Rainy in Wellington

While it has been a delightful weekend, there has been one common theme throughout; RAIN! Everyone tends to assume that because we’re from the Pacific Northwest that we’re somehow immune to misty weather, but truth be told, rain is inconvenient when you’re committed to walking everywhere. So, here’s a quick re-cap of our past few days:

Adam and I totally pushed the instant replay button back to our undergraduate years by crashing the Massey University Open House day on Friday. We saw some advertisements earlier in the week, but hadn’t completely committed ourselves until we looked the event up on the internet and discovered it was featuring free breakfast and lunches for visitors(not to mention our hotel room practically looks straight out onto the Massey courtyard).

Massey actually houses the New Zealand School of Music, so Adam and I made sure we were registered and ready at the music building in time for an advertised tour. Unfortunately, sometime between the printing of the program and open day, a decision was made to cancel this walking tour. A very nice receptionist was sympathetic, though, and gave us a quick walk-through of the small building. The Massey campus appears to house the jazz and music therapy programs while Victoria University (the college across town) takes in the composition and classical music students. We had a nice long chat with one of the Music Therapy professors and discussed what the program entailed. Music Therapy is an emerging field in NZ, less than 7 years old, and Massey, as the only music therapy program in the country, only takes 12 students per year. Here’s an interesting factoid: tuition for a Master’s degree for a NZ resident runs only about NZ$5,000 per year. But, before you get too excited…it’s more like $28,000 for international students. Talk about out of state tuition! Ooo – speaking of money – the best part of Friday was possibly our quick trip to the Post Office to pick up our new Kiwibank debit cards…and then using them to actually access our own accounts that had successfully had money wired to them from the States! It feels great to not need our US cards anymore.

We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning on Saturday. One look out the window made for a quick decision to venture out for our first train ride away from downtown Wellington. Unfortunately, before we made it to the bottom of the street the heavens opened with a vengeance. I don’t think I can even call it rain because it came in sideways and up from the streets below more than from the skies above. Loaded down with our big camera, netbook computer, and appropriate amounts of reading material, we ran through the puddles as quickly as we could to catch the next train towards the sun.

Paraparamu is a small city about an hour North of Wellington on the West Coast of the North Island. It, like many coastal towns, has two central areas; one right off of the highway and one right on the beach. In accordance with Wilhoit luck standards, the train was unable to outrun the rain showers. By this time Adam and I were already fairly soggy thanks to the jog to the train station – and somewhat chilled by the drafty hour long ride. We sought warmth and shelter at a very busy McDonalds until we thought the weather had subsided. A quick pass through the dollar store left us one floppy eared knit cap and one umbrella heavier.

Adam hadn’t walked more than a dozen steps towards the coast when a gust of wind turned the umbrella totally inside out – at which point we simply resigned ourselves to a day of damp socks and mushy shoes. Thankfully, Adam and I spent our first weeks of marriage tramping through the rainy season of the Costa Rican countryside with one simple mantra to get us through such conditions: “Adventura!” Adam has appropriately requested that we learn how to chant this in Maori to fit in better to the cultural atmosphere. We probably spent a grand total of five minutes actually on the beach once we reached it since it was about as wet standing on the beach as it would have been crashing in the waves – but the wonderful little café we found nearby in which to warm up and enjoy lunch was totally worth the trip.


Sunday was Stake Conference at church, a first for Adam but pretty much exactly as it is in the US. The torrential rain had accompanied us on our walk from the apartment to the bus stop – so we were pretty soaked through for the two hour meeting. Thankfully, Adam makes a great portable space heater :) We had about a four hour window after church for phone calls to the US, a catnap, and some serious baking. The week before in the Wellington Ward we had been given an invitation to a multi-cultural potluck. Wilhoits take it on principle to never turn down a tasty dinner opportunity, so Adam and I eagerly showed back up to the chapel at 5:30 with our home-baked rosemary and sea-salt rolls in hand…only to be met by a very sweet young man who informed us that there had apparently been a hiccup in building scheduling…and the potluck had been canceled. Bummer! Since we aren’t actually on the ward list yet, we hadn’t gotten the message – but it’s a good lesson in confirming details for us in the future. As a consolation prize for being stood-up, we treated ourselves to a delicious Mexican meal at the famous Flying Burrito Brothers restaurant on Cuba Street. Then again, at $48 for two simple entrees, it’s a good thing it was yummy!

