Amazing Race - Kitchen Edition

The Kitchen boys arrive in NZ! The boys made it safely and soundly and were given a few hours to settle in before they were expected to power through and head out on the town for our one night out in wellington with deb before her thailand trip.

Saturday we got up and had the day to introduce the boys to wellington. We went for an ocean dip (despite slightly chilly winter temps).

Saturday night we headed out again with our dancing shoes on...but not before a few rousing rounds of kings first.

We got up Sunday and had a the classic city tour, including the cable car (wellington's favourite tourist attraction)

The boys left to head down south and on the week-end I flew down to join them for a few more days of sibling fun. We drove up to Wanaka and had a fun night out on the town. We got up early the next day for some awesome skiing at Treble Cone and a low key night in town at the wanaka movie theatre, where you sit in couches and lazy boys. The next day (the busiest day of our lives) we were a family with a plan and hit every tourist attraction between wanaka and queenstown. First stop, puzzle world in Wanaka.

The boys took the plunge and decided that they couldn't be shown up by the big sister.

Matching bunjy tees....bravest kids this side of bemersyde.

Next stop Ferg burger, biggest and best burgers i've ever had in my life. Yes that's brie cheese you see on my burger, they dont mess around in q-town!

Next stop caddyshack city. This mini golf is amazing, your ball takes the gondola up the hill and rolls down the luge, that's cool! (no that is not a kitchen, just a pic from the web-site..we were in a bit to much of a hurry to take pics)


And the boys return to wellington for a final night out on the town and to say goodbye to their favourite sister until december. Next stop Brisbane, Australia.

Debs in Thailand

After lots of planning the day finally came where Deb and Kitch separated for 11 days. I (Debi) went on an adventure to Thailand. The flight is only 12 hours so I thought checking it out while I'm on this side of the world was a good idea. I had an 8 hour stopover in Sydney and managed to fill my time up well.



After 22 hours of travel (including my Sydney stopover) I arrived in Bangkok at 1050 pm and was eager to get to my hotel. It is winter in NZ so I felt the Bangkok heat.


My first day in Bangkok involved a crazy 'tuk tuk' driver, some Buddhas and forced shopping. One 'tuk tuk' ride in a life time is enough for me. A highlight of my Buddha tour was seeing the Reclining Buddha. It is 46 meters long!



I spent some time at the Duskit zoo since I'm such an animal lover now!

My tour left from Bangkok and we took the overnight train to Chang Mai. After no sleep we headed to a Thai cooking class at 830 in morning. I learnt to make things like green curry and Pad Thai . I also figured out that eating Thai food in the morning is not fun.

We left Chang Mai the next day to do a three day trek of the Hill Tribes. With no toilets or showers I was a bit nervous. But I seem to master the bush peeing since I had to go every hour. My tour was impressed with my small bladder. I also started embracing the squat toilet. Alright that is enough bathroom talk. We trekked about 11 to 12 kms a day through rice fields, forests, rain forests, around waterfalls and stopping at villages for the night.

Playing poker with candy to entertain ourselves the first night in the village.

The first village we stopped at. Two people got a thin mat, a blanket and a mosquito net to sleep. It made for a hard uncomfortable night.


That's me cooling down in a waterfall in the rain Forrest. Nothing like strangers taking pictures of you in your underwear.




The second village we stayed at.
Bathing in the local stream. You had to cover up to get to the stream which explains why Lisa and I are dressed in those ridiculous dresses.

We served lunch to the local village kids. Instead of rice they got noodles and apparently the noodles are a special treat for them.

Riding the elephants!!! My pulse was racing the entire time. One of the most scariest moments of my life especially when the elephants started yelling at one another.

Bamboo rafting with Amy and Nikki. And then drinking it up in Chang Mai at the end of the trek. We then took an overnight train back down to Bangkok. It was fan cooled and crawling with bugs. While I was eating a delicious pineapple dinner people around me were killing cockroaches. We ended the tour in Bangkok and had one last breakfast together.
After the tour I hung out with Amy and Nikki (two girls from the tour) and they brought me to the Cabbages and Condoms restaurant in Bangkok. It is a restaurant that donates proceeds to a local organization for STD's. On my last day in Bangkok I checked out Grand Palace and then caught my plane back to Wellington.

Napier

Debi discovered her love of animals on this trip (while maybe love is a bit strong of a word) but she did begin to embrace animals a bit more... look at her conversing with bobby the parakeet at marineland.

We went away to Napier/Hawke's Bay for the week-end. Saturday we did a wine tour of the region. Move over homecoming/head of the trent because drinking before noon is not just for university's anymore.



Our tour was great. It was just the two of us (gotta love travelling in the off season). Our guide Grant took us around, gave us a huge cheese and cracker platter at the fourth vineyard (and thank goodness cause we needed by the food...at 8 "tastes" a winery...times 6 winerys...good times. We also took an extra stop at a chocolate factory...love chocolate factories.


Napier is a really neat city. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 30's and was rebuilt in the art deco style.

We got up sunday morning to rain, rain, rain. We had a whole day planned though so didnt let the rain stop us. We drove up to bluff hill look out and enjoyed the view...the rainy, cloudy view.



Next stop was marineland. We did the penguin workshop where we got to take care of the little penguins and feed them and cuddle them. Look at debi "i love animals" creighton and jen "birds are my friend" kitchen - what can i tell you the two of us are changed women over here.