#as is a stoat named Hot Dog

[jadewyton]

Introductory paragraphs for the narrating characters (+the town intro) for the novella I wrote to celebrate our year-long dnd campaign entering its final arc!

I still am really excited to have done this! Please check it out if you feel like reading something. Its got so many cute moments.

[dreamcast641]

OC interview

tagged by @cloudofbutterflies92 (thank <3)

ɴᴀᴍᴇ:Claire Ekaterina Makarova ɴɪᴄᴋɴᴀᴍᴇ: Claire doesn't really have a nickname besides from the usual friendly insults or remarkings of her height such as shortie n stuff. She has a callsign tho. ''Stoat'' cause of the nature of this animals to being able to bring down preys at least 10 times bigger than hers and also for their aspect ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: Cis female (She/her) sᴛᴀʀ sɪɢɴ: Claire was born in august. She's a leo sun with scorpio moon and ascendant in cancer ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ: 154/155 cm (5'1 ft) ᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Demipansexual (Claire doesn't really feel immediate attraction to people, she need a deep emotional bond with them before starting anything. Their gender does not matter) ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ/ᴇᴛʜɴɪᴄɪᴛʏ: USA with russian origins (dad is russian, claire has however never visited the country)

ғᴀᴠᴇ ғʀᴜɪᴛ: Peaches and strawberry grapes

ғᴀᴠᴇ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ: Autumn/fall! She isn't a fan of hot weather due to her skin not standing the hot rays of the sun during summer. She is more comfortable with the cold ғᴀᴠᴇ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀ: Claire's favorite flowers are the nightstars petunias ғᴀᴠᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴛ: Rain, moss, chocolate, freshly cut grass and ocean breeze (when she can go) ᴄᴏғғᴇᴇ, ᴛᴇᴀ, ᴏʀ ʜᴄ: Both! ᴀᴠᴇʀᴀɢᴇ ʜᴏᴜʀs ᴏғ sʟᴇᴇᴘ: Depends on her work. She has night shifts at times.

ᴅᴏɢ ᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ: She likes all but she lends to be a bird and dog person. She has a yellow ringneck parrot named banana and a female dobermann named echo ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛʀɪᴘ: arctic/northen countries ғᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ: none

ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏғ ʙʟᴀɴᴋᴇᴛs ᴛʜᴇʏ sʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ: Just one but a weighted one ʀᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ғᴀᴄᴛ: sometimes she crochet and she is usually good at it

tag: none, just do it if you like

[dainesanddaffodils]

Get to Know Me! 

(I was tagged by the loveliest @suzie-guru! Thank you darling!)

1. name: Margaret 2. nicknames: Maggie by most people, Tangy by the internet, Sunflower by people who know me less on the internet lol, Mags by close friends/family, Miss. Maggie by close adult figures (teachers/neighbors growing up), and a number of gibberish nicknames from my dad that I can’t even begin to spell.     3. zodiac sign: The most stereotypical pisces you will ever meet. 4. height: 5'6″ 5. languages spoken: English 6. nationality: American, of Western European descent.  7. favorite season: The cusp of fall and winter. Like, November-December 8. favorite flower: Sunflowers, daffodils, hyacinths, fuchsia  9. favorite scent: Fresh laundry, rain, The Cold™, lilacs, citrus, old books, and, oddly, hardware stores.  10. favorite color: Teal!  11. favorite animal: Cats of any kind, fennec foxes, ferrets/stoats, borzoi dogs 12. favorite fictional characters:  Longstanding favs: Daine Sarrasri (The Immortals, Tamora Pierce), Vex’ahlia de Rolo (Critical Role), Richard Campbell Gansey III (The Raven Cycle), Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist). Recent additions: Jonathan Sims, the Archivist (The Magnus Archives), Sasha Rackett (Rusty Quill Gaming) 13. coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee. Sometimes tea, but I gotta be in the right mood for it. Even more so for hot chocolate (hot chocolate is for when you’re outside in the winter and that's it) 14. average sleep hours: Roughly 11-midnight to 7-7:30.  15. dog or cat person: CATS 16. number of blankets you sleep with: A duvet w/ an extra blanket or quilt on top when it’s cold. No top sheet because I always kick it off or get tangled in it.  17. dream trip: Japan. The Caribbean. Going back to Ireland but for like, an extended period of time.  18. blog established: January 2011 19. followers: 3,352 20. random fact: I’m fairly skilled at memorizing things, but like, useless things like being able to quote movies or songs verbatim. All it does is make me vaguely irritated when other people quote them wrong, and then say nothing because it doesn’t actually matter. I’m also good at memorizing information if it’s set to music. Schoolhouse Rock was made for me and me alone. 

Tagging anyone who wants it because I’m too sleepy to choose anyone :p

[yeba]

tagged by @myubyu and @eldritch-homosexual

RULES: Answer 20 questions, then tag 20 bloggers you want to get to know better.

name: what zit tooya

nickname: rach, rehel, ratchet, reggie, rrrrr

zodiac: the ever hated gemini

height: short, very short

languages: english and currently attempting japanese

nationality: the ever hated america

favorite season: fall

favorite flower: orchids and plum blossoms

favorite scent: brain no work rn

favorite color: coral and purple

favorite animal: I dont have a particular one, but I love jellyfish, ermine (or stoat, same thing), and sea turtles

favorite fictional character: mmmm, prob ziva david

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: hot chocolate

average sleep: 6-7

dog or cat person: both 😤😤😤

number of blankets owned: enough to bury me six feet deep (idk how many it's a lot lol, I need the weight to sleep well)

dream trip: I wanna come back to Japan to do some historical sightseeing and hopefully photography? but I also really wanna go to Bavaria and Vienna

blog established: feb 6, 2018

followers: a lot

random fact: I am going to school with someone who made a video that became an extremely popular meme (and it catches me off guard everytime I see him irl)

