I spent the night of Tuesday, 24 March, in Nelson – after a day of sightseeing stops from the Farewell Spit. Despite my desire to go to a pub and have a beer, I never left the hostel. I got sucked into wireless internet! I did buy my ferry ticket back to the north island though!
25 March, Wednesday: Nelson to Picton
I woke up early – after sleeping in a lovely, comfortable bed (the first after many nights in a tent). It worked out well, as I was up before
most everyone else; allowing me to take a long shower without feeling guilty - there were only 2 showers in the small hostel, and both were also the toilets! It was a very nice hostel though – homemade cake for free in the evening! Very yummy!
After the sun came up I drove a short way down the street to the Botanical Reserve. I knew the start of the path to the “centre of New Zealand” started at this park, but I was surprised to find a sign proclaiming the field to be the site of the first EVER rugby game in New Zealand!! The game occurred in 1870!
At the top of the hill that was “The Centre of New Zealand”, where I had a great view over the town of Nelson and into Tasman Bay. I took pictures of the view and looked out to sea for a bit, but I see now that I cut off the top of the pointer that hangs above a plague proclaiming the center of NZ 
(ick, and I got the overflowing rubbish bin in the picture too – what happened to my composition?). I would have taken more snapshots, but I don’t like taking heaps of pictures when people are around – I know, it’s silly; it’s the same thing with my reluctance to take pictures OF people! There was a group of guys eating cookies (at 9 AM!) and having loud conversations in another language while various locals huffed and puffed their way up the hill – probably on morning walks and jogs.
So, I wandered back down the hill and opted for following a path to the Miyazu Japanese gardens (there were quite a few trails that branched off from the park). 
The path took me through the Sir Stanley Whitehead park, which was basically paddock land on a hill with good views over the city – and back to the center of NZ. I took this picture of the center marker, again with the overflowing rubbish bin next to it!
Ha, I didn’t actually see the Japanese gardens after my walk. When I reached the streets again, I found the gardens were in the opposite direction of my car. I felt I’d done pretty good for walking this morning, so I opted for heading back. However, I found myself parking at the gardens an hour or so later anyway – ha ha! I had headed back into town, to the information center, to see if there were attractions on my way to Picton that I MUST see. However, the center was full up with people and I really couldn’t be bothered. The i-site itself was really well done, though. It was the DoC (Dept of Conservation) center for the Able Tasman track in golden bay; so it had heaps of great displays and information panels. I probably would have had a better look around if I hadn’t just come from Golden Bay the day before. So, I had a small walk around town to use up my parking fees and then headed out. I was sure I would come across a gas station, but soon I found myself several Kms out of town and still no gas – even in the suburb I came into. So, I turned around and headed back into the city of Nelson. It was getting close to noon, and I knew Dave would be calling at lunch; so I took a turn that led to the gardens.
The Miyazu Japanese gardens were designed to commemorate the relationship between the sister cities of Nelson, New Zealand and Miyazu, Japan which started in 1976. It’s nicely done with sandy areas, ponds, bridges, grass, and a tea house. The various pathways through the garden led the small area to feel rather large. 
I was quite surprised, and delighted, when I came across a large yin yang made out of grass and rocks. I wandered around before and
after a 
nice chat with Dave – during which I began my plan of deception (yes, lying) that would lead him to be completely surprised at my early arrival home. I was really glad that I had missed all gas stations out of town and been forced to turn around. The gardens were quite relaxing and very beautiful.
I headed towards Picton after filling up with gas and stopping at a picnic pullout for lunch (better views I could have found, but I couldn’t pass the nicely timed break). An hour or so later, I found myself passing signs for camping, picnicking, and walking. I crossed the Pelorus Bridge and parked at one of several lots. I looked at my walking options and decided to forgo the river (it was warm, but not hot enough to go swimming); opting for 2 “picturesque” waterfalls instead. It was a nice trail through the bush and wasn’t terribly steep but gave me a bit of effort. I was fascinated by the black tree trunks that were just about swarming with bees! The area was supposed to be mostly beech trees, but I’m not sure why their bark was black and somewhat sticky to the touch – almost resinous. Just about every black trunk had a couple handfuls of bees climbing on the bark or buzzing nearby. Good thing I’m not scared of bees! 
