First Foreys

The hotel is full of people attending a nationwide conference of local councils. We chatted at breakfast with some who think the new prime minister was spot on with his approach a bare-bones government. Others think he is absolutely wrong headed. I plan to learn more each morning since they will be meeting all week.

We walked down to the harbor and Te Papa Museum, then over to the canoe boat house. With sprinkles and rain threatening, we walked back to our hotel for rain jackets, stopping by New World grocery for dinner food. A little creepy because when I went to the in-store ATM, a man who had been sitting next to it deliberately bumped me hard and elbowed Grant as he left. 

Of course, no rain, but lots of wind so we were glad to have our jackets. Evidently it is called Windy Wellington for a reason. Back at the museum, we had a whirlwind tour of the museum by AJ, a pākehā, (Māori for white person). The museum has all the exhibit information displayed in English and Māori. AJ seemed bilingual. She told us all children now study Māori in school, and she’d continued to learn it out of interest. When we were leaving, I  noticed the man who had bumped into us was now sitting in the museum lobby. As I asked a docent for lunch suggestions, I mentioned our experience with him. She said she’d let security know because they have had some issues. I haven’t seen classic homeless on the street. Perhaps the NZ government offers options for care. I wonder if the new prime minister considers that one of the “nice-to-haves” he wants the councils to cut.

Lunch at Zephyrs inside the Takina Center. Lemongrass seafood chowder and rosé for me; burger and fries with an IPA for Grant. On Monday, the prime minister had spoken here, naming the building as an example of wasteful spending. The mayor of Wellington responded that it brings in conferences like this one which added $1M to the local economy. Ever this.

Lunch was delicious. We decided a nap was in order.

 

I scheduled a Uber pickup for our ride to Zealandia, because I wasn’t confident about taking the bus, then walking in the dark from the bus stop to the entrance to arrive for our 7:00 night tour. Good decision. Also a good decision was to wear my leggings under my pants and up top, a long sleeved shirt, my cat sweater, and my rain jacket. It was 51°, and the wind was still blowing +25kph. Grant hadn’t packed gloves so he bought some possum/merino ones on Cuba Street. They are much warmer than mine.

After issuing the group red light flashlights and individual audio headsets, Monica began the tour. Good grief, Grant and I could barely keep up to her pace. Pitch black and speed walking. Okay, maybe not quite that fast. BTW, the thought that we’d be out of the wind once we got in the forest turned out not to be true. There was some respite, but often it blew down the paths we were scurrying along. We did hear several kiwi but none to be seen. The ruru owl called but likewise, not seen. But there were many spider kinds and, joy of joy, at least to some members of the tour, wētā, basically giant crickets, endemic to New Zealand, both tree and cave species. Some of saw the back half of a tuatara, a lizard also endemic to NZ, before it disappeared into its tunnel.

We did see lots of glow worms along on embankment. Light blue neon lights spread across the foliage. It looked like someone had spread out a bunch of fairy lights. Lovely, and I think saved me from wanting to take the cave tours near Rotarua. We shall see.

A couple of hours later, we’d returned to the visitor center, glad to have the hot tea Monica poured. I called a Uber to take us home. Our bed was delightful.

Steps today: 14,487