[bigtiddyemobitch]

tagged by @blood-trip-god

name: pegah

nickname: pegs, pegsies, peggy, and 10 more variations people can come up with

zodiac sign: gemini

height: im either 153 or 156, so 5' or 5'1

languages: english and persian fluently, i can understand and communicate with anyone that speaks the languages from the persian language family thingy though, and very little german

nationality: persian, with a splash of ethiopian to make sure i always have unruly hair

fav. season: winter!!! but i live in australia currently and it sucks here :( i miss snow, and the freezing cold of iran and turkey.

fav. flower: lilies, bleeding hearts, calceolaria, or the basic but still pretty rose!

fav. scent: citrus, tea tree, hazelnut, coffee, books and any strong scent really, i have like 50 candles.

fav. color: midnight blue, i remember hearing gwen from total drama say it was hers and i desperately wanted to be edgy and then it actually became my favorite. a close second is dark red

fav. animal: all animals, but i have a soft spot for polar animals in particular, especially the white stoat!!! (weasels are amazing and youre a monster if you dont like them.)

fav. fictional characters: agatha and sophie of woods beyond, elizabeth bennet because im a Basic Bitch™, luna lovegood, carter and sadie kane, jessica jones, constable crabtree , dr emily grace, annie edison, merlin and morgana even though theyre dumbasses, and emma white (porcelain skin)

coffee/tea/cocoa: i love coffee so much but i have anxiety so it isnt pretty when i do drink it. but i love tea too, im just weird and like all of my hot drinks luke warm. and i dont really like cocoa because its always too sweet, but one of my friends makes great cocoa so im picky about it.

average sleep hours: idk if this is hours as in schedule or how long, but here goes both, i usually go to sleep at like 5-6 am, but i sleep a little earlier if i dont get my 8 hours the night before, im all or nothing, either i stay up for 2 days, or i get 8 hours, if i have to get up earlier im less than optimal, like a zombie.

cats or dogs: i have a dog, but ive had both growing up and i love both so so much! any animal that have 4 legs or less is welcome into my heart.

number of blankets for sleep: 2 in winter, and a sheet in the summer.

blog established: i think i joined in 2015 with my original old account, but i got this account in 2017 and i keep making sideblogs whenever i want.

followers: 27, i barely post, tag, or tell people about this account ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

random fact: i own like 100 stuffed animals and they lurk all around our house. but no dolls, fuck. dolls.

i dont really know anyone, but ill tag this in case anyones looking to do this stuff, i personally love doing them but i do them in my notes lol

[resident-beekeeper]

Twenty Questions!

RULES: Answer 20 questions, then tag bloggers you want to know better.

Tagged by: @dinahdarling

Name: Jed

Nickname: Jedl (apparently adding an l is a German term of endearment)

Zodiac: Pisces

Height: 1.69m ish (5'6"/7")

Languages: English and school French

Nationality: British

Fav season: Summer largely because of holidays

Fav flower: Daffodil probably

Fav scent: Fresh bread, wood smoke, bees. (Bees smell like a specific mix of honey and wax, but mostly propolis, which is basically bee glue.)

Fav colour: Blue on a very sunny day

Fav animal: Stoat

Fav fictional character: I'm gonna have to go with Captain Stanhope from Journey's End. Or Raleigh or Osborne, also from Journey's end. If anybody at all has seen it please, I need to talk about how sad it makes me. There are only 19 fics on AO3, and only 16 of those are ones I can understand. I don't know what to do with all of these emotions. Please help.

Coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate: It depends what I feel like. Normally redbush tea, but I like coffee if I need to warm up.

Avg sleep: About 7 hours, maybe a bit more.

Dog or cat person: More of a cat person, because dogs can be intimidating and when orienteering there are often yappy dogs in the way, some of whom don't like hats.

No. of blankets: I've got 1 duvet, but I want more to weight me down when I sleep.

Dream trip: I'm gonna go on a train trip around Europe with 2 friends soon, so currently that.

Blog established: Like a year ago? If there's a way to get an exact date I don't know it. I only started posting stuff very recently though.

Followers: 14

Random fact: I enjoy taking apart broken electronic stuff, especially headphones.

Tagging: @jaskierisanangel @rare-posts-and-reblogs-stuff @jaskierist

[pen-dragonlord]

20 Questions Game

I was tag by @tolkienlockian thank you 😘

Name: Karina

Nickname: Kari

Zodiac: Sagittarius ♐️

Height: 5’4

Languages spoken: Danish. (Native language) English and little bit France

Nationality: Danish

Favorite Season: Winter

Favorite Flower: lily

Favorite Scent: The smell after rain and freshly made coffee

Favorite Color: Royal Blue

Favorite Animal: I recently discovered how cute a stoat really is so right now that’s my favorite

Favorite Fictional Characters: Oh there is so many but my obsession right now are

Merlin/Arthur // Merlin

Eric/Adam // Sex Education

Lucifer/Chloe // Lucifer

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: All of them… but if I have to choose, then Coffee

Average Sleep Hours: Roughly 4-5 hours. I have no trouble sleeping longer, but I have to get up really early for work and im just awful at going to bed early 😑

Dog or Cat person: Both

Number Of Blankets You Sleep With: One

Dream Trip: I really want to go to California

Places My Ancestors Came From: Denmark and Polen

Blog Established: This one (pen-dragonlord) is only a couple of months but my main acc has a couple of years on its back

Followers: 140 ❤️

Random Fact: I have a slight OCD so every time before I leave the bathroom I has/need to have wash my hands at least three times

Who to tag? I don’t know, I want to know you all… how about if you see this on your dash then… Tag your it 😆

[heywetotheotherworld]

  From the article:      

1. Gussock

An East Anglian word for a sudden, powerful rush of wind: “That gussock just took my hat off.”

