quickie

hey all, this is a quick update b/c we are in a very HOT internet spot and there's a bit of a line!! we are in Karamea at a rather insane hippie commune called Rongo's backpackers...they are broadcasting a radio station out of the back shed and the entire outside of the building is painted rainbow colors...pictures soon!!

so we just spent the last 2 days with ethan's friends cec and johnny in greymouth (ethan is zach's cousin). they were AWESOME. we love you cec and johnny if you're out there reading this! cec had monday off and took us out to a beautiful lake and all around the little town of hokitika where we watched glass blowing and learned all about new zealand green stone (jade). we cooked them a big dinner to thank them for the hospitality (venison that johny carried out of the bush himself!).

our drive today was another mind blowing one...we stopped at a spot called punakaiki which means "pancake rocks and blowholes." scientists haven't completely figured this place out, but it's thousands of layers of limestone that rise hundreds of feet out of the ocean, and at high tide when the waves crash against them water comes up in geyser like plumes. it was totally amazing and i think we took 300 pictures...which we will soon post on the blog, but not now...the line, remember??

tomorrow we are taking a 4 seater plane from here to collingwood where we will set off for 5 days tramping the heaphy track (which ends back here in karamea). don't worry mom, the hippie who runs our commune knows the pilot and says he's a good guy.

hopefully we'll get some pictures up tomorrow before we head into the bush.

much love to all! cheers!