Random thoughts from the Coast

While I was taking care of chores like charging the camera today I realized I have some random individual pictures that I thought might congeal into a number of full and cohesive posts, but I'm ready to face that fact that if I don't post them soon, I never will. So here goes....

I've told a lot of you about our new favorite spot in Westport--the estuary where the Buller River meets the Tasman Sea. Beyond the river rocks (which I would have loved to have for my garden in Golden) is a small but smooth beach. 

Because I'm beyond dorky I was pretty excited to find out that we get to participate in the New Zealand Census.

I have already posted pictures of the walkway on Cape Foulwind, but it has become my go-to place for short, hilly running when I'm on my own. This past Wednesday the weather was gorgeous and since I was in the mood for taking picture breaks, I took my camera along.

I have been charmed since Day 1 in New Zealand by the letterboxes. They have home mail service six days a week delivered by the "postie" usually on a bicycle, but no mail pickup. For that you have to drop your mail in a "kerbside" box or take it to the post shop. A standard letter to a destination within NZ costs 70 cents. 

Kerbside letterbox

The clinic in Westport has been keeping Ruben very busy, not only during clinic hours, but also during after-hours and weekend call. The small local hospital has limited facilities so generally Ruben gets called in to evaluate the patient to determine if he or she needs to be taken (by helicopter) to the larger hospital facilities in Greymouth or Christchurch. Because he's Ruben he found something to love about call: The dashboard siren.