I finally arrived at waterfall number one….. Wow, what a disappointment! It was more like a trickle of water being captured and dispersed by moss, which then ran down a short, slick, algae covered rock face. I hoped the 2nd falls was better! The trail rounded the mountain side and followed the Pelorus River for a bit. I only took one picture of the 2nd waterfalls. Though it was an actual falls, with white water rushing over a small drop and ending in a pool of water, there was a wide log sticking out of the pool and leaning on the drop of land. This log was so positioned that it basically covered the entire falls! 
I attempted to get a better look at the falls by bushwhacking my way to the top, but it was no use. Any lookouts over the falls were only met with looking down into more bush :-( So, slightly disappointed, I headed back towards my car. I didn’t really mind the lack of anything worth raving about, as I had gotten a good stretch of the legs.
I continued on my way towards Picton via the Queen Charlotte scenic drive –listed as a narrow and winding road on the map. Before getting a good run on this drive, I stopped at the scenic lookout near Havelock, looking out over Mahau Sound and the town of Havelock. It was a short, but nice stretch of the legs up to the top and the views were remarkable. I’m guessing the tide was on the low side, as mud flats are showing on the sides of the sound and in the bay of Havelock. However, there was still a good channel of water on which boats of various sizes and types were able to get through.
I
stopped to take a few more pictures from the windy road, but none quite capture the amazing landscape that is the area. If it hadn’t been for the semi-tropical tree ferns in the bush, the whole area could have been somewhere in Southeast Alaska! A long stretch of inland ocean sprinkled with islands and houses tucked into little scenic coves. I have no doubt that the Queen Charlotte track would be a scenic and worthwhile hike, I do someday hope to do it – I just didn’t have the energy, time, or motivation for doing it this time round. I was antsy to cruise up to the Coromandel and surprise Dave at his BBQ with friends.
The scenic drive ended in Picton, a small town that is basically a port for shipping goods and travelers. This is the ferry town, the only commercial docking spot for transport between the north and south islands. I found a fairly cheap, yet nice, hostel overlooking the town – well its shipping docks anyway. I had vague plans about walking around town and taking pictures (mom and I had just cruised off the ferry and headed south when we came through), but in the end I just hung out at the hostel. I got sucked into a movie or two and had some good conversations. I didn’t get my laptop out (which was relaxing in itself) and I didn’t text Dave – he thought I was off camping in the Queen Charlotte area for the next 2 days; which meant I wouldn’t have reception! Sneaky little Melanie!
26 March, Thursday: Ferry crossing to Putangirua Pinnacles
I caught a morning ferry across Cook Straight to Wellington. I had been fairly unimpressed with the “Bluebridge” ferry line mom and I had taken a few months earlier. This time around, the “Interislander” line was cheaper. After getting my car loaded and parked I headed up the stairs and into the ferry. 
I was FLOORED by how nice the place was! Instead of bland, purely functional design I was greeted with brass railings, colorful carpet, and open space. 
The Bluebridge line had felt like I was just an extra way to make money for the purely cargo shipping line, but here on the Interislander I felt like I was on an Alaskan Marine Highway ferry – built for tourism. It was informative, comfortable, allowed people onto the bow, and had a WIDE OPEN sun deck with lots of chairs and tables. If I had known the difference a few months prior, it definitely would have been the line of choice for mom to travel. It even had a gift shop, cinema (not that I ever stumbled across it), video game area, NURSERY, and artwork on the walls! I was travelling on the “Aratere”, so I can’t say all the ships in the fleet are this flash; but I was fully impressed (obviously).
The weather was quite nice for the crossing, blue skies with a bit of clouds and a chilly breeze. As we navigated through the Tory Channel we passed many bush covered islands and uncountable coves and inlets. We passed incoming vessels from both Bluebridge and Interislander – as you can see, there is a slight size difference (they should be taken with near the same zoom), and the Interislander has many, many more windows! 
