Wellington
I'm still not quite sure how I managed to get myself packed, out the door, and down the street to the docks by 5:30 am, but I did and was soon on the Interisland ferry bound for Wellington. It was worth getting up that early, however, because even though it was quite brisk, we were treated to a glorious sunrise out on the water, surrounded by the majestic Marlborough Sounds.

While standing on the open air back part of the ferry, I spoke with a Kiwi who was telling me about the ship and operators. I wondered if it operated year round, as I had heard that Cook's Strait could get pretty dicey at times. He said it did, and that there was only once or twice that it didn't run, mainly because the operators and captain "are completely mad" (his words). He told me that once the waves were so high and choppy, they washed completely over where we were now standing (and we're not talking a small dingy here, either; this ship is huge!). Happily, the seas were relatively calm that morning, and we arrived into Wellington Harbour without incident.

Needless to say, I was half asleep, but managed to get myself and my bags (which had apparently reproduced during my tranzscenic train journey) onto a bus. I would be staying at a place called Wildlife House, which is appropriately colored like a zebra.

In typical fashion during my whirlwind trip, I had way too little time in Wellington, and several things I wanted to do there. Most importantly was to have ample time to walk around the city, see Te Papa (New Zealand's National Museum), and visit with some friends from back in my "Bowie days." A bit of explanation is in order here. Back in the 1980s, I was quite a David Bowie fan and collector, and even put out a small newsletter. I was in touch with many of his fans around the world, including two people who did a fanzine based in Wellington called "Queen Bitch" (hey Rachel & Adam -- free plug!). I had briefly met Rachel during a Bowie tour here in the states, but was looking forward to a proper meeting as a "normal human being" (not meant as any disrespect to Bowie fans; just an accurate appraisal of my state of mind at the time). Ironically, it was the sale of all my Bowie memorabilia that allowed me to take this marvelous trip to New Zealand in the first place.

Happily, I was able to do all that, and had a lovely time meeting Rachel & Adam -- and Mike, who does the very impressive Ziggy Stardust Companion website. I had a great walk around the city and along the waterfront. And was able to spend a good deal of time in Te Papa, though probably in several days, you couldn't see all of the place -- it's enormous!

You'll see that I got lazy and had stopped taking pictures at this point, so I had to steal some from Te Papa's site. But it's a great site, and you should go there anyway to read more about New Zealand history and this wonderful museum. Especially impressive is their exhibit of the Treaty of Waitangi*, the founding document of New Zealand, signed in 1840 by English settlers and Maori chiefs. I found this exhibit to be extremely moving, with the English translation of the treaty on one wall, and the Maori translation on the opposite wall, with wooden posts in the middle. When you walked through the posts, you heard recorded voices of New Zealanders' diverse opinions on race relations. At the end of the hall is a beautiful stained glass, with the wish for harmony going into the future.

Treaty of Waitangi - The treaty gave the Queen of England the right to establish a government and rule, in return for protecting the Maori tribes as British citizens, and at the same time, recognizing their rights to use the land and live as they had been. That's an oversimplification, and in fact, it is still being argued to this day. Not helping matters any is the fact that the original English translation was quite different from the Maori text, and proved to be open to misinterpretation. For a far more intelligent discussion of the treaty, please see the New Zealand government site, which has links to the actual English and Maori texts.

Christchurch, final weekend
Back in Christchurch/Diamond Harbour (can you tell I really liked it there?), it was nice to be able to spend my final weekend relaxing with my friends, and taking one last look around town. Had a great night out in Lyttleton, which is really a happening little place! Of special mention was a show at Harbour Light, which had performances by Minisnap and The Brunettes, both terrific Kiwi pop bands. Minisnap, especially, was superb. They feature 3/4 of the band The Bats, who are all-time favorites of mine. Another example of the many "happy accidents" I had here.

I had such an amazing time in New Zealand, made even more special by all the wonderful people I met who made me feel so comfortable and "at home." It's a gorgeous place, tremendously relaxing and at the same time, exhilarating. I'm already planning my next trip...

Marlborough Sound, from the ferry

View from the ferry

City of Wellington
from Te Papa web site.

City of Wellington (and cable car)
from Discover New Zealand

National Library of New Zealand
Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa

Parliament Beehive Building

The Boatshed, Wellington Harbour