Tag Archives: wellington

Wellington

All that stuff with the cable car (funicular) was yesterday. Right now I’m sitting at a Starbucks on Lambton Quay in downtown Wellington, drinking a triple latte so they don’t chase me away. I don’t know if they would chase me away, but I would chase me away, so they might, too.

Anyway, there’s free wifi downtown, but that doesn’t extend to my motel, so I have to come down here to use it. I used up all the free wifi at my motel.

And it’s a sunny summer evening, so why not sit outside and write a post about how I’m sitting outside posting about free wifi and my usage thereof?

I really like Wellington. It’s a lot like San Francisco, except that no one urinates in the street.

This morning I had breakfast in the old bank building, then went to the Federal Reserve to see the Glooper. I was too early, so I wandered around in front of the parliament buildings for a while. The Fed curator told me all about the Glooper and gave me a bag of money. I had some time to kill before I went to Weta Cave, so I rode the cable car up and down again and watched the clock in the bank building, then got lunch.

But when I got to the bus stop to go to Weta Cave, I discovered that the bus wouldn’t run late enough to take me back again. Thus thwarted, I walked back to the motel and stumbled upon Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition, which was put together by someone from Weta. Fortuosity.

Now I have to go do laundry before the bus exhaust makes me pass out.

Cable Car at Talavera Station

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Cable Car at Talavera Station

The two cable cars travel in opposite directions on the same track. The track splits at this station and the cars pass each other on the left.

<persnickety>It’s really not a cable car system at all. It’s a funicular railway.</persnickety>

Feedback from Our Readers

One of my loyal readers writes:

So I think it’s fair to say that [your blogger] is drifting way, way off track in New Zealand and an intervention may be necessary. The evidence is pretty clear.

First, his blog postings are coming at intervals of days, not daily or even hourly like any blogworthy New Zealand trekker (or, to use the local parlance, “Tramper”) would do.

Second, we see video proof that he is being attacked by murderous parrots and is forced to flee for his life whilst muttering incoherently. He seems overcome by parrotnoia.

Third, by his own admission he is stunned by the local visual phenomena, which apparently include painted wooden pallets and piles of rubble.

Fourth, he goes to uninhabited islands looking for extinct ten foot birds.

Finally, he’s so enthralled by local sights and discoveries that he focuses on…shipping containers.

Should we notify the local medical authorities? The constabulary? What is to be done?

Fear not, loyal reader. This blog is in fact staying in the finest accommodations and is well beyond the reach of the parrot menace. And while it’s true that the moa-spotting is not going as well as might be hoped, I am optimistic about my chances here in Wellington. There are numerous side streets, shopping arcades, and alcoves that could easily provide shelter for whole families of moas. Keep watching this blog for moa updates!

moa encounter

Moa Encounter (Artist’s Rendition)

Ferry to Wellington

The ferry I was on (the Kaitaki) is the largest ferry in New Zealand waters, it says here on my postcard. It’s about 600 feet long and can carry 1600 passengers and 600 cars. It’s big enough that you feel very little motion.

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