Joe's post

Thursday Dec 11
One of the funny things about NZ is that the hole in the ozone which started out over Antarctica has spread over to NZ. Depending on who you talk to, the ozone layer is either completely gone here, or it’s just thin. I need to look at the internet, which I don’t have as I compose this, to find out the facts. But what I know for sure is that if you don’t put on sun screen when you go out, you burn fast . Sunscreen is a way of life as are hats.

The climate here is in general a lot like Seattle. Best place on earth durning the summer, and mostly wet for the rest of the year.

We saw a bunch of Orca whales just off the beach here where we are staying tonite in Mangonui. If you can find a NZ map, it way the hell north, but not to the top. What you have to get used to, is that more north is more warm it is, altho this is substantially mitigated by the fact that the island is much narrower, so being near the water cools things off. We’re staying at a motel near the beach, and last nite we needed a jacket as we walked on the beach to watch the whales.