Happiness is ...A window seat on a somewhat clear day ...

Back from the Geological Society of New Zealand Annual Conference - in Hamilton. Excellent conference. I learned lots, caught up with lots of friends - I mostly recognized them. On the flight up there I was able to get a window seat and the clouds mostly cooperated - there was quite a bit of haze, but I was still able to see bits and pieces .... On the return flight today it was ...yes, correct, cloudy. A southerly with driving rain welcomed us in Dunedin. When I got in to the Dept. I found a large envelope from Richard - comments and criticisms on the mss. YEAH! now I need to sit down and work through them. Oh, and the premiere of THE HOBBIT was in Wellington Yesterday. Quite an event. Lots of people dressed up - with elf or hobbit ears.

View to the NW shortly after taking off from Dunedin

Oamaru

Coast and looking east up ...braided river across Northern Otago / Southern Canterbury

Towards the Southern Alps (distance) & Mt. Cook

Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps

Plains and braided river

Starting to cross over the Alps where the Marlborough Faults cut through

More of same

Somewhere near Lewis Pass I THINK - wish I had had a topo map with me ...

Mt. Taranaki (formerly known as Mt. Egmont)