Oh I do like to live beside the seaside

I know that I am risking it all by saying this, but it seems as though summer has finally reached Wellington. Yes, there are still days when you have to walk at a 45 degree angle, but at least the howling gale has a touch of warmth to it.

Where we live is the prime Wellington beachfront area. At least it is now that the mayor has paid for a couple of million tons of sand to be stolen from someone else's beach and dumped in front of the sea wall here. Wellingtonians make the most of this strip of sand and there is always someone playing beach volleyball/walking their dog/jumping into the sea straight out of the sauna. This morning there was a 'surf carnival' where teams of lifeguards raced each other in boats. Really I'm beginning to think that my new life involves being an extra in Home and Away.

Exciting things come in on the sea too. On Friday I was cycling to work when I saw a pod of dolphins in the harbour. They were right in close to the shore, about 8 of them. They had just come to look around, perhaps killing time before Te Papa opened. Lots of people stopped to watch them and I have to admit it made a welcome change from tube mice.

Yesterday we went on a cycle ride round some of Wellington's bays. You don't need to go far to fell as though you are out of the city. On the Miramar peninsula we stopped at Scorching Bay to watch a diving school. It was fun to watch their trail of bubbles and they made their underwater journey around a reef. I'm not sure that I want to take up diving just yet, but a friend at work goes snorkeling regularly and I might be up for that. In the meantime, I'm happy sitting in the sun having a coffee watching Anthony getting to grips with sailing.