Laid Back Weekend

For a change, I actually hung around town this weekend.  Before that though, on Wednesday, we talked to the local dive shop and a friend and I are hoping to dive at a ship wreck near town this week!  After that, I went to one of the beaches nearby and got some cockles (clams) off the beach and mussels off the rocks for dinner--delicious!!  Then, Friday night, we just watched a movie because a lot of us decided to run a 6K going on Saturday morning to support kids with cancer.

Saturday afternoon, after doing my good for the day, I participated in the 2013 378 Leith Street Beer

Olympics (this is where any of you from work stop reading and go to the next paragraph...).  Our team's theme was Brunchin in Bathrobes, but I had some odd sleep sack onesie thing.  Despite a valiant effort, we finished 3rd of 5.  However, we would've been 2nd if we didn't forfeit two games.  Anyway, it was a great chance for all of us to bond and have a great time for a few hours, except that everyone was falling asleep around 9pm.

Sunday, after sleeping in a bit and watching some football and the Caps preseason game, I went for a bike ride on the Otago Peninsula.  This was on Lonely Planet's top 10 cycling routes in the world!  It was beautiful--rolling green hills (spotted with white sheep) and then blue water and golden beaches on both sides.  If only it were a little warmer, it would've been ideal.  Anyway, it was 3.5 hours--I forget how I did a 3-day bike trip because my bum was sore!  We drove to the highest point, then rode along the top with scenic vistas for a while before dropping down to the coast and ending on a beach.  There were some seals there, but no penguins.  We did see tons of birds though, including terns (Caspian and White-Fronted), Paradise ducks, Pied Stilts, Variable Oystercatchers, White-Faced Herons and heaps of boring seagulls. It was fairly leisurely as some people on the trip couldn't bike very fast, but the guide was good about letting the faster people go ahead and there were some tougher stretches!  After spending 30 minutes on the beach, we rode back off into the sunset--literally! Unfortunately, my "good" knee is starting to hurt, so I will take it easy this week and last week I pushed it more than I have been.  Oh, and I forgot my camera, sorry!

 It was a very relaxing weekend and as of now, I've got no plans for next weekend, but am looking for something to do!