I'm back

August has been a wonderful month for me. I took the first part of the month off to hang out with my best friend. Some of our adventures are documented here , here, here, here, here and here . I do not have any photo documentation of the gum boot adventure on our last day and words alone can not adquately describe it. All I can say is it involved paint, plastic creatures, ribbon, and quite a bit of super glue.

I also had several opportunities to hang out with friends of all heights:

I particularly enjoyed to talent show put on by 5 year olds E and D. The stage was the sofa, with a bit of a pit orchestra area to the left (aka the window seat). Tickets were created, distributed, and collected at the door. Ukaleles, pot lids, brio train straightaways (as drumsticks), and a little house that with 2 lights for effect created quite a show. The audience was small (2 parents and me) but well catered for. We each had atleast 2 seats to choose from. All hard seats were thoughtfully covered with a pillow.

Meanwhile my other youngish friends H and I are amazing me with their new violin skills. They are already learning to use fingers for notes, put their instruments away independently, and create sounds of their own.

And today on this drizzling overcast winter morning I started a new learning curve of my own.

....I rowed for the first time. I ventured down to the Petone Rowing club and they taught me the very basics of rowing on a machine (pull to bellybutton, lower hands, release hands in front, tilt from waist, go back in, repeat... something like, PULL, DOWN, OUT, TILT, GO FOWARD) and then put in me a 8 person boat. I sat in seat 4. I did the very best I could which felt great and tried very hard not to appologize too much.

We rowed from the foreshore to Somes Island (from the banks on the left to the island in the middle). I battled between my desire to focus only on what my body was doing and being in the moment experiencing the amazing view and calmness of the water. I think they got me suckered in. Tomorrow and Wed I'll be leaving work early (and getting in early) in order to train.

Laura - mini trains

On our way to Lake Ferry we passed through Featherston. What started as a toilet stop, turned into a train adventure. This sign should have been a clue...

.. but how were we to know that it meant "mini coal-steam trains ahead!"

We had a mini-derailment, luckily we were able to lift the train back on ourselves. We also checked the broiler.

The train tracks go betwen the park and the repair shop. The journey requires the mini trains to cross this road. The man (out of frame) was very serious about stopping traffic, which consisted solely of Laura and I, in a parked car, taking pictures... I suspect we couldn't have managed to drive their way if we tried.

laura - walking

Laura and I also got out for a few walks nearby Wellington.

We explored Pukarua Bay at the south end of the Kapiti coast. We mostly collected cool things in the sand.






We went to Lake Ferry on the south end of the North Island. It is a bit tucked away behind the rimataka mountains and the water a bit murky. Not as spectacular in the traditional sense, but remote and interesting.

It also had a view of the South Island mountains across the straight.
Nearby was the Pinnacles, although the trail was mostly washed out. We hiked about half way to the end of the passable trail.
Rivendell was shot on location in the Kaitoke Park about 30 minutes from our house. It takes a lot of imagination to see the connection between the film and this site, but it remains one of my favourite quick nature visits.
And like everything is better with your dearest friend beside you.

We also ventured out to Otaki Forks which is about 1.5 hours away on the north side of the Kapiti Coast. I found this part of the drive (the straight connection between the coast and the mountains) facinating. There are few straight roads here making it all the more striking.
The road narrows to a windy mostly gravel one. It is paved for a bit though to allow for a stream FORD!
Most of the area is regenerating scrub, but this little path hinted at what might await future generations.
We walked for a couple hours exploring the various paths.

The most exciting bit had to be the one person swing bridge.
Keep in mind that his is what we are walking on:
over this river

It was really cool to discover (and revisit) some of the nearish walks to our home. I still miss the Wilson River and the Tillamook forest, but it is so nice to have more walking near at hand than in previous years.

Laura's visit - misc adventures

Laura and I also had mini adventures of the everyday kind. We've been here so long now that many things no longer seem different, so Laura's fresh eyes (and desire to photograph all the signs) were a real treat.

I had completely forgotten how cool the money is here. It feels a bit like plastic (and washes much better than the greenback). The dollars are different colours and have these little see through bits.

They also are handy for going to the market. This is our new market only 10 minutes from our country cottage.


We also explored the nearby regional park, complete with a one person 'V' gate.
And lots and lots of bridges with chicken-wire traction.

We had some random girls get invited to our house (by our neighbors) to make American Biscuits. They insist that we made scones, but I maintain that scones are slightly different from biscuits.
I also took Laura to the Marauni Surf club for yummy food at the start and end of her trip. At the start we had time to sit and eat there.

If you look closely there is a small glass bowl. That is what a 'large' salad comes in. It does not look large. However when you pour it out onto your plate it is HUGE mountain of food. It completely made me rethink the volume of a bowl of cereal!

Laura's visit - animals

Laura and I also had some animal adventures.

I must say I've never seen kangaroos look so much like rats as when I glanced at this cropped photo!
The highlight for me was the giraffe talk. The zoo now has 3 giraffes and after the talk they let you feed them. You stand on a very high deck and the giraffes amble right up to you.

Their tongues are a bluish colour and you certainly must hang on tight so they can rip the leaves off of the tree steam in your hand.

I also made sure that Laura got to view some 'traditional' non native animals....


But don't worry she got to see a kiwi bird (at the zoo) albeit it briefly and then a flock of pukeko birds