Our family spent three nights and two glorious days in Queenstown (in central Otago, Aotearoa) this weekend. The weather was spectacular – just a bit nippy in the mornings and evenings, but very comfortable all day with no rain (or snow!). We took an Intercity Bus from Dunedin to Queenstown ($19 each way when booked online), with two brief pit stops along the way. It takes just a bit over four hours each way, and the scenery varies between boring (look, more sheep!) to spectacular scenes right out of Lord Of The Rings. I’ll do a full report later; just…
Writing About Writing
I’ve always enjoyed writing, but have always been a “stream-of-consciousness” kind of writer. I’ll sit down with an open word processor document, type, and just go with the flow and see were it takes me. A quick spell-check follows and away it goes. When I wrote my MA thesis (in Hawaiian), I sat down and wrote out each chapter in long marathon sessions. Of course there was a lot of editing, tweaking and additions along the way, but the gist of the chapters and overall structure of the final product was very much like the first drafts. My supervisors were…
Not An April Fools Joke
Tonight’s forecast calls for a low of 40 degrees F, but with 50MPH winds coming it will feel like 22. So much for my trip to the library tonight (or the run for Hokey Pokey ice cream). Our friends in Ireland and my sister in Minnesota may laugh at this, but it will probably be the coldest night my wife and daughter have ever experienced. Fortunately the rest of the week is a little better, but we’re sure that more of this (and worse) is yet to come. Off make some hot chocolate.
Hop On The Magic Bus
My wife and I braved the Dunedin bus system one Sunday and headed toward St. Clair, on the coast. There is a heated, salt-water swimming pool there, but we passed on it for today. Just doing recon for a future day, if there are any warm weekends left.
OtagoFest Pics
AccuWeather Not So Hot In Dunedin
I checked Culture Hack today to see how cold it was in Dunedin today according to my AccuWeather badge – it said it’s 90F right now. Don’t believe it! I don’t know if we’ve gotten above 60 degrees Fahrenheit today. I do believe it when they say it could be in the mid-40s tonight. Our room heaters may see their first action this evening.
Take The Last Train To… Palmerston?
While I have have been working and researching diligently for the past week or so, we decided to have one last “tourist day” before M?lia begins school next week Monday. There are several train tours available on Taieri Gourge Railway, we opted for the shorter, shoreline route which runs from Dunedin to Palmerston and back. The day began overcast and ominous, so much so that we took umbrellas. We didn’t need to – the sky opened and once we left the Dunedin harbor area it turned out to be a fantastic day. The entire trip from Dunedin to Palmerston and…
Week Three Aready? Jeesh!
It’s been a few days since my last report, been busy with UHH work duties, and dealing with a pressing technology issue there. On Tuesday we had a meeting with the International Student Dean and principal at M?lia’s school, Logan Park High School. After reviewing her transcripts from N?wah?, they put her into year 13, which is the same as senior year in Hawai’i. She’s already done one semester of junior year at home, and NZ schools are just starting their school year now. As a result she doesn’t have to wear the school uniform, and has a choice of…
Being Green In Aotearoa
Since we’ve arrived in New Zealand, we have been conscientious about conservation and environmental issues here. While we do many things at home as well (solar water heating and heater on a timer, recycling, etc.), it is easy to see how government policy here in NZ also works to benefit the environment. As I have mentioned in a previous post, in order to have your refuse picked up on the side of the street, it must be in a bag that is approved by the Dunedin City Council. They run $6-8 per bag depending on size, and also have a…
Heat Wave, New Zealand-Style
It looks like what everyone has been telling us is true – that the weather has been spectacular by Aotearoa standards. Daily New Zealand News reports that it’s been been the best stretch of summer weather here since 1998-1999. To us it’s been like everyday weather back in Hilo. One drawback to our flat at this time is that there are only very small windows that can open in each room, and they don’t bring much relief from the stuffiness of the day. I’m sure that will be of little consequence when the weather turns cooler. DNZN also reports that…