Moving on is always a curious thing. Staying at Stillwater Lodge in Mana was lovely. A very friendly German couple, Anja and Tom, have taken over the running of the place only recently, but I still think they be able to keep the 95% BBH rating that the hostel has already earnt. Tom and I played pool until about midnight, then I drove down to the docks, after being breathalysed outside the hostel. The Police are pretty strict for drink driving as its a major problem here. As you drive along a road you see both wilting and fresh flowers adorning many many crosses; a provoking sight.
I got to the harbour at 12, for the 0130 ferry. Its early but cheap, but that doesnt really matter as its cancelled. I sleep in the car at the docks, being careful not to park on the train tracks that criss-cross the tarmac. I can see the headlines, "Semi naked tourist escapes after car crushed at docks", "And we go to Paul Mileg at the docks who has some amateur footing . . ".
All ferries are cancelled on Tuesday.
Earliest ferry I can catch is Wednesday night. It'll have to do, but I wasnt planning to be this long in Wellington. Saying that, despite not wanting to spend any more time in big towns, Welly is alright. I like it. It has a buzz about it. Some of the people can be a bit snotty and some a little pretentious, but the woman who did the BEST homemade humous in Courtney, she was COOL, and the cafe espressoholic or something does excellent salads.
I had to sleep and wash somewhere so Tuesday afternoon I checked into Rosemere, ( I think it was named such ) or maybe Rowena, but its the other hostel on Brougham Street. Crap kitchen, good paintwork, cold rooms, but off-street parking. They also have very nice showers.
All I want to do is cross into the south island though, and Im fustrated. I go and see "24 hour party people" and think its a good film, but wish I'd had the bottle to stand up and dance during the film, as that is what needs to be done. It has one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a long time, but then thats because its from my yoof.
Im still waiting for the ferry, but passing time by reading, eating, sleeping. Eventually I wander down the docks on Wednesday night, after ringing to check they are running. We wait some more; the ships are delayed, the weather is still bad but the crossing will happen. I watch "About a Boy" on the ferry, trying to kill more time until I get to Picton and SEE things in the south.
Im the last car off the ferry, is someone trying to tell me I should have stayed on the north Island? Fortunately I had already booked through to "the Villa". I think Carol Smilie would call this a "delightful little ornately carved wooden victorian house". It is so I wont argue with her. There is an open courtyard, lit by white xmas lights ,centred by a large open stove, a spa pool in the corner, and large patio doors off to the dorms. Im given hot apple crumble and ice-cream when I arrive which is lovely. They had golden nuggets of something in the crumble and I never did swap recipes so I suppose I will never know what they were. There was a free breakfast in the morning, and apart from it having some of the hottest, strongest showers, warmest rooms, comfiest beds, beautiful house and close proximity to the hostel make it one of the best places I have stayed in.
I leave early in the morning and take the coast road to Nelson. This is far more picturesque than the main road, plus I get to see some of Marlborough Sounds, which is idyllic. Im staying in the Travellers Arms hostel. I think. I cant remember, as I spent about an hour choosing a place. I should go for the first one, but I dont want some large rambling hostel, I want to be able to wash clothes as, like all stupid backpackers, I seem to have a fixation with the small things. These are.
- Laundry
- Warm Rooms
- Clean comfy beds
- Big Kitchens with lots of plates, pans, fridges and storage space
- thousands of dancing girls
- hot powerful showers
- a comfy chair/hammock to read a book in
The hostel I have found has all of the above with the exception of dancing girls, but it does have both many comfy chairs AND a hammock, a South American one at that, it also has a nice fire, a huge clean kitchen, and only a few bunk beds. Is this whats important to me now? I used to be concerned with deadlines, council tax bills, customer meetings, latest CDs to come out, which is the best pub that month in Brighton, trying to go to the gym, and trying out a new wine from Oddbins. Its all different. I like it.
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