Nga Manu, Take Two - Night 72

Once again the old red van made its way up to Nga Manu. The sun was finally shining today, the first time in over a week, making the already scenic drive all that much more enjoyable. This morning we caught the feeding of the Kiwi birds. The emblematic, flightless bird feeds only at night so we were herded into a dark building to watch them eat behind the glass enclosure. Not exactly exciting. Kiwis, which once covered the islands, are also very rare now due to introduced predators.

We continued on were we left of yesterday

Nga Manu Jungle

and were finished around 2:30. After work we raced to the Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) head office in Waikanae to purchase some T-shirts. Last weekend both Kathi and I scoured downtown Wellington looking for the famous retro KNZB t-shirts that you see from time to time. Having no luck, we were resigned to buy them online until we found that the head office was located in Waikanae, just minutes from Nga Manu. We arrived at 2:50 and though they claim to be open until 3, the door was locked. After a bit of pounding, an old man emerged from the back and let us in, provided we would buy something. The old man was Barry, one of the executives of KNZB. Here was a man who could talk the ear off of a horse. We had to literally pry ourselves away from him once we wanted to leave. However, we made it worth his while to open up, purchasing nine shirts and signing GVN up as a sponsor organization.

Returning to town, we embarked on our Christmas grocery shopping tour. The girls have made elaborate plans for Christmas dinner, so the trip to Pak n’ Save took nearly two hours. Having no opinion over what flavor pudding or type of ham to make, I quickly hid myself in the alcoholic beverage section of the store. It is not that I don’t like holidays or special meals; it is just that I generally like any and all food and when given the preference will opt for the path of least resistance when cooking. I suppose one could say I’ve mastered the Tao of food.

What I Learned Today: Try as I might to be calm, there are times when gross inefficiency drives me completely insane.

written by

exumenius on December 21, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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