Autumn

We are certainly entering into Autumn in beautiful New Zealand. The air has a new crispness about it, the leaves are changing and the nights are downright chilly. I bought a wonderful down jacket last week. I've missed the last two years worth of Autumns, leaving for Antarctica in early October. This one feels extra special, I love the smell of Autumn, a smell I'd somehow forgotten about until last week.

Alex and I are in Christchurch. The weather is gorgeous outside, but we are both sitting in an internet cafe with a rather long list of computer tasks. It's quite depressing to be honest. We have additional issues to deal with for Peace Corp medical clearance, we're changing our plane tickets, planning the Australian leg of our honeymoon, checking email and such things.

Our last trip was by bicycle. We spent 4 days biking 150 kilometers of a former train rail line. The trail is quite popular and passes through a rather poor and rural section of NZ. The trail has virtually saved the tiny communities along the former train route. The scenery is lovely and picturesque, and with the Autumn colors was a real treat. It's a significantly dry area and the land is only good for grazing herds, mostly sheep, some cattle and deer. We enjoyed four days of calm, sunny, crispy autumn weather. There's something truly romantic about riding a bicycle side-by-side with the love of your life. I think that's why it's regularly in the movies as part of two people falling in love. It all makes sense now.

Alex and I fly to the North Island on the 1st of next month. We hear it's very different from the south island.