måndag 19 mars 2012
No north
Since last update we spent five days wwoofing with a very nice Kiwi-German family with two girls, age three and five. Interesting child raising discussions, a beautiful house where we felt very much at home and cool animals (including the evil hen Sunny who picked my legs and always sneaked inside.) After Justus had built a water tank and de-forested the vegetable garden, and I had made a Swedish Smörgåsbord Selection (including köttbullar, kanelbullar and kladdkaka) it however felt quite nice for a final week of pure vacation. There is something about civilisation and the endless offer and supply of sugar, fat and coffeine. So we headed north to dive the Rainbow Warriet as well as Poor knight's island, which Jaques Costeau claimed among the top 10 dive sites in the world. First stop however in Whaitanga, where we went into a glow worm cave where the water went up to the waist at some places. Really cool to turn off the torch and look up towards a beautiful night sky with loads of stars - although these were tiny glow worms a few meters up in the ceiling. Junia luckily had a baby sitter outside when we did the slippery cave exploring.
Bueno, then it started to rain. One day catching the sleeping train in pouring rain is ok, but when the forecast says that the entire week will be wet, including 45 knot winds and 4 m waves, dive trips get cancelled and we were facing some proper 'i-lands problems'. What to do on a rainy vacation? Answer: change the flights and stay longer in Singapore! So now we all of a sudden only have two more days in New Zealand, leaving for Singapore Thursday, and back in Stockholm the 27th!
Enclosed some pictures from the days when the sun was still shining (I am sure though that we will not suffer too much in Auckland even if it is currently warmer in the Netherlands. Loooots of nice eateries here).
Bueno, then it started to rain. One day catching the sleeping train in pouring rain is ok, but when the forecast says that the entire week will be wet, including 45 knot winds and 4 m waves, dive trips get cancelled and we were facing some proper 'i-lands problems'. What to do on a rainy vacation? Answer: change the flights and stay longer in Singapore! So now we all of a sudden only have two more days in New Zealand, leaving for Singapore Thursday, and back in Stockholm the 27th!
Enclosed some pictures from the days when the sun was still shining (I am sure though that we will not suffer too much in Auckland even if it is currently warmer in the Netherlands. Loooots of nice eateries here).
lördag 17 mars 2012
Fishing
I always had a good laugh when people (most vocally my 2 brothers) talked about fishing as a 'sport'. Sitting beside a lake/ pond or in a boat with a rod in the one and a beer in the other hand seemed pretty relaxing to me.
Yesterday, I went fishing in a little boat on the South Pacific Ocean (with Kevin, the father in our last wwoofing experience). Beer and sandwiches were all in hand reach and I was looking forward to a nice sun set over NZ. As soon as I threw out my line and prepared to open my first beer, I felt something on my line. Before I realised it, I was struggling to keep my balance and fighting not to get my rod pulled over board. About 10 minutes later I had my first catch lying in the boat (sorry Q & C, I forgot the name). About 2 hours later, we had caught 8 big fish and returned back another 5 (among 3 super strong 90 cm King fish). Full of adrenaline, an empty stomach, blisters on my hand and with the bottles of beer still unopened, we returned home.
I have to admit, fishing like this does feel like sport. It will not prepare me for another marathon but it was a tougher ride than expected. The fish in the photo is a 8.5 kg red snapper I pulled in. It tasted quite good!
Yesterday, I went fishing in a little boat on the South Pacific Ocean (with Kevin, the father in our last wwoofing experience). Beer and sandwiches were all in hand reach and I was looking forward to a nice sun set over NZ. As soon as I threw out my line and prepared to open my first beer, I felt something on my line. Before I realised it, I was struggling to keep my balance and fighting not to get my rod pulled over board. About 10 minutes later I had my first catch lying in the boat (sorry Q & C, I forgot the name). About 2 hours later, we had caught 8 big fish and returned back another 5 (among 3 super strong 90 cm King fish). Full of adrenaline, an empty stomach, blisters on my hand and with the bottles of beer still unopened, we returned home.
I have to admit, fishing like this does feel like sport. It will not prepare me for another marathon but it was a tougher ride than expected. The fish in the photo is a 8.5 kg red snapper I pulled in. It tasted quite good!
söndag 11 mars 2012
North island
Sorry about the slow updates again, time is flying...
After the last blog entry we have changed both islands and way of accomodation. Even if we got refused entry in a hostel once due to age restrictions (4 years, ID required), we did not give up but have mainly stayed in hostels since. The dorm days are over however (although we ended up booking an entire dorm at one place), and most places have been quite ok with babies. Usually there are also happy young German girls who likes to baby sit while we eat. That is a definite advantage. Only once we ended up in a party place where I found myself doing a multi-lingual cursing 5 o'clock in the morning when they had been "singing" Wonderwall constantly (chorus only) the last quarter, and still did not shut up until an hour later, but then we got our money back the next day. All of a sudden I have a totally different understanding for former neighbours in Linköping.
