kangaroo sightings

I have always been a bit of a fruit fiend. My Mom always blamed me for putting Shoney’s out of business because of their free salad bar for kids. I think I could eat my weight in fruits and veggies growing up. I probably still could actually. Moving to New Zealand recently has presented me with some new fruits though and I must say I am loving them, specifically feijoas and gold kiwis. I have always been a fan of kiwifruits (until now I only knew of the green variety). But the gold variety, c’est magnifique! This potential new favorite fruit made me remember a fruit that I did not try on my travels once, a durian . I first came across this large, weapon-like fruit in Singapore where one of the buildings resembles a durian. By large, I mean the size of a spherical watermelon and by weapon-like, I mean Singapore does not allow durians on their trains presumably to avoid impalement. They also may not allow them on their trains because they have a very distinct, overpowering odor. All o...

We had a repeat of last week’s cycle again this past Saturday except that Brendan came along this time. He is still getting over his sickness, but I think the cycle was much needed fresh air and exercise. Despite the forecast, we had a mostly beautiful morning for the ride. We did end up getting a little wet towards the end, but not nearly the deluge that was predicted. Beautiful ride again. I spent a little less time thinking about how much pain my legs were in and a little more time thinking about which of the amazing houses with the amazing windows and porches overlooking the valley we should buy. Part of the ride is along Ridge Rd, which very much reminds me of Skyline Blvd in the Bay area, except that it is easier to get to (only a 20-minute climb on a bike at a much shallower grade). One of the houses up there has a big, gaudy sign out front that says “dotcom mansion,” which always makes me giggle. After the cycle, there was some lounging and some eating and then there was beer ...

With Brendan being sick and the weather being questionable, we were looking for something local to do last Sunday that was not too strenuous but still gave us the opportunity to get some fresh air. So, we headed to Cornwall Park in the suburbs of Auckland. We parked at the visitor centre and walked up One Tree Hill via the road (most gradual route). We passed some free-grazing sheep on the way up and Brendan, in his usual way, attempted to pet one. Despite the sheep not even looking up at the runner who just passed within 2 metres on them, they would not let Brendan even within 5 metres of them. He has some type of sheep repellent on him. I am convinced. Anyway, we instead looked from afar and picked out “our” sheep. When friends heard we were moving here, many of them asked whether we got a sheep and/or a sheep dog when we entered. We were standing in the “people’s park,” so we assumed that these were the “people’s sheep.” I picked out a very fluffy one. The wind at the top of One Tri...

So the last several years (2 in grad school and 4 in the professional world) have led me to an incredibly unfit state (at least in terms of my previous fitness). So, I have decided to do something about it in NZ. For now, my fitness goal is to be in shape enough to enjoy all of the outdoorsy activities that NZ has to offer. Part of me is leaning towards actually racing again (either mtn bike or adventure racing), but I have not made that an official goal yet since the other part of me is hoping that we are travelling so much that I will not have time to race. So, what have I been doing? First, I have been trying to commute by foot as much as possible from work (bus there, walk or run home). I would say I average 2 days a week running and 1 day a week walking, but it is only the 5th week. The downside is that it is mostly in the dark unless I leave absolutely on time. The upside is that it is a way to avoid the often crowded and slow bus-ride home. The distance is probably only 4-5km ri...

We bought one based on a local Aucklander’s recommendation for the winter (to keep it drier and therefore warmer in our apartment). Now, can someone tell me how to use it? Right now we just let it run (and run and run). We occasionally empty the water container and occasionally turn it around and/or move it to a different room. Any advice for optimizing though? I didn’t even realize that de-humidifiers existed until about 2 weeks ago!

My tent has suffered its first and second significant damage. Funnily enough, both bits of damage happened within 12 hours of me thinking about how great of condition we have kept that tent in. Both bits of damage are recoverable for not a lot of money, so that is good. I did have a bit of a sad moment though after seeing the damage. I now know how Brendan felt when I borrowed his tent for a climbing trip to Joshua Tree and then proceeded let it blow across the desert unattended. I did stake it down, the stakes were not sand stakes though and the wind was too great. Luckily some climbers in our group showed up late and were able to wrestle Brendan’s tent back into position. It was not without damage though as it ended up with a massive cut in the tent fly. Oh memories…