I just got home and The One with Jet Li is on Foxtel in 6 minutes. I think I might watch it. It's meant to be a crappy movie, but Jet Li is cool and that's cool. I might try and make myself some dinner too.

Church was interesting tonight. God has been working on me quite solidly over the past few days. Get home from New Zealand and "Bam" He goes for it. Good on Him I say. It's just a bit scary. Oh well. Good journey. Worth going on.

I'm praying a lot at the moment because I'm scared of bulldozing people and people not feeling valued or being treated valuably.

Swimming it all in

Today has been a good day. An unexpected day, but a good one. I went to the beach today. And I swam. And now I'm amazed with myself. It's been a bit of a breakthrough really. Funny really. Swimming at the beach, and just normal swimming in general to a lesser extent, has always been a big deal. Generally I don't like to swim. And at the beach I detest the thought.

Since I was about 7 I have hated the beach. Well not most of it. Not the sand, or sitting on the beach, all walking on it. Don't mind them at all. But swimming, that's another question. I hated having to deal with waves ("Over or under?", "Jump or dive?") and I had this terrible fear of getting dumped. Then I grew up a bit more, and swimming was something I just didn't do. Walking around in just my boardies was self-conscious city for me. When I went to the beach at the beginning of the year, I had a mild time. I spent the whole time though thinking that everyone was looking at me, and they were all thinking "My gosh he's white, and hairy, look at that shoulder!". And so the beach, well, it just wasn't in me.

Anyway today I got a message from Sal asking me if I wanted to join a bunch of people at the beach. I think Matt was organising it. And me being the fear facing, opportunity taking person that I am, said I'd go. I thought "Here is an opportunity to hang out with a group of people I don't hang out with much, and to confront my issues with the beach". It sounded good in theory, but once I'd decided to go, suddenly everything seemed like a bad idea. I discussed with Mum learning to like the beach. This year would be year of the Beach or something like that. But learning to like something means you have to go through the bits you don't like first.

Anyway, I headed off feeling most uncomfortable. Every time I wear my swimmers I think to myself, "I hope I don't have to use these". But I knew that indulging my beach-phobia, would be harder in the end that doing the beach thing.

Anyway, we get to the beach, and it's time to swim. Arrgh. I pluck up my courage. "Yeah, let's go". I said something to Matt about confronting my demons and headed off into the deep blue.

But once I was there, it was good. I didn't have a problem with the waves. I forgot about all the people looking at me. I didn't worry too much about having no idea what one is actually meant to do while in the water. I made small talk with Byron. And it was all good. Generally pleasant. Not totally amazing. I'm not in blown away. But it felt good to be there, and not worrying. I wasn't worried about waves, and I wasn't worried about other people. I was generally content.

When I got out I was pleased. I'd done something. I'd confronted a fear. And it's kinda funny that something as normal as swimming at the beach can mean so much to me, but it did. Little things for some can be big for others, even if they are irrationally big.

The rest of the day went smoothly. I sat around and talked a little. And I had fun.

Tim had his 21st tonight. I went and picked up Jem and Chris and I told them of my endeavors at the beach. They, both having been beaching with me before, seemed to understand the significance of the occasion. We picked up Kaia then headed off to St Ives.

At the party, I swam again. And again, I had no problems, no worries. All good. We played a game where we threw a ball from one end of the pool to the other and the guys and the girls had to try and score goals or something. It was good. In a little way I felt like a new person. At least a little bit of my person was new and a little free-er.

Today

Started at 3am. Very early after a crappy sleep.

I drove out to the airport listening to Bruce Springsteen. I'd picked that mini-disk in Wellington I think. Days of planning had gone into that.

I drove through the deserted streets of Auckland. Was very cool. There was one stage where there was one other car on the road with me and I was driving a long the motorway through the city, under and over bridges and past buildings, everything deserted. It was like I was driving in a racing game on PS2 or something. I enjoyed that.

I arrived at the airport after just one wrong turn. I parked the car in this funny little carpark and left the keys under the mat, then left the car unlocked and walked to the International terminal, getting water in my holly shoes. I had to call the car rental people after that to confirm the drop off. I felt like a drug dealer.

