Hi from the windy city (which is apparently Wellington, not Chicago. Those Americans will take the credit for anything!)

this is a fairly accurate description of Wellington as the wind is incredible and not at all pleasant when it is (as at this very moment) also pouring with rain. I can assume that it is also a fairly wet city as the wall in front of me has water behind the paint, making it look like the wall has some kind of horrible bubonic disease. Now I can't stop looking at it.

I've decided to stop off here for a few days and take the cook strait ferry (apparently not for the seasick) on Wednesday, ready to start a new month on a new island, yay. Since I last wrote I've been to Taupo for one night, that was quite nice although I was in a 16-bed dorm and a few people were snoring so it sounded like a zoo! Yesterday we headed to a national Park (Whakapapa) that appeared to be a ghost town because the ski season ended today and the summer season hasn't started yet, but we had a good, cheap meal at the local pub and slept in the most luxurious backpackers I've yet experienced.

Obviously today we drove to Wellington where I am right now. I realise that I have forgotten to mention the bus. This is no ordinary, nice stray bus, but a white mini-bus type thing with a faulty hand-brake. It also was so damp on the inside that there was vegetation on the inside of the windows and at some point today it sprang a leak and we all had to lift our bags off the floor to avoid a soaking. Good times.

I'll be joining yet another bus in Picton on Wednesday though so I can hope for better things! I now have to compile a shopping list for food that will last me until Wednesday without leaving me with a huge amount of food to transport to the south island, but equally without forcing me to shop again, and of sufficient variety that I don't end up eating the same thing for the next 3 nights. Easier said than done. Believe me.

That's all folks.

Love to all

Kate

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