More Pictures from Akaroa

Below are pictures from the Harbor Tour I took with Anna, Rachel, and Sarah earlier this month.

Our tour was run by Akaroa Dolphins. L-R: Sarah, Rachel and Anna

Our skipper Murphy

It was a sunny, brisk day. I wonder if the fellow in the shorts rethought his wardrobe choice as we headed out of the harbor. L-R: shorts fellow, one of our guides, hooded person, and Sarah

 The New Zealand flag

We saw several Hector's dolphins. Hector's dolphins are only found in New Zealand. The are the second rarest dolphins in the world. The rarest dolphins, Maui dolphins, are found off the coasts of the North Island. 

Anna

During severe storms, the waves completely cover the hole in the bedrock. 

Back to the present day... I am back to work and blogging after our latest swarm of aftershocks on 13 June 2011. Unfortunately, the grading elves did not visit and grade my tests. My office was remarkably tidy for the size shakes we had. Below are two pictures. 

If you look closely, there is a picture of the intact Christchurch Cathedral on the right.

Doves in Takamatua

I took a wonderful trip to Akaroa today with Anna, Rachel and Sarah. We had a grand time eating pies, touring the harbour, and walking around the town. We saw several shags, fur seals, and hector dolphins. On our way back to Christchurch we stopped in Takamatua at a farm. The farm is owned by Anna's friends. It was absolutely lovely. I would love to live there - ah, if only those numbers would come up. Below are pictures of the resident flock of doves.

 

First in the Don't Let "Fill-in-the-Blank" Kill Your Kids Campaign

As I walked to the bus station the other day, I noticed a very odd ad on the bus stop billboard. At first, I thought I had misread the sign. A second look confirmed what I initially thought I read: don't let nana kill your kids. After closer inspection, I found the ad warns people of the dangers of unattended cooking not homicidal grandmothers - which I am happy to report is not an epidemic in NZ. Evidence that I am not pulling your leg is contained in the photograph below. It the first ad in the series I call the Don't Let "Fill-in-the-Blank" Kill Your Kids Campaign. I saw another in the series yesterday and will post a picture soon.

Pictures of the Cathedral from December 2010

Below are some pictures of the Christchurch Cathedral before the tower collapsed in the February 22, 2011 earthquake.  I took the photos with my phone while I read at an Irish Pub next to the Christchurch Cathedral December 12, 2010.

It was a very lovely day, I look forward to sitting next to the Cathedral again.