Flanking our passage from the channel into the exposed Cook Straight were rocky outcroppings of land - each trying to be the last piece of the south island to reach the straight. I could feel the swells and the breeze picked up considerably. 
I alternated between sitting on the sun deck, wandering about, and popping onto the bow, but generally I preferred sitting on the less crowded sun deck– I was quite glad I had my fleece and rain coat, as I was able to comfortably sit and watch the water while 
I listened to stories on my ipod. I’m still not convinced that it was sea sickness, but I did buy a ginger beer to settle my queasy stomach – I’ve NEVER gotten sea sick! I didn’t see any whales or dolphins, but I did see an albatross gliding near the water’s surface (no picture). As we neared Wellington and the north island, interesting rocks and land features entertained the eye.
After disembarking at Wellington it was a simple matter of following the signs to the highway and out of town. I was quite glad that I wasn’t trying to navigate town and traffic within the city; after 3 hours of spacing out on the water, big decisions and quick traffic maneuvers weren’t on my agenda! I was heading straight to my camp ground of choice, a DoC site located at one of the LOTR (Lord of the Rings) filming locations; Putangirua Pinnacles.
I had come across the pinnacles campsite in a DoC campsite brochure. I looked up the pinnacles while I had internet at my Nelson hostel – they looked awesome! The LOTR scene they are featured in is volume 3: “The Return of the King”, where the 3 heros walk “the path of the dead” (apparently termed Dimholt Road) to meet the army of dead. Dang – I just had a marathon of the movies this year (after Dave and I hiked through Tongariro and past Mount Ngauruhoe (Mordor) on our road trip) but now I want to see this scene!!!
Anyhow, I arrived at camp early in the day and set up my tent. 
The campground was set in a small valley, with a small stream separating the road and campground from steeper mountain sides that were eroded in strange formations – similar to what I expected the pinnacles to be. I walked a short way towards the pinnacles and 
was surprised to find a big rock full of fossils! Ha, despite my having looked up the above link a few days previous, I had not realized that the whole area had been under water roughly 7-9 million years ago (hmmm, must have been sidetracked with the pinnacles themselves and the LOTR location)! So, stumbling across this rock felt very much like a discovery. Unfortunately, my stomach was still far from feeling better for being off the ferry, so I headed back to the car to read and hide from the sandflies and bees. Later in the evening, feeling antsy, I opted for wandering down the stream that led to the ocean. I took pictures of the steep, weathered slopes and wondered how the pinnacles could compare. I also kept an eye out for more fossil rocks. 
While there was an information board about the pinnacles formations, there was no indication the area was good for, or restricted from, fossicking (prospecting – in this case, for fossils). It didn’t take long for my eye to catch a rock with an obvious shell stuck in it. Soon, I was crouching near the area looking for other bits. I found several bits and fragments of shells, with rock still embedded their crevices. You’ll have no idea my surprise when I picked up another 
white bit from the water and found that it was actually a small, complete clam shell! The mud that had seeped into the center had solidified to create a rock in the exact shape of the clam. If it wasn’t for the shell, slowly being worn off the stone interior, you would never guess that the stone was in the shape of anything…… Does that make sense! Hmm, lets just say I got REALLY excited by find. I figured there were no prohibitions against taking rocks from the area, and the likelihood of anyone else finding it was quite low, so I popped it in my pocket – along with the other few bits I’d found. I continued taking pictures, wandering down the stream, and keeping my eye out for more fossils. 
I swear, this place would make for such a grand place to take kids! Talk about getting them interested in geology and history. Heck, I felt like a kid on a treasure hunt! And boy, did I find a treasure. I was more than pleased with my clam, but the next rock I came across had one of the lovely spiral shells I had tried prying out already (yeah – the rocks may have started as mud, but they are not budging now!). This particular rock had a crack in it, running into the shell. So, I pulled, the crack gave, and I ended up with most of the spiral shell!! The shell isn’t complete, it’s insides of have been exposed – which is cool, because the chambers have been filled with rock! However, the side of the shell that was inside the rock is still good – spiral grooves and all!
