Here we are! We’re two weeks into our 5 week stay at Anakiwa Backpackers. While I wouldn’t say we’re in the middle of nowhere, we are definitely in a rather remote location. We are situated right at the beginning of the Queen Charlotte Track on the Grove Arm of the Queen Charlotte Sound.
The owners of the hostel are on holiday in Malaysia, Singapore, & Borneo, so they’ve left us in charge of any guests that happen to show up, as well as their 3 pets.
Allow me to introduce Kiwa the cat:
She is one of the sweetest cats I think I’ve ever met. (And I don’t say that lightly. I’m not a cat person.) If either of us has her favorite blanket on our lap while we’re sitting at the computer working she’ll hop right up, settle in, and start purring.
AB, a one year old bearded collie & huntaway mix is definitely still full of puppy energy:
But she managed to sit still long enough to get her picture made.
And sweet 9 year old Scruff is a bearded collie & Old English sheepdog mix.
Such a sweet shaggy dog! Yesterday, we made the 45 minute drive into the nearest major town of Blenheim so Scruff could get his hair cut. While he was being groomed, Drew and I ate lunch at a great Asian restaurant with a very reasonably priced buffet (rare to find in New Zealand)!
Here he is before and after:
I also celebrated my 26th birthday last week! It was strange having a birthday in the middle of winter, and I missed our family and friends, but Drew was so sweet (and sneaky!) to arrange for people to send him birthday videos and messages which he then posted on my Facebook wall throughout the day. I loved watching them!
You can read my thoughts on turning 26 and some goals for the next year (and beyond) on my blog, Laurel of Leaves.
To celebrate, I made Banana Berry Birthday muffins. We demolished them alongside some Phoenix cola and a good movie.
So there you are–our month long home away from home in New Zealand. And lest you think all we’ve been doing is playing with pets, baking muffins, and watching movies, we’re excited to announce the upcoming launch of our new web design business–Green Pond Creative. Stay tuned for more updates!
Check out more pictures from Anakiwa on Facebook!
