Trolley buses

We are about to go on holiday for a fortnight so I thought I would quickly post some photos of Wellington’s trolley buses – one of the many joys of living in Wellington.
These are the old Volvos introduced nearly 30 years ago.
They are still in the Stagecoach livery.
Stagecoach was bought out by the New Zealand Bus Company a couple of years ago and the buses are branded as Go Wellington. Yellow and Black are the provincial colours.
The fleet is being replaced with locally designed and built DesignLine vehicles. The first buses were painted in paua colours
and to emphasise the trolleys green credentials.

Sam in California

Sam has gone to California with the junior football team he is involved with. They have a website which may have some pictures plus lots more information on the team and the tour.

This is the squad (Sam on the far right)

Here is his first e-mail report -

Hi guys!
California is rad. It's been very busy so sorry I haven't ben able to email sooner but I am having a blast.

We got in yesterday afternoon, settled at the hotel, had lunch, had a training session (I got to do some coaching with the american keepers which was cool) and then went to an amazing 'barbecue'. In reality it was two mexican guys in these people's amazing backyard making the most delicious taco's. It was hilarious, like having a restaurant in your back yard, couldn't believe it.

We were being hosted by north huntington beach football club who are so nice, some of the most hospitable people I have ever met.

Dropping the boys at school this morning then some down time til 1230 when we take the boys on a tour of the university then our first game tonight.

It's a busy life, bed at 0000 and up at 1245 but not jet lagged and loving it. It is heaps hot here, 27 yesterday and the same forecast for the next while.

Hope you are all well and having fun. I miss you all and can't wait for Coromandel.

Time for buffet breakfast now haha, can't wait.
Much love to you all,
Love Sam.

Jenny’s First Day at Work

OK, so she has worked for years on the Blyton series and The Tribe, plus holiday work as a child minder, receptionist, waitress, admin assistant, legal assistant; but eventually after twenty years of formal education Jennyfer Carolyn Edward Jewell has finally started a proper grown up job. Here she is setting out for her first day at the Maori Land Court - Te Kooti Whenua where she is a case manager.

It seems like only yesterday she was setting out for her first day at school.Didn’t she look sweet?

Staying with us at the moment are Jen’s friends from Dunedin, Gemma and Sean.

We had a pleasant lunch out in the garden with lashings of Italian bread, cheese, olives, salad and wine.

Gemma is demonstrating the art of poi (with streamers to enhance the effect)

and Noreen is trying to learn.

Nga Manu

Noreen and I spent New Year up on the Kapiti Coast. We stayed in a bed and breakfast at Raumati Beach and on New Year’s Day had a leisurely drive back to Wellington through Waikanae, the Akatarawa Road to Upper Hutt and through Moonshine Road which I had never travelled before.

First point of call was Nga Manu nature reserve. This 13 hectare site was established in 1974 and is the largest remnant of coastal lowland swamp forest on the Kapiti coast. It comprises several lakes,
bush

and a visitor centre. We played tourists
and wandered around for a couple of hours.

We saw tuatara,

pukeko,

ruru (this one is sitting on an old broom and being nocturnal they are held in a darkened aviary - hence the poor light level),

the kea were very friendly and wanted to nibble Noreen’s toes and taste the camera lens when I got too close,

a typically fat kereru,

kaka

and a host of other birds (tui, scaup, fantails to name but a few) that I didn’t get decent photos of.!