Today was a simple day of getting tasks done. Jogging in the morning followed by oatmeal for breakfast and then lots of e-mailing, job searching, grocery shopping, and even a little research to create business cards. Today was national cupcake day in support of the SPCA (NZ’s version of the ASPCA)…but wouldn’t you believe it…we didn’t come across a single homemade cupcake stand all day long! Adam had been saving pocket change for a week! It’s okay, though…we did get a brief glimpse at our favorite New Zealand puggy-mix puppy who guards a local body-builders nutrition supply shop. Her name is Peanut and I think I’m going to need to continue checking Adam’s luggage to make sure he doesn’t try and sneak her into the apartment.

So, while into each life some rain must fall, I have to admit that I'm really enjoying storm!

On The Go!

We did it! Today we actually met a Kiwi…the animal, not the fruit or a New Zealand native. His name is Tahi and he was positively adorable. Although only blessed with one leg, little Tahi hops-along quite well and goes about all of his Kiwi business. They are bigger than I thought they’d be. I always imagined the elusive Kiwi-bird as a small chick-a-dee type flightless shadow. Instead, Tahi was about the size of a small pug (though with a noticeably smaller appetite than a certain puggy canine I know). Thanks to YouTube, you can see Tahi Here!

We continue to familiarize ourselves with Wellington. Yesterday was our rainiest day so far. Despite the mist, we woke up for an early morning jog along the pedestrian wharf. After returning for warm showers and some hot oatmeal, we bundled up to head back into the city to explore. We found Wellington’s famous cable car that runs from the sea-level city center straight up the hill to the botanical gardens.

Callie demonstrated the accuracy of the Human Involvement Sundial.

We enjoyed a fun, if slippery walk around the gardens as we played with the moveable art pieces and various city fowl.


Stopping at the grocery store on the way home, we accrued supplies for a scrumptious dinner and dessert. We are becoming particular fans of the price of kiwi-fruit here. It’s like $1.25 per kilo! And the kiwi-fruit are huge…think, the size of an apple!
This morning, after a brief morning jog, Adam had a meet and greet with one of the employment agencies he’s been talking to. While nothing is firm and we don’t wish to count any kiwi-eggs before they’re adorable hatchlings, we are hopeful to have something sorted in the next week. We are thinking we will continue our stay here at the Southern Cross for another week just to be on the safe side, before signing any longer term contracts for housing in the area. Upon his triumphant return to the apartment, we embarked on our first laundry escapade. So far, so good, - and all our whites appear to have remained in the white category. The dryers are still a bit tricky – so we ended up scattering our clothes all around our small studio to finish their cycle while we struck out on an adventure to the Wellington Zoo. Apparently we caught the final “Winter Wednesdays at the Wellington Zoo”. This meant that on this positively beautiful Winter Wednesday, we were able to get in for only $5 to enjoy all the animals and exhibits. While we saw many cute faces, favorites were the Sun Bears and Dingo.


The animals were wonderful, but it appeared that a good portion of Wellington had decided to capitalize on the weather and the Wednesday bargain. We dodged all sorts of ankle-biters and weaved in and out of stroller parking lots in hopes of catching glimpses at the Zoo-inhabitants. I think that the Wellington Zoo will be quite the attraction…in about two years when all of their construction projects come to fruition. Something to look forward to! The Zoo Keeper, a benevolent force for sure, had left handy signs around the zoo providing good advice for all patrons.



