Life In Dunedin

So, last week was quite busy - even despite the fact that I'm still not employed...

Tuesday, we took Hedwig to see the tire specialists cuz she tended to list STRONGLY to the right, and when that's the side the traffic is coming from it doesn't bode well for car longevity.  So, 30 minutes later, they called me and said that the passenger side tires had lost their structural integrity and weren't staying round anymore. :(  2 new tires later, Hedwig is good to go and I've actually been driving her!!  I've stalled many times now, but I've still yet to hit anything (knock on wood).

Tuesday night, I went to water aerobics with Laura and her friend Cathy from curling.  I've never actually done water aerobics before but it was fun!  The pool is heated so that's fabulous.  And we used the woggles a lot.  Woggle = noodle, those fun colored pool noodles.  The first time the instructor mentioned the woggles I had NO idea what she meant.  Fortunately, I'm a quick study so I figured it out.  It also helped that the other 20 women went straight for the pool noodles so I'm sure that helped me.  Laura and I are going again tonight!

Wednesday, Vanessa and I got up SUPER early to go walking.  We left the house at 6:45 am (hey, that's super early for me) and drove into town to meet up with 2 University of Otago students who are walking the length of New Zealand to bring awareness to children being sold into the sex industry.  Interesting fact, the sex industry is unionized!  Laura finds endless amusement in this fact.  I digress...  So Vanessa and I and 4 other people who work with Laura and Vanessa at the University, walked with these two students, Tim and Kate, out of Dunedin north on the way to Waitati.

The first part of the walk was lovely.  It was flat.  So for half an hour or so we walked and talked and enjoyed the fact that it was sunny and warm since rainy weather and a cold breeze would have been most unenjoyable.  Then, we started to go up, as you cannot fail to do while walking in Dunedin.  I was just keen to keep up the pace I had been making but the hill kept going! and going... and getting steeper...and going...so I stopped to take pictures.  Honest, I wasn't stopping cuz I was huffing and puffing

View of Dunedin from somewhere up the hill

The calves lined up to cheer us on our walk... so cute!

We finally reached the top of the hill and stopped for orange slices that Donna had brought and photos:

Kate, Tim and Vanessa (eating an orange) at the top of the hill

Proof that I made it and didn't send my camera up with Vanessa

Fortunately, people had 9am meetings to get to so Laura drove up and picked us up from the top of the hill but not after catching this gorgeous view of Otago Harbour

So we drove back down to the University.  Then I accompanied Laura and Dan (who works with her) to the store where we got donuts and coffee before I walked home.  Uphill.  Again.  Me not so smart.  I literally walked uphill both ways... but a donut has never tasted SOOOOO good at the end of a walk.

That night, Laura and Todd and I went back to the university to attend the Pecha Kucha night.  "Pecha Kucha" is Japanese for "chit chat".  An architecture firm in Japan, back in 2003, started a night where a presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds each and talks about each picture.  Now it has grown and occurs in 300+ cities around the world where presenters choose 20 images on a topic of great personal interest.  Check it out:  www.pecha-kucha.org  

We heard from 11 presenters including an archivalist at the University Library who presented old Dunedin business letterheads with the picture of the business' building on it, so a wee history lesson there; a woman who started a business trimming clothing with possum fur; a scientist who studied brachiopods - strange creatures that remind me of barnacles, but the scientist was funny so we laughed instead of snored.  There were also 3 architects who work at firms here in Dunedin.  So, during the intermissions, I networked and got contact information and sent them all my resume when I got home.  Still waiting to hear back from one guy...but fingers crossed maybe it'll work out.  Otherwise, I'm off to the vineyards!

Dunedin - Home Sweet Temporary Home

Thursday, I spent the day "working from home" with Todd, read: updating my resume and looking for job openings.  At noon we went to a Kiwi yoga class.  I was nervous I wouldn't be able to understand the Hindi names of the positions when spoken with a Kiwi accent, but I made it through.  I miss Laughing Lotus and the flow of the class, but hopefully not all yoga classes here are that choppy.  Still fun tho!

Then, at 5, we went downtown to meet Laura and Vanessa and their friend Tania to go see HARRY POTTER 7!!  A full 24 hours before it opened in the states!  Visiting a British Commonwealth when a British movie is being released totally has its benefits.

 

Friday I went out on my own!!  I walked down to the Octagon via the steep but gorgeous hills and got a SIM card for my cell phone.  If you care to call me it's 01164 21 332 389.  It's free for me if you call or text so don't be shy!!! hahaha :)

 

Friday afternoon was the Otago Polytechnic Art Showcase.  All the various art students had their final projects on display and we went to observe.  We're quite cultured down here (read: there was free wine).  Anyways, the art was really cool and despite falling in love with several pieces, we all managed to keep our wallets closed.  Pretty easy for me because mine currently doesn't have much in it.  The exciting part for Laura was the appearance of the 3rd and 6th place models from New Zealand's Next Top Model.  Apparently with only 4 million people in the country, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous is quite easy.  Laura's in the top left corner and the twins are in front of her with the long brown hair...