Anyhow, first stop on the North island was Wellington, quite cool to come to a "big" city after 2 months of countryside and small towns. I tried a body pump class (the entire les mills concept is from NZ) and realised that
1. I prefer my skivstång
2. I don't really like having carpet in the work-out area
3. Muscles disappear totally when you don't use them for 5 months or so (this realisation especially kicked in the following two days).
Then we moved north west (high light on the lower half of the North island - yummy mummy's cheese cakes), and visited Napier, a city that was in ruins after the 1931 earthquake, and totally rebuilt in two years in the current art deco style after that.
Next stop Rotorua, where I constantly accused Justus for farting and checked Junia's nappies. The whole town is bubbling and gassing (Anders - nato, big time) which is quite interesting to see. Luckily we did not fall into any of those boiling mud pools.
Mum and Håkan had visited a lady from mum's tantklubb in Wellington, and got to borrow their beach house in Coromandel, so there we happily tagged along for a few days. A proper home with a proper grandma equipped kitchen was a little paradise. Nice walks, beautiful beaches and lovely cafes everywhere made Coromandel a big time favourite.
Then it was time to wave goodbye to the best baby sitters in NZ, and we moved on to Auckland where we stayed with Jade (who I had not seen for more than 10 years) and her husband Rodney (who was not in the picture at that time). The best birthday celebrations with cake, good company and not to forget, a visit to ten pacific island (some of which I was unaware of the existance) in the Pasifika festival. Junia tried cassava and saw folk dancing slightly different than the Swedish midsummer style, I ate raw fish, taro, saw old school hard core tatooing and had the by far best fruit drinks in NZ. There are worse ways of spending your birthday than eating your way through Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Cook islands, while watching samoans in bastu skirts dance to beyonce. The next morning we came to a shocking realisation - not that I was all of a sudden 32 according to Swedish time, but that we only have two weeks left in New Zealand! Mixed feelings. Hope to be able to upload this entry within those weeks anyhow...
After the last blog entry we have changed both islands and way of accomodation. Even if we got refused entry in a hostel once due to age restrictions (4 years, ID required), we did not give up but have mainly stayed in hostels since. The dorm days are over however (although we ended up booking an entire dorm at one place), and most places have been quite ok with babies. Usually there are also happy young German girls who likes to baby sit while we eat. That is a definite advantage. Only once we ended up in a party place where I found myself doing a multi-lingual cursing 5 o'clock in the morning when they had been "singing" Wonderwall constantly (chorus only) the last quarter, and still did not shut up until an hour later, but then we got our money back the next day. All of a sudden I have a totally different understanding for former neighbours in Linköping.
Anyhow, first stop on the North island was Wellington, quite cool to come to a "big" city after 2 months of countryside and small towns. I tried a body pump class (the entire les mills concept is from NZ) and realised that
1. I prefer my skivstång
2. I don't really like having carpet in the work-out area
3. Muscles disappear totally when you don't use them for 5 months or so (this realisation especially kicked in the following two days).
Then we moved north west (high light on the lower half of the North island - yummy mummy's cheese cakes), and visited Napier, a city that was in ruins after the 1931 earthquake, and totally rebuilt in two years in the current art deco style after that.
Next stop Rotorua, where I constantly accused Justus for farting and checked Junia's nappies. The whole town is bubbling and gassing (Anders - nato, big time) which is quite interesting to see. Luckily we did not fall into any of those boiling mud pools.
Mum and Håkan had visited a lady from mum's tantklubb in Wellington, and got to borrow their beach house in Coromandel, so there we happily tagged along for a few days. A proper home with a proper grandma equipped kitchen was a little paradise. Nice walks, beautiful beaches and lovely cafes everywhere made Coromandel a big time favourite.
Then it was time to wave goodbye to the best baby sitters in NZ, and we moved on to Auckland where we stayed with Jade (who I had not seen for more than 10 years) and her husband Rodney (who was not in the picture at that time). The best birthday celebrations with cake, good company and not to forget, a visit to ten pacific island (some of which I was unaware of the existance) in the Pasifika festival. Junia tried cassava and saw folk dancing slightly different than the Swedish midsummer style, I ate raw fish, taro, saw old school hard core tatooing and had the by far best fruit drinks in NZ. There are worse ways of spending your birthday than eating your way through Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Cook islands, while watching samoans in bastu skirts dance to beyonce. The next morning we came to a shocking realisation - not that I was all of a sudden 32 according to Swedish time, but that we only have two weeks left in New Zealand! Mixed feelings. Hope to be able to upload this entry within those weeks anyhow...