2. Wolf-light

This one comes from the French, whose poetic name for twilight is ‘l'heure entre chien et loup’, or ‘the hour between the dog and the wolf’. The phrase envisions the approaching dark as a time when things move from familiar to wild, or when the failing light means it’s hard to distinguish between a dog and a wolf.

Similarly, dawn is described as ‘pigeon-glow’, because… OK, it isn’t. We made that one up. But do feel free to start using it.

  3. Ootrogue

It may look like outrage with its vowels confused, but an ootrogue is actually a sea undercurrent that pulls sand away from the shore. If you ever find your favourite beach stripped of sand, you can at least salvage a bit of fun by exclaiming: "I’m outraged by this ootrogue!”

4. Roarie-bummler

Although it sounds like a terrifying monster from a children’s story, this expression is actually all about clouds. But you might still shout: “Get inside, the roarie-bummlers are coming!” if you saw some. Literally meaning ‘noisy blunderers’, this Scottish term describes storm clouds speeding across the sky.

  5. Hot-spong

If you leave your coat at home on a spring day, you might find yourself longing for a hot-spong. This evocative East Anglian word describes the rush of heat one feels when the sun emerges from under a cloud.

Bet you there are a fair few smeuses down there.         

                                  6. Conkerbell

If this Dorset word for an icicle feels a bit unwieldy, other counties offer plenty of alternatives, including: daggler (Hampshire), shuckle (Cumbria), and aquabob (Kent).

7. Murmuration

Say ‘murmuration’ out loud and you’ll come close to creating the sound of the swooping, humming throng of starlings it describes. (You’ll also need to explain to others why you’re murmering to yourself.) This onomatopoeic term for a group of starlings comes from the striking phenomenon seen most often at dusk when thousands of them take to the air, wheeling and swooping in unison before stopping to roost for the night. Similarly, the Exmoor word ‘zwer’ describes the whirring noise made when a group of partridges or other birds takes flight.

 8. Holloway

Now the name of a great tarmacked highway that slices through North London, ‘holloway’ was originally used to describe much humbler paths. The word refers to a recessed road worn into soft bedrock by many years of being trammelled by rain, shoes and horses’ hooves.

 9. Donkey

This donkey’s not an animal but an adjective from Northamptonshire that describes wet or damp ground. As in: "This path’s a bit donkey. If only I’d worn wellies, not stilletos.”

10. Shivelight and shadowtackle

Coined by the poet Gerald Manley Hopkins, shivelight and shadowtackle both describe the fast-changing shafts of light and shade that fall on a forest floor on a bright, windy day.

11. Doomfire

Another of Hopkins’ excellent linguistic creations, doomfire describes the kind of sunset light that makes it look as if the apocalypse is imminent.

Look here! A murmuration and a spot of doomfire.                                              

12. Smeuse

The Sussex dialect gives us the fantastically specific ‘smeuse’: a hole in a hedge created by small animals frequently scampering through it. More than 20 species of mammal criss-cross our hedgerows, including hedgehogs, mice, stoats and rabbits, so it shouldn’t be hard to spot a smeuse or two.

13. Hell-kettle

As well as being an over-the-top insult for a poorly performing kitchen appliance, hell-kettle also refers to a deep, dark abyss. The phrase comes from Northern England, where certain local pools and holes were rumoured to be infinitely deep.

14. Zawn

Like a yawning mouth in the rock, zawn describes a gap in a cliff that’s lashed by the sea. It’s thought to come from a Cornish word for chasm, but also relates to an old Welsh term meaning jaws. As for the waves, choppy waters are described as ‘hob gob’ in Suffolk.

15. Gall-shíon

Irish in origin, this word relates to weather so extreme or unfamiliar it feels like it’s come from another country. You might use it to describe a 30-degree heatwave in the Hebrides, a cold snap in Dubai or a week without rain in Wales.

[a-reviews]

Hello

To no one in particular! I felt like I needed to make an introduction to my Tumblr so here it is. I’m A:R but you can call me Andreas, which is what the A stands for in case you couldn’t tell. The R stands for Reviews which, yes, means that I will be doing reviews. Mind you, I’m not a professional reviewer, I have no expertise within the fields I will be reviewing, and I have no qualifications that could possibly make my reviews objective. These are all simple fun and me wanting to share my opinions with people :) This means it will be highly subjective reviews although I will try to be objective.

On that note, let’s talk about what I’ll be reviewing! Games, mostly since I’m a total nerd. But you might also see the occasional book, movie, food, etc. etc. review on here. But, yeah, mostly it’ll be games. If you have any suggestions as to what I should review, go ahead and send me an ask :) The same goes for if you have a question! I’ll gladly answer if it’s a reasonable question.

Don’t be shy either. If you want to talk, feel free to send me a message. I don’t know how much I’ll be on this website so I might take a while with responding. But I’ll respond eventually, promise. I would also like to mention that I’m fairly new to Tumblr. So apologies if I manage to screw something up or make a mistake. Please do point out (in a civil manner) if I do that. I won’t be angry or anything, in fact, I’d appreciate it a lot :)

A little information on me: I’m a 21-year-old guy who recently moved out of my parent's house (finally) and is working part-time at a school library in the local area. I’m a Slytherin, a Thunderbird, a Stoat, Libra, and an INFP. I’ve been a gamer since I was little and remember my first console was a Gameboy Advance which I got when I was, like, six or seven years old. Along with it came Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue team, which remains one of my all time favorite games to date, as well as Pokemon Leaf Green.

