Wellington, here I is
[My camera cable is in the car which is parked 100m up the road and I am too idle to go and get it. Will do so tomorrow]
This morning I woke up moderately bright and fairly early in Taupo (or Wairakei), almost ready to hit the road. Georgia and I had one last stop to make - at the thermal valley near the Wairakei thermal power station. Rather than go to the fancy manmade area at Wairakei, we went back to nature and trudged along the slightly crumbly bush tracks. We were given a thermometer to take with us to measure the temperature of the ground which is a neat idea. I think we topped out at 60C.
Having fed the local ducks and chickens, Georgia and I parted ways, her to head north back to Waihi, me heading south to Wellington. I could have chosen the fancy new road bypassing Taupo but I fancied a look at the lake and the mountains so I went through downtown. Scenically this was a good choice but it added maybe an hour to my trip. This was because alternate 5 km stretches of SH1 are being resurfaced (I exaggerate but a little) and there was a "fun" run / walk / collapse under way apparently from Turangi to Taupo which meant slowing down at the drink and medical stations. Nevertheless there was little traffic about and I was able to potter along at 90 km/h nearly all the way without either getting stuck behind a log truck or having an irate queue form behind me.
I hate to blame Georgia's very comfortable Audi but by the time I had made halfway I was aching all over so stopped for a long while to walk up and down in a lay-by which worked wonders. Waiouro Army Museum to the rescue. I was quite surprised to discover that I got all choked up by the Passchendaele exhibit.
Needless to say, when I reached the northern approaches to Wellington there was a great deal of familiar scenery as well as a whole load of new roads and, by some miracle of Kiwi ingenuity, double rail tracks.
I had never driven around Wellington city centre much but had walked round it dozens of times and had to stop myself driving along the docks to get to my B&B. (I don't think there is a road). I stopped again in Oriental Bay to check out the parking for Sunday. It was then I realised my mistake - Sunday is "Round the Bays" day and I suspect that most of the waterfront will be closed to traffic and to parking. Plan A for Sunday is to go to Te Papa which is about 4 very hilly km from my B&B in Hataitai. In true Kiwi fashion, my host has offered to drive me as close to Te Papa as he can get on Sunday morning which is inordinately decent of him. I expect it all to be over by the time I leave Te Papa so I can catch the bus back here. They are far more frequent than they are in Asheville.
Dinner was a mixed bag tonight - it had been a hot and mildly stressful day today so a couple of pints of IPA were called for at the brew pub in Hataitai, a bit less than 1 km away. So off I strode to the Waitoa Social Club for a couple of pints and a meal. The pint of pale ale was deliciously cool and bitter but the "pulled pork" sliders were a bitter (no pun intended) disappointment, tasting rather like pork mince in sloppy joe sauce, all served on a couple of doughy buns. So I didn't bother with the second pint but, still being hungry, grabbed some fish and chips (only half of which I ate) from the place (another pun) over the road.
And now I am sitting on the back deck at my B&B looking out at the harbour
and the airport. Not that it would worry me anyway but the planes are amazingly quiet - I'm only a couple of km away and don't even notice them.
I am also moderately done in so an early night is called for. I'll probably stay here an extra night to go to the Carter Observatory & Kau Kau on Monday, then spend Tuesday in New Plymouth, Wednesday in Taupo, Thursday in Waihi, Friday in Red Beach and Saturday at Hugh & Maureen's place in Hamilton after the cricket on Saturday. We'll see how that all works out. One thing I learned today is that driving from Taupo to Wellington is too bloody far.
Having fed the local ducks and chickens, Georgia and I parted ways, her to head north back to Waihi, me heading south to Wellington. I could have chosen the fancy new road bypassing Taupo but I fancied a look at the lake and the mountains so I went through downtown. Scenically this was a good choice but it added maybe an hour to my trip. This was because alternate 5 km stretches of SH1 are being resurfaced (I exaggerate but a little) and there was a "fun" run / walk / collapse under way apparently from Turangi to Taupo which meant slowing down at the drink and medical stations. Nevertheless there was little traffic about and I was able to potter along at 90 km/h nearly all the way without either getting stuck behind a log truck or having an irate queue form behind me.
I hate to blame Georgia's very comfortable Audi but by the time I had made halfway I was aching all over so stopped for a long while to walk up and down in a lay-by which worked wonders. Waiouro Army Museum to the rescue. I was quite surprised to discover that I got all choked up by the Passchendaele exhibit.
Needless to say, when I reached the northern approaches to Wellington there was a great deal of familiar scenery as well as a whole load of new roads and, by some miracle of Kiwi ingenuity, double rail tracks.
I had never driven around Wellington city centre much but had walked round it dozens of times and had to stop myself driving along the docks to get to my B&B. (I don't think there is a road). I stopped again in Oriental Bay to check out the parking for Sunday. It was then I realised my mistake - Sunday is "Round the Bays" day and I suspect that most of the waterfront will be closed to traffic and to parking. Plan A for Sunday is to go to Te Papa which is about 4 very hilly km from my B&B in Hataitai. In true Kiwi fashion, my host has offered to drive me as close to Te Papa as he can get on Sunday morning which is inordinately decent of him. I expect it all to be over by the time I leave Te Papa so I can catch the bus back here. They are far more frequent than they are in Asheville.
Dinner was a mixed bag tonight - it had been a hot and mildly stressful day today so a couple of pints of IPA were called for at the brew pub in Hataitai, a bit less than 1 km away. So off I strode to the Waitoa Social Club for a couple of pints and a meal. The pint of pale ale was deliciously cool and bitter but the "pulled pork" sliders were a bitter (no pun intended) disappointment, tasting rather like pork mince in sloppy joe sauce, all served on a couple of doughy buns. So I didn't bother with the second pint but, still being hungry, grabbed some fish and chips (only half of which I ate) from the place (another pun) over the road.
And now I am sitting on the back deck at my B&B looking out at the harbour
and the airport. Not that it would worry me anyway but the planes are amazingly quiet - I'm only a couple of km away and don't even notice them.I am also moderately done in so an early night is called for. I'll probably stay here an extra night to go to the Carter Observatory & Kau Kau on Monday, then spend Tuesday in New Plymouth, Wednesday in Taupo, Thursday in Waihi, Friday in Red Beach and Saturday at Hugh & Maureen's place in Hamilton after the cricket on Saturday. We'll see how that all works out. One thing I learned today is that driving from Taupo to Wellington is too bloody far.
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