Blogs from Nelson, Nelson Region, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 27

17.11.05 Got up and went back into town to try and spend some money, as had no luck yet. Got some bottoms then went for our ferry to the south island. Mel was worried as we had been told it was a very rough crossing. It was very calm. It took us through the Marlborough Sounds which were pretty. It took us 3 hours 20. Arrived in Picton and I (me not Andy) went to get my hair trimmed. Then got settled into our site. 18.11.05 Woke up to Andy singing happy birthday, got my card and pressie (wallet) from Andy. Drove the 2 hours to Nelson along the coast of the Marlborough sounds, stopping frequently to admire and take photos of the beautiful bays and landscape. Arrived in Nelson and had a walk around town ... read more

Spent the day preparing for a 3 day tramp, (NZ term for a walk/hike), and kayak trip through the Abel Tasman National Park. We've not really got all the gear to camp, and have ended up packing 6/7 tin cans of food each, (braised beef and onions, spagetti, rice pudding, etc), which has meant our packs are ridiculously heavy and we'll look like complete novice campers, but it made us laugh and we don't really have much choice since we wont be able to buy food on the way. Should be fun tho. Took the girls in our apartment out to the local firework display which was pretty cool, although it took some effort to explain the history of it all, especially as they were Yanks.... read more

The last few days have been a little more laid back. No more jumping out of planes as of yet. I spent most of Wednesday on the bus travelling to Wellington and didn't arrive there until about 4:30. Wellington reminded me alot of a small version of San Francisco-cable car and all. I even got harrassed by a homeless man. Ahhh- felt like I was back in the States. I toured around Te Papa- the free museum in the city. Everyone raved about this museum so I thought I'd go have a look. Warning- redneck statement ahead: I am beginning to realize I am just not much of a musuem person. I appreciate the wealth of information about how a sheep becomes a sweater, but lord almighty mostly everything I looked at in that place put ... read more

Hello again! We've had a fantastic week since the last blog and have added another 1000k and a lot of mud onto the car... We left Kaikoura last Sunday and drove through fog and drizzle into the hills to Hanmer Springs. Hanmer is another of the places in NZ where there is a 'hot spot' below ground and they have hot springs that rise to the surface - hence Hanmer has grown as a thermal resort. It's a gorgeous wee Apline village - we were planning on staying one night but liked it so much we stayed two. The hostel in Hanmer was lovely, very friendly and with excellent staff, which is always a bonus. Our first afternoon was spent strolling in the Hanmer forest (more gorgeous autumn colours!), and in the evening we took advantage ... read more

Hello friends and family. I'm sure about now some of you are experiencing lovely spring weather and flora. One friend in Japan just wrote and told me the recently ending Cherry Blossom Season was more spectacular than expected. Aahh, cherry blossoms. I have fond memories of the seasons I spent in DC admiring those lovely buds! As for me, fall is everywhere. The colors of the autumn leaves are stunning but fleeting for those south-westernly winds can be brutal. And just moments ago, there was hail outside. Not too much exciting going on these days. I am diligently working away at my temporary payroll duties. I am continuously "finishing" and then scurrying around the office to see if anyone has anything else for me to do. So I've accomplished a series of inconsequential filing projects that ... read more