I made it...

Left alone the women display a fierce, almost frightening power. They hit each other's bottoms, pinch each other's breasts, and dance for each other, arms flailing like snakes, hips like Arab belly dancers. Little girls dance as though they were born to seduce and wriggle across the floor with challenging looks and raised eyebrows. Even the old grannies test the water, but give up halfway, before the dance is over. The old magic is still there but they haven't got the stamina to see the dance out.
- The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone had an awesome time and that the year ahead is full of promise. Mine was spent having the time of my life down in Gisborne at the Rhythm & Vines music festival. Seriously, best new years ever with some of the most awesome people in the whole world. It's been a pretty rough year but I've made it through and found my feet. This year is going to be my year!

I've got a heap of photos and stories from Christmas and all that (although I forgot to take my camera to Gisborne so will have to grab the photos off my flatmates) but that will wait. Right now I'm up north house-sitting at my mates' farm. It's like a little slice of paradise.


I arrived late this morning and after lunch (how can you not love that view?)...


...I went for a cruise round their own personal mountain bike park! Yep, the property is pretty big and has an expansive, steep patch of (mostly) pine forest filled with mountain bike tracks. It's even been mapped (we use their property a bit for mountain bike orienteering).





After the ride it was time for a dip in the pool and a bit of a nap. Their cats seemed to think that was a good idea too...here's one of them lazing around in the study!


Then in the evening it was time to whip up some dinner. Feeling a bit tired (I think I'm still in recovery from the rather epic new years and an equally epic drive back yesterday afternoon) I didn't really have the energy for anything too exciting.


Tofu sausage stir-fry with ice-cold beer. Simple but perfect.