Kia Ora, I love this country!!!

So yes, New Zealand is ridiculously expensive; its four dollars for a drink pretty much everywhere (juice, coke, coffee, ect), its about four to five for any type of pastry, ten dollars for the cheapest meal, about 28 dollars for a hostel... you get the picture. BUt that has been more than balanced out by the fact that I have had the best hitching luck, possibly ever!!! Not only have I had no problems getting ride3s I am often offered drinks, food, places to stay. The other night I got picked up by a 23 year old farm hand, that had majored in Eco-tourism outside Christchurch and got a ride all the way to Dunedin, down to the Catlands Forest, and then he brought me to the farm he worked on by Invercargill where I was fed by the family and taken in as one of their own. The whole ride itself was probably ten hours in total. Luckily we got along quite well and he would stop everytime someplace of interest came up and we would take pictures, so take that expensive tour bus!!! Ha! And the family was adoarable, they had two twin girls that were 5 and a boy that was 6. The next day they brought me to the Invercargill musuem to see the Tuataras and then sent me on my way, where short after I was picked up by a van of 30-year old lawyers from New York who reminded me of my college guy friends (The Onion) and we spent the day hiking and touring the Fjordlands and Te Anau, which at the end of the day the guys decided they were going to head on to Dunedin, so they gave me their campsite, for FREE> So honestly, in the past three weeks I have not had to pay for lodging once, and only occasionally do I throw down for gas (I did with the 23 year old cause he was broke like I was and went well out of his way to show me some sights). I absolutely love hitch hiking here I never know what it will bring, but it always invariably brings me knowledge, good people, and free stuff. Like the other day I was picked up by the national representative of a bio-diesel firm who filled me with agricultural knowledge as well as political knowledge. FACT: it is against the law to sue anyone. Everyone, even foreigners, are covered under the ACC for accidents so there is no need to sue (the New York Lawyers were not that happy about that). So Mom sleep easy at night, if I somehow get run over by a truck, the New Zealand Government will pay all my hospital bills as well as rehabilitation bills. As teh Kiwis say: Sweet As!

All in all, I find the Kiwis to be an extremely friendly breed of Hu-mans and despite the bitterly cold and wet weather (right now it feels like a harsh Oregon winter down here with blistering winds, I would not want to be here in their winter), it is absolutely gorgeous down here. Today I am springing a good chunk of money to go on a Milford Sound Cruise and get a paid for ride up to Queenstown, where I will splurge and stay in a hostel before hitchin up to Wanaka and couch surfing with a girl up there. Its impossible to do Milford Sound cheap as it is the most touristy place in the country, but seeing as everyone I have talked to says I must go see it. Even my friends who know me well, and know how cheap I am say that I have to spring for it, so... yay I declare today my only official tourist day in New Zealand.

After this its back to hitching, crashing on couches, camping, peanut butter honey sandwiches... you get the picture. I am actually thinking about heading back up to catch the rest of the Rainbow Gathering because I loved it so. Then probably trek Abel Tasman, go camping with friends, volunteer at Luminate Music Festival on Takaka Hill in Golden Bay, possible crash a wedding (ok, I was actually invited to it, I know I make friends fast... but I am pretty stoked on it since I have never been to a Kiwi wedding before. And randomly I already have a dress that I bought when I got here for "nice" occasions and immediately regretted cause lets be honest how often do backpackers go to "nice" occassions? But ya, my friend from Wellington invited me to come with him to a wedding of some of his friends and then back up to Wellington to crash with him and his housemates). Wow I feel like I have word diarreah, but the truth is it cost 6 dollars an hour for internet so I have to be snappy, and my bus to Milford Sound is coming soon, soon, soon... so lets continue shall we?

After Wellington, roughly the first week of Febraury I am going to head up to Keri-Keri to see my old friend Toby, stay on his farm, do conservation work in the Bay of Islands and just frolic in the warmth of the North Island. Then on the 20th of February its off to OZ.... ok enough catchin up. I will fill you in on more of the Rainbow Gathering occurances later. But for now I will exit with a rap I helped compose with friends before food circle, most of the lines are skeazy inside jokes but none-the-less (imagine it in a free-style rap form, us girls mocking boys that hit on us):

"I'm a healer,
let me feel ya
Iknow yoga,
let me show ya.
We can get freaky,
down in my teepee
I've got an amythest,
rub it on your furry bits,
I can be a little flaky,
but honey I know reiki.
IF my van's a rockin,
don't come a knockin'
We can go skinny-dipping,
Even if we are tripping
But when I take acid,
I go a little flacid.
Baby don't be modest,
Embrace your inner goddess
Even in the worst of weather
we can take a shit together.
I'm a healer,
let me feel ya
Come listen to my mantra
I'll show you a lil tantra.
Come on Rainbow Sista do the
Kundalini twister
I like your vibrations
in your chakra locations
So come play with my energy
I'll even let you finger me
Or you can sit on my face,
Down in the healing space
We can reach enlightenment
sleeping in your crappy tent
Don't mind my erection
in the cuddling connection
I know you're a vegan,
but what about semen?
You could use a meat injection
in your bakery section
Baby don't panic,
my meat organic!
I'm a healer
let me feel ya,
I'm a healer,
let me feel ya..."