I got into Wellington roundabout 8PM and have a ferry out at 8AM. I was let off at the train station and my hostel of choice told me they were a lot further away than I had thought. The second hostel I walked to, but they didn't have any dorms left and I wasn't about to pay $60NZ for a room. I walked around and with my new phone card made a couple calls and ended up in Rowena's, a hostel more towards the southern end of town. They've a free shuttle to the Interislander ferry which will be nice, even if I have to be up at 7 for it.
I suppose I'll back up a bit since I couldn't give much of an update beforehand - not that there's all that much to say. I noticed there is no seat "I" on 747s. Where I sat, I had enough room to stretch my legs out all the way, so it was actually rather comfortable as far as planes go. I managed about a full night's sleep, but woke up at 3am Auckland time - quite the early morning. They had a little entertainment center that I didn't look at till late in my flight. Unfortunate as it had a number of movies I've been meaning to see! I did get some good alone time with my camera manual and a book on my camera.
I landed in Auckland around 5, I think, and got my bags and out of customs by around 6. It was weird to skip the 18th entirely. It still takes me a minute to figure out the date and the time difference. I left my camera on home time, though, so that makes it a little easier. I grabbed a quick bite (raspberry muffin and caramel chai latte) at a cafe across the street from the bus stop and made it back to meet a girl, Janette. She was making her way down to Wellington as well in order to visit family, so she showed me around Rotorua (where I updated last). I managed to grab a ham and cheese sandwich before I had to hop on the bus.
Next place that I got to stop off for more than a minute was Palmerston North (I think). I went into the mall there and their food court. They had an Indian place, Saffron, a kebob place and a Burger King. Saffron didn't look too appetizing and the kebob place looked like it might take a mite too long, so I begrudgingly stopped at BK. Justifying it, I reminded myself that I didn't go to BK in the States, so I really was going somewhere new to me :P. I grabbed a Sweet Ride burger which was quite good - bacon, cheddar burger with aioli (garlic mayo), avacado and... mango I think - as good as bad fast food gets. Perhaps the worst part of the city was seeing the Golded Wok restaraunt which used my font - Papyrus. I can't get away from it anywhere now.
The bus then dropped me off in Wellington at the train station where I said goodbye to my single-serving friend, Janette.
That brings me back to now - and the room closes in 5 minutes, so I'd best wrap up. I've about 8 hours of sleep before I need to wake up for my shuttle to the ferry. Love you all!
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12 comments:
All these adventures sound wonderful! I have several comments to make on this blog:
1.) Maybe there is no "I" on a 747 much like there is no "I" in team. And it's kind of like you're all on a single serving team. GO TEAM 747!
2.) I'm sorry you didn't get to watch the movies. Maybe there will still be good ones playing on the way back. What did they have playing?
3.) That BK burger sounds delicious and nothing like we could find here in the States. I don't think I've ever seen fruit on a burger over here.
4.) Is this balls court business anything like bocci ball?
Well, I hope you are doing well, and hope that you will post some pictures when you get the chance, because I'm excited to see where you are. I hope you are sleeping well. I love you very much.
Haha, oh, and I'm sorry your font is following you everywhere. I actually saw it myself yesterday on a restaurant in a part of Ypsi that I don't visit very often while I was going on a home visit. I thought of you. xoxoxo
ah good times in Palmerston North. A friend of mine warned me not to go there. He claims it is the worst place in New Zealand. I can't believe the first thing you do in a new country is scope out the nearest BK. :) haha we ate at a pretty good Thai place when in Palmerston.
Hope you are enjoying your time in Wellington, and the ferry tomorrow. Remember to go outside on the deck for at least some of the ride.
Wow! you're in Wellington already. Seems like the travel is going smoothly so far. Glad you found a place to stay. Did you have to walk quite a ways lugging everything? Hope there's good weather for the ferry ride - not too cold and wet!
I ***love*** readiing every word! You're quite the writer! Mmmm, all the details, including the culinary ones, very fitting for a chef-in-progress (who took his knives from MI to NZ as a true chef would!). :-)
BTW, I'm doing laundry today. Should I post a laundry blog? JK! But I *do* cast my vote for the vacuum blog! :-)
So glad you're safe, and so excited about your adventure. THANKS for posting! XOXOX
Claire: I forget what all they had, Science of Sleep, the Notorious Bettie Page and then a couple movies I wouldn't mind watching again like Red Dragon, O Brother Where Art Thou and the Namesake.
I think I know even less about Bocci Ball than I do about Balls/Bowling.
Josh: I heard decent things about Palmerston. I think the girl I met said it was a big college town, and it looked decent. I got there around 6 or 7 and most of the food court was closed and I had about 5-10 minutes to find something, so I didn't feel like running around. I probably would've gone with kebabs if I'd had more time, or maybe even the Indian food, but that looked kindof soupy and not take-away.
I'll remember to go out on the ferry, thanks :).
Dad: I didn't have to walk too far in any one direction - probably a quarter mile at the most, but I did a lot of back and forth trying to find someone and a place and a phone and the bus and all. It seems that most places close up around 6 or 7 around here. Maybe that's a wrong impression, who knows.
Mom: glad you're enjoying it :P. I wouldn't mind a laundy blog to go in tandem with the vacuuming blog. Maybe someone else can do a mopping blog or something :P.
Hahaha! A mopping blog! Any takers out there? Clara? Marti? (BTW, what *is* . . . a mop? ;-))
You must be on the ferry right now. Cool! (Literally cool, actually. I keep forgetting it's winter there. At first, when I looked on the NZ map to track your bus ride, I was excited for you that it was in the daytime--that you could look out the window at all that beautiful . . . greenery. I guess not?!?) Love you! Stay warm!
Hey, I JUST read your just "arrrived" comments, and now it's already the next day! I guess I'm not quite into how your site works yet. I'll try to keep up! Sounds like you're having a great time already! Love you.
Plus, I was not as happy as you about the Santana loss. . .
are you in CHCH yet or what?
I just got back from night ski and my hands are frozen. hard to type.
2:30 a.m., MI time, and eagerly awaiting news. Supposedly, your bus arrived in CHCH (as the kiwis call it, I take it) a half hour ago. I hope you're not having to wander too many streets in search of lodging. (And again I was confused about the time difference. Though my notations clearly say you arrived there around 6:00 p.m. NZ time, I somehow got it in my head that you were arriving there 2:00 a.m.! I had visions of you carrying your duffel, backpack, camera, and knives up one cold, dark, deserted street and down another. I was **glad** when I come to my senses! :-))
I've been up late, working on things that need to be done before Dad and I head to Iowa (on our Saturday). Time to call it a wrap, though. Night! XOXOX
Mom: rather chilly on the ferry, yes. It was quite a bit bigger inside than I expected and quite nice. The scenery was nice, but I spent a fair portion of my time reading.
Jane: I'm about as sorry as can be about the Twins getting swept by the Tigs, which is to say not very :P. Against most anyone else though, I root for the Central teams unless they start getting a bit too close in the standings :P. Seeing as you're the third sister to log in, I think you get delegated to the mopping blog unless you have something else you fancy :P.
Josh: Got to CHCH almost two hours ago. Staying at Base Backpackers just across from Cathedral Square. I think I leave tomorrow at 10 and get to Queenstown at whenever I told you - 6:15, I think.
Mom: I made it safe and sound. The hostel I'm in is only a couple minutes by foot from where my bus stopped and I get picked up in the morn.
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