Wandering boots tour: Day 25 Flying the boots home

By the numbers

1 plane

2 airports

21kg bag

Too many books

7,728 steps

5.34kms

I had a decent sleep though I had to get up early to leave for the airport. I wasn’t flying out until early afternoon, but wanted to be there at the opening of the checkout. The hostel wasn’t too bad in leaving as there had been another guy leaving just as early. The night before of the guys in the room asked me what there was to see in the city since he had seen me wander out with a bag early in the morning. I don’t usually come back until around 7pm at the latest as I tend to be doing what I want and having food on the way back before relaxing for the rest of the night. I told the guy where I had been though I don’t think he really understood, but that there is plenty to see in the city. My bag did feel pretty heavy though I would soon find out why when I checked in.

Once at the airport I went to the baggage weight thing and it was not working when I dumped my bag onto it. Thinking that I cant wander around without checking in especially when the international security part does not open until around 1130. The first time I got here with that I was not impressed, but these days it does not bother me in the slightest. The airport is going through refurbishment so by the end of the year it will be a little bit bigger for the passengers and being the Capital city of New Zealand should be the place it needs. I was able to check in 20 mins early and found my bag to be 21 kilos and I went h oh to the lady. She was alright until finding the flight was fully booked and asked me to remove an item. I removed a book and the weight was down. Luckily I didn’t buy those two books I was looking at yesterday. One being on Richard Seddon and the other on the Waitangi Treaty. I have an emergency exit seat so I shall see what happens there.

Turns out there was something wrong and the plane was delayed nearly an hour. I don’t know what was happening at the time, but I was happy to have free wifi though depending on where I walked the internet would cut out for a little bit. The time came that we were meant to be boarding though a little bit afterwards we were boarding the plane though we soon found out why. I couldn’t quite tell over the captains mumble other than it was a staffing issue on the Gold Coast side. I was happy since I had my music and the book I was reading though only got so far into it before we were landing again on the other end. For some reason I had to turn my data on as it did not automatically turn on. I found this strange though must be that I kept on picking up wifi over my entire trip. It was not a huge problem that the data did not automatically come up and I was glad to be back. I thought I would the boots looked at when going through customs, but they sent me to the green line where I would walk right out. I think I need new boots soon regardless.

Once I got home and sorting out my loot, I found I had actually gotten a few books from New Zealand. More than I had expected from all different subjects though I would try to read them. You can never have enough books. Now is time to get on with all routines to try to get everything back to normal. I have gone through a bit of the country and found heaps to occupy my mind and out toured a tour guide. Been to places that I will head back to one day and look at exploring more. That shall be for the next trip away.

Wandering Boots tour Day 24 Lost Boots in Porirua

By the numbers

3 trains

26,244 steps

18.08kms

Today is the last day in Wellington and I was having a relaxed day of it all as I wandered to the train station. I had taken my time as I was trying o get some photos I had taken online and they were taking a very long time. Seems that the hostel’s internet since it is free works very slowly and allows you to do stuff when it wants to. I was able to get an all day rover ticket that let me go on any train all day, which is pretty good in itself and a conductor comes along and punches holes in them. Today I was heading to Mana Station and Porirua both near Wellington.

Mana Station, which is two stops after Porirua had the remains of the Paremata Barracks that were built to head off the conflict with the Maori. I found the Barracks pretty easily as they were near the marine, but I wa wondering how close until I walked through the park. They were built in the 1850s and fell down during an earthquake. I wasn’t there for very long as I wanted to get the train to Porirua. I may have had a little bit of time before I got to the hospital tour, but I had a reputation for getting myself lost. Lost I did get as I really was not sure where I should be heading to after I got off the train and there was no map to tell me. I found a nearby Maccas where I had lunch to use their wifi so I could find a map to find out where I was meant to go. Funny thing was the road I wanted was just across the road.

