please dont eat apples, carry them in a little bag hurts my shoulders

Hello Everyon

I apologize for lack of posts lately. But, there might be some more just for the fact that I got a job, well several jobs. I am in a place called Manjimup, working on apple farms , wineries. Its kind of a lot of fun, I think this helping me finding myself, becaue for 8 hours a day I pick apples or grapes, and don't really talk to anyone but myself. That sounds kind of sad but its kind of nice.

The hostel that I am staying at his great, it is a little far out of town. But, the owners drive us to work and back everyday and once awhile take us into town to get supplies. I was suppose to be in a room full of korean girls, but the korean girls had a meeting and asked that I wasn't placed in the room, so instead I was placed in a room with a bunch of korean guys. Since it is a litte of town we don't really get up to much other than playing pool, ping pong, or watch movies. Every sunday we have a bbq.

But,they drive us into town every saturday so I will try and post some photos soon
kevin

Perth Australia

So, this is my first post from Australia. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will have some soon.

First buisness, I arrived in Perth Australia, and I am staying with a friend from Oshawa, the first night here we went to the bar on campus, every thursday night they have a theme night. That thursday theme was cartoon characters. her friends were kind of upset that we weren't dressed up, and they kept on saying that it wouldn't be hard because we could just say it was a cartoon in Canada. But, going under peer pressure I finally decided to get dressed up and I went as Postman Pete, all in all it was fun night.

In a couple of days we are going to go on a tour of the old prison, we are doing the night tour, which you go around the prison under torch light. Should be fun

but I have been looking for a job, the last couple of days I think I am going to go down south of western australia, and do some fruit picking, should be a lot of hard work, but good pay


kevin

My last post from New Zealand.

So, in the great words of Shaun Carter

" I came, I saw, I conqueor, record sales, and sold out concerts" everything is true expcept the record sales and the sold out concerts. But, in away I feel like I have conqueor New Zealand, I have been here for about 2 1/2 months now, and I have been all over. Even though I have been here for about 2 1/2 months there are still a couple of places that I didn't get to, Raglan, which is suppose to be a great surfing place, another reason for me to wear a wet suit. Tongorio Crossing, I would have been able to get really close to MT Doom, Stewart Island - to expensive to get over, and Grisbone- great wine making area. But, is just another reason for me to get back over. I have to say I love New Zealand, the people are a great, the sceneary is beautiful and there is tons of stuff for you to do. But, I am on to the next adventure, Australia here I come.

But, I have had a good time, and I am broke but if I left New Zealand with lots of money that I probably wouldn't have had a good time. But, if anyone feels the need to help kevin out, please send a cheque or money order to my parents address. Every donation will help, just think for 50 cents, that will buy Kevin a pack of 2 min noodles. any donation will help

But, I will talk to all of you soon ,

kevin

I can't believe I was a hippy for a day

So, I had spent one more day in Lake Tekapo, then everyone else from the bus. It was beautiful day. I had to laundry, so while I waited I took out the hostels guitar to the lake, with a coffee and played guitar for a couple of hours. I took some photos for you, and go ahead you can make fun of me.

But, the couple of hours that I spent out there, I have to say I think I found myself and it didn't involve a wetsuit

Lake Tekapo.

It seems in the last couple of days of my trip, I have had amazing views from my hostel. I was in Lake Tekapo, I had stopped here before on the bus, but I never stayed the night. but, this was the view from my room in the hostel.


Lake tekapo is suppose to be one of the best places to look at the stars. The university has obseravtory ontop of one of the moutains. Some of us from the bus went out, but were kind of disappointed, I thought I could see more when were in Franz Joesph.


The other thing that Lake Tekapo is famous for is this little church by the water. It is only one room, but an amazing view. I think this is where I want to get married .

Mt Cook, the giant.

So, I went and spent a night in Mt cook, which is highest mountain in new zealand, and in australiasia. I went to do a hike called the Hooker Valley Trail. But, I listened to Department of Conservation, and went up to Mt Cook a day early then planned, because the weather was suppose to be really good. But, the weather was terrible, the day that I was suppose to go up was better. But, oh well.

The bus driver stopped and let us take a photo of Mt Cook, because by the time we got there it was going to be covered in clouds ,and it was.


Here is a look at MT cook, the next day, it was great to see.


