NewZeaLinz: Random Update

I seriously lack a creative title for this blog update. Mostly because all the events are so random and I can't cleverly relate them! So, read on for the random events that happened over the past 3 weeks.

Country Club Party
I went to Wellington to meet up with my fellow ex-pat canoeing/hiking buddy Amanda. Now that I live in the South Island, it's harder for us to meet up. We decided to meet in Wellington for a girls weekend in the city. Our friend Pete invited us to a house party which had a theme of "County Club". We wanted to set ourselves apart from the typical "tie a sweater around your shoulders" costume, so here we are in our proper/sporty Country Club attire.

We were definitely two of the best dressed there.

I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with all this random costume attire I'm acquiring in this country! (rockpaperscissors, greek godess, sporty country club girl...)
Open a costume shop perhaps??

Two weekends ago was the hospital ball. My neighbour friend Denise talked me into going, even though this Cinderella didn't have a date. It was fun to get "all dolled" up. I *have* to make use of my little black dress I packed in the suitcase, right?

The fun hairdo..

The dress...

My contribution to the dinner party before..

My neigbour/race paparazzi man/borrowed pseudo-date for the evening, George!

Denise and George, looking simpy smashing :)

The morning before the ball was another Kiwi Adventure activity that my colleagues and I took part in. It was called the "HeartStopper Challenge". It raises money for @Heart, a NZ organization for children w/heart defects. Since children undergoing open heart surgery often have to have their chests full of icy slush to slow their heart rate down during the operation, the HeartStopper Challenge mimics that by having teams of adults daring to plunge in an icy pool for 5 minutes.

"Bring it on," said the doctors at my clinic!

It may look like a 'hot' tub, but definitely wasn't!! It was full of ice cubes and FREEZING cold water!

In typical Kiwi fashion, we needed a team theme. I suggested Hawaiian. Here's Grant, me, Theun (the locum from Holland), and Rod, smiling in our tropical gear despite the icy waters.

Grant, Lis, and Duncan just 'chillin' :)

Duncan's kids got a hold of a spare bag of ice and graciously dumped it in my lap. My hair hides the look of shock on my face...

Speaking of shock, the paramedics were on hand, taking random ear temperatures just as a precaution..

It really wasn't that bad. I have been colder in my life (8th grade Marching Band ACC championships and joining Jason Olcese's "Polar Bear Club" by jumping into a hole cut out of the 4inches of ice on top of his lake definitely trump this). But still, it was fun, and for a good cause. The event raised over $10,000!

My random Kiwi adventures continued with an invitaiton last weekend to go deer hunting. My pal Marty knows a farmer who allows hunting on his private land (with permission, of course). We got up at dawn and walked the hills, in search of a deer.

Beautiful farmland! Walking these hills was a workout!

Here's Marty searching for the deer...

All I was able to spot were sheep. These guys peculiarly looked like they were lining up to spell something out, straight from a marching band halftime show.

A morning of hiking and learning to "walk quietly" was fun, but no deer were spotted. We shall try again soon!

Continuing the randomness, I'll share some pretty views of a coastal drive between Blenheim and Picton. It was a VERY windy gravel road, but definitely the "scenic route!"