I knew the area was a hospital, but it wasn’t actually fully sign posted unless I had to walk to the main buildings before it would be. Wandering up I was wondering how far this place actually was as I followed the signs for museum. It did not take long before I found it and I waited for around 10 mins before the guy opened the door. The tours are once a week on a Tuesday, which is why its ended up being a mid week fly home. What I did not realise at the time was the whole area with the Porirua Asylum was actually very big and very self sufficient with the patients being allowed to work as well. The heating was all steam pipes and later normal bar heaters were installed once there were no patients left. Buildings over time were knocked down and replaced, the war interrupted expansion plans and the main asylum building did end up being condemned after an earthquake in the 1950s I think it was. There was no real medical book keeping by the nurses as an example was shown that over 6 months patient notes were written down around 6 times that was if at all. Many records were destroyed through a steam pipe leak in the basement. The patients did do ‘normal’ things as the tour guide told me like the men wanted to follow the ladies who were going skinny dipping or playing sports with the navy who would do so with the doctors. Everything still worked even though they were patients. Some would still be there even though they were good, but people knew that they would have their episodes so would have to stay. I never knew they would have a tennis court that still survives til this very day. It was as though life was going on.

This was well before respite as well since people in need of care were in the area too. The high secure patients were sent elsewhere. It was interesting to see how everything changed over time with the land they had and the township growing nearby. Sometimes the nurses did sleep on the ward in special rooms if there were no rooms for then in the nurses quarters. There were accounts of more patients than beds as the doctor had to step over the sleeping bodies at night to make his way through the building. Another group of people wanted a tour and there were only two tour guides who were doing the tours. The equipment used were very different to today’s world including the dentist equipment. They did not have an iron lung or anything, but an early X Ray machine. I was not allowed to take pictures, which was understandable. The whole place was being knocked down, rebuilt or removed after 30 or so years. If times had been different the hospital would have been very different altogether. The children of the doctors played in the area around the doctor houses building forts and cubby houses.

Once my time was over, I headed back to the train station after a quick wander through the shopping area outside the shopping centre. I don’t know what else I really wanted to look at other than head back to the city. There wasn’t much else I really wanted to do other than sort out my bag before I head off home tomorrow. There were several books that I was after that I had found so I grabbed them and hopefully now my bag wont weigh too much, but will be bang on the weight it is meant to be. It has been a pretty good trip without any real problems at all other than the usual walking the wrong way type of thing. The heat down in Wellington has been really mild apart from way up north where I tend to have oiled. The funny thing is I will go home with a tan. There is still heaps for me to do over here and I doubt I would have problems or ever be that bored that I will have nothing at all to do. There are places that I still have not visited like the Wellington museum, the national library or even the Dominion museum that was pointed out to me earlier today.

Wandering Boots tour: Day 23 Easy boots in Wellington

By the numbers

20,163 steps

13.90kms

I did have good plans for the day and was going to head to the museum before I went to the Archives. I was hoping to be at the museum when it opened so that I could beat the rush first thing. I ended up going for a little wander to the Basin Reserve after getting something to eat. I wanted to see the National War Memorial as I tried last time and the road was blocked with major road works going on. I knew I might be a little late to be back at Te Papa museum, but I do go on these wanders. I did see something at the cricket ground at the Basin that attracted my attention as I did not know what it was. The Memorial like thing turned out to be the Wakefield Memorial. William Wakefield was one of the first settlers in Wellington arranging land with the Maori and having a house where the Beehive now located. He is in the Bolton Cemetery. The memorial has moved several times especially with the Reserve shrinking.

I went after this to the War memorial where I found a display given to Wellington or New Zealand by our last Prime Minister. It was something weird though I don’t know what the significance of the towers of the rocks would be. The war memorial you can see from between the tall buildings in Wellington and if you are looking. Behind it is a museum of sorts though I have not been inside. It did say that it was the Dominion museum so it could have been where the museum used to be in town. Outside is a memorial to the Maori who were taken from the Taranaki region. There looked to be a few people gathering outside waiting to get in as there was a WW1 exhibition going on. I was at the wrong museum though as I would have to walk to the other one by the harbour.

Along the way I found a memorial that I was wondering to who it was and found it to be about the Greeks in WWII calling the kiwis friends. I kept walking until I ended up just outside the museum where I was becoming worried by the amount of buses that was sitting outside. By this time it was nearly 1030am around half hour since the museum had opened. I walked in expecting the worse and the line was really long and heading past where it was and to the steps of the museum. I went to plan B where I would visit the archives first and find some records before heading back to the museum for another try. Outside I was watching some young guy climb the diving platform to take a selfie with his camera and as I turned around I heard a big splash. He had jumped into the water with his phone and the phone was down in the drink at the bottom of the harbour. I was joking to the guy next to me that we should place bets as the guys friends did not make a move to help him. He was concerned for his phone after the event and was lucky he did not have his wallet.

