Day Twenty-Two - Wellington to Melbourne

My temporary 'new' home is lovely and my Air BnB host is great.  She is a single woman (just like me) and it is upsetting/refreshing to know that blokes are the same wherever you go in the world! The more I see and hear of them the less it really makes me want to bother.  Rant over. Lovely blue skies this morning and my host and I shared a coffee and a chat (hence the rant). She has also said

Some lovely Japanese food I had in Wellington - even this is upside down!

that I do not have to leave here now until I go to the airport which is wonderful and so trusting of her. I assured her that I would not abuse this trust (she is going out around lunchtime so leaving me to it) and like I have always said, the majority of people are good and kind, we only get to hear about the bad ones. It is also her birthday on Sunday (hence going away the weekend), so I have a thank you card I should have/was going to use for something else so I will leave her that with a thank you and birthday wishes in it and a few dollars to tell her to get herself a drink!  As girls have to stick together you know.

So suitcase is kind of packed. As I do not have to leave her and hang around in Miramar library (which does look rather lovely I must say), I can sit in the sunshine, writing this in my cropped trousers and t-shirt.  I need to keep out of the sun today as caught it too much yesterday.  So what are my other 

1 December on the beach - has to be done!

observations of New Zealand.  The coffee is really good.  I am not surprised about this as some of the best coffee I ever had was in Australia. They are obsessed with scones, either cheese which I really did not like, or date, which I like too much!  Every time you go for a meal or coffee you get a bottle of tap water provided, you don't ask it is just left on the table None of this fancy bottled water for £5 a go like it is in England.  Christmas is so low key over here. Some of the shops still don't have any acknowledgement to Christmas (how wonderful is that) but their Christmas cards and decorations have snow on them .... I know, I know!

Oh the area that I really liked and would buy a house if I won the lottery (Seatoun and Worser Bay) is very expensive. I am not surprised there as that is so me!  There is now a hosepipe ban in Wellington so it is just like living back in Kent again.  My host was just telling me also that December is a very stressful time for Kiwis as not only is there the stress of Christmas (why oh why do we do it to ourselves), but the school holidays are coming up, October, November and December is University and School exam time.  Also, a lot of people take their annual leave at this time too.  I still find it all so strange to be doing the

On the road to nowhere!

complete opposite to my 'normal'.  Have also noticed that the children wear shorts (boys) up until the age of around 15, very strange to see.  People still say thank you to the bus driver when they got off (this rarely happens in London). The Tui (not the holiday company) is the local bird with a distinctive voice and a white plume under its neck.  I am used to the sound of them now and oh yes, magpies are the other way round, their black is white and their white is black (I told you it is topsy turvy). There is not coin less than 10c so you don't always get the exact change back, but it kind of works. Also, Wellington is very windy and I find that difficult to cope with as my hair just blows all over the place.  I would have to keep it tied up (light today for the flight home) or have it all cut off as I look like a wild woman - well I am but it is not a good look.

So my host has left me now to go out with her friends for lunch and I am sitting here in the house with the sunshine and breeze blowing in the window.  I was

Starfish graveyard

lucky, very lucky to find this host and I will be giving her a glowing report when I get home. In fact, I think we both would have found a friend if we were not the other side of the world from each other.  The walk to the airport is around 20 minutes so I will drag it out to 40 and will be leaving here in around half an hour.

I am not looking forward to the trip home, or the weather but I have missed London.  It is where I consider my home is now. OK it has many faults but it is about being where you feel at 'home' .... so London is home.  I arrive at the airport, which really is so small and at the Qantas desk are a party of 'elderly' Americans on a tour.  I really can see why many Americans do not travel and my heart went out to the Kiwi tour guide.  Checked in.  Window seat from Wellington to Melbourne then aisle set for the rest.  I spend my last few dollars buying a tui bird that when you press it's belly sounds just like the real thing and some chocolate to give to someone back home. Nothing in the duty free shop, but once again it was so small and I was followed around by the sales assistants (I am sure they are paid on commission).  So here I am in the departure lounge looking out over Lyall Bay. I can see the Spruce Goose and The Botanist (the two restaurants I visited) but cannot see Jackie's house.  

So I will close here and say my goodbyes to you and New Zealand and see you all in Australia.

As always, with my love x