Friday 9th August
Lyn picked me up
Check in luggage Security check Customs Duty free - red wine and perfume Business lounge - mimosa
First on plane 1A 
Great flight with tears shed when I could see Ward Island and Eastbourne. So many good memories. So many now gone! Beautiful place to stay. Absolutely magnificent but it was a chore trying to to it from foreshore.
Saturday 10th August
Woke early 6.30am Cup of tea And around 8 walked around to Petone - only 7kms 😳  Big shop to feed me most days and then walked to La Bella Italia Nevis Street to buy recommended tiramisu. Then walked back to Revive for beautiful breakfast (poached eggs and Manuka bacon) with skinny cappuccino - delicous. UBERed back to my Air BNB so I could put groceries away and wash hair and then settle down to watch Will back in Lions VFL. Buggar in that he plays tomorrow though. Ha! Showered with new lush coconut shampoo/conditioner and headed on the bus to Eastbourne. Off in the village and it’s small and quiet. Everything pretty much shuts at 2pm. Bought a new Frank Green bottle to replace the one I left on the plane 🥲. Walked up to 155 and immediately shed tears. I don’t think I’ll be back because nothing is the same. Everything is changed. 159 is a shit hole 155 doesn’t look like it used to be isn’t the same and even the tennis boards gone from St Antonio school. But I did book a three hour package for the day before I leave.
Sunday 11th August
Decided to head into Wellington via Days Bay wharf. Ferry over up top but despite me fearing the cold, it wasn’t too bad, except for the incredibly noisy family Wandered aimlessly, bought more micellar water (left what I bought at beautician (yet to hear back from them)) And decided to do the cable car. It’s not the old one anymore so kinda killed the vibe but up top was lovely views so stopped for a scone and hot chocolate. Went to the vault and bought myself some Pounamu earrings - I like them! Can’t wait to see my twist necklace though!! See Lowry Bay Monday journal for earrings. When docking at Queens Wharf I saw She’d 5 and checked it out. Decided I would have a late lunch early dinner there after walking to Oriental Bay. Lots of food carts around but i resisted 😳 and ate my ham and salad wrap instead. Watched the beautiful doggies play on the beach Headed back to Shed 5. A couple of wines and sheasfood chowder Travelled back by ferry again. Lots of lovely sea shots and shots of Eastbourne. And decided to stop in at The Pavillion. Band playing so I thought it might be nice to hang about. Lonely though as I couldn’t sit inside - fully booked - so I sat outside in the cold and watched the sun set. Listened to 2 songs and decided to go home. And glad I did as I got the best photos of the final sun set. No wonder I love water. It had to have come from my team in Eastbourne as a kid. Surely!?! Home and made a mini cheese platter, watched Bridesmaids and ended up having quite a late night.
Monday 12th August
Woke up at 7am (wow!!) but did have a late night. Had no plans, didn’t desire to do anything but then read the pamphlet Leanne had left behind. Decided Kapiti Coast for me and another walk. Gotta keep racking up those steps right! Back to the bus stop for the 83 to Wellington and the train line to Waikanea. After seeking help 3 times to find right train line (platform 3) I decided to get off at Parkakariki station and do the Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay Escarpment Track walk! Wish me luck……
It was a fucking nightmare! 50-70cms tracks with no barrier support. 500 steps up and down and so so steep. I even hated the waves because they were so far below me and if I wanted to look at them, I’d probably fall to my death. One guy stopped when he saw me sitting on the stairs and asked if I was okay and he was really concerned but little did I know at that time the worst was ahead of me. Take your time and then I did it took me 4 1/2 hours and I got off 20 minutes 30 minutes before horrible terrible storm which probably would’ve killed me if I was still on the hill when I say I’m in multiple hills because he had to go up and down up and down.
I was gonna give away and it stayed elevated all night despite getting home having a bath and going straight to bed. I should’ve checked the walk out before doing it, I will never make that mistake again. I literally wanted to cry every time I turned around a bend and there were a lot of bends because there was always steps but I think the steps down scared me more than anything because there was no handrails. Let’s write Monday off as the horrible day it was. I mean, I’m still having nightmares now thinking about it but when I look at the photos, I can see how beautiful the West Coast is.
Tuesday 13th August
Woke up and immediately knew I had to have a massage on my body because it was aching. My sleep was terrible and my heart rate was elevated all night. Booked in with Manee’s in Wellington so I took my time had some breakfast and caught the 83 into town. Did a bit of a wander and bought some cool stuff from Farmers and then went and had the most divine two hour foot and body massage by Eve. Just what the doctor ordered. While in Wellington I thought I’d go and visit Ma so I’m found myself on the number 2 to Karori. Lawn cemetery O/29 and there lay my beautiful Ma with her mum. The most peaceful and tranquil setting so I know she’s resting in peace. I couldn’t get my Internet working so I couldn’t charge my Snapper card and the bus driver was not very friendly so this beautiful old lady paid for my fare for me and directed me to the cemetery. Headed back down to the city and caught the 81 home. Cooked myself some lamb cutlets and had a couple of glasses of red wine. Had a chat with Pip, a bit of a read and another early night.
