Pie Overloard Sector Six

Howdy and hello. Hmm since the last little post a little bit has happened. Last weekend Jay and I took a lovely little trip to Kaikora, which is about 150k south of Picton on the glorious coastal highway. We really wanted to check out this area because we heard there was an abundance of marine life and surf. It was kinda a craptastic day, which we are kinda figuring out is common in the springtime here, but we departed anyways. On the way down we stopped in Ward to fuel up and get a meat pie. For those who don't know what a meat pie is, it is a little pastry filled with meat and cheese that is taking over our lives. They are amazing, we probably eat on average of 15 each a week. Its incredible they don't have them in the states. Further down on the coastal approaching two we were starting to pass some of the surf breaks including a 500m point break. Even in garbagy sloppy blown out conditions, it was producing a nice little, forever peeling, waist high wave. Pretty promising stuff.

We got to Kaikora, which is basically a peninsula jutting out into the sea (uplifted wave cut terrace if you wanna get technical), and headed towards the furthest point where we were greeted by seals. We did a little hike, which ended up going through a gull colony and more seals. Seals are really cool and adorable and such, but on the way back there was a lone seal on the track, that was getting kinda aggressive with us, so he had to climb as far up the cliff as we could to keep from getting mauled by a seal.

But yeah, it was a really refreshing to get out and travelling a bit again, we felt somewhat stagnet. The hike was great even though it was cold and windy, and we got the dibs on the local surf spots. Apparently the little bay thats only 20k from Picton called Robin Hood Bay, does get some pretty good surf, and were stoked about that.

On Monday nights we have made it a tradition to go to Shamus Pub, which is a little Irish Bar at the wharf in Picton. Its seriously freakin awesome, they have a irish fiddle jam session, and people show up all night with their instruments and join in. Last monday, I got to play a mandolin for a brief period of time and a shaker that somebody through to me across the bar. Sweet. There are also a variety of characters that frequent the pub. Probably our favorite is Jim. Jim is about 80 years in age, wears a handkerchief around his neck and looks like he is searching for gold. He is great, as a former surveyor, he loves talking to me about geology, as well as reading us poetry that his has written in his little black book of Jim thoughts.

Oh yeah big news! Curt has arrived safe and sound in Picton. We are very excited now to be a gang of three instead of a duo of two. Also with his arrival we can finally put finishing touches on our band. A few more band names have been thrown into the hat including Turd Johnsen and the Retards, as well as Single Steve and the Mixed Drinks. We are excited to make more music although we have been musically stagnant for the past week.

Work is going ok. My boss is kinda a condescending ass, but he really likes me and I’m starting to make some good money!

We have managed to create five paintings and paint them, below hopefully are some pictures of them that will shed light as to the meaning of our souls!

I miss you all, I have three days off this weekend so hopefully there will be some adventures to update soon. Much love.

Epic 1 (Sean coined this)

Epic 2

Kaikora

Art...and not the person haHA!

Epic 3

Home!

Life

Hello friends! It has been a little while since our last update and currently Jay and I have made great strides in becoming real people in NZ. We are currrently living in Picton and it looks like we probably will be for the next six months. I have have scored a job at a boat charter company called Compass Charters. Its a pretty sweet gig, I get to work on megayachts to which I will never be able to afford and get to work right on the water. I get a buck above minimum wage, which really isn't too bad at 13.50 an hour. Jay is starting a waitering job this week and the Corner Bistro, which also right on the water. Cool stuff, everybody wish him luck.

Hmm lets see...oh yeah, we have a house! Jay and I are renting a little bungalo thats only a 10 minute walk from town. It comes complete with shag carpet through out, and it looks like it was decorated by an older woman of sorts, maby even a grandmother! But me and jay are making it home, it has a really nice backyard and a sweet work shop and work area for projects. We have decided that we are going to decorate it with paintings that we paint, which might include such works of art as Dino Fighting Robot, which is my first piece I plan to create.

Life is good, I picked up a Mandolin to complement Jays guitar playing, and we have begun writing music again which is very refreshing. we hope to write and play some gigs soon, so Look for some neat tunes coming soon from the Rape House Family Band!

