Off to the South Island

I've been here in Wellington for 3 nights now, and have really enjoyed the city.

I flew Air New Zealand from San Francisco to Auckland, and it was probably the nicest airline I've ever used; great food, lots of room, and personal TVs with hundreds of movies, TV shows, and games for everyone.

After 20 hours already in limbo since leaving Chicago, I had a 5 hour layover in Auckland.  It was pouring.  My flight from Auckland to Wellington only cost $75 NZD (about 60 US dollars?), and the woman next to me used a profuse amount of some horrid lotion on her face that made my throat feel like that time I got bear sprayed in Montana, however, with an aftertaste more akin to baby powder than serrano pepper.

Wellington is a great city spread along the shore of a cup-shaped harbor.  It was rainy for the first 2 days, and then cleared up, which brought the crowds out to the waterfront and shopping.  The Te Papa museum (free) was amazing, and would have probably cost $20 each in the US.  Interesting facts I learned:  one godwit (small bird) was recorded flying straight from Alaska to New Zealand on its migration; 9 days and 11,000 km without stopping.  New Zealand has long and short finned eels, which are born in the mid-Pacific, migrate to New Zealand's rivers and live there for about 30 years, then swim back out to the mid-Pacific to spawn and die (reverse salmon life cycle).

Just after stepping off the bus from the airport in downtown Wellington.  Met a nice Kiwi guy who was pretty keen on fishing; he even got off the bus with me to point out which way I should walk for my hostel.

                     New Years at my hostel

Aaaand I'm late for the ferry.

- James B. Fishin-soon