Also, Bruno Mars kills it.
I'm on a flight from Wellington to Kerikeri (Bay of Islands) via Auckland. On our left I can see the South Island (specifically the Marlborough Sound) and north island, separated by the Cook Strait.
After a couple mostly relaxed days in the capital. Two days ago I went on a run, took a nap, spent a few hours at the excellent Te Papa museum, ate Malaysian food (laksa) and walked around Cuba Street to orient myself.
Yesterday Shweth and I went our separate ways. I was still feeling exhausted, so had a long workout at a gym on the waterfront and sweated in their sauna for a while, which helped. Feeling back to normal, I walked around the city toward Massey University, then over toward the cable car (the similarities with SF continue) which took me to the top of some peak. With rainy weather threatening (but not coming just yet), I looked out on the harbor before meandering down the hill through some very nice botanical gardens. There was lots to explore, and I really enjoyed the time to myself. I ended up by Parliament, then emptied onto the waterfront.
I'm obsessed with large container ships, and was lucky enough to see one turn on a dime and pull into port. It then started to pour down rain (in addition to some seriously huge wind), so I found a restaurant with a covered outdoor area go grab a beer. Drinking beer on a porch in a rainstorm is one of my favorite feelings, so I made it happen.
That evening Shweth and I went out (for New Years). We had to figure out our travel arrangements first. We screwed up and didn't book a rental car in Rotorua, and by the time we tried to book, everything was taken. Our second option would have been to rent a car in Bay of Islands and drive south, but all cars were booked there as well. We ended up changing our flights from Bay of Islands to Rotorua to go to Auckland, where we will get a rental car and then drive to Tongariro. It's a convoluted and expensive way of traveling, but it's our best option given the circumstances.
Anyway, we went out and had fun for New Years. Wellington isn't a hot spot for partying, but we had a good time.
I'm a bit tired from travel at the moment. We've been on the road for two weeks now, and I'm almost ready to come home. The next few days should be good:
- in Bay of Islands tomorrow I'll go on a dolphin cruise, where we might get to swim with the Dolphins. I booked a room through Airbnb and I'm really looking forward to meeting my hosts. They look like very welcoming people, and I need a slice of home right now. I'm doing this solo whole Shweth goes to a different location in the Bay of Islands for the entire two days there.
- Next we will hike the Tongariro Crossing. It's supposed to be one of the best one-day treks in the world, and traverses volcanos and craters.
- Finally on my last day (Shweth leaves the day after) we'll do an adventure caving thing in the Waitimo Caves, which are famous because they have a bunch of glowworms in them.
I have a pass to the Air New Zealand lounge and fully intend on using it before my flight back to the states. I'm ready to be in my own bed!
Photos:
-cable car
-botanical gardens
-ship
-my view during the Wellington rain storm
-an airplane engine in the Te Papa museum. Reminded me of Grandpa, who worked at Pratt and Whitney working on jet engines his whole life.
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