Even before that, I played a ton of Pokemon Emerald on my mum's computer (through an emulator oops) as well as the Hobbit game that came out in 2003. I also played Medal of Honor, Need For Speed Underground 2, Harry Potter 1, 2, and 3 (on a PS2 I got a few years after the Gameboy!). A bunch of others as well but those were the most prominent ones.

Later on in life I got myself Skyrim when that first came out, being the first TES game I ever played. The last few years I’ve also dug into Oblivion and Morrowind quite a bit. Skyrim is to this day still my favorite game of all time, though, close with the first PMD :) I also started playing Minecraft at an early age, something I still do to this day as sad as that might sound. I’ve sunk quite a few hours into that game.

A brief list of games I am currently playing on/off: Stardew Valley (another favorite of mine!), Minecraft, Skyrim, Dark Souls 1 and 2, and Borderlands 1 and 2. If you want to know other games I play/have played feel free to message me and talk to me about it!

As for the rest, here comes a brief overlook.

Movies: I grew up watching movies, all kinds. Even the violent ones. My parents were good about making sure I knew what the difference between the movies and reality were so they were never fussy about the rating. My dad and I would have marathons of sort where we’d pick a genre or topic and watch all the movies in that category! Disaster marathons with movies like War of the Worlds, 2012, Core, The Road, Armageddon, Independence Day, etc. etc. Or we’d watch martial arts movies with Jackie Chan and Jet Lee. Movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Danny the Dog, the Forbidden Kingdom, and of course, the best of the best, Kung Fu Hustle. We would also just marathon movie series like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean. In short, I love movies and I love a lot of different movies.

Books: I’ve always adored books even if I haven’t read a whole lot. I shamefully admit that I have not read more than twenty books in my life time if you don't count the easy books you get early in your school years. But recently I have picked up reading again and I'm aiming for at least seven books read at the end of this year! So far going good with two books down and one of them being House of Leaves. When I was young I read through all the Harry Potter books, my aunt being my main supplier of those. Already in second grade I was beginning to slowly make my way through the first one. I loved the movies so why shouldn't I try for the books? My favorite book, however, is a book in a series called the Kingkiller Chronicles called the Slow Regard of Silent Things. Highly recommend it! But read the first book in the series first or you will be beyond confused, haha.

Food: I literally can't live without it. So that's why it's incredibly important to me that my food tastes good. All my life I've been very picky and fussy with what I eat and while I do indulge in some guilty ramen noodles or take-out pizza every now and then, I do demand quality in my food. That's why I'd love to try out your guys's recipes! Yes, that's right. If you have a recipe you want me to try out I would adore that! I'm allergic to just about nothing and the only thing I can't take is hot foods since my stomach is a little sensitive on that part. But mild chili, curry, normally spicy stuff in general, is fine. In fact, my favorite dish is a curry dish! It's been my favorite since I was a kid. I'm a bit picky when it comes to certain ingredients too but, believe if paired with the right thing, I can eat and enjoy anything :) So don't be shy about sending me your recipes! I love to try new foods and especially if it's a dish from a foreign place :D

Etc.: Well, I don't know what it could be yet but maybe you do? If there's something not covered in the other groups that you'd like reviewed, just send me a link or a name of the thing and I will see what I can do :) Again, no idea what it could be but you guys probably have a ton of things you'd like a second opinion on! So feel free to send over a message!

With that I think I'll finish off this little introduction/greeting thing and get started on my first review. I have yet to pick a thing but it'll most likely be something I like just to get myself started. Thank you all for reading this and I hope you'll stick around to keep reading. Have a good one!

[allisbullshit]

20 Facts about me

Thanks for tagging me @lexiklecksi

Name: Dolores

Nickname: Usually just my family name, which I’d like to keep private.

Zodiac sign:  Libra

Height: 1,65 meters

Sexual orientation: gay

Ethnicity: Slovene

Favourite food: I love all sorts of foods as long as they’re vegan. If I had to pick one right now, I’d say vegan bolognese pasta, but generally I’m not picky.

Favourite book: There are too many wonderful books to pick just one... Anything with poetry (my favourite authors: W. Blake, W. Wordsworth, Shakespeare, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, S.T. Coleridge, E. A. Poe, etc.), also two of the books I absolutely love: Before I Go To Sleep, by S. J. Watson and Rage of Angels, by Sidney Sheldon.

Favourite fictional character: So I know this is kind of a modern cliche but I absolutely love Wonder Woman (comics before the movie please), Batman and ironically, Xena. Otherwise (a bit more classical) there is also Godot (I can feel people judging me as I’m writing this), Gregor Samsa (from Kafka’s Metamorphosis), Jennifer Parker (from Rage of Angels)... I read a lot so excuse me for the long list, there are many fictional characters I love.

Favourite season: Autumn - because of the chilly weather, peaceful nature and all the colours.

Favourite flowers: I’m not an expert and I’m not even remotely interested in them so this is a hard one. Maybe lilies or saffron? I like those.

Favourite scents: the scent of books, freshly mown grass, the scent in the forest after it has rained, vanilla, nutmeg.

Favourite colour: Black. Although I absolutely love all colours except pink (unless we are talking about the sky).

Favourite animal: Cats (wild or domesticated), stoats, mice, meerkets, snakes etc. I love all animals, this is a really hard question for me haha

Cat or dog person: Both, but cats are the assholes I prefer

Dream trip: Anywhere, preferably someplace new for me, as long as I have good company.

Coffee, tea or hot choclate: Tea. Any kind as long as it’s not green tea.

Average sleep hours: From 4 to 11, I try to sleep 7-8 per night but somehow I mostly manage to fail.

How many blankets do you sleep with? 1, I’m rarely cold.

When did you make this blog? Good question. About 7/8 years ago. Damn, that is a long time ago.

