the cave when I realized that they were watching me intently for more reason than looking good in my togs (bathing suit). Any way, I didn't want to have my neck slit or walk the plank that night so I hurried back to camp. The next day I hiked up and down 10K of stairs. I still can't move my calves. It was an awesome hike and I loved it, but stairs are not fun with 30 extra pounds on your back. I was tired, but still was one of the first to finish. That night I had enough of people belittling me and my country so I went for a walk. I was down on the beach and this enormous octopus was there. It attacked Sharmaine and I had to pry it off her face. She still has a tentacle stuck on her cheek. We are just waiting for it to dry up and lose its suction. I couldn't believe it either, but it happened. Later on that night I went to find the infamous KiwiBird. It was too windy, but I was followed by the childnapper from Chitty chitty bang bang. I couldn't believe it was him either, but it was. I am just glad I had 2 other people with me. I was freaking out that this guy was following me down to the deserted beach calling out with lollies. Scary. Well, the next day I hobbled the last 12K with sore legs. We got back to the town and back on the ferry...Imagine a horribly small ship being tossed on the swells as it speeds over the sea. then imagine it hitting a rock of a whale and sinking because it hit so hard. I was thrilled to get off the boat, but I had to swim with my pack on my back and it became a little more difficult. But, I treaded water until the rescue ship came. I loved it all. Those are my adventures for this week.