Journal Excerpts, Christchurch, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Wellington, buses/trains/ferry inbetween:
(14 January)
"The 13th of January will never exist! We are about to arrive in Auckland! It still haven't exactly hit me yet that I'm going to be in New Zealand."
"My first international cup of coffee. A flat white."
"I did have to not only go through customs, which always makes my heart race in case I'm doing something unknowingly illegal, but after getting my bags I had to declare snack food and my shell. Then all my bags had to go through an x-ray, and they questioned my orb. I thought that was kinda funny.
SECURITY: What is that?
ME: oh..it's a uh...giggle...I can show you, a bouncy ball with glitter inside.
SECURITY: Ok, that's what I thought.
or
SECURITY: What is that?
ME: Oh, that's my magical orb of energy that holds the concentrated power of the universe, I only use it when I need to spread love and peace through movement and song.
SECURITY: Ok, that's what I thought.
"I can't believe I was in San Francisco "yesterday". Christchurch isn't impressing me all that much. It just reminds me of a regular English town, like Nottingham."
10:40pm
"very tired. Now I've just spent the past hour or so chatting with 2 very sweet British girls and one very obnoxious and offensive but amusing and immature Irish kid. It was fun, actually. So there seem to be a lot of British, Irish, and Israeli people here. It's nice to be anonymous. It's nice to be traveling. It's hard to believe I'm on the other side of the world right now! Tomorrow will be an adventure, a series of wanderings, hopefully it will be a day of Melanie Magic."
15 January- a day in Christchurch
"Maori performing group in Cathedral Square...it was awesome to hear the music and see the dancing. They do this thing with their eyes and make this scary warrior face. Tht music is pretty and simple. The language is also very interesting."
"I can't help but thing I'm in England. It just feels like Europe and people speak English."
"What I have connected to is the Maori folk culture and art. The performance was a treat! There is a lot of art and some books at this Arts Centre. THe only thing is that it's all presented a bit for tourists- like Native American stuff or Celtic, and I'm sure every country will be like that."
"meanwhile, I still can't tell the difference between a Kiwi accent and an Aussie accent."
"I did it! I sang! I sang my usual repertoire, with the hat sort of thing. Just leant my voice. I also sang with a young high school girl who was singing musical theatre songs to raise money for a choir trip. I did "I feel pretty" "Far from the home I love" and "Dream a little dream" It was cute and she was excited. When I sang, I made 10.00 NZD! Awesome! At least it's a way to save money."
"The seagulls here do the weirdest thing. They crane their necks in this strange way."
16 January- bus ride to Queenstown
"I went to a lovely bar with couches and a fireplace with a nice German guy I met at the library."
"I wish I was in New Zealand Longer."
"Lake Tekapo for lunch!God its so incredible. I can not describe the depth of color in the blue of the lake."
"Well, things aren't working out so great. Couch surfing Phil never showed up. I had to catch the last bed in an expensive hostel."
"Queenstown is beautiful. The mountains, the lake- it feels very Swiss. It also feels wealthy, like Switzerland."
"I am so happy that I am sitting on a tree by the lake alone while I can hear the rest of the "city" partying."
17 January- Milford Sound
Today I am on my way to Milford Sound. Yet another bus ride."
"So Phil finally texted and he said his internet was down. So I'm staying with him tonight. Phew."
"Sheep on hills. So many sheep."
"right now I am closer to Antarctica than to the equator."
"I had a moment on the ferry of feeling the water and the mountains, of feeling far away, yet being in touch and close to myself and beautiful."
18 January- Lake Tekapo
"Lake Tekapo is pristine, peaceful, beautiful and the water is magical. I'm sitting on a rock in front of the Church of the Good Shepherd, which is too crowded with tourists for me to experience just yet. I find this to be really lovely, and finally the kind of nature I was looking for."
"Oh so I just went for a walk along the lake, which was magical and quiet just after rain (when the world smells good) and as the sun was setting into the clouds, I followed a rabbit down the road."
19 January- Lake Tekapo
"I think I found Olivia's spot! I followed her instructions, and there are a lot of trees it could be, but I felt it was this one. I could feel it's Olivia energy."
"So it's 1:30, I have hiked a mountain, sat on many rocks, had my lunch, dipped my feel in the lake, and now I'm cooling off in the shade."
20 January- bus to Christchurch
"Tekapo was centering and connected me to something, to people to New Zealand. ANd now I roll through on the bus, back past the sheep and hills. There is an over hanging mist in the air that reminds me of Ireland and makes everything feel magic."
"well this is a strange hostel indeed. It is literally an old Jail turned into a really nice hostel."
21 January- train and ferry to Wellington
"yes, I'm on the train passing the ocean and it just gives me so much energy and power. Lakes are pretty, so are mountains, but it's the ocean that connects me to the universe. Trains that run alongside the ocean with the mountains on the other side."
Ok, I promise I won't write something for every day, just highlights from the journal. I get excited in the beginning of the trip, and I want to share everything. Wellington is lovely and my host Jolene is great. More soon, look for photos!
-Mel
