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lindoig5 · 5 years

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Wednesday Day 27 Beautiful Auckland Island

After a blissfully calm night, we started with a visit to Hardwicke in Erebus Cove in Ross Harbour. A shot zodiac ride to an almost dry landing where there was a short boardwalk up to a small historical graveyard and then a ramble through the trees to the stump of the Victoria Tree. (I almost expected a Hobbit to accost me along the way.) This stump with its carved inscription is all that remains of a cache of supplies left there to assist ship-wrecked sailors cast away on Auckland Island. Apparently a few such caches of basic essentials were set up, mostly during the 19th Century, on some of the remote islands, with signage along the coast to indicate to shipwrecked sealers and whalers (and others) which way to walk to find them. En route to the tree, we encountered a few fur seals resting beside the track and posing for photos. We also saw a few more small land birds, having only seen the Redpoll on ‘Macca’ since leaving Campbell Island 3 weeks ago.

We did a short zodiac cruise along the coast and then returned to the ship while it moved a little way from our overnight anchorage, but then reboarded the zodiacs to cruise around Ranui, another wonderful part of Ross Harbour. Due to a weird mix-up, Heather and I ended up in different zodiacs so we probably saw a few things differently, but it was all a lot of fun.

It was pretty rough getting from the ship back into the lee of the island, but it was wonderful once we arrived. We cruised into a little bay and through a sea-cut archway into the fantastic crater of an extinct (I think) volcano. It was a unique experience going from some pretty rough and turbulent water into such a beautiful grotto a mere few metres away. The water was absolutely crystal-clear and we could see the several metres to the bottom with all its kelp and other sea-life – starfish, jellyfish and so on. I even saw half a dozen little minnows a couple of centimetres long: the only other fish we saw on the entire voyage. A big Sea-lion put on a display for us, repeatedly coming up to the zodiacs and diving under to surface again beside one of the other craft and back again. It followed us around for at least half an hour and Heather tried to photograph it underwater with our GoPro, but it just wouldn’t cooperate.

We cruised deep into a nearby sea-cave (possibly an ancient lava-tube) where it was almost completely dark and we motored around in there, marvelling at the crazy textures and colourful patterns in the rocks above and around us. A couple of torches helped us see a bit, but it was really too dark for photography.

Back on the ship I spent a surprisingly wonderful hour or so on the bow deck all alone. The sun was shining and the sea was temporarily calm and although there were a few people on the Bridge, there were very few, and none in the bow where it was often quite crowded (if the weather allowed). I was just communing with nature and watching the birds, mainly the wonderful albatrosses skimming the waves and wheeling back to do it all again. It was one of the most relaxing and peaceful hours of the whole trip for me – maybe just the chance to do my own thing with nobody else around.

In the afternoon, we landed on a beach called Sandy Bay on exotic Enderby Island (part of the Auckland Island group protecting the mouth of Ross Harbour) and had 4 whole hours to just wander and explore. Heather and I went off on our own, occasionally bumping into other explorers, but we just roamed the hillsides looking at the plants and birds, the Seals and Sea-lions, photographing the rare Yellow-eyed Penguins, lots of Giant Petrels and Albatrosses (mainly Royals and Light-mantled Sooties) as well as the tiny Tomtits that happily sat half a metre from the end of my lens, and lots of Bellbirds. There was a lot of birdsong, but the Bellbirds were actually very hard to find even when they were only 2 or 3 metres away in the vegetation. There was a lot of long grass and even trees on Auckland Island: another thing we had not seen since Campbell Island.

A special bird I saw was the Auckland Island Flightless Teal: another rare bird that almost became extinct until New Zealand launched its excellent and highly successful pest eradication program. I knew the teal were starting to recover so I was looking for them and saw one in quite a small sunken pond when the others were photographing penguins. I got a few photos but when I told the others, they came to look too – and it had completely disappeared. The pond was less than 50 square metres, but the banks were slightly overhung and the teal had obviously found cover somewhere very cleverly. A few people did see teal later when one of our naturalists found two in a tiny inlet near the zodiac pick-up site.

We tramped around over quite a large area, managing to avoid a few big male Sea-lions that can become a bit dangerous. They rest quite widely in the area, including in the trees, so when I was in there looking for birds, I had to be careful not to disturb them. Eventually, Heather decided to take the zodiac ferry back to the ship, but I still had an hour before the last zodiac left. Dan suggested I trek across the island on the boardwalk because he had just come back from photographing some Royal Albatrosses along the route. I was a little concerned about timing – could I get there and back before the last zodiac? Dan said that Agnes (the other main naturalist) and some others were on the other side of the island so I had plenty of time and would encounter them on their way back before I ran out of time anyway so off I went. It was a wonderful trek through the trees, the lower scrub and then the grassland and I passed a couple of others from the ship but never saw Agnes. I photographed some more Yellow-eyed Penguins close to the boardwalk and at least 20 Albatrosses sitting on the grass or cruising the breeze – they really are extraordinarily beautiful, not to mention graceful and so clever. I got quite close to the cliffs on the opposite coast but couldn’t see anyone in front of me so turned back and eventually arrived back at the zodiac pick-up point – to see Agnes and the others returning from a completely different direction. They had hiked up the coast and crossed back across the island a kilometre or more further north so I would never have seen them even if I had reached the cliffs. But I had thoroughly enjoyed my solo walk and the wonderful birds and plants I had seen along the way – so remote and tranquil.

All in all, it had been a wonderful day, probably almost equalling our day on Macquarie Island a couple of days earlier.

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celebratorypenguin · 7 years

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Rhythm With a Side of Blues

Rating: R for language and sexual situations

McLennon

Summary: John nudged Paul with his shoulder. "Sometimes, when the kids are screaming and we can't hardly hear ourselves, I can feel your bass through the soles of my shoes and it's all that keeps me in time."

A story about rhythm with a side of self-doubt.

Lately I've had a thing for sweet, considerate John taking care of repressed, self-doubting Paul. Honestly, there's something WRONG with me...

Rhythm With a Side of Blues

***

New Zealand, 1964

***

"Best fucking rhythm section of all time," Ringo slurred, flinging one arm around John and the other around Paul. "That's what we are, my friends."

They were in yet another anonymous hotel room in a New Zealand town that John couldn't remember the name of. His ears still rang with the shrieks and screams that had drowned out their music at both shows tonight. Night after night after night, the same howling madness surrounded them and nearly deafened them. It made him long for the simplicity of a "germ bomb" threat, which was at least quiet.

"You're quite right, Ringo," Paul said mildly, looking past Ringo to John and smiling the way one might smile over the head of a clever toddler who had just recited the alphabet.

"Especially since we're having to do it by telepathy. Or by my keeping the beat by looking at John's arse," Ringo declared boozily. He punched John in the arm. "Best rhythmic arse of all time!"

John heard himself laugh, clear and strong, as he hugged Ringo around the waist. He'd missed Ringo so much at the start of the tour. Jimmy was a nice enough bloke and a more than competent drummer, but there could only ever be one Ringo.

George was sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around his long legs. With eyes bleary from lack of sleep and excessive alcohol, he peered up at the three men who were sitting on Paul's bed. "If you lot are the greatest rhythm section of all time, then what the hell does that leave me with?" he drawled, raising both eyebrows.

"You are," Ringo half-hiccuped, "the greatest guitar god of all time. I bow down to your genius." He wriggled free of Paul and John and knelt, unsteadily, at George's feet. "I absolutely prostate myself before you."

That set John off again. "Think you left out an 'r' there, Ringo!" he chuckled.

Ringo's cloudy blue eyes were uncomprehending. "Does 'before' have two r's?" he asked as George dissolved into helpless laughter.

"You'd best get him to bed before a real malapropism festival starts," John told George.

"Right. C'mere, Ringo, let's put you to bed." George untangled his legs and rose, his cheeks still a bit flushed with Ringo's compliment. He yanked Ringo to his feet and frog-marched him out the door. "G'night, fellas," he called over his shoulder, then cocked his hip at the door to force it closed.

John was still laughing. "He's a trip, that Ringo," he declared. "But he's not wrong. We are tight, now that he's back. Tighter than tight. We're amazing!"

Whatever reaction he'd hoped to get from Paul did not include having him stare into the middle distance, gnawing distractedly at a hangnail on his left thumb.

Normally, John was pleased when Paul's guard came down. Only to him did Paul express fears and doubts, when to the rest of the world he presented such a calm facade. But tonight, Paul's reaction seemed out of rhythm and John wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Let's have 'em," John wheedled.

Paul was slow to respond, turning fractionally toward John and dropping his hand to his side. "Sorry, what?"

John tilted his head. "Penny for your thoughts. I'm offering actual money. Filthy lucre."

"Save your cash, 'cause I haven't any thoughts."

"That's a lie, Macca. Your head's full to bursting with the pesky things and they're starting to leak out your eyeballs."

Paul brought the middle finger of his right hand up to his face and wiped his eye with it, then held it up to John. "Can you read this one?"

That wasn't like Paul. He could be stroppy sometimes, and occasionally downright acerbic, but was seldom so uncommunicative. John scooted into the space where Ringo had been sitting. The bed was still warm from his presence, but John could have sworn that Paul's aura lowered the temperature in the room by ten degrees.

"Hey," John murmured, "if you can't tell me what's eating you, how can you--"

"Just fucking leave it, okay?"

"Right. Fuck you, then." John stood abruptly, his heart hammering. "I'll go across to theirs."

The thought of kipping on the floor held no appeal, but neither did sharing a room with a fuming, sullen Paul. John gathered his night clothes from the untidy pile on the chair and was headed for the door when Paul's voice stopped him.

"Planning to sleep in your suit jacket, are you?"