At the check-in counter I noticed a sign saying "$25 Departure Tax may be paid at the Bank of New Zealand". This was a worry. I had never heard of this departure tax. I wasn't prepared. I had no money on me. Just $A30 to get me home from the Airport in Sydney. I wandered around for a bit wondering if perhaps I had already paid this fee. But it wasn't to be. I had to go to the bank and hope they would take my Aussie money. Luckily they did and I got $7 change. Not enough to get me home. Bugger.

That was at 4:47am. I decided to call home and get Dad to pick me up, (he had offered the night before, but I refused hoping to sleep on the train on the way home). So at 2:27am Sydney time Mum and Dad got a call from a lovely Telstra woman who asked them if they'd accept a reverse charges call from their dear, long, lost son. To my relief they still love me enough to hear my pleas. Dad said he'd meet me at the airport. Ahh, sorted.

I caught an Airbus A340 home. It was LanChile. Very cool. They had TV screens in the back of every seat and I had lots of movies and TV shows to chose from. If I hadn't be dog tired I would have indulged. As it was I just slept. I only dribbled and woke myself up once.

During breakfast I listened to Fallen the album by Evanescence which was one of my inflight listening options.

That was good because I've been thinking about buying that album. It was good, but perhaps not buyable. Good music, but the lyrics are very Year 9. Not very subtle really. A bit gothic and dull. Amy Lee can sing a bit though. So I enjoyed the music and singing and the sausage and Coke for breakfast. Just not the words. They didn't go down too well.

In Sydney I met Dad and we drove to St Leonard's where he went to work and I drove home.

I slept at home for an hour and a half. That was very nice. When I arrived in Sydney I didn't really feel like being back. I didn't want to be back in Australia where I have too much stuff to worry about. Overseas was so nice, no problems. But once I got into my bed, then I knew was happy to be home. If only for my bed.

Work today was good. My office is a mess as usual. Although not my fault this time. Jamie told me he had had some girls in there while I was away. I think they were doing Soul Survivor stuff, but it's more fun to think there was a wild party. It would be fun if someone had a wild party in my office while I was away. There was an empty coffee mug and some half eaten biscuits so I'd say that points to a massive, wild, party.

Maybe someone used the photocopier for you know, photocopier at a party stuff.

Helen and I had lunch together and had important talks about youth ministry. We do lots of important youth ministry talks.

I spent my $7 change from my departure tax on a chicken burger and Coke combo. It really is good to be home.

Matt and I caught up. That was good. Good to talk.

Youth group went good tonight. We played a silly game with Wing's music that illustrated the talk. The kids enjoyed that. They danced to Wing.

At the end of the night one of our kids disappeared. He's an autistic boy who comes and at the end of night he decided to wander off. We searched and called our for him but couldn't find him. His father turned up, then drove off in search of his son. Some people got stressed. I stood around feeling like I should have been stressed that I'd lost a kid, but I wasn't. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. I was pretty certain he'd turn up. He tends to be a wanderer this kid, although, he's never wandered off from youth group before.

He did turn up in the end. He wandered off to visit his Mum at tennis.

I came home, and blogged.

I got to see Mum and catch her up on the news.

And Hannah got up and needed to be put back to bed. I got to do that. I really liked doing that. Putting Hannah to bed, carrying her upstairs and putting her blanket over her, that's another reason I'm happy to be home.

Tuesday

begun late. 9:30 or so. They let us sleep in. Geoff woke me up then to move the car so they could get out of their garage.

Later we got a tour of the house. It has really good views. You can see the bay and planes landing in the airport. Geoff also pointed out the WETA studios and the warehouses where they filmed a lot of Lord of the Rings. They have a really nice house. The toilet has posh wallpaper. I liked.

Geoff and Annwyn went out with their cute kids (whose names I'm not going to attempt to spell) so I took the opportunity to have a shower. I relaxed a bit after being on my best most normal behaviour now that no one was home. I whistled and sung silly songs. I sung "Boom, Boom, Boom". And I got out of the shower feeling wonderful. Then I noticed that someone had brought the mail in. Damn it. Geoff came home. I'm sure he heard me playing silly buggers. I felt as embarrassed as I did the day before in the cinema when the cleaner woman caught me pulling faces at myself in the cinema toilets.

