Oh, that was ages ago...

Oh, hi there.  It's been a while since I've updated the blog.  Internet has been a hard thing to come by since December, hence lack of posts.

We did our time in Picton, working odd jobs (mostly weed-work and painting) while living in a pioneer cottage that was a bit secluded from our host's house.  It was definitely pretty fun as well as interesting living there, having no electricity or plumbing.  We kept our milk and similar items cool by plunging them in the stream that bent around the back of the cottage.  There was also a pristine little swimming hole further up the stream, but.. c'mon, if you can keep milk cold in that, it goes without saying that you'd get instant hypothermia from dipping your toe in it.  That said, I jumped in one blazing hot afternoon after work.  I could barely choke out a scream as I scrambled back up out of the water.  But, hey, at least I tried.  Stacy got halfway then chickened out on me.

I won't go into too much detail about our outhouse, but I will say that we had a chemical toilet. And we were responsible for cleaning it.  And if you've never used a chemical toilet, you should give it a go.  And also, if you've never cleaned a chemical toilet... you should give it a go.  I think I will require our future children to do this as a rite of passage into adulthood.

Actually, no.  I think it would be entertaining (for me) if I did go into detail about that ol' chemical toilet.  You should know.  So, imagine a brief case with a toilet lid on it.  And, y'know... it gets full. Unless you don't use it.  But I think it's illegal to go out in the forest and set up shop.  In New Zealand.  Anyway.  So, we had to take our nifty briefcase to the marina (fancy talk for "where all the boats are kept") and make use of a giant sink behind the public bathrooms.  Let me just say I'm thoroughly glad that no one ever came around back or waited in line for me to finish up (chemical toilets are all the rage with boat-folks).  I'll save all the nasty details for my closest friends when we have dinner with them upon returning to the States.

On another note, the critters were really interesting.  Our hosts had a handful (not literal) of cows and a few goofy-looking alpacas with names like George and Edwin or somewhere in that range. Birds sang all day long.  I saved a chicken from a huge golden hawk by accident.  In hindsight, it would've been interesting to see them fight.  Ahem.  We also met Wekas for the first time.  Imagine a chicken-esque creature, incapable of flight and having no wings and all brown and with an odd, long beak and a hurried, prancing kind of run.  And it's as mischevious as a raccoon or an ill-mannered child.  Apparently they're keen to go inside people's houses and steal clothes or shoes if you leave them out.  I'm assuming they use these strange human items for bartering amongst other animals in exchange for potential nesting areas.  Moving on.

We quickly became acquainted with sandflies in Picton.  They're probably my most-hated flea-category type of insect now.  It looked like I had chicken pox on my feet and legs from all the bites (Stacy chose to be smart and use bug spray more than I did).  They bite you, and it's sudden and annoying and you have to scratch.  You.  Have.  To.  Forget regular mosquito bites.  At least mosquitos had a habit of buzzing around my ears, warning me they were interested in my blood.  Sandflies are the ninja version.  Okay, I look like I'm complaining.  It's all in fun.  Really.

We set out for Collingwood on December 21st so we could spend Christmas with a family that actually cared about it (ahem).  Collingwood is located on the top of the left side of the South Island.  We’re very close to the ocean, and on the clearest of days you can supposedly see one of the big mountains at the bottom of the North Island, across the Cook Strait.  Forgot what it was called.

I feel like it would be wisest, in the interest of your time (and waning interest), to summarize these past few weeks in Collingwood in a different blog post.  This will probably be in three more months, and then I’ll be even more behind.  I will say, that Golden Bay has proven to be one of the most beautiful regions we’ve experienced in New Zealand so far.  It will be hard to leave it in a week.

Till next time, whenever that may be.

That is all.