How many followers do you have? 700+ and all of you are awesome. I talk to some of you so special thanks to those that at some point decided to engage in a conversation with me. And to all of you that never spoke to me - don’t be shy, come say hi anytime, even if you just need somebody to listen. I love each and every one of you. <3

I tag the following blogs to participate in this tag game: @interstellhar , @imprether, @socially-awkward-purple-penguin, @special-broccoli, @poljubi-me-filmski-nestvarno, @sm0ke-her-0ut, @privilegedtobeheartbroken. Also, if any of you don’t want to do it, do not feel obligated to. I’ve just chosen a few that I’d like to get to know better. And if anybody wants me to get to know them better - you are welcome to do it or just come and talk to me.

Have a nice day everybody!

[roundtheworldrambles]

Queenstown and Glenorchy, New Zealand

Day 114 – Brisbane to Queenstown, New Zealand

Kia Ora, New Zealand!

I arrived at Brisbane’s airport in the morning, departing on a three and a half hour Virgin Australia flight over the Tasman Sea to Queenstown, New Zealand. After getting lots of feedback from friends, family and fellow travellers, I had decided to start my month-long stint in New Zealand on the scenic, mountainous South Island, before eventually making my way to the North Island and Auckland. Although I was arriving in New Zealand in mid January – the height of summer, we were surrounded by snowy capped peaks as we began our descent into Queenstown. 

The arrival into Queenstown’s airport was an event in and of itself. As we approached the airport, we gradually descended along the length of Lake Wakatipu, the mountains surrounding the lake quickly towering above us while we were still in flight. Without my feet having even touched the ground of New Zealand, I could already tell that I would love this country. The beauty of the Southern Alps was unmistakable, even through a tiny airplane window! I immediately was reminded of the feeling I would get when flying into Vancouver, and arriving in New Zealand, I already felt like I was coming “home”. (That or your mind starts playing tricks with you when you have been travelling for over 4 months!).   

Although Queenstown has a fairly small airport, it still took some time for me to make my way through passport control and Bisecurity NZ. Given its geographical isolation, New Zealand takes biosecurity seriously, aiming to prevent pests, predators and diseases from damaging the unique environment and biodiversity of the country. Incredibly, the native flora and fauna of New Zealand evolved free of any warm-blooded predators, and as a result, the country is home to several flightless birds, such as the kiwi and the kakapo parrot. Unfortunately, following colonialization of this country, smaller predators such as rats, possums and stoats were introduced to the country, and many of New Zealand’s unique species are currently endangered as a result. 

Finally grabbing my pack and passing through Biosecurity, I caught a taxi into town, arriving at my hostel for the night, Black Sheep Backpackers. Over the coming month, it was hard to believe I would only be staying at a hostel for the one night – as I was set to pick up my mini campervan the following day! I met a few of my fellow travellers at the hostel – from Scotland, Quebec , Zimbabwe and England, most of whom were either starting or finishing a campervan adventure of their own. It was terrific to chat with them and get tips for campsites, hikes, routes and excursions – as I was planning on mapping out my roadtrip over the next few days!

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I strolled down into the main area of town, wandering along the main street and the waterfront. It was clear that Queenstown lived up to its reputation as the ultimate destination for lovers of the outdoors! Lake Wakatipu is framed by yellow-green hills, set against jagged mountains in the distance known as the Remarkables – quite a fitting name! Along the streets, countless tour operators offer every imaginable activity and tour – from skydiving and bungee jumping, to white water rafting and kayaking – the options were quite overwhelming! Overhead, paragliders swooped through the air, having launched off Bob’s Peak, a mountain overlooking the town. I stopped by Queenstown’s famous bakeshop “The Cookie Muncher” for an ice cream sandwich before heading to the Department of Conservation (better know as the “DOC”) to gather more information on camping permits, bookings and campsites. Armed with a veritable mountain of flyers, pamphlets and maps, I returned to the hostel for an evening of research and planning for the month ahead!

Day 115 – Queenstown, New Zealand

In the morning, I headed out to Frankton, a Southeast suburb of Queenstown, to pick up my camper van for the following month. During my first full day in New Zealand, I was already amazing by the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals. Not only was I given a free bus pass by a passing couple, but a friendly transit worker named Peter gave me a lift in his car to the campervan pick-up, when realizing I had misread the bus timetable! I could quickly see why NZ is sometimes called the “friendliest place on earth”!

Wicked Campers Queenstown

As having a vehicle is essential when travelling around New Zealand, there were countless options for campervans, large and small, basic and boujee – for me to pick between! Trying to stretch my dollars as much as possible, I ended up going with the backpacker classic – a Wicked Campervan. By far the cheapest option, these vans are best known for their large, bright (and sometimes risqué!) graffiti. Unfortunately – what this also meant is that the first van they suggested for me was decorated with a topless woman and an octopus! I ended up going with an equally bizarre, but less provocatively decorated model – with a large graffitied picture of a dog and a red solo cup! Needless to say, I got many strange looks over the following weeks, when I rolled up to gas stations and campsites! However, more often than not my hilariously decorated van ended up being an excellent conversation starter!

Fortunately my time driving around Tasmania a few weeks earlier had helped me prepare for a long stint of driving on the left-side of the road, so it didn’t take me long to get used to my new wheels. I spent the rest of the day running errands around town to prepare for my roadtrip – groceries at PAK’nSAVE, gas top-ups, trips to Kathmandu (NZ’s answer to MEC) for camping gear, and laundering a second-hand set of pillows and a sleeping bag, donated from a previous traveller. In town, I also picked up extra layers of merino wool, blankets, and fairy lights – as I was determined to make my peculiar campervan as cosy as possible over the coming weeks!

