Black Sand Beach

                About 3 weeks ago (two days after I got to the farm) Perry, my host, got in a car accident when he fell asleep at the wheel. Don’t worry, he was fine, but his car was not. The insurance agency decided to write it off because he got water damage when he rammed it into a ditch.

                What that meant was that they needed a new car! The new car the found was in New Plymouth. That meant that we had to go on a road trip to get it! It felt a little like we were their children…

                Anyway, along the way I convinced them to stop at a black sand beach.

It surprisingly dense. I learned it is really iron rich which makes it heavy.

Not stage I promise.

Pondering something profound...

Perry, Jenny, Matt, Ben

Rabbit Pie

                I can announce that I have been able to check something off my bucket list: Eat and animal I killed. I convinced Perry to take me out hunting on his farm for rabbit and other small game.  He happily agreed. So, one night close to dusk we headed out onto the farm. We would drive along the road till we saw a rabbit or hare then stop and I would aim for the kill. I would aim using a .22 caliber rifle with a legit scope. I felt like one of those guys in the army movies ya know? Like the guy in the church tower is Saving Private Ryan. Except my prey was rabbits not Nazis…

                After about ten minutes of driving we saw a rabbit, I got out, and shot it! FIRST SHOT. We looked for more but I didn’t hit any cause I was going for a head shot…

Step one: Kill the Rabbit

Step Two: Skin it, cut off the head and feet.

Step 3-200: EAT THE DELICIOUS PIE (Meat pies are a popular New Zealand thing)

Ben’s  Easy Gap Year Guide for Translation Between American and New Zealand English

All the following words have been translated after a confused ten seconds between me and another New Zealander trying to find out what the heck the other meant. Some are sayings some are just words or common vernacular. Copy Right 2011, not really.

Flog – Steal.

Flat- dead (as in a battery)

Brilliant – Great!

Good on You! – Good for you/good job

Billy – Kettle

Cheers – Thanks

Cues – Lines (like single file lines)

Tea – Dinner

Smoko – Midafternoon break

Jersey – Sweater

Window Eggs – Eggs in a basket

Porrage – Oatmeal

Hire a car – rent a car

Chips – French Fries

Boot – Trunk

You wouldn’t read about it! – You wouldn’t believe it

Nacked – Tired

Shacked up – Moved in together

DIC (Driving in Charge) – DWI

Eftpos- Debit/Credit card thing

          * They pronounce the letter Z, Zed, not zee. Go figure.

I hope you liked this post. It’s being posted in the basement of a Hostel in Nelson. On a side note I was talking to two girls at this hostel (you know working my gameee) and one left to go smoke and as SOON as she left the other started to vent all over the place. Kinda threw me for a loop not gonna lie… ANYWAY, feel free to comment everyone! I only get comments from my family, and I know more than them read this. Gimme some feedback!