I have decided to stay at Maple Lodge instead of finding a flat as the atmos is great and i have made friends. Also it means i don't have to pay bills and be involved in such hassle. Also I have moved into a twin room with Dorothy (a German lassie who was in the bunk below me) and it's just great to be able to properly unpack and spread out and have a bit more privacy. The room smells VERY damp though and is a bit dark and dingy but we've sprayed it with lavender oil and tried to brighten it up in our girly way as best we can.

The rugby job ended sadly, after a bit of confusion. It seems the team i was working for wanted to keep me on but HR didn't realise and ended my contract with the agency. POO! They asked me to let the agency know when i'm back in Wellington though on my way back up from South Island as they'll no doubt have something for me to do. That will be in June too so the Lions Tour will be in full swing. YAY!

I started my new assignment right away and have been here at Vincent Aviation since Monday. It's a small charter airline based at Wellington airport. They have 5 aircraft, Cessnas and the like, and run daily newspapers across the Cook Strait to Nelson, shoving in a few passengers while they're at it. Everyone is lovely and they have made me feel welcome. Like most Kiwi set-ups, it's a very laid-back operation and we spend 45 minutes every morning having morning tea and chatting! My job is to answer the phone and take flight bookings and do general admin. Sometimes though i have nothing at all to do and no-one seems to mind!

We are right next door to Mirmar and so i couldn't help myself and asked the guys if they had ever flown Peter Jackson anywhere. They said Peter has his own aircraft (of course) but Vincent were used to fly the cans of film from the various locations throughout NZ back to Wellington during the LOTR shoot. (I'm starting to realise that any Kiwi has a connection to LOTR by three degrees of separation at the most - or one if they live in Wellington!)

It's cool being next to the airport and this morning during our tea break, Prince Charles flew off in his Hercules about 100 yards from where we were sat. Bye Charlie! Security is very different here compared to the spooked attitude at home. We are right by the tarmac and it seems anyone can just mill around if they want.

Other news. James arrived in Auckland on Sunday afternoon and we spoke on the phone like giddy b*****s! After 30 hours of watching movies, no sleep and bizarre food (sounds like a normal weekend for him), he fought his way thru customs, unfortunately having to explain the strange contents of his bag - a suede skirt, a leather blouson jacket and some women's walking boots. He then jettisoned himself into the city, checked in to his b&b and promptly locked himself in the bathroom and couldn't get out. look out - there's a drama queen on Queens Street!

He got his hire car yesterday and will apparently be speeding down here "like a Nazi on crack". I should have him in my hands by Thursday if all goes according to plan. Next week will see us taking a bicycled wine-tasting tour of the Malborough vineyards and prancing like t*** throughout the environs of Wellington. Expect more gate-crashing of KK sets. x