Somewhere between me dyeing my friend Louisa's hair pink and me painting something that looks vaguely like the attempted imagining of a Maori creationist tale it's supposed to be and vaguely like a big mess on paper I realised that I haven't updated my lj in forever. Although for once it isn't entirely for lack of trying.

So let's see... since my last update I have been about as here, there and everywhere as it's possible to go in New Zealand. And then I somehow found myself back in Jail again. But still not real jail.

I left Wellington just over a month ago, heading north in one big huge tiring bus journey to Auckland. Was in Auckland for a couple of days, making new friends, not getting much sleep and eating awesome Thai food. I then went up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands for just over a week.

Paihia is awesome, but then I knew that from when I was there in April. There are almost more bars and hostels than people, and backpackers almost definitely outnumber the locals. But it's beautiful u there and a perfect place to chill out. And I got to go on an eco cruise around some of the islands and see some dolphins, which was pretty amazing. Not to mention that I made some great new friends.

After my week of chilling out max and relaxing all cool it was back to Auckland. And that is where I met my mum and dad and where the real adventure of the last few weeks started. It was wonderful to see my mum and dad again (not that I haven't seen them on webcam, but still it's not the same), and I got massive hugs and lots of presents. :D And then we went on the road....

So. In a week and a half we drove from: Auckland to Rotorua, Rotorua to Wellington, (Wellington-Picton ferry) Picton to Greymouth, Greymouth to Queenstown, Queenstown to Te Anau, Te Anau to Milford Sound to Te Anau to Queenstown. And then we flew back to Auckland.

Phew.

Of course, along the way we had an amazing time. There were history lessons, volcanic valleys and comedic bubbling mud pools in Rotorua, cable cars in Wellington, shopping, mini golf, the gondola and the luge (which I fell off and scraped up my leg and tummy) in Queenstown, sandflies in Te Anau, and keas, AWESOME scenery, penguins, seals and waterfalls in Milford Sound. And that's just the very very abbreviated version of the stuff at the stopping points.

It's no wonder I stopped in Ponsonby in Auckland for a few days after my parents left to recharge my batteries.

And now, in a completely unexpected turn of events, I am back in Jailhouse in Christchurch, working for my accommodation and trying to find a job for Christmas. Still, it's not all bad here... some of my old friends are here, and I've already made many new ones. And did I mention that I now have a gay husband?

No, we're not really married.

:D

This is so not what I wanted to post about today.

Stephen Gately from Boyzone has died.

Those of you who've known me for a long time will know that I was a very big Boyzone fan from the word go. Which was when I was about 8 or 9. And Stephen was always my favourite. I never got to see them in concert or anything, but I had all their cds and posters, and recorded all of their stuff off the tv onto video, and talked my parents into playing their music in the car. I loved them, and I loved Stephen. It wasn't in a romantical way, which was even to my nine year old mind sort of weird, because I felt like I should have been crushing on him, but whenever me and my friend Hannah used to pretend to be on tour with them I always used to pretend to be his sister. Boyzone were so my childhood musical heroes. I was kind of shocked when he came out, but that was mainly because I didn't really know what that meant back then, but I was still a fan. And I still enjoyed their comeback concerts that were shown on tv last year.

And now he's died and I am very very sad.

He was only 33.

OMG, this may just be the most exciting thing ever!Lucas! With fangs! In a vampire rock musical webseries! Eeep!

Also, you must all go to youtube and watche A Very Potter Musical by Starkidpotter. It's totally awesome.

</squee>

Is my birthday (25OMG) in like 3 weeks yay. This is exciting because it means that certain people (mum and dad) will finally finally be sending me things because I've only been asking them to send me Fudge Bars and stuff for 5 months now. I miss Fudge Bars. Yes. Anyways, if anyone else would like to send me post I have a New Zealand address you can write to. And unlike my mum and dad when I send them things, I will actually write back. Eventually. :D

Today is a day when I am not loving being a girl. Cramps suck, y'all.

I have finished chapter 3 of Frogs and Princes. After only a ten month wait between chapters. Could have had a baby in that time omg. I knew there was a reason I stopped writing multi chapter fics...