The Chitlin has been having a few problems, but nothing that can't be solved with a little love. She turned off the other day while I was driving to work which was neat, and then the same day the battery died, and we had to get a jump in the middle of a storm with gale force winds. Lets see, oh yeah and a big chunk fell off the inside of the car that came from under the steering column, hopefully that one can be fixed with duck tape!

We are really excited to be here, the town is seriously georgous, and we have good accesss to surf, hikes and bars. After living in a tent and a car for a month, it is really nice to have a place to go home to, and we get to shower and go to the bathroom indoors which is also a bonus!

In other news, I have decided to take it upon myself to build a kayak from wood, and am going to pick up supplies this week. I'm pretty sure this little project will push whatever crafting skills I have to the limit, but I guess I'll give it a shot> It would be really cool to get out onto the sounds and explore.

Anyways, I really miss everybody and home, and I am actually kinda bumbed that I am not going to get a fall which is my favorite season. I guess having two summers in a row isn't a bad compromise though! Keep in touch everybody, below are the long promised pictures with cheezy captions in really no particular order.

Oh yeah, I eat meat now.

What we do when there is gale force winds outside

Say no to duck rape

Ugly picture of picton

This is where we live!

Romantic walk in wellington

Twat a night!

Scrumptown USA

bah

Church on the East Cape

The tsunami madness

Waiting for the tsunami slash relishing the view

This has happened more than once

Lyndle and Strat the radist musicians we have met on our trip so far

Top of the ridge with Mish and Ben

Yeah! We woke up to this!

Jasonian 5

The never ending pursuit of unhappiness trying to catch a fish

Our tent got what was coming to it

Hello all! Sorry for the short update last time. I suppose I can elaborate a tid more. Last week/early this week we did one of the great walks around Lake Whaikaramoana. Besides being epically beautiful, i just really wanted to mention that we met some really great people on the trek. The first night we stayed in one of the huts on the tramp, which was basic but on top of the ridge overlooking the lake. Besides being with a hoard of cadets (boyscouts), we hung out with two kiwis Misha and Ben. These were two seriously rad dudes, who we ended up hiking with and sharing stories for the rest of the 5 day tramp. Misha is a PE teachers in a school bordering Auckland, and Ben is a radio journalist for Radio NZ. Besides being fun to hang out with they were extraordinarily generous.

As prepared as we were, we were definitely under prepared. We hitch hiked in to the trail head and were hoping to hitch hike out. We were hungry everyday and very cold. It was a good test run to know what not to do on some of the longer treks we want to do. Mish and Ben graciously agreed to drive an hour our of their way to come pick us up at the end of the trail, which seriously saved our butts as we were in the middle of no where. Not only that but they gave us a box of food that they had left from the tramp to take with us along our journey. We really can't thank them enough but hope that one day we will get to reciprocate their kindness and hang out with them again.

On our last night we also met a singer song writer couple from Australia, Lynda and Strat. Strat played the mandolin, and they shared songs with us as well as giving us mini mandolin lessons. Pretty cool. They were very nice and we hope to bump into them and play music with them again. The graciously offered there house to stay in if we were to ever visit Australia. The people we've met so far have been seriously great, it really makes your rethink how you treat others and want to be more welcome and open to people in general.

So yeah we are currently in Picton on the South Island. Its a very cool port town right off the Queen Charlotte sound. Its really gorgeous, think like Alaska or something, thats what it feels like to us. But yeah, we like it here and are trying to find jobs. I have an interview tomorrow at a boating charter company and Jay is getting alot of leads. It should work out. We have already checked out the surf spot, called Robin Hood bay, which would be where we would be surfing. Its super remote and tiny, and seriously stunning. I can't wait.

Unfortunately, our tent is not doing so hot. It got pretty destroyed last night in a windstorm, well its kinda shredded and the poles are bent and stuff. So yeah we are kinda homeless right now until we get this little fiasco sorted out, but we are living in the Chitlin which is really unbelieveibly great! Just a little more motivation to get jobs I guess. We've got to run the library is closing, but much love to all, pictures will be uploaded tomorrow and wish us luck...we need jobs!