Wellington

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I did not want to wake up this morning. It had been raining intermittently throughout the night and had sounded as though someone was playing drums (badly) on the roof. Come 08h30 though, I thought I should show willing. Peering out from the my bed, the weather still looked bad so I decided that it was pointless trying to see more of Napier as I’d already seen it in the rain. Instead, I’d have a leisurely drive to Wellington, over 350km away.

And so it was that I found myself heading south at 09h30, having stocked up on water and emptied the rubbish. I would be spending the next two nights camped by the side of the road somewhere, with no electricity - just relying on the batteries provided.

The journey south was a joy. Long straight roads with very little traffic were the norm. Whilst I couldn’t necessarily guarantee 100kph, where possible, that was the speed I was keeping up; mile after mile.

Town after town went by; Waipawa, renowned for sheep and cattle farming; Dannevirke with its Scandinavian history; Eketahuna, where Maori could paddle no further up river; Masterton, a large town of about 20,000; all the time, heading across the flood plain of Hawke’s Bay. The weather was also improving and I could see the mountains providing the crimping around the edges of the bay; all the while, I was heading for the southern edge.

Eventually, the road began to climb and by lunchtime, I’d arrived at the Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre. Just as I’d paid my $10, a coach load of day trippers arrived thwarting my plans of a quiet lunch. Instead, I started on the bush walk but took too long at some of the exhibits that they caught me up. Time for Plan B; I did the route in reverse, starting with the kiwis. This is the second time I’ve seen these birds and I’m still surprised at how large they are! Their beaks are very long at about 3” and their legs quite stocky. Being nocturnal, their environment is controlled in reverse; kept in the dark during the day and at night, lit up like a Christmas tree, together with artificial wind and rain.

Continuing my journey, I travelled through Masterton, a town I recognised from my time in the NZ chat rooms. I have to admit now surprised I was at its size. I can understand why some of the expats wanted to live there. For me though, it was another town on the road south.

Soon enough, I hit the southern flank of the Wairarapa and had to climb the Rimutaka Mountains. I’d previously followed this route in the height of winter in a lashing gale. Today was very different; clear blue skies, though still windy. Winding my way up, I stopped at the summit to take photographs before heading down into the Hutt Valley and finally into Wellington.

I had thought about stopping the night at Te Papa, but the overnight rate stopped at 06h00 and there was no way I was going to be up at that time. And so I decided to hunt for another site, and take in the sights of the coastal route. Slowly making my way around the edge of Wellington, I’d forgotten how beautiful yet seemingly remote the coast was, yet only a few minutes from the centre of the city. I must have stopped in every bay, taking photos and eventually decided to stop for the night in Owhiro Bay simply as it was easy enough to find in the dark!

Returning to Wellington, I found a suitable parking space in Thorndon by the Botanical Gardens and, noticing that there were no parking restrictions, decided to leave the van there. Walking into the city, I made my way to Mac’s Brewery, where I was to meet two friends (and their children) from my visit last year. They’ve now been in New Zealand just over 2 years and are thoroughly enjoying it. They moved into their new house late last year and are getting settled. They’re a novelty with the neighbours as they’ve brought that little bit of England with them - double glazing and central heating! It was really good to see them again for a few hours. After seemingly endless chat, it was time to bid farewell as the youngster needed feeding.

As for me; a meal at the $7 all you can eat Oriental buffet, back to the van, read the paper, preserve the water and electricity and sleep until morning.

Distance travelled: 323km / 202 miles

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Photos

Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre
These eels are not in the centre, but reside here naturally

Wellington - Balaena Bay
Just 5 minutes from the city centre

Wellington - Evans Bay
You could be at work before the kettle boiled