Battlestar Galactica is my new tv crack. At least it is while I'm in New Zealand and my Queer as Folk boxset is in the UK (remind me when I go back and have saved up enough money to start buying things again that I need to buy seasons 2-5. And also The L Word because I have it on good authority that I need to watch it as I will love it). I may be slightly in love with Starbuck as she is kickass and awesome. I'm only somewhere in the middle of season 2 and at present am pretty much spoiler free so no spoilers please. Amy and Kate I'm looking at you.

And to wrap this post up...

Dear Kelly Clarkson,

I love you. You know I love you, even though I've never actually bought any of your music or been to any of your concerts or met you or anything. But did you have to release Already Gone as a single? It makes me cry almost every time I hear it and this is not good when I'm in public. So tell radio stations to stop playing it please.

Not so much love anymore,

Rachel

I've been in Wellington for two weeks now and I'm pretty sure that it's my favourite city in New Zealand. Of course it helps that I'm staying in a really nice house and being well looked after by my help exchange host.

I still don't have a job, but it's not for lack of trying on my part. I've been handing in my cv all over the place and I'm signed up with two agencies, but nothing doing. I guess I'm just going to have to keep trying, but I hate it. It just takes me right back to where I was just after I graduated and that was not a good time, you know? Still... I'm not giving up.

It's weird to be thinking of this kind of thing when I'm not done with this adventure, but I'm already thinking about my next adventure. I'm thinking Europe (definitely Spain and Italy; probably a load of other places as well), inter-railing, departure date unknown. Any takers?

Anyways, it's been a beautiful day here today. My host and I drove into town and round the other side of the harbour to Eastborne, which is a little seaside place. We had lunch, gelato, and a paddle in the water (so cold omg!). Good times. :D

One of the advantages about having temporarily relocated to Wellington is that I now live within a bus ride from Te Papa, the most exciting museum ever. And one of the advantages of living near Te Papa is that I can now go to the talks and special events that are on there. Today was Writers' Monday, and speaking was Phillipa Boyens.

Oh. My. God.

Have I mentioned before on here how much I love Phillipa Boyens? I'm pretty sure I have sometime maybe 6 years ago. Not only is she an amazing screenwriter, who gets to be part of the Jackson/Walsh/Boyens trifecta, but she's a woman doing very very well for herself in the film industry. And that's pretty damn cool.

All fangirling aside, the talk was really interesting. She spoke about The Lovely Bones, of course, and The Hobbit and LotR, as well as the creative process involved with adaptation, her inspirations, and what it's like to work with actors. Really inspiring stuff. I now want to write a screenplay. But what to write about...

I also had an interview at a recruitment agency today, which went pretty well, although they said they can't guarantee there'll be any work for me. Still, pretty exciting on my day of excitement.

Greetings from Wellington, land of Weta Workshop, Cuba Street and a curious looking Beehive! I arrived here this afternoon on the ferry, having broken out of Jail yesterday morning and spent a rather delightful day in Kaikoura. Fingers crossed that the streets will be paved with gold for me, for I have come to seek my fortune!

Hows things, oh darling flist?

Why is it that on the day staff wireless access has been taken away because one, just *one*, staff member exceeds the download limit almost every single fic I've been following gets updated?? Why? I couldn't possibly read them at work? Could I? Hmmmm.... it is my last night on reception and all; I might just get away with reading slash... *ponders*

Some of you might know that I managed to lose the charger for my mobile phone (or cellphone if you are of the US persuasion) somewhere on the East coast of Australia, and so I have been mobile-less since the beginning of April. Well, I finally got a new phone! Woooo! And not only that, but I got a Samsung whose charger happens to fit my British phone! So now people can call me again. If anyone would like my number (NZ or British, although if you already had my UK number it hasn't changed), let me know and I'll email it to you.

In other news, I'm finally getting my ass out of Christchurch next week and beginning the journey up to the North Island! I'm a little bit nervous as I've been here for more than 3 and a half months and I have a lot of friends here, but I'm in need of a change and a job and I'm hoping Wellington will bring both.

Speaking of jobs... I have an interview with an agency all lined up for when I arrive in Wellington, and I've had emails from a couple of other agencies requesting I call them once I get into town. So that's good news.

