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After a little internal debate, I decided to forget the buses, and rent a car. I was fully expecting to have a manual, and was kind of looking forward to learning to shift on the left. However, an automatic it is; I just have to remember to keep left. There is even a little sticker on the dash to remind me 😊 The two times I have to remind myself is when I am making a right-hand turn, and when I use the indicator lights. About half the time, I end up hitting the windshielf wipers instead of the turn signal. The first time I did that, I was a bit startled. Just imagine you think the light will start to go, and the windshielf wipers start going full force.
Timaru was a lovely stop for a couple of days. I had some nice walks, and my hosts there liked games in the evening. Rummikub is a new favorite. As I left there yesterday morning, I was graced with several rainbows on my way to Dunedin, including a full one. So far, I have found it is really easy to get around New Zealand. For the most part there are two main ways to get from place to place. Sometimes, especially in the winter, you just can't get to where you want to go due to snow. If the pass is closed, you're not going any long distance.
I ventured out to the Otago Peninsula today, just outside of Dunedin. Dunedin is on the southeast side on the South Island. The road out to the peninsula is flat, but full of curves (Dad would have loved it). It is a great, fun road, but it is also directly next to the ocean. I wouldn't head out that way if there was a chance of frost. One patch of black ice, and you'd be in the drink. There are loads of animals to see out on the peninsula. Albatrosses like to nest out there, so I was able to see three chicks today. Albatross chicks are anything but tiny. They just hang out and let mom and dad go out to sea to bring them their meals. We saw some adults as well; they are so graceful in the air, and rarely flap their wings. They just ride on the wind. I also saw a good number of yellow-eyed penguins, and a fur seal. The penguins are interesting looking creatures; it's like they have a yellow mask around their eyes. They also go out during the day to feed, and return at dusk. We lucked out today because there were a few couples that decided to take a rest for the day and were at their nesting areas. We also saw a few come in from the ocean, and then waddle up the beach and through the brush. They can be noisy little guys when they cry out to each other. It was a rainy, windy day. Fortunately, I brought enough layers to deal with the bad weather. It looks to be rainy for a day or so more. Hopefully, it will clear up soon.
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Wendy
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Round-abouts
Hey Marina! Are their round-abouts there? And how cold is it? Are you going to partake in any extreme sports in Kiwi-land? :). Wendy