So much has happened since we left our train in Picton, New Zealand. 

 We are now 2 more boot camps later and in a completely different country.  We left the Pacific Coast Railway to catch the Intercoastal Ferry through the Cook Strait and into Wellington Harbor arriving at the capital of New Zealand.  We caught a taxi to Tuff Bikkies house where we were entertained by her and her girlfriend Wendy.  Bikkies set us up in the most adorable little guest house in the backyard. They took us out to a local pub where we laughed and shared stories and maybe drank a bit too much.  One of our favorites was the tale of Bikkies and Wendy’s first date at a very unique sounding performance art “a man and his digger”.   Apparently this man loved his tractor so much that he needed to share his love with the world by dancing intimately with his farming equipment.  check it out here

The next day we went off to get our rental car in a country where they drive on the left side of the road.  With fear in our hearts we laughed our way through the rental process while signing up for the maximum amount of insurance available. Finally we were sent on our way in our Hyundai Getz (getz it!) equipped with a Tom-Tom GPS Navigator.  We managed to pull out of the drive way and land on the left side of the road.  In fact, we have yet to make an error in turning here. This may be because we orate all of our turns and have developed a complicated copilot system that seems to be increasing our already amazing teamwork.  We drove the car into town to see Te Papa the national museum.  This maybe one of the best museums either of us had ever experienced and it was FREE.  The first thing we saw was there below ground display of the buildings earthquake absorbtion engineering.  We were both pleased to see that the building was fitted with cushions like the trucks on our skates and that the image of a person roller skating demonstrated the effectiveness of their oversized cushings.  Inside the museum we first looked at the local wild life. Everything was so new and wonderful, birds we had never seen or heard.  We saw the main attraction that seduced us to come here, the colossal squid. Apparently they have been found around Antarctica and the most recent one weighed around 1000lbs.  Though it wasn't in the best of health it was still amazing to see.  The other captivating exhibit was of the Maori.  The Maori are the indigenous people to New Zealand.  In a similar way to many other indigenous peoples, they have been exploited and their land taken from them by colonization.  We stood in awe of the structures in the museum.  The Maori are so expressive about their culture in the artful way that they value everyday necessities.  The stones used to make a hand axe were considered sacred, and the handles were all decorated with intricate care.  We were taken aback by the exhibits explanation of the Maori’s ability to navigate water in boats that were designed not to fill with water, but built so that water flowed thru them.  The culture of the Maori is beautiful and captivating.  We finished up our tour of downtown Wellington with sushi and an unproductive search for 8mm bearings.  That evening Scratcher headed out to a beach party and met some other people from Portland.

The next day bid farewell to Wellington to head north on a driving adventure.  We did not know where we were going but we were excited to see the countryside.  Not far out of Wellington, the scenery became exquisite.  We headed North on highway 2 to highway 5 ‘The Thermal Explorer Highway” to Hastings.  Tom-Tom must have wanted us to take a more scenic route because on the way GPS took us down some unexpected mountain roads with beautiful views resulting in being slightly lost.  We asked for directions from a milk truck driver and after a U-turn we were again headed in the proper direction.  When we arrived in Hastings we realized quickly that it was a tourist trap.  We both agreed that we were more interested in seeing a more natural side of the country and inquired at the info center about camping.  We soon learned the difference between a ‘holiday park’ and ‘Freedom Camping’.  As it turns out ‘freedom camping’ is not only free (as the name implies) but is the best way to see NZ.  Freedom campsites are managed by the Department of Conservation on wild lands, whereas the Holiday Parks are more like an RV park.  In the lists of freedom campgrounds we found Mangatutu Hot Springs in the Kawewka Forest Park.  Full of excitement we went to the store and grabbed two bottles of wine and some food for the night and headed into the wilderness fully lacking confidence in our GPS.  Thanks to some vague instructions on a DoC map we found our route.  To say the landscape was beautiful understates it dramatically.  Not knowing where we were going we drove down winding mountain roads with rolling hills of wild life and farm life.  Sheep were everywhere.   We drove down Puketitiri road to Pakatutu before we ran into a river ford at the junction to Makahu Rd.  We checked the water level to see if our pint sized car could ford the river but the water came up to our knees and the door of our car started at our ankles.  We made a quick decision to hike the remaining eight kilometers to the campsite.  About an hour into the hike we passed the owner of the farm we were walking through and pet his horses.  The further we walked the more beautiful the scenery got.  Shortly after passing the farmer a car approached.  This was a Subaru that had braved the ford.  Scratcher stuck out her thumb, and they paused briefly to explain that their car was already full with 2 other travelers they had picked up.  So we walked the rest of the way slightly disgruntled at first but then realizing how grateful we were for the chance to experience the wilderness up close and get some needed exercise.