John squinted at the clothing in his arms. What he'd thought were his pyjamas was actually the coat of his gray stage costume. "Sure. Thought I'd let the tackle hang free tonight," he quipped.

"Ringo just got out of the hospital. You could scar the poor lad for life."

John fumbled in his trouser pocket for his glasses and set them on the bridge of his nose. "You seem to have survived the horrific sight," he said as blandly as he could. There was something unnerving in the way Paul's eyes drooped more than normal, a premonition of an older and sadder man to come.

No brilliantly successful man of just-turned-twenty-two should look like that.

"Yeah," Paul breathed. "I should get a fucking medal."

"For valor above and beyond the call of duty," John said softly, crossing back to the bed and letting the jacket slide to the floor. He took his place next to Paul again, leaning against him and wondering what to do next.

Paul's body wilted heavily against John and he let his head tip over onto John's shoulder. Surprised, John began stroking the dark hair, still damp at the roots with stage sweat. "Tell us," he whispered.

Paul nestled a little closer, eyes closed. "Remember when we were learning guitar? All the things we were gonna do?"

So, so many afternoons ago, golden with sun and the thrill of sagging off school, they'd taught each other everything they knew and improvised everything they didn't. The memory touched off something warm in John. "I'd say we've done 'em, son."

Paul shook his head. "You have, sure. And George has, even more than you. But all I've got is the bass, and it's not the same thing. It's not where I thought I'd be."

Taken aback, John let his hand slide from Paul's hair to his upper arm, holding him tightly. "That's what's gotten into your head, then? Thinking that the bass isn't as 'good' as guitars?"

John could feel the rueful smile as Paul mumbled into his shoulder, "It sounds daft when you say it."

"Damn right it does, because it IS daft." John felt a fierce rush of protectiveness wash over him. Didn't Paul know? Hadn't he read the sheaves of articles calling him the greatest bass player of his generation, a mastermind and innovator, a virtuoso? Didn't he feel what his playing did to the band?

What it did to John?

"You're the one who makes the music move. Sure, Ringo gets it started, and I turn the lights on, but you're the one who makes it dance." John nudged Paul with his shoulder. "Sometimes, when the kids are screaming and we can't hardly hear ourselves, I can feel your bass through the soles of my shoes and it's all that keeps me in time."

"That's good, I guess," Paul said around a small yawn.

"Hey!" John jostled him. "I'm complimenting you. Least you could do is stay awake for it."

Paul raised his head and looked at John through heavy-lidded eyes. "You're complimenting my playing, so I must be asleep and dreaming already."

John scowled. "I give your playing plenty of compliments," he said, but he had trouble remembering the last time he'd done it. They were having a tumultous year, after all, making a film and scrambling for enough material for the follow-up to the soundtrack, all the while running and touring, always running and touring.

"Or not," John conceded after a moment's thought.

Shrugging, Paul pulled away from John and started to undress. "Doesn't matter," he said in an offhand tone that didn't fool either of them. "I'm knackered. Time for bed."

Not for the wide world would John have asked if Paul was coming to HIS bed or if he preferred to sulk alone. He lacked the gene that let him express his needs in words, so he had to find another way.

Squinting, he came across the fancy tape recorder Brian had given Paul for his birthday. John fumbled with the small stack of compact cassettes - he was still unsure exactly how they worked - until he found what he needed.

Paul either didn't notice the noise or didn't care, but he didn't turn around until he heard the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night." John noticed Paul's sudden interest and fiddled with the controls until the treble was nearly suppressed and Paul's bass soared into the air between them.

"That's genius, Paul," John whispered as the surprising counter-melody thrummed from the speakers. Paul was standing still, his eyes half-closed as they always were when he was listening acutely. John sidled up to him and put his hand gently on Paul's bare shoulder. "You're a prodigy, mate. You think George or I could've come up with that bass line? Well, George, maybe, but not me."

Paul's lips quirked up in a tiny smile.

Buoyed by Paul's reaction, John ran his hand down Paul's arm and took his hand, tugging at it. "C'mon, baby, dance with me." John started something along the lines of a jitterbug but gave up when Paul started laughing at him.

"You're a nutter, John Lennon," he declared, but his smile was finally genuine.

John changed to a slower dance, undulating against Paul in time with the bass line. Shifting his weight, John pressed Paul against the wall and moved in perfect synchronization with the music, hips moving upwards and downwards as the bass line rose and fell.

"Mmm. You're good at that," Paul said in a hazy, dark voice.

"Best rhythm section on the planet. Ringo said so."

"Please, for the love of God, don't bring Ringo into this!"

Chuckling, John put his fingers on Paul's chin and gave him a tender kiss. "You don't fancy a threesome, then?"

"It kind of is." Paul punctuated his words with little kisses along John's sensitive jawbone. "You, me, and the Höfner."

"That's okay then," John managed to say despite breathlessly extending his neck so Paul could reach more of his skin. "The Höfner's a good lad, doesn't kiss and tell."

Paul clutched John's hips, pulling him closer. "You dropped a beat there. We need another take."

"Sorry. Got distracted. Besides, the song's almost over."

They both stopped, breathing hard, as the tape ended and left a sonic chasm between them. Paul's face was flushed with arousal, yet turned slightly away from John, dark eyes cast shyly toward the floor. John took Paul's hands in his and brought them to his face, kissing each fingertip. Paul's fingers always smelled of tobacco and the vetiver of his cologne, with a metallic tang from the bass strings, and John thought he could get high just from the scent of them.

"Never doubt yourself," John said, firmly but gently. He felt Paul shiver beneath his hands and embraced him, bringing their bodies together. "I mean it, Paul."

Paul nodded, then raised his head to look John straight in the eye. "I'll never doubt you, at any rate."

It was as close to a declaration of love as John had ever heard. Paul, HIS Paul, for all his love songs and sweet voice, was by far the more wary of the two. It was always John who uttered words of love, to which Paul replied with kisses and caresses but never with words.

When Paul leaned in to kiss him, John smiled against the lips he knew as well as his own. When Paul quietly said, "Thank you," John's heart began beating so hard he thought the world could hear it.

Then when Paul whispered, "Take me to bed, Johnny," he nearly wept at the beauty of it all.

Later, much later, when they had shattered under one another's touches, John felt Paul curling up next to him, resting his head on John's chest. John hooked his chin over Paul's scalp. The sex-mussed black locks tickled delightfully against his neck.

"I love you, Paul."

He'd cried it out at the moment Paul's gentle fingers had undone him, and had moaned it over and over, softly, as he coaxed Paul to follow him. Now he was simply stating it. He tensed, waiting for Paul to respond.

Slowly, Paul brought his hand over John's heart and pressed it there, his fingers still quivering in the aftermath of passion. "This is where I get it," he murmured.

John tightened his arms around him. "Where you get what?" he asked, confused.

"Rhythm. My bass parts. Everything, all my music. It's from your heartbeat. My whole life centers around your heartbeat." Paul shifted, leaning up on his elbow so John could see his face. "So," Paul whispered, his eyes as wide and unguarded as John had ever seen them. "Now you know."

He knew, of course - there was no one else on earth who ever saw how tender Paul could be - but he longed so much to hear the words that his eyes stung and his breath caught in his throat. "Tell me," he rasped. Three taps fell on his breastbone, the middle one the strongest. I love you, from Paul's callused fingers. "You sing it to every bloody girl in the world, but not to me? Please, Paul, God, I need to hear it."

Paul's lips trembled. He closed his eyes and sang "I love you" in a falling half-cadence that hung in the air like perfume.

As elated as he was to finally hear the phrase, John knew what the confession had cost Paul. John swallowed all the words he longed to say and instead gathered Paul in his arms.

He had no way of knowing that the next time Paul sang that phrase to him, he wouldn't be alive to hear it.

In blissful ignorance, John was content to let his lover listen to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

*** END ***

#McLennon fic #McLennon

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dutchessofkircaldy · 7 years

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Heeeeeeyy....so, it’s been ages since I actually posted. I only just started logging back into Tumblr. A lot has happened and I feel like I need to talk about a big part of life. So, I originally started this Tumblr to feed my Beatles fandom (and a few other random bits and bobs about life and art). When I started posting here, I was married and if you look back on the first couple years of this Tumblr..it all seemed peachy. However, I stopped mentioning much about it about midway through. Right, so...I have learned a TON about emotional abuse since then...specifically economic abuse, but all of that may be a post for another time. We divorced by the way, 5 years ago. I actually decided “fuck it” I’m doing what I’ve always wanted and moving out of the country....and am now residing in New Zealand..and thriving. I’ve been dealing with some pretty nasty PTSD from events that happened 5+ years ago, but overall, I am definitely improving.

So, with that in mind....something the ex and I had in common was our love of The Beatles. Our wedding was Beatle themed, we went to Vegas to see LOVE (admittedly, typing this out isn’t super easy like I thought it would be). After the divorce...I didn’t listen to them as much, I still claimed they were my favourite band for the first year after (my partner’s first ever xmas gift to me was the funko POP figure of Yellow Submarine Paul...he’s still upset he isn’t able to get John to complete the collection)...however, as I started realising what had happened was abuse...I really stopped listening...they became “Oh..I still like them, just not as much”...then I was actively avoiding their music. As in, I didn’t really care when my laptop’s harddrive died and we had to transfer data, that I lost the 2nd half of the 3rd anthology and ALL of Macca’s solo work aside from Monkberry Moon Delight, as well as most of Lennon’s work. I started thinking of covering my Beatles tattoos (oh...I have more tattoos now, and am plotting more as I type). Then one day, as I was listening to music at work; which means I usually pop YouTube on in another window and pick a random song and see where it takes me...Blackbird came on and even though, this sort of thing would happen at home while working on art (and I’d usually fast forward)...it hit me different....and I started listening again. I’ll be honest, it was scary listening again. I nearly had a panic attack...and found myself bawling while listening to Hey Jude. There was so much hurt and abuse my mind associated with the music I’ve loved since I was 7. And I decided, I was reclaiming my music! It’s been rough, but I’m actually back to my old self...well, sort of..you can never go back, but I like what finding them again has me evolving into. I honestly feel like I reunited with my 4 best friends, maybe that sounds silly, but its true. They were always there for me, and I felt welcomed back when I started listening like I used to. I had my issuse with the fandom, but overall I miss that too. Its good to have them back in my life. Its good I’m healing through the music again....Oh, and another thing that helps? I’m FINALLY seeing Macca in concert in December!!! :D

#the beatles #ptsd #paul mccartney #ptsd healing

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rememberthattime · 6 years

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Chapter 44. New Zealand

Back again! It'd only been three weeks since Chelsay and I returned from New Zealand, and although the South Island was one of our best trips ever, we felt like something was missing. Did we not have enough CookieTimes? Well, duh, but it was something else... Oh. That's right! We forgot to go to the North Island.

