Sunshine in the Bay

I dropped in to see my Mum last weekend.  I had three days in Wellington on business at the start of the week.  It seemed silly not to fly early and spend time in Tauranga.  As result, I departed Sydney mid-morning on Saturday, arriving shortly after 8pm in the Bay of Plenty.  Frustratingly, my domestic flight was delayed leaving Auckland which all but wrote off the evening. 

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny.  Mum and I took ourselves down to the café strip along the Mount's main beach for a leisurely brunch.  Hamish and his family then joined us for a walk around the Mount.  It was glorious afternoon with scattered clouds helping to keep temperatures comfortable.

Mum and I also finalized plans for a trip to Southern Africa in January 2015.  We'll be spending two weeks travelling through South Africa experiencing many of the sights that Garry and I have enjoyed over the years.  Our proposed itinerary includes Cape Town, Johannesburg/Pretoria, Victoria Falls and a few days on safari.

I was also thrilled to finally see the giant eagle that's currently suspended from the terminal roof at Wellington airport.  It's a promotional display for the latest Hobbit movie.  The eagle made headlines last month when it came crashing down during a 6.2 magnitude earthquake.  The quake caused minor damage but no serious injuries. 

It was the region's third jolt above 6.0 since July last year.  On July 21, the city was rocked by a 6.5 magnitude quake, followed a month later by a 6.6 on August 16. Click on the image below to see just how active things have been. Wellington seems to be on the move again after decades of relatively little tectonic action.