The hostel in Mt Cook, was amazing. Every window that you looked out off you saw mountains. It was probably one of the best views I have had the whole trip.

Queenstown

I had already been in queenstown but my tour brought me back here. I wish I had some photos from my first night in queenstown, becuase I went out with some friends had a great time. We went to this bar called the World Bar, and they served drinks out of tea pots. The drinks were meant to be a round of shots. But, everyone got a tea pot and their own glassed and tried everyone elses. I was then woken up early in the morning because I didn't fill out a census form, which is a federal offence, I could have been fined.

But, the day out of drinking some of us went to go up the gondla to do some street luging, but since it was raining the track was closed. Luging is basically you are in a little car, and you go down the track. The next day before some people went to catch a flight we went up,



I don't know if you notice my nervous look, but they were trying to get me to go closer to the railing, and I am afraid of heights. this was as far as I would go


We went luging ,and I almost crashed a couple of times but for the most I was the cautious driver, everyone else went down without a care, and several of them crashed. all in all a good time in queenstown

mirrored lakes

Here are some photos from the mirrored lakes. they are pretty self explainatory

I climbed a glacier

I finally arrived in Franz Joesph which is a small town, with a glacier in its back yard. The day I arrived in Franz Joesph I did a 2 hr hike up a glacier. Now, I didn't think I was confident to be in the front group but I wanted to be in the second group, but there was too many people and they put me in the last group saying "the middle and the last group stayed together most of the way." this was not true, because I got placed with the old ladies, and they wanted to take a photo every other step. But, it didn't really matter because we did make it to the same point as everyone else but it just took us a little longer.

From the car park it is about 10 min walk to the valley of glacier which is then about 2km walk to the base of the glacier.



This was the the begining of the hike, they have cut steps into the ice and have put ropes in certain areas for you to hang onto.


Here is the standard pic of me on a glacier.


We started to climb the glacier around 4 oclock, which was amazing but there were times that you could look back and see no one in the valley.

Possum

So, one of the stops that my bus made was to this place called the Bushmen's Museum. It was about $4 dollars to get in, and it was worth it. We went in and watched a video about how they use to catch deer with helicopters, on the moutain tops. It was pretty funny and offended a lot of vegeterians.

In the cafe linked to the museum, they were selling Possum Pies. I didn't try one but I wish I had. But the benches were covered in possum fur.


After we watched the video, we were allowed to walk around


some british guys were feeding this guy some of their possum pie.

Horses and a seal

after I did the four hour walk, I did an hour walk with my fellow bus mates, we walked about an hour along a cliff by the ocean. It was really beautiful but it was really windy, and my feet still hurt from the day before. But along the we came across these horses.



I then stood beside the horse trying to get a photo, and this is the best one that I got.


Just at the end of the walk there were a bunch of seals at the bottom.

I can't believe I walked for 4 hours

So, once I got over to the south island I was in a place called Nelson, I stayed at amazing hostel there. Free soup at 6pm, pool, hot tub sauna, and some people would come and cook $5 thai food. it was great, but when I was there I went to the Able Tasman national park, and walked for about 5 hours. We took a boat to certain area, and then we walked back to the bus.

Our first stop was at this place called Cleopatras pool, it was really nice area, but the water was cold so we didn't go in


Here are some pics from my walk



We walked down to this beach, and had our lunch and then went for a swim. The water was freezing, but after awhile you get use to it. Plus, there were all these little bugs that were stining me but they were posionious because I am still alive. The walk from the boat to the beach took us about 1 1/2 hours, and were still about 5 hours from the finish. but we picked up our feet and booted it to the end, to make the last bus.

mt doom, and sheep

So, I was making my way down towards Wellington to go over to the south island and on the way the bus stopped to let us take some photos. We stopped at Mt Doom, now I am not a huge fan of the movies, but some of the people on the bus were going insane, one girl was even going on tour of sets in the lord of the rings, were she wa s going to be able to dress up in costume and recreate scenes. I wish I was going on that tour to make fun of the peopl.


I stayed in wellington for a couple of days before i headed back to the south island. Here is the view from the ferry, two days after I took the ferry, the seas were really rough and 5 people got injured.


As I was walking around the ferry, I came accross this container truck full of sheep.

So, as I was making my way back to