Dating game

I've never dated much, not in the conventional sense at least. I guess I've always inadvertantly come across as intimidating, too tall, so self-confident as to not need a boy, questionable as to whether or not I was straight, or any combination of the above. Until recently, I'd only ever once been asked out on a date and I was so petrified of the concept that I never acknowledged to my 19-year-old self that that is what it was. I certainly never acknowledged how much guts it took for that now dear friend to approach me in the first place.

Thanks to that lad and a short list of other very special men and women over the past 8 years I'm now (finally) confident in myself as an attractive, sexual human being. Just like every person on the planet.

Nevertheless, it still knocked me speechless when the other day an almost complete stranger told me he was interested in me and could he please take me out for dinner. At times convention is nice, and it was lovely to be given a gift, wined and dined, told I was fascinating and beautiful etc. Sadly there was no chemistry for me (before anyone wonders if I'll now be staying on in NZ), so I drove home alone that night but with a really warm heart, a big grin on my face and a timely boosted self-confidence. Oh, and with a new friend.

Mongrel tents, Crazy ladies and George (group email)

Time continues to fly. The long-anticipated visit from my wee sis has been and gone, as has (finally) the long dry summer. Yes, it's raining. North Island farmers can heave a sigh of relief after months of drought. It's less fun for my NZ family who are renovating their house, and for me who, well, is frankly not doing much at all at the moment.

Kathy and I had 3 great weeks together on the road through Northland and the Coromandel. We sailed, swam, snorkelled, duneboarded, explored deserted bays and are quite kauri-forested out for the timebeing, thank you very much.

As always, brief highlights:

- Ngawha Springs: non-touristy, cheap, little-visited set of sulphur spring hot pools

- Matai Bay: gorgeous secluded beach all to ourselves with enough wind to fly a kite

- Driving all the way to Cape Reinga for it to be shrouded in mist and rain

- Mongrel tent: only our NZ family could manage to lend us a 3-person-tent dome with a non-matching 2-person-tent flysheet

- Sailing in the Bay of Islands; I'm hooked!

- Ripple effect vomiting on choppy seas at the Poor Knights Islands

- 2-day hike in the Coromandel to the biggest tramping 'hut' you've ever seen

- George the hungry sheep at Whiti Farm Park

- Maori nightwalk amongst the biggest trees in NZ

- My brave sister doing the Big Swing at Highzone

- Toilets with a tree through them and trains going down the middle of the road in Kawakawa

- Out of Africa circus at Auckland's Royal Easter Show

- Crazy Lady in our Paihia backpackers; she stole my book! (see blog)

- trampolines

I could go on and on and on, it was just such a good trip and I will of course miss having Kathy around.

Next? I'd half considered heading back to Borneo for winter, but Nelson's got some things to sort out so that'll have to wait. I've actually now got myself all set to head back to Wellington for winter: a bit of 'normal' life, a wee break from the constant upheaval of travelling. I've got somewhere to stay, a range of friends, extra-curricular stuff and access to cultural things. Just have to find work to help pay for it and we're off!

Photos: Kathy's visit

Enjoy.

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