Hello, my name is Junia
My parents and I are travelling in NZ for 3 months as you of course know. Both my mum and dad have been writing about me but I have not written anything about myself. As this is my blog, I thought it would be a good idea to write something myself as well.
I was born the 10th of September 2011 at 20:50. That was 50 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. I was so curious about my parents that I could not wait any longer! I was 50 cm long and 3.5 kg. I have grown a lot sonce then and I am now about 8 kg and 68 cm already.
Life is good and I like to travel with my parents. They are a funny couple that give me lots of attention, love and milk. My father restricted my mother to have only one fika a day and my mother, in return, restricted my father to have only two Lattes a day. I can have all the milk and food I want though! We have just started with small 'smak portionen' so I am now also tasting potatoes, avocados, plums, carrots, and tomatoes. Yummy! My parents have restricted sugars for me though so no fika or drop for me yet. My father managed to eat 600 grams on drop in just two days, can you imagine! Not really certain whether I will manage to do that one day.
Getting to sleep is not my most favourite activity. We are changing rooms quote frequently and I do not like the darkness. I like to be close to my parents so when I need to go to sleep, I want them to join me. I am joining them on their many walks during the day so this sounds like a good trade to me. When I am sleeping, my fathers carries me to my own bed (yes, I am no longer sleeping with my parents!). I just wake up a few times during the night for some additional food. When we are back in Stockholm, my parents want to be more 'tough' on me as they want to have their evenings back. My father is even saying that he will enlist me for the marines to get some routines. I understand them and will do my best. If I have my own room, I am ok with getting to sleep on my own.
We said good bye to murmur and murfar last week and I do miss them a little. We are going to Holland the 14th of April and I am looking forward to meet farfar and farmur again. I will also meet my cousin Milan which will be exciting as well. The week after that, I will visit my Czech cousins. So nice! I am getting to be a real traveller already, just like my parents.
I like the Kiwis (not to be mistaken with the kiwi fruit, which I have not tried yet). They all think that I am a boy though. Yesterday, two ladies approached my father and again, the took me for a boy. They even said that I would be bringing home a lot of girls in the future with those beautiful eyes and were a bit ashamed when my father said that I was a girl even if I was wearing blue.
Well, now my parents start stressing about some sleep train again that they have to get me on, but I might write more another day. Until then, have fun!
Big bubbles and wet kisses Junia (aka lillgrodan, filifjonkan, minipils...)
I was born the 10th of September 2011 at 20:50. That was 50 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. I was so curious about my parents that I could not wait any longer! I was 50 cm long and 3.5 kg. I have grown a lot sonce then and I am now about 8 kg and 68 cm already.
Life is good and I like to travel with my parents. They are a funny couple that give me lots of attention, love and milk. My father restricted my mother to have only one fika a day and my mother, in return, restricted my father to have only two Lattes a day. I can have all the milk and food I want though! We have just started with small 'smak portionen' so I am now also tasting potatoes, avocados, plums, carrots, and tomatoes. Yummy! My parents have restricted sugars for me though so no fika or drop for me yet. My father managed to eat 600 grams on drop in just two days, can you imagine! Not really certain whether I will manage to do that one day.
Getting to sleep is not my most favourite activity. We are changing rooms quote frequently and I do not like the darkness. I like to be close to my parents so when I need to go to sleep, I want them to join me. I am joining them on their many walks during the day so this sounds like a good trade to me. When I am sleeping, my fathers carries me to my own bed (yes, I am no longer sleeping with my parents!). I just wake up a few times during the night for some additional food. When we are back in Stockholm, my parents want to be more 'tough' on me as they want to have their evenings back. My father is even saying that he will enlist me for the marines to get some routines. I understand them and will do my best. If I have my own room, I am ok with getting to sleep on my own.
We said good bye to murmur and murfar last week and I do miss them a little. We are going to Holland the 14th of April and I am looking forward to meet farfar and farmur again. I will also meet my cousin Milan which will be exciting as well. The week after that, I will visit my Czech cousins. So nice! I am getting to be a real traveller already, just like my parents.
I like the Kiwis (not to be mistaken with the kiwi fruit, which I have not tried yet). They all think that I am a boy though. Yesterday, two ladies approached my father and again, the took me for a boy. They even said that I would be bringing home a lot of girls in the future with those beautiful eyes and were a bit ashamed when my father said that I was a girl even if I was wearing blue.
Well, now my parents start stressing about some sleep train again that they have to get me on, but I might write more another day. Until then, have fun!
Big bubbles and wet kisses Junia (aka lillgrodan, filifjonkan, minipils...)
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