New Zealand or BUST!

I love to hug the foals

thecobb — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:16:00 GMT

I love WWOOFing. The last stay with Richard and Christel and their 4 kids was my best time yet! Richard taught me so much about self-sufficiency, that I can't wait to get some land and make a little paradise on earth. In comparision, being a tourist is lonely and boring. I am only 500 pages from the end of War and Peace!

I am going to Christchurch tomorrow to find another WWOOF stay. It is sad to think about leaving NZ in just a few more days. I will probably get really depressed and start planning to leave Idaho again and travel to either Africa or Antartica. Nothing compares to getting up in the morning and feeding 20 Icelandic horses (meaning petting 20 Icelandic horses).

We will see what the next adventure holds!

Everyone loves a Fjord

thecobb — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:10:00 GMT

Well I survived the most beautiful place in New Zealand. Milford Sound (actually I discovered it was created by a glacier, so it's really a FJORD), was amazing and we had amazing weather and it was just amazing. The water is unique because tannins from the mountains are washed into by the rain, so even though it is salt water, there is a thin layer of fresher and darker water on top.

After going on the cruise and walking around a bit on my own, I made it down to Te Anau. This was a nice little town with a much better backpacker lodge than Milford. I have been running into several people of late. Other travelers I met up around Greymouth and Franz Josef. That is a nice thing about the using the YHA network of accomodation. Even though we might move around a different paces, we all end up sleeping in the same hostel at the end of the day.

I am now in Dunedin. It is the center of Scottish culture in NZ. I like it. Today I visited the public art gallery, and there was some impressive 3D art to behold. It is also St. Pat's day, so all the Uni students are dressed up and acting young. I actually watched a pretty good local film called "Scarfies". That is the nickname for Otago Uni students. Not as internationally known as "The Whale Rider", but funny all the same.

I am going off the grid for a while. All the touring is waring me out, so I am headed to Omaru for a WWOOF stay. This is not what I originally planned, but I am actually glad my plans changed. Omaru the best place in the country to spot blue and yellow-eyed penguins. Let's keep our fingers crossed. So I may be out of contact until I make it to Mt. Cook or even Christchurch. Cheers until then!

Gallery: Ice, Mountain and Lake

thecobb — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:50:00 GMT

from Franz Josef to Queenstown

Glaciers, Glowworms and Gonads

thecobb — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:49:00 GMT

Well I survived the Wildfoods Festival. Now, I did Taste of Chicago twice, so my standards are pretty high. I felt that it wasn't worth $20 US just to get into the festival. Once inside, the food was wild (I tried Crocodile and Shark and some NZ tree). People were eating grubs and sheep tails and horse and of course...goat testicles. I had none of that, thanks. By about the 3rd hour of the festival, I had spent enough money. Oh, and it got progressively less classy...people throwing-up and wrestling. I did like the costumes though. How often do you share a urinal with the Ninja Turtles and some Smurfs?

As much as Hokitika felt like a town that existed to rip off the tourists, Franz Josef was a nice little place with reasonable internet, entertainment and accomodation. I even went out at night and saw a whole bunch of glowworms for FREE. They look like little blue LED lights just hanging out in the woods. Quiet amazing accually. Then I went on to Fox Glacier. This was a great experience. Over half the group were Americans (even the Guide was from Texas). That is not common. We were all young and fit and covered a ton of that ice cube. This glacier is unique in that it is only 250 Meters above sea level.

I could give a lot of other facts, but just check out the pictures! Then I went on to Lake Wanaka. Nice little town and beautiful area. This part of NZ has some landscape simularities to Idaho. Arid mountains that are away from the heavy rains of the coast. I had a nice little walk and ended up talking with a British artist about his paintings. They were amazing and he taught me a couple things about modern art and what good composition looks like. I have found that 9 out of 10 British guys are cool while 9 out of 10 British women are annoying. Those gender tendancies reverse when we talk about Irish men and women. So I'll have to marry an Irish girl and get some buddies from the UK.

I am in Queenstown for the night. Tomorrow I go to Milford Sound. Expect the best pictures yet when I get back. Everyone I have spoken with says that Fjordland National Park is a thing to behold. Queenstown on the other hand reminds one of Lucerne--although people complain about the prices here, and I have found cheap food and cheap internet. Enjoy the pictures, and I will try to have some more news by the 15th.

Gallery: Greymouth and South

thecobb — Sun, 9 Mar 2008 12:03:00 GMT

the brewery tour and festival plus a couple

Now THAT's a KNIFE

thecobb — Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:40:00 GMT

Well I have learned a new craft. Knife-making is without a doubt a great thrill. I ended up the only person at the shop yesterday, so I received personal attention. My knife is going to appear on the website eventually. I am so happy with it, and between what I learned from Red and what Steve has now taught me, I am going to build a forge and give smithing a go.

