I'm back... Apparently 'home comforts' got the better of me... So yet again, I'm slacking like a slicky, slocky sloth. I'm currently sitting here 00:19am... surrounded by the smell of freshly baked flapjacks. New Zealanders aren't accustomed to 'flapjacks'... this makes me feel physically heart broken... Beautiful country, fantastic, intelligent people, who don't eat flapjacks. Bloody madness I tell ya, MADNESS! 
So, I got my Heston Blumenthal hat on, rolled up my sleeves, and buttered up some rolled oats. Got so cheffy... Cinnamon, salt, syrup, butter, condensed milk, raisins and apricots for vitamin purposes... Obviously. I've just had a nibble. s*** me, I should be a baker lass. No need for scales or measurements, just my LORDLY HANDS UPON THESE OATS. Boom. They taste pretty good. So they are just chilling on the side, waiting to get nice and chewy for the folks to munch on for breakfast tomorrow morning. I have however, just woken the bloody parrot up. Here we go... 

"TWI-TWI-TWI-TWI- TWI EEE."

"Hello Pickle."

"TWI-TWI-TWI-TWI.... SQUAAAAAARK!" 

"You're giving me an ear ache."

 "TWI-TWI-TWI-TWI- TWI EEE."
 
If he had ears, I'd give him a thick one.

Sorry, I'm just being a sore loser. The score is 1-0 to Pickle, and I haven't got my own back yet. It was a terrifying experience... The bird held me hostage for what felt like hours, all because I tried to wean him off the coffee... Being a good, little lady, looking out for the b*****'s health... What does he do? Pecked me. I won't bore you with the details... Actually maybe I will. This parrot got hooked on my coffee. Not literally hooked, I mean emotionally hooked. So much so, that the bloody thing was on patrol. Every time I went in for a sip, he nipped me! So, I got smart... Used another coffee cup to peel him off my one, and also to get his pecky snapper away from me. I whooed him with the cup, and he followed the empty, floating coffee cup outside the door to my chill zone. After getting this scatty nitwit to leave the room... He hovered outside the door. Helpless, I sat there watching his shadow waddle past the door. I felt like the hostages from 'Inside Man', a lobster in a Chinese restaurant fish tank, a cricket in a snake' s cage... 
I'm alive. I made it through this eventful ordeal... But me, and the one they call 'Pickle', have unfinished business. 

So, I'm still in Dunedin. I like it. Possibly a little too much... Yeah parents, start worrying. I've already found a potential property down the road... A tidy, little tree house, overlooking the river. It's such a beautiful place here. Yet again... You're probably getting sick of my use of the word 'beautiful' , but GEE WHIZZ! It truly is! 
I'm staying at Danny & Tracy's place still. And I'm getting spoilt to the max. Dinners have been friggin exquisite... pucka STEAKS! Yummy Italian Food, German Schnitzel, nommy chicken, stir fries... The list goes on. I thought I'd be a helpful little gonad, and decided to offer my cooking services. Thai Curry... easy. :) ... For 8 people? Oh... Me, Tracey, Danny, Carmen, Desiree, Harry, Codey and Lisha. Too many pots. Too many pots for the stove. I did however, get a free facial whilst cooking this. STEAM GALORE! And received some compliments on the dish, which was nice. Maybe they were just being polite? It tasted edible? Not sure if you're supposed to plop ginger in Thai Green Curry?... But hey, it worked! 

So, on Saturday, Danny and Tracey had a wedding to attend, which meant I was left with the kiwi herberts!! I'm gunna take this time to say, Tracey looked super hot. I'll pop some piccies up. She looked like a Greek goddess. Danny looked nice too... More like Iris, the Greek messenger. Hehe! 
So, Danny bunged us a wad of cash, and we spent the day together. Me, Carmen, Desiree and Harry. The girls are now 13 & 15. Ten years since I last saw them!! Blooming heck. Where has time vanished to? Cheeky clock!! 

We started our day by being completely random and drew on our faces. Whilst the girls were teaching me a Maori Kapa Haka Song the night before, we decided face paints would serve as an entertaining twist to our day. Carmen had a Phoenix on one side, Desiree had a cracked eye... Like a China doll/ Marilyn Manson looking thing? And I went for roses and thorns on half my face. We all helped each other with the drawing and colouring (Danny too!)... Harry walks in. 

