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I came to New Zealand seeking the small treasures of life, what I've come to find is that my life is that treasure box. My purpose... is to full it with memories of gold. And like a good pirate, I've managed to find a place I can hide away this plunder, deep inside a place where it can never be taken.

I have mounds of wealth, I am the Emperor of the universe, for I have everything I could have ever wanted. If I were to sit alone and bare with nothing to my name, I would still look out to the sea on a hot day and know I were the wealthiest person alive.

I've learned a secret that not many know, there is no limit to the treasure we can take. We are all meant to fill out lifes with gold, all you have to do is begin the journey. Life doesn't just happen, those special moments are meant to be lived for, sought after, and shared for all it's glory.

I tell you now, your treasure is waiting for you-

Find it - Happiness is real-

Family

pohutukawa New Zealand Christmas Tree

It's almost Christmas, I can hardly believe it! I have a sunburn like no other, I hope it doesn't bubble. Been putting on sunscreen, 70 spf, but I must have missed a spot. Oops : S

I'm homesick, so very homesick. I was telling stories about my crazy family... how I use to antagonize my little sister into soing things I know I'd get in trouble for.... about how my brother taught himself to drive when he was nearly four, and how my mom is an artist who spent her summers in a tipi.

I'd tell about my grandmother running naked amongst her genetically re-designed fruit trees, and how she lived in a camper called the "Cave Man". She would stay either there or in Pergatory, a garden shed, where she would fight for a bed between a lawn mower and shovels.

I've come to see what an extrodinary family I actually come from... far from normal at least. My grandfather was a clown who performed acts with balloon animals and a poodle. I hear he was once a salesman who did quite well, and later on became more of a philosopher. He would tell me unbelieveable stories, and once turned a useless tumbleweed into a christmas joy- the Gillam Family Christmas tree. That weed later became like a family heir-loom that reminds us that there is meaning and importance for everything in life.

We all know my father must be a little nuts, he now has 10 kids! He's already a grandfather, and his youngest is 4... By the way, I'm the oldest at 21... Chaos?

That's just the beginning....

Amongst it all, I've come to see that each of my family members are astrangely unique and have a bizzare tale of their own.

I like to tell people that I am a white sheep in a black family... For so long I've fought to prove that I am normal, mostly to myself. But I've come to find, it's not fun being normal. What story is there to tell?

I love my family dearly, and miss them terribly. Each and every one!

Merry Christmas to you all, I miss you!

-Capri

a deep given

A mix of photos over the last few weeks

Bumps, Bruises, Good Times, Great Scenery, and Even Better Company...

Those have to be the most skankiest toilets I've ever smelled in my life! It was all I could do to keep from vomiting. I'd take a big breath of air, prepare my toilet paper, and run to finish my business as quickly as possible. The worst part was that it kinda smelled like asparagus... I like asparagus... AHHH!!!

On the contrary, I must be in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Like a mountain scene from the movie Heidi. Like Yosemite or Glacier National Park, but of course so very unique in very different ways...

The river beds are a layer of green limestone rock, which gives the water a lucious aqua color. Deep pools of crystal clear water invite me in for a swim. If it wern't for the rain and 9 hour trek ahead of me, I'd be in in an instant!





Got a great little travel hammock I can bring along with me : ) and now I can sit back and play my guitar... and let the bruises heal?

Just two days ago, we spontaneously decided to go for a bit of a tramp... Wil, an English guy, Blair a guy from Scotland, and myself...

Isn't that pretty? It's taken about two weeks to heal. In fact I have a whole collage of bruises... each one with a great story!!

In total I have about 24 blisters on my feet, two big red ones on my hips, and a very soar Achilles tendon- the 5 day tramp

That beautiful one above from getting ready to jump into the waterfall- I got excited and slipped... I was the only one to come out with such a masterpiece.

Got several all over my biceps from bringing up parachutes over the last couple of days

and a nice tan/sun burn to match all the other colors.

IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!

... plus the sandfly and mosquito bites... but they go away too

Oh, did I mention Blair hadn't quite been on a backpacking trip like this before? I suppose we all had a rough time with a few days rain, but it was sure nice to end in a hut with a hot fire, and good meal! Plus, you've gotten a little taste of the scenery we were in!