In the evening, I met up with Oran, a Swiss traveller I had met at the hostel. We headed into town to join the lineup at Fergburger, the town’s famous burger joint! A compulsory stop in Queenstown, it is common to wait for up to an hour to get “the best burger in the world”. Oran and I didn’t mind the wait, as we took the time to swap travel tips and pick each other’s brains. As luck would have it, he was heading to Australia the following day, after spending a month in New Zealand – the reverse of what I had done.

I spent my first evening in my campervan that evening – parked in a designated parking lot on the outskirts of town. Although it was the height of summer, the evenings were very cold – and it got pretty brisk inside the van overnight! Before going to bed – I began my new evening routine for the following 4 weeks – reading Shantaram on my Ipad, complete with a glass of NZ wine. 

Day 116 – Glenorchy and Moke Lake 

Lake Wakatipu

In the morning, I headed out of Queenstown to Glenorchy, driving West along Lake Wakatipu. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road when driving – the scenery around me was so gorgeous. I stopped countless times along the way to take in the mountains surround the brilliantly blue lake. The historic steamship TSS Earnslaw cruised along the lake during my drive. Now used for sightseeing trips, this 100+ year old, coal-powered steamship was originally used to transport sheep, cattle and passengers to the high country stations in the hills surround Lake Wakatipu. Watching the steamship chug along the lake in the distance, I felt transported back to another time. 

Glenorchy

Glenorchy

I arrived at Glenorchy around lunchtime and cooked lunch in the back of my campervan, admiring the magnificent beech forest and towering mountains around me. I could easily see why this location had been scouted for many scenes from the Lord of the Rings – it truly felt as though I had arrived in Middle Earth. 

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I drove my campervan down to the shores of the Lake and wandered along the river’s edge, wading in the water. A row of partially submerged willow trees was growing just offshore, the rippling water reflecting the trees and distant mountains. With this incredible backdrop, I spent the afternoon by the water’s edge, relaxing with a book. For me, this was pretty close to a perfect day!

As I prepared to leave Glenorchy to head towards my campsite for the evening, I stopped by the Glenorchy Trading Post for a few snacks and a hot drink. Hopping into my camper, I began to retrace my route back towards Queenstown, the road hugging the lakeside. The afternoon light cast long shadows over Lake Wakatipu, while also highlighting the mountains on the far bank. I was in awe of all the scenery I saw this day – a feeling that would continue to follow me for the duration of my time in New Zealand!

Lake Wakatipu

My Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite for the night was at Moke Lake, a pretty lake off the beaten track, about 10 minutes outside of Queenstown. The road into this campsite was unsealed, and it took me a few minutes to get the hang of driving my camper over the bumps and gravel in the road. I passed my numerous farms and fields along the track, packed full of sheep and goats – stopping my can every few minutes while I waited for them to get out of the way! New Zealand is known for being one of the most populous sheep farming countries in the world, which was quickly apparent! I later learned that the number sheep of NZ outnumber people by 6 to 1! Around the campsite, you could see countless lines tracing along the distant hills – footpaths for thousands of freely grazing sheep. 

Setting up for the evening at Moke Lake, I cooked fajitas in my make-shift, campervan kitchen - consisting of little more than a cooler, a hand-pumped water sink, and a camping stove!  I spent my evening enjoying the peaceful scenery – with a few “baas” here and there – reading my book, and drinking a glass of wine. Thoughout my time in New Zealand, most of the campsites I stayed in were so remote that there was no cell service, a digital detox which I quite enjoyed!

Typical Campervan Evenings

[snowy-weather]

20 question tag game

Rules: Answer 20 questions and tag 20 people

Names: Maria

Nickname: Snowy, Snow, Mar, Snowstoat, Marietje.

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Height: tall. XD

Orientation: Heterosexual

Nationality: Dutch.

Favorite Fruit: Strawberry and apple. ^^

Favorite Season: Winter

Favorite Book: Don’t make me choose! D: D: D:

Favorite Flower: Snowdrops, forget-me-nots and roses.

Favorite Scent: Old books

Favorite Color: Black, dark blue, purple

Favorite Animal: Foxes, cats, jackdaws and stoats.

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: I love all three! ^^

Average hours of sleep: I have no idea really. It used to be not so much, but I sleep a lot better lately.

Cats or Dogs: I don’t mind dogs at all, I like them even, but in the end I’m more of a cat person.

Number of blankets you sleep with: One in summer, two in winter.

Dream trip: Egypt and Iceland. Also any Disney land/world. ^^

Blog created: I don’t remember. :S

Follower count: 211 currently. 

Tagged by: @vederlicht

[p-odpalacz]

I was tagged in this tag thing by @thediaryofadopefriend, thank you~

Rules: Answer 20 questions & then tag 20 people to get to know them.

(I’ll do it under the cut as always)

-Name: Natalia -Nicknames: Szatan  -Zodiac sign: sagittarius -Height: uh, 178 cm or so -Orientation: theoretically straight -Ethnicity: white -Fav fruit: cherries, and apart from the ‘typical’ fruits - chokeberry -Fav season: winter -Fav book: let’s say ‘Dune’, at the moment, I can’t think of anything else -Fav flower: carnation -Fav scent: blown out match, coffee -Fav Color: black -Fav animal: stoats, sheep -Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa: coffee -Sleep hours: messed up -Cat or dog: dogs -Fav fictional character: I don’t really know -Dream trip: France, Berlin, Italy -When did I make this blog: October 2013 -Number of followers: 720

I tag: no one beacuse I don’t know anyone on tumblr  or just, If you want to do it then do it and tag me and I’ll see it

[chikabika]

The rules: answer the 20 questions and tag 20 (or less) followers you’d like to get to know better

Tagged by: @six-and-a-half-dollar-man

Name: I go by many names.

Nickname: One of them is Chikabika.

