Hey everyone,
That time has come again, I am gasing up Waka Tui and hitting the road. Everyone in Wanaka has pretty much left, and I think I have stayed about a week longer then I should have. The town has gotten pretty dead, it fills with all the old people and family tourists, so not really a fun and exciting place to be. For the last week I have been trying to get a few things sorted, but ended up just walking back and forth to town from the house that I am staying at. So here I go, Im off first to Milford Sound and then from there where-ever the road takes me, the only definite points are I have to sell my van in Christchurch and I really want to check out Abel Tasmen National Park.
Anyways, lately in Wanaka (prior to the departure of everyone), it has been a nice end to a great season. There have been lots of end of the year parties, and going away celebrations, for two weeks it seemed like every night something else was happening. The memorable one was definitly the Bullock Creek final party. Bullock Creek lodge was the hostel I have been living at since I arrived in Wanaka in June, it was a cool place to live with the entire lodge filled with longterm people here for the whole season. Everyone got along really well and there was always something going on and people around. The middle of the action was always the kitchen so it was a great place to hang out, for a big party with lots of drinks or even just a quite night watching a movie, there was always something going on. A few weeks ago the owners sent out a memo saying that since ski season ended on Oct 8th, everyone had to be out by the 9th (that was the one problem with the place... the lady who owned it was one of the worst people I have ever met... but she left at the end of Nov so it was all good). Everyone decided that the logical idea was that since we had to be out of there on monday, sunday night would be our big night, to say goodbye to everyone and the lodge. We worked out a BBQ and one of the guys was a dj back home so he worked out the music. Of course as these things go, everyone in town heard about it and before we knew it everyone was there... there were more people in our kitchen then in all the bars in Wanaka combined. Everyone was having a great time and the highpoint of the night was definitly when one of the other residents marched in the door rocking out as loud as possible on a big set of bagpipes, the music was turned off and everyone danced around him to various jigs. Bagpipes are a tough instrument and unfortunatly if you arent very good it is REALLY tough on the nerves, but much to everyones suprise (nobody knew he had a set, much less played them) he was amazing, he played his set and then marched his way out, the music came back up and people went back to their drinks and conversation. Apart from that, we had the last day at TC for the season, which was really nice, good way to say goodbye to all the ski buddies that I have ridden with all season.

I moved out of Bullock Creek a week ago and have been living with a girl from work since then. It made me appreciate how much fun Bullock Creek was to live at, plus the 20 min walk to town (yes I walk it instead of drive...) can get a little annoying. That said, there is something to having my own room for the first time in 5 months!

Thats pretty much it on this end, there is always too much to write but I try. Spring is in full force in NZ, Wanaka was 25' the other day, there is a tonne of Ducklings everywhere and flowers overflowing out of gardens and trees. It is nice to get some sun, I am trying to get a tan before Fiji (10 months of winter is tough on the tan.
Anyways, keep posted here, with my travels I am going to try and get back into the same routine as before with updating this and letting everyone know what is going on.
Bon Voyage,
-Jesse