sky diving, daily competitions,and tonight im wonder woman.really

previously on carolines adventures around the world

"i woke at 6.30am not thinking it would go ahead, went to receptiopn and fuck it..i had 20mins to get ready before the bus came...i grabbed simon and gabbered one shitting myself...after prepping and pacing,we were on the plane and i just stopped talking and thinking and just recited song lyrics over and over..simon went first...oh lord...the look of fear...i geared up sat on the edge..and looked down at the 15,000ft of air between me and safe ground..well if i wasnt scared then i never would be again in life...holy crap..we were VERY far away from home Toto"

well i think the look of holy shit on my face as im dangling feet over the edge said it all, but a moment of calm emerged from the back of my brain...screaming "ROCK N ROLL" followed by "OH HOLY SHIT" Mike my parachute buddy rocked us out of the plane and flipped us straight away...backflip or something alike...i managed to keep my eyes open as I screamed my brains all the way to the ground...what a rush...its surreal..the view was amazing over Lake Taupo and the mountains surrounding it...wow..the worst part for me wasnt the free fall but infact the part after the chute it pulled, you're legs are released from the harness and kinda dangle....i was sure i was going to fall to my sudden but aweomsely cool way to die...but it wasnt to be.

a quick and safe landing, i screamed " i didnt die" and hugged simon, then we had to complete some more footage for our home made movie, and i hit him in the head...opps...it took hours for the adernaline to leave my body though and i later felt a little sick, mostly from a migraine from the pressure on the drop down

we drove through a heritage park, name i cant recall...and kept on driving, taking in some walks through the bush and down to waterfalls adn spent the night in a lodge down in a valley...AND YES LAURA I STAYED IN THE AWESOME BIG DORM BEDS!!

we played trivial persute..but withouth the board and our team won, nici had to sleep after dinner as she still wasnt feeling well and simon and i stayed up all night, talking music...nici had a lucky escape

the next morning, i went horse riding for the first time and fell in love with a horse called Chesnut..he was so relaxed, think amsterdam!! i didnt fall once and even galloped a bit over beautiful hills and rivers, it was a breathtaking view..

we boared the bus after lunch and made our way on to wellington

unfortunately nici was still sick, i mean, puking and achey and cold and fluey sick...which sucked ass...bigtime..simon and her had to stay in...so i went out with my cousin ben and his merry band of awessome friends! i had sooo much fun!

we started off in Nandos for dinner..i miss Nandos dinner with Deb, alvin and the totteham crew..we should do that when i get back..anway..we went back to his flat and played many drinking games..i am the best judge ever..u had to be there...we ventured into town, lost some people and ended up in an irish bar for one..before venturing to a karoke club..i know i know..

i sang Chicago " hard to say im sorry" and Ironic by Alanis Morrissette...some bitch stole Bonnie Tyler from me...i wasnt impressed...we made a new friend called phil adn got home at 10am the next morning

the next day i was exhausted, not hungover just delirious..so i went to the tattoo museme..got some ideas for the 4th..sorry mam and dad..it will be the last..adn i went back to bed...still sick nici and simon missed another night out..i ventured alone to the cambridge hotel to watch the rubgy with some people from the bus..met ben and his crazy ass friend Sean..the guy is awesome and a beast....he's nearly the talleest person ive ever met, but not quite..he'll have to work harder...after we ventured to another irish pub where an ok band played and ben, sean and i talked politics, i mean music...adam, amy, jessie joined us along with a guy called phats?! i dont know...because a certain someone was drunk and sleepy we got kicked out and moved on to the 80's bar/ with live band, first song i heard...a PUSA song of course...and how was rocking out in the front? Phil!

after that place closed we went back to the karaoke bar, where i sang " lets dance" by DAvid Bowie..I had an awesome time singing to the drag queens in the audience..they were awesome!

we made it to the south island in one piece and drove to nelson on the first day, sampling some wine in Malbourough is i remember correctly..after that it was an early night in nelson to catch up from the weekend in the coldest hostel yet...well it was a lodge..6 girls one room, 6 beds, one heater..didnt work, one light, didnt work, one toilet...pants to that!

