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Published: January 17th 2016
One from the 'Raki' Exhibition
The bottom photo is a small section of the top photo to show the details and intricacies of these works. I said my final farewell to Jade and 'the girls' before heading to the 'Nomad Backpackers' located in Auckland CBD. This is where I would meet my new tour group before spending the night. Tomorrow we would leave to start our trip and I couldn't wait. It felt like ages since I'd been on tour. This time though, I already knew how, the Tour Leader 'Duffman', liked to role from my previous escapades in Oz. It was around lunchtime when I turned up to check in, but not being a Hotel, I was too early, so left my bag and used the kitchen facilities to warm through some curry, I'd brought with me. Whilst at the 'Sun Roof Terrace' (as it was labelled) eating my lunch, (don't be fooled by that name, it is a hostel after all) I overheard a young lad saying he was from Wales. I was quite surprised, as he had very little lilt to his tones but it turned out he was from Aberystwyth. Never mind, someone's got to be! ? Anyway, we had a chat and he'd been travelling for nearly 4 months around NZ heading back home early January. The great thing about talking
to other 'Welshies', they can always tell you where a good Bar is! Great news for me, as there is one in Wellington. Not just any old Bar, a Welsh Bar, so one will have to pay a visit, just out of politeness. ? Apparently, it has a flag and everything! Not wanting to waste the full afternoon sitting on the 'Sun Roof Terrace' detailing all the Bars I should visit, I made a move to view Auckland's Art Gallery, Toi O Tamaki. They had an excellent exhibition from Delhi depicting 'The story of Rama' which incorporated these extremely detailed miniature paintings. It was truely incredible the intricacies of these prints. Almost to the point you couldn't quite work out, how they'd been created, unless painted using the tip of a needle. The rest of the Gallery included mainly local artists and an exhibition of Maori Chiefs. Again some of these were so life like, they looked like a photograph rather than a painting. There was a 'cubism' exhibition which was lost on me, housing many pieces I thought was very tenuous labelling them as 'Art'. ? Still it had wittled away the time and if I didn't find work,
I could always give painting ago in the hope it would end up hanging in a respectable place, just like theirs were. I stopped for a coffee before going to the hostel to check in, I could feel myself tensing up, from the thought of returning to one. When I arrived at my room for the night, there was only one other there, Victoria from Sydney. Really nice girl taking a holiday after finishing her Degree. The room, with ensuite, was clean and the bed, nice and firm. All in all it wasn't bad. We chatted for a while before heading to the welcome meeting at 7pm. I love meeting new groups, as it's like a box of chocolates, you never know how many nuts you'll find. ? Lucky for me, my new family of 17 others, were only slightly nutty, so I knew then, I was going to have a really cool Christmas. We were an evenly mixed group with regards male/female ratios, comprising of one couple and a mix of nationalities, Germans, Canadians, Americans, Australians and one Swiss with 'Team Britain' covering all angles, except for the scottish contingent. Not forgetting the aussie tourguide 'Duffman', who would lead
us on this great adventure. After our orientation meeting we grabbed dinner together at a nearby Thai place. I quickly found a suitable dish with a spattering of spice consisting of rice, seafood and spring onions which was really tasty and a massive portion. So much so, I even left with a goody bag! ? Following dinner, came a Bar, were we got to discover more, about one another. All had a good sense of humour and I made a night of it with, Thomas, Patrick and Martina, accompanied with a few large reds. Back on tour, the chance of a lie in now removed, I surfaced at 6:30am requiring the breakfast of champions, 2 Ibuprofens. What a way to start Christmas Eve! ? After a cuppa I felt semi human and ready for the day ahead which incorporated a long drive to Paihia, situated on the mainland looking out onto the 'Bay of Islands'. On our way out of the city we drove over the Auckland Bridge bringing a smile to my face, as I reminisced about the climb, I had completed on it years before. We were soon off the main highway and into areas of lush green
