At home in the Shire

Hiya,

We've made it to our temporary home on the top of Mt. Victoria. It was such a relief to get out of the hostel, and the place is even nicer than I remembered it being. I'll post pictures later today...you have to see the view to believe it. The pup, Punch, has already warmed to us and sat on our laps while we watched "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

Sam was nice enough to pick us up and drive us out here. He had cleaned our room and washed the sheets, and the bed was extremely comfy. Our window looks out onto Hataitai, the mountains, and the airport far below. The views to Wellington city are on the other side. We left our curtains open to enjoy the view from the bed, and in the morning I was woken up by a beautiful sunrise. I got up and watched it from the lounge, and it was so relaxing...the sky was orange and pink, and the first planes took off about 7:15.

Apparently Sam's family is very wealthy, and that is why he doesn't stress too much about renting the rooms here. This house must be worth a fortune on its own! Apparently the film crew on the Lord of the Rings used the house during production, and scenes in the Shire are filmed just a short walk down the hill. The scene where the hobbits are hiding in a hole under the dirt road was filmed on the trail that we'll use to get to the city. All pretty cool!

So we've landed on our feet, and are feeling much better. Now it is time to start applying for jobs!

Love, Amy

P.S. Pictures to come.