Wellington Action

We have been made very welcome by Jo our neighbour for 30 years in Pine Walk and her family,- Nick, wife Jessica, son Fraser 10, daughter Bronny 8, twins Elspeth and Larna 6. Jo 80+ emigrated here three years ago to be near her son and his family. So far all our activities have been with them.

What do you do with a bunch of children when its too windy to sail Opis? You tie an Opi to a bouy and make them swim to it, untie it and bring it back!

Wellington is a clean and compact city. The national museum Te Papa is brilliant. It contains a mixture of natutal history, science and Dysney. The children love it and you could spend a week in it and still not see evrything. We saw a giant pickled squid, 4m long, a 3D film of life in the depths of the sea, we survived an earthquake in a wooden shack and we investigated the internation date line, which is not so far from here.

Then it was on to Laser Force. You get equiped with a harness and laser gun. Then enter a darkened maze and the idea is to shoot as many of the enemy as possible. My team was beaten by Frasers, but I got the highest score - thru being devious - he he he.

Friday Nick invited me to join the team of a racing yacht for the Wellington Friday night challenge. Really good fun in wind F2 to F6 around the enormous harbour. Sadly, the skipper wrapped it around a rather large iron navigation mark and we had to retire!

It was a beach day yesterday, went kayaking, swimming and finished with a BBQ at Nicks place with whole family and two cats.

I will try to upload more photos when at a PC with a broadband connection.

Bye for now.

Wellington at last.

Here we are in Wellington. The flight London to LA was uneventful - the Virgin stewardesses were not quite like those in the advert! The flight LA to Auckland was the worst ever - 12 hours of a rollercoaster ride. Everyone had to be belted up for the whole flight or we would have left the seats. Stewardesses could not serve meals or drink for 7 of the 12 hours. 4 hours was less stressfull but the 747 was still in turbulence and was vibrating and rolling and pitching. Anyway, surprisingly, we did arrive in one piece.

Its great to be here - the sun is out, its summer, tomatos are rippening, Jos grandchildren are sailing Opis in the sea at the end of the road and round the headland there are pacific rollers and lots of surfers.

We have been awake now for most of about 30 hours and are going to bed for a long sleep.

What we are leaving behind.

The temperature was -6C when this was taken. It is 22 in Wellington and 26 in the Cook islands. Can't wait now.

Nearly ready

Nervously checking all the stuff. Got the jabs yesterday - thanks to Adrian and Lynsey - collected some cash, packing, endless checking data. Now trying to get this blog going!

We leave Sunday 25 Jan. Looking forward to being served by red dressed Virgin stewardesses. First stop LA.