Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Last morning in Auckland was spent shuffling about, finding out that things really don't open at a normal time on Saturday's!!It's like home used to be, closed at the weekends, they just don't have half day opening on Wednesday!

So, I got up super early to have breakfast and then sort my stuff out to check out afterwards but I had to do it the other way around in the end.I also had to sort out my Airbus refund....which took a bit of time but I got it in the end.I guess NZ$13 isn't a big deal in the end, but it's the principle of the thing, you know.Also, $13 is a fair bit of money for me at the moment, so there we are.

Anyways, so got on my bus no problem (after sweating what felt like half my body weight away dragging my suitcase behind me!) and I was dreading the journey seeing as it takes about 6.5 hours.....groan.Good thing I don't really get travel sick anymore!!(Yes, the Red Centre journey was entirely different - heat + hiking + bumpy roads = chucking up).I also saw my first New Zealand sheep - yay!I had been wondering where they were all hiding.I know NZ is fairly big (about the same size as GB apparently) but where could 40 million sheep hide themselves?I thought perhaps they were all on one big hill somewhere, packed in like sheep-dines.....but, no thankfully.

I did also feel like I was in Mordor country as well as there were lots of rolling hills and dales that were so green and lush.Coming from Melbourne where everything seemed to be a bit dry and brown-looking, seeing beautiful green hills was really lovely.

Got to New Plymouth around 7pm, so didn't expect to be doing much in the evening apart from flaking out and stressing about how much luggage I have!!Shame I didn't go to the Post Office in Auckland before I left so I could send stuff home, but then that's my own fault!!I'll have to do that when I get to Hamilton on Monday as I'm hoping to take an early bus so I can have the rest of the day to explore.It probably means getting up at sparrows first cough again, but needs must!!I guess getting up early on holiday isn't sooooo bad.... :D

Had another funny busy driver as well, who told me about a Festival of Lights that New Plymouth had been having since December.It happens in Pukekara Park each year, and they light up the trees, have music, and there are even little boat rides on the river that runs through the park.He also told me about this gorilla that lives in the trees and swings down to hug people, and a giant that lives up in the trees that snores and farts.He was an old geezer, so I knew he was pulling my leg, but I can imagine he'd be quite convincing to wee bairns.When I got into the hostel (he gave me a lift there too - it seems there are many advantages to being on my own, small, and female) I asked the girl at the desk and she said the gorilla is a guy in a gorilla costume who dresses up specially for the festival, and the giant is mechanical and sleeps in a hammock!!Ha ha - I had to go and check this festival out because it sounded rather twee!!

It was actually quite nice in the end, the trees looked very pretty and were lit up with red, green, blue, and white lights on some of them, and they had a mini waterfall which they lit up too.The music wasn't to my taste, but it was nice to have a stroll around the park in the evening - especially after being on a bus for about 6 hours!!

Having my own room was also great - got to spread out a bit and lament about all the gubbins I'm carrying around with me.....groan.Why wasn't I more ruthless?I really will either have toned up my arm muscles or I'll actually get some!!:D

I was intending to go to Mount Egmont on the Sunday, but I think that I'll just have a nice walk around the coast, and I'll get to gawp at the Len Lye wind wand which is mostly what brought me to here.I think I'll have a look at the Govett-Brewster museum too, which supports Len Lye's work.

Funny, isn't it.Most travellers probably came here for the mountain, but I've come here for art.For what that says about me, answers on a postcard to....