we are now somewhere on the way to franz joesf for a glacier walk tomorrow..tonight theres 50 of us from a bus staying in a pub run by an 82year old kiwi...its fancy dress " bright and tight" themed night..im going as Wonder Woman..winner wins a payed Canon Swing in Queenstown..

skiing on Sunday, lets hope i dont break a limb!

until then
keep on rokin'
C

walking on a dead cow, sky diving, drag queens, all in a week

well where do i begin..

see i have 12 minutes to recount everything ive done in the north island before we depart tomorrow morning at 7am for the south island..im so afraid to check my bank account..NZ is crazy expensive fun

zorbing was awesome..overpriced but fun..its like being in a washing machine, with hot water, and basically rolling down a zigzag hill...photos to follow...

we stayed in a shite hostel in rotoura that day, damn that place smells..has natural geezers all around the town..natural springs and the like..we had our traditional maouri night in a nearby village which was class, and we had the craziest bus driver in the world who could speak 45 languages..we also spun around a roundabout about 15times while he sung us a song...you can tell how quite this place was, not a car on teh road to interupt him..felt kinda quaesy after but obviously not that bad as we went for a few shandies the next morning!

and that lead us on to Waitomo...wow..population of 25 people! consisted of a shop..a tourist info centre, one pub and a hostel..rock n roll..nici and i loitered outside the local shop and met some random irish people..we are everywhere..and we spend 45minutes on swings singing at the top of our lungs..and it was still on 5.30pm!!

spent the rest of the night in the pub..damn it was cold outside..the hostel was BASIC...you had to rent cutlery!!

next day nici wasnt feeling too well so i went black water caving..which was the coldest best fun ever...a cow had fallen over and died and fell into the enterance of the cave so we had to walk on its stomach to get into the cave..i shit you not..it must have only been dead a few hours as it was still bouncy and warm...eugh!

black water caving involved being inside a HUGE cave..with glow worms, wearing helemts, headlights and wetsuits and carrying a water tube and basicaly climbing over rocks, waterfalls, jumping down 8ft into freezing cold water, swimming under staligtights etc....and then we had to make our way out of the cave in the dark..i felt like wonderwoman and i was the first to emerge from the cave..i am so smart...we had to turn out lights off at one stage as the underground stream and its super strong current dragged us along and we watched the glow worms on the roof...magical!

after that, i forgot my towel so a quick shower to warm the toes and a drying with a spare teeshirt, i gobbled down some hot soup and bagels before we departed for Taupo..upon arriving nici and i did some shopping and waited for simon who arrived guns a blazing..not really but it sounds cooler than he turned up in a Ford!

we dined in a local irish pub and took part in a pub quiz..before exhaustion hit the pair and they went to bed...wanting a decent night on the tear i stayed out with the bus crew until about 2am when the music started making me violent so i turned in

sky diving was cancelled the next day due to weather so simon and I played some pool while nici played referee...i was beaten badly...fair play Simon! pints were consumed and we done grocery shopping..the kids hit the hay again and i turned in around 9am for a long nights sleep in prep for the sky dive

i woke at 6.30am not thinking it would go ahead, went to receptiopn and fuck it..i had 20mins to get ready before the bus came...i grabbed simon and gabbered one shitting myself...after prepping and pacing,we were on the plane and i just stopped talking and thinking and just recited song lyrics over and over..simon went first...oh lord...the look of fear...i geared up sat on the edge..and looked down at the 15,000ft of air between me and safe ground..well if i wasnt scared then i never would be again in life...holy crap..we were VERY far away from home Toto...

the internet time is about to cut me off...more to follow!

when it rains in NZ...it buckets down!

well its 7.15pm on a Saturday night...its raining like you wouldnt believe..i cant remember the last time i saw rain, let alone rain like this..my jeans, my only pair bar my black skinnies, are soaking wet, and its drafty in this hostel which is in the middle of a small seaside resort in the North island, its call the Turtles back or lodge? I cant remember, point is..its a saturday night and its raining and we are in the middle of some small sea side resort in the middle of winter in the rain..what a contrast to Fiji

