Ali‘s wish, wellington

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Well it's anotherer early morning　for me, i want to go sea kayaking and that means an bright eyed bushy tailed start.　The aim is to be out on the water by 9, and to have everything　packed means being very organised.
Its raining, almost the first I can remember, except Milford. By the time I get to the quay there is a bit of a breeze blowing, I don't think it's that bad but the company has cancelled the days sessions and are predicting the weather will just get worse, typical!
Now what to do?
It was my plan to spend the day on the water before crossing it to Wellington this evening, what to do?
I decide to go to the I-Site, see what else i could do, nothing takes my fancy, vineyard tours, not really interested, walking, in the wind and rain maybe not. so i get the ferry to Wellington, bid my farwells to the south island and head for my final NZ destination.
The　crossing is uneventful, the weather keeps me inside and the shorts i've put on for kayaking make sure i'm still not warm.
if i thought the weather in Picton was bad, it had nothing on Wellington, the wind is gusting strong enough to blow you off your feet and the light rain is blown away before you even realize it's there. it's funny to see the mixed reaction people have to the wind some are face down crunched small forcing into it, others are open armed and lauging with the flow.
I make my way to the hostel, as always navigating　through a new city is challenging, a destination and instructions don't always mean getting your bearings. however with a small detour, which gives me the chance to glimpse the test match between NZ and OZ, the wind was making it an interesting game, i make it.
The hostel is nice, bigger than i've been used to and i think that means it's a bit more impersonnal, the people are still friendly but busy appears to be back on the agenda.
I toy with the idea of an afternoon nap, but instead go to the recommended Te Papa museum to stay out of the wind.
This national history museum is all about New Zealand, its culture, history, geoegraphy, sense, and personality. it has different sections but i most enjoyed the earthquake and natural disasters bit, being inside a simulated earthquake, a house as it quivers and shakes, nearly as exciting is the computer game where you have to earthquake proof a house, who knew there was such a thing as earthquake gum for putting under your goldfish bowl?
I sit and watch a video made by modern day New Zealanders about their land and it's protection, its moving to hear farmers talking about Hill farming in the mountains, how they still use the same methods as there ansestors spoken with faces that show the love they feel for the land, basejumpers striving for tranquility and natural beauty, the first maori speaking chinese desendent who is mayor of his town, pulling from an ancient heritage to form a community.
My day ends with a burger from burgerfuel, classy hay, this one comes with a recommendation, the best fast food burger, and it's pretty good, but the best? it was up there but it will take alot to steal burgerstars home crown. This one comes with a douffer though, a patent pending cardboard thingymajig designed to slot around your burger to stop drips, slippage and spillage, a simple design but dead effective.
I finish of with a few beers, the bar is empty for a monday night and soon i'm chatting with the barman and one remaining customer about beer, before i know it it's 1am and i'm staggering home. one thing is lucky though, the wind has dropped.

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Comments

[Greg]

Burgers n beer
It's nice to know you can rely on a burger wherever you are in the world, and that it doesn't have to be from McD or Burgerking... I'm glad that wind dropped; I've staggered with you before! Shame about the sea kayaking. Guess that'll have to go on the list of things to do at home. Dang! :)