Last Couple of Weeks: Beaches, Wildlife, and Tramping

Over the last couple of weeks I've been traveling along the east coast towards the fiord lands in the far southern end of New Zealand. Spent a few days camping along the beaches and searching for muscles, scallops, and crabs for dinner... sadly we didn't see any sea food for dinner.

The scenery is spectacular, better than in the movies! We stopped along several waterfalls and lookouts along the way, including the "famous" Niagara Falls. Don't go there! It was the biggest disappointment I've had yet. It was just a little ripple in the water, that didn't even resemble Niagara. The worst Tourist trap I've ever been to!

Any who... We stopped along this great spot called Nugget Point where there was a little light house and plenty of wildlife. We got to see the rare yellow eyed penguin as it came in from the ocean, being chased by a seal.... as well as the whole colony of seals. In fact, as we pulled out the binoculars, we were able to identify a strange screeching from one of the animals... it had just given birth to a pup. Isn't that cool? I've got some great photos of the area, just spectacular scenery!

Later we moved on to Invercargill, a sleepy little town that was made into a big movie not too long ago. A guy by the name of Burt Monroe set out from this town back in the mid 30's to set the land speed record at the Nevada salt flats. All based on a true story. Back in this time it was very difficult to travel, and what he was trying to accomplish was a huge feat. Well he made it to the US, and after several trials and a lot of error, he managed to get a classic (even for the time, 1920's model) Indian motorcycle to break the land speed record at 185.5 mph.

I was happy to find an exhibit to dedicated to him, and better yet, the Burt Monroe Challenge, a thrilling motorcycle race happened to be going on the very next day. Well the races had actually been going on for three days, taking place on beaches over motorways, and in a loop through the city. After several crashes, s nice sunburn, and some good photos, I have to say I had a pretty good day.

On a side note, I have to say that you meet people in the strangest ways when you are traveling. While I was trying to take pictures over the large hay bales, my little legs just weren't tall enough, and I hopped on the shoulders of one of the guys who was staying at the hostel. After an exciting race, I set my camera aside and introduced myself to the guy I was sitting on top of. That was Kyle by the way, a Kiwi guy who was astounded to meet an English guy, Scottish Bloke, and American girl randomly traveling together.

After a great time in Invercargill, Will, Blair and I headed towards Te Anu, a great little touristy city at the gateway to the most beautiful region in new zealand, the fiord lands. We managed to get a cheap little hostel right on the lake front (with GREAT views by the way) for like $23 a night ( It had a spa, HOT SHOWERS, a theater, and I got a queen bed too!) Pretty good for the money I'd say. So we decided that being in such a nice area we should do a little backpacking trip.

Now to be honest, I've really only done a one day trip into the mountains, and that was kind of by accident- by that I mean I was prepared, but I really didn't know where the people I was with were going or how long... (8 hours later...) Any who, since Blair was somewhat of a rookie, and I was too (but didn't realize it at the time), we decide three days was a good starting tramp. Well, the excitement piled on, and three days quickly turned into five days. You though I was leading up to some terrible story of the mountains... to be honest the bruise I got from falling at the waterfall (I jumped in the day before) look a lot worse than anything from the trip. I must say again, I was surprisingly more prepared than I thought considering the conditions.

With about 10 blisters on each foot (they were wet a lot) and a couple big rashes on my hips, they matched quite nicely with the purple one on my leg. (I have more now... but I'll have to tell you about that later : ) ) IT WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!!

We stayed in huts along with way, and got to enjoy a variety of terrain and heavenly scenery. Every single rock in the river was a tealish green, a natural limestone color, and gave the crystal waters a unique baby blue color. Ooo it was so inviting! On our journey we walked to the peaks of several mountains and through the valleys where we could see distant snowy mountain horns pierce through a middle layer of clouds. The valleys were green meadows that rose into rocky mountain peaks, passing through bushy green forest and wrapped around endless waterfalls. Despite a bit of rain, the sun shown often, and warmed the trail with a yellow glow.