We started our Kiwi Experience bus this morning with a pick up at the hostel which was great, no need to lug the bag around..our bus driver is awesome and loves saying the word..."sweet" every 5minutes...we drove a bit of the way and stopped off in a place called Thames for some snacks and to stretch our legs...

not long after we got to a beach called, Hot Water Beach I think and were told to don our bikinis and get across this chocolate milk coloured river..well it wasnt really a river, more of a stream, but it was dangerous as hell, because the tide was flowing pretty hard and youcoudltn see where you were stepping..so wearing bikinis, a winter hat and my lumberjack jacket we made it across to a sand pit which had been dug and we sat in it content and happy..considering the temperature was about 14degrees today and we were wearing bikinis..the water from the Ocean was FREEZING but I waded up until my thighs and then headed back to the bus where we managed to get back into clothes while maintaining our modesty..just

from there we drove on to a place called Cathedral Bay and took a bit of a hike down to the beach and wandered around there for a bit..got talking to two irish girls..one was our neighbour in Dublin 8, she only lived around the corner...what are the chances!

after that we drove on until we got to here, i cant recall the places name

tomorrow is zorbing down a huge hill, and some other action adventure stuff..might venture into town for a pint tonight (its like a ghost town here) or might just have an early night, have to be on the bus at 7.30am tomorrow morning and have a traditional maroi night planned tomorrow...long day ahead!

keep on rockin'
C

greetings from NZ....day one!

well we had a blast in Fiji, only downside to the trip was the mosquitos that fell head over heels in love with me...little fuckers..im destroyed..never been so itchy in my life..

Aftering consuming alot of Fiji Gold Beer..Nici likes the bitter one..i'm trying not to drink for a few days as my immune system is shot down at the moment. I'm totally run down, had to go to the chemist and buy some vitamins amongst other things today..early mornings, change in temperature, hanging around airports, and going from wet to dry in air conditioning has played havoc with my body.

We got up at 6am this morning and flew from sunny Fiji to cold, damp and wet Auckland..despite what people have told me about this city I really like it, cept all the hills! Luckily our hostel was DOWNHILL but might I add it was the steepiest fucking hill EVER..we have photographic proof! After sorting out our hostel, we went in search of the nearest chemist for well needed medications for all sorts of ailments and got some bad food..we were so hungry we gave in to Wendys!

After that we had to get a fuse for our magic travel adaptor which died a sudden death in Fiji..stupid fuse...but nici fixed it..well done Nic!

We ventured around Queens Road today or whatever its called, for a few hours and picked up the necessary, new jackets/coats for the weather..we didnt come prepared, hats, gloves, nici got fab vintage shoes and I bought a little black dress..essential wardrobe wearing!

We are now sat in a net cafe around the corner from the hostel, as its nearly $4 cheaper than the hostel, which is very cold at teh moment, or maybe its just me being run down? sorry im winging now...just a bit down in the dumps when you dont feel too good...could be worse, i could be back in Ireland! hahaha, only joking, i miss all you guys!

tonight we are sorting our laundry, eating a dinner of microwave noodles..only cost $1.00 and washing our hair, our other plans went out the window due to ailing health and tirdness..

tomorrow we leave at 8am on our kiwi adventure trip..so next stop..who knows...well actually i do, i just cant remember the name of it.

so no more bikini photos of me for a while folks, i know i know, its a sad thing, but dont worry, Oz is just around the corner!

keep on rockin'
C

Bula..greetings from Fiji!

