give me the yellow brick road & a japanese car

for spring break, we stumbled into paradise (complete with lambies and seal pups). a group of us traveled north to sunny skies, turquoise waters and golden sands for a five day vacation from vacation. we based out of Takaka, a region known for its infestation of the "woodstock children" of nz, its beauty and its mellowtude. our first day was a treck through grassy knols to wharariki beach, undoubtedly one of the most magnificent chunks of land i've ever tromped around on. frolicking sheep babies showed us the way wide white duney beaches with giant rock arches and caves pushing out of turquoise waters. i could think of no better place for coming out of hibernation. we frisbeed, rolled down dunes, poked a dead penguin and watched baby fur seals surfin around and had a pretty jovial time all around. i believe the woodstock children are onto something.
at sunset we slunk back into town, and witnessed small town new zealand in its off season, where shop and hostel owners alike show up when they please and never really feel up to accommodation. it was nice not being treated like a tourist for once, and we were able to cheerfully blend into our surroundings over some tasty-as lates and falafel.

the next day we rose early and poked around the neighboring town of pohara, loping from day track to day track. the earth smelled great and we shed the last bits of our cocooons. we skirted around great mossy cliffs and ancient collapsing tree matter and stumbled upon a tiny beach near the abel tasman national park which provided us with gold sands, low tide seals and a perfect sunset. we swam and forgot ourselves and got to know some sea life. it was great.

finally, i decided i wanted to try my hand at the abel tasman track again so the last day we set out to complete the last leg, the leg that I had been thwarted by so cruelly in my first attempt months before. the weather was perfect this time, and the views unreal. Only a four-hour climb, we were able to take our time, plunge into the icy surf and climb around on the absurd rock formations peppering the shore. my toes in warm sand, a sand dollar in my hand and i know how lucky i am to be here.that's all from me for now, i'm back in chchch for the last part of my break, and then half a semester to go until farewells. time is strange. "get back home" he says. "just before the fade", he says it.

LOVE.