Windy Wellington

Taking "leaf" of New Zealand

We ended our whirlwind tour of New Zealand in a windy Wellington. Our motive: to visit friends of Andy’s – a kiwi couple, John and Lulu, who were involved in the early stages of BidorBuy (nearly 12 years back).  John and Andy had actually shared a flat in Sydney for almost two years. I was hoping to dig up some dirt from the past, but alas, the worst was that he had never known anyone to drink as much milk as Andy. Scandalous!  Despite the challenge of a new born baby in the house, John treated us to a lovely home cooked, wholesome dinner of roast chicken. And for dessert: pavlova – which New Zealanders claim to have originated in their country, though this is in contention with similar Aussie claims.

Our morning coffee experience in Wellington

Due to its less than desired weather (we literally were blown off balance this morning), Wellington is notoriously known for its coffee-cafe culture. Apparently there are more cafes per block in the CBD than in New York. And they pride themselves in high quality coffee. Starbucks coffee is looked down upon and known as the “McDonalds” of coffee. (A Starbucks outlet recently closed down, due to lack of support from the locals.) So, this morning Andy and I chilled in a local coffee shop called Mojo’s. We read the daily paper while sipping on our warm drinks, Andy opting for a hot chocolate of course.

Dinner in Auckland with Mike, Carrie and Sarah

We learned that director Peter Jackson and his cast and crew are in town for the filming of “The Hobit”. Celebrities have consequently been sighted milling about. No sightings for us I’m afraid.

New Zealand is truly a stunning country. After originally landing in Auckland (where we spent an evening with other friends of Andy’s), we headed down to Queenstown for the Easter long-weekend. Queenstown is in the south western corner of the South Island, and best showcases the natuaral beauty of New Zealand.

The view of our place in Queenstown

We stayed in an apartment on Lake Wakatipu, on which Queenstown is situated. Being the height of Autumn, the town and surroundings boasted shades of red, orange and yellow, and every shade in between. Periodic breezes would cause the warm coloured leaves to gently snow down. Breathtaking!

Andy feeling the temperature of the water of Lake Hayes

Everyday we’d go for drives to experience the views of the countryside: sheep-dotted green hillsides with snow-capped mountains. We stopped at the AJ Hacket bridge, famous for bungy jumping. Witnessing a few jumps by some tourists was enough to reinforce our view that jumping off a bridge goes against one’s natural instinct. We opted for another adrenalin activity instead: jet-boating through a canyon. A popular NZ attraction where an experienced driver (who missed his dream of being an F1 racer) speeds along a narrow white-water river, narrowly missing the the wall of boulders on either side, and occasionally doing 360 degree spins. It was exhilarating to say the least. Andy said I screamed like a girl – which was the point I think!

Queenstown in the Autumn

We rounded up our stay in Queenstown by celebrating our 11-month anniversary. Yip, 11 months! We wined and dined at a fabulous restaurant called Botswana. (The original head-chef was from there.) We aptly enjoyed a meal of roast lamb shoulder. NZ prides itself in its lamb, and it certainly lived up to the reputation. It might just be the best lamb we’ve ever tasted! After Queenstown, we spent a night in Christchurch with my family (see previous post), before ending off in Wellington.

Having a swinging time in Queenstown

I’ve been impressed with New Zealand, and can understand why so many “Saffers” (South Africans emigrants) have chosen it as their new home. The social benefits are unrivaled – as a South African it amazes me.  Property is crazy expensive though. But that’s the way it is with all places – advantages and disadvantages.

The Kiwis are also rugby mad.  Every second TV commercial has a rugby theme just about.  The upcoming Rugby World Cup is also creating a lot of excitement.  It’s a pity that no games will be held in Christchurch any more, due to the damage the earthquake made to their stadium.

We are now off to visit the neighbouring Australia!