Wellington Anniversary Day

Yet another public holiday! In addition to 23 days of annual leave each employee receives in New Zealand, there are about 13 public holidays. Today is the anniversary day for Wellington province (each province has one). I'm not sure how this date was selected - maybe people found it hard to return to work after Christmas week, or maybe they felt Waitangi Day was too far away. For whatever reason, today was chosen and New Zealanders (in Wellington province, anyway) make the best of a day off from work.

Other Dunedin Photos

Having two nights in Dunedin gave twice the opportunity to take photos. Unfortunately, I can only post a couple for each blog entry. Here are a few churches and other interesting buildings in the city:

The Catlins

The Catlins is a beautiful area on the Southeast coast of New Zealand's South Island. The area is full of coastal scenery, agricultural hills and forests. Here are a few photos of the furthest point south I have ever been, fossils from a petrified coastal forest and coastal areas.

Milford Sound (Fiordland)

Milford Sound, on the Southwest edge of the South Island is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen (sorry that the pictures cannot do it justice).

Queenstown - Where Adrenalin Flows Like a River

If you are looking for adventure, come to Queenstown - from skydiving and bungy jumping to quad biking and riding the luge, this town has it all! I never thought I would enjoy quad biking as much as I did, and I only rolled over once! The luge wasn't bad, either.

St. Bathan's and the Vulcan Hotel

Who knew that a 10-km side-trip off the beaten path would yield such treasures as the Vulcan Hotel and a large quarry. No sign of Dr. Spock, though....

Dunedin, Otago

Dunedin (Derived from Edinburgh) has a Scottish heritage and hosts New Zealand's most prestigious university (University of Otago). Although it was a rainy night when I arrived, I took a few interesting photos to give you an idea of what I saw there. I spent my first and last nights here, with the other nights spent on the road. Here are a couple photos from the train station:

Mere Kirihimete

Mere Kirihimete! (Maori: Merry Christmas!). After 4 office Christmas parties (one hosted by the Auditor General, one hosted by the performance audit group (my office), one hosted jointly with the financial auditors, and another one hosted by my office), I needed a vacation!

Fortunately the city of Wellington shuts down for a month at Christmastime, so I went to New Zealand's South Island with Teki and some visiting friends from Hong Kong.

We flew into Dunedin (Otago), a college town with a few nice pinot noirs, and drove a large loop through St. Bathan's (limestone quarry), Queenstown (where adrenaline flows 24/7), Milford Sound (quite possibly the most dramatic landscape in New Zealand), Invercargill (Southernmost city) and the Catlins (coastal drive). Next few entries will cover the trip....

A Few Good Movies

Although work has kept me busy of late, I have enjoyed a few recent movies I rented from the local video shop, including Hula Girls, Angel-a and Paprika. I also saw Once at the theatre and would recommend it (particularly good soundtrack), but I think it left the U.S. theaters many months ago. Let me know if you have any other recommendations.

Welcome to New Zealand

There's much more to see than just sheep!

Like Father, Like Son(s)

Teki's brother, Tele, visited from Tonga over the weekend with his two sons George (Siaosi) and David (Tavita). We all had the opportunity to enjoy being nine years old (at the arcade) and we also went for a night hike to the wind turbine.

Make Way for Penguins

My Commmute to Work

After two months in Wellington, I have become accustomed to quite a bit. I have eaten many a fish 'n chips and I know how to get around the city without any trouble. It's starting to feel a lot like home - minus most of my closest friends and family, unfortunately. But the quality of life is still very enjoyable. I carpool into work in the mornings and I generally run home in the evenings. To give you a sense of what that commute entails, I've included a couple of photos.

Happy Thanksgiving

(L to R: Bridget, Teki, Leigh and Gus - Thanksgiving Dinner at home in Wellington, turkey and all!)

Toast Martinborough

Today, I went to Toast Martinborough with Teki and Gustavo. This annual event highlights some of the wineries in Martinborough, New Zealand (located approximately one hour north of Wellington). The weather was ideal for being outdoors, enjoying music and tasting some area wines.

Auckland and Problems up North

I just got back from a couple of days in Auckland - City of Sails.

In case you have heard about the recent terrorism investigations in New Zealand, I just wanted to let you all know that things are all right in Wellington and there's no need to worry. If you have not heard, then pretend like you didn't read this.

Absolutely, Positively Wellington

I went for a run this morning around Oriental Bay and saw hundreds of people out biking, running, walking and swimming in the harbour (with wetsuits)... it confirmed a sense of Wellington that I had already felt. The people here love being outdoors and active, and the City Council has done a great job of marketing city recreation and events with simple slogans, such as "Absolutely, Positively Wellington" and websites like http://feelinggreat.co.nz. As we head into summer, the skies are clearing and the wind is dying down. This is absolutely, positively a great place to be!

Christchurch, South Island

Here are a few photos from a recent business trip to Christchurch, including the Christchurch Cathedral, and the main square.

Guy Fawkes Night

Tonight was Guy Fawkes Night, and we celebrated with the biggest annual fireworks display in New Zealand, above Wellington Harbour. In some respects, we were lucky to have a fireworks display. Helen Clark, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, considered banning fireworks in New Zealand if New Zealanders "behave badly" on Guy Fawkes night this year (based on past behaviours, I guess). As far as I know, there will be no ban for next year, although I can't say that all New Zealanders were on their best behaviour.

Pao Pao Pao

Last night, I went to "Pao Pao Pao," a concert of Māori and Pasifika music. Nine performers played and danced for over 3 hours and most were very good. One of my favourites was Torotoro, a contemporary dance group. They have come a long way since their debut on youtube, but if you are interested in seeing two of their videos check out these links: Wahine (women) and Tama (men) [note: this is not traditional Māori dancing of music]. If you are looking for something more traditional, check here: Traditional Dance and Poi-E (one hit wonder in New Zealand - well worth watching it for the break dancing).

The song, Poi-E, was produced in the 1980's with two objectives: (1) to market Māori langugage and culture, and (2) to warn Māori youth about urban dangers. The dissolution of Māori language and culture was partially a result of a rapid shift of Māori populations from rural areas to the cities after World War II, when New Zealand had been experiencing rapid growth and manual labor was in high demand throughout the cities. Many Māori elders died at war and the younger generation moved to unfamiliar urban areas with very limited structure and family support. The economic boom in New Zealand didn't last very long, but long enough to displace a whole generation, causing a breakdown in culture for years to come. Some tribes have been very successful at re-establishing themselves, while others have a long way to go. The government has made some progress in supporting a cultural renaissance (for example, Te Reo Māori, "the language," was later recognized by the New Zealand government as a national language in 1987), but there is a long way to go.