Flight of the Flying Foxes

I accompanied Sawyer and neighbors Claire, Eleanor, and Laura to Central Park, where three (three!) flying foxes are available for tarzanning across the playground. In the States we call flying foxes zip lines.





Chatted with Jemaine Clement, half of the Flight of the Conchords duo, who was playing with his young son. Apparently his Wednesday nights (“time for business time; it’s business time!”)
have caught up to him. I suggested we combine our talents and form a trio. He suggested a photograph.

Claire and Laura went to the movies. I accompanied Eleanor and Sawyer out of the park, through the turnstile, to the dairy for ice cream, to the grassy roadsides where wildflowers grow, to the alleys where dogs can be petted, to rose gardens where old ladies pick flowers for cute kids, and finally, home.

Ceroc

Cheered on Uncle Nicholas and Aunt Julia at the Kapi-Hutt Ceroc dance regional champs. Ceroc is “the most funky and modern partner dance around! A fusion of latin, ballroom and rock & roll all brought up to date and danced to your favorite music.” Nicholas and Julia took awards in both the couples and dance-with-a-stranger categories.

Pizza Night

Pizza with Uncle Nicholas and Aunt Julia.

Somes Island and Zealandia

Somes Island


Took the ferry to Somes Island, a scientific and historic reserve in Wellington Harbor. We saw red-crowned parakeets, giant weta beetles, skinks, and great views of the harbor. Later that day we took a night hike at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the new Zealandia exhibit.

Both reserves endeavor to recreate native New Zealand habitats. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, New Zealand had no mammalian predators. No rats, mice, bears, wolves, foxes, rabbits, cougars, possums, etc. Abundant ground-dwelling animals, like kiwi and tuatara, the closest living reptile to the dinosaurs, were quickly gobbled.

The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, which is walkable from our Kelburn home, is surrounded by an 8.6 kilometer pest-proof fence. On our night hike, we saw several tuatara and heard but did not see kiwi. The glow-worms, larvae of the fungus fly, lit up the trails like fireworks.

View from the west side of Somes Island. That's Wellington behind us.




View from the east side of Somes Island.

Wednesdays we go to Pak 'n' Save

...because Wallace and Gromit shop there, too. Wednesday has become shopping day, and today was the first time I didn't have to buy stuff that you only buy once in while, like shortening, oregano, toilet bowl cleaner, and rubber bands. Beyond explanation is the man who knows where everything in the store is (that one guy who knows where to find fish sauce, capers, and tahini) being in the canned food section of the store every time we've shopped. Kind of weird, huh? Ivy knows where the donuts are.

Wellington Festival of Circus

Hillery left for Palmerston North last night to visit her sister, Julia, for the weekend. I took the kids downtown to Waitangi Park for the Wellington Festival of Circus. Sawyer tried his hands (and feet) at juggling and spool balancing. He also took a roll across a swimming pool inside a gigantic beach ball. I couldn’t help but worry he’d asphyxiate. A thin layer of condensation covered the inside of the ball toward the end of the ten-minute run. I wonder if this is how the attendants know it’s time to change kids.







We had crepes for lunch: one ham, cheese, and sweet corn; one chocolate, coconut, and cream. We returned after Ivy’s nap for Stop 60, an acrobatic play about a couple who meet and fall in love at a bus stop. The kids were captivated for the entire 40 minutes. Even Ivy, who kept asking me questions during the performance.





Afterward we had another crepe and then cotton candy before taking a sunset walk along the waterfront to the cable car stop. I sure do love my kids.