Week 2 at Uni

Monday – Friday, March 8 – 12, 2010

A week of scrabble, cooking (feta cheese stuffed tomatoes and such), and classes. Tuesday morning the fire alarm went off for the third time since we’ve moved in, this time from a hair straightener. I joined the tramping (backpacking) club, and the geology society. On Wednesday we finally got internet in Nexus, and it’s been working pretty well. I get two bars in my room, but it may get stronger as they try to get it into the rooms of everyone in the half-floor above us. Friday I finally went to see Avatar. I figured since it was made to be seen in the theatres I should see it before it left, but there are a lot of rumors that they may release an extended edition in the summer and again in 2012. So I guess theres no hurry to see it on the big screen if you haven’t yet.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Heather, Josni, Raizel, Lauren, and I went to Zealandia, the Karori wildlife sanctuary, only 15 minutes away. Saw a bunch of ducks on the pond, and several birds in the bush (a little grey robin, saddleback, tui, shag, and kaka). Went to a kaka parrot feeding talk, then to the top of the dam and over to the suspension bridge. On the way back to the visitor center we went up to the Morning Star Gold Mine, where they gave you hard hats and torches to go inside. It was a very short passage to a skylight, but there were lots of cave weta bugs.

Zealandia

Friendly Duck

Kaka feeding talk

On the dam

Suspension Bridge

Cave Weta

Josni, Lauren, Me, Heather, and Raizel in front of the Gold Mine

We got Pizza Hut for lunch, then on the bus back to town. At the New World on Willis we were ready to get off at the next block, but the bus turned, so we figured it would go back around because of the one way streets. But it kept going. Past the Zoo and on to Island Bay, about an hour from Karori. We thought eventually it would loop back around, but the bus emptied out and the driver said he was done for the day, so he turned down a street to drop us off by the beach, and gave us directions back to town. At least it was a very scenic drive! I recognized the area from when I was there ’08, the people we were staying with drove us around there at sunset to see the South Island the day before we left.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Alex and I left at 6:30 am to catch the train to Paraparaumu, then a bus to the beach. There we found the ferry, a speedboat driven into the water by a tractor. The water was very rough going out. We landed on Kapiti Island, and were given a short talk about the island and the birds we would see. There are no predators on the island, only rare native birds and plants. We headed up the Wilkinson Track to the lookout point, about 2 hours uphill. Saw a Tui, a Kaka (bush parrot that landed on our backpacks and shoulders), a Hihi (I call it the Michael Jackson bird), Korimako, Toutouwai (Robbin, a little grey bird), and Weka at the top trying to steal everyone’s lunches.

Boat and launching tractor

Beach on Kapiti Island

A very curious Kaka (Parrot)

Toutouwai (Robbin)

We were the last of the lucky few who got to the top soon enough to see the Takahe, a large blue bird. The view from the top was spectacular; you could see Paraparaumu across the water on one side, and straight down into the ocean on the other side, with a small picnic bench clearing on the edge.

Lookout

Rata, native NZ plant at the lookout

The rare Takahe

Headed back and saw more Hihi, Korimako, Toutouwai, Tui, and also several Kereru (large white green and blue pigeon) near the end. Had another Kaka come pretty close to us, but he stayed on the branches.

Trail

Kaka (Parrot) and Kereru (large fancy Pigeon)

At the base of the Kapiti Island mountain we conquered

Took the speedboat back to Paraparaumu, where it landed in the trailer bed and was driven out by the tractor to the parking lot. For dinner, Josni and I decided to make an epic meal of mashed potatoes, chocolate mousse, and pizza with mozzarella, chicken, pineapple, cilantro, garlic, and onion.


Thursdays lecture on Pastafarianism in science class
http://www.venganza.org/