telephone

Happy Mayday! Note slipped under my hotel room door provides a Wellington weather forecast of "showers, strong, cold southerlies developing early". Followed by a recommendation of a gallery to visit.

Good chance for me to set up this cell, err mobile, phone I bought yesterday. I even figured out on my own that they refer to "pound key" as "hash key".

On the jet lag front, think I'm good! Took an early evening nap yesterday, not best idea but I still made it out to 10pm comedy show a few blocks away. Turns out an act based on card tricks and ninja jokes wasn't bad after all. My 11-year old nephews would have loved it, of course. The comedian (Jay Jarquin, from Christchurch) was a good storyteller and improviser, which helped a lot. My verdict: thumbs up, would make a really good Fringe Festival show.

After a melatonin tablet and good night's sleep I feel great. Also makes a difference having a phone, as I can now tell what time it is! It's been a few years since I wore a watch.

oot and aboot

Spent the afternoon wandering around the very compact downtown area of Wellington. Hub of shopping activity appears to centre around a couple of intersecting pedestrian malls: Manners and Cuba. Cuba Street appears to be the "happening" (in a Main or Commercial Drive kind of way) area with clubs, restaurants, shopping. Guy dragging around a big cross.. (barely visible in pic). You know, the usual.

Had some amazing fish and chips at Wellington Trawling Sea Market (great name). Cost: under $5 Cdn. No cod or halibut here so today's fish was moki. Fresh kiwifruit going for about $2 Cdn a kilo. Easy to find a good bottle of Aussie or Kiwi plonk for under $8 Cdn. Fresh local cheese abounds.

Saw a booth for the Comedy Festival which is underway and have been talked into seeing some sort of "card ninja" act later tonight. Yes, comedy with playing cards. Apparently it's much better than it sounds.

I am still getting a handle on the vibe but I will say the city is very quiet, even when the pedestrian traffic is heavy. No honking cars! Architecture-wise I'm getting a San Francisco meets Edinburgh thing. Of course Wellington smells so much better than either of those cities. It was unpleasantly windy at times but I can imagine this place looks awesome in the sunshine. Apparently I'll be waiting a few days for that.

In any case, I'm glad I brought a warm wool hat and rainjacket because I've used them both already. Lots of indoor activities here so shall probably hit one of the museums tomorrow.

Windy Wellington

Random notes and first impressions from a light fog of jet lag: (otherwise fine)

• New Zealand continues to take its biosecurity seriously, although they didn't spray the plane cabin before we got off plane, as they did in the 80's. Also many reminders to not spit in garbage bins.


• Pleasant walk between terminals at AKL as sun was rising. I was reminded how powerful a sense smell is by a memory of "that smell" - moist, mossy, rich - from so many years ago.


• "Windy Wellington" is living up to its name and made for a very rough approach to landing at WLG. Memories of an aborted landing at Bellingham airport in similar wind conditions flashed through my mind.


• The area around WLG airport is very much like South San Francisco and SFO area.


• Wellington southern suburbs have a very small-town-England feel and look to them.


• Wifi in this hotel is horribly slow!


• Cooking show on the telly is encouraging folks to use Marmite as an acceptable substitute for tamari. Inevitable "what about Vegemite" debate ensues.

Trinity Hotel is lovely so far, reasonably priced, quiet, very clean, easy to find, let me check in early. So there's a plug for them.

So far so good! All flights on time, relatively uncomplicated getting out of airports, easy public transit to downtown. Now to get oriented!

(photo is of Auckland airport in the pre-dawn light, April 30, 2010)

in YVR departure lounge

I'm pretty proud of the fact that I only checked one small suitcase weighing 14 kg for this flight. Carrying on board a very small purse and stuff sack with my netbook, books, water bottle and various sundries. Those of you who have witnessed my chronic overpacking in the past would be proud.

Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks..

It's a beautiful evening out there and we're scheduled to takeoff right at sunset. Meal an hour into the flight, breakfast about an hour before landing, bob's yer uncle. Looking forward to hearing what musical surprises my friend Karen has loaded on my 2GB flash stick. Mix tapes on a stick the size of my little finger. Wouldn't we have laughed at that notion 10 years ago?

There's the pre-boarding announcement so aloha, all y'all!

Outlook for Thursday

Who knows what it'll be?
A briny breeze,
Collars on the upturn, a nod towards the winter.

And Monday, is a Monday
Tuesday's a thunder day,
With a wind that chills you to the bone.
Wednesday, don't mention Wednesday!
Not a good one at all!

These lyrics are from a lovely little tune "Outlook for Thursday" by New Zealand band DD Smash. It was a radio hit when I last visited NZ and has been a recurring earworm over the years. Coincidentally, I went looking for this song on YouTube not long before I won this Air New Zealand flight. Also coincidentally, DD Smash lead singer Dave Dobbyn is appearing May 1 at a Wellington club not far from my hotel. Perhaps I can talk my way into this sold-out show..

Enjoy some early 80's production values and hairdos!

New Zealand PM does Letterman Top Ten List

Look at me, I've embedded my first video - whee!

One More Sleep

As I walked down East Broadway this morning I noticed how much greener and fuller the trees are this year considering it's still April. I also thought back to one of my first impressions of New Zealand when I was there in the 80's: how very green the grass, how very black the asphalt on the roads. And so many sheep.

Starting to get some butterflies, seems strange to think that tomorrow evening I'll be boarding an airplane for a 14-hour flight. 14 hours. Guess that means I'll be angling for an aisle seat, if my polite hints for a first-class seat are disregarded..

April 29 will also in effect disappear, for me at least. It will be April 28 when I leave, April 30 when I arrive in Auckland. Hmm..

Yesterday I went to Vancouver Bullion and bought some New Zealand currency in denominations from $5 to $50. Except $20 bills, which they didn't have in stock.
Very crisp and pretty bills - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_dollar#Banknotes
Note that they've ditched 1 and 5 cent coins! No more messing about with pennies - hurrah.

Why New Zealand?

I travelled to New Zealand in the 1980's on a SWAP (Student Work Abroad Program). My first choice of country was actually the UK, but New Zealand won out weather-wise. My original intent was to work about 4 months in New Zealand, spend a few weeks in Australia on way home. What actually happened was that I travelled and worked 4 months in New Zealand, got an Australian work visa and worked until my air ticket expired. I have very fond memories of being overseas for the first time, working on dairy farms, staying in hostels, hitching around with new friends, and sometimes even solo. I was sad to leave and hoped to return one day.

Fast forward 20+ years and I'm finally going back! I won the airfare (one only, alas) from Air New Zealand in an online promotion. On Twitter, if you can believe that. I found a friend who wanted to come and could afford the trip but we could not get our schedules to jibe. So, like my first trip to New Zealand, I'm returning as a solo traveller. Older, perhaps a little wiser, certainly a lot less fit.

Life's been a little frantic for me lately, so I welcome the chance to get away and perhaps clear the cobwebs away a bit. I have some idea what to expect, but I know New Zealand has changed a lot in the last few decades. I look forward to being surprised...pleasantly, I trust!

This is my first blog, so I'll stumble along and learn as I go. Perhaps post pictures when I'm able. In the meantime, thanks to all who have sent me travel tips and inspiring photos. Thanks to Doug O'Neill for permitting me to post his photo of Cathedral Cove, on the Coromandel Peninsula of North Island. (now I need to figure out how to put in captions) Kia ora..

testing..is this mic on?

Well here I am folks, about to start blogging. In a few short days I'll be flying off to New Zealand and will post my impressions of that lovely country, and my life in general, as and when I'm able.
Kia Ora!