A southerly storm hits Wellington!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc5hr8NzGXs&feature=player_embedded

One reason to have a cat

I have found three of these spiders in the house - thankfully all dead. I really wouldn't like to wake up with one on my head. I can get used to all the other weird creepy crawlies but spiders are just not right.

UPDATE :
Mike just pointed out that most of you won't know what size a Kiwi 50c coin is - it's roughly the same size as a euro 50c. 

Also I emailed the New Zealand national Museum  - Te Papa - to ask them what it was. They replied within 15 minutes  - how great is that! I'm so impressed that I forgive the incorrect spelling of my name.

Dear Megan,
My guess is that it's something like these:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/406509783_3d18fdea6a.jpg
http://www.findaspider.org.au/find/spiders/images/525A10.jpg

I suspect you have Hemicloea rogenhoferi, also known as the flattened
bark spider or the chink spider (as it likes to live in chinks, cracks,
crevices etc). It's an Australian species that's been in NZ for quite
some years. It is not known to be dangerous to people. While they have
some superficial resemblance to Avondale spiders, they're from a
different family and don't get nearly as big. Also, unlike the Avondale
spider, Hemicloea is quite widespread in NZ.

Regards,

Phil Sirvid
Entomology Section
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Sorry if you've found all of this Natural History boring, but let's face it, I'm a bit of a nerd.