Welcome to New Zealand

So I got to NZ all right. Although the flight just about killed me. 13 hours in a plane is too long for a person who can't sit through a movie. I met some neat people on the plane. A guy from Sydney who had just been skiing in Banff, another from Nantucket (apparently people actually live there) who is down here for school and a couple from T.O. After walking around downtown Auckland in the morning, I have decided that Kiwi's give Italians a run for their money as being the scariest drivers in the world, add in the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road, and I am lucky to be typng this note. This afternoon I headed up to Te Papa Whakahiku (The Auckland Museum and War Memorial). I went to a presentation on Maori dance and song which was pretty cool, although me and 5 other women got to be put on display as they tried to teach us to do a Maori dance. I don't think we were very good. Anyways, weather is really nice (hot), and the humidity is soaring (I feel sticky) and I am being careful to put on lots of sunscreen as the UV index is 'extreme'. Hopefully everyone is doing well at home (wherever your home may be). Wish some of you could be down here with me. Talk to you all later! Cheers.

Happy New Year!

Hey everybody, So really this is set up to chronicle my adventure to New Zealand, although I'm starting at the beginning of 2006, or rather the end of 2005. I got to head to Fernie, one of my favourite places, for New Years. Jen arrived in Calgary from Van and we drove down together and met Halina and her brother Calden in Fernie. We stayed at my friend Kim's house and had a fabulous time. We had a great time on the hill as well as at the various drinking establishments around Fernie. New Years was spent at Kim's place and then we went out to the Royal (an old favourite). I ran into a lot of old friends and got to catch up on their lives. It was a great time and I am definately looking forward to a few more days at the hill before I leave for NZ on the 29th. Cheers!