...donations accepted at www.TeenagerWithoutCash.ATM. In a message dated 2/23/03 1:27:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, YIPPee007 writes: > > The last week has been quite hectic--staying in places overnight and then > off again. The last contact I made was on my birthday when we were resting > up at the Awaroa Lodge in Abel Tasman National Park after two days of sea > kayaking. > > The next day we hiked out to our kayak with our only belongings in thick > plastic bags over our shoulders. We waded across the little inlet, the > water swirling around our legs so it felt like you were walking on a tight > rope. > > The kayak back down the coast was much more enjoyable as we had the wind at > our backs and were able even to catch a few waves--gliding down the small > bubbling faces. > > Since then it has been a bus, then the ferry over to Wellington--a great > dinner there at a place called MondoCucina--then a quick flight up to > Auckland where we departed from today in a rented car. So . . . tonight > finds me in Raglan a small surfing town on the West Coast an hour south of > Auckland. I went out for two hours this afternoon at wanganuri > beach--beautifully wide and endless with black sand and very clean breaks. > We're staying in a hotel/hostel where you stay in converted train cars. We > have one all to ourselves. It's set up on one of the high hills overlooking > the beach. Today it was gray all around except in the South West where > little whip cream clouds slowly moved across a brilliant blue sky, like a > herd of elephants. A maori missing all of his front teeth with a huge > matted black mane down six inches below his shoulders encouraged me after I > mentioned I hadn't surfed for a few months: "Na, bwai, yoo niver loose it, > yoo niver ken loose it." > > I almost forgot--Bob Dylan was great last night. He even played piano! I > think it might even have been the best concert of his I've seen. He > alternated between his new stuff--all spotless and great, sweeping versions > of his country love songs--"It ain't me babe," "Tonight I'll be staying > here with you", along with "Forever Young" and "Positively 4th Street." > > Tomorrow on to Waitomo for caving, then Rotorua for Zorbing [getting in a > giant plastic ball and then being rolled down a ski slope] then back up to > AKL for two final days hopefully getting out to see some of the racing. > > For the record, I am now officially out of money and miss you.