Once at the Archives I went looking for some files that I should have had a list of, but this time I did not. Some of what I was looking for I did find and got a copy of. I was listening to a lady who was wanting a certified record, but she was not happy that she could not access it as it was in the Christchurch archives and she wanted Wellington Archives to get it for her. The guy explained he could not do that as the records has to stay in the archive centre. She did walk off in a bad mood after being told she can ring them. I was finding a little bit and getting them sorted for the copies I wanted while watching some serious researchers handle big boxes of information. Information I had no idea what they were handling including some camera work being used too. I decided it was time to go and after a snack and a drink, I found I could not get into my locker at all. I was wondering how as I was getting freaked out a little and went to see the receptionist who got the locker open for me and I was really happy. The first try resulted in the wrong locker and the second one next to it was the right locker. I had put my bag in the locker next to the one marked reserved. The Reserved sign was gone and I was at the wrong locker though I did try the two beside each other and the password did not work.

Te Papa was back on my list and I wanted to visit before they shut for the day as I did not want to get caught out again. The line was big enough, but I was happy to find it was a fastish moving one. I was happy to be going to see a exhibition on Gallipoli where the models had been made by Weta studios. I went inside with a whole group of other people and inside it was still pretty busy as there were crowds everywhere you turned. Photos were allowed, but without the flash and your phones on silent. The statues were bigger than what you are shown and I had seen them being made through the Te Papa website, which was pretty cool. You could see everything from the sweat and tears running down their faces. The stories spoke about people like Malone who died at Gallipoli, but was a harsh taskmaster with the Wellington group though he was from Taranaki. The statues were actually of people who were in the war and they had their stories told too. The failure of getting several strategic areas were spoken about with the kiwis. It was good to see the New Zealand version though by the time I walked out there was only 15mins before the museum closed.

By the time I walked out it was still pretty bright and I wanted fish and chips as I decided to walk up to the monastery type church on the hill. It was a good walk though I ended up at around Oriental Bay. People were everywhere enjoying the sun and one Cafe I stuck my nose in said they were closed though I swear the lady spoke several languages before English. Up market fish and chips it was with a great view of the harbour and people walking by. I was happy though I think they wanted the single people out of sight at the back of the building.  Still it was good to have something good to eat when I did not really have lunch at all other than a brownie.  I still have one more day to get things done as I have an asylum tour and have to pack my bag that I have no idea what it weighs before heading home back to the real world.

Wandering boots tour: Day 22 Bike boots exploring Wellington

By the numbers

25,864 steps

17.91kms on foot

20 kms on bike

I was planning on getting some exercise while in Wellington that was nothing at all to do with walking. I had booked a bike that I would hire to go out to see the wreck out at Eastbourne. I was hoping the guy would turn up and I had gotten up early enough so that I could get some decent water, well a 1.5 litre bottle from the supermarket along with lunch as I know what happens when I do not take enough supplies like that with me. I found the sticker on the apple could be categorised by typing in the little number at self service. Then was the time to wait for the bus especially since I had thought a very early one would be there, but I had read the wrong day.

The bus did arrive at the right time and I was offered an all day pass instead of paying each time I got on. I took the pass even though it would not get me on the train. I did get some sights of the towns we went through including the one other that I was wanting to stop at and that was Petone. I couldn’t see much of interest in Eastbourne at all to be honest. I watched while everyone got off the bus as I was going to the terminus. The very end of the line seen me having to get off the bus as the driver pulled into the bus station. I scared the crap out of him as he had forgotten I was there and I think he knew exactly where I was wanting to go. Several hundred metres away there was a trail and the trail started with a bike hire shed that had yet to open up for the day. There were the early morning cyclists hanging around including one eating a banana while riding. I don’t think they would be heading down the track. Nearby was the memorial for the ferry, Wahine that sank. Later I would find they have the sail mast for the ship as a monument nearby.

