I've uploaded a few new photos, but have gazillions more great ones..... paying for upload time is the tricky bit, so I'll put more up as I'm able. See photos by using the flickr link on the right hand sidebar.
K
Monday, January 31, 2005
More photos
Friday, January 28, 2005
MMmmm.... pancakes!
Hello everyone!
Hope you are all well and enjoying yourselves wherever you may be.
Since I last wrote I've moved around a wee bit. After the yoga retreat I stayed in Christchurch a few days, taking in the amazing busker's festival. Then a group of three other women from the retreat and I went out to Rangiora on the Canterbury Plains to help out our yoga teacher on her 30 acre farm. We stained a deck, mowd the lawn, and I painted tree seedlings in the shelterbelt with hare repellent (egg and white paint mixture)! It was eye opening as Donna (our teacher) lives entirely on her own on the 30 acres, maintaining it and tending to her two horses. Quite a woman.
Then, Ruth (an Australian yoga teacher, midwife, nurse and shiatsu practitioner) and I took the Trans Alpine train through the mountains to Arthur's Pass. The town was very small, with one general store and phone booth on the highway (the same highway that I traveled today that had 9 one-lane bridges!). We did an absolutely amazing hike with 8.5 hours of glorious hot sun, craggy snowy mountain peaks, and razor-sharp rocky ridges only 2 feet wide! A bit precarious, but we were kept company by some cheeky Keas (alpine parrots that steal food and dismantle car aerials, widshield wipers etc). Look for some great photos, but likely not for a week or two until I get to a larger centre.
Said goodbye to Ruth this morning and continued west. Lots of waterfalls and more spectacular scenery. I'm now at the Pancake rocks (Punikaki), formed by erosion of layered limestone. The west coast is fabulous rugged coastline and dense rainforest. So far the weather has held out. Will stay here another day and then off to the glaciers in the south.
I'm enjoying traveling on my own, but would love to hear from you if you get a chance!
Until later,
Kristi
Friday, January 21, 2005
Photos!!
Photos are up! Rather than re-posting them all here, visit my Flickr page by using the link on the right hand side. I'll upload more gradually as I'm able.
K
Yoga in Paradise
Hello from sunny and hot New Zealand!
This past week I've been in the verdant paradise of the Wainui valley on the
Banks Peninsula of the South Island at a Yoga retreat with Donna Farhi.
I'm working on getting some photos uploaded, so check the website often.
The trouble is that connections are slow so it takes forever to upload and I
am paying by the minute.
The retreat centre has no phone or internet access, and is located in the
midst of green rolling hills, with sheep, cattle, native bush, and a
cacophony of birdsong. So many types of tree I've never seen before. The
tea trees are in bloom (little white flowers), which is beautiful but
allergy-inducing (I've never experienced these types of pollen, so maybe
that's what my body is reacting to!). Native New Zealand flowering flax and
other interesting plant life. Saw a hedgehog while out walking, along with
several species of birds, all very much unafraid and cocky. Most of New
Zealand's birds are dull in colouration, owing to the fact that they never
had to evolve otherwise. The weather was hot, with one day getting up to 35
degrees and sunny.... hot enough to melt the tar on the country roads! That
was a day for swimming in the ocean! I thought it was quite warm, but all
the Aussies I was with said it was really cold! It's all relative I
suppose. I also went sea kayaking in Akaroa harbour. Beautiful greenish
blue water, and ocean swells big enough to surf down if one could get up
enough momentum!
Apart from the natural beauty, the food was phenomenal as well, with most of
it coming from the centre's own garden. It's fruit season now, so fresh
kiwi, nectarine, peach, plum, etc. Also amazing tomatoes in this part of
the world!
The retreat itself was very subtly profound, and I think it will take me a
good few months to assimilate and digest all the shifts that occurred.
Donna teaches in a very gentle, exploratory way, encouraging personal
inquiry and reflection. This, coupled with twice daily meditation sessions,
and living with a group of 27 powerful women, all contributed to the
richness of the experience. A few of the other participants are thinking
about traveling the south island as well, so we're meeting tomorrow to
discuss hiring a campervan and touring around and to Donna Farhi's farm for
a while. Otherwise, I'll start contacting farms in my exploration of
WWOOFing.
