Some of you may recognise MOD from this photo. I really don’t like heights. Interesting self confession, given I was just stepping off a 30 or so metre tree ‘house’ onto my first ever zip line. I was packing my dacks. That may, or may not have been, literally. MOD loved every second. I safely reached the end of the first one and realised I … Continue reading Juneau
I’m riding a bike. In Alaska. On the wrong side of the road. Through a bear forest. To the Fjords. There was no thought of sardines on toast today. As we rode, eagles soared above. There are approximately 400 permanent bald eagles in Haines and the number grows to over 4,000 in fall. As many as 80 have been seen perched in a single tree. … Continue reading Haines
I really feel like sardines on toast. That’s what I was thinking as we kayaked through the waters of Clover Pass, located in Tonga’s National Forest, the largest national forest in the USA. What a beautiful setting it was, even if we didn’t see all that was promised, as the Californian woman kept complaining loudly about on the way back in the bus. Which broke … Continue reading Ketchikan
Step away from the Bain-Marie MOD. Mod being a virgin cruiseling thought we were in for the evening meal. I had taken him top-deck to the all-you-can-eat section. I was hungry and needed a snack to tide me over. There was nearly some slapping of the scooping spoon from his hand, fortunately he understood the gravity of the situation, and spoon poised mid air, asked … Continue reading At sea
MOD can barely walk tonight. Neither can I. Today we walked 23km’s of this amazing city called San Francisco. Ended up in a nice little bar called Fish & Farm. Happy Hour. They had $5 beer, $5 vodka and $5 sweet potato fries. We had two of each. Turns out their short glass $5 vodka carries two shots…..stopped those tired legs from screaming, if only … Continue reading Hello San Francisco
First stop, San Francisco. The City by the Bay. I have been there before. The first time was with my friend Julie (face of this blog). We did all the usual touristy stuff. Rode the cable cars (I hung out the side of them just because), Alcatraz (island prison), Pier 39 (seals), Clam Chowder (out of bread bowls). Julie couldn’t eat it all but I … Continue reading And so it begins…..
Where do you go when you go? The lyrics to a song I was listening to today. Well I’m here, back in NZ. It was tough leaving Australia, much tougher than it has ever been. But I needed to come back. The MOD (Man of Dreams) and I are about to go off on a big adventure. Seven glorious weeks stuck in a car with … Continue reading Where do you go when you go?
Our hearts are broken. My friend Mark passed away this week. We are devastated, gutted, numb, shocked. I am firmly convinced it was a selfless act. He took his own life. An act of love for his family, an act of freedom and release. No one will ever know what he thought but that’s what I think. And that affords some comfort. This beautiful soul has … Continue reading Our hearts are broken….
NZ, progressive country that it is – talk women voting, legalised gay marriage (way before Australia), well this country still hasn’t banned tanning beds. Tanning beds. Sunbeds. There’s a reason why you have to wear goggles. Why you have to be over 18 to use a sunbed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Cancer division of The World Health Organisation have classified tanning beds as ‘carcinogenic to … Continue reading Sunbeds? Really NZ?
Well to be fair (that’s a New Zealandism), there’s probably more than one. And some Chinese, Italian, French, American and God forbid probably an Australian or two. I can say that cause I am one of course. But this particular Russian, (naturally I know he is Russian cause he wears a Ushanka – commonly known as Russian ear flap hat), well he fills me with … Continue reading There’s a Russian in Hagley
MaureenBetty 