Long Ride to Wellington - Night 51

Our bus left the YHA at 8 am. We had a long day of driving, heading all the way down the west side of the Tararua Mountains to Wellington, at the very southern end of the north island. The driver made a few pit stops for photo ops of Mt. Ruapeho and Mt. Ngauruhoe, as well as a stop at a pie shop/gas station somewhere near Palmerston North. The rest of the way was just driving, albeit very scenic driving. The day reminded me of touring the Olympic Peninsula, minus the clear cutting and the obligatory stop in Humptulips.

Wellington from Mt. Victoria

We arrived in Wellington around 4 pm, my scheduled pickup was 4:25 at the central train station. Shortly thereafter, Lauren (the house caretaker) and Adam (a volunteer from Michigan) rolled up in a red van and I hopped in. We were to pick up another volunteer at the ferry landing at 5pm, but she never showed. Turns out that she was on the 6pm ferry and she ended up taking a cab to the house.

The volunteer house, known as the Kowhai House (pronounce Ko-Fi), is situated on the flank of a large hill overlooking the Hutt River valley, about 10 minutes north of Wellington. Endowed with great views, the place is a palace compared to my accommodation at the volunteer house in Brisbane. Currently staying at the house are the aforementioned Lauren, (Adam leaves for the US tomorrow), Kathi (Germany), Shirley (UK), Katharine (US), Nikos (US), Erika (China/Canada), and Melissa (US). A few more volunteers are set to trickle in over the weekend. On the way back to the house we made a stop for gas and beer. Unlike Brisbane, the house here allows alcohol, and in fact appears to encourage it.

After some settling in, we jumped a train bound for the city around 9pm. Our group of “Nature” volunteers met up with the “Leadership” interns from the head office for a night of drinking on Cuba Street, Wellington’s pedestrian mall/bar district. Sadly, the “Leadership” interns, most of who were from the US, finished their program today and will be going their separate ways this weekend. I met more Americans today than in the last 6 weeks of my travels. I suppose this a good thing. Nothing of any real significance happened at the bar, other than general getting to know everyone conversations.

What I Learned Today: Everyone I talked to today from the US absolutely loves New Zealand and is considering moving back here sometime soon. It is not hard to see why.

written by

exumenius on November 30, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Send a Compliment

wanna see this so much...
really exiting, thanks for posting

written by wow-traveler on October 7, 2009

comment on this...