Our city bus was waiting for us at the stop right outside the Zoo, and a short ride back towards the city left us within a block of our apartment. It’s so much fun getting a feel for public transportation! You see so much of the character of the city from your bus seat. Today we discovered Wellington High School, the New Zealand School of Music, as well as (in honor of my favorite nieces) a 24 hour McDonalds with a brand-new Playplace. Adam is eager to figure out what exactly the family-meal entails at McDonalds, while I’m more curious about the three WeightWatchers approved? meals I’ve seen advertised! Thankfully, it isn’t the golden arches we see everyone entering on every corner for fast-food, but Sushi-to-go! We’ve been trying to stay budget-friendly by keeping our eating out to a minimum…but I am sure it won’t be too long before we experiment with those chopsticks!

Getting set

Things continue moving along quite nicely here in Wellington. I know it sounds ridiculous only 4 days into our year here, but my deepest fear is that we won’t have enough time to really enjoy this amazing country! While we are eager to find Adam his dream employment opportunity, there is a small, selfish part of me that would rather he stay jobless for a while so we can play and explore. Of course, the practical part of my brain quickly takes over the dreamy side and would prefer stable housing, transportation…and oh, yeah…a paycheck :)
Here is a quick replay of our last few days:

Saturday was amazingly productive as Adam and I were able to do two very important things:

#1 – We purchased cell phones and pre-paid plans which are quite reasonable. My sister, Kara, and her husband, Jason, generously gave us their cell phones from their time in France in hopes that the rest of the world would be more techno-compatible with each other than the US is with anyone…but were unfortunately unable to make use of the gift. New Zealanders pride themselves on their quirky ways – right on down to their SIM cards. For those looking for ways to spend their family fortune on international phone rates, Adam should be reached at (64)-021-0230-4250. Callie’s cell is (64)-021-0230-4785. All incoming calls are free for us…so ring away! Our quick disclaimer is that we haven't yet received any international calls on the cell phones...so we aren't 100% sure of the sequence of these numbers.

#2 – Adam and I opened a banking account at KiwiBank – locations of which are all conveniently located inside post offices. We figured that no matter where we end up – one thing remains true worldwide: EVERYONE loves to get mail….so even the smallest towns should have a post office, right? The young woman who helped us to open our accounts was awesome. She withheld all evidence of frustration or exasperation at this clumsy American couple and babysat us through the entire process, including applications for our Tax ID numbers. Talk about two birds with one stone! Next step….we’ve got to figure out how to put some money in that Kiwibank account…details, details.

Sunday found us wide awake, alert, and enthusiastic at an early hour since we are still crashing into bed well before 9:00pm. We undertook our first bus ride on our first excursion taking us from Wellington City Central to a nearby neighborhood for Sunday church. We must have looked quite the sight, dressed up in suit and tie at 8:00 in the morning on a Sunday as we walked through the aftermath of Saturday night revelry along Cuba Street. Our clumsy entry to the bus was a dead giveaway to the bus driver who immediately commented that we must be “far from home” – but we were quickly comforted by one of the only other passengers on the bus leaning forward to ask if we were headed to church. The bus driver happily rambled along about the many ways in which life as a Kiwi was better than anywhere else, while the woman behind us introduced herself as having arrived in Wellington only a month ago from….Spokane, Washington! The Wellington Ward is quite a mish-mash of cultures all coming together in what appears to be a happy ward-family. If Adam and I were hoping to be unique visitors, this was the wrong place to go. Apparently, if you want to meet lots of Americans all from the Northwest, simply head to Wellington! The family in the pew in front of us is a Kiwi-American couple with 4 busy little boys. The mom grew up in…Federal Way, Washington! The organist was from…Moses Lake, Washington! And the lady behind me in Relief Society lived for three years in….Tacoma, Washington! Do you sense the theme? The nice part is that there are certainly many friendly ears, all well aware of what it is like to relocate to this area.