HA ha ha – obviously I had a really good time! I continued down the stream, under the road bridge, and onto the beach. While the sun was still a ways off from setting, it was low enough in the sky to warrant hanging out on the beach until it did. 
I can’t even express how happy I was as I sat on a big piece of drift wood listening to the waves and watching the horizon (where I could see the south island). I’d had a good time exploring and finding treasures and I was heading home. Life was oh so good, and so was the sunset that eventually came. I took pictures for AGES! I watched the sun set behind some bits of land jutting out of the south island and then watched the light fade further. 
I sat in my car reading by my headlamp when I was startled by a knock on my door! The guy camped in his van a bit further down the ground invited me over to his campfire. Well, I hadn’t been around a campfire for a while, so I couldn’t pass that up! I had really nice time hanging out and talking with a lovely Swiss couple at their fire! They were a few weeks away from leaving NZ and, hopefully, heading to India (I think it was). It was a great end to a such a good mood day!
27 March, Friday: The Pinnacles explored and coffee with an American post doctorate.
While I slept well in my tent, I was awakened to flash backs of the howling winds at Mount Cook when my tent actually folded over again! I put up with it for a short bit, but since it wasn’t actually raining, and there was plenty of light, I decided to just get up. My tent was free of dew and condensation – probably more thanks to the wind than the not terribly cold temperature – so I packed it up after breakfast (being sure to leave it pegged down until the very end!).
The walk up to the pinnacles followed the stream bed inland. There was lots of prickly gorse and quite a bit of toi toi (pompous like grass) growing in the wide rocky area. As I got closer to “the pinnacles” the mud of the valley walls became more and more intricately eroded. I wasn’t actually sure where I was going (I think I was off the trail for the first bit), so I made a detour to an area that looked pinnacle like. I had to climb up a small, but steep embankment and then I had to work my way uphills to the actual erosion features. 
The pinnacles are basically gravel and mud from millions and millions of years ago that have been so compacted they are a lot like cement – only the water erodes it much faster. So, the valley walls are carved out by rain and rivulets of water, creating massive gouges. The pinnacles themselves are capped by big boulders, which shelter the muddy concrete below from the water, allowing them to tower far above. Apparently this is called "badland erosion" and the towers are called "hoodoos".
I’m afraid the sun was not in my favor for this outing. As it was still rising and coming over the mountains, shining towards my face and camera, a lot of my pictures come out quite shadowy or grey. It probably would have been optimal to see the area the evening before – but oh well.
Anyhow, my detour was interesting – I found another rock full of really cool shells (again, I was unable to scrape or break any out!), took pictures, and then headed pack to find the ar
ea that would have been the LOTR location. I carefully worked my way back down the dry water way of compacted mud and headed back down the stream bed. 
I found a pole marker at some point, so at least I knew I was in the right vicinity! I followed the markers further up the valley and finally found “The Pinnacles”. This area was more than a mud valley wall with cool vertical gullies scoured out of it. 
This area had pinnacle after pinnacle towering above me. 
The rocky towers of, what appeared to be, cemented gravel appeared to continue up the valley, and side valleys, for ages! It was really interesting. I took millions of pictures – of course! I kept trying to figure out where, exactly, the LOTR scene would have been shot. Hmm, I wonder if my GPS would have been of help. I stumbled across this DoC site that tells you, by GPS coordinates, where the scenes were!
After wandering around in awe for ages, I decided it was time to head back. I needed to get back to Wellington for a coffee date, and I didn’t want to be late. The Swiss couple wasn’t out of their van yet, but I had a quick chat with the father of a family that had arrived late the previous night. He was worried the wind that was whipping around the campsite would be stronger and colder up the valley, but it had actually been fairly calm! I did give a wave to the Swiss couple as I drove by – they appeared to be having breakfast in the van.