pastures dotted with sheep, that we find synonymous with New Zealand and Wales! It really felt like I was back home, especially when it started chucking it down!!! ? As always with these tours, long journeys are broken up with stops along the way, the first being the Kauri Tree forest which was quite important with only about 1% of the population remaining after being heavily forested. These huge giants growing on average between 40 and 50 metres tall with a girth of about 10 to 12 metres made you feel like you were walking, in the 'land of giants'. We continued on, stopping briefly to view Goat Island. It is a marine reserve where we would usually get to snorkel. Unfortunately the bad weather stopped this, but it was nice to stretch our legs. To make up for this dissapointment 'Duffman' added an extra stop which featured the Hatea River Walk with the impressive 'Whangarei Falls', which we viewed in all its glory. The weather at this point improving with us hoping and praying it would continue!!! When we finally reached Paihia the sun was out and we had a chance to grab some beverages for the next few
nights, some Christmas get up and more importantly our 'Secret Santa' gifts. After all, the following day was Christmas Day! 😊 It still felt surreal seeing all the decorations and people preparing for the holiday period. Although unlike home, were Christmas Eve marks the wind down in readiness for the following day, here everything was open normally, like any other summer trading day. We boarded the 'House Boat' known as 'The Rock' at around 5pm. Rowan, the captain welcomed us onboard and introduced us to the team. We would remain on the vessel until mid afternoon Christmas Day and once all parties were on, we set off into the 'Bay of Islands' playground, incorporating 144 islands in total. On board there was a Bar, reasonably priced and a chance to unwind, bottle of red ordered, glass in hand and Christmas Tree fascinater on, I was ready for the festivities to begin. At this point we were still all learning about one another and being on a boat there was nowhere to escape. Aswell as our group, there were others on board, including an 'Anna' from Auckland who was travelling with her mam. With so many new faces and everyone in
good spirits this was going to be a great Christmas. Firstly they devised a very clever way of us getting to know one another and having a right laugh. We introduced ourselves, gave our home country and then had to share an interesting fact before trying to shoot a duck off the back off the boat with a paintball gun. When it came to my turn, looking at the crowd, all clutching a drink, I decided to share with them the consequences of alcohol and hence, what they were looking at, was the the creation of something from the 'Belgium Beer Festival', my parents honeymoon destination. 😉 Sorry Mam and Dad. My shooting skills left alot to be desired but it was a good laugh to watch and learn about the others, especially the part when I found out, I was travelling with a "Celebrity",'Will Ferrel'! Unfortunately, it was only the name they shared, with this Will working in advertising. The evening was diminishing in front of us and we still had lots to do. Next up was fishing, so that we could score some for dinner. Again lesson to be learnt, you need to be focused, not slightly merry.
The fish mocked me as they carefully ate the bait provided without getting caught. Although in fairness, I was more concerned about not spilling my wine. 😉 Luckily the Captian knew what he was doing and we all got to taste some of the snapper he'd caught. You couldn't get any fresher. It was really meaty with a moderate flavour. Dinner was great with a mix of pasta, vegetables fish and meat. It was dark by the time we'd finished eating and it had become a little cooler although, my wine intake was doing its job and keeping me warm. The final activity of the night was sea kayaking. I know this sounds odd but there was a really cool reason for having ago. Lucky for me I got to share a double kayak with Nicole who, in fairness did most of the paddling as my coordination skills were being tested. Although it wasn't completely pitch black, which is what you really need to see the magical bioluminescent algae that adorned the water below in all it's glory, you could still see it clearly, as you ran your hands through the cold water. Each stroke illuminated. This was so cool!!!
