Hannah finally gets to have a summer birthday party and go for a horse trek. She made her own pinata tack box and then her friends families came over after for pizza and wine. These are her friends Dydy, Izabella and Laura plus her horse friends from her stable!
Netball is much more popular in New Zealand for girls so Rebecca hasn't played as much basketball. She did take a one week course which she enjoyed.
This is a huge windmill that tops the hill that defines the Brooklyn neighbourhood. Wind power is gaining momentum in this nuclear free country.
Here are some shots of the new house. Master Bedroom with great view...
Front entrance way. I haven't dried a single load in the dryer since coming here. Doing laundry becomes less burdensome somehow when you get to hang it out to dry.
Dining area
Living Room
View from Living Room deck
Down the hill is a small suburb of Newtown and the hospital that is hosting James. We walk there regularly through the trees- which are part of the green belt that winds its way throughout Wellington.
Wellington has events on daily. It's hard to keep up with everything one can do. This is the summer concert series on the Botanical Gardens. Families and groups come, with a good old Kiwi picnic and bottle of vino and settle in the garden at dusk for some live music - every day for the whole month of January. The garden is lit up and decorated with bubbles, ribbon trees and lights.
The ribbon tree.
Catching bubbles at dusk in the garden
The Gilletts try to picnic Kiwi style with Katherine.
Joan and Beau are on a 3 1/2 month tour of the whole of the Pacific and spent the day with us in Wellington. We toured their cruise ship. Meghan's Grandmother Elsie lived with Joan when Joan was a young girl and we are all cousins of some sort.
After their French class on Wednesday, Meghan took Rebecca and her friend Tessa out to a fringe festival improv play - 'High School Musical'. It ended up winning best comedy in the fringe and for good reason. The cast and musicians come up with a hilarious improv musical based on suggested music genres (reggae, opera etc) and high school themes...lip gloss, drama club. They also saw the beginning of a production of 'The Frogs' performed IN the water with the audience in paddleboats.
On a school trip, the Moa's (year 7 and 8 kids) (aproximately year 6 1/2 and 7 1/2) did a four hour walk from a small Bay, over the hills to the highest point of Mount Victoria and then down to Oriental Bay for a swim and a bus ride home. I think the parents were the worse 'winghers' - cannot spell that Kiwi word for complainers. The kids were amazing and kept up a swift pace. This is Isabella with one of the many starfish from Oriental Bay that we ended up at.
Meghan, Sue and Joan
Debbie making it to the top of Mount Victoria
Kate and Debbie at a coffee break
True Kiwi style...barefoot hiking
Looking back at where we started!
