Monday started with the 1yr anniversary of the Emergency Disaster Management Team. As the photos prove we were asked to bring a slice (which means a dessert) and there was definitely a great spread! But before we could indulge in cake we got to look round the new ER lorry. It can be loaded with rest centre kit for 140 people with response kit. Being able to meet the rest of the team was great and everyone was really friendly and welcoming. There was also planning for a mega exercise (practice major incident) in Rotorua which would be at night with lots of ‘surprises’ so that will be an experience in the next few months! We ate cake then the boss gave me a lift half way home. We parked the ER lorry at its home and all the Red Cross drivers that have to back the EEU into Central garage – that is nothing to the garage the lorry has to fit in – thankfully I don’t have a lorry licence lol.
Wednesday was International Volunteer Day so I went to the Civic centre for a morning tea and book release of volunteer stories with one Red Cross staff member. There was yummy food and it was good to talk more about Red Cross possibilities. Apparently I am getting known in the Red Cross here (in positive way)!
Thursday Mandida (Candida and Mat) arrived in rubbish weather. At least it wasn’t the horizontal rain we had earlier in the week but pretty rubbish so that was a shame. Best thing to do on a rainy day is go to Te Papa museum. Mandida had a few cultural and historical queries which I had limited answers for so they found the answers there. They spent a good 2hrs on one floor! Then they went back to their friend in Upper Hutt as that was a better option than staying at mine.
Friday I went to meet Mandida in Upper Hutt and after they experienced some navigation hiccups we stumbled upon a café that was amazing. It was a smallish café which was packed and after some reorganisation we sat and ate a great lunch. The weather had improved slightly but with the threat of rain later. We then joined a family friend and went walking up in Kaitoke Regional Park along some of the locations filmed in the Hobbit and Rings Trilogy. This included some fun being elves in Rivendell! The weather held for some good fun and then ended in an icecream. We went back to their friend’s and had dinner and the heavens opened. This was not so good for our next adventure – night tour of Zealander hunting for a Kiwi bird sighting. However, by the time we arrive at Zealander the rain had stopped. We arrived with time to spare so we were able to get an extra look at the info centre before the rest of the tour group arrived. Kiwis are nocturnal if you didn’t know and rare to spot in the wild. Zealander is a pest-free bird sanctuary up one of Wellington’s valleys. To have such a sanctuary in Wellington is great. There were 12 people on the tour so not too big so that was hopeful. We set off at 8.30pm to experience the evening chorus and saw some lovely native birds. We each had a red light torch as the darkness came in and we wandered through the forest. We were taught what the Kiwi sounded like so we could listen out then started our hunt. The rangers were great in describing the different characters of the kiwi in the park. As we hunted, we saw some amazing glow worms, lots of birds, baby weta (big bugs that aren’t too pleasant), frogs, lizards, eels and fish. We heard one Kiwi very very close but unfortunately didn’t get a sighting. But hearing the Kiwi called ‘flip-flop’ was great and the overall experience was fun and interesting. Overall though the Mandida visit was short and wet it was good fun.
On arriving home Friday night about midnight I got home to some drunken housemates, went to bed but was doing some computer stuff. I had heard a bit of running about then got a knock on the door with the news of my house mate having being in a car accident at the end of the road. Thankfully no one was hurt and driver was dealt with by the officers, so got to bed about 2.30am. I had a workshop on Sat so aimed to wake up at 7.20. Not sure whether my alarm or the quake woke me but it is a bit of a shock to wake up hear something that sounds like a lorry going past then put your feet on the floor and it is vibrating like a gym vibrating board! Thankfully it didn’t last more than 30sec in total and turned out to be 2 quakes in one at 5.8 rictor scale and originated under the North Island. Apparently it was quite deep. If it was a shallow quake we wouldn’t have felt it apparently. Oh and then the toilet flooded!
So after an eventful night and morning I set off in the sunshine to a Deafblind awareness workshop. I met some more interpreters and some I had already met. The workshop was great with 2 inspiring Deafblind guests.
Sunday was a HOT sunny day and after a morning on the computer doing some work I got stir crazy so after a suggestion of the Santa parade and fair I went into Welly. I missed what looked like a great parade so went to Waitangi Park fair. It turned out to be a family fate so childless I felt a bit out of place but then stumbled into some Deaf friends and ended up chilling out with them in the sun. An end to an eventful week :-)