I hope you are all well and surviving winter! I'm thinking warmly of you
all (no pun intended!).
Hope to hear from you all soon!
Kristi
This past week I've been in the verdant paradise of the Wainui valley on the
Banks Peninsula of the South Island at a Yoga retreat with Donna Farhi.
I'm working on getting some photos uploaded, so check the website often.
The trouble is that connections are slow so it takes forever to upload and I
am paying by the minute.
The retreat centre has no phone or internet access, and is located in the
midst of green rolling hills, with sheep, cattle, native bush, and a
cacophony of birdsong. So many types of tree I've never seen before. The
tea trees are in bloom (little white flowers), which is beautiful but
allergy-inducing (I've never experienced these types of pollen, so maybe
that's what my body is reacting to!). Native New Zealand flowering flax and
other interesting plant life. Saw a hedgehog while out walking, along with
several species of birds, all very much unafraid and cocky. Most of New
Zealand's birds are dull in colouration, owing to the fact that they never
had to evolve otherwise. The weather was hot, with one day getting up to 35
degrees and sunny.... hot enough to melt the tar on the country roads! That
was a day for swimming in the ocean! I thought it was quite warm, but all
the Aussies I was with said it was really cold! It's all relative I
suppose. I also went sea kayaking in Akaroa harbour. Beautiful greenish
blue water, and ocean swells big enough to surf down if one could get up
enough momentum!
Apart from the natural beauty, the food was phenomenal as well, with most of
it coming from the centre's own garden. It's fruit season now, so fresh
kiwi, nectarine, peach, plum, etc. Also amazing tomatoes in this part of
the world!
The retreat itself was very subtly profound, and I think it will take me a
good few months to assimilate and digest all the shifts that occurred.
Donna teaches in a very gentle, exploratory way, encouraging personal
inquiry and reflection. This, coupled with twice daily meditation sessions,
and living with a group of 27 powerful women, all contributed to the
richness of the experience. A few of the other participants are thinking
about traveling the south island as well, so we're meeting tomorrow to
discuss hiring a campervan and touring around and to Donna Farhi's farm for
a while. Otherwise, I'll start contacting farms in my exploration of
WWOOFing.
I hope you are all well and surviving winter! I'm thinking warmly of you
all (no pun intended!).
Hope to hear from you all soon!
Kristi
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Arrival in Christchurch!
Hooray! I made it. What a long flight. It was such a relief to get out of
L.A. though. What a contrast to New Zealand. Arriving into Auckland was
(literally) a breath of fresh air. I know I'm going to have an amazing
time.
Things which I immediately noticed upon arriving in New Zealand:
- cleanliness.... clean air, water, airports.
- Amazing landscape..... like nothing I've ever seen before. Unique flora
and fauna.
- relaxed pace..... people don't get too strung out about much. Maybe
that's an Island characteristic?
- People are happy and friendly! What a contrast to L.A.!
- Lots of space and not overcrowded with people
- Boutiques in aiports sell homeopathic remedies and herbals instead of
cheap sunglasses and costume jewlery
- Maori people (or people of Maori descent) are much more common than First
Nations in Canada
I'm now in Christchurch doing a bit of exploring. It's a very European
feeling city with a big cathedral and old college reminiscent of when I
visited Oxford. VERY clean though. It's nice. Weather has been around 17
celcius and sunny to overcast. Beats all the snow in Vancouver.
Anyways, thinking of you all and hoping to hear from you soon!
L.A. though. What a contrast to New Zealand. Arriving into Auckland was
(literally) a breath of fresh air. I know I'm going to have an amazing
time.
Things which I immediately noticed upon arriving in New Zealand:
- cleanliness.... clean air, water, airports.
- Amazing landscape..... like nothing I've ever seen before. Unique flora
and fauna.
- relaxed pace..... people don't get too strung out about much. Maybe
that's an Island characteristic?
- People are happy and friendly! What a contrast to L.A.!
