Mercure Hotel Willis Street Wellington

... 8211; the one just down the road – came to be named after a former New Zealand Prime Minister back in the mid-nineteenth century. I told them how shocked I was to have learned that the Franz Josef glacier was named after a Nazi. One of the girls said she'd heard something about this before and luckily this gave my story some credence.




“You'd have thought they'd have the sensitivity to change it by now wouldn't you?” I continued.
“ ...

... it more balance..." Probably a bad example but you get the point. Anyway, the trek was pretty cool... the landscapes looks like a hybrid of country farm and tropical island... it's like if Maine and Costa Rica got together for some drinks, had a few too many, shacked up, and had a kid... then sent that kid to live with Australia... then you'll have New zealand. I'm sorry if that offended anyone. So there you have it... pretty solid update right theyah. Seeya!! Brad

... of the huge waves (2m) as it tries to back onto the beach to let us aboard. Hold on to your hats it's going to be a rough ride. As we swing out from the shelter of the bay and hit some really rolling sea, a message comes over the radio that 2 kayakers have been spotted way off the coast and need to be picked up (read the boat company wants their kayaks back safe and sound) So we circle around, spot the kayakers and while the boat heaves and rolls on the swell the captain hauls ...

... driving around and doing our own thing and the facilities at each campsite are always great. Calling Dirk a "campervan" is actually glorifying it a little as it is actually a Toyota people carrier with the seats removed and a mattress in the back! Its also our wardrobe and store for all our cooking bits and pieces at the moment! So far so good though! North ...

... the shelves in, very effective. While it was smoking we took a walk up the other end of the beach passed the campsite and up a small hill which has a memorial to the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior on top of it. The wreck of the ship was brought here from Auckland and sunk off the coast and is now an interesting dive site. I took photos of us up there and the memorial but after we came back down my memory card had decided to delete that ...

... rug. But of course picnic rugs aren't something you pack in your back pack, but then I remembered that at the YHA, on my bed, was a woolen blanket - so we smuggled the blanket out of the hostel and took it to sit on in the park. Only problem was it had PROPERTY OF YHA WELLINGTON CITY written in big letters on the side, so we had to keep the side of it hidden for the rest of the evening. haha! The next day Dan had work (he works in welly) and ...

... A shy glance at the map there (the one thing I didn't do before going on the trip, d'uh!) assured me I was right in by now thinking I was completely lost and had, in fact, strayed another 2 day hikes onwards into the center of the National Park. Great. I had no supplies and was concerned about Kathryn worrying about my whereabouts. Thankfully there were very helpful people at the hut. One had a mobile phone that even had reception. So I called the hostel we were ...