My beautiful daughter and I walked down the hill and into Newtown yesterday morning.
We were looking for a cafe for our morning chat and to buy some groceries for the birthday dinner.
Two things to remember about New Zealand. 1. Always take your warmie because your day may not stay warm for long. 2. Wear your sunscreen, you have 15 minutes before you burn, even if there is a high cloud cover and it does not feel hot. Be careful of your skin in New Zealand . We have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
The streets of Newtown were busy with some remarkably friendly people. We both remarked on how often we were smiled to and greeted on this busy little street lined in shops of all kinds. There are a lot of second hand clothing stores in this area which we look forward to exploring. We had a lovely coffee in the back yard of Baobab Cafe. Very lazy. Very summer. Very easy. 
We bought a few things in the little local supermarket and wandered back up the hill to make my lamb dinner. 
Look at these two fantastic birthday presents. 
Real New Zealand gumboots.
And a most wondrous weather vane (plus its postage home) for the barn. Mahia seems to have picked up on that TonTon trick of getting into the back of shots!!.
The news from the farmy. Daisy is wearing her new anti kicking device (which I have not seen a picture of yet) and John has made her a wee gate that helps her stay in place during the milking. She is reported to be more settled, miraculously easy to milk under the new system and I hope will increase her production again now. So I think that crisis has been managed.
Good morning. Once again Wellington has dawned clear and calm, beautiful weather for Wellington. It is early, early morning as usual and the valley is full of the most amazing array of native bird song, I wish I had sound for you sometimes. One bird in particular is high up in the Marcrocarpas calling a low slow desperately sad song. Just three long sustained repeating notes that drift through the valley like the beginnings of a long forgotton lullaby. I am sure they can hear it right down on the beach.
After loading the slow cooker with a Lamb Rendang, my beautiful daughter and I will catch the bus down into Courtney Place, which is close to the port, and has plenty of good shopping. We will take you to see some street art by the sea, and the downtown area. And yes, we will be wearing our sunblock and have our cardies in our bags.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
91 responses to “Taking to the streets of Wellington”
Very good looking presents indeed. Super weather vane – it’ll be spinning like a mad thing in those prairie winds:)
dizzy kiwi! c
Great pressies, and both so practical! That kiwi weather van is going to look fantastic on the barn – a talking point if I ever saw one!
I can just imagine Daisy.. moaning a low wail, missing her c.. that gets sent to the next farm animal.. on and on (well, I don’t know how it gets across the ocean, there must be a dog on those planes) until it reaches the bird that is calling sadly to you.. I think there was a scene on 101 Dalmatians like this with dogs barking.. nevertheless.. did I mention, ILOVEYOURBOOTS?! xx Smidge
What great boots!
What joy, oh what joy to be where you are right now, must seem like a complete dream and yet intensely real at the same time, what a wonderful state of consciousness to be in, (projecting wildly here!) I am reading Margaret Atwood being very funny about superheros and fantasy and sci fi in a book I was given for my birthday. Talking about doors and openings and travel and meeting aliens, and it strikes me, in a random, unthought out sort of way, that blogs are all of those things, metareal xx Joanna