Travel Diary from the Mornington Peninsula

I am writing this from Mornington Peninsula, on my second daytime-beer, after spending a few hours in hot water. My brain is warm and mushy after being marinated it in caffeine and alcohol and minerals, just like how our forebearers used to live. What will we blog about today? Who knows. Let’s just talk and…

The Day We Caught the Train: Part 2

Catch up on Part 1 here, if you missed it! Now. Where we were? Ahh, yes. We were at the brewery, having snuck in for two unauthorised tours (some might technically call it ‘trespassing’). We were drunk. And then the brewery closed, or we grew bored? Hmm. I don’t know. Isn’t the past bonkers?! When…

The Day We Caught the Train: Part 1

Oooh boy, yesterday’s post was HEAV-VEE. Emotionally draining to unload about my depresh (and probs emotionally a bit draining to read) so let’s do something CUTE today. Something fluffy. Something marshmallowy. Oooh. I know. I’ll tell you about the time Annie and I took a train trip. Well, I’ll try. When we went to Fiji…

Tube diversions

For the longest time I’ve avoided public transport. Back in Wellington I harboured actual resentment towards the bus. The route my bus took went past the high school, so every morning I’d share my trip with 30-odd children. (I’m not sure what age you get where you start thinking of high-schoolers as children, but I’m…

Why I would not recommend the overnight bus

Dear bus, I suppose it wasn’t really your fault. You are a machine constructed of interlocking metal pieces, stuck with your place in the world, whether you asked for it or not. Maybe you could have been something nicer, like a toaster? I’m not familiar with the differences between toaster metal and bus metal but…

Forging friendship over a chicken noodle groin

Severe diarrhoea, ending in a horrible death. That’s what dysentery is, and it’s what most people died of on the Oregon trail, according to the video game. In reality it was cholera that was the most prolific disease. Cholera was similar to its pal dysentery - except that as well as the explosive pooing, you…

Finding myself in Europe

Before we left for our European backpacking adventure, I looked forward to meeting the new Kate. The new Kate was a seasoned traveller, one who would shrug her bronzed shoulders when problems cropped up, scraping together her last few coins for beer instead of a hostel. Nothing would faze her. She would try everything. She…

Fiji Travel Journal Part Thirteen: Bras, Saw-rey Trav-lahs and Man Hostesses

Part One: Donuts, Margaritas and Waistcoats Part Two: Airports, Adoption and the Kindness of Strangers Part Three: Binkies, Babes and Bathtubs Part Four: Carbs, Catamarans and Cast Away Part Five: Baronesses, Orations and Foreign Gems Part Six: Mushroom Brains, Front Naps and Tuna Smashing Part Seven: Entree, Main Course and Dessert Part Eight: Periodicals, Pool…

Fiji Travel Journal Part Twelve: The Wrong Towels, Sporting Challenges and Missing Knickers

Part One: Donuts, Margaritas and Waistcoats Part Two: Airports, Adoption and the Kindness of Strangers Part Three: Binkies, Babes and Bathtubs Part Four: Carbs, Catamarans and Cast Away Part Five: Baronesses, Orations and Foreign Gems Part Six: Mushroom Brains, Front Naps and Tuna Smashing Part Seven: Entree, Main Course and Dessert Part Eight: Periodicals, Pool…

Fiji Travel Journal Part Eleven: Bottoms, Bubbles and Definite Things

Part One: Donuts, Margaritas and Waistcoats Part Two: Airports, Adoption and the Kindness of Strangers Part Three: Binkies, Babes and Bathtubs Part Four: Carbs, Catamarans and Cast Away Part Five: Baronesses, Orations and Foreign Gems Part Six: Mushroom Brains, Front Naps and Tuna Smashing Part Seven: Entree, Main Course and Dessert Part Eight: Periodicals, Pool…