Back to the boat, everyone was well in the festive spirit and even decided to celebrate by jumping off into the refreshing cold water. Not wanting to miss out, I also did this. It was bloody freezing and heart attack inducing rather than fun and refreshing which had been the terminolgy used by the other nutters who had given it ago previously. Fantastically though, there was a wood burner on board that I plonked myself in front of, wrapped in a towel and poured another large glass of red. For a split second this felt Chrismassey. Roaring fire, glass in hand illuminated by the light from the flames. It was magical. All that was missing, was a bottle of port to finish off, some background music and my wonderful family and friends at home. Feeling very merry, I finished up my wine and made it back to my very small bed for the night in readiness for Christmas Day. I woke early next morning to stunning views of the sun creeping up behind the hilly outline of the surrounding islands. Cuppa in hand, wishing those I saw, "A Merry Christmas", I felt I was in a natural wonderland with the
colours bold and bright, the scenery sharp and emboldened. The one thing missing, my 'Christmas Tree' fascinator. Who knows where that went??? It was theoretically Christmas Day, but to me, it was just another amazing day on my trip, that made me appreciate how lucky I am, and have been, to have had an opportunity like this. This was 'Bay of Islands' and it is a truely remarkable place. We calmly meandered through the water taking in Breakfast and enjoying the scenery before we anchored up for our snorkelling session. Recalling the temperature of the water from the previous evening it was with trepidation I got in. Today if felt far colder with my whole body in shock. Thank goodness I had a float or I'd have sunk like a stone, but at least part of my face was protected by the googles. We followed some of the crew towards the coast of the nearest island, to view what I had hoped would be a marine underworld swamped with colourful fish, darting all around. To my dissapointment, there just appeared to be alot of sand and not much else. Also with no glasses it made it slightly more difficult to
see much at all. I've found snorkeling only works for me if the the fish are big, close by and vibrant. ? Back on board I dried off in the sun, crisping up nicely as we moved to our next spot. This time we would get off and explore one of the islands taking a short walk to its peak for jaw dropping views of this area. It was like something out of those high end holiday brochures, were only the rich get to visit. The water sparkling exquisite blues and greens under a light blue sky interspersed with puffs of cotton candy cloud incorporating dense bushy islands of varying size. Boats dotted along the white sandy beaches reflecting the sun's rays. Was I in heaven after drowning this morning? ? We whiled away part of the day on the beach simply absorbing our surroundings in awe of how different a Christmas this was, for most of us. I didn't want to leave this place but with 'lunch' as the hook to get me back on board, I reluctantly bid farewell. I had seen previous images of this place but no photo can really do it justice. After a nice
lunch of sandwiches and chocolate it was time for us to open our presents. After all, Santa does deliver all round the world and knowing how good I'd been this year, I knew I'd be rewarded.? I scored a pack of Toblerone bars for my Secret Santa gift. More chocolate. Always good! Back on dry land we made our way to our hostel in Paihia for the night. When we arrived, it was already well in the party mood with the 70 guests of the hostel all set up waiting for their Christmas BBQ to be served. Our tour would normally go out for dinner but with nothing open on Christmas Day, 'Duffman' was chef. I helped with the prep and got ready to celebrate. It was nice having a large table set up and us, all around, although the cuisine was a million miles away from a full Roast dinner and Christmas pud! 'Santa' himself turned up with me receiving more presents. I got a cool small black NZ shoulder purse and an NZ Tablet bag. All in all it had been a strange yet memorable Christmas spent with those I barely knew in the most amazing surroundings. The
drinks continued to flow and the party atmosphere soared. As my Christmas drew to a close, my family's was just beginning. Having promised I'd get in touch, I had to hold it all together for the 'Skype' session. The free WiFi in this hostel was dodgy at best and where it was good, the party was in full swing. Luckily I managed to find a good connection in the Laundry room, so in I went to catch up with home. 20-30 minutes later when it was time to get back to the party, I switched my tablet off and reached for the door handle. Ummmm I thought, the doors not opening. I tried again, twisting and turning the handle, then I spied a poster. Laundry will be locked between 11pm and 8am. I had only gotten myself locked in. Totally unimpressed with what had just happened and knowing we were leaving at 6:30am the following day, I started banging and screaming and shouting 'Let me Out'!!! What I couldn't work out, was why, the idiot who had locked the door, hadn't opened it first to 1. Check and 2. Knock the lights off!! 10 minutes later I was free and