Upon arrival we set up our mesh tent ate dinner and drank wine before soaking in the tubs.  The tubs were clean and had constant fresh water filling them from the natural hot springs.  Below was a river and the view was of a picturesque gorge.  We sat quietly and enjoyed the beauty.  That night we slept wonderfully and were woken by beautiful bird songs that we had never heard before.  It was a perfect night.  We then packed up and headed to the hot springs for one more soak before hiking out.

One mile into our hike and the same car that passed on our way in approached us on our way out.  This time the back seat was open and we got a ride back to the car.  We were so relieved. 

Since we enjoyed our night in the bush we decided to head North to Rotorua in search for more hot springs.  We headed on a wild goose chase after Hot Water Beach in the Waimangu Conservation Area.  This hot springs was located in Te Rata Bay on the southern shore of Lake Tarawera near the Waimangu Volcanic Valley.  The campground is only accessible via water taxi.  Upon reaching the water taxi we found out that it would cost $120 for us to get to the camp ground but the trail to the hot springs was closed and the taxi driver couldn't guarantee he could get us back.  Disappointed we left looking for another camp ground.  We found the last spot at the Lake Okareka Scenic Reserve.  We set up our tent and our neighbor cooked up our lamb sausages for us.  We then tucked in for some book reading when we realized our mesh tent was filling up with misquotes. Our mesh tent does not have a bottom on it and apparently the mosquitos were living in the ground and were coming up to eat us.  We attempted to go on a killing spree but for every mosqy killed another 50 rose like blood thirsty savages from the ground.  Scratcher left quickly to sleep in the car but Mel decided to cinch up her sleeping bag and tough it out. About an hour later Mel awoke to find her sleeping bag filled with mosquitos.  In a frenzied panic she unwrapped herself and ran down the beach half naked shaking out her sleeping bag. Trying not to scream to wake up the other campers her voice sounded like tiny squeaks and squeals.  She reached the car for safety climbed in and shuddered in horror for a while.  We both managed to sleep till dawn, curled into uncomfortable and unnatural positions, and even thru a torrential downpour.

The next morning we were ready for the city and all the amenities therein so we drove with a lead foot to Auckland to find a warm bed and a shower.  We arrived at Ruby Disasters’ of Pirate City Rollers.  Pirate City Rollers is the oldest roller derby league in New Zealand and a WFTDA apprentice league.  We managed to find her house by 1pm drove up and promptly caught up on missed sleep from the previous night before returning the rental car.  Ruby and her husband Gavin have the most adorable baby Jacob.  He is so chubby cheeked, smiley, and had thick little baby thighs that were a pinching dream.  We spent the evening cooing after him.

The next day was Saturday and the first day of the Pirate City Rollers’ boot camp.  These boot camps were 8 hrs long. The first two hours were with the fresh meat and beginner skaters, the remaining  eight (minus a one hour lunch break) were spent with the intermediate and more advanced skaters.  We were both impressed with the level of natural talent that exists in Pirate City.  There were two sisters, Satana Terror and Skate the Muss who obviously had years of experience but their derby play is still in the process of refinement.  They will be names that are important in New Zealand’s future of WFTDA play.  They are standouts and eager to learn.  There was also newer skater that we agreed had amazing potential, her name was Daphne, lets hope that she is on a team soon with an awesome derby name very soon.

On Sunday night the New Zealand premier of Brutal Beauty was hosted by Auckland Roller Derby League.  We arrived at the Thirsty Dog on K road and were warmly greeted by very stylish, well-coiffed, and unavoidably attractive ladies at every turn.  These ARDL ladies went all out.  They had handmade cake pops, home baked shortbread cookies, and fresh popcorn.  One of the girls even baked a cake in the shape of a skate to express her gratitude towards a fellow skater who had coached her on fresh meat despite having gone thru a very serious injury.  It was like falling in love, we were instantly stunned, then as getting to know these ladies they all were as kind and friendly as they were gorgeous.  We remarked to each other on their sense of style, although each invidivual, they seemed to all work together in a ‘greaser 50s meets bohemian 80s’kind of way.  Sleek 50s inspired hair and awesome vintage 80s women’s wear ruled the scene.