Having missed half the country, Chels & I decided we needed a Kiwi Trip Round II, but this time, we wouldn't be exploring alone. Our friends Pete & Megan joined our journey from real-life Hobbiton to Mt Doom. And so it began: the Fellowship of (adventu)Ring

Before getting to the North Island, I want to briefly mention a work trip I’d returned from only 2 days prior. My meetings were in Atlanta, but if I’m flying 17+ hours to the US, I’m stopping in Dallas. Now, my family had been in Sydney only 6 weeks before, but I hadn’t been home since August. That meant this “house (work) money” stopover was a long-awaited oppo for home-cooked meals, QuizTime by Matt, and board games with the whole fam (Mini Monopoly was the game of choice).

It actually worked out that Chelsay wasn’t with me this trip — see, we can’t play Monopoly together. Her strategy is to buy all the property, lose all her money, not allow me to trade her cash for property, then continuously mortgage the properties until I start paying rent. It’s a ruthless, bleed-out strategy! The winner is decided in the first lap around the board, but I think she enjoys watching me slowly die over the next 6 hours.

That was a tangent... Anyway, I had a great time at home, and am actually returning for another work trip in just a few weeks.

Back to NZ now. I returned to Sydney on a Wednesday, and we were flying out to Auckland that same Friday. I basically just stayed at the airport for the day and a half in-between... Actually, this would have been a viable strategy with Megan’s ridiculous credit card benefits: her perks got us ~$200 in free food! I have to admit: we were so distracted by the free food that we nearly missed our flight. Last ones on the plane!

We arrived in Auckland fairly late, and had a 2.5 hour drive to our first destination: scuba diving at Poor Knight’s Island. I was still jet lagged from the US trip, so hardly remember any of the ride up. Actually, the only thing I remember from that night is that we needed to wake up at 7:15 for an 8:15 dive check-in.

7:15 didn’t happen. I awoke to Peter announcing to the room: “It’s 7:47!” I’m not sure why he happened to wake up, but we were so lucky he did. Our phones hadn’t switched timezones, but thank god’s Pete’s internal clock did. Sleeping any later might’ve caused us to literally “miss the boat.”

We somehow made it to the dive shop in time, but this early AM rush was just the start of the day’s excitement. See, Poor Knight’s is considered one of the most diverse, most secluded, and most best (yeah I did) dive spots in the entire world. Don’t believe me? Well, Jacques Cousteau lists Poor Knight’s in his Top 10, which is like cracking Chelsay’s favorite piece of white furniture. My point: he knows what he’s talking about.

As explained by our Welsh skipper, Poor Knight’s is a now-deserted island that was once part of a 25 km-wide caldera (!). For reference, the ring of that volcano was the same distance from Seattle to Sammamish.

As we got closer to the island, our guide Juergen prepped us for the dive. What safety checks we need to do in advance, what different hand signals meant, which animals we’d see, which animals we’d see “doing it”... Wait what? We didn’t say anything at the time, but this was the first instance of Juergen’s weird and repeated references to reproduction.

Some would say Juergen over-prepared us for the dive - we now knew too much. Anyway, we geared up into our 7 mm cold-protection wetsuits, threw on extra vests and a hood for good measure, and hopped in.

A couple things to note here. First, although normally frigid, we had really lucky weather which warmed the island’s water temp to a very reasonable 20 C. This meant our 7 mm wetsuits were overkill, though I think the extra coverage helped avoid Juergen’s objectifying eyes...

Second thing to note: the 7 mm wetsuit is FAR more buoyant than the 2 mm we’re used to wearing in Manly. After our initial dive descent, I quickly experienced this difference, nearly blacking out as the buoyant suit pulled me up from 10m to 3m in just a few seconds.

It actually took most of this first dive to adjust... and to just remember how to scuba dive. It was bizarre, but an absolute blast to be back in the water after not diving since Indonesia 7 months before. The setting lived up to its billing as well, as hundreds of species, thousands of fish, and infinite seaweed swayed back and forth with the current. Specifically, on Dive #1, we saw a sting ray, eagle ray, several camouflaged scorpion fish, a group of orange spotted nudibranch, and one especially playful wrasse.

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I felt far more prepared for the next dive, which was lucky because we spotted all of the big stuff on this trip. It turns out I’m pretty good at spotting things when (A) they’re big, and (B) I’m not blacking out like I did on the first dive. For Dive #2, we saw two eagle rays, a moray eel, and a massive sting ray. Megan, our group’s most experienced diver got pretty close, which provides reference for how big this thing was.

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A few more things I’d like to remember from our dive day:

My scuba learning curve might have been slow, but Chelsay had zero trouble. I think it’s because of her unique technique. First, I’ve never actually seen her swim. Instead, she sort-of floats around like a dead person and let’s the current do the work. Second, she takes EVERYTHING in. Through a combination of the goggle magnification and her already big eyes, it constantly looks like she’s just seen a shark.

Poor Knight’s is really a great spot for diving. Beyond the fish and swaying seaweed, the setting itself is just really cool. 20m tall pillars, underwater ocean caves, and phenomenal visibility to take it all in.

As if the diving wasn’t enough, our boat (“The No Stress Express”) came across a pod of ~15 curious dolphins on our ride back to shore.

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After reaching land, we had a five hour drive to that night’s AirBnB. This seems like a long trek (basically driving from Seattle to Couer d’Alene AFTER a full day of scuba diving), but our entire group was up for the journey. It’s rare but extremely lucky to have travel buddies equally willing to push for the perfect itinerary, but that’s exactly what Chelsay and I had with Pete and Megan: our mirror couple that prioritizes getting the absolute most out of their travels.

How else did we ensure we were maximizing our time on the North Island? Road trip Maccas and Cookie Time McFlurrys. Crumbly chocolate chip cookies coated in caramel sauce and mixed in a creamy “bucket” of soft serve. ...Juergen would’ve made an inappropriate joke about the word creamy.

Thanks to Johnathan van Ness teaching us “How to Treat Our Skin Like the Gorgeous Organ She Is” and Daniel & Jorge explaining “What is a multiverse?”, the five hour drive went quickly and we were at our AirBnB in no time. And what a unique AirBnB it was.

We pulled into the Big Bird BnB, where our lovely host Dotty stayed up late to show us our cottage. Dotty off-handedly mentioned her animals, which gradually led to us discovering she had entire petting zoo. This wasn’t just any petting zoo though... Dotty had a “collection” of MINI cats, dogs, cows, goats, rams, and horses. Note, not all of the aroused horse was tiny... Juergen would’ve been going nuts. This miniature collection went along with normal-sized animals: pigs, ostriches, emus, and snaggle-toothed alpacas. Damn Dotty, where’s the Ark!?

The exclamation mark on our bizarre but very pleasant surprise of a BnB was the breakfast: bacon and (ostrich) egg on toast, with kitten cuddles on the side.

We couldn’t have asked for a better start, but it was only the beginning of an adventurous day. Our first stop was the nearby Waitomo Caves, one of TripAdvisor’s Top 10 highest rated destinations in the world. ...between this and Jacque Cousteau’s dive spot, a lot of Top 10s in this trip already.

We’d signed up to essentially float through an underground cave on an inner tube. The catch: rather than head lamps, the caves are illuminated solely by bioluminescent glow worms.

After a brief introduction, we once again wetty’d up for cold, wet, damp, and unavoidable submersion. We followed our guides through the cave’s entrance, which was really just a crack in the ground barely bigger than my body. Once inside, the walls didn’t get much wider, though they got far taller. Navigating narrow passages towering as high as 40 feet, we sloshed through running water while descending deeper and deeper into the damp dwelling.

Now 50 feet below the surface, we’d escaped all natural light. The cave itself was wet, but we were also soaked after tubing through underground streams and leaping off several waterfalls. After a particularly splashy jump from a 6-foot ‘fall, our guide asked us to form an inner tube-train. Something was happening — we must have arrived.

The group formed a floating line, though with our headlamps on, we couldn’t really tell what the fuss was. This particular cavern looked like each room before: a long, narrow passage, framed be limestone walls and stalactite millennial (i.e. they took a millennium to develop. Not millennial like... instagrammers. No, not funny? I’ll try another millennial reference in a sec).

The guide asked us to turn our headlamps off, and the show began. The limestone walls and entitled millennial stalactites disappeared in the darkness, but the cave hadn’t quite turned pitch black.... Galaxies of tiny blue bioluminescent lights now consumed the cave’s ceiling above us. Layers and layers of overlapping blue light.

It didn’t seem real — more like an attraction at Disney. This is fake right? The rock is just hollowed plastic, and there’s a black light somewhere back there?