Steve could visualize the final knife right from the start. He was a pretty good coach too. I had to cut him some slack for the occasional grumpy comment because he was dealing with a broken tooth. But he did give lots of encouragement and even told me that I had wonderful hand-eye coordination. Wish he would send a note to my 8^th grade PE teacher with that comment!

I was reflecting last night on the process. I feel that in many ways I can identify with the knife. My two years since leaving college have involved a lot of forging. The scrap of soft steel that represents a newly graduated me, had to be heated and hammered on the anvil. The fire and the flames were not always fun, but they have strengthened the steel and shaped it into something useful.

At 25, this process seems to be closing. A final good hammer strike or two to finish the shape, and it will be time to dip the steel in water to set it. This is by no means the end, as there is much in the way of grinding, polishing and crafting left. But like Steve, Christ can see the tool which lies within the piece of steel. Yeilding myself to the process is a joy, because in the end, I will be something to write home about.

Tomorrow I head to the Wild Foods festival in Hokitika. After that it will be glacier-country and on to Milford Sound (only the prettiest place in New Zealand). When I can find a good computer, I will upload pictures, so stay tuned!

Gallery: Knife-making / Punikaiki

thecobb — Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:34:00 GMT

photos of the northwest West Coast

Tropical Penguins?

thecobb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:02:00 GMT

Well, I survived the trekking and camping in Abel Tasman National Park. Thankfully Red lent me the gear I didn't have, although carrying 28 lbs. of gear for three days makes the shoulders sting. I have a few blisters and neat pictures to show for it. I uploaded photos of Hawkes Bay (finally) and the beautiful coastal features of Abel Tasman. Pictures of Wellington and Motueka to follow. Enjoy!

I have rarely beheld such beautiful beaches. And I've been to the tropics! Both nights I camped right by the ocean and had some great sunrises to snap photos of. The NZ Department of Conservation is my enemy, however. They charge $14 per night just for a campsite. And they don't keep all the track is perfect order. DoC is who I blamed for everything from the fact that I had to waste time and fuel boiling my water to make it safe to drink, to the wet shoes I had to live with for two days.

I did see a few unusual things in those three days by the sea. On the first day, there were three european girls sunbathing topless right on the track. Gee girls, this isn't the Riviera. Next, millions and I mean literally MILLIONS of clam-shells left behind in the drained tidal basin. Then I watched a wasp catch and kill a mozzy in mid-air. Then I saw what I believe to be two penguins just today on my way out of the park. Good times, eh? I'm sure I have more memories than these.

I am going to be helping Red and Sarah build a little cabin for their oldest son in the next few days. Then it is off to Nelson and down the West Coast. I am getting really excited about Te Anau and Milford Sound. I made friends with a nice American Couple named Doug and Jamie--they told me that it is incredible. They are only the 2nd group of Americans I've gotten to know over here. But at least all the Brits seem to like Barrack Obama!

Gallery: Abel Tasman

thecobb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:14:00 GMT

Photos of the coastal track

Gallery: Wellington / Motueka

thecobb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:14:00 GMT

photos of city and farm

Gallery: Hawkes Bay

thecobb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:13:00 GMT

Photos of Hastings and surrounding areas

Parties and Goat's Milk

thecobb — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:09:00 GMT

The South Island is all that I had hoped. This area kinda reminds me of Washington State. I flew over the Cook Straight yesterday (22 mins at 2500 ft.) I was amazed at how low we flew because, as some of you know, I jumped out of a plane 3 days ago at 12,000 ft. Let's just take a moment to recap my final days on the North Island.

Left Hastings on Thursday morning. It took catching 4 rides before I got all the way to Taupo, but it was worth it. The day was perfect for a skydiving trip. I wish I had a picture to show, but the DVD and picture gallery of my dive would have cost an extra $179. You will just have to believe me that I did it. The next day I got to Wellington and enjoyed the laid back cafe culture. Wellington reminded me of Chicago (just the nicer bits and only 10% the population).

The guy that gave me a ride from Picton to my current location was something! He hunts wild pigs--with 3 dogs and a knife. Yeah. He just stabs them in the chest while the dogs hold them down. That's pretty hardcore, eh?

So now I am here WWOOFing in Motueka until the 4th. Actually, I will be taking a 3-4 day break to hike and camp the Abel Tasman National Park. I like this family, and this morning I milked the goat. We then ran the milk through a sive and then enjoyed it fresh and warm! There will be a neat building project before I leave, and until then, I will love the pets.

Last night they took me to a neighbor's birthday party. Nice food and nice folks. What a way to be introduced to the South Island! I don't have a great computer here, so expect a rush of pictures on the 4th. I will likely have about 400 from the beautiful Coastal Track. For now I need to plan some camping meals.

was that a Nazi?

thecobb — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:29:00 GMT

I had a unique day. I hopped over to Napier with 3 of the other backpackers to take part in the Art Deco Weekend. I got a few pictures of the old cars and buildings (and of the dress-up). I felt like I might see a young Audrey Hepburn walking around. I mean like a Sabrina or Roman Holiday Audrey, in black-and-white no less. But she failed to appear.

What did appear several times were spitfire airplanes in the sky. They had that classic Battle of Britian sound to their engines leaving one feeling like a Nazi bomb might be coming down at any minute. The fact that almost 80% of us were dressed the part really helped with that out-of-time illusion.

I will put the picutures up within the next few days if I am able. I have decided that it is time to change my plans again and high-tail it for the South Island ahead of schedule. I am looking forward to more open spaces with fewer people for a while. Everyone tells me that the south is the place to be, so it will soon be good-bye to Hawkes Bay.

I do have to say, that my reading has pretty much dropped off the last few days, and I have been watching TV (LOST) and hanging out instead. I taught Eucure to Claude (a nice German gal) and Dave and Lucy (a Czech couple) the other night. It felt like offering the very best of mid-Western culture to Europe, and it was well received. Although every European I met still thinks that Bush planned 9/11 and that the US is about to have a HUGE recession. So I apologize a couple times a week for being a "Yank".

Kidnapped by Brazilians

thecobb — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:03:00 GMT

Well, I learned a lesson the other morning. Don't force things to happen. I tried to force an apple-picking job to happen even though it really isn't the season yet. I ended up weeding pumpkins 20 kms away from Hastings! Oh, and the pay-rate wasn't good and I don't know if I'll see the money anyway.

Basically, I set things up with the Brazilian guys staying at AJ Backpackers with me. Their english is kinda Gantsa-rap mixed with Frat Boy. Well, we get up early and catch a ride with some friend and the father of the farm-owner. With all the language barriers at work, we end up in the pumpkins when we thought we'd be picking apples.

Hot sun, sore back and not fun work. But by Noon, a nice German couple were leaving to come back to town. I was able to catch a ride with them. Germans to the rescue! Like I said, who knows if I will ever see my money. I did give my work-visa info to the owner this morning, but I feel that he might be a kinda crooked guy anyway.

I am just going to work at the Backpackers to earn some extra cash, and I go WWOOFing again on the 20th to a Vineyard between here and Napier. Plus I am going to take a day off before then and go see Napier. So expect Art Deco photos. Things are good. I hang out with those Brazilian guys (plus a couple of French girls) at the Backpackers most nights. I am popular because I know English so well and can explain what they said on TV (usually American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance--Australia). It's a talent!

I have a feeling I will miss AJ's when all is said and done. But I must keep on moving and seeing and doing! I made some great lamb stew the other day. No big deal.

Apples and Sheep

thecobb — Wed, 6 Feb 2008 14:20:00 GMT

Well, I survived the sheep shearing day. I sorted wool from 110 sheep, which may not sound that bad, but the shearing rate was one lamb per 60-90 seconds. It was fast and actually pretty tough work. But a good experience none the less. I hope to host a video of one of the lambs being shorn on facebook.

One of the most incredible things of that day was assisting Chris in sewing up a hurt ewe. The thing had a foot-long cut down its leg. Now sheep are dumb and pretty instinct driven. So you can imagine that having two men sew up its busted leg with dental-floss was not making the little girl relax. But I held her by the front two legs and the right ear and put her head in my lap. After a few moments she understood that we meant well. All that instinct over-come because the ewe could sense our intentions!

So I made it to Hastings. Hastings is a lot like Mt. Vernon (if you add money, style and a reason for existing to Mt. Vernon). Today is a big aniversary of a Maori treaty with the English. I got an interesting perspective on those relations, because I hitched to Hastings with a half-Maori guy. The Maori situation in New Zealand reminds me of the attitudes surrounding Black and White relations in the States.

One never knows what is around the corner. I came to Hastings to do seasonal labor in the hopes of making upwards of $140 a day for the next 3 weeks so I can have a party on the South Island. I had chosen my Hostel and everything. Then, I got here and it was full. In fact I almost didn't find a place last night. But early this morning I walked around and found a great little place off the main drag. It is less crowded, cheaper and quieter than the other places in town.