not the slightest bit amused. ? The saving grace, we literally had hours left before we had to leave! Back on the bus on our third day we would make our way back to Auckland were we would bid 'Team England' farewell as the three of them would continue their trip in a hired campervan. On our journey back, we stopped to walk the Waitangi track heading for the Waitangi Treaty Grounds which started at Hankara falls. The bird life in the trees was amazing and part of the walk went through a mangrove forest. It took in thick bush at times which gave a glimpse of the winding river highlighting this expansive landscape. At one point we crossed over it via a wooden bridge, the reflection of the surrounding flora, razor sharp on the still water. We took in sections that were labelled as 'Kiwi Habitat' before reaching the sacred grounds. Here I chilled with a cuppa and enjoyed the warm rays of the sun before getting back on the bus heading to Auckland. As soon as I arrived 'Krissy' met up with me, my friend from the WA trip. It was fab seeing her again and a few
of us took a walk down to the Harbour to grab a drink and food in some cases. Best faux pas of the holidays is when we were waiting for Neville to join us and I asked Will to go to the Reception in the Hostel and phone up to his room. The look I got off the others was priceless! I was mixing up the simple pleasures you get in a Hotel but not a Hostel with no phones to be seen in any room!!! The weather was still good and it was great to sit outside. I'd gone for just liquid at this point with a cheeky little NZ Gewürztraminer which resembled transparent treacle. It was gorgeous! Krissy left, for her welcome meeting as we continued along the front. We all caught up later in the Hostel Bar were I met the six new ones making us now Twenty on the next part of the tour. I grabbed a pitcher of Rosé Sangria with a rather good risotto meal which terminated with an Amaretto on the rocks. I was on my best behaviour, what with new group members. ? All were nice with more Germans, Aussies and a
Japanese lady. I even got another Christmas pressie, off Krissy in the form of some rather fabulous GF Dark Chocolate with cherries. It was amazing and great catching up again. We left Auckland fairly early as today we needed to make our way to Raglan, one of NZ's top surfing destinations. Oh Joy, I thought! Our route took the backroads where we visited an eco farm that has used natural methods to boost the stocks of traditionally farmed marine life. If only, that was all the animals they housed. ? With Dogs, Geese, Lamas and Donkeys at the property, I did my best to give everything a wide birth with my allergies! The view from the property was amazing, with the river that ran out to sea, edging the land. This is where we would Kayak from, upstream to a boat, waiting to take us to Raglan. Kayaking was great fun and now I've done it a few times, I felt I had improved. I shared a kayak with Martina who was fab. We made easy work of the 5km route even when the wind was against us. It was another glorious day so it was nice to stop for
a swim half way and cool off. I was starving by the time we got to the boat. The best news, they had prepared burgers for us with GF rolls! They were amazing. The weather was wonderful and it was great being able to take in Raglan from the water. Kite surfers circled us and we had a birds eye view of the skills involved. Raglan was gorgeous and known as a surfers paradise. The great thing was, we would spend the next 2 nights here in really fabulous accommodation that came with its very own hot tub! We had our own large house, were we could all sleep with a big kitchen and living room with decking that looked out onto the bay. It was set back, so we could party as loud as we wanted too. So we did, in the hot tub, not going to bed again until 2:30am. I really was making the most of this tour. ? The following morning, it was a fairly early start with me, not at all ready for the days activities. It started with a Yoga session in a beautiful spot. We had a short walk to the top of
the hill before reaching the Yoga platform. Here we had, a full uninterrupted view of the ocean below where we'd be heading shortly for our surf lesson. Before getting into the water though, we needed to practice standing on that board!! I've never really had an interest in this sport but decided to give it a try. That's all I wanted, was to get up on the surf board, have a picture taken and chill out. This all felt, like too much hard work especially getting into a damp wetsuit!! We were handed our boards and got a final practice on the beach. I hadn't realised how heavy they were and especially how painful, when I got smacked by one! The guys from the surf school were really helpful and I wanted this to be over as soon as possible. I quickly, was set off, upright and riding a wave to the shoreline. I hated the sensation and how it ended with me falling off with the finesse of an elephant. Hopefully someone had captured that moment of me stood on the board. Nope they hadn't! I had to do it all again! This time I had the money shot
and there ended my very short surf history never to be repeated ever! Back on land and out of the wetsuit, I felt so much better. You could see why this place was famed for its surfing with lots of waves created along this expansive beach. There were literally hundreds of surfer's all looking for the next big wave to catch. After the lesson we went into Raglan for a spot of lunch. A few of us picked a little cafe to grab some food in. We were only a group of five. It was fairly busy but not packed. I think it's fair to say Raglan has its own speed and it's slow! Very slow! We waited nearly two hours for our meals at which point we ended up with a discount and our food in takeaway containers!!! It was ridiculous and not all that great when I did finally eat my corn fritters. Anyway back at the accommodation we had the rest of the day to ourselves. Not wanting to waste it, I decided it was time for a spot of multi tasking. I needed to iron some of my tops. Where better than on the decking in