Before making my way to Wellington, I headed down southwest through a small town and to the end of the road. Cape Palliser had a lovely lighthouse overlooking the rocky coast. It was set at the top of approximately 261 stairs (yes, I did count them, but have now forgotten the count –oops). The red stripes on the white cast iron tower was such a pretty and festive sight; after all, the last 2 lighthouses I’d seen (Pillar Point at Cape Farewell and Separation Point in the Abel Tasman) 
had just been square, white rectangles! I had a good view from the top, but the elevation certainly didn’t diminish the wind. It was blowing so hard that, on my descent, I held on really tight to the one railing on the steep stairs just so a gust wouldn't ruin my balance! Before leaving the Cape Palliser area I stopped and had a snack while I watched the seals laze about in the sun.
AGES ago, before I even had a ticket for New Zealand, my coworker from the federal field job I was working (US forest service) had “introduced” me, via e-mail, to a friend of hers in NZ, Kristina. I had corresponded with Kristina a bit before I arrived in NZ, getting some information and advice, but hadn’t contacted her much after arriving here. I had her phone numbers still and was supposed to get hold of her when I was in Wellington. Well, I was finally in Wellington for more than one night, so I had e-mailed her about my being in town for a real short time. We decided, via text on the ferry, that meeting for coffee would work for both of us. 
Kristina is a post doctorate working at Victoria University in the biology department. I arrived in Wellington, from the cape, a good hour or more before our meeting time. I had wanted to make sure I didn’t get lost and that I could find parking. It was a good thing I had gotten there early! It gave me time to find a non-pay parking spot, a far ways from the university. I found the building and office with relative ease. I must admit, it was a bit strange to be in the university environment again – young people having serious discussions about various topics of interest to only those in the class, random clothing styles, and intent, unsmiling faces on almost everyone. While I have very much been wanting to get back to school and continue my career path, the crowded sidewalks and buildings made me feel old and claustrophobic! Kristina turned out to a be really nice lady (as I knew she would be). We had coffee/tea at the staff lounge – which was nice and quite compared to the noise and crowd of the common student areas. We had a lovely conversation – ranging from continued education to men (LOL). She was really easy to talk with and we got on very well. When I said goodbye, she told me to let her know if I was in town again – so we could have drinks. So, that was good!
I headed out of Wellington a bit after 4pm. My plan was to head to a free DoC campsite for the night and then surprise Dave the next evening – at a BBQ he was having with friends and family. However, when I made it to the DoC site, I had no reception. This wouldn’t generally be a big deal, except that Dave had thought (due to my text lying) that I was getting off the ferry in Wellington at 4 and would therefore expect me to have reception in the city. Okay, I can already picture people rolling their eyes – but the thing is; to pull off a perfect surprise, there must be absolutely no suspicion that something is up. Dave and I text quite regularly; particularly when I’m travelling 
(this shouldn’t really be a surprise, since the first 2 months of our relationship was based on texting). So, for me to have reception and not at least send a good night text would be strange. While Dave wouldn’t worry about it, he would note the fact; particularly because he always liked to know I was safe and sound for the night. I was already worried that Dave would hold a vague hope of my driving straight home off the ferry; I certainly would if our roles were reversed! So, for my piece of mind – and the ultimate surprise - I had to act as if I was at a hostel in Wellington for the night. I could have stayed at the DoC campsite and made up some story about being to social to text until bed time; but that would have meant waiting until 9 or 10 (still a good 3-4 hours away), driving to reception, and then going back to camp. Instead, I just kept driving.
Soon, the light was fading and I still wasn’t sure where I was going to sleep. So, I pulled off at a picnic pullout. It was hidden from the highway by trees and bushes, already had a camper pulled off to one side, and overlooked pasture. I made up some dinner while I started texting Dave. I made a bed in my car, figuring that if I got hassled I could just say I was to tired to drive (which is a major cause of accidents – they have billboards everywhere about resting when tired). Dave and I texted while I sat in my car doing Sudoku and he watched rugby at his parents. His mom was in on the surprise, so she just chuckled to herself when Dave said I was still a week away.
