Tuesday July 21st

Tuesday: Fun Day, Lets Ski! First get the transfer started for BECU to Kiwi bank. The damn phone is the hardest thing. Can't call the way BECU advises on either our locked landline our cell. Cellphone advises way when calling 1800 numbers, that way doesn't work either. Try Skype(who apparently sucks for 1800 numbers), nothing. Finally I call the 206 number on the cell and get someone to call us at home. Apparently one needs one's own American bank to transfer the dollars to NZ as $Am. So we got Becu's crappy exchange rate on top of the already miserable rate right now. Another lesson learned, use a major bank if you travel internationally. Also may make sense to invest in foreign currency with C.S. and figure out how to make that work. Much later we're going, so now it's time to go skiing. Frantically get out of house. Pleasant drive again, super comfy(got gas with our cash). Shit, why's there boards over the signs about chains on Hutt road? Shit there's a chain across the freaking road. CLOSED!?! Crap, let Julie drive to Methven, she's a rockstar of course. We debate about how to spend a day when we're already out. I know the mtn forecast is supposed to be a little sketch so I poo-poo Arthur Pass. Too far for good coast options. She picks Spencer beach North of Christchurch.