the sun, so I could tan at the same time. For as much as I hate ironing, it was nice to do something normal for a change and it felt good being productive before heading back in the hot tub. l loved the hot tub and so, getting one, when I'm settled. That evening the surf school guys came round and cooked us dinner. We had Barbequed Lamb chops and salad. I had enjoyed my time at this house. It had certainly been the best of all the accommodation. Tonight was quieter but knowing we were leaving the following morning, I just had to have another go in that 'Tub'. Neville and Will joined me and I felt like a female, Peter Stringfellow with my boys!!!! ? The next day we were heading to Rotorua for a Maori Cultural Experience but on the way we stopped at Waitomo Caves to see the glowworms. There were lots of options on how you could do this and I chose blackwater rafting combined with wading and swimming through the Tumu Tumu caves for a more up close and personal experience. It was amazing, especially when we were in a long section of cave
which was completely covered with glowworms. It was like starring into space, that drew you in. If you starred long enough you could loose yourself in the sheer beauty of it all. We were 40m below ground, in a place hidden away, in awe of such a natural wonder. The stalactites and stalagmites were impressive and it was great walking amongst them. The pooled water that we entered was freezing and exceptionally deep in parts but it added to the adventure. All in all we were underground for about 3 hours going through the caves and it was great fun. We returned to the bus and headed to Rotorua, for our maori cultural experience. We'd chosen Neville to be our Cheif and we'd all learnt 'Tutira mai nga iwi' a traditional maori song to sing to our hosts who welcomed us individually. We spent time at their home which was our opportunity to ask any questions about their culture before teaching us the Haka, which was a good laugh. It made for a very interesting afternoon. That evening we got to try food cooked in a traditional hangi. This is a maori method where a pit is created and the
food cooked on heated stones. The meat was delicious, even if a little under seasoned. That evening, it was a quiet one as we all got mentally prepared to take on the Tongariro Alpine crossing. What better way to do this than pay a visit to the Polynesian Spa to experience some hot mineral bathing with each of the pools heated between 38°C to 42°C. We left the Spa at closing time, 11pm ready to take on the world. It was a very early start the following day 5:30am to be exact as we needed to get to the beginning of the walk by 9am. We were all excited and ready for the challenge. The distance in total 19.4km with alot of up hill and down again. It was incredible to walk this volcanic area glimpsing flora along the way that was happily surviving in this remote barren place. We passed by some fantastic coloured lakes aptly named Emerald and Blue with Red Crater being the highest point. Always in our sites was Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings and you could clearly see why Peter Jackson had chosen to film here. I loved this walk and I left
a part of me there, for real. Namely skin off my arms as I fell over and over coming down from Red Crater on very loose volcanic rocks. Luckily I had hand sanatiser with me which I got 'Glen' to slap on. God that stung, but at least I knew it wouldn't be infected. Our little group of four were the last one's off the mountain from our tour with each of us encouraging the other to keep going. The worst part was coming down the last section which seemed never ending to the Car Park! It had been so worth it though, now bruised, bleeding and exhausted I just needed a whirl in yet another Hot Tub on offer and a Bottle of Wine in celebration. It ended up being again, a late night as the celebrations continued into the early hours but we deserved it after the days achievement. Our last day was upon us for those not continuing to the South Island. We had about a four hour drive ahead of us, to get to Wellington in readiness for tonight's New Years Eve Fluorescent party but before that, we had a few stops to make. The first
being in Taihape - the Gumboot capital of the world. For us brits, that refers to Wellington boots. We stopped at the Town Hall to grab a small and large boot in readiness for the games to commence. Firstly though we needed appropriate attire. Lucky for us 'Duffman' had a full wardrobe of goodies. So now all in fancy dress, me in my orange scrubs, I was ready to give this boot flinging a go. Stand back everyone, with my first attempt ending up with me throwing it behind me!! ? It was Neville who took Gold followed closely by Andrea. My favourite part of this stop, was the looks we had, when we went in all our regalia to a nearby cafe to grab a bite to eat. It was most amusing! With the locals not entirely sure what was going on! ? Our next brief stop was to view one of the many hydroelectric dams New Zealand has. It was kind of cool, as we were able to view it from a wire bridge that was suspended above. It was soon time to grab some lunch and visit the NZ$2 shop for some flouro stuff for that evening.
