Kerry from Derry

So time to leave New York and the Dallat cousins behind and go visit the other side in Minnesota.

13 years and a few grey hairs later back to stay with the lovely Clevelands - thanks again guys for putting me up and keeping me entertained! And have to say I´m liking the new house!

So what did I get up to then? Well let´s see....Sam brought me along to watch the mighty Wild (think I got that right - ice hockey to the uninitiated....), my first game and hopefully not the last - its so fast, but was disappointed no fisticuffs or handbags at ten paces - next time! Mary treated me to a day out which included lunch, the cinema and dinner at home with Sam Senior. Thanks Mary, I enjoyed it. Ann took me out into the country to visit her babies (that´s horses to the sane amongst us) and then on to the birthplace of waterskiing where we tried to spot some falcons (I think.....birds of prey anyway) but then turned around and went for a drink instead - my kinda girl! Kathy took me walking and generally chaffeured me around to get a few little essentials for South America...and then with John we had a private viewing of a little art gallery and then went on to see the Bodyworks exhibition - you know the one with the dead people, had wanted to see it when I was in London but hadn´t got around to it so to see it there was great. If it comes to a city near you suggest you go and see it......its pretty fascinating the way our bodies work.

At the weekend the younger Clevelands came back from college for a quick visit - hit the pub on Friday night with Sam and Tony and proceeded to get my ass kicked on the Deerhunter game, I kept shooting the lady deer.....oops! On Saturday went out on the lake and attempted to go sailing but the wind didn´t want to co-operate so back in again and stuffed our faces with the food Kathy had got that morning for more visiting cousins - The Diamonds. So they came round in the afternoon and was good to meet the new additions! Saturday night involved crashing out, alternatively napping and watching films and Sunday after a spin around the lake on the speedboat went with Sam to drop Jenny back to college and have a go at frisbee golf which I have to say I was pretty rubbish at....but good fun all the same! Then we hightailed it back to meet John, Kathy, Sam and Mary for dinner - very nice it was too! Ummmmmmm steak, just can´t get enough of the stuff.

So in a nutshell that was my visit to Minnesota - had a great time! Thanks for the hospitality and for the camera - it has been used and I´ll send you the proof when I get round to downloading my pictures.

Ah the city that never sleeps.....at least not for very long over the next 5 days anyway! As my cousin Ronan put it ´an endurance test´!

The main event for this trip was to be Shelly´s wedding - another one who´s gone and got all grown up! I tell you - I´m starting to get an immaturity complex here.....

So arrive at the airport after another tense journey - getting upgraded is very stressful (although to be fair it was the least I deserved after the security nazis at the airport, just because I didn´t have a return flight to the UK I was forced to go and collect my bags in London then hike it around to Terminal 4 and check in again - all the time hoping I wasn´t going to miss my flight. What the hell difference does it make if I don´t have a return flight - either the contents of my bag pose a risk or they don´t!). But the upgrade was a nice little extra I have to say - may there be many more to come!

Anyway moan over....got met of the plane by Shelly, Ciaran and Sue, I like this personal service - could get used to it! Thanks again guys x Quickly dumped the bags and hit the pub where the party had started long before I got there - time to find my father and play catch up....and catch up I did! Good seeing all the rellies and meeting the once removed in-laws and other reprobates.

Anyway next day feeling a touch jaded (was from the flight of course - nothing to do with the beer.....) a few of us headed into the city and proceeded to walk our little legs off taking in the sights and sounds of New York. I´ve been there a few times before but I still love this city - its like a big living throbbing (easy!) machine - it has an energy all of its own that is uniquely New York. This time of course there was something missing - the WTC. Ground Zero is a pretty sombre place, only by actually seeing the big empty space can you appreciate how horrifying it must have been some 5 years ago.

