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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.