A picture can tell a thousand words, though a thousand words could not describe what I saw. In those five days, I traveled across canyons filled with glacial water and monstrous trout, climbed rooty pathways to the saddle of the mountains, then walked above marshy swamps painted with flowers of pinks and purples. Traveling the Greenstone and Caples tracks was one of the most memorable experiences I've had. It was my first long, multiple night tramp. I managed to carry a fully sustainable pack- everything I needed over five days to tramp and live somewhat comfortably. The three of us rustled those bags over rugged terrain and multiple river crossings for well over 60 kilometers. I'm so proud of myself!!! YAY!!!

Needless to say, when we finished the journey we all enjoyed a well needed hot shower, and the biggest best meal of my life!

I'm say to say we parted with Blair partway along the journey, due to time restrictions, and sent him on a ferry to make his way back to the north island. The next two days, I had to keep from looking back to check if he were there .

It's been a such a fantastic time traveling with these guys! So... I'm sure you are tired of reading... you are not caught up just yet! That is a minor outline of what I've done by the way, and I'll out another post about what I've been doing in Queenstown- the Adventure capital!!

Backpacking with Blair: Christchurch, Dunedin, and Southern like travels

Hello again! It's been a little while considering all the things I've done over the last couple of weeks!! WOW!!! Well I hate to disappoint you and say that I still won't have enough time to fill you in on everything....

For the last five days I've been backpacking in true wilderness caring a fully self sufficient pack, and have hiked easily over 100K. I'm happy to say I've finally gotten a shower : ) The views were absolutely amazing! I left with my friend Blair and Wil the day before thinking... lets go on a nice hike : ) Happy to admit we were very prepared! Originally it was a 3 day hike, but turned into 5 when we saw the amount of terrain we would cover. Unfortunately, I'll have to cut the story short (limited Internet time), but definitely ask me about it! Highlights: After a herd of cows got split up due to flooding, I mooed at one and it followed us a long ways down the track- back to the herd. After 4 long days of hiking we encountered a school group, and the teacher offered us cookies YES!!!!!!! Tons of gorgeous waterfalls, got lots of blisters- blister band-aids are ingenious!!! Jumped into a large freezing waterfall pool and washed up and "refreshed"- ended up with a HUGE PURPLE BRUISE from falling... oops....

I managed to get a traveling hammock- LOVE IT! Also I am now traveling with a guitar!! SWEET!!

So much to tell you really !!! I guess I'll just have that many more stories to share when I get Back!!!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!! Oh and Merry Christmas too!!! If all goes as planned I'll be camping on the beach with a little decorated Christmas tree (shells and fishing line?) and be eating a feast!

Take care, I am thinking about you lots!! Getting a bit home sick over the holidays, so I am really looking forward to seeing everyone when I get Back!!! JANUARY 12 !!!!

Faking out the sea gulls in the park

Waitin for Laundry

It's nearly 2 O' Clock in the morning and I am waiting for my laundry to dry. Getting ready to leave ChristChurch tomorrow, going southwards to Dunedin. Still no idea where we'll be going, no plans ahead... It's strange having no idea what the next day will bring. Exhillerating as always, but exhausting at the same time. It's strange knowing that any of these places could be home, but none of them are yet, my home is my backpack, and It's a bit cramped in there. Luckly I carry with me my condo lodge, squishy blankets, and a down matress. I bring with me everything including the kitchen sink (and stove), and of course a photography studio. I've met so many people along the way, and I'm always hoping I can share these memories with those I've come to know best.

So much has happened over the last 1o months, and its a bit sad knowing that there is no one person who shares so much of this with me. Everything that has happened will be a memory I share alone- although we always speak of meeting with all our old friends, there are very few we actually manage to keep up with. The difficult part about traveling in this way is that you never really do get to know one person, its a constant of meeting new people every day. Don't get me wrong, I've certainly met some incredible people, but I am ready to have a home.

Maybe a nice beach somewhere?

M.I.A in the song Jimmy to celebrate the Hindu Diwali Festival

Today we celebrated Diwali, a Hindu Festival in the center square of Christchurch. Dancing with the belly dancers and in traditional hindu styles, we tossed around confetti, and swayed to the the drumming rythmes. Here's a clip of some of the hindu dancing styles we saw...

