BUGGER!

...last post continued....

Ok, it's the next day, March 19th, and I just noticed the last post was never posted. Just as I was typing the last portion that was not saved, the converter blew. That's the device we need to plug our appliances into so we can use power outlets in other countries. Anyway, I'll finish what didn't post last night:

Bad parking in Wellington...got a ticket while having coffee and pasties. Before catching our ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton, South Island. It was such a challenge to find a place to park and still be able to keep an eye on our stuff. It appears that crime has risen in NZ the last few years, we had warnings from a handful of locals. I don't think the crime is that bad here, but the Kiwi's are quite sensitive to it. More about that another time...

"Windy Welly" had a couple of surprises: 1. The Te Papau Museum is utterly fantastic! Four floors of fabulous exhibits that included geology, anthropology, zoology and botany (plants and animals), and a huge Maori exhibit on the top floor. My camera battery died halfway through that one. The second was that I got to meet the Prime Minister of NZ! It was so random. He was having some sort of press conference in the museum, I noticed a group of people forming and cameras flashing and went to go check it out and then there he was in front of me with more cameras flashing. I introduced myself, and just as I was thinking of something pithy to say, a little schoolgirl on a field trip came up and showed him her homework for the day. Now how do I compete with that I ask you? I was out of there like old laundry! She was a doll though, and I couldn't blame him. He was really a nice and very cordial fellow. Poor David missed the whole thing as he wanted to wait outside.

After that it was on to the 3hr ferry ride...met a bunch of other bikers from all over...shared drinks...swapped stories...took pics of the fiords...and then we power napped...

Picton is another quaint fishing town, but I could tell immediatly that the South Island was going to be my favorite...

More rain...beautiful vistas...found another great place to stay... more seafood chowder...lights out....

More later....

John