I wanted to go classy, after all it was New Years Eve. We arrived in Wellington about 4pm which gave us a little bit of time to get our stuff sorted before the night kicked off. I needed to sort my bags out in readiness for check out the following day and moving to my new home. I knew I didn't need to rush to see anything as I'd be staying in Wellington for a while. Food was booked for 7pm that evening and we all looked fab in our get up. I was rocking a new hair peice with feather bower finished off with flouro face paint of 20 16 on my cheeks. Bottle of wine ordered I was ready to see in the New Year. It got messy when we played Beer Pong or in my case Cider Pong as I was losing badly. That's when the dancing on the tables started. I certainly made the most of my last night with these guys who had been really good company all trip. I said my farewell's to those that night who would continue South, as I knew then, I was never going to surface at 6:30am to wave
them off. After coming round from my heavy night, I entered 2016 a little fuzzy and starving. I didn't need to be at my new place until later, so grabbed some brunch with the celebrity 'Will Ferrel' before he caught his flight, followed by a rather quick tour of the 'Te Papa Museum' (which I fully intend going back to explore, when firing on all cylinders) followed by some serious spoiling. It was New Year's Day after all and this little princess needed to be pampered. What better way than to grab a back massage and pedicure. It was marvellous and just what I needed to make me appear semi human before turning up at my new place! I bid farewell to those off my tour that were still about, before taking a taxi from the hostel because for some reason, my luggage seemed to have grown. A rather over stuffed suitcase and two full backpacks loaded into the boot of the taxi, I was ready to kiss hostel's goodbye. ? I gave the driver, my new address and he looked quizzical at me. "Which side do you want to be dropped?" he asked. Me, not realising that the property
I'd chosen was located between two main streets with loads of steps from both sides to access it. I edged my bets, given I'd be loaded up like a little donkey and thought it better going down than up! I finally made it, after trundling down 84 steps! l was hot and bothered but at least, I was there. My room was small and compact with great natural light. It felt so good unpacking and actually hanging up my clothes. ? Jade had bought me some little lights and bunting made out of the pages of an atlas for Christmas which I hung above the bed. I intended making this place my own, with my next chapter off to a great start. I met some, of my new housemates who were really helpful and friendly, catching up with Linda later that evening, who owned the property and resided there. This was going to be great, I told myself. Just coming off quite a full on tour, that night I was ready for some serious shut eye. I was coughing abit and hoped it wasn't the start of a dreaded chest infection. The following day not feeling 100%, I needed to
do a food shop. Off I went, to one of the largest supermarkets in Wellington known as 'New World'. It was a good size with loads of choice, although I was really flabagasted by the price of things, especially the fresh fruit and veg!!! After carefully picking up some items to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner for the coming week, I managed to escape with a NZ$149 bill (£75)! ? Too much to carry, it was another taxi ride back and those dreaded steps! Linda made space for me in one of the small kitchen areas for my items to go. All unpacked, my cough seemed to be getting worse, so I took it easy. That night we watched a movie together followed by a game of Ludo. There was a lovely inclusive atmosphere and everyone was enjoying the holiday season. Talking to the others I discovered there was no rush on getting into the centre to sort things out as the 2nd Jan in NZ constitutes a Public Holiday so most places wouldn't be open until Tuesday if not the following week. I caught up with those at home to wish them a 'Happy New Year' and discovered that
another gift had been left for me. Thanks so much Aunty Val. I'm looking forward to using that when I get back. Stacey one of the girls off the tour was still about in Wellington for a few more days so caught up with her one evening for some wine and food. We ended up in a little place called the 'Five Stags'. The decour fantastic inside, like an old country pub with good food to boot. My chest wasn't getting any better, although I had noticed it was progressively worse in my room for some reason and I was picking up a faint odour of sorts. I needed to speak to Linda about it. That's when I discovered, the separate flat located beneath my room, had a Cat!!! This now, made complete sense. My cat allergy being ten times worse than my dog one, it was no wonder I was wheezing like hell. There was nothing left to be done except move out. Luckily for me everyone was really supportive, especially Frankie who was instrumental in me finding new digs. The next few days took all my time up viewing potential new haunts for me to reside. Then one