- Lots of space and not overcrowded with people
- Boutiques in aiports sell homeopathic remedies and herbals instead of
cheap sunglasses and costume jewlery
- Maori people (or people of Maori descent) are much more common than First
Nations in Canada
I'm now in Christchurch doing a bit of exploring. It's a very European
feeling city with a big cathedral and old college reminiscent of when I
visited Oxford. VERY clean though. It's nice. Weather has been around 17
celcius and sunny to overcast. Beats all the snow in Vancouver.
Anyways, thinking of you all and hoping to hear from you soon!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Arrival in Christchurch
This post was supposed to happen automatically, but that didn't seem to work. Below is the latest email that I sent out to those of you that wanted to be updated. A nice day in Christchurch today, 25+ degrees and sunny. Went for a hike.... beautiful! Will post pictures soon. Yoga retreat starts tomorrow.... will update after that!
K
------------------------------------------------------
Hooray! I made it. What a long flight. It was such a relief to get out of L.A. though. What a contrast to New Zealand. Arriving into Auckland was (literally) a breath of fresh air. I know I'm going to have an amazing time.
Things which I immediately noticed upon arriving in New Zealand:
- cleanliness.... clean air, water, airports.
- Amazing landscape..... like nothing I've ever seen before. Unique flora and fauna.
- relaxed pace..... people don't get too strung out about much. Maybe that's an Island characteristic?
- People are happy and friendly! What a contrast to L.A.!
- Lots of space and not overcrowded with people
- Boutiques in aiports sell homeopathic remedies and herbals instead of cheap sunglasses and costume jewlery
- Maori people (or people of Maori descent) are much more common than First Nations in Canada
I'm now in Christchurch doing a bit of exploring. It's a very European feeling city with a big cathedral and old college reminiscent of when I visited Oxford. VERY clean though. It's nice. Weather has been around 17 celcius and sunny to overcast. Beats all the snow in Vancouver. Anyways, thinking of you all and hoping to hear from you soon!
K
------------------------------------------------------
Hooray! I made it. What a long flight. It was such a relief to get out of L.A. though. What a contrast to New Zealand. Arriving into Auckland was (literally) a breath of fresh air. I know I'm going to have an amazing time.
Things which I immediately noticed upon arriving in New Zealand:
- cleanliness.... clean air, water, airports.
- Amazing landscape..... like nothing I've ever seen before. Unique flora and fauna.
- relaxed pace..... people don't get too strung out about much. Maybe that's an Island characteristic?
- People are happy and friendly! What a contrast to L.A.!
- Lots of space and not overcrowded with people
- Boutiques in aiports sell homeopathic remedies and herbals instead of cheap sunglasses and costume jewlery
- Maori people (or people of Maori descent) are much more common than First Nations in Canada
I'm now in Christchurch doing a bit of exploring. It's a very European feeling city with a big cathedral and old college reminiscent of when I visited Oxford. VERY clean though. It's nice. Weather has been around 17 celcius and sunny to overcast. Beats all the snow in Vancouver. Anyways, thinking of you all and hoping to hear from you soon!
Monday, January 10, 2005
Los Angeles
Turns out I managed to get out of Vancouver after all. Now just waiting in the L.A. airport (can we say culture shock??) for my flight to Auckland. I watched "The Terminal" over Christmas, and I'm beginning to identify.
Now that my journey has begun, I'd love to hear from you all! So, fire away wth the emails!
Willl update again soon,
K.
Now that my journey has begun, I'd love to hear from you all! So, fire away wth the emails!
Willl update again soon,
K.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Snow in Vancouver
Testing the blogger email posting function.
I arrived into Vancouver from Penticton yesterday, a few hours late, but
here all the same. Visiting friends and watching the city transformed by
the snow. Apparently Penticton has over a foot now. Hoping that the
airport is back to normal by the time I need to catch my flight on Monday...
we shall see!
Take care all, I'll send an update again soon!
I arrived into Vancouver from Penticton yesterday, a few hours late, but
here all the same. Visiting friends and watching the city transformed by
the snow. Apparently Penticton has over a foot now. Hoping that the
airport is back to normal by the time I need to catch my flight on Monday...
we shall see!
Take care all, I'll send an update again soon!
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