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Tuesday 1 July 2008

A thank you, then Scotland Street and Welly

Hello again,

Before I go on, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who has dropped in for whatever reason, and particularly to those of you who have continued to drop in directly to my blog! Do leave a message on the green cbox just to say hello if nothing else - it's dead easy. Just click the box with my name in it and add your own. No need to leave your email address if you prefer not to and then your message goes in the last box! Click Go, and there you are! Just to let you know, this is the re-run - with photos - of the trip to NZ. The actual trip was in April and May and you can read all about it as I travelled!!!

It's my day off today and I have to confess I have spent most of it so far reading! Margaret in Auckland had been reading a book about the inhabitants of a group of flats/apartments in a building in the New Town of Edinburgh, and passed it on to me to read. It turned out to be the second in a series of books that began life serialised in the Scotsman newspaper - the Scotland Street books, by Alexander McCall Smith. Coming from Edinburgh myself, I hugely enjoyed the book from Margaret. It is rather comical, poking fun at a certain type of Edinburgh people, some of whom perhaps don't even realise they could be the objects of .... ridicule is perhaps just a little too strong a word.... amusement, I think is better! Anyway, it inspired me to go out and buy the first book and now I am on book 3 with book 4 waiting in the wings!


Well, now I am going to have a look through my Wellington photos and put up the best of them! I loved Welly, a small enough city not to be overwheming, but full of buzz nonetheless. Its situation is wonderful, round the bay with the steep slope behind it. However, let me just start with some more family pics!



First here's Maureen (Motueka) with her daughter Judith, and Judith's family, Shane, Keriata and Tania. It was with Judith and her partner that I stayed while in Wellington.



Then this is Maureen with son Mark and his family, Stephen, Greg and Lauren. I didn't see Mark this visit.



This pic is of Marge who also lives in Wellington now. How old would you say she is? Would you be surprised to know that she'll be 92 quite soon! A wonderful old lady who I visited on my second day in Wellington! All these rellies are Inglis descendants, by the way. I have some more pics of Marge's family but will have to get them sorted out as to who's who and who belongs to who!



And here's Judith ( in orange), her partner Ariana (in blue), Tania and friend Hayden (standing) and Huia, Ariana's sister (sitting with Ariana). We had just had supper and were just messing about before Tania and Hayden headed off.

To the city now......

This is how I arrived the night before - by the Interislander ferry from Picton. Here it is coming into the bay at Wellington.
The photo was taken from the top of the cable car that brings you up the hill from the city to the botanical gardens for wonderful views.










You could easily miss the little alleyway that takes you to the base of the cablecar but for the sign!



And here's the car itself leaving the top station for the city.












While we're up here let's look at the view!













Back down at the quay the museum Te Papa is the buiding in the centre. It is a fascinating place to spend a few hours.


The crane is one of Sir William Arrol's works! He also designed the famous Forth Bridge here in Scotland.





This view is from Te Papa back towards the quay and the city centre. There's that crane again.











This part of the quayside has been landscaped to make an interesting walkway back to the city.













Someone obviously doesn't want to be disturbed! Not your average spot for silent contemplation!









I took this photo just for a bit of fun! The water was pumped up from the pool below, came out of spouts at the top into the coloured containers. When they were so full that they affected the balance they tipped to allow the water to fall again.... and so on! It was quite amusing to watch!













Just like that!



















Last pic for today! A view of the old and the new living side by side and getting along just fine!
Well, I think I am ready to "publish" this now. Can't believe I actually got it finished before midnight (BST)! That's because it was a day off

BST! British Summer Time! Huh! It has just been chucking down with rain. I fully expected a thunder storm but thankfully it was just the rain! Not a fan of lightning, myself!


Talk again soon!

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