Hey good lookin, whatcha got cookin?

So it has been ages, and I am sure you are all wondering what I have been up to. While I was in Dunedin I got an urgent email from my mom saying that I am really low on funds. That got me all worried, because I want to have enough cash for Fiji, so I decided to hault my travels and start to work in Christchurch. I was worried about finding a job for only a few weeks, I hate lying to employers. So I stopped in Timaru (Selene's home town) and stayed with her folks for a few nights. They are great at making you feel like one of the fam. By doing that, as Selene puts it, I weaseled my way into an invite to her brother's wedding the following weekend. I was only going to go to the dance and the bbq the next day, but one of the guests just had heart surgery so I ended up being Noella's date. And boy did we have a marvelous time. The wedding was tons of fun the the hungover BBQ the next day was hilarious. A bouncy castle in the lawn and a lamb on the spit roasts makes any party great, eh?

Selene's brother's girlfriend, Tess, just started a catering business so I have been helping her out for the past few weeks. My dad was shocked to learn that I was doing lots of cooking. He apparently thinks I am a bad cook, which couldn't be more untrue. Ha ha. So I have been up to my elbows in meat for sausage rolls. We do a bun run to local businesses so I have been making friends with all the factory men. It is quite fun and Tess is awesome to work for. I had to clean, debeard and prepare 13 kilos (about 30lb) of mussels. Cooking hint: boil them in sea water for extra flavor.

Now Katsu (good buddy from high school) is in town so I have had a ball watching him and his buddies adjust from being down in Antarctica. Apparently they think it is perfectly normal to strip down to their tighty whities and go for a swim at the beach.

Milford Sound and Dunedin

After the Routeburn, no sooner did I get off the trail, throw on some deoderant and change my clothes, then a bus came to pick me up to tour around the Milford Sound in Fiordland Nat'l park. Milford Sound isn't actually a sound (a valley cut by a river then filled up by the ocean) it is a fiord (a valley cut by a glacier then filled up by the ocean). It is one of the most scenic fiords in that area and many people go on boat tours for a couple of hours.

After going to Milford Sound I picked up my two new American friends and we headed to Dunedin. The only thing that we did in Dunedin was go to Otago Peninsula which was just nice. After days of rain it was sunny and we thought we would be able to see some penguins and albatross but unfortunately that costs $30 a pop so we skipped that. But we were lucky enough to get behind a farmer and his sheep. Most tourists pay to see the ins and outs of sheep hearding but we got a demo for free. One of those unique NZ experiences. Oh yeah, we also saw the steepest street in the world.

So now the money has run out and it is back to Christchurch for me to find a job. It will be a bummer not being able to see the North Island but I guess that is life.

The Routeburn

In New Zealand there are many "Great Walks" you can go on. Before coming here I decided I wouldn't go on any of these tramps because I am a girl who is on my own. But the more I talked to people the more I started to regret not having gone on any of these walks. Then I realized it wasn't too late. So I went down to the DOC office and booked my spot on the trail. Essentially I was on my own but I took a bus out with about 20 people that would be hiking the trail and staying at the same huts as me. So I wasn't actually alone. The huts are nice, bunk beds, kitchens and bathrooms, so you don't have to rough it in tents. I met a girl called Sandra the first day so we decided we would be hiking buddies. The Routeburn track goes through Mt. Aspiring Nat'l Park as well as Fiordland Nat'l park. It rained and snowed most of the time on the trail with a bit of sun. So by the end all my gear was wet and I had swamp foot. Saw some nice views but I bet nothing compared to a sunny day. So after 34 km, 2 nights and 3 days I completed the track.