Kia Ora from Auckland!
Greeted by blue skies from the City of Sails upon arrival into New Zealand,
we filled our first day wandering through Auckland City’s streets and
courtyards, and went for an afternoon swim in the refreshing Pacific
Ocean!!
After an introductory program briefing and picnic in a park overlooking the
city on day two, the group completed an ‘amazing race’-style scavenger hunt
learning local ‘kiwi’ lingo, sports trivia, New Zealand icons and more…
It is with rosy cheeks, shoulders, noses and scalps that we head North to
our first volunteer project in the Bay of Islands. In only two days
together we have discovered the harsh NZ sun, shared several group meals,
laughed out loud about lots of things and are already learning to speak
kiwi!!
For now, we are off to our island campground home… Will keep you posted
on our continued adventure when we make it back at the end of the week.
Cheers, Holly.

Has it already been two weeks? I cannot believe it has gone by so fast.
We have had some crazy adventures and totally fallen in love with the kind
people of this country. I have a feeling when my lovely Kiwi friends get
home they are going to miss the constant honking and the general madness.
New Zealand will seem so calm!
I want to thank each lovely individual who came to Vietnam and dared to try
new things in a culture so different from their own. It takes a tremendous
amount of courage to be a free spirit and I was amazed at each one of you.
You all displayed a level of maturity far beyond your years and I
appreciate all the smiles along our journey together. Shelley and Rebecca,
you have to be the coolest teachers around, I wish I could have been
influenced by people so incredibe when I was in high school.
Thank you for making my life even more beautiful. I love you all and hope
that beauty is always in your life.
Many thank and my best regards,
Hillary (your American friend!)

There have been so many experiences over the last week it is hard to decide
which ones are the best. Trekking in Sapa was choice, Mai and Su our
darling Hmong guides spoiled us with good foods and silly jokes. It was
lovely to interact with local people on a very personal level. We all got
to try to make spring rolls as well! None of us are anywhere near as good
as them, but we did a pretty fair job.
Next we cruised to Halong Bay, the bay of the decending dragons. Over one
thousand karst islands jut out from the sea to make this landscape truely
breathtaking. It was a bit cold but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Sea
kayaking into caves and around monkeys was an adventure heightened by the
fact it rained on us a bit. We also got to live on board a pirate ship,
lovely food was served and we all spent the day reading, playing cards, and
teaching Hillary some Kiwi slang.
The last few days have been spent adventuring around the thousand year old
city of Hanoi. Busy streets, museums, honking, textiles, jewelry, and
more. This city has it all and everything wants to be brough home.
Shopping has been a theme and I believe Christmas this year will have some
Asian flavor to it.
Off to Hue now, see you all down the road!
-Vietnam crew over and out

Our combined Nayland College and Nelson College for Girls group having a wonderful adventure exploring Vietnam. They’ve just been trekking in the mountainous northern region around Sapa, and now camping and kayaking in Halong Bay. A couple of pictures from their first day at the Temple of Literature follow…

Hello from the lovely island nation of Singapore. I have arrived back at
the urban hostel of Pillows and Toast with 19 Kiwis in tow! Everyone had a
good flight and is looking forward to heading to Vietnam tomorrow. I am
super excited to get to know everyone and show them one of my favorite
countries. We have a long day ahead of us so I will sign off for now. We
will let you know of our adventure as it unfolds.
Lets get ready to Pho!
- Hillary

A sunset picnic dinner at the Sydney Botanic Gardens – overlooking the
Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – had us sharing and talking and
laughing until the bats descended upon our grassy knoll and the cityscape
transformed into its nighttime glitter…
It has been a full-on two months. So much laughter and learning, giggling
and growing… so many sunsets and several sunrises… plenty of swims and
walks, sights and sounds… through mountains, beaches, lakes and
lagoons… to glaciers, sand dunes, forests and creeks…
Though we head off today in our separate directions – to home, onward
travel, school or work – we take with us endless memories from a shared
adventure and bonds to last a lifetime. It will feel strange and a bit
lonely for a while – without the constance of friendly faces at
breakfast, the out loud sing-a-longs in the van and the relaxed, fun
freedom of life on the road with this P. Disco family. But I know that I
will continue cracking up for a long time at all of our inside jokes and
trip quotes. Cheers to ALL OF YOU for an awesome journey together.
Over and out, Holly.

Here I sit writing notes and giggling to myself while looking at photos of
14 beautiful people. 14 incredible friends. We met a mere two months ago
but I feel as though I have known them my whole life. I keep thinking of
all the silly things that we did, the inside jokes, the crazy moments, and
I have to admit I am getting some odd looks from neighboring tables.
Apparently it is not very normal to see a lone girl overly caffeinated and
talking to herself while laughing so hard that coffee almost comes out her
nose.
I want to thank each person from my crew for being so willing to try new
things and to teach me so much every step of the way. I value all the
conversations that we shared and I cannot wait to hear new of new adventure
from you all. In this world through which we travel we are endlessly
creating ourselves and our experiences. Thanks for all the love and
support, miss you. Never forget that we are free to be joyous!
-Hillary

G’day from Australia!
From our own private campground on an island near the Great Barrier Reef,
to the stunning lakeshores and healing lagoons of Fraser Island, and now to
the sweeping sand and rolling surf of chilled out Byron Bay, we’ve been
hugging the coastline and gettin beachy as our Aussie journey continues
southward. In the words of a well-known Kiwi/Aussie comic whale, we are
“beached as!” (Okay, sorry.. that is a bit of an inside joke, but I
couldn’t resist)
With the open road and the sunshine as our travelling companions, we are
collecting sand in our luggage (and our ears, bellybuttons and swimsuits)
and getting used to a beach culture life. With only a week-and-a-half left
in our shared adventure, we are making the most of EVERYTHING- keen to
explore new places with new friends in all of our waking hours…
For now, the summer sun is calling, and I am heading out to make the most
of our time in relaxed, surfy Byron.
More from us as we head south to take on surfing!
Holly

We are all sitting in a gorgeous house on the beach of Railay in southern
Thailand. The mood is relaxed, tired, homey, and hungry. We have spent
the entire day diving and snorkeling around the islands of Phi Phi. We saw
hundreds of tropical fish, eels, corals, sea cucumbers, and one very cool
turtle. As I look around at my friends who are enjoying this quiet time;
some are reading, others have just cooked pasta, some are sleeping on
oversized cushions, and others are writing post cards home…I am amazed
that we began this adventure as strangers. Everything is so comfortable
and simple. Everyone is so close and the only thing breaking the silence
is our laughter at silly inside jokes and funny memories. Tomorrow we
spend the day celebrating our new friendships and getting ready for some
hard goodbyes. It is going to be a good day but an emotional one as well.
But for tonight I will simply enjoy my friends and this moment that we
have together. Love you all very much!
-Hillary

A few lovely pics of the group on their first morning exploring the temples…