Zodiac sign: Virgo/Leo Cusp

Height: 5′6″ (statistically average for my demographic)

Orientation: Ace all the way.

Ethnicity: Caucasion (like all of my preceding family is of Irish, Scottish, or English descent)

Favorite fruit: How am I supposed to choose??? Avocadoes, tomatoes, those peaches two summers ago that were marred by a hail storm but tasted amazing.

Favorite season: My preference changes with the seasons and my geographic location.

Favorite flower: Hydrangeas.  They remind me of my dad because he had a few bushes in his back yard, and serendipitously they are flowers for remembering the dead.

Favorite scent: My mom’s house when we turn the heat on for winter.  Smoke from my first raku firing stuck in the jean jacket my aunt gave me (so, sort of like brisket).  Hugs from my mom.  The warm corn tortilla smell Bonnie had. Scents that activate my memories.

Favorite color: Again, how am I supposed to choose??? Yellow doesn’t get enough love.

Favorite animal: Penguins, polar bears, and stoats, oh my! (I’m allowed to say that because I’m from Kansas) (just realized they’re all arctic animals)

Coffee, tea, hot cocoa: Coffee makes my heart beat too fast but is sometimes needed, tea never tastes as good as it smells, except for hibiscus tea, hot chocolate is my jam but rarely is it made to my desired standards.

Average sleep hours: Out of 725 nights I have slept and average of 7:35 hours per night.  That includes the 12 hours sessions and the 2 hour sessions.

Cat or dog person: Deathly allergic to cats (maybe).  Probably developed an allergy to dogs.  I would love cats if I could.  Grew up with dogs.

Favorite fictional character: Jeff Cooper

Number of blankets: It depends on the weather.  I am sensitive to heat.

Number of followers: Been floating above and below 300 for about a year now.  I dip below when I go through and block the spam and porn blogs.  Even though I don’t see a lot of activity from most of y’all, I appreciate you.

Tagging (if they want to do it of course!): I feel weird about tagging people, so if you see this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

[wayneooverton]

Dealing with New Zealand sandflies – a survival guide

As an American with limited options for a working holiday visa, I chose New Zealand over Australia for a few key reasons.

One, of course, was the draw of the majestic Southern Alps, a truly magnificent spectacle without comparison. The other was because I really don’t enjoy stifling hot temperatures. The third and perhaps the most compelling argument against Australia was that there are too many things to kill you. Spiders, snakes, crocodiles. Even the kangaroo, which Winnie the Pooh led us to believe was kind and nurturing creatures have their dark side. (Seriously have you seen a buff kangaroo trying to drown a dog!?)

With a mild climate and nearly predator-free backcountry, it was an easy choice for me when I weighed my pros and cons but there was one I missed. One creature that feeds on human blood so viciously despite its pint-size stature.

The dreaded sandfly.

Not pictured: 1 million sandflies

If you have spent time in the South Island, you know what I’m talking about. In fact, you’re probably nodding along right now, groaning in agreement, thinking back to all of the awful bites you’ve endured.

These little blood-sucking devil creatures are, at best, 3 mm long, about a 1/3 size of your average mosquito. They look like little gnats or flies for my fellow Americans, and they congregate in the most notoriously beautiful places of New Zealand, the pristine wilderness around Fiordland and the West Coast.

It’s super easy to poo-poo them off as a slight annoyance, but these little bastards are not to be taken lightly! If you’re coming to New Zealand, it’ll serve you well to be mentally and physically prepared to take on the small, but mighty, sandfly so start prepping!

Here’s everything you need to know about sandflies in New Zealand and how to survive them.

They are ruthless bloodsuckers

Out of the 19 sandfly species in New Zealand, only three of them bite but these three species cover most of the country, sparing only a few dry areas on the South Island’s east coast.

Despite what it seems like, sandflies don’t bite just to be annoying. They need a healthy dose of human and animal blood and they’ll hop across any exposed skin until they find their blood meal. These cheeky devils prefer to feed at dusk, conveniently just as all the tourists are flocking to the outdoors to catch one of New Zealand’s stunning sunsets.

It’s New Zealand’s oldest tourist trap.

Females are savage

Like mosquitos, female sandflies are doing it for themselves. And by that I mean only female sandflies are the biters but they don’t go around biting all willy-nilly just to have a good time. They need the blood for valuable reproductive nutrients.

Without a blood meal, female sandflies can lay up to 12 eggs but with just a SINGLE drop of the protein-ridden human blood, she can lay 10 times that number, passing on her legacy to thousands of little bastards.

These modern-day, progressive lady sandflies are not waiting for any man sandfly to provide nutrients. In fact, male sandflies remain a complete mystery, providing almost no use other than to provide reproductive needs.

No one in New Zealand has ever seen a male sandfly feed. They tend to be a lazy bunch who emerge from their pupae at the same time as the females but then they disappear shortly after. Hello, matriarchy.

Gotta respect the girl power of the sandlfy.

They pack a small but mighty punch

Unlike a mosquito who can issue a subtle bite not felt for hours, the sandflies draw blood by using their razor-sharp knife-shaped mouth to slice the skin which allows them to promptly lap up the pool of blood.

The bite is sharp and painful (unlike mosquitos, you definitely know when you’re being bitten) but what causes even more pain is the histamine and agglutinins they release into the blood that prevents clotting and prepares the blood for easy digestion.

The presence of histamines makes nerve cells fire repeatedly which our brains interpret as itching.

They also swarm. Scientists have shown they can bit up to 1000 times an hour. Holy shit!

No, you’re not going to die from a bite

Despite being incredibly obnoxious, itchy, and often painful, a sandfly bite is not going to cause you any harm. Unlike mosquitos, the only disease sandflies have reportedly transmitted is Avian Malaria which only affects birds.