Jo and I went to the Chocolate Starfish cafe which is meant to be very famous. I had a hot chocolate. We were sitting there and I looked up and saw a tall aboriginal looking man in an akubra. I said to Jo "There's Ernie Dingo". I was just joking but on further inspection it turned out actually to be the great man himself. Ernie and his friends were there to film a segment for The Great Outdoors it seems. Everyone crowded around Ernie, all his entourage. Whenever Ernie made a joke, everyone laughed.

Jo and I didn't get on television.

We went to Te Papa Museum after that. It was good, very modern. I got bored after about an hour and half, the uncultured swine that I am. I went and moved the car, then found myself some more cheap, lunch from the same food court as the day before, then headed off to the same park for more sleep and book reading. So wonderful.

I met Jo at 5pm and we went to the Warehouse and bought some cds an Christmas presents then headed off to our second cousins house about an hour or so out of town. I got to drive, it was good fun. The road was really windy with massive drops of the side of the narrow roads with only a wooden fence the catch you. Plus the whole thing has a speed limit of 100km/h. Crazy New Zealand roads. Beautiful countryside. Lovely hills. Lots of fun to drive. Zoom Zoom.

We arrived at our second cousins place, which wasn't actually theirs, just one they were housesitting. They were friendly. John and Kate and their 3 kids. I slept in a room with Claude, the eldest child. He was probably very nice, but I didn't really meet him. Just slept in the same room as him.

Wedneday

Yeah. I think I don't have too much to say. A lot of driving. Like Sunday in reverse really. Much wetter though. Jo slept more. As did I. We talked less.

We went to the Flying Teahouse which is a cafe in an old DC-3 stuck up on sticks. It's very cool. We took photos there, of the plane and of our faithful hire car.

We listened to good music.

While we were driving into Auckland it rained on an off. On second it was completly clear, the next it was pelting down. So thick taht you couldn't see the car in front. You had to judge where you were driving by following the cats eyes when the lit up on the road in the reflection of you headlights right in front of you. That was fun.

I had more sweet and sour pork for dinner.

I have a lot to write about I think. So much to catch up on.

I think I'll do what I missed of Monday and Tuesday first.

Yeah.

Monday

After our stint in the internet cafe Jo and I headed off in search of a park and a place to read our books. I needed to pee too. We found the park finding very difficult. Eventually the friendly and informative back wall of a newsagent showed us a map and we found a lovely park by the water front.

We headed off and found a place to get some lunch for me. I had crappy sweet and sour pork for cheaps because it was after 3pm. Then it was off the park for fun in the sun, or wind and cloud at least. We read and ate and I slept on my bag. Ahhh. I think back with fondness.

We then proceeded to go back to our Motor Inn and get our car and attempt to find our way to Geoff and Annwyn's.

We got there late, but that was ok. They're top people. Very nice. We cooked them dinner. Jo was very good at making conversation. Jo had never met them before and I'd only met them once properly, but they let us in their home and made us feel very welcome.

They have a killer DVD collection. If I was still a DVD collector I would want one like theirs. They had all the right DVDs. All the good special editions. Very cool.

We all watched Spirited Away together because none of us had seen it. That was a damn good film. I was blown away. So cool. I'm in love with the whole damn thing. The animation, the story, the characters, ahhh, it's definitely love.

Geoff set Jo and I up. I got the futon (sp?) in the lounge room and I slept very well.

This is Jo and I at dinner time looking stunning (I thought it was funny enough to post):

This is Wing.

Wing is one of New Zealand's finest.

Listen to Wing's amazing version of "The Phantom of the Opera" or perhaps this stirring rendition of "Memory".

Don't like Andrew Lloyd Webber?

How about a few Christmas numbers? "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" or "Jingle Bells".

And make sure you listen to the last 10 seconds of "When You Believe".

Hell, listen to them all.

Home.

Nyyyyce.

This will be my last post in Auckland. How sad. I really like this net cafe. The owner is really nice and I like the computers.

It's a good place. I'll be sad to go.

I really should catch up on that past few days, but sadly, I want to go to bed. It's not really that I should catch up for the sake of all my readers, but I want to have my record of the holiday.

I fly in tomorrow at around 7:20 I think. I'm on the first plane from Auckland. I have to be at the Airport at 4am. That's two am Sydney time. I suspect I wouldn't normally be in bed by that time if I were in Sydney. I have to get up at 3am, that's 1am in Sydney. Crazy.

