Catch Up!

A couple weeks ago, we decided to take advantage of some warm weather to hit up one of our favorite place, the lighthouse point where all the seals and yellow-eyed penguins hang out. It is mating season for the penguins, and we had heard about some crazy rituals going on there between the birds. We got there just before dusk, when the penguins are most active, and witnessed the strangeness for ourselves. The little guys were doing their mating calls really loudly, and right next to the walking path! It was a cool thing to witness!


Yellow Eyed Penguin

We then came across the usual clump of seals lying on the grass. Usually, when you get within about 15 feet of them, the sleepy guys will lift their head to show you their teeth and growl. I decided that it would be really cool to get this on video so I set off with the camcorder to annoy some seals. The first one completely ignored me with the exception of staring and he was pretty big so I headed over toward his smaller neighbor. This guy also just looked at me so I slowly stepped closer and closer until I was only about 7 or 8 feet away. At this point, he moved a little like he was going to do the head lift and growl thing so I kept the camera rolling and stood there for a second. That didn't last long though because the seal skipped the growl, pulled his flippers out from under him, and lunged at me! Now, seals are surprisingly fast and have frighteningly large incisors, so I wasted no time screaming and high-tailing it out of there. I thought the seal would stop chasing me as soon as I started running away but upon a glance over my shoulder after a few meters, he was still right at my heels! It was then that I started to worry but I knew Craig would protect me! So I continued running, now screaming Craig's name, waiting for my knight in shining armor but he was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, with a second glance, I found the seal had retreated and was lumbering back to his sleep spot. Then I found Craig, oblivious to the drama, taking pictures over a drop off nearby. He claims to have heard nothing.............
After the seal incident, we got to watch a gorgeous sunset before heading back home. I never get sick of that place but now I will be a bit more cautious!

The week was work as usual, except a bit quieter with students on holiday. We checked out a new bar, Tonic with our friends one night. And hung out with them again over the weekend. We had planned to go skiing but all the resorts were closed for high winds. So, we went to happy hour outside in the sunshine on Friday and then dinner at a highly recommended Malaysian place. Saturday started out hot and sunny so we hit the market in the morning then went to our friends' place to hang out with a couple glasses of wine that evening. Sunday was relaxation day and we got to catch up with lots of people on the phone.
That week was pretty busy with a trip out on the Peninsula Monday night, work dinner Wednesday, and a trip to Queenstown for the weekend.


Lighthouse at Albatross Point

Another gorgeous weekend in Queenstown! We busted out of work a little early when my last patient didn't show, and headed over to meet Dan, Emily, and Lexie who were already checked into our sweet suite! Our 3 bedroom apartment we rented for the night was right on Lake Wakatipu with the snowy mountains for a backdrop. We got there just in time for a pretty sunset and then went into town for some dinner. Afterward, we hung out in our awesome hotel, with a fire, some wine, more good views of the mountains (still visible at night because of a full moon and the snow), and good company.


Lake Wakatipu from our room

Next morning, we ate a yummy brekkie at Joe's Garage, Craig's favorite, and checked out the market. 4 of us bought pounamu (Maori greenstone) necklaces from the local vendors and then we sat outside and enjoyed a beer and some chips. Dan and Em decided to take a sightseeing flight for their last time in Queenstown, and Lexie, Craig, and I hit the shops and then were off to some wineries. Dan and Em met up with us at Mt Difficulty, a great winery with even better views. We enjoyed a bottle outside in the sun before going to our next destination, the Dean's bach. David (the Physio Dean) had invited the 5 of us to his holiday house in Alexandra for an "American Barbecue" and to spend the night. We all enjoyed more wine while the guys cooked sausage and wings on the grill. After the feast, we watched some British comedy shows, and a movie. We went to sleep and woke up in the morning to Dan and Lexie preparing a tasty breakfast of french toast and bacon! This was again cooked on the grill.
When we had eaten our fill, we left Dave and Alice to go check out some local sights. First stop was Shaky Bridge. This is an old bridge across a river. There is also a nice walking path along the river so we took advantage of that. Then, it was time to drive home. On the way, we passed a huge forest fire! And stopped to see another old stone bridge. It was a new route home that we'll be sure to try out again.


Skipping Stones on the Manuherikia River

The weather has been fantastic so we have been able to get outside more. We went for a paddle in the harbour last Monday, and had a new adventure Saturday. Paintball. A group of us went on Lexie's recommendations. We spent about an hour scampering through the woods, shooting at other people and trying not to get hit. The trying not to get hit became more important after I did take a shot in the arm. It hurt! I then got hit in the leg which hurt a lot more and that's when I decided to never play again. I used up the rest of my paintballs shooting at Dan who was lurking behind a tree and then high-tailed it out of there to hand in my weapon. Craig and Emily followed soon after as they were not enjoying it either. We hung out for awhile comparing war stories until the rest of the group emerged from the battle.


Katie's thigh shortly after paintball impact

After everyone showered, we picked up some pizza and went back to our house for one last fire with our friends while watching the All Blacks get their butts kicked.

On Sunday, a co-worker invited us out to see his straw house. No lie, his house is made entirely of straw bales, covered in some special spray on plaster. It was super cool and now Craig and I want one. They also had 2 alpaca, 2 cute kids, some tasty pikelets and all the counter tops, vanities, and shelves were made out of old beds.

Pictures

Now we've started a new, busy work week and are not looking forward to the weekend as we have to say goodbye to Dan and Emily. Congrats to Lee and Danny on their engagement!