Nope, these lights were very real and (uh huh) very natural. See, the light is produced when underground worms create waste. Through evolution, the worm’s waste began to glow, which attracted and trapped more food. Nature!

The amazing thing is that these glow worms had been all around us, but were hidden by the light from our headlamps.

With all other lights off though, the worm’s shit shined. The sharp light from the cave’s ceiling softly reflected off the water below, illuminating the long passage of the otherwise black cave into infinity.

Shockingly, we were underground for almost 90 minutes, so our eyes had really gotten used to the dark. Exiting into the sunlight felt like leaving da clubz after an all-night bender... which I do often.

We were literally stepping out of a hole in the ground, which is a perfect transition to our next destination: Hobbiton. The fictional home to hobbits, where their homes are built directly into holes in the ground. Does a hobbit’s shit glow too?

The ride over was short but entertaining. First, the views. Having now driven through both the North and South Island, New Zealand’s landscape continues to amaze me. I don’t know how such a small country can have such diverse landscapes. It’s like the entire EU packed into a country the size of WYOMING. This particular drive reminded us of Ireland, with vibrant rolling green hills and a population of cows that far outnumbered the local humans.

Second point to note from the ride, our entertainment: Chelsay. Megan hadn’t seen the LotR’s series (c’mon Pete), but Hobbiton wouldn’t be the same experience without context. Don’t worry. There’s no one better to boil down a 9 hour film series than Chelsay. She should have her own show summarizing plot lines. I try to imagine what Tolkien would say if he’d heard Chelsay’s explanation of LotR... I’m sure he’d agree it was an Oxford-level literary lesson.

With our whole team now on the same page (book pun?) re: Hobbiton, we were ready to tour the fictional hamlet. Our guide for the day was Paul, who was truly living his best life. Describing Paul as “a big LotR guy” would be an undersell. There’s a 120% chance he dressed up as Gandalf for the movie premiers. We couldn’t have gotten a better tour guide though, as Paul’s enthusiasm was infectious.

Not only was Paul Middle Earth’s biggest cheerleader, but he clearly knew his stuff. As we perused the Green Dragon Inn or Bag-End, Paul shared insider stories from Hobbiton’s history.

Before filming started, Peter Jackson, LotR’s Oscar-winning director, had flown over this farmland and thought it would be the perfect Hobbiton. He landed his helicopter and approached the owner, asking if the farmer would allow a film set on his property.

Not hip to the fantasy fiction culture, the farmer rejected the offer and told Jackson that “he, his helicopter, and their Harry Potter magic riff raff could bugger off.” I’m paraphrasing.

That night the farmer told his family about the cooky Hollywood director. The farmer’s son (more hip to the fantasy fiction culture) saw LotR’s dollar sign potential and called his dad a “daft sod.” Dad called Jackson the next day and the rest is history.

EXCEPT NOT! After LotR finished filming, they tore the set down! The first trilogy wrapped up in 2003, and without further need for Hobbit holes, the farmer took his land back. Great. Except he was missing out on a huge tourist opportunity.

Luck again saved our fortuitous farmer friend though, as LotR was so successful that Jackson pursued a second trilogy, The Hobbit. The filmset was built back up, but this time, they didn’t tear ‘nuffin down after filming. Instead, they put up a sign that read “Nerds welcome,” and the tourist crowds came in droves. Our group included.

The set is genuinely a fairy tale. What used to be open farmland is now truly Hobbiton, with 39 (!) intricately detailed homes, each etched with hints of the occupant’s occupation. Florist, baker, village drunk. Led by fanatical Phil, we paraded through “precious” pathways (alliterative Golem reference), trying our luck at hobbit games like stilts, and quenching our thirst with brewed-on-site beverages.

The fairy tale hamlet was buzzing and jovial, but we had to get a move on because that night’s AirBnB was about two hours south.

The drive a stark contrast to Hobbiton as it included almost zero humans. I mean that in two ways: there was both a lack of civilization, and also everyone in the car fell asleep during my turn to drive. Daniel & Jorge were the only ones to keep me company, and they rambled on about small-talk-topics like whether the universe is random or chaotic.

Shockingly, we came across a small town closer to our AirBnB. Thank god because we’d finished all the car ride CookieTimes and I was hungry. There appeared to be only one restaurant in this town, and its name was Rust — not the most appealing description. With few alternatives, we shot our shot and the meal was a massive success. Massive is the key descriptor. These burgers needed a butchers knife to stay upright.

It was necessary sustenance though, as our hike the next day, the Tongariro Crossing, required all the energy we could muster (mustard? Burger pun? ...I’m tired and writing this from a 24 hr plane ride to London).

For a bit of extra energy, we slept-in the next morning and took our time with a tasty fried egg breakfast courtesy of Chef Pete. Unfortunately this slower start created a new risk. See, Tongariro is a 19 km one-way hike: you park at the trail-end, then take a shuttle up to the start. However, because it’s such a long hike, most trekkers start early so the shuttle only runs from 5 AM to 10 AM. We pulled into the lot at 10:08. Ohhhhh, pickles.

Luckily there was a man wearing an orange construction vest. He looked official, like a park ranger, but honestly he could’ve been anyone. We asked him if he knew a way to get back to the trailhead, and because he had a truck, asked if he could give us a ride. I don’t want to give this guy too much credit because I’m sure he’s perfected this with hundreds of sleepy-headed tourists, but the savvy SOB responded “You got cash?” Goodonya mate. This burly Maori man is in the middle of nowhere New Zealand, and he’s created his very own Uber for Idiots Who Slept In. I’m immediately recommending him to EY’s Entrepeneur of the Year program.

“Joe”, as he introduced himself, was actually a really nice guy. He offered to pull over for pictures, asked if we needed any sunscreen, and even told us about his family. He was proud that his eldest daughter had just shot three deer... which means he has guns... which means we weren’t pulling over for any pictures... actually we just want to get out of Joe’s truck asap.

The ride was quite long (30 minutes), so upon safe delivery, we thought we were being generous when we offered 40 AUD to Joerotorua (we were skeptical of his white person name so made up our own). Joe really had us by the balls when he responded “That’s all?” We played dumb, sheepishly smiled, and quickly exited.

Woo. I joke about Joerotorua, but he actually saved us. Our day could’ve been seriously sidetracked if he hadn’t helped-a-Hobbit out. Thanks to his entrepreneurial venture though, we ended up right where we needed to be: the Tongariro Crossing trailhead.

Now, Tongariro was actually a tough fit into our initial itinerary. When planning, we struggled to justify forcing this out-of-the-way hike into an already packed agenda... I mean, we’d already been to Poor Knight’s, Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, and Hobbiton. Was it really worth it? Let’s have a Googl-WE’RE GOING! It took about two Google images to realize this other worldly landscape was a must-do.

And so we set off, taking our first steps into the 19.4 km trek. The payoff was essentially immediate. Within the first few Ks, we were navigating towns of bizarre lava formations, trekking through Martian deltas under LotR’s Mt Doom, and conquering what we would later find out is called The Devil’s Staircase.

We were really lucky with the weather. As I write this, I’m not sure I even appreciate how lucky we were. Spoiled brat. This particular weekend, the traditionally hit or miss North Island was hit by and Aussie Heatwave (and I don’t just mean my sexy mid-length socks *wink*). But seriously, it was hot. 90 degrees. No shelter or shade. Walking on an active volcano. Like a desert mirage, the horizon shimmered into a sweltering haze.

Like Frodo and the Fellowship, we fought the dark powers of Mt Doom’s incline before reaching the trail’s saddle. From here, the 360 degree views were unbelievable. I specifically remember looking out at the perfect desolate symmetry of Mt Doom and thinking “This is crazy.” The I turned 180 degrees to see the otherworldly colors of an exploded volcanic crater and thought: “THIS is crazy!” Then I walked 100 yards to find sulfuric steam rising from emerald lakes located between Martian lava fields and I thought: “EVERYTHING is crazy!”

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We stopped for some epic-LotR journey footage on Pete & Megan’s drone (aka Charles Lindbergh), before enjoying potentially the most picturesque picnic of my life. In terms of hard grades, the views were and absolutely unbeatable A+. Our entertainment was also 10/10: a super friendly Kiwi who showed us how to quickly descend the scree via skip (we called it the “graceful little prance”... or was it “graceful little prince”. It works either way). The only F grade: a sulfuric fart smell hanging in the air.

Now, Poor Knight’s, Waitomo, and Hobbiton (+ Dotty’s animal farm) all exceeded expectations. They were dope, but it was this track, the late add to the itinerary, Tongariro Crossing, that I’ll remember most from the North Island.

Mt Doom and our 19km hike through Mordor was truly a full-day activity. Following our eight hours on the trail, we had a two hour drive to our final stop of the trip, Rotorua (yes, of “Joerotorua”). By the time we arrived, the only sensible option was a second round of Maccas. Imagine how badly Frodo and Samwise would’ve wanted a CookieTime McFlurry after their own hike through Mordor.

We passed out *herd* (Chelsay saying “hard” in her hood voice) that night, but were surprising spry the next morning. It was our last day on the North Island, and Rotorua (aka RotoVegas... that’s not a joke) had plenty to offer.

We had three options for the day. First, street luge. Yerp. Second, redwoods. Yerp. Third, geothermal hotspots. Ehhhh. We decided to pass given we’d endured enough fart smells at Tongariro (...I’m also pretty sure Joerotorua let a rage-one rip after we shorted him with 40 AUD). Anyway, we decided to focus on the first two picks.

Stop one was the famous Rotorua Street Luge. This place was another adult playground... I’m surprised Queenstown didn’t have a street luge. Oh wait, they did? Makes sense. But the Rotorua version is bigger and better!