of Frankie's contacts came through with a room on offer, just off Cuba Street in the centre of the city. Cuba Street having a reputation for being a party street, I was a little concerned about the noise. When I viewed the place though, it was perfect. Although the entrance to the flat is off Cuba Street it is actually set back, in the block of flats that overlooks the street behind. This place also met with my budget, as again living in the capital does not come cheap. I really wanted to live here but had to wait while 'Rodney' spoke to the others. Their biggest concern was how short a stay I'd want, given the hassle of finding a new flatmate. With me waiting on a response, I spent sometime concentrating on finding a job as this would determine how long I'd stay in Wellington. CV and Cover letters altered with a number of positions applied for, the news came through that I'd been waiting on. I'd got the room in Cuba Street. ? I couldn't believe it. The relief enveloped me, as my first week in Wellington had been an emotional roller coaster. I grabbed a bottle
of wine and enjoyed a night with the other's in the house watching 'The Iron Lady'. Obviously being welsh and not a massive fan of Maggie Thatcher, I thought the film was really enjoyable and cleverly created making you empathise with her at times. Regardless of what anyone thinks of 'Maggie', she always had the balls to stand by her convictions rightly or wrongly and Meryl Streep was brilliant in it. Well worth a watch, if after something different. Whilst staying at the house, I'd had, many a great conversation with the others and Linda was particularly helpful when I'd asked about local walking groups and possible evening courses. Taking Linda's advise I joined 'Meet Up' which has loads of different groups for like minded people to join. This was certainly going to give me the 'Life Balance' angle I so desperately wanted, if I was going to stay a while. I attended my first 'Meet Up' on the Saturday evening where we took a walk up Mount Victoria to watch the sun set. A good crowd turned up with 17 of us altogether being a mix of Kiwis and Internationals. After the walk, a few of us decided to
go for a drink. We started off in the Hop Garden, a small bar tucked away in a street near to the end of where our walk had concluded. It was a nice atmosphere and made me reminiscent about my walking group at home. From there we made our way to the infamous 'Welsh Bar' where I would meet Kirsty from Scotland who was another friend of 'Alan' who had instigated going for a drink, in the first place. Well what can I say. Stepping into the Welsh Bar was a home away from home. The ceiling covered in all manner of Welsh Flags, the boys serving behind the bar from Merthyr and Carmarthen and the Owner from Swansea and his wife, Langland. We were taking over....look out! ? I got corrected on saying I was from 'Eirwin' and not 'Hirwaun' which did make me smile. I also got to put a pin in the map to show I was the first from there, to visit. When asked to see the Wine List, I got told "Red or White". Obviously now with my trained palette, I was a little dubious about what I'd be given, so opted for a well
known brand of Penderyn Gin with Tonic! I'd only intended having two drinks at most, honest! Needless to say I got home at 3:35am Sunday morning after the Bar stopped serving at 3am!!! At this point I was now sleeping in the living room as I literally couldn't breathe when in my room for any length of time. So bed late and not wanting to impact the others I was up early and started on my packing. Sunday evening I'd been invited by Alan and Kirsty to join another group get together where they put food on and I met even more new people. It was a lovely night and I couldn't believe what a little social butterfly I had become, in such a short space of time. Monday arrived and it was time to move out. It was bittersweet as those in the house were lovely, but I had no choice as being able to breathe is somewhat important.? Frankie helped me to move and that afternoon I grabbed some candles and a few prints for my wall. Rodney went through the bills and what I needed to set up, going forward. He was a really nice guy and
