What a great position the NZMCA Park is in Plimmerton! A short walk to the shops (mainly restaurants and a superette), train station and, if the weather is kind or even if the wind is howling and you're wrapped up, a lovely walk around the waterfront. Parking somewhere in Wellington has always seemed a bit of a nightmare so for the NZMCA to have this asset is wonderful. There were lots of vans already parked but still plenty of room and it's so good to have the dump station with fresh water on site as well as a rubbish/recycling station.
Monday morning we caught the modern train which goes very regularly into Wellington and again we enjoyed one of the perks of being older - no charge for gold card holders. Wellington was sunny and the wind was on the wane so we had a wander through the city, stopping in to see Kirsten in her recently opened St Fabiola Boutique in Lombard Lane. She married my nephew, Bruce, in his newly founded Urbanaut Brewery in Auckland in February - an awesome wedding.
Kirsten is a very talented young lady, very skilled at digital textile embroidery and she has some wonderful work on show. Often being called on to do work on commission she made many magical embroidery touches to about a thousand costumes in The Hobbit. A 9 page article in the latest NZ Life & Leisure Magazine (November/ December 2018) gives a great insight into Kirsten's life and work.
Our next stop was The War Memorial Museum where we were keen to see the recently opened Gallipoli Trench Experience created by Peter Jackson. We could join the tour going through in about 45 minutes time so we just had time to do a quick dash down the hill a few blocks to get a takeaway lunch and drink our St Fabiola beer beforehand.
The trench experience was absolutely amazing - the use of holograms and dialogue made you feel like you were really there, experiencing the horror, blasts and gunfire. What a talented man Peter Jackson is. My Dad fought in the trenches in the Somme in World War 1 but could never talk about the dire, horrific conditions within.
We managed to catch the train back to Plimmerton before 3.00pm when we could still use it for a free ride. On our return to the campground we managed to find old friends from Tauranga, Keith and Diane, parked there so we joined them for a coffee. After dinner they came to see our bus and have a drink or 2 before retiring for the night. They had a 6.00am start to catch the ferry which we are going on in the afternoon.
On the way passed the bus Keith noticed that our outside back left hand tyre was flat! We hadn't noticed as it is sort of held up by the wheel alongside it and hadn't seem to have affected the driving. How long it had been like that we don't know!! Oh dear - something to deal with in the morning!
So Tuesday morning we were up early to take the bus over the road to Paremata Auto Services who do everything on motorhomes it seems. Such prompt attention and wonderful service at a very reasonable price - they have all the right gear of course and found a nail in the tube. After a tyre change and tube repair we still had a few hours for me to write this blog and read before heading for the ferry. It was a very windy night and we are hoping the crossing is not tempestuous!
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