View from my new home

There is much to say but I will be brief, because the last few days are beginning to blur and swirl together like a dream.

After many long hours in planes, sitting in airports, and a long, cold bus ride from Christchurch I arrived in Dunedin. I counted on winter, but still felt unprepared how cold it was arriving in Dunedin on a cloudless, starry winter night.

In the old train station I met Claire, my correspondence pen-pal friend along with Robbie and Adele - all Ausie and Kiwi science and natural history filmmakers and students in the program here. I jumped in the old jeep and we weaved in and out along curvy roads away from the lights of Dunedin. They live up in the hills along the coast about a half hour away up the Peninsula. Arriving to the house at night it's hard to know what the land looked like around me, but the house is big, funky and organic. A sort of artist's work in progress, with narry a straight line in the place (he seems to like circles though :)

I met Quinn who also shares this place and is a brilliant writer and last of all, Skype the adorable house dog. My spot for now is down the stairs on the ground level. A small room with a double bed and open windows with a deck that fronts onto native bush heavy with tree ferns. Lush, green and full of bird song it should be a fine place for me to call home for the next couple weeks at least.

After a deep rest I woke in the morning and explored my new home. Hiking the hillsides above the house there is an old railroad track where the occasional train rumbles past. Wild gorse heavy with yellow flowers blooms thick along the roadsides, native birds dart in and out of the bush, and big fine views of the harbor and the sea beyond can be seen from nearly every angle. With the sun shining and the breeze blowing it is a beautiful place to look out on - just behold the view!