The Birds !

Amy : Well we’re back again online. Got the internet installed on Friday and have been catching up on all our emails and webcam sessions.

We’re still enjoying our new life in Wellington. I must admit I’ve found it hard working after a few months. I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard. The weird thing is that even though I am working 10hrs a day at times, I’m loving it. May have something to do with working in a posh Exhibition Centre of new build apartments. It’s like my very own Barbie House. Plus I get to spend lots of money that’s not mine!!

We’ve not really been up to too much since we’re arrived in Wellie. It seems to be more work and less play at the moment. I think the fact that it took us two weeks to find an apartment to rent out tired us out quite a bit. Plus we’ve made friends with a British couple, Mark and Rachel and they’ve led us astray and we end up spending a few nights a week touring Wellie’s pub scene. Apparently we’re going to Pub Quiz’s but haven’t participated in many yet.

Talking of pub scene, we went to a Madchester night on Friday night. We didn’t realise that pubs/clubs in NZ dont get going till 11pm at the earliest and Stu and I had peaked well before then. We got quite homesick at the night out as all the music reminded us of all you lot and our various nights out in Edinburgh, Annan and Carlisle. On a good note, the clubs in NZ are clean. We couldn’t believe it that we were at an Indie Music night and the club was spotless, it was very like the Opal Lounge in Edinburgh nice and clean and candlelit. Our feet didn’t even stick to the dance floor – what’s that all about?

Yesterday we did go a nice drive along Wellington’s coastline and visited places like Miramar, Island Bay and other small towns. They are all very picturesque and some resemble old fishing villages. We took a pit stop just outside Miramar and sat watching the Interislander Ferry coming in from the South Island. As we were doing that Stu, being Stu decided he was going to cross some rock pools and take photos of Oyster Catcher babies (little furry birds). We’ll he got half way up the rock face that they were on top of and got dive bombed not once, not twice but three times by the Mum and Dad. It was hysterical, I’ve never seen so much fear come across a grown mans face. Stu will tell you that he was ’savagly’ attacked but he wasn’t it was a mere dive bomb and miss! As he fell down the rockface he did spot a Stingray which was awesome. We couldn’t get the camera out in time but to see a ray in the Wild was amazing. A photo of the Oystercatchers protecting their nest is attached below.

Last night we went to see our first ever New Zealand gig. We went to see a band called Evermore play. Was a good wee gig although Stu was amazed at how polite the crowd was. Guess we’ve just got used to the usual punch-ups breaking out at the Scottish gigs !

Anyway next weekend we’re off to a canyon about two hours away to do a 1km flying fox so the adventures will begin again.