The air smelled of fresh and spicy indian foods, and we had to have a taste of butter chicken. Yum! I think I want to learn to belly Dance! To finish off the show, we had fireworks blasting off the stage, and silvery streamers fell from the sky!

H E L L O Christchurch!!!

and the party Continues...

Brief Recap of the last couple of days...

Found a new bike in the river
Danced at a Hindu Festival
Watched a guy Dance lighting His Croch on Fire
Got chased by a guy on a unicycle
Made up a new drink Mix
Went on a Punting Ride (like in Venice)
Rowed at the Gym
Blasted out to Music Videos at the Gym
Had gormet cheese and crackers on our beds
Watched a movie where a guy thought his manakin girlfriend was real.... then she died.... the whole town came to her funeral. They were sad. ( We don't know what it was called).
Watched a guy juggle a chain saw
Went on a train ride
Art Gallery: Mix of Biology, art, and our Enviornment. The Color Red.
Danced on the beds and threw around silver confetti.
Poll Danced
Considered trying out for a strip club.... our skills wern't quite up to par
Visited the Botanical Gardens
Blair Got a Haircut
Arrived in Christ Church
Move into a kickass hotel
Went Shopping
I found a sweet as thrift shop- few more things for the trip
Saw a black poodle.

We went Clubbing and got free energy drinks

We bought fresh made fruity ice cream
Woke up to the a perfect morning alarm clock
Adventured our way through the city
I saw a leprichan
Heard an interesting impression of Donald Duck : )

We've only spent one night here now... Who knows what's in store next?

Last Few Days in Palmerston North

All of my flatmates- the second semester. Sayin' goodbye! Julie O'connell, Kristin De Souza, Me, and Camella ( she has like 6 names...).

Goodbye everyone! I'll miss you!



Hey look, I finally did get to go horseback riding! Such a good horse. Somehow I always seem to pick the leader of the pack... Seems to be a good thing.

Coromandel Penninsula

Over the last few days, Barbara, Lucas, and I have been crusing along the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. Staring out of the car window, I try to catch every glimpse of the ocean scenery, while Lucas points out the dolphins swimming and jumping out in the bay. Quickly we pull over the car onto a grassy patch, and run out towards them. But they kept getting bigger and bigger... They couldn't possibly be dolphins. And they were only about 30 meters from shore (about 100 feet). Could we swim with them? What if it were a great white shark? It could be! As we ran down the beach chasing them, we soon realized they were orcas! Jumping, splashing, and playing in the sea. It was a mother and two babies that we were able to see! How cool is that!



Later that night, we pitched out tents on top of a grassy mountain on the shore by the sea. Three stunning black horses greeted us, excited to see strangers. Just down the hill there was a trail that led to a private cove, that looked like the perfect place for a buried treasure. Enormous blue waves crashed in the sea and landed on the white sand beach. Shells of every color and type were scattered in the millions, and incredible ancient trees hung overhead. They weren't just any trees though, they were the New Zealand Christmas Tree, covered in cherry red blooms that stretched longer than my hand.

What a Paradise! And to top it off, a waterfall run down the edge of the cliff to meet the sea. We decided that we could certainly live there... waterfall as the shower, surf all day, and swim with the orcas in our free time.


(This lok s so close to the place we were, the red blossoms on the trees show that it is the NZ christmas tree).

At one time I might have said this was an incredible dream... but if I'm dreaming now, I don't ever want to wake up!

It was almost nightfall when we left the cove, so we made our way back up the cliffside, to pitch the tents and make a gormet dinner. I love cooking out in the bush : ) Nothing like chicken, mash potatoes and gravy, and a freshly made tossed salad (with tomatoes). Yum! No roughing it here.

Last night, I was in my tent, and heard the strangest of noises. Lots of grunting and pig like snorting... right next to my tent... Some critter was rubbing up against my tent trying to figure out what it was. The night before I thought the strange noises were barbara and/or lucas snoring... I was wrong.

I peaked out the tend and found a poky ball of spines wabbling away. It was a hedgehog.