We decided one run wouldn’t be enough, so signed up for three. For the first luge, we went conservative in the intermediate lane. It was good getting a feel for the track, but once we’d raced to the bottom, we were ready for Expert.

It was here that our group became known to the locals. They started calling us the “Bomb Squad”... (They didn’t, but I’m retroactively adding it). Our four-person havoc wreaking, hell raising, Harry Potter magic riff raff group bombed down the track as we passed far more conservative Chinese tourists and liberally braking/highly offended families. They’ll forever remember the Bomb Squad. A couple other notes from the luge:

You actually go quite fast (up to 30 mph), and the Expert track dips to help you power through turns.

My stomach flipped a little as I pulled two wheels off the ground on one particularly hard turn.

I’m not sure Chelsay applied her brakes. Like, not once.

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Like the real Vegas, RotoVegas was toasty, so our next stop was a welcomed reprieve: Rotorua’s redwood forests. After stepping out of the car to the parking lot’s sulfuric smell, we escaped from both the fart scent and the sun into the pine-y shade of the redwoods. It was here that we were able to reflect on what and action-packed four days it had been.

I’ve always said that the sign of a great trip is the ability to point to a memorable activity from each day. Well, damn. One day we went scuba diving in one of the top dive sites in the entire world, spotting horn-tailed sting rays and even hornier-tailed dive instructors. The next day we explored a seemingly fake glow worm cave, followed by a visit to a seemingly real-life Hobbiton. Then we trekked through Tongariro (aka Mordor... aka Mars... aka Joerotorua’s place of business). Finally, we wrapped up with street luge and big ass trees.

This isn’t even to mention the wonderful company Chelsay and I got to share. Sure, the itinerary delivered an amazing four days, but what made this trip truly special was spending it with our mirror couple Manly fam (aka the Bomb Squad).

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i-like-your-genitalia · 7 years

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I wanna be *that* person just once... answer all of the questions

Lmao well if you are gonna be that person you better read my answer to every single one of these questions 😂😂😂 (I’ll leave the ones I’ve already answered)

1.) what’s a song you depict with your childhood? N/A 2.) did you have a memorable childhood pet?

Yeah I had two cats and a border collie ♥️ 3.) have you ever been drunk?

Fuck yes  4.) have you ever tried drugs?

Yup, nothing hardcore tho  5.) have you ever completely regretted what you’ve said?

Pretty much everything that I say 24/7??????? Yeah probably when I told that guy I loved him and he didn’t love me back Ahahah 6.) have you ever made someone cry?

Yeah, though it’s usually from being really funny or making them sad-happy cry  7.) has someone ever made you cry?

All my friends and most of my family  8.) have you ever been in love? if so, describe the moment you knew it? N/A

9.) which came first the chicken or the egg?

Considering I believe in god, I’m gonna go with the chicken.  10.) are you part of the lgbtq+ community? do you support them?

I identify as bi and support all the lgbtq+ community. Everyone deserves to have a support system and find people who are similar and have had similar experiences to them  11.) how many siblings do you have?

Just the one  12.) have you ever been in love with someone you couldn’t love? N/A

13.) are you a good cook?

I like to think so, though the number of dishes I can makes probably wants expanding  14.) what is your favorite tv show?

Omg don’t ask me this 😭😭 Supernatural, Criminal Minds, The OA, 3%, Brooklyn 99, Arrested Development, Broadchurch, Whitechapel, Orphan Black, The Get Down….I have so many and I don’t have a singular favourite!  15.) what is the last movie you cried during?

Idk, probably beauty and the beast (animated version) I always cry watching that 16.) what are songs you’ve cried to when you first heard them? (if any)

Omg a youtuber who does videos mainly taking the piss. Is actually super into music and can sing and I heard a cover he did of a one direction song and cried!  17.) do you have a middle name?

I have two even 😂 18.) have you been out of your country?

Lmao definitely  19.) are you a chocolate fan or not?

Fucking hell yes! I’d die without chocolate tbh  20.) how many people have you kissed?

Maybe 4???? 21.) what is your favorite album?

Forest Hill Drive - J Cole & 4 your eyes only - J Cole  22.) what is your dream car?

Either an Classic American Muscle car or something from a James Bond film 23.) what is your lucky/favorite number?

18 24.) what is your favorite flower?

Forget me nots or baby’s breath (?)

25.) books or movies, why?

Depends, I love books. But I watch way more movies! So probably movies  26.) have you ever been on a blind date?

Nope and wouldn’t be that keen to try 27.) has one of your friends ever backstabbed you?

Yup, should have know they were a snake  28.) have you ever backstabbed one of your friends?

Not purposely, no! 29.) what thing do you symbolize love with?I’m not really sure  30.) do you have neat handwriting?

Depends on what pen I’m using honestly  31.) do you have a friend with benefits?

No ahahahah 32.) do you want a friend with benefits?

It would be cool to try, but I feel as though I wouldn’t be able to cope with it  33.) if you could be anything in the world, what would you be?

Rich 34.) have you ever been blackout drunk?

No, but I’ve had some nights that have been a bit patchy  35.) have you ever met someone famous?

I met the all blacks team once  36.) how many concerts have you been to?

One and going to another in October  37.) which concerts have you been to?

I went to see The Cure and and going to see J Cole soon 🎉 38.) do you have a hidden talent?

I can poke you exactly in the belly button, even if I can’t see where it is  39.) what do you do when you’re stressed?

Sleep, or procrastinate to the point of even more stress  40.) do you think money can buy love?

No 41.) how old would you date?

Well I’m 18, almost 19. So I probably wouldn’t date past 25. 42.) have you ever done something illegal?

Probably  43.) what is your biggest fear?

Being alone  44.) what is an unusual fear you have?

I don’t really have one  45.) can you drive?

Yeah but only in New Zealand  46.) do you believe in supernatural creatures?

For sure  47.) do you believe in karma?

Definitely, I’m just waiting for a few people to get what they deserve  48.) what is one quality you need in your partner?

Humour  49.) do looks matter?

Not particularly, but they definitely help. But in the end it doesn’t matter  50.) does size matter?

Nope, as long as you are happy 51.) who is the last person you forgave?

My best friend for cracking not even 2 days into Junk free June. Something we are suppose to be doing together lmao  52.) what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Oooooooh! Ben and Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup or Mint chocolate chip  53.) what languages can you speak besides english?

Unfortunately just English  54.) ever been on a plane?

Yes, I love planes  55.) ever been on a boat?

Yeah!  56.) is there anyone you’ve lost touch with that you wish you hadn’t?

A few people, but it is what it is 57.) are there any friendships you regret?

Surprisingly not that many, but there are a few I wish could have been avoided  58.) are there any friendships you wish you could make?

Probably with my mutuals and a few people I went to high school with who seem really cool! But it’s too late to try and initiate anything now 59.) have you ever stayed awake for 24 (+) hours?

Yes, and like with my 48 hours awake. I died. I love sleep too much  60.) have you ever walked outside after 12 am?

Yeah, to get Maccas and because i was too broke to taxi and it was to late for buses  61.) have you ever seen a sunrise completely through?

Yeah, me and a friend specially got up to watch it! Sat on the room in out sleeping bags to see it!  62.) are you scared of rollercoasters?

Ahahahahah yes but I still love them  63.) on a scale of 1-10 how stressed are you usually?

Currently it’s pretty low probably a 2  64.) do you have any plans this weekend?

Might go clubbing but also might sleep 65.) do you miss anyone right now?

@dysfunctionalgroup 66.) who do you wish you were talking to right now?

I’m already talking to the people I want to be talking to!  67.) if you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Mind Reading 68.) who is your favorite superhero?

At the moment Iron Man and Wonder Woman  69.) are you dirty minded?

Ahahahah yes  70.) what is your favorite song from every decade starting at that 80’s?

Red Red Wine- U2 (80’s)Don’t Speak- No Doubt or Ready or Not- Fugees (all of the 90’s have some good vibes tho so…)Fuck You- Lilly Allen (00’s)Stay with Me- Sam Smith (2010’s)  71.) how many kids, if any, do you want?

2 ideally but I wouldn’t be opposed to more or less 72.) who is your biggest OTP?

DESTIEL  73.) what is your favorite food?

All food  74.) do you want to be married one day?

It would be nice! 75.) dogs or cats?

Both but I probably would go for a cat  76.) do you drink enough water daily?

I drink so much water, I’m currently at about 3 litres a day  77.) have you ever seen a shooting star?

Yeah, they are cool! Sadly none of my wishes have been granted  78.) if you had the opportunity to go to the moon, would you?

I guess  79.) how many best friends do you have?

I think 4????? 80.) when was the last time you cried?Like 2 days ago, I had really bad period cramps  81.) have you ever laughed so hard you peed yourself?

Yes ahahahah, it’s always a major concern of mine! 82.) have you ever made anyone laugh so hard they peed? N/A 83.) if you could travel any where in the world, where would you go?

Well I want to go back to New Zealand, but also really want to go and visit Italy again  84.) what are 3 words you would use to describe yourself?

Funny, Kind and Cuddly  85.) do you consider yourself a loyal person?

I like to think so  86.) what is your favorite season and why?

Summer, I love the heat and the fashion, I like going to the beach and chilling by pool! I like day drinking and being lazy! I like seeing the sun and having long days!  87.) have you ever told anyone you loved them, and didn’t mean it?

Yes, and there are few who I know have done the same back  88.) do you know how to play any instruments?

I can technically play the piano but not very well 89.) do like like falling asleep to music or not?

Depends on my mood and the music  90.) what are you allergic to?

Nothing that I know of 91.) have you ever wanted to be someone else for a day just so you could see what there life is like?

Yeah, anyone famous or rich tbh 92.) if you could be any character from your favorite tv show would you, and if so, who would you be?

