Aotearoa Adventure: Updates again

We are now officially three months in. It's Sunday 3rd May and the temperatures are starting to drop, reflecting the fact that we now live in a country that lies closer to Antarctica than South Africa does. Last night the temp was around 8 or 9 C - there's a great site I use to check the daily weather in Welly (which is changeable in the extreme!) and it can be found HERE.

News from Kilbirnie, then: We have a new addition to our household - about a month ago, Sebastian moved in. He's a gorgeous tabby kitten with a wild personality - fearless and fast! We are both madly in love with him. Mind you, he has some alarming tendencies: when reprimanded, he'll look at you and then go do the same thing again, just like a defiant toddler! Once I yelled at him to stop trying to climb up the wooden blind - he stopped, wonder of wonders! Then he raced over to the sofa, leapt up and jumped on top of my head! The scratch on my cheek is now fine, thank you!

Here's Sebastian, in his infinite cuteness!

And again, but sleepier this time ....

Last weekend, we took a trip on the Harbour Explorer - it's the ferry service that travels from Queens Wharf in Wellington across the bay to Matiu-Somes Island, then on to Petone, Eastbourne, Seatoun and finally back to Queens Wharf. The round trip took just on 1.5 hours and was marvellous. It was a cold, gray day but the sea was calm and the light beautiful - and it was lovely to be out there, hearing the gulls calling, seeing people fishing off the wharf as we docked, feeling the icy bite of the wind on our faces as we churned across the bay. The ferries run regularly and are relatively cheap, so it makes for a great afternoon trip.