Windy Wellington...this is where everyone's hiding inNZ!

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Hiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!!

OK, a lot of work to do here so I'm going to speed things up a bit and stop including so much irrelevant info. Not possible I'm thinking actually!

Arrived late in Windy Welly as it's know after saying goodbye to Simon and arranging for him to come see me in Thailand in a few months. I immediately decided to go have a look at the famous nightlife in this cosmopolitan city and I was seriously impressed.

I've found where all the people are!!!! They're here of course, getting legless all the time and by god these people can drink! The Courtney Place district near where I was staying was just chocka with revelers all pouring out of the bars and I knew I'd like the place instantly when I saw a lot of fancy dress going on. Some kind of Madona tribute night I think...kept me amused for some time.

Had a drink in a bar and tried out my travelers' technique for meeting people: sit at the end (middle is best ) of a bar and get out your guide book. Then look intently at book with frown if things take too long and wait for someone to offer advice on their home country. Works every time! If you're lucky you'll get a drink out of it and if unlucky you'll get saddled talking to a nutter all night!

In this case I met a fellow Gandalf and his Hobbits who were all very entertaining, but also met a quite boring and slightly rude guy who interrupted people constantly. Had to leave to get away from him and went and sat on tinternet for a while.

I'd wanted to meet up with Claire the Irish crazy bird but she was at a gig that night and was going to catch up with her the next day. Right this is way too much information here.....need to get a move on!

Sat 23rd Sept

Another stunning day...brilliant sunshine and windy as hell. Walked up Mt Victoria for a view over the city...very nice. Easy walk now I'm a hardcore tramper (NZ speak for hiker). Some gorgeous houses on the way up ..could think of worse places to live.

Spent the afternoon in Te Papa- the NZ national museum. Was fantastic place with everything you could possibly want to know about NZ. The best thing was this video installation  called My Space that had recorded the thoughts and feelings of some Kiwis on their relationship with the land . Was done in a really beautiful way and took in a range of nationalities who had settled or were born here. Am going to do an entry on Kiwi culture so I can remember what it was like to be in this fantastic country.

Met up with nutty Claire that night and only did a small pub crawl of 6 bars cos she was tired!!! Thank god! She'd have nearly killed me if she was on top form! Got a real whirlwind tour of the place and it was great to get a flavor of life in Wellington.