Sunday the 10th we visit the Wellington Vineyard Church. There we happen to run into our repatriated Kiwi friends Nick and Rose Baty and their two wonderful children, Moses and Isaac. Without hesitation they invite us for a BBQ and offer us a bed for the night. Having endured or camper-van for a few days we jump at the offer. It's a wonderful day in Wellington, we visit the waterfront (very nice) and Nick gives us a tour, showing us Wellington from some pretty sp...

Saturday the 9th we head for a campsite just outside Wellington but not before checking out "Rivendell". It's actually called the Hutt River, a less sexy title, and I find myself wondering how we got into this Lord of the Rings themed tour in the first place. That said this area is beautiful and well worth the visit. In fact this appears a common experience in New Zealand. There are scenic reserves and national parks all over and so you can stop almost anyways al...