Sweet Georgia Brown

This is 3 month old Georgia - a very smiley little one who likes singing and farting and flying. I've been babysitting her a bit for the past week or so and have really enjoyed it - she is a cool baby! But I'm not getting broody (sorry mum, you'll have to wait).


Georgia lives half way between Te Anau and Manapouri on a deer farm, with her mum Christine and dad Grant. I didn't really do that much farm work what with mainly spending time with Georgia - but did get to help tag some fawns and also help treat a lamb that was badly flystruck. Mmmmmm maggots.


I'm usually only babysitting in the afternoons so have been able to get out and about for some adventures in the mornings.

Picture from a bike ride with Brian's mum Bev.


The day was finished off relaxing on the balcony outside (or deck as they like to call it here - amusingly and confusingly pronounced dick...) watching the sky change.


The next day started off not quite so sunny, but I decided to brave it anyway and head off up Mt Luxmore earlyish. Got this fantastic rainbow as a result...


And also the first Kea that I've seen in the wild on the way up the mountain (the summit of Mt Luxmore is in the background) to Luxmore Hut. This is the first stretch of the Kepler track, and incredibly scenic. But also quite busy and windy.

A couple of days later I did the Circle Track on Lake Manapouri early in the morning. More super early morning scenery - lots of mist around the valley.

This was a lovely little walk, mainly through bush, but with a little stretch along the beach at the end. Did plan to do a bit of sunbathing, but the sandflies decided it was lunch time...


Then on my second last day I decided to give Postman Pat a treat with a drive up to Milford sound. Here is Pat enjoying the scenery.



After getting a bit hot and bothered Pat wanted to go for a swim in Lake Gunn, but I managed to stick the handbrake on just in time. Plan to get inflattables fitted soon though so that we can do a bit of sailing...

It was a bit cloudy when we got to Milford - but made for some dramatic pictures. Not how it looks on the postcard - but I quite like it - probably more representative of Fiordland weather.


There's a couple of really nice short tramps around Milford. Up to Key Summit was pretty good - two hours up and one down, with a DOC ranger at the bottom giving out sweets (if you fill in a questionairre of course, but I took it to be a reward). But best of all was the walk up to Lake Marian and Lake Marian itself. The track was a little steep in places, but good fun over tree roots and up dried up river beds. And also a lot quieter than the Key summit track which made for a very peaceful walk. Then Lake Marian. Which was just beautiful. This picture doesn't really do it justice... But when I got there there was only one other person, and he was chilling out playing th e harmonica, which echoed sweetly up the valley. Swimming in the Lake was brilliant - clear turquoise water (if that makes sense!) - straight from the glaciers right above. I think possibly my best swim in NZ so far.


Enjoying random road signs along the way, including this one -


Where is the question mark? Is this a question or a statement? Men:Women::Female:Male? A good road sign anyhow, but not so sure what it is trying to say. Other amusing gender things - just was in a second hand bookstore in Wanaka that classified all its books by either "Male Authors", "Female Authors", or "War". Made for slightly random browsing at least.