Day 97: St Kilda

Friday 11th March

Albert Park

Grand Prix track and park

Beach front and pier

St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Distance:

Total Distance:

Staying in hostels with the 18-21 vibe and surrounded by people who are either hung over or rushing to their next trip isn't much fun, so yesterday my last job was to get down to St Kilda. A friend I met in New Zealand who now lives in the city advised Habitiat HQ as the place to go. It's $5 per night more, but comes with a free breakfast and has a friendly, homely, vibe to it. When I arrived last night there was a charity event going on. A work mate did the same thing last year in NZ. It's caller "Shave for a Cure" and involves people volunteering to have their head shaved to raise money for a leukaemia charity. Tonight one of the hostel staff was doing it- a guy with a huge afro and pirate beard. Everyone was in the main room watching, many with a cheap beer from the hostel bar, as he was shaved and the collection bucket passed round. Afterward there was a FREE barbecue dinner. Love this place- no wonder there's various awards all over the reception area!

I didn't feel like doing a great deal his day though. I decided to go have a quick walk down to Albert Park- a large park surrounding a long lake. I'd planned to walk around it whilst reading. However Melbourne was about to host the Grand Prix, and the route was around the lake. The park was still open, but so was the site of the race. Time to explore.

Walk like you know where you're going, don't look threatening, and don't stop. Those guidelines have got me through and into many places without causing (too much) fuss. I don't think though that there was anything that stopped me from being here though. So I walked some of the track and wandered through what would be the VIP area. It was still mostly under construction, but the main structures were up. I was in Tasmania for the race, thankfully. Would have been nice to go, but expensive and the hostels all put their prices up to make the most of the busy period.

Having done that I (with some difficulty) found my way out of the Grand Prix enclosure and went out to the beach. St Kilda has a long, lovely beach, including the time honoured Luna Park with its many rides and the pier. I walked along the coast, and out to the pier, where many old men sat fishing. At the end is a small kiosk- much more reasonably priced, oddly, than the one at the shore end of the pier. So I had a sit down with a $2 ice cream, a wee old school glass bottle of Coke, and read about the local wildlife. If you come here at sunset the penguins swim onto the rocks at the end of the pier and the Australian water rats can occasionally be seen.

It was beginning to get late, but I had just enough day light left to make a quick trip through the St Kilda Botanic garden. This wee garden is as well kept and as nice as all of the small botanic gardens I've seen in Austalia and New Zealand. Today there was even a wedding going on, with the guests now milling around as the bridal party had photos taken in various locations.

Afterwards I was off to Aldi. Food's quite expensive in Australia. I'd expected this in New Zealand- it's a relatively small, under populated island in the middle of the Pacific so shipping anything in is going to make it expensive. Yet here, even I. The cities, the price can be similar to New Zealand. Aldi's started to move in to challenge this. The European supermarket often charges far less than the local stores and is gradually forcing prices down. Note, I don't believe it's to the detriment to farmers- they're buying from the same market and don't have any home brands- it's mostly cheaper European stuff.

Day 14, 15, 16, 17: Bulls, Wellington, Ferry, SOUTH ISLAND!

19th-22nd December

Rotorua-Bulls-Wellington-Ferry-South Island- Kaiteriteri

Distance, Bus, Roto to Ferry, 462km, Ferry 98km, Bus to Kaiteriteri, 169km

Total Distance 3281km

Well, the excitement of Days 12 & 13 were a killer to write up. Better not do anything too exciting for a while.

I needed to go back to Bulls to refuel, restock, and move gear, before going to Wellington for meeting to organise my life for the next 5 months, then onto the Interislander Ferry.

On the way to Bulls our driver of the public bus randomly stopped off by the major mountains of the North Island (not including Taranaki, which is also worth visiting). Suddenly I realised this might be the last time I would see Tongoriro and Ngauruhoe, of the Tongoriro Crossing, and Ruepehu, where I went skiing with students from Massey University. The weather was gorgeous. Picture time!

I repackaged at Bulls, had a catch up with my flatmates Ben and Emma, who were very helpful agreeing to post my giant parcel home for me. Last look around Bulls, were I've been living for the past year, before the bus to Wellington.

I love Wellington. Stay here.go to Te Papa, you'll learn a lot about NZ. I've done about 2 days there. I try to go back for the art gallery on the top floor whenever I can. Mount Victoria and Botanical garden are beautiful too, as is the waterfront. I'll try hit Zealandia and Weta Workshop when I'm back to fly out.

Instead, this time, I repacked again, went to see Star Wars (before I hear any spoilers!), and was invited by my friend to the leaving do of two of the most important people in the history of the NZ veterinary association's magazine's history, at a bar on the waterfront.

This morning I was up early, packed then off to the Kiwi Experience bus and the ferry. So now here I am, eating the Famous Interislander Scones- seriously, good job I'm sat near where the trolley came in, they were gone in minutes, date, plain, and cheese varieties, with butter, jam, and cream. They present it really well, then I was released on mine:

I wanted to take a "before" photo, but got too excited.

3 hours to get across, with cinema, bar, full English breakfasts, magic shows, and dubious but free wifi, all available. 

So, to the South Island. I'll be kayaking again this afternoon!

Here's the South Island