Rejuvenating Newlands

For visitors who have stood in our living room and looked down at the 'derelict' house with boards missing and worried about the guy who lives there, I looked over there today and - ta dah:

Am pleased to see the northerly will no longer blow right into his house.

In other nature news...

Chaffinches and greenfinches have returned to the garden, amid an abundance of sparrows and silver eyes.

Aurora Australis made another glowing red veiled appearance in Wellington this week.

A pod of 13 orca seen in Wellington yesterday (Owhiro Bay),  swimming lazily around the shore and rocks.

The annual Cook Strait whale count has ended with record numbers, including Migaloo the albino humpback from Oz.

And we have a tropical sea turtle, found on Lyall Bay this week - now she is a looooong way from home and not happy about it. She's a rare Olive Ridley turtle, possibly caught on the wrong ocean current, and injured. The zoo is doing their best. The news this afternoon is better; she might make it.

Weather has been frigid, then wet, then mild, then cold, then sunny.

Stopped at Petone Beach on the way home this week and it was like this:

So had a very quick walk.