Week 2:

WEEKEND: Tongariro

 Early morning hike. 5:30am. Had to get there early otherwise we each had to pay $30 for transportation to the mt.

 A little sun..

 A little more...

 SHABAM! Sun.

Me.

Only a few on the trail this early.

 Mt. Doom 

 Above the clouds.

 The skinny little path we walked through in the crater.

 Volcanic pools behind me and the lake further off.

 Blue sky over there. But clouds and wind is picking up.

 The pools felt nice and warm.

 Weather came as we were leaving.

 The walk back.

 Volcanic stream...nice and orange.

More orange.

Week 1 continued:

NEW HOME!

Mines the middle.

This is half the stairs it takes to get to our flat.

CHECKING OUT WELLINGTON

That weekend we visited the Botanical Gardens. Not too far from campus.

Panorama view from the very top of the Botanical Garden.

Samantha and (Roommate) Coralie walking through the Botanical Garden.

BEACH!

Then we when to the beach with friends.

Dolphins arrived in the bay. One of the local told us she had lived in Wellington for 15 years and has never seen a dolphin in the area.

Myself looking like I have hobbit ears as I watch the dolphins.

NEXT!

Next, we took a ferry to Maitiu/Somes Island to get out of the city for a little.

 Roomies June (left) and Coralie (right), Texas and Paris.

The island was used as a human quarantine station and then later an animal quarantine station to help to prevent the spread of disease. This is the animal quarantine station.

Samantha, me, Coralie, and June

Phoresy bugs as big as your hand...

Weird tree giving its self support from the roots.

A sea cave on the left and NZ's first inner harbor light house (right). Built in 1866.

Some sheep...not much to eat for them. Wellington was currently having the worst drout of 70 years.

"Secret Garden"

The view of Wellington harbor from the top.

Military defense position. WW1

Week one:

Before I left for NZ home got 2ft of snow, lost power for 3 days, and a tree fell on the house.

I arrived in NZ where they were encountering a drout because of the lack of precipitation and abundance of sunshine.