Wednesday 14th August
Up early so I could find my way to Masterton. 81 running late and the goddamn bus driver would wait for everybody to sit down, he would wipe his window every stop which added to him arriving late which meant I had 10 minutes to get 1km down the road to Petone station. Pathetically jogged and then upon arrival had to go over the track. Station said train 9 minutes late so I giggled a little thinking I needn’t have ‘run’. A train with no sign pulls up and I thought I had better check so I raced down to the end and asked the lady who jumped off. Is this the masterton train and she said yes so if I hadn’t asked I would’ve missed it and the next train is not to 12:30 pm. Now on the train coughing up a lung! Sigh! Time to sit back and enjoy the journey. A beautiful day at Pip’s via Uncle Don’s. It was so lovely to see him. He picked me up at Solway train station and took me to see his house where his two grandson Sam and James were as well as Kay. His ‘farm’ has beautiful views of snowcapped mountains. He has chickens and cows. Within headed about 7 km up the road to Pip’s farm. So many trees he planted over 3036 years there. And I was last there it was much more bare. Wayne cooked us up some home-made scones and pikelets which was beautiful and then Pip and I headed out with her dogs for a walk with Jett showing off her skills on finding Stott. The time they went by very very quickly and before you knew it, Uncle Don was dropping me back at Masterton station and I caught the train home. Beautiful evening in Lowry Bay. Cooked myself some delicious pork and had no early night. No win too - forgot 😂
Thursday 15th August
Even though it was gonna be windy, it looked like it was going to be a clear day and with rain forecast Saturday and Sunday I thought I better get my Butterfly Creek walk in while I can. It had some very steep parts and I had to stop regularly to get my breath back. The paths were wide. There was no fear of falling and the views were absolutely spectacular of Eastbourne and Wellington Harbour and Ward Island over to Wellington. It took me about 2 1/2 hours all up to get over to Butterfly Creek where I stopped and had some cookies and an apple. I was all by myself too before heading back down the Kowhai street entrance. Lots more steps down but well made and not steep like Paekākāriki! I’m so glad I came out that way because lo and behold I walked straight into the house when mum was growing up - Mahoe St! I decided to catch the bus to Eastbourne and have some fish and chips. Sadly they were unlike my memory of childhood and they weren’t that great so at the Rona Bay wharf I pretty much fed my whole meal to the birds. 🤷🏻♀️. They at least enjoyed it. The bus again around to Petone where I went to Bella Italia in Nevis St to grab margarita pizza and some salami to have a simple meal. Oh and a dessert treat too. Another early night, again no wine because I had to get up early for the trip to Picton the next day.
Friday 16th August
Set the alarm for 5 o’clock because I didn’t trust myself because this trip I have had a few sleep ins; I think 7 am was the latest I woke up. Woke up at 3:30 but then woke up at 5:20 because my alarm was going off but it was so quiet nobody would’ve ever heard it. Thank God I do wake up early because my trip was non-refundable. Anyway made my way over on the 615 number 83 to Bluebridge ferries and spent the next few hours travelling slowly down to Picton. The trip was pretty uneventful but it was pretty going through the sounds. We got picked up by a bus and taken into town where I had 45 minutes to run around like a madwoman and buy some gifts and stuff for myself. Got home in the dark and because I’ve eaten a couple of times during the day ended up just having a quiet night and early to bed on my second last day in New Zealand 😫
Saturday 17th August
My last full day and I had a half-day spa to look forward to. I wondered down to the bus stop caught a bus around today’s Bay and had myself a hot chocolate and muffin and a cute little cafe. Rather than catch another bus, I decided to walk around to Eastbourne even though I riskeit with the rain coming And then went to envision who I did have a lot of trouble having them get back to me that boy was worth the perseverance. Three hours of bliss ! Was going to walk back home but the rains were coming so I quarter bus with a bottle of wine went home watched a bit of football team lost and started packing for my return trip home.
Sunday 18th August
So I was allowed to check out at 11 am but because I was awake early and I had pretty much done all my packing and I knew that I could get into the lounge at the airport. I just decided to go at 10. I said at the bus stop for about half an hour because I wanted to bless my Pounamu And headed over to the airport without issue. The bus broke down at the Wellington train station thank God it was there because then I just had to walk 100 m with my suitcase and jump on the express bus to the airport to the airport sat around for about five hours had a flight home bit bumpy to start with sat beside the delightful Brad in one E and auntie Lyn picked me up. She came home, gave her a present and went to bed and now it’s back to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment