New Zealand

First Holiday: New Zealand
Dates: 10-16th July, 2006

New Zealand is still a funny little country. The rumours are true - there are rediculous amounts of sheep in NZ, not even 10 mins away from the airport and there are fields and cattle, and hedges (lots of hedges...).
Sounds extravagent to go to NZ just for hanging out, but thats what my family does. Started back in the day when they bought a place in a ski villiage with a bunch of ppl who all worked for Qantas, and coz u know, they could just fly wherever they wanted super cheap - it made sense. Now we share a different house with one other dude which is either rented out, or Gary (the other dude) lives in it sometimes, which he is this year. So it was me, my mum, my bro and Gaz.
Of the 4 possible days I could have skiied while over there, mountain was closed 2 days due to gale force winds, then open one day, but cwappy weather (windy and generally unpleasant), and then the last day it was snowing, but wet snow, and windy, which isn't particularly fun either, so prob got about 1 day total of skiing in while over there.
Was nice to hang with the family though, mum said she liked having me there - hadn't been there for a few years with her. And she had a ball too - stayed an extra 2 weeks after I left (William stayed 1), just kept snowing, best season they've had in ages, rediculous amounts of snow.

New Zealand is just weird too, its kinda in a semi time-warp, but don't tell anyone there that... Don't get me wrong, they're very savy with some things, but its just that weird combination when you combine a ski-villiage with a farming community, the weird blends of people you get.

Its also one of the strange places where a service station name actually has any meaning. There are actually people there, who offer service - you pull up, and some young kid wanders up and offers to fill up the car for you. Thats service! Pity us Aussie yobs are used to doing it all ourselves and putting them out of a job.

Also saw my friend Kirsty's new baby - Cooper, very cute. He peed on the carpet when we were there too, thats always funny.

Flew home Saturday morning - was up at 3.30am NZ time to be at the airport by 5 - flight at 6.50 or something.... but basically I was home and had a farily full saturday - see next post, where I essentially woke up at 1.30 in the morning!!