28 March, Saturday: The Surprise
I didn’t sleep very well at the picnic pullout; the car is quite uncomfortable (I’m not sure how 2 nights at Gillespies Beach was so easy!) and my unease at the idea of harassment (or worse) led to weird, restless dreams. Eventually, I found myself wide awake at 4 am! When I couldn’t go back to sleep, I decided to just start driving. I felt slightly guilty driving a new road in the dark (because I couldn’t see the landscape), but the lack of traffic was great! After a couple of hours on the road I started getting tired again. I had passed several pull offs (with toilets) that had LOTS of cars parked for the night, so my unease at parking at the next secluded spot was lessened a bit. I slept really well, and really hard, for a good hour and a half! When I headed down the road again I was able to see the surrounding land. I was surprised to see a canyon near the road! Ha! I didn’t stop to take pictures though – I just couldn’t be bothered getting out in the drizzle.
The drive home took me up highway 1; spending that previous night somewhere south of Foxton. I followed highway 1 through Waiouru, where Dave and I,on our way home from New Years in New Plymouth, had taken pictures of the tanks and guns outside the military museum. While the drizzle had stopped much earlier, Mount Ruapehu was still covered by clouds. I followed the highway through the “desert” near Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe. The volcanoes were obscured by the clouds, literally lying on top of the mountain sides. I did stop for a picture anyway – mostly because the cloudscape was amazing. The lower, grayish clouds hung so low it felt like I could jump up and touch them (well, if I were Michael Jordon anyway) while wispy white clouds broke up the blue sky above and thick blankets draped the contours of the mountain slopes. It was quite cool.
After the desert road I bypassed Taupo, opting for highway 32 around the west side of the lake. I knew it wouldn’t be particularly scenic, but I hoped it would have a little less traffic. From there, it was virtually a straight shot through Tokoroa; where, in my search for gas, I somehow missed the signs directing me to the “talking poles”. I couldn’t be bothered back tracking to find them, even though I thought they would be worth while (oops, I just found it's more of trail of carvings through town anyway!). I passed through Matamata and headed towards Paeroa. I’m not sure when I texted Dave to see when they were leaving, but I got the text that they had just arrived at the Beach Hop in Whangamata when I was less than an hour away from home. Talk about perfect timing! It had occurred to me that if I hadn’t gone back to sleep that morning I could have surprised the whole lot of my friends in the morning. However, I knew I would be too tired to spend the day wandering around town looking at cars (classics, but cars none the less). It would have been a fun sunny day, but not when all I wanted to do was relax in the comfort of a house! So, my morning nap had worked out well!
I think I arrived home around noon. It was a bit strange to be home and not be greeted by Dave, but after 4 weeks of travelling it was oh so nice anyway. A long shower was first on my list before unpacking my car. Jinx, the big black cat, met me on the lawn and started purring as soon as I picked him up. We had a good little play before I finished putting all of my things away. I kicked back and relaxed a bit, chatting with the roommates and checking internet, before I decided I best move my car for the surprise. It took me ages to figure out where to park it. I didn’t want to park in front of someone’s house and then walk down the street, particularly since you generally park half on the street and half on the lawn in this neighborhood; that would have felt a bit weird and sketchy. So, I opted for the space near the 7 hour trail up the Kauranga valley. I made sure to take everything of value out of the glove box though, on the off chance it got vandalized/robbed. It was a bit strange seeing my car completely empty after 4 weeks of having my entire life piled in it! I walked home and began the wait. I wasn’t sure when Dave, Joe, Matt, and Mel (yes, another Mel) would be coming home and I didn’t want to be to nosey on my texts – that would lead to suspicion. Koshka, the calico cat, was quite pleased to see me and curled up in my lap as I sat reading on the deck. I didn’t want to disturb her, but as the light began fading the sandflies started biting my bare feet. I was in the middle of digging out socks and slippers when there was a knock on the door – it was Dave’s parents (Kathy and Jack)! Dave had texted them that they