I really don’t know 😒 93.) if you could be best friends with any celebrity who would it be and why?

Definitely want to be friends with Rhianna or Chance the Rapper they seem like a lot time honestly! And can’t go wrong with someone who’s always gonna have good music going! But also love to have Misha Collins as a bestie  94.) are you outgoing?

When I want to be!  95.) have you ever wanted to kiss someone, but weren’t brave enough to?

Yes  96.) are you a good flirt?

When I’m not being awkward and putting my foot in my mouth yes!  97.) have you ever been turned down, or have you ever turned anyone down? Yes to both

98.) which planet is your favorite? N/A 99.) are you superstitious?

A little bit but not majorly  100.) are you a good listener?

I think so!  101.) are you a good kisser

I don’t know, probably just average! I don’t get that much practise  102.) would you kiss any of your friends?

All of them!!!!! Well @dysfunctionalgroup and maybe a couple of others who I know wouldn’t take it seriously if I kissed them!

#my asks #answered asks #ask me anything

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king-lyrebird · 7 years

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I forgot I was tagged on this one

Was tagged by @disgruntled-tortoise to do the 5 things tag. Let's do this! 5 things you'll find in my bag 1. An empty chip packet 2. Uneaten lollies I'm saving for later 3. Probably my iPod and headphones 4. Pencils I thought I lost (and about six of them at that) 5. Notebooks (for my school bag specifically) 5 things you'll find in my bedroom 1. My used socks that I don't put in the dirty washing 2. Those two random bulbuls that I hung up to the lower cut of the ceiling (okay it was when we were first at this house and I was really young and it was Christmas time and there was five of them and three fell off but those two have been there so long I just can't bear to take them down they're like guardians to me now) 3. Old drawings I bork at when I see 4. Clean clothes I won't put away cause I'm a lazy arse 5. Books. Everywhere. Reading books, sketchbooks, my schoolbooks, textbooks on the odd occasion, notebooks - you name it 5 things I've always wanted to do 1. Do a roadtrip around Australia with my squad 2. Go to a live Potor Robinson concert 3. Go to New Zealand 4. Learn another really random language and prank my friends by speaking in it at random times (like Hawaiian or Greek or something like that) 5. Be noticed for artwork 5 things that make me happy 1. My friends 2. Reading the chapter I just uploaded on Ao3 and finding no typos 3. Imagining music videos while I listen to music 4. Drawing 5. Algebra (it's a joke in my maths class, the one who tagged me shall understand) (it's actually food) 5 things I'm currently into 1. Making dumb posts against the court of lizards 2. Panic at the Disco 3. Staying up late to listen to ASMR 4. TFIL (the fuck-it list) 5. Browsing Pinterest for three hours at a time 5 things on my to do list 1. Finish writing Chapter 15 2. Complete script idea for Drama 3. Practice for talent show coming up in a week 4. Ask about chippy Tuesday 5. Drive a shopping cart through a Maccas drive thru 5 things people may not know about me 1. Im obsessed with mango Lipton Iced Tea. It's my shit 2. I run a second blog that's literally just me making shitposts about my stories 3. I'm basically the problem child 4. I love the name Aurora and have always wanted to use the name in a story (to which I am) 5. I'm planning a proper book about a paranormal investigation group and their craziest investigation with the lead character as a vampire named August (Lol not tagging anyone, but this was a ton of fun so if you wanna do this, just say that the lies that lizards tell sent ya... And tag me so I can see your answers)

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mrbronzeskull · 8 years

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Lmao answer them all and good luck ;)

I’m reblogging this, sans readmore, as it was brought to my attention that for at least one person, everything under that just didn’t show up. I humbly beg forgiveness for putting such a huge chunk of text on everyones dash.Spacey, you cheeky sod. I swear this is like the second time you’ve done this. (I both love and hate you for it) Here we fucking go: THIS TOOK AN HOUR AND A HALF TO DO