Once the bike shed opened I had the booking for the bike that I wanted for 2 hours as I was going to head to the boat wreck and then head back. I changed my mind since it was $30 for 2 hours and $40 for 4 hours. That way I could head up to Pencarrow Lighthouse for a look on the way back without getting into trouble hopefully. I got the bike and the helmet for my journey that I knew would take me longer if on foot especially when I seen the treck to the lighthouse was 4 hours and I would hate to think what would happen if I went out to the SS Paiaka, which is near Lake Kohangatera. A lake with a very big name. Off I went one a gravel type road and I was enjoying myself with music and my rolled up bucket hat as I had a brim, but the sides were up. I found one lighthouse down on the ground level of the track, but this was a more modern design with solar panels, but was interesting. Above me the other lighthouse was so I headed o my final destination. I had passed walkers who were around and happy to share the path until I came to a surprise around a corner with a vehicle and I wondered how that got in. It would have had to have been from the other end as the end I came in they could not get in.

Near the boat I found an entry to Pencarrow lighthouse so I had a look at it as I would check it out when I come back. I found it was gated so I would have to lift the bike over. There was a section that a sign was saying that had been off limits, which was no where near where I would be. While I was looking at this gate my ipod somehow crewed up and wanted voice commands and I asked myself how the F* I hit that. The voice responded voice command unrecognisable. I rode to the SS Paiaka and found it had sunk around 1908 and was dragged further up the shore line in the 1980s for people to look at. It was dedicated to those who had lost their lives on such vessels. I was now on private land, but no one stopped me even though public were urged to stay on the track. I looked around the vessel and luckily I was wearing a helmet as I banged my head on it when having a look. I turned around and took the path to the lighthouse.

I was hoping that I could return using the lighthouse path, but I found it might not be a good idea as it looked narrow and for foot only. I was happy the weather was not as hot as it had been when I was further up the north island as I would have boiled by now. I enjoyed the walk up the hill where there was information about the lighthouse and even had a grave of someone unknown. I found that Pencarrow lighthouse had the first woman keeper after her husband died and was the first permanent building of the sort in NZ that shone its light in the 1850s. Walking up the hill I was attacked by a cicada and I wondered where it went as the noise was very loud. It sat on my bag as a freeloader. It did fly off. I was amazed to be up on the hill looking at the view and after all this time my camera wanted new batteries. First time since I been in NZ that my big camera needed to be changed. I ate my lunch and then headed down the hill as time was running away from me as I only really had an hour to be back.

The ride back was actually with the wind and I was enjoying the pace I had picked up though I was happy not to be walking as it would have been all day and I would have gotten home later than late, but at least the bus stop would be the first one. I returned safely to find that I had half hour to go of my hire, but I returned the bike and wandered off. There was a flock of birds with nobby things running around on the road not watching out for cars. The birds had no idea what they were doing. I had half hour before the next bus so I started walking into Eastbourne. There was not much to actually see and I waited for the bus when the time was up so that I could head into Petone. I had to try to remember where I needed to get off as I found places like Seaview not to be of interest.

I jumped off at a random stop in Petone and found the old police station that had been restored. Turns out that Jackson Street had a historical thing on recently and many of the buildings like the old bank had information about them including the old press building for the media. On my wander I found a water station where people were filling bottles of water that claimed to be clean from a artisan basin type place. It was interesting just watching people fill giant jugs and they were allowed to do so. I was wanting t visit the grave of Te Puni at the Te Puni Urupa otherwise known as a Maori cemetery. The place was in an industrial part of town, but Te Puni was one of the Maori who had welcomed the New Zealand Company in Wellington when they arrived and was an ally. He died in 1870 and the government erected the memorial for him. It was impressive and good that I had found this in a book I was reading. A little bit of early NZ history that I never knew about. Wanting to know what was at the other end of the street I found the water and nearby the wharf for the local ferry though none were running.

I had to wait over a half hour before the next bus to take me to the city so I wandered to the train station where they had a flag pole that was dedicated to Australian soldiers who had helped New Zealand during the Second World War. New Zealand really has something for flag poles. When the bus did come it was standing room only and I jumped off where the Parliament houses are as I just didn’t want to stay on the bus. By this time it was around 6pm and I was looking for food before returning to the hostel for a shower. I did see a jewel or glass that had been fashioned into a character in Frozen, but for nearly a grand I walked away fast. Sitting down reenergised me immensely though I needed a good rest though. I think I deserve it, but I was happy to be able to fit everything in that I wanted to do.