were nearly on their way home for the BBQ (I had begun to wonder what I would do about dinner if the BBQ was cancelled). Kathy and Jack were quite excited about the upcoming surprise and wanted to see Dave’s reaction, so they left when they got his text. We sat around talking while we waited….and waited. Finally, Kathy texted Dave to tell him the garlic bread was done as was going to get cold! Ha ha ha. Turns out, Dave and friends were having a beer at the pub with another friend, so Dave left them to finish up while he tore up to the house. He came banging into the kitchen with arms full of food. He dumped the food on the counter and then looked up to take stock of everyone present. He registered his mum and dad right off, but his brain couldn’t grasp what was going on when he saw me. He just stood there, speechless, mouth slightly open as he stared at me – trying to come to terms with the fact that he I was in Wellington but I was in his kitchen too. Finally I just walked up, said hi, and gave him a kiss. It was EXCELLENT. He was completely surprised and shocked. His dad thought his reaction was really funny, but was surprised there wasn’t any cursing or exclamations involved! What was just as funny was when the friends finally arrived. Cherie didn’t bat an eye – walking past and asking how my trip had been. Joe came in with arms full of food and did pretty much the same thing Dave did – just stood there looking at me in complete confusion. Ha ha ha, it was so funny! And so worth the early arrival! It was a really good BBQ. I am only vaguely aware of everyone that was there – Dave’s sister and her boyfriend arrived at some point – but most of the night was spent talking with Dave. He was so distracted that he asked people to watch the BBQ for him several times – something he rarely does. It’s not that Dave and I meant to be anti-social, but it just happened that we always ended up sitting slightly away from people, holding hands, and talking while everyone else had a good time and chatted with each other.
Dave was still pretty much in shock the next day too. Joe, Matt, and Mel had spent the night (as they are from out of town). The sun was hot enough to either hide from it or go to the beach, however the surf report wasn’t good for the boys so we never actually made it out of the house. Joe and Matt (Brits that were friends before they came to NZ) entertained themselves and us by finding funny youtube videos. Dave and I didn’t mind the lazy day, we just cuddled on the couch and had a laugh.
It was such a great surprise!!! Probably one of the best I’ve ever pulled off!? Not that I can recall orchestrating many surprises. Dave was quite impressed too – as he knows I have the hardest time keeping a secret. Ha, he was impressed when he received a post card I hadn’t told him about! He got a good laugh out of the all the text lying I had done – not texting when I was “camping” and having to find reception to keep up the ruse. I told him that I never “technically” lied to him, I did do and see everything I told him, just that the sequence of events had been altered! Ha ha ha. I’d say it took at least a week to get fully over the shock of my unexpected arrival! It was PERFECT.
It was about 6pm when I we were landing (4 hours earlier than Auckland time), yet the sun was setting. By the time I out got out of customs (having disgorged my pack to show them my tent stakes and shoes), it was pitch dark. I found a shuttle and showed him the address of the hostel where I had booked my first two nights. I was the only passenger, so the driver helped me carry my bags in – since I had 2 plastic bags of shoes I couldn’t bother repacking….. Geeze I feel so over packed!!! I woke up this morning trying to figure out what I could get rid of and to where I would rid it! I think I could do without my sleeping pad…..
Anyhow, I slept so hard and deep my first night that I woke up at 6:30 the next morning! It may have only been 9pm when I crashed out, but it was after midnight at home! My first day in Perth (Monday, 11 May) was quite good. I stepped outside and found the temperature to be quite nice – no jacket required! I set off early into town, to have a look about before meeting my job placement contact. It is interesting to watch the large groups of people making their way to/from the train/bus station and knowing they are probably off to work; especially when I am wandering aimlessly. It fascinates me every time I walk over the train station – to see the platforms and numbers and to think that they are still used every day here! I can’t wait to ride one myself!!!! Of course, the mass amounts of baggage I will be carrying makes the prospect more scary than exciting!