Bula...greetings from Fiji!!Share
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 7:45pm | Edit Note | Delete
we say BULA in fiji at LEAST 15 times a day..its like the irish saying CRAIC all the time...you have no choice but to say it

the time difference has wrecked my brain and after spending 7 days and 6nights in the middle of the pacific ocean in lands with no hot showers, internet, tv, phones, etc etc, you'd excuse the fact that im not 100% sure what day of the week it is..

i think its tueday, its 7.26pm here, so its Monday 7.26am at home? i dont know, either way im gonna make some calls and wake people up.

after a horrible 14hr flight where someone stole my sunglasses and we had the most uncomfortable flight and worst food ever...we arrived into darkness to Nadia airport in Fiji at 4.25am..around 6am the sun came up and we waited for a bus to the marina..

after a quick dash to buy the essentials..suncream, towels and sunglasses..we boarded a bright yellow vessel called the "awesome fiji flyer" to our first island..at this stage after 14hrs on a plane, having spent 24hrs before that in an airport and with a 12hr time difference we were a confused, mental mess, but happy as pigs in shite, with the wind blowing in our hair (didnt realise it was salt water air, my hair turned to dreadlocks)

thing was we were on a trip that was pre-planned and our stop was stop number 27 of 32, so it took 5hrs!! it was glorious weather and we ate "gaytime icecream" and watched the world, or the fiji islands fly by

we had to get from our big boat onto a small fisherman boat, to get to the island, the water was choppy and nici and i got split up..as it goes, i had to sit on a bag of carrots, wearing jeans and teeshirt and got SOAKED..underwear and all.. arrived on the island, about 6mins later to sounds of islanders singing welcoming songs and handing us drinks..nice welcome..

we sat down to a lunch, consisting of rice and salad (our staple diet for the next two days) and were brought to our first Bula..a tradition little hut on the beach..it was very sweet and clean and cosy..

we jumped into our bikinis and hit the beach, but it was late in the day and a tad windy despite the sunny skies...we dipped and paddled and chilled out for the afternoon..

next thing ya know, its 4pm and time for cake...after some cake and some more chillinh in a hammock, we bought fell asleep...but our lovely new friends, kathy and jenny, knew we'd be hungry, came and found us and woke us up..

dinner consisted of a buffet style mean both nights at this resort, which was called the "Coral View Resort" we had some strange looking meats, rice and veggies and fruit...we consumed some good fijian beer with our other new friends, Grace and Alan from Waterford and Mel and Jamie from England and talked the night away

the next day we went to the famous "blue lagoon" were the movie of the same name was filmed with Brooke Shields...crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches..bliss..we snorkelled there amongst the fish..i felt like ariel from the little mermaid

we got back in time for lunch and after did a spot of sunbathing behind our bula..the wind was still quite gusty, but the sun was hott..we read books, ate coconuts from the trees that had fallen and lazed in the sunshine

after a cake break, we climed up the summit at the back of the island for the most amazing sunset i have ever seen..i even shed a tear..photos to follow

at night we had games organised, mel beat me in the final of musical chairs, i was raging..more drinks were consumed and we had great craic

the next day we said goodbye to jenny and kathy and boarded the big yellow boat..again..onto our next island..the name i forget but the resort was called "mantra ray"..again we were greeted with songs of welcome and shown to our Bura...within 5mins we were asked if we wanted to go swimming with some Mantra Ray and without getting time to think, we were back on a fishing boat, speeding down the pacific ocean to catch up with them..

i've never had to jump backwards out of a boat before with snorkelling gear and it shows..im covered in HUGE bruises on the back of my legs and arms..despite how cold the water was we didnt have time to think about it before the crew guy shouted "JUMP, JUMP NOW"

PLONK! into the freezing cold water...and we swimmed after the beast..it was fucking HUGE!

we get back, have a cold shower..no other choice, and are told the generators arent working and we'd have to leave the island...after packing and changing the problem was fixed and we had a HUGE buffet of gorgeous food...after the rations on Coral View we were in food heaven

the next day we had a few hours to kill before our next island hop, so again after breakfast we lounged around and read some books and chilled out..we boarded a fishing boat adn then onto the big yellow boat and bumped into our friends Alan and Grace again..after some craic with them we landed on Kuata resort..

again, songs of welcome were sung and we were shown to our bula..at first we thought it was a different one..hahaha, wait until you see the photo..we nearly died but it was the one next door. they just didnt move the sign..

anyway..more entertainment that night including fire dancing and the bula dance..if anyone would like to know i'd be happy to show you a private dance..the next morning we went SWIMMING with SHARKS!

