In Wellington

Having a wonderful time, wish you were here 🙂

Actually I’m really enjoying exploring Wellington on my own – although visiting a city with friends is great fun, it’s a different experience being here alone, and I’m doing and seeing things I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I haven’t done any real touristy stuff so far this time, but spent most of today just wandering around randomly (and constantly getting lost every time I went from the Lambton Quay part of town to the Cuba Street part, because I kept forgetting that all the roads curve round the harbour, so I kept finding my sense of direction was 90 degrees out), and doing some serious shopping – birthday and christmas pressies for MrPloppy, and summer clothes for me (seriously needed, because the weather is fabulously hot, and I’ve got to spend Monday and Tuesday in meetings, so I thought I’d better get something cooler to wear).

I’ve been having fun doing themed releases: Strange Tales from the Mall by Bob Kerr in Cuba Mall, The Poppy Factory by William Fairchild at the National War Memorial (Ok, so I did do one touristy thing – but only because I wanted to release that book! It’s a really impressive memorial, and the wind whistling round the carrillion tower lent a suitably spooky air to it. The tomb of the unknown warrior was suprisingly moving, too, for a slab of black marble and copper (though I was worried it was actually the tomb of the roast warrior, given how hot the sun was – the copper top of the tomb was too hot to touch!)), Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons by Gerald Durrell at BATS Theatre, An Apple in Eden by Kay Thorpe in a display of apples in the supermarket, and Running Scared by Elizabeth Lowell outside a gym. And one non-themed release when I stopped for lunch: Code of Deception by Ted Ottley in a cafe.

It’s too dark for sightseeing now, so I’m back in the hostel, and about to hit the book exchange shelves with my trusty pre-numbered labels… 🙂