Saturday was rainy, a shockingly regular weather forecast.  I think I may be the only person who LOVES it.  Todd and Laura and I went to the Farmer's Market and the Craft Market, had lunch and went home.  At the farmer's market, since it was raining, there was no line at the Bacon Buttie Man.  A Bacon Buttie is a sandwich filled with bacon.  That's it.  Well, a couple onions, but 98% bacon.  Genius.  Side note: bacon as Americans know it is called streaky bacon.  Bacon for Kiwis is actually our ham or Canadian bacon.

At the Craft Market, I met the 2 Alpacas that were there for show and tell.  They were rather anti-social but the guy who manned the booth, Flagstaff Alpacas, was super friendly.  He and I chatted about yarn and then I so cunningly asked if they needed help at their farm.  He took my number and I bought yarn.  I guess he won this time...

Interestingly enough, the ATMs are worthy of a story.  Most ATMs are, as the acronym promises, machines.  Here, the EftPOS ATMs are actually a person in a booth with a debit card machine who hands you money.  I bet the unemployment rate here is nil.

And in the parking lot, Laura and I discovered a very intelligent world travelling Kiwi:

Sunday we stayed in and had a rousing cribbage scrimmage.  The American team beat the International team (Laura and I won!).  Vanessa's friend Francis came over for dinner and we all played some bananagrams.  Scintillating weekend, no?

So today, Monday, I applied for a couple jobs and researched architecture firms here in Dunedin.  Hopefully I'll have a job in a week so I can move into a house with Vanessa's friend Megan.  We went to visit her today and she lives even FURTHER up the hill.  Walking home will be a beast so fingers crossed I get a job AND a parking spot :)  Cheers for now!

Auckland to Dunedin, Finale aka Day 4

Wednesday morning, we got up super early to try and catch the 7:15 whale watch.  However, there was a "strong seasickness warning" and we figured that 3 seasick people driving for 8 hours would NOT be a good idea.  So we skipped that, left early, and started our last leg to Dunedin.

We drove through the Marlborough wine country and passed field after field of vines and winerys.  Sadly, none were open because we were so early.  The one winery we did stop at was under renovation :(  but the man I spoke with is heading to New York next year to visit his daughter who married a New Yorker!  I digress...

Once we hit Canterbury the roads got a lot straighter.  So Todd pulled over and we swapped places and I finally got to drive my car!  On the right side of the road.  AND I didn't stall or hit anything or anyone.  All in all, a successful longest drive for me in a standard.  But cars passing you on the right in the opposite direction is rather disconcerting...

Todd took this picture - but it was the longest he dared look away from the road while I was driving

We kept driving and driving, and finally got to Dunedin where we met up with Vanessa who was happy to have her Americans back plus 1.  Beans on toast for dinner, and alas, it’s come to the point, after 4 ½ weeks of being on vacation, that despite my minimal level of cuteness that draws people to support me financially and unconditionally... I have to go out job hunting.


Ode to Hedwig, Teo Ma Ruru:

And other fun/funny things:

 

Auckland to Dunedin Day 3

We left the hotel at 6:30 Tuesday morning to get the car to the ferry that took us to the South Island.

The ferry left at 8.  After a quick breakfast, Todd went to explore.  5 minutes later Laura went to find Todd.  10 minutes later Todd came back and asked where Laura went and proceeded to go find her.  15 minutes later Laura came back and complained how hard it was to find someone on a boat.  Shocking they functioned without me for 5 months.

The ferry was uber windy and slightly rocky so we played cards while we traveled between the islands (you could BARELY see the South Island when we left Wellington) and when we entered the channel at the South Island we went on deck to look at the scenery...

Once we hit Picton, we made serious tracks for Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island to get to our 3:30 whale watch.  Sadly, the tour was cancelled because 10 miles offshore, where the whales were, were also 3m waves (about 10 feet).  Stunk that the tour was cancelled, but we saw pictures of the boats and based on the size of the waves and the size of the boats... we were happy the tour was cancelled.  So instead, we hung out on the gorgeous stone beach in the sun with the snow capped mountains in the distance.

 

A couple taking their Christmas card pictures... trippy

Laura and I had some fun with the rocks...

Laura's tower

Mini Stonehenge - What?  I'm totally not an architecture nerd... I have no idea of what you speak...

We went back to our backpackers via a small door a la The Secret Garden (you'd never know it was there if someone didn't point it out!)

Since the tour was cancelled, we had to improvise what to do for the rest of the afternoon, so we went to look at the seal colony off the peninsula.  A) they were smelly, B) there were only 2 :( but we had a good time playing out on the rocks anyway.

