Windy in Welly

I set off from my hostel this morning wearing sneads, ready to explore the windy city of Wellington. I arrived yesterday, after a five and a half hour train ride up the east coast and a three and half hour ferry ride across Cook Strait. It has been quite an exhausting two days!

I left for the train at 6am, worried about getting to the Christchurch Railway Station in time for my 7am train. Well, I was the first one there. No worries, though, I ended up with an excellent seat for viewing the scenery along the way--a forward-facing window seat. The conductor provided some history and random information about some of places we passed through, including info about the construction of a nearby bridge for the train. He calmly explained the reason for the new bridge: People were concerned about the train falling off the track on the current bridge. How reassuring . . .

After arriving in Picton (the top of the South Island), I made my way to the Ferry port. There, I boarded and tried to find a satisfactory seat - far away from screaming children but close to a window. The ride was windy and tipsy, and at points I felt dizzy trying to read. After three or so hours, we pulled in Wellington Harbour, and I happened to see a girl I'd met in my hostel in Wanaka! We caught each other up on our adventures since our meeting last Wednesday. She's from Norway and is studying architecture in Welly, so she was able to give me some helpful hints about the city.

At my hostel, base backpackers, I found found my bunk in the "sanctuary," the girls' only floor of the building, and unpacked a bit. While the room isn't quite a sanctuary, it is quite nice for a hostel and I feel safe on the floor, far away from male randoms. (Kiwis call strangers "randoms.")

This morning, I hopped on a bus to go to the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, which is just out of the city centre. The bus system, or driver, proved difficult. I didn't know how much to pay, and he didn't know how much to charge me when I told him I was going to the K.M. house because he didn't know what it was. Sadness! He ended up treating me as if I were an idiot, and I became that stupid tourist who holds up the whole bus because of cluelessness. Anyhow, I got there eventually, and it was superb! I arrived just in time for the 10am opening, so I had the place to myself for a few minutes. I haven't read much of Mansfield's work, but I can tell by the quotes from her letters and journals around the house that I'm going to be a fan!

For example . . . "Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth."

Then, I made my way down to the Beehive (http://www.beehive.govt.nz/index.aspx) and the other government buildings. I took a fascinating tour there, where I learned about the eccentricities of the NZ goverment.

Some fun facts from the tour:

1. NZ was the first country to grant women suffrage (1893). And, currently about a third of the members of parliament are women. (There is also one Rastafarian, whatever that is, who has dreadlocks down to his ankles.)

2. NZ has the most direct personal democracy in the world. (Before bills become Acts, they are advertised for the public. Anyone who wants to comment can request an oral hearing before a committee, and they are actually heard! And, they have complete freedom of speech - meaning that they can't be punished or mocked for what they say. A nice example of NZ egalitarianism!)

3. The daily papers from all the major (a relative term) newspapers in the country are stored every day in the basement of the Parliamentary Library. According to the tour guide, it's so "politicians can remember what they said yesterday!"

4. After elections, the voting sheets come to the parliament where they are stored for a while. Then, they become insulation!

I enjoyed the whole tour, but my favourite part was when the tour guide decided that I should stand in the place where the Queen's throne sits when she visits!! He asked me my name, and since there was already a Queen Anne, he said I could be Queen Anne II - and that I should sign my name A II R for the rest of the day!

Tomorrow morning, very early (6:40am), I fly to Sydney! I think I may have been a bit too ambitious about not wasting time when I planned this trip. Alas, I must quit writing and get on with things so I can sleep!