Kingsgate Hotel Hamilton

... remind me of the first big adventure of many to come.

I decided to google different quotes and proverbs in Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese and saw the one up top "All cats are gray in the dark" and cracked up laughing!!!

If any of you have suggestions let me know!! For now though, I'll keep looking and counting down til we go...... Happy travels peeps! :)

... the beach, sand dunes like half pipes, hills covered in Mai Fluffs (those fluffy plants Mai and Josiah always played with), shells in mathematical curls, a dead stingray curled up like a leaf. There was cafe sitting on Bow street, with the wide median and palm trees running down the middle... some dudes tossing a rugby ball in the middle of the street, tourists eating ice cream and complaining. There was a bonfire with a boy from the Netherlands named Stein, who was ...

... cards or hang out and chat and have a beer or two. The All Blacks are on tour right now and the games have been shown locally at 6am, so I've been getting up early and heading over to the TV caboose to take in the matches. There were 7 Irish travellers in over the weekned, so when I got up yesterday to take in the NZ vs IRE match, I had heaps of company! Okay, well that's about all I have time for today. We're heading to the Coromandel Penninsula next which ...

... I can make a better job of it this time. I've completed my first day at the University of Waikato; it was a real success. And what were the criteria that I've used to evaluate 'success'? 1. I found it - well, I cheated really, as I was given a lift; 2. I got back to my accommodation at the end of the day - no cheating there, that was a combination of a short walk to find the bus stop, a bus ride and getting off somewhere ...

... what I think are the best pictures but there are hundreds to pick from so I'm sure I'm missing things. Dad and Jared will just have to forgive me! Enjoy them, we saw some beautiful things on our trip. Thanks for coming out boys, I miss you annoying me on a daily basis! ;) Lots of love, xox K

... to figure out if I belonged there. I heard services in english, french, latin. I listened to choirboys singing like angels and watched priests swing their incense while chanting. I have been absolutely silent while I stood, knelt, stood, knelt, stood, knelt. I've picked up the bible in four or five different languages and wondered if they all said the same thing. I've been able to follow services in foreign tongues because I know it by heart in english. I could say the ...

For Tane's birthday I decided to organise a surprise murder mystery party. Alas comunication around the hospital can be like chinese whispers and when 'DON"T TELL TANE' was part of the message that was lost alas the surprise was slightly spoiled by a well meaning but confused friend. However the night was a great success. Everyone dressed up fabulously in 1920's gangster regalia and got well and truly into their role. Though all were surprised when my ...

... out the awesome vintage cars before leaving. They were mostly 50's and 60's American models, like the Thunderbirds. I completely covet a classic like that. There was one for sale, at a cost of $19,000. Ouch. They should start making cars like that again, they have so much more style than the current designs. Not that I don't love Brid! I was wondering if I could enter him as a classic car ...

... beach retreat. It is situated right on a beautiful inlet and built so that all the rooms are connected in a rough circle around a center courtyard. The courtyard has a picnic table and lots of chairs, and even more hammocks. It's full of flowers and bushes and even has a couple trees growing in it. The dorm I'm staying in has 8 beds, and it's hard sharing a room with 7 other people (the place is full every single night), but as usual I'm the first one in bed and the ...

... to Taupo which is a town on lake Taupo, a very very large lake and what looked to be a very nice place that may be worth a return longer visit sometime if we get the chance. we spent the day battling the wind walking along the lake and reading on the beach, not a bad life really. Right, now to add some photos and do the next installment, sorry it's all a bit here and there, started this about a week ago! Take care xxx