EEKk we were a bit freaked out and my ass was broke in two on the journey,. that fucker chopped through the waves while we sat on the bottom of a fishing boat..my ass still hurts...after jumping into the pacific ocean, with nothign around us, i thought of that movie where the couple are left behind on a diving trip and get eaten by sharks...good move caroline

but alas, we survived...hurrah...we spent the afternoon and the next day sunbathing and exploring the island before we moved YET again..on to bounty island

this island is known to some (losers) who watched "celebrity love island" as it was shot there...woopdidoo..we stayed here for one night and generally ate food, drank cocktails and played scrabble..spent the day in a hammock before being rescued by the big yellow boat and brought onto dry land and here we are..

3 nights in Nadi...NZ on Friday..bring it on..photos tomorrow..wait until you see the sunset ones..im so proud

keep on rockin'
miss you all
C

seattle....is a happening place when we are in town

i joke.

i love Seattle..my 2nd time here in just over a year..i'd totally live here..if i could drive, you need a car in Seattle..its so vast and everything is spread far and wide..its so green and pretty and laid back..

Tuesday after another long lie in, we waited around for a few folks to get back to us, and I played on the Trampoline all morning, its addictive AND good for you..go figure..

we went to some strip malls in the afternoon to pick up supplies...i have never been to a country or a city that has so many strip malls, and its the same shops over and over and over and over..you get the idea..and they are all painted FUCKING BEIGE?!? seriously....americans LOVE beige..or coffee or biscuit colour?!

anyway in the evening, we decided to take it fairly easy and went to a DRIVE THRU! how very summer night America, I know..i picked the movie, the Happening, and depsite being scared shitless of the trailers, we still went..the had to wait until the sunset before the screen came to life, and after being our delightful plastic popcorn..eugh!, we munched on raisonettes and coke cola..stef tuned her radio to an AM station and with blanekets and pillows for comfort we sat back at watched one very odd and only slightly scary movie, scariest thing was watchin it and having so many windows around you...waiting for some CeeYouNextTuesday to come bang on the radio and give us a heart attack

next day was our roadtrip to Bellingham to visit stefs old college stomping grounds, go to some outlet stores and of course visit Beth, the crazy party queen stef lived with..i love that girl so much fun, and shes dangerous on the liver!

we shopped for a couple of hours, and then proceeded to get to Beths in time to go to the exclusive "Olive Garden" for dinner..anyone whose been there knows im being sarcastic!

after a few home drinks, we made it to Karaoke night run by stefs good friend Seamus O Ceary..the place looked kinda empty, but i like to think everyone was just spread out very well...and they all looked like good singers and I got nervous, because well im a horrible singer! so next thing i know, we've drank a few pitchers, and I managed to drag stef and Nici, aka the pistolettes and my fat ass on stage, to sing, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler..oh how we murdered it...check out the photos..

we danced around to other singers after that, and went back for more...songs..im not naming them all, ahem..but the last one we did was " I would do anything for love, but i wont do that" by meatloaf...i just about remember this...we made plenty of new friends that night and all went home safe and sound..ahem...

to the next morning, wow, the heads on us all..stef, nici and I ventured into town and got some food, feeling refreshed we get back to Beths house and stef realises shes lost her keys..long story, we find them and make our way on the road to Kent for a quick shower and change of clothes...

Jason Finn is PATIENTLY waiting our prompt arrival, and in our defense, we were only 5mins late and I needed a shower...wasnt it worth it? did i smell nice at dinner? i think so...we were treated to a very sophiscated Italian dinner and lots of red wine that warmed the lungs...very lovely way to spend the evening and catch up with a good friend who despite not grilling mayo, did the next best thing..

and now its the 4th of July..you guys are all up to date..we leave for Fiji on Sunday so one more blog and photos and them im off the radar until NZ so whatever you want to tell me, declare your undying love etc...get it off your chest before i go MIA for 10 days!

keep on rokin'
C


PS: we totally bumped into the crazy Kurt"can you please leave" Bloc..he's crazy good fun