That was just the first of many critters to follow. Of course you have the horses romping around by the tents, and the waves crashign in the background. But New Zealand has the strangest birds! Think of the strangest sound you've ever heard. Now make the strangest sound you've ever heard. Put them together in a random scramble, and we have all of them here!

Starting off the Summer Journey: Piha (a run-away journey from Auckland)

Yesterday, I spent my day at Piha, a little beach town with the best surf in the country. Beautiful rock formations and little caves to explore. The scenery is covered in orange wild flowers, black sand beaches, and little sea shells that spiral like a fiddle head.




This was the exciting view looking down from the mountain as we drove to this little piece of paradise. If you look at the dash you can see our dinosaur scene.


Taking a nice stroll along the beach and seeing what there is to see. That was a brave dog (below). No fear of waves, and would dive right out there into the waves!




Waves a crashin in to the rocks, rippling down like waterfalls.






the brave photographer moment, catching the waves as they crash in. : ) The best part is when they got him! This is Ross by the way, we bought the same underwater cameras, for a Great Price!




Some neat little caves to explore : )

By the way, the run-away part of the title is because our trip to this beach was meant to get us out and away from Auckland, a surprisingly boring city. I've spent loads of time there and was ready to see something new!

Cheerio Palmerston North, Away on my Summer Travels

Hello everyone, it's been some time since you've heard from me. In fact a half a semester it seems! Wow! Well, lot of that exciting semester was spend delved into school work. I

've been working on many projects including an official experiemnt with catnip, where we desiphered that cats react most strongly to the plant during a middle age of 6-7. I've been doing some research on the use of sticky gecko feet and it's use in technology. Actually the robotics that have come out of it are fun to watch as they climb walls. And finally I've been sorting out a 50 page business plan about a company called MUD GEAR. The business would lease out camping gear here in palmerston north... Although the financial side of the plan didn't turn out as good as I hoped, I can now successfully create a business plan for any idea. So this may not sound as excting to you guys, I've been quite facinated with it all!

Side projects have also included designing an album cover for a friend of mine, and a massive treasure hunt that took place around Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Otherwise, I've been doing a little bit of rock climbing, horse back riding, and a lot of this an that.
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It's strange that the semester has gone, Massey University, is of the past. I've begun my summer journey, starting off with a one day tan (aka nice red sunburn), and spent the last few days lounging on the beach. I've discovered that bubble tea is my new favorite drink, it's a chinese recipe that is like a juice with large chuncks of fruit. YUM!

It's been hard leaving Palmerston North, I have so many friends there, and It's truly become my home. I've left so many times before, but now I know I won't be going back to stay. Bittersweet memory. ...

Lots of good times ahead though, I bought a ukulele, and I'm going to learn how to use it! Sounds a lot different than a guitar, but much easier to travel with. I've got about 10 days left in the North Island, which I'll spend at hotwater beach- a place where you dig your own hot tub in the sand. Then I'll go to Tongariro National Park, and do a four day hike around the volcanos.

Looking forward to going to the South Island soon, using tickets that I won from a travel agency to get me started on the right foot. Hoping to go snorkeling and swim with the dolphins. Maybe even a scenic train ride out to a friends beach party- doing a world beer tour- pick out the most exotic beer and bring it to the beach to share.

It'll be interesting to see who I run into, so many of my massey frineds will be in the South Island as well, and you never know who you'll see again.

Lately, I've been hanging out with a photographer colleague, and we've been out shooting the scenes. To celebrate the increadible exchange rate $1.70 per $1 US, I got a underwater camera that also has video- for just over a hundred dollars. How cool is that! It's a pretty nice one too! So I'll have video one of these days, and hopefully some neat underwater shots as well.

A Philosophical Morphism- Searching My Core in Sydney

Sydney will always be a unique and fascinating experience of my life. Unlike any other time before, I spent this lifetime away from an enormous comfort zone, where I am familiar with the things around me. The way of life, the morals I've grown up with, and the fairy tale I once knew seemed to shattered before my very eyes. New Zealand was gone, along with the forests, serenity, and the happy people I enjoy every day. 