  We snuck away to an indian restaurant down the way during the second half of the movie to stave off our hunger.  This was Mel’s first time experiencing indian food, and like most foods, she enjoyed it all.  We returned to the venue a bit tardy and missed our opportunity for a Q and A but nobody seemed to mind and considering that it was a Sunday night, most were ready to head home anyway.

We stayed that night at Elicia and Sheisse Minelli’s house.  We had a few drinks and stayed up late gossiping about derby and telling tall tales of bouts and shenanigans.  The next day Referection aka Brendon aka the best tour guide in NZ, took us out to the beach.  Mic Riot joined us for the day, and we all headed out to Piha beach on the west coast of NZ.  The beaches on the west coast of NZ are made up of black sands.  The sand was hot, the water was cool, and the sun ferocious.  Mic, Scratcher, and Brendon took a swim in a designated zone marked by buoys that was about 100 feet wide with attentive lifeguards minding the boundaries, and more than an handful ready in the background for the opportunity to rescue.  The undertow is extreme to say the least.  We heard that many drownings were not uncommon.  Swimmers find themselves in trouble at Piha so often that there is a TV show camera crew filming almost non-stop ready to collect action for editing to use on a lifeguard based TV show. The swim left its mark by removing all the sunblock from the three, and allowing the fierce NZ sun scorch scratchers back!

 Mangles opted for a stroll down the beach, wading in tidepools and beachcombing.

The following day, Tuesday we all headed out to Mt Maungaui (more easily referred to as the mount) for the bootcamps hosted by ARDL. We stopped along the way at the giant L&P bottle commemorating NZ's favorite drink. We were put up in a charming guesthouse by Ronnie aka Crusher, and Ray aka Stray Dog.  They were so hospitable, and very charming.  Ray is a referee with an interest in mens derby.  Many of the ladies have learned from his unpolished street skating style.  It was great to see how much of his skate knowledge he had invested in his league.  The bootcamps started at 5:30pm and ended at 11.  We covered so many things, the time flew by even at such a late hour and we were thankful for the energy in the room to keep us motivated.  The ARDL are so keen on strategy that the second day of bootcamp they were coming up scenarios and asking questions about strategy that made us scratch our head and wonder.  Critical thinking is always good, we chatted our way thru possibilities and ended the night soaking in Ronnie’s tub and doing what we do best: talking derby.

The next day we flew out of Auckland on the worst airline known to man...Jetstar.  Destination: Perth Australia!

Beach in FiJi

 Boot Camp in Christchurch

Sailing in Littleton

Kiwi Rail

The last 5 days in reveiw

         

What a trip it’s been so far! 

Today as we write we have our first official workshops behind us.

Let us fill in some gaps in time….

After a delayed departure from LAX we boarded a double decker bound for Nadi, Fiji.

Upon our arrival in Fiji we were told our connecting flight was delayed but that was the limit of the information we could seem to get.  We were told we needed to go thru customs to get a hotel voucher.  Going thru customs was funny- Scratcher brought a bag of food that was supposed to feed us healthy snacks but here at the Fiji Airport we found ourselves scarfing down all our fruit, veggie, and meat products so they wouldn’t get quarantined.   Once we were full we made our way past one very long line and into the next to get our hotel voucher.  We realized after having numerous conversations with official looking airport employees that no single airline worker in Fiji has the same answer to our questions about when our flight was departing.  Nonetheless we were happy to be stuck in Fiji for an undetermined length of time.  We caught a shuttle to the hotel Trans International (this was Mangles’ first experience with left-lane roads) , where we were greeted warmly and offered free breakfast while our room was being prepared.  We gladly accepted the beautiful spread of coffee and fresh fruits and Mel’s new favorite breakfast cereal Weetabix.  We met a nice couple at the hotel who were interested in sharing a taxi with us to the nearest beach.  So we went, our taxi driver telling us that if we wished to stay longer he would take us out on his boat to a remote island for surfing.  Due to time restrictions we were unable to accept his offer.  We had heard varying rumors and stories about our flight times being between 4-5pm.  We enjoyed beachcombing for seashells and trash, got our feet wet in the warm water, and took off for a stroll down the beach just as a rainstorm was approaching.  We had a few beers at a local beach hut and by the time we met back up with our taxi driver we were soaking wet.   He returned us safely to our hotel in time for a fabulous fish lunch.  We then followed the recommendations of the hotel staff on when to return to the airport.  Stood in two lines for a few more hours and then without prompting a line formed and the plane was boarded right on “island time”.