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?I don’t exactly get physical with folks so I have to assume it was my ex, several months ago.2. Are you outgoing or shy?Shy, Bi and ready to die3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?@gpumidnazora, some day.4. Are you easy to get along with?I guess so? Not very argumentative, very quiet, tell bad jokes.5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?I’d like to think so.6. What kind of people are you attracted to?All of them. More feminine aligned folks usually but super masc folks and androgynous peeps have totally taken my breath away too. Less general note, nerdy folk who I can obsess over something with. 7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?I mean, I’m in one now and while it does have a massive issue because of distance, I’d like to think we can tough it out.8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?My girlfriend.9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?A little, I get flustered easily if im not super close with folks.10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?Fuck, uh, myself? I often have super deep conversations that I should probably talk to a therapist or someone about just aloud to myself. But if that isnt an acceptable answer, @gpumidnazora takes the cake.11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?“Oh hell, I thought I said hi when I got home and was all like ‘huh, she hasn’t replied, guess she’s already asleep” after I goofed up on letting my gf know I got home on time.12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?OH! I got one from just this morning! Let’s Face It I’m Cute by 11 Acorn Lane.Aside from that I’ve been all nostalgic lately so Mr Brightside by The KillersTeenage Dirtbag by WheatusGoodbye Stranger by SupertrampEverytime We Touch by Cascada13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?Yes. Please do. I’m a big sucker for this. Or any physical affection really. 14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?Miracles not so much but its real hard to not think of things as lucky or unlucky for me15. What good thing happened this summer?I got plenty of hours at work! 16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?Nope. No. Nuh. There’s two girls it might be and neither of those would be a good choice.17. Do you think there is life on other planets?I mean, it’s literally either that or we are completely alone in the entire universe. Which seems far more terrifying to me. So yeah. But I’m always thinking like microbial or basic life, rather than you know, aliens replete with UFOs and such.18. Do you still talk to your first crush?Nah, havent talked to her in years.19. Do you like bubble baths?I almost always shower, too big for the bath really.20. Do you like your neighbors?Fuck dude I dont even know my neighbours21. What are you bad habits?God, what isnt? Nail biting, snacking, bad sleep schedule, shower delays, then too long in the shower, generally messy22. Where would you like to travel?Canada, Tokyo, America, Brazil, Europe, New Zealand. Anywhere with snow23. Do you have trust issues?Yes? I’m not all that open. Until I am and it’s like BAM HERE’S MY ENTIRE LIFE STORY which is too much typically.24. Favorite part of your daily routine?Jerkin’ it just soooo right. Kidding. Mostly. Anytime cuddling my cat while catching up on Youtube videos is great.25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?My back. just all of that. Beats out the chewed nails and the flab and the face any time.26. What do you do when you wake up?Regret27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?Darker. But I’m such a shut in so that aint happening. Least it looks alright next to my paper white sister28. Who are you most comfortable around?Myself. Or my good friend Emily Mac, the @keepingitreluctant that you all know and love29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?One, and boy that was a fucking nightmare of a time.30. Do you ever want to get married?Not really? I mean, tax benefits are nice but I don’t care for it much.31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail?Nah, or at least it’s the shittiest ponytail ever, though my hair is the longest it’s probably ever been.32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?I’d take a spin with pretty much anyone because dang most of them are hella good looking plus all that money you could earn through scandalous details afterwards. 33. Spell your name with your chin.zxzbnldyu. Perfect, nailed it. Funnily enough it’s pronounced ‘Ashley’34. Do you play sports? What sports?I played, emphasis on the ‘ed’, soccer (football) and tennis and fencing!35. Would you rather live without TV or music?TV, easy. I listen to music way more than I watch TV.36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?Who hasn’t? Though I have an awful habit of fallin in love with folks when I see them if they catch my eye. All the time. Everyone just looks so dang good and cute.37. What do you say during awkward silences?I’m more of a creator of awkward silences than an ender. Yay for being bad at simple conversation.38. Describe your dream girl/guy?Aw jeez. I mean I’m tempted to earn brownie points by just describing my lovely girlfriend. But if I had to draw up an ideal, I guess just a real sweet cutie who’s down for cuddling and playing games, preferably nice and short, all adorable and fun sized! Short hair is a plus.39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?I don’t shop often. So I guess Robinsons bookshop, EB games and Zing? is that the name of that store filled with ‘nerdy’ junk that’s like partnered with EB?40. What do you want to do after high school?Fuck man I went through high school not knowing and I still have no idea41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?I give so many second chances. Multiple. But it does depend on the action. If you hurt me, no matter how much or how often, I’ll let it slide (possibly because I have 0 self respect) but if you fuck with my mates or are just a despicable person in general I will only give you a couple chances.42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?I’m almost always pretty quiet. but if i go silent mid conversation it probably means I’m trying to turn something that just got said into a really lame dad joke.43. Do you smile at strangers?yes and no. If I’m interacting with them or like they pass by and its only the two of us I’ll happily put on a (hopefully not creepy) smile but I won’t have a smile plastered on my face walking through a crowd.44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?Space. Definitely. 45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?At the moment, the need to get to work46. What are you paranoid about?People finding out about the murders This and that, usual dark secrets.47. Have you ever been high?Yup and it was eh, I laughed at all sorts of junk but I got serious cottonmouth and had all sorts of gaps in my memory, even worse than normal which was scary.48. Have you ever been drunk?Plenty of times and I think I’m probably 50/50 on if i threw up or not.49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?Recently? I did get Maccas for dinner and pretend that I wasnt hungry when I got home after a rough day at workLess recently I fucked up in a life changing way that no one else knows of and I don’t know what to do about that.50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?Black51. Ever wished you were someone else?Again, who hasn’t? 52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?Add a couple zeros to the end of my bank balance would be nice. But physically? Clean up my fucking back. 53. Favourite makeup brand?Afraid I really don’t know anything about any of them enough to make a judgement call. 54. Favourite store?Zing (im sticking with that name, fuck it) is fun to just chill in55. Favourite blog?God so many, you are all too great!56. Favourite colour?Turquoise 57. Favourite food?A good steak is hard to turn down58. Last thing you ate?Rice and mince.59. First thing you ate this morning?A caramel Up&Go to wash down some pills.60. Ever won a competition? For what?I’m more of a second place kinda person. Or was. It’s all been going downhill for a while in academic or sporting respect.61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?I almost got suspended/expelled after a particularly nasty and widespread tidbit rumour went around about me.62. Been arrested? For what?Nope.63. Ever been in love?I think so. I’m the kinda guy to say it pretty early. 64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?Uh, I took my girlfriend of the time out to a roller skating rink, I couldn’t skate for shit and I couldnt look her in the eyes without turning away and blushing. Let alone hold a conversation. But afterwards she was kind enough to deign to grant me a kiss in the parking lot.65. Are you hungry right now?Nope, I’m good.66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?I talk to you guys just as much as them nowadays. But I would say I’m closer to them than anyone on tumblr, no offense. 67. Facebook or Twitter?Uh I have both but don’t use them.68. Twitter or Tumblr?Tumblr hands down, this is like my only social network platform69. Are you watching tv right now?Nope70. Names of your bestfriends?Emma, Emily, Hayley, Imogen, Lucinda, Ebony71. Craving something? What?Getting intimate with a guy, just accepting my bisexuality recently has kinda kicked that into overdrive. And now I’m blushin.72. What colour are your towels?We’ve got white, black and turquoise72. How many pillows do you sleep with?One73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?Not in about 10 years.74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?I wouldnt have a clue how many stuffed animals from when I was younger are still tucked away in the house75. Favourite animal?Meerkat.76. What colour is your underwear?Black77. Chocolate or Vanilla?Vanilla78. Favourite ice cream flavour?probably vanilla79. What colour shirt are you wearing?Black80. What colour pants?No pants!81. Favourite tv show?Brooklyn Nine Nine or Bojack Horseman82. Favourite movie?Iron Giant? Road to El Dorado? Spaceballs? Something nostalgic83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?There’s a second?84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?Mean Girls85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?Uh, fuck I dont remember the names. The lovely lesbian lass. She was great.86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?Bruce.87. First person you talked to today?My girlfriend88. Last person you talked to today?Verballly, my mum, text wise, my girlfriend89. Name a person you hate?Donald Motherfuckign Trump, I mean hating trump is as common as breathing air as it should be but man he’s such a fucking disgusting cunt.90. Name a person you love?My parents.91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?God I have spent many an hour dreaming of socking Trump right in that bullshit spewing mouth92. In a fight with someone?Not currently. Or at least, the feud is still open and so old it isn’t a fight anymore.93. How many sweatpants do you have?Two?94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?Two?95. Last movie you watched?Moana 96. Favourite actress?Ellen Page is up there for sure97. Favourite actor?Chris Pratt98. Do you tan a lot?Ha, most of my body isnt aware what the sun is99. Have any pets?Boy do I. 2 cats and 5 dogs. 10 chooks.100. How are you feeling?A tad tired.101. Do you type fast?Pretty average 102. Do you regret anything from your past?HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA My memory is a whole lot of regrets floating in a void of forgotten moments.103. Can you spell well?W-E-L-L104. Do you miss anyone from your past?A past best friend of mine.105. Ever been to a bonfire party?I’ve hosted a couple and been invited to one106. Ever broken someone’s heart?I doubt it. Not exactly the type. (devastatingly good looking and/or callous)107. Have you ever been on a horse?Yup, wasn’t the thing for me108. What should you be doing?Sleeping?109. Is something irritating you right now?Well I’m now being inundated by regretful thoughts so that’s a bother.110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?Nah. 111. Do you have trust issues?I feel like this was already asked. But yeah, I would say so.112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?I haven’t cried in literal years. I don’t have a clue.113. What was your childhood nickname?It’s always just been Ash114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?Yup, I’ve been all over the place115. Do you play the Wii?I have, but its been a hot minute116. Are you listening to music right now?Yeah, I had Let’s Face It I’m Cute up for the link and it just played a whole bunch of electroswing music on youtube, now on The Noisy Freaks by Freak Orchestra at least I think thats the name and band, I’ve never heard it before117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?sure118. Do you like Chinese food?Probably not my favorite, but it’s nice119. Favourite book?Too many man, way too many. 120. Are you afraid of the dark?Not really.121. Are you mean?I don’t think so. I’m a weak willed pushover and generally benign and quiet122. Is cheating ever okay?Ugh, it’s not exactly commendable but like anything, it’s all circumstance123. Can you keep white shoes clean?I have white runners, which remain clean by the virtue of me never exercising.124. Do you believe in love at first sight?Not actually, but like i said before I get infatuated on sight all the time.125. Do you believe in true love?Not really.126. Are you currently bored?Buddy, my existence is being bored.127. What makes you happy?my pets.128. Would you change your name?I wanted to change my name to Seth when I was younger after years of “ashley is a girls name’ 129. What your zodiac sign?L1BR4130. Do you like subway?Yeah. it’s normally pretty tasty.131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?I mean, I’m currently dating and so is she so that would be a mess, but I doubt much would come of it.132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?Ok im 90000% sure this was already asked.133. Favourite lyrics right now?“No matter what I conjure it could not help me deflect/ The angry death, of every hopeful thought/ that I might be a lover or a fighter…”134. Can you count to one million?I suppose I could. Like I have the capacity. But I’d get bored and give the fuck up without good reason to do so135. Dumbest lie you ever told?fuck me, I lie, alot, it’s my go to defense. Which is bad. but whatever. Probably the one where I skipped tennis training and claimed that I was going to extra french lessons instead, which was immediately called out by the French teacher.136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?Closed. keep the cat in and the dogs out137. How tall are you?175 ish cms, which is 5′10″ i think138. Curly or Straight hair?Straight, despite threats of it getting curly should I let it get longer than a college cut.139. Brunette or Blonde?Wait is this asking preferences. fuck. Uh, Brunette? I’m not fussed by hair colour. though I’d probably avoid redheads just because my mum and one sister are redheads 140. Summer or Winter?WINTER141. Night or Day?Night142. Favourite month?October? it’s got my birthday!143. Are you a vegetarian?Nope144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?Milk145. Tea or Coffee?meh, not fussed either way146. Was today a good day?sure! I got to start work 2/3 hours later than normal after a fucking killer three days.147. Mars or Snickers?Mars? I dont eat a lot of either148. What’s your favourite quote?I dont really have one off-hand149. Do you believe in ghosts?not really.150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? “Captain Thomas Kelly, from the forty-sixth Precinct, said; ‘It looks accidental. Grant may have suspected that his familiarity with Damien place him above danger, but a hungry python does not quibble about such niceties’”I know its more than a line, but that’s a hilarious quote.

#long post #long as fuck post #ask list #spaceoutdreamer #ask

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yearofpauli · 8 years

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Life in a Holiday -town

So, for the past month we have been living and working in a little town all the way up the top of the north island, called Kerikeri. We weren’t planning coming all the way up here for more than a small visit, but as sometimes happens in life; one email changed all of our plans. During Christmas-holidays when we were still in Wellington, we made a quick visit to a library where I checked out couple of job-sites just to see what was going on there.. A cute little ad caught my eye in which a small town holiday park –owners were looking for energetic couple to help them out. The ad was so interesting that I decided to send them a short application telling about us and what we had been doing for the past few months.

We didn’t hear anything back and I kind of forgot the whole application. We made our roadtrip around the north island, visiting friends near Auckland and checking out Rotorua’s volcanic activity. But me and my boyfriend were both getting a bit tired living in campsites and packing and upacking our things all the time so we decided to find a place where we would be looking for work and flat for a while. We ended up in Tauranga – a medium-sized city in the north/east coast of the north island and started checking out some flats to rent out. We had just decided to take a room in a sharehouse when I received an email from the owners of this holiday park asking whether we would like to have a chat about the job. After a small pondering we emailed back to the owners and said that we would like to hear more about the work. After couple of phone calls with the owners we decided to jump in the car and drive about 6 hours to the town where we are now and take the risk to see how it would be; anyway we didn’t really have anything to loose since we hadn’t found work yet anywhere else. And as it happened, we started working the next day! Month later and I still couldn’t be happier about our decision; in fact we have decided to skip our other winery-harvest work that we were meant to start in the middle of March and instead stay here until the end of our time in New Zealand.

I consider myself super-lucky right now; I work in a relaxed reception-job with nice colleagues and customers and a big bonus of the job is our little cabin –accommodation right by the river with all the comforts that you could ask for. As the town is right at the top of the north island, we live in a subtropical “winterless” area where the climate is mild and fairly warm all year round – right now very warm actually as it is the middle of the summer here! I was even wondering if it ever rains here as we only got our first rain about a week ago in the middle of the night; by the morning the sun was shining again as if there had been not a single cloud in the sky at all.. I am sure we won’t get such a good weather until the end of our time here but I have to say that it is a nice change to the beginning of our time in this country (in Christchurch), to the times where I remember shivering inside our flat and waiting for one non-rainy day so that we could see some nice places around the area.

