Rotorua

Rotorua was crazzzy... we went to Hells Gate, a boiling mud spa which was really sweet.
Mud Volcano!!!!
REAL BOILING MUD! Like in the movies... but REALLY REAL! haha

The entire town of Rotorua smells like
A. Sulphur
B. Eggs
C. Farts
The smell followed us to Napier... I don't miss Rotorua, but the mud spa was wicked...

Caroline the Great!

This woman is AMAZZZZZINNNGGGG!! On the morning of her birthday, she swam 4K AROUND MT. MAUNGANUI!!!!!!!

Here she is (on the left) at the finish line!!!!

SHE BLOWS ME AWAY! Athlete superstar!

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY TO TWO GREAT WOMEN!

We celebrated our going away dinner and surprised Caroline with a birthday cake... but not just a cake- a GIANT homemade peanut-butter cup (vegan, btw)!!! So delicious it was out of control...


The next day was my momma's birthday... and I love her so... beautiful, wonderful sweet momma who I miss like crazyyyyy...

Ashley

Ashley wakes up at 3AM to make the most delicious bagels in Coro. She sells them at the town market on Friday mornings! MMmmmmm.... I reccomend the pesto/cream cheese. Fantastic!

Castle Rock Hike

Mimi and I hitched and hiked to Castle Rock on our day off...
Here I am, at the top of some hill... maybe the sleeping giant... I don't really know, but from this hill you can see both sides of the Coromandel Peninsula! WOWEEE!

Here is one side...
Mimi is a shortie, but this tree is also massive! Made for an excellent perspective shot...
We made it to the top! Over 10K for sure of rocky road hike to a great view!
When we got back down, there were practically no cars to find a ride back... We stumbled across a flock of pigs! Hahaha
Eventually, we got a ride home, and boy was I hurting the next day! But it was a great sight in Coro....

Volcano Drawing Started...

"It feels like every hill in Auckland may be a volcano"

Life Drawings at Driving Creek Cafe

Good Bye Rayne

Good-Bye our Canadian Biker Chica
...And her back tattoo...
P.S. Caroline and I sang songs for you at dinner...

Tall Poppy Drawing

...So this is the beast I have been working on for the whole time I have been at Driving Creek Cafe. It is about all of the volcanoes here in New Zealand and a conversation I had in Auckland about the Tall Poppy Syndrome. I will post my writings about it later...

A break from NZ for Vivienne Westwood

I am taken by this wallpaper...

Chicken-N-Beer

Cora took me to her friends place. They have chickens. We drank beer... I drew the chickens... it is good to do life drawing again... I love drawing! Love love love it.

Art Hut/ happenings in my new Studio

I made this small painting... about my waterfall day!!
Here is a sneek peek of the new drawring... you can't tell but its much bigger...
...its about volcanoes and the Tall Poppy Syndrome...
And I got visited by Yaki this morning while starting a new volcano picture:
Good Times...

Cora

... is great...

A Countryside Walk in Coromandel

So gorgeous... Hey Look! Sheep!
Hey Look! Ocean!
Trees!
Windy Roads...
Hills...
Picturesque...

New WWOOFer

An American from Santa Cruz named Mimi:
With Caroline on NYE 2009...

Mm

Chili Dinner...