Our journey from Fiji to Auckland was aboard our new favorite airline Air New Zealand and was different and better in every way from Air Pacific.  The in flight safety video featured Richard Simmons, the All Blacks (New Zealand’s national rugby team), a 90 year old woman streaking, and flight attendants in latex body suits.  This was all shown on fully functional touch-screen TVs in the head rests.  The TVs were full of selections but the favorite was a 2011 Rugby World Cup highlight real during which we agreed that Rugby is freakin awesome.  Once we landed in Auckland we had missed our connecting flight to Christchurch and so for a second day in a row we were housed and fed for free.  This time we enjoyed a 3 course meal for dinner, and a hot breakfast that included whole poached plums in wine (delicious).

Flying in to Christchurch the next day on time was a special treat, and we were greeted by the Otuathi Roller Derby League’s contact Da-Rollin.  She sped us off to the luxurious private resort of Casa de Donna (her mother in law’s house).  We drank beers, walked on the beach (looks just like Oregon), met up with some of the skaters for a casual skate on the netball courts, and rested.    Our sleep was interrupted that night at 1:30 am by a 5.3 Earthquake.  Being waked from a dead sleep by a shake gets your adrenaline going real fast, so falling back to sleep is a challenge.  The following day (Saturday to us and Friday in the states) we started our first boot camp.  Many leagues in attendance from Richter City in Wellington, Dunedin Roller Derby, and Dead End Derby (another Christchurch league) and even Splatterpuss visiting from Victoria Roller Derby in Melbourne.  We experienced a 3.2 earthquake during the camp that shook things up a bit.  We covered intermediate skills and introduced some blocking and teamwork concepts.  We were amazed at how quickly the ladies absorbed and applied the instruction that they were given.  These ladies were hungry for derby and we couldn’t feed them fast enough!  We truly enjoyed how coachable they all were and at the end of the day awarded Wahine Disaster with a WOJ t-shirt for her amazing improvements.  Strangely enough it was also her birthday.  It was decided that there was going to be a barbeque at Donna’s house that evening.  That afternoon we shuffled about town piecing together groceries from different shops.  We found an organic market whose shelves were all but empty, but we got what we could.  Then went off to a produce market and stocked up on avocados, lettuces, and beets to make a salad.  We got delicious lamb sausages, free-range chicken, spicy cured meats and cheeses and the best damn crackers we’ve ever eaten.  The barbeque was everything we needed and more.  Spunky Bruiser showed up with Cassels beer a local craft brewed beer.  This was the time during our trip that the ladies began to inquire about the business side of derby and politics therein.  We shared with them how our league structure worked and encouraged them to expand their relationships with WFTDA leagues. 

The second day of boot camps was the best.  We advanced on to more challenging skills, concepts, and strategies.  I was no surprise that, just as the day before, the ladies absorbed everything like a sponge.  We were truly impressed with the potential that exists here on the south Island. The most improved skater this day was Little Yellow Jacket.  LYJ had an interesting short plate mount on her bont boots, making her rear wheels be far in front of her heel.  We had never seen such a setup but she made it work well and we were impressed. We ended the day feeling quite sore and wishing to be outdoors.  That wish was granted in the most amazing way. Connie Knoxville and her partner Greer invited us to go for a sail on their boat “bluegrass” around Lyttleton harbor.  We spotted many seabirds, and just around sunset laid eyes on a rare species of Hector's Dolphin.  We ended the day at a fish shop overlooking the harbor eating fresh seafood and enjoying the colorful sunset.

Something of an unfortunate side note to all the previous experiences is that in every town, on every road, and in every way the earthquakes’ damages are obvious and sometimes very sad.  For instance the entire downtown portion of Chrischurch is gated off and looks like it was the sight of a bombing.  Also in Lyttleton, many of the historic building have fallen.  It seems to be the trend that brick building were the least likely to survive the ‘shakes’ as the locals call them.  The damage is also evident in the locals’ behavior, fear, and anxiety about when and if another large and devastating quake will come.  Everyone lives prepared. check out their newpaper here at the press website.

 We are writing this from Kiwi Rail’s costal pacific railway.  We have enjoyed stunning vista’s of sheep, seals, the Pacific Ocean, and salt flats. We will transfer to a ferry in Picton bound for Wellington on the north island... and then hopefully be able to provide more fun tales of our travels!