I managed to get signed off by my supervisor a couple of days early so I could get to the South Island faster – he has encouraged me to go skiing, but only if there is real snow! (I don't think there is any yet....weepweep.) So, after having the requisite form signed and stamped with the University of Otago's seal, handing back my swipe cards and having the MRSA swabs that Auckland requested, I was free to go!
I didn't want to waste my last afternoon in Wellington and it was a lovely day (well, not raining, with occasional patches of sun) so I decided to do the 11km Southern walkway, which the Rough Guide told me “offered excellent views of the harbour and central city.... cuts through the Town Belt to the south of the city centre, between Oriental and Island Bays. Despite a few steep stretches it's fairly easy going overall.”
A uncontrollable craving for sushi led me to add about 2km to the start of the walk by going via Midori on Willis Street where I got the biggest $12 box of sushi ever. The staff in there now love me after seeing my sushi-greedy face 4 times in the last fortnight! Alas it was my last time :(
I packed the sushi away so I wouldn't nom it down straight away, and toddled off along to Oriental Bay to start the walk.
the view from Oriental Parade at the start
It began with a dismayingly steep climb which forced upon me the unwelcome realisation that 2 swims and a lot of walking has not prevented me from losing a fair bit of fitness....After hauling my wheezing and flabby self up the path for an hour I was very glad to have a rest and some sushi at the top.
Thus refuelled, I tramped along following orange arrows for another couple of hours to some STUNNING views and a pleasing feeling of “BEING OUTDOORS! Look at meeeeeeeee I'm walking somewhere!!! By myself!!!”
Unfortunately I was so taken up with self-congratulatorily admiring the scenery that I missed a little orange arrow somewhere near Island Bay and ended up on some residential road. Panicking slightly that I was missing valuable scenery, I hastened up to the nearest couple and asked them where the Southern Walkway/I was. They didn't know because they were from Glasgow, but we got chatting about their 6 children, one of whom came to New Zealand on her dental elective and is getting married to a Kiwi next week! (Don't worry Mum and Dad...!) They also have a deaf granddaughter so we talked about hearing aids for a bit, and then they invited me back for a cup of tea!
I was introduced to a bewildering number of Scottish family members and Kiwi bridegroom, promptly forgot all their names again, and had a lovely time comparing hearing aids with the 7 year old granddaughter. After staying and chatting for an hour I felt I should be getting back, and they walked me down to the bus stop. We swapped email addresses and I left in awe at the kindness of strangers and very happy to have met some really lovely people.
(Incidentally it turns out that the house they are staying in – which was beautiful - is owned by the Lord of the Rings film studios, and is used for the production team to stay in! As the bridegroom is the assistant production manager on the Hobbit, they have managed to borrow it for the time they're over here.... how cool?! I want contacts who know Peter Jackson...)
Upon my return to Welly I instantly became rather stressed about my ferries because the 8.25am Interislander (which I had booked) had been cancelled and I'd been rebooked on the 8.00am Bluebridge (which is slightly smaller and a bit more grotty, as I was to find out). Managed to reschedule my transport arrangements, and then got down to packing – ugh – before Anna came. I think she was slightly horrified that I had survived living in a dorm room with 4 boys for 4 weeks, but I assured her that you get used to the smell. She didn't look convinced...
Anna, Howard (another friend from the hostel) and I went out for dinner at an Indian restaurant on Courtenay Place. We ate far too much, staggered to the pub for a drink and then home to chat with a cup of tea and some of Anna's tasty gluten-free coconut cake. After Anna had gone, I realised that I would have to get up at 6am and ran off to pack and attempt to sleep.
THURSDAY
6am arrived rather too quickly after a night of restless sleep punctuated with ferry-missing nightmares. I got up, dressed, heaved my bags on, collected my food, dropped the keys off and was out of the door by 6.25 to catch my bus to the station/ferry port opposite the station. BOOM.
Once on the ferry I began my search for the espresso machine – which the Interislander definitely has, I Googled it to check – and was horrified to find that Bluebridge is a LOT more grotty due to lack of decent coffee. The options were: instant coffee, Milo (an insanely high-gluten version of hot chocolate, as my Ngorongoro crater experience testifies.....long story), and tea. 4 weeks in Welly has rendered me an insane coffee freak and I must admit I am bearing this with ill-humour. So are most of my fellow passengers – I overheard/overlipread a guy just now saying “THEY DON'T HAVE A COFFEE MACHINE?!??!” in much the same tone you might say “THEY DON'T HAVE A RUDDER!??”
I appreciate that rudders are possibly more important on a ferry, but I REALLY want my coffee now.... Am currently hunkered down with some tea (grumble) eating Anna's coconut cake for breakfast. It would have gone so well with COFFEE!!!
Enough harping on about coffee! Well now. What else can I talk about.....
long pause
Oh yes. My South Island itinerary!
So I arrive in Picton just after 11 – hopefully – and catch my nakedbus (cheap coachline with intriguing name) to Nelson at 12.15. I arrive in Nelly at 2.35, get picked up by the dude who runs th e hostel -
*STOP PRESS*
To add to the Blue Bridge's list of heinous crimes – failure to provide decent coffee among them – is incredible slowness: this ferry is getting in at about 1pm. ONE PM. ONE IN THE AFTERNOON. My bus goes at 12.15. i.e. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES BEFORE. ARRRRRGH. But fortunately a couple of the passengers I've been chatting to live in Nelson and are going to be driving there from Picton, so apparently I can get a lift with them if the bus isn't waiting.
Phew.
And also: AAAAAAAAAARGH I HATE TRAVELLING.
*NEW STOP PRESS*
the tsunami warning has been lifted so the ferry won't be delayed anymore, which gives me a slightly stressful 45mins to get my bag back and get myself to the interislander terminal to get the bus. oooooh. Anyway. If I ever get to Nelson(!!!!!!!!!) I will stay there for 2 nights in the Bug Backpackers – Cat and Tess are there yay! And I'll do things like find good coffee and wine and walk about exploring.
Then on Saturday I have to get the 10 hour coach to Franz Josef at 7am – ugh – and will arrive there at about 5pm. I'm staying in FJ for 2 nights so I can hike on the glacier and do fun things, then on Monday I'm busing it to Queenstown (6 hours). There I will probably collapse, or pick myself up and go and try and learn to ski despite the lack of snow!
I fly from Queenstown to Auckland on Sunday 17th July to start my cardiology placement on the Monday.
Just going to grind my teeth some more/go look at the view.
Love from the Coffee Monster
*NEW UPDATE*
It is with great embarrassment that I tell you all that I managed to find a rather decent coffee machine upstairs next to the observation deck. It was a very nice cappuccino with a heart on the top, and the lady dusted cinnamon on the top for me and I had it with a mediocre gluten free caramel slice. *sheepish grin*
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