From the moment I landed in this foreign land, I couldn't help but ask myself, "What the Hell am I doing in Sydney?" Given this question was mostly justified by the fact that I had absolutely no plans, and very little cash to spare. So what was I doing in Sydney? I suppose it was to find just what I saw, the extremes of life, where I would begin to explore the furthest reaches of my comfort zone.

Many people will call me crazy for taking such risks, and perhaps abandoning what I know. I don't have a problem spending a night under a bridge, fishing for my dinner, or playing music for money. None of these things I had done, but I would not feel unusual to do them. 

You know the lifestyle we live is completely by choice. There are a few choices in life that will effect the others quite drastically, including having children, your choice in a partner, the knowledge you possess, and the abilities you have to obtain knowledge. 

People are all crated equal, we are no better or worse, and we all have the opportunities to make choices that do effect our every day for the rest of our lives. Those choices not only influence what we do, but also what others do. That pattern continues, and can become quite contagious. In this way, and only this way, we are able to change not only ourselves, but change the world.   

I want to live my life. I want to be not only rich, but be poor as well. I want to be happy, sad, frustrated as well as blissful, carefree, and simply happy.

To see the seven continents and the oceans of the world. I want to see monkeys and camels and tigers in the wild. 

I want to live life in every way you possibly can!

What I've come to realize, is that I can be all of these things. We can choose to be anyone, despite our core being. The difficulty becomes choosing which of these you want to be at what point of life. Once you have realized and challenged the fact that you can be anything at anytime- it takes a lot of work. I have decided to make the most important goals part of my life, and to not worry about the rest. I have explored this idea far further, and am once again learning to enjoy being content with the everyday. That is part of what makes it exciting you know

And as I mentioned before, understanding what and who that core being is, is what enables us to do so. Facing ourselves and excepting our strengths and weaknesses, but also challenging them to be better, to grow that core being.

In doing so you will free yourselves from the mundane world, and reach a higher consciousness. Often you will find people who fight against themselves, against their core being, and they will continue living their lives in unhappiness. 

Remember that I said that you could be anyone despite your core being? Well this is true, and often again it is what makes most people unhappy, but what you may be surprised about is that once you come to know your core being, you can become with it. This synchronization cannot be falsified, nor can it go against social laws. 

Once you've synchronized, you are able to challenge it and push it towards who you want to be. You don't have to change your core to be happy, but it is a portal where you can challenge the laws of life. 

Sydney, it was a place, a portal, nothing more. I was in a dark solitary that I was able escape from on sandy beaches and beautiful gardens. In the end though, I still returned to that dark reality each time I returned from my escape, and had to face myself in challenges unknown to me before. 

I make these sound like unusual tasks, but rather they are simple facts of life- particularly city life, that I was unwilling to except before. To be honest if I were to say what they were you may think no more of it, they are simply challenges anyone could face. What is more important was the process and what changed within me, not the vessel in which it occurred. 

In turn, this trip was a turning point in my life, a reality check actually, and a confirmation of my beliefs. I have discovered that, both in New Zealand and Spiritually, I have found peace and balance in my universe. 

Granted I understand that balance will continually shift, I have found that here in the Southern Hemisphere, I am learning to balance my spinning plates while moving. This phenomenon is incredible, and is the blissful feeling that I call life.

I have found my place in the world, for this exact moment. 

I often fear that I will loose that balance when I return home, but I think that it is like riding a bicycle. You don't forget, and if I need New Zealand for that balance, I know that I will return home again.

Olympic Park, Cacatoo Island,

The Blue Mountains Tour

Just horsin around on a mining cart!

The Three Sisters

Did you know The Three Sisters are 922, 918 & 906 metres tall, respectively. That's over 3000 feet above sea level!

The Legend

The Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe.

These beautiful young ladies had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.

The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a major tribal battle.

As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed. As only he could reverse the spell to  return the ladies to their former beauty, the sisters remain in their magnificent rock formation as a reminder of this battle for generations to come.

The crazy trolly that would take us back up the hill vertically- straight up the cliff WOW!

One of the many Beautiful waterfalls along a Blue Mountains Tramp.

A good meditation spot in the middle of Sydney. Trevor, I think I found your water fountain!

A creepy guy who wishes he were a Koala. I guess we all gotta have dreams.