"Part 2 and 3 of The Road Trip

Well I think I may have found home. After the beach meets the concrete pavement, which in turn defers to the hard mottled surface of the main road, a building sits on Oriental Drive overlooking Wellington harbour. It is comprised of little two bedroom flats which are sandwiched between Art-Deco housing. Its bathed in sunlight and seeing it has made the last couple of days travelling really worthwhile.

Since leaving Tauranga we have headed South, stopping off in Napier yesterday, before heading right to the Southern tip of the North Island and New Zealand's capital: Wellington.

I was a little disappointed with Napier. Yes, it was nice to see some "Art Deco", but the beach was like Felixstowe's - and I think so was the nightlife!! Richie and I camped down for the evening at the resident Irish bar and caught a Super 14 game. Was good to finally see some sport though we will be seeing plenty of it in the days to come. I could hear a group of Americans sitting close by perplexed by the game that was unfolding before them. We resisted exchanging "banter" and continued to sink our beers.

We left Napier just after eight this morning and spent the next five hours driving to Wellington, taking in some jaw dropping scenery and several towns as we went. One such road seemed to be cut into the mountains along the Taurarua Forest Park. I did withdraw into my seat a little as my driver did his best to scare me...tut..tut... Richard doesn't like to be overtaken.

We arrived here in Wellington at about one o'clock in the afternoon and it has been so worth the recent travelling. For a capital city it...well..just doesn't have that feel to it. I've spent nearly the whole afternoon just sunbathing on the beach. Though trying to get any semblence of a tan is proving difficult after applying Richie's factor 23!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow we will be going to the musuem and trying to find the Kilburn railcar. Then it will be an early night to catch the ferry - at 7.25am!!