If it is January, we must be in New Zealand.
We were glad to leave the snow behind in BC and head to summer in New Zealand, but the first week's weather has been very changeable. Wellington seemed to be hit with another tropical storm every second day, with very strong wind gusts (up to 120 Km per hour), and lots of rain.
But we packed a lot of visiting into the week, seeing my sisters, my nephew and his family, 3 groups of cousins, and friends from both New Zealand and Canada, enjoyed several cafe visits for a latte and date scone, and fit in a few small repair jobs for my sister, Margaret.
We arrived on Saturday and our first weekend was a holiday weekend, celebrating the Wellington province anniversary, a celebration that may have meant something a century ago, but is now just a day off work. But that extra day off gave us the opportunity to see relatives who would otherwise have been working. On Tuesday we stayed close to home as Margaret was babysitting her granddaughter, so it was Wednesday before we ventured out on our own, with a trip into Wellington on the train.
Our friends, Ralph and Isobel from Qualicum Beach were on a cruise ship which stopped in Wellington on Wednesday, and we had arranged to meet up with them for a walk and a coffee. As we headed up Featherston Street from the railway station, I couldn't help but notice the 14 men patching a piece of road, with only one of them actually doing any work. I guess that is one way to ensure low unemployment!
 |
| Road Repairs with Parliament Building in the Background |
As we headed across Lambton Quay towards our rendezvous point, we could barely stand up against the wind and it began to rain. By the time we met Ralph and Isobel, the rain was torrential and we decided to skip the walk and just head for coffee. Even staying among the buildings as long as possible, we were battered and drenched by the time we reached the cafe on the waterfront. We enjoyed a quiet coffee, before leaving Ralph and Isobel in the safety of Te Papa, to take in the Gallipoli exhibit.
 |
| Marlene and Isobel at Poneke Cafe |
Wanting to stay out of the weather, Marlene did a little shopping while I visited the New Zealand Archives and then we met for lunch at the cafe at the National Library, where Marlene had her "best vege wrap ever", a solid recommendation indeed.
The Kaikoura earthquake in November 2016 was widely felt in Wellington and several high-rise buildings are in the process of being demolished, due to earthquake damage. My Nephew and his family had to go to high ground in the middle of the night as they are only a few metres above sea level, and they also had to vacate their work buildings for several weeks. Everybody that we discussed the earthquake with in Wellington, indicated that it was the worst that they had ever felt, so we are thankful that there have not been any aftershocks during our visit.
 |
| Earthquake Poster |
We did a day to trip to Featherston on Thursday, to scope out a series of "small" jobs for my other sister, Tricia. Now that I understand the requirements, and armed with measurements, I have to come up with a list of required materials, so that Tricia can procure them before our next visit, later in the trip. It is looking like a long day's work.
On Saturday morning we headed North to Feilding, to visit our farming friends for two days....finally away from the gales and rain. With a few consecutive days without rain, everybody in the vicinity was cutting and baling hay. I learned a lot about square and round balers, and even got to assist with repairs to a baler. The downside of hanging out in a field of hay all day was the return of my childhood hay fever, which always kicked in once I left the offending field. But, one night's misery is a small price to pay for a great few days in the country.
 |
| Our Farmstay Location |
Now we are in Napier, where we will stay for 3 weeks. The next 3 days are forecast to be 29-31 degrees, so weather-wise it is a bit of a shock. Our accommodations are very good - a self-contained flat on the rear of an older house. We have lots of space, and are closer to town than on our last visit to Napier, so all is looking good.
