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Published: October 23rd 2007
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Well we left Waikanae with bad heads from a very entertaining two nights with friends of friends. Far too much mead was consumed but we had a very entertaing time on MSN messenger with contributions from Seattle and the UK.Our hosts seem to enjoy the sillyness. We did immensely and we very glad of the homely atmosphere as a break from motel rooms.We got on the road after watching the English rugby team get beaten by the Springboks. I'm not a rugby fan but thought it a good game. Oh well at least we got to the final.We spent the Next night in a big wooden hut, the cheapest we have stayed in so far and also the biggest. We were both knackered after all the drinking and then getting up at 7 to watch the rugby. We went to the Pinnacles. It is the place were they filmed legolas telling about the army of the dead. It is fantastic as the river has eroded the stone and made it have some very unusual formations in the sides of the gorge.We then went to Lake Ferry. The girls and I went for a wander along the beach and left Chloe to
sleep in the car. Watching the fishermen and the herons diving in to the sea was quite relaxing. We watched a guy pull to large cod out, the larger of which he offered to us, as he had caught his quota for the day. We didn't have anywhere to cook it so he kept it. We went back to the Hotel in lake ferry and had fish and chips and then went back to the shack for an early night.The drive over the mountain from Featherstone to Upper Hutt the next morning was fantastic. It is a series of bends for 30km, not a single straight in sight. I was a little miffed sat in a car on a glorious day watching bikes whizzing past in both directions. Chloe thought I was going to soil my pants as all these exotic bike went past us. I kept pointing and going its a .... I saw 3 MV Augusta's go past. I have never seen that many in my life before let alone in the space of an hour. The road goes up to 555m and then comes back down the otherside. A little hair raising as quite a lot of
it is only guarded with wooden fencing and long drops.We stopped at Kaitoke Regional Park, which was Rivendell. There are various walk that you can go on, and as Ellie loves swing bridges, we went over it. The views are out of this world, but then so is most of New Zealand.We got a very nice room in Wellington, the most expensive so far at $190 a night. It is fantastic with two bed rooms a courtyard, living/kitchen area and a bathroom with an enormous corner bath. It is right on the edge of the Basin, a cricket ground.We walked in to town and argued about what to eat. All of the asian places were open but most of the other restaurants were closed as it was labour day. We decided on Japanese which was great. The girls had a sushi combo and Chloe and I teriyaki. Sorry Phoebe but we didn't have any pudding. It was late so we went back to the motel. We spent the night on MSN again. We have found a way of sending the large video clips of the dolphins swimming, bubbling mud and Chloe surfing, to people. If you would like them mail
us, beware as the largest is 53 meg.Today we went to the Te Papa museum. It is brilliant. Laid out on four floors with an outside bush gardens. It took us 4 hours to go around one floor. There are a lot of different exhibts. The girls liked the ones about the animals, toys and shops over time and the violent forces of the earth. The exhits are very hands on which made it absorbing for the girls.I liked the John Britten bike. Unfortunately we forgot to take our camera's so I only have a few picture of the bike on my phone.We had a wander around Wellington, which is the nicest city we have been to New Zealand, a lot less frantic than Aukland and not a massive place to walk around. I walked from the interislander ferry terminal, after dropping the hire car off, to the centre of town and it only took 20 minutes. Although I wouldn't want to do it with luggage.We went to look for some tea as we have to get the girls up and out by 9.30 in the morning to catch the ferry to the south island. We went in to a
place called the Hogs Breath Cafe. Fantastic. The place is upstairs with a balcony over looking the street. We sat inside with the very abstact american stuff. A yamaha bike on the wall loads of licence plates and fake posters and stuff, we loved it. Both Chloe and I had these enormous steaks. Washed down with cocktails. I was feeling full and Chloe wanted a pudding. We ordered more cocktails and the waiter convinced us to have this bath of ice cream, covering a mud pie in the bottom all covered in whipped cream and marshmellows. Phoebe, if your mum and dad ever take you to Wellington you have to go here just to try it. Unfortunately the only veggie stuff on the menu is salad. Just don't expect to eat anything for a week afterward. Put it this way it took the four of us to finish it all. I asked the waiter when we got the bill if it included a free taxi ride home as I couldn't move. He said that he has had people in who have eaten the whole thing on their own.
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Emma
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cool swing bridge :)