I work as a volunteer in Zealandia, an urban wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Wellington, the 'coolest little capital' in the world. Here you can follow some of the things that I do, such as nest monitoring, feeding and talking about one of the rarest birds in the world or showing visitors the wonders of this amazing little valley.
When not in Zealandia I spend a large part of my time enjoying the wonderful outdoor environment Wellington has to offer. Biking, running, roller -blading, swimming and dragon-boat racing are some of the pleasures to be had amongst the tree clad hills, the winding roads and the ever changing harbour.
Living in Te Upoko O te Ika (the Maori name for Wellington meaning The Head of the Fish) is never boring with its wild climate and rugged terrain. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I will enjoy describing this amazing place and its animals to you.

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Swimming with technique

Today I chose to be in the water instead of on top of it paddling in a dragon boat. Freyberg Beach was crowded with people enjoying the rare heat not often experienced in Wellington. I have never seen so many actually swimming in the harbour and remaining pink. Not a blue tinged goosebump to be seen.
After some hesitation I bravely left my wet suit on the shore and waded on in.
I am practising swimming and going in a definite direction. I can swim and breathe now but swimming and breathing and watching where I am going is the next step I need to master. As yet it is quite beyond me. I am an unguided missile, albeit a very slow one.  With so many bodies in the water it was difficult to go any distance in a straight line but I had fun practising and had a pleasant half hour.
I then retreated to the nearby swimming pool and practised some more. The pool water felt tepid after the sea. I practised looking forward just after finishing a breath and managed to see the end of the pool a couple of times.
Its funny - I have loved the water and swum most of my life but in an uncoordinated, random exhausting sort of way.
I never realised there was such a thing as technique!

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