Happy Friday the 13th to you all! I am just wrapping mine up (only about an hour left before Saturday begins) but most of you should be starting yours - hope it is a good one!
Today we left Wanganui and drove to Palmerston North to see the wind farms. On a side note, we stopped at a little gas station in Wanganui (isn't it just fun to say) and all the pumps were full service. Full service! I can't remember the last time I had an attendant fill my gas tank. It was fun to say 'Fill er up'. At Palmerston North, we took a quick peek at the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere. I don't know what it is about those huge modern windmills but I find them mesmerizing. Like gentle quiet giants on the hill side protecting us all from a lack of electricity. Anyway, we didn't drive all the way up to them so we didn't get the chance to see if we could see both coasts and the south island all at the same time. No worries though. I have actually seen all three and I don't need to be greedy about seeing them all at once.
I finally got to drive today which I have to say was a lot of fun. I like driving on the left. Its just like driving on the right only on the other side. (Deep huh?)
Once we got into Wellington and got all checked in at our local YHA hostel, we took a stroll through town to the cable cars. They have these beautiful red cable cars that take you up the side of a mountain and at the top is the most amazing view of the city and the bay. Also at the top is the Wellington Botanical Garden which is ginormous and spectacular with all these regular paved trails and then lots of little side trails to wander through the bush. If I lived here, I would go there as often as I could. Especially since it was free. Can you believe that? These stunning gardens and forest and streams and ponds and roses and all sorts of things and all with a magnificent view and they don't charge you one cent to walk through it all. It is exactly as it should be!
Since everything around here closes early (shops all close at 5), Susan and I decided to catch the new Harry Potter flick at the local cineplex. First of all, let me tell you that when you buy a ticket, they assign you a seat - just like if you were buying a ticket for a play or a concert. I, for one, think that is a fantastic idea. If you spend as much money as it costs to go to the movies now, you ought to be assured of a good seat and that you and your friends can all sit together. Or if you are going to have a crappy front row seat and none of you will even be in the same row, you should at least know it up front before you spend the money. I am going to lobby the local theaters to switch to this system. Once you get in, the seats are comfortable and plush and the theater is a lot more like a play house instead of a cineplex and the screen is gigantic. The movie was good although having not seen most of the preceding movies, I had very little idea what was going on a good deal of the time.
So that was our day in a rather humongous nut shell. Tomorrow is our last real day in New Zealand as Sunday is a really all travel. I am sad to see the trip come to an end but I have to say, I am a little glad to be going home.
Things I miss about home in no particular order (and this is by no means an inclusive list):
my bed, proper ketchup, chatting with Holly, diet coke, my cats, my car
Things I will miss about NZ:
the scenery, the accents (absolutely everyone is cuter with a british/kiwi accent), zorbing, thermal pools, waterfalls, steak and cheese pies, driving on the left, how environmentally friendly the whole country is, getting to Friday a day earlier
I really love it here. I think it would be easier to move the things I miss from home here rather than the other way round.
Tomorrow, I plan on getting a tatoo to commemorate the trip. I can't tell you what it will be yet as I don't quite know myself yet. I will keep you posted.
Have a great Friday!
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