16 March catch-up

Last Friday - 7 March - I had free time before returning for Wellington, so Dick and I took a guided kayak tour in Cable Bay. It was beautiful, with towering cliffs, large rocks with seals, blue penguins fishing in the water, and plenty of cormorants. I only wish I'd brought insect repellent, as our 30 minute rest on a beach left me covered with sand flea bites, and they are as bad as fire ant bites for me.

On the weekend, Kat and I went to ride horses in Tawa with the daughter of a former NZ fellowship awardee (Dick and Bryan came, too). We had a great time. I even jumped again!

Sunday we went to the Botanic Gardens and took some great photos. In the evening, we went to see "Beyond," a cirque-like production that is part of the Wellington International Festival. We all enjoyed it.

Kat and Bryan went north for three days in their second week and enjoyed Hobbiton and Rotorua. On Thursday, Mom and Brendan arrived, and we had a fun reunion. That evening, we had my friend and MBIE mentor, Judi Altankaya, over to dinner.

The kids left early Friday morning. Later, Mom and I went to Petone to do some shopping, and Dick and Bren did some city walking. On Saturday, Bren and I ended up walking 16K through suburbs and up on part of a Welly Walk and the 536 metre Wright Hill (gorgeous view and far higher than Mt Vic).

Local fair in Kelburn

The path to a birdsong symphony!

Note the switchback

Bird watching

Note the upward path in the middle - top of Wright's Hill, where we went

View from the top

The weekend promised a cyclone. Fortunately, that was greatly downgraded, but on Sunday we did a marathon Game of Thrones viewing as the weather went from partly sunny to showers to sun to blustery ind and rain.