"What the hell are you doing?" 

Harry is now ten, and was old enough to know better that we were going to look ridiculous walking round town with these drawings. I should've sided with him to avoid embarrassment. Though, we were already past that stage. 

So off we went. The four Musketeers... Striving into Dunedin City with of colourful faces. We had such a good day together!! Checked out the Otago Museum together, the Art Gallery, had an amazing chopstick dinner, went on a wine and sweetie hunt, then bummed out watching Django & The Hobbit in the evening. Was real sweet hanging out with them. They're pretty awesome cousins. Made it a little more entertaining that they were younger. Without sounding patronising, it made me feel like a kid again! The art museum was funny. This Japanese dude had an exhibition going on there. His work was mental. Sculptures, weird sculptures. Bowls of noodles that defied gravity, huge balloon type things that you could walk through... Took full advantage of that... We took our shoes off, and just ran through these balloon, sausage things. There was a section where the artist had placed black and white images around the room, and a whole bunch of bean bags in the middle whilst these weird crackling sounds were playing in the background. The idea was to lay down on the bean bags and zone out, whilst absorbing the sounds... Of course Harry just saw this as an opportunity to jump and flip about the joint like a Dolphin... Which made me giggle... A lot. 
There was another room, with these massive eggs. Like 'Weebles'... The little toy eggs with faces on them, and they never fell down. These huge, colourful eggs were shaped like chubby chickens. The lady asked if we'd like to have a play... YES OF COURSE. So we slipped these gloves on, and just pushed the crap out of the eggs... Was brilliant because none of them fell over. Super satisfying, they should use it as some kind of therapy. The crazy people would love it!!  

It sucks that I don't get to see these guys more often. They're such brilliant kids! Cracking me up all day they were... particularly Harry, and his obsession with chickens. 

I checked out the town of Dunedin. They've got some awesome shops down there! It's a very arty place, with a lot of culture. Tracey was telling me about when the Europeans landed, and how most of the street names are Scottish. I took her advice and visited another Museum in Dunedin. Was actually really interesting. Had tons of information about the Maori Tribes, World War 1, the Europeans, old transport... LOADS! I'm not one for getting my head stuck into history, but this place was fascinating. I spent a good 2-3hours in this place. How sensible of me? 

On a not so sensible matter, the Stag Doers have been in touch! Gardy sent me some pictures from the wedding. My word. The bride, Hope, was stunning! She reminded me of an Elvish lass from Lord of the Rings. Absolutely stunning. If only she had seen the state of Morgan a few days before... Different kettle of fish, completely. I'm definitely gunna have to invite them all down to Brighton ... they'd tear it up! 

I've been keeping myself very busy with bits. Finally got Xmas pressies sorted out! Waddled into this post shop, holding a huge box, not really knowing what to do with it? I've been sending letters and postcards, never sent a huge parcel before. I think the lady across found my confused face amusing. Had to declare what was in the box... That was fun. She most definitely thinks I'm a nut. 

Whilst filling out this parcel QUIZ SHEET, an Aussie lady spoke to me. Asked where I was from and about my travels. She clearly used to be a right party animal back in her day. 

"Go to Queenstown! It's the best place! So many places to boogie! And you'll meet loads of boys! You single?" 

"Yeah..."

"Oh you'll be fine, no problem! You're beautiful so you'll get all the boys, like I did!!"

I wanted to put this lady in my rucksack, and take her with me. 

"I've gotta have a operation on my collar bone. Damaged it from lifting weights. But as soon as I'm better, I'm back on it!!" 

Where was she on the stag do? This woman must've been in her late 50s/60s... And she could've shown me a few things. Taught me the Aussie way of life! 

Anyway, so guys... within the next few days I'll be shooting off to Queenstown. I've been TOLD! Time to snap out of this comfort zone... though I'm gunna miss not having THE BEST SANDWICHES IN THE WORLD, made for me everyday by Danny :( . 

Moses is doing swell from what I can work out... Been a cheeky traveller and stayed in a hostel an extra couple of nights without the guys noticing! Last time I spoke to him, he was jamming out with some Dutch girlies... NICE work Mo ;) ... He sent me a picture of a tiny Thai lady who they ended up chasing around the hostel. Creased me right up! Looking forward to spending Xmas together :) 

Woah, news to me!! R.I.P Nelson Mandela. What an amazing, truly inspirational man.