Long post getting longer....we love this city! The weather has been wonderful. We haven't had any real rain and the sun is a frequent visitor. The wind is more than agreeable - especially on our morning jogs along the city to sea wall. Our only "wish" is to be able to share it with everyone from home. We are making lists of places and things that are on the "must show" list so start making those plane reservations as soon as you see the "steal of a deal." Those we've spoken with speak fondly of the (elusive?) $400 plane ticket from LA to Aukland. Hope to find those soon!

Love to you all!


Proof for all the worried moms out there concerned we aren't eating our veggies!

Kia Ora!

Have you ever noticed that the best travel posts are those wrought with turmoil, turbulence, and airline treachery? Those that know me well are well aware of my travel curse. I have expanded normally 12 hour journeys to 56 hour sojourns; I have endured endless amounts of lost baggage and the bursting of salsa amongst my unmentionables; I have sat on Floridian runways for hours on end amid flash floods and presidential impromptu appearances...all with my beloved family eternally waiting on the other end for my exhausted carcase to arrive in baggage claim. It is for these reasons and SO many more, that Adam and I can't be more pleased to warn you that the following blogpost may make better insomia-relief material than the beginnings of a best-selling travel novel. Our postings are likely to be a joint effort...please excuse inconsistencies between the "Callie and I" and "Adam and I" - quite frankly I'd rather spend more time out in this beautiful city than editing :)

Callie and I arrived in Wellington, safe and sound. We managed to arrive with all our luggage (all 260 pounds captured in 4 check-in and 4 carry-on bags) until our shuttle transfer from the Wellington airport to our hotel. Apparently it would be wise counsel to be sure that all of your luggage is in the van before they take away the trolley and rush you into the van. Thankfully. that bag was located and waiting for us when we returned back to our room after wandering out for lunch. For our innaugural meal we kept the palate close to home and ate at a place called Burger Fuel, which features such interesting burgers as the "Combustion Vege" made of Sunflower Seeds, Chickpeas, Cumin and Coriander pattie.......I had the beef burger. The fries were particularly delicious. Callie and I have both agreed that reducing our (and particularly my) Diet Coke consumption to the occasional treat will both be a healthy move for us, and at ~4.50NZ a pop an easy financial savings.

Our flights were nice and smooth; meals served on New Zealand Air were tasty and we had our free choice of 78 movies to select from during the flight. Adam made it through about 4 and half feature films, while Callie wimped out in the middle of her third. Immigration in Aukland was a breeze, and customs wasn't at all interested in my hiking boots. The best part of customs was watching the illegal fruits and veggie sniffing Beagle wander around everyone's luggage. He was only mildly interested in Callie's snack-bag...apparently a poor encounter with a large pickle earlier in the weekend had made a lasting impression in the fabric. Having convinced Air New Zealand that our 11 and 15 kilo roller carry-on bags would be better suited for beneath the airplane and that we shouldn't need to pay for them since we'd carried them this far...we opted to walk from the international terminal to the domestic terminal. We spent our first few hours in New Zealand in the domestic terminal watching a steady stream of travelers enjoy McDonalds breakfast. Taking a walk through the two gift shops was inspiring just in the sheer number of tourist-items that have been inscribed with either a kiwi, a fern, or a sheep. We managed to restrain ourselves, most likely because it was the airport, but I foresee us owning at least one NZ stuffed Kiwi and Sheep. I think I have to do a bit of work before I start sporting the All Blacks jersey any time soon.

Our evening gratefully sped by thanks to a very hot shower and a beautiful walk to the Wellington waterfront. We ate at an unusual restaurant/pub where we experimented with peanut dukkah (ick! Thank you, if I wanted to eat Sage flavored sand I'd go out to the sandbox!) and a delicious smoked chicken, brie, and cranberry pizza. The dark walk home found us briskly rushing along the busy Cuba Street nightlife wishing we had already resigned ourselves to the fact that it is in fact winter here...and we should dress appropriately!

Thanks to all who have helped us get here, we cannot thank you all enough. Know that we miss you all and will be doing our best to update as a means to stay in touch.

Love to you all!

Adam and Callie