Prelude to New Zealand Escapades

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• Entry from Christchurch

  Christchurch, New Zealand
Sunday, January 20, 2008

Greetings my friends from Christchurch, New Zealand!

Let me quickly give you some minor facts about New Zealand. This beautiful country is divided into two islands: North and South. The total population of this country is approx 4 million where 75% lives in the North Island however there are over 45 million sheep inhabiting the country! MMM..lamb. Actually, I just found LAMB & mint Jelly flavored chips!

We flew from Melbourne to Christchurch yesterday morning and for the longest while I thought our flight was 4 hours, however I just realized that New Zealand is actually 2 hours ahead of OZ. This means that I am currently 18 hours ahead of you guys! Crazy eh!?

Ohh yes, one detail I forgot to mention....you cannot enter into New Zealand unless you have proof and a print of your return ticket. We did not know this...and had to purchase a return flight at the MEL airport while checking in with Jetstar.

Upon arrival, I got probed by customs official for about an hour. It was the "backpack" that led the officers to believe that I had contaminating goods in my bag. They extensively searched just my purse and camera bag and that took an hour alone! I started to worry about the "ginseng" bits (xmas gift from my aunt gail) I was carrying in my bag...would that count for smuggling produce when I confidently promised I had no produce or "muddy hiking shoes in my bag" Luckily, I used my "steph farr charm" and talked up a storm with the lady. I think she was utterly bored and finally decided to let me go without searching through my "air-tight" packed back pack.

Christchuch is SUPER small and after touring the city for an hour and eating a fine lunch under the cool crisp sun, and getting hosed by some random young driver, launching his water bottle onto the seated customers...and by witnessing a young group pulled over for drinking and driving..we concluded that ChristChurch consists of some delinquent young ones rebelling against their own town name.

Woke up this morning and went for a brisk walk follwed by a nice sunday brunch at a local cafe. I was in search for a hair salon so that I could touch up my roots and blend in with the local blond gals in the OZ and NZ. Unfortunately, no salons open on Sundays.

Jazz insisted that he had to return to the hotel to read and take a nap....I wondered why he had to travel across the world to maintain engagement in his every day regimen!

Fortunately, I did not follow in his footsteps and decided to jog out to the mountains in the distance of Christchurch. What a wake up call...I am so out of shape.

I wonder..how does one stay in shape while traveling???

I did promise myself that I would do 100 pushups 5 times a week and attempt to do cardio at least 3 times a week. So far, I have been strict about the push ups but they are getting progressively harder and harder with time, since I'm carrying more weight!. In case you guys don't know Jazz well...he loves to eat...and that means wining and dining with 4 course meals at least twice a day. How do i resist that!???

If any of you have any tips for me...that would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I'll continue my pushups and consume my ginseng chips (hopefully finish them before I get caught for smuggling "produce" into this amazingly beautiful and bacteria free country)

So as I type this blog, Jazz has been napping for at least 1 hour and I'm getting pretty famished.

Tomorrow we check out of this hotel - Holiday Inn and we begin our escapades around New Zealand. It's a tour bus that allows you to hop on and hop off throughout different destinations and remote off "the beaten" patth areas of the country.

I'll keep you posted as the journeys progress.

Cheers!