Today I didn't do much. I went to the library to do work for tomorrow. I have a talk to do now. And I still have youth ministry stuff to sort out. I'm not looking forward to going home. It means I have to worry about my life again. Pfff.

Jo and I had lunch with my great-Aunty, Pam. She's cool. She's lots of fun. Made us food. There are lots of things she does which remind me of my Grandma. She laughs the same, and looks similar. It made me sad a bit. But Pam's the bomb. She gave me a blanket and I fell asleep in her chair. I've been doing that a lot.

My cousins and Aunty are staying in the cabin with us. They're cool. I like my family. They don't laugh at my jokes a lot though. Oh well. It's good to be on holidays with them.

Jo and I went to see my Grandfather this after noon. It was nice. We had nice conversation. Nothing substantial. I kinda felt like it should be significant because it was the last time I'm going to see him. But it wasn't. Still he's a good man.

My last words to him were "Thanks for having us. It's been good. Good-bye"

The "It's been good. Good-bye" held more significance for me than appeared being tacked on to the end of "Thanks for having us." But got caught up in the moment and I didn't want to sound like a sap. But I wanted to at least know that the last thing I said to my Grandfather was something I wouldn't mind remembering in the future.

Chances are I'll speak to him on the phone between now and when he dies.

Tonight we all went out for dinner at a Turkish restaurant. It wasn't bad. Good times.

Now I think I'm going to head off to bed.

See you in Sydney.

"Every flower has a right to bloom" - Michael Franti (I think that's his name, we listened to him in the car)

I was going to blog from here in Auckland (have arrived safely from Wellington) but I have been called back to the cabin.

Anyway, in Wellington yesterday Jo and I went to a cafe and who should turn up but our good friend Ernie Dingo. He was filming the Great Outdoors at the cafe. Very exciting.

Um. We saw lots of police today.

Yesterday and the day before I read my book and slept in a park by the shore of Wellington Harbour. Was very nice. Reading and sleeping in parks is one of the most wonderful, relaxing pastimes I can think of.

I'll say more later. Perhaps tomorrow is big post day. Now it's time to visit the cousins.

I just wrote a long post but this silly computer killed it.

I think I'll update tonight in Auckland.

Right now I think perhaps Jo and I will go find something to eat here in drizzly Palmerston North.

I got an e-mail from a guy named James, he seems very nice, this is what he said:

Hello my dear Mary,

I have been thinking about you all night. I would like to apologize for the other night when we made beautiful love and did not use condoms. I know this was a mistake and I beg you to forgive me.

I miss you more than anything, please call me Mary, I need you. Do you remember when we were having wild sex in my house? I remember it all like it was only yesterday. You said that the pictures would not come out good, but you were very wrong, they are great. I didn't want to show you the pictures at first, but now I think it's time for you to see them. Please look in the attachment and you will see what I mean.

I love you with all my heart, James.

I'm feeling a little tired today.

At the moment I'm in a cafe in central Wellington. Everyone here speaks English quite well. There's a woman in the corner complaining to the owner that a porn site keeps popping up. I don't think anyone would have complained in last nights cafe. They were watching Ninja Turtles when I left.

I had trouble getting to sleep last night and now it's catching up with me. This chair has a very nice high back and I'm tempted just to have a snooze right here. But that would cost me $4 an hour.

Not much has happened today. Jo and I went and saw Intolerable Cruelty this morning. It was a good film. Very funny though. I think George Clooney is the bomb. I would like to be like him one day. I think that perhaps I will never be.

After the movie a woman standing out the front of a pub gave me a card with an invitation to watch jelly wrestling tomorrow night. I don't think I'll go. Do the wrestlers get to eat the jelly? I would like to become a jelly wrestler if I get to eat the jelly. Although I don't like rough sports. I'll just become a jelly, without the wrestler bit.

I have noticed that New Zealanders don't seem like very good drivers.

They have this habit of driving, when in the left lane, with half the car out of the lane, most of the way to the gutter. It's strange. I have been very careful to keep fully in my lane, to show them how a real driver drives.

It's now almost midnight. Cool.

In Wellington now.

