Back to Wellington

After finally getting checked in yesterday, I continued reading my book until everyone got back. Then they began showing me their pictures and saying how tired they were. I have no doubt they were tired after tramping 19.4 kilometers up and down hill. The pictures were stunning though. It will be terrific to do it with Helen in two years.

I finished my book in bed and was probably up later than anyone else, but the mattress was terrible and I woke up every hour and a half or so. I finally got out of bed at 05:30 or so. Breakfast was leftover dinner and phone call home to Mom and Dad. Very nice.

We left at 08:00 bound for Wellington, completing my Stray loop of the North Island. We didn't drive straight though though.

Our first stop was in Taihape to partake in the town's gumboot throwing. Gumboots are Kiwi talk for rubber overboots, also called Wellingtons or Wellies. Anyway, they have a "lane" with distance markers every 10 meters. Too funny!

The second stop was Flat Hills Cafe And Tourist Park in pretty much the middle of nowhere. They had terrific meat pies, though, and a delightful collection of animals including alpacas or maybe llamas. The pig (one of three) was too funny and really liked being pet. The ducks were just sleepy.

Our third stop was in Bulls, a town infamous for its punny signs and business names. The cops are the consta-bulls. Hahahahaha!!!

Our final stop was to a lovely little park in Levin. When we pulled up, the driver told us to get out of the bus and go play. Haha. That's where we are now, zip lines, hamster wheels, and swings galore. There's even a miniature train I assume you can ride, but it's in its shed. Nice stop.

So long [for now] and thanks for all the fish. ✌️Read more