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Published: February 4th 2011
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I am getting lazy - no blogging this week....so before you start to get withdrawal symptons I better get up dated.
So a week in Wellington has gone something like this-
Monday - Zealandia. Teenage Ben took me to this place which is a 500 year project ( thats long term planning!!!) to restore a valley to its original state. (BEFORE HUMANS INVADED) so they have fenced it off to exclude any nasties like cats, ferrets , rabbits and they are introducing native widlife - birds and reptiles and planting native bush - getting rid of weeds and introduced species. So we saw some lovely birds , sweet little lizards etc and how nice there are no snakes here to watch out for as we trotted around. There is an interesting exhibition too and it's a great project to attempt- I am sure it could be a model for other places to follow.
Tuesday - A day on my own - I took the train in to the city - and wot a surprise there is an actual person on the train selling you tickets- and he takes the ticket out of a little wallet and gives it to you (
like the bus conductors of a bygone age!!!) - how nice not to have to deal with a machine. It was a lovely sunny day - the Houses of Parliament looked very grand and nice to see staff lying around the lawns in the sun eating lunch!! Next visit was the Cathedral of St Pauls - a magnificent building - I certainly liked the architecture and the inside glass panels and altar panel which was a huge patchwork design. Spent ages in there also reading about women who have contributed to New Zealand life....a project called Trail of light.
Following this I walked through Thorndon area - lovely wooden houses (some quite grand and are now embassies) to visit the author Katherine Mansfield's house where she was born. So interesting to see her house and watched a video about her life and work. She was so young when she died of TB - and it made me think of how many young people died of TB - it was a bit like AIDS is today I suppose. When I visit a place like that it makes me want to know more that person and also her writing.
Finished off the
evening by going with the family enmasse to the theatre- a NZ play Motorcamp and one of the stars is Brigit's brother. It was funny, dark in parts and pretty raw at times - we all had a really good laugh....even if I didnt get all the NZ jokes.
Later in the week I have cooked for the family ... been to the cinema with Ben ( I bet he will be glad to be back at school so he doesn't have to trail around with me) to see more of NZ popular culture...a film starring Brigit's 2 nephews - what fame in her family!! After the film we went to the museum Te Papa - like all great museums you can go several times and still not see everything, then a walk along the harbour front and just missed the parade for the Rugby 7s which is on this weekend. Unfortunatley I will miss that as I am going off for a visit this weekend .
And so I am being immersed in NZ culture - books to read, film and theatre...all part of the home swap experience.
So thats the news this week...my last few days in the
North Island coming up and now my next part of the trip is planned . Fly to Christchurch next Friday and the lovely Dave there has organised a campervan for me - wot a sweetie he is. So more adventures coming up...love to you all.
Lynne xxx
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Jill
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Patchwork
I took very careful note of the Cathedral Altar hanging patchwork!!! xxx