Day 61:Goodbye Kiwis, G'day Aussies

Thurday 4th February

Flying into Sydney and finding Chris

Distance: Bus, 6km, Plane 2227km, Bus, 10km, Walk, 3km

Total Distance: 8874km

Today began at...well, everyday starts at midnight, technically. I was up at midnight still packing. But eventually I got some sleep.

I woke after 3am, made breakfast including lots of coffee, and headed out for the bus. There were a few of us on the wee shuttle with me as the last to be picked up. Everyone else looked to be in a blurry state like me. Awake on too little sleep and knowing rest wouldn't come soon. We sat in silence. The dark was punctured by the odd monument or sculpture, lit throughout the night. I took a last glampse around Wellington. 

At the airport I tried to reclaim a wakeful state, aided by Smaug. Apparently he'd just smashed through the wall to say Goodbye to me. I then found a giant Golem hunting giant trout. Around the corner Gandalf sat atop one of the Giant Eagles, with another near by. All made by Weta Workshop. Amazing to see before I left.

And that was that. I flew out of Wellington. Goodbye New Zealand. It's been great.

Hello Australia!

Immigration was easy enough, but customs required a bit more. All that tramping in New Zealand made me a potential risk for the ecosystem- so I handed over my beloved boots for inspection and cleaning. Too easy (that's Aussie for...something)

9am and I'd been awake for hours. Time for coffee, juice, and wait for rush hour to end. And for the rain to stop.

Yes, it's raining. That's not normal here. Apparently they've had their wettest January in 30 years. It's green!

Eventually I got a public bus out to near where one of my university flatmates, Chris, works. The rain continued lightly as I walked down the road. I was just a street away when suddenly the heavens opened. I had to run, with everything I own on my back, round the corner and through the door. 

Chris had left his flat key for me at reception. I put on my rain coat and bag cover, preparing to walk to his flat. As I began the rain stopped. And my first experience of the boiling February Australian sun began.

I'm in Sydney! Sweaty, tired, and dehydrated. Time for a shower, tea, and bed.

Day 58,59 & 60: Ferry and back to Wellington

Monday 1st Tuesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd February

Kaikoura to Wellington via the ferry and 2 days in Wellington

Distance: Bus, 160km, Ferry, 100km

Total Distance: 6628km

The bus took us as far as the ferry terminal  at Picton. Half the tourists stated on the bus, preparing to do the west coast as they'd started in Christchurch. The rest of us checked in and got onto the ferry. It's wasn't so different from when I travelled from Wellington to Picton- clear skies, calm sea. I explored more, going up the the observation deck on the roof to see the last trails of land of the South Island as we left. I found the bar where a pint of beer was only $6- as much as on land- and sat to watch the ending of "Dambusters" on the large TV as a band played in the corner. Through the back of the bar was an area at the back of the ship. The wooden decking was covering in wicker chairs so one could relax whilst watching the South Island slide away throught the slanted glass roof. Which sounds lovely until you appreciate that's is basically a giant green house. Too warm for me. Time for some of the fantastic warm date scones that they bring around on a trolley.

Eventually I made it into Wellington where I would be staying with my good friend Sara for a couple of days. I dropped my bags off and, as she wasn't back from work yet, went to go see Taranteno's new film. 

The next day I repacked a couple of times then went out to go see Weta Workshop. Weta was made famous by the Lord of the Rings but, like the landscapes of New Zealand, it has done far more of note than just these three films. 

I decided to be lazy and get the Weta bus rather than a public bus to the site. It was much more expensive but kind of worth it. On the way back we would go via some of the other studios, a few sites of not around the area, and Peter Jackson's house. Apparently Scarlet Johanssen was filming nearby and living in a house on Peter's street. We never saw her through. :'(

We started with a film about Weta Workshop being formed in the flat of a Kiwi couple who Peter Jackson became friends with and together they made a number of 90's Kiwi films before moving on to bigger and bigger projects.

Weta has a display area which is near to much of their design and development space. It was AMAZING. There are models, prosthetics, art work and equipment from the many films they've helped with, alongside projects for private individuals and personal projects. Much of the gear from Lord of the a Rings is now nearly 20 years old and being steadily diluted by Narnia, District 9, King King, Halo, and The Wotwots. A nerds paradise. Loved it.

I even had a good chat afterwards with one of the designers about my own wee project. I'll tell you about that another day.

The next day I end up to Zealandia. This is a large bird sanctuary above Wellington. With the best anti-pest fences available it is effectively an island amidst the city. Here, like on Stewart Island, the birds can live in a virtual paradise with limited threat from such predators as rats and cats. Thus they thrive. 

Zealandia is a great place for anyone wanting to see New Zealand's birds. The downside for me was...me. 

Oh, look, a Kaka...seen it

A Tomtit...seen it

Parakeet...seen it

But,inf you're in Wellington I would highly recommend it. There are free buses that run from the information centre- the I-site- in the middle of the city. There are also guided tours and mobility scooters. Hence, if you won't make it to the top of Mount Avalanche or the swamp-jungles of Stewart Island, Zealandia is a wonderful place.

And it does allo you to see what NZ might be like if we hadn't invaded with all our mammals.

I also dropped into Te Papa. No real reason, just my favourite place. A phenomenal free museum. If you go to nothing else in Welly, go to Te Papa.

Then came my last evening in New Zealand. Sara gave me a call and I joined here at Crumpets, the supreme cocktail bar in Welly, for a couple of drinks with friends. We then headed to Five Boroughs, the American diner for my last meal in New Zealand. Sacrilege, I know.

1/2 a kilo of hot wings, 4 pieces of buttermilk fried chicken, 2 deep fried Oreos with ice cream, and a stack of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup later and I was quite full.

11pm that evening we got back to the flat. And I decided to repack. And repack. And repack.

By 1am I had it sorted, had a shower and went for 2 hours of sleep before my flight.