Off to finish my brekkie now, but before I go I just want to say a massive happy birthday to Mel, my bff, because she is awesome and I love her. ♥

:D

Basically, I am too damn stubborn, too stupid and too laid back for my own good sometimes. I knew I should have got a paid job in Christchurch, but did I? Noooo. I thought I wasn't going to be here for very long so I didn't because of that, and then I got into a funk about my lack of employable skills for the backpacker job market so I didn't because of that, and then when I started looking and applying there was nothing doing so I didn't because of that. Trouble is, I've been here for over three months now and the biggest thing I have achieved here is to dwindle my money away by not having a day job and spending excessively on food (because it's the one thing I actually need, so I don't get as much spending guilt on it, which in turn means I end up spending too much). Maybe I'm being overdramatic (as usual), but my point is that I failed on the getting a job front and now my money is running out at a rate of nots. I'm not desperate yet, as I still have a substantial chunk of money put away for flights home that can be reappropriated as necessary, but I really don't want to spend that. So the long and short of it is that I need to get a paid job as soon as I get to Wellington in two weeks.

Here's hoping I win the lottery tonight then. ;)

I went to see Harry Potter and the Ha;f Blood Prince today with one of the girls from Jail.

OMG it's equal parts amazing and baffling.

( Spoilers )

So really, concerning Torchwood, it's just as well this is about the only thing that I had already heard about, given as I haven't had the chance to watch it yet.

That being said, this link is for eldanna, who may or may not find it amusing, and who may or may not want to join the cause: Save Ianto Jones.

:D

Worry not for I am in Christchurch still.

- Little gay penguin family

- Me and a couple of the girls I work with went to the Antarctic Centre in Christchurch about a week and a half ago and got to see lots of Little Blue Penguins. It was amazing, but then you all know how much I like penguins so you probably knew I'd say that. :D

- Hopefully I'm going up over the Canterbury Plains in a hot air balloon on saturday, but it's all weather dependant so maybe not.

- Disney have trading cards that have Taylor and Kelsi from HSM on them that say "East High Girlfriends" at the bottom. I love it because, not only is it so true, but it's also ridiculous that Disney wouldn't out Ryan in the movies because they won't show any sort of sexuality on screen (but then why is there a shot of Sharpay shaking her bootay in a very short skirt then, huh Disney?), but they will have a card that says something like that. Taylor and Kelsi are so my girly OTP. Thanks elvensorceress for the piccy: you win at, like, everything. :D

For those of you who don't know: I've been in jail for the last two and a half weeks, and won't be getting out for at least another two months. But before you either start panicking and/or being outraged (or celebrating and saying "well, it's about time", which I wouldn't blame you for ;D), I have a confession to make.

It's not real jail.

Nope. Instead it is an old jailhouse that has been made into a very awesome hostel. See. I lived here for 11 nights as a guest, and have been working as a night receptionist for accommodation for the last week or so. It's pretty cool here (not to mention damn near freezing), and Christchurch is a nice enough place in which to hibernate for winter. Plus I've been making lots of friends.

Jail times aside, my adventures have somewhat slowed as of late. Stephanie left NZ on the 5th, and me on the 4th, so after an extra night in Queenstown, I came to Christchurch, and haven't done much since. I quite like it though.... a vacation from my vacation. I think it makes me appreciate things more, somehow.

♥

Happy birthday eldanna!! I hope you're having a wonderful day. :D I'm only sorry I'm on the other side of the world for it!

Ohmygosh, it's been such a hectic couple of weeks! Stephanie and I have been traversing the wilds and not so wilds of New Zealand on the Stray bus and have barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep. Still, we have had time for some pretty damn cool activities, including parasailing in the Bay of Islands (!), caving and blackwater rafting in Waitomo (!!), sandboarding in Cape Reinga (!!!), spotting seals and kiwis, soaking up the culture at a Maori marae, and experiencing some bubbling geothermal hot pools. And today, we did a full day hike on Franz Josef! And I have to say, I'm exhausted and slightly sore. But it was brilliant.

I'm going to New Zealand tomorrow!

chyanlover_4lyf, there was a cockroach in my hostel room last night! And it flew on me!! Waaaahhhhh!