Our life right now in Kerikeri is pretty relaxed and simple. My normal work day includes waking up in the morning to do a little jog/yoga for half an hour before work (well, I’m already making it sound better than it really is; I don’t get up every morning to do this even though that is my goal, but still at least 2-3 times/week), have a cup of coffee and breakfast and go to work (which is about 3 minute walk away). We work quite long days but have a long break in between and there is a bit of variety for the content of the days as some days we help with the housekeeping if its busy, sometimes we drive the seasonal workers, who live in the park, to work and back, prepare their lunches, help with the office work besides the normal reception work. Some days after work I jump in the river for a swim, especially after really hot days and few days a week I do some studying. Even though I never saw myself as a language person, I have always wanted to speak at least three languages so I have started studying German with a RosettaStone –language program which I have nothing bad to say about! Studying with this program is more fun than anything else! I felt like I needed my own little project besides the work (which is not too demanding) and something that would be useful for me in the future too, so there we go.. I’ll see how much I will keep up with my study this time, though I will try my best and what’s a big plus; I have my own private local teacher right at home! In the evenings we always cook ourselves and lately our dinners have been often including fish since my boyfriend has started his own hobby which is spearfishing – and this is also very good area for that as there is a lot of underwater life in the sea here. What I also really appreciate now is sleeping in a real bed – in the end we spent almost 2 months sleeping in camping sites on top of thin blow-up mattresses. Even though at the beginning I had problems sleeping in a soft bed, now I sleep like a baby, though it is true that I could get up a bit earlier on the work days..

On our days off, we have been exploring the areas around Kerikeri. Last weekend we went all the way up to the top of New Zealand, a spot called Cape Reigna where the Pacific ocean and Tasman sea (the sea lining the west coast of the north island) meet. Cape Reigna doesen’t have much else than an old lighthouse – in fact we had trouble even finding a place to buy a bottle of water or food – but we managed to find a very quiet long beach by the ocean where we could run to the sea without any clothes (since we forgot our swimwear) as there was no-one around!

Today we have just come from a visit to a nearby bay, called Matauri Bay which is a bit busier beach with a holiday park right next to it (but again no shops, cafes or anything to buy drink or even a snack!). The bay was interesting because right by the other end of the beach is lined up dozens of quite long-term looking “temporary” dwellings such as campervans, big tents and wooden huts. You could see that most of the people have lived there at least a year or perhaps even years; one of the huts even had a horse tied to it right by the beach!

I like the town we live in also because this tiny place actually boasts several quite exotic restaurants and cafes which I wasn’t expecting since most of the towns here up north are pretty plain, only including couple of fish and chip –shops, Macca’s and overpriced cafes.

Here, however, we have already tried some amazing Mediterranean -vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, including the (mediterranean) café’s speciality which is eggs fried in a super –hot salsa served with amazing home-made cheese, pita bread and salad topped with yummy herbs. Last weekend we tried some very-reasonably priced local Indian fine-dining and I decided to be adventurous and try some delicious-sounding Punjabi-style lens-stew. We also ordered some lamb vindaloo and as the waitress asked us whether we would like these dishes hot or medium, we decided to play it safe and order them medium-spicy. Despite our ‘safe’ choice, we were delivered some extremely hot sauces – which, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved – but once again I got a reminder why I try to avoid certain foods, such as very spicy stuff, as I woke up the following night with a very unpleasant burning sensation in my stomach. Anyway, not more about my stomach –troubles, heh, there are still a few Thai-European restaurants that I really want to try but perhaps one of those restaurant-visits I’ll save for my birthday which (oh my..) is in about 4 weeks again!

Obviously, when it comes to our current life, this is not a totally normal situation since we don’t really know many people here, and right now to be honest, the only people we know are from a very different age-scale than us (the people who we work with). But I have to say that I don’t mind! I know that we only have a couple of months left here and otherwise we have everything that we need around us. I can’t wait to see my friends and relatives again but right now, my plan is to enjoy the relaxed life with its river dips, yoga and study-time and suck as many sunrays I can, inside me, hoping that the sunlight and D-vitamin -reserves will last until far over the next winter which I will be spending in a lot colder and darker surroundings..

We have also started to make a bit of new plans for our return-trip to Europe. As we both have seen quite a lot of Asia and are not overly –interested to stop there again so soon, we might be returning back home over the other way and at the same time check out some new areas around North-America! Mexico is at the moment definitely on the must-see list but there are still few other options too.. In about 3 and half months I’ll be back in Europe, and this time for a while, I can barely believe it but I am happy to be back after so long. So see you soon!

#new zealand #holiday #simplelife #yoga #beachlife #foodie #foodism #mediterranean #food #indian #love #nature #ocean #travel

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shes-wayward · 6 years

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Road trips and David Seymour Memes

Hey yea, I went on a road trip??

I can quite honestly say I haven’t belly laughed as deeply, or sung quite as loudly as I did on the four-day road trip I spent with one of the best people I know. Coming from a rough last month, when Sam asked me if I wanted to go I was like oh hell yea lets go now.

All year, and even more so after my break up, I have had this flight instinct in me- I sort of feel a little bit trapped. I just want to be doing things constantly, that's probably why I run so much. But I’m always seeking out that energy of being alive and just going places I’ve never been.

I’m not going to lie I was soooooo excited, little bit nervous- I was worried I was going to be annoying as hell, but I was packed days before and was up early fluffing around making sure I had everything- which ended up being three bags... and three days in, most of the contents had redecorated the inside of the car anyway.. sorry.

The first day we headed for Napier. We stopped in that little corrugated iron town Tirau, which was really cool because i’d never been before and buildings are even more impressive in real life. The giant dog has a leather tongue and this kid kept grabbing it, which naturally made me want to grab it, so we walked past it back to the car so I could act like a child..

We also stopped in Rotorua, there was these massive mud pools outside the Wai-O-Tapu thermal reserve. I didn’t know mud boiled so hot, it was between 60 and 100 degrees?? I didn’t get any snaps quite like raman did but I wouldn’t really know how to filter them to make them look cool anyway. It’s actually really crazy to think that all this geothermal activity goes on a few hours away from where I live, some people go their whole lives not knowing about it or experiencing it. I think i’m just easily impressed by things that aren’t man made.

We also stopped in Taupo so I could touch the instagram famous sign- as we learned from the frames I seem to be a bit instagram obsessed. We also found this waterfall you couldn’t even tell existed from the road, and huge crevasses in the sides of the earth.

We got to Napier and honestly it hasn’t changed, except the hog’s breath has gone- absolute travesty in my world. But I still think it’s my favourite place in New Zealand, the little art deco touches...very me. We ate burgerfuel and watched ice age and it was only in the morning I discovered there was an electric blanket. We visited the bluff hill lookout on the second day, the view of the ports and the colour of the ocean were so beautiful, I think I could've stayed up there all day. There's also a beacon up there so naturally I count that as part of my lighthouse obsession.

Between Napier and Palmy, we drove past a lot of sheep- and I mean A LOT, we also went to the wind farm- bloody hell that place is incredible. I remember driving through it as a kid but I don’t remember actually going up there. It powers 39,000 homes.

We also came across this huge river that pretty much follows the road around, and these chunks of cliff edge that look like mars- well, they kind of look like St Bathans actually. And then there was stormy point- which is pretty much farm for miles- but you can see the rain coming for miles too. In this leg of the trip I learnt that Sam could multi-task- swapping out SD cards and storing stuff on the laptop on the go is something I would be terrible at, he can also rap, and he’s always down to take pictures and make them look halfway decent @my friends who don't focus the pictures or only take one of me- level up please.

Palmerston North itself was actually really nice, i’d never been in the city centre- it has a clock tower that lights up at night? And more than one Maccas- wild. @whangamata not having any?? We actually watched blue lagoon that night, as well as that catfish reunion- pretty sure that horrified Sam.

I always find the sunrise a bit weird when I’m not close to the coast.

And thennnnn we went to Whanganui! And the winter gardens there oh my god they are so pretty. It has a huge lake outside it with so many birds and little open garden, a fern house and a flower house- I was in heaven I bloody love flowers. I also managed to match my pink puffer vest and my pink bugs bunny shirt perfectly. From there we headed to the snow, on the way there was another waterfall and this incredible bridge that held up the railway track. I’m trying to tell myself not to get obsessed with architecturally and aesthetically pleasing bridges… We also got to see the last spike that was laid on the railway line in 1909, which was pretty cool.

When we got to the Chateau it was snowing, and I’ve never touched real snow let alone had it fall from the sky onto me. Instant love. The room we stayed in looked straight out onto the snow-capped mountains of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. Once we figured out how the heater worked, we ended up leaving the room to go to the information centre- because we couldn’t get up ruapehu without chains on the car, so we figured out the shuttle etc and we attempted a bush walk but my ankles got these terrible blisters, so I became the boring companion that sat down and waited...and used up all of Sam’s band-aids.

After I could figure out which shoes made my feet hurt the least, we had dinner in National Park. The restaurant played three Frankie Valli songs in a row. In the car on the way back, I learnt how unachievable Frankie’s high pitch is, but also, Sam should probably be a voice actor - he’s that good. When we got back we watched The Grand Budapest Hotel- also something i’d never seen before, but absolutely incredible! Can I just say how much I love Wes Anderson?? Actually kind of the funniest part of the trip- because the wifi was so iffy, we watched half of it on a laptop and the other half on Sam’s phone. We went out at about 1am to look at the stars, it was pretty cold but snow kind of glows. Just more incredible scenery as per usual.

We went up into the snow on our last day, Sam actually got me onto the chairlift- which absolutely scared the living daylights out of me, but also probably one of the best experiences in my life? I’ve learnt not to cry in fear because I can’t see out of my glasses...plus Sam was super patient and probably the only person who could get me up to the top, and, stay calm. Despite the adrenalin, I actually loved the snow, I would stay there for days.

I loved the entire trip. I came back -better? I just felt better forgetting everything that was going on in Auckland. Its like when Train sings about having a soul vacation- I think that's what happened. People who saw me straight after were like wow you’re like a new person, your skins glowing etc I guess when you heal internally, it shows externally.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun, or enjoyed eight hours a day in a car more than I did on this road trip. @ Sam 24 hours behind the wheel, you’re a Saint.

#blogpost

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