Today has been quite a day. To give you an idea where I am, Jo and I are sitting here in a pokey and smokey, internet cafe in Wellington, about 2 minutes walk from our motel (The Gunhappy Shooter's Motor Inn, or something like that). The monitors are all grubby and everything on this computer is in an Asian language that I don't understand. Even the Internet Explorer messages are in another language, I have to say "yes" and "no" to all these things I don't understand. At least I think it's "yes" and "no" I'm saying. At least I understand the little "X" to close windows. This became particularly useful about five minutes ago when I got a pop up with a lovely video of two people practicing the art of procreation. I hope they were married. If they knew they popped up on my screen they'd probably be frightfully embarrassed. They should have sex in more private places. Next time they pop up perhaps I'll warn them that they left they're webcam on, happens to the best of us.

We left our lovely motel in Northcote, Auckland, at 7:55 this morning. We had to pick up the hire car at 8am, so we were running a little late. After spending many funny minutes trying to find "Scotties Car Rental". We arrived at around 8:30 and there was a distinct absence of Scottie-types.

They turned up at around 8:45 thinking we were planning to pick the car up at 9. Little did they know that we were actually planning to be at a church on the other side of Auckland at nine (luckily we weren't too late, Auckland is small enough that you can leave for one part at 8:30 and arrive in another part at 8:25, it's a bit like Parramatta on wheels, without the wheels.) We had a few issues getting the car (they tried to give us a manual, but neither Jo nor I drive manuals), and they told us that the insurance didn't cover us if we were drinking, on drugs, speeding, or Australians. I'm hoping the last bit was a joke.

We made it to the church at 9:18 and managed to arrive after the Sunday school had left, and the worship (musical kind) had finished. We were visiting friends and they had kindly saved us seats in the middle of the church (big charo-type church) and in the second row. That was nice of them. Everyone then knew we were visitors.

After church we set off for our trip with lots of lollies. I slept then drove. I liked being able to drive, was fun.

Around somewhere or other in the middle of New Zealand, we were driving along happily and I was contemplating overtaking a truck when I noticed a truck swerve suddenly, the car next to it was also swerving, and a dog came out from under its wheel. I noticed the van behind the car get very close, then it slowed down and was not so close again. The back of the car I noticed was a lot more compact that I remembered it being. Everyone slowed down very fast and I pulled out my best defensive driving maneuvers (Jo said she was very impressed). The truck kept driving and the car and van that had smashed into each other stopped in the middle of the right hand lane. We pulled up beside the car and asked if they'd be alright (the van looked fine). They said they'd be fine. We drove forward a metre before they asked us if we had a mobile. We did, so we pulled over (that was embarrassing as I had used up all my good driving on the emergency before).

I put on my hazard lights (very exciting) and we hopped out of the car. I went over to give the woman my phone. "Would you like the phone?" I asked.

"Call the police" she said

Suddenly I felt very stupid and like an bad traveler.

"I don't know the number. I'm from Australia"

"111"

I called and the voice on the other end asked if I wanted Police, Fire or Ambulance. "Police" I said (I've never got to do that before) then the crash lady took the phone off me and talked hysterically to the police. Her husband drove their car to the side of the road, it wasn't looking too good. The smashed up boot was ripping up the rear tires. Then the driver of the van came over to visit. He was a Maori man driving a bunch of interlectually disabled adults home after a day trip. They were all very nice and made the side of the road experience even more fun.

Eventually an over abundance of Police turned up and we were thanked and told we could go on with our holiday.

"Enjoy your holiday" the man said.

"We will"

"Sorry you lost the rugby" said the woman.

"Sorry you lost worse" replied I.

And then we were off. All in all it was quite an addition to our journey.

(The dog that got hit seemed fine. He ran off before anyone could help him.)

Following that we traveled through very Middle Earth looking country. I kept having to say "Frodo" in my best Shire accent at varying intervals.

We saw two very big snow-capped volcanos. Absolutely awesome. Makes me want to become a mountain worshiper. Yay God and His glorious creation. It really was a beautiful sight. The whole drive was pretty good.

In some town Jo and I ate dinner in a greasy Chinese fish and chip shop. The two men who worked there were lovely. I didn't eat much. I arrived feeling like I was going to vomit, didn't eat much, and left feeling closer to vomiting more than before. Jo drove from there, and I slept.

Now we are in Wellington and staying in our wonderful motel. Jo has left this crazy internet cafe, and no-one here has yet spoken English. I feel like I'm back at school. Or overseas. Very overseas. I'm enjoying it though. I like feeling like the odd one out at times. Not very often though.

