Camellia Court Motel Wellington

... We then raked the trenches to make them even and deep. Then we planted. Colin taught me a trick he learned from an old, eccentric plant breeder: if splitting potatoes to plant, dip the cut side in lime. This way, you need not wait for it to dry out and seal; the lime is absorbed and has the same effect, but much more quickly. He also typically spreads a concentrated fish fertilizer on the potato trenches, claiming that spuds love fish. I guess this is why ...

... stopped at the Pancake Rocks National Park, one of the newest in NZ. Although it's pronounced pan-cah-kay the rocks themselves did remind us of the stacks that you'd smother with syrup. It was a very cool geologic formation to see and even more fascinating was the exact process that formed the rocks is unknown. For the most part it is limestone, and it's easy to see the erosion effects of water and waves. What they're not sure of is how the layers ...

... be spending my time. Oh well, life goes on...I managed to get out of the house this past weekend with Steve and Ange, though I'm not sure Saturday's activities did much to help me get better.

I'll write a full entry later today once I get the latest photos organized and, well, work up the energy to do something other than sleep :)

I'll be fine, I promise. Later...

We have now arrived in the capital, Wellington. On our drive, we journied up to the top of Mount Victoria to see the stunning view of the city. Wellington is known as the windy city and on the top of the mountain, it was extremely windy!

We then drove into the town and took the cable car up to Kelburn Park and had a picnic lunch in the botanical gardens overlooking the harbour (as the weathers been good for the ...

... ve already got a cold, or possibly swine-flu. To top it off the screen on my camera has broken meaning I can't see what I'm taking a photo of, annoyingly this means I've had to shell out money for a new camera, but don't worry I haven't lost any of the photos I've already taken. Anyways, bit of a boring update this time but tomorrow we are going to the South Island where we will start to slow down a bit and hopefully have more to tell.

... me to join her Wednesday evening for a drink. She moved to Wellington last year from the States and works at one of the main tv networks as a producer for a weekly political commentary show. It turns out the show is taped at a pub across from Parliament - so meeting her for a drink included watching the show live. I arrived in the city at about 5 pm, checked in to the hostel and had a chance to get my bearings. I then made my way to Backbenchers' Pub and to meet Caroline ...

... for good views. Lake Tekapo is fed from the glacial melt waters and subsequently is a bright, cloudy blue in colour. This is from the particles, called flour, that the glacier grinds off of the rock as it passes. Its also supposed to have the clearest sky in NZ and there is an observatory on the hill above the lake because of this. Unfortunately, we didn't have the best night, but the milky way was clearly visible through the cloud.. Wednesday 4th February Lake Tekapo to Glentanner ...

... the weather deteriorates rapidly and its almost typhoon conditions for the next day and a half so I spend it mooching round the second hand bookshops and drinking great coffee(which I never drink in the UK). Wellington has a great café society and Cuba Street is the hub with a great variety of eateries and coffee houses to hang out in. The 14th sees the weather improving and the opening of the "Monet and the Impressionists" exhibition at the Te Papa ...

... in a movie theatre with dear and lovely friends watching a film, and being super cosy as you attended said film in your pjs. Churchill Dickens (my long term stuffed bear buddy) felt the event was also rather stellar. And he is very highbrow. So if he likes something it really must be good.

Sunday night was also rather super with a family meal out at a thai restaurant. Sharon and I of course ate duck. Nothing ...

... das Bienenkorb-förmige Regierungsgebäude, das schöne moderne Nationalmuseum "Te Papa" (unser Land) und die Tatsache, dass Peter Jackson hier sein Weta Works Filmstudio hat. Davon sieht man aber nix. Leider haben wir die meiste Zeit in Kameraläden verbracht, da ich meine Digitalkamera im Abel Tasman Nationalpark versandet habe und Kathryn der Bildschirm an ihrem beim Ski-Sturz im Tiefschnee zerstört hat. Da die Garantie die Kamera bei Sandschaden nicht deckt, dachte ich ...