Summer hibernation

Winter is usually the time for hibernation but my computer isn't getting a lot of use this summer! It's been five weeks since I last blogged as there's so much going on that even the long daylight hours aren't enough to squeeze in blog-time.

Conserving the non-replaceable battery on my new phone (ie not using it as a wifi hotspot) has its disadvantages. After replying to emails and doing essential updates it's time to shut down again. It's made me realise how computer use has changed in the last decade; once there was a time I could be very productive when offline but it's quite a challenge now getting around online data storage, clipart, help topics and blogging. Many thanks for your patience in waiting for me and I know I'll crack a happy medium once I've got time to suss it out!

Rakiura is in full swing of tourist season; lots of visitors, thriving businesses and increased ferry and flight schedules. The cold weather has given way to more settled, sunny weather - some locals will be hoping for rain to fill up water tanks depleted by extra visitors. Our temperate rainforest is looking very dry with filmy ferns tightly scrunched up and turning black.

Oban Cemetery looking out over Mill Creek

Beau playing on Deep Bay at low tide

View from Paterson Hill Road looking over Halfmoon Bay

The fine weather has coaxed the sun orchid flowers to open - not quite fully yet but I reckon the next hot day will do it. I'll do the orchid photos in my next blog.

A juvenile black-backed gull guarding the ambulance

A female putangitangi (Paradise shelduck) grazing on Halfmoon Bay

Putangitangi are my favourite ducks - unusual to see the female
without her mate though

Cruise ship season started on 2 January; it's quite strange to see such large boats moored in Paterson Inlet or off Halfmoon Bay.

The Silver Discoverer moored off Halfmoon Bay on 2 Jan

A perfect day for the cruise ship visitors

Looking down on Halfmoon Bay

Sunny day at home as another Stewart Island Flights plane
heads to the airstrip

Overseas travel

I thought I'd be living it up in Invercargill tonight; my annual dental check should have taken place tomorrow and I lined up movies to watch, shopping to get and a visit to the barber for an overdue haircut. I've known about my dental appointment for a couple of months but didn't book my flight off-island at the same time. When I tried to book a couple of weeks ago I was surprised to find all morning flights fully booked so after kicking myself, I decided to go on the last flight today. The Weather Gods thought otherwise with low cloud over the island this morning. The fantastic people of Stewart Island Flights contacted me at lunchtime to say that they were hoping to get a flight over around 1pm but it might be the only flight of the day. I was supposed to be working until 4pm but Sam gave me leave of absence and I thought I'd be in Invercargill by 2pm. Ha ha - when I got to the Flight Centre, the weather over the island got brighter but the murk moved to Invercargill Airport which then closed! In the end I rescheduled my dental appointment, cancelled my bookings at Tuatara Backpackers and went back to work. I could have taken the 3.30pm ferry but it just seemed easier to go when conditions might be calmer and drier.

The weather has disrupted my outside work for the last couple of weekends so I downed tools and went for a walk instead.

Lovely native bush on both sides of the road

Old flax seed pods

Spring was sprung in August with leaf burst on the native fuchsia

Native Fuchsia excorticata flower buds

New buds on ???

Mill Creek at low tide

Views from Mill Creek through to Bathing Beach

First daffodil

A natural sculpture at Ann's place - last summer's fronds on Agapanthus plants

Spring bulbs - one that the deer didn't get!

Imagination Station

I enjoyed wandering around hardware stores in Christchurch but didn't go into many other shops; I've obviously been living the hermit life for too long! One place that did pique my curiosity was Imagination Station at Cathedral Junction on Worcester Street; it had interesting Lego 'things' in the window. We were welcomed inside to have a look round; sharing the space was a school group and a few other interested sightseers. Imagination Station is a charity-run play and education centre that opened in January 2015; free for adults and children although donations are very welcome.

All Black Lego Player in one window...

...and a stunning Lego map of Middle Earth in the other

Inside there were three distinct areas with mounds of Duplo in one, Lego in the second and Lego Technic in the third challenging the schoolchildren's engineering skills. There is also a suite of iMacs and opening hours are from 10am-6pm daily. I was very impressed - what a neat idea.

The Duplo play mat

The end of my holiday coincided with the wet, windy and cold snap that swept up the country. Flying back to the island from Invercargill was a lot calmer than it first appeared - we left in clear weather but ran into a wall of dark cloud halfway over Foveaux Strait; I needed to be sitting up front to get the best pics though.

Cloud bank in the middle of Foveaux Strait

The sky and the sea were the same grey!

Almost through the cloud as we neared Stewart Island

Low cloud hanging over the top of Stewart Island

Almost home

It's been almost two weeks since I arrived back and the weather has mostly been wet, cold and windy. We've escaped the extreme conditions that hit further north but we did get snow - photographic proof in my next blog!!