I should be watching the rugby but I felt the call of the net more. I'm keeping track on the net and I'll probably go home to watch the second half. Or at least the last ten minutes. Like I did with the semi-final.

I'm a fair-weather friend of Rugby.

Today was a quieter day. I didn't fly to any new countries. I did though sleep a lot. So far I have slept four times today. Once in the morning (like usual), once in the car, once in the middle of a conversation with my grandfather, and once on a couch in the cabin. We bought the NZ Herald weekend edition. Almost like being in Sydney.

Today started very slowly because everyone wanted to sleep in. Jo and Dad went for a run while I had a quiet time (I may have fell asleep during that too). We ate breakfast at 11:30. Holidays are nice.

We made it to One Tree Hill. It's good to see. There was a big obelisk as a monument to the Maori people. I felt like a true U2 fan. Although the place didn't really seem very U2-ish, I knew that deep within the trees, and the earth and the sheep that stand around the bottom of the hill, was the spirit of that band of Irish men.

The rugby ain't looking good at the moment. 14-5. I need to go and cheer Australia on.

We went to visit my grandfather again. Still nice.

Tonight we went out to dinner at a restaurant call Valentines. It's just like Sizzler. Very cool. Buffet! Ya Ya! I was too full from lunch though.

I'm trying to eat as much food as I can while I'm here though. Take the chance while out of the country to take as much of New Zealand home with me as possible. I'm hoping to be a big fatty when I step off the plane on Friday morning.

Julius Caesar was thought to be a genius because he could read in his head. Everyone else read outloud.

I think that's true.

Yes, now I am here with the sheep.

Actually I haven't seen any sheep. Or maybe I saw a few on the plane as I looked across the isle, past the Indian lady's head and into the lush green pastures of Auckland airport.

It's now two hours later than Sydney time. Add two hours to whatever time this says it was posted at. I can't be bothered changing the time for a week.

Getting to the airport, we caught a train, and then heard at Wahroonga that someone had died at Turramurra and so our train may not be able to go past Warrawee. Dad and I jumped off the train and grabbed a Taxi which was waiting for us (perhaps it is taxi day). We caught it and then noticed at Pymble that we were driving along next to our train. How annoying. We caught the taxi all the way to Central. We were meant to meet Jo there but she forgot her passport so we met her later at the Airport.

I caught a plane. And I used my passport. Both very exciting things.

New Zealand seems just like Australia. Just like another state really. Nothing special. Different money. Their $50 note has a guy that looks like Stalin on it. I have $NZ200 in my wallet. That's nice seeing as I have -$53 in my bank account.

I got international roaming turned on on my phone while I was in the taxi. So I can sms still. Calls cost a lot. The Optus woman that I talked to sent me an sms about who to call to get my voicemail. She signed it "Sarah P" that was nice, I felt like we were friends.

They have different Coke cans and bottles here.

We got a hire car with a cd player. Jo and I are hiring a car for our drive to Wellington on Sunday. That will be fun. I get to drive. Jo brought cds and I brought my mini-disk. I like to drive with music. Yay.

Dad, Jo and I saw my grandparents. That was nice. We had conversation. My Grandfather brought up the fact that I haven't opened my HSC. As I told him, he's the only person who still brings that up. It's nice to see him. He's much thinner than he used to be. It's sad that I probably won't see him again after Thursday. But at the moment it's nice spending time with him.

We are staying in a cabin thing. The motel is right next door to Maccas and Pizza Hut. Posh.

Tonight we had dinner in a two story asian food court. I had indian and am feeling full.

Tomorrow night we are going to watch the rugby. I want to find a pub populated by Australians so we can all cheer. We are also might go to One Tree Hill tomorrow. I'm gunning for it. I'm not all that interested in the hill (which I have heard no longer has the "one tree") but U2 wrote a song named after the hill, so that's cool.

Local calls are free here. Unless you go to a pay phone. I need to find someone to call for free.

Now I think it's time for me to go. I have to find Jo and Dad who are shopping at Woolies (Woolies has a different logo here). I asked them to buy Corn Pops if they are here. I hope they still make them in NZ. Ever since we stopped getting them at home I've felt like a lesser person. If they do still have them here, I might move.