The past couple of weeks have been alternately dogged by bad weather and blessed by the occasional gorgeous day. Even the locals tell us February and March have been "disappointing".
I won't bore people with job hunting stories. Enough of that when we finally settle down (in about a week!) In the meantime, we've been mostly camping while we job hunt, interspersed with a few days staying in "cabins" when it's got too cold or wet to camp, a visit to Anna in Napier (from Greville Smyth tennis club in Bristol) and a couple of days in a nature reserve. We are currently staying in a homestay in Wainuiomata near Wellington (I've just been interrupted to be asked by the 9 year old son if I'm having dinner with the family).
This is the family's house in Wainuiomata, 10 acres backed by native bush about 5km from the nearest shops. Were staying in the "sleepout" which is a separate dwelling and chopping wood and painting for our keep.
Bushy Park near Wanganui. This is the predator proof fence around the park, to keep out possums, cats, deer, stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats, hedgehogs, pigs - basically anything introduced by humans. Inside is a wildlife sanctuary where we spotted North Island Saddleback and some very tame robins who nearly ate out of my hand. We went up to the Park to stay for a weekend away and get a break from camping.
Rob, Chanel, Jessica (5 days old) and me. Old friends from Bristol days who're settled in Wellington now.
A beautiful day in Wellington. This is the view from the Colonial Knob viewpoint where you can also see the South Island as far south as the Kaikoura Ranges. We puffed our way up the steep path having to rest half way only to be overtaken by super fit people running up it!
Steve pinhead (tee hee) or the view from his feet
The Greville Smyth Reunion wine tour! Or Anna takes us around Hawke's Bay wineries. We swallowed, she spat. Needless to say we were very drunk by the end of the day.
It was so cold one night in the "cabin" on the campsite that Steve had to sit in a sleeping bag. A couple of nights later we woke to the sound of sirens. A guy living on site permanently had died overnight in one of these cabins - he was 61 with diabetes and a heart condition. A bit of a shocker first thing in the morning...
The world famous Weta Cave in Wellington (visitor centre for Weta Workshop, who did the special effects for Lord of the Rings). Inside are lots of cool models, film clips etc. from Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Narnia and other films. We both decided in an alternative life, we'd work at Weta.
Looking for pipis (native New Zealand shellfish found living under the sand) on Hokio Beach on a rare sunny day north of Wellington. Didn't find many, but then again I didn't know where to look!
Literary humour - this sign was in the Wellington Central Library. If you can't read the second bit of graffiti, it reads: "protego!"
No comments:
Post a Comment