Best part is, the lady that owns it is fixing it up (painting, tiling, etc.) and will give me a substancial discount (possibly down to free boarding) for helping out around 10 hours a week. I figure that with that plus fixing my own meals, I'll save a load of money. I should do alright here until the 27th. I'll get down to the South Island by the first week of March and have around 33 days to relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Gallery: Waitara

thecobb — Wed, 6 Feb 2008 14:16:00 GMT

Photos of my time around New Plymouth

From the Nut House

thecobb — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 13:42:00 GMT

I believe in the force of intentionality. When one has the intention of things working out, they often will. I have been loving my time in Waitara with Daniela, Chris, Bianca and little Cassia. I had one really tough day of work digging fence posts out of the ground (I took a picture of the outlines of two HUGE blisters on my hands). Other than that, it has been easy mornings of work, good food and leisurely spent afternoons.

My main task at the farm is to take the shells off of macademia nuts. I go to the Nut House and put two big bags of nuts into the cracking machine. After it has done its work, I spend about 3 hours listening to the radio and sepparating shells from Nuts. I also have a couple pictures to upload that show the machine and about how many nuts I can process in a morning. It is nice that the farm works on a schedule. 7:30 breakfast, 8:00-12:30 work, 12:30 lunch, 6:00 dinner. That leaves me with wonderful 100% organic meals, my own little cabin and about Nine daylight hours to myself.

Even though I am taking today off to see New Plymouth town, I am returning tomorrow evening. They have convinced me to stay longer than I intended. I will work three more days (though Monday will not be nut-work). I will get three things for this: 1) a free horseback ride, 2) the chance to participate in sheep shearing on Monday and 3) a ride on Tuesday afternoon almost ALL THE WAY to Hastings. That actually puts me in Hastings on schedule, and what fringe benefits, eh?

BTW, I have uploaded some pictures from my time in Tokaanu. Including the trout I caught, the building projects a various stages, the horse I rode bare-backed and the Toyota truck we found turned over on the way to Waitara. That was a great little story which I never wrote about. You will just have to ask me when I get back to the States. For now, I plan on checking out a free Maori music event tonight. Should be interesting. In case anyone is interested, I am about 2/7's the way done with War and Peace!

Gallery: Tokaanu

thecobb — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 13:36:00 GMT

One great little weeks

Top Eight Tokaanu moments

thecobb — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:33:00 GMT

Now that I find myself over on the West Coast of the North Island, I’ve had time to reflect about my stay in Tokaanu. I am really happy that I just happened to go to Tongariro and ended up WWOOFing in the area. That may end up being the best WWOOF stay I will have in ENZED.

I have put together a Top 8 (one for each day I stayed):

8) Walking around the lake at Sunset
7) Eating Sushi
6) Seeing the sky reflected in the hot pools
5) Talking E.U. politics with Mic
4) Finishing the veranda building
3) Riding the Palomino without a saddle
2) Catching that big ‘ol trout
1) Reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull
I guess that I could have read the book anywhere, but I think the event was made sweeter by being in that particular context. Let’s see what fun I have here near Mt. Taranaki! I hear that the Samurai Village from the movie The Last Samurai is right around the area. If so, I will try to have a good conversation with Katsumoto!

Reflection

thecobb — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:45:00 GMT

I have little to report from the last couple of days. My camera works again, and I got a bit sunburned yesterday. I am having a good time, and the building projects are coming along (some pictures will show up soon!) I thought that I would share a bit from my personal journal entry for the day. Part of why I came to ENZED was a spiritual journey. I have found that many of the people I meet here are quite New-Age. I like this--it is giving me a lot of material for thought:

Jan 23^rd,

We have a new guest--Micki from Sweden. He is an interesting fellow--artist turned Yogi. He gave me a good book to read. It is called Illusions, and might be a harbinger of the Matrix movies (very "there is no spoon" if you know what I mean).

I quickly hit a wall when all the transcendental stuff comes up. I wish there were some bridge for me to cross with it. Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism have interesting thoughts and even beautifully expressed truths within them, but many of the basic precepts are diametrically opposite to my way of thinking.

There is am escapism built into them--by FREEING ourselves from this reality, we encounter the truth. I believe that we tend to accept many falsehoods in life, but I believe that God has placed within our world the basic tools to make reality self-evident over time. It is not throwing off the chains of this reality that leads us to truth, it is Christ who leads us to truth by His authority over this reality and His ability to creatively and intimately communicate to us about the illusions that hold us captive.

This is the real difference in Christ-following. We need a Guide to show us the way, the truth and the life worth living. Without that belief in a personal and loving Creator, it IS necessary to escape from this reality to find "truth". The language in which truth is written can only be deciphered when we have a Translator. One who understands the vocabulary and linguistic rules thereof, and who has the means to effectively teach us how to read it.

Thanks to Christ the work of truth translation has begun in us and will continue to be unveiled until all our illusions pass away!