That crystal clear river is a lot more likely to be sandfly ridden than that murky pond: sandflies are named after their color, not their dwelling or habitat.

Contrary to popular belief, sandflies prefer running water instead still water. You’re more likely to find them near a crystal clear river than a stagnant boggy pond. In fact, the most sandflies ridden places are dense forests on the edge of a stream or river.

If you’re headed to the West Coast or Milford Sound, you’re more than promised a few encounters with the little buggers. To avoid dehydration, sandflies dwell in humid environments, such as the West Coast or Fiordland, where humidity exceeds 60 percent.

Early Maori legend even has it that the god Tu-te-raki-whanoa had just finished creating the landscape of Fiordland, but the landscape was so stunning in beaut that when the underworld goddess Hine-nui-te-po saw the fiord’s beauty, she feared that visitors would never leave, so she released sandflies (namu in Maori) to chase them away.

Brutal but effective.

Basically, sandflies will look for any opportunity to ruin your outdoor experience whether you’re trying to enjoy a peaceful paddle on the Milford Sound or soaking up the benefits from one of the many natural hot springs found through the country.

Winter is your friend

Winter in New Zealand often gets a bad rap. It’s cold. It’s darker much more often than not. The weather can be fickle.

But one thing winter has going for it is that sandflies are a lot less active.

Sandflies thrive on warm and cloudy days. Congratulations winter, you’ve done at least one thing right.

Good job, winter.

How to prevent sadly bites

Your first sandfly bite in New Zealand will have you racing to the nearest pharmacy to find itch relief and a good repellent for the next time you’re outside.

There are plenty of options when it comes to repellent, all claiming to be the best at keeping your skin sandfly-free, but they are full of lies. These repellents hardly seem to work unless they are at least 40% Deet, and I’ve always found the sandflies to be far too persistent for any spray.

Since sandflies gravitate towards dark clothing, the lighter your outside apparel is the better your chances of not getting bitten.

Of course, the surest way to protect yourself is to be fully covered. Light but long layers will be your friend if you’re going to be in the bush for long periods of time. Limiting the amount of skin exposed is your best bet, especially the ankles and toes, which sandflies seem to love.

You also will be praying for wind, which blows them away. On windy days you’re much less likely to be bitten.

My favorite tactic of all time is to keep moving.

I’m not joking you guys. When I’m hiking in a sandfly ridden area on a hot summer day when my layers are short and light, I refuse to stop for long. Of course, I have to stop sometimes to eat or rest but I try to stay moving no matter what.

Have you ever tried walking around in a circle while eating a PB&J? It’s tricky but worth it. For some reason, sandflies take a while to catch on to your exact location so even just a little bit of dancing or walking will help keep you safe. Be a hard target to catch!

Another important tip is to make sure you always leave your car windows and doors shut when driving through sandfly territory otherwise your vehicle will fill with the biting bastards. You’ll only make that mistake once.

COME AT ME, SANDFLY DEVILS!

Some people are bitten more than others, who know’s why.

This could be attributed to odor or body heat and how much carbon dioxide each of us exhales. Carbon dioxide is the sandfly equivalent to freshly baked cookies. Once they get within 6 meters of the victim, sandflies switch to visual hunting mode to help locate a suitable landing pad.

Eventually, after continuous re-exposure, the human body’s reaction to the allergen becomes less severe but don’t expect to become immune overnight. It takes about 10,000 bites to desensitize.

Only true hardy bush kiwis can go for the general ignore method with any degree of success. There are theories that eating a lot of marmite can also be effective.

No, they can’t be eradicated

If you’re holding out for when New Zealand is finally able to get the sandfly population under control, you’d better be prepared to wait for a while.

For a long time, New Zealand was a land with no native mammal predators but throughout time, the Europeans who arrived began introducing pests like mice, rabbits, stoats, and ferrets. Now, the Department of Conservation spends a large chunk of its budget trying to eradicate and manage the pest population. If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered why the hell haven’t we tried to eradicate sandflies??

The short answer is, we have.

Over the past century, scientists have tried several times to introduce a sandfly predator but to no avail.

The mighty sandfly proves it can’t be killed and lives on, so if you’re wanting to see New Zealand’s remote beauty for yourself, be ready to face the wrath of the sandfly. At the end of your time in New Zealand, you may remember the sting of the sandfly bite but what really stands out in your memory will be the towering fiords, the rushing braided rivers, or the commanding glaciers.

Just cover up. No skin is the only full-proof method.

Have you experienced the tiny but mighty New Zealand sandfly? Any horror stories? Spill!

The post Dealing with New Zealand sandflies – a survival guide appeared first on Young Adventuress.

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[kissmyringbuddy-blog]

RULES: answer  20  questions  +  tag  20  of  your  followers  you’d  like  to  know  better.

TAGGED BY:  @aquarad who is amazing TAGGING: Anyone who wants to do it!

NAME:  Micah NICKNAME:  Boomer SIGN:  Scorpio HEIGHT:  6′4″ NATIONALITY:  American ORIENTATION:  Gay FAVOURITE  FRUIT:  Pomegranates, watermelon FAVOURITE  SEASON:  Summer FAVOURITE  FLOWER:  Snapdragons FAVOURITE  SCENT:  Vanilla FAVOURITE  BOOK:  The Death Gate Cycle series FAVOURITE  COLOUR:  Green FAVOURITE  ANIMAL:  Stoats COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE:  Iced tea with iced coffee being a close second AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP:  7-8 CATS OR DOGS:  Cats NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH:  One DREAM  TRIP:  Either going back to Japan or China ooooor an all expenses paid vacation at a 5-star tropical resort with all the bells and whistles. BLOG  CREATED:  idek a long time ago hahaha NUMBER  OF  FOLLOWERS:  914 at the time of this post