We had dinner at Black Rabbit Pizza, one of Laura's friend's recommendations.  Gourmet meals on dough instead of plate is how Lonely Planet described it, spot on.  We walked around downtown Kaikoura, decided it was worth a slightly longer visit, got ice cream and then went back to the backpackers for tea and more rummy.  A low key night since we had to get up early to try and catch the 7:15 whale watch the next morning!

To give you a locational idea: Laura's pointing to Kaikoura (where we are) and I'm pointing to Dunedin (where we're going!)

Auckland to Dunedin, Day 2

Monday, we left Gisborne and drove all the way to Wellington stopping in Napier for lunch, along with a cruise ship.  Napier is a really cute little city.  After lunch we walked to the beach and had a wee photo session with the burnt driftwood…

From PCH to PCH!

4 hours later, we reached Wellington, checked into the hotel and went to visit the Beehive.  The Beehive is the NZ capital building.  Personally, I think it’s fugly, hence my picture with it:

After dinner, we watched a little more of the 5 day Cricket match between India and the New Zealand Black Caps.  Todd has been watching Cricket trying to learn the rules.  He explained a bunch to me while at the hotel in Gisborne.  Cricket is totally baseball on crack, but interesting no less, especially when you’re trying to figure out what the heck is going on.  Apparently we’ll be playing Cricket on the beach with Vanessa on Christmas.  I’m stoked.

Aspects of NZ scenery that remind me of stuff from home:

1) the Lego trees (as I’ve so named them due to their resemblance to said Lego trees)

Lego's trees

A Lego tree through the windshield... they were Everywhere!

The Lego Tree up close - literally

2) the sheep manicured hills - we think it’s their walking along the hills that create the ridge lines which make all these hills like topographical models I used to build in my architecture studio:

What topographical models looks like - this one isn't mine

All the hills on the North Island and the South Island that have sheep on them

Auckland to Dunedin

Kia Ora to Aotearoa! (Welcome to New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud)

Friday night, November 12th, I boarded a plane to Auckland and after an 11 hour flight (passed knitting, watching movies, and napping for a wee bit) I landed early in Auckland on November 14th at 7am and met Laura and Todd. November 13th did not exist for me at all, so apologies to anyone who’s birthday it was. I’ll catch you next year.


After my characteristic happy dance and hugs from Taura, I had my first soy flat white (they do have starbucks but I had to go native, Burt!) and a vegetable savory muffin (I’d heard so much about them from Skye!) we got picked up by David Reddy and I BOUGHT HIS CAR! My first mode of transportation I’ve purchased that was not a bike or a skateboard. It’s fabulous. It’s a 1990 4 door white Honda Accord, manual and the steering wheel is on the right. Ownership is in my name, but I’ve yet to sit in the driver’s seat let alone drive it. Once I sleep and the roads are straight and occupied by fewer cars I should finally be able to get behind the wheel and learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road.

Me and David with his old car and my new car

Car ownership in my name for only $9.41!!

David and June Reddy, the people who sold me my car, invited us over for tea. Even though they were sure that we would only like coffee, or at the very least iced tea, we happily accepted and enjoyed regular black tea and these fabulous chocolate filled and chocolate dipped biscuit-y cookies called Tim Tams. Yum. After my first Kiwi tea time, we hopped in my car and started the long drive to Gisborne (pronounced “gis-bun”).

On our first New Zealand road trip in Hedwig (aka: my car, aka: Teo ma ruru, small white owl), we stopped at the World Famous in New Zealand L&P café. L&P is a soda here that tastes like liquefied and carbonated lemon drop candies. Quite yummy. Along with fish and chips and some calamari, that was lunch. On the road again, we had to pull over at the ginormous Kiwi fruit. It reminded me of American tourists pulling over at the world’s biggest ball of twine (haven’t seen that one yet, but we saw the Kiwi (literally) equivalent).

Me and Todd and the big L&P

Me and the biggest kiwi fruit known to man

Once more on the road, we got to Whakatane. Laura was most looking forward to this due to the name of this town. In the Maori language, “wh” = “f”. So sound out the name of the town again and then try to say it with a straight face. Obvs this was a highlight to today’s road trip.

We continued on for 3 more hours passing gorgeous beach after gorgeous beach (Laura and I played photographer. Our work, below, can be ordered full sized and framed. Please contact me for prices) and hill after hill of sheep and cows. The landscape here is beyond lush and sooo green (especially after 10 days in brown LA). And despite the fact that The Lord of the Rings was filmed throughout New Zealand, the river we drove along this afternoon sadly was not the Brandywine river or the river Eowyn crossed to enter Rivendell. Fear not, the search will continue (aided by a helpful guidebook with the actual locations).

The classic Barrantes pose

Laura imitating the statue in the distance. It's spot on, truly.

And now, after a day of travel, another meal of fish and chips here in Gisborne, (so cheap and so good!) I’m finally off to bed in something other than an airplane seat.