Getting Settled

Hello from wet...cold...windy...wonderful...mountainous...hospitable New Zealand!

Quick pictures from our seal coast safari mentioned in my last post --

Here's me! We're just outside of Wellington here on some private property that the tour company had access to. While driving through there, we saw two ostrich (is that the plural of that? not sure, b/c I've never used it in a sentence before), a red deer, and the rock wall that they cast a mold of to make the set for when Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climb up the stairway to Shelob's lair.

This is our vehicle.....stuck in the sand. The area just got a whole bunch of rain, and as such the beach was wetter than beaches usually are. That's hard to imagine, considering they are the border between large bodies of water and land...but anywho. While waiting for the car to be removed from its perilous settlement, we wandered around the beach, and I got a few pictures!

And, at long last, seals!

On Saturday, we all got moved in to our flats for the next few months. I am in a penthouse suite (no kidding -- our Resident Director said we're really lucky to get it for such a reasonable rate), have my own room and bathroom, and am living with three wonderful flat mates: Amanda from Minnesota, Kendal from Wisconsin, and Camille who is from Colorado.

Here's Norbs enjoying a cuppa tea in the kitchen, with a pic of our kitchen below.

Living Room

Some of the gang! :) Adam and Wes are on the left, in the middle with the computer is Amanda, then Nikki, Marlow (sp? Sorry!), and Kendal (again, sp?).

For the last few days I've been exploring the city. It isn't what I would call a pretty city, but all the same I really enjoy it. It somewhat reminds me of Dublin in that way. I also went to a local church on Sunday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! More details on that to come, I'm sure! Suffice it to say that the atmosphere was saturated with the Spirit, there was an incredibly passionate worship service, and a message that cut straight to the bone!

Today, I had my first day of work. I will write more on this in posts to come, but my initial impressions are favorable! I'm just afraid that I'll screw up!

I need to get to bed, but my love from Wellington!

Gracie

PS - We as a group bought tickets to the All Blacks rugby match in Wellington against South Africa! So excited, even if it is a month away!