Good on ya!

I thought "Good on ya'" was Australian, but I've heard at least 2 kiwis use it here in NZ, so I'm using it, too!

We're in Lake Taupo and Seujan is already entertaining the idea of retiring here...which I'm becoming more and more in favor of! We got here day before yesterday and have already been swimming, biking, and running...and...sampling!! I'm on a quest to sample many flavors of New Zealand beer and so far the project is going swimingly. Unfortunately, the one I like best so far, Tui, is so good that I may have trouble making the list much longer. But I'll persist...

Flying to NZ from LAX is a long and grueling 12+ hour affair, but somehow we managed to make it...plus the 3+ hour van ride to Lake Taupo after that...I proudly stayed awake until 7:30 p.m. the first night and went into an 11-hour coma until yesterday morning. It's going to take a few days to really recover, I think, especially since I was pretty exhausted before we even left Seattle. I was at the end of a cold when we left Seattle and the travel seems to have revived it...I'm feeling pretty dragged out and am coughing a lot. We went for a run this morning and it was really really hard...however the weather and scenery was spectacular. I figure if you have to be sick, this is the place to do it. Fortunately, I'm not racing on Saturday, so I can relax and train as much or as little as I want.

Our hotel is right across the street from Lake Taupo and in the middle of the Ironman swim course...yesterday, we woke up, walked across the street, and hopped right in...water was calm, fairly warm, and really pretty and clear. You can see the bottom even in deep water. Then yesterday afternoon, we biked about 32 miles of the Ironman course...during which time we experienced, sun, wind, and a few complete soaking downpours...but it ended sunny and we were dry at the end of the ride. Nice to get out in shorts and short sleeves and be plenty warm!

Tonight we're going to see Huka Falls, just out of town and watch the bungy jumpers...on Thursday, I'm going to "Rockin Ropes," a high ropes course that I've been totally psyched about for weeks. Seujan is going along and MIGHT do it, but I think I may be solo on the participation.

Anyway...we're loving it here! They stamped "3 month visitor pass" on my passport at the airport and I don't think it's really fair to tease a girl that way...sounds like a damn good idea to me!!

More reports to come as the week goes on...