So moving on from the morbid the next day was D-Day (queue peeling bells or should that be horror film music.....just kidding Shelly....or am I?!?) Unfortunately the weather didn´t keep up its end of the bargain and decided to rain all day but have to say it didn´t put a dampener on the wedding at all. Who can complain when you get picked up in a limo, get driven to the church door and then get picked up after the service and get delivered to the reception???? And speaking of the service and the reception both were great. A special mention has to go to the organ player......just in case anyone was thinking of dropping of during the service he made sure they didn´t by regularly blasting our eardrums with his pipes!

Now the reception....this place is so well set up its incredible - how much food???? And delicious it was too. Especially liked the dry ice, loud music entrance for the wedding party - you all looked great! I think it can be safely said that a good time was had by all. Thanks again for the invite!

Saturday evening a large group of us went on an evening dinner cruise around the city - this is definitely a great way to see the lights of Manhatten, don´t know about anyone else but I much prefer cities by night - they look so much better! The trip took us from Long Island all the way into Lady Liberty and then back out - a great way to spend a few hours. Again thanks to the cus for organising.

Sunday - well the All Ireland Final was on so what´s a group of 60 odd hungover people supposed to do the next morning? Get up at the ungodly hour of 8.00 and head to the pub of course and stay there until mid-afternoon naturally!

So that was my trip to NY - thoroughly good time had by all. Thanks to Tommy for forking out for the hotel xx

So after a few days of non stop socialising in London it was time to go back home and get some well earned rest (and do some washing.....once a student always a student) - Aghadowey here I come!

Arrived home around midday and was picked up by big bro Barry and now not so little godson Daniel - amazing how quick they grow up, he´d turned into a right little wee man. So after being taxied home I installed myself on the sofa and didn´t move too much for the rest of the day apart from the hellos to the parents of course. An early night was called for and that´s exactly what happened - sleeeeeeepppppp glorious sleeeeeeeepppppp, aah happy as a pig in shi*!

The next few days were again a whirlwind of socialising and catching up with the buds as well as some essential shopping and an attempt at trying to find a way to make more room in my backpack and less weight - ah the eternal struggle of the backpacker.....a struggle I´m still working on.

Of course the main event was the mothership´s 50th. Arn´t I a nice daughter eh? Travelling halfway around the world just to say Happy Birthday.....I tell you I should be sainted!

Anyway hello to all - again was great to catch up and feel free to come join me at any time, if you can pin me down that is! Gab - cheers for the sofa yet again and tell your ma I said thanks for the dinner invite. Dominic - cheers for coming up from Dublin, good seeing ya - hope the studying is going well....

So time to leave again - destination this time New York.....

Just a quick one here!

After the journey from hell (Auckland to Sydney, Sydney to Singapore & Singapore to London) and nearly 42 hours later I arrived in London Heathrow at 6.30 in the morning, too zombified to get the Tube into town and back out to Enfield I caught a taxi instead and was a delightful surprise to Kate who was still in bed! Sorry luv!

The next few days were a whirlwind of catching up with old work mates and of course the buddies so hello to:

Kate, Missy, Andi, Annie, Nic, Lena, Carolyn, Debs & Luke, Paula & Daniel (honestly you go away for a year and they start popping out the babies!), Carol, Linds, Jackie, Dave, Richard, Paul, Steve and the rest. Was good catching up with you all - apologies if I was a little zoned out at times......the jet lag was a killer this time! And thanks to the girls for taking time of work, was great spending some QT with ya all xx

So I´ll be seeing you again in a couple of years unless you get off your asses and come visit......

Last time I left you in Fiji and now some 3 and a half months later I´m in Argentina and have finally found the right frame of mind to sit down and finish my tales of New Zealand.

Well after the delicious warm buttery sun of Fiji it was time to return to the cold and rain of Auckland and sure enough when I returned it was bloody freezing and raining cats and dogs. Although I did meet a very nice gentleman on the plane from South Africa who very kindly gave me a lift home and didn´t attempt to molest me in any way.