I was so pleased to be in my new home. One thing that had caught my attention in the building my new home was in was the GE manufactured sensors in the lift. Was there no escape! That night I unpacked again and made my new room my own. It was so nice, to be able to go to sleep without wheezing. The following day I met Dave, my other flatmate from Northampton. Nice young bloke who'd been over here for 4 years. Then later I caught up with Shinayd, Rodney's girlfriend from South Africa who was fab. That night I was out again this time meeting up with a Welsh girl who was over here on the same visa as me. There was only one place to go...the Welsh Bar, although this time I did manage to only stay for 2 drinks!!! On my third day in my new place three sets of potential buyers turned up to view it. I was getting the feeling that everytime I unpacked, it wasnt going to stay, that way for long! For now I just had to keep focused and hope no-one was interested in purchasing my new home. During the days
I'd concentrate on applying for jobs and contacting recruitment agencies, my evenings seemed to be full of social activities with me joining the 'Meet Up' guys for a cinema experience on the Wednesday to see 'Sisters' with Tina Fey. It was good for a laugh and I especially enjoyed the 'Gold Lounge' experience with me sat in a rather large reclining leather seat with cocktails served to me during the film. How cool is that??? It was slightly indulgent but so worth it. Earlier that day I'd scored an appointment with one of the agencies for Friday, as it was becoming apparent that my CV was being misinterpreted, because of my last job title "Laboratory Services Leader". Nobody realised I was office based and not lab based and with applying for administration roles, this was not helpful! With my full interview booked for Friday morning, I spent some time Thursday preparing all the things they had requested and grabbed a new top and shoes to look the part when I turned up. I was going to have an early night and be interview ready, then the message came through. My original tour group, who had left on the 1st Jan
to explore the South Island had returned to Wellington for one night only. My hands were tied, I had to go meet them, but I was only having two drinks at most!!! OK, so another great night catching up and even more so for the fact it was Thomas' 25th Birthday and Martina and Patrick had only gone and got engaged whilst on tour. It couldn't have happened to a nicer couple. ? Needless to say six glasses of wine consumed, it was time to leave. It had been amazing catching up with these guys and I felt it had been alot longer than a fortnight ago since we'd said farewell originally. The next morning feeling a little groggy, I got my shit together and looked like the professional I once was. I needed this to go well. Sue was great and was full of positivity that I should find something. Then came the dreaded tests, 6 in total, Typing, Excel, Word, Spelling, Outlook and Office Ergonomics. Luckily I came out with an 'Intermediate Level' in all applications, which was a relief, given its been nearly 9 months since I've used any of them! It felt strange going into an
Office environment but this is what I needed, if I was going to last the distance. I now knew my holiday aspects were coming to an end and real life would need to kick in soon. I needed and wanted to work. I would just have to apply, apply, apply, especially if I wanted to maintain my social life! ? The weekend was back upon me and this time I had been invited over to Kirsty's for a catch up after her shift. Nearly at hers, I received a text saying she would be running late. Not wanting to walk back to mine, then over to hers again later, I spied a bench nearby where I was happy to sit and wait. As I'm sat there the most crazy thing happened. Someone called my name, it was only Pia who was on my Alice Springs Tour who was still on her travels. I couldn't believe it. We spent sometime catching up, about what we'd both been upto. This trip, really did make me think how small the world actually is and what a fluke. If Kirsty hadn't have postponed, I would never have seen her.? That night turned into another
big session with some of the others coming into town and us hitting a bar around 10:30pm. Needless to say I need to get a job, as at present, it appears I have all the Life Balance and none of the Work!
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Beth Cowdry
non-member comment
Adventures!
Another fab installment, though if you carry on I think you may have to change the name to Anna's Drunken Adventures. You need a job and pronto ;) It looks like you had a fab trip over Christmas and New Year and thank you for reminding me of the 'laundry incident' as that did make me chuckle again! The photos are amazing again and not making anyone jealous at all :) I would actually pay you good money to see you on a surf board again! Lol! Carry on with the good work and fingers crossed that you will find a job soon, as you need this to support your booze habit..... Look forward to the next installment, which should have less drunken debauchery. Mmmmmmm ?! Haha! Bxx