The Wellington Wrap-up

Elisabeth and I on Cuba Street in Wellington.
Something in this picture is abnormal, but can you tell what it is?
Answer: highlight here -->Umbrella= abnormally large<--

Well! It's been a long time (again) but I finally got around to updating this thing. As some of you probably know, Rachel's parents visited her from the 2nd of Feb to the 12th, so naturally she was busy spending time with them. As a result, this entry will be a little more about what I've been up to, while Rachel herself plans to update the blog soon on all of her own adventures, so check back for that. In the mean time, here are some pictures from our last month and a half in Wellington...

Elisabeth of Austria visited us once again, and we
were able to hang out one last time and say
goodbye- she will be leaving for home in a few weeks time :(
Hard to believe we've been friends and fellow travelers for
five months already.

This is just a photo of our faces- we've been told
people like these (moms, dads, etc.)

Rachel's mom and dad went with us when we test drove and
purchased our CAR a few weeks ago.
That white thing in the foreground is part of it
(the rest of it definitely exists, we just don't have it photographed yet).

"Just $1,600 NZ dollars and the roads of New Zealand are yours!"
Rachel shows concern while Kara dares to dream.

Test Drive.
Um... it definitely drives when we tell it to...
We'll take it!

Thanks to Rachel and her mom, we have
these lovely action shots of me working at Wagamama.

That's some neat palm pilot action right there.
Definitely worthy of the blog.
Interesting fact: that pen was later stolen by a customer.
Yeah. Annoying right?

The Black Seeds are a really popular reggae band here
in New Zealand. We went to their performance at the One Love Fest
in Wellington on Waitangi Day (Feb 6th). That day is a public holiday
that celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New
Zealand's founding document, which occurred on Feb. 6th in 1840.

One of those great "accidental zoom" shots that we seem
to be really good at.

Better.
This is us at the festival, enjoying The Black Seeds.

With it being Wellington and all, it was very windy out.
That umbrella caught the wind and flew hundreds of feet in the air!
This photo is taken after it landed (thankfully without impaling anyone)
and the police had nothing better to do than run over and make sure the
umbrella made it safely back to its owner (who I'm sure got a sharp
reprimand for allowing their property to fly away on its own like that).

Just another classy Kiwi bloke enjoying the festival.

I like to feel safe, true, but when they all stand around
together like that it's just intimidating...

The Black Seeds.

My last day of work was last Friday, and I went out with some
of my friends to celebrate and say goodbye, as I was leaving Wellington
soon. I met a lot of really cool people. A lot of them are traveling as well,
so hopefully I'll see them again on the South Island...

I was happy to be done working, but Steve was
heartbroken to see me go.
Sorry Steve.

Yes, I know these people.
The Cuba Street Carnival was last Saturday (the 21st of Feb) and it
was a great, sunny day. People (some of them) dress up and spend the
day roaming the streets, eating, watching live music and doing other
activities of a carnival nature.

Obviously the giant red monster thing was distracting for people...

The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.
So cool.

There weren't a lot of rides, but there was this sketchy old ferris
wheel that went backwards, and a little faster than we preferred...

After just about five months on the North Island, Rachel and I left Wellington (a little sad--but exciting too!) and took the ferry all the way to the South Island on Monday. We have spent the last few days in Nelson (the technical "center" of NZ), and are currently planning a road trip down the west coast. It's great to be free from working and feel like we're on vacation again. Thanks for checking in on us and check back soon for Rachel's update on her awesome visit from the rents! Love and miss you all.