My meeting with the job placement agency went well. She gave me a list of things to do (get an Aussie cell number, open a bank account, apply for tax number, etc). She also gave me a card that gets me ½ hour free internet everyday! Sweet! I did a lot of walking on my first day – through the city several times and then looking for the grocery store. I made my first meal in OZ – pork in tomato sauce over pasta, with broccoli and cauliflower…. Yes, monumental enough to write about :) I’ll spare you the details of my not so hygienic or coordinated hostel and say, I have HEAPS of leftovers. I shouldn’t have to scrounge another pot to cook in for at least 2 nights!
My second day (Tuesday, 12 May) has been more relaxed but involved just as much walking. I managed to stay up until 10pm before crashing pretty hard. At 5:30 I woke to horrible thoughts of dragging my over packed bags around…. I didn’t want to get up (as I’m trying to adjust to the time here and didn’t want to end my day early just from getting up early), but I couldn’t get back to sleep due to the panic of smacking people with my bags as I loaded a train or bus. Ugh…. Eventually, I just kept telling myself one phrase (it’s sappy and too silly to share) and fell back asleep. I had some crazy dreams, but managed to keep myself from getting up until 7:30. 
I had several different thoughts of where I could go today ( yes, I am actually writing in the present time!), but opted for walking more of the city. I meandered through the gardens and down to the swan river; where I photographed the Swans bell tower and took pictures of the Perth Wheel (a big ferris wheel in the city), but both were closed at th
e early hour (just before 9). I wandered down the Swan River, up towards the causeway bridge. I was surprised to find a lovely wetland area, with boardwalk paths through a bit. I was even more surprised to see a tall white bird standing in the water! I think it is an egret.
I continued down the river and found a sandy site where I had access to the river water. I wanted to see how cold it was (a bit chilly) and was looking at all the shells (small clams, spiral snails, lots of thick oysters) when I realized there was something floating in the water that wasn’t leaves! There were HEAPS of jellyfish! I have no idea what kind of jelly fish, but I certainly wasn’t going to put my finger in them to find out if they were poisonous! Further down the river, just as I was about to climb the stairs to the bridge, a massive bird on the other side of the river caught my eye – a pelican I guess! White and black with a massive beak! I swear the beak was as long as it’s neck!!! The pictures don’t show the size well at all! 
On the other side of the bridge was Heirisson Island. I took pictures of a couple Australian Ravens under the trees; they look very much like crows, but have a mass of feathers on their throat that makes it look a bit like a turkey’s waddle sometimes. The ravens also have a crazy cry that sounds much like a baby!!!! It’s a little eerie sometimes. After passing a fisherman with 4 rods cast into the river and propped by rocks, I found myself facing a fence. 
On this fence was a warning to not feed or approach the kangaroos on the other side of the fence!!!! No way, my second day in OZ and I was going to see roos!!!! Sweet…… Well; I found another egret, a white faced heron (which there are heaps of in NZ), and several Shags drying their wings (again, in NZ)….. BUT, I didn’t see any kangaroos!!!! :( I saw quite a bit of roo pooh, and I think I even found a couple tracks (one appeared to have tail marks too!), but I couldn’t find any animals! I believe that roos are nocturnal, so I expected them to be sleeping somewhere in the shade, but I couldn’t find any under any of the tree groups I looked at (and I looked through a lot). There was one area where I felt I was close to some hidden animals, but it could have been the lake marsh that created the equine-like sent I caught occasionally (though sometimes strongly). 
OH – yeah! I did hear back from the agency, got an e-mail on Monday evening…… I DO have a job lined up!!!! SWEET!! It’s at a country pub/café for 6 weeks. Room and board provided on top of decent weekly wages. I can’t tell you were it is, since I don’t remember! I’ll find out more when I meet up on Friday with the agency again. ….. I’d like to promise another blog on Friday to share the news, but I am crossing my fingers for a couchsurfing host to come through (and save me from a weekend at the hostel)! 
