In my modest dwelling at
the Wellington West Plaza.
After Rotorua
and Napier, and Norsewood,
I'd almost forgotten what a city looked like.
And I liked what I saw of Wellington - walking from the Railway Station
past the beehive
and downtown.
Once again I took the advice from the Rough Guide, and had dinner at Roti
Chenai:
South Indian seafood salad - with a slightly more exotic name, but an even less
exotic waiter.
The next day I
flew down to Christchurch, and got to see the mountains on the way.
Flying at this time - a few days after the New York and Washington terror -
was also special,
especially considering the number of Bin Laden look-a-likes in airports in New
Zealand.
Christchurch
had charm. I got a room at Croydon
B&B, facing Armagh with the tram passing.
Out walking. They stopped punting for the day just as I was booking a trip.
And to make matters worse (which doesn't really mean a lot) both my local contacts
stood me up,
both believing that the other took care of me. I'll see you next time, A and
K!
Lunch at Dux de Lux,
where I also sampled their award-winning beer. They even invited me to sample
which beer to sample.
Dinner at the Viaduct, with the best restaurant service I experienced
throughout New Zealand.
Her name was Rebecca. Her wine and dessert recommendations were fun and
flawless. Excellent.
Once again: one should not attempt to repeat a success. My Viaduct dinner the
next evening
was mediocre. And when I bought the same wine later (Nobilo SB 2000),
it did not taste the same.
There is a time and a place and a waitress.
The next day.
I headed for the mountains on the TranzAlpine to Greymouth and back.
Entertaining Julie and Sally (aka Shrek) on the TranzAlpine
