the bombshell, farrah fawcett

double whammy...the infamous beauty, farrah fawcett, and michael jackson laid to rest today?!?

r.i.p. FF, you'll always be a timeless hottie.

where i've been...

new zealand's internet connection is very slow. they are far behind in the technology and speed than the states, or europe for that matter. many homes are charged and capped by the megabyte downloads. this humbles me as i have taken for granted the countless uploading and downloading i regularly do back home. they do not have the population to fund and support the networking we have in the states. nonetheless, posting on my blog will either be expensive and/or take heaps of time to do so.

currently i am at the library using their internet, and posting this blog -- it's free, baby!

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here's where i've been in new zealand after leaving sydney, australia, thus far:

north island

auckland -> wellington ->

south island

nelson -> kaikoura -> christchurch -> timaru -> dunedin -> (going this evening to ) oamaru

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i know i joked with people that, " if i'm not blogging, look for me." i have been in touch with people back home, so i doubt anyone were looking for me, anyway. that's if anyone is reading my blog, anyhow. but not to fret, i am alive, kicking, and hoofing it around the south island! i have been staying with such phenomenal couch surfers who have hosted me, and taken me under their wings in their towns. i have and am doing as the locals do, with a bit of sightseeing during my free time in the day as my hosts are at work. i have met heaps of people just through walking around, sitting at cafes and bars, and just being the chatterbox gal that i am. some have even graciously offered to take me to their favorite spots and sights of their stomping grounds.

nonetheless, i am grand, and having the time of my life.

i miss everyone at home, especially my dear freddy and chopper. i have encountered random cats, dogs, kangaroos, rats, and pets of my hosts who help subside the detachment from my furry buddies. i also miss my bed, and mon petit chou chou, john -- i could do with a warm body in the cold climates of the south island's lonely beds.

i'll post more detailed events/places/people and random things i have gotten into when i settle in a place with better internet connection and speed.

till then, if you're out there reading this and keeping up with my shenanigans, thank you for your interests in my life and holiday down under. look after yourselves, and know i wish all of you eternal blessings, love, and contentment that you may seek, and rightfully deserve.

haiku to m.j.

child star life is rough

the world branded you a freak

you lived as you pleased

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RIP m.j

being under the limelight your whole life must have been very difficult.

i admire you for marching to your own beat.

i'm not sure if you really harmed children, but i'd like to think you were just recreating the friendships and joys of youth that were taken away from you as a celebrity child.

i hope you are happy wherever you are.

bondi beach sunday market

best market, EVER! they had heaps of independent and local designers showcasing clothing, hats/beanies and scarves, wallets and purses, shoes, handmade jumpers/cardigans/hoodies, loads of jewelry, artwork, etc. i loved absolutely everything. if i had an unlimited allowance, and could ship it all home, i would!

i tend to cruise all the local outdoor markets whenever i travel, and i've seen my share of ones around the globe. this is one of my favorite cozy intimate ones. it's a small space -- not like camden markets (london) or queen victoria market (melbourne) -- and granted it's small the amount of quality vendors and things to purchase are just mind blowing. DO come out to this market when you're in bondi beach -- you'll be delighted!

painting sydney red on a saturday night

colin invited diane to come meet us for a few rounds, and diane invited sean and jacob. we all had a grand ol' time. we met up with brian and david in darlinghurst (sydney), but we weren't too keen on the bar they were at. it was a bit too loud, and we weren't really up for the meat market scene -- we wanted a place where we could drink, but able hear each other. it was more for the quality of conversation and getting to know one another, as opposed to dancing and going mad on the drink.

jacob took us a to a cool art deco bar, of which i don't remember the name. someone was having a birthday costume party, and the place was filled with ballons, and characters of all sorts.

it was a good time. these people were all so kind, had neat stories, and funny jokes.

we ended the night at hungry jacks -- burger king for us americans -- and indulged in the drunken munchies.
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i hope you all come visit me when in the states, and when i come back to sydney i will definitely be calling you all!

colin

i met colin through a friend from san francisco, david lee. david traveled europe, and met colin on a contiki tour. they became great friends, and colin has come out to san francisco to meet with david, twice. colin was kind enough to collect me, and bring me out and around on a saturday night.

colin took me to newtown, which is a funky district in sydney. think haight street in san francisco, brunswick in melbourne, or kreuzberg in berlin. it was exactly what i had been looking for! they have great shops, yummy restaurants, cool vintage finds, a great record store, and the element of laid back/grungy/earthy all in one!

we ate at the most delicious maltese restaurant, pastizzi cafe. they have an assortment of savory and sweet pastizzies, pastas, main dishes, and the best kannoli (yes they spell it with a K)! i loved the pastizzies! i would've taken some for take away, but we were going out for cocktails, and that would be highly tacky toting around a bag of 'em. put it this way, i enjoyed the food so much that i went back on monday with the british boys david and brian. geez, it makes me hungry just thinking about the place -- it's THAT GOOD!

colin is a great guy. he has such funny stories about his life and travels. he has a sweet demeanor, and is simply a happy spirit. i didn't get to meet his girlfriend sara, as she was in melbourne. i missed her in melbourne because she was in sydney at the time. we were playing musical cities.
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we'll have to get david lee to see you colin, or you and sara must come out and visit us! have a great trip to fiji!

david -- kindred backpacker

lloyd's flatmate, chris, had a friend coming to stay, david. david is from england, and is traveling the world for a year. he had just finished trekking asia, and came to australia. david arrived the day after myself, and we joked that we were turning the place into a hostel. i'd tell you it's a hell of a flat, a penthouse at that. david and i both agreed that we were spoiled in sydney as far as accommodations go, and brian sure did a great job as our official british sydney ambassador!

david was great company. he and i walked along bondi beach, and around sydney. he engaged me with his stories on his travels around the globe, and lessons of life and love. it was nice to be around a kindred spirit, and fellow backpacker.

david still has yet to complete his year long journey, with new zealand, india, and south africa left!
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best of luck to you, mate! thanks for being my fellow backpacker in sydney. i had fun exploring bondi and sydney with you. shame we didn't get to really party, but the bar we met you guys at wasn't really my scene -- plus we couldn't find you at the end. i'll see you again in san francisco, or wherever you choose to settle your roots!

also.. birthday shot out to you, david! enjoy your next year and chapter in life!

making friends at the ball

i have to say, it was quite intimidating entering a ball with nearly 1000 people, and knowing only one soul. but at that, lloyd was running around the whole evening sorting out the behind the scenes tasks of the event. plus he was seated at one of the head tables.

he arranged to have me seated with a table full of his friends, brother, and sister in law. they were all so friendly, and i think they even felt a little bad for the girl traveling on her own, with no date. they all kept me company, asked me to dance, and chatted with me all evening.

the older men on the dance floor were also very kind, shuffled and cut up the rug with me.

i'd say everyone pretty much had a date to the ball but myself. yet nonetheless, everyone's friendly demeanor made the night fun filled and memorable.

party on the dance floor!

puffin magic foundation ball -- westin hotel, sydney

James and the Puffin Magic Foundation

james gribble was an avid traveler and backpacker. he trekked the globe, and made his way through many countries. in norway, a mate and himself caught a puffin. now if you know puffins, you know that they are extremely hard to catch. the fella they caught was a 1-legged bird. they got acquainted with him, and eventually set him free. this is where his deep affiliation and love for puffins emerged. he acquired a puffin hand puppet, and in all his travels the special bird made his way around the globe with him. this was documented by the signature picture of the puffin puppet posing near the wonderful sights, and backdrops of the many countries james had visited.

while in africa, james endured a freak spinal accident during a fishing trip, leaving him a quadrapeligic. his family and friends started the puffin magic foundation to help support and subsidise the costs of his rehabilitation.

the innaugural puffin magic foundation ball was held at the westin in sydney, on june 12th. they raised over $200,000 just in the auction alone. puffin puppets were for sale, as well as the portion of the ticket for the ball, and donations, which all contributed to james' foundation.

james is an amazing soul, with a spirit like no other. he has taken this tragic event, and made it his challenge to conquer. this accident came out of the blue, and was not a diagnosed disease or huge crash. he simply had fatigue from the scorching heat, and collapsed backwards. james strives to make the best of his life. he has broken boundaries with his rehabilitation, and is able to feed himself with his right hand, and stand on his own. they had a great presentation video, which laid out his life story, and chain of events. it was heart breaking, yet up lifting. i have never seen someone with such will and strength. he makes the worries of the world a mere chip off ones shoulder. he is an inspiring individual with a phenomenal lust for life.

my fondest memory of the ball was when james spoke. the best line was, "let's do what we came here to do, and fucking party!"

he is aiming to go to the united states as they have a great center for spinal rehabilitation. one hour costs over $2000. the doctors have stated that to achieve the maximum beneficial rehabilitation time, 3 months would suffice.

please check out the website below. make a contribution, be it small or large. james is on his way to mobility beyond the forecasts of doctors -- help him achieve this!
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http://www.puffinmagic.org.au

lloyd -- sydney couch surfer host

lloyd was another gracious couch surfer who offered to host me. on our first evening we went to bondi beach and had a lovely tapas dinner. the conversation was great, and we continued talking until 1am. we had to cease our chatting as sleep was required for him and his busy schedule. lloyd works full time -- odd hours sometimes as well -- has been organizing a charity event for a dear friend, is an extreme social butterfly and has breakfast, dinners, and meets people for coffee nearly everyday, and somehow does it all over again the next day.

i had been in correspondence with lloyd prior to my trip. lloyd told me he was organizng a charity event at the westin, and it happened to be when i was in sydney, and said i was more than welcomed to attend the ball. well, when in rome... how could i pass up a gala in a great city?

lloyd and his roommates had a gorgeous flat. it was the penthouse on the rooftop. they had a huge rooftop balcony, and two balconies on either side of the main floor. they had great views of the beach! the place was quite spacious, with a long hallway. it accommodated the backpackers -- david and myself -- without hindering on the 3 lads' space.

lloyd's an interesting guy. he lived and traveled through south and latin america, and emerged himself in their culture. he speaks a load of languages, has a vast knowledge of many subjects, loves to dress to the 9, and stores many random and fun facts.
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thanks for hosting me, and for the great company and conversation! all the best to you, and i hope you make it out to your southern america trip!

bondi beach

known as one of the top beaches in australia, and notorious for its swell, bondi beach is a great spot to relax or ride the waves. during their summer it is insanely full, and you can barely get a stretch of sand to lay on. i'm here during their winter and it's not that busy, but there are still quite a few people enjoying the beach.

i love the beach anytime of the year, and surfing has no seasonal limitations.

sydney's british ambassador

my couch surfer, lloyd, was not going to be around till later in the evening. he forewarned me of this, and said that his flatmate, brian, would be able to let me in the house since i was arriving midday.

brian greeted me when i entered the flat, and entertained me with conversation and tea. he let me use the internet to sort out my new zealand travels while we chilled out in the sitting room. brian offered to take me down to bondi beach, where he took me on a nice stroll and gave me briefings, history, and facts about the area.

i told him i was feeling a bit peckish after the walk, so he brought me to one of his favorite locals: the bunga room. the place was cute and tiki bar themed. we dined on nachos, pints, and whiskey, and chatted the evening away.

the other flatmate, chris -- who is british -- also had a friend passing through and traveling: david -- another brit. we joked how the place was a hostel (david and i being the backpackers ), and that brian was our official tour guide/british ambassador of sydney, since he was there to greet the both of us upon arrival and took us numerous times through sydney's sights and pubs.

brian has a great sense of humor, he's a good buzz to be around. when i met brian i immediately thought he resembled colin farrell, but did not say anything to him. on the last day i had to throw it out there, and asked him if anyone has ever mentioned that to him. of course he said that it's happened loads of times. i had to ask, it was too funny not to mention.

cairns -> sydney

beach bum a bit too lax

above: nick and the great adventures ship
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after my two excursions, i enjoyed the serenity and rays of the beaches on green island. i even managed to get in a nice little snooze before i roamed and explored the island.

i had loads of time before boarding for my cruise back home. i opted to sit in the shade at the foot of the pier that led to the docks. after a while i began to wonder why i had not seen my ship, as we were nearing the time of boarding. while walking down the pier i saw my ship sailing away. i took out my boarding pass only to realize that boarding time was not 16:15, but 16:05 – the vessel was departing at 16:15! i walked straight to the end of the pier, onto the dock, and straight toward a guy patrolling the rope which sectioned off the end of the pier. i explained to him my situation and my aloofness. he told me not to fret, and that i could hop on the ship he worked for: the great adventures.

nick was the fella’s name, and he told me i was lucky i caught him and his crew. their boat was the last one departing the island for the evening. my only other option would be staying on the island. i joked with him that i would have beach bummed it had i been left behind. nick informed me that it would have not been feasible since the park rangers patrol the beach, and do not allow beach camping. the only option was to pay $400 for a night at the resort. he was gracious enough not to charge me a fee for the ride back to the mainland. he told me that there were loads of room as the boat’s capacity was 360, and there were merely 67 people boarding. we chatted about the differences about his cruise ship, and the previous one i took. the great adventures was more of a luxury ship, bigger, and faster than the green island’s ship. i definitely felt the difference as it sailed over the rocky waters, and made its way through smoothly. there was no absolute trace of sea sickness for myself on the way back.

when i got back to the mainland i dropped into the green island cruise's office to return my boarding pass. i told the man at counter my story of how i missed the boat, and hitched a ride with another cruise ship. he thanked me for checking in with them, and told me that they were looking for me, as i was the sole passenger who did not make it back. he said that he would then radio the ship and the captain to let them know that i arrived back safely.

the great barrier reef - pacific ocean