Hey all,

I have recently finished my first term of teaching down in NZ and am enjoying my first school holiday. It was a bit of a challenge to get used to a whole new school system but after a few novas mistakes I think I am getting the hang of it. I finished school on Thursday and spent the night with teaching friends drinking beers, playing guitars, and singing songs while looking out over Hawkes bay from atop hospital hill in Napier. The next day I drove down to Wellington and caught up with some old friends while we watched the Hurricanes tie the Crusaders in a controversial rugby test. After the game I was off to catch a 2:30 AM ferry to the south island. Caught a few “z’s” on the boat then was off for a sunrise drive down the east coast of the south island… Beautiful! I noticed some surfers in the water on the drive down so I figured it was a great place to take a break from driving and just enjoyed the sunrise while watching some southern rippers.

A few minutes south of the surfers I picked up a hitchhiker and rode with this crazy dude for the next two hours until I got to Christchurch. I am not sure about picking up hitchhikers but after thins guy I may hold off for a while. When I got to Christchurch I got a phone call from my parents and with perfect timing we both met up at the hotel.

Being the favorite child in my family it was no surprise that my parents were dying for their chance to come down to New Zealand and visit me. After we met up we spent the next two weeks traveling NZ in my sweet 1991 Honda Concerto. We saw everything from Mt. Cook, Milford Sound, to the beautiful west coast beaches. This Country is awesome!