A 2 hour ferry ride ended in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand's Capitol. The ocean front town was bustling when we arrived. People walking the streets, businesses with their doors open, and the concrete everywhere. I had been craving crappy American Mexican food. You know, with the unlimited chips and salsa. Shadow said "There's nothing unlimited in New Zealand." We found a small boutique Mexican place that was good, but not exactly what I had in mind. Where we have Mexican food on every corner back home, they have Indian and Thai places. I like it but sometimes you just crave the bad food. After checking into the largest hostel in NZ (6 floors), we went next door to the grocery. To our surprise it was packed with people. For a while we weren't sure if it was us in the middle of a culture shock from living in the woods for too long. I asked a worker and he said it was because Good Friday and Easter was a national holiday and the town shuts down, including the grocery. Everything would be open on Saturday for us to run errands, along with the rest of Wellington.
This morning we fixed breakfast and headed out on a day hike to complete the town section of the trail. Wellington reminds us of San Francisco the houses are built into the hills and there's a large Asian influence when it comes to food. I was surprised to see so much Art Deco architecture.
We had heard parts of the North Island would be tricky when it comes to water and camping spots since it's more populated. Many SoBo's we spoke to said they camped in city parks and sports fields. As we walked today, Shadow and I discussed getting our heads around living like homeless people in the cities. We were thinking that "Urban Outdoor Living Skills" might look good on a resume.
Last night was a perfect evening in Wellington. First was dinner at an Indian restaurant (my favorite food), then a movie at the Embassy Theater, then gelato. The theater was awesome. Marble floors with navy tile work on the walls. A long arched hallway led you to the a bar and the entrance to an intimate theater with big leather chairs. Afterward we stopped by a gelato place full of weird flavors like Hokey Pokey and Ginger nuts (like a ginger snap cookie).
The start of the North Island
Wellington, NZ
Wellington, NZ
Maori Stone Statue
Country Mouse and Shadow
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