July and August went by in a whirl of socialising and of course the obligatory boring world of work.....although if I´m honest it wasn´t exactly taxing the old brain power. Basically sat in an office for 6/7 hours a day, working for maybe 2 of those and reading the paper from cover to cover the rest of the time......and still got paid more than the majority of my mates! Challenging eh?

Anyway enough of that - what else did I get up to? Well the joy of having a friend with a car is that its pretty easy to get out of the city and explore the surrounding areas. Auckland city itself may not have a hell of a lot to occupy yourself with but just outside there is absolutley loads to do if you´re any kind of beach/nature fan at all. Loads of surf beachs and walking trails - particularly in the Waitangi ranges. In winter it can be pretty wet and windy but that just gives you a totally different perspective on the beauty of nature. Pounding seas, whipping winds and driving rain - Mother Earth at her wildest best. Best beaches in my opinion are Kare Kare and Murawai, Piha whilst most famous doesn´t have the same kind of wild appeal although it supposedly offers some of best surfing in New Zealand. So thank you Ginny for being taxi driver extraordinare!

On the socialising front I had a blast! Just a small mention of some of the people I met although the rest of you won´t know them! Ginny, Louise, Brian, Jay, Kate, Ian, Karen, Pete, Glen, Tinnis, Lisa, Nads and the rest of you.....cheers!

With 2 weeks left before I headed back to the sunny climes of London town and the greenery of home I decided it was time to check out the rest of the country once again. So rucksack packed once again I hopped on the bus with my pal Nads and set off around the North Island taking in Hahei and Cathedral Cove, Rotorua, Taipo, the magnificent Raglan and finally Wellington.

Now then Raglan......if you´ve ever wondered what it would feel like inside a washing machine here´s a place to come and find out! So there we were in the middle of the winter (although it was a bright sunny day) with a bit of time on our hands and wondering what to do to occupy ourselves....... I know...let´s put on some wetsuits, grab a couple of bodyboards and hit the surf! So in all our wisdom thats what we did.....it all started off great, we managed to catch one huge wave together and ride it all the way to shore; adrenaline pumping - of course it was back for more so out we paddled and then we waited and waited and then we waited some more until Nads saw a wave and caught it leaving me to wait for just a bit longer! Then things started to get a little dicey......I tried and tried to get back to shore but the current was dragging me further and further away (what´s commonly known as a rip-tide) and making me a little worried. But perserverance won through and after catching a couple of waves and paddling my little heart out (and losing a fin in the process slicing my toes to pieces) I finally made it back in some 45 minutes later and collapsed on the beach. Then thinking about what had just happened once again felt the power of good old Mother Nature - honestly the waves were coming from all directions, over the top, from the side, at all wierd and wonderful angles....I´ve never experienced anything like it before and am not in a real rush to do so again......unless there are a few lifeguards around to keep an eye on me. I´m alive, I´m alive!

After that scary but exhilarating experience we moved on to Rotorua where the town was painted red and then for good measure given another coat! Nads - you´re a legend! Been to Gisborne yet?

Moving on swiftly.....after the whirldwind tour of the North I flew down to Christchurch for a week where I hung out with Mike, a Kiwi fella I met on my first day in NZ. He very kindly put me up and played tour guide for nearly a week. On one particularly memorable day we hopped in the car and drove down one of the top 10 scenic drives in the world - Arthurs Pass´ before ending up in Greymouth for a spot of golf or at least what was an attempt at it, glad to report it was only at the driving range or we may have ended up being there for a very long time! Anyway long story short had a great time in the South before flying back up to Auckland to begin the arduous journey back to London to start the next leg of my round the world trip.

Last thoughts on New Zealand......for the time being anyway. You´d be a fool to pass up on the chance to go! It is a stunningly beautiful country with open mouth views around every corner, people as friendly as you´d ever hope to meet and they have really figured out the work/play balance.....in other words having a life is more important than spending too many hours at work. Oh - did I mention the boys? No? Ah well you can work that one out for yourselves!