Driving

James has flown to Auckland to buy a car and drive it back to Wellington, so this is the first night that I'm staying with the kids by myself in our new house. The house is sprawling - it has many small rooms that can't really be used for much, and then multiple living areas. In the upper living room, it looks like some one was stoked to deck out the place as an entertainment center - there are built in speakers to the walls, decades old now and not functioning, and you can swing a giant mirror to the side to hide a plug and space for a huge flat screen TV. James is using that room has an oversized office, overlooking the harbor. There are many, many balconies that overlook the harbor and a bus stop directly in front of our house. There's an extra unit that was used as an AirBnB - it doesn't really have a kitchen and it seems from the guest book that they didn't rent it out during "walnut season" because of a constant barrage of walnuts. We have too many lemons falling from the tree in the courtyard which is also home to a fish pond with some fish and a frog. I saw a rabbit eating the clover by the long contemplative bench. My plan for the day was to get the kids to make cookies and try and meet the neighbors that are tucked up against our kitchen window. The houses seem really crammed together, though there is enough space for yards and courtyards and the like. Everything is overshadowed by fairly tall and steep hills, and there are some houses that are built into the hills, though some might benefit from a funicular. The rest of the houses are on a flat strip that is much nearer to sea level and stretches along the side of this beautiful harbor. When James gets back we'll have a car and maybe I'll try and drive it. We've been in town for about three weeks, and I've been getting around by foot, bike, ferry, and mostly bus. The buses take about an hour to get to Wellington proper, but their relatively clean and there's a polite bus culture. The bus drivers get a kick out of the kids being so excited about going on a double decker. Tomorrow will be another bus ride to camp - the kids wanted to play dodge ball at Kelly Sports, then we'll bus to the Warehouse to get some art supplies and finally write some letters to our friends at home. It's strange to be in a house without paint or clay or enough paper for scribbling. We'll remedy all that, then take the bus home. James has to drive 6 hours from Taupo tomorrow. By the time he gets back our house will have art and our garage will have a car. Big steps!